That dreaded word “Diet”. It can make even the happiest of people sigh with despair. Someone once pointed out that it has the word “Die” in it and rightly so. Many of us hate going on a diet but sadly that seems to be the only way we know how to lose weight. Losing weight, and keeping it off, can be a real challenge for many people and knowing which ‘diet’ to try or what products to trust can be both daunting and confusing!
The weight-loss industry is a billion-dollar ‘machine’ that bombards us with ‘amazing weight-loss’ products (that we must have) and the latest ‘celebrity diet’ plans (that we must try). We are bombarded daily by social media that what we are doing is wrong and they have the answer to our problem.
However, there are some key tips that you can follow that avoids all the ‘lose weight quick but you will put more weight on after your stop following this diet’ plans. There are some simple, easy ways to drop the weight without it destroying your soul:
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Start with a small change: Don’t expect to renovate your eating habits in a day. Work on one habit at a time and start with an easy one. For example, if you munch while you watch TV, try to eat something healthy like air-popped popcorn instead of potato chips.
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Personalise a diet: Studies show that people who tailor their diets to their individual eating habits are more likely to keep weight off than those who follow organised weight-loss plans. Take a look at where you’re getting all those extra kilojoules. If you must have ice-cream, decrease your usual serving size; if you can’t give up chocolate, try substituting a miniature bar for a regular bar.
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Go the extra kilometre: Walk to work or take a walk during lunch. Did you know that a brisk walk of 2km a day can burn off 5kg of fat in a year?
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Say goodbye to your scales: Many weight loss experts contend that weighing yourself every day is a bad idea. If your kilos don’t disappear as quickly as you want, you might feel defeated, and negative thinking cam take over. This is especially true if you exercise because you’ll be replacing fat with muscle, which weighs more but is leaner, so you will look slimmer. A better gauge is how your clothes fit.
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Remember it adds up: It doesn’t matter that a rice cracker is only 146 kilojoules (35 calories) if you’re going to inhale eight of them. Before you snack out, multiply the kilojoule content by the number of servings you’re likely to eat. That’s your real kilojoule count.
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Go easy on “light” foods: Many ‘light’ foods are still high in kilojoules. That’s because they’re only reduced fat versions of foods typically high in fat (like potato chips and cheese).
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Take Five: A drop in blood-sugar levels can set off cravings for sugary, fatty foods. Ironically, you can curb these feeding frenzies by eating more frequently – five small meals a day will keep your blood sugar up and those uncomfortable cravings down.
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Make breakfast fast free: Of all meals, its easiest to trim fat from breakfast; try fruit, a high-fibre cereal with skim milk (or rice/almond/soy milk), fat-free muffins, eggs – there are plenty of low-fat choices. By cutting fat at breakfast, you can give yourself a “fat credit”, which is redeemable at lunch or dinner.
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Quality over quantity: A little of something delectable goes a long way: for example, sharing a few bites of freshly made crème caramel in a restaurant may be a greater gastronomic delight than eating a whole chocolate bar at home by yourself.
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Get some culture: Mix non-fat plain yoghurt with herbs, a little curry powder or hot sauce and you have a great topping for potatoes or sauce for fish or chicken. You can also use it instead of mayonnaise in tuna or chicken salad sandwiches or salads.
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Buy single servings: When you do indulge, go for small packets of two or four biscuits, individual small-size ice-cream tubs, small multi-pack bags of chips. The limited portions will help to keep the occasional high-kilojoule eating to a manageable size, so not too much damage will be done.
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Follow the three quarters rule: At each meal, three-quarters of your plate should be filled with a combination of complex carbohydrates (that is, pasta, salad, steamed veggies) with one quarter reserved for 85g serving of lean protein or low – or non-fat dairy products. Keep all fats to a minimum, including polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.
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Practise better eating: If you can rehearse asking for a pay increase, why not rehearse better food behaviour? For instance, before dinner, picture yourself eating lea foods in reasonable portions. Try “seeing” food left over on your plate.
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Deal with feelings instead of food: Before reading for a chocolate to lift a bad mood, start thinking about what’s bothering you, then replace that negative image with an opposite positive thought. Positive thinking may help chase away the blues – and alleviate your food cravings, too. Tackle the real problem and you may lose the urge to munch out a bad mood.
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Remember, to err is human: Losing weight, like any other life skill, requires practice. When you make a mistake, don’t look back (or give up). Pick yourself up and acknowledge that it was one error of judgement and get right back onto your weight-loss plan. One error won’t derail you – using it as an excuse to give up and lose sight of your goal – to lose weight and feel better about yourself, will.
TRICKS OF THE DIET TRADE
1. Use small serving dishes. It may be the oldest one in the book, but it works. You can reduce how much you eat by using a cup to hold your ice-cream instead of a bowl.
2. Let your body catch up with your mouth. Eat too fast and you’ll eat too much. There’s a lag between the time you eat something and the time your blood sugar rises, triggering satiety. Relax and wait 15 minutes before going for seconds. Chances are you won’t even want them by then.
3. Never eat on your feet. It’s easy to lose track of food eaten on the run – until you try to zip up your favourite jeans. Stick to a “designated eating area”. You’ll be more aware of your actual kilojoule intake.
4. Have it your way. Always ask how a restaurant meal will be prepared. If you hear sauteed, fried, or creamed, ask if it can be changed (eg: steamed or grilled without butter).
5. Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry – you’re most vulnerable to fatty sugary impulse buys. Have a healthy snack before venturing out.
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