Introduction

Losing weight is a common topic of discussion. It’s relatively easy to find tips for shedding a few pounds online, in magazines, books, or advertisements. However, when you set an intention on the journey of weight loss, it’s important to always remember to do it in healthy ways and make it sustainable. You don’t want to lose weight quickly only to regain it in a few weeks or months. You also don’t want to torture your body or cause additional health problems along this journey. 

Things to consider before starting

Before we start talking about diet tips, here are some important pieces to remember: 

• What is your reason?

Being healthy is always a priority. If you are overweight or obese, trying to lose some weight is an important step to reduce the risk of developing numerous health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and many more. Getting back to the ideal weight will not only make you feel fitter in your body but also prevent psychological problems such as low self-esteem and depression. If you are uncertain whether you have a weight problem or not, try to measure your body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference to give you clarity.¹ Find out how you can measure it here.

• Set a realistic goal

Many people feel frustrated when trying to lose weight. Mostly, it is because they are setting unrealistic targets. If you’re planning to lose 5 kg or more in a week, of course, it's highly likely for you to fail especially if you’re doing it healthily. The next question is what number is considered realistic and healthy? The guideline says that losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week will be achievable. This rate is based on using 600 kcal per day compared to your energy intake. The amount of weight you need to lose is based on your weight and BMI. 

Setting realistic goals also means that instead of focusing on the result, you can concentrate on the practical steps of the process. For instance, rather than fixating on losing 30 pounds in a month, which seems overwhelming, you can instead set goals like these: “cutting my calorie intake 500 cal per” day” or “exercising at least 30 minutes, 5 times a week”. With these goals, you’ll be less stressed while making gradual progress.¹

• Do it the healthy ways: keep it balanced and evidence-based

Do you know that plenty of popular weight-loss diets are not supported by scientific evidence? Even though most of them use very tempting advertising, not all of these diets work as they promised, and most importantly, may not be very healthy for your body. Using an evidence-based diet guide, where the efficacy and safety have been assessed is crucial. In principle, losing weight is achieved through a combination of a healthy diet with calorie control and increased physical activity. maintaining the balance of these healthy components is essential for sustainable weight loss.¹ Now, let’s delve into the diet tips for losing pounds!

Dietary tips to start losing weight

Calorie intake should be lower than calories burned

Have you heard about calorie deficit or low-caloric diets? This concept is essentially reducing your daily calorie intake while increasing calories burned. Energy restriction is usually achieved by reducing 500-750 kcal per day. This makes an assigned female at birth (AFAB) intake energy at 1200-1500 kcal per day and an assigned male at birth (AMAB) at 1500-1800 kcal per day. A low-calorie diet typically restricts carbohydrates and fat intake to 30% fat and 50% carbohydrate. It emphasizes reducing the intake of saturated (animal-derived) fat, such as butter, lard, shee, suet, meat, and dairy products while increasing fibre-rich food consumption such as fruits and vegetables.² 

Another type of this diet is a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) which is more extreme. The calorie deficit in this type is typically more than 800 kcal per day. However, this level of deficit is not recommended for routine weight management and is only used in certain conditions with medical monitoring.² 

Now we’re getting to the practical step you can take. You can achieve calorie deficit by reducing calorie intake or combining it with calorie burning through exercise. First, calculate your calorie needs. Plenty of online calorie calculators exist or just do it manually. Once you know the calorie requirement, subtract your targeted deficit amount. For instance, if your daily calorie need is 1700 kcal and you’re aiming for 500 calorie deficit a day, your intake calorie daily should be 1200 kcal (1700 kcal - 500 kcal).² 

You can also try calorie deficit by combining exercise into your routine. For example, with your calorie requirement of 1700 kcal, you can reduce intake by 300 kcal and burn an additional 200 kcal through physical exercise. With this, your body's total calorie is also 1200 kcal (1700 kcal - 300 kcal - 200 kcal). With the deficit method, the outcome usually will be seen in the first months, however, the weight loss will slow down or reach a plateau status due to hormonal adaptations of resisting weight loss.²

Reducing foods and drinks high in fat and sugar

Why is sugar bad for you? It is mostly because consuming too much sugar in your drinks or foods will lead to a higher calorie intake. However, it doesn’t mean that you have to cut down on all foods that contain sugar. Some groups of foods contain natural sugar but are still good for your body, such as fruit. The type of sugar that needs to be restricted includes syrups or other drinks with added sugar.³ 

The recommended sugar intake daily is only 30 grams, and consuming these drinks can exceed this recommended amount. You don’t need to fully cut down on added sugar, instead, you can keep it minimum in your daily intake.  You can also start swapping your sugary drinks with water or adding some lemon or other flavour if you fancy a taste in your water.³

Fat restriction is applied especially for saturated fat, a type of fat in which the fatty acid chains have single bonds that make them solid at room temperature. This type of fat typically comes from animal sources or coconut and palm oils. Saturated fat is commonly found in products like butter, cheese, fatty meals, lard, and processed items like cake, pastries, etc. It is important to know that not all fat is bad for your diet. Fat plays a crucial role in providing some essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins including vitamins A, D, E, and K.³ 

Here are some practical steps you can do to minimise fat intake in your diet:

• Change products with saturated fat and choose unsaturated fats instead, like olive oil, nuts, seeds, oily fish or swapping sugary cereal with wholegrain alternatives.
• Instead of frying, choose to boil, steam, grill, poach, or microwave your foods.
• Choose lean cuts of meats for your meals.
• When consuming dairy products, choose the low-fat versions and opt for skimmed or semi-skimmed milk.³

Eat plenty of food and vegetables

The reasons why you probably hear this tip everywhere are:

• They are types of food that are lower in energy density. This means you can still eat in a portion that you enjoy but the calorie gain from the food will be still lower. Having plenty of food with lower energy density alongside higher-density food such as cakes and pastries is a way to reduce the overall energy density of your meals. 
• High in fibre content. Dietary fibre cannot be fully digested, so it gives you fewer calories if compared to carbohydrates, fat, or protein. These kinds of fibre-containing foods also help you feel fuller. 
• They are a good source of vitamins and minerals.⁴

Other important diet tips

• Be mindful of your eating

When eating your food, try to do it slowly and enjoy it. It gives time for your brain to realise if you are already full. Try to concentrate on your food instead of TV or your phone.⁵

• Portions control

Try to pay attention to what you eat and how much you should eat. Increase the proportion of food with low energy density, such as fruit and vegetables, and limit the portions of high energy density foods such as fatty meats and pastries.⁵

• Plan your meals

Planning is important to ensure that you stay on track with your dietary goals. You can keep a meal diary also to reflect on your meals, track your progress, and what to be improved.⁵ 

FAQs

Which diet is most successful for weight loss?

It depends on person to person. Some highly claim successful diet methods are:^4,11

• Intermittent fasting
• Low-calorie diet
• Keto diet
• Mediterranian diet
• Sugar-free diet

What is the meaning of the 30-30-30 rule for weight loss?

It means that you should eat 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes after you wake up. Then, do 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise after consuming protein

How to reduce belly fat?

• Healthy diet
• Try a low-carb diet
• Do exercises like aerobics (walking, dancing, running or swimming), pilates, and yoga.^12,13

Summary

Losing weight should be achieved healthily and sustainably to avoid additional health problems for your body. Generally, this journey is a combination of a healthy diet balanced with regular physical exercise. Some dietary tips on weight loss include: 

• Decreasing your calorie intake
• Reducing consumption of added sugar drinks and food
• Cutting down saturated fat intake
• Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Doing mindful eating, portion control, and keeping a meal journal