Tips and Tricks of Maintaining Healthy Living

Ithinkimtheking on 10/03/2018 - 08:59
Last edited 10/03/2018 - 09:28 by 1 other user

Hi ozbargainers,

Wanting to keep this short as I'm about to start work.

Having an issue keeping healthy and looking for opinions and ideas to assist in being moderately healthy.

My short term goal is to lose some excess weight. Long term to maintain a healthy diet and exercise.

Understanding commitment and perseverance is key. Wondering what helps you guys stay on track.

Been thinking of visiting a dietician due to my unhealthy eating lately.(have gained roughly 15kg since I've started working)

Looking forward to hearing all the replies and I'll also add in more info after work!

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • Quantumcat on 10/03/2018 - 09:02
    +13

    Find a physical activity you enjoy and do it regularly. If you don't enjoy it and have to make yourself do it then you'll quit eventually.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 11/03/2018 - 20:18
      +2

      …unless you can't get to sleep without doing it.

      • Scrooge McDuck on 11/03/2018 - 21:06
        +16

        In all seriousness, fat loss is mostly down to diet. If you're consuming twice as much as you should be and mostly in processed (aka sugary) foods, you can't practically do enough exercise to work it off.

        • RedSky on 12/03/2018 - 23:39
          +4

          More people need to be aware of this.

          At the risk of sounding conspiratorial, there is a huge amount of financial pressure primarily from the processed / junk food industry to maintain the myth that if you exercise you can eat what you want.

          Short of genetic advantages, metabolism and specific medical conditions, if you're having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, it's the food. This isn't opinion, the science on it is clear at this point:

          https://www.vox.com/2018/1/3/16845438/exercise-weight-loss-m…

          https://www.vox.com/2016/4/28/11518804/weight-loss-exercise-…

        • Mokr on 13/03/2018 - 15:12
          +1

          fat loss is mostly down to diet

          True diet and habits.

          While exercising won't make you lose anything if your diet is crap you can't think of healthy living without trying to see the whole picture.

          You could be at a healthy weight but not at a great fitness level

  • Clear on 10/03/2018 - 09:07
    +35

    One of the small things you can do which pays off in the long term is cut down on the soft drinks. You'll be less dehydrated and your body will be less reliant on sugar.

    What I did was slowly switch to soda water. It takes a few days to get used to it but goes well with meals. I went from having coke every day to every second day and now once a week after a couple of months.

    Another thing to be aware of is the amount of sugar on foods. For some reason heaps of people turn to yoghurt when they try to be healthy. The problem is flavoured yoghurt often contains MORE sugar than fizzy drinks. My suggestion? Unflavoured yoghurt like Greek with fruit. You get a healthier sugar fix.

    • mskeggs on 10/03/2018 - 09:26
      +16

      Agreed.
      Sugar and alcohol are what I cut when I need to lose weight.
      Skip fad diets, just look at kilojoules and activity.
      Skip packaged food at the supermarket for fresh ingredients.
      Make a list of dinners/lunches you can quickly and easily make so you have suggestions for healthier eating rather than seeing the dominos flyer.
      Remember diet isn’t black and white, but a spectrum - so if you have a biscuit there is still every reason to skip KFC for dinner, just because you had a single failure don’t make it into a failed day.

      Walk and public transport where possible for incidental activity.
      Make some activities routine (e.g. get off the train a stop early on Friday’s or similar).

      • Scrooge McDuck on 11/03/2018 - 20:53
        +4

        Two easy tips for fat loss:

        1. Less sugar.
        2. More fibre.

        No one should be drinking soft drinks or other sugary beverages more than once a week. They do nothing to increase satiety and their rapidly absorbed sugars trigger an insulin spike which shuttles blood sugar into fat storage. Blood sugar then drops rapidly and the user feels lethargic and wants to consume more. In this way sugar is addictive, fattening and taxing on the metabolism.

        Fibre, on the other hand, is not digestible and helps to bulk up and slow gastrointestinal contents which provides satiety and graduates the absorption of nutrients.

        • orangetrain on 12/03/2018 - 18:01
          +3

          No tomato sauce or ketchup either. Almost 30% sugar. Bbq sauce is much much worst! I've seen too many people dieting with this.

