It’s easy to drop a few pounds with a fad diet but actually keeping the weight off is the hard part. Healthista Collective Expert and Nutritionist Rick Hay brings you five steps to lose weight and keep it off
Sustainable weight management means managing the weight you’ve lost, so that you don’t just put it back on a few weeks or moths later. It’s a type of weight loss that lasts for life, and often the type of weight loss that eludes most of us.
Over the years, research has shown that most diets, especially fad diets, have failed dismally with the almost universal result of rebound weight gain. Even new weight loss methods such as Semaglutide injections like Ozempic and Wegovy, looking to aid obesity, have also shown their failings.
once people stop using the semaglutide medication, any weight they’ve lost is likely to return
In fact, research published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism indicates that once people stop using the semaglutide medication, any weight they’ve lost is likely to return with the return of their appetite.
But I am not here to scare you off from weight loss as an impossible feat. Weight loss is possible, if you approach it with realistic and sustainable attitude and avoid the fad diets from here on out!
Here’s what I suggest you can do to keep your weight down, long term…
Step #1 Follow a healthy eating plan that focuses on low GI (low-glycemic) meals as much as possible
A healthy nutritious diet that focuses on low GI foods will not only help to keep you fuller for longer, it will also help prevent blood sugar spikes and the inevitable cravings that come along with them. My Anti Ageing Food and Fitness Plan has many recipe suggestions that are quick and easy to prepare.
Low GI foods include: green vegetables, most fruits, carrots, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils and rye bread.
I also recommend using more thermogenic spices in your cooking as this can help your body burn fat more effectively. Thermogenics simply means fat burning through heat and these include cinnamon, chilli, paprika and turmeric.
Step #2 Record what you eat and team up with a friend
These two things seem simple but they were common behaviours for those who have lost weight and kept it off. A diet diary and a buddy generate success. Trust me.
Step #3 Think Mediterranean
eat food that is as close to nature as you can as this seems to be the key
Step #4 Control portion sizes
We really do tend to pile those plates up high, don’t we?
Many people have recorded success with using smaller plates at meal times – and whilst I’m on the subject of plates, most of your plate should consist of quality protein such as grilled fish, tofu, lentils, chickpeas, tempeh or organic chicken or turkey.
Aim to make a quarter of your plate protein such as lean meats or legumes, another quarter whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa or new potatoes and the rest vegetables.
Having a healthy snack mid morning or afternoon also helps with both portion size and satiety. A handful of nuts and seeds with half an apple is perfect at this time – providing you with protein and essential fatty acids to help with hair, skin and nail health.
Step #5 Use a meal replacement shake
Healthy meal replacements such as Huel, or Pulsin Hemp Isolate Protein Powder, have been shown to both kick start weight loss and to help maintain that weight loss once your goal weight has been achieved.
I think a meal replacement shake is best at breakfast and should be mixed with unsweetened rice or almond milk for maximum health benefits. Stay away from dairy as this tends to cause bloating.
You can add berries if you want a bit of an immune boost – but try to stay away from the tropical fruits, as these are higher in sugar.
That pretty much sums it up apart from making sure you get enough sleep and that you move your body regularly every day and even every hour just for a few minutes.
We were made to move – research indicates rather definitively that if you move every hour you will help your body to function better. This is not just in terms of fat metabolism, you will help all of the body’s systems to function optimally which will lead to improved overall mental and physical health.
Rick Hay is an Anti Ageing and Fitness Nutritionist with many years clinical experience in nutrition, naturopathy, botanical medicine and iridology. He specialises in obesity treatment and weight management.
HEALTHISTA’S ANSWER TO MENOPAUSE: PRESS PLAY, NOT PAUSE.
The Healthista Menopause Pack is a fully comprehensive online video workshop, led by Dr Dawn Harper; affordable, accessible and covering all aspects of the menopause, for those who need it most.
With expert advice and information from seven credible menopause industry experts, we hope that this online resource will help women navigate common health and wellness changes and challenges they may experience before, after and during the menopause.
Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.
