Diet & Fitness 

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Break through your dieting roadblock

If you're struggling to lose weight, Raphael Calzadilla from Tesco Diets has some metabolism-boosting tips to help you ignite some good, steady fat-loss

1. Increase your meal frequency

That's right, I want you to eat more often, but don't increase your total calories. For example, split the main meals on your plan into five or six smaller meals and eat every three hours. Food can actually help burn body fat when it's used strategically.

When you eat a large meal such as a big bowl of pasta, you raise your blood sugar levels and the body increases its level of insulin. This only serves to make you fat! If you break your meals into smaller ones it helps to control blood sugar. This puts you in a better position to lose fat.

If you're a member of the Tesco Diets programme, you're already experiencing this great method through one of many meal plans.

2. Break up your workout

Many people are pressed for time and the thought of exercise becomes another stress in their lives. With family responsibilities, work and financial pressures, the thought of exercise is like a weight on their shoulders.

However, research has proved that two short bouts of exercise per day will actually stimulate the metabolism more than one longer bout. Go for a brisk 15-minute walk first thing in the morning before work and then another one at lunch time. Do this five days per week and I know you'll see progress at the end of 30 days.

3. Eat breakfast

Although this is an obvious one to me, I'm always amazed at the amount of people who think they're doing the right thing by skipping breakfast. I always stress to my clients to think of the body from the inside-out.

The human body's main goal is survival. If it senses any type of emergency, it will do everything in its power to keep you alive.

If you sleep through the night and then deprive the body of food in the morning, what do you think the body is sensing at this point? That's right. It senses a potential famine and then holds onto stored body fat to keep you alive.

I'm not exaggerating this point. This is exactly what happens. Remember, calories from food represent heat. Use the heat to rev up your metabolism.

4. Cycle calories

This is a technique I've used on several clients with amazing success. For three days, consume your minimum calorie requirement based on your height, weight and goals. Then, on day number four, increase your calories by an additional 400 (nutritious foods only).

For example, if you're losing fat by consuming 1200 calories per day, simply raise your calories to 1600 on day number four. This technique can actually get the metabolism racing and stimulate additional fat loss. Just remember that the additional calories come from good sources of protein, carbohydrates and fats, not pizza.

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