Tag: menu

Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

I often receive emails from people who are looking for help with their weight loss and their fitness and I love receiving them.  Today’s question came in the other day from a person who told me the reason she can’t lose weight is that “diet foods” are not nice and was there any way around it?  I wasn’t exactly sure what she meant by “diet foods” so after a little further questioning I realised that she was buying pre-prepared diet brand ready meals for her main meals and then struggling on a limited and bland diet of crackers and soup with little or no breakfast. She would limit herself to drop as many pounds as possible and then get so hungry she would put it all back on and continued the yo-yoing like this for years.  She said that she had been yo-yoing for over 15 years and after reading my story she wanted to dry something different. It was then much easier to tackle the problems. The ready meals can be handy for when you are in a rush, or the family are eating something very high in calories and you need to grab something easy – but at the same time you should try to avoid falling back on these products on a daily basis. The calories and fat are reduced which means you will be getting you main meal for 300 – 400 calories……HOWEVER, if you take a little time to prepare your own version of the same meal, you could get almost twice as much food to eat for the same number of calories, which means you will be kept fuller for longer and less likely to be tempted to snack! In terms of eating crackers and soup – again, these are perfect choices but not the ONLY choices! Making your own wraps, sandwiches or salads are other tasty and filling alternatives that will keep your diet a little more fresh and exciting which means you will be more likely to stick to it!

Here are 6 ways to make weight loss easier

1. Experiment with New Foods 

“Diet foods” can be boring and flavourless but who said you had to eat “diet food”? Shop around and experiment with new spices and unusual produce. Choose a new recipe from a healthy cooking magazine or from our online food & exercise diary.  There are hundreds of low calorie yummy meals available out there so now is the time to try them and you’ll be surprised at what you find.

2. Learn Something New

The best workout is the one you haven’t done yet, as your body quickly adapts to the same old walking or cardio routine. Weight loss can be accelerated by new and challenging exercise routines. Exercise classes are a great way to break out of your comfort zone. These classes can be anything from yoga to spinning to a Zumba class.

3. Make New Friends

Support from like-minded individuals can make a difference in weight loss and maintenance. Your friends and family might not always understand your commitment to your new lifestyle. This is a good time to reach out for support from new sources as needed. Find a walking, running club, Fit4Life in your area.  Chat amongst like-minded people reaching for the same goals.

4. Reward Yourself

Celebrate each weight loss and maintenance milestone in a way that is meaningful to you. Remember that you cannot directly control the scale, so try to plan rewards around accomplishments you do directly control. After a month on plan, treat yourself to a massage, new shoes, something just for you. Try and change the idea of celebrating means eating!

5. Share Your Success

Share your success with family and friends.  This works in two ways: The compliments you will receive will encourage you to continue with your weight loss journey and secondly by sharing your story, your ups and downs, you might encourage another person to take the next step in losing weight.

6. Set New Goals

As you become more comfortable with your new lifestyle, you may find that your goals move beyond losing a certain number of pounds or fitting into a certain size. For many people, weight loss is about making their health and wellbeing a priority. Think about the other dreams you have had. Want to train and run a race? Maybe a full marathon? Find ways to celebrate all that you have accomplished.

Other questions I seemed to get asked a lot is, what do I do when I eat out at restaurants? How do I deal with all the food?

A lot of restaurants these days have websites where you can check the menu in advance.  You can check the on-line menu and plan ahead what healthy choice you’re going to eat.  Sometimes if you are scanning through the menu and you feel rushed you are going to just pick something you know and more than likely something that isn’t very healthy. Even if you are having to go to a fast food restaurant, a lot of these will now have the calorific contents so take your time and choose wisely.

Here are some tips that could help:

• Cutting down on portion size is the simplest way to cut calories, sharing is caring (for your waistline!)

• Low calorie starters: melon, soup (without the bread roll and butter; this can add 180 calories and 9.5 grams of fat) and green salad with dressing on the side.

• Ask for an extra portion of salad or vegetables but make sure that there is no butter added. Remember that every individual size (10g) portion of butter is worth 73 calories and 8 grams of fat.

Rule of thumb: Dishes with cream, coconut milk, crème fraîche, cheese, butter, breadcrumbs or batter added would all be high in calorie or fat or both.  Try and ask for the sauces on the side.

 

Be Drink Wise

• A small (125ml) glass of wine contains a whopping 85 calories – maybe more than you think!

• Try to limit your intake of alcohol by having an alternative such as water with a slice of lime or a diet soft drink.

• Always finish the drink before topping up the glass… this can help you to keep count of your drink intake and hopefully help you to control it!

Alcohol is an appetite stimulant, so it can also cause you to eat more food that you wouldn’t otherwise desire!

Desserts

• Choose some ice cream or sorbet for the lowest calorie options.

• A good idea is to share a dessert – and ask for cream to be left off.

ENJOY YOURSELF