While it’s easy to blame the holiday eating for packing on the pounds take a close look at your house for these sneaky weight gain culprits.

Open Floor Plan-Combining the kitchen, dining, and living room into one large space has become a big trend in home design.   The downside is having easy access to the kitchen and all the food temptations that are readily available in plain sight.

Big Dishes-At an early age, we were conditioned to eat everything on our plate which has led many to overindulge as an adult.  Swapping your standard 12″ dinner plate to a 10″ plate will help you eat less while still making mom proud.

Sleep Deprivation-Getting the recommended 7 to 8 hours of sleep will make you less likely to gain weight.  Being sleep deprived increases levels ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite.  Make your bedroom a dark, cool sanctuary, with no electronics to hum and blink, disturbing your sleep.

Red Dining Room-The color red is a powerful stimulant and dining in a red room will make you eat more.   Painting the walls aqua or light blue room will slow down your metabolism keeping you from gorging yourself with food.

Dim Lighting-People feel less inhibited in a darker room possibly causing one to overeat.  Bright and natural light is optimal for dining however very bright light will amp up your energy causing you to eat faster and consume much more.

TV Viewing-If you consistently eat meals while watching television you’ll associate the TV with eating even if you’re not hungry.

Mr. H says: Strange but true…fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing-Enjoy!