1. Prioritise portions
Load your plate with vegetables and wholegrains and fill up on these. Make lean meat the side dish. Stick to fish and poultry, or vegetarian options like lentils, beans and tofu.
2. Switch up your schedule
For many, dinner is the most important meal. But research shows it’s best to eat most of your calories early – one study found subjects who ate the majority of their food before 3pm lost more weight than those who spread it through the day. Evidence also suggests your gut slows at night, moving food less efficiently, which can lead to bloating. My advice? Make breakfast the biggest meal, and taper down from there.
3. Give 80 per cent
Dieting shouldn’t be torture. Stick to the 80/20 rule – make healthy choices 80 per cent of the time and for the other 20 per cent, indulge. A break helps you stay on track.
Read more: Healthy chocolate truffle recipe
4. Wow-factor water
There’s no doubt water is the beverage of choice when slimming down (one study found drinking water before meals helped subjects lose more weight than those who skipped it). A dash of cinnamon adds flavour and helps keep blood sugar levels steady. Plus, added flavour (strawberries give a different but yummy taste) helps quell desire for sugary drinks.
5. Add intermittent fasting
Your body only needs a 12-hour break to reap the benefits of intermittent fasting (when the body breaks down fat to use as fuel). Try scheduling meals between 8am and 8pm*.
6. Choose the right fats
They’re your allies when losing weight. Monounsaturated fats, like those in olive oil and avocados, are great for your heart and may help you slim down (plus fill you up) – studies suggest these fats stop belly fat building up. Omega-3s, in oily fish and nuts, are also tied to weight loss.
7. Spice things up
Stock up on chilli peppers – they contain a compound called capsaicin that gives them their heat. This also revs up your metabolism so you burn more calories.
8. Get enough Zs
A sleep-deprived brain craves the fatty, sugary junk foods you need to avoid when trying to lose weight. Plus, sleep deprivation alters your ability to make rational decisions – so you’re more likely to give into cravings
What weight loss rules do you live by? Tweet and share them with us @healthymag – or join in the conversation on our Facebook page