Here are my top weight loss tips:
You should never skip breakfast but if your daily routine allows have it later. Breakfast gives you a much needed metabolism boost to keep you going til your next meal. If I have it first thing with DS when I'm not actually that hungry I find I am hungry again about 10/10:30. If I just have a cup of tea first thing, I'm still not hungry until 10/10:30 so I may as well just eat my breakfast then as opposed to eating breakfast AND a snack. Eat eggs in the morning to trigger a hormone that suppresses hunger pangs in your brain so you'll eat less for the rest of the day. Or instead of eggs choose porridge or shredded wheat. Bulky and high fibre foods increase the volume of food without adding calories so you feel fuller for longer.
When I first cut my portion size I reckon I felt hungry maybe for the first 3 days, but by day 4 my stomach started asking for less food and I was feeling fuller quicker. You have to make sure you listen to your brain telling you are satisfied rather than carrying on eating until you are stuffed.
Slowing down how fast you eat will help your brain tell you are satisfied before getting that stuffed feeling. One way of doing this is chewing really well and putting your fork down after every bite and then having a sip of water. Every time you do this it sends signals to the brain that you are not eating.
Also fill up on fruit and fat free yoghurt and veggies when you are hungry and need a snack. The best way to stop yourself feeling hungry is basically to eat constantly throughout the day. Instead of 3 biggish meals eat 6 small meals a day. What I do is have 3 smaller meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner (I cut my portion size by using a 9 inch plate which gives a just right portion. A just right portion should keep hunger away for 4 hours) and 3 snacks. If you go too long without food your body will try to conserve more fat from what you eat. Try to not eat anything after about 5pm (i have to stretch this a little bit cos don't always manage to have dinner at 5pm)
Think about the ratio of what you put on your plate. 60-80% of what you eat should consist of high water content foods - fruit, vegetables, juices, smoothies and soups. Only the remainder should be made up of fish, chicken, rice, bread, potatoes, nuts, seeds, pulses and dairy.
Carbohydrates turn to sugar and stimulate your body's insulin, thus causing a vicious cycle of hunger. Food is supposed to satiate your hunger, not increase it! Reduce your carb intake to gain control over your constant hunger.
Protein stays in your body longer than carbohydrates, so choose a lean piece of meat or an egg-based meal over carbs and minimise your hunger. It also prevents cravings. Base your meals around chicken, fish, and eggs with lots of veg/salad and a small amount of rice.
Foods like stir fries, soups, salads, fruit and veg that are bulked up with fibre and water usually fill your stomach quickly and keep you satisfied for a long time. They also require quite a bit of chewing, which psychologically triggers the feeling of satisfaction. Stir fries, soups and salads are also meals that can be put together really quickly so make sure you always have the ingredients for these in your fridge and cupboards. Swap white bread for wholemeal bread. White bread has much less fibre so you'll feel hungrier much more quickly and end up eating more in the long run. Also only have bread on the bottom layer on a sandwich. Swap the top layer of bread for extra salad. Or you could even swap bread for crackers or wholemeal pitta bread.
Excessive amounts of salt is never good for your body and can definitely lead to dehydration. Since many people can't recognise the difference between hunger and thirst, eating salt could make you feel as if you are hungry when you really aren't.
If you think you're hungry but have eaten within the last two hours, drink a glass of water instead as you're probably just dehydrated. Try to drink 3 litres of water a day.
Here's an obvious one but avoid sugar. It burns through your body too quickly. Even sugary snacks that are low in fat are a bad idea, as you will just get hungry soon again and require more food. Work out the times of day you crave sugary or fatty foods and replace them with something natural - an entire punnet of strawberries or a couple of pieces of dark chocolate instead of confectionery for example.
Meal plan your whole day and try not to deviate from it. This is to stop mindless eating and picking at food for the sake of it, cos you are bored etc. Once your body has set new eating patterns and got used to them you will naturally graze less and can be a bit more flexible. If you find yourself eating out of habit or because you are bored try to keep yourself busy. Try stress-relieving and relaxation techniques before eating due to stress.
Avoid drinking empty calories in fruit juice, sugary drinks, sugar and milk in hot drinks and alcohol. Avoid alcohol especially when eating as it can greatly increase your appetite. It is hard to tell when your body is full after you become a bit tipsy. Alcohol also relaxes that your willpower, which makes you even more likely to go for a second helping.
If you are tired you are far more likely to prop up energy with sugary snacks so make sure you get enough sleep.
Although some people use caffeine as an appetite suppressant, you will just quickly crash after the caffeine burns through your body. This is similar to how sugar makes you hungrier than before, so try to avoid it.
Your liver is your main fat burning organ. Include an onion a day in your diet to help the liver which uses the sulphur-containing compounds it contains.
Be clever with naughty food - make your own ice cream with fruit and fat free yoghurt, a little bit of dark chocolate, grilled lean back bacon and poached/scrambled egg on one piece of wholemeal bread - you can even add grilled mushrooms and tomatoes on the side, rice and chapati at the curry house instead of chips and naan, use a small amount of strong cheese like parmesan or goat's cheese as a topping instead of including lots of cheese or cheesey sauces in your meal, ask for half the amount of milk and skimmed milk in a cappuccino or latte. If you are eating out, look at the menu if you can and decide what fits in with your eating plan before you go and stick to it. If you have in mind what you are going to have you won't be tempted by other stuff on the menu when you get there.
Always go shopping after you have eaten, so you won't be tempted by crap. Avoid the junk food aisles. Do you have a pringle food? (once you pop you can't stop) With these foods just don't buy them. If anyone offers it to you, politely decline, because you know it won't stop at one, it will be a slippery slope til there's none left!
Keep a public food diary on an internet forum or social networking website. If you have to be honest and write it down for others to see as well as yourself, you'll pay more attention to the quantity and quality of what you eat. You'll soon stop polishing off the kid's leftovers!
Remember even after you exercise you still burn fat because you primarily use carbohydrate fuel during the exercise which takes time to replace, so in the meantime, your body burns fat for energy. In other words, your metabolism is raised. Add in extra exercise by taking the stairs instead of the lift, get off the bus or train a stop or two early and walk the rest of the way, walk shorter distances instead of getting in the car, on the bus or train.
Think of your diet as a game against a powerful opponent. You won't win every encounter, but with practice you can get a lot better. If you don't lose for a few weeks don't lose your motivation and give up on the diet and think it's not for you. These things happen and in time you will start losing again. Dieting is a bit like surfing, sometimes you just have to wait and catch the next wave, whether it be motivation, waiting for your body to catch up with all the good work you've been putting in or until you can concentrate more on what you are eating perhaps cos of other important things going on in your life. Tell yourself that eating that chocolate bar will only make you happy for a minute or two. You will be pissed off after that you ate it. You will be proud of yourself for not giving in afterwards. You will be much happier when you stand on the scales and have lost weight. Every time you are tempted by something naughty remember the feeling of standing on the scales and weighing a bit less