Follow these best rules of thumb when youre eating for weight loss.
No carbs after 5pm or no carbs at all? Low fat or Low GI? When it comes to dieting there's a world of contradictory information out there. If you're struggling to shed kilos it pays to keep it simple.
"The safe rate of weight loss is 0.5-1kg/week on average. Fad diets and quick fixes may sound appealing but you're unlikely to learn new healthy habits. And, in most cases, you are mainly shifting body fluid (water) not body fat. This can have unwanted side effects like headaches, irritability and bad breath," says Emma Stirling, consultant dietician for Weight Watchers Australia.
"Surround yourself with a supportive environment and don't try to go it alone. Support should come from a range of areas, like a partner or friend who comes along for the journey or tools such as an iPhone app tracker that makes sticking to plan easier and helps you track your goals." Try websites such as My Fitness Pal or Calorie King.
Emma says that stress management is also becoming increasingly recognised as an important part of weight management. "Not just the obvious things, like keeping control of emotional eating, but watching for elevated hormones such as cortisol that may lead to more central body fat being deposited."
"The best motto you can have is 'Just Keep Going'". "Plateaus in a weight loss journey - when your weight stays the same for a period of time - are to be expected. Weight loss is not a perfect down ward graph each week - look at the average loss over time and you'll be amazed at your progress."
Top tips:
1. Keep hydrated, thirst can be mistaken for hunger and drinking a glass of water before a meal will help fill you up.
2. When eating out, always choose the smaller portion sizes. Look for restaurants and chains that offer healthier options and particularly those that disclose their nutritional information.
3. Alcohol equals empty calories and you're more likely to throw dietary caution to the wind when you've had a few. If you can't cut it out all then together set limits around how much you drink in a week and factor it into your diet.
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Top tips for weight loss
