Taking A Different Approach To Weight Loss
Karen Greer, Clinical Lead Dietitian at Spectrum Nutrition, talks us through her top tips for sustainable weight loss.
Many clients tell me that they have successfully lost weight in the past, only to go on to regain their original weight or sometimes even more. In fact, we know up to 35% of lost weight is regained after one year.
In order to lose weight we have to consume less energy (calories) than what we use up or expend, and that’s the one common trend that most ‘weight loss diets’ will share. The ‘dieting’ culture has however left many of us feeling very confused around what we actually should eat or what we need to do to achieve weight loss, and how we can make it last long term.
Here are my top tips to follow if you are looking to lose weight, and to make it last.
Be SMART
Think about your current daily routine. Consider what works well for you when making healthy food choices, and also consider what makes it more challenging to eat healthy. Identifying these challenges will help you to problem solve and come up with solutions that will work for you
Any change you make in order to lose weight needs to be sustainable - this is key to achieving long term change. If you don’t see yourself continuing a change in 6 months then it is not realistic. SMART goals will help you to keep your goals realistic and achievable. Try to ensure your goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound
Be Patient
Weight loss is not a race or a competition. Being patient and focusing on taking it day by day will allow you to achieve your goals in the long-term, and help you to not get disheartened in the meantime.
Remember, food is much more than just ‘weight’. Food is our nutrition and fuel, and is key for maintaining good health. I encourage all my clients to start by focusing on their day to day patterns when it comes to their diet, and introduce small changes as ‘new habits’. This will allow you get the results you want over time, while, most importantly, helping you to keep them going long term.
Consider Your Triggers
Have you considered daily triggers that may impact your food choices? Some examples of common triggers or challenges we face that may impact our food choices are listed below. Can you relate to any of the following? Can you come up with one solution that might help you to overcome or avoid this challenge?
Time restraints
Hunger levels
Health conditions
Portion sizes
Preparation time
The food choices of your family or co-habitants
Food cravings
Emotional or stress eating
Not doing a weekly food shop
Dehydration
Motivation
Lack of energy
For example – Lack of time during the week is a common barrier experienced by most people at some point. To help with this, could you batch cook a meal on a Sunday and use the lleftovers for your meal on a Monday? Could you spend 30 minutes meal prepping on a Saturday to reduce the workload during the week? Could you start using frozen vegetables rather than fresh to save time on preparation?
Keep asking yourself, how can I make things easier for myself while keeping my choices healthy?
And remember, it is not a sprint. Making 1-2 small changes at a time which are sustainable and become a habit will be more beneficial than trying to change everything at once and feeling too overwhelmed to keep them up, and thereby increasing the risk of older habits creeping back in.
Reduce how often you weigh yourself
Do you find yourself stepping on the scales every day or every week, and find yourself disheartened with the results? Then it might be time for a different approach.
If we focus on the number on the scale as the primary measure of how well we are doing then it can make us feel like the changes we are making are ‘working’ or ‘not working’, or that we are getting it ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, which is not the case. Remember, food is so much more than just ‘weight’. Think about the impact of our food choices on our energy levels, mood, sleep, stress management, immune system, digestive health, heart health, etc, etc ….. Moving away from weighing yourself too frequent is an important part of developing a more positive relationship with food, and with your body.
Make sure you are enjoying your food
Eating healthily should be fun and enjoyable. It shouldn’t feel like a chore, and if it does then it might be time to switch it up and maybe try some new recipes. We at Spectrum Nutrition will be sharing regular healthy recipes so make sure you follow our blog and don’t miss out! Why not start with our healthy pancake recipe, here?
Consider the Spectrum Sustain programme
Spectrum Sustain is a new 6 session Weight Management Programme that has been developed by our specialist Dietitians at Spectrum Nutrition. This virtual programme is designed to support sustained weight loss, by giving people the knowledge and confidence to make healthier food choices long term, while continuing to enjoy their meals and build a positive relationship with food. For more information on the programme or the sign up, please click here.
You can also get in touch with our Patient Services team at info@spectrumhealth.ie or 01 611 1740.
Written by: Karen Greer, Clinical Lead Dietitian at Spectrum Nutrition, CORU Registered and INDI Member.