Weight loss doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be as easy as you want to make it but the thing is, if we haven’t figured out what we need to do to actually enjoy the process then we’re destined to fail. Think of it like this, the last time you lost weight, what happened? The scales went down but then the weight slowly crept back on. Why? Because we went back to eating normally when we finished our diet when our “eating normally” was made us fat in the first place!

This article is going to share with you 5 choices I tried to adopt as much as I reasonably could whilst still enjoying the food I ate, without having to adjust my lifestyle. If you take on board these five tips, you will find dieting and losing weight so much easier, I promise!

1. Drink more water

Water does more than you might think. We know it keeps us alive and that dehydration can be fatal but from a weight loss point of view, dehydration slows down our metabolism and that means our energy output is naturally lower than it would be if our metabolism was running at optimal efficiency; increased energy output contributes to a calorie deficit which we know is essential for weight loss.

Water has a pretty boring taste profile, but you don’t have to just drink water. Fruits with high-water content like cucumbers will also contribute to overall hydration. You can also make water more interesting by infusing lemon, lime, strawberries, even ginger or mint to completely alter the taste profile; I’ve also read that fruit infused drinks may carry some health properties too, such as antioxidant effects but it’s worth doing your own research there, it’s an interesting topic; it has been repeatedly proven that fruit infused drinks benefit from some of the vitamins and minerals available in the ingredients being infused. Either way, great tasting water that’s even better for our health is a win in my book.

2. Carry with you high protein snacks

High protein snacks are great because protein makes us feel fuller for even longer. High-quality high-protein snacks can be the difference between binging on the contents of your cupboards all night or sticking with your temporary dietary restrictions to achieve the goal you’ve set for yourself. It’s the difference between a blip and completely falling off the wagon. Having a healthy snack ready when hunger strikes means we’re less likely to reach for ultra processed, high sugar foods. Our brain understands that glucose is the preferred food source and its one of the reasons why high-sugar, ultra-processed foods are so appealing when we become peckish between meals, our body knows it is the most readily available easiest to consume and process source of energy derived from the sugars loaded into the products we consume that are made in laboratories. Having healthier snacking choices not only give you better nutrition but it helps to keep you on track and because of this, it means you’re less likely to feel rubbish if you do find yourself feeling hungry.

3. Try to eat at the same time every day

Knowing when your next meal is makes it a lot less likely you’ve give in to snack cravings between meals, we call it grazing, like sheep. You’re not a sheep.  By eating at the same time every day, you will begin to habituate and this will further reduce snacking cravings because your body will adapt to cope on the nutrition; when we’re overweight, our body learns to process food much quicker, this includes storing the food it can’t process fast enough (as fat) so it can process the onslaught of food you’ve been shovelling into your body before now. And this continues until your body learns that it no longer needs to operate at such high intensity and it can relax a bit, it will use food efficiently. If you can’t eat at the same time every day, perhaps because you work different shift patterns from week to week then having a really convenient, high-quality, nutritionally balanced healthy meal replacement shake with additional vitamins and minerals to support optimal metabolic function and overall health might be a good choice; a shake that takes less than the time it takes for a kettle to boil is surely a better way to keep your eating schedule on track than skipping meals and snacking throughout the day until your next meal.

4. Eat Breakfast

You’ve heard of intermittent fasting, right? Well, it’s no surprise that there’s strong evidence supporting the dietary practice in the pursuit of weight loss. But did you know you kind of already do it? At some point, you have your last meal of the day and fast until the following day. And then you break the fast with breakfast (breakfast = break fast). If you skip breakfast, not only is your metabolism continuing to slow down despite energy expenditure rapidly increasing (meaning you’re heading for an energy crash which will cause you to have massive snack cravings) but you’re also going to feel rubbish all day until you eat and when you do eat, you’ll make hasty decisions out of hunger, rather than informed decisions based on what your body needs.

I get it though. I hate eating solid food in the morning, it just doesn’t sit right and it makes me feel bloated. I can just about stomach a slice of toast. I can eat anything from around two to three hours after waking up. However, I can stomach a healthy meal replacement shake and that’s my go-to. Sure, I’ll always recommend a wholefood diet in preference to meal replacements and supplements but for people like me who just don’t like eating breakfast, I make my Herbalife Formula 1 shake whilst the kettle boils for my morning cup of tea and I’ve consumed a healthy, nutritious meal first thing in the morning like we’re taught to by our grandparents and teachers.

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day because, and I promise you this is true, it makes you feel incredible and full of energy all day. Instead of starving by 10 am, you can quite easily hang on until lunch time or even longer with the correct high-protein snacks.

5. Enjoy your food

Food is made to be enjoyed and yes, we might not like the taste of some vegetables but they’re good for us and small amounts are easily manageable. We’re not children. That said, for every vegetable we don’t like, there’s half a dozen we do like that have a very similar nutritional profile. Likewise, you should never say no to going to that buffet with your mates on a special occasion (not every weekend!) because what’s the point in being slim if you can’t indulge from time to time and enjoy life?

Food is to be enjoyed. You shouldn’t cut out the foods you love, instead, moderation is key. Eating a healthy, balanced diet is so important that it doesn’t matter if some of your protein comes from a KFC bucket or some of your fats come from the deep fat frier, provided you are also consuming healthy fats and protein sources because that’s what’s important. Balance.