Help yourself get into shape for 2010!

“Diet” has such a strong negative feel to it, and suggests something short-lived, involving restriction.   If you want to make a difference in your life, and keep it, then use a different label: “healthy eating plan” suggests a plan for life.

2.  Body image counts

Be realistic about what you want to achieve, value yourself – you are more than how you look.  Know your own shape – we can’t all be supermodels, and life would be so boring if we all looked the same.  Look after yourself, pamper yourself, look after your skin, enjoy a relaxing massage, look after your hair, wear clothes that help you feel good about yourself, do what suits you (not what you think you should do).  If you value what you are, you will find it easier to look after yourself.

3.     Good mood food

Help yourself stay fit and healthy in body and soul, stick to food that nourishes you. Follow this guidance from www.thesite.org/healthandwellbeing/fitnessanddiet/food/goodmoodfood

• Prevent anaemia, which causes fatigue and difficulty concentrating. This common condition is usually caused by lack of iron, which is found in meat, green vegetables (such as peas and spinach), pulses, and eggs.

• Deficiency of B vitamins can lead to lack of energy and depression. Make sure you're getting enough by eating leafy green vegetables, meat, fortified breakfast cereal, marmite, and wholemeal bread

• Essential fatty acids are needed for the brain and nerve cells to work properly. Eat oily fish (e.g. mackerel, tuna, sardines, or salmon) twice a week, and add a few seeds to your diet too.

• Avoid caffeine in the evenings as this can mess up your sleep patterns. Steer clear of coffee, tea, and colas.

• Watch your alcohol intake, as heavy drinkers can suffer from its depressant effects.

4.     Emotional eating

Food and emotions are intrinsically linked together – “comfort eating”; “food as treats” are both common in Western society.  If you find yourself bored and nibbling, or trying to fill an emotional hole with food, find something else to fill that gap. Instead of reaching for the biscuit tin, read a book, listen to music, enjoy a hobby, speak to a friend or loved one, go for a walk, or get some other form of exercise.  Remember, a little bit of what we fancy does do us good, so make sure you have some small treats as part of your healthy eating regime to help you feel good about what you are eating.

 5.     Eating and the brain

Everything we do and feel begins and ends in the brain. The brain holds our “appetite control system”.  Be aware of how you can “trick” your brain into feeling satisfied, or how you can change a “favourite food” into something you dislike.  Key themes are:

o   Appearance of portion size - Reduce your portions without noticing by use smaller plates or dishes, you will notice you feel just as satisfied. 

 o   Appearance of food (colour, shape, texture = “yumminess”) – favourite foods trigger desire in our brains; Learn how to control those cravings by using mental imagery.  Think of a favourite food (e.g. chocolate); picture it in your mind; think of how it smells, how it feels and tastes in your mouth (you will be salivating by now…); now, imagine that food covered in something you dislike (or dirt, hair, something that smells bad…), picture it covered with that food you dislike, think of how it will smell, wrinkle your nose in disgust, imagine how bad it will taste (you will no longer be salivating…). If you follow that exercise regularly you will retrain your brain – be careful though – don’t use it if you want to keep a something a favourite food!

 o   Feeling full (satiation) – this physical mechanism is triggered by changes in our stomach, and the release of hormones in our body when digesting food. We can also control it by a number of different methods:

§  Chewing – food that needs some chewing action will help you feel fuller faster and for longer (even chewing sugar free gum does the trick!)

§  Aroma – foods with stronger smells and tastiness will trigger that feeling of fullness faster

§  High protein foods make us feel full more quickly (but remember to keep your eating plan balanced!)

§  Variety keeps us hungry! To control what you eat, stick to the same foods, don’t tempt yourself with variety

 o   Thirst or hunger? If you feel hungry, try a drink of water before having anything to eat. Thirst and hunger trigger off similar physical feelings in us; regular drinks of water across a day can help your digestion and look after your skin.  Remember – 8 glasses (of water) a day can keep the wrinkles at bay!

 6.     Willpower building it and keeping it

Weight loss is all in the mind – just as with anything else, you have to believe in your own abilities.  Use the following tips to help you set a plan you can keep to:

• Make a realistic plan, with some deadlines to help to stay focussed

• Break your overall plan down into small achievable steps (include exercise and eating goals)

• Make sure they are achievable and realistic (you have access to what equipment you need for exercise for example)

• Have time frames in mind (I will follow this for 8 weeks; 3 months; 6 months etc)

• Reward yourself for achievements each step

• Keeping a diary or record of your progress

• Share your plan and goals with others, tell them why it is important to you

• Focus on what you are achieving, what is going well, rather than on what you have not yet managed to master

• Don’t drop off the wagon – see hitches as short term, temporary setbacks, not proof of failure

• Make sure you include some treats as part of your eating plan! A little bit of what we fancy does do us good.
  

 7.     Keep stress at bay

Stress affects your appetite, hormone regulation, energy levels, fitness, motivation, and blood-sugar balance! Look after physical and emotional well-being as part of your plan; keep stress at bay as part of your regime. 

• Learn and practice relaxation techniques regularly

• Get outdoors when you can

• Take some regular exercise – it doesn’t have to be energetic, a leisurely walk or gentle yoga / stretching routines will help

• Spend time with people you like

• Make sure you have some regular leisure time

• Get enough sleep (too much or too little is never good for anyone!)

 
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