Are you trying to lose weight? If so, you’re not alone. A recent study found 42% of adults are currently trying to lose weight, while another 23% are fighting to maintain their weight.[1] There’s a plethora of information available on weight management, and in truth, it requires a host of factors for success. However, this post outlines three handy tips research has shown to be integral to weight loss, and weight maintenance for long-term health and wellness.
Choose the Diet You’re Most Likely to Stick To
If you have tried to lose weight in the past you would know one of the biggest factors challenging weight loss is sticking to a diet. Over the years there has been debate over which dietary option is the most effective for weight loss: low fat or low carbohydrate? Intriguingly, and conveniently I might add, research is revealing that as long as you are on an isocaloric diet, with adequate protein, you can alter the ratios of the other macronutrients (fat or carbs) to achieve successful weight loss.[2] When it comes to deciding which dietary approach is going to be more preferential over the other, research supports choosing a diet that is more congruent with your food preferences.[3] So ask yourself, is your diet predominately fats (i.e. you can’t live without avocado), or carbohydrates (i.e. you couldn’t go a week without pasta)?
With this in mind, The Shake It Practitioner Weight Management Program offers two dietary arms to choose from to help achieve successful weight loss. For example, if you are vegetarian you may find that the Shake It Low Fat diet will suit your dietary habit more. Whereas, if you have type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol, you may wish to consider the Shake It Ketogenic diet – as a low carbohydrate diet has been shown to be beneficial for these conditions. You can find a local Shake It Practitioner here.
Self-Monitor For Success
People who record what they’re eating, their physical activity and weigh themselves regularly have been shown to lose more weight than people who don’t .[4].
What’s more, frequent self-monitoring has been shown to be a strong predictor of dietary change – which is super important if you hope to adopt healthier habits long-term.[5] To be specific, when it comes to dietary self-monitoring, it involves recording the type and amount of foods and beverages consumed, along with their calorie content.[6] The research recommends self-monitoring your dietary intake as well as physical activity daily, and weighing yourself once a week when you’re losing weight, then every day when you’re maintaining your weight. You may record information through a dedicated app, such as the Shake It App (available to access through a Shake It Practitioner), or using a paper diary. You don’t have to be 100% accurate with everything you record, it’s more about bringing your awareness to your eating and exercise habits – which in turn, assists with making healthy choices and adhering to your goals.
Rally Support!
Frequent contact with healthcare providers has been shown to be integral for producing meaningful weight loss (i.e. >5% of initial body weight), and ongoing interaction improves long-term outcomes too.[7],[8]
What constitutes as frequent contact you ask? There’s some debate around this, but during weight loss it ranges from weekly to fortnightly contact for the first 5 to 6 months, then followed by at least monthly contact for weight maintenance long-term. If you don’t have the time or finances to check in with a Practitioner weekly, or even fortnightly during the first 5 to 6 months, there are a couple of other options to ensure you benefit from ongoing support, such as:
- a) Locate a Practitioner offering group sessions, or join a local community weight loss or fitness group to attend alongside consultations with your Practitioner. If you schedule one face-to-face visit with your Practitioner monthly, along with a face-to-face group session between consultations – you will maintain the benefits of ongoing support and accountability fortnightly.
- b) Enquire whether your Practitioner offers electronic (i.e. email, messaging) check-ins. Practitioners using the Shake It Practitioner Weight Management Program have access to the Shake It App. When you download this app and enter your dietary intake, physical activity and weight, your Practitioner can monitor your progress and check in with you throughout your weight loss journey. Therefore, you may be able to see your Practitioner in person fortnightly, but also have a quick check-in between visits to help keep you on track.
Think Long-Term
Keep in mind, losing weight and maintaining losses is about changing your current habits and adopting a healthier lifestyle long-term. It’s about waking up each day, choosing to eat a meal your body will love and getting active, because that’s what you do – it’s part of your life. However, you can’t be expected to do it alone, these changes require ongoing support and encouragement. Hopefully these 3 handy tips will provide some insight and direction on your weight loss journey. All the best!
References
[1] Santos I, Sniehotta FF, Marques MM, Carraça EV, Teixeira PJ. Prevalence of personal weight control attempts in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2017 Jan;18(1):32-50. doi: 10.1111/obr.12466.
[2] Hall KD, Guo J. Obesity energetics: body weight regulation and the effects of diet composition. Gastroenterology. 2017 May;152(7):1718-1727.e3. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.01.052.
[3] McVay MA, Voils CI, Geiselman PJ, Smith VA, Coffman CJ, Mayer S, et al. Food preferences and weight change during low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets. Appetite. 2016 Aug 1;103:336-343. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.04.035.
[4] Burke LE, Wang J, Sevick MA. Self-monitoring in weight loss: a systematic review of the literature. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011 Jan;111(1):92-102. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2010.10.008.
[5] Tinker LF, Rosal MC, Young AF, Perri MG, Patterson RE, Van Horn L, et al. Predictors of dietary change and maintenance in the women’s health initiative dietary modification trial. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007 Jul;107(7):1155-66. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2007.04.010.
[6] Alamuddin N, Wadden TA. Behavioural treatment of the patient with obesity. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2016 Sep;45(3):565-80. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2016.04.008.
[7] Webb VL, Wadden TA. Intensive lifestyle intervention for obesity: principles, practices, and results. Gastroenterology. 2017 May;152(7):1752-1764. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.01.045.
[8] Middleton KM, Patidar SM, Perri MG. The impact of extended care on the long-term maintenance of weight loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev 2012;13(6):509–17. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2011.00972.x.v
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