the truth of how healthy works

step 1: Stop dieting!

Before even considering another diet or programme consider this: If you make healthy changes to your dietary habits not just for the weight loss period, then your chances of keeping the rolls away are SIGNIFICANTLY more! So the point is this. Make the changes you need to once instead of going on diets every 6 months of your life!

• Stop allowing your weight to increase and decrease constantly (yo-yo dieting)
• Removing the sweets cupboard from your home and replacing it with healthy treats
• Make your home the food haven it's supposed to be
• Feast your eyes on positive images.

Read more!
Why yo-yo dieting can be bad for your health

step 2: Get excited about a healthy body

Losing weight could be the tonic your body has been craving for!

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Arthritis
• Stroke
• Gallstones
• Gout
• Problems breathing while sleeping – sleep apnoea
• Less sick days in general!

And let's not forget the benefit of increased energy levels and healthy libido!
Why wait when you can go for it now!

step 3: How much do you really need to lose?

How can you want to lose weight and not know what your target is?

So do this:

• Measure your waist using a tape measure. This will be the most important thing you can do for the rest of your life! The reason for this is that waist measurement is quite accurate in predicting risk for disease and it does not fool you like the scale in your bathroom! Ladies you need to have a waist of less than 88cm and guys less than 102cm.
• Determine your Body Mass Index (BMI). This measurement uses weight and height in a calculation that provides an idea of what a person's ‘body fatness’ is. To determine your BMI use the calculator at the bottom of this page (we’ve made it easy this way!)
• Use exactly the same bathroom scale to weigh yourself only once per week and remember this. As you gain healthy muscle there may not be much downward movement on your scale because muscle also weighs something! That’s why the waist measurement is so important!

Read more!
Read more about your waist measurement and why this is super important!
Read more about what your Body Mass Index should be?

step 4: Had a checkup recently?

Now you’ve read up to step 4 and you’re thinking ‘there’s just no way my weight is coming off because I’ve tried a million times and nothing seems to work!’ If this is you then maybe you are part of a small percentage of people who need a visit to their friendly neighborhood GP.

step 5: Launch into a new life!

Do you really want to lose weight? If so you need to make the following decisions!

• Decide on a defined period of weight loss! Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll just lose as you go along because (a) you will probably struggle to lose weight and (b) you will deprive yourself for life and have food binges as a result!
• Do you know how much you should lose per week? If not then read the article below.
• Find a weight loss programme that advocates healthy principles. This will be the help to strengthen your resolve!
• Get a buddy. Don’t do this alone. Ask a close friend, yes the same one who regularly joins you for cake at your local coffee shoppe to join you on this adventure!
• Don’t lose weight too fast! See the read more article below that explains what a safe rate of weight loss should be!

Read more!
How fast should my weight loss be?

step 6: Understanding hunger

There are aspects of hunger you need to understand which will help you on your road to weight management!

Due to the convenience-driven and ‘food-is-leisure’ society that we live in, you will benefit greatly from learning when you’re actually really hungry versus just having an appetite for something nice! (Time spent in front of the television has a way of confusing this issue thoroughly) Hunger is defined as ‘our innate physiological drive or need to eat’. When you have signs like a growling stomach and lightheadedness, your body is giving the signals of falling blood sugar and your brain will respond by making you hungry. Appetite on the other hand is experienced in the absence of hunger and is driven by numerous factors like familiar smells, associations with certain times of the day and places etc. Yes, appetite leads people to overeat!

This may sound strange but very hungry people tend to eat irresponsibly. Thus make sure you eat regularly enough, consuming only food that you intended to eat in the first place.

Never go grocery shopping if you’re famished! Your stomach WILL make some of the decisions!

Keep on going to the next steps where we will show you how to balance hunger purely through the TYPES of food that you eat!

step 7: Nectar of the gods!

Before we talk about food we need to talk about the all-important substance that most people forget to consume, water! The problem with forgetting this life-giving substance is that it can cause symptoms completely unrelated to thirst like headaches (which has happened to most of us) but more importantly can make you crave certain foods! (this may not be good for weight loss…) Another point is that every individual has a different need for water so read the article at the end of this page to determine your need.

Boost your daily water intake!

