How is your New Year Diet Going?

Well we are two weeks into 2017… How is it going?

How many of us made heartfelt resolutions to clean up our act… lose a stone… or two… or three… or more?

And then there are the treats still hanging around from Christmas… the chocolates that no one else likes, the Christmas cake in the tin, the crisps you found in the back of the cupboard?

… So how is it really going?

We can all get disillusioned fast. One ‘naughty’ day leads into another. You ate a chocolate so you might as well finish the box… sound familiar.?

Here are some top tips for restarting your New Year resolutions….  kick start your diet and health promises and make changes that will stick … for good!

Stop trying to be perfect! There is no perfect diet, perfect day or any perfect way to eat!

 Be realistic! Aim for a small and achievable weight loss to start with. This give you the sense of achievement you need to keep going!

 This is for you… do it your way. Sure there are some great methods to lose weight, but only your way will suit you.

 Don’t believe the magazines… just because one celebrity lost three stone by only eating mango for two weeks doesn’t mean its safe, right for you… or true!

 Think about why you want to lose weight… Why you really want to lose weight. Gather pictures, photos, articles and write draw and describe your aspirations… make your reason to lose weight come to life… make it real!

 Think about the foods that are insignificant and the ones that are non negotiable… are there foods you eat out of habit, or because they are just there? Are there foods you simply cannot do without… and why?

 Plan to make one change in the first week and make a change you stick to… then add another change the next week… it might be no alcohol in the week, having 3 pieces of fruit every day at break times in work, not eating anything in the car on the way to and from work, not eating the children’s leftovers at any meal. These are specific changes which you can measure. . This makes them achievable and realistic and you are setting a time for them. These are called SMART goals.

 Become accountable for your actions… the only person putting food into your mouth is you… the wedding buffet was there, but you didn’t have to eat it! The motorway services pie was by the pay desk… but you didn’t have to buy it! Record everything you eat and why you ate it… you’ll be surprised!

 Don’t cheat! Under estimating what you eat and overestimating your exercise is only going to result in one thing… your disappointment!

 Prepare in advance. Talk to the people you live with… assemble your team and support crew. What foods must be in the house and which ones can go and never return across your doorstep?

 Think about getting a buddy or mate. Someone who wants to make changes too. Someone who won’t let you get away with cheating and who will speak to you honestly and help you through the days when you just want to eat cake!

 Seek out recipes and find ones to suit your cooking abilities and the facilities you have.

 Clean out your cupboards, wash and tidy them… this is a fresh start after all!

 Make your shopping list based on your new planned week of food… yes PLAN your food! This saves time, money and you won’t have any excuse to get a takeaway because you have no food in the house!

 Go shopping when you have time to browse… enjoy yourself… explore new foods, read the labels, buy one new product.

 Come home and unpack with foods in accessible places and grouped by when and where you are going to use them e.g. put your salad foods together in one place, put condiments and herbs and spices on one shelf. This might sound completely over the top but will save you time, stop you panicking and make cooking easier.

 Talking of cooking… don’t be too ambitious! Make your cooking fun… use new ingredients by all means, but don’t buy a trolley full of foods you have no idea how to cook… remember this has got to fit into your life!

 Consider looking at cooking tutorials on the internet… they might inspire you to try new things and show you new cooking techniques.

 Keep going! Don’t let old habits sneak back in… look at your story you have written, look at the pictures, the photos of who you want to become and what you want to achieve… you deserve this change and you are worth the effort!

 Be kind to yourself… one chocolate is never going to break your resolve, ruin your diet or make you a bad person! Have a chocolate… enjoy it… then move on… carry your aspiration with you at all times in your head, in your heart… and on paper in your purse if it helps!

REMIND yourself of what you want,

REFRESH your diet,

REMAIN true to you!

For further help and support contact Dr Amanda Squire at [email protected]