A lot of weight loss advice involves complicated and demanding life changes. Shopping and cooking complicated recipes, spending a fortune on dietary supplements and long hard hours at the gym. While most of this advice will technically ‘work’, it fails to take into account that it is about human beings who have lives to lead. The more demanding life changes are, the less likely you are to stick with them for a long period of time.
If you want permanent results, you need to make permanent, realistic changes that you will stick with. Here are some simple tips that can be easily incorporated into your lifestyle to help you lose weight and keep it off.
1) Eat slower. It takes time for our brain to register that our stomach is full. If you eat more slowly, you give your brain time to know when you’re full, rather than when you’re too full.
2) Always leave something with each meal, even a very small amount. Many people overeat because they were raised to eat everything on their plate no matter how full they feel. Leaving something on your plate every meal keeps you in the habit of being prepared to leave some food behind when you’re full. This tip can really help.
3) Eat only when you are hungry. It may sound obvious, but many people eat before they are hungry. Our bodies know how much fuel we need and tells us by triggering feelings of hunger. Eating before you are hungry means overeating, which leads to weight gain. There’s nothing wrong with feeling a little hungry between meals.
4) Reduce your consumption of sugary drinks. The calories in drinks can add up soon, especially if you add sugar and cream to your coffee. Even fruit juices contain a lot of calories. Try drinking a few glasses of water a day and opt for sugar-free drinks. Cold drinks help you burn some extra calories as your body must reheat them to body temperature. If you must drink alcohol, try drinks like vodka with low-calorie drinks.
5) Be more active. Try to find some exercise that you enjoy, that way you are more likely to stick with it. Some people love going to the gym, others love playing competitive sports. We are all different, so try to find what works best for you. Try to incorporate more activity into your life, such as walking or cycling to work, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
6) Read food labels. It’s pretty amazing how some foods make it sound like they’re low in calories or sugar when they really aren’t. For example, ‘low-fat’ mayonnaise is still around 40% fat. With all the best will in the world, if you don’t read the nutritional values of foods, then you are groping your way.
7) Eat three pieces of fruit a day. Fruit is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, is low in calories, and fills you up.
8) Find out why you overeat. If, for example, you eat out of boredom, find new hobbies. If you have other issues, such as a lack of confidence or low self-esteem, find a way to fix them. Hypnotherapy can help.
9) Take responsibility for your weight. The laws of physics state that you should lose weight if you burn more calories than you consume. It is impossible to gain weight unless you eat more calories than you burn. Remind yourself of this regularly.
10) Be realistic. Remember that you cannot live like a monk and the occasional indulgence is fine. Just be honest with yourself and admit when you are indulging.