TOP Weight Loss TIPS
Drink plenty of water
Up to 70% of our body is made up of water. Keeping yourself well hydrated ensures your body is working at its best and can improve your weight loss results. Drinking around 2 litres of low sugar, non-caffeinated fluids a day can increase your metabolism as well as improving concentration and energy levels.
Eat breakfast
Breakfast is the best way to start your day and control your weight. Many observational medical studies have shown that people who skip breakfast have a higher rate of being overweight or obese. It can often lead to you feeling hungrier during the day making you more likely to snack and eat larger portions.
Eat regular meals
Our bodies are remarkable machines, and, like any machine, they require a regular source of energy to work at their best. Spacing out 3-5 balanced healthy meals and snacks throughout your day will help to improve your weight loss results. Going long periods of time between meals can lead to overeating and poor food choices when you eat.
Increase physical activity
Getting more active with a sport or activity you enjoy will not only make you feel more energised but will increase the rate of your weight loss. Exercise helps your body to burn more calories and change your body shape than dieting alone can.
Cut down on processed and high-sugar foods
Make a food swap each day from processed, ready-made foods to fresh, healthier alternatives. Try to decrease the amount of high sugar foods such as cakes, biscuits, sweets and fizzy drinks and choose healthier options such as a fruit, natural yoghurt, low-sugar cereal, rice cakes or unsalted nuts.
Keep a food diary
Writing down and recording what and when you eat and drink can be a useful exercise when trying to lose weight. It can help you to understand your eating patterns and establish a sense of control over your diet. You can also identify some of your food choices that are high in calories, fat or sugar that you can work on swapping for a healthier alternative.
Reduce alcohol
Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink can make a big difference to weight loss results, especially if you are someone who enjoys a drink throughout the week. Alcohol is usually high in calories and offers little nutritional benefit to the body. What’s more, it can increase your appetite and have a bad impact on your weight loss journey. If you do drink alcohol try making a change to your drink choice opting for clear spirits and low-calorie mixers instead of beer and wine.
Watch your portions
It can be easy to overload your plate with more food than you need and often this happens gradually over time. Think about using a smaller plate for your main meals and balance your plate with more vegetables and lean varieties of protein than simple carbohydrates such as white rice, pasta or potatoes. Use our Eatwell guide on page 26 to see how to balance your meals.
Don’t focus solely on the scales
Most patients use their weight on the scales as the only marker of their success. However, the scales do not always represent the entirety of your progress. Ways you can measure success off the scales include, taking your body measurements and taking progress photos, as these can often display more of change than the scales alone. At The Slimming Clinic, we use body composition analysis in our clinics allowing our patients to track changes in their body fat percentage as they lose weight as well.
Focus at meal times
Meals and snacks can often be rushed and squeezed into busy lifestyles. However, being distracted when we are eating or grabbing food on the go can lead to feeling unsatisfied and can cause overeating. Try and take the time to set regular meal times when you can focus on what you are eating and when you feel full.
Prepare food
Preparing and planning the food you are going to eat each day can help you stick to your healthy eating plan. Have a selection of healthy snacks you enjoy, on hand at work and at home, that you can turn to at times of temptation. Plan your shopping list and meal plan each week to make sure you have everything you need to stick to your healthy eating programme.