5 fool-proof ideas of successful weight loss

5 fool-proof ideas of successful weight loss

I'm lucky. I have a perfect body. I¹m the perfect weight, and always have been. I would have argued strongly against that suggestion though 20 years ago. I spent at least 10 of those years obsessed with my weight. I was forever on a diet, often unhealthy and overly restrictive, and was seriously self destructive in my eating habits and relationship to food. I was just a normal woman, and my body consciousness was very much a part of the American culture I had been born into. It took me many difficult years, and a lot of work to come to terms with my body.
Having children really cured me though. For once in my life I had a mandate to gain weight, and have a large stomach. It was liberating as I gained nearly 40 lbs, and lost the lot afterwards while breastfeeding. I was no longer afraid of being fat, and no longer equated even the smallest weight gain with being unloveable. I learned to value, and even love food, for its taste, nutritional value, and how it made me feel. Although I can eat anything, and don¹t generally worry about weight, I do have some very effective tips which help keep my body happy, while providing a positive example for my children, minimising cravings, keeping my metabolism stable, and skin glowing. Follow these, and you will never have a weight problem.

1. Never say diet

The whole concept of a diet is short term, and bound to fail. Deprivation, faddishness, hunger, contradictory advice: who needs it. There is one dietary principle I live by, and it works ­ for all people, young and old, sturdy or frail. Make every bite count. While the occasional piece of candy won¹t kill you, empty calories are a waste of stomach space. If you eat for nutrition, you really won¹t go wrong.

2. Stay hydrated

Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. Heard this one before? Every diet mentions it; every nutritionist. That is because you really need the fluid. Much of what we feel as hunger is really thirst, and lots of water not only keeps your food cravings at bay, it also keeps your digestive system working well, your metabolism in order, and your skin glowing. One commonly stated trick is to just fill a jug with the right amount of water and keep drinking from it throughout the day until the jug is empty.

3. Miso Broth

Take a tip from the Japanese. If you suffer from between meal cravings and hunger, just make yourself an extremely nutritious and very satisfying cup or bowl of Miso Broth. You can buy Miso in most big supermarkets, or at any health food store. Just mix a teaspoon in a cup of boiling water for an instant pick up, and if you are really hungry, add some chopped up tofu, some scallions or spring onions, and some sesame seeds. Miso is made from fermented soy beans, and it has a rich, salty taste. It is high in protein, fat free, and has been reputed to assist in keeping your metabolism constant.

4. Lemon Juice and Honey

Take a tip from Grandma. Have a cup of hot water with lemon juice and honey at least once a day. The honey is soothing; the lemon juice contains vitamin C, and is invigorating. It will help your skin, and keep those between meal hunger pangs in check.

5. Keep Active

You won¹t find a diet anywhere that doesn¹t advocate some form of exercise. But don¹t think of it as exercise. Just start thinking of yourself as an active person. Walk wherever you can rather than drive. Take the stairs rather than the elevator/lift. Dance with your kids. Jump on a rebounder. Join a dance class. Get moving in any way you can ­ every day. You¹ll feel stronger, healthier, and you¹ll burn calories quicker due to having a faster metabolism.

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