- Get out of the binge/restrict cycle – don’t go for super low calories all week just for you to gorge at the weekend. If a nutrition plan is a struggle to stick to, you’ll never be able to long term. Everyone’s willpower is a finite resource. Eventually you’ll crack and then binge on all the foods you’ve been dreaming of – feel guilty – and then go back to a super restrictive diet. Don’t be this person, you will get nowhere. Aim for a moderate calorie deficit throughout the week and then maintenance calories at the weekend. Get your training in and over the following weeks and months you’ll notice way more sustainable progress than your friend boasting about losing 6 pounds in one week but has their ‘cheat day’ and loses control.
- If you do go over, it’s not the end of the world – say you had your dinner planned which was going to keep you on track, but a friend asks you out for some dinner and drinks, don’t go rejecting social events just because of your plan. You will likely go over on your target calories, don’t worry and don’t feel guilty as this will cos you to think you’ve blown it and go wild for the next few days. Simply lower your calories by a few hundred next couple of days and you’ll be back on track.
- Plan your overeating – if you know you are going to have some drinks or a takeaway or go out for dinner etc. then simply adjust the rest of your day’s eating to suit. Go lower calories elsewhere in the day to leave more room for your social events.
- Make smart swaps – below are a list of good swaps to get similar volumes of food for less calories –
- Bacon – turkey bacon
- Milk – plant-based alternative (e.g. almond milk)
- Rice/pasta – cauliflower rice or courgetti
- Soft drinks – go for zero calorie versions
- Tea/coffee – use stevia sweetener or just have them black without anything in them
- Bread – use tortilla wraps or sandwich thins
- Add salads or vegetables to meals for big increase in volume, fibre and nutrients with little calorie increase
- Butter – light mayonnaise
- Oil – low calorie cooking spray
- Limit alcohol – alcohol will have a big impact on how well you stick to your plan. Obviously you are consuming calories when you drink, but it will also cause you to snack more and potentially, if you are hungover the next day, send you feasting on junk food rather than sticking to your plan. It will also negatively impact your training performance. So try and limit alcohol consumption to a few drinks once per week. Consider mixing your beer or wine with zero calorie lemonade to give you the same volume of drink with half the calories if you are going half and half. (Note – don’t put lemonade in red wine, that’s disgusting)
- Keep drinks low calorie – following on from limiting your alcohol, try and keep your drinks low or no calorie options. This frees up more calories for solid food which will make you feel more satiated and help you stay on track.
- Calories are KING – if you’ve never tracked your calories before, download a calorie tracker app and do it for the next few weeks. Once you get the hang of it it only takes a few minutes a day and will be invaluable to you appreciating what is in your food and will give you skills to track your food on the fly in your head. I can track what I eat in my head now to within 100 calories or so just because I spent time tracking the foods I regularly eat.
