Lose Weight Without Dieting

If you're having trouble fitting into that little black dress or zipping up those trousers in preparation for the festive season, here are a few tips to help those clothes fit better.

EAT BREAKFAST



They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and they weren't wrong! Skipping breakfast can have a bad effect on your waistline as you'll feel more hungry throughout the day and probably end up eating more than you normally would. Try having a bowl of wholegrain cereal topped with natural yogurt and fruit first thing to keep you going through the morning.

HIDDEN CALORIES

Alcohol, fruit juice and even smoothies can all be drinks with hidden calories, so be careful when choosing your beverages. Try drinking flavoured water and small amounts of 100% fruit juice instead.

AVOID MIDNIGHT SNACKS



Apart from potentially disturbing your sleep, midnight snacking won't do your weight any favours either! Try to establish a time when you'll stop eating each evening, that way you won't be as tempted to raid the fridge after hours.

STEP UP YOUR GAME



If you don't fancy sweating it out at the gym then you could try taking more steps throughout the day. Get a pedometer and set yourself a target - say 10,000 steps per day - and increase your daily movements. Try walking up escalators instead of standing on them, taking the stairs instead of the lift or going for a walk at lunchtimes to meet your aim.

EAT MORE PROTEIN

Protein gives you energy, so by adding a bit of extra protein to each of your meals you're less likely to overeat. Try adding eggs, beans or lean meats to your main meals and eat a small portion of nuts in between to keep you going.

CONTROL YOUR CUPBOARDS



Ultimately, you are the one in control of what goes in your cupboards, so a great way to cut down on overeating or chocolate binges is to simply not have it in the house in the first place. Next time you're at the supermarket try to resist temptation when it comes to the chocolate aisle - if it's not in your cupboards you can't eat it!

SMALLER PLATES



Portion size can be a problem when it comes to weight loss. Even if you're eating a healthy meal you can still overdo it if your plate is piled too high. Consider buying smaller plates, that way you can only serve up what you can fit on them. Reducing your portions by 10-20% alone can result in weight loss.

DRINK MORE WATER



Although water is no substitute for food, drinking it can help you to feel fuller for longer. The same goes for liquid foods such as soup - so try getting a few more of these into your daily diet.

LEARN TO COOK



Many ready-made meals and sauces can contain high levels of sugar and salt, all of which can hinder your weight loss attempts. By learning to cook healthy meals you can be in control of what goes in your food and keep on top of those calories.

CREATE NEW HABITS



Sometimes we can find ourselves eating because we're bored, for example. A good way to beat this is to create new habits - so as soon as you start to feel bored find a distraction - go for a walk or switch on the radio - you'll soon forget about snacking.

I hope you find these simple steps useful, if you'd like more help losing that weight, have a look at my weight management webpage here or give me a call.

Happy weight loss,

Richard Scott
Clinical Hypnotherapist
GREY MATTERZ
www.greymatterz.co.uk