Weight Loss Management - Be Wary Of These Three Obstacle To Weight Control

Researchers at Georgia State University, found we are likely to eat 44 percent more when we eat with others than when we eat alone. As sharing a meal with friends is one of life's great enjoyments, we are not going to change this.However, we need to be conscious of how these occasions affect us and what we can do to avoid overeating and eating the wrong food. There are certain occasions when we need to be particularly on our guard.

Eating out

Eating out has become such an important part of our lifestyle, we are not about to change it. But restaurant servings can be huge. They are often so much more than we would serve ourselves. Add to this a relaxing, convivial atmosphere with good food within easy reach and presented in an inviting way, it is easy to see why we can so easily forget how much we are eating. As we enjoy other's company, we do not even notice that we are not sticking with our eating plan. The more we are enjoying ourselves the more likely we are to eat what others are eating and to linger over dessert and coffee.

Eating with others

Depending on your family situation, family get-togethers can be frequent. The larger the family, the more those occasions are likely to happen. This is another time when you are likely to eat much more or break your diet rules and eat some of the high-calorie food you would normally avoid.

Eating in front of the TV

Another study has found if we eat in front of the TV we tend to eat more than we do sitting at a table. The main reason for this seems to be we are distracted. Our mind is on the television program rather than our meal. We tend not to notice how much we have eaten, when, in fact, we may have already satisfied our hunger. We can fix this by paying attention to what we are eating.

There are some things you can do to enjoy these occasions and to keep some control of you eating plan.

* Look over the menu and look for low to medium GI food
* Choose pasta (watch the sauce), lean meat or fish
* Have vegetables instead of fries with your meal
* Give the desert a miss or have a small one or a piece of fruit.

Eating is one of the great pleasures of life and it is even more enjoyable with the right company. There is no reason why we cannot continue to enjoy these occasions but we do need to be aware of the traps and pitfalls when eating with others or when eating alone in front of the TV. You can still follow your weight loss management plan by not being swept up in the occasion, by paying attention and by choosing the healthier foods that are available.