Pledging to a weight loss plan isnt the easiest thing to do, but its made even harder when the plan doesnt work. Trendy diets promoted by celebrities may seem like a good solution, but experts warn that those diets are difficult to sustain (not to mention were not privy to all the extra training and meal planning that their charmed lives afford).
You have to start with a mind shift that eating healthy and daily motion is non-negotiable, says Kathleen Trotter, Toronto-based fitness expert and author of Finding Your Fit.
Part of that shift also involves having the correct information about weight loss and fitness.
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For starters, weight loss is 90 per cent diet and 10 per cent activity, says Calgary-based registered dietitian Jessica Tong. You cant outrun your plate. What you put into your body is what counts.
The experts share some of their top tips for weight loss that will produce actual results and are actually sustainable.
Mindful eating is half the battle, Trotter says. And not just because you could be unaware of how much junk food youre eating in a day, it applies to healthy foods too.
Almonds are healthy, but if youre eating 10 handfuls every day, thats going to lead to weight gain, she says. Thats why she advises against noshing while youre cooking or keeping a jar of snacks on your desk.
But the real first line of defence is keeping a food journal.
Until you know what youre doing wrong and what youre eating, you cant fix it. But when you do know, you can make tweaks that will give you results.
Its a clich as old as time: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But its true.
Breakfast sets the foundation for the rest of the day, Tong says. It helps to control your hunger hormones and curbs cravings. People who skip breakfast will set themselves up for hunger that will build throughout the day and culminate in making poor food decisions later on. Then you fall into a cycle of saying, well, theres no point in eating healthy today, Ill just start tomorrow.'
Adequate amounts of protein are important, but so are the right types.
Cheese and almonds contain protein, but the percentage isnt that high and youre getting other things like fats and lots of calories, Tong says.
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Egg whites, lean meats and fish are protein-dense foods that arent high in fat. While Tong recognizes the importance of natural sources of fat in your diet, she says that consuming a lot of it (like on plans like the Paleo diet) can lead to negative repercussions like high cholesterol levels.
Ever since the Atkins diet swept North America, weve been vilifying carbohydrates and now it has extended to all foods containing gluten.
Its not carbs or gluten that are the problem, its the excess consumption of them, Tong says.
She says that disrupts the macronutrient balance we should be striving for the even consumption of carbs, protein and fats and leads to weight gain. Its not the carbs themselves.
Look for healthy sources like fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and beans and legumes.
Eat more of them, Trotter says. And drink more water.
These are obvious things that when you say them to people they always respond, oh, I know, but they dont do it. Drink more water and eat more vegetables at every single meal.
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It doesnt have to be a kale salad, either. Tong says if youre drawn to the starchier vegetables, like butternut squash, carrots or peas, incorporate them in your diet. This will create a habit around eating vegetables on a regular basis. Even if you never graduate to eating kale, youll be inclined to branch out and incorporate a wider variety of vegetables.
Its no secret that booze is loaded with sugar and calories, which is probably why it tastes so good, but thats also why it leads to weight gain. Because it gets digested and absorbed very quickly while not providing any satiety, its easy to overdo it.
Even if you go from two glasses of wine per day to just one and you dont change anything else in your diet or fitness routine, it will equate to a 10-pound weight loss in one year, Tong says.
The good thing is, youll still get a drink every day.
Although nutrition experts have been telling us for years that calorie counting isnt the golden rule of weight management, that doesnt mean you should ignore them altogether.
Exceeding your caloric intake by 150 calories one or two days isnt going to derail your weight loss efforts, but consistently consuming an excess of 150 calories per day will amount to a 15-pound weight gain in one year, Tong says.
Those extra calories can look like a three-quarter cup of rice, one-and-a-half glasses of wine or a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter.
The next time you find yourself craving a piece of cake or some potato chips, pause, Trotter says.
Make yourself do something else for 15 minutes, because if youre occupied, you wont mindlessly eat, she says. If youre at a party, go talk to someone or drink a glass of water. You want to disconnect from your food trigger.
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Then if youve waited the 15 minutes and still want that cake, go ahead and have a small portion. At that point, youve considered the pros and cons of eating it, and youll likely make a wise decision about how much you need to satisfy your craving.
Motivation is created, its not found. Once youve shifted your perspective and you know you want to get fit, commit to moving every day, Trotter says.
And when it comes to working out, the biggest obstacle is often just starting. Trotter tells her clients to force themselves to do the activity, whether its running or riding a bike or doing yoga, and tell yourself youll just do 10 minutes.After 10 minutes, its highly unlikely that youll stop, because youre already doing it and you probably feel good about it.
She also advises getting a fitness buddy to work out with you at the gym or even just to walk with you after dinner.
Youre way more likely to do something if someone is waiting for you, and itll make it much more fun.
2017Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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