Simple Tips for Weight Loss and Improvement to Health

boobar

Folks,

Apologies if this is the wrong forum. In a nutshell, I am 38 years old, 5ft 9 inches, 17 stone. I play squash once a week and do very little else. I have an office job so work would include very little exercise. I want to lose one pound a week with a view to paring off close to 2 stone by the end of the year. I also have a young 2 year old daughter so disappearing away for hour on end is not an option.

What I'm looking for are simple tips for diet and exercise that will help me achieve my objective. I'd like to include more squash in the exercise regime but if you think this is pointless and I should focus on another exercise form please let me know.

Any advice or constructive criticism greatly appreciated.

Boobar

Transform

boobar wrote: »

Folks,

Apologies if this is the wrong forum. In a nutshell, I am 38 years old, 5ft 9 inches, 17 stone. I play squash once a week and do very little else. I have an office job so work would include very little exercise. I want to lose one pound a week with a view to paring off close to 2 stone by the end of the year. I also have a young 2 year old daughter so disappearing away for hour on end is not an option.

What I'm looking for are simple tips for diet and exercise that will help me achieve my objective. I'd like to include more squash in the exercise regime but if you think this is pointless and I should focus on another exercise form please let me know.

Any advice or constructive criticism greatly appreciated.

Boobar

all the stickies will help and have a look around my blog as there is tons of info, videos, articles etc there - http://thetransformationcatalyst.wordpress.com/

EileenG

The best exercise is the one you will do. If that's squash, then play more squash. If you are open to other ideas, then do some weight training as well as other exercise.

Diet is the single biggest factor in losing weight. Cut out all the junk, eat fresh whole unprocessed food, and watch your portion size. If you are carrying a lot of weight on your belly, cut out all the white carbs (sugar, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals) and eat tons more green veg.

Base your diet on eggs (yes, whole eggs!), fresh meat, oily fish, chicken, lots and lots of green vegetables, olive oil, nuts, some dairy, some fruit, some wholegrains.

Cut out the processed food, anything with transfats (partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) and anything which lists sugar as one of the first four ingredients.

Other tips: turn off your television. Watching television burns fewer calories than sleeping, and the ads tempt you to snack. Also, the television steals time. You'll have more time to exercise if you are not plonked in front of Corrie.

Drink lots. It doesn't have to be water, but make sure you are always well hydrated. Green tea is a good option.

Go to bed on time. There is a lot of research to show that lack of sleep messes with your insulin and your leptin levels, and makes you fat.

boobar

EileenG wrote: »

The best exercise is the one you will do. If that's squash, then play more squash. If you are open to other ideas, then do some weight training as well as other exercise.

Diet is the single biggest factor in losing weight. Cut out all the junk, eat fresh whole unprocessed food, and watch your portion size. If you are carrying a lot of weight on your belly, cut out all the white carbs (sugar, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals) and eat tons more green veg.

Base your diet on eggs (yes, whole eggs!), fresh meat, oily fish, chicken, lots and lots of green vegetables, olive oil, nuts, some dairy, some fruit, some wholegrains.

Cut out the processed food, anything with transfats (partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) and anything which lists sugar as one of the first four ingredients.

Other tips: turn off your television. Watching television burns fewer calories than sleeping, and the ads tempt you to snack. Also, the television steals time. You'll have more time to exercise if you are not plonked in front of Corrie.

Drink lots. It doesn't have to be water, but make sure you are always well hydrated. Green tea is a good option.

Go to bed on time. There is a lot of research to show that lack of sleep messes with your insulin and your leptin levels, and makes you fat.

Thanks very much EileenG, some very useful advice here.

I really like the "best exercise is the one you will do" tip. For me, I find gyms very boring, and I love a good game of squash (once I work up the motivation to get in the car and go to the club).

I'm going to start looking closely at my diet over the next number of weeks and gradually start eliminating the bad and introducing the good.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Boobar