I know the feeling of motivation when you first embark on a new diet or lifestyle change. Hitting your targets, seeing progress, there's no better feeling. However, over time this motivation can slowly start fizzling away, and you may start falling back into old habits, eating unhealthily or binging more regularly. Trust me, I've been there. Losing fat especially around the summer months is a goal for a lot of people, which takes time and patience. In order to achieve fat loss, you should be looking to eat in a caloric deficit, strength training, and increasing your cardio if you can. As I am currently on a cut, here are some of the tips I have been using to help keep me on track and ensure I don't binge as often as I used to or eat too much for my specific goals.
1. Track your eating.
So SO important. In order to ensure you are hitting your macronutrient targets (fat, protein, carbohydrates) and caloric intake (amount of energy intake coming from your food), I would highly recommend tracking everything you eat each day. This aims to highlight an awareness for yourself on how much you are consuming, where changes could be made, and also may demonstrate why you are or are not losing weight. I use the app MyFitnessPal which is free and so easy to use. Alternatively, you can write down your food and drinks consumed in a diary and use online databases or nutrient labels to work out the macronutrients and calories of the portions. I also offer this service as part of a nutritional consultation.
2. Keep your living space clean.
I find that when my kitchen area and food preparation areas are clean and tidy, that I am much more inclined to staying on track with my diet and nutrition. A clean food prep area will influence you to want to cook more often and prepare your own meals rather than ordering in. When I began on my summer cut, I also purchased new kitchen utensils, glasses, plates and food processor. Having new colourful cutlery and nice dishes makes eating more enjoyable, especially when your portion sizes slowly reduce.
3. Follow positive role models on social media.
One of the main points of motivation for me is my fitness and health idols and people I follow on social media such as Instagram. Following positive influencers, who are qualified and share research-based information online can help keep you motivated in your diet and lifestyle. There are many amazing people out there that are great role models and share very helpful information through their posts. However, with this there are also many accounts that may share harmful or incorrect info. Make sure you are following people who are certified and share info backed by scientific evidence. People within the fitness and nutrition industry I would recommend to follow on Instagram are: @hannaheden_fitness/// @jamessmithpt /// @precisionnutrition /// @bodybuildingcom /// @bretcontreras1 /// @emporiumgym /// @calories.hub /// @emilyskyefit /// @merijn /// @paulrevelia /// @bionic_body /// @demibagby
4. Set specific goals.
Physically sit down and write out your goals. Ensure that these goals have numeric value, as well as dates you aim to achieve them by. When I set date-specified aims for myself, I place them on my fridge and tick them off as I hit them. Small, specific goals are most effective such as increasing a lift by a few kg every two weeks, swapping your habitual latte every morning for a white coffee, losing a set amount of weight by a specified date. Keep it simple.
5. Be calorie aware.
This tip ties in with tracking your diet. Having an awareness of how much you are eating and how much energy you are consuming each day is extremely important. Studies have shown that nearly 80% of us underestimate our daily calorie intake. A teaspoon of peanut butter can vary from 80 kcals to 180 kcals, depending on small portion differences. Ensure that your portion sizes are measured accurately, which can even be done using a scales occasionally to make sure you are staying on track.
Image credit: @calories.hub
6. Cut down your alcohol intake.
Alcohol has been shown to serious hinder weight loss efforts. The calories in alcohol for what it is are extremely high in most cases. Cutting down my drinking big time was one of the main ways I got as lean as I am now, and reduced bloating, especially around my face and jawline. Alcohol can leave you unmotivated, feeling down, and influences you to crave fatty, processed and unhealthy foods. It also decreases the rate of your metabolism.
7. Out of Sight, Out of Mind.
Do not buy unhealthy snacks and foods when you are looking to eat healthily or eat less. Removing the temptation to binge on ice cream, sweets, cakes, biscuits etc can be done by not having these in your home in the first place. Lower your temptation for empty calories like these by keeping them out of arms, (or homes) reach.
8. Cut out processed carbohydrates.
From experience, I know that if I consume white bread/ pasta/ sugars etc., I am much more inclined to follow this up with more unhealthy foods later. Processed unhealthy carbs with added sugars create a chain reaction in kicking off unhealthy cravings. Avoid these and replace with wholegrains/ or other meal alternatives like healthy fats and proteins that are more satiating and nutrient-dense.
9. Documenting your progress: photos, photos, photos.
SO important. This is one of the main things I tell any client I work with,no matter what their goal. It can be difficult to see progress, especially little changes when you look at yourself in the mirror every single day. By taking photos in the same light each week (or how often you prefer), you can lay these side by side and identify key areas in your body that have changed. Remember that progress is a slow process and you need patience. Do not be disheartened if you do not see huge changes in your body every week or month.
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If you need help or advice with your diet and nutrition, please use the contact form on the 'book online' tab of the website and I will get back to you within 2 working days. Follow me on Instagram @kristenstavridis.