ShareWho’s making you fat?
While YOU are responsible for what you eat, new scientific research shows your “company” – either real or on TV – play a big role if you pack in nutrients or pile on pounds.
If you’re eating while you’re distracted, your waistline is at risk. Seemingly minor food decisions, such as where, when and how fast you eat, can snowball into belly fat fast.
Avoiding these “danger zones” can help you maintain control at every meal.
#1: At a Bar/Restaurant
Hanging out with your friends can be a disaster waiting to happen. Chances are, if your group is going to town, you will too.
“We’ll only have one glass of wine” <= Ha, those famous last words 
“Oh, let’s get a small dessert to share…”
You’ve heard it all before. And no one wants to be the party pooper, so you try to keep up.
Escape It: Check out the menu online before you go, and know what you’re going to order. That way, you won’t be influenced by your friends or be tempted to binge mindlessly on junk food.
#2: At Home Watching TV
Eating while watching TV can be even more troublesome for your waistline than eating at restaurants with your friends.
One study showed eating in front of the box can bump up your calorie intake by as much as 71%!
Yikes!
And consume just two meals a week while watching TV, and you might pack on 10lbs in a year.
Double yikes.
Plus to top it off – if you’re watching “food porn” (aka The Cooking Channel) late at night, expect that number to be even higher.
Escape It: Turn off the box and other distractions, put your food on a real plate, and sit at the dining room table.
Believe it or not, when I first moved to NYC, I had no choice but to eat dinner while sitting on the couch. We didn’t have enough space in our apartment for a dining table. And before I knew it, the weight started to creep on…
It definitely helped to switch off the TV and focus on my meals.
#3: Supersize Sabotage
Research shows when you eat out of a large container, you’re likely to consume more…
I had friends from London visiting last weekend, and they couldn’t believe how big the serving sizes were at restaurants.
I’m pretty sure my bestie Poppy gained 10lbs just looking at her lunch…
But seriously, you don’t need all that food.
Escape It: Try eating from a smaller plate at home (just don’t pile it high). You can eyeball your serving sizes:
- Protein should be the size of your palm
- A serve of vegetables is approximately the size of your fist
And when you go out to dinner, halve your meal before you even get started. Put it on the side of your plate and get the server to take it away. It’s totally OK to leave food on your plate!
What’s the #1 distraction stopping your progress? Let me know here on our awesome Facebook page.
Avoid distractions, and drop pounds!
KV
