Let go of negative thoughts! Think positive about yourself, and you’ll begin to achieve your weight loss goals

Do you have an internal voice which says: “I’ll never lose weight because I’m lazy” or “I have no willpower”. If you keep thinking this way, your weight loss targets will be much harder to achieve. You need to keep a positive outlook on your weight loss journey.

Negative thoughts and emotions become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you keep telling yourself “I can’t lose weight” – you won’t. There are several ways that you can be more positive about your weight loss:

• Put your mind in control – instead of just reacting instinctively, try to be logical
• Concentrate on what you can eat, instead of bemoaning what you can’t
• Don’t think of exercise as a drag – think of the health benefits it gives and focus on how good you feel after exercising

Don’t Pigeonhole Yourself

If you keep thinking of yourself as being addicted to sugar/biscuits/cakes etc. this will make it harder for you to lose weight. Instead, think of yourself as someone who enjoys a healthy diet, and who is progressing towards a healthy weight. Don’t put yourself in a box. Think about how you would like to be, and start thinking of yourself in that way. Take control of your life and define how you want to be.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Weight loss is a journey, and every journey has it’s ups and downs. Maybe you stood on the scales and your weight had increased a notch, or maybe you ate junk food or skipped your exercise class. If you fall off the wagon in this way, don’t beat yourself up – look upon it as a minor stumbling block and resolve to try harder next time. Don’t focus on perceived “failure”.

I often work with clients who feel down when they don’t achieve every single weight-loss target. People get downhearted because they didn’t complete every single exercise session planned for the week, or because they caved in and ate a biscuit or two. When this happens, I try to put things in perspective. The client who skipped a few exercise sessions? Until recently, he hadn’t exercised in almost 10 years – in this context, skipping a few sessions is no big deal. And the client who ate a few biscuits? A few weeks back, they were consuming nothing but junk food. Try to put your slip-ups in context. None of us are perfect, and so long as you are going in the right direction, you’ll achieve your target weight.

Now it’s Your Turn!

Write down 5 things which interfere with your weight loss goals e.g. “I don’t have enough time to exercise” or “I have a sweet tooth”. Then write down 5 ways you will overcome these obstacles. Keep this and refer to it when you find yourself beset by negative thoughts!

Stay positive – you’ll achieve your weight-loss goals!

If you’re in the Shannon area and need help with weight loss, find out more about our services, or give us a call on 087 930 7575.

Make a sensible New Year’s resolution for 2013 – give up sugar. You’ll lose weight, feel better, have more energy and be healthier!

Happy New Year for 2013! I hope you all had a great Christmas.

At this time of year, many of you will be making New Year’s resolutions. Maybe you’ve resolved to finally lose those extra pounds, or perhaps you have just decided to eat more healthily.

If you are thinking about changing your diet, I thought I’d give you some food for thought! It’s really important that we make the right kind of resolution – and this article will help you to make sensible resolutions regarding your diet.

Why Change Your Diet?

The best way that you can lose weight and ensure that you have a healthy life is to change your diet. Most people eat too much of the wrong kind of food, and not enough of the food that we are designed for.

We’re effectively putting the wrong fuel in our bodies. Imagine you had a petrol engine car. What would happen if you put diesel in the tank? You’d have a problem, that’s for sure! Your body is amazingly adaptive, and you can survive even though you’re putting in the wrong fuel. But while you might survive, you won’t thrive.

When you eat the wrong foods, the result is always the same: ill-health, low energy levels and weight gain. As well as causing you to put on weight, a poor quality diet increases your risk for Type 2 diabetes, Heart disease, Cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

The Worst Foods

One of the biggest culprits for weight gain is sugar. Sugar is a carbohydrate that is easily absorbed by your body – and it’s not a natural part of the human diet. Human beings have been around for 200,000 years, but sugar and other refined carbohydrates have only recently become part of our diet.

Your body is not “designed” to cope with repeated doses of easily absorbed carbohydrates – and sugar in all it’s forms is a particular problem. Hot on the heels of sugar are starchy foods – these are also easily absorbed by your body.

