Fad diets are everywhere but are neither healthy nor sustainable in the long run. Dietitian Rebekah lists her top tips for healthy weight loss that can be maintained.
A person’s weight increases if they consume more calories than what their body needs, and they do not burn off the additional calories through exercise. If a person consumes too many calories, these calories are stored as fat in the body.
Every person has a BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) this is the number of calories that a person needs before they do any exercise. This is based on a person’s age and weight. The heavier a person is, the greater their BMR will be. These calories are needed for the body to function correctly such as blood to flow, your heart to beat and for breathing. A person will need additional calories if they are physically active.
When trying to lose weight, it is usually recommended that you are in a calorie deficit. If you’re looking to begin your weight loss journey, below are some tips you might find useful.
Balanced meals
It is important that you ensure each of your meals are nutritionally balanced. A guide for this would be to ensure that 1/2 of your plate is fruit and vegetables, ¼ carbohydrate and ¼ protein at each mealtime.
E.g. – A balanced breakfast of porridge oats (carbohydrates) made with low fat milk (protein), mixed berries and banana (fruit), plus seeds.
Portion control
Portion control is important to be mindful of if you are trying to lose weight. It may be beneficial to review the portions of carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes, that you are consuming throughout the day. It is also important to review the portion sizes of protein you’re consuming to ensure adequate.
Reducing saturated fat
Saturated fat is found in foods such as meat, full fat milk, butter, yoghurts, biscuits, cakes and other processed products. It is important to reduce the amount of these in your diet – this can be done by choosing low fat dairy products, such as low-fat milk, or buying leaner cuts of meat and trimming off visible fat.
Smart snacking
Snacking can often come from foods that are high in calories, sugar and fat, such as a bar of chocolate, a packet of crisps or perhaps even a handful of biscuits. Snacking can be a great opportunity to add additional nutrients to your diet - snack wisely on foods such as low-fat hummus with carrot sticks, unsalted nuts, yoghurts or fruit.
Get cooking and plan in advance
Cooking your own meals allows you to have control over what is added. If time is limited why not try batch cook meals in advance, opt for prechopped frozen vegetables or even tinned items, such as tuna. If you are working from home, you could have your meals prepared the day before work.
Drink water
Often people can confuse hunger with thirst. It is important that we stay hydrated as this can help with energy levels, mood, aid weight loss and contribute to skin health. We recommend at least 2L of water per day.
Increase your exercise
Exercise is important for your overall health, wellbeing and weight loss journey. It is recommended to aim for 150 mins of cardio and two strength & conditioning sessions per week. For more on what counts as strength & conditioning or muscle strengthening, read an insightful blog from our physiotherapy service here.
Reduce consumption of highly processed foods
Often processed foods contain a high number of calories, saturated fat, salt and sugar. It is important to reduce processed foods in your diet where possible and aim for food without labels or long ingredient lists. It can be useful to learn about reading food labels to ensure that you are making healthier food choices. SafeFood have some great information here.
Reduce alcohol consumption
It is important to be mindful of the amount of alcohol that you are consuming. Many alcoholic drinks contain a high number of calories and a 2010 study found that overall people eat less healthily on the days that they consumed alcohol.
In summary, don’t forget that everyone starts from a different point when they are trying to lose weight. Pick one or two points to begin working on and use the SMART goal approach as explained below. The best and most sustainable way to lose weight is to change your dietary habits, one step at a time.
Make your goals SMART:
Specific – write out what the specific goal is: “I want to eat more fruit”
Measurable – how much and how often: 3 pieces of fruit per day
Achievable – ensure your goal is achievable: can you eat 3 pieces of fruit per day?
Realistic – ensure your goal is realistic: what can you do to eat 3 pieces of fruit per day?
Time specific – set a time frame for your goal: e.g. over a 1-month period
References
- Koliaki, C., Spinos, T., Spinou, Μ., Brinia, Μ., Mitsopoulou, D. and Katsilambros, N., 2018. Defining the Optimal Dietary Approach for Safe, Effective and Sustainable Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults. Healthcare, 6(3), p.73.