Is your New Year’s resolution to shed a few pounds? For the next 60 days Healthista will be providing 60 easy weight loss tips to help you do just that
2019 is here and Healthista plans to encourage a New Year Revolution amongst all of our readers. This year Healthista are focusing on weight-loss options that get the weight off and keep it off, so you can feel like the best version of yourself throughout the year.
So if your New Year resolution is to feel amazing and be the best possible you, then these weight loss tips may just help. Check back daily for a new easy tip.
Easy weight loss tip #60 Take a herbal tea-break
We’ve saved one of the easiest tips till last and here at Healthista HQ it really is the easiest one of them all because we all LOVE herbal tea – honestly we drink it all day every day.
Herbal teas have become increasingly popular, especially digestion helpful teas such as green and mint flavours.
Green and mint teas are great for digestion, so are fennel, ginger, turmeric and lemon balm flavours. (Try Ginger Kick Tea, £2.39)
These teas will be a huge help for digestive function and fluid retention which are both important factors for weight loss. Herbal teas are also an easy and convenient option to gently stimulate the digestive process. Aim to drink two cups or more per day for best results.
Do you struggle to drink the suggested two to three litres of water a day? Most people do. By drinking herbal teas you are also upping your water intake without realising.
Easy weight loss tip #59 Think, eat and live healthy protein
Throughout your day, each meal or snack should focus on protein. Protein keeps you fuller for longer, lessening cravings and regulating blood sugar levels.
Aim to fill a third of your plate with protein based foods, such as lean meat, fish such as salmon, tuna, prawns or white fish or veggie options such as chick peas, beans, lentils, tofu and tempeh and then, make sure the rest of the meal is as close to natural ingredients as possible.
When snacking, ‘take care that your snack contains a protein component,’ suggests Healthista’s Nutritional Director Rick Hay. So if you’re having a banana, have some peanut butter with it, if you’re having an apple, have ten almonds alongside it to help keep you full between meals. (Try Meridian Coconut & Peanut Butter, £2.69)
‘Remember, eating more plant-based foods keeps our fibre levels up and that helps keep us regular,’ explains Hay. This encourages blood sugar regulation (less cravings) and regularity. If your bowel transit is too long (he means if you go for longer than one day without doing a poo), this could hamper with your weight loss efforts, says Hay.
Fill up on green vegetables, pulses such as chick peas, lentils, beans and fruit such as pears, apples, berries and kiwi. If you’re struggling with the amount of solid fruit and veg, try veggie or fruit juices.
A healthy gut is paramount to having a balanced system – without it all body other systems can suffer.
Easy weight loss tip #58 Get Enough Sleep
When we don’t sleep well and are not fully rested, two important hormones called leptin and ghrelin, known as the appetite and hunger hormones can be affected.
These hormones are both responsible for letting us know when we are full up and when we are hungry. If these hormones aren’t sufficient we could end up feeling hungry even when we aren’t. This will result in eating more than you need to, which certainly won’t help if weight loss is your goal.
A study looking into whether sleep duration may be an important regulator of body weight and metabolism saw 1,024 volunteers report on their sleep habits through questionnaires and sleep diaries.
Fasted blood samples were evaluated too for leptin and ghrelin (the two key opposing hormones in appetite regulation).
The study found that participants with less sleep had reduced leptin and elevated ghrelin. The differences in the two hormones leptin and ghrelin were said to be a likely cause of increased appetite.
The study noted too that in Western societies, where chronic sleep restriction is common and food is widely available, changes in appetite regulatory hormones may contribute to obesity.
Easy weight loss tip #57 Try intermittent fasting (IF)
Intermittent fasting, similar to the well-known 5:2 diet, is a popular go-to for sustainable weight loss. This style of eating made popular by celebrities such as Beyonce, Liv Tyler, Hugh Jackman and Ben Affleck is shown to promote weight loss.
Intermittent fasting is simple and that’s why it’s so popular. There are no crazy restrictions, other than the fact you can’t eat for 14-16 hours. But we promise that isn’t as shocking as it sounds.
If you incorporate this ‘fast’ time into the time you spend asleep it can be quite easy. For example, lets say you finish eating at 8pm, if you then don’t eat anything until 10am (which is totally doable for most) then you’ve fasted for 14 hours – congratulations. That would be a 14:10 fast. You could also stop eating at 8pm and start at midday the next day, fasting for even longer, 16 hours, which would be a 16:8 fast. The longer your fast period and the shorter your eating window, the more a break you will give your system, or so goes the reasoning.
Essentially, intermittent fasting is eating (fasting) in the way our ancestors typically ate, exposing yourself to intermittent cycles of famine. We had to hunt for our food, it wasn’t readily available at our nearest Tesco stores at every breakfast time.
Easy weight loss tip #56 Indulge without guilt: healthy fish and chips
How to make fish and chips healthy:
First, opt for grilled fish and roasted chips with a sprinkling of paprika. Then crucially, add vinegar.
A University of Arizona study found that adding vinegar to food lowers its Glycaemic Index (GI) so helps control insulin levels and keep you full longer. And Lemon Juice has the same effect.
