1. Think about your diet, not ‘a diet’.

For many of us, the word ‘diet’ brings to mind a complex and contradictory mass of emotions: the promise of quick results; a boring few weeks; failure or success; discipline; a fresh start. But if you’re looking for long-term, healthy weight loss, it’s time to ditch that thinking. Our ‘diet’ should simply refer to the food we eat, every day. Making small but permanent changes to your everyday diet can help you control your weight in a healthy and realistic way.

2. Focus on nutrition

While it’s probably no surprise that those ‘4 magic belly busting foods!’ articles are not the most scientifically sound, let’s start by reiterating that it’s the amount of calories you eat, rather than the type of food, that directly leads to losing or gaining weight. That said, eating a nutritious diet can help with healthy weight loss in many ways:

• Junk food is dense in calories but can leave you feeling empty; a nutritious meal can satisfy you without adding unwanted calories
• Nutrition helps us feel healthier and more positive about a healthy diet
• A nutritious diet fuels our body, giving us more energy to move and exercise
• A focus on nutrition encourages us to think about what we can eat, not what we can’t

A nutritious diet does not have to be complicated. It just needs to include fruit and vegetables along with a healthy balance of all types of foods (yes, including carbs, yes, including fats!) Take a look at the basics of a nutritious diet here.

3. Be consistent

It can be hard for those of us of the more impatient type to wait for results. However, gradual weight loss through a consistent diet has been proven to be the most effective way of staying a healthy weight. This doesn’t mean the same meals every day, just a similar pattern of eating – not having a “good week” where you eat nothing but vegetables, followed by a “bad week” where you binge on junk food (although we’ve all been there). Setting realistic goals for your diet is essential for this step. Remember, this should be a diet you’re happy to stick with for life!

For example:

• If you aim for at least two types of veg with dinner, try your best to stick to it whether you’re at home or ordering in a restaurant
• If you’re an ice cream lover and you want to eat ice cream twice a week, great. Make it a part of your diet, and stick to about twice a week

Shaping a consistent, nutritious diet that you can stick to can help you achieve healthy weight loss and results that last. If you’re looking to make a change to your diet, why not speak to your pharmacist? You can choose a time that suits you without waiting for a GP appointment, and access free professional support to find the healthiest approach for you.

References:

• E Faig, M Lowe. Variability in Weight Change Early in Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment: Theoretical and Clinical Implications. Obesity. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21925 (2017) Accessed: January 2020
• British Nutrition Foundation (2018). Obesity and weight management. Available at: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/obesityandweightmanagement.html. Accessed: December 2019
• The World Health Organisation (2019). Healthy Diet. Available at: https://www.who.int/behealthy/healthy-diet. Accessed: December 2019.