Articles  & Research

  Six Simple Tips For Lifelong      Weight Loss -

By: Dianne Villano, CPFI

If You are sick of losing the same  weight over and over, and feeling like a failure because your last "diet" didn't work, try these tips to not only lose weight, but lose it for good. I have watched our clients over the past years and nearly without exception, those that lose their weight once and for all have these six basic habits as a part of their lives. 

1. Keep a food diary
For at least five days and up to a week, keep a pen and paper handy and write down everything you eat, how much,  where and when you ate it and who you ate with. try to write it down as you eat it. Most people find that when they try to remember  everything at the end of the day, they leave something out. I have also had clients tell me that they didn't eat something because they knew they were going to have to write it down. Be completely honest with yourself. You don’t need to show anyone the results, but most will be very surprised by them. Particular environments and people can often trigger certain eating behaviors that are redily apparent when you use a food log. free fitness journal/food log.

2. Eat less, exercise more
The great thing about food diaries is they show you much where you can cut the number of  "extra" (calories). Many people eat out of habit when they are not even hungry. you may also need to make dietary changes if you begin or increase the intensity of a fitness program.


3. Don’t eat too little
Very low calorie diets will, in the short term, help you lose weight but they’re extremely difficult to maintain. You’ll gradually become tired and irritable, lack the energy to exercise, and people won’t want to eat with you because the long list of ‘taboo’ foods renders restaurant menus, and even family meals at home, unsuitable for your overly strict diet. For a more detailed description of the effects of low calorie diets click here.

4. Neither feast nor fast
Mum was right, a good breakfast is very important. It is the meal over which we have the most control. A donut and coffee rushing through the door to work is a very poor substitute. The best result is to eat small meals more often – at least three meals a day, but four or five sittings to get through the same amount of food is even better. If we were cows, it’d be called grazing.

6. Packaging and processing
Both are likely to reduce the nutrient value, replacing freshness with use-by dates, additives and preservatives. The National Health and Medical Research Council recommend two fruit and five vegies per day. Any part of the way towards this goal is worthwhile.

7. Wet the whistle
Drink water ahead of coffee, tea, or soft drinks. Including the ‘hidden’ water we consume in food, we need around two litres a day – and more if it’s hot or we exercise.

How much do we need to drink? Four to six glasses a day, or enough to make your urine look like gin, or at least a Corona without the bubbles. While we’re at it, try to have two alcohol-free days per week and no more than one to two drinks every other day.

I know, you are going to say, "I don't have time because ...(insert your favorite excuse here) Ask yourself this..."how much more energy will I have when I am not carrying around this extra _____ pounds? How many more things will I enjoy and feel god while doing when I am in a fit healthy body? Is it worth a few minutes a day to incorporate these simple habits into your day?

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