Easy weight loss tip #55 Indulge without guilt: try a chocolate mouse
Try this nutrtitious chocolate orange mouse with no milk and no sugar from nutritionist and chef Dale Pinnock, creator of new DVD, Beat Arthritis Naturally (from www.dalepinnock.com).
Scoop the flesh of two ripe avocadoes into a food processor and pulse for 20 seconds. Add 2.5 tablespoons of cocoa powder the grated zest of a whoel orange and the juice of half an orange and 2 tablespoons agave nectar, an ultra-natural low GI sweetener (from Sainsbury’s). Serves 4.
Easy weight loss tip #54 Indulge without guilt: have a fruity iced treat
We love, love, love this healthy pudding idea from Christine Perry. She calls it ‘Frozen Fruit Mr Whippy’. We call it delicious.
‘Slice up banana and put it singly in rows between sheets of foil and keep in the freezer,’ suggests Perry. ‘Have bags of frozen berries such as strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in the freezer also.
When you fancy a treat, throw a handful of each in the blender with a few drops of milk and you have a delicious Mr-Whippy like treat packed with nutrients. Add oomph by topping with some grated dark chocolate’.
Easy weight loss tip #53 Join a weight loss program with a friend
Joining a weight loss program with a friend boosts your chances of success.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine enrolled 344 women in a weight loss regimen for two years and the one that lost the most weight were the ones that attended with a friend who also attended sessions regularly and dropped pounds herself – so choose wisely.
Easy weight loss tip #52 Lose the bedtime snack
Saying no to a snack at least four hours before bed could help drop pounds.
When mice ate at scheduled mealtimes and fasted for 12 hours at night, their liver turned on genes that burned more sugar and fat, say scientists at the salk Insitutue of Biological Studies, California.
Easy weight loss tip #51 Homemade over store bought sauces
For your evening meal, try not to gorge on carbohydrate full meals such as pasta and store bought tomato sauce, or white rice and a jar of curry sauce.
Instead, have wholemeal pasta with a homemade salsa made from fresh sautéed garlic, chopped basil, fresh Passata or chopped tomatoes and some ready chopped vegetables.
Easy weight loss tip #50 Dark chocolate not milk chocolate
For you next snack, instead of a Galaxy chocolate bar and another coffee, have some dark chocolate if you have to. Green & Blacks Organic Dark Chocolate, is a good choice. Also, switch to a decaf coffee at this time of the day.
Tip: Try to slowly reduce your chocolate intake until you can opt something savoury at this time such as a small bag of beans or a palmful of nuts.
Easy weight loss tip #49 Avoid white bread
The no-sugar how-to: 5 real-world ways to cleanse your day of excess sweetness, because you’re already sweet enough, from nutritionist Christine Perry.
For lunch, instead of a sandwich with ham, lettuce and salad Cream. Opt for a dark rye or wholewheat sandwich with avocado, sun-dried tomato and egg.
Easy weight loss tip #48 Try to limit the biscuits
The no-sugar how-to: 5 real-world ways to cleanse your day of excess sweetness, because you’re already sweet enough, from nutritionist Christine Perry.
For a snack, instead of two Digestives and a coffee, have a green tea and an organic oat bar.
Easy weight loss tip #47 Swap your Corn flakes for porridge
The no-sugar how-to: 5 real-world ways to cleanse your day of excess sweetness, because you’re already sweet enough, from nutritionist Christine Perry.
For breakfast, instead of Corn flakes with milk have sugar-free muesli with milk or whole oat porridge with grated apple and cinnamon or fresh berries.
Add skimmed milk or rice milk, the latter has subtle, natural sweetness.
Easy weight loss tip #46 Cut out excess sugar
This is the one change that will literally change everything.
‘An excess of sugary food in the system leads to an excess of insulin in the bloodstream,’ says Christine Perry, nutritionist with Premier Training International.
‘Insulin is your body’s ‘storage hormone’ and an excess is laid down as fat. Sugar also contributes to mood swings because of the roller-coaster effect it has on blood sugar levels.’
Some scientists even believe that excess sugar in the diet leads to a premature ageing of the skin. ‘As well as the usual chocolate and sweets, look for hidden sugars in ketchup, soups, salad creams and boxed cereals,’ says Perry.
Easy weight loss tip #45 The amazing ten minute body breakthrough
Possibly the biggest breakthrough in workouts for real people ever, this month see the launch of The 10-Minute Total Body Breakthrough (£14.99 Workman) by LA-Based Exercise Physiologist Sean Foy.
The 10-Minute Workout:
4 Minutes High-Energy Aerobic Training (HEAT)
Based on the principles of interval training, proven to burn fat fast, you can march in place,jump rope, jog on the spot/treadmill or outside or use any cardio machine in the gym. Alternate four 30-second bouts of moderate activity with high-intensity activity to total four minutes
3 Minutes Resistance Exercise
Using your own body weight (for example with lunges, press ups, squats), a medicine ball, bands or lights weights you select three basic exercises that work different muscles of your body and do as many as you can for one minute each.