Here’s a list of the top 6 foods to avoid:

• Sweetened drinks
• Granulated sugar (don’t add sugar to tea or coffee)
• Bread (especially white bread)
• Pasta
• Breakfast cereals (usually have masses of added sugar)
• Sweets, cakes & muffins

The Insulin Connection

Sugar and other easily absorbed carbohydrates cause an increase in the hormone insulin. Repeatedly flooding your system with insulin results in weight-gain and other health problems (such as type 2 diabetes). Insulin stops your body from using fat as fuel, and causes your body to store fat. The end result of a diet packed full of carbohydrates is that your body has too much stored fat, you gain weight and your health suffers.

Fat was never meant to be locked away in long term storage – stuck on your belly, your backside and your arms. Fat is meant to be used as a fuel by your body – but if your diet is full of sugar & refined carbs, you can’t burn that fat.

The Low-Fat Myth

For years we’ve been told to avoid fatty foods like the plague. This advice is not based on sound scientific evidence – the most recent research clearly shows that eating fat does not make you fat. In fact, when you avoid fat, you usually eat more carbohydrates.

Many “low fat” products are high in sugar – which caused your weight problem in the first place. We’ve been eating less and less fat over the past 20 years, and more and more carbohydrates – and our weight has ballooned. You work it out!

Withdrawal Symptoms!

When you stop eating sugar and refined carbohydrates, you might experience some initial discomfort, and possibly even reduced energy levels. This is normal, and it will pass. Your body is so used to getting quick “sugar-hits”, that it can’t mobilise your fat stores and use them as fuel.

Not everyone experiences this, but if you do – stay strong. Your body will make the necessary changes, and before you know it you will switch into a “fat-burning” mode.

You may find yourself craving sugary foods as you move to a healthier diet. Remember that your new dietary habits are not the problem – your old “unnatural” habits are the problem. You don’t “need” sugar – this is just a common myth. When you change your diet, you are correcting years of abuse – and your body will need time to get through this transition.

Give yourself time, be strong, and look forward to more energy, reduced weight and better health!

I have personally not eaten sugar or refined carbohydrates in a very long time – it’s probably 6 months since I last had a slice of bread – yet I’m full of energy! I have never been fitter or leaner, and I teach several high-energy exercise classes each week.

Make a Resolution

The resolution I suggest is simple: give up sugar. Remember: sugar is toxic. Stop eating sugar – you’ll feel better, lose weight and be healthier. It’s that simple. Do your best to avoid the foods mentioned above.

Need Some Extra Help?

If you live in Co Clare, why not work with us. We provide a One-to-One Weight Loss coaching service, as well as a Body Transformation Programme. We’ll show you how to adapt your lifestyle so that weight loss happens effortlessly – without starvation, calorie counting or food supplements.

Watch this space for ideas, recipes and suggestions that will help you make the transition to a healthier diet. Why not join us on Facebook for more free weight-loss ideas?

Follow our ten principles for a healthy life!

Following our life principles will help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. They’ll also help you to achieve peak fitness, to look and feel great, and to improve your health. What are you waiting for – make some changes!

Principle 1: Don’t Eat Junk

Don’t eat sugar – sugar is toxic. Don’t eat sweets or bars of chocolate. Don’t eat refined carbohydrates – avoid bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits and anything made with flour. Don’t drink sweetened drinks – drink water instead.

Principle 2: Eat More of the Good Stuff!

Eat LOADS of veggies and salad, and plenty of fruit. Fruit & veg is really good for you – eating more of these foods can help prevent serious illness, and can also help you to balance your weight. Aim for 2 portions salad, 5 portions of vegetables and 3 portions of fruit per day. Fill at least half your dinner plate with vegetables.

Eat nuts & seeds – unsalted. Nuts & seeds are a good snack. Get some sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts & hazelnuts into your life.

Principle 3: Eat Protein with Most Meals

High protein foods include red meat, poultry, fish & eggs. You’re designed to eat meat and eating high protein foods helps you to feel full.

Principle 4: Don’t Drink Too Much Booze

You don’t need to drink 10 pints to have fun. Don’t have more than 2-3 drinks at one sitting. On most days, don’t drink at all.

Principle 5: Get Some Exercise

Actually, get a LOT of exercise. Stand up and move around more, even at work. Take an exercise class. See how fit and strong you can become – you might surprise yourself.

Principle 6: Listen to Your Body

Eat when you are hungry, stop eating when you are full. Eat mindfully. Sleep when you are tired. Really LISTEN to your body, without distractions.

Principle 7: Control Your Environment

Remove junk food from your house – you’ll be less likely to eat it. Surround yourself with healthy options. Buy smaller plates – you’ll eat less.

