Although there is no one diet fits all approach when it comes to losing weight in a healthy way, we have put together our top tips to help you along with this process.
Remember, how we can lose weight successfully depends on many factors, such as your age, body constitution, daily routine, and environment.
The best strategies for weight control are those that can be maintained for life. That’s a long time! Therefore, weight loss methods need to be realistic and achievable, without being overly complex or difficult in the long term.
- Start by making small changes: Small changes are easier to persevere than drastic ones. For example, reduce the size of the portions in your meals. Once you’ve accomplished this, you can start making other changes, like eating more vegetables for dinner or walking for twenty minutes after school or work.
- Make it a family affair: Ask family for help and support. The goal is to stay healthy and make lifestyle changes that are positive for the whole family.
- Take a look at what you drink: It’s incredible how many calories are in soft drinks, juices, coffee drinks, and more. Just by going without the daily can of soft drink or avoiding sports drinks, you can reduce your daily calorie intake by 150 calories or more. Drink water or other drinks that do not contain sugar to quench your thirst, such as plain tea, coffee, herbal teas and soda water. Flavour water with fruit if you find it hard to drink it just plain!
Stop eating when you are satisfied: Pay attention while eating and stop eating when you feel that the hunger is no longer there. Eating slower helps because it can take around 20 minutes for your brain to get the message that you’re no longer hungry. Sometimes pausing before continuing to eat can help you avoid eating more than we need in that moment.
- Check to see if you’re hungry before making yourself a snack: If you eat when you’re not physically hungry, it can often be related to an emotion. Such as feeling upset, angry or bored. Try to work on breaking this habit by doing something else that helps address that emotion, like taking a walk, or talking to a friend. Many people find keeping a journal about what they eat when they eat it and how they feel, can help. When you have to write it down, you may have to think twice about your choices. Reviewing the journal can help you identify emotions that may be triggering your overeating behaviour.
- Follow a regular schedule for meals and snacks: You will be able to better manage your hunger if you follow a regular schedule. Skipping meals can cause you to overeat throughout the day. Adding 1-2 healthy snacks to your three main meals can help you curb hunger, if you find that you get hungry between main meals.
- Eat more fruit and more vegetables: Although this is obvious, it is really important! Adding in more fruits and vegetables can help you feel fuller, help with digestive health and keep your heart and the rest of your body healthy. Include fruit and vegetables in each of your meals, building up to at least 5 servings a day or more. Remember to do this slowly, to allow your body to adjust to the increase in fibre.
- Don’t forbid yourself from your favourite foods: Forbidding yourself of all foods you enjoy will only make you want them even more in the long term. The key to sustainable success is to choose healthy foods most of the time, allowing room for those less than nutritious foods sometimes, for pleasure.
- Don’t stop moving: Keeping active can also help manage weight. Try a variety of activities to see what you enjoy, from hiking to biking to dancing, to find the ones you like best and can stick to. Everyone has to start at a starting point. It’s good to start out walking around the neighbourhood after school or work and gradually increase your physical activity, as a great starting point.
Weight control is a task of long-term success. Start by making small changes that you can stick with, and gradually build better habits so they can last. Reach out to our team of weight loss dietitians today, for personalised 1:1 support with not only losing weight but keeping it off for life!
