The ‘biggest pitfalls’ when trying to lose weight – and the 5 simple fixes, including lie-ins and eating MORE
WE’VE heard it all before.
You want to lose weight, so you need to exercise more, cut out carbs and ditch the sugar, right?
Not necessarily. Weight loss could be so much easier, less hunger-inducing and actually involve more sleep, leading industry experts say.
Here, coaches and nutritionists share their ultimate pound-shedding hacks…
1. A SAVOURY START
Life is full of sweat treat temptations – chocolate bars at checkouts, sugary cereal aisles, and birthday cakes brought into the office.
It can often feel like, despite setting out with the best intentions, the sweet treats find you and you just can’t say ‘no’.
Well the best way to stay on top of your cravings is to start as you mean to go on.
Diet coach Sarah Bockhart, from fitness app RWL, says: “Lots of people make their first mistake with the very first thing they eat in the morning.
“The best way to help you stay on top of your cravings for sweet stuff and set yourself up for a binge-free day, week or month is to make your first meal or snack of the day something savoury.
“Ditch the sweep cereals, jam on toast or granola for a high-protein option like an omelette, avocado or toast or a warming shakshuka.
“This will help to control your urges.
“Research shows those who start with a sweet breakfast (yes, even sugar in that cuppa) are way more likely to find it hard to resist sweet treats throughout the day because they have already had their blood sugar levels ‘spiked’ early on, meaning they spend the day chasing that sugar rush.”
2. MORE MORE MORE
When we think of weight loss, we often prepare ourselves for eating less, cutting things out, and being constantly hungry.
But nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert says we should actually be eating more! Of certain foods anyway.
“A big mistake many people who are looking to weight make is that they cut too many things out of their diet,” she adds.
“You should really make it your mission to add more things in.
“This works wonders for so many reasons.
“Firstly, a wider variety of different fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes helps to improve your gut health.
“This is important for weight because the more good bacteria you have in your gut, the happier and more effective your gut is.
“Good gut bacteria produce hormones that reduce your appetite and prevent cravings.
“It can also lead to a higher metabolism, meaning you’ll burn more calories.
Homemade snacks are way less likely to be ‘over-consumed’ because they don’t include any of the emulsifiers and chemicals that shop-bought versions have that make them so addictive
Rhiannon Lambert
“Secondly, the more we vary our diets in this way, the more interesting it is for us.
“Lots of dieters repeat the same meals over and over and quickly get bored, leading them to reach for their old, high-calorie favourites.
“But by varying your veggies, fruits and grains you are keeping yourself entertained and keeping boredom at bay.”
3. SLEEP LIKE A BABY
You want to lose weight so you should probably start setting an alarm for early in the morning so you can exercise, right?
Well, while exercising is a great way to help you drop a few pounds and get healthy, sometimes sacrificing sleep can have the opposite effect.
Sleep expert and life coach Jeff Spires says: “Exercise is great for weight loss, there is no question about that.
“But where a lot of people go wrong is sacrificing too much sleep in order to fit exercise in.
“Men need at least seven hours of sleep a night to fully recover from the day and perform their best, while women need eight to nine hours.
“If you stay up too late then set an early alarm that cuts your sleep down too much, the likelihood is you are going to become overtired.
“This is problematic for weight loss because tiredness is one of the major factors in us losing willpower when it comes to our diets.
“We are way more likely to reach for sugary foods or highly-processed carbs when we are tired because our body is craving energy.”
He adds: “It’s much harder to stick to healthy portions and good quality food if we are tired.
“So think twice before staying up late, and if you need to set an early alarm for exercise, bring that bedtime earlier!”
4. FILL YOUR PLATE
Ever thought about weight loss and pictured a plate with more food on it than you were eating before?
No, us neither. But experts believe that bigger portions at meal times could be key for successful, sustainable weight loss.
Sarah says: “It’s the thing I hear more than anything else – ‘I’m still so hungry after lunch or dinner that I end up snacking’.
“This is the major downfall of so many dieters.
“They cut down their portion sizes at mealtimes which just means they are so hungry they can’t help but reach for highly-calorific snacks to fill themselves up.
“To combat this, I tell my clients to go bigger with dinners and lunches.”
What a balanced plate looks like
How can you make sure you are eating a balanced, filling and nutritious plate at every meal?
Think of your plate divided into different food groups – protein, carbs, fat and fruit and veg.
