50 OF THE BEST EASY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS
Always change your workouts after 7 days.
Aim to do 3 quick toning sessions a week as this increases the active muscle tissue that speeds up your metabolism.
Take two stairs at a time and avoid using a handrail, you use more muscles and engage your core tummy muscles.
Do 4 minute HIIT workouts to melt off belly fat.
First thing in the morning do 30 star jumps or 2 minutes marching on the spot, to speed up your calorie burn.
Jump off the couch when the TV adverts come on and march on the spot this can burn off approximately 30 calories in 3 minutes.
Don’t just stand there! Do calf raises while brushing your teeth,
When you are on the phone, stand up and walk around instead of just sitting.
Watching TV come down onto the floor and do some ab crunches.
Pull your tummy in and hold for 10 seconds, do this 10 times and do it twice every day, helps tone your abs and makes your core stronger and burns a few more calories.
Follow the 80 – 20 rule , which means eating healthy foods 80 percent of the time, and indulge in a little bit of what you fancy 20% of the time.
Keep a food diary for 5 days and be honest with everything, this will highlight what you need to change and make you think twice.
Get some sticky notes and put on your fridge and write some quotes on being healthy, will make you think twice on your food choices before you open the fridge.
Once a week, measure your waist, this is the best way to keep an eye on your weight and weight loss, far better than stepping on weighing scales.
When sugary cravings strike, do some self-pampering like, have a bath, paint your nails or a face pack.
Be in bed by 10:30pm as getting your 7-8 hours will help stop you feeling tired the next day which then can make you miss workouts and cause extra snacking.
Swap the baggy tracksuit and oversized jumper, as these comfy clothes can encourage being lazy, whereas fitted clothes re enforce being active and help encourage better posture.
Cut up a load of vegetables and have them in a tupperware box in the fridge ready to grab when you need a snack.
Best tip of all don’t buy junk food or sugary snacks, as simple as that.
When waiting for the kettle to boil march or jog on the spot.
Keep your fiber topped up by always eating the whole meal versions, in other words, go for brown bread, instead of white bread, go for whole meal pasta instead of white pasta, brown rice instead of white rice.
Add some oats to a smoothie to keep you fuller for longer.
Be sure to always have your breakfast, as this instantly speeds up your calorie burn.
Put protein on your plate for both breakfast and lunch as is suppresses ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates your appetite.
Fiber is your friend as it will help to prevent bloating from constipation.
Get your carbs right, and limit the bad carbs, like cakes, muffins and bagels, instead go for pitta breads, oatcakes and sweet potatoes.
Always order small, this will cut the calorie consumption as large will always be triple the amount of calories.
Don’t grab a croissant and coffee on the run, as this super high in fat and calories, instead go for a banana and green tea.
Make your own pancakes with just 2 ingredients, watch this video here.
The great grapefruit is perfect to add to breakfast instead of a juice drink, and what makes it great is this fruit aids in weight loss,
Don’t obsess over counting calories but be aware of how many are in the foods you eat
Plan your meals in advance, and use Sunday evenings as time to look online to find healthy recipe’s and order online your ingredients.
Adds some seeds to your soups and salads, to increase the fibrer and protein and make the meal feel more satisfying.
Get rid of fizzy sodas and stop drinking huge amounts of calories, and instead go for fizzy water and add in chopped fruit.
Resize your dinner plates, and go for a side plate as your main plate.
Have a complete sugar free day at least 3 days a week.
Have a glass of water with every meal.
Keep snacks to 100 calories or fewer.
Go for foods with higher based water content, such as cucumber, celery, melon and tomatoes, as these will help fill you up and prevent bloating.
When a sugary cravings get the better of you, go for dark chocolate.
Make your own low calorie and low fat ice cream by using frozen bananas with a little cocoa powder and honey.
Make pasta using vegetables like carrots or courgettes instead of traditional pasta spaghetti.
Don’t dial a pizza instead make your own, by using a whole meal tortilla under the grill with a little low fat cheese and roasted cherry tomatoes.
Move every 20 minutes give yourself a reminder on your computer or phone to encourage yourself to get up and walk around, as this helps keep your metabolism high.
Be smart when it comes to your cereals, as often these can have more sugar in them than sweets.
