How Your Eating Habits and Patterns Affect Your Weight?

 Depending on the goals that you have, the habits that you develop are bound to bring forth some great changes. Be it your struggle with weight loss or your will to maintain the weight that you have achieved so far, the body would require you to introduce some major lifestyle changes in the form of eating habits and your eating patterns to ensure that the results you achieve last a long time with you.

Weight control is a journey

Unlike the common misconception that we have, weight loss and maintenance is not just a one-time path but rather a long road that you have to walk for the rest of your life if you plan to stay healthy and fit. It would demand some major changes in how and what you choose to eat and this is something you need to be fully aware of in order to achieve your desired goals.

Eating patterns and weight loss

It has been studied that the kind of dietary patterns we choose to follow in our lives, tend to have a huge impact on our weight. Some of the most common patterns that as per the latest research produce the best results when it comes to weight maintenance are as follows.

• Home cooked meals

They give you greater control over what you eat and how you can modify your meals to suit your eating requirements. From adding on more fiber to cutting down on carbs, you can try out various alternatives and ensure that the meal you are having meets your calorie-intake goal and is healthy at the same time. It also helps you limit your intake of processed and unhealthy food which are your biggest enemy especially if you are watching your weight.

• Staying involved

Gone are the days when not knowing what you should be eating or what is there on your plate could still have you lose weight. Now, you need to be fully involved in your meal preparation to ensure that you exert greater control over what is finally served to you in your plate. It helps you choose healthier and better alternatives while giving you the freedom to plan your meals in a more realistic manner.

• Eating frequencies

Eating a calorie controlled diet divided into different portions throughout the day helps you stay away from nibbling or snacking on to unhealthy food items out of boredom or to meet your psychological needs. It has been studied that more than the frequency of the meals, the overall calorie count and meal structuring is what matters. But given your needs and body requirements, you surely can increase the frequency of meals to stay away from eating more or unhealthy food eventually.

Common eating habits to adopt

When it comes to weight retention or loss, here are some of the common eating habits you need to look into to produce the best results without falling off the desired path.

• Drink water excessively throughout the day. This helps keep your stomach full and prevents you from snacking unnecessarily. It is also great at promoting digestion and ensuring a good metabolic rate.
  
• Never skip on the breakfast. Not only is it the most important meal of the day but having a fulfilling breakfast would mean that your body would have fewer cravings for the rest of the day that would need to be satiated. As per a study, over 78% of people who lost weight were regular with their breakfasts as compared to a mere 4% of those who lost weight without including breakfasts as a regular part of their meal plans.
  
• The thing with weight loss is that it follows a simple formula: you need to create a deficit in the total number of calories that you eat and the ones that your body finally uses. This can be done through meal plans and by staying active and burning off the excess calories that would eventually be stored as fat by your body. Always keep an activity like yoga, swimming or some light workout as a part of your routine that your body can use to relax and burn off those few added calories to stay fit and healthy.
  
• Get regular sleep and give your body time to relax. Too much of stress and lack of sleep can contribute adversely to your weight goal plans.

Instead of following a fad diet plan that would produce quick results too quickly for you, go for lifestyle changes that would help you lose weight and also keep your body healthy.