Ever wondered why you did not fit in to Rip Curl’s new mini skirt or found yourself borrowing Dad’s Billabong tee as opposed to your own? Thing is, you never remember overeating. Thing is, you recall gaining another dress size. What most people fail to realise is that gaining weight is a slow and steady process. The shedding of fat too, is an equally slow, steady and tedious process.

Exercise

Yes, you have heard the sentiment, only hundred and one times before. It is insufficient for one to purely maintain a healthy diet or even indulge in occasional crash diets. It is also important that you exercise regularly in order to maintain good metabolism and in the long run, a healthy lifestyle.

Exercise also guarantees farewells to those extra kilos. If you new to the whole weight loss game, two words of advice: start small. Begin your routines with a few minutes every day or every other day, or regularise a pattern to suit your work schedule.

Eat More

So how is it possible to lose weight be eating more? Well, by having six to seven small meals a day as opposed to three square meals.

Well, how do a few small meals help? The key lies in consuming food to satiate an immediate hunger. This leads to smaller portions and regular intervals between meals thereby ensuring that you do not eat plates full of food morning, noon and night.

Eat more protein. Protein is one of the most vital nutrients and, if you didn’t know, it fills you up first and fast. The next time you serve a plate of food, remember to go for the meat. This way you will not only eat less food but also stay away from the all-fattening carbohydrates.

Eat Home Cooked Meals

You might be surprised, but eating at home has more to offer than saving money. What’s more, food prepared indoors always has far less or none food additives in comparison to food sold at restaurants and consequently, healthier.

Drink More

Known as the wise man’s drink, water is the best drink anyone could indulge in. Too much of it would be problematic for some, but it is advised that an average individual drinks approximately 2.5 litres of water a day.

The benefits of water are many. Firstly, water accounts for nearly 60 percent of your body weight. Secondly, having a glass of water before each meal is a good thing because it occupies space in your stomach that may have been otherwise substituted by food.

Friends with Benefits

Friends are more than just shoulders to cry on and individuals with peer-knowledge. Friends are also pivotal in the weight-shedding process. Next time you want to sign up for the new personal training programme down your lane, take your bestie along. Boot camps and personal training sessions are made more fun when there is someone else for company and complaining.

Stay away from Low-Fat

Be warned: Devondale Slim might mean less fat but it also makes you lazy. Interestingly enough research shows that consuming low fat or non-fat food makes people shun exercising. Word of advice: continue consumption of full cream or low fat dairy products – since there is no difference – and also continue with the regularised patterns of exercise.

Lose Technology

Modern day technology is one of the key reasons that the fat you shed is not kept at bay.

The television was once called the “idiot-box” for a reason. The present generation substitutes the internet for a reason and content is one of them. However, besides the overdose of non-knowledge that is imparted through the television, food and the device has a negative social correlation.

Are you familiar with the phrase, “couch potato?” Yes, the television and food bring that tag too. Furthermore, the stereotypical couch potato is not a pretty sight and shows no signs of shedding the kilos we call fat.

Furthermore, using mobiles, computers, tablets or any other device that is primarily out there to entertain keeps people away from the main objective of food – nutrition and to some extent, bliss. The main cause for concern arises when most people are not aware of the nutrients that the plate in hand comprises. This also leads to food not being savoured and ultimately, the essence lost.