Five food mistakes that won’t let you lose weight

You’ve been watching what you eat and working out so hard that you can barely get out of bed, but you’re still not seeing the exact results you want. Well, there may be a reason for this. Actually, there may be five reasons. But lucky for us, they’re really easy to fix.

1. Steer clear of coffee
First, if you’re stressed, your body will react. Stress produces cortisol which hurts your body’s ability to digest food, and if your fix to stress is coffee, we’ve got some bad news. Coffee can produce cortisol too, which means DOUBLE the hormone, and therefore, double the amount of body fat your body will store. Instead of coffee, try Detox teas.

2. Sit down to eat
Don’t eat all your meals on the go. Although it’s great for time management, it’s not great for your digestive system. So take a second to sit down and eat. This will help you digest your food.

3. Drink lots of water
You have to hydrate! And this doesn’t mean two glasses of water a day. Without water, your body will slow it’s digestion down, and in turn store more fat around your belly. So make sure you’re drinking around eight glasses of water each day.

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4. Eat nuts in moderation
There is a proper way to eat nuts, because they’re so high in fat — and that’s in moderation. Also, if you soak them in warm water overnight it will help to neutralize the phytic acid, which can cause irritation to your digestive tract.

5. Choose the right fat
And speaking of fat, some fats are your friend! Foods that are high in omega-3’s help boost your metabolism and give you energy. They keep you fuller for longer, so you won’t be reaching for those naughty snacks when that 4 p.m. slump hits.

–  AOL