5 top tips for healthy weight loss

If you’re carrying a few more pounds than you’d like check out our 5 top tips for healthy weight loss and shifting that excess for good

1. Drink up
It sounds simple, and it is, but it can be incredibly effective. People often confuse being thirsty with being hungry. Starving? Grab a bottle of water before you reach for the biscuit tin. It’ll fill you up and you may find those ‘hunger pangs’ disappear almost instantly.

2. Train smart
Make sure you include some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) sessions in your workout regime. Short burst of hard work, followed by a rest period or lower intensity work are a great way to burn fat. Slow and steady sessions, just don’t have the same effect. In fact, an Australian study, found that people following a 20-minute HIIT programme lost six times more body fat than a group that followed a 40-minute steady state cardio programme.

3. Prioritise protein
Lean protein is a great way to fill you up without filling you out. Try to include a good serving of protein at every meal – poached or scrambled eggs for brekkie, chicken at lunch and salmon for dinner is a winning combo. Yum yum!

4. Lift it sister
Shying away from the weights room? Think again. A study at Penn State University explored the effect of training on three groups of participants – those doing no exercise, aerobic exercise only, or aerobic exercise and weight training – participants in all three groups lost around 21 pounds, but those who lifted weights shed six more pounds of fat than those who didn’t hit the weights room. What are you waiting for?

5. Say no to sugar
It maybe sweet as pie but this little nasty is guaranteed to see you piling on the pounds. And we’re not just talking about the spoonful in your tea. Sugar means chocolate, cakes and biscuits, but also means processed foods such as sauces, refined carbohydrates, sports drinks and cereal bars. Cut out the sweet stuff and you won’t believe the difference it makes to your waistline.