Tips to Successful Slimming

The following tips may be useful to help you succeed in losing weight.

1. Weigh yourself once a week only. Your weight fluctuates from day to day and this can be misleading.

2. Eat regularly – don’t skip meals and snacks.

3. Never shop when you are hungry – otherwise you may be tempted by quick-fry fatty sugary snacks.

4. Take a list of the ingredients you need with you to the supermarket and stick to it.

5. Avoid night-time snacking and TV dinners. Eat at the table and be conscious of what you’re eating.

6. Serve meals on a small plate to make them look bigger.

7. Distract yourself when you feel like over-indulging – go for a stroll, take a bath or read a magazine.

8. Set specific goals such as losing a couple of kilos a month. When you hit a target – reward yourself with a trip to the cinema or a new book.

9. Make sure you get lots of exercise. Try to incorporate simple activities into your routine and work up to 30 minutes of daily sustained exercise.

10. Take the stairs instead of the lift, or walk part of the way to work everyday.

11. Instead of using butter or margarine, choose an alternative spread based on unsaturated vegetables oils such as olive or sunflower.

12. To stir-fry foods, use spray oil on a non-stick pan, or use a small pastry brush to add a little oil.

13. Beans and lentils are a good source of protein and fibre, especially if you are vegetarian. Eaten with rice and pasta, they make satisfying nutritious meals.