Firstly, don’t go for a training session when you are hungry, coming off a cold/stomach bug, or have only had four hours’ sleep. Unless your body is fuelled, hydrated and ready to work, you’re wasting your time and your personal trainer’s. If you don’t have a personal trainer, getting one can be a great boost to the wellbeing of your programme, especially if your workouts are getting a little stale. Booking a trainer for a small group session with your friends costs less per person, and working out with friends is proven to improve your dedication and overall results.
You can give your metabolism a kick start by doing intervals, and if you hit the wall and can’t go on, imagining you have a trainer right next to you, cheering for you, has been proven to improve your outcomes. When it comes to food, eating on the move rather than stopping for lunch can be great for your weight loss, especially when shopping. You can also beat afternoon hunger pangs or eating out of boredom with water, as that afternoon energy drop is most likely caused by a combination of a light lunch, mild dehydration, a momentarily lack of iron or a crash off your morning cup of coffee. Drinking water instead of reaching for the biscuit tin boosts your blood flow and makes you feel full.
Finally, at meal times you can watch your weight by making make yourself useful and serving people and cleaning up. That way you’re still part of the meal, but it gets you away from your plate. However, your weight gain may be because of your bedroom, rather than temptations in the kitchen. If you’re sleep deprived, this upsets the balance of your hormones, meaning that your leptin hormone (which helps you feel full) decreases, while your ghrelin hormone (which triggers hunger) increases. Therefore, you think you’re hungry even though you aren’t.