2 Minutes Core-Strengthening Exercises
60 seconds each of sit-ups or stomach crunches as well as pelvic tilts and other exercise that work the tummy, lower back and pelvic area (referred to as the ‘core’).
1 Minute Stretching and Deep Breathing Exercise
Simple seated and lying down stretches combined with deep inhalations and exhalations to lengthen muscles, relax the mind and boost circulation to the organs.
Here’s why it works: Foy’s book contains serious evidence of its effectiveness on clients and the science he has been influenced by in formulating the workout.
It’s also designed to be short enough to do every single day, as anyone who says they don’t have ten minutes to exercise is probably fibbing. The book includes easy step by step instructions for lots of different workout combinations.
Easy weight loss tip #44 Add paprkia to mashed potato
Want to make eating veggies more sexy? If boiled spinach doesn’t fill you with excitement about getting your five-a-day, why not make vegetables into a treat by using fresh herbs and low-fat condiments, says top nutritionist and trained chef Nigel Denby.
Stir-fried vegetables go great with drizzles of fresh lime, grated ginger, chilli, roasted almonds and a dash of sesame (use a tiny amount as it’s strong), pumpkin seed or walnut oil.
For other vegetables fresh herbs are the secret weapon. Here is the third of Denby’s suggestions:
Paprika – sprinkled into mashed potato or on roasted thinly sliced sweet potato chips is a fab alternative to salt.
Easy weight loss tip #43 Add basil and oregano to roasted veg
Want to make eating veggies more sexy? If boiled spinach doesn’t fill you with excitement about getting your five-a-day, why not make vegetables into a treat by using fresh herbs and low-fat condiments, says top nutritionist and trained chef Nigel Denby.
Stir-fried vegetables go great with drizzles of fresh lime, grated ginger, chilli, roasted almonds and a dash of sesame (use a tiny amount as it’s strong), pumpkin seed or walnut oil.
For other vegetables fresh herbs are the secret weapon. Here is the second of Denby’s suggestions:
Basil, oregano – perfect for roasted vegetables like aubergines, tomatoes, courgettes and peppers
Easy weight loss tip #42 Add rosemary to your potatoes
Want to make eating veggies more sexy? If boiled spinach doesn’t fill you with excitement about getting your five-a-day, why not make vegetables into a treat by using fresh herbs and low-fat condiments, says top nutritionist and trained chef Nigel Denby.
Stir-fried vegetables go great with drizzles of fresh lime, grated ginger, chilli, roasted almonds and a dash of sesame (use a tiny amount as it’s strong), pumpkin seed or walnut oil.
For other vegetables fresh herbs are the secret weapon. Here is one of Denby’s suggestions:
Rosemary – great with carrots, baby potatoes and celery.
Easy weight loss tip #41 Healthy snack swap – Fruit and nuts
Here’s the last figure-friendly snack swaps, from Rebecca Amey at the Ultimate Boot Camp. Healthy choices for those must-snack moments.
What you want: 50g of sainsbury’s Jumbo Honey Roast Peanut and Cashews (296 calories).
Swap for: 40g Sainsbury’s Read-to-eat Apricots (96 calories).
Easy weight loss tip #40 Healthy snack swap – chocolate
Next figure-friendly snack swap, from Rebecca Amey at the Ultimate Boot Camp, has healthy choices for those must-snack moments. from Rebecca Amey at the Ultimate Boot Camp. Healthy choices for those must-snack moments.
What you want: Twix (285 calories).
Swap for: Two finger Kit Kat (107 calories).
Easy weight loss tip #39 Healthy snack swap – Crisps
Here’s the third figure-friendly snack swap, from Rebecca Amey at the Ultimate Boot Camp, has healthy choices for those must-snack moments., from Rebecca Amey at the Ultimate Boot Camp. Healthy choices for those must-snack moments.
What you want: Packet of Walkers Cool Original Doritos (202 calories).
Swap for: Ryvita Minis Sweet Chilli Snacks (98 calories).
Easy weight loss tip #38 Healthy snack swap – Crackers
Here’s the next figure-friendly snack swap, from Rebecca Amey at the Ultimate Boot Camp. Healthy choices for those must-snack moments.
What you want: Two Jacob’s Tuc Cheese Sandwich (144 calories).
Swap for: Three Snack-a-jacks Jumbo Cheese, Rice and Corn Cakes.
Easy weight loss tip #37 Healthy snack swap – Carbs
For the next five days Healthista will be sharing five figure-friendly snack swaps, from Rebecca Amey at the Ultimate Boot Camp. Healthy choices for those must-snack moments.
What you want: New York Bakery Co Cinnamon and Raisin Bagel (225 calories).
Swap for: Sainsbury’s taste The Difference Spice Fruits Muffin (181 calories).
Easy weight loss tip #36 Add cinnamon to everythaaang (just kidding but add it where you can)
The humble spice cinnamon, has been shown in scientific trials to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. This is because of its role in helping balance blood sugar levels and keeping sweet cravings at bay.
If you tend to get sweet cravings mid-morning try adding a teaspoon to a bowl of low-fat plain yoghurt with a chopped up pear or apple and about six ground up almonds.
