Thanks to glossy magazines and stick-thin supermodels, a common perception of successful weight-loss is extreme calorie restrictions or placing certain ‘bans’ on yourself from enjoying the foods that you love the most. In this mindset, going on a diet can seem like a daunting, challenging and extremely dull way of life. I myself have, in the past, fallen victim to the classic weight-loss traps by cutting out sugar from my diet, calorie counting, eating less carbohydrates and so on. In short, restrictions do not work, and will consequentially lead to over eating, feeling exhausted, weak, and miserable due to deprivation of vital nutrients.

Listen to your body

Your body knows you so much better than any 7-day meal eating plan from an eat-like-this-and-look-like-her magazine feature. So what if it is 10 in the morning and you are hungry, don’t starve yourself, just listen to your body and eat. The belly rumbles between hunger and eating will not benefit any weight-loss attempt, in fact, what you are listening to is your metabolism slowing down and entering starvation mode. Keep your metabolism fired up and in fat-burning mode all day, by listening to your body and eating when your body needs fuel.

Fat burning mode

Eating when your body needs food provides a constant supply of energy to your system. So now there is no excuse not to go to that fitness class, walk or cycle to work, go for a swim, and get active and burn off some energy. Eating a calorie restricted diet is counter productive when it comes to weight loss, as your body holds onto every calorie you give it for basic bodily functions such as breathing and keeping you alive, leaving very little energy for getting fit and healthy. Eating to meet your bodies daily needs, gives adequate power to work out at your maximum potential, building stronger muscles and sweating off fat without the feeling of exhaustion before burning out.

The Daily Challenge

Challenge yourself to do a something active everyday, whether that is walking or cycling to work, signing up to try out new fitness classes, picking up some weights in the gym, yoga, Pilates or swimming. Exercise is the key to building muscle, burning fat and looking slimmer and toned. If this increased active lifestyle causes you to feel hungry more often (and it will) then eat more often! By starving yourself, you are slowing down your digestion, causing bloating, something which is not desired if you are aiming for that beach body flat stomach look. And finally, if you do follow magazine-style low calorie eating plans that leave you hungry for most of the day, potentially you can stop burning fat, and in place muscle mass is used as the main energy source. The scales may encourage you by reading less, but this is simply because muscle weighs more than fat, so in reality your are only losing strength and tone whilst not changing shape at all.