But the reality is there is no evidence that the body needs to ‘detox’ , and fad diets are simply unhelpful and misleading at best.  The thing is, many of us already have a good idea what we should be doing to get the extra pounds off (i.e. healthy eating and exercise), but it’s actually making the changes to our behaviour that is often the biggest challenge.  We’ve put together a few tips, based on up to date research, to help you make that change.

1.    Get support – make things easier on yourself by asking your partner or family to come on board with your healthy eating endeavours.  Avoid going down the route of cooking different food for yourself: the whole family will benefit from nourishing home cooked meals with wholegrain carbs, vegetables, lean meat and fish.

2.    Know your triggers – keep the kitchen presses, fridge and office desk free of trigger foods such as crisps, biscuits and chocolate – you may need the support of others in the house for this (see above).  If these types of snacks are in the house it’s more than likely they will end up on your lips and then your hips!

3.    Focus on what you need to eat rather than pining over what you might be cutting back on – for instance, are you getting 5 fruit and vegetable servings or 3 calcium rich servings every day?  Why not replace that daily bar of chocolate with a natural yogurt with fresh fruit which will give you that sweet hit with much more nourishment. Then, keep the bar of chocolate as what it’s meant to be a ‘real treat’ once or twice a week.

4.    Be prepared – you wouldn’t approach a work meeting or go on a holiday without some planning/ preparation.  The same goes for changing lifestyle habits such as eating and exercise.  Plan your week’s breakfast, lunches and dinners and then make out a shopping list and stick to it.  Have plenty of healthy snacks such as fruit and yoghurt and clear out the kitchen of trigger foods.  Invest in a good pair of walking/running shoes for your daily exercise.

5.    Don’t fall for fad diets – fad diets are weight loss plans that promise unrealistic results (e.g. more than 1-2lbs weight loss per week) or require you to cut out whole food groups (e.g. carbohydrates or calcium rich dairy foods), require you to purchase special supplements or fail to mention consulting your GP or a Dietitian. They are no substitute for a healthy eating approach for life.

6.     Keep a food diary – Research shows that those who monitor their dietary intake are most successful at losing and keeping off excess weight. Before you make any changes to your eating habits, write down absolutely everything you put into your mouth over the course of 3-4 days. This is an extremely useful tool to highlight trigger foods and unconscious or negative eating habits (e.g. picking at the kids leftovers, skipping meals, comfort or stress eating, second portions).  It also provides a good starting line from which you can measure positive changes. 

7.    NEVER skip meals – make time to have 3 balanced meals with 2 small healthy snacks (e.g. fruit or low fat yoghurt) each day.  This keeps blood glucose levels stable, and hunger pangs at bay.  Skipping meals is a false economy as we end up feeling ‘out of control’ hunger and are more likely to end up overeating when we do eventually get time to eat. 

8.    Avoid distracted eating - Research indicates we take in about 40% more food when we eat while distracted watching TV.    Many of us are also culprits of another modern day distracted eating habit – dashboard dining.  This may not only lead to eating more, but also to poor digestion!  Avoid it by making time for 3 regular meals a day, never skipping breakfast and always sitting down to a table to eat.

9.    Reward your endeavours in non food ways – often we grow up in life learning to associate food with reward.  Learn new ways of rewarding and valuing yourself that are not food related.  Some examples include going for a manicure or massage, making time to curl up with your favourite  book or magazine, investing in a new item of clothing (all the more exciting if you are able to choose a size down).  Rewards don’t have to cost money – making time for yourself and your loved ones is something we all put on the long finger. 

If you have concerns about your weight and have been unable to get excess pounds off, consider seeing a Dietitian for a structured approach that is tailored to your own needs.

© Nutritionwise Nutrition Consultancy