Little steps... (General Weightloss & Healthy Eating Tips)

Name: 21stcenturyfox

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Product:	General Weightloss & Healthy Eating Tips
Date:	01/08/03 (243 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: healthy body, easy to achieve, no stress!

Disadvantages: none

Okay, I'll 'fess up. I have tried (in my 23 years) some tens upon tens of diet and weight loss attempts. They have ranged from the ridiculous in my teens (e.g. making myself cold so I'd burn more fat keeping warm - well done!) to the complicated (combination diets? blood type diets? calorie counting?) to the sensible (Slimming World, which did work but takes a little planning and me and planning go together like, well, me and dieting?) but now I think I've got it sussed.

I'm not on a diet. I don't go to the gym (no time or money!). But I am losing weight and I am getting healthier and fitter? how?

Little Steps!

I don't have the energy, time or inclination to worry, fuss and think too hard about eating certain things and scheduling keeping fit. But I do want to lose the excess flab left over from my pregnancies, I do want to look at my peak in December for all the crimbo parties rather than wobble about trussed up like one of those Hippos from the yoghurt adverts of the '80s and I do want to be reasonably fit and healthy because I think, as a parent, I have a duty to set a sensible example to my kids and try and maintain my health so I'm here for them for as long as possible.

I looked at my life, my budget, my free time (hah!), my goals and I realised that the best way forward would just be too make simple little changes, changes that I wouldn't have to plan too much or worry over? I haven't radically changed what I eat but whereas before if I was offered biscuits at someone's house I?d have two, I now have one. No massive change but over the months we're talking a fair few calories. If I want a drink I have fizzy water instead of chemical-loaded fizzy drinks. If I have a big salad now, whereas we used to have goats cheese, peppers, lettuce, bacon etc? we leave off the bacon or the goats cheese, it's still super-tasty with either but it's that little bit better f
or you. We still have naughty food at the weekend, but either Friday or Saturday but not both. That's hardly a huge sacrifice, the boyfriend doesn't mind too much and it saves us money. Instead of cracking into a bottle of wine and having a few glasses of an evening and then a big splurge at the weekend I stop, think and generally have a cup of tea instead (and a big spurge every other weekend or less) not really punishment and normally a cuppa perks me up more than wine ever could. Talking of tea? if you can bare the taste (and I actually quite like it) have green tea instead of PG tips. It helps keep your metabolism ticking over and is said to have great antitoxidants, if you have coffee than at least opt for normal tea instead as that still has antioxidants in it. Semi-skimmed milk instead of full fat, I personally prefer it. Do you really need two slices of toast in the morning, why not one slice and a low fat yoghurt or banana?

All tiny changes, just stop and think before reaching for a snack, am I really hungry or is it thirst? Have a big glass of water (or sugar-free squash) and then re-assess, if you?re hungry than have that snack but if possible choose low fat crisps over full fat, or better still twiglets, or even better fresh fruit?

I don't go to the gym as I previously said, I don't have time! But I walk a couple more stops before catching the bus, we go for a big family walk at the weekend which always clears the cobwebs. No matter how much you don't fancy going, I always feel better for it. I cycle to catch the train to work rather than catch a bus and it's quicker and more reliable! If a song comes on the radio that I like, I dance to it, my children join in and it?s fun, but it also helps the fitness and weight loss. You may look odd if you do it in Topshop but who cares?! Do you know anyone?

All I'm saying is that if you can?t face a strict diet, you can't stick to a regime
, rather th
an procrastinate and worry just make some simple changes, just stop and think and you'll feel and look better for it!

A couple of quick ideas:

*Forget ice cream get frozen yoghurt, still a treat
*Forget white bread get brown, or at least Mighty White!
*Replace tea with green tea
*Fizzy flavoured water instead of fizzy drinks
*Big drink instead of snack, chances are you?re thirsty, the body does get confused on this one!
*Cottage cheese instead of cheddar
*One less side dish with your take away
*One less drink when you go out (you know that last one is always the culprit!)
*Walk to the shops when possible
*French dressing (esp. home made) instead of ceaser but better still use balsamic vinegar and lemon ? really nice!
*Try one big walk a week
*Stir in low fat soft cheese (e.g. light Philadelphia) instead of oily stir in pasta sauce.
*A lovely baked potato with margarine instead of roast potatoes, you won?t feel so stodgy.
*try and have a salad with your lunch, you?re less likely to have a pudding and you won?t get that guilty feeling!
*Try and get at least 5 fruit portions a day, this will help you keep a healthy heart but will replace naughty snacks easily, and you can include portions of fruit juice so it?s not really that hard!
*If anything feels like punishment, don?t bother ? you won?t keep it up! Take little steps that you can cope with and maintain.


UPDATE***WELL, I'M NOT STICK THIN YET (HA! AS IF!) BUT I DO FEEL HEALTHIER AND TRIMMER, THE MAIN THING I'VE NOTICED IS I CAN CONCENTRATE BETTER AND I ACTUALLY THINK THIS IS BECAUSE I'M DRINKING SO MUCH MORE WATER - APPARENTLY ITS CONNECTED I HAVEN'T GONE MAD!***

*** and now a few months down the line I'm still losing weight, slowly but surely, I am a comfortable size 12 and and no point feel like I'm punishing myself***

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