When starting to adopt lifestyle habits into your daily life, it’s better to start slowly and up the tempo gradually! Here are some ways to start those small changes:

When eating out:

• Don’t pig out: Figure out what you are going to eat in advance. Avoid starters, and choose veg as a side. Try avoid potato, chips, mash or bread as a side. If you take rice, half maximum 6 tablespoons of the portion.
• Get salad dressing on the side: Restaurants usually put about a quarter cup of dressing on a salad, which is often too many calories. Best to stick with 1 to 2 tablespoons. Dip your fork into the dressing and then into the salad. Otherwise, have a tablespoon of olive oil and two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.

 At home:

• Pace you eating: Force yourself to eat more slowly and savor each bite. This allows you to feel fuller, quicker. The faster we eat, the more you will eat in order to feel full
• Hydrate before meals: Drink two glasses of water before meals may help you eat less.
• Downsize plates and bowls: Using smaller versions of your serving ware will help you eat less and help with portion control.
• Adopt the motto “after 8 is too late” for food/snacks after dinner.

• Sleep: Sleep deprivation alters levels of hormones in the body that regulate hunger, causing an increase in appetite.

Food choices:

• Spring clean: Start by evaluating the content of you cupboards and fridge. Get rid of all the high calorie food, the highly processsed foods, as well as junk that may sabotage your weight loss journey.
• Plan your meals ahead of time: for example, if you want to have a salad daily, make a week supply and store in your fridge. That way you’re less likely to make an unhealthy last-minute food choice, and it is easily accessible.
• Never skip a meal: This causes your body to go into a fat-storing starvation mode, making it harder to burn calories. Eat regular meals and snacks. Make sure you have some protein foods such as yogurt, tuna, beans etc. for most meals. Protein helps you feel full longer.
• Go hard core: Cut out sugar in your tea, coffee and cereal. Don’t bake with lots of sugar. Cut out liquid calories by eliminate cold drinks and sugary drinks. This includes iced tea, sports drinks and alcoholic beverages. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
• Treat yourself: Allow yourself one high- calorie snack daily. This means one biscuit, or two blocks of chocolate, and stick to that! When you have met a personal weight loss step (eg. 2-3 kg per month), treat yourself to something — but not food. Buy a CD or DVD you’ve been wanting, by a new piece of clothing or go out to a movie with a friend.