How Lifestyle Habits Impact Your Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for your overall health and well-being. Read how many factors can influence weight, such as your genetics, environment, and behaviors.

Eating Habits That Tip the Scale

What you eat and how you eat affects your weight. You might struggle to lose weight if you:

• Always eat dessert
• Drink sugary beverages
• Eat processed food or eat out too much
• Eat too fast
• Eat when you’re not hungry or overeat
• Mindlessly eat or eat
• Eat because of emotions or stress
• Skip meals
• Drink heavily

Shift Your Eating Habits

Everyone has habits they can improve. Try to replace an unhealthy habit with a new one like:

• Eating healthy snacks throughout the day
• Slow down when eating to allow your stomach to tell you when you’re full
• Eating only when you’re hungry
• Cooking at home, use fresh food when possible
• Limiting yourself to one alcoholic drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men
• Reducing your portion size and being mindful of your calorie intake
• Planning your meals so that you eat a well-balanced meal

Physical Factors That Contribute to Obesity

Poor physical habits can lead to weight gain:

• Lack of exercise
• Poor sleep habits
• Sitting too much
• Watching too much television

Find Joy in Physical Activity

Increasing your physical activity can help you reach a healthy weight and boosts your mental health. To improve your overall health, try to:

• Set realistic goals for increasing your activity level; start slow to avoid injuries
• Schedule your weekly exercise and find someone to hold you accountable
• Aim for moderate aerobic activity each day
• Get up and stretch in between long periods of sitting
• Track your progress to stay motivated; even 10-minutes of movement each day adds up

Check Your Health

Talk to your doctor about weight management and your health goals. Ask them about nutrition counseling so you can feel your best.