WEIGHT LOSS

Your ultimate guide to weight loss and diet

A balanced diet is one of the biggest drivers of weight loss.

Confident woman

Identify and avoid common dietary pitfalls

Discover how to create a balanced meal

Learn actionable tips to boost weight loss

man

The link between diet and weight loss

Diet is known to play a vital role in weight. But getting it right isn’t easy. Misinformation and fad diets are widespread and nutritional information can be misleading.

Not only this, but our genetics determine how easy (or difficult) it is for us to lose weight - which means every person metabolises food, stores fat, and burns calories in different ways.

balance

The best diet for weight loss

When trying to lose weight, your main focus should be on balanced nutrition. This means including all the key components of a healthy diet: protein, fibre, carbohydrates, unsaturated fats, whole foods, and water.

The Mediterranean diet, which is rich in whole foods, fish, and vegetables, is scientifically proven to support healthy weight loss.

A Mediterranean diet significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and early death1

1 Based on a meta-analysis of 17 studies. Grosso G et al. "A comprehensive meta-analysis on evidence of Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease: Are individual components equal?." Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2017).

The components of a balanced diet

Protein

You’ll find plenty of protein in lean meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, legumes, and nuts. Protein aids your metabolism and helps you build muscle.

Fibre

This helps you feel full, staving off hunger pangs and regulating your appetite. Apples, pears, broccoli, carrots, lentils, chickpeas, and almonds are all rich in fibre.

Carbohydrates

Carbs are an important part of any balanced diet, but try to focus on getting starchy carbs in your system such as quinoa, oats, brown rice, and wholegrain pasta.

Unsaturated fats

Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, avocados, and olive oil all contain unsaturated fats, and are a vital part of any diet.

Whole foods

In general, the closer a food is to its natural state, the better it is for you. Avoid heavily processed foods such as biscuits, sausages, fizzy drinks, and crisps.

Water

Try to cut down on alcohol, fizzy drinks, and fruit juice. Instead, aim for 6-8 glasses of water a day, increasing up to 10-12 glasses on a hot day.

Hannah_127
The flaws of calorie counting

Calorie counting is no longer seen as a long-term solution for weight loss. Here are some of the reasons why:

Quality over quantity: Low-calorie foods might lack nutritional value. A diet focusing solely on calorie content may overlook vital nutrients, leading to hunger and increased food intake.

Packaging inaccuracies: Calorie information on packaging can deviate by up to 20%. An item marked 100 calories might range between 80 and 120.2

Every body is different: People process calories differently. For example, absorption from 28g of almonds can range from 56 to 168 calories.3

2 Food and Drug Administration. "Guidance for Industry: Guide for Developing and Using Databases for Nutrition Labeling." FDA, www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/guidance-industry-guide-developing-and-using-databases-nutrition-labeling.
3 Novotny JA, Gebauer SK, Baer DJ. Discrepancy between the Atwater factor predicted and empirically measured energy values of almonds in human diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;96(2):296-301. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.035782

4 simple tips for a healthy diet

Don’t overcook

As a rule of thumb, the longer you cook food, the more nutrients it’ll shed.

Use healthy cooking oils

Fry food using healthy cooking oils like olive oil, sesame oil, and avocado oil.

Keep a food diary

Tracking your intake in a food diary can make it easier to stick to your weight loss plan. It will also give you a better idea of how many nutrients you’re getting in.

Stick to it

Weight loss doesn’t come quickly or easily. It’s really important to stick to your guns, even if you don’t see immediate results. Be patient, and you’ll reap the rewards.

KNOWLEDGE

More weight loss and diet tips