"So, you're thinking of losing weight?"

At the beginning of my weight loss in January, there are so many things that I wish I had been told that I know now. I'm not saying that I stick to these things everyday or that I am a professional consultant, but these are some things to consider if you want to or are going to lose weight.

Who are you losing weight for?

If the answer is for someone else rather than yourself, then you are not losing weight for the right reason. If you are losing weight to try and impress someone or fit in, then you are more likely to fail as you will lose motivation quickly. You will be in charge of losing weight, no one else can do it for you, so it needs to be a decision for you made by you.

What are your goals?

I have a love-hate relationship with goals as although they help motivate, they put on a lot of pressure to meet them and if you fail to meet them (which happens to everyone sometimes) you are left with the "what's the point" feeling. I try to set monthly goals such as only one pasta meal a week or no white bread to try and turn them into a habit. Usually this works as you do not feel as though you are depriving yourself.

Skipping a meal won't make you lose weight

So, it is weigh day and you have over indulged all week, but you don't want to have put on weight. Skipping meals that day may keep the number on the scales down that day, but next time you eat, your weight will increase substantially as your body will store it all in case it goes into deprivation again. Please don't starve yourself to try and lose weight as it won't keep it off and it is dangerous. Instead, eat 3 balanced meals a day with snacks in between to keep your body fuelled.

Those carbs you're eating in the evening? They're making you put on weight.

I think everyone knows that too many carbs are bad for you, but I didn't realise that the time of the day had an effect on them. Try to eat your carbs before 1pm so that you have time to burn them off in the day, without them being stored as extra weight in your body. Try having carbs before a workout as they give a slow release of energy and will be easily burnt off. Do not have carbs in the evening more than a couple of times a week as they will not be burnt off and they may be the reason you are not making as much progress as you hoped.

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day

I hated breakfast before I started losing weight and would never eat it. Honestly, it still isn't my favourite meal, but I now struggle if I don't have it everyday. Aim to eat within the first 40 minutes of waking up and try to drink a glass of cold water before breakfast; this will help you to feel full. Smoothies are great for breakfast as they can be filling and give you so much energy. Oats, granola and muesli are also good energy sources for breakfast and are very healthy. Avoid having toast and sugary cereals everyday, perhaps have them as a weekend treat.

Don't ruin your week's work at the weekend

This is the one I fail at most weekends. All week your diet has been going well, so why ruin it at the weekend? This is a hole a lot of people fall into and they indulge of treats like cakes and takeaways. This slows progress substantially and may stop you losing weight. Instead of a treat weekend, try a treat day, or even a treat meal. This should help you get that fix of what you want without losing all the work you have done. I like planning what treats I am going to have as it gives you something to work for.

Planning is key

I plan all of my meals for a week and try very hard to stick to them. It is essential to have some sort of plan of what you are going to eat everyday as it is very easy to just eat the easiest thing you have when you are short of time. To prevent this, I make my lunch the night before and make batches of meals and freeze them. This means I don't have to cook from fresh everynight, so when I am busy I can still have healthy meals. 

The number on the scales does not define you

I struggle with this. It is so easy to get into the habit of weighing yourself all day every day, but there really is no point. Throughout the day, your weight will fluctuate by a few pounds - it is natural. Try not to get caught up on the number on the scales as it does not show all of your progress. Muscle is denser than fat, so if you are toning up at the same time, you may be losing weight, but because of increased muscle, the scales may stay the same. Look at different ways to measure progress such as inch loss and whether you fit into smaller dress sizes. You will be much happier if you look at it that way. 

I hope that this helps you keep motivated if you are losing weight already, or informs you of things you need to know if you are thinking of losing weight. These are not set rules as everyone is different as some of these things may not work for you. Don't compare your progress to other's progress...

A xo