Principle 8: Score Goals!

Get some goals – if you don’t know where you want to get to, how are you going to get there? Visualise your goals – imagine how you’ll feel when you achieve your goals.

Principle 9: Lighten Up, Have Fun & Play More

Have some fun. Get a hobby. Spend time with other people. Turn off the TV. Play is not just for kids – take time out to play. Meditate.

Principle 10: Get Outside More

Get outside every day. Put on a coat if necessary. Get some natural light. Get some safe sun exposure – you could probably use the vitamin D and you’ll feel better for it.

Try to stand up frequently while you at work – it will help you burn fat and will reduce risk of serious disease!

Whether you work from home or in a communal office, here are a few ideas to get you active and promote weight-loss whilst you are at work. Being more active helps you burn more calories and helps weight loss. It also improves immune function, reduces fatigue and reduces stress levels!

Desk Height

If you sit all day, you are at greater risk of serious illness. People with sitting jobs have a higher rate of cardiac disease as people with standing jobs. If you do sit at work all day, vary your desk heights. If possible have a number of desks at various heights that you can move between throughout the day. If possible, try working whilst standing – which will help you to burn fat while you work.

Use Chairs & Other Equipment

• Swap your office chair for a gym ball. It may seem like a crazy idea but they’re great for core stability
• Hand grippers – very cheap to buy or just use a tennis ball – squeeze during thoughtful moments to improve grip strength and relieve stress
• Pedometer – strap on a pedometer for the day – it might encourage you to walk more!
• Use a regular desk to perform adapted push-ups during dull moments – increase productivity and burn fat at the same time!

Do Some Squats

Squats are a great exercise – they can increase your metabolic rate and give your legs and backside a good workout. You can do them anywhere, and it is easy to blend a few squats in to your working day. Why not do a few squats whilst waiting for the kettle to boil, or your computer to boot up?

Begin with chair squats:

• Stand in front of a stable chair (without wheels), with your feet shoulder width apart and your toes pointing slightly out
• Keep your shoulders back and your chest out throughout the movement
• Keeping your weight on your heels, slowly lower yourself backwards onto the chair – keeping a straight back, and tensing your tummy muscles
• Don’t flop down – use your muscles to hold you so that your backside is just touching the chair
• Keeping your weight on your heels, stand back up to your start position
• Repeat 5 times!

Once you’ve mastered chair squats, try them without a chair (hold onto a desk if you need to).

Stand & Walk During Meetings

Studies show that meetings are more productive, creative and shorter if individuals walk around during them. Weather permitting, you could hold them outside in a quiet area.

Get Some Light

Get outside as much as you can – take a paper notepad and pen outside if you have any creative thinking or planning to do. Use the mobile to make calls and walk around outside.

Position your work space in such a way as to take advantage of any natural light. Vitamin D is produced by our body when we are directly exposed to natural light, and low levels of Vitamin D have been linked to poor immune function and weight-gain.

Getting plenty of natural light during the day can also help you to sleep better at night. Lack of sleep has been linked to weight gain, so ensuring you get plenty of bright natural light in the mornings is a good idea.

If you need extra help with weight loss, we can help! Contact us or give us a ring on 087 930 7575.

Being active keeps you fit and healthy – and helps you to take control of your weight!

Physical activity keeps you healthy. Being active helps you to control your weight, and according to the World Health Organisation it even reduces your risk for certain cancers, heart disease and stroke.

Adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day – and kids need a full hour. To achieve this target, you don’t necessarily have to join a gym – you can be active as part of your daily life.

Of course, formal exercise sessions provide lots of health benefits – building strength & reducing the likelihood of falls, among other things. But we can improve our daily levels of activity relatively easily by just looking at our lives a bit differently.

How Active?

Very easy physical activity won’t do you much good. To be really beneficial, exercise should stress your body. Your body will respond to this stress by changing & becoming more healthy. Your heart will have a better blood supply, your muscles will work more efficiently and your bones will become stronger.

You should be aiming for at least a moderate level of physical activity. A good way to gauge how hard you are exercising is to see how easy it is to hold a conversation – aim to be working just hard enough so that talking is a bit difficult.

The good news here is that moderate exercise will cause your body to produce endorphins – natural “happy” chemicals – so when you finish your moderate exercise you’ll feel great!

How can we incorporate activity into daily life? Check out the following ideas:

Walk Yourself Fit!

