Weight Loss Tips
Have you ever thought about it? – Successful weight-loss is more than simply changing what food you eat, it is how you eat as well!
Changing how you eat could take a little time, after all bad habits develop over many years. Even if you change one habit a week, by the end of your first six weeks you would have cultivated at least 6 new ways to eat and improve your weight-loss!
Eat slowly and chew your food well
We live in a fast-paced society. We grab something to eat in between activities – in the car, during a work break, before rushing off to pick up the kids from school. You’ve probably hardly tasted the food. Slow down! Very importantly, learn to chew your food well! If you chew your food slowly, the digestive process is able to work much better, you will enjoy your food more and you’ll give your brain a chance to realize you’re eating and it will be able to signal to you when it has had enough and therefore, you’ll eat less.
In fact, people who tend to eat too quickly are more likely to have second helpings because the brain hasn’t had time to get the message that they’ve had enough to eat. On average, people who are obese or overweight tend to eat faster than non-obese folk.
Start your meal with something satisfying
When you start your meal, start with some protein eg meat or fish - more satisfying & filling. Once you’ve taken a bite or two of protein, the brain gets the message and you’ll find you can cope with eating less and really feel satisfied.
Separate eating from other activities
We all know how it is – watching TV, nibbling snacks, taking the fast-food options, etc. Try not to eat whilst on the move, watching TV, during meetings, etc. Concentrate on what you are eating and plan what to eat so that the temptation is not there to over-indulge.
Use smaller plates when dishing up your meal
This will automatically reduce your portion sizes with positive effects
Don’t skip meals
Skipping meals actually slows your metabolism down and you will not burn up the calories properly. Excess calories will be stored as fat.
Down some Adam’s Ale … water!
Drinking a glass of water before each meal, will let you feel fuller and should enable you to eat less food. Drinking iced-water can actually give your metabolism a little boost!
Avoid eating late at night.
Eating late will not enable your body to go through the digestive process properly and your metabolism will be affected. Try to eat at least 3 hours before retiring to bed.
Avoid temptation
Here are some ideas:
Try clearing your refrigerator of excess and unhelpful foods (pass them on to a charity kitchen)
Drawing up a weekly or daily eating plan and stick with it
If watching food shows on TV makes you hungry, avoid those programs
When tempted to eat between meals, brush your teeth – nothing like that lovely freshness in your mouth!
When temptation knocks, tell it to wait for 10-15 minutes (at least) and then you will probably find that you’ve forgotten about that urge to eat something!
Keep second helpings out of sight
Keep food in the kitchen or on the dining table but not in any other room in the house
A tip for those of you thinking of redecorating your house or kitchen …
Apparently certain colours may influence your appetite. So, the colour of your kitchen could be influencing how you eat. Yellow, red and orange colours could potentially have an appetite-stimulating effect (Have you noticed the dominant and bright colours in your favourite fast food outlet?). So, if you’re about to redecorate, try cool pastel colours rather than bright bold colours.
Consider your emotions
How you feel can influence how you eat. Write down what triggers temptation to eat and plan ways to overcome negative influences.
Making changes to how you eat can be very enjoyable. Do it one step at a time. The reward will be self-evident ... and a very healthy one at that!
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