7 habits holding you back from your goals
So as we get stuck into those new year resolutions, let’s look at 7 common habits that might be holding you back from reaching your goals and some simple tips to counter them:
1. You're skipping meals in preference for snacks or caffeine
Does this sound familiar....?:
6:45 - Coffee
7:00 - Breakfast: Cereal bar on the train
9:00 - Cappuccino
11:45 - Coffee, Biscuit
13:30 - Lunch: Salad, diet coke, crisps
15:00 - Cup of tea, banana
17:00 - Couple of chocolates from a client
19:30 - Dinner: ALL THE FOOD (including snacks whilst cooking)
21:30 - Ice cream
In an attempt to manage calorie intake, I often see people trying to restrict calories throughout the day with the aim of saving them for their evening meal. As a result, they resort to caffeine and frequent snacks (typically hyper palatable high carb food) to tide them over.
However, this leads to fluctuations in insulin and cortisol (two hormones we definitely want to get a handle on when it comes to fat loss), and as a result ghrelin (our hunger hormone) will also get out of control. If this is your eating pattern, by the time you get home, you will be ready to eat anything and everything you can get your hands on.
Often people will then feel like they have tripped themselves up and therefore try to restrict calories again the next day..... and so the cycle continues.
TIP: Set yourself up with a nutrient dense breakfast (or brunch if you are breaking your fast a little later in the day) and lean towards fats and proteins which will keep you satiated between meals. Try to lean away from hyper palatable refined food which will mess with your blood sugar balance.
2. You're inhaling your food at breakneck speed
Not only does this make it easy to overeat in one sitting but if you're going out of your way to prepare nutrient dense meals but how much are you actually absorbing and benefitting from this food if it’s making it's way through your digestive tract pretty much intact??
The importance of chewing your food should not be underestimated, not only so that we can reduce food to particles that we can actually swallow but saliva also contains the enzyme amylase which starts to break down some starches.
So with any digestive issues, the first port of call should be making sure you are taking time to chew your food so that we can establish an efficient cascade of digestion.
TIP: Although you should obviously be hungry before a meal, being ravenous does not bode well for slowing down to properly chew your food, include good sources of fat at snacks and main meals to help stabilise your blood sugar and keep you satiated. I also recommend putting your knife and fork down between bites to slow down the speed at which you're eating.
3. You're multitasking during your meals
One hand on your fork, one hand on your keyboard?
This is a big one, whether you're watching TV, scrolling through 'the gram', walking to your next meeting or eating at your desk whilst working. All these distractions mean we are far less likely to be in a parasympathetic state when we eat (rest and digest) so there's a slim chance you'll be able to optimise your digestion.
TIP: This tends to be particularly prevalent at lunch, so schedule yourself a lunch break, much as you would do a meeting, and definitely aim to turn off all devices so that your attention is on your meal.
4. You're working longer hours
If you want to keep your circadian rhythm in check and therefore your hormones and metabolism functioning optimally..... then staring at a screen late into the evening is definitely going to do you a disservice.
I can't stress how detrimental this evening blue light exposure is in terms of disrupting our sleep and hormonal balance (and consequently every element of optimal health). These long hours also mean less exercise, less family time and less down time. This obviously does not bode well for your overall physical and mental well being.
TIP: Schedule yourself a wind-down 'commute' at the end of the day, perhaps a 10-20 min walk to clear your head before relaxing for the evening. That way your working day and your downtime don't blur into one.
Staying on top of hobbies and socialising is also a great way to make sure you are not filling your evenings with work.
5. You're eating food you know doesn't agree with you
I feel like everyone does this to some degree, whether it's common intolerances like gluten, dairy (did you know that approx 65% of adults have a reduced ability to breakdown lactose??), soy, nightshades, FODMAPS etc or excess refined sugars, sweeteners etc which are causing your bloating and loose stools.
Your digestive, inflammatory or immune responses to food such as headaches, bloating, eczema, asthma, airborne allergies, brain fog, mucus cough etc may have become the norm, but your body is trying to tell you that something is out of whack, be that an intolerance, allergy, leaky gut, autoimmune reaction, genetic predisposition etc.... it's worth listening to your body if you want to correct these symptoms.
TIP: Start a food diary, not just to track your food intake but one which will allow you to start taking note of your response to foods, it won't take long to spot patterns in relation to common ingredients you may be reacting to.
6. You're not eating enough veggies
Hands up if you don't eat any veggies until your evening meal, and then it might be 2- 3 servings if you're lucky..... so what's making up the bulk of the rest of your meals? Often highly refined foods such as sandwiches, cereals, pasta etc. These foods are often calorie dense and nutrient poor.
I recommend a food first approach rather than just taking a multivitamin and hoping the best. Vitamins and minerals are best sourced from natural whole foods as these contain all the perfect co-factors for optimal absorption and utilisation within the body.
TIP: Aim for at least two sources of veg (or fruit) at each meal and suddenly you'll have at least doubled your plant intake across the course of the day. If you find these high fibre foods hard to digest, try at least lightly steaming them first, or a variety of other cooking methods such as pan frying, boiling, roasting etc.
7. You're eating the same thing day in day out
Even the 'healthiest' ingredients can cause problems over time if there isn't enough variety in your diet, not only are you at risk of causing food intolerances, but you will be missing out on valuable nutrients from all the foods you don't happen to be eating.
TIP: You can start by having three easy and enjoyable breakfast, lunch and dinner options that you rotate through as you get into the groove of adding in more variety. Typically it's breakfast and lunch that we put the least thought into, so focus your attention on adding variety to these meals.
You could even set yourself the challenge of having a slightly different breakfast each day eg mixing up the protein source between eggs, smoked salmon, plant based protein, collagen protein, whey protein, greek yoghurt (if tolerated), nuts, seeds etc. Be creative and plan ahead so you don't fall into the trap of reaching for the same foods each day.
SO IN SUMMARY, consider these factors to keep you on track towards your goals
Avoid frequent snacking, take breaks for proper meals
Slow down for meals, chewing thoroughly
Quit meal multitasking
Create some structure in your day including time for exercise, relaxation and socialising
Listen to your body - start a food diary
Eat your veggies
Be creative with your meals, variety is key!
As always, I hope you've found this helpful, do give me a shout if you have any questions!
Look forward to seeing you all smash your 2023 goals!
Harri
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The content in this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health.