Successful Weight Management
Successful weight management requires a life long commitment to a healthy lifestyle, which is focused on eating healthy foods and keeping physically active in a way that is both sustainable and enjoyable.
In order to lose weight and keep it off, lifestyle changes made must be realistic, achievable and able to be maintained for the long-term.
Weight lost quickly on restrictive diets is usually regained and people often end up heavier than they were before starting the diet.
Also see The truth on how to lose weight (and keep it off!)
Losing weight and staying healthy
The following ideas may help you lose weight:
- Try to eat:
- lots of fruit, vegetables, high fibre breads and cereals like wholemeal or wholegrain varieties
- moderate amounts of reduced fat dairy food and lean meats
- small amounts of foods high in fat, sugar and salt
- Drink plenty of water each day
- Keep physically active
- Eat when you feel hungry, getting too hungry can lead to overeating
- Eat slowly and stop eating once comfortably full
- If emotional eating is a concern, think about other activities that make you feel better as eating only provides short term comfort
Practical tips to try TODAY
- Choose a variety of foods including plenty of breads, cereals, fruit and vegetables; moderate amounts of reduced fat dairy foods and lean meats or alternatives; small amounts of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats and oils
- ‘Hunger’ is the best guide – eat when you feel hungry and stop when you are full. Be aware of eating when you are bored or eating out of habit, rather than when you are hungry. Keep a food diary to find out when this may be happening
- Some foods should be eaten occasionally rather than everyday. These include many takeaway foods (especially those that are deep fried), pies, chocolates, sweets, pastries, biscuits, cakes and chips. It is OK to enjoy theses foods once in a while
- Aim for at least 60 minutes or more of moderate physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week for weight loss. 30 minutes of planned activity and 30 minutes of lifestyle activities should be the aim.
- Aim to build up your activity levels to 60 minutes or more of moderate physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week for general health and assist weight loss. Plan moderate activity into your day and try to keep your daily lifestyle as active as possible too.
- Choose a variety of foods. Aim for at least 20 different food items or ingredients daily. It has been shown that food variety is directly correlated with nutritional value.
- Choose a variety of sports and activities, and be as active as possible in as many ways as you can throughout the day.
Delicious meal ideas to help you get started
Breakfast
- High fibre cereal, like wholegrain or wholemeal varietities, topped with reduced fat milk and fresh, tinned or dried fruit
- Wholegrain or wholemeal English muffin spread with apricot fruit spread and topped with banana
- Fruit smoothie made from fresh or tinned fruit, reduced fat milk and yoghurt
Lunch
- Wholegrain or wholemeal salad sandwich or roll with lean meat or tinned fish in spring water followed by a tub of low fat yoghurt
- Creamed corn, tuna and asparagus wrapped in flat / lavish bread served with salad
- Baked potato topped with cottage cheese and salad and a piece of fresh fruit
Dinner
- Stir-fry made with lean beef or skinless chicken breast and lots of vegetables, served with rice or noodles and a sprinkle of nuts
- Pasty made with grated vegetables and lean mince meat wrapped in filo pastry basted with reduced fat milk
- Lasagne sheets layered with spinach, ricotta cheese, lentils and a combination of other vegetables, top with tomato based pasta sauce and low fat mozzarella cheese
- For snacks try fresh fruit or tinned fruit in natural juice, low fat yoghurt or milk, low fat dips and crackers, fruit loaf or toast, plain unsalted nuts
Try some of these fun activities to get you started:
- Strength gaining activities- gardening, lifting weights (either at the gym or simply moderate heavy objects around the house)
- Fitness gaining activities- walking, jogging, swimming, cycling
- Flexibility gaining activities – dancing, gymnastics, general stretching
- Relaxation activities – tai chi, yoga, pilates
- Coordination activities- Dancing, Karate, tai kwon do, gymnastics, aerobics, aqua aerobics, tennis
- Team building activities – soccer, football, netball, basketball, hockey
Underweight
Being underweight can make it difficult to stay healthy and may indicate that nutritional needs are not being met. Eating a variety of healthy foods each day will meet the nutritional needs of most people.
Some people have special nutritional needs that make it important to choose foods more carefully to prevent weight loss and malnutrition. These include people with:
- poor appetite
- illness increasing nutritional needs such as AIDS or cancer
- eating disorders
An Accredited Practising Dietitian can assess anyone who is underweight or has lost weight and who may be at risk of malnutrition.
Eating a variety of foods will help to meet nutritional needs. However some dietary areas that may need special attention include:
Energy
Energy (kilojoules) will help to promote weight gain and health
Protein
Protein is needed to build and repair body cells
Vitamins and minerals
Vitamin and mineral needs must be met for body cells and organs to stay healthy and function properly
Ideas that can help to meet nutritional needs include:
- eating small frequent meals and snacks to fit in more food throughout the day
- having full-cream milk drinks between meals
- adding more mono or poly-unsaturated oil and margarine to food in cooking
- adding skim milk powder to soups, stews and drinks
- adding grated cheese to cooked foods
- snacking on cheese and crackers, nuts and dried fruit during the day