New Year's Resolution | The Fad Diet

A lot of people often ask me how I do it, how I maintain my weight and how I have done for many years. Hopefully in this blog post I am going to explain to you exactly that…

I have never been a ‘big girl’ as such, but as I have grown older, like every other woman out there, my hips widened, my breasts and bum multiplied and my thighs, well let’s not even go there! I don't think there is a single woman out there who is completely 100% happy with their body and if she is, I would sincerely like to meet her. My tips and tricks to keeping slim (not skinny) include the following:

 1.  Portion control.

This is essential when counting your daily calories. I eat a lot, little but often. I try not to have big heavy meals before bed either as these can disrupt your sleep and eating late (this generally being any time after 8pm at the latest) can also make you put on weight. It may not come as a shock to you that it is much harder to burn off those calories when your body is lying still! If I feel peckish after this time, I will often snack on some sort of fruit (including dried) or nuts (unsalted).

2. Using low fat alternatives.

Okay so I a big fan of this one. I am forever telling my family and friends just to make some small simple changes to their diets and they WILL see results. I have never EVER been on 'a diet'. Forget The Cambridge, The Atkins or the new 5.2 diets; I don’t see the point in wasting your money on endless shakes or meal alternatives only to put the weight back on once you have completed the 2 week plan (or however long it may last). With the right amount of exercise, nutrients and occasional treats (as we're only human after all) you will be able to maintain your weight and not only look great on the outside, but the inside too. So for example you could change your skimmed milk to semi skimmed, your full fat cheese to low fat or your butter to low fat margarine. Making small changes where necessary will certainly save a lot of calories and you will be eating less of the bad stuff (saturated fat) which can only mean one thing; onwards and upwards.

3. Exercise

The most important one on the list and luckily for me something I actually enjoy taking part in. Going to the gym for the first time can be quite daunting when you are trying to lose weight, but there are many other alternatives when getting your weekly recommended exercise. A brisk walk with the dog, a Zumba class, a celebrity DVD workout in the comfort of your own home; whatever you fancy just to get you moving. Once you get into a routine you should start to see the pounds drop off. A little exercise daily along with the right diet can make all the difference so even if you feel like you're not doing enough to start with, after a couple of weeks you are sure to see the results.

4. A Balanced Diet

Eating a balanced diet and not skipping meals is VERY important. I swear by the old phrase, ‘eat like a King at breakfast... and a pauper at dinner'. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and will set you up with the right amount of energy to keep you going until lunchtime (or at least 11am in my case). I often snack throughout the day but on the right stuff as mentioned earlier; natural yoghurt, fruit, seeds and nuts or rice cakes with a small heaping of organic peanut butter. I will never go hungry and that is the main thing I think people are put off by when someone mentions the word ‘diet’. A diet does not mean you have to starve yourself. Getting enough protein, fibre and fruit and veg in your diet should enable you to feel full throughout the day. Eat when you are hungry is my moto as this is your body's way of telling you it needs to refuel!

5. Meal Preparation 

Meal preparation has to be another big one for me! After moving out for university I had to learn not only how to cook for myself, but how to make my food go further. Even though I was a student, I was a healthy student, always making meals from scratch using fresh meat and vegetables. I often cooked in bulk and froze a lot of my leftovers so that I could use them whenever I wanted at my own convenience. Being prepared is key as if you do get hungry when you are out, it is always so much more tempting to just grab a takeaway for the sheer convenience. However if you know you have your dinner prepared  and waiting for you when you get home, you are much less likely to splurge on fatty foods which is what you often crave when you need a sugar fix!

I hope this has helped to motivate you in some shape or form. Keep a look at for some more blog posts to follow on my daily eating and exercise regime in 2014.

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