Sutton, Epsom, Surrey Weight Loss Hypnotherapist. Maria Furtek, shares 5 easy ways of changing your habits to lose weight for Summer and beyond.
At last the sun has started shining for more than a few hours, certainly in Surrey, and it does feel that Summer is finally on its way. The onset of warm sunshine, brings thoughts to mind of light sleeveless dresses, , shorts and strappy tops, bare legs and swimming costumes. Now is a good time to start thinking about losing weight and it is interesting that with the onset of sunshine comes all these adverts promising quick fix weight loss, effortless weight loss, summer diets and various other temporary ways of shedding a few pounds.
However, rather than putting in all that effort to diet, only to slip back to the old habits and put the weight back on after Summer, the real secret to losing weight, as most of us know, is to eat healthily, and make changes to your eating habits and behaviour . By doing this you ensure the opportunity for long term weight loss and improved health. One of the first things you can do to help you lose weight is to start making small changes to your habits: tweaks! This is far easier than you would think and the best bit is that small tweaks, made consistently, are usually fairly easy to maintain and also will help you to lose those extra pounds.
Below are 5 “tweaks” that you can make right now, right today, and right this week to start your weight loss happening!
1) Watch that Coffee and Tea Intake – How many of you always have to have a couple of biscuits or a piece of cake with your hot drink? This is simply a habit and you actually don’t “have to” have something to accompany your beverage. If you really cannot enjoy your hot drink without something sweet, then you are best advised to tweak this habit by either cutting down on hot drinks and swapping for water (Can you really imagine dunking a chocolate biscuit in your glass of water?) or opt for a herbal drink instead – you are far less likely to want a biscuit with a fruit or peppermint tea!
2)Walk more – Now the nicer weather is here, incorporate some exercise into your daily routine. At lunchtime, why not go for a walk in the park or at least around the block? This will clear your head, and if you took a brisk 15 minute walk twice a day that would help you shed a pound in one month!
3) Eat breakfast – A healthy start to the day with a good choice breakfast such as eggs, porridge or fruit will kick start your metabolism and stop you grabbing something unhealthy a little later in the day because you are feeling hungry. One of my Diet Buddy clients has already reported a 2 pound weight loss in week one, from simply starting to eat breakfast everyday!
4) Watch your grazing – If you are a person who likes to snack throughout the day, then be aware of what you are grazing on. If you are constantly reaching for a couple of biscuits, some sweets, a handful of crisps here and there as you go through your day, you will be amazed at how many extra calories you are putting in to your body – AND it is so easy to forget those little extras! One way of gaining awareness is to write down what you are snacking on and then look for some healthier options. Fruit, a small handful of unsalted nuts, or some crudities are all healthier alternatives and far more filling.
5) Reward yourself with health! – If you are someone who eats for reward: perhaps a little something for example for getting through that difficult task, or seeing that challenging client, or for making that sale, or writing that report then you are using food in an unhealthy way. Instead why not reward yourself with a quick walk in the sunshine, a chat to a colleague, or plan two nicer tasks that you enjoy after completing one you don’t . Reward yourself with anything other than food! This habit can often stem from childhood, when for example you have fallen over and hurt yourself and your mum gave you a sweet to cheer you up; or when you were bribed to eat all your greens so that you could have a pudding. You are an adult now, and so you can take back control and ultimately you will be rewarding yourself with better habits and health.
These tweaks are not rocket science, but these small consistent changes will encourage you to think of other habits that are not helping your weight and health. Once you identify these habits you just need to then think of some tweaks you can make so that they become healthier. In this way you will not only be able to fit comfortably into that sleeveless Summer dress, but also that little black dress at Christmas too!