(Don’t worry if you’ve already given up… these simple tips are all you need to get you up and feeling ‘weight loss motivated’ again!)
Drink a glass of cold water before you eat
Often our bodies tell us we’re hungry, when in reality we just need a drink. The best easy tip that we can suggest is to get into the routine of drinking a glass of cold water before any snack or meal. Sounds a bit odd, but if you can quench that thirst, unnecessary snacking will be reduced. Plus, getting into the regular habit of drinking more water does wonders for your health and body!
Enjoy your favourite treats, but enjoy them in moderation!
Studies show that banning your favourite treat altogether can actually do more bad than good. If we know it’s off limits, our bodies crave it more and more (which means overindulgent slip ups occur more often!) Give yourself a treat once in a while. Perhaps have a designated day a week where you’re allowed to treat yourself, just don’t overindulge. If you are a chocoholic, try swapping the Twirl with a good quality dark chocolate (it’s much better for you!)
Did you know that most of the chocolate we can buy at the local Newsagents is actually made to be cheap? That’s why it contains added vegetable fat as a substitute for cocoa butter, to keep costs down! As a rule of thumb, if your chocolate is naturally shiny this can be a good indicator that it contains less fat and more of the good stuff. Interesting, huh?
Be your own fast food company.
We all love the convenience of a take away. After a busy day at work, the last thing we want to do is prepare a healthy meal from scratch. Find a day where you do have the time to cook (Sunday?) and cook in bulk. If you’re in the mood to cook, cook plenty and freeze what’s not eaten (buying fresh ingredients in larger quantities is also a great way to save you some money!) When you have a 5 minute healthy meal in the freezer- you no longer have any excuse (so put down the take away menu)!
Sleep more!
When you’re tired, your body overproduces ghrelin (the appetite-stimulating hormone) and under-produces leptin (the feeling-full hormone)… I think you can see where we’re going with this one… Make sure that you get enough sleep. Tiring yourself out can hinder your weight loss and makes it a lot harder to turn away from the biscuit tin.
Be held accountable for.
Tell your friends and family you are trying to lose weight. Luckily for you, it is human-nosey-instinct to find out how somebody is doing. So tell them about your decision to keep fit and prepare to show off when they ask you “so how’s the weight loss going?” Nothing is more satisfying than beaming – “I’ve lost 2 pounds this week!!”
Finally… Be kind to yourself.
You didn’t gain weight in a week, so don’t expect to lose it so quickly. It takes time, so be realistic with yourself and set realistic goals. There’s nothing more discouraging than not reaching your fitness goal. So try to set ones you will reach and when you exceed them – think how motivated you will feel?
If you like a challenge, try out our weight loss tips and let us know what works for you!
UA Media