LOSING weight, and particularly shedding the last few pounds, is tough.
It requires time, consistency and patience.
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But we’ve got good news for you.
If you’re desperate to feel better – and be healthier – in time for your summer holidays, you can.
Believe it or not, it is possible to beat the bloat and feel a little slimmer by next weekend if you follow a few simple tips when you hit the supermarket.
Incorporating these expert-approved hacks into your weekly shop could then help you hit that weight-loss goal and stay there.
Lucy Gornall reveals new habits you need to adopt . . .
1. List it
TAKING a list to the supermarket rather than playing it by ear can prevent you from buying unhealthy foods that catch your eye.
Dr Aileen Alexander, weight-loss expert and founder of wellness firm Nourish, tells Sun on Sunday Health: “It will help you stay on task, prevent procrastination and reduce the likelihood of panic-buying a pizza because you don’t know what else to make.”
Ekam Grewal, personal trainer and founder of fitness firm Body By Ekam, explains: “I do my food-shopping list in order of which way I walk around the supermarket – starting with fruit, veg and meat.
“I’m strategic so I’m in and out and only grab what I know I need.”
2. Never shop hungry
IT’S a good idea to go shopping only when you’ve just eaten.
Dr Alexander says: “Shopping hungry means we’re more likely to overbuy.
“When we do this we’re more likely to over-consume and this leads to extra calories we don’t need.
“You may have heard the phrase ‘my eyes were bigger than my belly’, an idiom that means a person has taken or desired more food than they need.”
3. Leave the kids at home
THERE is a high chance that shopping with children will lead you down the sugary aisles.
A study by YouGov found that 69 per cent of parents who had children under the age of 18 admitted their kids had an influence on the grocery shopping.
So shop alone if you can.
But, if you do have to take the kids with you, make sure they’re entertained – maybe by adding up the cost of the groceries as you go.
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4. Use cash only
NOT everywhere accepts cash any more but if your supermarket does, take advantage of it.
A 2020 study by Warwick Business School found that people with contactless cards spent “significantly more” than those without.
If you don’t have the money for extra, unnecessary items – think processed, high-calorie foods – then you won’t be able to buy them.
The more you use cash for your shop, the more you’ll get used to budgeting.
5. Check the labels
TAKE time to study labels on packaged food to be sure of what you are putting into your body.
Lucy says: “Pre-prepared items can vary greatly on a nutritional level so make sure you always check the labels, focusing on sugar, saturated fat and salt.”
In particular, look for items with more green than red on the traffic-light symbol.
Also, consider the serving size – labels might be based on “per 100g” or “half a packet”.
Sometimes, even the seemingly “healthy” items, with claims such as “high-fibre” or “high-protein”, can be deceiving because other measures, such as sugar content, are bad.
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6. Frozen finds
PROTEIN is the most filling food you can eat – preventing you from snacking through the day, usually on foods without nutritional benefit.
Lucy says: “Fish, white meats such as chicken, soya, tofu, tempeh, Quorn, beans, pulses and reduced-fat dairy items are good sources of protein.”
Meats and other proteins can be expensive, so Lucy suggests checking for cheaper, frozen options.
For example, two salmon fillets at Tesco are £4.85, but you can get twice as much for 50p more when frozen.
7. Focus on fruit and veg
FRUIT and veg fill your belly without the excessive calories, plus they are high in fibre and nutrients.
If you’re worried fresh produce will go off too quickly, buy frozen as it will last for months.
Lucy Jones, at diet and lifestyle support app Oviva, says: “Frozen fruit and vegetables to look out for include peas, berries, mango, edamame beans, spinach and mixed vegetables.
“This is incredibly important, as eating more vegetables helps to bulk out meals, which makes us feel fuller for longer.”
8. Home delivery
BY ordering online, you can read labels and compare items easily and avoid eye-grabbing items.
Dr Alexander explains: “Professor Brian Wansink, a researcher in food psychology and consumer behaviour, tells us how the placement of foods, as well as their marketing and packaging, has a huge influence on our purchasing behaviours.
“This means supermarkets are often designed in a way to drive profits, not health, making it more difficult to make consistently healthy choices.”
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9. Keep it short
LABELS give a good indication of whether or not food is ultra-processed.
Lucy says: “Keeping an eye out for ingredient lists that are shorter and more understandable is a good place to start.”
Ultra-processed foods, ranging from ready meals to biscuits, are generally those that have more than five ingredients, many of which you won’t recognise.
These extra ingredients are added to keep items from perishing or to make them taste better.
But going for foods in their raw, whole form is the healthiest way to eat.
10. Plan real snacks
YOU can still snack and lose weight, but try to avoid the snack aisle.
Lucy says: “When trying to lose weight, we often try to cut out snacks, but this can leave us feeling hungry, which puts us at greater risk of deviating from our plan.
“Buy snacks that are nutritious and helpful, such as fruit, vegetables to make into crudites, mini-pots of hummus, light cream cheese, yoghurts, edamame beans, plain nuts, seeded crackers and eggs.”
11. Bulk cook
FAIL to prepare, prepare to fail.
If you lean on convenience foods – usually high-fat, high-calorie ready meals that won’t fill you up – because you’re so busy, then meal prep.
Lucy says: “When shopping, buy enough ingredients to bulk-cook core meals.
“This can be really beneficial for busy days or for those when you are tired.”
Freeze single portions of meals, such as bolognese, casseroles and vegetable curry, in sandwich bags.
Take them out of the freezer the night before you want to eat them, and defrost in the fridge – or taken them out in the morning and defrost on a worktop so you have something to heat up when you get home.
12. Avoid sweet isle
FEW people leave the sweet aisle empty-handed, and there’s no shame there.
Dr Alexander says: “As tempting as it may be, as soon as you put yourself into that situation it’s going to be much harder to leave the supermarket without throwing a few bags of sweets into the trolley.
“That doesn’t mean that you can’t have sweets but I recommend you buy a single bag of sweets or chocolate instead.
“You’ll usually find them cleverly placed next to the checkout.”