OK, hands up everyone who\u2019s over-indulged in rich food, alcohol, chocolates, snacks, cakes, mince pies and other fat and sugar-laden goodies during the festive period. All but the most virtuous of us like to have a bit of a blow-out \u2013 and there\u2019s nothing wrong with that. After all, we\u2019re going to lose the extra pounds in the New Year aren\u2019t we?<\/p>\n
You won\u2019t be surprised to hear that the most common New Year\u2019s resolution is to lose weight. Small wonder, then, that every time you switch on the TV there\u2019s an advert for Weight Watchers, Lighter Life, The Special K Challenge or Slim Fast. Gyms also capitalise on the \u2018New Year, New Me\u2019 mindset by offering discounted 12-month memberships (payable upfront). Then there are the enthusiastic New Year joggers \u2013 I\u2019ve never seen so many of them huffing and puffing past my window!<\/p>\n
The question is: how long will these \u2018I\u2019m going to shift two stone and run a marathon\u2019 pledges last? The answer in the majority of cases is generally less than three weeks. So why do so many diets and exercise regimes fail before they\u2019ve reached the first hurdle? (Pardon the pun.)<\/p>\n
Well, firstly we live in a society where we expect instant results; if we haven\u2019t lost half a stone in the first week or if we don\u2019t have abs like Peter Andre in the first week we\u2019re disappointed. Even if we do lose quite a few pounds in the first instance, the rate of our weight loss declines rapidly afterwards and we feel frustrated. It might even plateau and we don\u2019t lose a single pound for a few weeks even though we\u2019re convinced that all we\u2019ve eaten is half a banana and a mixed green salad. We think \u2018what\u2019s the point in starving myself and feeling miserable if I\u2019m not losing any weight?\u2019 and to console ourselves we reach for the comfort food.<\/p>\n
Equally, the fitness fervour you had at the beginning of January begins to wane. You start by buying a new pair of trainers and getting up early to go for a run or a circuit training session at the gym before work. By the third week you\u2019ve kicked the jogging into touch and instead of visiting the gym every day, you\u2019re only going twice a week. By the end of February you\u2019re going once a week, but only if it\u2019s not raining and there\u2019s nothing good on telly…..<\/p>\n
The accepted fact is that around 95% of diets fail, generally in the first few weeks and only a small proportion of dieters achieving their ideal weight manage to maintain it for over a year. So what should we be doing instead? Here are a few thoughts.<\/p>\n
You are far more likely to succeed with an exercise plan if you choose something that you really enjoy doing and don’t focus on trying to lose weight . If you hate going to the gym, don\u2019t go. Go for long walks instead, dance, go to yoga or pilates, take up badminton, squash, table tennis, netball or kick a football about in the park. Last year, film maker, Michael Moore, started doing a 30 minute walk every day, and as a consequence lost weight without\u00a0even trying or stressing about it – along with\u00a0thousands of his\u00a0Twitter followers who also took up the challenge! His motto,\u00a0“Walk to walk and nothing else – and the other stuff will take care of itself”, seems like a good plan!<\/p>\n
Remember also that you do need to include fat in your diet. Just because a product is labelled \u2018low fat\u2019 it won\u2019t necessarily help you to lose weight. Fat equals flavour and you will find that products of this kind compensate for the reduction in fat by adding sugars and sweeteners.<\/p>\n
If you are serious about losing weight and improving your health then eat sensible portions, include plenty of vegetables, drink plenty of water and try to reduce your carbohydrate intake.\u00a0Also, try\u00a0to limit the amount of processed food you consume, including flour.<\/p>\n
Simple changes like having a bowl of soup for lunch a couple of times a week instead of sandwiches, and for example, having a latte and a cake every Friday as a treat instead of every day can make quite a difference.<\/p>\n
Dr Verner Wheelock, our Chairman, has undertaken considerable research which shows that it\u2019s not how fat you are, but how fit you are that is the more important health issue. According to his findings someone who is considered \u2018overweight\u2019 yet fit is less likely to die early from health-related issues than somebody in the BMI \u2018normal\u2019 or \u2018underweight\u2019 categories. So, if you\u2019re currently agonising over not being able to fasten your jeans that\u2019s some real food for thought!<\/p>\n
Verner will be publishing his research findings this year in his blog at\u00a0www.vernerwheelock.com It makes very interesting reading and turns traditional low fat nutritional guidelines advocated by the Government and many other health institutions on its head.<\/p>\n