When you’re finally ready to make changes to your diet to lose weight, you always wish the weight was off yesterday. It’s always better to lose weight slowly if you want long-term results. Losing 15 pounds over six weeks is doable, but you may have to work a little harder to keep it off. Consult your doctor or dietitian to discuss safe ways to lose weight and help you design a plan that fits your needs.
1. IDENTIFY YOUR BIG WHY
“This is the magic ingredient to get you through those moments when you’re tempted to get off track” Dr Nash says. “What’s the reason you’ve decided to embark on this six-week regime? Is it a ‘moving away from’ goal to avoid something you don’t want, like a health condition getting worse or looking bad on the beach? Or a ‘moving towards’ goal – feeling great in your clothes again, or confident for an event? Anchor your Big Why with a physical reminder – a photo, an inspiring word or phrase you can put on your home screen and pull out when you need a shot of motivation.”
2. LEARN TO SAY NO
“Come up with 2-3 ways of saying ‘thanks, but no thanks’ when people tempt you off track,” says Dr Nash. “Whatever you say, the key is to say it with confidence – as soon as someone hears you falter, it’s a signal that you’re in two minds. Watch out for subtle forms of sabotage – often done unconsciously by loved ones who know that they too should be making changes but aren’t ready. Keeping your success to yourself can be the best way through it, and having ways to change the subject when it comes up can be a good strategy.”
3. REMOVE YOUR FOCUS FROM FOOD
“It’s common for couples to get into habits around using food to show love and affection, so find other ways of spending time together that don’t just revolve around sharing culinary delights,” says Dr Nash. “Take it in turns to share the little and big wins of the day, while you’re having dinner so you’re not solely talking about what you’re eating. It’s shown to help you de-stress too.”
4. ENJOY A FREE PASS
“Consider weaving in some ‘free passes’ each week where you can allow yourself to go ‘off track’ a little,” says Dr Nash. “This can help you maintain after the six weeks is up as well – so you really can have your cake and eat it.”
5. USE AN APP
“The Healthspan health and wellbeing app is a great way to help you reach your fitness goals, as it is designed to fit itself to your needs and targets in order to provide personalised advice,” Dr Nash says. Download it for free on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT IN SIX WEEKS: THE DIET PLAN
You’re going to be working up quite a sweat over the next six weeks so you want to make sure you’re fuelled up enough to do so. That doesn’t mean loading up on Marylands for “instant energy release”. Instead, remember that however hard you try, you can’t out train a bad diet. Here’s what should be heading up your shopping list, along with fresh fruits and veggies.
1. OATS
“A healthy portion of oats with oat milk, berries and any grated nuts will ensure your metabolism and energy is at its peak,” says Alix Woods, nutritionist at Quest Nutra Pharma. “If you can’t have oats, eggs are another good option.”
2. SALMON AND AVOCADO
“One of the easiest things you can do to improve weight loss from a nutritional perspective, is to replace carbs with good quality protein and healthy fats,” says Lawrance. “This encourages the body to utilise fat as its main energy source instead of using the carbs you consume for that purpose. Be sure to include coconut and avocado in your meals along with salmon, chicken, turkey and other lean cuts of meat.”
3. QUINOA
“Post training you should always refuel with carbs and protein to encourage muscle growth and fat loss,” says Lawrance. “Good sources of carbs include brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato and butternut squash.”
4. FERMENTED FOODS
“Food intake needs to be carefully balanced and planned,” says clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer. “In order to effect consistent weight loss, it’s important that the body’s natural beneficial bacteria be in good shape. An overgrowth of bad bacteria will cause inflammation throughout the body and will stop the body from losing weight.”
How to ensure your gut is ticking along tip top? Sawyer recommends eating fermented foods such as sauerkraut, nori, kefir, tofu, tempeh, miso and natural yoghurt, which replenish good bacteria – and therefore support weight loss. She also suggests including seaweed in your diet. The iodine content is good for preventing thyroid problems such as an underactive thyroid, which can encourage weight gain rather than loss.
5. SALAD
“At every main meal, make a minimum of half your plate a raw green salad,” says Nosh Detox founder Geeta Sidhu-Robb. “This increases fibre in your diet, makes your gut healthier and increases elimination.”
