Are you off on holiday this August ? ready to shed those lockdown track bottoms (that you never worked out in !), more importantly ready to shed those pounds of lockdown lard……..read on………

The truth is diets DO NOT WORK. Of course we all know by now that it is all about what you put in minus what you expend so we can all do the arithmetic. But you will only lose weight if you adapt your lifestyle permanently. I am not a Doctor although I have studied nutrition extensively, but what I can tell you is that in my fifties I am two stone lighter than in my forties and I maintain a healthy size 8-10 clothing size. So I am proof of the method. The PC brigade will say that your size doesn’t matter and as long as you are happy and I do agree with this, if you are in your twenties. In your fifties and beyond it is important to be an appropriate weight for your build for health reasons and mobility reasons. Also we need less calories as our metabolism gets slower. So let me share with you some of my secrets that work for me that can be inserted very neatly into your everyday life painlessly and watch the pounds drop off !!

• BLACK COFFEE. Not only does this boost your metabolism it is also an amazing appetite surpressant. Obviously I don’t want your anxiety levels soaring so limit your intake. I only have decaffeinated after midday and when I feel hungry I just have a tiny espresso cup size. ZERO CALORIES. Ditch the milk (oh, and the caramel syrups )

• EATING WINDOW. I only eat between the hours of 12-5pm. This gives your internal organs a chance to rest and reduces any inflammation. Don’t break(the)fast until midday to give your body a chance to burn stored fat. The other end of the day don’t eat food just before sleep not only will it keep you awake as your body is still working hard but you won’t burn the calories. you pretty much can eat normally between these hours as the hours are limited you will eat FAR FEWER calories ! Common sense.
• MORNING JUICE not before midday. I use my green juice to pack nutrients in. NOT fruit as too calorific. but you choose what works for you but TWO ingredients you must have for fat burning CHIA SEEDS and ASHWAGANDA POWDER. CHIA SEEDS are not only full of protein and Omegas for brain and bone health but they plump up in your body and make you feel full when taken in liquid. ASHWAGANDA ROOT is an ancient medicinal herb and brilliant if you are menopausal . It boosts physical and mental health boosts energy levels and reduces anxiety. It is proven to increase testosterone levels in men but women have testosterone too and can be the difference in weight loss in older women as our testosterone rapidly depletes with age. I personally believe that ASHWAGANDA has made a powerful difference to me.

• LOVE HUNGER. Learn to love being hungry . When I get that hunger feeling thats when I know the calorie reserve starts being burned. Allow yourself to feel hungry it is a natural state rather than feeling satiated all the time. I have learned to love being hungry.
• EXCISE THE EXERCISE MYTH. Losing weight is about what you eat not about exercise. if you don’t alter your eating plan you WILL NOT lose weight . To burn off one Mars Bar an 11 stone women would have to walk on a treadmill for nearly two hours JUST DONT EAT THE MARS BAR !! Before you eat anything check out the calorie content then equate it to how much more exercise you have to do to burn it off. I swear the gym made me put on weight as every time I went I would reward myself. I don’t care how hard you work in the gym a cake and a latte afterwards will put you into surplus poundage. Of course I would advocate an active daily lifestyle, but certainly not the punish and reward system of the gym. You will find you bur more calories just adapting your lifestyle to make it active.
• DRINK LOADS OF WATER. Okay this is old advice but it works. Often when you feel hungry it is pure thirst. drink a glass and see you won’t feel hungry or indeed will eat less. Secondly a hydrated body metabolises food far more effectively.
• WEIGH YOURSELF EVERY DAY. Now this goes against the expert advice but I honestly would say if you do nothing else on the list do this one. THIS WORKS. It allows you to adjust your eating on a daily basis. If I have eaten out or over indulged and put on pounds it is far easier to adjust your eating plan the following day and lose a few pounds then to be faced with losing a stone or two if you don’t weigh yourself often. This method has genuinely keep my weight stable for 10 years !!!!!!! MONITOR and ACTION CONSISTENTLY KEEPS YOU IN CONTROL.

• ‘GO TO’ LOW CALORIE DISHES . When you need to balance out your week. Have a calorie light but filling day. Soups are a very good example. My fave but simple recipe is Broad Bean soup with shredded chicken. Frozen broad beans, onion, chicken/veg stock boiled and blended. A small packet of roast chicken shredded and stirred through. OMG the best and so satisfying. Or the ayurvedic dish Kitchari with yellow mung beans, brown basmati rice boiled with ground cumin,fennel seeds and coriander seeds. Add your favourite root vegetables parsnip, carrot,celeriac add fresh coriander and toasted whole seeds in ghee for serving. so filling one bowl will keep you full all day.
• BULK OUT MEALS WITH VEG. Fill half your plate with veg. Occasionally to lose weight quickly I buy M&S Count on us BRAISED BEEF with Swede or any meal UNDER 250 calories but add so much Kale/chard/spinach to it thats all I have for the day !

Okay now for some surprising secrets………………..

• DRINK TEQUILA! When I lived in LA Tequila is the drink of choice all the big Hollywood stars drink tequila. Not only is it considered a clean drink but it is known in LA as the metaboliser it burns more calories than the drink actually contains . Taken before a meal can make you feel fuller and thus eat less. High quality 100% agave tequila. But don’t overdo it ! I never knew this before I lived in LA but over there it is common knowledge.
• USE GHEE TO COOK WITH. Research shows that ghee helps in mobilising fat cells to increase energy burning therefore reducing fat mass and increasing lean body mass. Ghee also contains essential amino acids that can shrink fat cells. This clarified fat tends to be overlooked in Western Culture but the Indian population use it on a daily basis. Tastes good too !!!

• CBD OIL I know from talking to many of you that many are now taking CBD oil on a regular basis. Its good for many things such as inflammation in the joints, anxiety,insomnia. But many say it burns fat by turning it into brown fat which is easily burned and expelled by the body and reduces appetite. I do use this intermittently and it gives a great nights sleep which I personally think a lot of fat is burned in the sleep mores when we are in a deep sleep that CBD oil results in. But I would recommend this is used sparingly as CBD oil use is still in its early stages and I would advise not to solely depend on this for weight loss but in conjunction with other method outlined above.

I think you will agree none of these are hard to implement into your daily schedule it just is about incorporating modern methods and knowledge. These points are what personally works for me. See what works for you and you could be pounds lighter and looking good for Valentines day !!

JOJOS STYLELIST TIP : LIKE EVERYONE I OVERINDULGED AT CHRISTMAS AND THESE GUIDELINES ABANDONED I GAINED 5IBS BUT BY RETURNING TO MY REGIME I HAVE ALREADY LOST THEM IN 3 DAYS !!

MWAH MWAH

JOJO XXXXXXX