I recently spoke with NewBeauty about my top tips for sustainable weight loss…
What is a good starting point nutritionally for someone who wants to lose weight a healthy way?
It sounds simple, but reducing or eliminating highly processed foods is the best starting point for most people. Highly processed foods (think candy, chips, cereal, baked goods and even some so-called ‘healthy’ energy or protein bars) are full of sugar, refined carbs and unhealthy fats that can lead to blood sugar imbalances, weight gain and increased inflammation.
By cutting out these foods you automatically reduce your intake of some of the worst foods for weight gain, and then have to replace them with more whole food options such as proteins, vegetables, nuts and seeds and cellular carbohydrates.
There is a lot of talk of cutting carbs, cutting sugar, cutting out dairy, going keto or paleo. What is the most successful way you’ve seen people have success with limiting their diets?
I am often my client’s last resort when it comes to weight loss, they have tried everything but nothing seems to work. Personally, I’ve found that a low carb, higher protein diet with lots of vegetables and healthy fats is the best way to achieve healthy weight loss. This helps to balance blood sugar, boost their metabolism and switch their body into fat burning mode, even when nothing else has worked before.
I know there is no get slim quick magic pill, but what is your best advice for someone trying to undo a few years of “slowing down” after the pandemic hit?
It’s important to take a holistic approach to weight loss. Whilst diet is an important factor, there are other elements that play a key role. Strength training can increase lean muscle which in turn raises your metabolic rate, HIIT workouts are incredible for burning fat and walking is a much underrated tool for blood sugar balance. Stress management is key, when we are stressed it can raise our blood sugar levels, which can lead to fat storage and reduce our thyroid function, which causes our body to make less energy.
I also prioritize sleep quality with my clients, when we have poor sleep it can make us less insulin sensitive, create imbalances in our blood sugar and hunger hormones and lead us to eat 300-500 calories extra the next day.
What is one thing you wish everyone knew before attempting to lose weight?
That slow and steady wins the race! No-one wants to hear it, but if you have been gaining weight for the last 2 years, you are not going to miraculously lose it in 2 weeks! Additionally, ‘quick fix’ diets can actually be detrimental to weight loss – when you drop your calorie intake too low it reduces your lean muscle mass (lowering your metabolism) and can lower your thyroid function, both of which can slow your weight loss results.