• Tip 1: Keep a jug or bottle of water close at hand. If it is in sight it will be in mind
• Tip 2: Simply drink from a larger glass
• Tip 3: Alternate every cup of regular tea or coffee or alcoholic beverage with a glass of water
• Tip 4: Start your day with a glass of hot water as you get ready for work. Add lemon slices, sliced fresh ginger or mint leaves
• Tip 5: Keep a water bottle in your car and drink from it while you drive to and from work or seeing clients
• Tip 6: Herbal teas, hot or chilled, make a delicious source of water.

Read more!
Read this article to understand more about how much water you need!

step 8: A core principle!

Many healthcare professionals that deal with weight loss will probably tell you one of their core principles is people should eat 5 – 6 small meals per day! Your body was designed to ‘graze’ but our society has conditioned us to have massive meals that wreak havoc with our immune systems, our energy production and pretty much everything that has to do with feeling good! This principle is based upon the concepts of Glycaemic Index (GI) and Glycaemic Load (GL). This basically says that certain foods can cause more dramatic increases in blood sugar than other foods (high GI foods) and it’s thus easier to overload on these foods (High GI foods have a high GL). Carbohydrate foods with a GI value of 55 and under are regarded as low GI foods, and all carbohydrate foods with a value of 70 and over are considered High GI foods.

Low GI foods take longer to be digested and absorbed and thus supply the body with a steady source of fuel (glucose). High GI foods will automatically spike blood glucose levels, resulting in the secretion of high insulin levels that encourage fat storage, irritability and reduction in cognitive function.

So the bottom line is this – it’s easier to overload on a slab of chocolate than with butternut and although you technically can overload on butternut, you will have to eat a serious portion due to its low GL!

This is why many dieticians have basic weight loss diet that looks like this:

• Tip 1: Eat 5 equally sized balanced meals per day
• Tip 2: Have no treats during the week. Reserve that for one day over the weekend or for 2 treat meals
• Tip 3: Do all the other things outlined in our steps like drinking enough water and not being a couch potato!

See our read more articles below to get a handle on this VERY important concept of GI and GL!

Read more!
What you need to know about GI and GL
How to replace the sweets cupboard in my home with healthy snacks!
A word about wonderful fruits and veggies!

step 9: Only protein?

To overdose on protein or not to, that is the question! Over the last few years eating very high protein diets has become quite the fad but does it work?

Well here’s your summary.
It works in the short term but over the long term it does not seem to help! There is also a major problem that creeps in once you start to limit healthy carbs. See the article below on ‘The Sleepy Thyroid Gland’

So we’re back to the basics. You need a BALANCED diet that contains ENOUGH protein to support your muscle mass while you’re losing weight. How much protein is enough? Only 1g per kg body weight! This may not sound like much but most people have diets that are carbohydrate heavy and they miss out on enough quality protein. This is where a visit to a dietician could be very valuable!

Read more!
Read more about high protein diets here
The Sleepy Thyroid Gland

step 10: No fat makes fat

One of the biggest nutritional mistakes of the 20th century was to place people on low fat diets to lose weight! Guess what happened to all these people…they picked up weight and probably felt depressed in the process!

OK so you’re a bit confused now
The process is simple. If you eat any fat the satiety centre in your brain is switched off faster than when you eat carbohydrates (especially sugary carbs!) You thus feel fuller after eating a meal that contains some fat. The other important fact is that the mood lifting omega fatty acids happen to be contained in fats.

Good fat versus bad fat
The advice in a nutshell here is to eat healthy fats that will leave you feeling fuller and happier and to avoid the bad fats such as too much animal fat and heavily processed fats! (See our read more article below to find out where the healthy fats are!)

How to practically add good fats to your diet:

• Tip 1: Add one fat (preferably unsaturated fat – like olive oil and flax seed oil) to each meal
• Tip 2: Measure and control fat portions for weight control –fat is energy dense and can cause weight gain if consumed in excess, whether the fat is good or bad
• Tip 3: Go ‘Mediterranean’ -use healthy oils rather than margarine or butter
• Tip 4: Use low fat cooking methods such as grilling, roasting or steaming
• Tip 5: Eat lean meat
• Tip 6: Spread nut butters, hummus or avocado onto sandwiches as a base –then add various topping
• Tip 7: Add unsalted nuts & seeds to your breakfast cereal or homemade muesli
• Tip 8: Sprinkle any seeds over yoghurt and fruit
• Tip 9: Add small amounts of olives, avocado slices, nuts and seeds to any salads
• Tip 10: Aim to eat fatty fish at least 3 times per week or take a daily omega 3 supplement such as salmon oil
• Tip 11: Be aware of hidden fats –mayonnaise, salad dressing.

