01 02 03 Sydney Fashion Hunter: 15 Weight Loss Tips That WILL work! 04 05 15 16 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 31 32 33

15 Weight Loss Tips That WILL work!

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So here we go with my first official Friday's Fancy post ... Now I know when I wrote my first ever blog post I promised you this wouldn't be a weight loss blog and nothing has changed ... Trust me I'm all about the fashion but when you've lost a fair amount of weight it's inevitable that people want to know how you've done it. "What's the secret?" they ask over and over again. I've answered that question so many times in the last few months I figured it's something that people might genuinely want to know and so now I'm sharing my 'secret' with you all.The biggest thing I have learned on my weight loss journey is that there are no quick fixes. If you want results you have to make lasting and sustainable changes. I don't purport to be a nutritionist, personal trainer, dietitian or in any way qualified but I have lived the journey and know what worked for me. These tips helped me lose 22 kgs in just over six months. They worked for me and they can work for you. Read on for all the details ....

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1. MOTIVATION
Weight loss is a journey which has it's ups and downs so you need to really want to do it if you have any chance of succeeding. What are your reasons? It could be you have a big event coming up like a wedding, a milestone birthday or even a beach holiday where you want to look your best. It could be for health or lifestyle reasons. It really doesn't matter what it is as long as it is important to you. I can almost guarantee you won't succeed if you are doing it because someone else is nagging or pressuring you to do so. My personal motivation was two-fold. I've had back problems ever since I had an epidural during the birth of my first child 22 years ago. My doctor recently told me that losing 10 kilos would really help. This was my light bulb moment. I knew I was getting bigger but I always told myself that I was not that bad, after all there were plenty of people bigger than I was but having a medical professional spell it out hit me like a tonne of bricks. I was fooling myself and I couldn't deny it any longer. He was right by the way, I haven't had a single day of back pain since I hit goal. Hallelujah! My other reason was more superficial. The size 12 (US8) clothes that I was squeezing myself into were becoming increasing tight and uncomfortable, not to mention looking distinctly unflattering! For a lover of fashion this was the final straw. I was determined that if I was going to have to buy a whole new wardrobe it sure as hell was not going to be in a size 14 (US10).

Not only do you need the motivation to start you need the motivation to keep going. It can be a tough road. Never believe anyone who says it's easy and the weight just drops off. It isn't and it doesn't. It takes hard work and determination. If you have a lot of weight to lose you may be on the journey for quite some time so it is important to break your long term down into manageable specific milestones that will help you to your final goal. It's not enough to say "I want to be skinny" or "I want to look good for my wedding". Set yourself SMART goals; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely for your best chance of success. For example:



2. RESEARCH
Like in any other venture knowledge is power. Read everything that you can get your hands on in relation to weight loss. Look for reputable sources and take all marketing spin with a grain of salt. If it sounds to good to be true it probably is. I am an avid reader of Weight Watchers magazine. I still buy it every single month for inspiration.



3. ENLIST
Get a support crew on board as this will help when your motivation wanes. I embarked on my weight loss journey with The Enabler and Mr SFH and we walked EVERY night for months earlier this year during daylight savings. If I didn't feel like it one night they held me accountable and I did the same for them. The bonus is the time flies by when you have a good chat on your walk. Your support crew can come from anywhere, family, friends, work colleagues, slimming clubs, on-line communities, personal trainers etc. You can even enlist the family dog as a walking companion! A word of warning ... be selective and steer clear of detractors. People close to you may be threatened by your weight loss attempts or fearful of change and try to sabotage your efforts. Detractors can be identified easily. They are the ones that say "You don't need to lose weight", "One piece won't kill you", "Don't worry about today, you can start again tomorrow" etc etc etc. They may mean well but they will not help you get to goal. Be strong but firm about your intentions and why you are doing what you are.



4. PLAN
This is critical. It won't just happen, you need to make it happen and to do this you need a plan. Planning your activity and meals in advance means it is much more unlikely that your good intentions will come unstuck. Each Monday I schedule my walks (or other activities) in my diary just like any other appointment. When I was losing weight I walked every day (sometimes twice a day on weekends!) and managed it around my other commitments. Now that I am maintaining I do four to five sessions per week. If I have something on in the evening I schedule a lunchtime walk. If I am away in Melbourne for work (happens a lot!) with back to back meetings and an evening flight home, I schedule my walk for the morning and get up an hour earlier. Once you have written them down stick to them like glue. No excuses.

