Losing weight is easy peasy. Stop eating junk, eat less and exercise more. Simple, yes? Sadly, no. For people wishing to shift a pesky couple of
kilograms, losing weight is an aesthetic issue, achieving their goal of squeezing into that pair of mid-rise skinny jeans. However, for over
14 million Australians their muffin top is a health issue. Too much adipose, especially around the tum, increases your risk of diabetes and
heart disease; neither condition is a ton of fun. For most people, losing weight is not an easy task. Following are some tips that will help.
Keep It Simple Sweetie. If a diet plan is so complicated it makes you wish you had a science degree, or the recipes include food you have never
heard of before, let alone inhabited your pantry, it is unlikely this diet will work for you long term. Ditch it now. Likewise, avoid the companies
that sell pre-packaged meals. The problem with these plans is that you are not learning new eating skills that will stand you in good stead
for life. What happens when you stop? You will be nutritionally stranded. Learn a few easy, simple, nutritious and quick recipes you can make
from scratch and add them to your culinary repertoire. Save money too. One example of a simple diet strategy is to avoid processed sugar. Don’t
eat any food that contains more than 5g per 100g of sugar. In fact, the best diets are not diets, they are just eating for good health.
Understanding not criticising. Most of us have an inner critic, a nagging internal voice that too often calls the shots. “You never stick to a
diet” or “Doofus, why did you scoff that chocolate truffle?” This negative self-talk is the most common cause of abandoning a diet. Regardless
of why and where your critic came from, it’s time to put a sock in that tiny mealy critical mouth. Every time a negative thought pops up, counter
it with a positive one. “I am doing the best I can” or “I am really proud of myself for choosing healthy food”. Keep practising, and slowly
your kind and caring inner voice will drown out your inner saboteur.
Don’t Despair. If you happen to fall off the diet wagon, dust yourself off, and get back on immediately. Don’t wait until Monday. Don’t finish
off the packet of biscuits. Just forgive yourself for a momentary lapse, and forge ahead. One of the most important things to get your head
around is that your ‘diet’ is not short term. Eating well for your waist and health is a long-term project. Don’t expect it to be easy, anything
worthwhile in life is usually not easy, but is definitely worth fighting for. Maintaining a healthy weight is a lifetime commitment. Keep up
the good work.
© 2024 Mim Beim