Be a fidget, the more you move simply the more calories your body burns.
Add some ice to a glass of water as this helps you burn a few more calories.
Add some fast bursts of walking to your walks, just for 20 seconds walk faster then come back to a normally walking pace, keep alternating, not only will you arrive quicker but you will melt off more calories.
Go for a black coffee instead of a white one, as skipping on the milk, helps reduce the calories.
HEALTHY SNACK
A BIG HIGH FIVE TO CROUTONS – AS THESE CAN INSTANTLY ADD SOME CRUNCH AND FULLNESS TO ANY DISH.
TIP: Make a big batch at the beginning of the week, then store these in an air tight jar which will last you several days.
Let’s start with the these delicious sweet ones, which are Honey and Coconut Croutons, these you can sprinkle on top of your yoghurt, or add to a smoothie, even add some crunch to ice cream or sorbet.
Then you can give your savoury croutons an injection of extra goodness by adding the superfood that is beetroot , these brighten up any salad and give more taste and a great crunch, these also work well in soups and are great with scrambled eggs.
Plus you can simply just have them to accompany any snack, so this is why croutons are a great healthy food accessory and you can watch my full video on how to make these by clicking down below on the YouTube video, but in short it is simply, mixing your cubed bread with whatever flavour you chose, and in a bowl making sure your bread pieces are coated evenly, then on a baking tray place them evenly, and simply at about 400 degrees cook for about 8 minutes or until, golden and crispy, then remove allow to cool then place in an air tight container and these will last you for a few days.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
HOW TO SLEEP BETTER
Do you know that sleeping is a big part of having a healthy lifestyle and can greatly improve your health? If you struggle with getting a good night’s sleep, then these following tips will help you sleep soundly and wake up feeling refreshed. This will not only make you feel better, but it can also help to improve your memory, increase your energy, control your appetite, lift your mood, manage your weight, and boost your immune system.
1: SWITCH OFF TO SOCIAL: Switch off your phone, and do this at least 45 minutes before bedtime and not in bed. Two reasons: social media, depending on what you read or see, can heighten your stress levels; also the brightness that comes from the screen on your device associates it with daylight, so can release hormones associated with waking up to daylight.
2: READ A BOOK: A nice easy read, with a warm bedside lamp, will help your mind unwind and ease you gently to a peaceful sleep,
3: SET A TIME AND SET A ROUTINE: During the week it is a really good idea to set a regular time and always be in bed at the time. The ideal time to be in bed is between 10 – 10.30 pm, and, if you can, make this your Monday-to-Friday must, as we all work better with a set routine, and your body clock will adjust to this.
4: SLEEP SPACE: Try not to sleep in a room with clutter and mess, keep your sleep space clear. So even if you are a little messy, just always keep that bedroom tidy.
5: LISTEN TO RELAXING AUDIO: Close your eyes and listen to some relaxing sounds online. You can find lots of peaceful noises to drift off to – streams running, owls, or even light rain. And I have created a relaxing meditation to help your mind switch off and drift to a peaceful place to fall asleep. Have a quick listen here to a snippet of my calming audio:
6: COSY BEDDING: When you think about how important sleep is for your health, it is worth investing in comfortable bedding, so make sure you have a good mattress and nice duvet and sheets. And maybe instead of buying that expensive dress just invest in delicious bedding, remembering all the benefits you will get from that good night’s sleep.
7: RELAX: If you wake up in the middle of the night or early hours don’t panic and put yourself under pressure. Just try and relax, and remember even just lying in bed is your body resting, and when you get yourself worked up you will then take longer to get back to sleep. So just chill and lie there, and think of a dream holiday, or take yourself off to a magical place.
8: PILLOW PERFUME: Scents are a great way of calming us, and my personal favourite is a little spray of lavender on my pillow.
9: BEDTIME DRINK: Try and avoid any stimulants such as coffee or alcohol before bedtime, and instead try a mug of hot milk, or a chamomile tea to help you relax.
10: CREATE A DREAM BOOK:This is something I do, if I find I have lots of stress and I want to switch off. I have a notebook full of my own little creative headings that I think of, and fall asleep to, so creating a dream.
