Losing weight is regularity and structure. Tip of the week 33

It is important to bring regularity and structure to your life and your (new) diet while losing weight.

Here are some tips to keep up your healthy lifestyle and not fall back into your old, less healthy, habits.

• Make it a habit to do your morning before or after breakfast menu of the day ready to go. This can be in written form on a piece of paper, or literally by preparing (for example) an apple, a bowl with a spoon (for the yoghurt) and a rice cracker (in aluminium foil) on a dedicated tray or placemat.
• Eat at regular times so that your body can adjust to this and also indicate 'cravings' only when it is actually time to eat something. A regular eating pattern is not only good for fighting hunger, it also regulates digestion and bowel movements! (No more stomach cramps/nausea or bloating.)
• Take a glass of water as standard before and after every meal, with or without an apple cider vinegar capsule (before meals) or fish oil capsule (after meals). Then you won't be able to forget easily.
• After your breakfast, lunch or dinner (or when you come home from shopping or work), immediately turn on the kettle or whistling kettle to make tea or if you are not hungry for tea, fill a half-litre bottle with water and put it by your side. Make this a habit!
• Every evening, make a shopping list for the next day. Think about what you want to eat the next day and write down what you need. This will prevent you from buying too much unnecessarily. This is not only good for your waistline but also for your wallet!
• Try to go to bed at the same time every evening (e.g. to do some more reading and/or watch TV) and go to sleep. I myself, for example, really like going to bed at 10pm, and watching some quiet TV or reading until 00am. Then I actually go to sleep. The alarm goes off at 08.00h, when I have had exactly the eight hours of sleep my body needs to feel good and function well during the day. How many hours of sleep do you need? And do you actually sleep these hours? If not, try adjusting this to your daily rhythm (routine).

This week you may also weigh yourself! Click >HERE for handy weighing and measuring tips.

 

The above text previously appeared in the Balance book. The book is now sold out, but may still be available to order second-hand via the link below.

The Balance Book

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