Unhealthy weight gain happens over a period of time, so losing weight will also take time. Keeping goals in mind and working towards them with dedication and enthusiasm is the key to good health. While long term goals help us focus, the everyday things we do also play a role in keeping fit. Sometimes these habits done over a period of time can sabotage even our best intentions of health and fitness.

Not Exercising
We approach exercise with mixed feelings. But the truth is - exercise and diet go hand in hand. You need to burn off the calories and exercise the muscle groups in the body to remain fit and toned. Exercise along with a balanced diet helps burn calories and build muscle which in turn increase metabolism. Not exercising does not really help keeping the weight away.

Skipping breakfast
Skipping breakfast is a complete no! After an overnight fast your body needs food to fuel your day's activities. Eating breakfast also kick starts metabolism so that you burn calories effectively.

Eating out too often - including snacks!
Most food choices available outside contain large amounts of oil, salt, sugar and refined carbohydrates. Home cooked foods are the best; those unhealthy evening snacks can also wreck your healthy diet and exercise routine. Plan meals and snacks ahead of time; in addition do not gulp down tea and coffee loaded with sugar through the day. If you are serious about losing weight, stop eating out even on weekends.

If you are eating out, order smart. Do not opt for buffets or combo/ value meals. These encourage overeating and you end up eating/ buying more food than you actually need. Do not be influenced by savvy pricing schemes. Order a la carte and share food as the portion sizes are generally more for an individual.

Portion control
Even healthy home cooked food requires portion control, each food does have calories. To save time we generally cook in large quantities so that the food lasts us for a day extra and we can give all that cooking a break. Never keep large dishes on the table, this encourages overeating. Mentally divide your plate into quarters, fill one quarter with raw vegetables/ salads/ sprouts and other quarter with cooked vegetables. The remaining half should have a palm sized piece of protein or a cupped handful of pulses (or any other protein source) and a fistful of whole grains (stay clear of white rice and refined maida), opt for brown rice, millets, daliya or quinoa.

It is also important to use healthy cooking methods like boiling, steaming, stir frying with cooking spray, poaching, grilling or baking rather than deep frying or cooking with large amounts of oil. These practises can make healthy foods unhealthy.

Plate Size
Eating from a smaller plate than the average dinner sized plates may also help to reduce the amount of food you are eating. It gives you a mental picture that your plate is full which may also help.

Eating too quickly
The French make it a point to chew their food slowly savouring every little taste and flavour. While some may think this is a waste of time, think again. The body takes 20 minutes to let the brain know it is full. Shovelling food in too quickly and not chewing properly can make you consume more food (calories) than what your body actually needs. Eating fast also makes you feel bloated and places an added burden on the digestive system which can cause uneasiness after a meal.

Hydration
Not drinking enough water or beverages can cause dehydration which can confuse the body into thinking it is hungry, when all it needs is fluid. Note here, we are talking about healthy fluids. Do not sip packaged sugar laden juices or colas with empty calories. Opt for tender coconut water, buttermilk, plain water or infused water.

Late night snacking
Snacking at night while working or studying can cause the pounds to pile up. Usually these snacks are unhealthy like namkeen, chips, deep fried foods or pastries. Night after night of this habit causes the calories to pile up making you gain weight. Try and develop good sleeping habits which involve sleeping early. This gives you a fresh start the next day. If for some reason you do need to stay up late and you are hungry keep fresh fruit or vegetable sticks handy. These are loaded with fiber and nutrients. In this way you do not deprive your body of food but you also take in essential nutrients.