Protein: David Wiener, training and nutrition specialist at AI-based lifestyle and coaching app Freeletics, told The Sun: “Aim for one to two palm-size portions of lean protein in each meal.”
Protein includes meat (chicken, turkey, pork, beef), beans, peas, lentils and fish.
The NHS Eatwell Guide says to choose lean cuts of meat and mince, and eat less red and processed meat like bacon, ham and sausages.
Aim for at least two portions (two x 140g) of fish every week, one of which should be oily, such as salmon, sardines or mackerel.
Carbs: Carbohydrates should make up about a third of your plate, or a fist-sized portion.
The Eatwell Guide says: “Choose higher fibre or wholegrain varieties, such as wholewheat pasta and brown rice, or simply leave the skins on potatoes.
“There are also higher fibre versions of white bread and pasta.
“Starchy foods are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet.”
Fat: Generally the advice is to think of fat like a thumb-sized amount on your plate.
The Eatwell Guide says: “Remember all types of fat are high in energy and should be eaten in small amounts.
“These foods include chocolate, cakes, biscuits, sugary soft drinks, butter, ghee and ice cream.
“They’re not needed in our diet, so should be eaten less often and in smaller amounts.”
But a small amount is still essential for the diet. Try and eat more unsaturated fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil), which are healthier than saturated fats (butter, hard cheese, sour cream).
Fruit and veg: David says: “Make sure you also get lots of colourful fruit and vegetable carbohydrates too.
“Aim for at least five of these portions a day.
“One to two fist-sized portions of fruits and vegetables with every meal is generally recommended.”
Fruit and veg can be fresh, frozen, tinned or dried. You can roast, boil, steam or grill veggies.
She adds: “Fill your plate with protein and veg and make sure you are really full of that healthy dish you have cooked.
“If you are full at mealtimes, your body will be satisfied until the next one.
“You will take the proper break between meals, allowing digestion and your blood sugar to regulate.
“Then you’ll be ready for your next meal without having snacked in between.
“If you are eating good quality protein like chicken, tuna and eggs, and loads of veg, you won’t be getting huge amounts of extra calories, but you would if you end up snacking.”
5. SNACK ATTACK
Snacking is one of the things most dieters say is their “downfall”.
But while cutting out snacks in between meals is ideal, if you really struggle to go without a few nibbles, a major hack can be to make them yourself.
Rhiannon says: “Snacks get a really bad name when it comes to weight loss.
“And while it can be beneficial to avoid them, they really don’t have to be demonised if you are able to hack your snacks.
“It’s simple. Only snack on things that you make yourself.
“So instead of shop-bought items like crisps, pastries, cereal bars and chocolate bars – hack your snacks by making your own.”
The best healthy snacks under 200 calories
By Alice Fuller, Health Features Editor
WHEN the mid-morning munchies hit, it can be hard to resist a biscuit or three.
But the calories in these can quickly add up, often sending us way over our recommended daily intake.
However, snacks don’t have to be unhealthy.
In fact, there are plenty of nibbly foods that come in well under 200 calories, while still keeping you full until your next meal.
From frozen grapes to chocolate truffles, the Sun Health team reveal their favourites.
- Oatcakes and cheese (200 calories)
- Peaches and Tajín (54 calories)
- Dates and peanut butter (155 calories)
- Roasted chickpeas (100 calories)
- Breadsticks and hummus (100 calories)
- Cheese and apple (178 calories)
- Popcorn (44 calories)
- Mixed nuts (100 calories)
- Popchips Barbeque (74 calories)
- Frozen grapes (100 calories)
- Yoghurt bars (140 calories)
- Brownie bites (106 calories)
- Trail mix (140 calories)
- Kefir (148 calories)
- Banana (95 calories)
- Cup of tea and a biscuit (96 calories)
You can read the full article here.
It can be as simple as chucking three ingredients into a bowl.
“Melting dark chocolate and adding in chopped dates and pistachios makes a lovely homemade chocolate bar,” Rhiannon adds.
“Or pop lots of nuts and seeds and oats in the air fryer for a few minutes, mix with some peanut butter and mould into bars, and you have a great cereal bar.
“The reason this hack is so effective is that homemade snacks are way less likely to be ‘over-consumed’ because they don’t include any of the emulsifiers and chemicals that shop-bought versions have that make them so addictive.
“You are getting more nutrition and less of the addictive, ‘I immediately need another one’ chemicals you get when you buy pre-made.”