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Get in shape for your honeymoon


Get in shape for your honeymoon with these 20 helpful tipsLeading nutritionist Fiona Hunter has teamed up with TOTAL 0% Greek Yoghurt to compile her tips for getting into shape in the run up to your honeymoon. Here are her Top 20 suggestions for sensibly losing a few pounds in a few weeks.


Get in shape  for your honeymoon1. Start the week by writing a weekly menu plan

Planning your weekly menu helps you avoid having to make decisions about what to eat at the end of the day when you're more likely to be tired and vulnerable to making poor choices. A little time and energy invested at the start of the week will pay dividends later in week when your energy levels and good intentions may be flagging.


2. Eat little and often

The process of digesting and absorbing food actually speeds up your metabolism (the number of calories your body burns) slightly so you can make this work to your advantage by eating little and often and spreading your calories throughout the day rather than having them as large meals.

Aim to eat three small to medium sized meals a day plus 2 or 3 small healthy snacks.


3. Eat slowly and focus on your food

Chew your food thoroughly before taking a second mouthful and focus on what you're eating - all of these things help slow down the pace at which you eat. When you eat slowly you're less likely to over eat. If you don't concentrate on what you're eating you're more likely to miss signals telling you you're full. It takes 20 minutes for the brain to get the message from your stomach that it's full, so if you eat too quickly your stomach fills up before your brain knows you're full and you end up eating too much.


4. Take a packed lunch to work

Making your lunch at home rather than going to a sandwich shop means you can control what you put into your lunch box so you're less likely to be tempted by unhealthy choices, plus you can use the time you save by not queuing in the sandwich shop in going for a brisk walk.


5. Spring clean your fridge and cupboards

Get rid of anything that may lead you into temptation. Make sure you've got plenty of healthy snacks (things like ready-to-eat dried fruits, rice cakes, Total 0% and 2% yoghurt).


6. Only eat when sitting down at the dining room or kitchen table

Eating on the run, or in front of the TV, leads to mindless munching.
Eating at the table will help you to focus on what you're eating and avoid unconscious nibbling.


7. Revamp your favourite foods

Making small changes like substituting turkey mince for regular beef mince in dishes like spaghetti bolognaise or shepherds' pie, or replacing half the meat with a can of lentils can make a real difference. Another easy way to cut the calories and add important vitamins to recipes is to add extra vegetables.


8. Think before you drink

Choosing a tall skinny latte (167cals) rather than a tall regular latte (212cals), can save 45 calories - it may not seem much but at the end of the day every little helps. Calories in drinks can add up fast and are sometimes called silent calories because the body doesn't really register them in the same way as it does food.


9. Sit up straight while you eat

If you sit up straight while you eat you will feel full quicker than if you slouch. Australian researchers say sitting up straight lets food get to the lower part of your stomach faster, making you feel full quicker.


10. Get that minty fresh taste

Brush your teeth, rinse your mouth with mouthwash or chew some gum as soon as you've finished eating. The minty taste in your mouth will remind you that you have finished eating and stop you picking at leftovers. If you find yourself nibbling while you cook you're not alone, many women consume as many calories while they are cooking the evening meal as they do when they sit down to eat it.


11. Start your meal with salad or a bowl of soup

A bowl of soup will help fill your stomach so you won't eat so much at the next course, choose vegetable based or clear broth type soups. One study showed that when people had soup as a first course the total number of calories eaten that meal was reduced by 20%. In the summer swap soup for a salad (with fat free dressing) which works in the same way.


12. Pump up the protein

One of the reason for the popularity and success of the Atkins diet was that people didn't feel hungry while they were on it, the reason for this is that protein rich foods like meat, dairy and fish take longer to digest and remain in the stomach for longer than fats or carbs so they help you feel full for longer. If you do want to try pumping up the protein as a way of losing weight it's important to choose your proteins carefully - many protein rich foods come packaged with a hefty dose of calories so it's important to choose lean and low fat protein sources like lean meat, fish, yoghurt, skimmed and semi skimmed milk products


13. Eat an apple before each meal

Chewing helps to improve satiety, so swap soft foods which don't require much chewing for crunchy ones. In one study in Washington, 346 people were asked to eat an apple before 20 minutes before each meal. Without making any of conscious changes to their diet participants lost an average one-and-a-half stones in just 3 months.


14. To stop yourself picking at food, suck a mint or chew some gum

If your tastebuds are active, you are less likely to be tempted by the sight of food. Also, if you are going out for the evening or for a meal, eat some low, fat protein before you go, to balance your blood sugar and help you avoid the bread basket or nibbles.


15. Be snack smart

The hungrier you are when you start to eat the longer it takes your hunger to subside. So the hungrier you are, the more you need to eat before you feel full. The best way to avoid getting over hungry is to eat every 3-4 hours - 3 small meals with a couple of healthy snacks between. Protein rich snacks (like a yogurt, boiled egg or a glass of skimmed milk) or fibre rich snacks (oatcakes or dried fruits) are the best choice for promoting satiety.


16. Go easy with the salad dressing

One tablespoon of vinaigrette contains 99 calories so stick with drizzle of balsamic with a squeeze of lemon or place your favourite salad dressing in an oil mister and lightly spray salad leaves with dressing, which will help reduce the amount you need to use.


17. Watch yourself while you're eating

Studies show that eating in front of a mirror reduces the amount of calories consumed.


18. Make your carbs count

To keep help keep blood sugar levels stable choose low Gi carbs like oats, basmati rice, beans and pulses. A drop in blood sugar levels is picked up by the brain which starts to send out ‘I'm hungry signals' to the stomach.


19. Spice up your food

Overeating and food cravings can be a sign of an underlying search for flavour. Spicy food will satisfy your taste buds quicker so add a pinch of dried chillies or serve meals with a side of salsa.


20. Believe you can do it

Visualise the new slimmer you and keep that image in your mind. Research shows that people who believed they could lose weight and keep it off were more likely to succeed.

 

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