If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun. Katherine Hepburn
Well I had a laidback Saturday, walked Alfie for longer than usual, the chilled out with the papers and watched some tv. Cooked Bobotie from the Seriously Satisfying cookbook, then ate it ;-) And watched more tv before having an early night, that is my idea of a perfect weekend at this time of year!
Sticking to a diet and an exercise regime is never easy, so here are some suggestions to make it a little easier!
Only eat food you adore - you may not be able to eat whatever you like all the time, but dieting will never work if you force yourself to eat food you dislike.
Put yourself first – nothing is more important than eating well and exercising, because if you don’t have good health you can’t make the most of everything life has to offer – or be there for the people who need you. Ask yourself daily “what do I need to do to stay on track?” and make that your first priority.
Eat slowly and stop when full – those that eat quickly are twice as likely to be overweight – and eating slowly is a great way to give your body time to register that you’re full and give you change to enjoy the eating!
Ask what you really need – every time you feel an urge to eat (outside of the 3 meals and 2 snacks you’ve planned into your day) ask yourself this question – you may be surprised by the answer – do you really need food, or does your body need a break? A glass of water? A hug?
Watch portion sizes – losing weight isn’t just about what you eat, but how much. And that counts for salads too. Instead of eating huge portions, eat smaller amounts and promise yourself you can have second helpings should this mini meal not be enough. You will find yourself feeling pleasantly full on a lot less food.
Every little helps – you didn’t become overweight in a day and you won’t slim down in one either. It took thousands of tiny lifestyle decisions to get where you are today and, by the same token, many life style decisions are going to help you slim. Think about every bite of food you take, every move you make and, little by little those calories you shave off and those extra bits of energy expenditure will add up to a new slim you.
Remember your goal – psychologists have found that focusing on things rather than just appearance will make you more likely to be successful in your slimming quest. So make sure your diet goals are enticing and worthwhile.
Forgive and forget – don’t punish that one biscuit indulgence by feeling a failure for the rest of the week – that’s a certain way to sabotage your weight loss. Instead, forgive and get back on track.
Plan everything – if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Go shopping for the weeks salad and vegetables on a Monday to reduce the risk of the empty fridge sending you off track. Put your exercise sessions in your diary and fit other commitments around them, not the other way around.
Relax! Studies show stress can make you fat, but rest, sleep and exercise can ease your stress and help you shed those pounds.
So if you do one thing this year…
Give your eyes a computer screen break – staring at a screen can cause sore or tired eyes, headaches and even blurred vision. Follow the 20/20 rule: look up from your screen every 20 minutes and focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Check out www.screensmart.co.uk
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