BODY TRANSFORMATION

If you have a lot of weight to lose, it’s hard to know where to begin. DL mag dietitian and diabetes educator, Dr Kate Marsh, discusses the key steps you can take to getting started on your weight-loss journey.

Keep your goals front of mind

Consider your goals before you start your weight-loss journey. Whether it is getting fitter, improving your diabetes management, fitting into smaller clothes, reducing your medication needs or just having more energy and confidence, it should be something that motivates you and keeps you going on those days when it all seems too hard.

Think long term

While the latest fad diet might help to drop some kilos in the short term, when you have a lot of weight to lose, the key is finding an eating plan that is sustainable in the long run. Research has shown that people who are successful at losing weight and keeping it off are those who can stick to their eating plan, rather than the composition of the diet itself. So forget about the current diet trends and find an eating plan that meets your nutritional needs, satisfies your taste buds and which you can see yourself sticking to for life.

Consider your options

There are many ways to approach weight loss, from using a commercial weight-loss program to seeing a dietitian for a personalised eating plan to making some basic eating changes on your own. Consider what you are looking for. Do you need a better understanding of what to eat to achieve your particular health and weight goals, portion-controlled meals delivered to your door, someone to exercise with, or the motivation of regular meetings and check-ins? Write a list of the things you feel will help you, and use this to find an option that works for your lifestyle and schedule. ➤

Engineer your environment

From the foods you keep at home to where you eat and who you spend time with, setting up your environment to support your weight-loss journey can help. This might include not bringing ultra-processed foods into the house, using smaller plates, eating at the table rather than in front of the television, and finding ways to incorporate more activity into your day. It is also important to surround yourself with people who will support and not sabotage your efforts, so choose to spend time with others who care about your wellbeing and want to see you succeed.

Build new eating and exercise habits

The key to losing significant amounts of weight and keeping it off is building new habits. Start by considering the habits that might prevent you losing weight and decide which ones you want to focus on. For example, if you regularly buy fast food after a long day at work, consider doing some batch cooking on the weekend so you have a meal ready to eat when you arrive home. Or if you have good intentions to exercise but always change your mind when it comes time to getting out the door, find an exercise buddy who expects you to turn up on time!

Focus on nutrient density

To lose weight, you need to reduce the number of kilojoules you eat and this can make it harder to meet all of your nutritional needs. When you have a lot of weight to lose, this means eating less over a long period of time, so ensuring you are still getting all the important nutrients you need is essential. You can do this by focusing on nutrient density. This means choosing nutrient-rich foods – those that provide the most nutrients per kilojoule. Examples of nutrientdense foods include vegetables, fruits, legumes, minimally processed wholegrains, nuts and seeds, fish, seafood, lean meat and poultry and eggs.

Ditch ultra-processed foods

Ultra-processed foods are associated with being overweight and weight gain, and are easy to overconsume because of their palatability and convenience. The average Australian consumes over 40 per cent of their total energy intake from ultra-processed foods and 60 per cent of packaged foods in our supermarkets are ultraprocessed, so there is a good chance that you will find some of these foods in your kitchen cupboards. The best place to start is to fill most of your supermarket trolley with foods that don’t require a nutrition label like fresh fruits and vegetables. Then stick to products with a minimal number of ingredients and ingredients that you recognise as food.

Prepare satiating meals

One of the hardest things about losing weight is feeling hungry. A key part of sticking to your eating plan for the long term is having meals that leave you feeling satisfied and reduce your desire to go looking for more. Make meals filling by combining some lean protein, low GI carbs (particularly minimally processed wholegrains such as barley, freekeh or quinoa) and fibre-rich veggies or salad, along with a small amount of healthy fats from foods like avocado, nuts, seeds or olive oil.

Prepare for plateaus

Plateaus are an inevitable part of your weight-loss journey and are often the point where things come unstuck. The key is to stay focused on your goal – just continuing your new habits or making slight adjustments is likely to help you break through the plateau and continue to lose weight. The key is not to get discouraged and instead to persist with your new behaviours.

Don’t focus too much on the scales

Remember that losing weight isn’t just about the number on the scale. While the scales can be one way to measure your progress, think back to your goals and what is important to you. If your fitness levels have increased, your blood glucose levels improved, your pants are feeling looser or you have more energy to get through the day, you are making progress regardless of what the scales tell you.

Prepare for and prevent relapses

When your weight-loss journey is long term, there will be times you get off track and might be tempted to return to old behaviours. The key is learning to anticipate high-risk situations and considering how you will deal with them before they arise. If you do lapse, rather than beating yourself up, treat it as a learning experience and have a plan to get yourself back on track.

Seek support

Losing weight isn’t easy, and research has shown that getting support from others can help. This support can come from your friends, family or health professionals such as your doctor, dietitian, exercise physiologist or psychologist. You might also find support in other people who are trying to lose weight or improve their health, whether they are family or friends, fellow participants in a weight-loss program, or members of online groups and forums. ■