Everyone knows the basics of weight loss. Eat less calories and exercise more, this all sounds pretty straight forward, but with the demands of modern living it can be anything but! What if there were a few key diet tips that could make losing weight a little bit easier? These tips won’t turn your life upside down, but they can mean the difference between dieting failure and success. Using nutrition expertise, scientific research and some of your fantastic ideas I have put together my top 10 best diet tips.
1. Keep a food diary
People who keep a daily food diary of what they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don’t. The simple act of scribbling down what you eat encourages you to consume fewer calories.
2. Think about what you can add to your diet, not what you should take away
Instead of planning what you can’t have when you start a diet, make a conscious effort to include new healthy foods that you haven’t tried before. Diets shouldn’t be boring or bland. Experimenting with new ingredients and recipes will increase the enjoyment you get from food and reduce the temptation to keep munching on processed junk.
3. Eat in before you dine out
Eating out is a sociable experience that you can enjoy whether or not you are on a diet. However, have a small snack prior to leaving the house for the party or restaurant. Dining out on an empty stomach is hazardous because your brain starts telling you to blow the diet and eat what you want. Feed your brain before you go out and your decision making won’t be clouded by hunger.
4. Choose the right stuff, not the white stuff
White, usually means processed, with all the calories and none of the fibre. Swap white rice and white pasta for the wholegrain versions. White bread just gathers in a ball in the pit of your stomach, so swap for digestive-friendly wholegrain bread. The worst processed food of all is white sugar. Very sugary foods from sweets to certain breakfast cereals will never really fill you. They are designed to be addictive, so like any addictive substance KEEP AWAY.
5. Spice it up
Spices such as chilli pepper and cayenne pepper help to speed up your metabolism. These foods heat up your body and cause your metabolism to rev up. Choose spicy sauces over creamy ones – your waistline will thank you for it.
6. Eat several mini meals every day
When you eat frequent small meals, there's always another meal around the corner. Eating regularly means your metabolism is constantly ticking over and you burn more calories.
7. Choose lower sugar desserts
Pledge to skip desserts today and by tomorrow you won’t be able to get desserts out of your mind. If you enjoy an after dinner treat, continue to have one, but try to choose a healthier alternative. Apple pie with ice cream can be swapped for stewed apples with low fat natural yoghurt. If you prefer savoury, have a bag of popcorn or snack-a-jacks instead of crisps.
8. Muscle up breakfast
Eat a protein-rich breakfast to reduce cravings and keep you feeling full until lunch. A higher protein breakfast, for example beans on toast or nuts and yoghurt have a higher satiety (fullness) level compared to a high carbohydrate breakfast of cornflakes or rice krispies.
9. Swap sugary drinks for water or tea
"Drinking sugary fizzy drinks causes weight gain.” That's what researchers have been hammering into our heads for years and recent studies have finally proven that ditching sugary drinks for diet versions or water leads to weight loss. Participants who switched to calorie-free drinks and water were twice as likely to lose 5 percent or more of their body weight than people who were just educated on making healthier choices.
10. Burn calories with muscle
Muscle burns more calories than fat. Even when your body is at rest, you burn more calories with muscle mass than you do without. This is largely due to the fact that muscle is "metabolically" more active than fat, causing an increase in calories burned on any given day. The only way to gain muscle is through exercise. Aim to do strengthening exercises like weights at least twice per week to slowly build up your muscle.