We all know it can be hard to eat the right foods, in the right portions, with the right ingredients. Everyone is different, right? But there are some things we can all do to help. This article runs you through 10 tips to keep your weight down, without having to sacrifice too much!
1. Most people eat 21 meals each week. If you have 1 unhealthier meal, there are still 20 other meals to eat healthily. Don’t give up if you let things slip at 1 meal.
2. Do the apple test! If you feel hungry, offer yourself an apple. If you don’t want the apple it probably means that you aren’t hungry. Maybe you’re craving something else! P.S. If you don’t like apples, replace it with something healthy.
3. There are 10,080 minutes in a week. Did you know you only need to be active for 150 minutes a week to hit the recommended guidelines? Use TV ad breaks to do a couple of extra minutes of exercise and watch as your daily active minutes add up.
4. Have you ever heard anyone say that they have a slow metabolism, so they can’t lose weight? Well only 1% of the adult population have an underactive thyroid which can slow metabolism. This means that 99% of the population have control over their metabolism. The more fat our bodies contain, the less lean muscle mass we have, so we will have a slower metabolic rate. Increase your physical activity on a regular basis and reduce your portion sizes for successful weight management.
5. You need to make sure you eat 5 different fruit and vegetables per day. And, sorry but, 5 satsumas doesn’t count as 5 portions, as you are only getting one set of nutrients. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to get a mixture of vitamins and minerals.
6. Do you love cheese? Do you slice it or grate it? If you are having a cheese sandwich or putting cheese on top of a burger, always grate it as it will go further, meaning you will be using slightly less! Little changes to be healthier all add up.
7. Have you ever found yourself in the supermarket looking at foods that are reduced fat and being convinced that they’re the best products to buy to help you lose weight? Wise up to food labels. ‘Reduced’ and ‘low fat’ are not the same thing. Low fat means a product has 3g or less fat per 100g, while reduced fat means a product is 25 per cent lower in fat than the standard product. Often foods marked ‘reduced fat’ were very high in fat to start with. For example, mayonnaise, crisps and cheese. You still need to limit how much you eat as the reduced fat version is likely to still be high in fat.
8. What size plate do you use? Try using a smaller sized plate, to trick your mind that your plate is fuller, meaning you feel fuller. Give the side plate a go this week and see what it does for you.
9. Do you struggle with getting into a habit to be physically active? Could you set a daily alarm or alert on your phone to help you get into routine.
10. How do you feel after eating a packet of crisps? Do you feel full, like you couldn’t eat anything else? Or do you feel like you could probably reach into the cupboard for another bag? Often it’s the latter. This is because crisps are full of empty calories which basically means that our bodies are taking in the calories/energy but getting very few nutritional benefits from them. Look out for higher fibre snacks as they’ll keep you feeling fuller for longer.