Easy weight loss tip #35 Take a walk after lunch
Walking can help you lose weight, you can do it anywhere, it doesn’t make you too sweaty to be passably presentable at a meeting, plus it’s free.
A study at Indiana University found that taking a brisk 45 minute walk after eating any high-fat meal could lower fat absorption from that meal by 10 per cent and there’s no need to even break a sweat.
So don’t watch Netflix on your lunch break, go for a walk, put your headphones in and forget about work for 45 minutes.
Easy weight loss tip #34 Live by the 80/20 rule
OK so you’ll definitely want to read this – this is how nutritionists stay slim.
Every nutritionist I have ever spoken to has been a fan of the 80/20 rule. So simple, so realistic, you eat the best you can, low in saturated and trans fats, alcohol and sugar with fresh, whole, food choices and plenty of vegetables most of the time and for the remaining 20 per cent of the time you take moderate amounts of the not-so-great stuff that comes with having a life – for example, wine, roast dinners, pudding….
So there you have it, even nutritionists are partial to a treat 20 per cent of the time. For five days of the week make healthy choices then on the weekends make a healthy choice but don’t kick yourself if you want an extra roast potato with your roast dinner.
Easy weight loss tip #33 Don’t eat your emotions
The three step craving-to-calm strategy.
Step 3: Sit with it.
‘If you are craving as a result of turbulent feelings, try learning to sit with your emotions – be that anger, stress or anxiety,’ says Jeremy Gauntlett-Gilbert, author of Overcoming Weight Problems (Constable £9.99).
‘This robs your emotions of power over you and also gives you space and time to think about exactly why you’re feeling that way – where might habitually be distracting yourself with food. Like cravings, negative emotions pass quickly, they can’t hurt you.’
Easy weight loss tip #32 Are you ACTUALLY hungry?
The three step craving-to-calm strategy.
Step 2: Now think.
Is this real hunger or a craving? Real hunger comes on slowly, and is usually satisfied by any palatable food, says Dr Roger Gould, clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA and founder of shrinkyourself.com, an online program for emotional eating.
Real hunger usually, builds gradually, can be fulfilled by most food and strikes below the neck (for example growling stomach).
Emotional craving or false hunger develops suddenly, is usually for specific foods, strikes above the neck (for example as you think about the taste of that Magnum) and is often in response to strong emotions such as boredom, sadness or even elation. See the difference?
Easy weight loss tip #31 Take 3 deep breaths before you reach for food
The three step craving-to-calm strategy.
Step 1: Crave-calming breath.
Before you reach for the food, take three deep belly breaths. Take in a deep breath, hold it in your belly and count to five, then breathe it out.
Do it three times and the endorphins that you want and would get from chocolate will start pumping to your brain naturally, without actually eating it – saves calories.
Easy weight loss tip #30 Choose a meal from the menu before you get to the restaurant
Everyone turns to food to feel better, nourished, warm or energised. But if you always use food to deal with negative emotions, it can become an addiction.
Sugar, fat and salt are three substances found in junk foods that have been shown to trigger the same chemicals and ‘dopamine’ pathways in the brain as cocaine, says Dr David A Kessler, author of brilliant The End Of Overeating.
But resisting is also habit-forming and the less you turn to junk food laden with these three substances, the less of a habit ‘using’ food as a fix becomes.
Kessler’s fifth tip – Imagine making the right choices. Before entering a restaurant, rehearse choosing a dinner that’s part of your eating plan.
Check out the menu beforehand so that you know what to order. This will avoid going through the menu and being temped by foods that aren’t part of your eating plan.
Think of this as a game against a powerful opponent. You won’t win every encounter, but with practice you can get better each time.
Easy weight loss tip #29 Talk through your urges
Everyone turns to food to feel better, nourished, warm or energised. But if you always use food to deal with negative emotions, it can become an addiction.
Sugar, fat and salt are three substances found in junk foods that have been shown to trigger the same chemicals and ‘dopamine’ pathways in the brain as cocaine, says Dr David A Kessler, author of brilliant The End Of Overeating.
But resisting is also habit-forming and the less you turn to junk food laden with these three substances, the less of a habit ‘using’ food as a fix becomes.
Kessler’s fourth tip – Talk through your urges. Arm yourself to respond when cravings with positive self-talk such as ‘Eating that will only satisfy me temporarily, ‘Eating this will make me feel bloated and fat later,’ ‘I’ll be happier and weigh less if I don’t eat this’.
The fact is before you say yes to that chocolate, ice cream, biscuit, cheese toastie or whatever you normally give in to remind yourself and remember where you want to be and why you are trying to lose weight in the first place.
Say it in your head or say it out loud. That way your more likely to say ‘No, thank you’.
Easy weight loss tip #28 Limit foods you can’t control
Everyone turns to food to feel better, nourished, warm or energised. But if you always use food to deal with negative emotions, it can become an addiction.
Sugar, fat and salt are three substances found in junk foods that have been shown to trigger the same chemicals and ‘dopamine’ pathways in the brain as cocaine, says Dr David A Kessler, author of brilliant The End Of Overeating.
