The summer is over and if you are like me the darker nights and colder weather can make you feel like ditching the salads and turning to more stodgy food. However, you don’t need to wait until January and your New Year Resolutions to start eating ‘healthily’ again.
Successfully managing your weight is less about dieting, and more about forming sustainable healthy habits. Here are five SIMPLE things you can DO TODAY to increase your chances of success.
1. Take a packed lunch to work
Preparing your meals in advance helps to remove the danger of choosing an unhealthy option which is likely to happen if you wait until you are hungry before deciding what to eat from the canteen/shop/fast food joint. By spending a few minutes preparing a healthy lunch, you will be more in control of what you eat, less tempted to snack on sweet things and it will probably work out cheaper.
2. Eat breakfast daily
By breakfasting on foods which fill you up and provide long lasting energy, e.g. porridge, wholegrain cereals/granola, fruit, beans or eggs, you will be less tempted to snack throughout the morning on that packet of biscuits that is being passed around the office.
3. Eat mindfully
Make a conscious effort to eat slowly and chew more. It takes time for the brain to register that we are full. Doing this will also help you digest your food. Try to concentrate solely on eating and remove other distractions such as paperwork, television, internet or your mobile phone. This helps raise your sensory awareness, and appreciation, of what you are eating.
4. Change your crockery
If you feel you are eating too much then try using a smaller plate or bowl. Even when we are full, we are often tempted to finish our plate of food just because it is there. Eating smaller portions also makes your food easier to metabolise.
5. Avoid the bread rolls
A drop in weight doesn’t have to equate to a drop in enjoyment. You can still dine out, but just make the right food choices. Due to their insulin boosting potential starchy foods should be significantly moderated. Whilst waiting for your dinner to be served, ignore the bread and ask for a small side salad instead.