          Look at ingredients list. If sugar has been added and it's not dessert, avoid it. There's sugar added in many places people are unaware of: chips, most frozen dishes (even a sausage roll), yogurt, pasta, bread, and more.

    • yjun355 on 11/03/2018 - 18:07
      +1

      That's what i did as well. I also did the next step from Soda water to Mineral Water. This is personal preference. There is tiny amount of salt in soda water. Might as well avoid it.

  • atris17 on 10/03/2018 - 09:23
    +17

    Look like you have a issue we all suffer, just don't have the damn time

    Some efficient method i have created myself and work for me

    Build a Home Gym (Bench,Dumbbells,Barbell) 
- Immediate access
- Save some money from $10/week gym
- Buy Second Hand from gumtree, there plenty of bargain
- Split exercise (Chest, Tricpes, Shoulder) (Biceps,Back) (Legs, Aerobic)

Fruit and Vegetable smoothie <
- I make at least a week batch, 
- Store 3 batch in a freezer and 2 batch in a fridge
- Save me time from washing the blender
- Drink 1/2 in the morning, drink 1/2 with lunch
- It always make me full throughout the day, i suspect because of the fiber
- Apple, Banana, Lentils, Wombak, Kale, Tomato, Oatmeal, Spinach, Carrot, Avocado, Silverbeet, Soya milk, Blueberryh
    • Ithinkimtheking on 10/03/2018 - 15:40
      +2

      in regards to equipment, know any good places to purchase?

      Is the fruit and vegetable smoothie all together? I'm not sure how that tastes, am happy to give it a go!

      • manshrew on 12/03/2018 - 14:54
        +1

        Buy Second Hand from gumtree, there plenty of bargain

    • abuch47 on 12/03/2018 - 14:30
      -2

      dont split exercise if going for strength, sport or health over bodybuilding. Or split minimal such PPL.

      You can do three full bodys a week and hit the big target groups and still have off days for sport specific skills, recovery, meditation, stretching, or nothing and get the same results.

    • Lockieasy on 12/03/2018 - 18:23

      Agreed on the home gym. If you have the space it certainly pays itself off in the long run. I had a lack of motivation for going to the gym so got a Rebel Sport one like 8 years ago and still use it 3 times a week.

    • wjb on 13/03/2018 - 09:53

      Gym in Sydney is no way near $10/week :/

    • montorola on 13/03/2018 - 15:23
      +1

      Apple, Banana, Lentils, Wombak, Kale, Tomato, Oatmeal, Spinach, Carrot, Avocado, Silverbeet, Soya milk, Blueberryh

      Wow all those ingredients in the one blender?

  • aong152 on 10/03/2018 - 09:31
    +8

    How is your diet now?
    What's your sugar intake like? Look at your food packaging, more than 30g every day means you are addicted. That's just 1 can of coke. If you have a can of coke once or twice a week you probably aren't addicted. If you're drinking it with every meal or every lunch then you probably are. Prove to yourself that you're not addicted by restraining for an entire week.

    Can you survive most days with just… food and no (added) sugar? e.g. oatmeal + milk, some form of sandwich, some form of meat/veg/carb for dinner, and all drinks water?

    If you are used to a high sugar intake, the easiest way to cut down is to drink water instead of soft drinks. When I was a kid, i drank cordial everyday, to the point that water tasted gross. However, if you drink water for around 7-10 days then your tastebuds will adjust and the cordial tastes sickeningly sweet. I suggest going hard on "no soft-drinks". After your taste buds adapt you will actually enjoy eating lots of vegetables too.

    How is your exercise?
    Find something that you enjoy so you can do it. You can try any sport, or just hit the gym with a bro and lift things. It's only 4-5 hours a week (3x 1hr sessions with shower/getting there included). If you live close enough to work to cycle there, that's an easy way to get exercise in too.

    I would discourage you from taking a longer walk as a form of exercise - it's super ineffective for your time. Might as well go for a run/cycle (depending on how obese you are. Don't go for a run if you are seriously overweight it will kill your ankles)

    • Ithinkimtheking on 10/03/2018 - 10:41
      +1

      I'm trying to have fruit smoothies (Greek yoghurt two fruits and milk) in the mornings. I like the idea above of freezing these to help with time effectiveness and continuing to have a healthy breakfast.

