Let’s face it: there is a huge amount of information online about how to shed the pounds and get in shape. Wading into this endless stream of advice can be both confusing and overwhelming. And, when you take into account the new fads that seemingly pop up every day, the situation only becomes more dire. After all, who can keep up with all the raw food plans, prepackaged menus, and liquid cleanses that are constantly promoted in our social feeds?

The main problem with these very restrictive diets is that they only lead to short-term weight loss at best. That’s because most people cannot maintain them consistently and end up giving up after a couple of weeks. Losing 10 pounds a week on a fad diet may seem tempting, but it often results in unhealthy and unsustainable weight loss.
The real secret to healthy and successful weight loss is to adopt a lifestyle that you can maintain for the long run. This involves changing your diet, following a regular workout schedule, and taking the right supplements for your body’s needs. With that in mind, here are 5 other tips to help you achieve your weight and fitness goals:

• Eat Better at Breakfast
While all meals are important, breakfast is the most crucial one of all. That’s because it helps you start your days on the right track. A hearty, healthy breakfast will fill you up and give you optimal satisfaction for longer periods of time.
Your goal should be to eat between 400 to 500 calories at breakfast. Build a meal that includes lean proteins (nuts or eggs), fibers (fruits or vegetables), and whole grains.

• Say Goodbye to Added Sugar
The main reason for most lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease is added sugars – especially from sugary beverages and soft drinks. Processed foods in general contain a lot of added sugars and do not provide any of the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Instead, jump on Nutribullet bandwagon and replace sugary drinks with healthier, green smoothie options.
For most people, the fastest way to lose excess weight is simply by cutting out foods that are high in added sugars from their diet. Keep in mind that many “organic” or “healthy” foods can also have very high sugar content, so reading labels should be a regular part of your shopping process.

• Start Lifting Weights
While changing your diet can help you lose a lot of weight fast, nothing beats keeping your body fit with regular exercise. Your best option is to visit the gym at least three or four times a week, doing some warm up, and lifting some weights. This form of exercise is ideal because it helps you burn off a lot of calories. It also keeps your metabolism from slowing down – a typical side effect of weight loss. You can also speed this process up with a fat burning supplement such as the range available at www.myelitehealth.co.uk. If lifting weights isn’t your cup of tea, then look for workout plans such as the massively popular Joe Wicks workout to get you moving in the comfort of your own home.

• Cook More
Did you know that research shows that cooking more meals at home can promote healthy eating and weight loss? Eating out is fun, but it should not be your daily go-to. Instead, save the restaurants for special occasions and start eating more home-cooked meals. This is a great way of sticking to your healthy diet plan and keeping your weight in check.

• Sleep at the Proper Time
It might sound funny, but sleep deprivation can cause you to pack on the pounds. In fact, research demonstrates that getting less than seven to eight hours of sleep every night can actually slow down your metabolism! So stick to a regular sleep schedule in the next year for a leaner, fitter you.

Dr Keith Girling (Medical Director), Carol Drummond (Interim Director of Midwifery) and Michelle Rhodes (Chief Nurse) at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust gave a progress report on their maternity services to the County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee today. In October 2020, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) undertook a review of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospital (NUH) and in December 2020 published their report in which they re-rated NUH from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Inadequate’ – along with regulatory notices requiring the Trust to take immediate actions to make the service safe for mothers and babies.

This topic was last on the agenda of the Health Scrutiny Committee on 9 March 2021 when Members heard that the Trust accepted there was evidence of longstanding concerns about maternity services and it had taken a range of actions to improve oversight of maternity services even before the ‘Inadequate’ rating had been issued, given the Prevention of Further Deaths Report issued in September 2020. In addition, the Trust’s Improvement Plan has the ambition to move to a ‘Good’ rating by the end of 2021.

Dr Girling, Carol Drummond and Michelle Rhodes attended today to update the committee on their action plan, which included a range of measures such as:
• recruitment of additional midwives including a substantive Director of Midwifery due to start in post on the 21st June
• daily escalation meetings to ensure staffing safe for the women needing care
• additional training on fetal heart rate monitoring (approx. 500 staff) progressing well with expected completion by end of May
• purchase of 51 new fetal heart rate monitors, which are being rolled out into clinical areas as they are configured and training is complete.
• new IT devices being deployed across the service with improvement in community WiFi, to be supported by newly appointed digital midwives.

Councillor Sue Saddington, Chair of Health Scrutiny Committee, said: “I am grateful to the representatives from NUH for coming to update us today, but what I’ve heard and read does give me some cause for concern. I feel that the report we have seen today is not detailed enough and I would like to see much more at our meeting in October, such as the level of training the new midwives have, what type of incidents have taken place, details about after care. We need to make sure that ladies and their babies are safe.”

Dr Keith Girling, Medical Director at NUH, said: “This is all about women and all about babies and making this service right for them. I’m pleased to report we have made a number of appointments into midwifery – 39 since September last year. We are still working with other local providers at recruitment opportunities to fill the remaining gaps. We have been working to hear the voices of women throughout this process and have much better links with mothers about their experiences.

“We have had some progress since our last time in March; the CQC revisited us a few weeks ago and have removed the section 29 improvement notice on the basis of the improvements they have seen. We’re very mindful that there’s still much that needs to be done and that this is not something that’s going to be quick to fix. We are now looking at a transformational programme to create a culture that is safe for women, safe for babies and safe for staff.”
NUH will report back to Health Scrutiny Committee in October (date to be confirmed). In the meantime, NUH representatives have invited Committee members to visit maternity units at their Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital Campuses.