Walking is a great way to be active – human beings are designed to do lots of walking. Plan ahead so that you walk more during your day:

• Get off the bus or train a few stops early, and walk the rest of the way
• Park the car a bit further from your destination and give yourself a free workout
• Wear comfortable footwear – if necessary, bring a spare pair of shoes in your bag
• Invest in a mini rucksack for work or shopping – keeps your hands free and lets you pick up the pace
• You’ll work up a sweat whilst brisk walking, so wear multiple layers rather than one heavy coat, and strip off as necessary
• Save the really vigorous walking for your trip home – and hop straight into the shower when you arrive

Take the Stairs!

Where possible, avoid escalators and lifts. Taking the stairs is a healthy alternative, and will help contribute to your daily physical activity target.

Cycling

Riding a bike is a great way to cover longer distances, and you’ll also beat the traffic. You might need to bring a change of clothes, or even grab a quick shower at your destination.

Housework

Vigorous housework can be a great way to get some physical activity into your day. You’ll also get the housework done in half the time!

• Aim to work constantly, getting to the level where conversation is difficult
• Put some music on and crank up the volume – this may help energise you and keep you working hard
• Mopping, vacuuming, dusting and scrubbing are all good opportunities to be active

Gardening

Get out and dig the garden. You could even grow some healthy veggies! If you’re not used to gardening, start gently and with relatively short bursts. You’re aiming to stress your body – not damage it.

What to Expect

If you’re not used to exercise, remember to start with relatively short bursts of activity, gradually increasing the amount of exercise that you do. Remember that you are aiming to stress your body – so expect a bit of muscle soreness in the few days following a new activity. This is normal, and nothing to worry about.

If you do feel sore, don’t overdo the exercise while your body recovers – but don’t use muscle soreness as an excuse to give up exercising! As your body gets used to being active, your muscles won’t be sore after exercise.

Remember that when you’re active you will work up a sweat! As you become fitter, you’ll probably sweat more as your body becomes more efficient at keeping cool. So expect to sweat and plan ahead!

Summary

Being active in your daily life will keep you fit, help you avoid serious illness, help you to manage your weight, and should also improve your mood. What are you waiting for – get active!

If you’re in the Shannon area and need help with weight loss, find out more about our services: contact us or give us a call on 087 930 7575.

Photo by: Several seconds licensed under Creative Commons

Eat more vegetables, salad & fruit – it’ll help you lose weight and may just save your life!

Eating more vegetables, fruit and salad can help you to lose weight. Eating enough vegetables, fruit & salad can also help prevent heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity and certain cancers. The World Health Organisation estimate that 2.7 million lives could be saved each year simply by eating more fruit & veg!

How Much Fruit & Veg Should I Eat?

If you’re watching your weight, we recommend that you aim to eat 2 portions of salad, 5 portions of vegetables and 3 portions of fruit per day. Most people should aim for at least 9 servings of fruit and veg per day. A “serving” or a “portion” is roughly a handful – so for most people a portion would be:

• A medium serving of mixed salad leaves
• A medium sized apple, orange or pear
• A handful of berries

For main meals, we recommend that at least half your plate should be full of vegetables and/or salad.

Why is Fruit & Veg so Healthy?

Vegetables and fruit have many health benefits – they contain numerous phytochemicals (pronounced “fight”-o-chemicals) that have a beneficial effect on health. Some phytochemicals have antioxidant effects – they help prevent damaging reactions within the body and have a beneficial effect upon health. Other phytochemicals help reduce inflammation. By reducing inflammation and oxidation, phytochemicals appear to promote heart health and reduce the risk of neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

People who eat plenty of vegetables and fruit get less degenerative illnesses, and taking vitamin pills does not have the same effect. Eating lots of veg & fruit won’t completely protect you from serious illness, but it will reduce your risk.

Fruit, Vegetables and Cancer

Research shows that some plant phytochemicals can slow or prevent the growth of cancer cells. One phytochemical found in cabbage, broccoli and kale (called indole-3-carbinol) slows the growth of breast cancer cells. A good reason to eat more cabbage!

