Chris' Tips & Tricks to Weight Loss & Dieting

Losing weight is not easy. Anyone who says it is can just go suck on a chocolate bar or something like that. Dieting and losing weight take time, commitment, and a huge amount of self-discipline. And that’s just the start of it, then you have all these different types of diets and they all have some “expert” telling you how easy it is to follow and how you’ll drop all this weight so quickly. Now there is more than one way to lose weight, but everyone responds to diets differently so finding the right one that suits you and your lifestyle can be tricky. For me, I need a plan, something I can stick to and hold myself accountable. How that plan looks changes and depending on my progress will depend what kind of diet I use. Here are a few tips that I’ve learnt over the years and from experts I’ve worked with.

Tip 1 – Have a plan

Having a plan is a must you must have something that hold you accountable and you can stick to. Unless you know the macros of everything you eat and can work things into your diet (which can lead to a slippery slope) I’d recommend having a plan that you follow. This applies to your training as well. A plan will make to more accountable and push you to stick to it even when you’re tired and just want that treat you keep staring at.

Tip 2 – Keep a diary

Make sure you have a diary of app on your phone, even if it’s just to check macro’s of particular foods having this diary will let you see what you eat without your mind justifying it somehow that ‘’it’s okay, and I’ve earnt this treat’’. Use apps like My Fitness Pal to log your food intake, you’ll quickly see where you may be going wrong.

Tip 3 – Talk to and use nutrition experts

Now I mean experts, not someone who just has some general knowledge. Put it this way if your sick you go to the doctor, right? Not someone who just watch lots of ER programs and thinks they can diagnose your symptoms from what they saw last night. A Nutritionist will be able to help you not just with a plan but also with food alternatives if you have allergies or dislike certain foods.

Tip – 4 Be committed to the diet/lifestyle

Committing to a lifestyle change is the only way to keep you from rebounding. All these 12-week, 16-week plans etc may work for you but after the 12-week plan finishes, then what? This is often where people will re-bound and go back to what they know. Think of your diet as a way of life, a way to stay healthy and be happy in your skin now and in the future. It’s about educating yourself and committing to the change. You can still have your cake and eat it to, you just need to know how to do this. This also takes me back to my previous tip of talking to an expert, this is a further way to educate yourself and allow you to keep the changes you have made.

Tip 5 – Education is key to future success

This tip incorporates tip 3 and 4. Educate yourself about food, what’s healthy and what just claims to be. Invest in a plan with a nutritionist and stick to it, ask them questions and use their knowledge to grow your own. This will only benefit you and your family in the long run.

Tip 6 – Have a treat meal

Allow yourself to have a treat meal once a week if you’ve stuck to your diet 100%. Use it as a weekly goal that if you stick to your plan you get a reward. Make it a good reward as well, something you are craving and really enjoy eating. For me it changes but it’s often something sweet like lollies, chocolate, slices, etc. Don’t go nuts and lose to plot, still have a plan of what your treat meal will be and stick to it. I’d recommend having it after dinner 2 to 3 hours before bed, this way if you do lose the plot you can’t spend the whole day binging out. I love creating healthier options as well that I can incorporate into my normal diet and still lose weight. Check out my recipes on my website www.chrisbrinefitness.com This is another reason why I love The Protein Bread Company mixes, you can use them in your diet for day to day meals that feel like treats. Being able to have a pizza or pancakes for breakfast and still stick to your diet is pretty cool.

Tip 7 – Don’t give up

Dieting is hard and takes a long time to make the changes. Stick to your plan and if you fall off the wagon for a day or two, just start again. The key to any diet is consistency.

Tip 8 – Drink lots of water

Drinking water helps the body break down our food and helps our digestive system function properly. It also makes you feel fuller and can keep you reaching for the snack in-between meals.

Tip 9 – Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important things you can do with helping to lose weight. Getting enough sleep is vital to help you stop craving the energy burst at the end of the day, where you inevitable reach for the sugar. Lack of sleep can actually make our lepton levels decrease which makes it harder to burn fat. Lack of sleep can also increase our ghrelin levels making us feel hungry and increase your appetite. Check out this article for more information.

Tip 10 – Have mini goals

When dieting we all set some number that we want to hit, like I want to drop 10kg or I want to weight 60kg. Whatever the end goal is, keep it achievable and have a plan on how to get there. Mini goals are a great way to track progress and reward yourself for successes. Like dropping your first kilo, or sticking to your diet 100% for a week, these mini goals you can reward yourself with small gifts or events. Try to stay away from food rewards, keep that to your once a week re-feed meal. I hope this helps you in your journey whatever your goals are. There is so many more tips I could add like, portion sizes, high protein intake, not skipping breakfast, etc. What I will say is if you have any questions, please get in contact with me at Instagram: chris_brine_fitness Facebook: Chrisbrine Fintess

Tips & Tricks to Weight Loss & Dieting