But resisting is also habit-forming and the less you turn to junk food laden with these three substances, the less of a habit ‘using’ food as a fix becomes.
Kessler’s third tip – Limit foods you can’t control. If you can’t eat just one Digestive, give them the boot altogether. If offered something you always overeat, gently say ‘No, thanks’ instead of ‘I’m on a diet’.
We all know this feeling. It is impossible to just have one crisp or just one biscuit. We all know that by saying ‘I’ll only have the one’ that we are telling a big fat lie.
So just say no, that way you can’t be tempted by another one.
Easy weight loss tip #27 Try eating half of your normal meal
Everyone turns to food to feel better, nourished, warm or energised. But if you always use food to deal with negative emotions, it can become an addiction.
Sugar, fat and salt are three substances found in junk foods that have been shown to trigger the same chemicals and ‘dopamine’ pathways in the brain as cocaine, says Dr David A Kessler, author of brilliant The End Of Overeating.
But resisting is also habit-forming and the less you turn to junk food laden with these three substances, the less of a habit ‘using’ food as a fix becomes.
Kessler’s second tip – Practise portion control. Try and eat half your usual meal. Eat half of your meal and save the rest for another time. See how you feel one and two hours later, after eating just half of your usual meal.
A just-right meal will keep away hunger for up to four hours, but a healthy snack such as fruit and almonds between meals may help if you are still feeling slightly peckish.
Easy weight loss tip #26 Plan when and what you will eat
For the next five days, Healthista will be sharing weight loss tips that will be focusing on how we can stop eating too much.
Everyone turns to food to feel better, nourished, warm or energised. But if you always use food to deal with negative emotions, it can become an addiction.
Sugar, fat and salt are three substances found in junk foods that have been shown to trigger the same chemicals and ‘dopamine’ pathways in the brain as cocaine, says Dr David A Kessler, author of brilliant The End Of Overeating.
But resisting is also habit-forming and the less you turn to junk food laden with these three substances, the less of a habit ‘using’ food as a fix becomes.
Kessler’s first tip – Plan when and what you will eat. This will help to inhibit unplanned, mindless snacking which is the time most of us will turn to the naughty junk food.
With our busy lives it is not always easy to allow time for meal preparation and it can seem that the only option is to rely on local food outlets to buy in a meal or snack.
However, the disadvantage is that you do not have as much control over your meal choices and you are likely, particularly if you’re in a hurry, to be swayed by promotions such as ‘Meal Deals’ that sound appetizing and offer exceptional value for money.
Sadly, although convenient these ‘Meal Deals’ often contain items you don’t actually want to eat and probably wouldn’t choose if you were paying full price for each item individually.
Typical meal deal items such as sandwiches, crisps, fizzy drinks, juices and chocolate bars will mean you consume more calories, sugars and fats than you intended and in the long run this will lead to weight gain.
If you prepare and plan what and when you will eat you are far less likely to snack idly on food that comes your way or crosses your path.
Easy weight loss tip #25 Green tea – the boosting extra
You’ve probably heard enough about the health benefits of green tea by now, from heart health to anti-agieng. But one of its key benefits is for increasing metabolism. The burn comes courtesy of a family of phytochemicals present in green and white tea called catechins that have a stimulating effect on metabolism.
Whether you take a green tea pill each day, or drink the equivalent in green tea (about four cups) green tea tablets contains catechins, a class of powerful antioxidants.
EGCG is short for Epigallocatechin gallate, the most abundant catechin in green tea and study published in the British Journal of Nutrition confirmed its calorie-burning potential.
Another study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that green tea-extract increases the metabolism by four per cent over a 24 hour period. Three to five cups a day can help you burn an extra 70 calories a day, which adds up to seven pounds a year, 35 pounds for five years and 70 pounds for 10 years.
Green tea has also been shown to inhibit fat absorption—the movement of glucose into fat cells, [support healthy] glucose levels after eating a meal, prevent insulin spikes which prevents fat storage, and reduce appetite.
Easy weight loss tip #24 Prepare your own tortilla crisps
Doritos, nachos, tortilla chips – three very well loved snacks. But they can be super high in fat. It turns out there is a healthier way to have them – yep you guessed right, you can make them yourself.
Prepare your own lower fat tortilla chips by cutting tortilla bread into triangles, brushing with olive oil and baking until crisp in a hot oven – it really is that easy and far healthier.
Easy weight loss tip #23 Make a healthy homemade dessert
Who loves dessert? If you aren’t screaming ME at your screen, we can’t be friends – just joking. Let me narrow it down, who likes Eton Mess?
If you do then why not try a healthier version. Some shop bought versions of dessert can contain so much sugar it’s enough to give you a cavity just looking at it.
For a healthier Eton Mess dessert, combine fresh meringue, plenty of soft fruits and equal parts crème fraiche and natural yoghurt, topped with fresh pomegranate seeds.
Easy weight loss tip #22 Make homemade chips, don’t buy them
If you want to lose weight then it is definitely not a good idea to eat chips, sad but true.
