Worried about your weight in the lead up to Christmas?

You have 10 weeks to take action and make a difference!

Christmas displays are now appearing in the shops and the countdown to the big day has begun. For some it can be exciting but for others it can be an anxious and worrying time. The opportunity to over-indulge with food, increased socialising and drinking and our appearance in that little black dress or dinner suit certainly increases the pressure and stress we put upon ourselves.  Taking action now and making some small changes will positively alter your run up to Christmas so that it is a much more controlled, confident and enjoyable experience.

So, what needs to happen?

  • Set clear goals about what you want to achieve
  • When do you want to achieve it by – this could be the date of a Christmas Party or event
  • Make a plan of how you are going to do this and break it down into small achievable steps
  • Build your support network (friends or family) for when the journey gets tough
  • Think about what it will feel like when you achieve your goal and the difference it will make to you
  • Strategically place reminders of your goals around the house, hang your little black dress where you can see it, stick a picture on the fridge or snack cupboard of that treat you are going to get when you reach your target

There are a number of changes you can make with no cost involved that you can start immediately:

  • Be prepared, plan meals, write your shopping list and shop only for what you need, online shopping is great for removing temptation.
  • Reduce your portion sizes – if you usually have 2 spoons of mashed potato just have 1 and increase your vegetables, have less pasta/rice or a smaller jacket potato and increase your salad.
  • Eat more poultry and fish and less red meat, use Quorn and experiment with vegetarian recipes.
  • Replace white bread, rice and pasta with wholemeal/wholegrain to keep you feeling fuller for longer
  • Use a smaller plate for your meals, our brain prefers to see a small plate with more food than a large plate with less food
  • Drink plenty of water and fruit/peppermint/green tea
  • Use skimmed milk instead of higher fat alternatives
  • Be more active, walking costs nothing, don’t leave things at the bottom of the stairs take them up, walk to the next bus stop, walk to local shops instead of getting in the car, walk with the family at the weekend
  • Make sure you get at least 6 hours sleep
  • Move yourself up the pecking order and make you a priority
  • When socialising move away from the buffet table or bar and reduce the temptation to over indulge
  • Drink spirits with a low calorie mixer rather than wine/beer which have a higher calorific value or add sparkling water to wine to make a longer drink
  • Select healthy options such as vegetable crudités and low fat dip and keep higher fat foods to a minimum or as a treat
    When eating out replace chips with salad and ask for salad dressing on the side
  • Select tomato based sauces rather than creamy sauces
    Share a dessert or just opt for a coffee

Taking more exercise and eating a balanced healthy diet will certainly help with your weight loss journey. Consider starting a new class like Yoga, Zumba, swimming, Pilates. There are many free phone apps that can be downloaded to aid you regarding exercise regimes and techniques but whatever you do always introduce it slowly and gradually to avoid any injuries or check with your GP before starting anything new.

If you find that you need more structure with discipline and control then there are a variety of slimming clubs that can support you in your weight loss journey or if you prefer a more one to one approach then a Life Coach can certainly work with you to identify your goals and coach you to weight loss success. If you have any questions or have goals that you want to achieve but do not know how to get there please contact me.