      I don't drink a lot of soft drink, more coffees and alcohol (after finishing work of course) hoping to cut down on the alcohol to have less and weekends only.

      I am often skipping breakfast or lunch and having a big dinner instead. Or I have a lot of fast food meals in between working or with clients as well. i work with clients and sometimes take them out to a cafe or say McDonald's for lunch and doesn't help me when I see food haha, learning to cut that habit down and instead have lunch at home.

      I do enjoy walking but recently changing personal habits to sleep early and wake up early to go for a run in the morning.

      • bl1027 on 10/03/2018 - 12:40
        +3

        Sounds like you've gained weight because of lack of time to make a proper meal so you resort to fast food. I suggest spending 2 hours on Sunday making food for the entire work week:

        5 x fruit smoothies (like you're doing now).
        5 x sandwiches for lunch (don't use anything watery eg. tomatoes or cucumber otherwise the bread will go soggy)
        5 x portions of food eg. curry and rice, spaghetti bolognese (about the size of the meals you get on planes). This helps with portion control and saves time.

        2 hours sounds like a lot of time to spend on Sunday, BUT thats food for the entire work week.

        Also, is your job stressful, which can cause you to eat. I gained a lot of weight when I was in a job where I was constantly stressed.

        • Ithinkimtheking on 10/03/2018 - 15:33
          +1

          Moderately, as any job can be quite stressful I like to find ways to leave work at work. I work with vulnerable people and in a kind of leadership role. So once I get home I hardly think about work at all.

          I might have to start preparing sandwiches, I do get sick of having the same types over and over especially if i'm not jam packing it full of tasty things and spreads.. I think that's a plan though preparing weekly food so I don't have to overcompensate going to get fast food.

        • FutureTech on 13/03/2018 - 07:09

          But wouldn't you get sick of the same lunch and dinner throughout the entire week?

        • aong152 on 16/03/2018 - 02:49

          @maolin95: Depends if you live to eat or eat to live. I was living off DIY soylent for 2 years, and now that the wifey is making me eat real food, spag bol for an entire week is delicious.

      • [Deactivated] on 11/03/2018 - 10:06

        You know the answer yourself. You have just listed "what not to eat".

  • [Deactivated] on 10/03/2018 - 09:54
    +14

    1. Don't eat fat-free

    2. Don't eat junk food

    3. Last food intake more than 3 hours before bed time.

    4. Have a set sleep and wake time.

    5. 8-10 hours sleep daily.

    6. Some form of daily exercise.

    7. Calculate your energy output. Make sure you consume less.

    Follow these most fundamental rules before attempting anything harder.

    • Ithinkimtheking on 10/03/2018 - 17:22
      +2

      How to calculate energy output? That sounds great if I were able to do that!

      • [Deactivated] on 10/03/2018 - 17:30
        +1

        There are many calculators. Any one of them will do. You're starting out, specifics are the last thing you want to dedicate time to.

      • [Deactivated] on 11/03/2018 - 10:07
        +5

        'My Fitness Pal'. It's a free app.
        It has probably been responsible for more weight loss, world-wide, than any other product.

        • Ithinkimtheking on 11/03/2018 - 10:42

          Cheers! I'll be sure to have a look.

      • chillin222 on 11/03/2018 - 19:09
        +1
        1. Calculate your macros: https://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
        2. Use MyFitnessPal for a few weeks and you'll start to understand how many fats/carbs/protein (and calories) are in what foods

        If you want a 6-pack you need to get your ratio exactly right but to just be 'healthy' you shouldn't need to keep measuring once you have a general idea of what you should be eating. I find it good to make up some daily 'menus' that I cycle (e.g. if I have thick sourdough toast in the morning, ill skip the potatoes at dinner…)

    • bobwokeup on 11/03/2018 - 00:24
      +2

      I agree with all these. My wife is a fitness instructor so I’ve learnt a lot from her. I didnt realise how many bad habits I have/had.

      One of the best things I did was buy a Fitbit and then upgraded to a Apple Watch. I will now avoid the lifts and take the stairs where possible.