20 TIPS ON HOW TO GET RID OF BELLY FAT
Get ready to see your waistline shrink and that belly fat melt away with these 20 tips, and even if you just apply 10 out of the 20 you will see those inches melt away. And as a trainer with over 25 years experience I know how to get results. Check out the pictures on the right here from my workouts and plans.
Tip 1: Cut back on the cocktails, as alcohol is full of calories and it is like a magnet to your waistline, so you don’t need to completely cut it out but just cut back.
Tip 2: Swap tea for coffee, with extra milk, syrups and fancy toppings are stacked sky high full of calories, so swap for tea instead.
Tip 3: Don’t buy it, so for me I have such a sweet tooth and I know for a fact if I buy a packet of biscuits there is no way on the earth they are going to stay in a draw and slowly be eaten over a month, they will be in a matter of minutes, so I simply don’t buy them, avoiding the temptation.
Tip 4: 4 days a week ban sugar, okay so we know sugar is everywhere, but if you can try and do 4 day’s a week and have a complete ban from it, you will see amazing results and this gives you a great way to explore new foods and snacks.
Tip 5: Turn the TV into your trainer, and every time those ads come on jump off the sofa and get marching or do high knees on the spot, then you can sit back down on that sofa and be burning off heaps more calories for the next episode.
Tip 6: Be a Cinderella and be in bed before 10:30pm as lack of sleep can cause havoc on your metabolism and slows it down.
Tip 7: Walk away from that craving, when you have a sugary craving come and tap you on the shoulder, just put on your trainers, and head out for a quick walk, this will boost your energy levels and crush that craving in seconds.
Tip 8: Brush your teeth more than just twice a day, brush after every meal, that way you are less likely to crave sugary things when you have that minty fresh feeling in your mouth.
Tip 9: Be super smart and never fall for any silly, pill, drink, magic potion, or gadget to help you melt off those excess lbs, the only way to do it is with the right nutrition, movement and being patient, this way it stays off for good.
Tip 10: Distract your mind from that sugary craving by painting your nails, and by the time they have dried that sugary craving will have vanished.
Tip 11: Swap sodas for your own homemade fizzy drink, make a pitcher of it with fizzy water and all your favourite fruit slices in it.
Tip 12: Make you own popcorn, it is so easy then, and make a big batch it lasts for ages in an air tight container, then add a little bit of cinnamon powder and a vanilla pod to give it flavour.
Tip 13: Do your lunges (or any other compound toning moves) as these done 3 – 4 times a week will keep your body burning calories at it’s optimal level.
Tip 14: Mix it up, don’t always do the same workout as your body gets use to it, so everyday shock it, with a new workout and get maximum results (and with over 700 free workout videos on my YouTube Channel I have enough to keep you going for 2 years)
Tip 15: Become a number one avocado fan, as these fruits are great for belly fat busting as these will keep you fuller for longer the have healthy fats to keep your body burning off calories faster.
Tip 16: If you have large plates and bowls then do what the Greek do and smash them, and go and buy some small ones as this way you can easily get those portions sizes right with each meal, (and larger plates can often mean double the calories- which heads straight to the tummy)
Tip 17: Stress not only makes us frown but it can also increase higher levels of cortisol, and when this happens it can increase appetite and drive excess calories to store fat on our tummy. Easier said than done, but try and do less of the things that cause you stress.
Tip 18: First thing in the morning do one of the following depending on your fitness level, sitting on the edge of the bed do 20 punches up towards the ceiling. Or standing up do 20 alternating knee lifts, or 20 star jumps, any 3 of these will kick start your calorie burning process into gear.
