Here are 11 sustainable, achievable weight loss tips for the holiday season that are no a fad.
And, you can carry forward into the new year.
I’ve had some lovely people mention to me, that they’d like to feel a little more comfortable by Christmas by releasing some weight and can I help?
These days I mostly specialise in helping people with stress, anxiety and overwhelm, or low energy, lost mojo and brain fog. Also those with digestive or immune/autoimmune issues. What I often find though, is that weight loss is a natural side effect of getting your mind, body and soul back on track.
When it comes to losing weight, it’s often things we know but sometimes need a gentle reminder about – I can easily be guilty of #1 portion creep! There’s a huge amount of nutritional information out there on “the BEST EVER MUST DO DIET to change your life forever” which can be totally confusing and overwhelming.
My take is, it’s about finding out what is right for you as an individual – what do you run well on? What works for you, your lifestyle, your family, your beliefs? These tips are not only designed to help loosen up a pants size, but to boost your energy, improve your mood, and to get your digestive system and immunity working well.
- Eat to sustain, not maintain. Be mindful of portion sizes and portion creep. Perhaps a smaller plate might work for you, finish your meal feeling like you have a little room for more.
- Chew your food well, really well – don’t inhale it. Slow down. This helps your digestion and your body to absorb the nutrients from your food.
- Eat real food, avoid processed food where ever possible and the obvious one, go junk free.
- Go for a plant based diet. This doesn’t mean vegan, it means basing your meal around plants as the main feature and adding the meat “on the side” as an extra if you are a meat eater. Heap up the veggies (no – potatoes don’t count in here!) This will ensure you’re getting plenty of fibre, which keeps you fuller longer and also feeds your gut bugs. Fibre keeps you going in more ways than one!
- Have protein at each meal – this maybe plant based and will help keep your blood sugars stable and stop you reaching for the sweet treat or 3 pm slump. Think nuts, seeds, sprouts, chia seeds, beans, quinoa.
- Try swapping gluten, dairy and sugar out for other options: coconut or almond milks, honey or maple syrup, or bread for my Seriously Satisfying Seedy Bread. If your eating out try a Paleo option as it will avoid these 3.
- Listen to your body. What’s it telling you? How do you feel after you eat certain foods? Keeping a diary or using an app to track can help you raise your awareness and see patterns emerging
- Drink plenty of water and stay well hydrated – herb teas are a great option too. If you’re not keen on straight water, add some lemon, mint or a slice of cucumber
- Keep alcohol to special occasions only (not daily) and pace yourself with water in between drinks. Remember it’s empty calories and your liver will appreciate your kindness.
- Sleep well 7 – 8 hours (which is a whole topic on its own!)
- Move your body every day in a fun way that you enjoy. Exercising first thing in the morning gets it done and ensures it doesn’t get “bumped off the list” towards the end of the day.
These tips are not only designed to help loosen up a pants size, but to boost your energy, improve your mood, and to get your digestive system and immunity working well.
If you struggle to get enough fibre in your day, you can boost up your intake by adding more to a smoothie or with a glass of water. Here’s a natural source of dietary fibre that I recommend. It’s important to go slow when starting to introduce more fibre, so you don’t ended up bloated, gassy or uncomfortable.
These 11 tips only look at the physical aspects of wellness (mainly nutrition) and my focus is on creating a balance life, encompassing all 8 Pillars of Wellness. Optimal wellness requires the integration of eight dimensions (pillars) which act and interact together in a way that contributes to our quality of life.
If you’re curious and would like to know more, or to see if I can help you, book in a FREE Wellness Strategy Session today and we can start the conversation.
“Self approval is the most necessary, and yet the most hard to come by thing there is”.
Polly Bergen