New diets are being introduced to the world extremely often these days, and it is hard to know what to believe and which ones to follow. Despite this, many of the main principles stay the same no matter what year or what the most popular diet is with the celebs. Here, I have listed many of the key principles involved in losing weight. If you follow these points, you should find it easier to lose weight than ever before.
Plan Ahead -- How often have you failed to plan a meal for the next night and ended up getting a takeaway? It is so easy to do but the solution is simple... plan ahead. Each weekend, set out your week ahead and plan your meals in advance as this will allow you to point out the days where you may need a quick meal. If, on a Wednesday, you have to run your children to after-school activities, you know that you have a busy evening and need something quick (and healthy) to eat. This saves getting home, pretending to look and then eventually cooking a quick, unhealthy meal or just ordering out!
Know Your Body -- Another big problem we face when attempting to lose weight is emotional eating. For this reason, it is vital that you get to know your body so you aren't just eating for the sake of it. If you find yourself heading to the kitchen, ask yourself "am I hungry?" If the answer is yes, go ahead and get something to eat. If you are just eating because you are bored or because you are tired, you have to find something else that will remove these emotions that doesn't involve eating. For example, if you are bored, sign up for a gym class or go for a run which leads nicely onto the next point.
Exercise -- Dieting alone will not help you lose weight nearly as fast as if you exercise as well. People often say that "running is boring" but you don't have to complete activities that you don't enjoy. Find something that you will enjoy doing! Maybe take a look in the gym at any new classes or for something that you haven't tried before. Also, find someone to exercise with as you will be less likely to back out as you won't want to let them down!
Positives -- So you have decided to go on a diet, what about all the chocolate and takeaways? STOP. One of the biggest reasons we fail on our quest to lose weight is because we think about all the things we would lose as opposed to the things we gain. Instead of being upset at losing a calorific meal, think of all the new flavors that you will get to taste. Think of all the fun you are going to have experimenting with new ingredients and new flavors!
Read The Packaging -- This is one of the best tips that can be given when shopping for "diet food." Many products nowadays will be labelled as "healthy" when in fact, you would be surprised by some of the nutritional information. Also, often healthy foods will not fill you up meaning that you will be eating more. To prevent this, you should buy whole foods that will keep you going until the next meal and remove the need for unnecessary snacking.
Slowly But Surely -- "Right, I am going on a diet starting tomorrow. I'm cutting all my favorite calorific foods." I've said it once and I'll say it again... STOP. This is a sure-fire way to fail in a matter of days. Rather than deciding to remove all your favorite foods instantly, try reducing them slowly. If you remove them completely at the start, you will find that your cravings grow too strong to handle. Try reducing the amount of chocolate bars you have one by one until you no longer need them or find a healthier replacement!
Not All Fats Are Bad -- This is an important note to remember as many diets will tell you to drop all fats immediately. Monounsaturated fats are also known as "good fats" and will keep you full for a much longer period of time so can actually be better for you in the long run. Omega-3, found in fatty fish, is the prime example for this!
Following these key principles will set you on the right path so you can achieve those weight loss goals for 2016. Keep going, don't give up and you will do it. Good luck!