Retaining a healthy optimum weight is important to avoid health risks and help our wellbeing.
It can appear difficult as to where to begin when losing weight with many different diet plans and weight loss methods for people to consider.
Nutritional Therapist and Co-Founder of the Better Menopause, Joanna Lyall, shared what she tells people when they embark on starting to lose weight.
She said: “Weight loss can be complex and it is not always straightforward or just a calculation of calories in and out. For example, for women over 40, weight gain is very likely to be linked to hormonal changes that affect the way the body metabolises food and stores fat.”
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Joanna explained the importance of diet and the variety of foods someone wanting to lose weight should add to their diet.
The expert said: “There is not one food that generates weight loss alone; as a nutritional therapist I steer people away from looking for silver bullet solutions and towards thinking more about their overall diet.
“Adding fibre to your diet fibre would be a good place to start. The majority of adults do not consume enough fibre each day and fibre plays a key role in bulking up stools, making us feel fuller and balancing our blood sugar.
“We get fibre from plant-based foods, this means consuming a range of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and rice with each meal.”
Having enough protein in a weight-loss diet is key to slowing down the release of sugars after meals and making us feel more satisfied with our consumption.
Joanna said: “Protein contributes to lean muscle growth and the more muscle we have the better our metabolism will be. Great protein options include chicken, turkey, eggs and tofu.
“A high protein and high fibre breakfast will set you up for a better day in terms of energy, mood and blood sugar.”
Knowing what to eat is one part of the puzzle of losing weight but knowing how to approach weight loss can be a very difficult task in itself.
Joanna said: “Focusing on having three good meals a day is generally the best way to manage weight in the long term.
“Exercise and daily movement is a key factor to managing weight because muscle is part of our metabolic engine. When we gain muscle our metabolism will increase and the muscle-to-fat ratio will change.
The expert emphasised the importance of sleep too so our body can recover effectively.
She said: “Sleep is critical to weight management. When we are tired and low energy we are less motivated to eat well and tend to reach for the sugar-based foods for the energy kick we desperately need.
“If you make dinner the last food of the day and ensure that meal is at least 2 hours before bedtime this will keep a lid on empty evening calorie intake and promote a better night’s sleep.”
