I’ve neglected the fitness aspect of my blog for a while. A not so new baby and a knee injury can do that to someone really. Some of my readers may know when I am not blogging or popping out children, I work as a dietitian three days a week. Although I actually work in quite a specialist area – inherited metabolic disorders, the one question I pretty much get asked EVERY TIME I tell people what I do is….guess….
How do I lose weight?
I wrote a post a good while ago, Quick Fixes Are Not Quick and this message still stands. There is so magic pill or magic diet. It takes change, motivation and a lifestyle upheaval. But if I had to share my top 5 healthy tips for losing weight and keeping it off it would be the points below:
(I’m not including the obvious one of cutting out or down on high fat and sugary foods like takeaways, cakes, biscuits, sweets and chocolate, as deep down we all know we should have less!)
– Include lean PROTEIN with each meal. Chicken, fish, eggs, beans and lentils are great examples. Protein keeps you feeling fuller for longer and less chance of reaching for not so healthy foods. If you can snack on protein rich foods too, even better. A handful of almonds is a brilliant mid morning snack.
– CARBS – firstly these are not the enemy BUT processed white carbs like white bread, chips, rolls and white pasta in large quantities are not the best option. I would never say cut carbs out of your diet BUT I would say firstly switch to wholemeal and wholegrain versions: granary bread, wholemeal pasta and rice. Secondly I would say cut your portions down. Check packets for recommended portion sizes, reduce it further and have extra vegetables.
– Be CONSISTENT. Don’t think one day of healthy eating is going to make you lose weight. It is the things you do day in, day out. The odd day of eating what you fancy is absolutely fine but ultimately stick to your goals most days. If you find yourself struggling to implement consistency on your own, seeking advice and support from a weight loss clinic can be incredibly beneficial. These clinics offer personalized programs and professional guidance to help you stay on track and achieve your weight loss goals.
– Don’t DRINK your calories. I see this a lot. 1o0mls of full sugar coke is 42 calories. Multiply that by 10 (1 litre) and that’s 420 calories in your drink! Obviously the best thing to drink is water but stick to sugar-free options where you can. Don’t add sugar to tea and coffee. Keep an eye on how much alcohol you have. The calories add up from this too!
– Cut your PORTION sizes down. I alluded to this earlier with the carbs point but I think so many people are surprised when they weigh out what they eat, as per recommended. For example a pasta portion is 75g dry weight. I often say to people take a photo of their usual meal and portion size and take another with weighed portions. The difference is probably quite a big one! Do this for all your meals, consistently every day and you will see results.
These are some very generic tips and everyone of course is different but if I see someone wanting the lose weight, these are the areas I will be questioning around.
Remember weight loss needs to be sustainable and a quick fix is just that, quick and won’t last!