To get something that is similar too your fave golden, light and fluffy snack then par-boil (partial boiling as first step of cooking) raw potato (cut into chips) in boiling water then toss the part boiled chips in olive oil before baking in the oven until crisp.
This option (although not actually deep fried chips) will be far lower in fat than the usual deep fried chips but still with great flavour.
Easy weight loss tip #21 Broccoli is a perfect way to get your five a day
Trying to stick to your five a day can be tricky, but it turns out just six stems of tenderstem broccoli will equal one of your five a day. Try it steamed with a sweet chilli sauce dip – delicious.
Easy weight loss tip #20 Use lemon juice over butter to add flavour to vegetables
For the next five days, we will be looking at five tips on how can can reduce fat from your cooking, courtesy of celebrity chef Jo Pratt’s ‘you’ll-never-know’ healthier eating secrets.
His first secret? Toss vegetables in lemon juice rather than serving them with butter. For example, toss steamed asparagus in lemon juice and a fruity olive oil rather than serving in dripping butter.
In a 30g serving of butter you would add 215 calories to your cooking, but if you use 30g lemon juice you will be adding just seven calories. That’s a pretty significant difference to help you lessen unnecessary fat from your diet.
Easy weight loss tip #19 Have super-fats at each meal
Fats have been given bad press in the past, but it turns out that in order to lose burn fat we need to eat it.
This doesn’t give you permission to smother a piece of toast in butter and mature cheddar cheese but super healthy fats that contain essential omega three oils are what you need to star incorporating into each of your meals.
Each day aim to have six walnuts, 12 almonds or 12 hazelnuts either as a between meal snack or on your breakfast cereal or porridge.
These foods contain monounsaturated fats and this is the healthy fat that is famed for their belly fat-burning capacity. These healthy fats also stimulate the production of cholectystokinin (CCK) which slows the rate at which the stomach empties and reduces appetite.
Other super-fat serving ideas include one tablespoon olive oil, rapeseed, flaxseed and canola oils for cooking or salads, ten olives, ten macadamia, pine, Brazil or cashew nuts, one medium avocado or three squares dark chocolate. Have a serve per meal and you’ll help keep those metabolic fires burning all day.
Easy weight loss tip #18 Use oil sprays for cooking
Ever wondered what slim women do daily? These women aren’t naturally thin, but maintain their slim shapes by working at it.
Anna Richardson, TV presenter and author Body Blitz Diet (Orion £14.99), London
‘I use a oil sprays for cooking. It’s the easiest way to cut calories I know. I always choose the ones with the pump spray rather than an aerosol so I know the oil isn’t adulterated with water or propellants.
‘I have two in my kitchen at all times – a mild olive oil for frying and an extra virgin olive oil for spraying onto salads (with a drizzle of balsamic makes a dressed salad in seconds).’
Easy weight loss tip #17 No time for the gym? Brisk walk and jog with a buggy
Ever wondered what slim women do daily? These women aren’t naturally thin, but maintain their slim shapes by working at it.
Jane Wake, fitness consultant, creator of Baby-a-wake antenatal and postnatal wellness programme and mother of three, London (size 10)
‘I do high intensity training three times a week which keeps my metabolism in overdrive. I don’t have time to do conventional exercise in the gym so this often means pushing the buggy plus my five year old on his bike (who often needs a push up the odd hill too). 20 minutes is my usual, though longer is better.
‘I build up gradually with ten minutes of gentle brisk walking, then do run/walk/run/walk intervals. If I don’t get time to stretch straight away I will do it later at night after a bath when the children are in bed, it’s incredibly important for preventing injury and keeping my stress levels low too.’
Easy weight loss tip #16 Eat half as much as your partner
Ever wondered what slim women do daily? These women aren’t naturally thin, but maintain their slim shapes by working at it.
Mavis Wong, Marketing Manager, Shepherd’s Bush (size 10)
‘I eat only half of what my fiancé eats. We started dating a year and a half ago and after the initial honeymoon period of not feeling hungry because you’re in love, I started putting on weight because he loves cooking so we would eat together and he would serve the same portions to both of us.
‘Only I weigh 20 kilograms less than him and he goes to the gym everyday. Since I started eating only half the amount he has three months ago and sharing occasional puddings – as well as running at the weekends for half an hour – I’ve gone back to my ideal shape.’
East weight loss tip #15 Fresh fizzy lemon water over fizzy drinks
Ever wondered what slim women do daily? These women aren’t naturally thin, but maintain their slim shapes by working at it.
Claire Barber, Entrepreneur and mother-of-two, Northumberland (size 12)
‘I drink five glasses of boiling hot water with a slice of fresh lemon in, topped with a slug of diet lemonade. The lemonade fizzes on to the fresh lemon, which makes it taste delicious and makes the drink really palatable.
‘I drink this out in restaurants all the time instead of the usual soft drink choices or alcohol. It’s a great alternative to tea which I would normally take sugar in.
‘My skin is really clear and I have retained my slim figure which I believe is down to this tiny change in my diet!’
Easy weight loss tip #14 Eat only when you’re hungry and STOP when you’re full
Ever wondered what slim women do daily? These women aren’t naturally thin, but maintain their slim shapes by working at it.
