When my size 10's stopped fitting and my 12's started feeling way too snug, I thought it was time to face the facts - I have just put on too much weight. I spent much of the summer thinking I'd shift weight in uni due to always being busy and not wanting to cook much but it turns out that my body can't take eating badly without bloating up. My BMI was looking pretty rubbish. I was just embarrassed. It's taken enough courage to admit I hate my body so I thought a little guide on losing the extra few pounds would be a helpful thing for prospective Uni students or people struggling with weight.
I've had advice from people before "Eat less, move more" but in my case, that hasn't really helped. It's more what you eat rather than the portions. Of course, everything in moderation is absolutely fine but if you're eating the wrong foods then the pounds will start piling on. Some people are lucky. They can eat as much processed crap and drink as much alcohol as they like and still stay slim and healthy looking but being petite makes weight much more noticeable. As a result, my dress size changes at the snap of my fingers.
My mum has been on the Slimming World diet (which I found out was not for me) and although I hated doing it, the logic of it stuck in my head. Bread is possibly the biggest of my foes and 2 slices of bread a day is the absolute maximum anyone should eat if they struggle with weight. Also, fat content. If the fat content is too high, then forget about it. Start reading labels if you don't believe it. When there is a red colour on the little food labels on the front of packaging, pay attention to it. Do you really need to eat it? I sound like a bore but there's no point complaining about my weight if I just ignore stuff like that. Easter has been torture for me with all the chocolate about but as long as you don't gorge, it's absolutely fine. A creme egg a day is chocolate in moderation.
An interesting subject is the Quorn debate. It is indeed fake meat, made from fusarium venenatum (Basically, a high protein fungus) but it is so low in fat, it's too good to be true. If you REALLY need a cheeseburger (I sure crave them), then whack a Quorn burger in the grill, grab a wholemeal roll, stick some relish or tomato sauce in it and bam, a slightly better-for-you burger! I also tend to use quorn chicken pieces if I can but the mince just tastes plain weird so it is best to use real meat mince and drain the fat out of it.
Fruit and veg - most teenagers groan at the thought of eating it but it's so important. Not only does it lower your blood pressure, it has a heap of vitamins in that we're just not getting from cheeseburgers and ready meals. Even just a few pieces of broccoli on the side of the plate, a portion of sweetcorn mixed in with your pasta and rather than munching on a chocolate bar, pick up an orange. Lots of energy and to be honest, they taste pretty darn nice. A tasty snack to make is a fruit salad (just chuck some grapes, pieces of apple, pineapple and whatever you like in a bowl). My all time favourite diet snack is fat free strawberry yogurt mixed with fruit salad. Definitely try it if you're craving some sweetness.
Another issue is exercise. Exercise is such a boring thing to me. The thought of putting my body through sweaty workouts just to feel tired just bothers me. I worked out I was walking over a mile every day in Southampton which is probably why I didn't put on any more than a stone. Walking is an incredibly easy way to exercise and if you're eating healthily, you should see benefits. It tones your calves and makes you feel pretty good without being sweaty. I have been dabbling in some aerobics for 20 minutes a day which is just enough to feel pumped but not too much so you feel gross.
This has probably felt like a naggy lecture from your parents or doctor but it's just so if you have felt yourself put on weight and you don't feel comfortable with yourself, you shouldn't feel bad. It's so easy to put on weight when you're not living at home with your parent's cooking and when you just don't have the time/money to make delicious healthy meals. Just incorporating little bits in to your diet and reading labels can really benefit your health. If you've read this far, good luck on a new healthy you for the summer!
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