A few weeks back I wrote an article about healthy eating where I explained how I maintain a healthy diet. In this article I mentioned some of my weaknesses, but I certainly didn’t include them all. I think everyone can relate to having some naughty eating habits that they know they need to kick.
You can follow a really strict diet, but if you don’t stick to it then you are probably wasting your time. My advice? Don’t go on insanely strict diets, they are impossible to stick to and will only make you miserable. Instead, just eat well.
Cut yourself some slack when you slip up, you are only human after all. However, it can be useful to be aware of your dieting downfalls. Soooo many people say ‘I have been eating really well and I haven’t lost any weight’. Ask yourself, have I really eaten well or am I sabotaging my weight loss?
I am laying all my dieting weaknesses out on the table. I am going to make some food related confessions, things that are definitely holding me back. I have to say on the whole, I eat very well. The things I eat are generally very healthy and always serve a purpose. It’s just these pesky weaknesses that hold me back.
Some of them may not be relevant to anyone else, but a few people out there might be making exactly the same mistakes as me. I am going to work on my weaknesses, so maybe you can join me?
Midnight snacks
This is my worst habit. It feels out of my control because I swear when it happens I am basically sleep walking. However, I can probably do something about it. I wake up more than two times a week in the middle of the night, say 3 am and feel starting hungry. So I wander down to the fridge and eat whatever is in it. I don’t eat bad things, usually leftovers from dinner, a potato or even some celery and hummus. Yes it’s an odd habit but I just can’t kick it.
Solution – Make sure I eat enough food before I go to bed. If I do wake up have a glass of water instead.
Buying food on the go
I am trying to completely give up buying food on the go, but it seems impossible. There’s always a time where you need to grab a quick bite to eat. The problem is, more often than not you can’t find anything remotely healthy. Even things that are supposed to be healthy aren’t, like the pre-cooked chicken you buy at mini supermarkets. It’s packed full of salt and sugar, why sugar? I try and prepare all my food but it doesn’t always happen.
Solution – Only buy food on the go when there are no other options. Educate yourself about food labels so you know how to spot things that are unhealthy, even if they look good for you. Prepare food in advance.
Horrendous portion control
Having a rugby player as a boyfriend does not help me out on this one. I get jealous when I dish up our dinner and he has more, so I add a few more spoonfuls to my plate. Error. I must remind myself that he is nearly twice my size and I definitely don’t need to eat as much food as him.
Solution – Use a different size plate/spoon to serve my food. Get used to dishing up exactly the amount my body needs rather than what my mind wants.
Finishing other people’s unwanted food
When I go out to dinner, or round someone’s house I am ashamed to admit I eye up other people’s food. Of course I won’t take it or sometimes even ask for it when they are done, but if they offer me it I am like a vulture. Swooop. It’s even worse when I have a disappointing meal that doesn’t fill me up.
Solution – quit being rude and try harder to resist clearing up other people’s leftovers.
Going back for sneaky seconds
Dammit, this is another really bad one. Kiri, you don’t need seconds. Despite your appetite, you are not that large. Many times I have returned to leftover food in the kitchen and gradually picked away at it throughout the evening.
Solution – Put leftovers in tupperware in the fridge and save for the next day. That’s a whole meal you can eat tomorrow instead of now, when you clearly don’t need it. Or just don’t go back for seconds.
Not being able to resist bad food that’s offered to me
When I am at home, I am like a healthy eating pro. No sugar, no cakes and no unhealthy snacks. When I am out and about and especially at other people’s homes, I just cannot resist bad food when it’s offered to me. It’s lucky I don’t work in an office anymore, because I use to get offered cake on a daily basis. I would very much like to maintain my healthy eating regime outside of my home.
Solution – Stay focused when out and about. Explain to friends your healthy eating regime. Think about your goals and how you feel after eating awful food.
Not going food shopping
Not going food shopping is a big fail. It definitely sabotages your diet. When you don’t have any good food at home you end up eating rubbish. I feel so much better when my fridge is fully stocked with healthy, yummy foods filled with goodness.
Solution – Go food shopping. Simples.
Ordering too much food
When I am at a restaurant, I always think I need wayyyy more food than I really. One time my three friends ordered a main course each and then one extra main course to share between us. Epic fail. I can now resist ordering a pudding in restaurants but still find it very difficult.
Solution – Carefully consider how hungry you are when ordering. Have a healthy snack before going out to dinner.
Hot chocolates with marshmallows and ten tonnes of whipped cream
A masssivvvveee weakness for me. Don’t really need to explain how unhealthy this is. It’s illustrated in the picture. But look how happy I am.
Solution – Go to that coffee shop that does the 85% dark hot chocolate with no whipped cream or marshmallows. It’s still really tasty.
Food envy
If I could control my food envy I would be laughing. But no, I get food envy so bad that it almost turns to food rage sometimes. It’s not your food Kiri, you don’t need it, back off. Food envy is the worst.
Solution – Seek counselling for food envy (jokes). Not really sure what the solution is to this one…..
