Weight loss diet
There is a very basic principle to losing weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. This in turn leads to a simple diet pattern; make sure you have a healthy, well balanced diet which will help you lose weight without trying, and add some degree of exercise to your daily routine.
The type of exercise that you need to do is discussed in more detail in the ‘Exercise’ section. We are dealing with a diet that is conducive to weight loss. When we say you need to reduce the amount of calories you consume, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should eat less.
Here are a few general guidelines;
- Create low-calorie versions of your favourite foods. With the broad range of food available readily in supermarkets, it is easy to make low-calorie substitutions to your diet. Use fruit as a natural sweetener. Use vegetables to ‘fill-out’ your meals. They add bulk, but not calories, and are very good for you. As a guide, an average man needs about 2,500 calories a day and an average woman needs about 2,000 calories a day to stay the same weight.
- Choose sensible portion sizes. We have already mentioned that you need to eat only until you are full. This will mean an adjustment to your portion size. You will be surprised at how little you can actually eat, even though you are feeling extremely hungry. If you have a smaller portion, even if you give into temptation and eat more than you should, the portion was smaller than you normally would have had. A nice by-product is that you will save money as you will end up buying less food!
- Eat low-fat dairy and meat products. Always choose low-fat yoghurts and cheeses, and well as lean cuts of meat. The less fat you take in, the less fat you will absorb.
- Plan your meals. If you plan your meals ahead, you will be less tempted to snack between meals, and if you are tempted to snack, then make sure you have plenty of delicious fresh fruit on hand!
- Set realistic goals. You should look to lose 1/2 to a full Kg every week (1-2 lbs). In this way you are far more likely to keep the wieght off as the body has time to adjust to its new, smaller size. It may take some time, but it will be better in the long run. Initially, a good yardstick is the fact that you schould be feeling better within yourself. It always helps to take photgraphs, but separate them by a month each time to keep you motivated.
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