The “how to lose weight” conundrum is something many of us have faced at some point in our lives but broken down to one key rule, it needn’t be such a headache to manage. It’s a simple formula – consume fewer calories than we burn on a consistent basis, and we’ll start to get the results we want.
It’s what we do to adhere to the formula that’s the more challenging part of the equation, but it really doesn’t have to be. There are many small but largely effective lifestyle changes we could make to help us get the balance right when it comes to calorie consumption versus calorie burning.
Healthy eating is key, not only when we’re trying to lose weight, but in every day life, to maintain wellbeing. A varied daily diet helps us take in the right balance of nutrients and should include at least five portions of fruit and veg, a good supply of dietary fibre, like brown rice and cereal and an adequate supply of low fat dairy products, like fat free youghurt.
And contrary to the infamous carbohydrate misconception, a sensible helping of carbohydrates is an essential part of your daily balanced diet. Don’t be led astray by fad no-carb diets, they simply don’t work – depriving our body of carbs does us no good whatsoever. We need them for energy, so opt for slow release carbs, like whole grains, beans, fruit and veg, and you’ll help yourself avoid hunger in between meals, so make sure you take in an adequate supply of these foods throughout the day to rid you of sudden hunger pangs, and the inevitable temptation to eat something unhealthy.
Drinking plenty of water is another effective way to reduce hunger. Dehydration can often be confused with hunger, so next time you have that hungry feeling, ask yourself if a simple glass of water will do. As an added benefit, the more water we drink, the more toxins we flush out, helping us feel more energetic, healthier and fitter, and therefore less likely to abandon our weight loss or healthy lifestyle efforts.
Snacking between meals isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but stay away from the vending machine and opt instead for alternatives like raw vegetables crudités – it’s easy to quickly chop up veggies such as celery, carrots, peppers and cucumber and throw them into a lunch box.
Seeds, nuts and dried fruits provide slow energy releases, but exercise moderation with these when on a weight loss plan.
And to help you increase that calorie deficit at the end of a day, embark on a regular exercise programme. It’s recommended that we all take part in at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise on a daily basis.
There are many things we can do get our heart rate going, like incorporating a work out into our housework, for example. Going for a walk every night after dinner is great for our hearts and our heads.
Better still, regular attendance at the gym provides unrivalled rewards and is a guaranteed feel good fix.