Bikini season is nearly here so to improve our bodies – and our finances – we’ve enlisted the help of personal trainer and weight loss expert Andrew Cate.
Andrew’s latest book, The Tight Ar$e Diet, shows you how to lose weight, save money and live well. It contains tasty, healthy recipes and practical tips to help you accelerate your weight loss, and your savings.
RESCU: Your book is about losing weight and saving money at the same time. What are 5 quick tips for achieving both these goals?
Andrew Cate: I’ve calculated that by adopting (on average) just 5 tips from the book, readers can lose up to 10 kilograms, and save around $2500 over 12 months. For example:
- Cut our 6 alcoholic drinks per week
- Find an exercise partner and save on gym fees
- Drink one less soft drink or juice a day
- Eat slowly and reduce what you need to feel full
- Keep a food diary (which can help to reduce your portion sizes)
These 5 changes alone will help you lose 11 kilograms, and save over $2648 a year. I’ve also put together a video presentation on these 5 tips from The Tight Ar$e Diet, which can be seen at www.andrewcate.com
RESCU: What are some hidden weight gain traps?
Andrew Cate: I think one of the biggest traps is thinking that throwing more money at the problem will solve it. As a personal trainer, I see this all the time – people pay for their 20 sessions and expect the weight to just fall off. But there is a big difference between what you see on The Biggest Loser TV show and real life.
I think people often have unrealistic expectations of how much they can lose, and how quickly they can lose it. That’s why I’ve used a 12 month timeline with The Tight Ar$e Diet. When you tell someone that just cutting out one alcoholic drink a day can help them lose 3 kilograms, and save more than $700 over 12 months, it sounds impressive. It highlights the fact that small changes can make a big difference. It also highlights the fact that you don’t have to make drastic changes, or spend lots of money to improve your health. The Tight Ar$e Diet shows how to make the process of weight loss financially rewarding instead of a burden.
RESCU: We’ve cut back costs and chocolate, but now we feel deprived (and tempted to quit!). Can you give us advice on how to keep motivated?
Andrew Cate: In terms of motivational support, I would direct people to my tip from The Tight Ar$e Diet on using the internet to support weight loss. It is inexpensive, but could help them lose an extra kilogram a year with articles and tips, healthy recipes, blogs, forums and message boards, tools, calculators and charts, exercise demonstrations and training programs, online personal trainers, newsletters, and reviews of products, diets, books and supplements.
Readers can subscribe to my free weight loss newsletter by visiting www.andrewcate.com and clicking on the “Free newsletter” link.
The Tight Ar$e Diet (RRP: $19.95) is available online at www.andrewcate.com
Andrew is also the author of The H-Factor Diet, Lighten Up and Walk Off Weight.