Questions and answers about Popular Diets

Hi Amber, thanks for your question. In order to reduce your fat mass I would recommend you reduce carbohydrates, as these are the most readily stored macronutrient and if not used for energy will be stored as fat. I'm not sure how much of your daily diet is carbohydrate but I would look to have about 15-20% carbohydrates in order to lose some weight. When you're doing exercise ensure you're having enough protein to keep your muscle mass stable and ensure you're having healthy fats in your diet such as avocado and oily fish, as these can be used for energy also. You may also find it helpful to work out how many calories you should be having so have a look at a BMR calculator online, input your weight and height etc. and this will tell you how many calories you need before exercise. Then there is an equation underneath the calculator that tells you how to work out how many more calories you need for exercise. If you would like to lose weight you can reduce this total slightly, usually by about 500 calories to lose 1-2 lbs a week. I hope you find this helpful.

Hi Georgie, thanks for your question. If you're looking to lose weight 0.5kg to 1kg a week is considered healthy. Losing large amounts of weight quickly can increase your risk of putting the weight back on again, and more, so losing weight steadily is generally recommended. You can do this by cutting out refined carbohydrates such as white flour products and sugar, ensuring you have protein with every meal, healthy fats such as oily fish, avocado and olive oil and filling half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables such as greens and salad vegetables. Although you don't have much time to exercise try to go for a brisk walk for 20-30 minutes a day, which will help weight loss as well as promote good health. I hope this is helpful.

The Paleo diet has aspects that can be healthy, i.e. whole foods in the form of fresh, organic fruit and vegetables, wild fish and grass-fed meat. This provides fibre and essential nutrients such as antioxidants, and minerals like potassium and zinc. The diet is also low in processed foods so minimises the consumption of artificial colourings, additives and flavourings that may be detrimental to health. It is a diet that minimises simple sugars and salt which may also have health benefits. However the diet restricts grains, nuts, legumes and dairy and may therefore lead to nutrient deficiency, in particular with vitamin D and calcium. It is important therefore to substitute the restricted foods with healthy alternatives. It may promote weight loss in the short term but for some people the low carbohydrate intake is difficult to sustain for the long term and may cause a drop in energy levels. To follow a paleo diet it is recommended that you seek the support of a qualified nutritionist.