According to the US National Cancer Institute and the World Health Organisation, not eating enough vegetables and fruit is linked to an increased risk for cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) recommends the regular consumption of vegetables like lettuce, leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, onions and fruits. According to WCRF, these foods probably protect against certain cancers, including:

• Cancers of the mouth, throat & voice box
• Oesophageal cancer
• Stomach cancer

According to the World Health Organisation, eating more fruit probably lowers the risk of cancers of the oesophagus, stomach and lung, and possibly reduces the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, colon-rectum, larynx, kidney, and bladder. Eating more vegetables probably lowers the risk of cancers of the oesophagus and colon-rectum – and possibly reduces the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, stomach, larynx, lung, ovary and kidney.

Fruit, Vegetables and Heart Disease

Studies show that eating more fruit & veg is good for your heart.  People who consume 8 or more portions of fruit or veg per day are 30% less likely to get a heart attack or stroke compared with those consuming little fruit or veg.

Which Veggies and Fruits Should I Eat?

The ones that you like! Aim to increase your general fruit and vegetable consumption, rather than focusing on a particular fruit or vegetable. Try to include a wide variety of different coloured fruits & vegetables, to ensure that you are consuming a range of beneficial nutrients. If you have limited choice available, your best bet is probably to go for richly coloured red, orange and yellow vegetables & fruit – like carrots, pumpkins, tomatoes & apples. The health effects of different fruits and vegetables are being slowly uncovered by scientists:

• Apples reduce cholesterol levels and may reduce risk for some cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and diabetes
• Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons etc): contain phytochemicals that inhibit cancer cells and may be protective against heart disease
• Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale and other cruciferous vegetables: Consuming these vegetables may protect against breast and other cancers
• Tomatoes and cooked tomato products may be protective against prostate cancer

More health benefits linked to different veg & fruit are being discovered all the time – so don’t just focus on the ones we’ve mentioned. Just try to increase your veg & fruit intake across the board, with a wide variety of different types of veg, salad and fruit.

What About the Sugar in Fruit?

Some diets restrict fruit because of the fact that it contains sugar. I don’t go along with this. While it is true that fruit contains sugar, you’re consuming that sugar in a very natural package. Fruit has been a major part of the human diet since before we were human! So yes, fruit contains sugar – but the absorption of that sugar is slowed because you’re consuming plenty of fibre with it. Fruit is also packed full of other beneficial nutrients, as I mentioned above – so on balance fruit is a good snack for people watching their weight. One of my clients recently lost 1.5 stone in six weeks (and six weeks later, he’s kept the weight off!) – he was eating 12 pieces of fruit per day throughout his weight-loss.

Having said that, for people with a serious weight problem, we always emphasise increasing intake of vegetables (not including potatoes) and salad first and foremost.

The Bottom Line

Hopefully we’ve convinced you to include more vegetables, fruit and salad in your diet! Aim to eat a wide variety of vegetables & fruit of different colours – if you have limited choice, your best bet is to focus on eating lots of dark leafy greens (cabbage, kale, lettuce, rocket and other salad leaves) and anything that’s a rich red, orange or yellow colour. Fill half your plate with veggies at every meal – and cram down bucket-loads of healthy salad!

Need More Help?

We can help you to lose weight! Give us a call on 087 930 7575 to talk about weight-loss.

TurnTrim Shannon exercise for weight-loss classes re-launch on 27th August 2012 – Call Elaine on 087 930 7575 for more details

Ladies in the Shannon area now have a unique opportunity to lose weight & tone-up. We’re re-launching our specially designed ladies exercise for weight loss classes at the Elite Fitness Centre, Smithstown, Shannon.

The classes cater for all fitness levels and are scientifically designed to help you burn fat and tone up. TurnTrim classes also include diet guidelines, motivational text messages, weight-loss coaching and an optional weigh-in.

We’ve designed the classes to be a fun and super efficient way to lose-weight. Each class includes a fat-burning exercise module, a body-conditioning module and a talk on weight-loss. You work at your own pace – we have two instructors at each class, so we can cater for all your needs. If you have an injury we are happy to adapt exercises for you, and classes are suitable for all shapes & sizes.

We also provide participants with diet guidelines and fun healthy homework assignments. After a few weeks on the TurnTrim programme, you won’t recognise yourself!

According to the World Health Organisation regular exercise helps you to control your weight and reduces your risk for heart disease and stroke. Exercise can even reduce risk for certain cancers, including colon & breast cancer. Regular exercise is also great for mental health – helping to reduce anxiety and stress. Moderate exercise also improves your “mood state” – releasing chemicals in your brain which give you a natural lift.

