Nutrition Tips

Try these tips to keep motivated and on top of your weight loss goals.

  • Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells stay forever. Fat cells only increase and decrease in size, not number. If you want to reduce the size of your fat cells, you need to burn more energy than your body requires so that it will access more fat for its fuel requirements.

  • Try soaking your rolled oats overnight in a small amount of water for creamier porridge the next morning.

  • If your fat loss has come to an unexpected halt, you have probably changed something that you were previously doing. Keep an exact food and exercise diary for a week. Pay attention to detail, like portion sizes, picking between meals and liquid calories.

  • If you fall off the wagon with your good eating regime one day, don’t let it be ‘the end’. You start every day with a clean slate, so get back on track straights away and make your next meal a good one.

  • Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a glass of hot water before breakfast. It assists as a liver cleanser. It also means you get at least one glass of water in to start your day! If you like ginger, slice a small piece of fresh, peeled ginger into your mug, steep with boiling water for a minute, add lemon juice and top up with warm water.

  • Perfection is too hard, aim for persistence with your healthy eating and regular exercise regime. If you fall off the wagon, pick yourself up again and carry on. Every day you wake up with a clean slate.

  • Don’t keep putting off starting your healthy eating plan until ‘next Monday’ because ‘next Monday’ has a habit of never coming. Make small changes today, because small changes add up over time.

  • Choose poached rather than scrambled eggs when eating out as the scrambled eggs usually have cream in them. The same goes for omelettes as cafe omelettes are often prepared with cream.

  • Buffet meals can be a disaster if you keep going back for seconds. Check out what is there before you start filling up your plate. Choose wisely, protein + veggies plus a moderate serve of higher calorie/higher starch food. Then, move away and stay away!

  • Liquid calories add up. Choose whether you want to eat or drink your calories because a flat white + a glass of wine each day adds up to around 300 calories. To burn those liquid calories off you’d need to walk briskly for a good 60 minutes. (don’t drink your calories)

  • Don’t eat when stressed as blood is diverted away from your digestive organs to your muscles, meaning optimal digestion is unlikely.

  • If you currently add sugar to your tea or coffee, try halving the amount. Your taste buds will adapt to the change if you do it gradually. Likewise, if you are currently drinking in excess of one can of diet drink per day, half the amount and then keep reducing your intake to a maximum of one can per day. Increase your water and herbal tea intake.

  • Ensure you have at least two alcohol free days per week and on the other days of the week aim for (women) no more than one medium glass of wine and (men) two glasses of wine. This is a health issue as much as an aid in dropping excess fat.

  • Regular exercise not only helps with fat loss, it also releases stress and helps manage your insulin and blood sugar levels

  • Lose the excuses if you really want to lose weight.

  • Employ strategy, not willpower. Willpower waxes and wanes, so put effective strategies in place to keep you on track.Use smaller plates, it really does work. Fill half your plate with salad or fibrous veggies, a quarter with lean protein and the other quarter with a low GI carbohydrate serving such as brown or basmati rice, or kumara.

  • Use a smaller spoon for eating your cereal – more spoonfuls trick you into thinking you are eating more. It takes longer too.

  • Practice mindful eating. Firstly arrange your food attractively on your plate, (we eat with our eyes), eat slowly and savour your food. Be aware of the texture and taste as you are eating. Eat slowly, chew each mouthful well.

  • Only eat when you are sitting down.

  • Do not read, work on the computer, or watch TV when you are eating, or before you know it, the food will be gone and you won’t feel satisfied.

  • Cut your food into smaller pieces. Quarter an apple, then slice each quarter into 4 pieces. You will feel that you have eaten more than if you just had four pieces of apple.

  • Take your own snacks to the movies. Make your own popcorn, but don’t add butter. Or take a mini bag of pretzels, rice crackers, or bought low fat popcorn.

  • To keep your dishcloth hygienic, place it (wet) into the microwave for 2 minutes on high.

  • Corn Thins make great croutons for soup, or added to your salad.

  • Don’t drink tea or coffee within an hour either side of taking multivitamin or iron tablet, as absorption of the minerals may be compromised.

  • Freeze all your seeds, nuts, wheatgerm, etc to keep them fresh. They can be eaten straight from the freezer. Light, heat and oxygen will make your nuts and seeds go rancid.

  • Microwave lemon/citrus fruit for a few seconds before juicing, to get more juice from them.

  • To save time, cook a large batch of rice, cool in the fridge, then divide into portions, wrap and freeze. When you want to use it, shake it out on to a plate and defrost in the microwave.

  • Exercise before breakfast if possible. You’ll burn more fat on an empty stomach and you’ll appreciate your breakfast more!

  • Plan ahead. Spend some time at the weekend planning your meals for the upcoming week, then ensure you have the required food on hand. Lack of planning = lack of results.

  • Try writing up your food diary a day ahead – once you have committed to paper what you are planning to eat, you are way more likely to follow through. Use a pencil, then you can make alterations if necessary.

  • Don’t leave home without a water bottle.

  • Exercise with a friend. Make it a deal that staying in bed or opting out of a session is not an option. Be there.

  • Buy portion controlled packages, i.e. 40g pots of Philli Lite cream cheese, multi packs of Pop n Good popcorn, or bags of mini Sakata crackers, 130g size can of Weight Watchers Baked Beans, Mini Magmums instead of full sized ones. Don’t put temptation in your way.

  • Keep a bag of Mad Butcher whole, peeled garlic cloves in your freezer. No more smelly fingers peeling garlic and you can throw whole cloves into casseroles.

  • Peel bananas, break into pieces and put in a bag in the freezer. These are great for making smoothies with or for adding to your porridge. No more wasting bananas!

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