But now recent surveys confirm that most of us are in denial about what we eat and how many calories we consume. Previous studies have shown that on average we consume about 2,000 calories a day but it's more like 3,000..
Many people hide how much they actually eat by eating more outside their home. It is claimed that if the nation was consuming the number of calories it reports, then people on the whole would be losing weight rather than gaining.
I’m sure this rings alarm bells with many of you who struggle to lose or maintain weight, here are a few examples of how and why I think this happens:
-It’s too easy to play mind games with yourself, for example thinking you just had a bit of chicken and a plain salad when you went out for a meal but what you forgot was the load of mayonnaise you added, the few chips you ate from your kids plate, the small piece of bread from the bread basket, the glass of coke which was loaded with sugar and two bites of your friends chocolate pudding. In the end it was anything but a chicken salad!
-You feel you are being good by only eating half of something which you know is loaded with calories such as cake, chocolate or a scone. This is the wrong mindset because you are believing this is fine, when in reality you are consuming a large number of empty calories which will probably lead to weight gain. If this happens a few times a week it soon adds up.
-I’ve been to the gym so I can eat what I like. Wrong, you can’t out train a bad diet. In my opinion to lose weight it’s 80% food 20% exercise.
-The amount of people who visit coffee shops and cafes has rocketed in the last few years. Many of you still associate coffee with a piece of cake or a sweet tasting treat, this may have become a habit which you are simply overlooking because everyone seems to do it. If you add the number of calories consumed over one year you may think again. -Are you in denial that one glass of wine a day is insignificant? You may be shocked to know that adds up to around 53,000 calories a year, equivalent to over 14lbs in fat.
Of course, being in denial about what you eat is one thing but not knowing how many calories are in certain foods is another. Keeping a detailed food diary with everything you eat, not just the main meals, but all the snacks and any alcohol will help you.
Be honest with yourself or be accountable to another family member, friend or fitness trainer this will help you focus and change your habits.