Weight Management

A huge thank you to guest writer Ilona for her witty input!

The sun's out, it's boiling hot, time to get the Summer clothes out… but what's happened, they've all shrunk! It must be because they haven't been worn for a while as everyone knows the fibres all shrink if not worn regularly! Now you remember, you tumbled dried the clothes on an extra hot setting at the end of last summer in preparation for them going back into the wardrobe for the winter. That temperamental troublesome tempertantrum tumble drier ALWAYS makes your clothes difficult to fit into!

So after realising they're not going to get any bigger no matter what you do, it's off to the shops, but since last year the sizings have all changed and now the size you normally take doesn't fit anymore. Must be some new stupid EU regulations! So you sheepishly take in a bigger size to try just in case, along with your normal size of course which should fit! You end up having to buy all bigger sizes so to save from humiliation you cut all the labels out, only, really it's because it's a black label and a white shirt so it would show through, or the labels' scratchy etc etc.

After wearing the new clothes for a bit with the labels cut out you 'forget' that it's a bigger size and think hmm must be losing weight with all these Summer salads as my clothes feel looser and more comfortable. Means I can treat myself to a few meals in a pub garden maybe, or a nice country picnic. Everyone knows picnic food is healthy because it's cold and therefore must be a salad and they've next to no calories!

So you are going on holiday in 6 weeks and counting… the bikini/swimming trunks are feeling a bit tight and there’s ‘extra’ bits hanging and wobbling about where there shouldn’t be! Help!

If you read any of the summer magazines at the moment, they are packed with ridiculous diets, advocating eating things that any sane person would not contemplate in a millions years. ‘Oh, I’m really looking forward to my delicious and filling evening meal of cottage cheese with pineapple chunks with a lettuce leaf and half a tomato – yummy yummy, I will feel so satisfied and not deprived in the slightest, especially when my other half is tucking into a giant roast dinner (the lucky devil) …’

Here are my top tips for losing weight for the summer season, without resorting to falling out with everyone you are going on holiday with, as you are so grumpy though starvation!

1. Be realistic, you are never going to lose 3 stone in 6 weeks without resorting to cutting a limb off!

2. Eat when you are physically hungry as opposed to all the other reasons you may eat – emotional, tired, boredom, habit etc.

3. Ask yourself every time you are going to eat, on a scale of 1 – 10 (1 being ravenous, 10 being absolutely stuffed) how physically hungry are you. If you are a 6 or below, eat! If you are a 7 or above, don’t eat!

4. Do not deny yourself any food, as this will just lead to cravings. Sometimes a taste is enough – go for quality not quantity.

5. Do not engage in any gung-ho exercise regimes, - take up one extra activity that you ENJOY. And/or build more natural activity into your every day life – walk a bit further than normal, use the stairs instead of the lift, get up to turn the TV over rather than use the remote control.

These small, subtle and painless changes will lead to a healthy weight loss of between 1 – 2lbs a week (this will be true weight loss and not water, which tends to happen when you get big weight losses in the first couple of weeks.) Over 6 weeks this will be ½ stone to a stone – a sure way to help get those wobbly bits under control, and retain your sanity into the bargain! Have a lovely summer holiday.