17 Tips to Weight Loss

For example, you may eat to soothe overwhelming feelings of sadness, stress, loneliness or anger.

This is because feeling stressed or depressed is probably causing you to overeat or binge in the first place. So if you don't sort that out, you're never going to be able to lose weight AND keep it off.

Often perfectionists manage everything in their life perfectly - except their eating. Believe it or not, loosening your grip on perfectionism will help you lose weight.

Not every hour, but at regular intervals during the week. Otherwise - how do you know that you need to eat lightly today because your weight's crept up a tad?

Work out if a situation or experience regularly sends you to the fridge or pantry in order to cope. For example: feeling pressured at work, a visit from Aunt Mavis, or settling the kids after dinner. When you work this out, you can work out other coping strategies.

Do you diet like mad and then feel resentful so you lash out and eat everything in sight? Do you treat yourself because you've been working hard and 'deserve' something forbidden? Do you feel sorry for yourself because everyone else is knocking off the cakes and 'one won't hurt' - knowing it won't stop at one (or two)? Work out what you're saying to yourself to enable your non-hungry eating.

That's right - ssslllooowww down. We so often find that people who struggle with their weight whiz through their lives. Especially when it comes to their eating. Try eating your meals at half pace - and paying attention to your body's cues of fullness.

This little tip is super-cool cos it's so easy and makes so much sense. Compensating is about monitoring your food intake, and if you overeat, eating lightly for the next day or two to compensate.
PS: It's also Kristina's favourite tip.

Ta da! It's that simple! Sitting down to eat is one of Judith Beck's (Beck Institute) important weight loss strategies that we just love. No more snacking while you're in the kitchen, doing the washing, walking down the street. Sitting down to eat is about bringing what (and how much) you eat into your awareness. Did you know that every crust you pinch off the kid's plates counts? Even the chocolate bar you had in the car this afternoon. Sitting down to eat makes it impossible to 'pretend' you're not overeating.

Learn to say 'no' to people who try and persuade you to eat something that isn't on your eating plan. Our clients say this feels rude or disrespectful, but we say - it's assertive. You're looking after yourself. Prioritizing your need to lose weight. If someone has a problem with that - it's their problem, not yours. Stick up for yourself and say 'no'.

That's right, you heard me. Put yourself first. That means making time to sort out your eating and exercise plan, and making time in your life to stick to it.

Every single day - no exceptions. None of this punishing yourself for overeating the day (or week) before, or being 'too busy' to make time. We know that breakfast is essential for successful weight management.

Oh right, I can hear you yawning from here. I know you've heard it all before, but extensive research has shown that people who lose weight AND keep it off, exercise most days.

When you've identified emotional or situational triggers to non-hungry eating or overeating, start looking at other things you can do instead of eating. For example: go for a walk, allow yourself some me-time, pick up a book, contact a friend. Have these new strategies at hand so you can whip them out when the munchies strike.

I kid you not - this is very important. Rather than treating yourself like an arch enemy who doesn't deserve nice things because they're overweight, treat yourself with the kindness and respect that you would your neighbour. Go on - try it!

Like everyone else you're human. You slip up. And if you struggle with your weight, you're likely to slip up with a binge. But it's not the binge that's the problem. It's allowing that binge to give you permission to stop your eating plan and eat everything in sight. So forgive yourself for being human, and get back to focusing on the importance of your eating plan.

Mindful eating is all about being aware of and attentive to every dimension of your eating experience. Mindful eaters don't wolf down anything - they savour and examine the experience - inhaling, touching, listening, looking and tasting every mouthful. Our clients often say that if they ate everything mindfully, they wouldn't have a problem with their weight (we agree).