Tip 19: Become a Master Chef, and start being creative in the kitchen, and cut out processed food as processed often equals high sugar and high fat, so getting cooking and you still keep it simple, just like this eating plan which is taken from my 21 Day Lose a Muffin Top Plan:
Tip 20: Try this for a day
Breakfast: Mashed avocado with a squeeze of lime on wholemeal toast
Snack: Cucumber sticks with cottage cheese and poppy seeds
Lunch: Tuna, butter and kidney bean salad with rocket and red onion and drizzle of virgin extra olive oil
Snack: 1 Peach and a few cashew nuts
Dinner: Garlic and Ginger prawns with brown rice and baby sweetcorn
WALKING TO LOSE WEIGHT
Walking is one of the best ways to lose weight and melt off inches and look after your health. The secret to getting it right is is to walk at a brisk enough pace, and within my Audio Walking Workout we focus on doing short bursts of faster walking (high intensity interval training). This is where I coach you to walk a little faster so the effort feels more challenging. These are only for between 20-40 seconds, and then we bring the intensity back down. This has an amazing effect your bodies ability to burn calories , as it produces an effect known as EPOC (excessive post oxygen consumption). So this is the really exciting bit, because by adding these intervals it means you get an after effect burn, so this is where your body burns calories at a higher rate for hours after you have finished exercising. This can burn off an extra 35 calories an hour and can stay at an elevated rate for up to 10 hours, so you can see why I get excited about this, and why weight loss then becomes easy, as that is going to be an extra 350 calories you burn off even after exercising. So now you can start to see that by doing interval walking is how you can melt off those inches.
Believe it or not, walking can turn back the clock, so not only are you losing weight but your are treating your body and will get that beautiful glow and radiance after your walk, this is simply because when we workout we help to promote the hormone that is responsible for fighting ageing, which is known as Human Growth Hormone (HGH). In our 30’s this hormone naturally starts to decrease, and the result of this is we lose the plumpness and radiance in our skin, so this is why as we age our skin texture and looks start to change! And in Hollywood people pay fortunes to have injections which contain HGH Hormone just so they can improve the look of their skin, but the good news is that you can actually re stimulate and increase this hormone, and we do this simply by exercise, as exercise increases the production of it. And especially when you are exercising regularly, your body will then be producing this hormone back into your system. What this results in is that you boost your collagen levels, so it plumps up your skin, which can help reduce fine lines, and it can give you the radiance back in your skin (whatever your age).
Pace 1 = This would be the average pace you would walk around home.
Pace 2 = This would be a slightly faster pace, but you would still be able to hold a full conversation on your mobile phone whilst walking, so probably the pace you would walk to bus.
Pace 3 = This would be walking at a brisk pace and you would not be able to hold a full conversation, only answer with a yes or no, and you would feel slightly out of breath! You are now on a winner, as this is the optimal walking speed you need, to melt off excess body fat, plump up your kin with that dose of HGH hormone and lose those inches.
Pace 4 = Walking so fast you are locking out all your joints and look similar to the road-race walkers, and feel so out of breath you can’t speak! Well this is too much, and you need to reduce that pace back down to a Level 3.
LISTEN HERE TO A SNIPPET OF MY AUDIO WEIGHT LOSS WALKING WORKOUT
HOW TO LOSE BELLY FAT WITH THE RIGHT FOODS
As I always say to all my clients when they ask how to get a flat tummy or a flat belly, that to get your best abs you need to focus on 3 things: exercise, toning, and the biggest player of all, what you eat.
So instead of just thinking of a flat belly diet – simply focus on these foods, as they will help to get rid of excess belly fat and lose the belly bloat, so add these to your weekly shopping list, and here are the reasons why these foods are the best way to help you reduce belly fat
1 EGGS
Boiled, smashed, poached – however you have them, eggs truly are a great choice to have in your diet when it comes to banishing belly fat. The reason being that they have a very low glycemic index and are very filling, making them a perfect choice.
2 BERRIES
Berries are a must, and you should go for red or blue with your berries, as the chemicals in charge of giving these fruits their colours are called “anthocyanins”, and research has shown these can help burn abdominal fat.
3 DARK CHOCOLATE (yes you read that right)
Believe it or not this which in my eyes is one of the wonders of the world :)) as I love chocolate, can actually help reduce belly fat and this is because it helps to stabilizie our blood sugar, controlling appetite and reducing cravings.
4 ALMONDS
Let’s go nuts about almonds, as they help to stabilize blood sugars, which helps to prevent cravings that can lead to overeating and weight gain.
5 APPLES
An apple a day helps to keep the belly fat away, and this is because they are high in fiber and they are also high in water, which helps you feel full.
6 YOGHURT
Whether you go Greek or just low-fat, yogurt helps keep your digestive system healthy and prevents bloating.
7 SALMON
Let’s talk fish. Especially salmon, tuna, or mackerel, as all these are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats help promote fat-burning by making your metabolism more efficient.
