Yes you can! Amanda & Nicki’s weight-loss advice

TV health gurus Nicki Waterman and Amanda Ursell help you stay in shape with the latest news and advice from our March 2009 issue

I did it!
Name Helen Graham
Age 26
Before 12st 7lb
After 9st 7lb

Helen, a postgraduate student of French history from Wicklow Town, County Wicklow, spent July to December in Paris last year. Unfortunately, indulging in all the crunchy French bread, fancy pastries and mouthwatering croissants led her to pile on 3st, upping her weight to 12st 7lb. ‘When I came home last Christmas, the look on my boyfriend’s face said it all,’ says Helen. ‘I was a size 18 and it showed. I knew I had to get a grip.’ So she got to work shedding the excess pounds. ‘I went to Unislim classes in Ireland each week for a weigh-in and to get some encouragement from other people. I love the fact that I look, as well as feel, so much better. People think that 3st isn’t a lot of weight to lose, but the difference it’s made is astonishing.’

Nicki says Helen wasn’t doing any exercise. When she had tried in the past, she’d always stopped almost as soon as she’d started. She needed a plan that built up her strength slowly, especially since she suffers with asthma. She gradually needed to build up to between 8–15 sets of repetitions with weighted exercises (I recommend using a very light resistance band), with a rest day in between, and 10–15 minutes of cardio on most days of the week, building up 30–90 minutes. I explained how important it is to always warm up before working out and to cool down gradually afterwards. I also suggested finding friends to exercise with so they could encourage each other.

Amanda says Helen was eating around 3300 calories a day, so it’s not surprising her weight was increasing – most women need around 1900. She swapped her breakfast toast with chocolate spread for sugar-free muesli, and her big bowl of pasta in cheese sauce at lunch for a smaller serving of pasta with tomato sauce and a salad. At dinner she traded in sausages for baked beans on toast and the sweet pastries were swapped for nectarines and satsumas as snacks. Helen’s habit of ‘telly snacking’ on chocolate was replaced with exercise. This style of low-GI eating put Helen back in control so the weight would naturally fall off without her feeling hungry or deprived.

Q: Help me cure my sweet tooth!
I eat well during the day, but find it hard to control my eating in the evening. I’m constantly picking at things, particularly sweet foods. I’m sure this is why I’m not losing weight. What can I do?

A NICKI SAYS Exercise can definitely help you control your snacking in the evening as it helps regulate the body’s response to insulin, keeping your blood-sugar levels even. A brisk 15-minute walk after dinner will greatly reduce the urge to eat chocolate. But, if the munchies do strike, get moving again. A few stretches or yoga moves can instantly quell the urge to snack.
You may also be finding you’re not getting enough sleep and the less we sleep, the more we’re at risk of snacking. Sleep deprivation lowers levels of the hormone leptin, which suppresses appetite, and raises levels of the hormone ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry. Try going to bed an hour earlier to get your full eight hours and keep cravings in check. Best of luck and please let us know how you get on.
AMANDA SAYS Many things can lead to overeating at night. Sometimes it’s the sheer relief of being home and able to relax after a hard day – you eat to de-stress. Or it may be you’ve been overly controlled with your food during the day and have not actually eaten enough, meaning once home you go to the other extreme and ‘let go’. Alternatively, it may just be pure habit that leads you to sit down and pick. The solution is individual depending on the cause but think about these, and other possible triggers. A very practical solution is to have some healthy, naturally sweet choices to hand. Grapes, fruit salads, fruit yogurts, baked apples (in the microwave for speed) or even a small bowl of porridge with a little honey will get you over the urge to go mad on sugary snacks, as well as help cut calories and satisfy your sugar cravings.