Hello Everyone. Today’s article is a guest post from Jesse From Seven Seas.
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Sticking to a healthy eating plan might seem like a chore, but it needn’t be! I tried for a long time to lose weight and consistently I always found that will power and motivation were the hardest things to conquer. But once you get your head around weight loss it can actually be pretty easy. Follow my simple tips below and stay motivated.
Image credit: healthy food
Dear diary
You may think that you only eat the odd chocolate bar, and barely ever touch crisps. Perhaps it’s a mystery to you why you can’t seem to lose weight. But if you make a note of every single thing that passes your lips – from biscuits with your morning cuppa, to the pudding after dinner “because it’s Friday”, you might see a different story.
Another great option is using your phone to take a photo of everything you eat, this is more convenient and more effective than having to write in a diary. Whichever option you choose, try to be truthful, and analyse your diary each week to see what you can cut out.
Paint a picture
Do you remember when your best painting used to be put on the fridge as a mark of achievement? This is also a great way to motivate your weight loss. Find a photo of you when you were at a healthier weight, and one of you at your biggest. Stick them both on the fridge – and food cupboards – as a constant reminder of where you want to get to, and where you want to move away from.
Take a sip
Do you wolf your lunch at your desk, or eat dinner in front of the TV? It can be easy to shovel food into your mouth without really noticing it happening. Chew more slowly, and take a sip between each mouthful so that you savour your food. If you appreciate what you are eating, you’re more likely to feel satisfied after your meal. Plus, eating more slowly means your stomach feels full before you finish eating.
Plan, plan, plan
Just as a diary can help you identify any problems you might not have spotted, a food plan can help you stay on track and motivated. Decide which yummy, nutritious meals you’re going to make for yourself each week, and make sure that your menu is varied so that you look forward to your food each day. Where possible, prepare food in advance so that you can avoid the excuse of ‘being too busy to cook’.
Move on up
It’s no secret that exercise is key to weight loss, so introducing more movement into your routine can only help matters. What’s more, the endorphins will make you feel fantastic, and the more rapid weight loss will serve as a great boost to your self esteem. As you see your muscles tone up and start to feel fitter, you’ll be reluctant to go back to your old ways, too. Exercise is addictive – get hooked!
Snack attack
Prepare healthy snacks to munch on throughout the day
- Batons of raw carrot with a small pot of houmous make for a filling and tasty afternoon treat.
- Sugar snap peas are surprisingly sweet, and might just satisfy that sweet tooth craving.
- Radishes provide a bit of a peppery kick for savoury fans.
- If you must have crisps or chocolate, try to get ones which are baked rather than fried, and split your chocolate allowance up for the week. If you have a little treat every day, you’re less likely to have a blowout when Friday rolls around.
Bonus tip: Your taste buds actually adapt to your diet and style of eating, which means that the more sugar you eat the less sensitive you become to it. After a month of eating super healthily and completely avoiding sugar you will find that when you do eat sugar it will taste so much sweeter and you won’t want to consume as much!
Treating isn’t cheating
Everyone – yes, that’s everyone, even the seemingly totally virtuous girl at your gym who is a size zero – needs to treat themselves every now and again. Plan in regular treats so that you can look forward to them, and avoid falling off the wagon when you do indulge.
Get by with a little help from your friends
Tell friends and family that you need support, and how best to do that. If your mum immediately gets the biscuit barrel out as soon as you mention that you’re craving one, it’s going to do more harm than good. She may think that she is helping you to feel better by doing this, so explain that you’d like her to prepare healthy snacks for you to enjoy together over a cuppa instead of fat-laden treats.
Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Keep going!
About The Author:
This guest post was written by Jesse from Seven Seas, who as you may know stock a range of supplements and vitamins (you can learn more here) which are handy for weight loss. Jesse became a bit of a health fanatic after being overweight for many years and finally cutting down. He is now into all sorts of outdoor activities and loves weight training too.