So anyone who is a regular at my blog will know my journey has been all about weight gain, but my understanding of nutrition, health and diet doesn't just cover weight gain and so I thought I would write a post for all you lovely people out there who are looking to shed a few lbs.
Initially, I would like to say please make sure you are loosing weight for the right reasons, if you feel you are a healthy weight and are looking to loose weight that is lower than what you know is healthy for you then I would highly encourage you to look at the
mind website which covers all aspects of eating problems with self help and contacts.
This blog post is based on a scientific background, I have studied biology to a level and am now training as a nurse which has a highly scientific anatomy and physiology element.I have also spent a year under the eye of an accredited dietitian and have learnt a lot through her, all these tips will be based on what I have learnt and what I can pass on, please dont follow fad diets that dont have evidence to back them up they could do more damage then good!
TOP TIPS TO LOOSE WEIGHT:
1) Work out your basal metabolic rate- there are many calculators available online which can be used to work this out and this will give you a rough idea of what you should be eating to maintain a healthy weight.
2) Work out your daily calorie intake- Initially it is a good idea to keep a food diary either by journal or phone and roughly work out your daily intake of calories, it may be worth weighing portions just for a couple of days to get this as accurate as you can...but PLEASE dont stress over getting it exact!
3) Work an approximate weekly or daily calorie intake-In order to loose a lb a week most people will need to loose around 3,500 calories from their diet a week (around 500 cals a day). If this is going to take your calorie intake under 1,200 please consider a slower weight loss route, maybe 1/2 lb a week. If you begin to restrict calories too much your basal metabolic rate will drop. This will make loosing weight extremely hard as your body works more slowly to hold onto fat!
4) Work out meals you love that fit your daily calorie intake and leave a few spare for healthy snacks! For example if your daily goal is 1,200 calories eat 300 at breakfast, and lunch, 400 at dinner and have 200 for a couple of 100 calorie snack or one larger 200 calorie snack.
5) Healthy snacks:
Apples-these are not too sweet and release sugar more slowly into the blood stream lessening the sugar spike they have a fibrous skin which some of the sugar sticks to preventing it from being digested too quickly and causing a sugar spike and then slump!
Pears these are another great fruit to eat due to similar reasons as above!
Blueberries, these are packed full of anti oxidants that will help remove toxins from your system and keep you feeling healthy!
If you want a treat opt for popcorn which is just salted gain we want to prevent sugar spikes which can lead to you feeling hungry and tired, and try making healthy home bakes using egg, wholewheat flour, vanilla, almond milk and stevia- I have some great low cal recipes on
my instagram
6) If you are a snacker separate your meals into snack sized portions and pick at those throughout the day.
There is nothing wrong with snacking and there is evidence that it can keep your basal metabolic rate high, you just need to make sure you are staying within your goals and snacking on the right foods.
7)
Find a good fitness plan that you love! In order to keep that basal metabolic rate up you need exercise! This promotes muscle preservation and muscle keeps that rate higher, it will also help to burn a few extra calories to help you on your way. Anyone who knows me knows my love for a
Lucy Whydnam-Read work out which I have linked, they are super quick, are appropriate for all fitness levels, are easy to follow and she gets amazing results! Shes qualified and knows her stuff! But if home work outs arent for you get walking, swimming, cycling, dancing, or lifting weights anything that gets that booty moving!
I hope these tips are helpful to you and best of luck with your health journey! Please share this if you like it and spread the message of health and positivity and none of these unhealthy fad diets!
Love Emily xx
