1. Most people eat 21 meals each week, if you have 1 unhealthier meal, there are still 20 other meals to eat healthily. Don’t give up if you let things slip at one mealtime.
2. Do the apple test! If you feel hungry, offer yourself an apple. If you don’t want the apple it probably means that you aren’t hungry, you may be craving something else! P.S. if you don’t like apples, replace it with something healthy!
3. There are 10,080 minutes in a week, you only need to be active for 150 minutes a week to hit the recommended guidelines. Use TV Advert breaks to do a couple of minutes of exercise to count towards this.
4. Have you ever heard anyone say that they have a slow metabolism, so they can’t lose weight? Well only 1% of the adult population have an underactive thyroid which can slow metabolism, so 99% of the population have control over their metabolism. The more fat our bodies contain, the less lean muscle mass we have, so we will have a slower metabolic rate. That’s why increasing your physical activity on a regular basis and reducing your portion sizes is key in successful weight management.
5. You need to make sure you eat 5 DIFFERENT fruit and vegetables per day, 5 satsumas doesn't count as 5 portions as you are only getting one set of nutrients. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables means that you are getting a mixture of vitamins and minerals.
6. Do you love cheese? Do you slice it or grate it? If you are having a cheese sandwich or putting cheese on top of a burger, always grate it as it will go further, meaning you will be using slightly less! It all adds up.
7. Have you ever found yourself in the supermarket looking at foods that are REDUCED FAT and being convinced that it is the best product to buy to help you lose weight? Well be careful.
Reduced and low fat are not the same thing. Low fat means a product has 3g or less fat per 100g, while reduced fat means a product is 25 per cent lower in fat than the standard product. Often these foods were very high in fat to start with, for example mayonnaise, crisps and cheese. You still need to limit how much you eat as the reduced fat version is likely to still be high in fat.
8. What size plate do you use? It is suggested to try to use a smaller sized plate, to trick your mind that your plate is fuller, meaning you feel fuller. Give the side plate a go this week and see what it does for you.
9. Do you struggle with getting into a habit to be physically active? Could you set an alarm or alert on your phone for the same time each day and get into the routine of doing physical activity at this time.
10. How do you feel after eating a packet of crisps? Do you feel full, like you couldn’t eat anything else? Or do you feel like you could probably reach into the cupboard for another bag? Usually it is the second option. Crisps are full of empty calories which basically means that our bodies are taking in the calories/energy but getting very few nutritional benefits from them. Try to opt for a higher fibre snack that will keep you feeling fuller for longer.
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