      I also drink at least 2 litres of water a day. If you struggle to drink lots of water you could flavour it with lemon, etc.

      Have a light brekky, filling lunch (as you don’t have much time to prepare super healthy meals) and don’t eat too big a dinner.

      I’m lucky I’ve got good metabolism but my wife insists if you struggle to lose weight eat a low carb and high fat diet, along with reducing sugar and alcohol.

      • [Deactivated] on 11/03/2018 - 10:09
        +2

        Fitbit has been proved to be useless as a tracking app.
        https://www.lieffcabraser.com/2017/04/warning-fitbit-heart-r…

        • bobwokeup on 13/03/2018 - 16:18

          For me it got me moving when previously I would take the quickest and easiest route. I have heard that they aren't that accurate but it suited my purposes.

      • negger on 12/03/2018 - 15:22

        Wonder why light brekky?

        • bobwokeup on 13/03/2018 - 16:21

          For years I've been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However lately I have been hearing more often that it might not be the most important meal. I haven't read or heard enough to judge what is the most important but what I am hearing is that it's important to eat good foods all day and watch your portions.

    • FW190 on 12/03/2018 - 18:17
      +2

      Don't eat fat-free

      +1

      I have found that a lot of "fat free" products has higher level of energy per serving compare to it's regular counterpart.

      learn to read the labels on the food you buy, pay special attention to kj/calories per serving (and how many servings are in a packet), and how much sugar and salt (sodium) are inside.

  • Mokr on 10/03/2018 - 10:32
    +1

    A large big mac has about the same calories as a large fries..

    Avoid fried food, chips, etc :(

    • subywagon on 10/03/2018 - 10:42

      +1 to what mokr said. Due to having a few injuries currently I'm not really at the gym much recently. Worried about putting on fat I cut pretty much all junk food from my diet including drinks (I only really drink green tea, coffee and water now) and I rapidly lost a lot of fat in a matter of weeks with NO exercise (though I am active with labour intensive work). My diet consists of a lot of chicken meals with rice and vegies. Sometimes beef.

      I recently starting eating a little junk food again and I've put some weight back on!

  • retiredfeline on 10/03/2018 - 10:34
    +1

    Been thinking of visiting a dietician due to my unhealthy eating lately.(have gained roughly 15kg since I've started working)

    Do that, your GP can give you a referral and it'll come under Medicare. They'll work with you to formulate a sustainable healthy diet.

    • Ithinkimtheking on 10/03/2018 - 10:43

      I am wondering if it's worth the time and money as I'm sure a lot of us would much prefer looking for cheaper options but researching may be alot harder than visiting a professional.

      • retiredfeline on 10/03/2018 - 10:53

        For me it was worth it, we figured out my main problem was portion control so we worked out ways to deal with that. It's only 1/2 hour per week for 5 or 6 weeks. As I said, it's rebatable.

    • [Deactivated] on 11/03/2018 - 10:10
      +2

      It will only be Medicare supported if your weight is a medical issue.

      • retiredfeline on 11/03/2018 - 10:19

        It's at the discretion of your GP. There is an allowance of a few days per year for other specialists such as podiatrists, etc.

        • [Deactivated] on 11/03/2018 - 10:24
          +3

          The GP can only refer under the Chronic Disease Management Plan. It is 5 referrals per year for specific illness.

        • retiredfeline on 11/03/2018 - 10:44

          @4sure: Wonder how I got my podiatrist referral. Maybe you need a more holistic GP. ;)

        • cwongtech on 12/03/2018 - 20:54

          @4sure:
          What do you mean 5 referrals per year?
          Gp is limited to how many referrals they can write?

        • cwongtech on 13/03/2018 - 08:41

          @4sure:
          Oh, it's 5 Medicare rebates per patient per calendar year

  • altomic on 10/03/2018 - 10:44
    +4

    in the last 6 weeks I've lost 5 kgs of excess weight.

    my tips:
    no booze.
    stop eating till full. give your self half the normal portion.
    drink more water.
    stop buying a daily coffee (as a treat)
    stop having foods and drinks containing sugar.

    do some moderate excess.
    my regime is swimming twice a week (20 50m laps) and walking 1 hour with my kids 4 evenings a week (weather permitting).

