25 Great Tips for Losing Weight and Keeping It Off

✓ Have your body fat and muscle mass measured and focus on reducing body fat and increasing muscle mass rather than overall weight loss goals. This is much more accurate and a much healthier way of losing weight.

✓Abundance vs Lack. Keep thinking “where can I get more nutrition into my day”. Every time you eat say to yourself “Where’s the good nutrition here”. This will help you to “crowd out” the familiar, processed foods with delicious new foods rather than feeling deprived. This will help a lot to create the new mindset that you want for the long term.

✓ Be adventurous with whole foods – try new ideas that nourish and satisfy. Include plenty of good quality fats and protein and keep starchy carbohydrates and sugar to an absolute minimum. Include plenty of vegetables both raw and cooked and some fruit (no more than 3 per day) to make sure you are getting enough fibre.

✓ Focus on Low carb, low GI (glycaemic index) plans including full-fat and protein foods which helps weight loss more effectively than the low-fat, high carb approach often recommended. This is easier to adapt to, helps to reduce hunger, and maintain for longer.

✓ Create new habits – Get up half an hour earlier – start your day with 5-10 minutes of meditation and 20 minutes of exercise – do this without even thinking about it – it will change your outlook!

✓ Find suitable, practical, enjoyable exercise and activities that you do daily.

✓ Using light weights (under guidance) or using your body weight when exercising will help to get your metabolism moving – so get advice at your local gym or from a personal trainer. HIIT is a great concept to help with this.

✓ Forget about dieting – focus on a healthy, active lifestyle – do your body a favour and mind it as you would your child.

✓ Go back to enjoying cooking meals from scratch and sitting round the table as a family.

✓ Plan your meals and snacks – shop once a week – make a shopping list for the week and stick to it! Don’t allow the smells in the supermarkets designed to lure you, reel you in!

✓ Drink enough fluids, mainly water (2 litres daily) and ensure it is really good quality water. Herbal teas are good too – also good quality and drinks like aloe vera are good too.

✓ Drink water ½ hour before you eat and not with meals – if you chew your food thoroughly you won’t need water during the meal. This is much better for your digestion.

✓ Choose organic products wherever possible (particularly items you don’t peel) – fresh vegetables (limit starchy veg), beans/ lentils, fish, real meat (if you can’t do without your meat – limit red meat to once a week) eggs, fruit, and modest amounts of good quality dairy (open to discussion), seeds & nuts.

✓ I recommend that you cut out bread completely from your diet especially in the first few weeks to see how you get on

✓Avoid low-fat products – society needs to move away from this concept – the quality is generally poor and lots of additives<

✓ Take foods rich in Essential Fatty Acids – oily fish; ground flax, chia seeds; flax oil, UDO’s oil….

✓ Eat little and often 4-5 times a day, always at regular times. Have your main meal at lunchtime, if possible.

✓ Snacks should be small e.g. fruit (no bananas) with limited nuts & seeds to slow down the sugar release. Protein foods satisfy best!

✓ Reduce portion size – smaller plates help. But do it gradually, to avoid feeling deprived!

✓ Avoid large meals or heavy snacks close to bedtime.

✓ Eat mindfully and take plenty of time to chew. Well-chewed food satisfies sooner. Don’t watch TV or read while eating.  Stop eating when 80% full. Takes strain off digestion. Very useful habit to cultivate!

✓ Find ways to reward and comfort yourself without using foods. Distract from cravings. E.g run up and down stairs 10 times if you feel cravings!

✓ Closely observe your digestion and keep an eye out for allergies or intolerances when you notice persistent digestive problems such as bloating, etc.

✓ Support is really important – don’t try to do this alone. Find a programme that suits you where you can connect with other people going through the same journey! ✓ Set reasonable goals that are doable! Don’t be too ambitious – then if you overachieve it feels great!

✓ Take your “before” photo, and take body measurements before you start in addition to weight, body fat, muscle etc. Many pharmacies can do this for you if you don’t have access in the gym or at home to this type of scales.