Lola Borg, Journalist and mother-of-two, Stoke Newington (size 12)
‘The one thing I do is eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m full. Which is more difficult than it sounds. I am very aware of eating when I’m bored or because I don’t notice what I’m doing. If you use this one rule, nothing is ever ‘off limits’.
‘That’s easier if you know that if you’re properly hungry and you really want to eat an entire family bar of Green & Blacks it’s not forbidden (and I have, many many times).
‘Sometimes I stray or forget but I always come back to it eventually. And I teach this to my children. They will often refuse food saying, No I’m not hungry and I think, Well done. I’ve taught them well’.
Easy weight loss tip #13 Invest in high quality oils
Ever wondered what slim women do daily? These women aren’t naturally thin, but maintain their slim shapes by working at it.
Georgie Wolfinden, Founder, Glowgetter.co.uk, Primrose Hill, (size 8)
‘I make sure I eat the right fats which might be high in calories but are super nourishing.
‘In the past, when I have cut out fat from my diet to lose weight it has led to sugar cravings, dry skin, unbalanced hormones and a lack of energy. So now I invest in high quality oils– instead of butter I eat virgin coconut butter, I make fresh salad dressings using crushed garlic, mustard, extra virgin olive oil, pinch of sea salt and ground flaxseeds.
‘I am also a huge fan of smoothies – they are easy for the body to digest and a meal in themselves.’
Easy weight loss tip #12 Smelling food for two minutes will lessen your cravings
Are you a sucker for a take away? Do you struggle to go a day without fatty foods?
New research claims that if you surround yourself with the smell of fatty foods for two minutes, your cravings will subside. However, smelling fatty foods for less than 30 seconds will only make your cravings worse.
The findings published in the Journal of Marketing Research may lead to the creation of food scented air fresheners or room sprays that will encourage people to eat more healthily.
Originally, research has shown that the smell of fried foods such as burgers or pizzas is enough to make us crave and buy one.
But Professor Dipayan Biswas says, that putting yourself through two minutes of torment may actually help you to say no to that burger or pizza.
Easy weight loss tip #11 Try to do 15 minutes of morning yoga
Ever wondered what slim women do daily? These women aren’t naturally thin, but maintain their slim shapes by working at it.
Katie Newman, 35, Creative Executive, TV Drama, Islington (size 6)
‘I do 15 minutes of yoga sun salutations most mornings. It doesn’t take long but I’ve found in the intensely busy times when I can’t go the gym or do anything else it helps keep me toned (and sane!).
‘It works for me because it’s only 15 minutes and I can always squeeze it in. I’ve been doing it in the morning like this for a year or so and have seen a real difference in the length and tone of my muscles.
‘It’s a great way to give myself a pat on the back for at least doing something each day.’
Easy weight loss tip #10 The power of three checklist
Making just three 100-calorie changes in your daily food or exercise routine could help you lose weight.
According to Professor Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, diets fail because they ask us to do too much.
That’s why just three small 100-calorie changes, practiced every single day could make us as 30 pounds lighter by the end of the year. Here’s some inspiration to choose from:
- Serve vegetables with herbs, lemon juice instead of butter
- Take a 15 minute brisk walk every day
- Jump rope every morning for 10 minutes
- Swap morning pastry for two slices wholemeal toast with Marmite
- Switch from large full fat latte to an Americano with a dash of hot milk (delicious!)
Easy weight loss tip #9 Get blending
Blending Smoothies and soups can help fight fat, says Professor Barbara Rolls, a researcher at Pennsylvania State University and author of The Volumetric Eating Plan: feel full on fewer calories.
Rolls’s research found that foods with more air such as shakes prepared in the blender and low-fat frozen desserts provide more satiety (fuller for longer).
Try soya, skimmed or rice milk, berries and a tablespoon of crushed flaxseeds (from health food stores) with dollop of plain yoghurt for breakfast.
Soups are also a great way to keep you full but on fewer calories. Winter months such as these make reaching for a hot and wholesome soup even more tempting.
For healthy soup recipe ideas read, 5 steps to making a healthy soup (whatever you have lying around the kitchen).
Easy weight loss tip #8 Bulk up your meals with whole grains
Wholegrain or ‘bulky’ foods that are high in fibre, such as lentils, pulses, wholemeal pasta and grains, not only keep your blood sugar levels up but they also increase the levels of hunger-fighting hormones in your system, says Vivienne Parry in The Truth About Hormones. This will ‘keep you satisfied for longer without extra calories’.
During the colder months, people tend to opt for warming foods such as stews and casseroles. These are perfect to fill with lots and lots of veggies, but also lentils, pulses and beans such as butter beans, chickpeas, haricot beans.
If this still isn’t enough to fill your bellies, you can have whole grain rice or pasta as an extra.
By loading your stews and casseroles with both vegetables, lentil and beans you will feel far more satisfied and stay fuller for longer – plus they will warm you up nicely for the chilly evenings.
Easy weight loss tip #7 Opt for protein rich foods
Scientists have discovered that the hormone that makes us hungry, called ghrelin, can be kept at bay by eating foods rich in protein.