Read more!
Exploring the benefits of healthy fats!

step 11: Dealing with hungry emotions.

At the centre of many weight gain stories there is emotional stress and how people ate more ‘comfort foods’ to help them through these difficult times.

Isn’t it strange how our bodies ‘crave’ something yummy when the going gets tough? Three reasons why the cravings are particularly powerful could include:

• You just don’t have the nutritional support that you need to cope! So what you need to do is eat a balanced diet with low GI carbohydrates, a healthy dose of the good fats and protein and limit your sweet treats where possible. Read the article on healthy treats at step 8 and stock your house with delicious mood lifting goodies!
• You aren't getting everything your body needs from your current diet and your body is crying out for quality food! See the article below on how to ‘assassinate a craving!’!
• The other reason could be that you have eating habits that formed during childhood where you used food (especially sweet foods) to help you through tough times.

Part of the solution to the above set of issues is to eat a diet that will deal with deficiencies and make you feel stronger emotionally. The other part is not so straight forward and this is possibly where the help of a trusted counselor or psychologist can help you deal with underlying issues that manifest through certain eating habits.

Read more!
How to kill a craving. A step by step assassination guide.

step 12 - Tips galore

To put the cherry on this cake (definitely a low GI cake) you need to implement the following super tips!

• Eat breakfast within 2 hours of waking daily. Probably the most important habit to form.
• Eating breakfast boosts your metabolic rate and manages late afternoon cravings
• Limit eating out or buying take-aways to no more than 1 –2 x week unless you are sure you are making sensible choices in quality and quantity. Take the time to prepare your own healthy and delicious meals!
• Take a cooler bag to work with you.
• When eating out try these “healthy choice strategies”:
  • Eat a light snack before you go out so that you are not ravenously hungry!
  • Words to avoid (large, giant, super-size or jumbo).
  • Eat less than you are served –Try to order STARTER sized portions or leave 25% on your plate can save many kilojoules.
  • Avoid the bread basket –send it away as it will encourage overeating!
  • Remember the “doggie” bag and take part of your meal home for later
  • Ask for all sauces on the side.
  • Order rice instead of chips or potato.
  • Rather drink light beer (remember alcohol increases your kilojoule count).

step 13: Time to make your move!

It doesn’t matter how you look at this but exercise is going to help your weight loss AND weight maintenance efforts! The trick with exercise is to find something that is sustainable! It does not help to go on a super intense exercise spree for only 12 weeks and then you drop the ball completely!

• You need to walk at least 10 000 steps per day
• You need a total of at least 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week. This needs to be done at your target heart rate which you can determine straight away by using the calculator at the bottom of the website
• You need to do some weight or resistance training 2 – 3 times per week. Maintaining strong muscles have numerous health benefits besides leaving you feeling stronger and more toned!
• You need to stretch! Regular stretching increases strength and decreases risk of injury if you do it on 2 – 3 days per week.

The clincher is that you can decide how and where you do all these things. If regular brisk walking and using free weights at home is your thing, and you can maintain it, then go for it! Remember the secret is sustaining your exercise efforts!

See the read more section below for some intriguing news on how daily activities around house can make a MAJOR benefit to your exercise goals!

Read more!
Handy Exercise Tips
Breathing your way to better health!

step 14: Now tell yourself something…

Maybe you’re despondent about losing weight and have read these steps with absolute trepidation!

You have to be a bona fide, breathing, kicking, pretty much alive human being to be able to read this. If that is the case (lets agree that it is) then there IS hope for you to reach your weight loss goal!

Make sure you stay scientific in your approach and be PATIENT. Remember what you’ve read in the previous steps that gradual, scientifically planned weight loss is weight that will stay off! Most of us don’t pick up the extra weight we’re carrying in 24 hours and that’s why we should be patient in the process of losing it!

step 15: The Truth

We at GSK understand that it is not always easy to take this journey on your own so for more information, guidance and support speak to your pharmacist and ask How Healthy Works!

Please visit our website as frequently as you want to update on great weight management tips and feel-good information!

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