Use the same approach to meals if you a likely to succumb to a fatty takeaway because there is nothing in the cupboard. Write up a meal plan for the week on Sunday and do the grocery shopping the same day so you have everything available for the week, Choose quick and easy meals that take no longer than 30 minutes to prepare on weekdays otherwise it will be tempting to get that takeaway, particularly if you've had a tiring day.



5. MONITOR
Tracking your progress let's you know what's working and what's not. When you first start out keep a journal. Write down everything that you eat and all your activity. While the scales don't tell you everything it's important to visit them regularly, at least twice a week. There are also lot's of great apps like Runkeeper that help you track your activity. Of course keeping track of your measurements will also be a good indicator but one of the easiest is how you are feeling in your clothes. A snug fitting pair of jeans getting more comfortable will be a good sign that you are on the right track. You will also need to find a way to monitor your food intake. The most straight forward way is counting kiljoules (or calories) but there are other options such as Weight Watchers Pro Points. Find the one that works for you.




6. MOVE
Common sense right? Weight loss or gain is simple mathematics. Consume more energy that you expend and you will put on weight and of course the opposite is required to lose weight. You can lose weight without exercising but it will be slower and you will be missing out on all the benefits that being more active brings. To see results you don't need to be hitting the gym everyday you just need to move a little more than you are now. Find an activity that works for you. For me it was simply walking, but it can be anything that gets you off the coach. Team sports can work particularly well if you are prone to giving up as once you have signed up you won't want to let your team mates down.

If your activity of choice occurs outside have a wet weather plan. I have a treadmill at home so I have this covered but you could use a Pilates DVD or a home made circuit just as easily. When you are starting out don't set your standards too high. If you've been sitting on the coach for year it is unrealistic to expect to be able to complete a 5k run. If you can only manage a ten minute walk at first that's absolutely fine, It's better than you did yesterday! Increase the length and intensity gradually until you are up to around 45 minutes of activity per day. Can't fit in 45 minutes in one go? Don't underestimate the power of incidental exercise. Find ways to add small amounts (say 10 minute blocks) of exercise in your day such as walking all the aisles in the supermarket when you do the shop, park a little further away from your destination than you normally would, get off the bus or train a stop early, walk up and down the hallway while you are on the phone (especially if you are on hold!) etc etc etc. These can really add up and make a big difference. Watch your intensity and make sure you spend some time in the 'fat burning zone'. If your using a machine at the gym the heart rate sensor will indicate this for you. If your are not, a good indication is the talk/sing test. If you are exercising hard enough you should be able to talk but too puffed to sing.



7. EAT
It's a fallacy that you have to starve yourself to lose weight. In fact its just the opposite. You have to eat and you can eat well! But you have to eat the right things. Before starting my weight loss journey I rarely ate breakfast. This is one of the big changes I have made. Having something small and fibre rich means I am way less likely to make an unhealthy choice at lunch time due to being too hungry. I still find it difficult to eat first thing, so I eat it at my desk when I arrive at work. I eat really clean at home and save extravagances for meals out which I try to limit to twice a week. Some guidelines you may find useful:-



8. HYDRATE
Drink plenty of water ... at least 2 litres per day. Not only will it stop you confusing hunger with thirst it will flush out toxins and is much better than soft drink. It will taste bland at first but you will get used to it. If it's tough going in the winter months try warm water with a squeeze of lemon.


 9. INVEST
You don't need to spend a lot of money to lose weight but it is worth investing in a few things straight up:-
1. Sneakers - I love Mizuno's as they fit my narrow feet. Change them every 500k's or when they are showing signs of wear.
2. Workout Bra - Particularly if you are well endowed or doing really high intensity work outs.
3. Workout DVD - A wet weather (or any other time you just can't get out of the house) saviour to ensure you still get a workout in. I like Pilates but there are literally hundreds (if not thousands!) of options.
4. Trackies, tank top (or T-shirt) and a jacket - Doesn't need to be designer just needs to be comfy. Layers are your friend. As you heart rate rises you can peel one off and still be comfortable. Victoria's Secret have many affordable options and I love their trackies!
5. Time - The beauty is this one is free, but it if often the one thing we are all short on. Take the time you need to make this a success. We are all busy and can often put others needs ahead of our own but for this to work you have to invest some time in yourself. You are worth it!



