Living Healthy with Girl on a Diet
Written by Claire Zeitler (The original Girl on a Diet)
As a Nutritional Consultant, I have dedicated much of my career to supporting patients suffering from obesity or being overweight, who often have feelings of failure after having tried one too many methods with minimal to no results. I am passionate about researching and implementing not just the latest solutions and offerings in the market but the best. This desire to unearth result-driven solutions with long-lasting results has been further driven by reports such as that released by Tel Aviv University, which reported as much as 10-12% of the Israeli population is classified as obese and 50-60% as overweight. We are in need of a solution, and one that reiterates the forecasted trends of the industry; a holistic, results-driven and personalized approach.
No weight loss program is a magic bullet. An effective program is based on good healthcare and good science. And with this in mind, in 2019 I joined Allurion, a program that is just that: it is a proven program that takes a holistic approach to losing weight to ensure lasting lifestyle changes. Together we have worked on ten tips for success to kickstart your weightloss journey and maintain the results.
Don’t do it alone...
Find your support team. Success in changing habits and behaviours is a team effort – from engaging well with your clinic’s coaching and support team through to enlisting support, and sharing your achievements with your friends and family. Although sometimes even our nearest and dearest can sabotage our diet and lifestyle goals without even realizing it, they can also be our most reliable support network. They will help you reach your goals if you talk to them and involve them in your journey.
Be clear with your goals.
Mapping out exactly what you want to achieve and why helps you to stay focused. It might be getting into a favourite dress, reducing the pain in your knees, or reducing the need for medications to manage conditions like type 2 diabetes. I find clients who are struggling to reach their goals and need the extra support, more often than not, in regard to portion control. Unfortunately, no weight loss program is a magic bullet, and an effective program is based on good healthcare and good science. With this in mind, share your goals with your team and hatch a plan for how you will get there. The more detailed and specific your action plan, the more likely it is that you will do it and stick with it. For most people, reaching a goal is addictive as it provides them with an immense sense of achievement.
Change your habits
Habit-forming occurs when you repeat an action consistently over time. This helps something to become automatic or second nature, meaning it doesn’t feel hard to continue it over time. The simpler an action is, the more likely it will become a habit. Examples include always having a chopped apple on top of cereal or always ordering an additional side salad when eating out so you can fill up on this and eat less of the other options.
Eat healthier food
You may need to change some of your daily habits. You also may need to change some things in your environment like in your home or your place of work, your snacking, cooking methods or your exercise routine. You don’t need to make huge changes to eat healthier. And you don’t have to change your habits all at once. It’s best to set small goals and change your habits a little bit at a time. Over time, small changes will make a big difference to your health and will help you maintain your weight loss.
Plan ahead
Planning is a key part of staying on track. You can choose whether to do this each day or each week. Plan which meals and snacks you will have, and their timings and amounts. This will allow you to prepare some meals in advance, making it easier. Make sure you have the foods or ingredients at home that you’ll need, making you less vulnerable to poorer choices if and when you get hungry.
Set both short-term and longer-term goals
For example, a short-term goal might be to swap your mid-afternoon snack for a piece of fruit each day this week, whereas your longer-term goal might be to lose 12 kilos or 26 pounds over the next 4 months. This means that when you achieve your goal, you can then set further targets, helping you to constantly progress. Think of your goals as your destination; it’s where you want to be within a set timeframe. The first goal should always be 10% of your total current weight, and go from there.
Keep track of your food choices
Keep track of your food choices, activity levels, weight, and body fat frequently. This will help you to see your changes over time and understand if and where things feel harder, so you can problem-solve them with your team. There are also several tools to help you track your progress. I recommend to my clients a good digital scale and even a good old-fashioned diary for those who prefer pen and paper.
Track your emotions
This is important and can help you identify reasons for eating other than hunger. This might be boredom, sadness, or stress. Understanding your triggers can help you put plans in place to manage these emotions more healthily. Make a list of distraction techniques for when boredom strikes, and soothing activities to do when you feel a craving coming on.
Don't forget to reward and celebrate yourself
We all need treats and rewards; otherwise, we end up feeling deprived and neglected, which makes us want to give up. Many of us use food and drink as rewards, which can slow our weight-loss progress. Make a list of non-food rewards you can use for each victory and milestone reached. This can be as simple as a pedicure or as special as a holiday.
Keep it simple
The simpler the plan, the higher the likelihood of success. Nothing is set in stone. Individualize and simplify what works best for you.
As I said, no weight-loss program is a magic bullet, but with consistency, planning, support, and simplicity, you can achieve your goals. Just take it one step at a time.
Would you like to join the Girl on a Diet Whatsapp group? Email Claire at Hello@thepemberleygroup.com with your phone number and we’ll get you access because doing it together is better than doing it alone!