As we begin the New Year, many people focus on their resolutions, things they want to achieve and setting goals for the year ahead. For many people, that goal might be to control their diet and their weight.
But ensuring that you do this safely, properly and long-term is a consistent battle. That is why Jane Woyka, our GP Principal, has put together her top 10 tips to stay in control of your weight;
- Don’t go on a diet and don’t go hungry
- Eat lots of vegetables – a wide range of different vegetables helps to promote a healthy microbiome (bugs in your gut which help keep you to a good weight as well as a lot of other things such as protecting our immune system)
- Don’t have takeaways
- Do not eat processed food – instead, try to prepare from fresh or frozen individual ingredients, do not eat anything your granny wouldn’t recognise!
- Avoid any added sugar, and stay away from all sugary drinks including squashes, fruit juices, smoothies,
- Find out what your ‘killer’ foods are. Some of us gain weight when we eat certain foods such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes.
- Have a smaller plate and eat slowly, don’t think about what to put on your fork until you have swallowed the previous mouthful.
- Consider a different eating pattern. Some people do really well on a fasting diet (i.e. no breakfast and the first meal of the day at around 11 am and last at around 6 pm). And some people need frequent small meals. Others find the discipline of a 5/2 regimen very helpful, which consists of eating normally for 5 days and consuming around 600 calories for two days a week.
- Balance your diet, you can eat moderate amounts of most foods (except sugar), which includes saturated and unsaturated fats, red meat and dairy products, pulses, grains and fruits as well as those wonderful vegetables. We believe that members of the allium family may be particularly good in feeding the healthy bugs in our gut. This food group includes garlic, leeks, artichoke, and onions.
- Crisps, milk chocolate, sweeties, sweetened milk drinks and non-diet soft drinks have no nutritional value but high calorific penalties, so don’t buy them or have them in your home or car!
At Harrow Health Care, we are leading experts in non-surgical and surgical weight loss options. For help and advice on your weight loss options, contact our expert team today for a consultation.
