12 Easy Ways To Kickstart Weightloss

The holidays are gone, but they left their baggage behind, and it’s making your pants tighter.

We all sympathise.

Losing weight is hard in the face of so much temptation and distraction, and a world where we are busier than we can cope with.  How to fit in time for working out, let alone the motivation to do so?!

Never fear, for we are near, with 12 GREAT tips to help get you on the right path without feeling deprived, grumpy, or tired. It’s really manageable, and we’ll show you how…

Tweak your lifestyle

It's a familiar story: You pledge to honour a daily elliptical routine and count every last calorie. But soon, you're eating cupcakes at the office and grabbing happy hour mojitos, thinking, Oops, diet over.
There is a better way: Swap the all-or-nothing approach for one or two healthy switch-ups in your daily routine. Swap potato fries for sweet potato. Have a whiskey and soda instead of a beer. Instead of ice-cream for dessert, choose fruit.

Swap your go-to order
How often are you eating out? Make your own healthy lunch to take to work, and plan dinners in advance - by cutting take-out or restaurants to just once a week and ordering a grilled chicken salad instead of a large bowl of pasta, you can start shedding weight easily without feeling deprived.

Skip the salty aisle

DON’T GO DOWN THE SNACK ALLEY AT THE GROCERY STORE! Woolworths has removed sweets from their queuing aisle too, and replaced them with healthy snacks like nuts and fruit. Don’t even tempt yourself, and here’s another hint: never go shopping on an empty stomach!

Have a 300-calorie breakfast
I used to skip breakfast, but now I never go without. I always eat about 300 calories of a healthy mix of protein and whole grains. My go-to meal: a sandwich with natural peanut butter and banana slices. It keeps my hunger down so I snack less throughout the day, plus you can eat it in the car!

Get fit in five

First of all, calling something “working out” is a surefire way to make us not want to do it! Why not just add more oomph to your day? Try to fit in small bouts of exercise whenever possible, like doing jumping jacks or crunches during television commercials or dancing while washing dishes. This burns extra calories and keeps you from mindlessly munching in front of the TV.
Step it up by parking your car on the far side of the parking lot and getting a walk in, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, taking Fido for a walk, and scheduling ‘fun’ activities like charity walks or hikes to trick you into getting more active and off your butt.

Do a purge
Clean out that pantry, it’s the devil’s hiding place… chuck the ice-cream from the freezer, banish cookies from the cupboards, and replace all your sneaky sweets with nuts, fruit, rice cakes, and other healthy alternatives. Ditch sugar for stevia or another sweetener, and soon you’ll either curb yourself of snacking or train your palate to make better choices!

Healthy up your happy hour

Instead of jolling with mates at the end of the week and knocking back pizza and half-price cocktails, why not change things up? Instead of nights out, start something active together: there is indoor climbing, running around a local track, hockey clubs, action football, bowling, and more. A year down the line you will thank yourself and likely have better stories to tell after the weekend!

Nix nighttime eating
Stop that grazing! Ban nighttime eating after 6.30pm on weekdays, because you’re just going to sleep afterwards and it’s a definite way to send food straight to your storage compartment. Go easy on yourself on weekends so you don’t feel deprived, but by cutting it back you create good habits and will see the kilos slip away.


Hydration Helps - Really!

Down some water before a meal and you won't feel so famished, because the water will help fill you up. And for the compulsive snacker it's a great idea to keep water at hand as a way to keep your mouth busy and less likely to snack on junk food.
Going to a party? Grab a low-cal drink in one hand and keep it there. Not only does it make it harder to graze the buffet, but you'll also be less tempted to sip endless cocktails, too.
Finally, keeping your body refreshed with plenty of water may also help your workout. Staying hydrated means you can exercise more, and longer, than if you don't drink water.

Forget diet denial
Try adding foods to your diet instead of subtracting them.  Add in healthy goodies you really love, like deep-red cherries, juicy grapes, or crunchy snow peas. Slip those favourite fruits into your bag lunch and breakfast cereal; add the veggies into soups, stews, and sauces.

Size Matters



Eating less without feeling denied is as close as your dinnerware! That's because while a small portion served on a large plate can leave you craving more, a smaller plate gives the visual signal that you already have more.
People go by physical cues. We know we've had enough because we see the bottom of our bowl or plate. A smaller plate full of food just feels more satisfying than a large plate with that same amount of food on it.

Get to the Table
Most people eat more if they are bored, and DEFINITELY eat more in front of the telly, because you tune out and stuff your face on autopilot. So take a break from the siren-call of the tube, and eat your meals at the table. The TV is distracting, and people are just not conscious of eating - once you’re at the table, with a place setting, you are much more aware of what you’re eating.

Finally, be patient. While cultivating that virtue isn't exactly painless, it may help to know that keeping weight off generally gets easier over time.

That's the result of a study published in Obesity Research, where researchers found that for people who had lost at least 30 pounds -- and kept it off for at least two years -- maintaining that weight loss required less effort as time went on.

The best results of weight loss - improved self-confidence, a boost in mood, and better health - demand that you cultivate patience. Stay on the longterm plan and look forward to a new you by this time next year!

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