How many of us actually look into the mirror and like what we see? The superficial aspect of physically looking good is just the icing on the cake of fitness. Nevertheless, how we see ourselves can affect our psyche.
Gaining weight is easy; what’s not so easy is losing it. Just one delicious holiday season later, you could be looking at several new pounds on the scale. But the reasons for weight gain are not just due to overeating. There are loads of possible reasons that you may not aware of.
Binge Eating
This literally means binging on food—and lots of it. The reason one may be binge-eating varies from person to person and from circumstance to circumstance. For some, it’s not that big of a problem, but for others, there are effective treatment options for binge eating. More often than not, though, people binge-eat because of stress, breaking of a fast, or even a smorgasbord during celebrations.
Stress Eating
This is also called emotional eating. When people are stressed, they can often turn to food. This is similar to giving them a sense of control over an otherwise hectic situation. Many stress-eaters even feel a strong urge, like an itch, that must be satisfied with food. The idea of eating, especially if the food is particularly delicious, often helps keep the mind occupied, but only for a short time.
Boredom and Eating
People when bored are often tempted to fill up the time. A common way to do this is to eat—and eat a lot. When people are eating just to plug up their boredom. It’s not common that they will reach for veggie sticks. Consumerism has made it easy and more enticing for us to stock up on processed snacks. These are easier to store and even easier to eat.
But this is a double-edged sword. Because while these types of food are made to look great, they are actually an easy way to gain weight, thanks to empty calories.
Hectic Schedules and Processed Food
When your schedule is impossibly busy, it’s so much harder to prepare and then eat healthy home-made food. The best option here, of course, is meal planning. But when you’re swamped, it is easy to choose prepacked food instead. Processed food is also sneakily packed in such a way that it’s better to finish the whole pack than to eat only what you really need.
Breaking Your Fast
When we say diet, it doesn’t necessarily mean a weight-loss regime. It could simply mean a lifestyle one follows in terms of food. Many people consider breakfast as an essential meal to nourish the body after eight hours of sleep. Others also choose to do intermittent fasts. Either way, when the body is deprived of food, it will yearn for food and drink.
If you aren’t careful, you can easily eat the wrong food and in the wrong way. Instead of a well-paced balanced meal, you could be diving into a plate (or two) of carbs, fat, and sugar faster than your body can process.
Thankfully, a way that everybody can follow to curb binge eating is to be more aware. Stocking up on healthy food, eliminating unhealthy snacks, and eating small frequent meals work for many. Otherwise, there are health centers, dietitians, and nutritionists who can provide professional solutions for a healthier lifestyle.