On a cold bleak night last week the gym was almost empty when I turned up for a class. But not for long – with spring in spitting distance, we’ll soon be fighting for space as the second of the year’s official weight loss seasons begins.
The first one, of course, was January – season of detox, fresh resolve and newly minted diet books. Come September and October, it’s all about beach body readiness as magazines roll out plans to peel off winter flab and drop a jeans size. But here’s a novel idea – staying off the diet merry-go-round and sticking to a reasonably okay weight all year round.
Like a lot of people I’ve done time with diets and a pudgy waistline. But after years of writing about (and experiencing) weight gain and loss I’ve learnt a few truths about what keeps kilos off for 12 months of the year.
- It helps to see rewards in things other than high kilojoule food People say ‘you have to have a treat’. But who says? Or at least who says you have to have them most or all days of the week? Who says treats have to be food – or at least food laden with kilojoules? And how can a treat be truly a treat if it’s an every day event? Make treats real treats – and keep them for weekends or special occasions.
- Ignore anyone who says one particular diet is the best way to lose weight. Whether it’s low fat, high protein, low carb, high carb or vegan, there’s evidence that they can all do the job. What counts is whether a weight loss plan works for you, whether you can live with it, and whether it keeps you healthy long term. A study published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine compared people on four different diets over two years – one low fat, one high fat, one average protein and one high protein. Called the Pounds Lost (short for Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies) all resulted in similar weight loss and a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes – and all reported similar levels of craving, fullness and hunger.
- Small changes can make a big difference. Switching from full cream to a skinny latte and wiping biscuits, soft drinks and juices off the shopping list are small sacrifices that can add up to a lot of saved kilojoules.
- So can small movements. You need to set aside significant time to be physically active, but on days when you don’t have 30 or 60 minutes, but you do have 10 or 15, give them all you’ve got. Walk faster or run up and down some steps; break into a jog. Avoid the all or nothing thinking that says if you haven’t got 30 minutes, it’s not worth doing –who knows, you might even find another 10 or 15 minutes to add on later in the day. http://www.zixiutangbay.com