KEEP IT UP!

CONGRATULATIONS! You’re into Week 3 of our slim-down-for-theholidays plan and the scale should be your new best friend – as well as those used-to-be-tootight jeans. Soon it will be a case of bye-bye, flab; hello, slimmer body. Devised by Rochez O’Grady and Sarah Gouws, registered dieticians at Cape Town-based practice Munchwize, it’s a four-week plan for you to cut out and keep. Once you’ve finished Week 4, go back to Week 1 to keep results coming. If you’ve missed our previous two issues and would like to get in on this weight-loss journey, you’re not too late: get in touch with us (see opposite page) and we’ll send you the issues you need. Sticking to this plan should see you lose up to 1kg a week. But the scale isn’t the only way of tracking your progress – remember to take measurements around your tummy, bottom, thighs and upper arms as it’s centimetres that really count. A word of caution: go easy on the alcohol while you’re on this plan. Party season is nearly upon us and you might think a few glasses of wine or beer can’t hurt – but think again. While the occasional drink shouldn’t hinder your progress too much, regular boozing could stop you from reaching your goal. “It’s difficult to drink and lose weight,” O’Grady explains. “Alcohol is seriously high in kilojoules and so are the mixers it comes with.

“Your body metabolises alcohol first as it’s a toxin and then metabolises the rest of your food, meaning it ends up storing that food as fat. Alcohol also dehydrates you as it’s a diuretic.”

Practise mindfulness, she advises. “Drink slowly and add water, or soda or sparkling water, instead of mixers, as well as lots of ice. Have a glass of water between drinks and try to set a limit on how many drinks you have.”