6-Week Slim-Down: A fitness expert’s best weight-loss advice
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Last week, as part of the Six-Week Slim-Down, we talked about the challenge of finding good weight-loss advice and asked you to share the best weight-loss advice you’ve received on our blog and on social media. Here are some of your responses.
“Make sure two-thirds of each meal is salad or vegetables! Avoid most oils, and delete fast food and deep-fried food from your life! Drink more water!” — Maria Mitchell
“Cut out processed foods and eat more fruits and vegetables.” — Yvonne Rota Cunha
“Portion size. Anything in moderation. Walk, walk, walk.” — Bonnie Prieur
“Drink a lot of water.” — SaFemme Hlal MalgréVous
“Eat half of what you want to eat.” — Dorothy Partridge
“No sugar, no grains.” — Grace Hildebrand
How to best lose weight is always a hotly debated topic, so we took this question to the expert. Maureen Hagan, vice-president of program innovation and fitness development at GoodLife Fitness, has been helping people lose weight and reach their fitness goals for more than 30 years. We asked for her best weight-loss advice. Fortunately, her recommendations don’t require cutting out any food groups or subsisting on a super-low-calorie plan. Here’s what she had to say:
Over my 34 years in the health and fitness industry, I can confidently say the most popular question I receive is, “what’s your BEST health and weight-loss tip?” There’s an incredible amount of resources out there, so it’s no wonder people are sifting through information looking for that one golden rule or piece of advice that will help them finally achieve success. Here is mine.
Step 1 – Eat less. Step 2 – Move more.
Does that sound too simple? That’s because it is simple. The challenge for some people is that they focus on one step but not the other, or they don’t know how to go about achieving each step. Speaking from experience, I can tell you that what you put into your body is just as important as how you move it. Let me break down my favourite approach to the eat less, move more rule.
Step 1- Eat less
I like to use what I call the ‘Five Ps Please Program’ from my book, ‘Newbody Workout for Women—6 Weeks to a Fit & Fabulous New You’. The five Ps are:
Plan what you eat and when you eat. I recommend five to six smaller meals per day with half those meals being vegetables or fruit, one-quarter being a lean protein and another quarter being whole grains.
Portions can be estimated using your hand. Your lean protein should be the size of your palm, your whole grains should be the size of a fist, your hand open with fingers spread should be your veggies and your fat intake should be about the size of your thumb.
Plate size matters when it comes to controlling calories. Take your standard 12-inch plate and downsize to a 9-inch. When you look down and see a full plate, it can trick your brain into believing you’re full.
Prepare to eat sensibly. Plan out your meals for the week, make a list of ingredients and then go to the grocery store. Planning ahead will alleviate quick-fix options, which are often the unhealthiest.
Put pen to paper by keeping a food journal. Your food journal not only becomes your accountability tracker but also becomes your planner for future meals.
Part 2- Move more
Thirty minutes per day, five days a week is what is recommended for adults. The best part is that you only have to do that in 10-minute blocks. If you get a 30-minute break at work, why not use 10 or 20 minutes to go for a walk? It will help reenergize you for the day and stave of cravings, too. There are also plenty of excellent 30-minute classes at GoodLife. Find something you enjoy so you’re more likely to stick with it.
You’re over halfway there, everyone—keep it up!
Maureen Hagan
Haven’t joined our Six-Week Slim-Down yet? Learn how you can sign up to get free weight-loss advice and enter to win a membership to GoodLife Fitness.