With summer starting, beach holidays booked and a high chance of dropping a few layers, now is the time you often see hurried diets being started, gyms starting to get busier and more joggers pounding the pavements. The media often prints articles on health and weight loss that are likely to confuse the reader, so here are some simple tips on how to lose weight and remain healthy this summer and onwards!

Sleep More
Getting 7-10 hours sleep per night is vital for losing weight and staying in shape. Gaining fat has been shown to be very common in those who do not get enough ‘zzz’s’. This is due to hormone imbalances, which leads to an increased desire to eat when tired, and a stress response which in turn leads to higher fat accumulation. So turn out the lights (including phones) and relax!

Drink More Water
Drinking water, especially before meals, is very beneficial for weight loss. Firstly, it helps to boost metabolism – the break down process for energy within the body. Drinking 500-700ml water before meals can help control hunger cravings, which means you consume fewer calories during a meal. Remember to avoid sugary drinks such as sodas and fruit juices where possible.

Eat More Greens
Eating more fruit and vegetables can help with weight loss goals because the fibre in these foods helps the digestive system to use, or get rid of, nutrients within the gut. Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water and have fewer calories than many other foods. Vegetables should be eaten with every meal, and fruit eaten in lesser quantities due to their natural high sugar nature.

Eat Breakfast
Starting the day with a decent meal is essential and probably one of the most important contributors to healthy weight loss. Having breakfast starts the metabolism working, helping to burn calories and fat. Contrary to past guidance, eggs are a great way to start the day, as they are full of great nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin B12 and a good array of amino acids or protein molecules. Eating protein and ‘good fats’ in the morning also helps burn fat for energy in the body! Coconut oil is a great food to start your day with, as it is very easily absorbed and used in the body.

Exercise
The obvious one. Raising your heart rate helps to burn body fat and lose weight, and exercising in different formats is key. Performing aerobic exercise such as swimming or cycling helps you burn calories and excess body weight. Combining this with some resistance or circuit style training helps boost metabolism, which is increased by gaining more muscle tissue. A higher metabolism leads to a higher rate of fat loss.

Ditch the Short-Term Diet
Short-term diets can often be a gimmick. They occasionally work for a short time, but are not effective long-term and more often than not actually damage the body’s metabolism and ability to burn fat. Instead of dieting, focus on making healthy changes such as switching from refined sugary foods to fresh, single ingredient whole foods, food that has a short sell by date and food that rots!