Saturday, 3 April 2010

Have your cake and eat it too: Weight loss made easier

You want to lose weight to get that bikini body this summer and you don't know where to begin, especially when you pushed yourself to keep to that diet plan last year and lost nothing.

We all desire that beautiful bikini body but no-one likes to diet, especially if it means cutting back on eating all your favourite foods.

Most dieting plans however, can result in weight gain. This is because people tend to work towards an unrealistic diet plan, something that may be possible to stick to for a while, but not forever, and if so, then it sure wont be a healthy one. You may either gain weight back after going back to your normal eating habits, or loose weight but look completely unhealthy after not eating a balanced diet.

So it's best to choose a plan you intend to stick to. Something that contains the correct portions of your daily allowances, a plan where you are able to indulge in chocolate without feeling guilty. A plan thats not a diet.

By making minor adjustments to your current eating habits, you can find yourself loosing a few lbs in a month, or even weeks, and all by doing it the healthy way.

Here are some small tips which will go a long way:

1- Go Light- It's ok to continue eating whatever you like, just start opting for the light options in everything.

2- 5 a day- Eating your 5 a day is great for weight-loss. Before snacking on crisps or chocolate, eat a small bowl of fruit and drink a glass of water knowing that you can still snack on your crisp packet, soon you may find you don't want the crisps afterall.

3. H2O- Drink 1-2 glasses of water before each meal. This will actually make you eat less, and also help digest your food properly. Most people are also mistaken from mixing thirst with hunger, and end up eating when all they really needed was something to quench their thirst.

4- Herbal Tea- If you're always on the go and love places like Costa and Starbucks, it can be extremely difficult to say no to the Frappachino's and the Mocha's. Reduce the intake of caffeine and try replacing at least one drink a day for a herbal tea. Peppermint tea is great after a big meal as it helps the digestive system. You could say no to your hot chocolate at night for cammomile tea. Or swap your morning tea for a green tea with lemon. And if you take sugar in your beverages, then aim to reduce this each day. Soon enough you will be happy with no sugar.

5- Smaller Portions- Eat what you like, but just reduce your portions and make up for it with a small salad. After drinking your glass of water before your meal, you shouldnt feel too hungry, so don't fill your plate with too much, otherwise you may find yourself to be over-eating. Once you've eaten what's on your plate, wait about five minutes and drink a glass of water, if you're still hungry, add some salad to your plate. If not, then eat no more.

6- Move- Use your legs 50 times more than before. Walk to the shops, walk around the house, twist and stretch while hoovering and dusting, dance when cooking, and if you have time, try running up and down the stairs for 30 seconds to a minute a day. It makes all the difference.

7-Treat yourself- Eat out once a week, or once every two weeks. Just for your satisfaction, that you still can eat whatever you like.

This is not a diet, this is a plan, and you're in control.

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