The amount of articles, videos and other resources on weight loss out there is overwhelming and yet many women can’t seem to find answers to their questions.

We are all different – we come in different shapes and sizes, we lead different lifestyles and we eat different foods. This is one reason why I can’t and will not tell you when, what and how to eat.

Instead, I will only encourage you to get into a healthy relationship with your body.

Embrace Your Body

First of all, when it comes to health, weight and body image, it is a huge mistake to think of weight loss as the ultimate goal.

Your first goal should be the desire to look after your body so you are healthy and feel better in it.

Remember you are not a body; you are a soul that has a body.

As much as our bodies matter, how we feel inside them and how healthy they are is a lot more important then how they look.

When the soul is hungry the body overeats. That being said, it should come as no surprise that weight loss will naturally follow a healthy, fulfilling, balanced and active way of life.

It is a gradual process and if you are trying to lose more than 2-4 kilos quickly you might end up with sallow skin, dull hair and a temporary loss of your period. This will only make you feel moody and less attractive.

This is the price you will pay for depriving yourself physically and emotionally just so you can lose weight quickly.

Instead, listen to the rhythm of your body – the healthy hunger signals that will develop as a result of a healthy lifestyle. These signals are not stress-induced and are not stress inducing.

How much better it is to indulge in a cup of healthy almond milk, green smoothie, or a bowl of tuna salad, rather than suppressing your hunger and end up binge eating later?

Embrace Food

If you have made the decision to commit to a more mindful, active and healthy lifestyle, this is the moment where I will encourage you to embrace food.

Yes! You heard me! Don’t Eat to Live and don’t do strict diets.

Think of food, not just as fuel, but also as nourishment, culture, love and delight.

When we enjoy food it is often in the company of the ones we love. It is our time to socialise, communicate and enjoy ourselves. Have a beautiful relationship with your body and with the people closest to you while you eat.

When you plan meals the question shouldn’t be what to eat, but how you want to nourish yourself and your family? When you think of food as nourishment and delight, you are naturally more inclined to make healthier choices.

When you have meals, fold napkins, add candles, decorate the food and make your meals appealing. Stimulate all your senses and create a more intimate environment.

Add colour and flavour in your food. I can’t imagine myself eating a few leaves of iceberg salad with bottled dressing and a microscopic piece of meat next to it. Isn’t that what most diets are all about?

Who can feel satisfied eating like that? A healthy peperonata over polenta, delicious pasta, or meals with beans, tofu, lentils, chickpeas and plenty of healthy herbs and greens are so much more satisfying and tasty.

If you think your meal wasn’t enough and you had to get a refill it might be that the meal itself lacked enough flavour, which left your body craving.

Last but not least, never count calories.

If you count the calories of your meal or snack that means you do not trust your own food choices, and you are most likely compromising with processed foods or microwaved meals. My rule: Count calories only when you are losing them.

Embrace Exercise

You won’t get the bottom you want by sitting on it

As for losing the calories, I am well aware that in mum universe time goes by at least 5 times faster and “mum alone time” is something that exists in tales only.

As much as that is true, there are ways to be active, because let’s face it, there is no cheating your way around it. Physical activity is essential as it stimulates and enhances all systems of our body. Healthy amount of exercise every single day will help you feel better, look better and perform better.

Choose the activity you love the most and let it become you. I am not into yoga, nor into running, nor into sports, but I do love walking and I have made it my mission to walk as much as I possibly can on a daily basis.

Even if I go to the gym, I walk on the treadmill and don’t feel guilty, because it makes me feel good about myself.

Another way I like to get my fair share of exercises is when I clean the home. Clean home and fit body is a win-win for me, because in a clean home I feel 10 times better.

When I put some weights around my ankles and go up and down the stairs more, it does the trick.

Do I feel better? You bet.

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