- Eat slowly
Instead of wolfing down your food, try to chew each mouthful 10 to 20 times.**Why it works
**It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain it’s full. The faster you eat, the more food you consume before the message arrives.
- Be active
Exercise alone won’t shift lots of weight but combined with sensible eating, it will make it easier to shed kilos.Why it works
Being physically active can burn off calories that may otherwise be stored as fat. It speeds up your metabolism and if you also do strength training, you’ll increase your muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more fat you’ll burn – no matter what you’re doing.
- Keep a diary
Writing down everything you eat – and how you’re feeling at the time – will give you a better insight into what you’re eating, when – and maybe even why – you’re eating it.Why it works
We can have very selective memories, forgetting that we finished off the kids’ leftovers or had those biscuits just before bed. Keeping a food diary helps you see patterns emerging, especially if you also record how you feel when you eat – for example, going for loads of sugar whenever you’re stressed. From there, you can develop strategies to deal with these situations and emotions.
- Avoid processed food
Be vigilant in reading the labels of all processed food. As well as containing lots of salt and preservatives, it might also have sugar – for example, some tinned and packaged soups contain added sweet stuff. Would you add it to soup you make yourself? Generally, the fresher and more natural food is, the better it is for you.Why it works
The extra ingredients found in processed food often mean that something will contain a lot more calories than fresh food. Choosing unprocessed food often means you can eat more, while actually consuming fewer calories.
- Eat fruit & vegetables
Chow down on nature’s offerings instead of unhealthy food. Include fruit and veg in every meal and have them as snacks. Fill half your dinner plate with veges before adding anything else.Why it works
They’re very low in calories and high in fibre. Not all are equal – for example, tropical fruit is high in sugar, as are starchy vegetables, such as potatoes. Aim for a good balance and you’ll notice the weight coming off.
5 weight loss no-nos
- Starving yourselfYou can’t drastically reduce the amount of calories you eat and sustain it long-term. Chances are, you’ll get so hungry you’ll end up overeating and gaining weight.
If you do stick to a very low-calorie diet, you can do your body serious harm.
Depriving yourself of treatsTelling yourself you can’t have something is more likely to make you crave it. If there’s one thing you can’t live without – such as chocolate – have a little bit once a week and opt for something healthier, such as good quality dark chocolate.
Too much, too soonHealthy weight loss is around 500g to 1kg a week. If you lose any more than that, you’re probably losing muscle, rather than fat.
Skipping mealsYou’ll end up even hungrier later on, and you’re likely to eat more than you would if you’d had the meal. You also risk choosing unhealthy foods when you’re feeling deprived.
Setting unrealistic goalsWe can’t all look like Kate Moss. Use your BoI (body mass index) as a guide to setting a healthy weight, aiming to reach a BoI of 24, at least initially.
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