HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS
Here you'll find some quick and easy tips for healthy weight loss.
- Enjoy fresh fruit as a low fat snack
- Always eat breakfast.
- Eat regular meals and keep low fat snacks handy.
- Become a conscious eater and chew your food slowly. It can take 20 minutes for the brain to register when the stomach is full. Take your time over meals and stop eating as soon as you are full.
- Drink eight glasses of fluid per day (your body can confuse thirst signals for hunger).
- Keep well hydrated to prevent unnecessary snacking.
- Set yourself weekly targets (e.g. lose 1kg each week or exercise for 15min every afternoon when baby takes a nap). Reward yourself with a non-food related item like a new CD when you reach your target every week for a month.
If you fail to reach your targets each week, consider the reasons why.
Did you over-eat the wrong types of food because of boredom, stress or lack of time to prepare food?
HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS WHILST BREASTFEEDING
If you have gained more weight than is normal during pregnancy or your BMI is >25, the fat stores gained during pregnancy will provide the extra energy needed for breastfeeding. Some women will lose weight naturally, but others need to follow a sensible weight loss plan.
Monitor your weight whilst breastfeeding by weighing yourself once a week at the same time of the day. A safe weight loss is around 1kg (2lbs) per week; any more than this and you may be losing lean body tissue rather than fat. If you fail to lose weight or even gain weight after the birth, speak to your GP who will advise you on a healthy weight loss diet.
LONG-TERM HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS
A steady weight loss of around 1kg (2lbs) per week is a good target to aim for. Achieve this by reducing calorie intake by around 500kcal per day and increasing physical activity.
Avoid faddy diets or those that restrict the types of food you can eat. These are hard to stick to and if you deviate, you risk feeling as though you have failed and may give up completely. Focus weight loss goals on becoming a healthy weight with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9.
For example, if your BMI is 29, you should expect to lose approximately 10 to 15kg in total. Use the BMI chart (above) to work out how much weight you need to lose.
For more healthy weight loss tips, click on the links below.
Tips for Healthy Cooking
Eating Out
