Who\u2019s making you fat?<\/p>\n
While YOU are responsible for what you eat, new scientific research shows your \u201ccompany\u201d \u2013 either real or on TV \u2013 play a big role if you pack in nutrients or pile on pounds.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re eating while you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n
Avoiding these \u201cdanger zones\u201d can help you maintain control at every meal.<\/p>\n
Hanging out with your friends can be a disaster waiting to happen. Chances are, if your group is going to town, you will too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll only have one glass of wine\u201d <\/em><= Ha, those famous last words \ud83d\ude09<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOh, let\u2019s get a small dessert to share\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>You\u2019ve heard it all before. And no one wants to be the party pooper, so you try to keep up.<\/p>\n Escape It: <\/strong>Check out the menu online before you go, and know what you\u2019re going to order. That way, you won\u2019t be influenced by your friends or be tempted to binge mindlessly on junk food.<\/p>\n Eating while watching TV can be even more troublesome for your waistline than eating at restaurants with your friends.<\/p>\n One study showed eating in front of the box can bump up your calorie intake by as much as 71%!<\/p>\n Yikes!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n And consume just two meals a week while watching TV, and you might pack on 10lbs in a year.<\/p>\n Double yikes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Plus to top it off \u2013 if you\u2019re watching \u201cfood porn\u201d (aka The Cooking Channel) late at night, expect that number to be even higher.<\/p>\n \u00a0Escape It: <\/strong>Turn off the box and other distractions, put your food on a real plate, and sit at the dining room table.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t have enough space in our apartment for a dining table. And before I knew it, the weight started to creep on\u2026<\/p>\n It definitely helped to switch off the TV and focus on my meals.<\/p>\n Research shows when you eat out of a large container, you\u2019re likely to consume more\u2026<\/p>\n I had friends from London visiting last weekend, and they couldn\u2019t believe how big the serving sizes were at restaurants.<\/p>\n I\u2019m pretty sure my bestie Poppy gained 10lbs just looking at her lunch\u2026 \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n But seriously, you don\u2019t need all that food.<\/p>\n Escape It: <\/strong>Try eating from a smaller plate at home (just don\u2019t pile it high). You can eyeball your serving sizes:<\/p>\n#2: At Home Watching TV<\/strong><\/h2>\n
#3: Supersize Sabotage<\/strong><\/h2>\n