If I were coaching you—like, really coaching you to lose weight, burn fat, and become a healthier version of yourself—before we’d even talk about workouts or meal plans, I’d help you break these 7 bad habits.
Because honestly? Just breaking these habits alone could kickstart your weight loss journey. Let’s dive right in.
Hi, I’m Dr. Tolu Binutu—a medical doctor and content creator. My videos have helped thousands burn fat, lose weight, and feel good in their own skin. Let’s get into it.
Habit #1: Overestimating the Power of Exercise
This first one is all mindset.
Too many people think they can eat anything and “just burn it off at the gym.” But here’s the truth: the numbers don’t lie.
Let’s say you grab a donut filled with cream or jam. That’s around 450 calories. Do you know what it takes to burn that off?
- 1 hour of brisk walking
- 40 minutes of steady-paced running
- 50 minutes of cycling
And that’s just for one donut. Most people eat way more than that when they overeat. So no, you can’t out-train a bad diet.
You can still enjoy your favorite foods—like a donut now and then—but it has to fit into your calorie deficit. Controlling your intake is way easier than trying to burn off excess calories with exercise alone.
Habit #2: Snacking on Healthy but Calorie-Dense Foods
Yes, I said healthy. But healthy doesn’t always mean low-calorie.
Take peanuts or granola. Great for your heart—but packed with calories. A single handful of peanuts? About 170 calories. That’s more than the calories in three oranges combined.
And let’s be real—when’s the last time you stopped at one handful? Most people could finish an entire bottle and still call it “a snack.” That bottle? Might have more calories than your breakfast and lunch combined.
So yes, eat your nuts. Just… don’t go nuts with them.
Habit #3: Skipping Meals (Especially Breakfast)
You might think skipping breakfast will help you lose weight faster. But ironically, it can actually slow down your progress.
Skipping meals slows your metabolism, leads to energy crashes, and often causes intense hunger later in the day. That’s when people start overeating—either unhealthy snacks or too much of the healthy stuff.
Instead, stick to regular, balanced meals. It helps you:
- Maintain consistent energy
- Keep hunger in check
- Stick to your calorie goals
Habit #4: Poor Sleep and Stress Management
Now this one’s underrated.
If you’re not sleeping well, or you’re constantly stressed, you’re fighting an uphill battle. Poor sleep and high stress levels mess with your hormones—raising cravings, encouraging fat storage, and especially targeting your belly fat.
Think about it: haven’t you noticed how you eat more recklessly when you’re tired or anxious?
To fix this, aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night, and find a stress-management method that works for you. Whether it’s meditation, journaling, stretching, or calming music—find what calms you down and do it often.
Habit #5: Eating Out Too Often
I get it—restaurant food tastes good. But there’s a reason for that: they often use more oil, butter, sugar, and salt than you would at home.
Even a simple salad can become a calorie bomb when drenched in creamy dressings and toppings.
When you eat out frequently, you lose control over what’s going into your body. And that makes it way harder to stay in a calorie deficit, even when the food looks healthy.
Habit #6: Depending on Quick Fixes
This one? We’re calling it out for what it is.
Detox teas? Waist trainers? Starvation diets? None of them work long-term. They didn’t work in 2024. They won’t work in 2025. They won’t work in 2050 either.
They might give you quick results, sure. But those results won’t last—and they might even mess with your health in the long run.
Instead, I’d help you build a sustainable, balanced eating plan focused on whole foods, consistency, and good habits.
That’s the real magic formula.
Habit #7: Taking Too Many Liquid Calories
Liquid calories are sneaky.
They’re easy to overlook—but they add up fast. Think:
- Soda
- Flavored coffee
- Packaged fruit juice
- Sweetened beverages
They’re usually high in calories, low in fiber, and don’t actually fill you up. That means you can down a carton of juice and still feel hungry. But guess what? That same carton could pack 500 to 700 calories.
So yes, I’d help you limit or eliminate these drinks to keep your calorie intake in check—without feeling deprived.
In Conclusion
If I were your weight loss coach, these are the seven habits we’d start working on first. Because getting these under control would put you in the best possible position to:
- Burn fat
- Lose weight
- And feel like the healthiest version of yourself
Start here. Start small. You’ve got this.
If you found this helpful, then you’ll love my new book: The Weight Loss Bible for Busy Women. It’s for women juggling careers, family, and life—who want a no-nonsense guide to losing weight and keeping it off. Grab your copy.
