Foolproof Weight Loss Tips For Easter

Apr 18, 2001 Weight Loss

Weight loss is difficult at any time of the year, especially at Easter.  This year Easter falls on April Fool’s Day, which means pretending not to buy chocolate then revealing a sack load after 12 noon.  

It is easy to fool ourselves that egg-shaped chocolate is less fattening than traditional bars. Even more so if we are taking chunks of our children’s eggs.  

Shops stock their shelves with mouth-watering chocolate delights that are impossible to eat in moderation. The biggest mistake we make is underestimating the number of calories in chocolate.  

100 grams of chocolate contains 535 calories. This represents four servings according to chocolate manufacturers but most of us devour it in one sitting.  

We have to do an awful lot of exercise to burn that many calories. Which of course we never do resulting in expanding waistlines and larger clothes. Our perception of portion sizes and understanding of weight loss is way off causing us all too eat too much and exercise too little.  

We dislike being fat but are unwilling to alter our food intake to counteract weight gain. Easter is a time of feasting and eating chocolate regardless of we go to church or not.

 

What Is April Fool’s Day?

April Fool’s day is famous for playing tricks on people and making them look silly. All of the high jinks ends at 12 noon when the joker becomes the fool.

No one really knows the origins of the tradition which has evolved over time.  Press and television shows enjoy reporting false stories to fool people into believing them.

One of the most famous stories featured on a BBC documentary programme called Panorama.  The programme convincingly fooled viewers into believing that farmers harvest spaghetti in Switzerland.

Demand for spaghetti plants forced the BBC to confess it was a hoax.   Most people are wary of the day and try to avoid being the object of a joke.  So getting up at lunchtime may be a good idea to avoid looking like a fool - that’s if no one puts frogs in your bed.

 

Why Easter Eggs?

Apart from being a magnificent marketing ploy to charge the earth for chocolate Easter eggs are symbolic for a number of reasons. Decorating eggs has always been symbolic of spring and the birth of new life.  

Christians saw the egg as a representation of Jesus opening up the tomb after his crucifixion. Now Easter eggs are works of art and indulgent expensive chocolate creations with little association with the Christian celebration.  

Chocolate eggs signify the end of winter and the beginning of new life and bring joy to our taste buds.  It also marks the end of winter food and the beginning of a weight loss plan for summer.

 

How To Stick To Your Weight Loss Plan

Avoiding chocolate and a roast dinner is impossible unless you choose to spend the day alone. Ditching your diet will only make you feel like a failure and show on the scales during the next weigh in.  

The best thing to do is to incorporate your treats into your weight loss plan and avoid overeating.

 

Don't Deny Yourself

Denying yourself chocolate will just increase cravings and result in you sneaking downstairs at midnight stealing everyone's eggs. Make Easter Sunday the only day in the holidays you indulge and avoid treats for the rest of the holiday.  

If you are taking weight loss tablets you should avoid eating fatty foods such as chocolate which is a fatty treat.  

Orlistat, Xenical and Alli are weight loss treatments that block the absorption of fat. You must avoid fatty foods while taking them or you will suffer unpleasant side effects. If you do overindulge don’t give up your diet by chomping on chocolate until it has all gone just go back to your diet plan as soon as you can.

By Parv Sagoo (April 2018)