6. HEALTHY SNACKS
“Snacking is important as it maintains your metabolic rate and staves off awful hunger pangs – which can sometimes lead to temptation,” says Woods. “The key is to snack often, but ensure that you are eating healthy snacks in small portions. For example, mid-morning have a small handful of nuts, which are a rich source of protein to help you stay fuller for longer. Then mid-afternoon, have an oat biscuit or two with a generous topping of avocado, cream cheese or hummus. I also like to wind down in the afternoon with an antioxidant-rich, caffeine-free Redbush tea and I keep snacks like nuts, seeds, fruit and water in my car or handbag in case I get cravings while I’m on the go.”
7. SUPPLEMENTS
“When we’re taking in less calories and working the body harder with exercise, you need additional nutrients to keep energy levels high,” says Sawyer. “The multivitamins in the Alive! range contain good levels of iodine as well as all essential vitamins and minerals, plus they are packed with 26 fruit and vegetables and are the only supplement to contain fruit, vegetables and green blends as well as multi-vitamins and multi-minerals.”
HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT IN SIX WEEKS: THE FITNESS PROGRAMME
You’ve limited time so your exercise programme is going to need even harder for you. Which means? You want to choose workouts that are going to up the afterburn effect so you burn extra calories even when your session is over. On your marks, get set.
1. UP THE INTENSITY
“Functional and HIIT workouts increase the amount of calories burned both during and after exercise through a process called EPOC – excess post exercise oxygen consumption,” says Lawrance. “This means the body continues to burn calories for hours after the training session, leading to greater weight and fat loss. The blend of functional movements such squats, lunges, push, pull and twisting, combined with high intensity intervals using weights, rowers, sleds, battle ropes, bodyweight, spin bikes, kettlebells and more, means you get a full body workout and there is no reduction in muscle mass, which can happen if you do long runs or bike rides.”
2. PACK A PUNCH
“Boxing is becoming more popular either outside with a partner (or trainer) or in a gym with punch bags,” says Sawyer. “And there’s a reason. Boxing is an all-body workout and a real heart-rate raiser, which can boost your metabolism all day. Try exercising first thing in the morning on an empty stomach for even greater gains.”
You won’t be the only one. Here are 7 celebrities who do boxing already. If it’s good enough for Gigi…
3. DON’T FORGET TO STRETCH
“Pilates strengthens and stretches the body from the inside by activating the deeper postural muscles that wouldn’t otherwise be activated during harder or more dynamic workouts,” says Eleonora Sansoni, an instructor at the new holistic wellness boutique, Maître of Thyme. “Regular and consistent Reformer Pilates training can lead to an increase in fitness levels and muscle tone by improving the muscle tone of both the deeper and more superficial muscles.”
Related: How to lose weight in six weeks – expert reveals diet plan tips
Weight loss can make you feel better and look better, and with the summer months rolling in many Britons will be looking to lose weight.
Many will be hoping they can lose weight fast, and now one expert have revealed a number of tips to help you do just that in only six weeks.
Whatever diet you aim to follow, or exercise you enjoy, there is one big psychological work out you need to do in order to get weight loss on track.
According to Healthspan’s clinical psychologist Dr Jen Nash, you need to discover your ‘big why’.
The expert told Women’s Health that identifying the motivation behind the weight loss with prevent dieters from giving up.
She said: “This is the magic ingredient to get you through those moments when you’re tempted to get off track.”
The expert added: “What’s the reason you’ve decided to embark on this six-week regime? Is it a ‘moving away from’ goal to avoid something you don’t want, like a health condition getting worse or looking bad on the beach?
“Or a ‘moving towards’ goal – feeling great in your clothes again, or confident for an event?
“Anchor your Big Why with a physical reminder – a photo, an inspiring word or phrase you can put on your home screen and pull out when you need a shot of motivation.”
The NHS also provides a 12 week weight loss guide for those looking to lose weight with more time to spare.
The NHS tips for weight loss include eating lots of carbs and tracking how much you are eating.
It said: “Eat the right amount of calories for how active you are, so that you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use.
“If you eat or drink too much, you’ll put on weight. If you eat and drink too little, you’ll lose weight.
“It is recommended that men have around 2,500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules). Women should have around 2,000 calories a day (8,400 kilojoules).”
How much pasta should you eat every week to lose weight?
Experts have claimed that eating pasta will help you lose weight, according to a new large scale study of almost 2,500 people.
This is because pasta is different to other carbohydrates, because of its low GI status.
Another weight loss diet trick can help you lose weight, and it doesn’t even involve eating less.
Weight loss can be helped by quitting smoking, scientists at Yale University have found.
While it was once thought that smoking could help dieters stay slim by dulling down their appetite, smokers actually have far worse diets that former-smokers or non-smokers.
