Some people will spend most of their lives on a constant diet. Why can some people lose weight, what appears to be effortless? Yet others find that it is a real battle and nothing appears to work? The common mistakes people make when trying to lose weight:

• They have not fully committed to losing weight (they are giving it a half-hearted attempt) • You try a new ‘fad’ diet that some celebrity is endorsing and you’re not losing weight (no body is the same, therefore what works for one may not necessarily work for another) • Goal setting – give yourself a realistic, sustainable goal is to lose a steady 1 – 2 lbs a week, rather than in 4 weeks I want to lose 1 stone • Are you accountable for what you are eating and drinking – keep a food & drink diary • Remove any temptation from your reach or sight • Unorganised shopping – buy the majority of the shopping once a week, plan your meals and only buy the foods you require • Ask support – tell friends, family & colleagues you are trying to lose weight and they can support you, some may even decide to join you • Drink enough water – if you are not drinking enough and become a little dehydrated thirst can be mistaken for hunger • You can’t control your portion sizes or have a 2nd helping – use a smaller plate and remove the option of a 2nd helping

So what can you do to help lose weight and keep it off?

As a personal trainer and exercise instructor Our team encourages clients to:

1. Take a photo of themselves 2. Track what they are eating, you can use apps like MyFitnessPal 3. Weigh themselves weekly (though this can be demoralising if you have plateaued – keep going) 4. Measure themselves – often you may not lose weight but the inches are dropping off 5. Drink plenty of water 6. Make meals from scratch 7. Remove sugar from their diet 8. Exercise – as it helps with calorie deficit. Although the main benefit is you feel better within yourself and your health starts to improve along with fitness 9. Become more active – use an activity tracker to encourage you to walk more, it’s free and you can fit it in to your everyday life. Aim for a minimum 10,000 steps 10. Eat more vegetables and no more than 2 pieces of fruit a day (fruit still contains sugar) 11. Add variety to your life – try new things, different food, recipes and exercise to avoid boredom setting in 12. Ask for help – if you feel you can’t do it alone seek the help of a professional whether you go to a slimming club, join a gym, hire a personal trainer, they are all there to guide you and give you support

If you have struggled with your weight and want to now lose it for the long term I will soon be running classes to help you - we will exercise, have a weekly weigh in, provide ideas on food choices, write food diaries and encourage you along the way.

Get in touch to find out about the 12 week challenge sjpfitness@gmail.com.