6 Simple Swaps

If your goal is to lose weight and get healthier forget the crash diets and extreme weight loss strategies. Taking small steps in the right direction is much more beneficial to lose the weight and keep it off for good! Focusing on a few small behaviours will help to develop healthy habits that last a lifetime not just a short duration. Here are a few little changes you can make to your lifestyle that will result in cm's falling off your waist line.

1. Incidental Exercise

Scheduled exercise only contributes to 15-30% of daily calories burned whereas our incidental exercise can contribute up to 50% of our calorie output! If fat loss is your goal it may be beneficial to start tracking your steps and trying to increase your daily target. Ways to do this include taking the stairs, get up from your desk every hour, park your car further away, get off the bus a stop early, cleaning and house work and walking in your lunch break.

1. Get more out of your sessions by doing less

Are you just going into the gym and mindlessly going through the motions? If you are spending hours in the gym but not giving it your 100% you are missing out on lots of calories burnt. If this is the case you are better off going in for half the time and focusing on a high intensity session where you get the most bang for your buck! It is all about quality over quantity when it comes to your training.

1. Meal prep

Having food ready to go in the fridge ensures you don't get stuck and reach for the wrong thing that throws you off track! A great idea is to cook up some different food sources at the beginning of the week, so you always have healthy food that you enjoy available.

1. Portion your snacks and meals

If you are not tracking your calories and macros in a food diary it may be a good idea to weigh out and portion your snacks and meals. This will ensure you are not overeating and adding thousands of calories to your weekly total. It is very easy to accidentally have 3 servings of peanut butter rather than 1 which is an extra 230 calories a day which equals 1610 a week! This will be a massive difference when it comes to your weekly weight loss.

1. Liquid calories

Sip Smarter! Skip fruit juice, smoothies, soft drink and other high calorie drinks. These drinks can add hundreds of calories into your day that are not beneficial or necessary. Many juices are advertised as having 3 serves of fruit in one tiny bottle, would you sit down and eat 3 oranges at once? Try and stick with water or sugar free options, this will ensure you aren't loading up on extra calories and help keep you in a deficit!

1. Plan and write a list

Sitting down on a Sunday or at the start of the week and planning your food, when you are going to exercise and writing a shopping list can save lots of time throughout the week and ensure you are on track. Going shopping with a list will make sure no sneaky, unplanned snacks or treats end up in the house!

These 6 simple swaps and habits are a great place to start and you will begin to notice differences in your body composition, energy levels and overall health! Remember it is all about consistency and dedication, there is no quick fix when it comes to your health and fitness.