12 Top Weight Loss Tips

1. Do Not Starve Going hungry is not the answer.Always start the day with a healthy breakfast. Cereals such as rolled oats, bran flakes or shredded wheat with skimmed milk are great. Or if you’re not particularly a cereal lover hen scrambled or poached eggs with whole meal toast are a great alternative. Eat your carbohydrates predominantly in the start of the day.

2. Discover the Gourmet Be adventurous with your meals and add in fresh chopped fruit and fat free yoghurt to your breakfasts and salads. Nuts and raisins are also a great addition. When cooking fish or meat discover the gourmet in you by experimenting with herbs, seasoning and unsweetened juices such as lemon. Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring.

3. Eat Small but Often 5-6 small meals a day will ensure your metabolism is stoked up, enabling you to burn fat more effectively. Your breakfast, lunch and dinner portions should still be on the larger side, but consuming small snacks either side of these meals will ensure your energy levels remain stable and prevent you from pigging out later in the day. By ‘snacks’ I mean, fruit, crisp breads, cottage cheese etc, not cakes, sweets and biscuits!

4. Avoid Late Night Carbs Try to avoid adding carbohydrates to your meals in the later part of the day. After 6pm your meals should consist of quality protein and fresh vegetables. As you expend less energy at night the excess energy provided from the carbohydrates consumed may be stored as fat reserves. Always make sure you have an excess of fresh fruit and veg to snack on if the hunger pains set in.

5. No More Frying Grilling, boiling and poaching are the healthiest way to prepare food. Avoid frying. A non-stick pan is the best so there is no need to add any additional cooking oil. To add texture and flavor to food add extra virgin olive oil or flax oil and fat free dressings. Be aware that vegetables lose a lot of their natural nutrients when boiled. Steaming if better than boiling.

6. Know the Glycemic Index The glycemic index measures the carbohydrate content of foods consumed and their direct effect on the blood sugar level. If a food is high on the G.I it is likely to cause a sharp rise in blood sugar levels resulting in fat deposits if it is not used as energy. Foods lower on the G.I are preferable as they provide a slow and steady energy release. Careful selection of complex or natural carbohydrates is essential to weight loss e.g. Eat brown rice rather than white processed rice or 100% brown/whole meal bread rather than white bread.

7. Fresh is Best To promote efficient weight loss we have to reduce the sugar and fat content from our diet. Ready made or take away meals unfortunately contain more than their fair share. Freshly / home cooked produce is best.

8. Think Before You Drink Fizzy, sugar drinks and alcohol are off the shopping list. If you need extra energy when working out, there are numerous specialized slow release carbohydrate drinks on the marker. But do your homework before you purchase. Water is best giving the most benefits including, removal of toxins, aiding digestion, cool’s the body, keeps joints mobile ands supple and improves skin texture. Aim for at least 1 liter of fluid for every 1000 calories you consume. For replenishment during exercise, aim for an intake of 450-675ml of fluid for every 0.5kg loss in body weight through sweat.

9. Read, Read, Read A quick inspection of the ingredients label is essential before you pop it in your shopping trolley. Be aware of the fat and carbohydrate contact. Ideally fat content should be lower than 5g per 100g (of which the saturated fat reading should be the lowest). The carbohydrate content can be deceiving, as it does not always state the ‘sugar’ content of the carbohydrates. Always be sure to check the actual list of ingredients to see if ‘sugar’ is added. Obviously the lower the sugar content breakdown, the better – as close to 0g as possible. Amongst the sugars that add sweetness to a product, outside of non-nutritive, the general preference is fructose due to its lower G.I rating.

10. Eat Lean War plenty of proteins such as chicken, fish, meat and tofu accompanied by plenty of fresh veg and salad. Eggs are a great source of protein but be aware of the high fat/cholesterol level contained in the egg yolk. Always remove excess fat and skin fro meat and poultry before cooking.

11. Time to Sweat Now that you’re eating plan has been tidied up its time to hit the workouts. Burning more energy than you consume is a sure way to lose excess fat. If you have taken some time off from the gym scene then ease yourself back in slowly. Don’t expect to start where you left off. That’s the quickest way to get injured. Ensure that you incorporate both cardio-vascular and resistance training into your routines for the best results. Cardio training alone will not give you a firm, toned look. It may make you fitter but the saddle bags won’t disappear.

12. Be Organized The more organized you can be, the easier your lifestyle will become. Eating healthy shouldn’t be a mission. Always be prepared the night before if you intend to embark on a busy day. Packing a cooler back for the next day isn’t being fanatical, it’s being sensible.

From Genie take 10 article