1. Give up fast food and takeaways completely.
If you are overweight you can ill afford junk food. You will get over the addiction!
2. Eliminate all white/refined sugar.
In coffee/tea or baking, replace with a natural sweetener such as Natvia (made from the stevia plant). No cakes, confectionary, pastries, buns, slices or biscuits. Avoid anything with an artificial sweetener, as most are more toxic than refined sugar. Keep this in mind with fizzy drinks and fruit juices too, and anything labeled “sugar free” is likely to contain an artificial sweetener. Start reading labels to see how much sugar is in almost all refined and processed food – even savoury foods such as pasta sauce.
3. Cut out refined and processed food, and start preparing meals at home. It costs less.
You could also begin a vegetable garden, which will keep you active and off the TV couch! Get children, or other household members involved. Sunlight provides vitamin D, and time spent in nature will de-stress, not to mention the delicious fruit and veges you will enjoy preparing for meals.
4. Increase your intake of fruit and vegetables.
Raw food is best, because nutrients are not destroyed during cooking, but cooked vegetables still have some nutrients and, most importantly, fibre.
5. Reduce excess carbohydrates and increase protein
You need carbs for fuel, but you only need what you are going to burn up. Some protein powders have low carb and low fat, yet provide energy and help you recover after exercise. Swap white bread for the grainiest bread you can find. Eat small portions of lean meat, and fish at least twice a week. Meat has no fibre, so you also need vegetables.
6. Increase your intake of omega 3 through food or fish oil.
You need to consume more omega 3 than omega 6.
7. Remove trans fats
(Unsaturated fat found in cooking oils) from your diet and the kitchen. This means no deep frying (fries), shallow frying in oil (meat), popcorn or pastry (meat pies, sausage rolls).
8. Think about doing a detox
To rid your body of accumulated waste, and follow it up with probiotics to recolonise your gut with good bacteria.
9. Drink at least eight glasses or filtered/purified water a day.
If you are doing heavy physical work or exercise, add electrolytes to your water as this hydrates you faster.
10. Sleep eight hours a night
Try to wake at the same time every morning, even weekends.
11. Exercise
Walking is free, and an excellent way to start, but it needs to be at least a brisk 30 minutes a day. Include some hills, or extend the distance every time your route starts to feel easy. You will lose a little more weight exercising before breakfast than any other time of the day, although all fast walking will melt cellulite and build muscle.
12. Avoid alcohol
It is high in sugar and will mess with your sleep and exercise, as well as your willpower for all the dietary changes above!
If you are overweight you can ill afford junk food. You will get over the addiction!
2. Eliminate all white/refined sugar.
In coffee/tea or baking, replace with a natural sweetener such as Natvia (made from the stevia plant). No cakes, confectionary, pastries, buns, slices or biscuits. Avoid anything with an artificial sweetener, as most are more toxic than refined sugar. Keep this in mind with fizzy drinks and fruit juices too, and anything labeled “sugar free” is likely to contain an artificial sweetener. Start reading labels to see how much sugar is in almost all refined and processed food – even savoury foods such as pasta sauce.
3. Cut out refined and processed food, and start preparing meals at home. It costs less.
You could also begin a vegetable garden, which will keep you active and off the TV couch! Get children, or other household members involved. Sunlight provides vitamin D, and time spent in nature will de-stress, not to mention the delicious fruit and veges you will enjoy preparing for meals.
4. Increase your intake of fruit and vegetables.
Raw food is best, because nutrients are not destroyed during cooking, but cooked vegetables still have some nutrients and, most importantly, fibre.
5. Reduce excess carbohydrates and increase protein
You need carbs for fuel, but you only need what you are going to burn up. Some protein powders have low carb and low fat, yet provide energy and help you recover after exercise. Swap white bread for the grainiest bread you can find. Eat small portions of lean meat, and fish at least twice a week. Meat has no fibre, so you also need vegetables.
6. Increase your intake of omega 3 through food or fish oil.
You need to consume more omega 3 than omega 6.
7. Remove trans fats
(Unsaturated fat found in cooking oils) from your diet and the kitchen. This means no deep frying (fries), shallow frying in oil (meat), popcorn or pastry (meat pies, sausage rolls).
8. Think about doing a detox
To rid your body of accumulated waste, and follow it up with probiotics to recolonise your gut with good bacteria.
9. Drink at least eight glasses or filtered/purified water a day.
If you are doing heavy physical work or exercise, add electrolytes to your water as this hydrates you faster.
10. Sleep eight hours a night
Try to wake at the same time every morning, even weekends.
11. Exercise
Walking is free, and an excellent way to start, but it needs to be at least a brisk 30 minutes a day. Include some hills, or extend the distance every time your route starts to feel easy. You will lose a little more weight exercising before breakfast than any other time of the day, although all fast walking will melt cellulite and build muscle.
12. Avoid alcohol
It is high in sugar and will mess with your sleep and exercise, as well as your willpower for all the dietary changes above!
Top 12 tips for losing weight
1. Give up fast food and takeaways completely. If you are overweight you can ill afford junk food. You will get over the addiction!