A study recently published in the lancet found that eating as few as 10 extra calories a day can lead to a 20 pound weight gain over 30 years. That's roughly the equivalent of eating 4 goldfish crackers a day. If you are in the habit of eating the leftovers off of your kid's plate, this is not good news.
Not surprisingly, the study also found that as you lose weight, your caloric requirements decrease. This means you have to eat less to maintain your new lower body weight. Also as your body weight decreases, you burn less calories while exercising. This helps explain why a diet and exercise plan may suddenly stop working for you even as you follow it religiously.
If you are determined to lose weight and keep it off, stop and ask yourself if you are really hungry before you take that extra bite. The more you give yourself permission to eat one more thing, the further you are from your goal. Just 10 extra calories a day can make a difference. Ugh!
