Nutritional Tips For Weight Loss
- steviekelly1986
- Mar 25, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: May 21, 2024
In this article I wanted to give you some top tips for weight loss that you can begin to implement in your daily life to help you see results.
1. Track Your Calories
Even though it might seem annoying or tedious to track your calories it is an important part of successful weight loss strategy. Starting off your weight loss journey knowing roughly how many calories you consume in a day, and in a week is important to then implement the correct changes needed for weight loss.
Without knowing how many calories you currently consume then there is no clear recommendation of how many calories you need to subtract.
This doesn’t have to be forever. Once you have a good understanding of the quantities of calories in specific foods then you can then become a bit more relaxed with it.
I would recommend staring off tracking your calories for a week and then adjusting after that. If you are eating a weekly average of 2400 calories and there is no weight loss reduce calories by 200. Complete another week at 2100 calories and see if there is any weight loss. If there isn’t then reduce another 200.
Exercise can also be used as a tool for weight loss instead of a reduction in calories.
There are numerous apps that can track calories for you. I would recommend the app MyFitnessPal.
2. Plan Your Meals
This is a great way to keep to your daily target calories. It helps you plan for the week ahead and will hopefully save you some money in the long run.
Finishing work late and then deciding on what to have for dinner can lead to problems when it comes to weight loss. You may choose something quick and easy which could be a takeaway or a meal which is higher in calories and less nutrient dense.
Planning for the week ahead takes all the guess work out of this. You can prepare nutritious meals when you have time at the weekend and then have them in the week.
There is no getting home late and needing to cook or order a takeaway. The meal you prepared at the weekend is in the fridge waiting and just needs heating through.
Planning your meals is great for long term weight loss success.
3. Consume More Protein
Consuming enough protein to support body composition goals is vital.
Protein intakes of 1.2g-2g of protein per kg of bodyweight is recommended.
An increase in protein helps to build muscle which in turn will help to boost metabolic rate meaning your calorie allowance, or the calories you need daily will increase.
Increasing protein intake may also decrease hunger due to the inhibition of the hunger hormone ghrelin.
Cardiometabolic risk factors could also decrease due to a higher protein diet.
4. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
I don’t think I need to explain why eating more fruits and vegetables would be good to our health. But if you didn’t know then here goes.
Eating good quantities of fruits and vegetables will give you good amounts of vitamins and minerals which will promote good health.
Both fruits and vegetables are low in calories so can be eaten without any added pressure. Most vegetables are super low in calories meaning you can eat as much as you want of them. For example, 100g of spinach contains 23 calories.
Consuming a lot of vegetables is a great way to fill yourself up and decrease hunger and appetite. This is due to the fibre content which gives us the feeling of fullness and prevents overeating.
5. Cut Down on Alcohol
Notice how I said, “cut down of alcohol” and not “ban alcohol completely”.
Banning any type of food or beverage I think is a sure way to fail on your weight loss progress. It adds more pressure to the banned food/drink and leads to feeling of want and cravings.
As your own person you are allowed anything you want but be mindful some foods/drinks and more advantageous for weight loss, and there are some that are not.
In this alcohol is not great for weight loss goals due to the higher number of calories it contains with no nutrients to back it up. It’s basically empty calories.
Consuming a few wines in the evening could push you over your calorie limit for that day which equates to no weight loss, or even weight gain.
However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Managing what you consume in the day and keeping mindful could free up calories for you in the evening meaning that a glass of wine will fit nicely into your daily calorie limit.
At the end of the day be mindful and understand how many calories are in alcoholic beverages. A glass of wine or beer here and there is not an issue.
6. Consume Healthy Fats
Consuming healthy fats is a great way to lose weight and maintain that weight going forward.
The healthy fats are monounsaturated fats (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFA)
MUFA are found in food groups such as olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado.
PUFA are found in oily fish like salmon and tuna, seeds, nuts, and some vegetable oils.
Trying to consume healthy fats will help you to feel full and keep hunger at bay. This could be the fat content itself or the fact that fibre is present in many of the foods above.
Eating less saturated fats and opting for MUFA or PUFA helps reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing total cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol.
7. Don't Ban Foods
As I previously touched on above banning foods is a big mistake when it comes to trying to lose weight.
It can create cravings for certain foods and the need to act on these cravings can be hard to stop with almost superhuman will power needed.
The foods that most people ban are the foods that taste the best – chocolate, cakes, pastries, pizza etc.
But this doesn’t have to be the case. Little and often is the famous saying. Eating a few slices of pizza shouldn’t ruin an eating plan and if pizza if one of your favourite foods then banning it completely would lead to cravings for it, and possibly a drop in overall mood.
Food plays an important role in all our lives. We consume it with friends, we consume it with our closest family members, and it’s important that we enjoy it.
Cravings and the desire to eat certain foods should decrease with a well-rounded diet as well. Feeling full and satiated will help to reduce hunger and the need for an indulgent snack.
8. Keep Well Hydrated
Sometimes all you need is a glass of water instead of that sweet treat.
Keeping yourself hydrated through the day is important for proper functioning and keeping energy levels consistent.
Sometimes people might mistake the feeling of thirst with hunger. Before having something to eat why not try consuming a glass of water, give it sometime, and then see if you still feel hungry. This is a great tactic for mid-morning and mid-afternoon hunger cravings.
Consuming adequate amounts of water through the day is important anyway regardless of it effects appetite. Try consuming between 6-8 cups of glasses a day.
9. Practice Mindful eating
Eating meals to quickly could lead to the consumption of more food, or over feeding.
Next time you sit down to a meal try slowing down, taking your time and being mindful of what you’re consuming. Put away that phone and focus all your attention to the plate of food you have in front of you.
You could also take regular breaks in between eating and have some water to again slow down the process of eating.
Eating slowly could help you become more aware when the feeling of fullness takes hold and prevents overeating.
10. Avoid Fad Diets
Fad diets are promoted with the idea that they can get you to your weight loss goal quickly and more efficiently.
The one that I have heard talk about the most in the gym is the cabbage soup diet.
The description says it all really. You consume cabbage soup for every meal for 1 week.
Is there weight loss with this diet? Of course. There are hardly any calories being consumed.
How do you feel? I wouldn’t imagine you feel like running the London marathon.
Is it healthy? I would 100% say NO. You need to ask yourself are there sufficient nutrients in this diet and will it give me enough energy for everyday life without making me feel terrible. Probably not!
Would I recommend this diet? Do I need to answer this.
The bottom line is fad diets can help you lose weight, but they are too restrictive, low in nutrients, and hard to sustain causing the yo-yo diet effect.
The claims these fad diets make may seem tempting but instead choose an eating plan that is sustainable, healthy for your body full of essential nutrients, and non-restrictive.
Hopefully you have got something out of this article which can help you.
If you need more help with nutrition or personal training send me a message through my message form on my home page.
Until next time.
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