'The Little Things'

When it comes to weight loss and fat loss, it is true to say that ‘every little helps’. Parking in the furthest space from the supermarket, taking the stairs instead of the lift and cutting out extra snacks all help and all add up. Let’s face it, everyone is looking for that little tip or secret to help them achieve their goals, but make sure you are selective with the tips you choose to believe and consider where they are sourced. Here are a few examples of ‘tips’ that I have found:

‘Sniff a banana, an apple, or a peppermint when you feel hungry’

‘Stare at the colour blue’

‘Eat in front of mirrors and you’ll lose weight’

‘Eat cereal for breakfast five days a week’

‘Brush your teeth after every meal, especially dinner’

‘Sleep in a cold room’

All of these ‘tips’ have sketchy, or no scientific research behind them. They may be helpful for a select few people, or may suppress your appetite for a short while. So eating Coco Pops for breakfast, in front of the mirror, while sniffing a banana in a cold room, followed by brushing your teeth in a blue room might help you lose an extra pound or two. Or, more realistically, adding a 15 minute, 10 press ups, 10 squats and a plank or two to your daily routine will be more beneficial by building a bit of muscle.

Here is a fact- 1kg of body fat burns 3kcal per day whereas 1kg of muscle burns 50kcal per day!

Cereal is not all that good for you, please be selective with the ones you buy. Do try and have the more nutritious option of poached eggs, grilled mushrooms and wholemeal toast, for example.

Also, when looking for weight loss and fat loss tips, please read the whole article, not just the title. We tend to only hear what we want to hear, like the following:

‘Forget About Working Out’

Some tittles are vague and the sources are poor- so some people would read the title ‘Forget About Working Out’ and think that training won’t help them lose weight. What the rest of the article goes on to say, is that you do not necessarily need to go for a gym session or a spin class to get fit, but you should try other activities, like swimming, group walking and so on.

‘Pop a Vitamin’

Pop a vitamin?! Some people might read this title and expect vitamin tablets to replace the nutrients we get from eating fresh healthy food. This is not the case. Take this extract from the article, for example; “Although no magic supplement exists for weight loss, some evidence suggests that taking a multivitamin may help you burn more calories. Getting adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals is vital for proper metabolism”; please note the words ‘suggests’ and ‘may’.

So what I am trying to say is, don’t look for a short cut when it comes to weight loss. Do your research carefully. Try using www.myfitnesspal.com to track your calories and your exercise or even write it down. There is no secret answer, just hard work and determination. Trust me! I know!

Emma McMahon