4 Bad Eating Habits

If you're overweight, you're probably practicing some of these nutritional no-no's


No time to plan. With work, kids and social and community commitments packing their schedules, most contenders make food decisions on the run – which can lead to poor choices, such as relying on packaged, processed convenience foods and hitting the drive-through when a time crunch hits.

Skipping meals. Because of those busy lives, most potential contestants miss out on at least one meal a day – usually breakfast. It sounds counter-intuitive, but skipping meals can actually contribute to weight gain, not loss; eating when famished almost always leads to poor food choices, and it's hard to pay attention to your body's natural hunger and satiety cues.

Processed white foods abound; whole grains are missing. Foods like snack cakes, cookies, white pasta, chips, and soft drinks are all high in calories and very low in nutrition – but they're both tasty and convenient, which makes them tempting when on the go. But in addition to adding empty calories, these foods have adverse health impacts – they affect your blood sugar and insulin too quickly. And unlike their whole grain counterparts, these foods lack antioxidants and fiber, which are good for digestion and can help prevent some types of cancer.

Few fruits and vegetables make the menu. Budget and time constraints can make buying and preparing produce seem out of reach. But fresh fruits and vegetables are the cornerstone of a healthy diet; they're full of vitamins and antioxidants, and because of their high water content they have low caloric density, filling you up without adding too many calories. Once the show begins, I work with contestants to help them incorporate fruits and vegetables into every meal – with the goal of eating 4 cups daily.