Keeping well and healthy also means maintaining a healthy weight. This is not about trying to be skinny or anything being wrong if you are overweight, this is about overall health and vitality from the inside out.
Many of my clients have struggled to release excess weight and they’ve usually tried several diets and strategies before coming to me.
I know how frustrating this can be, and how confusing it is to make sense of all the conflicting nutritional information out there.
There are so many approaches you could take to diet and healthy eating these days, whether it’s going vegan, eating a high-protein, high-fat diet or low-fat diet; calorie counting, choosing low carb or Keto or raw food.
It can feel impossible to know what’s right for you!
I totally get it. Remember, everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another.
My approach to weight management is all about balance.
If you have been struggling with your weight for some time, chances are your metabolism may be out of whack, and going on a restrictive diet will just make things worse.
As we get into our 40s, we also need to take other factors into account. Changes in our bodies with our hormones can mean our metabolism slows down and we may gain excess weight as we move into menopause. This is a time when we really need to be taking care of our bodies, and looking at what we consume and feeding them with the right nutrients. It’s not a time to starve them!
I am going to be diving deeper into this topic over on my social media channels in the coming days, but for now I want to share 3 Tips for Sustainable Weight management that you can implement today.
1. Look after your liver
This is so important and if you have not done so before, now is the time to look after your liver. Our liver plays an essential part in detoxification, metabolism, helps balance our hormones and improves digestion.
Support your liver by including liver friendly foods such as chicory, dandelion, rocket, endive, broccoli, kale, berries, grapefruit, nuts and seeds, fatty fish, and olive oil.
Drink plenty of water. Aim for 2 litres a day, cut down on coffee and tea, and try green tea instead.
Try to eat whole foods and limit refined carbohydrates and excess amounts of sugar. I am not suggesting you never have treats, just don’t make them 80% of your diet.
This also means cutting down on alcohol. Drink in moderation and have a glass of water with every drink.
2. Limit fizzy drinks
It’s tempting in hot weather to crave a cold can of something fizzy. The problem is, these drinks are full of sugar and other nasty ingredients with zero nutritional value.
Too much coca cola will cause calcium to leach from your bones, so please be mindful of how many fizzy drinks you consume daily. Be aware that the zero sugar alternatives are just as bad, with the artificial sweeteners and other chemicals used in diet drinks being linked to cancers.
Healthy alternatives include lemon or cucumber in fizzy water, kombucha or an iced herbal tea.
3. Cut back on junk foods
Just like fizzy drinks, junk food has zero nutritional value, so try to include more nutrient and rich fibre foods into your diet.
When I talk about junk foods, I am not just referring to a takeaway. I mean any food that is high in calories from sugar and/or fat, and possibly salt, but with little dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, or nutritional value.
So, cut back or cut out crisps, processed foods, packaged foods, chips, pastries, ready meals, bottled and jar sauces.
Aim to cook as much as possible from scratch using fresh ingredients.
Your journey to Sustainable Weight management
Just by integrating these simple tips into your diet, you will see improvements. Add in some movement, whether that be your 10,000 steps a day, a daily yoga practice, running, swimming or other exercise, and you will feel and look better.
When we feel and look good, we naturally want to make healthier choices.
If that all seems too simple, then I have a lot more to share with you about weight management.
Deprivation or Yo-Yo diets are NOT the answer. There’s a better, more balanced way to achieve sustainable weight management.
I have been sharing my strategies for the lasting weight management with clients for 13 years, and they can’t believe how much easier it has been for them to release excess weight and keep it off.
Look out for my free masterclass where I will share:
- The 6 culprits that are preventing you from losing weight.
- What’s stalling your metabolism?
- The 3 keys to weight management.
- The foods that increase your cravings and cause you to hold onto weight
- How to enjoy meals that fire up your metabolism.
If you’ve been struggling with your weight, I hope you’ll join me because I know what a vast difference this can make for you! And if you want a more personalised program to help you gain control of your weight and look and feel better with more energy, then get in touch.