Maya’s Own

Here are some tips and ideas I have used to lose weight, most of those tips are common sense but it pays to repeat them. A good way to use this list  is to  print it and keep it as a reminder, it is easy to feel you already know all of that but it is quite a different thing to implement it. Print it on a nice color paper and put it where you see it first thing in the morning, I would suggest the bathroom mirror, read through it at least twice a day and  use those  tips.

• Move around more, take the stairs when ever possible.
• Try to walk 10.000 steps daily, this may be hard but you can build up to it.
• Cut out all soft drinks and flavored milk drinks.
• Cut out all fast foods
• Cut all fried foods
• Keep a food diary, this way you can see what exactly you eat each and every day.
• Exercise for 20 minutes each day, this could be a brisk walk or dancing, swimming, whatever gets your heart rate up.
• Change to wholemeal and wholegrain bread and pasta.
• Cut out all sugar, replace with stevia  or honey if you must have sweetener. remember that honey is full of cals but it is better for you than sugar.
• Eat a healthy breakfast; fruit with muesli or oatmeal, a good breakfast will stop those mid morning snack sessions.
• Drink more water, 2 lts a day aqt least.
• Replace one of your main meals with  homemade soup.
• Drink green tea, it is full of anti oxidants and helps to curb the appetite.
• Select one day a week when you can indulge in cake or ice cream, in moderation of course and try to stick to reasonable portions.
• Cut back the amount you eat, just a little bit less food could amount to a few hundred calories and get you used to eating less in one session.
• Eat apples, they are full of vitamins and fibre, try to eat an apple half an hour before a meal, this will make you less hungry and make you feel full faster.
• Don’t do it alone, start a group and build a network of people wanting to lose weight.
• Read the labels, avoid trans fats and modified sugars like high fructose syrup, in fact stay away from anything modified.
• Find out what the healthy alternatives are to your favorite foods, if you like burgers make your own without all the fats using a plain bun and adding a lot of salad.
• Avoid bottled sauces which contain too much salt and/or sugar, try the sugar and salt reduced variety.
• Don’t weigh yourself too often, I found it a little discouraging to weigh myself daily, once or twice a week should give you a good idea on how you are progressing.
• Be easy on yourself, eat and exercise in moderation, avoid the burnout many go through if exercising too much on a calories restricted diet.
• Set yourself a realistic goal, you may not get your 21 year old body back but you can be a lot healthier and fitter in a slimmed down version of yourself now.
• Use positive affirmations.
• Keep a weight loss journal.
• Have a good night sleep, if you are well rested you may have less tendency to reach for the sugar snacks and coffees during the day.
• Snack on carrot and celery sticks or apples, keep them handy to stave off hunger or the desire for a sugar hit.
• Eat more fiber, add some bran or psyllium husk to your morning oatmeal.
• Keep alcoholic drinks to a minimum, better still cut them out if you can, a glass of wine can become a treat.

Getting on the weight loss journey should not be a chore but something you want to achieve for overall health and well being. Forget about all the quick fix diets and magic pills, take a more holistic  view and change your life, because no matter how old you are if you are overweight and unfit you are heading towards some serious health issues.

Start today , ” A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step“