It is a challenge to lose the last 5 kilos isn’t it? I have almost lost all my baby weight but those last 5 kilos just seem to be sticking like glue. While Australia and many other parts of the world have a growing obesity problem, there are many of us that just want to lose the last 5 kilos, me included. It really isn’t a lot of weight, but with those last few kilos gone, I feel more confident in my own skin rather than just a tad too lumpy and frumpy.
I tend to get frustrated and just a little annoyed when I am almost at my goal weight and those last 5 kilos just keep eluding me. I then tell myself that it really doesn’t matter, that there are more important things in life, and yes that’s true, but with those last 5 kilos gone I feel happy, healthy and have more energy to move about my day.
But, I have decided I need your help. I need an accountability buddy, otherwise, I just don’t make the changes I need to. If I know you will be checking back here to see my progress, then I hope it will motivate me enough to keep on the plan. I really want to lose the last 5 kilos before my next birthday.
Let’s do this!
So how do you lose the last 5 kilos?
Get organised
We all know the saying, ‘if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail’. Simple and true and boy, do I know it. One of the keys is to plan your weekly meals and snacks and then shop with a list. I wrote about menu planning and how it helped me lose the weight after my 8th baby here. Once again, I am wanting to lose weight after my 9th baby and the reminder to meal plan is a timely one. If you, like me, want to lose those last 5 kilos, be intentional with your meal planning for at least a month, which is just about the time you need to lose 5 kg.
Hydrate
While we all know we need to drink enough water each day, most of us don’t. Our body and brain will function optimally when we hydrate our body properly and dehydration won’t be misinterpreted as a hunger cue – say goodbye to needless sugary snacking.
The good news is that we don’t need to get our daily water needs just from plain water. There are so many healthy options to mix it up a bit. Why not try some of these Trim Healthy Mama options? Page numbers are from the original book and the rest can be found on the web, with the new book containing some of the recipes as well.
Make breakfast count
Use the super weight loss powers of protein. Protein is digested more slowly than carbs, helping to regulate our appetite and our fat burning hormones. A couple of eggs, Greek yogurt breakfast swirls, or a healthy smoothie will provide you with around 15-20 grams of protein to kick start your metabolic rate for the day. You will be full and satisfied for at least 3-4 hours, taking away the temptation to snack on unhealthy options at morning tea.
Pile on the veggies
Make an effort to include more vegetables and salads at every meal and snack. Add some mushrooms, tomatoes or rocket to your morning eggs, eat a large salad at lunch with your protein source and add lots of yummy veggies to your dinner plate. This will help keep you feeling full and boost your vitamin and mineral intake at the same time.
Portion distortion
We eat more than previous generations did and it shows. Cut down portion sizes by eating from a smaller plate. As our plate size increased so did our waists. By using this simple technique we can cut around 300 calories from our daily diet and we will soon start to see the scales shifting.
Move it baby
Use incidental activity. Instead of asking someone else to go fetch something for you, do it yourself. Do you long to hire a house cleaner so you have time to go to the gym? I did until I realised I could kill two birds with one stone. Don’t waste your money on a gym membership or a cleaner, just change your attitude to housework – cue Mary Poppins, ‘a spoon full of sugar…’
Instead of dreading all the work that needs doing around the home, see it as a workout and see how much you can achieve in the time it takes to drive to the gym and back. For me, that is an hour. I can vacuum and mop my whole house in an hour if I use it as an opportunity to workout – no dawdling allowed. If you work, use the stairs instead of the lift, seeing how fast you can make it to the top.
Set aside a time each day for some dedicated movement in the form of interval training. This is very popular at the moment and a quick search on google will tell you all you need to know.
Sleep
Not sleeping enough leads to weight gain. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study which found that when people were starved of sleep, late-night snacking increased, and they were more likely to choose high-carb snacks. Another study found that sleeping too little prompts people to eat bigger portions of all foods, increasing weight gain. So jump into bed allowing enough time for 7-9 hours sleep each night and your waist will thank you for it.
Over the next few weeks, I will be posting my weekly meal plans, any exercise I manage to squeeze in and reporting on any movement on the scales.
Blessings to you and yours,
Donna.
