Weightloss Wednesday: Food Replacement

Weightloss and dieting isn't about starving yourself and depriving your body from the food that it needs - it's about changing what you eat. Believe it or not, the more you eat - the less weight you lose (obviously if you're making the right choices). Not eating enough throughout the day can actually cause you to gain weight as your body starts to store the fat. Your body starts to think 'Hang on a minute, she's not fed me for four hours. Better start storing incase she doesn't feed me all day!" Since starting to diet, I've had to replace the unhealthy foods that I eat, with something a little better for me. Here are some of the replacements that I've made whilst still being able to enjoy my food.


DRINKS
Fizzy drinks (Lucozade, Fanta, Coke) / Full fat cordial
replaced with 
Water, No-added sugar cordials (*1)

Alcohol in general
replaced with
Vodka and diet coke (only 2 WW* points!)

BREAKFAST
Coco Pops with full fat milk / Toasted white bread with full fat butter & orange juice
replaced with 
Honey Cheerios with skimmed milk / Fruit & water

LUNCH
Pasta pots / Microwave meals / Sandwiches (on thick white bread, butter, three slices of pre-packed ham) / McDonald's (general fast food) / Jacket potato with butter and cheese and beans / White pasta with lots of chicken and noodles
replaced with 
Sainsbury's meal soups or canned cream of tomato soup (no bread!) / Sandwiches (WW* sliced bread, two slices of wafer-thin ham, no butter) / Wholemeal pasta with tuna and light mayonnaise / Sliced beef in WW tortilla wraps with lettuce 

DINNER
I haven't really changed what I eat for my dinner - I've just changed the portion sizes and made a few minor adjustments.

Serving dinner on a large plate
replaced with
Serving dinner in a bowl/smaller plate (*2)

White pasta / Rice
replaced with
Wholemeal / Brown Pasta / Rice

Full fat sauces
replaced with
'Lighter' / WW sauces

Chips/Wedges
replaced with
Salad / Veg / Low-Fat chips (smaller portion)

SNACKS / TREATS

I firstly try to eat lots of fruit when I'm feeling hungry (*3)

Walkers crisps / Monster Munch
replaced with
 Quavers / French Fries

Dairy Milk / Cadbury chocolate
replaced with
 WW Caramel Mallow / WW Bakewell Slice / WW Chocolate Bar

(*WW = Weight Watchers. Since I am on the Weight Watchers diet, a lot of my replacements are with Weight Watchers foods which fit into the Points tracking regime. To read more on WW click here.)

TIPS

*1 / A huge part of losing weight is your water retention. Drinking plenty of water has really helped with my weight loss. I try to drink 2 litres of water a day (about four pints) and drink it through a straw. Drinking through a straw means you'll drink more in one go and be able to get through 2L a day. You might be going to toilet a bit more often but you'll feel so much more energetic. 

*2 / I try to serve my meals on a smaller dish than I usually would. This way my body feels as though it's getting a bigger portion than you're actually giving it because it's seeing a plate full of food. This way you'll feel fuller for longer. 

*3 / When I'm feeling genuinely hungry and it's nowhere near a meal-time, I tend to eat fruit. To make myself feel more full, I'll cut it up into small pieces and put it on a plate. Putting food on a dish makes it more of an occasion rather than just quickly scoffing down an apple. This will, again, make you feel fuller for longer.

WEIGHT LOST SO FAR: 6 lbs

I'm really happy with the weight that I've lost so far as I think losing weight slowly means that you're more likely to keep it off. I've not been struggling or craving foods as I'm not depriving my body of naughtier foods - I've just learnt to control the amount of it that I eat. I still go out for lunch with my family and I still go out for drinks with friends. The only difference is that I know my limits. I think that losing weight isn't about suffering and putting your life on hold - it's about a lifestyle change and altering the way you think about food. You're completely entitled to a Nando's with the girls or that bottle of wine in your cupboard because that's what life is all about! Enjoy yourself, make wise choices and reap the rewards!

I hope you enjoyed this month's Weightloss Wednesday. Please let me know if you're blogging about your weightloss journey too :)

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