10 Tips to a Healthy and Sustainable Weight Loss
Losing weight is relatively simple and there really is no “secret formula”. As a Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach, the first thing I advise people is to work on the mindset and then slowly start instilling healthy habits by creating a new way of being that can form the basis for a lifestyle for the rest of our life. When someone approaches me and wants something fast, I decline to work with them. Losing weight and starting a healthy lifestyle takes time, consistency and a strategic effort, while ensuring you are getting an optimum level of good quality calories your body needs to live a more energetic, healthier, happier and more balanced life.
1. Having the right mindset and being committed: How ready are you to make changes in your health? How committed are you to lose weight and what are you willing to sacrifice? And then, set realistic goals with a deadline. A goal without a date is just a dream. In trying to lose weight, 1-2 lbs a week is realistic as it doesn’t cause too much stress on you physically and mentally. Example: “I want to lose 12 lbs in 3 months so I will look good on my wedding day”. Knowing your “WHY” – the reason you want to change - will keep you motivated all throughout the journey. You need to be completely honest with yourself why you want to lose weight because you would need to refer to these “WHYs” when you feel like quitting. Is it to have more energy? Why? Is it to look better? Why? Is it to be stronger? Why? You can find out what really drives you doing the exercise on this link: http://www.7levelsdeep.com
“Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t, pretend that you do and, at some point, you will.”
2. Eat a rainbow: I love challenging my family and friends to eat a rainbow everyday by ticking all the colors: red (tomato, red cabbage), orange (orange, sweet potato, pumpkin), yellow (corn, mango), green (broccoli, okra, spinach), blue/purple (eggplant, sweet yam or ube) and white/brown (mushroom, cauliflower) everyday if possible. It’s fun and a “healthy” competition. Adding colorful vegetables and fruits on your plate helps in losing weight as these are nutrient-dense food, low in calories, high in fibre and very filling.
3. Have protein in every meal: Good quality protein is a very important nutrient for losing weight as it improves satiety and makes you feel full longer in between meals. Eating a high protein diet has been shown to boost metabolism while shaving off some calories per day off your diet as it may reduce cravings and thinking about food all the time. Example of good animal protein are lean chicken breast, lean pork chop, tuna, beef (skirt steak) and for plant protein are tofu, beans & lentils, cheese, egg, green peas and mushrooms.
4. Prioritize whole grain: Start by swapping processed food such as white rice, white bread and white pasta to wholegrain. Wholegrain is unprocessed food grain that contains the fibre-rich bran. Some examples are oats, quinoa and brown rice.
5. Drink smart: A 335 ml can of Cola has 33 grams of sugar which is equivalent to 8 ¼ teaspoons. Calories from these soft-drinks do not provide the same satiating effect as nutrient-dense food thus lead to more cravings and food consumption. If you like drinking sugar sweetened drinks, you can swap it for carbonated water with a dash of 100% fruit juice concentrate and fruity herbal teas which will help bring down the calorie intake. Minimize or eliminate alcohol which are “empty calories”, meaning they provide you with calories that have minimal nutrient value. Also, it may make you feel hungry and may lead to poor food choices. Drink more water! Besides being calorie-free, the benefits are far so much greater than any other drink I can think of.
6. Organize your kitchen and have a fridge makeover: Load up on fresh and frozen vegetables and fruits, tinned cans of beans, lentils and peas as these are fantastic source of fibre, and some healthy protein. Another way is to hide the junk food or better yet, eliminate them in your house. There’s a study from Cornell University that women who had fruits more visible in the kitchen weighed 13 lbs less and women who had unhealthy food on their kitchen counters weighed an average 20 lbs more.
7. Move more: A client once asked me, “What is the best workout for weight loss?” and my answer was, “The workout that you enjoy the most!” Choose an exercise that you enjoy so it’s more sustainable. Also, schedule them in your calendar and do not cancel, it’s your appointment to yourself. Combining movement and healthy diet is an effective way to lose weight. One tip I always suggest is to exercise or walk in the morning as the willpower is higher. Also, putting on your workout clothes when you wake up is one habit that can trigger a cue in your brain to workout.
8. Sleep: Do you ever wonder why you crave to eat more when you didn’t get a good sleep? Lack of sleep can trigger the ghrelin hormones (I like to call them the Gremlin Hormones 😊) which leads to increased hunger. Getting enough sleep increases the leptin hormones which sends signals of fullness to the brain.
9. Accountability: Whether asking a family member to join you in your weight loss journey, joining a virtual community who shares the same goal or getting a coach or mentor. You need someone to encourage and bolster you up when you want to quit.
10. Be consistent: Lastly, remind yourself all the time that “Consistency beats perfection”. Instead of beating yourself up when a day does not go as planned, pause and reflect on how you can make healthier choices next time. Enjoy the journey knowing it will lead to a better you!