By Jenny Liddle
Vegan on Female First
If you know you'll be tempted by the naughty foods in your food cupboard, avoid buying them in the first place. If your cupboard is only full of healthy, unrefined, unprocessed foods and plenty of fresh fruit and veggies it's going to be easier to avoid that mid-morning choccie bar snack.
Try to cook from scratch if you can, as you'll know exactly what's going into your food.
Get into the habit of boiling veg rather than roasting with fats so you get used the natural taste of the veg.
If you crave something crunchy and satisfying try raw carrot and celery sticks instead - lots of taste but not so many calories as that naughty bag of crisps.
Try warding off any excess eating between meals by doing something else when you feel the urge to eat, maybe do a few minutes of exercise instead of going for the usual slice of cake.
Make sure you're always hydrated - sometimes feeling hungry can mean that you're actually thirsty and drinking water can help stave off those hunger pangs until the next meal.
Don't feel you have to miss out on your favourite tastes when you're dieting, simply switch to healthier alternatives - for example, if you love full cream milk, try a non-dairy alternative like Alpro Soya Original which still gives you that rich creamy taste but without so much of the fat.
Switching gradually to a plant-based diet can really have a dramatic effect on your weight without having to reduce your calories too much. So many celebrities have gone vegan for both their figure and their health. Get some useful tips at the new VeggieWorld London event, happening in April. Includes talks on vegan nutrition and lifestyle, as well as some inspiring cookery demos from leading vegan chefs. Visit veggieworld.de/en/event/london-en for more info.
Be your own gastric band! You don't need to go through surgery to achieve a slimmer you. Remember when you're trying to reduce weight you can't do things suddenly. Your stomach will be stretched to accommodate the larger portion size that you now regularly have - so your body has got used to receiving this amount and complains when it doesn't get it. You'll need to shrink it back to its natural size, but in order to do this effectively and safely, it will need to happen gradually. So on a weekly basis reduce your portion size so that you're not suddenly left feeling hungry by a tiny portion size on day one of your diet, as you could end up giving up on your diet too early.
Innovative intestinal adsorbents such as Enterosgel are your first step to weight loss success. Enterosgel is not a weight loss product, but supports weight-loss by helping achieve a healthy gut and reducing the toxic load on the digestive system.
Give up or at least reduce your alcohol and soft drinks intake, as these guys can contain massive amounts of hidden sugar - switch to healthier options like milk, water, and diluted natural fruit juice.
If you have a sweet tooth, again try and do things gradually. If you enjoy spooning on the sugar on your cereal in the morning, gradually reduce the amount you add each day. Eventually your taste palette will change and adapt and you'll start enjoying the natural taste of the foods and you'll feel healthier too!