We constantly work towards eating healthy meals, working on an exercise routine, controlling food portions, learning about healthy foods and more. In spite of all these, there can be moments, where without our knowledge, few extra calories manage to creep into our body which we tend to ignore and then wonder why our scale is not moving. As much as I do not insist too much on counting calories, this is still important for those who are trying to break a plateau or for those who are really trying hard to see even a small difference on the scale. Few examples of calorie creeping situations are

When our neighbors or relatives offer us a handful of sweets/festival preparation and when we just gobble up immediately without serving on a plate…
When we eat up leftover food to avoid wastage in spite of knowing its extra portions…
When our loved ones feed us a few extra morsels…
When we make some specialties and when we do the tasting session before its actually served…
When we share meals with others…
and many more such situations…..

However, as humans, we cannot ignore or miss out on such moments but it is very important to be aware of such “calorie creeping” moments and balance it out in our intake on any given day. So here are few strategies to be watchful and balance out on such days.

1. Always serve on your own plate so you are aware of the actual portion intake. Even if its a single piece of sweet, serve it in a small plate or cup so you are creating the awareness that you are eating. This will subconsciously help you to work on reducing additional calorie intake.

2. Make sure that most of the calorie creeping moments happen during the first half of the day so that you can balance it by taking an early & light low calorie dinner.

3. Move a little more!!! Take the stairs, walk to the shop, play with your children or do something more to burn those extra calories on the same day.

4. Drink a lot of water to fill yourself up and to reduce false hunger – appetite.

5. Finally, always remember calories & nourishment are 2 different concepts. Focus on nourishment through protein and fiber rich foods over any calorie rich foods.

So, just being watchful about such calorie creeping moments can definitely save one from unnecessary calorie load!!!