Everyone knows the old saying, if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. That’s why if you want to lose weight quickly and keep it off, it’s best to have a plan.
In 6 weeks we will be in the Christmas party season. May be you, like many others, have let things slide a little during lockdown lockdown. That’s okay. Now is your opportunity to get in shape, get active and get healthy! Make the next 6 weeks count by following my top tips!
This is your driving force. It’s the reason you want to lose weight. Maybe you want to fit into that little black dress or cool suit? Maybe it’s because you don’t want a health condition to get worse. Or maybe you just want to feel good about yourself and feel confident. Whatever your reason is, you should write it down. Have a visual reminder that you can see every morning when you wake up or that you can look at when you need a gentle reminder and some motivation.
At some stage in the next few weeks you will be tempted to break your 6 week plan. But you need to be confident in saying no. Try coming up with 2-3 ways of saying ‘thanks, but no thanks’ when people tempt you off track. Often those who will try to tempt you will be loved ones. So stay strong and don’t give in!
It’s so easy especially for couples to get into bad habits around using food to show love and affection. So rather than a Saturday night takeaway, find other ways of spending time together that don’t just revolve around sharing culinary delights. Try getting outdoors. Go for a long walk or cook a healthy meal together.
Don’t be too strict on yourself. Let yourself have a few ‘free passes’ each week where you can allow yourself to go ‘off track’ a little. This can help you maintain the diet plan for longer and make sure you don’t totally throw in the towel before the six weeks is up.
You’ve identified why you want to lose weight and there is some guidance below for food and fitness. However, you still need to plan out how you are going to do this. Get a pen and paper and workout your meals for the week. Look over recipes and get a shopping list together. If you don’t have time for this, check out my monthly recipe packs. Next work out when you are going to get active and how. May be sign up for a class or access online workouts to do at home. Also look for opportunities to get out walking/jogging/running.
You’re going to be working up quite a sweat over the next six weeks, so you want to make sure you’re fuelled up enough to do so. That doesn’t mean loading up on snacks for a quick energy boost. You need to remember that you cannot out train a bad diet. Here’s what you should be adding up your shopping list, along with fresh fruits and vegetables.
A healthy portion of oats with berries and any grated nuts will ensure your metabolism and energy is at its peak. If you don’t like oats, eggs are another good option for you.
One of the easiest things you can do to improve weight loss from a nutritional perspective, is to replace carbs with good quality protein and healthy fats. This encourages the body to use fat as its main energy source instead of using the carbs you consume for that purpose. You can add lots of salmon, chicken, turkey and other lean cuts of meat to get your protein target.
After a workout it’s important to have a post training meal. Make sure you refuel with carbs and protein to encourage muscle growth and fat loss. Good sources of carbs include brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato and butternut squash.
Make sure at every main meal, half your plate is raw green salad or vegetables. This will increase the amount of fibre in your diet, making your gut healthier.
Snacking maintains your metabolic rate and keeps away any hunger pangs, which often lead to temptation. The key is not to snack often, but ensure that you are eating healthy snacks in small portions. For example, mid-morning have a small handful of nuts. They are a rich source of protein and will help you stay fuller for longer. Then mid-afternoon, have an oat biscuit or two. Keep a few snacks like nuts, seeds, fruit and water in your car or handbag in case you get cravings while on the go.
When we’re taking in less calories and working the body harder with exercise, you need additional nutrients to keep energy levels high. A good multivitamins can contain good levels of iodine as well as all essential vitamins and minerals. Check out my website for my favourite supplements.
You’ve limited time so your exercise programme is going to harder for you. Which means that you will need to choose workouts that are going to up the after burn effect so you burn extra calories even when your session is over.
HIIT workouts and classes like my Improver Pilates will increase the amount of calories burned both during and after exercise through a process called EPOC – excess post exercise oxygen consumption. This means the body continues to burn calories for hours after the training session, leading to greater weight and fat loss. The blend of functional movements such squats, lunges, push, pull and twisting, combined with high intensity intervals using weights, resistance bands, bodyweight, spin bikes, kettlebells and more, means you get a full body workout and there is no reduction in muscle mass, which can happen if you do lots of long runs or bike rides.
Build in exercise through out your day. Get mobile. Could you take a 20 minute walk or jog in the morning or at lunch time? Could you take the stairs instead of the lift? Even when you are doing housework – add a few lunges when hoovering.
Pilates strengthens and stretches the body from the inside by activating the deeper postural muscles that wouldn’t otherwise be activated during harder or more dynamic workouts. Regular and consistent Pilates training can lead to an increase in fitness levels and muscle tone by improving the muscle tone of both the deeper and more superficial muscles. If you are interested in joining one of my NEW 6 week Pilates programmes you can book online or drop me an email to join the waiting list.
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