8 TOMATOES
Tomatoes can help reduce water retention in the body, and the magic of these fruits is that they also help with reversing leptin resistance. Leptin is a type of protein which helps to control the appetite and metabolic rate, so our bodies rely on it to shed those extra pounds.
9 OATS
Copy goldilocks and go for porridge if you want a flat tummy, as the oats give you energy and fuel your metabolism and help reduce hunger throughout your day.
10 RICE
And let’s add one more that is a real winner and that is brown rice, which is a super friendly flat-tummy food, because it contains a rich supply of energizing B vitamins, which could help you burn calories faster.
So to get your best abs, include these foods, all of which are included in my 4-week Lose The Belly Fat plan, this ebook also has workout videos designed for reducing excess belly fat and the 4 week plan is guaranteed to get results and reduce excess belly fat.
Click here or on the book to find out more details on how this easy to follow plan works.
OBESITY AND HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT
So I was doing my research on obesity, and are you ready for this? A shocking figure of 2.1 Billion (yes billion) of the world’s population are now considered to be overweight or obese!
This is becoming more common and getting to be a bigger problem worldwide, and we seriously need to be doing something about this!
Now weight loss/losing weight is one of the most searched for phrases on the internet – but what is more scary is the search for weight loss tablets or green tea for weight loss. People need to understand that these will never solve the problem, as it is all down to the lifestyle. But those companies making gimmicks for weight loss won’t care if you don’t lose the lbs, as they will be making the £s.
So it’s time now to get smart. The only way to successfully lose weight is to eat clean, eat the right size portions, believe in yourself, and move more. Fact: those 4 things will work.
For years and years as a trainer I have been pulling my hair out with utter frustration, as I can see how so many people suffer with weight issues and then find it just spirals out of control, with the knock-on effect that motivation and self-belief take a nose-dive.
And I see diet companies making billions with crazy diets, and the media doing weight loss programs with a model showing off a six-pack, and then the most unrealistic workouts, that are never going to be suitable for someone who is obese.
I feel desperately sorry for people that are being misinformed, and now with the advantage of being online I am excited that I can reach out with an honest message of how for once we can actually address obesity.
We don’t need to go down the road of weight loss surgery, gastric bands, & so on, as it is simply about teaching the basics, and step-by-step adjusting the lifestyle patterns.
It doesn’t help to give people an intense workout programme that is too uncomfortable if you carry extra weight. The other day I saw a supposed celebrity trainer on a tv show training some women who were all plus sized, and after posing there with his top off for the camera, he got them coming down on to the floor to do really insanely hard exercises! After shaking my head with despair I analysed this, and to me this was all about the trainer showing off, and really not caring about these ladies. And as a result of this they will likely be put off for life after attempting such a ridiculous choice of exercise.
Instead of posing like that, he would have done better to wear a t-shirt to make them feel comfortable, and then go for a walk with them and educate them, by means of a doable workout. But that wasn’t the case, and I imagine that his mission was probably less about helping them and more about how many more followers he could get on social media.
I don’t normally rant, but this gets to me every time, because it is the people struggling with weight issues that we need to help, and yes I am now talking about that 2.1 billion worldwide.
So here is my way that I would go about addressing this epidemic.
First things first, we have to be positive about this and realize that we can address it, as a positive mind gets results and a negative one tells us we can’t, so that we give up before we have even started!
It is not about a quick fix with a drastic diet. It is about learning how to make healthy nutritious food choices, and a big factor too is learning about getting the portion sizes right.
Then whether you call it exercise, fitness, or just healthy activity, simply moving about more is too overlooked when it comes to weight loss. As a trainer, if someone is obese I would not suggest they do any exercises which are going to make them and their joints feel uncomfortable. The perfect choice for getting started is with home indoor walking workouts.
These are low-impact and great calorie burns, and better still are DOABLE – yes, this is the magic word and I will say it again DOABLE. So start off doing these, which are quick and can be done in just 15 minutes. Doing this will guarantee weight loss, and each walk that people do, the fitter they get, and as the weight starts coming off, it becomes a positive spiral. And finally it becomes a lifestyle.
