30 sneaky things making you gain weight

Think eating mini-meals will help you slim down? Not so, says Ansel. “When we’re always eating it’s really easy to put more kilojoules in our mouths than we realise. Plus nibbling your way through the day never gives you that feeling of fullness you’d get from a real meal, so you always feel a little hungry.” Her advice: Shoot for three real meals and one small snack per day.

Check out the seven proven benefits of intermittent fasting!

Just because your cereal bowl fits 450g doesn’t mean that’s what a single serving looks like. Oversized plates and wine glasses can cause similar confusion. “While there are lots of factors that help with weight loss, eating less overall is definitely a biggie,” says Ansel. “Think of it as simple math. If you were to shrink your portions by 10 per cent by leaving over a few bites at every meal, you’d eat 10 per cent fewer kilojoules, which can add up to significant savings.”

One tiny box of raisins has about 540 kilojoules, which isn’t bad – but you could eat an entire cup of grapes for even less than that. “To feel comfortably full on fewer kilojoules, you need to choose foods that are high in water and fibre,” says Dr Rifai. Add some foods that have a lot of water and protein (like low-fat yoghurt and egg whites) to your mix and you’ll be able to eat less without your tummy rumbling.

“Many people believe it’s a good idea to ‘eat lightly’ – basically semi-starve themselves – throughout the day, but that inevitably drives them to overeat in the evening,” says Dr Rifai. Instead, he suggests a “don’t stuff, don’t starve” approach: Eat at the earliest signs of hunger and stop when you’re just slightly full.

Aerobic exercise is key for torching kilojoules, but if you want to keep your metabolism up even while you’re at rest you absolutely have to add in some strength-training. Research has shown that people who do a combo are most likely to lose weight.

Here’s what might happen when you start a beginners weightlifting program.

Antidepressants are well-known for causing weight gain, but it’s not unusual to put on a few kilos while taking a beta blocker like metoprolol to control your blood pressure, either. Whatever you’re on, talk to your doctor if you think it’s making you fatter; switching to a different drug might help.

Learn 18 ways to keep blood pressure in check.

If you want to steer clear of pesticides and support organic farming practices, that’s great. But research has shown that the word “organic” confers a health halo, even when it’s not deserved. So while you might shun regular Oreos, you have no qualms about putting those chocolate cream-filled organic cookies into your cart (and your mouth), even if the calorie content is exactly the same.

Turning to comfort foods is only part of the problem. Chronic stress also taxes your body and contributes to elevated levels of hormones that cause inflammation as well as lead to packing on the kilograms. Unless you’re dead, some stress is a given, but finding ways to chill out can make all the difference.

Discover 8 weird symptoms you didn’t know were linked to stress.

You may have heard that exposure to artificial light late at night messes with your sleep, but it turns out it also messes with your metabolism, according to research from Northwestern University. The good news: Installing some dimmer switches can help mitigate this problem.

You managed to shed a few kilos, but they’re creeping back fast because you’re hungrier than ever. What gives? Unfortunately, it’s your body’s way of trying to maintain your fat reserves for a famine that’s most likely never coming. Research shows your appetite really does surge following a loss of body weight, which means it’s all too easy for the weight to return. Try drinking extra water and eating plenty of water-rich, low-kJ foods until you no longer feel ravenous all the time.

Sign up here to have Reader’s Digest’s favourite stories straight to your inbox.

Source: RD.com