Over the past several decades Americans have steadily gotten fatter. Although our increasingly sedentary lifestyles are partly to blame, a big reason for our national weight gain is that we're simply eating more.
"The real reason we seem to be eating more [calories] is we're eating often," says the lead author of the study, Barry Popkin, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "The frequency of eating is probably, for the average overweight adult, becoming a huge issue".
Keep an eye on expanding waistlines by knowing your caloric needs.
Don’t eat in front of the TV
Step away from the nuts
Nuts have heart-healthy fats, but they’re also high in calories:
Use smaller plates
You’ll eat 20 to 25% less—and save up to 500 calories
Count your chips
Don't eat snacks' from a large bag or box because it’s tempting to eat until the bag is empty.
Don’t clean your plate
Leave 25% of your food on the plate at every meal, says weight-loss expert James O. Hill, PhD, author of The Step Diet.
If you normally eat 2,000 calories or more each day, you’ll cut 500 calories.
If you normally eat 2,000 calories or more each day, you’ll cut 500 calories.
Kick the soda habit
A 12-ounce soft drink has about 150 to 180 calories. If you down two or three a day, you’re getting lots of extra calories.
Quench your thirst with water and save as many as 540 calories.
Quench your thirst with water and save as many as 540 calories.
Ditch that buttered movie popcorn
The large popcorn at the concession stand weighs in at a whopping 1,005 calories.
Walk everyday
Even if it’s for just 10 minutes around the block
Read more on Health.com
