TRUSTED TACTICS
If you are looking to lose any excess this year, employ these principles to ease your path
STICK TO THE BASICS
While fad diets and extreme promises come and go, the fundamentals remain. ‘Unless calorie-controlled diets have proved problematic for you in the past, to slow weight gain or begin gradual weight loss, focus on “energy in and energy out”,’ says Professor Lowe. Avoid diets that cut out whole food groups and choose high-quality foods across all macronutrient groups instead. Swap refined carbs with complex alternatives (wholegrain bread, grains, pulses); fill half your dinner and lunch plate with vegetables, and snack on nuts. ‘I’d always encourage people to foreground movement in their plans,’ he adds. For diverse health benefits, yes, but also because adding something in feels more positive than taking something away.
PROOF YOUR FOOD ENVIRONMENT
Time and again, Professor Lowe’s obesity research has shown tweaking the surroundings sets people up for lasting weight loss. ‘While we desperately need change in the global food environment, you can take steps to maximise how supportive your own immediate environment is of your goals,’ he explains. Effective examples include enjoying the foods that you’re trying not to eat away from home and keeping low-calorie nibbles on hand for when you want to snack without adding much to your energy intake. Remember, your food environment is anywhere you eat. So, if you get a grab-and-go breakfast on your commute or mindlessly eat sugary snacks on the school run, anticipate the temptation and pack alternative options that meet your nutritional needs.
ADDRESS YOUR STRESS
If you emotionally eat to deal with life’s sharper edges, you’re not alone. But before you adjust your eating habits, attend to your triggers. When a group of mums with young children took part in a 16-week study, the researchers found that stress-targeted sessions (such as timemanagement videos) lowered their perceived stress, which led to less consumption of fast food. If self-care tips work for you, block out some time to plug into a life-optimising podcast. Non-instructional forms of relaxation will help, too. When bodies are flooded with the stress hormone, cortisol, they’re more likely to cling on to fat, so any nervous-system-down-regulating activities (relaxing in the bath, reading on your lunch break) also work.