So the way to tackle this for the 2.1 billion is not to go down the failing road of gimmicks (pills, drastic diets, or surgery), but instead just add a little determination, and a lot of education, along with more movement and the right size portions. Then we can start to tackle obesity.
I have specially created this Plus Size 4-week plan, and the proof of it is in the pudding, as this gets the results. And as a trainer with over 25 years’ experience, helping tens of thousands of people lose weight, believe me I know what works, and the first thing is to make them feel good from the start.
BUSY MUMS WORKOUT
This workout will not only burn lots of calories from doing the 20 seconds jogging on the spot but also with the squat and kick means you then tone your bottom, thighs, abs and arms. And the best bit is it is just 4 minutes so you know that those short bursts of 20 seconds jogging on the spot means you can push it to the maximum (which as I mention earlier in this blog it is all about intensity) So give this a go and I promise you after 4 minutes you will have felt that burn.
If you are a super busy mum , then check out Dawns 4 Week Fitness Plan by clicking here.
So let’s be honest here Dawn is not alone as we are all short of time! and the chance of finding a whole hour to workout is next to impossible, as our to do list in our diary is booked up to the max!
But the good news for Dawn and everyone else with hectic lifestyles is that a whole hour of your time is not needed and actually all you need is 4 minutes, and this can even be squeezed in at home with no equipment. So this way at home you can still get in a full body workout in just 4 minutes, which is going to look after your health, tone you up, burn fat and increase your, fitness in less time than it takes to boil the kettle.
Research over the last few years have discovered that the most important part of exercise and fitness is the intensity more than the duration, as if you get the intensity right then you can don’t need to be spending 40 minutes, as these swapping these for HIIT style workouts will actually get better results, plus they are more doable.
So yes in this case LESS really is more when it comes to fitness.
As a Personal trainer for over 25 years (ouch) I have always used shorter intense workout with all my clients and I was ahead of the game and had been doing HIIT way before it became the buzz word in the fitness industry, these dynamic workouts get amazing results and you get a much higher fat burn and the sculpting moves help to tone and tighten in all the right places.
So if you have 4 minutes spare and want a quick fat burning and total body toning workout then try this, and all you need is a stop watch and obviously 4 minutes.
Always spend about a minute or so marching on the spot to ensure you are fully warmed up you can do this by marching on the spot or just going up and down the stairs a few times.
WHAT IS HIIT AND HOW DOES IT WORK
H.I.I.T is the biggest fitness trend and this one is set to stay.
The reason why is that High Intensity Interval Training WORKS!!! And I speak as a Fitness Expert who’s been doing this for 20 years. I first learnt about this style of training when I joined the Army. Back in those days I was seriously unfit, and in fact at school I did no sports and had little confidence. And this was one of the reasons that in my 20’s I decided to sign the dotted line and join the army, as I wanted to become a strong, fit girl. This was one of the best things I could have done, as this is where I challenged myself and changed. Fitness was a big part of our daily training sessions and was always H.I.I.T-based workouts. I found that within 2 weeks I was fit and able to do all the workouts, and had quickly got in shape.
Throughout my 20 years in the fitness industry I have always used this style of training, and for me it is not new. It has actually been around for a long time, but finally the fitness industry has named it and branded it, and now everyone wants to be HIIT FIT.
SO WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF H.I.I.T.?
It is quick. It burns body fat 9 times faster, even after you have worked out.
It increases your natural calorie burn.
It slows down the ageing process as it stimulates the Human Growth Hormone (this is what keeps us looking radiant).
It burns fat, not muscles.
It increases your lung capacity.
It is doable.
It makes training more fun.
And you can do it anywhere.
CAN ANYONE DO IT?
Yes. As a fitness expert I know that we can all get fit Here are 2 of my H.I.I.T Workouts. If you are a complete newbie to exercise, then you can start off with doing an H.I.I.T Walking Workout. This kind of exercise is low impact, but will build up your fitness levels.
H.I.I.T. can be applied to any form of exercise, from swimming to cycling, lunges to skipping. You simply focus on doing short bursts of working at a harder faster intensity, and then have bursts of recovery. These bursts can be from as little as 20 seconds up to 60 seconds, then recovery can be in spells of 10 – 30 seconds.
Here are some results form my 4 MINUTE HIIT WORKOUT BOOK CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE
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