As the weather starts to warm up, our thoughts turn to beach days, BBQs and… eep, bathing suits. Spring is when a lot of people decide to lose weight, or recommit to their weight loss program of choice – in fact, it’s second only to New Year’s Day! So, we figured that it was time for a little spring jumpstart.
The SFD Squad is sharing our best Spring weight loss tips to get you cruising into summer like a pro. You’ll be rocking those summer dresses in no time flat.
1. Go back to your Big Why
Remember wayyyyyy back at the beginning of the program, where you thought about why you wanted to lose weight? This motivation is exceptionally important when you’re recommitting to a health goal. Take a few moments to revisit those reasons why you wanted to lose weight in the first place. It’s this deeper reason that’s going to give you the perseverance to keep going and the grit to say no to that second serving of fries or glass of rose.
Ask yourself: Is this reason still relevant to me? Do I have another big why now? Has my big why shifted or changed? What is my ultimate motivation to lose weight?
You can revisit the Big Why lesson and video here.
2. Create realistic goals
Yes, even as a MasterFaster you should be setting goals! They may not be weight loss goals, or size goals, but they should still exist. They might be mindset, social or health goals. Goals are what get you going and keep you going. So, the minute you stop setting goals, you stop achieving things. Which is a big part of why MasterFaster is an ongoing program. You may still want to lose a few kilos, or you may want to tone up your arms, or your goal might be to feel ‘free’ this summer and not worry about how you look. Alternatively, your goal could be health related – perhaps you want to walk 5 kilometres (or run!) or you may be motivated to get your cholesterol below 5.5.
No matter what your goals are or how quickly you achieve them, it’s important to keep reflecting on them and keep re-setting them. And to keep rewarding yourself too!
Here’s a good reminder of how to set realistic goals that will ensure you succeed.
3. Clean out your pantry (again!)
As we get comfortable with new ways of doing things, we also tend to become complacent. As Dr. Happy says “One of the great things about humans is that we’re so adaptable. And one of the bad things about humans, is that we’re so adaptable.” Anything that you do enough will become a routine. And routines breed complacency.
So – revitalise your MasterFaster motivation by giving yourself carte blanche. A fresh start! You might be surprised by what you find hiding in that pantry. Little things like chocolate, chips and high carb treats sneak their way in when you’re not looking. And when you’re hungry or snacky – well… they just happen to be there, don’t they? Ditch the tempting treats and restock your pantry with all the right stuff.
Spring time is the perfect time for a spring clean of your pantry and your fridge. Make sure you place highly nutritious foods in the front, less nutritious foods in the back and get rid of anything that doesn’t spark food joy.
You can revisit the lesson on the pantry clean out quest here.
4. Practise savvy swaps
The thing a lot of we MasterFasters love about this WOL (way of life) is that it is a way of life which doesn’t require giving things up. But, when you’re getting down to those last few kilos… sometimes you have to decide what’s more important. Chances are, you’ll still reach your goals even if you do indulge in an extra glass of wine or bowl of ice cream, but if you’re particularly set on reaching those goals for spring, then you may have to exercise the willpower muscle a little.
It’s just a matter of deciding what’s more important. If you love your coffee, but you also really want to fit into those skinny jeans, then why not try black coffee instead of a latte? You’ll cut more than 200 calories from your daily intake in a flash, and who knows, you might realise that you can live with drinking black coffee on some days of the week.
We’ve put together a great blog on some clever food and drink swaps you’ll barely even notice.
5. Get enough sleep
People who sleep less than seven hours a night are more likely to weigh more. In fact, a major review found that shorter sleep durations increase your likelihood of obesity by 89% in children and 55% in adults. And another study, which limited a group of adults to five hours of sleep a night, saw an increase in weight by 0.82 kilos.
Yes, really. We know that we talked about sleep and its importance early on, but it’s worth a refresher, because sometimes… life gets in the way! And you get busy. And sleep simply takes a back seat. You can re-prioritise sleep by practising good sleep hygiene.
Keep the bedroom for sleep (and special cuddles) only, steer clear of social media in the hour before bed, keep your bedroom clean, dry and cool and never go to bed when you’re not tired. If you do have trouble sleeping, get up after 20 minutes of trying and do something else, like reading a boring book or doing the dishes. A sleep tracker like this one can also help you to monitor your sleep duration and sleep quality.
You can revisit our blog on sleep here.
6. Keep a food diary
Yes, more basics! Because as MasterFasters, we have a tendency to think we ‘know it all’, so we tend to ignore the simple things that may have kept us on track in the beginning. Sometimes little habits like keeping a food diary or a calorie tracker can give you the motivation and the determination to stick with it. Small wins like being under your calorie goal for the day, or finding a new low-calorie food give you a good little rush of dopamine, which is the reward chemical in your brain. It’s this chemical that encourages you to go after bigger goals.
Besides which, keeping a food diary is just good practise when you’re intermittent fasting or counting calories. It helps ensure you don’t develop calorie amnesia or I-don’t-remember-eating-that-itis. And the simple habit of writing down what you’ve eaten is a great way to keep yourself accountable and on track.
You can grab the original Super Squad food diary template here.
7. Watch your portions
Remember wayyyyy back in the beginning when you learned about how to portion out your plate? How one hand was a good size for fish, and a fist was a good size for a red meat portion? Well, it’s time for a portion size refresher. If you’re anything like the rest of the MasterFasters, then complacency and guestimation have become well-known compatriots. Maybe your portions are creeping over the edges of your plate, or maybe you’ve stopped using that fancy new kitchen scale. You may have even opted for slightly bigger plates, because… well, yummy food. Duh!
So, if you are finding the last few kilos to your goal to be a bit of an uphill struggle, then it’s time to go back to the smaller plates, back to weighing things and back to the basics of hand sized protein, lots of veggies and carbs or dessert last. (We certainly will be too!)
8. Just eat real food
As much as insta-models try to co-opt this phrase to sell you weight loss tea and faux food, we still think that at its core, it’s a good mantra. Just eat real food. Forget the fancy superfoods in shiny plastic packets that cost $40 per kilo. Forget the newest low fat fad cereal. Forget fancy juicers and low cal chips. Just eat real food. That’s it!
Real food fills you up. Real food gives you the nutrients you need. And real food helps you feel satisfied. Fill your plate with colourful fruits and vegetables. We know, from looking at hundreds of food diaries (including our own) that the kinds of food we tend not to eat enough of is fruits and vegetables. Any vegetables are good. As long as they’re not fried or swimming in butter, you can eat up, safe in the knowledge that they’re very low in calories, provide great phytonutrients and contain lots of fibre, which is essential for your gut health.
9. Weave exercise into every day
Our last tip is all about moving it. Just a little bit. Now, you already know that exercise isn’t great for weight loss. But it is good for your mindset, it’s fabulous for your health, it’ll boost your metabolism and it will help you tone up as you slim down. Most of us are guilty of spending way too long at a desk five days a week. And sedentary behaviour like this can have some absolutely horrendous health effects like increased risk of cancer and heart disease. So, to help you kick those weight loss goals and be as healthy as you possibly can be, weave a little bit of exercise into your days.
Whether it’s a pilates class at lunch time with your work mates instead of lunch, taking the train and walking instead of driving, or going outside with your kids (or grandkids) to kick a ball around instead of watching TV. The more you weave exercise in, the healthier you’ll be and the more you’ll want to move too! Besides, it’s so much easier to head out for a walk after dinner now that the days are getting longer again.
And those are our top spring weight loss tips MasterFasters. Have we missed any? What are your best spring weight loss tips? Let us know by leaving a comment.