i should think everyone is bored by now with hearing the same old stuff about losing weight, so perhaps it’s time for a new slant on the same old same old . . .
1. Get your head right
This is my number one tip for losing weight. It’s no good trying to lose weight because ‘you have to’. You really must want to do it, otherwise it is so much harder to achieve and maintain what you work for. Read magazines, set challenging but achievable targets, makes plans and get not just motivated but excited about what you are doing.
2. Stop eating bread
Not that bread is particularly bad for you, especially whole grain and seeded breads, but it’s what goes with it that’s the problem. First of all there’s spread, then the filling, then the accompaniment to the filling. And a sandwich doesn’t really fill you up, so you have something with the sandwich as well! Without trying, it’s quite easy to get a light sandwich lunch up to the same number of calories as a main evening meal. Giving up bread forces you to be more creative about light meals and therefore thinking about the calories you are eating.
3. Eat Pizza
Well, not exactly, but the point here is to find foods that will satisfy you and fit into your calorie plan. There is a good variety of foods that are good value in terms of calories, so there’s no need to stick to salads, chicken and rice! For example, to satisfy my pizza cravings, I’ll have an 8” Pizza Express Sloppy Guiseppe (available at most UK supermarkets) which is only 600kcal. Some of my clients suck on maltesers (you can get them in 100kcal packs over here) to meet their chocolate requirements; others incorporate a mars bar or an occasional burger into their calorie allowance. I have built up a personal list of great value foods in terms of taste, satisfaction and calories.
4. Cheat
Or ‘be free’! It is difficult to maintain a strict regime for a long time, so incorporate cheat days or free days, perhaps once a week, into your plan. This doesn’t give you permission to gorge yourself on a week’s worth of calories in one day, but allows you to have a nice meal – perhaps your favourite takeout – every now and again without the guilt. Knowing you have a nice meal to look forward to makes it easier to be disciplined for the rest of the week.
5. Chew gum while you shop
If the food’s not in your house then you can’t eat it – so don’t buy it. It is much easier to resist tempting foods if you are chewing gum while you shop – the minty flavour stops you getting a taste in your mind of what you see, so you have to make a conscious decision to purchase rather than a disciplined decision not to.
6. Drink water for the right reason
Drinking water is an old tip, but few people know the main reason why water helps weight loss. (In fact, it may be almost impossible to burn fat without drinking enough water.)
Your liver converts stored fat into energy and if you are losing weight then that is exactly what you want it to do, without distraction. Your liver, however, also acts as a back up to the kidneys in detoxifying the body. If your kidneys do not get enoughwater then they will not function as well as they could and your liver will stop converting fat and start helping the kidneys.
There’s lots of other good stuff as well – water increases your metabolism, reduces appetite, helps your muscles work properly, helps digestion, etc, so no more excuses.
7. Remember small numbers mean big weight loss
People get despondent if they ‘only lose a kilo or a pound in a week’, but remember even one pound is a substantial amount. Next time you are shopping, grab yourself a pound of butter and see how big it is – that’s how much you just lost from your belly!
