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Weight loss is simple
In theory weight loss is simple. Burn more calories than you consume each day or each week and weight loss will happen. Technical term = calorie deficit.
500 calorie deficit per day = 3500 calorie deficit per week = 0.5 kg weight loss each week.
I have written about it HERE, HERE and HERE.
Simple but not EASY.
Sometimes (most times) focussing on the numbers (either calorie or scale numbers) can do more harm than good.
I liken it to when I used to play competition golf. (Go with me on this one)
When I primarily focused on the score… “Get the ball in the hole in 5 shots or less Chriss! ” I would stress myself out and end up doing WORSE.
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When I primarily focused on the actions and behaviours… “Head down, eye on the ball, straight left arm, etc.” Everything flowed so much easier and the score seemed to take care of itself.
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Here are 21 weight loss tips that focus on the behaviours not the numbers.
(Actions before Outcomes)
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1. Eat when “fairly hungry”, stop when “satisfied”
When I run my healthy habit change coaching programs, I am shocked at the lack of trust in listening to your bodies own hunger levels and patterns as a way to determine when to eat and when to stop.
I have a little secret for you… Your body knows best. Stop eating by the clock. Stop eating by someone else’s rules. Listen to your body and your hunger signals.
2. (Mostly) choose foods that keep you full
Example…
- Half a packet of chips = 500 calories = fullness for 5 minutes
- Large plate of chicken, rice and veggies = 500 calories = fullness for 5 hours (example only)
If we all simply
- a) ate foods that kept us full
- b) ate only when physically hungry…
No one would ever eat more food than they need. No one would ever have a weight problem. Super simple. End of story. Stop reading now. **Just kidding, please keep reading. We humans are not simple creatures.
**Most foods that keep you full are also high in nutrients, and don’t spike then crash your blood sugar levels so its a triple win. Video lesson HERE
3. Eat slowly, mindfully and without distractions.
It takes time for the food and drinks that we consume to reach our stomachs. The more our brain, eyes and nose can register eating, the less chance that we will overdo things. Sometimes this can take 10 – 20 minutes or so.
Eating from smaller plates, bowls and glasses can also help.
4. Don’t wait for motivation to strike in order to take action
Motivation is a myth. Would you wait for motivation before you go to work, or clean your teeth or pay your bills?
5. Curate your social media feed – No feelings of shame or guilt allowed
Why not start with my Facebook page. 😉
6. Make your life more interesting than food / Get a hobby
What hobby have you always dreamed of starting??
7. Prepare your own food
Restaurant and take away meals can contain double the amount of calories than your at home version.
8. Shorten your eating window
Less time spent eating can sometimes mean less chance to over eat.
9. Fill yourself up with love, connection and purpose
Rather than filling yourself up with extra unnecessary snacking.
10.Declutter your kitchen / environment
You can’t over eat the chips, chocolates or cakes if they are not there.
11. Stop labelling foods as good and bad
Food is just food. It doesn’t determine your moral worth
**Read also – What’s wrong with the “sugar is bad” message
12. Look at yummy pictures of healthy food
Food porn (for want of a better term) is known to make us crave what we are looking at. If you fill your social media newsfeed (and your mind) with images of yummy and tasty healthy foods, you will be more likely to crave those.
**See – healthy and yummy rice paper rolls
13. Stop looking for the magic quick fix
You know deep down inside that if a perfect formula existed then we would all find it and no one would ever gain any excess weight again..
END OF STORY.
Continuing to search for a quick fix is stopping you from putting effort into what really works. (Eating less calories than you burn each day / week).
Know that you will need to make some life long changes. They don’t have to be horrible or scary, but they do need to be realistic and long term.
14. Spend more time focusing on the solution instead of the problem
Try this little mind experiment… Don’t think about a PINK ELEPHANT. (How’d that work out for you?)
Our minds cannot differentiate between what we don’t want and what we do. What we focus on is what we will draw into our lives, even if its unwanted.
If you tell yourself – – “I don’t want to be fat, lazy, tired, frustrated, un-motivated, disgusting, can’t run, hate exercise, addicted to food, blah, blah, blah”.. Guess what you draw into your life?? More of the things you are focussing on.
**Full article HERE – 15 weight loss affirmations
15. Reward yourself without food
Massage, movies, new outfit. What other ideas can you come up with?
16. Do stuff that makes you happy / feel good about yourself
It has been scientifically proven that you are more likely to take positive action when you feel good, than when you beat yourself up with shame, guilt and negative talk.
- Put a big smile on your face. (even if you have to fake it til you make it at first)
- Wear your most flattering outfits instead of saving them for a special occasion
- Throw out any clothes that don’t make you feel great.
- Put an extra 5 minutes into your hair and make up if it results in you feeling better and more confident.
17. Stop worrying about what other people are doing.
What someone else is doing with their fitness, food and health is none of your business. It has NO impact on your results. Enough with the.. “But she can eat XXX and not put on weight” or “He lost 10kgs by doing XX program”.
What difference does that make for you?? Correct answer = NO DIFFERENCE.
18. Get enough quality SLEEP !!
Seriously, its THAT important.
19. Don’t sweat the small stuff
Willpower / mental energy is a limited resource. The more time spent worrying about the tiny insignificant details, the less you will have left to focus on the important stuff.
**Full article HERE – Sweating the small stuff can sabotage your results
20. Quit the ALL or NOTHING mentality – Learn the Art of Compensation
21. Believe in yourself
Don’t skip over this one. The chances of you succeeding long term if you don’t truly believe you can, is next to zero. Start with a small goal / small belief to get your confidence up. Instead of telling yourself you will lose 20kgs, tell yourself that you will lose 5kg.
Put some of the above listed actions into place, then prove yourself RIGHT. Then set yourself another small realistic goal and so on.
Want more coaching on all of this?
I would love to help you.
Click HERE to see what my current program is.
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