Are you always thinking about losing weight, yet unable to resist the temptation of delicious food? Are you always very careful about your diet, but still unintentionally consume too many calories? Why is that? Actually, you've unknowingly fallen into some common dieting pitfalls. What are some common traps in daily life that can cause us to gain weight without realizing it? Let's take a look together!
Do you often struggle to control your appetite and seem prone to binge eating? Actually, you're not alone in this problem. Researchers have discovered a surprising fact: certain foods have a powerful influence on triggering binge eating tendencies. Even without the temptation of delicious food, your weight can still increase dramatically.
Brian Wansink, professor of nutrition and director of the Food and Brand Lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, says, "For most people, the gap between daily calorie intake and expenditure is about 50 calories. Those who gain an average of 0.5 to 1 kilogram per year can maintain their current weight by eating 50 fewer calories a day; and they can lose weight by eating 100 fewer calories a day."
Dr. Barbara Rolls, a food choice researcher at Pennsylvania State University and co-author of "The Weight Management Plan" (published by Harper Torch in 2003), believes that "it is almost impossible to resist the temptation of a prepared food, regardless of whether you are full or hungry."
Barbara cited a rather interesting study: when people are presented with a magical soup bowl that seems to never run out of food, with a hidden storage device under the table that keeps the bowl full of food at all times, everyone drinks far more soup than they would normally eat. When these people are told that the soup bowl is a trap, some can quickly return to their normal eating habits, but others still cannot say "no" to the food in front of them and continue to drink the endless stream of soup.
Whether we feel hungry or not, any sound, smell, or action that reminds us of food—such as office lunch break announcements, food advertisements, or limited-time sales at stores—has a powerful influence on triggering binge eating tendencies. Once the appetite is aroused and we unconsciously participate in various tempting situations, it's very difficult to stop!
Brian said, "We can be very aware of what we eat, but we rarely think about how much we eat. Although there are all kinds of fatty foods around us, whether they are the key to overeating and obesity depends on whether you understand how your environment affects your diet and can choose the right foods accordingly."
Here are 6 common pitfalls that everyone faces, and how to avoid getting trapped in them.
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