10 Little Things That Make You Gain Weight - And What To Do Instead!

Eating healthy and exercising regularly can help prevent the sneaky weight gain. However, it’s often the little things that pack on the pounds.

Fortunately, you can take control by changing your habits today.

How to Gain Weight

• Drinking Water Right After a Meal

Reason: Drinking water right after having a meal leads to water retention which in return leads to weight gain.

Solution: Wait for at least 30 mins before drinking water right after having a meal.

• Eating Quickly

Reason: Unfortunately, eating quickly makes you gain fat because it takes time for your body to tell your brain that it is full. Thus, people who eat quickly can easily eat more food than their body needs before feeling full.

Solution: If you’re a quick eater, try to consciously slow down by chewing more and taking smaller bites.

• Not Drinking Enough Water

Reason: Not drinking enough water can make you thirsty. Interestingly, thirst may be mistaken as a sign of hunger or food cravings by the body hence leading to weight gain.

Solution: Best of all, plain water has zero calories. Some studies have found that replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water may reduce calorie intake by up to 200 calories per day.

Tip: If you find plain water boring, try adding slices of cucumber, lemon or your favorite fruit to add a dash of flavor.

• Being Too Social

Reason: Social situations often involve food or alcohol, which can easily add unwanted calories to your diet.

Solution: Try opting for a healthier option whenever you’re eating out like salads instead greasy-cheesy-pizza.

• Sitting Too Long

Reason: Although it seems harmless, studies show that people who sit longer are more likely to be overweight. In addition, they have higher risks of chronic diseases and early death.

Solution: If your work involves sitting for long intervals, make sure you exercise either before work, during lunch or after work a few times per week.

• Not Getting Enough Sleep

Reason: Unfortunately, a lack of sleep is strongly linked to weight gain due to many factors, including hormonal changes and a lack of motivation to exercise.

Solution: Listen to relaxing music. Music can significantly improve quality of sleep. It can even be used to improve chronic sleep disorders like insomnia.

• Not Having Time To Relax

Reason: Sadly, not having time to relax could make you feel constantly stressed and gain some fat. Studies show that constant stress is linked to belly fat. It seems that this stress makes people unconsciously crave unhealthy “comfort foods” to relieve stress and make them feel better.

Solution: Try cutting back caffeine and practicing yoga or mindfulness as an alternative to relieve stress.

Tip: Meditation is a great alternative for dealing with stress.

• Eating From Large Plates and Bowls

Reason: The size of your plates and bowls could have a significant impact on your waistline. This happens because larger plates can make a serving of food look smaller than it is which tricks your brain into thinking you haven’t eaten enough food.

Solution: Simply switching to smaller tableware may help you eat less food without feeling hungry.

• Drinking Your Calories

Reason: Your brain does not register calories from beverages the same way it registers calories from foods, meaning you're likely to compensate by eating more food later on.

Solution: Get your calories from whole foods rather than beverages. Whole foods take more time to chew and swallow, which means your brain has more time to process hunger signals.

• Not Having Healthy Snacks Handy

Reason:  When people are hungry, they are more likely to eat larger portions of food. In addition, hunger can increase your cravings for unhealthy foods.

Solution: Having healthy snacks handy can help combat hunger and curb your cravings for unhealthy foods.

Tip: Just remember to keep your portion sizes at meals in check. Otherwise, eating too many healthy snacks alongside large meals can still affect your waistline.