Inconsistent Eating and a Constantly Changing Diet

Written by: Bianca Villanueva – BS (Psychology)

Last updated date : December 16, 2022

With the rise of the use of social media, health and self-image concerns are at a high. This is especially among the younger populations. As such, many people try to find new ways to get or stay fit. So instead of eating balanced meals, we switch between the latest diet fads. Sometimes we do this without even knowing if what we’re doing is truly healthy or not. This results in inconsistent eating with a constantly changing diets.

In this article, we will get to the bottom of everyone’s inconsistent eating with constantly changing diets. We will also find ways to overcome these issues and how to be healthier. This means being healthier physically and mentally. There’s more to health than just controlling what you eat. Your mindset affects most of the what, when, where, and how you eat. In turn, your physical health is partly determined by your mental health.

Elderly lady with inconsistent eating habits using a fork to snack on a large bowl of fruits

“Very interesting and relevant” John

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Chapter 1:

Bad Eating Habits and Inconsistent Eating

Eating is one of the most basic needs for survival. However, people tend to either heavily control what they eat or don’t eat at all. While people have their reasons, this doesn’t excuse bad eating habits simply because it’s bad for us. Most people don’t even realize how much diet affects parts of ourselves. What we eat (or don’t eat) affects how we can get through the day, whether we like it or not. So what are some eating habits people do that can hurt their health? Where does inconsistent eating come in?
Inconsistent eating without thinking
It’s easy to feel the case of the munchies when we feel bored. Sometimes even when we’re doing something like resting or working, we get the urge to eat. So it’s natural that this munching would make you gain weight. This is especially since many snacks are junk foods.
Midnight snacking
After a long day, even after dinner, some people enjoy sneaking into the kitchen for a late night meal. Many people say that it’s a myth that this causes weight gain. However, studies show that having late night or bedtime snacks are more probable to gain weight. Some say that this helps you gain weight because it messes with your diet and energy expenditure. In other words, your body won’t burn food as much compared to other times of the day. This is partially connected to the fact that people who do this tend to skip breakfast.
Skipping meals
This applies the most to skipping breakfast. We know that it’s easy to feel like sleeping in, especially on long days. However, like they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Apart from giving you the much needed energy you need for the rest of the day. This helps make sure that you don’t overeat during lunch or “brunch”. This results in poor diet quality because skipping breakfast has shown to have poor diet quality and weight gain.
Stress eating
Many people crave food when they feel happy, sad, angry, and other moods. Eating may be comforting, but it’s not a very good coping mechanism. Usually people tend to indulge themselves in unhealthy food. While it’s okay to eat the food you want, moderation is key if you truly want to lose weight. As moods change, so do your eating habits, leading to inconsistent eating and constantly changing diets.
Quick eating
On some days, we might be running late or simply have no time to have a full meal. As a result, many of us end up eating on the go. While it can seem like a quick meal, it actually helps you gain more weight. How does this work? When you eat, your body secretes hormones that tell you when you’re full. However, when you eat too fast, you can eat a lot more than you actually need. Your body doesn’t have time to signal you to stop eating. As a result, you gain more weight. Also, it makes eating feel like a chore rather than something that needs to be enjoyed.
Not sleeping enough
This may seem unrelated, but it’s actually has an effect on weight loss and gain. Much like quick eating, it’s all a matter of your body signals. The hormones in-charge of telling your body that you’re full or hungry have different levels depending on how much sleep you get. Studies have shown that this imbalance can cause your appetite to be higher than it actually is. This results in you eating more than you actually need, gaining more weight.
So, what is inconsistent eating?
Inconsistent eating is a term for a bunch of your bad eating habits. It’s eating too fast, too often, too little, in varying amounts and times. This can be because of the reasons we mentioned or because you often change your diet. Either way, eating is meant to be a regular activity at controlled amounts. However, we don’t mean you need to obsessively control what you eat and constantly count your calories. Of course, there’s no strict schedule to be made for eating. However, constantly changing diets can be harmful.
So, what is inconsistent eating?
What are constantly changing diets? This is when people tend to change what they’re eating and how they’re eating it. While the key to a good diet is balancing it, many people overlook this. Switching from one fad diet to another without planning proper goals is like trying to shoot at arrow without aiming. You need to know the details of your diet, what it’s for, what meal plans you want, and what you want out of it. Otherwise, you’re not only going to unknowingly gain weight, you’ll end up frustrated because your diet isn’t working the way you thought it would.

Chapter 2:

How Does Constantly Changing Diets Affect Your Health?

Anything that you put in your mouth and digest has an effect on your body. Not all these effects are bad or good. Whatever food you eat, how you eat it, and when you eat it will affect your body in some way. However, what happens when you switch from one different diet to another? What physical and mental effects will result?

For one, getting used to one diet regimen is tiring. You have to get used to trying foods you don’t usually eat. Then, you’ll have to do away with foods you usually or want to eat. Even the mental effort it takes to stick to a diet is tiring. You have to control yourself and pay attention to your own health. So, imagine constantly changing diets from one to another to another in a short amount of time. It can be extra tiring when you barely know anything about the diet you’re trying out.

