My 5 Top Tips For Weight Loss

5 Top Tips For Weight Loss

These are my five top tips for weight loss, that I have implemented overtime that have helped me & continue to help me stay on track. If I have a blip or a down moment when I loose motivation, I have a manual reboot button & I start again using these.

1. Weighing, Measurements & Pictures

As a woman, my weight fluctuates up & down like a yo-yo all the time, it truly sucks to be a girl.  The weighing scales every girls worst nightmare...I always try and weigh myself once a week, on the same day about the same time, usually on a Sunday morning. This way you 

can get more of an accurate picture of your weight loss, I have weighed myself during the
week before to see that I've lost then gained by the weekend or vice versa. However, weighing scales aren't gospel we all know that muscle weigh's more than fat as it is denser, so if like me you do a combined program of cardio & weightlifting, or are moving over to weightlifting the chances are there could little movement on the scales due to the muscle you are building. 

I take my measurements once a month, that way you get a good 4-5 weeks of clean eating & a good exercise program to notice the difference. I measure everywhere that I can with assistance of whoever is in my house at the time. Arms, chest, waist, hips, upper thigh (on the most flabby bit) lower thigh (one hand above the knee) the reason I measure my thigh in two different places is because the shape of the muscle are different so I can get a clear picture if I'm burning the fat away; I also measure both arms & legs as the stronger side of 

your body maybe smaller.

A picture timeline of your weight loss is a fantastic tool, for when your feel down & want to throw in the towel when things get tough, this is great to look at to see how far you've come.
I've recently taken some new photos that hopefully in 12-16 weeks time I'll will be able to compare them and see how much my body has changed from my new workouts.

2. Food, glorious, food diary

Since I started on Slimming World, I have kept a food diary, it started off as a A4 piece of paper with a grid on for each day & each meal time, that I kept in my handbag at all times. I now use myfitnesspal app on my phone & tablet, as I always have at least one of them with
me. This helps me enter my foods in all day, every day & it's best feature is that it can scan bar codes, so you can scan & add food super easy. You can set your calorie allowance, record your exercise, weight & some measurements. With all the food you eat, it tells you how many nutrients your getting too, which is great when like myself you start counting macronutrients (macros). 

3. Gym Buddy

If you're a first time gym-goer or a regular sometimes it helps to have a friend with you for moral support. For me, this is my best friend Laura, she's great for giving me a kick up the ass when I need one, she's the voice that tells me yes you can, when I'm dying inside. We go kickboxing together every week & beat each other up (when we miss the pad), we've been pole fitness together, which we both love! She's the one who will try new & stupid activities with me, she's my Miss Motivator! 

4. Motivation 

If your Miss Motivator is unavaliable, you can always see your Personal Trainer (PT) if you have one for a pep talk, to help you get in the right direction.

Various forms of media can be used as a motivational tool, I have a Pinterest account, which is a virtual pinboard, and I have a board dedicated to gym motivation full of pictures, quotes & memes, which it look at to prompt myself into going to the gym. https://uk.pinterest.com/emmalbrown87/motivation/

Personally, I find music is the greatest motivator, my iPod is full of all genres of music for every mood. Music can change my mood or enhance it, I have several Ministry of Sound Running Trax albums that I listen to in the gym, but if that's not your cup of tea you could be more old school & listen to some hard rock...cue Eye Of The Tiger! 

5. Say No to Leggings

They're comfortable, affordable & come in several colours & patterns, but ladies don't wear leggings. The elastic is full of lies, you can lie to yourselves & buy a size or two sizes smaller to convince yourself you are that size. Before I started Slimming World, I always wore leggings because they were in fashion, and they were comfy & went with everything, I could wear a size 16. When I came to graduate in February 2012 & had to wear fitted trousers I was mortified, disgusted & completely devastated when I had to get size 20 trousers, what should of been one of the happiest days of my life, I hated most of it because of how big I had got, I just wanted to hid away& be left alone, but I had to go on stage & collect my degree, I hate my photo from that day too. So, ladies I employ you ditch the leggings, wear fitted trousers or jeans so you know your true sizing, and face up to the truth which does hurt a lot but at least you can then do something about it. 

Besides, no one wants to see your underwear, or cellulite ridden thighs & bum through your threadbare leggings...