Losing weight can feel like an impossible task, especially for those who feel they have a lot to shed.
However, implementing small changes can have a major impact. One slimmer who dropped four dress sizes in a matter of months revealed that upping her vegetable intake was very beneficial.
Michelle Cooper, who calls herself a “fat loss bestie”, took to TikTok to share her top hacks for losing weight. After her transformation, she is now a fitness instructor and nutrition coach.
The slimmer (known as @michellecooper1000 on the sharing platform), said: “I shifted from a UK 20 down to a UK 12 in just five months last summer.”
On her fat loss journey, something she implemented “every single day” was “dramatically increasing” her intake of vegetables.
Michelle said: “In my lunch and dinner, I had loads and loads and loads more vegetables.”
One way the slimmer stuck to this goal was by finding and creating delicious recipes that “make it not taste like you’re having vegetables”.
She added: “Personally, I cannot stand having steamed veg or boiled veg – I just find it so bland.
Eating more vegetables is an easy way to see results on the scales
GETTY IMAGES
“So I was having things like cucumber salad with a yoghurt and apple cider vinegar dressing, loads of dill in there – and it was just to die for.
“I was having a red cabbage and walnut salad. I was having loads of different types of slaws.
“I was having curried stir-fry made with loads of vegetables and I’d add things like cashew nuts and Nigella seeds and different curry powders to give it pizzazz and it was so tasty.”
A trick for incorporating more veggies into your diet is to find ones you actually enjoy eating.
Veggies can also be chopped very finely and added to sauces so they are barely noticeable.
For those who want to lose weight, the NHS recommends aiming for at least two portions of veg as part of every meal.
Consuming more veggies helped Michelle dropped four dress sizes in five months
PA IMAGES
Experts said: “This helps to cover your plate with low-calorie, fibre-rich, filling foods, leaving less room for higher-calorie ingredients.”
Vegetables add a lot of volume to meals without adding a lot of calories. They are also high in fibre, which promotes satiation.
Other strategies Michelle employed to lose weight included enjoying protein-packed breakfasts and giving herself a specific eating window per day.
She ditched carb-heavy morning meals like porridge, cereal and toast, swapping them for protein-heavy options. The slimmer enjoyed things like eggs and bacon or eggs and smoked salmon.
Protein is paramount for maintaining and developing muscle mass, and it also keeps the body feeling satiated, so you’re less likely to reach for unhealthy treats throughout the day.
Reducing her eating window also helped Michelle curb her late-night snacking habits.
Rather than eating throughout the day, “from the minute [she] woke up in the morning until she went to bed at night”, Michelle started eating in a window from around 9am until 8pm, enjoying breakfast, lunch and dinner in this timeline. She said: “And whenever I finished my evening meal, that was it.”
