Woman’s Own – 02 September 2019

Restock your

kitchen

It’s time for a clear-out. ‘Many

people empty their kitchen of

starchy or fatty, processed

junk food to remove

temptation,’ says Mark.

‘This is a good idea, but

you must plan effectively

to ensure you have readily

available, low-calorie

meals and snacks to hand.’

Fill the kitchen with high-

protein foods, such as tinned

fish and beans, wholegrains like

spelt and quinoa, healthy fats

like hummus or avocado, and

your favourite fruits and veg.

Share your

goals

A third of people keep

the fact they’re dieting

a secret because

they’re embarrassed,

according to a survey

from the Cambridge

Weight Plan. But

telling people what

you’re doing could

increase your chances of

losing weight and keeping it

off. ‘Support is well-

recognised as an effective

strategy to improve diet

success, and letting friends

and family know is a good way

Up your

protein

‘You don’t have to starve

yourself to shift the extra

pounds,’ says Terri-Ann. ‘I’m

a big believer in eating better,

not less, so ensure you’re not

cutting out food to save

calories.’ One way is to up

the protein. Not only will you

feel fuller for longer, there’s

less chance you’ll cave in to

sugary treats. A high-protein

breakfast could be eggs

on wholewheat toast, lunch

could be grilled chicken salad,

and dinner could be a fish

fillet with steamed veg.

Cutsugary

drinks

‘Insummer,thetemptation

toover-indulgeinfizzydrinks

andalcoholis huge,’says

Terri-Ann.‘However,these

typesofdrinkcanaddlotsof

unnecessary,oftenforgotten

caloriestoyourdailyintake.’

Sheadvisesswitchingto

low-calorieornatural

alternatives,suchas

dilutedfruitjuiceor

low-sugarflavoured

water.If youwantan

alcoholicdrink,gofor

ginwithslimlinetonic

orchooseProsecco

overwine.

Move!

Take 30 minutes of exercise

a day to not only help weight

loss, but keep it off. ‘Studies

of people who’ve lost over

four stone and kept it off

show they exercise regularly,’

says Mark. ‘Exercise also

gives you new goals and can

be beneficial in reducing

stress – something that

can affect our eating habits.’

Find an activity you enjoy

so that

you’re

more

likely

to keep

it up.

Eating out

‘Post-holiday, the temptation

to eat out to beat the blues

can be strong. However, if

you’re looking to lose weightit

doesn’t mean you can’t eat

out,’ says TerriAnn. ‘Don’t be

afraid to ask for things that

suityou,butmaynotbeon

themenu.Sooptforsteak

withgrilledveg(ratherthan

chips).’A saladstarterwill

packinlotsofveg

tohelpfillyouup.

Optfora low-

caloriepudlike

fruitsalador

sorbet,orshare

withsomeone.

Prepmeals

Asthesayinggoes,

‘failingtoprepareis

preparingtofail’.

‘Someofthemost

successfuldieterscooka

numberofcalorie-controlled

mealsandsnacksona

Sunday,sothey’llbe

availablethroughoutthe

week.Thisway,theweek’s

foodis ready,convenient

andavailable,’saysMark.

Planwhatyou’dliketoeat

fortheweek,thenbatch-

cookmealsandpopthemin

thefridgeorfreezersoyou

alwayshaveback-upsto

handwhenyou’rebusy.

Friendscanhelp

yousucceed

Eggs on toast will

kick-start your day

Avocados are
a source of
healthy fats

Find an exercise

you enjoy so

you’ll stick to it

WORDS:

ELEANOR

VOUSDEN.

PHOTOS

(POSED

BY

MODELS):

GETTY

Healthy

EATING

of getting further reinforcement

and will encourage you to stick

to your plan,’ says Mark. It will

also save you from having to

explain yourself or feeling

pressured into choosing certain

foods from a menu.