    • altomic on 10/03/2018 - 14:53

      *moderate exercise

    • chillin222 on 11/03/2018 - 19:10

      You can still have coffee, just get long blacks instead of lattes

      • jennyy on 11/03/2018 - 23:49

        just wondering why you cant have lattes? is it because the milk contains fat? i dont add sugar when i drink my coffees, is that okay?

        • horsome on 12/03/2018 - 00:18
          +1

          Milk contains sugar (lactose)

        • PotPlant on 12/03/2018 - 21:24

          @horsome: But the fat in the milk will keep you feeling full. Same with full fat Greek Yoghurt etc.

        • chillin222 on 13/03/2018 - 07:37

          So what if it keep's you feeling full? It's still ~12g of carbs and ~9g of fat that someone trying to lose weight can easily avoid.

          You need to save your fat calories for foods where you need to eat fat in order to get enough protein (e.g. meat).

        • unwashed00 on 13/03/2018 - 10:01
          +1

          100 grams of milk is roughly 50 kcal. I don't why wouldn't you have to sacrifice flat white/latte unless you have half dozen cups a day

  • subywagon on 10/03/2018 - 10:44
    +1

    One thing I noticed with myself is if I can persevere for a week or so I get over the initial craving stages and don't miss junk food that much.

  • Findo on 10/03/2018 - 11:24

    If you get meal allowances at work once you work past a certain time, don’t fall into the temptation of maxing it out on crap. Get something healthy, meal allowances are nice but your health is more important. Dad said in the past people would buy 10 $5 pizzas to use up the meal allowance or pool together meal allowances to sit down on company time and enjoy a meal. There was another bloke who bought a packet of chips and a carton of beer but he got sprung pretty quickly.

  • ihbh on 10/03/2018 - 11:26
    +4

    Two simple things to do, but they're not easy.

    1. Eat mostly whole plant foods (as little processing as possible). Eat as much of this as you want.

    2. Walk at least 30-60 minutes each day, the more the better.

  • try2bhelpful on 10/03/2018 - 11:49
    +1

    If you are going to have something like a stew then make sure you use less meat and pack it out with vegetables. Look into adding spicing for flavour rather than butter and heavy cream sauces. Make your own pasta sauces and freeze them so you know they aren't heavy in fat, sugar and salt.

  • Slinky0111 on 10/03/2018 - 13:03

    Change 1 meal at a time. Baby steps and build routine. I would suggest changing your breakfast first.

    100g mixed berries
    70g carmens fruit free oats
    1 tub chorbani yogurt

  • Baysew on 10/03/2018 - 13:13
    +19

    Don't eat unattended food that is on someone's desk.

    • bluesky on 10/03/2018 - 19:31
      +3

      Food poisoning is the fastest way to lose weight. I am speaking from (recent) experience. Advice still sound, if do not want to die from it.

      • Ithinkimtheking on 12/03/2018 - 00:13

        Sucks I have no allergies…

        • Caped Baldy on 12/03/2018 - 08:09

          In a manner of speaking, poison is an allergy.

    • idonotknowwhy on 11/03/2018 - 23:58
      +1

      That was such a click bait title on that thread :(

  • BuyoTheCat on 10/03/2018 - 14:08
    +2

    the most important is FOOOOOODDD

    cut processed food. cut sugar. dont overeat.
    cut things from can, cut things from jars.
    just because it looks healthy does mean that it is. read the labels.

    Even if you cook stirfry at home, dont use canned or bottled sauce. they are loaded with sugar.
    You do not have to eat till you are 100% full. as long as you are not starving, it is good enough.

    • Ithinkimtheking on 10/03/2018 - 15:35

      I'd love to cut sugar to a bare minimum but even now I'm still stuck on adding sweet sauces to my salads.. was sauces are low on sugar? Is tomato paste a better option for sauce in bolognese sauce?

