Top 10 Tips: Weight Loss
- Drink plenty of water. Water helps to flush out your system, keeps your body well hydrated and helps you to fill full. Don’t be fooled by diet drinks, they may be low in calories but they are packed with sweeteners and artificial colours which are definitely not good for you.
- Exercise! It may seem obvious but regular exercise helps you to lose weight and keep it off. The government recommend between 30-60 minutes of exercise a day. If exercise isn’t your thing, find a friend to do it with you and keep you motivated. And exercise doesn’t mean spending hours in the gym, a brisk walk around the park, a few lengths in the local swimming or a bike ride are all great ways to exercise. If you still feel you need extra help, try a personal trainer. Wole Trainers and Jelly Belly provide personal trainers across London.
- Write down what you eat. Keeping a diary of all the food you eat will enable you to see exactly how much you are eating and where you can cut down.
- Treat yourself occasionally. Don’t cut out all the foods you enjoy, just enjoy them in moderation. If you’re a bit of a chocoholic, have a bite-size bar instead of a full size. You can also ‘save up’ calories if you want to enjoy a takeaway at the weekend.
- Eat slowly. Instead of wolfing down your meals, take time to savour what you are eating. This will give your body time to digest the food you are eating meaning you won’t feel you need to eat so much.
- Watch your portion size. As a general rule, if it is on our plate we tend to eat it. Don’t over fill your plate and watch that you are not cooking too much. If you find this difficult you can always try using a smaller plate.
- Switch to wholemeal. Wholemeal bread is lower in calories and better for you than white bread. The same can be said for wholemeal pasta and brown rice.
- Join a weight loss program. Losing weight can be hard if you go it alone but there are lots of clubs and groups you can join to give you that extra motivation. Weight Watchers and Slimming World allow you keep a good variety of food in your diet and help you reach your target weight.
- Set weekly targets. Know what you are aiming for each week, how much weight you want to lose and what exercise you plan to do. This will allow you to keep track of your progress. Remember to be realistic!
- Be patient. Realistically you aren’t going to shed a stone in 2 weeks. Weight loss should be gradual, losing 1-2 pounds a week is healthy and sustainable so don’t be despondent if it takes you longer than you think to get your bikini body.