Physically, it won’t do any significant harm to your body. Assuming that you’re a healthy, young adult, your body can take most things you throw at it. This is unless you plan on switching between extremes like a high-fat keto diet to low-fat diets. Your body adjusts to what you eat by adjusting the rate at which is breaks down food and releases signals to your brain. Switching between these metabolic states might cause you to gain more weight or leave you malnourished.

Also, you don’t research the diets you try, you might end up using a fad diet. Fad diets usually result in digestive problems, fatigue, dehydration, and lacking essential nutrients. So, make sure you do your research thoroughly before gradually shifting between diets!

Chapter 3:

Tips to Turn Inconsistent Eating into Healthier and More Consistent

Changing your behavior is a lot easier said than done. Especially when it comes to food, people tend to have a harder time. This is understandable, for many people, food is a non-negotiable. Try to imagine your favorite food or a snack you enjoy eating often. Now, imagine you can no longer eat it for the rest of your life. It’s hard to imagine giving up something that gives us a lot of happiness in life. Changing how we eat and what we eat can be a great challenge. So, we have some tips that will hopefully make it easier for you to take your next steps into a healthier diet.
Eat at regular intervals
Planning your meals ahead of time requires just a bit more effort. However, you’ll find your meals are more balanced when you have more time to think about it. What foods should you make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner later? What times do you plan to eat? Where do you fit it into your busy schedule? Of course, some days, you may have to compromise your work with your eating times, but try not to choose work over food. Eating is a important for making energy for work. Inconsistent eating can compromise that.

Don’t think about skipping meals either. Be consistent with your eating times and avoid making exceptions to that rule. Your stomach has its own timing for creating hormones and stomach acids. Missing your meal times can cause hyperacidity which can damage your stomach and esophagus. This can also cause stomach aches and nausea. Generally, people would want to leave a 4 to 5 hour gap between meals to digest. Avoid any extra snacks, especially those late at night before you sleep. If ever you do, make sure it’s a light meal with high nutrition.

Take your time eating
Food is meant to be enjoyed. Even if you’re eating just to gather energy, you need to eat more slowly. If you eat too quickly, it can cause you to gain weight. This is due to the fact people tend to eat more because the hormones that signal that you’re full aren’t released fast enough. Instead, take your time and pay attention to when you feel full. Eat until you’re satisfied rather than rushing yourself. In other words, if you’re busy, plan in advance and make time to eat.
Avoid fad diets and inconsistent eating
There are many diets out there that promise weight loss in a short amount of time with the least amount of effort. It’s easy to bite into these solutions. Of course, who doesn’t like an easy way to lose weight? These are usually fad diets. Fad diets are eating plans that gain popularity by making false promises and baseless claims of its effectiveness. It almost sounds too good to be true.

That’s because it usually is too good to be true. Much of the time fad diets are just that: fads. They’re diets that go into fashion and go out once people realize that they don’t work. Sometimes, these diets can even cause weight gain or malnutrition because they’re unbalanced. That’s why it’s more important to have balanced meals than it is to try fad diets without knowing what they do to your body. Always research the diets from credible sources and studies before trying them and constantly changing diets.

Let diets cater to you
Not everyone has the same nutrition needs. Not everyone has the same food preferences. For example, people who are overweight need a low fat diet. However there are also high-fat diets alternating low-fat diets that can help build your immune system. That’s why diets will depend on the person. Yes, it can be tedious to research which diet is just right for you, but it’s worth the effort to get the actual results you want. If you consult with a dietitian, they can set you up with a meal plan that might help you achieve your goals. Which brings us to the next part…
Set goals for yourself
You can’t expect to lose weight or gain the figure you want overnight. It’s something you have to monitor and work hard for. However, if you set short-term goals, you’ll find yourself more satisfied than simply looking at yourself in the mirror whenever you eat. You can set goals like “Eat vegetables with every other meal” or “Make a healthy meal every Friday”. You can start with goals like these rather than “Lose 10 lbs” or “Get a thinner waist line”. Usually these goals can make you disappointed. Instead, make goals where you can reward your actions before the results. These goals can help you stick with your plan instead of constantly changing diets.
Exercise
Diet is only one side of the coin. You need to couple this with regular exercise. If you eat a balanced diet, but you sit on the couch all day, you’ll find it a lot harder to reach your goals. Instead, mix your diet with exercise. It doesn’t have to be anything hard to do, nor something you go to the gym for. You can take a walk or jog outside. Even a few aerobics exercises in the morning can go a long way. Just make sure you work on a pace that you can fit into your schedule and follow. Over time, you can increase the intensity of your exercise. You may not see the results at first, but most likely, you will in the long run.

"Very interesting and relevant" John

72 sections

6-Weeks Self-Paced

  • Educational Content
  • Quizzes
  • Self-reflection material
  • Suggestions & feedback
  • Worksheet, tips & tools to use

$9.00 $12.00

25% discount