      • Mistymoo on 10/03/2018 - 15:55

        A good bolognese sauce should have practically no sugar. Use tinned tomatoes and tomato paste as the base, add in red capsicum, mushrooms, onion, lean beef, basil, garlic, zucchini, carrot etc, and reduced salt beef stock. Add pepper to taste as well. Red wine will also really bulk the flavour out and most importantly, cook long and slow for the flavours to develop. You don't have to use all the vegies I mentioned but I like to add the extra nutrition in and shredding them before they go in hides the vegies for fussy eaters ;)

        • [Deactivated] on 11/03/2018 - 10:14
          +1

          Ignorance of food content is pretty common unless you have a food tracker (such as My Fitness Pal) that will educate you.
          One tomato has about 2.5 grams of sugar and most tinned tomatoes are full of salt and sugar.

        • Mistymoo on 11/03/2018 - 11:46

          @4sure:

          I buy the no added salt etc kind and I'd rather be eating tinned tomatoes even with their 6-7 grams of sugar per serving than a cookie or something.

          I wouldn't exactly call myself ignorant of food content - and as for tomatoes containing sugar, of course they do but it's natural sugars.

      • BuyoTheCat on 10/03/2018 - 22:58
        +1

        my salad dressing is balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper (lemon juice optional)

        If you like mayo, make your own. its is not hard
        http://dish.allrecipes.com/making-mayonnaise/

        add garlic and it become aoli. yum

        I dont know if tomato paste is better for bolognese, a can of coles tomato paste is 11% sugar. even though the ingredients is tomato (99.8%) and salt.

        but I make a mean slow cook ragu using tomato paste, overall cooking time about 3-4 hours

      • chillin222 on 11/03/2018 - 19:12

        Just try and avoid dressing. If you use tinned corn/beetroot/black beans in salads, the salad ends up being pretty moist anyway. For bolognese, use passata + tomato paste. Tomatoes are (relatively) low in carbs and don't have added sugar.

      • FW190 on 12/03/2018 - 18:32

        probably should squeeze some lemon juice and sprinkle some pepper/herbs over your salad instead.

        if you must have sauce, maybe look into Praise's fat free salad dressing (Italian and Balsamic), they have the lowest kj per serving by far.

  • mrtin on 10/03/2018 - 14:42

    Ride a bike to work! Easy way to get exercise in. Might take 45min to ride where it takes 30min to drive.

    • Ithinkimtheking on 10/03/2018 - 15:36

      I wish I could ride to work, half of my day is driving from one client's home to another.

      • mrtin on 10/03/2018 - 17:05

        Or early. Most ppl don't work between 5-8

        • Ithinkimtheking on 10/03/2018 - 17:17
          +1

          Disability care - earliest start I've had so far is 5:30 lucky me though I don't have that shift anymore and earliest I start now is 7:30 with a 30 minute drive to get there! But hence I want to start going to bed around 9:30 to wake up at 6am to start running/walking.

        • mrtin on 10/03/2018 - 20:24
          +1

          @Ithinkimtheking:
          Beauty. All the best with your journey!

  • idjces on 10/03/2018 - 16:12

    I like the slow carb diet, i lose weight when i stick to it and cut out all the extra crap. If i eat the extra crap i fail to lose weight, or put it back on.

    "The ease of this diet is built on the minimum effective dose (MED) principle. This concept is defined as "the smallest dose that will produce the desired outcome."

    In other words, it's about getting maximum results by doing the minimum amount of work. Therefore, this diet focuses on following a handful of guidelines that promise to help the body maximize its ability to burn fat and lose weight."

    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/slow-carb-diet

    I basically only eat eggs for breakfast, and the same slow-carb meal for lunch/dinner every day of the week. If i have time and/or get bored than look at straying outside of the usual

    • [Deactivated] on 11/03/2018 - 10:18

      That diet is seriously low in nutrients, vitamins and fibre.
      To make it healthy you would have to supplement all those.

  • headphonejack on 10/03/2018 - 17:44
    +3

    My dad lost 15kg when he gave up sugar (specifically fructose) after reading the book ‘Sweet Poison’ by David Gillespie.

  • Stinge on 10/03/2018 - 18:43

    Before I say anything further just remember that losing weight takes time and you don't need to do any extreme diets to help you lose weight quicker. Anything that is easier to integrate into your lifestyle will be better in the long run as you won't burn yourself out. Don't be disheartened when you weigh yourself and the scale hasn't moved or you have put a little bit of weight on, keep it up! Weighing yourself weekly is plenty and don't let the scale control your life!