Being active is a great way to kick-start weight loss and improve your health – but exercise alone isn’t enough. Our classes are more than just an exercise session – we provide participants with comprehensive diet sheets and expert weight-loss coaching and advice. We track your weight-loss carefully when you attend classes, and there is a weekly weigh-in to keep you motivated. We also send you regular motivational text messages to keep you on track.

We provide you with:

• An exercise class specially designed to burn fat
• Diet guidelines
• Weight-loss coaching & advice
• Motivational text messages
• A weekly weigh-in

You get all this for the super-low price of €10, which you pay as you go. As an added incentive, membership fees (usually €10) are free for August & September!

What are you waiting for? Get fit this Autumn!

Shannon exercise for weight-loss classes re-launch on 27th August 2012, 8:00 – 9:00 pm at the Elite Fitness Centre, Shannon. Call Elaine on 087 930 7575 for more details.

Make some healthy choices when eating out – enjoy your meal without wrecking your weight-loss!

Eating out should be a pleasurable experience – definitely something to look forward to! However, eating out doesn’t need to ruin your weight loss targets. Here are a few strategies that will help you keep to your diet.

Before You Go Out

Don’t starve yourself before you go out – this is a recipe for disaster, as you’ll end up overeating. If necessary, have a healthy snack before you go and drink some water to ensure that you’re well hydrated.

Think about your weight-loss goals before you go out – this will help you to stay in control. Visualise how you’ll look and feel when you achieve your weight-loss goals.

Restaurant Eating

If you are going to a restaurant try to get a look at the menu before you go out – it’s easier to make healthy choices in the comfort of your own home. Ask the waiter for extra vegetables or salad instead of the pasta or potatoes. Chances are they will only be too happy to oblige. Good options include:

• Tandoori mixed grill with salad & side vegetables (avoid rice and bread)
• Kebabs with plenty of veg – no pitta bread
• Meat with salad and vegetables (avoid potatoes)
• Omelette (with filling of your choice)

Steer clear of pasta or rice based meals and focus on meat and vegetables. Avoid bread – particularly during your starter. Needless to say, forgo dessert if you’re serious about achieving your weight loss goals – sugar laden puddings are a disaster if you are watching your weight. Go for a cheese board instead, and go easy on the crackers.

Avoid fruit juices and fizzy drinks – water is the best option. If you’re drinking alcohol, go for a couple of glasses of red wine.

Eat mindfully when you’re eating out – eat slowly, chew your food, and stop eating when you are pleasantly full. Just because you’ve paid for the food doesn’t mean you have to finish absolutely everything. Most restaurants will be happy to wrap surplus food for you to take away.

Eating Out at Social Events

Make sure you aren’t too hungry before you go. If you’re going to be waiting a long time before you eat, take some fruit or mixed nuts as well as a bottle of water. Avoid bread and breaded products such as chicken nuggets. Fill up on fresh salad and steer away from potato salad and pasta salads.

Avoid dessert – if necessary take a small piece to be polite and eat it very slowly. Keep half of it on your plate as a way of deflecting people from offering you more. Plan how many alcoholic drinks you will have and stick to it. Drink water in between every alcoholic drink – you’ll feel better the next day when everyone else is suffering!

Watch Your Alcohol

You don’t need to drink loads to have a good time. Alcohol contributes to weight gain, so you should moderate your alcohol intake. Set yourself limits before you go out – and stick to these limits!

Hopefully these guidelines will help you to enjoy eating out without wrecking your weight loss goals. Enjoy your food, take your time eating, and focus on the foods that you can have rather than the ones you can’t – dishes with meat, fish, vegetables, salad & cheese. Bon Appétit!

Need more help? Check out our weight loss services!

If you’re surrounded by sweets, you’re much more likely to eat them!

Scientists think that an environment which encourages you to eat unhealthy food is a major reason for the increase in obesity. There’s even a name for the phenomenon: The Obesogenic Environment.

We are surrounded by unhealthy food choices. Think how easy it is to get hold of junk food – you’re never more than a few paces away from a Mars bar, a bottle of Coke or a packet of sweets – the very “danger” foods that cause us to put on weight.

Junk food is sold to us in every imaginable setting: at work, in leisure centres, on every high street, in vending machines, petrol stations and newsagents. When our environment promotes unhealthy food, is it any wonder that we are putting on weight?

It’s not all doom and gloom – there are a number of ways that you can change your environment so that it works for you, rather than against you. The following tips should help.

