5 Bad Dining Habits That Will Cause You to Gain Weight

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Surprisingly, your dining habits may be just as important in terms of weight gain as what you choose to eat. Here's how to avoid five bad dining habits that can cause weight gain.

If you're struggling to lose weight, maybe it's not what you're eating but how you're eating it that's causing you to hang on to those excess pounds. Believe it or not, your dining habits can play an important role in how much you weigh. If you're not happy with the number the scale is showing, ask yourself if you commit any of these dining mistakes:

Bad dining habits: Using large size plates

A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2006 showed that eating from a large plate causes you to eat significantly more calories than if you eat from a smaller one. Try switching those extra large plates for small ones and watch your calorie consumption drop and those “skinny” jeans become looser.

Bad dining habits: Eating in the company of others

When you break bread with friends or family, you're likely to eat more than if you dine alone. This is particularly true if you're dining with voracious eaters who like to congregate around the table for hours. While you may not want to become a dining hermit, make it a practice to dine alone on occasion and when you do dine with others, pace yourself and closely monitor how much you're eating.

Bad dining habits: You eat on the go

This is another dangerous eating habit from a calorie standpoint. If you make a habit of eating your meals on the run, in your car, or while walking down the street, you risk eating so fast that your brain doesn't signal that you're full in a timely manner. To break this habit, make it a practice to eat all meals at a table and try to slow down the pace. Eating fast is not only unhealthy from a calorie stand point, it's also bad for digestion.

Bad dining habits: Distracted eating

If you park yourself in front of the T.V. or always go to the table with a book or magazine in hand, you may end up eating more than you planned. When you're focused on a chapter in an engrossing book or a favorite television show, it's easy to lose track of how much food you're devouring. Make it a point to focus on the smells and tastes of your food when you sit down to a meal. Lose yourself in the experience of eating and slowly savor each bite. You'll feel more satisfied at the completion of the meal and will be less likely to snack a few hours later.

Bad dining habits: Having too many taste options

Another way to limit how many calories you take in is to limit the types of food you offer yourself at a given meal. The more food choices you have, the more you're likely to eat. It seems that the brain and taste buds become satiated from a particular taste after eating a certain amount but if you have a variety of choices, you'll just keep on eating. Try to limit your choices and your brain will send the signal to stop eating sooner.

Try mending these five bad dining habits and you may well be on your way to losing those extra pounds.