    • A very easy tip is to not drink your calories. Everyone is suggesting cutting out soft drinks, which of course is very good for you, but you can just switch to sugar free soft drinks which are perfectly fine. This way you can still get your fix except without the calories.
      You can even replace sugar with artificial sweetener, in your coffee for example, an easy way to reduce calories.

    • Another good one is to drink plenty of water, especially before a meal, as sometimes you might not be as hungry as you actually are.

    • Exercising is an obvious one. You could walk to work, walk on your break or even just walk around the block once when you get home, anything is better than nothing!

    • During your meals try to add more vegetables to feel even fuller for fewer calories, or even snack on some when peckish.

    • Counting calories is very easy to do. You can still have all the food you enjoy eating, just in moderation.
      Saying that, be aware of nutritional labels on food, most of the time you don't realise how many calories you're actually eating and it might not even be worth it!

    They're some pretty easy tips to help you get started, good luck!

  • bluesky on 10/03/2018 - 23:21

    To keep my hunger at bay, I have quick oats, made with water only. Then sprinkled with just a few dried cranberries. Or dried figs - from my tree. I think this is supposed to be pretty healthy. Oats are supposed to lower cholesterol.

    All the best on your journey. For my own similar quest, I find it rather challenging; for one thing I eat that is healthy, it is offset by another that is not good :-)

  • Baniya on 11/03/2018 - 13:01

    Great advice above. I, personally, find that being fatigued plays a huge part in my health.

    I put on 5kg in 8 months when I increased my hours at work.

    I became perpetually tired and frequently hungry. It was like my system just couldn’t adjust. It caused me to exercise less and make poor eating choices.

    Now I never underestimate the importance of lots of quality sleep. I try to be “less busy” so I can enjoy meaningful, regular exercise and a fresh, wholesome diet.

    I also never “liquefy” my fruit. You inevitability consume too much in one go and deliver a massive hit of sugar which the body has to work hard to control. Rather, I eat one piece/handful at a time, at least 3-4 hours apart, and no more than two pieces a day.

    • Murpha on 11/03/2018 - 19:49

      I find liquifying fruit a quick and easy way to get nutrition when I don't have time to sit and enjoy it whole. The key is to only put as much fruit (and other ingredients) in as you know you could eat whole in one day or at least in one sitting; most people would probably be content an apple and an orange. For more volume, add some vegetables, nuts, legumes, or some more water/ice.

  • AlanHB on 11/03/2018 - 17:28

    Things that worked for me are:

    • join group exercise classes, like boot camp or small personal training groups. These are easy to exercise in because in terms of mental effort, all you have to do is show up, and the trainer tells you what to do. You also have other people training with you, enforcing a kind of "we're in this together feeling".

    • exercise before work (like at 6am). If you exercise in the afternoon you have the whole day to make excuses not to exercise.

    • try cutting carbs from your lunch and breakfast. Go nuts for dinner. It's a kind of partial diet.

    • add green vegetables to every meal

  • DBBROS on 11/03/2018 - 17:40

    I've been putting on weight ever since I started skipping breakfast. I've put around 20 kgs since the last two years. Thought about consulting a dietitian but not sure if I can stick on to it. I don't know how people on a shift work manage to do it.

  • azngamer on 11/03/2018 - 18:13

    One trick that works for me is to say no to food craving. Like a bag of chips, soft drinks or ice cream. I end up eating less snacks in general and have less food cravings. Saves money too!

    I do every now and then indulge in something that's unhealthy, but I know I'm not giving up to what I want all the time which works out better in the long run.

  • kimmik on 11/03/2018 - 19:09
    +2
    1. Dont eat when not hungry
    2. Eat things that dont raise insulin
    3. Get ketone urine dipsticks

    Notice i didnt say calorie restrict or low fat.

  • chillin222 on 11/03/2018 - 19:21
    +2

    Diets can be incredibly hard to sustain - you need to find one that works for you.