Portion Size

“I could’ve sworn I finished my soup…”

Plate sizes have been getting bigger, and most of us are culturally programmed to finish what’s on the plate – a recipe for overeating! Research shows that when you put larger portions in front of people, people eat more – and don’t even realise they’re doing it.

My favourite experiment involved a never ending soup bowl (fresh soup was piped in from below) which caused people to eat way more soup.

Other experiments involved giving people popcorn in different size containers: People ate 45 percent more popcorn from extra-large containers compared with large ones. In light of this research, it’s worrying to think that the average size of dinner plates has increased in the last few decades.

The solution? Buy smaller plates! I’m not joking, simply using smaller plates will help you to control your portion size. Instead of having to think about every mouthful, you make one simple change to your plate size and you will be less inclined to overeat.

A simple way to avoid overeating – use smaller plates

If you clear your plate and you are really still hungry, you can always go back for more – but you’ll have to consciously decide to get more, rather than mindlessly ploughing your way through a heap of food on an extra large dinner plate.

Research also shows that people tend to drink more from short fat glasses compared with tall thin ones – so if you do drink fizzy drinks (which I DO NOT recommend), using tall thin glasses will help limit your consumption.

Make the Healthy Food Choice Easy

Don’t make the mistake of surrounding yourself with junk food – you’ll be far more likely to succumb to temptation. Shopping is a key time when you really need to think about controlling your environment. If you don’t buy crisps, sweets and fizzy drinks, you’ll be less likely to consume them.

Making one good decision when you’re shopping will save you from having to constantly resist temptation. Make a shopping list and stick to it. Don’t shop when you are hungry – you’ll be more likely to buy junk. Get yourself fired up and positive when you shop for food and stick to healthy options. This will pay dividends when your resolve falters later on – when you crave junk food, there won’t be any in the cupboard.

Pre-Commit to Eat Healthy

If you surround yourself with healthy options, and restrict your access to junk food, your diet will improve and you will find it easier to balance your weight

Stock your house with plenty of healthy foodstuffs like fruit, vegetables, wholegrain products, nuts and seeds. Make sure these foods are easily available. Commit in advance to eating well:

• Put 5-10 pieces of fruit in a bowl in the morning, and make sure you eat them by evening
• Put fruit and nuts into a lunchbox for a snack during work-time
• Leave a jug or bottle of flavoured water on your desk – you’ll be less likely to go for unhealthy fizzy drinks
• Leave a well stocked fruit bowl where the family can easily get to it – you’ll be more likely to snack on fruit

The TV Environment

Don’t have a TV in the room where you eat, or make sure that you religiously turn off the TV whilst eating. Research shows that watching TV whilst eating has been linked to overeating and obesity.

Having a TV in your bedroom is also a bad idea. It will affect your sleep patterns, and poor sleep has been linked to obesity.

Whatever you do, don’t allow your kids to have a TV in their room – this encourages passive habits and has been linked to obesity.

Pushing Junk Food

Our commercial world pushes junk food constantly (because it is so profitable). You can’t change this bit of your environment, but you can at least be prepared for it! Don’t believe the advertising slogans concocted by junk food manufacturers, and be ready when junk food is pushed at you.

I recently bought a cup of coffee at a petrol station, and the shop assistant almost fell over when I refused the free muffin: “but it’s free!”. You don’t need the muffin. Don’t take it.

Be prepared when shop assistants offer a free chocolate or a special offer on junk food – just say no. I recently stood in a massive queue at WHSmith in Heathrow Airport, trying to buy a bottle of water. The queue was so long because every time someone made a purchase, the shop assistant offered them three large chocolate bars (Toblerone) for the price of two. It was working – many people were buying chocolate that they had no intention of purchasing when they walked in the shop. Decide what you want to buy, and stick to it – ignore any offers, and beware of this marketing tactic.

Get Some Toys!

Play is not just for kids – get hold of some active toys, get outside and use them

Fill your house with active toys:

• Footballs, tennis balls and frisbees are not just for kids
• If you have room, get an outside table tennis set or basketball hoop
• Get a table football and have tournaments with family & friends

If you have easy access to active toys, you’ll be more likely to get out and be active.

Move More

Park a bit further away from your destination than usual, and walk the rest of the way. Buy a bike and use it to run errands, commute, or just to go for a leisurely bike ride. Store it somewhere prominent, so that it will act as a reminder to you.

