What makes you reach for the bad food?
For many people, the New Year’s resolution to lose weight so that we can fit back into our clothes, feel healthier or avoid fat photos already seems like a dim and distant memory, as a host of diet demons battle it out to beat our willpower into submission.
New research from XLS-Medical, reveals that cravings for non-healthy food, hunger pangs, and a lack of recognition from others is taking its toll on dieters, leading them to revert to their old lifestyle habits.
Helen Bond, consultant dietitian to XLS-Medical Fat Binder can attest to this: “Most of the cravings we have are actually down to psychological reasons rather than physiological reasons – many of us have actually forgotten what physical hunger feels like.
"The so called ‘food triggers’ can be external, such as the sight or smell of food, or internal and emotion led, such as feeling happy, stressed, angry, bored and lonely. I recommend keeping a food and mood diary to watch out for ‘non hungry’ eating, or situational cues that are likely to make you revert to your old unhealthy eating habits.”
The research found that the most common diet triggers included a combination of these physical and psychological pressures:
- Feeling hungry
- Going out for dinner
- Feeling tired
- Being unable to resist office snacks
- Meeting up with friends
Spring clean
In the lead up to spring, dieters should reassess their original diet motivations and identify common triggers that may be jeopardising their weight loss success. “By addressing both the physical and psychological triggers, dieters will be better placed to embrace a healthy eating and exercise plan to much greater success,” adds Helen Bond.
“Spring cleaning your kitchen cupboards can do wonders for your diet success – out of sight really can be out of mind. Clean out your cupboards and your fridge by removing sugary, fatty snacks and crave inducing comfort foods – they are much easier to avoid if they aren’t in your kitchen.”
Weekend willpower
Cravings appear to be triggered on a Saturday where nearly a third of dieters find themselves fighting a dieting relapse and are likely to list this as one of three ‘fat days’ they have every week.
Dr Matt Capehorn, Clinical Director of the National Obesity Forum, comments: "Taking a single day off from dieting can undo a whole week's worth of hard work if you are not too careful. Dieters should not look at a day off from dieting as an excuse to binge on food and consume thousands of extra calories. While it’s important to relax at the weekend, dieters should look at ways other than food and drink to treat themselves to help prevent them from undoing their weight loss efforts.”
Experts say diet triggers often take hold when people set themselves unrealistic goals and follow extreme diet plans that are difficult to sustain on a long term basis, leaving them feeling hungry and demotivated.
A spokesperson for XLS-Medical Fat Binder comments: “A healthy eating and exercise plan that can be easily incorporated into your normal routine is pivotal to dieting success.”
Tagged in Nutrition Diet Healthy eating