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Showing posts from 2015

How to Get Back in the Zone After Christmas

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Christmas has been and gone, but you’re still not back on the weight loss wagon. No matter how many days you say “today is the day,” you find yourself gorging on chocolate, cake, leftover turkey and more. Deep down, you know you need to get back into that weight loss zone. You may have stepped on the scales and be mortified at your gain, or be scared to even see the damage. You can get back in the zone after Christmas. Here are three tips to help you do it today. Get Rid of It All It sounds like a waste of food, but you don’t have to throw it all in the bin. Anything that’s not been opened can be taken to food shelters or food banks. People are always thankful for those who donate, whatever your reasons for donating are. Another option is to give it to your neighbours or friends. What about your friends with children just to get it all out of the house? Anything that has been opened can be put in the bin. Chances are it’s going off around about now, anyway. It’

Weight Watchers Tips: Snacking Ideas on SmartPoints

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There’s been a huge shift recently at Weight Watchers, and now people are understandably looking for tips. People want to know the best snacking ideas on SmartPoints, because chocolate has pretty much doubled in points. It’s great to hear that people want tips and ideas. It means they’re trying and looking for ways to still enjoy their treats and live a healthy life, while losing weight. While I could tell you to snack on fruit and veggies, we don’t always want them. We want chocolate, crisps, yoghurts and everything else that could be “bad” for us. It’s not bad, as long as eaten in moderation. Here are some of my snacking ideas on the new Weight Watchers plan. Danone Shape Yoghurts and Muller Lights Shape yoghurts have barely changed in points. Most of them sit at 2sp (I’ve worked them out with the calculator), so that’s one great snack that you can have. Many others have gone up in points. Muller Lights have gone up, but they’re still relatively low. Depending on

Should You Start Your Diet Now Or After Christmas?

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Is now a good time to start your diet? With three days to go to Christmas day, you may be tempted to start afterwards. After all, now isn’t a good time when you know you have the festivities coming up, is it? The truth is there never is a good time to start a diet. Doing it now could be perfect for you. Of course, it really depends on you and your mindset. Here’s three reasons why I’d consider starting a diet now rather than after Christmas. It Gets You in the Mindset Having a healthy mindset is only a positive thing, right? I’d consider a healthy diet before Christmas Day just to get started in that mindset. It might help curb some of the unhealthy choices I’d make over the festive period. This is especially the case with the new Weight Watchers diet. The whole approach is about being healthy—moving more, smiling more and eating better. Why put that off until after the festive season? Even if you don’t get straight into it, getting some sort of head-start on

Weight Watchers Hasn’t Changed to Make More Money: Why You Benefit From SmartPoints

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There is still a lot of talk about the new Weight Watchers plan, SmartPoints. Some accuse the company of changing just for the sake of money. There’s this idea of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” While I do believe in that saying, the truth is the ProPoints plan was slightly flawed. I fully admit to making my allowance fit so I could have my chocolate, crisps, cheeses and alcohol. The truth is SmartPoints is needed, and it benefits you in so many ways. Now, there are people resistant to change. They don’t like it, and as humans it’s common to like our routines. The change from Points to ProPoints was very much the same. I keep saying how I was one of those so resistant that I left, gained weight and wished I’d just kept going and embraced the changed. That’s why this time—even though I feared I might find it hard—I decided to embrace it and get stuck in. It is because I see the benefits in SmartPoints. So, I want to focus on them to show you why Weight Watchers hasn’t ch

Weight Watchers Plan Changes: Giving It a Go

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Weight Watchers announced the new plan yesterday. It’s a holistic approach, going “Beyond the Scale.” But there are lots of people in Facebook groups saying that they’re not going to bother changing. They’re angry that Weight Watchers has done this, saying that it’s all about the money. The truth is, the change is all about health. This new change encourages moving more, eating foods that are lower in sugar and saturated fats (not getting rid of all treats but having them just as treats) and focusing on being happier. What could possibly be wrong with that? Why would someone not want to give the Weight Watchers plan changes a go? Chocolate and Snacks Have Increased There are a lot of complaints about chocolate, snacks and wine going up in values. There’s a reason for that... They’re high in saturated fats and sugars. Weight Watchers isn’t just about losing weight. It’s always been about living a healthier lifestyle. The old plan—in hindsight, which I know

Keep Your Weight Loss Going Throughout the Ups and Downs

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There are all sorts of things that challenge our weight loss. It can be things going on in our personal lives, individuals not supporting our goals when we really need them to, or technology playing up like crazy. Many Weight Watchers members have vented their frustration lately because the smartphone app has been playing up. App updates have led to various issues, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep your weight loss going. Things happen that are out of our control. Rather than complaining and letting it hinder our efforts, we need to get back on track and keep going through those ups and downs. Here are my tips to help you do just that. Track Your Food an Alternate Way What did we ever do without technology? I know now it seems like we’ve always add a Weight Watchers app, but that really isn’t the case. I actually went back to paper and pen shortly before all the app updates. I wanted to get back into the habit of writing it all down and see what it was like bein

Which Slimming Plan Works Best?

