Trying to lose weight can be depressing and demoralizing, especially when you are doing all the right things. But simply by keeping up some good habits, eating tasty and plentiful foods, you’ll soon realize you don’t need to starve yourself silly and be so regimented about food intake. Check out the information below to get some practical, and not so practical tips on how to help you lose weight, and easy ways to keep it off.
PLANNING your meals in advance
It’s always a good idea to have a planning, and prep day for the week, this will save time, and hassle during the week when you are busy. Mine is a Sunday, I spend time reviewing my week so I know when I will be home in the evening, working late, or in meetings. That way I know the days I have time to cook from scratch, and other days I don’t have much time, so I will pop a lamb shoulder and veg in the slow cooker, ready for when I get home. Also plan for leftovers, which you can take for lunch the next day or even, have for breakfast.
Know the FOODIE EXPERTS
Know where to go for healthy, delicious, and family friendly recipes. If I am at a bit of a loss, and need inspiration, I have a few blogs I visit to see what I can experiment with this week. Do this on your prep day to plan for the week ahead.
Here are some of my favorite foodie experts:
Brenda Janschek
Alexx Stuart
Quirky Cooking
Mamacino
Natural New Age Mum
Wholefoods Simply
Clever Cook
Cut out the Crap
Spend MONEY to save TIME and do the stuff you love
You may have to invest in equipment to take the time out of prep and cooking. Some items, such as a Thermomix, can cost up to $3000, but this is your ultimate work horse, and may save you hours in the kitchen, especially on the things you have to stand and stir.
My favorite time saving device is a slow cooker, I love the mindset of dumping everything in, in the morning, and returning home to a house filled with the aroma of slow cooked lamb.
This is a must, and will ensure you have healthy meals when you return home, instead of preservative filled ready meals, or sugar laden Thai takeaway.
Stick to a SHOPPING LIST
Not only does sticking to a shopping list stop you from impulse buying, but it will also save you money and ensure you don’t forget any vital ingredients you need for a recipe.
How many times have you been to the shops, and forgotten what you went in for, ended up buying snacks and junk, which soon added up, but you still forgot to buy what you needed. This is a common problem. Most importantly, a shopping list will stop you from getting unhealthy food that you don’t need.
How many times have you been to the shops, and forgotten what you went in for, ended up buying snacks and junk, which soon added up, but you still forgot to buy what you needed.
This is a common problem. Most importantly, a shopping list will stop you from getting unhealthy food that you don’t need.
Never shop HUNGRY
If you enter the shops hungry, you may well exit with empty wrappers in your pockets. When hungry, your blood sugar is low, this will signal your body to crave sweets and carbs, this will only end in disaster, always shop after eating, or better yet, just shop on line with a standard order, you won’t be tempted this way.
Don’t use the REWARD technique
I have heard this over and over, clients rewarding with chocolate or a sugary drink if they have been good all week, this will just mess with your mindset and get you into bad habits. Reward reaching goals, with an activity. Something relaxing like a massage.
Don’t be a food HOARDER
Food hoarding is dangerous, who remembers visiting grandparents who had tins of biscuits, cakes, and chips in the pantry! Just waiting to be munched on. Keep your core pantry stables, such as spices, sauces, dried goods, along with some leftover frozen meals in the freezer, the rest should be fresh meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit for the week. This helps with any temptation, plus is also good for the environment, by preventing waste.
Don’t go for SECONDS
Plate up enough to satisfy you, ensure it is a big enough portion for your needs. Make sure your plate has mostly vegetables, some protein, plus fat and carbohydrate. Having this perfect mix will stop any after dinner cravings. Pack up any left overs to pop in the fridge, this way you won’t be tempted to keep going back for more of your yummy food. Then look forward to leftovers for breakfast or lunch the next day.
Understand when you are HUNGRY
Many people engage in emotional eating, this occurs due to stress, anxiety, or even as a reward from a busy days work. Really tune into the hunger cues, so that you can recognise emotional eating before it happens. If you feel like binging due to stress, take yourself out of the kitchen, and do something relaxing, or get your thoughts down on paper. Many women suffer guilt; this can be one of the main precursors to a binging session. Get to know your triggers so that you can manage them.
LUNCH – the most important meal of the day
Lunch is the anchor in your day, it will stabilise your blood sugar, and prevent your thyroid from over working in the evening. Don’t skimp on lunch, try and have a sit down meal in a relaxed environment. Failing that, ensure you have a few minutes to enjoy a hearty nourishing meal, if you just have a snack, this will leave you crashing at about 3pm, craving sugary snacks. Get lunch right, and you will be satisfied and energised right through to dinner.
COLD therapy
One way to shed off layers of fat is through cold therapy, the easiest and cheapest way is to have a cold shower each morning, or a jump in the ocean. Some people actually have ice baths, but, be careful with this, it’s not for the faint hearted, I wouldn’t recommend this as it can be dangerous, if you are not used to it. Another favourite is cryotherapy, this is a little bit more pricey, but more comfortable than a cold shower. For more information on the benefits, check out this post from Tony Robins
Less INTENSE than a cold shower
You can also have a large glass of cold water as soon as you get up, this will begin thermogenesis and help with fat loss.
If it isn’t working CHANGE it
Are you going to the gym daily? Eating salad? Counting calories? And still not shifting stubborn weight? Then stop… if you have been doing this for the last 6 months with no change, then I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is not working for you. So stop what you are doing and try something new, maybe decrease your exercise, change up your diet, and see if you get a shift in weight. Don’t expect different results from doing the same thing day in day out for months.
Work out your personal BARRIERS
Losing weight is not just about eating less and exercising more, that is such an outdated and over rated theory. Many have other unknown barriers. These could be; food intolerances, hormones, thyroid hormones, high stress, seesawing blood sugars, leptin problems, too few calories or simply too many, or too little exercise. Work out what your barrier is, and rectify it, to step up weight loss.
Something works……REPEAT
Once something works, keep doing it, keep daily habits, a healthy daily routine, eat the same foods. You are more likely to succeed, once you have a routine that works, by sticking to it. Plan it in your diary so you don’t forget. Make it non-negotiable!….. Make yourself & health your top priority!
