The Hierarchy of Weight loss

When it comes to diets, as with most things. The more you get right, the more chance you have of achieving the results you want. It can be very hard to get everything right from the start, so prioritise the things that will have the biggest impact.

1. Get yourself into a calorie deficit, if you’re not burning more calories than you’re consuming, you can’t lose weight.

2. Eat enough protein. Protein is very filling, meaning you’re less likely to reach for the biscuit tin. It will also help to maintain your muscle mass, ensuring that weight you lose is primarily from fat. The exact amount you should be eating varies from person to person, but 1g or protein per 1lb of bodyweight is a good target.

3. Carb and fat content in a diet isn’t actually that important, once you’re hitting your calorie and protein targets. If you like fatty foods, go lower carb and higher fat. If you prefer carby foods, do the opposite. Just be aware that the calories will stack up very quickly on a high fat diet.

A simple tip to limit weight gain this Christmas

Let’s face it, over the next few weeks, most of us are going to over indulge. We do it every Christmas. Then every January, we look in the mirror and worry that things are softer than they were a month before. In reality, most of us won’t gain THAT much weight. And most of what we do gain will be water. We’ll lose it pretty quickly, once life gets back to normal. If though, you are worried about weight gain. There is one very simple thing you can do, which will stop things getting out of hand.. Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to skip desert, or to avoid having fun this Christmas.

All you need to do, is say no to the last drink of the night. When someone says “one more for the road?”, or “fancy a night cap”. Just say no! I know it doesn’t sound like much, but all of those one last drinks, can really stack up. Consider that most pints of beer contain around 200 calories, some upwards of 250. A small mulled wine contains around 230 calories. A glass of wine is likely to be between 175 and 275 calories, depending on the size, type and strength of the wine in question. Oh and that festive Bailey’s.. a standard 50mi measure, contains 175 calories. What’s also worth considering, these numbers are just the drinks themselves. They don’t account for anything you decide to nibble on, once your inhibitions are lowered!

You might be thinking, we’re looking at around 200, maybe 250 calories. How much difference is that really going to make? Well, let’s look at that over the 2-3 week period around Christmas. Let’s say you drink on 10 separate occasions during that period. The maths is pretty simple. By saying no to that final drink, you’re saving yourself from an EXTRA 2000-2500 calories! According to NHS guidelines, that’s a days worth of food and drink.

So let your hair down this Christmas, over indulge a little, have fun! Just stop one drink sooner than you might be tempted.