Trials published in the American Journal of Clinic Nutrition, found that people who ate a high protein breakfast kept their ghrelin levels at bay longer than those that ate just carbohydrates for breakfast.
For breakfast why not try a mushroom omelette, or the classic avocado on toast with a poached egg. If you don’t have the luxury of time, simply add nuts to your muesli or have some sugar-free peanut butter with a banana. These breakfast options are full of high protein foods.
Easy weight loss tip #6: Reminisce about your food
British scientists at the University of Birmingham discovered that actively remembering your last meal suppresses appetite and reduces the desire to snack on junk food.
So if you think you’re getting hungry three hours after your evening meal actively visualise what you ate for dinner.
Easy weight loss tip #5: Stock a variety of healthy foods
We have evolved to love variety in the food we eat, and this can be used to healthy advantage.
Keep a LOW variety of unhealthy foods available to yourself, for example, if your kids love crisps, keep them in the house but in one flavour (preferably that you’re not fond of). If you’re a biscuit fanatic, stick to one ‘plainer’ type, cor example custard creams.
Then ensure you always have a HIGH variety of healthy foods available to you. Stock fruit and vegetables in abundance, find out which vegetables are in season, and search for interesting recipes that incorporate seasonal fruit and veg.
Having a good variety in healthy foods will increase your satisfaction and keep you excited about your newfound healthier eating.
Easy weight loss tip #4: Stick to an eating schedule
Human beings love routines and rituals, especially when it comes to eating your beloved pizza at the weekend or drinking your favourite wine with a best friend. But you can also use this instincts to create healthy habits and rituals too.
Try to eat at regular times so your body will learn not to expect food at other times throughout the day. Attempt to break habits like eating junk food at certain times of the day or week.
For example if you’re used to eating chocolate after lunch, swap this for some fruit and have it at breakfast time instead. If you like to indulge on pizza when Friday evening comes along, change that to a healthier pizza and try having it on a Monday instead.
Create healthy rituals to avoid getting into a vicious cycle of unhealthy routines. By breaking these habits, your body will soon stop expecting it.
Easy weight loss tip #3: Don’t deprive yourself
Most people love a rich treat every now and then but the key is not to deprive yourself. Depriving yourself wont only make you miserable, but it may lead to increased cravings and you’ll end up binge eating that deprived treat until you don’t wan’t to eat it ever again – or until the next day.
‘Sandwich’ your treats with healthy food. Instead of going all out on one ‘big full fat cheat meal’, have small treats with each or your healthy meals. This way you wont feel like you’ve ruined your healthy eating plan at all.
For example have an all-raw salad with a wholemeal pitta bread and add a slice or two of a delicious cheese treat, such as brie or halloumi or add a sprinkle of walnuts.
Have small portions of the high calorie foods you fancy, added to this lots of low calorie healthy, high-fibre foods to keep you full and satisfied.
Easy weight loss tip #2: Keep a healthy stocked kitchen
To avoid the temptation of easy, quick to grab, unhealthy junk food, try to keep your kitchen fully stocked with plenty of healthy food options.
These healthier options can be quick and easy too, but as long as they are healthy, satisfying foods you are more likely to avoid the temptation of unhealthy snacking and possible overeating.
Aim to keep your fridge full with lots of with ready cut veggies, such as cucumber, carrot sticks with a yummy homemade hummus. If you are one who immediately reaches for the sweet treats when you get home, have a ready chopped fruit salad in the fridge in an air tight container.
Small bags of nuts and seeds are ideal if you need a quick salty snack, lentil crisps are also a healthy go-to if you’re preferred snack is a bag of crisps.
Another satisfying snack that you can quickly rustle up the night before (whilst preparing your dinner) are boiled eggs. Keep a couple of boiled eggs in the fridge, these will fill you up nicely and provide healthy fats and protein that will help you feel fuller for longer.
Meal prep is also ideal for weight-loss, when you cook your next meal, make more than you usually would and save some as leftovers.
Keep your leftovers in a container in the fridge near the front so you don’t forget about them. That way if you get home starving hungry you can heat up a healthy leftover meal rather than reaching for the naughty snacks or having a fully loaded sandwich.
Easy weight loss tip #1: Eat for satisfaction
Make sure after every meal and every snack you feel satisfied.
This will cut your ‘hunger cravings’ in half. Try one or more of the following compositions: high fibre, high-protein/low-carb, high volume.
For example, two oatcakes with no-sugar peanut butter are both high-protein and high fibre.
Other satisfaction boosting tricks include having a little healthy fat with your meals in the form of butter, nuts/seeds, avocado or healthy vegetable oils such as olive. Fat helps slow digestion and increases the body’s satiety signals to the brain, so you feel satisfied sooner.
You can also fill up on high fibre foods such as beans and pulses, or wholegrains such as brown rice and quinoa to help ensure fullness so you’re not craving pudding at the end of your meal – or seconds.
In fact, if you feel like seconds, wait. It takes roughly 13 minutes for the brain to register fullness from the stomach.
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