Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is an important part of managing your overall health and will help reduce the risk of developing serious medical conditions such as heart disease and certain cancers. Here John Callow, Personal Trainer for Fitness Evolution, shares his top tips for achieving successful weight reduction.
Tip 1. – Keep a food diary
Keep accurate food records of every morsel and drop for 3 days and record what you eat. Are you stressed hungry or bored? Evaluate your patterns for potentially fattening habits such as skipping breakfast, nibbling all day, over eating at night, entertaining yourself with food when you’re bored, or rewarding yourself with chocolate when your stressed.
If you eat for reasons other than fuel, you need to recognise that food is fuel and should not be abused like a drug. Food becomes dangerously fattening when it is eaten for entertainment, comfort or stress reduction. And no amount of food will solve any problem.
Tip 2. – Become aware of meal timing
If you eat lightly during the day and excessively at night, experiment with having a bigger breakfast and lunch and a lighter dinner. Eating earlier in the day prevents you from getting too hungry, losing control, and overeating in the evening.
Tip 3. What’s Your Calorie Budget?
Know how much you can eat and still lose weight so you can be sure you are eating adequately at breakfast and lunch. Most people are surprised to learn how many calories they deserve to eat.
Tip 4. – Know how much to cut back
Find out the amount of calories it takes to maintain your weight and subtract 20%. When you cut back on to many calories, you will become too hungry and quit your diet. Slow and steady weight loss stays off; quick weight loss is quickly regained. Theoretically, if you eat 500 fewer calories per day then your normally do, you should lose one pound per week, because one pound of fat is the equivalent of about 3,500 calories.
Tip 5. – Read Food Labels Include at least three of the five food groups at each meal.
Too many dieters eat the same food(s) all the time, such as apples, apples, apples; this limits their intake of natural vitamins and minerals.
Remember to count calories loosely and to consider them a general guideline and helpful tool to determine the appropriate amount of food to eat.
Tip 6. – Eat Slowly
The brain needs about 20 minutes to receive the signal that you’ve eaten your fill. No matter how much you consume during those 20 minutes, the satiety signal doesn’t move any faster. This explains why soup is an excellent first course for diet. It takes time to eat, and it decreases the appetite for the main entrée. Try to pace your eating time so that you eat less and avoid the discomfort that often occurs after rapid eating.
Try to place your fork down frequently and really taste the food. After all, the best part about food is its taste!
Tip 7. – Am I hungry or bored?
When you are bored, lonely, tired, nervous, you need to have some strategies in mind other than eating. For example, you might want to call a friend, write a letter, take a bath, water the plants, listen to music by candlelight, go for a walk, take a nap, to meditate.
Ask yourself the question “am I hungry or am I ‘bored, stressed…’”
Tip 8. – Have a Day Off
If you are going to an event and want to enjoy the full dinner, go ahead! If chocolate glazed donuts are your treat, have one once a week. You’ll free yourself from the temptation to devour a dozen donuts in one sitting and have something to look forward to!
Tip 9. – Exercise Consistently
Exercise regularly, but do not over exercise. If you do too much, you will likely end up injured, tired, and irritable. Exercise should be for fun and fitness, not simply for burning off calories. Be sure that you enjoy yourself.
Tip 10 – Think “Fit and Healthy”
Every morning before you get out of bed, visualize yourself as being fitter and leaner. This will help you start the day with a positive attitude.
John Callow, Personal Trainer for Fitness Evolution - visit the Fitness Evolution Facebook page
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