At our weight loss clinic we advise everyone using injections to adopt healthier eating. You can do this by making clever food swaps. That way any weight you lose will stay off because of your improved diet.
The easiest way to make dietary changes is to swap high fat carbohydrate foods for healthier alternatives.
Here we give you some ideas. These will help you eat a healthier diet and keep off the weight.
Many people skip breakfast, especially when they are dieting. But there is evidence to show that eating breakfast has more benefits than skipping it. Public Health England published a review some years ago. The review concluded that eating breakfast has positive impacts on short-term memory and cognition.
If you do eat breakfast then avoid sugary cereals and bread-based foods. Avoid croissants and white toast. Instead, choose wholemeal toast, wholegrain or wheat biscuit cereals. You could also have yogurt with fruit or porridge made with semi-skilled milk and including fruit, berries or nuts.Â
Lunchtime can sometimes be a difficult time to eat healthily. Often, we are in a rush and depend on food that`s bought from takeaway establishments. If you`re trying to lose weight then it`s best to keep away from shop bought sandwiches. They often have fillings like cheese, pepperoni and prawns with lashings of mayonnaise which contain a lot of calories.  Â
Instead, if you can, make clever food swaps by preparing sandwiches at home using ingredients like reduced-fat cheddar, beef and chicken and plenty of vegetables like onion and mixed salad leaves. If you are vegetarian you can use hard boiled eggs. Instead of crisps eat plain popcorn and if you want something sweet you can choose fruit in juice, natural yogurt or malt loaf.
It`s easy to turn to high carbohydrate foods at the end of the day when you`re tired and you don`t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. Easy clever food swaps are making spaghetti bolognese with low-fat mince and wholewheat pasta. Omelettes don`t take long and you can fill them with chicken and spinach.Â
During the summer months salads are also quick to make and you can use ingredients like couscous, tuna, eggs and potatoes. During the winter stews using healthy pulses and beans like lentils and chickpeas can be cooked the night before and heated through when you`re ready to eat.Â
Chocolate, biscuits and cakes are loaded with sugar and fat. Swapping to foods with low fat and sugar will help you keep your weight loss goals on track. Plain popcorn, sugar-free jelly, sliced malt loaf, low sugar rice puddings and yogurts are all great swaps and much better for you.
Cutting out surgery drinks will help you reduce your cravings for sugar. If you like more than one teaspoon of sugar in tea and coffee try to cut down by reducing the amount on your spoon. Once you`re used to it, cut down a bit more. Swapping full-fat milk to a lower fat version and jazz up water by adding lemon and frozen berries. Â
An easy way to shop for healthier foods is to read the labels as you are shopping. Have a look at the traffic light system and choose as many foods as you can with green rather than amber or red labels.
If you want to use weight loss jabs, but you`d prefer to have the support of the pharmacy then contact us about the weight loss management service.Â
We will give you your injection each week and provide you with an information pack about following a healthy diet and including exercise in your daily life. If you want more information, contact us by telephone on 01276 21002 or fill in the contact form on the website.
Although exercise can be daunting for some people, it is the best way to stay fit and healthy. You don’t need to do hours each day. Read our latetst blog to find out how much exercise you should be doing per week and the type of exercises you can choose.
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