LISA RILEY
Kick-start your diet with my 8-day plan
We all want to look and feel a million dollars for the Christmas party season. Yesterday, I told how I shed 12 stone and was finally able to fit into clothes I never dared dream I could wear.
Today, I want to give you the tools to do the same thing, and kickstart your very own Christmas party dress diet.
Losing weight is tough. There is no such thing as a quick fix or a miracle pill.
But the formula is simple – burn more calories than you consume. Stick to that principle and you WILL lose weight.
Everyone is bound to have little blips along the way, but don’t see that as failure and a signal to give up – just draw a line under it and move on.
Here are 10 tips for staying on track, and a great eight-day kickstart diet that will tell your body you mean business.
Here comes that party frock.
1. Be your own inspiration Find pictures of the dresses you want to be able to wear and stick them on your fridge, in your car, at your desk, anywhere you are tempted to give in to your cravings. Some people have even told me they stuck a picture of the old, obese me on their fridge to spur them on.
Any time you feel like cracking and snacking, those pictures will be there to remind you of your goal.
2. Find a diet partner
It is so much easier to stick to something if you share the journey. That way if there are days you are feeling like giving up you will have someone who can empathise with you and spur you on.
If none of your friends or family want to join in, how about finding someone online? I found loads of support from my Facebook page. There are lots of groups on social media that share tips. You may even end up making some new friends.
3. Be honest with yourself
I wasn’t just “big-boned”, I had made myself fat by gorging on bread, crisps, crumpets and red wine. Once I accepted
responsibility for my health, weight and lifestyle it made it easier to take control. You don’t have to have starter, main and pudding. If you are doing that you are eating too much.
4. Clear your cupboards If the fatty snacks aren’t there, you can’t eat them. It’s as simple as that.
5. Shop carefully Don’t fall for the diet tricks. Fancy diet products won’t make a blind bit of difference if you snack on crisps every night.
Don’t be tempted by unhealthy food options in the supermarket just because they are on offer. Write a shopping list for your healthy recipes and stick to it.
6. Don’t use food as a reward or a comfort
I was the first person to head straight for the biscuit tin if I was feeling bad, but now I’ll go to an exercise class.
Everyone uses food as a reward or comfort. We even treat ourselves to a bar of chocolate after a long workout. Your efforts in the gym are wasted if you eat the calories you have just burned.
7. You don’t have to be perfect Wobbles are normal, and one bad meal doesn’t have to mean a bad day or a bad week. If you fall off the wagon, simply pick yourself up and start again.
If you eat one biscuit don’t think, “I might as well eat the whole pack”. Just make sure you get back on track asap.
8. Keep a food diary It is easy to forget or lie to yourself about how much you’ve eaten each day. Write everything down or use an app to record everything you eat, even if it is a just few chips. Every calorie counts.
9. Control your portions I now eat out of a bowl instead of a plate. Sit at the table to eat, chew your food properly and savour every mouthful.
Never eat in front of the TV as it is easy to overeat when you are distracted. And always stop eating when you feel full and do not finish off your kids’ meals.
10. Exercise every day Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes a day broken up to two, 15-minute walks. You can build it up gradually. At first I was too self-conscious to go to exercise classes, but now I am fitter I love them.
Extracted from Lose Weight for Life: The honest way to drop pounds and keep them off – for good, by Lisa Riley © 2018 published by Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House, at £16.99