Shapeshifters top 10 weight loss tips

1.  Choose a day to begin
It is very easy to tell ourselves that we that we will start tomorrow, yet tomorrow just never seems to arrive.  Choose a day, write it in your diary and then stick to this.

2.  Tell friends
Once you have told someone of your plans it becomes more real.  Also they will be able to offer you support.  Tell them of the day and then begin.

3.  Don’t crash diet
Crash diets leave you hungry, frustrated and likely to blow out.  Further, any weight you have lost will return, plus some extra, as your body goes into survival mode.

Instead, select a simple step to begin.  This may be choosing low fat products when shopping.  Have a trim latte rather than your usual latte.  Leave the butter out of your sandwiches and toast.  Small manageable steps are easier than an instant, complete lifestyle change.

4.  Keep eating those carbohydrates!
Carbohydrates are essential to keep us healthy, providing essential nutrients that we require. Carbs are good!  Look at whole grained varieties of foods, rather than the processed foods.  These fill us up and keep us full for longer.

5.  Cut back on the fats
Fats contain more calories per gram than carbohydrates or protein.  Try to cut down on the saturated and Trans fats that are the “bad fats.”  You should aim to have less than 10% saturated fats in your diet.  Look at different ways of cooking such as grilling or baking rather than frying to reduce fats.

6.  Set achievable goals
It has taken you a while to put the weight on, so it will take a while to loose this weight.  Break the big goal into smaller achievable steps.  You should aim to lose no more than 1 kilo per week.  Write these goals down and refer to them often.  It is well known that those who write their goals are more likely to achieve them.

Don’t only focus on the weight loss goals, some weeks you may not achieve this goal making it harder to carry on.  The goal may be just to drink 8 glasses of water per day this week.  Or maybe to try eating whole-grained bread this week.  Set smaller achievable goals.

7.  Celebrate your successes.
Give yourself a good pat on the back and a treat for achieving each goal.  It might be a facial, a new hair colour, a soak in the bath, or a CD. Select something that will add to your feel good factor.

8.  Get some exercise
A combination of exercise and limiting food intake is a proven formula.  Gradually increase your exercise levels by increasing the amount of walking you do.  Do things such as parking further away and walking.  Take the stairs not the elevator, get outside and run around with the kids, take the neighbour’s dog for a walk. Make it fun but try to get at least 30 minutes a day of some form of exercise.

9.  Downsize your plates
The bigger the plate, the more you will put on the plate!  This has been proven over and over again.  Use a tall glass rather than a short wide glass.  Look at using blue plates or a smaller favourite plate or bowl.  These little steps trick the old brain to think its getting more.

If there doesn’t appear to be enough food, add more vegetables.  These will fill you up, provide vital nutrients and help provide much needed fibre.

10.  Be kind to yourself
Accept that you will make mistakes as you go along, when it happens forgive yourself and move on.  You should never beat yourself up for that extra helping of pudding, it’s happened, now back to the healthy eating plan.  However, if the little overeating incidents are becoming a habit them you need to assess how this can be changed.

Above all – Learn to love yourself first, a happy person who recognizes their self worth is more likely to be successful.