Your mind needs to be given power of attorney over desire. What that means in our daily lives is that, when you are at a braai and you start to get hungry before the food is ready, stop yourself from grabbing handfuls of chips, bread sticks, pasta salads, pizza slices and other carb-filled snacks.
The point being made here is not to punish and starve yourself but rather recognise whether the desire to eat right now is out of boredom, craving or hunger. If it's boredom then hold back, if it's a craving take only enough to curb that craving and if it's hunger eat healthier options like almond nuts, biltong and carrots but stop long before you feel full.
The problem with starvation dieting is that although it's common and it shows results, it's short-sighted and an absolutely awful technique. Results are visible, however once you put anything in your mouth that the body doesn't need to burn off in order to move, your body stores that food thinking it's on the verge of going into hibernation for months. It's damaging for your metabolism because your body doesn't trust you and thinks it's in survival mode which could take months to start working in a normal way again.
That's why it is not a good idea going cold turkey but rather giving into that craving, but only eat enough to satisfy your taste. It will also stop the obsessive thinking about the food you wished you could eat and free up your mind to be at peace. Alcohol can sometimes be unavoidable so pick tequila, vodka with sparkling water or champagne. If you crave beer, cradle one light beer all day and leave the warm last bit behind. Make sure to drink over two litres of water before you sleep and stay away from all fizzy drinks but again if you feel you need to give in to the craving, take 3 very small sips and move on to something else.
Eventually all those bad food and drink cravings should go away as you stick to other types of healthier options, if that's what you are eating. Fortunately, everything mentioned above has to do with willpower and not muscle-power. If you want to make a physical difference, follow these simple steps:
1. Every morning and night before showering
Start with 25 push-ups and 25 sit-ups twice a day and work your way up to 100 of each.
2. Alternate these exercises daily or do them both
Start with 2 sets of 5 rep squats and work your way up to 50 in total. The squat technique is, hold your arms straight out in front of you, bend your knees and sit back so that your hips and knees are at 90 degree angles.
Start with 4 sets of 10 rep Lunges per leg and work your way up to 100. The lunge technique is done by, holding your arms firmly by your side and stepping forward bending the back leg down so your knee touches the ground, keeping your back straight and then step backwards into your original position.
2. Teamwork
By far, the best way to ensure that you don't miss a workout is to find a partner, a parent, sibling or friend. Take selfies of your progress and ask a few people to motivate you every day to keep you going.
3. Walking
Walk on an inclined road for 20 to 40 minutes. If you have a gym membership, adjust the incline on the treadmill to over 8% and a speed of over 5. Push yourself beyond that without running but don't slack off and adjust down. Walk up and down a flight of stairs for 20 minutes or use the step master at gym on level 3 or more.
4. Take advantage of shopping and carrying things
At every opportunity, lift things up, take things out of other people's hands and offer to carry whatever needs carrying. Park your car so that you are forced to walk a bit further.
5. Superset your weight training
Not only will you get more training done in a shorter period of time, you will cover another body part and get your heart rate up. Weight training will also keep your metabolism elevated hours after your workout ends.