What drives you to lose weight? Is it for your health? Is it for your upcoming wedding or simply because you want to look even better? If you are still unsure of the reason, start by asking yourself “Why do I want to lose weight?”, list down why and what you plan to do to achieve it. Being aware of what drives you to lose weight is actually a powerful motivator for you to take action, keep you on track and an imperative to help you to lose weight naturally.
What’s the fastest way to lose weight?
Many people I’ve met always want the quickest way to lose weight. If you have ever met any nutritionist who tells you that they can help you to lose significant amount of weight within a short period of time, please stay away from them. It’s never possible to do so without requiring you to follow fad diets, consume supplements & medications and/or following an unrealistic lifestyle. These methods are ineffective, unsustainable and can also be detrimental to your health.
I don’t have the fastest way to help you to lose weight, but I have the easiest and effective way to do so. Here’s my 5 simple tips that you can do to achieve permanent weight loss naturally and easily!
1. It’s all about the BALANCE
Hey wait! I’m not talking about balancing your meals with a main course and dessert. But, it’s about having a balanced meal most of the time. REMEMBER, the key to lose weight is not about eating less, it’s about eating RIGHT.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the body’s primary energy source and preferred fuel for our brain. Consuming unrefined carbohydrates (i.e. whole-grains) has been shown to help in weight loss and also reduce risk of chronic diseases.
Some examples of unrefined carbohydrates:
· Brown rice
· Wholemeal bread
· Wholewheat noodles
· Oats
· Couscous
· Millet
· Popcorn (unflavoured)
Protein
Protein helps to build and repair muscles after your workout. For healthier option, consider white meat, fish or a variety of plant protein.
Some examples of healthier protein:
· Skinless chicken breast
· Any types of fresh fish
· Eggs
· Beans
· Nuts
Plant proteins, except soy beans typically lacks of one essential amino acid that is required by our body to make protein. However, so long you eat a variety of plan proteins and complement with a balanced diet (i.e. include grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds), your diet will include all the required amino acids.
Fruit & Vegetables
Have a colourful variety of fruit and vegetables! More colours = more benefits. They are filling yet very low in calories (unless it is laden with sugar/oil).
Choose whole fruits over fruit juices to get the best of their nutrients. Fruit juices are generally concentrated sugar solutions with sugar content almost similar as sweetened soda.
Benefits of Healthy Balanced Meals
With a healthy balanced meal, you would gain the nutrients for optimal health and can help you to lose weight even easier (eat to lose weight, isn’t that awesome?). DM me if you need more advice.
2. Sleep is not for the WEAK
You may have heard before people saying that sleep is for the WEAK, because it makes us less productive. In fact, the opposite is true. A lack of sleep can be detrimental to our health and can make us even more vulnerable to heart attacks, stroke and high blood pressure.
Did you know? Having less than 6 hours of sleep can also cause us to gain weight too? Based on research, having less than 6 hours of sleep can:
- Makes you more hungry due to elevated ghrelin (hormone) level
- Makes you less sensitive to satiety due to decreased leptin (hormone) level
- Increase your cravings to foods high in fats and carbohydrates
- Reduce your willingness to exercise due to plain fatigue
If you have difficulties trying to sleep well and regularly, follow these three tips for a better sleep:
- Sleep and wake at the same time every day
- Avoid taking naps in the day
- Avoid big meals, alcohol, caffeine, spicy or sugary food 4-6 hours before bedtime
Additional reason to have sufficient sleep: You burn calories while you are sleeping too!
3. Its ok to REWARD yourself.
No matter how discipline or how prepared you think you are, there would definitely be a point of your weight loss journey that you need additional motivations. Before you give up, always remind yourself why did you even start this journey. Focus on that ‘why’ and it will definitely help you to push through all the challenging times.
Nonetheless, I always believe it’s beneficial to reward yourself whenever you reach your weight loss goal. Ideally, non-food related rewards would be ideal, as it would prevent you from ruining your goals again.
However, at some point of time, it is definitely OK to reward yourself with your favorite comfort food if you achieve your MAJOR milestone (e.g. manage to exercise frequently consistently, etc) and bear in mind of these 3 rules:
1st Rule: Always to be MINDFUL of your consumption
You shouldn’t be consuming the same/similar amount of comfort food as before. Otherwise your effort would go down to drain.
2nd Rule: Only go for the BEST
Why waste calories on bad-tasting comfort food?
3rd Rule: SHARE it
Sharing is caring. Same taste, less calories, why not?
4. Always remember to HYDRATE
How often did you immediately reach for a snack when you heard your stomach growl? The truth is, most often, we confuse thirst and hunger, often mistaking the former for the latter. Based on research, it was shown that about 37% mistaken hunger for thirst! Hence, instead of reaching out for a snack when you are hungry next time, have a glass of water first.
To keep yourself hydrated at all times, don’t wait until you’re thirsty to grab a drink. Always keep yourself hydrated throughout the day by always having a bottle or glass of plain water just right beside you.
If you are someone who dislikes plain water, add some of your favourite fruits, herbs and spices (e.g. mint, basil) to enhance its flavour.
If you prefer your drinks carbonated, go for unsweetened soda water.
However, if you are still hungry after your glass of water, feel free to go for a healthier snack (e.g. fruits, unsalted baked nuts, yoghurt, etc). You deserve it!
5. You gotta MOVE IT MOVE IT!
Physical activity is essential for healthy weight loss, as it burns calories that we have consumed and helps us to build lean muscle (better figure and improves our metabolism!). If you think it’s possible to lose weight with only exercise, it is going to be very challenging.
Weight management is a lifestyle that incorporates principles of healthy eating and active living (i.e. exercising for at least 150 minutes per week). Let me show you why:
*estimated based on recommended daily calorie intake of 1600 kcal (female)
Additional Tips:
- The best way to control your calories intake is by preparing your own meals
- If you haven’t been exercising, start with an intensity and duration that you are comfortable with, before increasing it progressively
If you are someone who hasn’t been exercising, I know it is difficult and almost impossible to start exercising for at least 150 minutes/week starting from next week. I feel you. Start with an intensity and duration that you are comfortable with, before you increase it progressively. This was what I did back then:
My personal journey:
I used to hate jogging and it took me 30 minutes just to complete 2km. With progressive training, I currently jog up to 30km per week (& I enjoy it!):
Exercising also increases your basal metabolic rate – this means that your body burns more calories even while you are sleeping! Isn’t that great?!
Send me a message on Instagram (thehonestnutritionist_sg) when you’re embarking on your fitness journey so that I can cheer you on!
Let’s be REALISTIC
It’s never easy to cultivate new positive habits. For instance, it took me almost 3 months to remove sugar entirely from my coffee and I had to do it progressively (Yeah! Even as a nutritionist).
My personal journey:
3-in-1 coffee >> 2-in-1 coffee >> Black coffee with sugar >> Black coffee with less sugar >> Black coffee without sugar
The best way to cultivate long last habits easily is to take baby steps and make progressive changes. Start with micro habits. Here’s what I mean:
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