Lose those Easter egg pounds!

If you spent Easter chowing down on chocolate bunnies or secretly nibbling at your child’s Easter egg collection when she was napping, you may well get a shock when you step on the scales, especially if you’ve been rigorous about trying to lose those pregnancy pounds. If you satisfied your chocoholic cravings by treating yourself to your own giant-sized egg, you could be looking at a lot of miles to work it off!

The fact is that chocolate (and especially milk chocolate) is high in calories (100 grams of chocolate contains around 500 calories) and saturated fat, which are major players when it comes to weight gain. So how do you go about turning back the clock to Easter Saturday and losing those Easter egg pounds before they add to your mummy tummy? Here are some easy ways to lose weight that won’t hurt…

Ditch the dressing

Even if you’re being good about filling up on salads it’s still possible for that plate of veggies to be a diet disaster if you drown it in dressing. Think about it: if you’re in the habit of using four or five spoonfuls of dressing per salad you could be looking at 500 calories or more. So choose low-calorie options that contain 50 or fewer calories per spoonful and use less of it – just make it go further by mixing it all up in a large bowl so all of the salad is doused. Try alternatives to dressing too, such as a mix of balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.

Switch to semi-skimmed milk

Milk is good for bone health because it’s a vital source of calcium but a glass of full-fat milk contains around 150 calories, and there’s actually a higher proportion of calcium in semi-skimmed and skimmed milk because it isn’t contained in the fat so removing it makes no difference. Switching to semi-skimmed or skimmed can reduce the calorie content by a third or by half. It’s important to still give your child full-fat milk if she’s under two, though, as she needs the fat and calories.

Pack your own lunch

Brown-bag it to work, with sandwiches containing lean meat and salad instead of stopping at the local sandwich bar for a pound-packing Panini. Keep in mind too that a slice of bread comes in at about 80 calories, so if you make your sandwich open-faced (leave off the top slice) you’ll cut out a lot across the week.

Choose snacks carefully

Smart snacking can actually help you lose weight because eating every three hours prevents your blood sugar from falling so low that you begin to crave sugary fast-fixes and your appetite being so sharp you forget al about portion control. Steer clear of cakes and biscuits – instead, choose fibre-rich fruit or wholegrain muffins, as fibre makes you feel full for longer. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that skipping meals will help you lose weight – in fact you’re more likely to binge eat at your next meal if you skip one.

Get physical

Most experts recommend that you combine calorie control with increased physical activity for weight loss, and you don’t have to work yourself up into a sweat at an expensive gym or bend over backwards trying to schedule long exercise sessions. Short sessions of exercise several times a day are just as good at burning calories and improving your health as one long session – in fact, to lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight, many people need to do no more than 30 minutes of moderate to intensive physical activity daily. The beauty is that regular exercise boosts your metabolic rate so that your body continues burning calories afterwards for as many as 24 hours. Walking is an easy – and free – way to do it and your baby can go too. Or, if you have stairs, climb up and down them a few times – just five minutes of stair climbing burns 144 calories.

Boost your muscles

Do some strength training – it build muscle mass and muscle tissue burns more calories, especially if it’s in the thighs, chest and arms. Buy yourself a set of simple weights you can use to exercise your arm and chest muscles, and consider investing in an exercise bike too.

Drink water

Choose plain water over sugary pop, and be sure to drink up to eight glasses a day. Your body actually burns calories as it absorbs and utilises water and research suggests that processing eight glasses full could burn nearly 100 calories – it doesn’t sound like much but it adds up to 700 a week!

Have sex!

Not only is it fun, but an hour of vigorous sex is thought to burn off around 300 calories!

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

Last Modified: 09/04/2010