5 Fat traps of which to be aware

Whether it’s a certain time of the day - specials at supermarkets or certain days of the week, being aware of the following five fat traps may help you cut calories.

1. Hangovers

Drinking alcohol can lead to low blood sugar and salt levels which can trigger cravings, while post-party tiredness can affect your willpower. Thus, hangovers can cause even the strongest willed of us to give in to cravings for greasy food or high-calorie snacks.  Try drinking less alcohol or alternating drinks with a glass of water to avoid a hangover. Choose healthy options to raise your blood sugar levels and rehydrate you, such as fruit. Eggs will help raise your serotonin levels and fight against alcohol-induced toxins.

2. 15h23

According to researchers for the Atkins Diet, sixty two per cent of people break their diets mid-afternoon, with 15h23 being the time when you are most likely to give into temptation and indulge in sweet treats. Try eating a low-GI lunch such as vegetable soup with pulses, or salads with beans or fish in order to sustain energy levels. Keep  healthy snacks, such as nuts and dried fruit on hand as well. Try leaving interesting and enjoyable tasks for the afternoon to help prevent mid-afternoon boredom or stress that may cause unhealthy snacking.

3. Supermarket deals

Many of us think of two-for-one offers as money-saving opportunities but in fact they could be encouraging us not just to buy more but also to eat more – more than we actually need!  Only go for two-for-one deals on nutritious products and avoid purchasing more ice cream, crisps or other junk foods just because they are cheap. Remember that two-for-one also means means twice as many calories.

4. Weekends

While many of us find it relatively easy to eat well during the week, it can be difficult to hold on to healthy intentions once the weekend comes around especially with the temptations of restaurant meals, takeaways and nights out. However, while we should all treat ourselves now and again, taking every weekend off from healthy eating can easily undo all your hard work. Restricting your diet seven days a week can seem too much like hard work, which is why many of us rebel at the weekends. However, by making sure you aren’t restricting yourself too much during the week, you will lessen your need for a treat and a “day off”, and may find it less tempting to overindulge at the weekend.

5. Eating in front of the TV 

According to research findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition, eating when distracted (such as when watching TV) can cause you to ignore signals from your body that you’ve had enough. This may lead you to eat more than you normally would. Try to keep eating and watching television as two separate activities and limit your TV viewing to programmes that really engage you. Spend the rest of the time finding more productive things to do rather than snacking unnecessarily.

 

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