Family dining together.
When it comes to weight loss, we seem to be brilliant at making things really hard for ourselves. Our cupboards are full of temptations, we allow ourselves to get starving hungry and then make poor food choices, we go to all the places where we know there are lots of unhealthy options, we put healthy eating in a negative box and leave it there and we feed our sugar cravings, so we crave even more.
No wonder we keep failing to lose weight!
But no longer. Healthy eating is at the core of successful, sustainable weight loss. Make it easy to achieve and you make losing weight easy too. Read on for my 5 top tips:-
Tip 1: Out With The Old And In With The New
One of the best ways to ensure you only eat healthy food when you're at home is to ensure there's no unhealthy food in the house! Once you make up your mind that you want to lose weight and eat more healthily, then purge your cupboards of anything that doesn't fit in with your new desired lifestyle. Throw out, give away or give to a local homeless charity, crisps, sweets, chocolates, cakes, biscuits, pies etc and fill your cupboards with delicious, healthy alternatives.
Got kids? Don't use them as an excuse! Far better for them that this stuff isn't in the house either!
Tip 2: Always Carry Healthy Snacks With You
One of the most challenging times to eat healthily is when you're out and about. You've been out shopping all morning or you've been doing various chores and you are now officially starving! A recognized danger zone! Carrying healthy snacks with you in your bag or handbag - an apple, some nuts/seeds, a couple of oat biscuits etc - means that you can keep your blood sugar levels even, avoid hunger peaks and troughs and sustain yourself until you get home.
Forgot to put them in your bag? Nip into a local shop and buy some so you have them at the ready!
Tip 3: Take A Lunchbox To Work
If you work, then lunchtime can be a bit of a nightmare. You might be surrounded by coffee bars, greasy spoon cafes or pubs, but either way the options aren't great. Taking a lunchbox into work means you can resist temptation, eat exactly what you want to eat and save a load of money into the bargain!
Not sure what to take? Check out my tweets on Twitter (twitter.com/TheresaColigan) for lots of fabulous lunchbox ideas.
Tip 4: Find Healthy Alternatives You Love
People often have a misconception that healthy eating means boring! This couldn't be further from the truth. Changing your eating habits is like setting out on a big adventure, exploring different options, trying out new things, broadening your horizons. Try out new exotic fruits you've never eaten before, experiment with different vegetables, discover the hidden wonders of beans and lentils, find fantastic new recipes, go vegetarian for a change. Once you find healthy alternatives you love, there'll be no going back!
Nervous about trying new foods or recipes? Just give it a go - you'll be so glad you did.
Tip 5: Be Persistent
Most unhealthy food such as refined carbohydrates and chocolate rapidly raises your blood sugar levels giving you a temporary high. The short-term nature of the high means that you are soon craving that fix again. Think about a chocolate craving - when you have one you simply can't live without it - it's like a drug!
But the great news is that by eating low GL foods which sustain you, eating your healthy snacks twice a day and cutting out refined carbohydrates, giving up unhealthy food becomes really easy. You no longer need a fix and the cravings literally disappear.
Persist with your new healthy eating and you'll be amazed at how easy it is to break your old habits - and how fantastic you feel!
So, 5 top tips for making healthy eating easy, and if it's easy, you'll do it. So decide when you want to change your life for the better, follow these 5 tips and watch your weight fall away!
