How to lose weight

Successful weight loss is a process which does not only require a change in the diet itself but many other aspects including sleep, self-confidence, accountability, and sustainability. Lets discuss this further…

Diet & food behaviour

Dietary changes are at the heart of any weight loss journey. Diet has repeatedly been shown to be the best tool for reducing body fat. Changing your diet in today’s world can be immensely confusing and often lacks scientific backing. Here at Nutrition and Co, as registered dietitians/nutritionists all advice we provide is evidence-based and follows widely accepted reliable dietary principles.

Some aspects which will often consider include;

• Balancing out your plate with the correct combinations of carbs, protein , fats and veg/fruits

• Mindfulness around food (e.g. can you taste the food, textures, smells or are you watching tv eating?)

• Stress levels around food

• The ‘why’ behind your eating (e.g. are your eating when in an emotional state)

• Movement throughout your day

• Added fats (Are we mindlessly adding fats? , as fats are the most energy dense macro-nutrient with 9kcal/g it can quickly add calories/energy to your day)

It is also important to take into account not just what you eat but how and why you eat - you are far more likely to eat beyond a point of fullness when eating in front of the tv than at the table, you may rush your lunch at your desk at work and then be hungry an hour later because your body hardly recognised that you ate. Your behaviour around food is personal and we would like to help you address and improve these habits effectively.

Sleep

Studies show that with a reduced amount of sleep, weight loss is likely to be far trickier. When we do not sleep enough it affects our hormones, one hormone in particular called ghrelin. Ghrelin is known as our hunger hormone. When we sleep less our bloodstream can contain higher concentrations of ghrelin and we can therefore reach for more foods. A lack of sleep may also cause an increase in stress levels, and many of us turn to food as a potential coping mechanism for stress. Thus, by improving sleep health we can have more intuitive hunger signals and likely more discipline over our food choices.

Sustainability

Sustainability is a factor in dieting which is often overlooked and one that ought to be at the top of the priority list. Often people find themselves adopting short-term fixes, such as a low-calorie diet a couple of weeks before a holiday, or the keto diet. However, as these diets are inevitably unsustainable people often undergo what is known as weight cycling; whereby they lose weight quickly and end up regaining the weight and then some when they stop dieting. This is likely due to the effects on the body’s metabolism basic being lowered as a protective mechanism. In order to work in tune with our body’s metabolism time and care with dietary changes are considered on our LifeScuplt programme.

Accountability

Accountability is essential in any change in behaviour. We all know that if we promise to go on a run at 6 am with a friend we are much more likely to drag ourselves out of bed than if we were doing it on our own! We employ this in our LifeSculpt programme by ensuring weekly check ins with your dietitian and having your own personal trainer you can chat to , whenever you need that extra boost of motivation.

In order to achieve sustainable weight loss - the goals that are set in that journey must be suitable. SMART (simple, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely) goals are created in order to do this.

• Specificity is achieved by the personal meal plan and detailed goals

• A time will always be attached to a goal that we create

• They will be simple and relevant to you - i.e what fits in around your job type, family life and current physical abilities

• Focusing on energy levels, clothing sizing, sleep quality, mood are all fantastic ways to measure progress.

Physical Activity

Physical activity is one way in which our body expends energy. Increasing physical activity is a useful tool in reducing boy fat, but diet has been shown to be more effective in this regard. Weight loss in both the short and long term has shown to be most effective when combining both dietary changes and increased physical activity. Physical activity has individual effects on appetite regulation and therefore the type and frequency of exercise adopted ought to be tailored to this individualistic response - something which our Fitness Trainer can help you with during LifeSculpt. Ideally, physical activity should be viewed as far more than a tool for fat loss, its benefits are wide-ranging and it is an essential element of health; improving mood, increasing confidence and of course reducing one's likelihood of acquiring diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer.

Embarking on a weight loss journey is not an easy feat, in order to improve your health you have to change aspects of your life. During LifeScuplt we will provide you will effective tools and knowledge, as well as support and accountability, to shape this journey and help you feel healthier and happier.

Weight loss is tough, we get it! We have been there before and that’s why we know that strict, rigid diets DO.NOT.WORK. instead we focus on creating lifestyle habits that will last forever. Every month we welcome a set number of action takers into our LifeSculpt program.

LifeSculpt is a 3 month program that kickstarts your lifestyle change journey, forever!

If you feel that you are in action taking mode. Click here to book your first consultation and secure your spot.

References

· Curioni, C., Lourenço, P. Long-term weight loss after diet and exercise: a systematic review. Int J Obes 29, 1168–1174 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803015

· Lin J, Jiang Y, Wang G, et al. Associations of short sleep duration with appetite-regulating hormones and adipokines: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev . 2020;21(11):e13051. doi:10.1111/obr.13051

· The British Dietetic Association. Manual of Dietetic Practice . 5th ed. West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell; 2014.

· The Science of Nutrition, R Lambert. Dorling Kindersley Limited. 2021.

· Warburton DER, Bredin SSD. Health benefits of physical activity: a systematic review of current systematic reviews. Curr Opin Cardiol . 2017;32(5):541-556. doi:10.1097/HCO.0000000000000437