Top Tips to Successful DietingExercise, Exercise, Exercise It doesn’t matter whether it’s walking, vacuuming, dancing around the kitchen or jogging, so long as you keep on the move. Think Positive Whatever you’re doing, keep reminding yourself this is for you. Freeze Summer Fruit Like grapes, pineapple and melon, long lasting mid-afternoon treats. Spend Time In The Supermarket Choose different sorts of vegetables and fruit. You’re saving lots of money by not eating naughties, so spend your money on a variety of fruit and vegetables. Treat Yourself Regularly to non-food presents such as an expensive shampoo, body lotion, bath oils or nail polish. Alternatively invest in a treatment at a beauty salon. See Yourself As A Hero Keep congratulating yourself, for every pound you’ve lost, you deserve it. Measure Yourself Weekly Sometimes you lose inches not pounds. Buy Frozen Vegetables You’ve always got a healthy, quick meal to hand. Pile Your Plate Fill your plate with vegetables. At least double your normal portion of vegetables or plan to half fill your plate with veg. This will fill you up. If You’re Starving Enjoy a slimmer soup or a low cal chocolate drink. This will stave off the hunger pangs. Eat Off A Smaller Plate Fool yourself, all the portions will look bigger. Don’t Skip Breakfast Never start the day without eating. You will only snack later, on high fat foods.Stick To Regular mealtimes and always eat three meals a day to keep blood sugar levels up. Drink Plenty Drink water, water, water! Set Achievable Goals Take a day at a time, a stone at a time, don’t think beyond that. Don’t Feel Guilty If you cheat, don’t let it ruin everything, you’ve worked hard so far. Make Sure You Socialise Don’t turn down invitations just because you’re dieting. Just be careful and choose wisely in restaurants. Do It For Yourself Wait until you’re ready to start, do not let anyone pressurise you into losing weight. Don’t Get Disheartened If you don’t lose weight for one or two weeks, think what you’ve achieved already and what you’re going to achieve in the future. If You Feel Hungry Nibble raw vegetables, drink some water, or clean your teeth. Don’t Give Up Others have done it. Therefore, so can I, I will and I can. Desperate For Chocolate If you fancy a chocolate snack, try your favourite in a fun size. You may find this will satisfy you. Come Unstuck Invest in some non-stick cookware. This will cut down the amount of fat used in cooking. Take Time Don’t eat your meals in a rush. Eat slowly, enjoy your food, you’ll feel far more satisfied. Go For Quality Not Quantity When you eat a meal you really enjoy, it’s the first and last mouthful that give you the most pleasure, so keep a close watch on portion size. Don’t Be Seduced Don’t eat more than you actually want or need. When full, leave the rest. Be Brutally Honest We underestimate how much we eat by 20% and overestimate how much exercise we take by 25%. All of which could mean an average weight gain of 1lb a fortnight. Fill in your truth sheet! Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day! Make gradual changes to your eating habits that can be maintained over long term. Get The Right Support This doesn’t mean a truss, be selective who you tell about your healthy eating plan. Some friends, even with the right intentions, may try to undermine your efforts. Stop Being Negative You get what you focus on. Instead of always dwelling on your weaknesses, retrain your mind to be more positive. Don’t Deprive Yourself Never ban your favourite foods from your diet. If you do, you won’t stick to your plan. Include some of your favourites in moderation, out of your treats. |
