Natural Health Junction

Have you started to notice that your clothes are feeling tighter? Is everything you do taking more effort? Are you feeling low about the way you look?

Maybe it’s time for you to look at your diet and lifestyle and try to lose the weight, for whatever reason.

The best way to get started is to write down all the reasons as to why you want to lose the weight. This is going to be your ammunition for motivation and you should always refer back to this the next time you get tempted to go ‘off the rails’.

Being overweight can have a big impact on your health e.g. increases the chances of diabetes, heart disease, painful joints, snoring, high blood pressure, infertility and so on. By losing weight, even as little as 5-10% of your current body weight, you will be drastically lowering the chances of suffering from these conditions, gaining an extra 9-10 years of your life. You will also gain benefits psychologically i.e. better self-esteem and confidence.

So if you feel the time is right for you to lose weight, here are some top tips to help you get started:

1. Keep a food diary: every time you drink and eat, write down the time, the amount consumed and the description. Keep this information in a handy notebook. At the end of the week, you can then go back through and see what has been happening. You may be surprised what you find. You must be honest with yourself. You may even wish to record the emotions you were feeling at the time of consumption e.g. depressed, sad, happy, stressed etc.
2. Eat regular meals: very important and is the key to successful long term weight maintenance. Aim to spread out your meals evenly (every 4-5 hours at least). If necessary, plan to have healthy snacks like fresh fruit or vegetables or diet yoghurt. This should help you avoid being hungry and then eating the first thing that comes to hand, which tends to be biscuits, crisps, chocolate, take-aways etc. And try to avoid eating too late.
3. Have at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables per day: this is much easier to do than people think. A portion is the equivalent to something fitting in the palm of your hand e.g. an apple, small banana, small bowl of salad etc. You need to make sure you include these at every meal – at least half the intake should come from these. Make smoothies with fresh fruit to help you get your portions in.
4. Cut down on fats and sugars: simple really. Go for low fat/diet products and avoid too many take-aways and eating out. These can be tasty but are very high in calories and often don’t fill you up for very long.
5. Be organised: plan you meals ahead so that you are always prepared to make a healthy meal/snack. Try not to keep foods that you are trying to avoid in the house.
7. Exercise: activity goes hand in hand with healthy eating. You need both in order to live a long and healthy life. So get moving! Aim for 45-60 minutes of physical activity everyday in order to see significant changes. Remember, if you are not used to exercise, you must build up to this slowly. Start off with 20 minutes 3 x a week and build it up week by week until you achieve your goal. You can do anything from dancing, running, yoga, swimming, cycling, going to the gym etc. Also, try to increase your daily activity by avoiding the use of cars, buses, tubes, lifts, escalators etc. as much as possible. If you can walk – WALK!

If you feel you need help and support form someone, then maybe you should think about seeking help from a health professional to kick start your new life and the new you.

So what are you waiting for? Get started!