The Sure, steady way to LOSE WEIGHT

Nobody said a shift to a healthier body would be easy, but a combination of small measures can have big and lasting effects.

Our journey in life started with a single step, so the journey to a healthier you is just the same. Setting goals and making decisions requires small steps to reach these goals. We know life can through a spanner in the works from time to time but you can take a step back here and there and still be moving in the right direction.

Here are 20 top tips to help you lose weight and keep it off.

1. Set a Small Specific Goal. Stick it somewhere you can see it every day.
2. Focus only on the next kilo. Keeping the attention on the immediate goals helps to keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
3. Have exercise dates with family,friends or partner. Exercising with others releases more endorphins (the happy hormones) than when you exercise alone.
   
4. Know what works for you. Everyone is different, so get clear on the strategies that help you. Early morning exercise for example.
5. Schedule exercise. Making the time official is making a commitment to yourself, your body and your health.
6. When exercising work up a sweat at least twice a week. Research has shown increased levels of intensities a few times a week aids fat loss. Consult your doctor if you have a heart condition first.
7. Add variety to your exercise. Our muscles adapt to doing the same exercise repeatedly, so for better results play around with the different aspects of exercise, ie, strength, core, flexibility and aerobic.
8. Trying on your jeans once a week. This is a good way to keep track on how your going. Arguably a better approach than scales…which do not show weight gain from muscle mass.
9. Take before and after photos.
10. Sign up to a challenge. A fitness challenge gives you a goal to work towards. It might be running 5 K’s.
11. Incorporate greens into your diet…every day. Low in calories but high in nutrients, they keep us full and give our bodies the fuel they need to be lean and mean.
12. Keep a food journal. Its a simply way to create awareness on what you are eating. You will be surprised at the extra calories you maybe consuming. Research has shown its a key component in losing extra weight.
13. Eat good fats. Research shows that monounsaturated fats like avocado, nuts, olive oil and tuna help reduce heart disease, lower cholesterol levels and have other health benefits when they replace saturated fats in the diet. Increasing your monounsaturated fat intake can actually help weight lose.
14. Keep an eye on portion sizes. If we use Good Fats as an example, have 2 servings a day. 1 serve translates into 100 to 150g’s of oily fish, a quarter of an avocado a handful of nuts and seeds and 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
15. Treat yourself to your favourite foods and enjoy them without guilt. This will give you more staying power. Some research suggests indulging once a week can aid your weigh loss efforts.
16. Get enough sleep. this will vary from person to person but 7 to 8 hours a night is what you need. Not enough sleep will impact on your metabolism, weight, mood and cardiovascular health among other things.
17. Drink plenty of water. Most adults lose 2.5 to 3 litres of water a day. Most of us don’t drink enough to replenish what is lost and not only is vital, it keeps our skin in good condition, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells and can aid weight loss.
18. See a doctor if you have any health concerns. There maybe medical reasons why someone on a healthy diet or acting right may not be losing weight.
19. Take time out. Its important to rest and recover. An elite athlete will have recovery days or down time, so factor that into your regime…it maybe the day you indulge into your favourite foods.
20. Practise self compassion. There will be times when we can’t get it right and slip up…miss a workout or get horribly drunk, but if we can be gentle on ourselves and have the resolve to get back on track this will help us go the distance. Research shows self-compassion may just be the most important life skill and help us develop resilience, courage and energy.

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