Control Your Leisure Environment

Instead of always meeting friends in a pub or restaurant, try tag rugby, 5-a-side football or go for a swim and a sauna together.

When you take the kids out for a treat, decide in advance against taking them to McDonalds – take them for a walk or a swim instead. You don’t need junk food to bond with the kids, and if you don’t expose yourselves to fast food restaurants, you’ll eat less junk food. Get some activity and have some healthy snacks afterwards.

If you do get some active leisure, watch out – most leisure centres boost their profits by vending junk food. Don’t undo all your good work by guzzling chocolate. Plan in advance how and where you can get a healthy meal after your activity session.

Summary

We can’t control all aspects of our obesogenic environment, but there are many ways that we can get our environment working for us:

• Control portion size – use smaller plates & taller glasses
• Make a shopping list and stick to it – don’t buy junk food
• Add 5 – 10 pieces of fruit to a bowl every day and make sure you eat them
• Keep a bottle of water available – you’ll be less likely to consume unhealthy drinks
• Stock up on active toys – for adults & kids!
• Get active in your leisure time – meet your mates in the gym rather than the pub
• Don’t eat in front of the TV
• Keep the TV out of bedrooms
• Be prepared when junk food is pushed at you
• Move more – walk and cycle when you can

You could also cause a fuss where you see unhealthy choices being promoted – why not try to change things for the better? I worked with secondary schools in our local County to have fizzy drinks vending removed and replaced with bottled water vending. Fizzy drink consumption plummeted overnight in the schools that made the change, simply because access was restricted. So get out there and make your environment more healthy!

Photo 1 by: Svadilfari licensed under Creative Commons
Photo 2 by: emdot licensed under Creative Commons
Photo 3 by: catface3 licensed under Creative Commons

Two important rules for weight loss. Rule 1: Don’t eat sugar. Rule 2: Don’t forget rule number one!

The modern diet, full of sugar, refined carbohydrates and other nutritionally poor foods, causes us to gain weight. One of the biggest culprits for weight gain is sugar. Sugar is a carbohydrate that is easily absorbed by your body – and refined sugar is not a natural part of the human diet.

Human beings have been around for 200,000 years, but sugar and other refined carbohydrates have only recently become part of our diet. Your body is not “designed” to handle repeated doses of easily absorbed carbohydrates – and sugar in all it’s forms is a particular problem.

Give up sugar. It’s the single best thing you can do to lose weight quickly and sustainably. ELIMINATE sugar from your diet – don’t eat chocolate bars, sweets or cakes. Be careful of foods labelled “low fat” – these are usually full of sugar. Be careful of breakfast cereals – most of these have added sugar. Stop adding sugar to tea and coffee, and don’t drink sweetened drinks.

Sugar & Health

Eating sugar causes an increase in the hormone insulin. Insulin stops your body from using fat as fuel, and causes your body to convert sugar into fat. Eating sugar causes you to get fatter, and increases your risk for a range of other health problems. If you keep eating a high sugar diet, you can’t burn off your fat stores – your body is burning sugar rather than fat.

Stop eating sugar – you’ll feel better, lose weight and be healthier!

Giving Up Sugar

Have a “cover story” ready to help you refuse food that contains sugar (cakes, biscuits, etc). Tell people you are on a special diet – and refuse sugary snacks. Sugar takes different forms and may be listed as the following ingredients:

• Glucose
• Sucrose
• Fructose
• Sugar

If you see these on the list of ingredients, leave the product on the shelf.

Withdrawal Symptoms: Be Prepared!

When you stop eating sugar you might experience some initial discomfort, and possibly even reduced energy levels. This is normal and it will pass. Your body is so used to getting quick “sugar-hits”, that it can’t mobilise your fat stores and use them as fuel. Not everyone experiences this, but if you do, be strong. Your body will make the necessary adaptations, and before you know it you will switch into a “fat-burning” mode.

You may find yourself craving sugary foods. Remember that your new dietary habits are not the problem – your old “unnatural” habits are the problem. You don’t “need” sugar – this is just a common myth.

When you remove sugar from your diet, you are usually correcting years of abuse. You’re trying to turn your body into a fat-burning engine – and you’ll need time to get through this transition. Give yourself time, be strong, and look forward to more energy, reduced weight and better health.

Need more help? Check out our weight loss services!