    1. When planning your diet, work out first what foods you can't live without (e.g. for me chocolate). Add a small serve each day then plan your other macros around it to compensate.
    2. Don't eat birthday cakes or fundraising chocolates at work!
    3. When at the supermarket, only buy vegetables, meat/fish, grains (brown rice, oats), eggs and some fruit. Don't even go in the biscuits, confectionary or dessert aisles. Avoid all pre-prepared frozen meals - if you ever need a quick meal just have steamed/microwaved fish and frozen green veges.
    4. Remove all sugar from your diet, e.g. swap oyster sauce for soy sauce, stop dressing salads
    5. Start baking/steaming/microwaving everything instead of frying

    There are a million articles online telling you how to lose weight but if you just take away 1 thing from this post it's the importance of diet.

  • Dreamcast on 11/03/2018 - 20:49

    Eat less and incorporate fasting.

  • khued on 11/03/2018 - 23:12

    unless I eat well, sleep well, work well…I'll die fast is motivating enough for me

  • idonotknowwhy on 11/03/2018 - 23:56
    +1

    In order of priority:
    1. Get as much sleep as possible (without oversleeping)
    2. Go on the Ketogenic diet
    3. Weight training

    1. Getting enough sleep can help avoid depression, comfort food cravings. It can make you more alert, more efficient and it's when your body repairs muscle tissue.
    2. They say that diets are hard to sustain, but this doesn't apply to Keto. You can eat all the best foods, drink whisky when you go out, you'll get a greater appreciation for coffee when drinking it black, etc.
    3. Or a HIIT workout. Don't waste time getting impact injuries jogging, or getting hit by a car cycling.

    Let the downvotes from sleep haters, cyclists and the anti fad diet crown begin ;)

    • Ithinkimtheking on 12/03/2018 - 00:08

      Thanks, i'll do a bit of research on the Ketogenic diet.

      Sleep is one thing i'm still having to adjust!

      • idonotknowwhy on 12/03/2018 - 02:33

        Yep, with all advice on here, do your own research. I recommend asking a young gp some questions while he's here too.

        With keto, it goes against traditional thinking, so you'll get conflicting advise from medical professionals.

      • twinbag on 12/03/2018 - 16:57

        I did keto for a couple of months, felt awful the whole time. I'm a regular gym go-er and my strength and aerobic capacity plummeted. I had to make "fat bombs" to keep my calories up between 1500 to 2000, which helped a little.

        When I looked at the research there was no evidence of enhanced fat burning or increased satiety over other calorie restricted diets. The reason it's effective is because it's so damn hard to keep your calories up when you cut out the carbs.

        The diet is low in fibre despite all the veggies and I got a lot of leg cramps probably due to low potassium (I was getting plenty of salt and calcium/magnesium)

        I lost about 5kg of which I reckon half was water weight, I was only trying to lose 10kg all of which is on my belly.

        I was hoping at the outset to stay on keto for life, but it just wasn't for me.

        I did however discover chicken caesar salads at McDonalds which were pretty good and I still have a dollop of thickened cream in my coffee instead of milk.

        • idonotknowwhy on 13/03/2018 - 09:29

          When I looked at the research there was no evidence of enhanced fat burning or increased satiety over other calorie restricted diets.

          Yep, I agree. CICO still applies. For me, there are other benefits which include lack of bloating, not getting tired after lunch, not getting hungry as often, more regular bowel movements.

          I got a lot of leg cramps probably due to low potassium (I was getting plenty of salt and calcium/magnesium)

          I was getting the leg cramps for the first week which I fixed with a daily avocado.

          I still have a dollop of thickened cream in my coffee instead of milk.

          +1 I was surprised to find that it's much nicer than milk

          I was hoping at the outset to stay on keto for life, but it just wasn't for me.

          Yep, it seems like everyone responds to these sort of things differently, same goes with weight lifting, running, etc.
          And yeah, that initial several-KG weight loss in the first week, is all water.

          I did however discover chicken caesar salads at McDonalds which were pretty good

          I'll have to give it a try

        • twinbag on 14/03/2018 - 15:38

          @idonotknowwhy:

          Oh I was having plenty of avocado's and I think the diet was much healthier than my normal diet. I basically replaced potatoes/pasta/rice with nuts, veggies, salads, berries and greek yoghurt. I should have felt great, oh well.

          I might try it again, but keep my calories around 2000 and carb up before the gym.

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