. Find out exactly what weight you are and see what zone you are in. i.e. the overweight or obese or normal zone. If you are in the overweight or obese zone find out how much weight you have to lose before you can enter the normal zone. It is physically impossible to lose more than 2 pounds of FAT per week so that should be your target. If you lose any more you are only losing fluid and muscle. The slower and steadier you are at losing the pounds will ensure that they stay off for longer.
. Most people think that if they don’t eat they’ll lose weight. This in essence is true, however, as mentioned before, you will only be losing fluid and muscle. You’ll also be slowing down your metabolism, which means if you start eating normal again you’ll hold onto the extra calories as fat…which is what you DON’T want!! So eat 3 good meals a day…never skip breakfast, as it really is the most important meal of the day. Fill up on high fibre foods and lots of fruit and vegetables. Steer clear of cheese/creamy sauces at dinner, choose more tomato based sauces.
I can’t stress this enough!! Water is essential to our Optimum health and the simple fact is that we don’t drink enough! We need to replace the 1.5 litres we lose every day through breathing, sweating and going to the bathroom. Therefore on average we should be drinking 2 litres of fresh, clean, pure water every day. . And, no, the water in your tea and coffee doesn’t count! Caffeine is a diuretic, as is alcohol, which makes your body expel more water…hence the hangover!! Another few good reasons to drink lots of water, apart from great skin, hair, nails, organs etc. is that we often mistake the signal for thirst and hunger. If you feel hungry and you know you really shouldn’t be as you had eaten recently…drink a glass of water and then wait ten minutes, see if you are still hungry. If you are, well, then eat something, if not, well then it was just thirst. Also when we are fully hydrated our liver and kidneys work at their optimum level and so we metabolise fat more efficiently…so get drinking!!
Exercise is probably the most important part of any weight loss plan. It increases your metabolic rate, which ensures that you burn fat more efficiently. 20/30 minutes per day of moderate to intense exercise will have you shedding the pounds in no time and will give your body a more toned and healthy look. Exercise is also very important for your heart and lungs, and you need them to be strong for a long time! Also for good bone health exercise is crucial and it also makes you feel rather good!
The best exercise is the one that you’ll do! So find an activity that you enjoy whether it’s walking, running, swimming, roller-blading, dancing etc. and GET MOVING!!
. Diets don’t work…FACT! All you are doing is depriving yourself of food that you need i.e. carbohydrates or fats etc…follow the Food Pyramid...that is how you should construct your daily food intake. All fad diets are unrealistic and very difficult to follow for long periods of time and you only end up doing more harm than good. Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes…if there were, there wouldn’t be an obesity problem and we’d all be the perfect weight. The only way to achieve the right weight is to eat healthily, in moderation and move around more!
Yep, unfortunately the demon drink is not a friend to our waistlines! Alcohol had 7kCal per gram and Fat has 9, so that’s an indication of how calorific alcohol is. Plus we tend to eat more junk if we’ve been drinking and that just adds to the calorie fest!
Remember, you’re in for the long haul. If you’ve got 20lbs to lose you’ll be aiming to do that in 10 weeks, which is nearly three months…most people give up after 4. DON’T! Stick with it. You will probably lose weight in the first few weeks then you might taper off as you reach a plateau. This is perfectly normal as you’re body is just adjusting to the new eating plan. Keep going and you will start to lose weight again. Remember to keep up all of your good habits after you’ve reached your target weight. More than likely by then, you’ll love the new YOU so much that you’ll never revert back to the old ways!!
Good Luck!
Emma Buckley B.Sc
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