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When it comes to achieving weight loss, the simplest approach would be to calorie count. However, recent research has found that the average slimmer greatly underestimates the amount of calories they are ingesting, leading to unnecessary weight gain instead of weight loss…
This problem stems from 2 factors – the misrepresentation of calories on food labels and our own inner denial about the foods we consume.
For instance, how many times have you forgotten to add a biscuit to your daily intake believing its calorie value is insignificant or have overlooked the amount of tea or orange juice you have drunk during the day?
Without even consciously being aware of it, many of us are sabotaging our diets simply by not registering exactly we are eating.
What should I do?
To achieve lasting, healthy weight loss many health advisors recommend eating no fewer than 1,200-1,500 calories a day. This provides your body with the sufficient nutrients it needs to function whilst encourages it to use your fat stores to create energy and thus help you to lose weight.
But what else should you be doing?
1. Keep a food journal – to ensure you are not accidentally consuming more calories than you think, consider keeping a food journal where you can record everything you eat and drink, as well the amount of calories each contains.
Food journals are an incredible way to spot the weak points in your diet and recognise your triggers.
2. Educate yourself – not all calories are good calories, so whilst you may think you are eating only 1,200 calories a day, if these are based on processed foods which are high in fat and sugar, this can hinder your weight loss.
Similarly, whilst pasta, rice and potatoes etc are recommended for diets; if you do not exercise enough to burn off these carbohydrates, these calories will be turned into stored fat that is harder to burn.
3. Read the label – whilst not all products, such as vegetables, contain calorie figures, it is still possible to research the calorie content of all your favourite foods thanks to the internet.
The trick is to remember to read all your labels, and accurately calculate the calories in each of your portions/drinks. Approximating these figures will cause you to unconsciously underestimate them, and let you eat more than you think.
4. Measure your portions – most product labels these days tell you how many calories there are in the whole product as well as per a particular portion size. Whilst these indicators on portion sizes are helpful, unless you know the exact weight of what you are eating, it is easy to let yourself eat more but make yourself believe you have eaten their recommended portion.
Here is where swapping pre-cooked processed foods for freshly made meals comes in handy. By cooking all your meals from scratch, you can monitor exactly how much you are eating and control your calorie intake. Similarly, by cooking for yourself you can learn more about portion sizes and the real weight of ingredients.
If however, after all this you are still struggling to lose weight, incorporating a weight loss supplement into your diet can help. Taken as part of a healthy lifestyle, natural fat binder Proactol has been clinically proven to bind up to 28% of your dietary fat intake, suppress your appetite, improve your cholesterol levels and boost your energy levels - the perfect combination for revitalising your weight loss safely and without risk.
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