From restless.co.uk
If you find yourself frequently switching between diet plans, unable to make lasting changes, you’ll know that weight loss isn’t always straightforward. Today, there’s an unlimited stream of diet advice. Plus, with many diets pushing extreme restriction or elimination of entire food groups, beyond making the process unnecessarily miserable, the results are rarely sustainable either.
If this sounds familiar, you’re certainly not alone. The increased noise and competing diet advice has, in many ways, made weight loss more confusing and complex than it needs to be – leaving many of us feeling frustrated and disheartened.
However, there’s reason to be encouraged as, with the right approach, losing weight in a healthy, sustainable way is possible. Often, it’s the simple lifestyle changes which, combined, can make all the difference.
To explore seven tips to lose weight and keep it off, we’ve partnered with Bupa.
1. Limit your intake of ultra-processed foods
Ultra-processed foods are linked with an increased risk of overeating, food cravings, and obesity, so limiting your intake of them is one of the best things you can do to help manage your weight.
Ultra-processed foods tend to be high in added sugar, salt, and saturated fat, which research shows can intensify food cravings and cause us to overeat. However, science shows that this works both ways – the less you eat ultra-processed foods, the less likely you are to crave them.
Take this study, which found that 95% of participants who cut out added sugar and artificial sweeteners for two weeks said the food and drinks they’d previously consumed now tasted too sweet. A further 86% of participants said their sugar cravings stopped altogether just six days into the study.
Basing your diet around whole foods can help reduce your intake of ultra-processed foods. To learn more, check out our article: What are the benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet?
2. Establish a healthy sleep schedule and take steps to limit stress
In the busyness of day-to-day life, prioritising sleep and stress management are often among the first things we push aside to make more time. It’s easy to think these things don’t affect our weight, but research shows that they can make all the difference.
Among other things, sleep plays a role in appetite, including by regulating the hormones that affect our hunger, like ghrelin and leptin. This is why many of us experience greater food cravings and disrupted hunger cues after a bad night’s sleep. For example, this study concluded that sleep-deprived people were up to 55% more likely to become obese than those who slept enough.
Similarly, studies show that stress can significantly affect our eating habits, with many people turning to food as a way of managing difficult emotions. In this study, women ate significantly more calories and had higher cravings when they were stressed, compared to when they were relaxed.
For this reason, the importance of reducing stress levels and establishing a healthy sleep schedule shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to weight loss.
3. Centre meals around protein and fibre
Beyond eating a healthy, balanced diet centred on whole foods, research suggests that certain nutrients may be particularly beneficial for weight loss – including protein and fibre.
Firstly, protein is by far the most filling of the three main macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbohydrates), typically leaving us feeling fuller after eating less food, and preventing overeating. In this study, when overweight men increased their protein intake to 25% of their daily calories, their food cravings were reduced by 60% and their desire to snack at night by 50%.
Similarly, research has linked high fibre intake with a reduced risk of being overweight. For example, this study found that people of a healthy weight ate more fibre than those who were obese.
Increasing your overall fibre intake is a good idea for weight loss – and overall health – but research suggests that soluble fibre may be particularly beneficial. Forming a gel-like substance in the body, it helps to slow down digestion and prevent blood sugar spikes, leaving you feeling fuller and less likely to overeat. Other studies have linked soluble fibre with lower levels of hunger hormones like ghrelin.
To up your fibre intake, check out our article: 10 easy ways to add more fibre to your diet.
4. Choose whole grains over refined carbohydrates
Carbohydrates often get a bad rap, particularly when it comes to weight loss. So, they’re often the first thing people avoid when dieting. However, carbohydrates are an important part of any healthy diet and, depending on their form, can actually support weight loss.
On the one hand, refined carbohydrates, such as pizza and pastries, are stripped of many nutrients during processing and are digested quickly, leaving you hungry again soon after. As a result, studies have linked refined carbohydrates with overeating and weight gain.
