When a new year rolls around, many of us start thinking about how we can live a healthier lifestyle. Weight loss is one of the most common goals set during January. But instead of reaching for the latest fad diet, I encourage you to look at how you can lose weight healthily – because healthy weight loss is sustainable weight loss.
Let’s look at what you can do to lose weight without resorting to calorie restriction or crazy exercise regimes.
Tips to lose weight healthily in 2023
Add in the nourishing foods
Most fad diets will have you cut foods out. Whether it’s cutting carbs for keto, cutting fat, or restricting calories in general, it’s a miserable way to live! But the good news is you can switch up this mindset and focus on including more nourishing foods.
Why does this work?
- Wholefoods contain more micronutrients that fuel your body’s metabolism
- They are packed with fibre and protein that keep you satiated
- Nourishing wholefoods also help to reduce inflammation that can contribute to insulin resistance, thyroid disease and other weight saboteurs
So fill your plate up with foods such as:
- Eggs and dairy (sheep’s dairy is often better tolerated)
- Fish and seafood
- High-quality meat and poultry
- Beans and legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Wholegrains and pseudograins
- Fruit and vegetables
- Herbs and spices
Start by aiming for 80% wholefoods and 20% bonus foods that you enjoy.
Even if you make it a rule to have these foods as 80% of your intake, you’ll be well on your way to a healthy weight.
Find fun ways to move your body
Exercise is a must for so many reasons – not just to optimise your body composition! But there’s nothing worse than working out in a way that you loathe.
So if you hate the gym or going for jogs? I give you full permission to break up with those forms of movement! When you do physical activity you don’t enjoy, you’ll take any excuse to not do them.
So what’s the solution? Find a fun way to move and incorporate it on a regular basis! You might like to try out some different classes and hobbies to find the right fit.
Once you know your form of movement, aim for 2-3 movement sessions per week to begin with.
Put yourself to bed early
If your goal is to lose weight healthily, you need to look into more than just nutrition and exercise. A commonly skipped piece of the puzzle? Getting plenty of high-quality rest.
In fact, poor sleep can sabotage your weight loss efforts. If your nutrition and exercise are in place but you’re not sleeping well, your results can plateau.
Why does poor sleep impact on weight loss? There are a few factors at play, including:
- Lower tolerance for stress and elevated cortisol levels, which can impact your thyroid function
- Increased hunger hormones, leading to more calories being consumed
- Reduced insulin sensitivity and higher insulin resistance, contributing to more cravings for sweet, unhealthy food choices
An easy way to tell if you’re getting enough sleep? Do a quick assessment of how you feel when you wake up.
Do you feel energised and ready to jump into your day? Or are you instantly reaching for the coffee pot to give yourself a jumpstart? If it’s the latter, there’s a good chance your sleep quality and/or quality is lacking.
Stay zen
Another overlooked saboteur? Stress! Unfortunately, the human body can’t tell the difference between being attacked by a wild animal and your boss piling even more work on your overloaded plate. So it kicks in with protective mechanisms such as:
- Increasing your appetite
- Giving you more sweet, junk food cravings for that quick energy hit
- Making your cells resistant to insulin
- Slowing down your metabolic rate by reducing your thyroid function
- Storing as much energy as possible into the body, particularly around the abdomen
So if you want to lose weight healthily, it’s time to assess your stress. You might not be able to cut out all sources, but you can work on improving your stress resilience (psst – this is something I teach my clients all about!)
Get accountable
To lose weight healthily, you can’t just do something once. You need habits and systems set up to keep up your healthy patterns.
Unfortunately, we do tend to slip back into the more comfortable – UberEats after a hard day, skipping the workout, scrolling Instagram past midnight. That’s why accountability & support from an external source is critical for most people to make lasting change.
This could be as simple as enlisting a friend or your partner for workouts and meal planning. Or if you want to really make big changes with zero excuses, it might be time to bring in a health expert who can not only tailor your healthy living plan, but also keep you motivated when life gets tough.
This is exactly why my Glow Protocol clients see amazing results within weeks of beginning their program!
Ditch the quick fixes and transform your body the right way!
Let’s jump on a FREE Pre-Screening Call to talk about how we can get you looking AND feeling amazing.
Susie Garden | Clinical Nutritionist & Naturopath
Are you a woman feeling stressed, flat and experiencing the challenges of peri/menopause?
It’s time to reclaim your youthful energy, radiance and self-assurance (and your ideal weight).
I’m here to help with my proven method.
Book your complimentary Pre-Screening Call here, and let’s see how I might help you.