THINGS THAT COULD SCUPPER WEIGHT LOSS

Most of us have a friend who can eat cakes, sweets and biscuits and not put on weight. That doesn’t mean you can. When I was losing weight I knew I’d never be giving Kate Moss sleepless nights.

I didn’t want to be perfect, just the best possible version of myself. You can’t change who you are but you can certainly improve on it.

A lot of slim people either watch what they eat or they are used to eating healthily and stopping when they’re full.

Scales = fails

This is my mantra. I weigh myself now and again but I’m not a slave to the scales. You can tell if you’ve lost weight because your clothes – and common sense – will tell you, so don’t hop on and off the scales 10 times a day. You only depress yourself.

Guilt-free sharing

Sharing food with someone doesn’t mean it has no calories. The same goes for eating standing up, picking at food from a pan instead of using a plate.

Denial

I went out with a friend the other day. She had a salad for lunch, followed by a chocolate cake and a cappuccino with two sugars. She said to me: “I can’t wait to tell my husband I only had a salad for lunch.” Need I say more?

Holidays

It is not inevitable that you will put on a stone in a two-week holiday. You can still eat healthily, especially if you’re staying at an allinclusive where there’s usually a salad bar and many options.

One won’t hurt

It will. Especially if you have lots of “ones”. It’s a slippery slope.

Food amnesia

I’d eat something and forget about it seconds later. If I’d eaten it really quickly, or while on the go, I didn’t seem to think it counted. I’d get to the end of the day and I wouldn’t have a clue what or how much I’d put into my body. Now that I write everything down I can’t do that.

Eating late

My personal cut-off time is 6.30pm. Our bodies were designed to sleep when the sun goes down, not to digest and process food. Those “little” evening snacks in front of the TV do count.

Private pecking

Just because no one can see you hiding behind the fridge door and eating cheese, it doesn’t mean it’s OK. Pecking equals pounds. Get yourself out of the habit.

Skipping meals

Don’t do it. A TV can’t turn on unless it’s fed power. You’ve got to keep your body ticking over, especially when you’re exercising. If you don’t eat, your body goes into survival mode and holds on to food instead of burning it off.

Saying ‘I’m big boned’

Have you ever seen a fat skeleton?