REWRITE THE RULE BOOK

Think you know how to get healthier? Think again

It’s that time of year again, when everywhere you look there’s a diet or fitness regime being touted as a way to ‘get your bikini body.’ And we’re calling bullsh*t on it all. Not just the idea that you have to lose weight to fit in with someone else’s ideals (that’s crap), but also the diets themselves. Because science has now proved that what we’ve been taught in the past no longer applies. It’s actually changing your mindset, rather than what’s on your plate, that counts. Read on, and never feel guilty about that extra doughnut again.

1 Out with the old Hating your body as motivation In with the new Being more mindful

Ever gone to a spin class because you hate your thighs (and ended up hating the instructor instead)? It won’t help your mind, or your body. Research from Syracuse University found that the more dissatisfied women are with their bodies, the more likely they are to avoid exercise. And, what’s more, even just thinking you’re overweight could predict future weight gain. But how can you flip that mindset? Hint: it’s not by doing a crazy HIIT class, it’s by slowing down. Way down. A study, published in the Annals Of Behavioral Medicine, found that those on a weight-loss programme who received one-day mindfulness workshops not only showed greater improvements in how they rated their quality of life, but also lost more weight. So incorporate more yoga or meditation into your routine – and make sure you prioritise them just as much as the high-intensity sessions.

2 Out with the old Bad foods are a no-go In with the new Rewrite your rhetoric

Those scaremongering headlines about eating too much sugar/ham/ potatoes aren’t doing us any favours. A study from Arizona State University in the US found we’re more likely to make unhealthy food choices when we’ve been warned not to. Participants were given positive, negative and neutral messages about foods before being offered them. Those who were warned off puddings ate 39% more of them than those who weren’t.

Lead researcher Nguyen Pham says the findings suggest dieters are prone to rebellion: “Rather than leading dieters to make healthier choices, messages from the food police make unhealthy foods even more enticing.” Amelia Freer, author of Eat Nourish Glow, says, “Don’t label food – if you see salad as ‘good’ and chips as ‘bad,’ you reinforce the idea that salad is virtuous, but boring. Chips, however, will become alluring.” Make ours a salad... with a side of chips.

3 Out with the old Overhaul everything In with the new Little tweaks, big results

You know the drill: when you embark on a new regime, you set high expectations for yourself (by basically banning anything fun from your life). But our brains don’t respond so well to that.“Fad diets require drastic changes to our eating habits, which only increase the likelihood of gaining back the weight when we return to our old ways,” says Dr Lisa Orban, who deals with emotional eating issues. “Instead, identify lots of small changes.” Sir Cary Cooper, professor of psychology and health at the University of Manchester, calls this ‘habit stacking’ and says it tends to be more successful than making one huge change: “You’re more likely to stick to small, easy changes, and the confidence boost you get from making a small change often leads to another.” So swap those two sugars in your tea for one, that white pasta for brown, or rice for quinoa. Simple.

4 Out with the old To falter is to fail In with the new Cheat days for the win

Monday always starts well. But by Wednesday your boss has shouted at you, your foundation’s spilled all over your bag and you just need a pizza. And do you know what? That’s absolutely fine. Yep, research shows that the occasional slip-up doesn’t have to mean the end of a good run.

A study by the University of Sydney found that obese mice that were fed a consistent amount of daily calories shed less weight than those given the same number of calories for five or six consecutive days, followed by unrestricted intake for up to three days. “Despite the belief that any instance of overeating can derail weight loss, our study shows that taking a break from a restricted-calorie diet could actually increase the amount of weight lost relative to the effort put in,” explains lead researcher Amanda Salis.

Dr Orban explains how this thinking fits with the idea of being flexible with the rules: “Evidence shows that an ‘all or nothing’ approach is self-defeating and often leads to failure long-term. Instead, make your goals realistic and accept there will be setbacks.” Dominos it is then.

◆