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There are lots of different slimming plans out there. While I’m a Weight Watchers leader, I fully respect all the different healthy eating plans available. I understand why people choose different diets and weight loss methods. The question that many people have is whether one slimming plan works best. There is a lot of competition between different companies, all saying they are the best. For me, Weight Watchers has always worked the best. I’ve tried different diets and healthy eating plans and not always found success. With Slimming World, I gained weight. I’ve tried the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet and even the Paleo Diet but found them all far too restrictive and for short-term benefit. That doesn’t mean everyone will find the same as me. It all depends what you need One of the things I’ve learned is that it isn’t a one-diet-fits-all approach. I’ve spoken to plenty of Weight Watchers members who have said that Slimming World just didn’t work for them or th

Getting Back on Track After a Bad Week

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Losing weight is hard. It doesn’t matter how many “quick fixes” and “miracle cures” come out, losing the weight and keeping it off in the long term requires hard work. The truth is nothing worth having was ever easy. Getting back on track after a bad week as soon as possible is essential. It’s the only way you’re going to give yourself the best chance. There’s no point saying the plan isn’t working, when you know you’re not sticking to it. Here are four tips to help you get straight back on track. Face the Scales When you have a bad week, it’s really easy to fall off the wagon. You think that you won’t jump on the scales to see the damage, but you’ll be really good for another week. Does it really happen? I’ve had plenty of members come to me at the scales and tell me they were thinking of missing class. They didn’t want to see the damaged they’d done. But then they knew that they wouldn’t get back on track. The best thing they did was admit that they needed to s

4 Tips to Make Sure You Lose Weight This Christmas

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Wouldn’t it be great to lose weight this Christmas? It doesn’t have to be a dream. Yes, losing weight over Christmas really is possible. It’s all about planning, preparing and being in the right mindset. I’ve lost weight every Christmas but one. That year I gained, it was half a pound and was my first year back on Weight Watchers after having my daughter. Needless to say, I was making up for everything I couldn’t have the year before (pates, blue cheeses etc). So, how can you lose weight this Christmas? Here are my top four tips to make sure you do. Plan Ahead for the Season Go into the supermarket with your shopping list. By planning ahead and making a list, you’re not as likely to buy the random items on offer. Just think of what that does to your financial budget! Start by making a list for everything you’re going to need on Christmas Day. Move onto Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve/Day from there and then think about over the season. We prefer to do two lots of foo

Managing Your Weight at the Christmas Party

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The Christmas party will be here before you know it. In fact, some work places are holding their Christmas parties this month! If you’re on a diet, you may be worried and thing your options are limited: Do you skip the party completely? Do you limit yourself completely while there? Do you have a big blow out? You don’t have to do any of them. I’ve managed weight loss at a Christmas party. In fact, the year that I got to goal I’d had a Christmas party days before my weigh-in. How did I manage it? I used the following tips. Alternate Your Alcoholic Drinks Alcoholic drinks are full of empty, unnecessary calories. But they’re delicious, right? How can you say no when everyone else is drinking? Well, there are a few options here. The year that I did it, I opted to drive. I had a couple of glasses of wine with my meal and then switched to non-alcoholic drinks for the rest of the night. This year I’ll be sticking to non-alcoholic drinks because of my pregnancy.

Why Blogging About Weight Loss Can Help You Succeed

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For a number of years now, I’ve blogged about weight loss. I’ve shared my ups and downs, my tricks and tips along the way and anything that I’ve learned about health and dieting. Blogging about weight loss has really helped me succeed. It’s been something that has helped keep me on track, whether I’ve tried doing it alone or done it through Weight Watchers. Maybe it’s something that you could do to help you succeed at your weight loss goals. Here are the main four reasons blogging about weight loss has really helped me to succeed. Kept Me Accountable Yes, Weight Watchers meant that I had someone I was accountable to. I had my leader, and she was definitely great. Without her, I think I would have given up at times. I think I would have definitely given up trying to stay at goal and wouldn’t have become a Weight Watchers leader myself. However, blogging kept me accountable to so many more people. Sometimes that’s what I needed. I didn’t share all my goals with m

Bonfire Night Weight Loss Tips: Weight Loss With a Bang!

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Bonfire night is almost here. It’s a night for many friends and families to get together, have treats and watch the fireworks. Among some of the favourites are hot chocolate (with cream and marshmallows, of course!), toffee apple, bonfire candy and hot dogs. It can seem almost impossible to see a Bonfire Night weight loss. The good news is that it really is possible. With a bit of planning, tracking and motivation, you can get through the night. Here are my top tips for losing weight this Guy Fawkes Night. Host the Party If you host the firework party, you have a lot more control. It’s one of the reasons I used to always host, because it meant that I could control the food that was served, the desserts that were put out and where used fireworks went (there was a really bad experience with myself almost being burned because of a ‘friend’ throwing used fireworks into an open fire without me realising!). When you host the party, think about the weight loss friend