Meanwhile, whole grains, such as oats, quinoa, and brown rice, are associated with healthy weight maintenance. This is because they’re rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibre, and provide a slow, steady release of energy. In this study, whole-grain-rich diets were linked with lower body weight, as well as a reduced risk of diabetes.
To learn more, you might be interested in our articles: 9 healthy whole grains to add to your diet and 10 high-carb foods with powerful health benefits.
5. Avoid highly restrictive diets and tune into your natural hunger cues
Do you ever find that as soon as you start a diet, the more you think about food, and the more you end up eating? If yes, you’re certainly not alone. There’s even a term for it: ‘food noise’, described as intrusive and persistent thoughts around food, which can make it difficult to concentrate and even lead to disordered eating.
Many diets are too extreme, encouraging people to drastically restrict their calories or cut out entire food groups. Beyond making weight loss unnecessarily miserable, we know from research that highly restrictive diets can actually have the opposite of their desired effect.
This is because when you ignore your hunger cues and don’t get the energy and nutrients you need, the body responds by increasing cravings for high-energy foods.
There’s also evidence that engaging too deeply in diet trends that make you feel guilty or ashamed of your food choices can result in food cravings and an increased likelihood of overeating.
6. Consider seeking support through a professional weight management plan
If you find yourself in a repetitive cycle of yo-yo dieting and have yet to find an approach that works for you, you might be considering alternative options.
Bupa’s Weight Management Plan is designed for people who’ve consistently struggled with their weight and want to find a lasting solution. Rather than a quick fix, the Weight Management Plan takes a holistic, long-term approach to weight loss.
You’ll have an initial consultation with a Bupa clinician who will get to know you and your personal situation and goals. The clinician may determine that medication would be helpful for you. If that is the case, Bupa has a monthly plan which, in addition to medication, includes expert guidance from a lifestyle coach to help you make lasting changes and get the most out of the Plan.
Making healthy lifestyle changes, including those outlined above, is just as key. For this reason, following a structured weight loss plan can help to make the process feel more manageable and relieve some pressure, as well as any worries over whether or not you’re taking the right steps.
Throughout your plan, you’ll have access to the Bupa Anytime Healthline, where nurses are available night and day to answer any questions and help put your mind at ease and support you every step of the way.
The Weight Management Plan is an option for those with a BMI over 30 or a BMI over 27 and a weight-related condition. Initial consultations cost £99 and treatment starts at £169 per month. Bupa has a BMI calculator on their website if you’d like to check your eligibility.
Note: Bupa’s Weight Management Plan isn’t currently suitable for people with diabetes. If you’re diabetic and would like to discuss weight loss management options, you might like to book an appointment with one of Bupa’s doctors.
7. Be patient with yourself and remember it’s not a case of willpower
Previously, being overweight has been seen as a choice and solely the result of a lack of willpower. In many cases, this has left people feeling guilty or hopeless over their weight and food choices. However, we know from research that weight management can be complex and is by no means a matter of willpower alone.
Weight and appetite are affected by several factors, some of which we have no control over. This includes our genes and the way they interact with pathways in the brain. For example, one study found that people with lower levels of leptin (a hormone involved in appetite regulation) had incredibly strong appetites and became obese.
These genetic differences help to explain why we differ so much when it comes to appetite and weight management. Above all, it’s key for highlighting the fact that there’s no one-size-fits-all weight loss formula. Recognising this can help us approach weight loss in a healthy and productive way. The most important thing is finding out what works best for you.
Final thoughts…
With such a variety of diet advice available these days, it can sometimes feel impossible – not to mention overwhelming – to find an approach to weight loss that works for you. However, while everyone’s journey may look different, the good news is that anyone can reach a healthy weight.
If you’ve been struggling to lose weight and are ready to make lasting changes, Bupa’s Weight Management Plan could be for you. Head over to Bupa’s website to find out more.
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