1. Tell people you’re trying to lose weight
Many people think that trying to slim down is something they should keep private, so they rely on willpower alone to stick to a programme. Jessica Alba, who has taken on several roles that require her to be in skimpy clothing, sticks to a daily training schedule with the help of family members and friends, often including them in her workouts.
2. Know what you’re really eating (and not eating)
My new clients keep a food journal for at least three days. It includes ingredients, timing of meals, portion sizes, water intake and exercise. They find that things they didn’t think were sabotaging their weight-loss goals actually are – like a daily latte and a couple of glasses of wine (that’s an extra 2 100kJ a day). It’s possible to double your weight loss just by recording what you eat. You can work out like crazy, but if you don’t change your nutrition, you won’t see results.
3. Walk like you’ve never walked
You don’t need to make starting a workout complicated; I always recommend walking to my celebrity clients. They love getting out for hikes or just strolling through their neighbourhood. Start with 20 to 30 minutes three times a week. The best way to stay motivated is to wear a pedometer.
4. Give yourself weeks, not days, to see results
Fact: it’s always better to train moderately than try to do it all in a hurry, which is a recipe for burning out and giving up. Remember Jessica Biel’s fit-for-fighting body in the movie Blade: Trinity? She came to me a full two months before she started filming, so she didn’t need to crash-diet at the end or overtrain.
5. Use your brain to change your body
The mind is a powerful weight-loss tool. Science backs this idea: one study found that thinking about the muscles and fibres you’re using as you work them allows you to use more muscle fibres and build more strength.
