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    • Oct 22, 2016
    • 4 min read

Quick tip Do’s and Don’ts on weight loss

WebMd has recently set a test for the do’s and don’ts of weight loss.  Interesting that most people didn’t score more than 50% and even I (Melisa) only got 73%, Elaine got 73 %, Jay got 82% – and we’re suppose to know a bit J

Here is the link – Give it a go.   How much did you get…???

With so much information out there and plenty of misconceptions, we’ve rounded up some do’s and don’ts you should consider before starting any form of dieting to reach your goals.

Every person’s body and needs are different, and this holds true when it comes to embarking on a wellness journey as well. It might be that you would like more energy, lose weight, build more muscles. Whatever the case there is no one-fits-all routine when it comes to eating and working out to lose weight, but there are some general rules that everyone needs to know before starting our personal regimen.


Some Do’s

  1. Make a meal plan each week:

Success comes when we plan ahead for the week.  If we plan ahead, we make a vow to ourselves to stick to our goals and not let anything get in the way. Prep your meals or simply write out what you are going to eat that week for each meal. Only buy food for those meals at the grocery store so you won’t be tempted by other foods in your refrigerator.

  1. Take a walk at lunch time:

Just small changes make a big difference over time. Offer to make the coffee at work or wash up, just walking over to the kettle every day for a few weeks counts! Or you could even exercise at your desk.

  1. Drink lots of water:

Research has shown that water consumption increases the rate at which people burn calories.  Hot water and lemon is my go to in the winter or cold days.

  1. Eat regularly:

Eating regularly throughout the day will help stabilize your blood pressure and rev-up your metabolism. It’s pretty much confirmed, but often misunderstood, that you need to eat healthy in order to lose weight/fat

  1. Practice Will power:

Yes, it is OKAY to eat a slice of cake at a family gathering, but don’t let your brain fool you into thinking “I had one, I may as well have two.” There is this thing called willpower. Without willpower you cannot successfully achieve your goals.

  1. Focus on Building muscles:

Muscles burn calories 24/7 and could be the biggest help in your weight loss and wellness plan.  This is often forgotten and by adding 1 proper weight training session a week you won’t believe the difference that could make.

Some Don’ts

  1. Don’t deprive yourself:

By depriving yourself of indulgences, it will only backfire on your weight loss. Restrictions can lead to cravings, binging, and overeating. If you constantly dread eating unhealthy foods because you always wish you were eating something else, you’ll never get in the habit of a clean lifestyle. The key? Practice moderation.

  1. Starve yourself:

When you starve yourself, your body literally goes into survival mode. This means that it thinks it won’t be fed with energy for a while, so it holds on extra tight to sugars, fat, and all the stuff we want to lose. In addition, a slow metabolism causes the calories to digest differently in our bodies. The next time you eat, it will turn calories into more stored fat. Not good.

  1. Think short term:

There is no quick fix to weight loss — no magic pill, magic food, or magic spell to shed those pounds. Turn your “diet” into a lifestyle. It’s hard to think, “Wow I have to eat totally healthy for the rest of my life?” No. Life is about balance and moderation. A good rule of thumb is the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 rule allows you to indulge once in a while, while still focusing on a healthy lifestyle 80% of the time. For example, if you eat three meals a day, four meals a week can be cheat meals. Remember if we think healthy and lifestyle rather thank quick fix and diet – use the right words.

  1. Don’t rely on food only to lose weight:

Research has proven that a combination of both exercise and altered eating habits is the best way to lose and maintain weight loss.

  1. Don’t ever miss breakfast:

A classic way to think you are cutting back is to miss the most important meal of the day. By missing breakfast you are more likely to go for a snack mid-morning and it may not always be a healthy one you reach for!  Our bodies need the fuel – you will feel the difference if you have a healthy hearty breakfast or green smoothie every morning.

  1. Don’t just look at the scale:

This is a big one as we always (in our quest to lose weight) look at the scale in the beginning.  You have to realise, if you are doing things correctly you are building healthy muscle tissue and replacing the fat in your body with this.  The weight on the scale might not change straight away but you will start feeling it in your clothes.  Also be realistic about your time expectations – It takes a bit of time to get in to the healthy habits and should be expected to see results within 4-8 weeks. Not overnight J

We hope that these tips will help you and as I researched this article I was afresh reminded  how important it is to have these tips handy and how easy it is to get fooled by marketing and people around us.

We all have our own healthy goals and if mine at the moment is to have more energy because I am running after a 17month old baby…  my goals will be different to yours.  Be kind to yourself! You are doing a great job even by just reading this!

Till next time – xxx Melissa

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