WEIGHT LOSS: GET SUMMER READY WITH SIMPLE DIET HACKS THAT ALLOW YOU TO 'ENJOY' FOOD

Losing weight for summer has long been a goal for millions of people around the world so that they feel comfortable in swimwear and summer clothing. Experts have noted many people usually push back their weight loss goals until around February time, and have the winter to enjoy their food.

But living a certain way in winter can have an impact on a person's mindset come spring when they begin to panic and try to make dramatic changes in a short period of time, with experts claiming it's "not suitable behaviour".

Tamara Willner, nutritionist at Second Nature explained: "There's some truth to the saying 'a summer body is built in winter'.

"A much healthier behaviour is to consider small changes that you can make throughout the year that lead to big results - and shift your mindset away from 'summer body' to 'my body'.

"Although just one piece of the weight loss puzzle, what we eat is a good place to start."

She listed a few changes slimmers can easily abide by and can stick to every day.

They include:

Adding extra vegetables to each meal

Swapping half spaghetti or rice for courgetti or cauliflower rice (lower-carb diets promote health and weight loss in the long-term)

Drinking an extra glass of water a day

Having 70 percent dark chocolate to curb the chocolate craving

Opting for full-fat dairy products (keep people fuller for longer, reducing cravings in

between meals)

Swap an alcoholic beverage for a herbal tea

Tamara insisted a diet needs to be sustainable to work.

Slimmers might shed the pounds on a fad diet but once they begin to eat normally again, the weight will climb back on.

"These things, amongst others, are more realistic and attainable than entirely excluding

certain food groups and not allowing yourself to enjoy anything," Tamara advised.

"If you focus on making small changes to your habits and practising them over and over, they'll feel like 'the norm' by the time summer comes around and you'll feel healthier for it."

The number of meals a person eats in a day also plays a big part in weight loss.

There are benefits to both of the most popular methods - three meals per day or eating five to six smaller meals.

Three meals per day are seen as the optimal option for many people who have worked to lose or gain weight, mainly because they are larger and more filling.

The five to six meals method is also effective, as some prefer to spread their calories across the day.

They are also rumoured to speed up metabolism because people are eating more often, so the body has to work to digest the food more regularly.

2022-06-25T05:16:15Z dg43tfdfdgfd