10. LIVE
Don't put your life on hold. I made this mistake in the beginning and was practically a hermit for a month. I turned down invites left, right and centre because I was afraid I would buckle at the first signs of temptation. This is not sustainable long term and quite frankly it gets real boring real quick. The secret is to choose activities that do not involve food. Want to catch up with the girls? Do a mani/pedi instead of a kilojoule laden lunch. Work drinks? Opt for a vodka and soda rather than a creamy cocktail. Family BBQ? Take a healthy salad so you know you will at least have one safe choice. Trust me you can have a life and still lose weight. In February, just a month into my weight loss, I spent two weeks in Thailand with Mr SFH and came back 2 kilo's lighter than I left. This was possible even while still having the odd cocktail and plenty of spring rolls :) Don't give up a fabulous opportunity open to you now because you want to wait until your journey is finished. Embrace the now because you never get a second chance to live this precise moment.



11. MODERATION
Moderation not deprivation is the answer. I still have everything I want ... just in smaller portions. OK, that's not entirely true, I have cut out one thing completely ... Coke. I was guzzling 2 litres a day of the yummy black stuff at my worst. The first week was the worst and the caffeine withdrawals were intense but after that it was easier. Have a little of what you want just don't over do it.




12. EXPERIMENT

Each week try something new to keep it interesting and your motivation strong. Never done Zumba? Sign up for a class and see how you like it. Looking for a more interesting way to eat mince? Try a great new (healthy!) recipe. Mixing it up a bit never hurt anyone and is the perfect way to bust through a plateau.



13. VEG-OUT!
Every one knows that vegetables are good for them but they are the super heroes of your weight loss arsenal. They provide essential vitamins and minerals while adding bulk to keep you fuller for longer with very few kilojoules. Sneak them into everything! Try grating carrot and zucchini into your spag bol. Make a salsa of corn, red capsicum and spring onions to accompany your BBQ'd meats. Or my personal favourite is to make a crepe (low fat milk of course!) with a sprinkle of cheese, topped with red capsicum, spring onions, corn, ham, baby spinach, pineapple chunks, pine nuts and cracked black pepper, finished with a spoonful of light sour cream to serve. So quick, so easy and delish! Aim for 5 serves per day. I do one meat free day every week and trust me with so many delish vegetarian options out there it is certainly no hardship ... Pumpkin, ricotta and spincach lasagne anyone?



14. REWARD
If you have done well treat yourself. If you have a lot to lose mini rewards along the way are better than working to the end game. Work within with your budget so you don't blow the bank. I picked a reward for every 5 kilo's dropped and put some cash is a jar for every kilo down. Just make sure it doesn't involve food! Some good options are a new handbag or pair of shoes (better than a piece of clothing as it will still be useable once you are at final goal), a trip to the hairdresser for a new style cut (and a colour if you can afford it!), an afternoon kid free to relax in a long hot bubblebath, hubby making dinner (healthy of course) while you relax for a change. The list is endless just make sure it is something worth striving for. My reward for reaching goal? A new Dior handbag :)



15. PERSIST
The first day is the hardest and it gets easier after that, until after a few months in you barely think about it any more. But there are days that are tougher than others, where all you want to do is chuck it in and eat cake. If you have had one of those days (an we all have!) don't beat yourself up. As Taylor Swift would say, Shake It Off! Instead of using that day as an excuse to give up completely, just get back on track the next day. Forgive yourself and move on. Nothing worth having is easy to get but if you keep going you will get there.



This is by no means the exhaustive list of how to lose weight. This post would be 100 times longer (and it's already very long!) if it was but it's a good start and if you do your research right (#2) you will be well on your way in no time.

One final piece of advice ... Learn how to accept a compliment graciously because soon you will be getting plenty more of them! When you don't feel confident in yourself it's easy to brush off compliments by saying things like "Don't be silly", "No I don't" or "Shut up!" but I have found recently that a simple "Thank You" works so much better.

If you are on your own weight loss journey I'd love to hear about it. Leave me a comment below and to let me know how you are going.


Until next time ...

Happy Hunting

SFH
XXX

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