On the second week of pre-Christmas weight loss… try increasing your water intake
Increasing water intake has been shown to aid weight loss by increasing satiety, reducing hunger, and helping the body remove waste efficiently. One study found that drinking an additional 1.5 litres of water a day led to just under half a pound of weight loss per week. Drinking more water will also help reduce the calories you consume from other fluids, indeed a US study found that the average person consumes 22 per cent of their calories in liquid form, such as milky coffees, smoothies, soft drinks and alcohol. So, stick to water only this week and you should hit the 1 lb weight-loss target. If you are on a roll with the 16:8 from week one, keep it going this week too for even faster results.
Make it easier by… setting an alarm
Drinking an extra 1.5 litres of water is 6 x 250ml glasses. Have one before each meal and then set an alarm to have one mid-morning, another mid-afternoon and one more about an hour before bed.
On the third week of pre-Christmas weight loss… try calorie shaving
Calorie shaving is a way to cut excess calories from your diet without calorie counting. Graeme Tomlinson, aka the Fitness Chef, is the master of calorie shaving, with his Instagram (@thefitnesschef_ ) devoted to calorie-saving swaps. One of his suggestions is switching from having two large lattes a day to two large americanos which will shave off 2,660 calories a week. Other examples of calorie shaving include removing one slice of bread to make an open sandwich (shaves 100 calories), swapping chips for extra vegetables (shaves 250 calories), or cutting the amount of butter you use, for example not adding butter to vegetables, as each teaspoon contains 35 calories.
Make it easier by… snacking smart
The easiest way to shave calories is by switching up your snacks. Grab-and-go snacks can pack a heavy calorie load, for example, a 45g bag of crisps or a regular-sized chocolate bar each have around 250 calories. Some great options under 100 calories include 2 tbsp Greek yogurt with a handful of berries, veggie sticks with 1 tbsp hummus or a wholegrain cracker with cream cheese and cucumber.
On the fourth week of pre-Christmas weight loss… try low-carbing
Low-carb diets have been popular ever since Dr Atkins published his New Diet Revolution in 1972. Low-carb diets work by drastically cutting carbohydrate intake so that your body burns more fat for energy. Indeed, studies have shown it to be highly effective for short-term weight loss. Foods to avoid this week include rice, pasta, bread/grains, starchy fruit and vegetables (like potatoes, sweetcorn, peas and bananas), honey or sugar in any form, fruit juices and smoothies, crisps and crackers. This sounds tough, and honestly it is, but just focus on non-starchy veg like leafy greens and broccoli, whole fruit like berries, cherries and watermelon, unsweetened dairy and lean protein from eggs, poultry and meat. Remember, it’s only for a week!
Make it easier by… increasing fibre to stay full
Yes, fibre is a kind of carbohydrate but it’s one that your body cannot digest. Instead, it slows digestion down making you feel fuller for longer and thus regulates appetite. Foods that are low-carb but high-fibre include flax seeds, chia seeds, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, red cabbage and berries.
On the fifth week of pre-Christmas weight loss… try alternate-day fasting
This week it’s the turn of another form of intermittent fasting (IF) called Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) where you cut your calorie intake to 800 every other day. Maths whizzes will have worked out that with seven days in a week you’ll need to fast on at least three of those days to achieve the 3,500 calorie weekly deficit. The key to success here is planning your meals on fast days. Michael Mosley, the king of IF, has had huge success with his Fast 800 programme and if you Google “Fast 800 recipes” there are plenty of meal ideas available on-line. The main foods to avoid are the usual suspects: starchy and processed foods and sugar, and the ones to focus on are those that increase satiety and reduce cravings – lean protein, dairy and fibre.
Make it easier by… keeping busy on fast days
Keeping your mind off food is the best way to breeze through fast days. Suitable activities are those that distract you from hunger but don’t use up too much energy, such as walking, gentle stretching and pottering in the garden.
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