THREE EASY WAYS TO LOSE THOSE LAST FEW POUNDS

Can you still fit into the jeans you wore at 21? This is the question doing the health rounds at the moment as evidence mounts that being overweight in midlife is a big problem. According to research led by Dr Roy Taylor of Newcastle University, even relatively small accumulations of fat around the middle can contribute to insulin resistance and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

But let’s face it, those last few pounds are often the hardest to shed. Our motivation to lose weight is understandably weaker when we have less to lose and with the darker months drawing in it’s easy to pull on a roomy jumper and leave it until spring. Sadly, our health isn’t seasonal, so if you want to drop that last half a stone now, here are three practical steps.

1 Push through the plateau

You can achieve an effective energy deficit for weight loss by sticking to an 800-calorie limit for at least three days a week until you reach your goal weight. The 800 calories can be distributed however you like throughout the day according to your routine and appetite, but for most people the easiest way to apportion them is 200 for breakfast, 300 for lunch and 300 for dinner.

Eight hundred calories doesn’t sound much, but if you choose lower calorie, higher nutrient density foods, you will be surprised at the volume of food you can eat. A typical 800-calorie day menu would look something like this:

Breakfast: 1 soft-boiled egg with 1 slice of

Soldiers’ rations: start an 800-calorie day with a boiled egg and wholegrain toast

wholegrain toast and a satsuma.

Lunch: 1 wholemeal pita bread stuffed with Greek salad (chopped pepper, onion, cucumber, tomatoes and olives, dressed with a tsp of red wine vinegar and a crumbling of feta cheese). Dinner: Fresh mackerel fillet marinated in a quick teriyaki marinade (3 tbsp soy, 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger – makes enough marinade for 4 fillets) and baked in the oven at 200C fan for 10-15 minutes. Serve with plenty of wilted spinach and a teacup-sized portion of brown rice.

2 Ramp up the rye

If you are keen on bread, then there’s a simple swap that could help shift an extra kilo or two with very little effort. Swedish researchers at Chalmers University of Technology recently published a study showing that people who ate high-fibre products made from rye grain lost more body fat and overall weight than those who ate corresponding products made from wheat.

In practice, this means switching to rye bread, which is darker and denser than regular bread, as well as being much higher in fibre. Avoid wheat-based breakfast cereals, swap wheat crackers for rye crackers and substitute rye flour for 50 per cent of your regular wheat flour when baking.

3 Limit liquid calories

When it comes to morning coffee, here’s a wake-up call; a regular flat white has 125 calories, while a black coffee with a splash of milk has just 25. Most drinks are going to contribute to our overall intake and some, like juices and smoothies, can be a dieter’s downfall.

Alcohol is also notoriously calorific and best avoided on an 800-calorie day. Wines with a lower alcohol content, such as sparkling or dry white wines generally contain fewer calories. Diluting wine with sparkling water to make a spritzer is also a great way to slash calories.

Gin or vodka with soda and lime juice or low calorie mixers are another waistline-friendly option. There are some excellent mixers on the market these days that aren’t packed with artificial sweeteners and chemicals.

Meanwhile, hard seltzers are now widely available and gaining in popularity. It’s essentially flavoured sparkling water with a hit of alcohol and comes in at around 100 calories for a 330ml can.

By making these easy adjustments to your eating and drinking habits you will lose those stubborn pounds and maybe even get back into those jeans.

Sam Rice is the author of The Midlife Method: How to Lose Weight and Feel Great After 40 (Headline Home)