Helpful tips for long-term weight loss

This means establishing a healthy eating plan, exercising more, and changing your eating habits – for good!

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Here’s how you can start:

• Set realistic goals. Most people expect to lose more weight more quickly than is realistic. When you’re starting out, you should be aiming to lose 1kg a week. Remember, it only takes a 10kg weight loss to significantly improve your health.
• Keep a food journal.  Write down everything you eat, what you were feeling before you ate it, and how you felt afterwards. A food journal helps you to see potentially negative eating patterns, and you might discover that your overeating is due to depression, loneliness, stress or anxiety for example.
• Make your eating plan work for you. If you enjoy cooking, chose an eating plan that allows you to prepare your own meals. It’s been shown that if you cook a meal yourself, you tend to eat less – so try cooking your own meals as much as possible. If you don’t like cooking, or simply don’t have the time, look for an eating plan that includes meal replacement shakes or energy bars. Also keep a lookout for healthy pre-cooked meals – but remember to check the nutritional label for added sugar, chemicals, calories and sodium. If you tend to snack between meals, then replace high-kilojoule snacks with fruit, fresh veggies, nuts, and biltong and low-fat yoghurt if you're not vegan.
• Join a medical aid that comes with a programme that rewards a healthy lifestyle. You could be earning up to R5 400 a year by being active – what better incentive to stick to your new eating/exercise habits!

 

Losing weight and keeping it off means you need to change WHAT you eat, and also HOW you eat.  So, now you’ve found a weight loss programme to suit you, it’s time to change your eating habits!

Here’s what you need to do:

• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time – preferably at the end of each week, for the week ahead
• Don’t shop for groceries on an empty stomach – you’ll land up buying more than you need, plus you’ll be buying for how you’re feeling at the time
• Cut out empty calories such as sugar, sodas and alcohol
• Watch what you eat at restaurants and don’t over order. Try ordering two starters instead of a starter and main course, for example
• Throw out unhealthy snacks and junk food – if it’s not there, you won’t be tempted to eat it
• Exercise more – all you need is 30 minutes a day of brisk walking to get the blood flowing and your heart beating faster.

If you feel that you need additional support, look into commercial weight-loss programs (such as Weight Watchers, Weigh Less or other weight-loss support groups. Rather go this route than be tempted to try untested (and potentially dangerous) 'miracle weight loss products’, or 'crash diets' which do more harm than good.

Fact Box: If you are active, you can earn up to R5 400 a year from Momentum. Click here for more.

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