SOLVED – at last the top 10 sensible tips for weight management
If
you read my first blog you will now be equipped
with some facts about ‘dieting’ and understand how most ‘quick-fixes’ don’t
work in the long-term. This is all well
and good, you may think, but what steps do you need to take now and more
importantly, how do you keep the weight off?
Good questions!! But before I attempt to rock your world 😉, I would just like to
reiterate why your ‘diet’ keeps letting you down - which I am guessing is the
case if you are reading this:
1.
Once the novelty has worn off or you have been lucky enough to
achieve your goal, old habits creep back and the weight piles back on! The inflexibility required doesn’t allow us
to establish the lifestyle changes necessary to long-term success.
2.
They lead to a continuous cycle of yo-yo dieting where if we
‘cheat’ or have a bad day, we have a mini-melt down, feel like a failure and
throw in the towel. Then we rinse and
repeat! Phew, exhausting just to think
about…..
In
addition to this, research
has suggested that “rigid dieting strategies, but
not flexible dieting strategies, are associated with eating disorder symptoms
and higher BMI in non obese women”, Stewart et al (2002)……really scary stuff!!!
So
whilst I can’t transform your life overnight with some super sexy, mega fast weight
loss formula, I do want to equip you with some solid, evidence-based strategies
that when consistently implemented will lead to a happier, healthier you. As the amazingly intelligent nutritionist Alan
Aragon
puts it (no, he isn’t paying me!), “adherence is the make-or-break factor in
any diet.”
So
lets get down to business….
Tip Number 1 – Don’t call
it a diet, make it a nutritional lifestyle
The
word ‘diet’ is becoming increasingly loaded within society and often conjures
up negative thoughts, feelings and emotions.
The idea of living by a set of rules makes us anxious yet when we
disobey them, we are filled with guilt and fear. But we set ourselves up for this! Fundamentally
‘diet’ is all about mindset – tell yourself you can’t have that twix and it
will be all you can think about, even if you don’t like them!! When you were a kid, if your mum or teacher
told you not to do something did it make you want to do it more?? Catch my drift? The same applies to dieting; it becomes a
psychological battle within ourselves which more often than not we lose. So I suggest that you reframe the notion in
your mind – decide to make smart lifestyle changes instead of living by a set
of rules and I can almost guarantee that you will succeed.
Tip Number 2 - Set
realistic goals
We
have all been there, determined to drop a dress size or lose that stone like
now!! But this is one of the biggest mistakes
you can make; you are either setting yourself up for failure or about to become
miserable! Husbands, wives, children,
pets beware……
According
to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Disease, you should instead aim
to steadily lose around 1% of body weight a week. Do the maths, set a realistic goal with an
achievable timescale and then track progress.
Write it down, measure, take pictures and reflect on them regularly to remind
yourself of the commitment you made.
Tip Number 3 – Stop eating
so often!
Eating
small meals regularly will NOT speed up your metabolism or help you burn fat
quicker, Kinabo et al (1990)! If anything,
this approach will make you think about food even more and will never leave you
satisfied! Not to mention the
impracticalities of having to prepare 6 meals a day. Yes, irregular eating can have a negative
impact on metabolism but that doesn’t mean you need to eat constantly! Find an approach fits in with your day, doesn’t
promote overeating and stick with it!
Tip Number 4 – Eat more
protein
Not
only does protein help us preserve precious muscle that is necessary to
maintain a higher metabolism, it
also keeps us fuller for longer. It is the most satiating of the 3
macronutrients (the others being carbohydrate and fats) so it would be sensible
to include it at EVERY meal.
Tip Number 5 – Eat more
whole foods
Whilst
processed foods are certainly not the enemy (halleluiah as they are pretty hard
to avoid and who would want to anyway?), it is advisable to have them in
moderation and ensure that your diet is high in minimally processed foods. Foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans and lean
meats are high in dietary
fibre which, according to Howarth et al (2001),
can help to regulate our weight. Similar to protein they often also keep you
fuller for longer.
Tip Number 6 – Take a
break!
Losing
weight is rarely easy; it doesn’t happen quickly, demands discipline can be
downright rubbish! So be kind to
yourself and take a break from time to time.
Try relaxing the rules once a week or taking a week off (yes a WHOLE
week) every now and then; if you maintain consistency for the most-part then
you will not ruin your progress. Think
80/20 – if you can master this then your weight loss journey has a higher chance
of success because believe it or not, you will be happier! Having something to look forward to has huge
psychological benefits so have that cake once in a while. Having said
this, don’t self-sabotage by going totally off track all weekend, every weekend
– come on you know this!!
Tip Number 7 – Don’t drink your calories
In
a scientific study led by
DiMeglio et al (2000), sugary drinks led to more
weight gain than eating sugary sweets! There
was no magic reason for this; those eating the sweets were simply more mindful
of what they had put in their mouths and so reduced their calorie intake. Those that drank the liquid didn’t so had an
excess of calories which of course led to weight gain – not rocket science! So in other words, stop mindlessly consuming
‘empty calories’ by swapping sugary drinks for sugar-free versions or don’t
have them at all! And no, diet drinks
when consumed in moderation are not detrimental to your health!
Tip Number 8 – Do it ‘your
way’
A
meta-analysis by Johnston et al (2014) concluded that:
The weight loss
differences between individual named diets were small with likely little
importance to those seeking weight loss. This supports the practice of
recommending any diet that a patient will adhere to in order to lose weight.
So
try different approaches to find what works for you and remember that just
because one way might work for one person, that doesn’t mean it will work for
someone else. The key is adherence, there
is no secret formula – it is predominantly about calories in vs calories out.
Whilst it is absolutely possible to lose weight by simply adjusting your calorie intake in the short term (notice how I make it sound so easy…), exercise plays a fundamental part in keeping you trim! When Anderson et al (2001) reviewed a number of studies, they concluded that those who ‘exercised more had significantly greater weight-loss maintenance than did those who exercised less’.
Just like your diet,
find an approach that works for you to get you moving more. You don’t have to lift weights or do hours of
cardio – if you don’t enjoy it then you wont stick to it anyway! Try walking, swimming, yoga….it doesn’t
matter as long as you are burning those cals!
Tip Number 10 – Sleep!
I am going to end on what I think is the most under rated factor affecting weight gain SLEEP!!! Lack of it not only gives us a longer time-frame for eating, it affects our circadian rhythm which makes us lethargic so we move less. Furthermore, it affects our hunger hormones, ‘grehlin’ and ‘leptin’ thus making us, yep it guessed it, hangry!! Sleep deprivation severely attacks our physical and mental health; it is used as a form of torture for good reason!
Taken from myolean.com
Don’t be a
martyr, look after yourself and get some kip!!!
Your mind, body and soul will thank you for it!
So to conclude,
there is no perfect nutritional approach.
The key is to find a balance through
selected strategies that fit in with your lifestyle, match your goals and are scientifically
proven. Remember if it sounds too good
to be true then it probably is and after all, CONSISTENCY TRUMPS
PERFECTION EVERY TIME! Thanks for
reading folks 😊
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