Questions and answers about Weight Loss

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 Shkurta
Thanks for your question. The best approach would be to see a nutritional therapist that could pinpoint the issues that have led to their weight gain.

In general, the most problematic food for children is food rich in sugar – sugary drinks (juices, cola, squash etc.), sugary snacks (biscuits, chocolate, candy etc.), added sugar to food and drinks, and sugar released from refined products like white potatoes, white bread, white pasta and white rice.

You could replace sugary drinks for water with squeezed fresh orange and/or just pure water, offer them as snacks nature’s candy – dry fruit + nuts and fruit (especially fruit lower in sugar like blueberries, blackberries and raspberries) and replace refined products for whole grain varieties.

Another problem which is common is the lack of vegetables in the diet. They are rich in fibre that keeps them full and provide them with slow-releasing energy and also supply nutrients that are needed for health as well as weight loss and maintenance. It would be a good idea to include vegetable soups or salads for dinner and provide them with snacks like vegetable sticks with hummus.

Try to replace unhealthy snacks like crisps and biscuits with nutritious snacks like apple with almond butter, oatcakes with hummus and dark chocolate with nuts. Also try to cook homemade meals to avoid added sugar and unhealthy refined fats.

Lack of exercise predisposes child to obesity especially if its coupled with a diet high in sugars. Make sure your kids get at least 2 hours exercise each day – it could be brisk walk, playing with their friends, cycling or going to fitness/dance classes.

Hope this general advice helps a little but I can only guess what the problems in their diet could be and these are the most common ones.
Good luck!

Andrea

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.

Hi Shannon

Thanks for your question! The exercise routine will very much depend on what your expectations are.

If your aim is to shed the extra pounds from your stomach and/or upper body, the best is to combine HIIT exercises with weight bearing exercises. It is important to built muscle since they burn more energy at rest. You could use treadmill or cross-trainer for doing high intensity training – you can push yourself out of breath for one minute and then slow down to a walking mode for another minute for 20-30 minutes. This challenges your body to burn more fat. You could also include some jumps to get your heart rate up during your session and tone up your legs. Alternating high intensity exercise with weight bearing exercises can kick start your metabolism so try to combine both during your work out.

If your problematic areas are buttocks and legs, HIIT exercises will suit you too but go light on weight bearing routines for your legs unless you would like them to look bulky. If you are after slim, toned legs, use only light weights for the lower part of your body and exercise them for longer – e.g. do 30 repetitions with very light weights rather than 10 repetitions with heavy weights.

I would recommend discussing your exercising needs with your personal trainer for further guidance and consult a nutritional therapist to design a diet to meet your weight and health goals.
Good luck!

Hi Mishaal, thank you for your question. There can be a number of reasons for cravings, which include feeling deprived whilst you're dieting which makes you want the food you enjoy even more than usual; having a blood glucose imbalance. This can occur when we're eating a high amount of carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, bread, sugars. Carbohydrates are absorbed more quickly than fats and protein so they can cause a fast spike in blood glucose. This leads to the glucose being quickly removed from the bloodstream causing low blood glucose and cravings. So, the main thing I would recommend is do not diet, as it can be demotivating and can also slow down your metabolism, making it harder to lose weight in the long run. Rather, try to reduce your carbohydrates to no more than 20% of your plate, fill half your plate with leafy vegetables and quarter of your plate with protein (lean meat, fish, egg, lentils, beans, chickpeas, nuts, seeds). Also try to include some healthy fat in your meal such as avocado, olive oil, oily fish (which would also be your protein). Also, try to follow this guidance for 80% of the time and allow yourself time off 20% of the time as trying to adhere to something 100% of the time can be discouraging. I hope this is helpful.

Hi Julius,

Thanks for your question.

Excess fat in the middle region can be linked in some cases to high levels of cortisol - the stress hormone. I would suggest a healthy eating plan including protein, good fats and carbs from root veg and wholegrains. I would also look at lifestyle habits that support stress reduction in the first instance.

Some suggestions that may offer support are as follows:

Ensure you are getting adequate sleep, between 7-9hrs is recommended, when sleep deprived this can impact hormone balance as well as increase the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin and reduce the production of leptin - the hormone that is linked to satiety. Lack of sleep is linked to excess body fat.

Try to take time out to eat sitting at a table, avoiding eating on the go or under stressful circumstances. Take time to chew eat mouthful 40-50 times to support the digestive process.

Include exercise in your day such as walking to support overall health and wellbeing. Explore the possibility of HIIT training with a qualified professional as this has been linked to an increase in metabolism not only during the workout but for several hours afterwards - this has shown to support fat loss.

A low Glycemic Load diet could be a good option as this focuses on eating foods that keep the blood sugar stable which is a key to healthy weight loss. You would avoid/limit white carbs and opt for wholegrains and vegetables to provide the required carbohydrates for energy. Adequate protein from meat, poultry, eggs and nuts and seeds can help to keep hunger at bay and goods fats (e.g. nuts, seeds, avocado, oily fish) will provide an excellent source of energy.

Keeping hydrated is also important to support the metabolism.

Small steps can make a really big difference in the long term so it is worth picking one change and sticking with it. Setting yourself an achievable goal such as 'I will drink 2 litres of water a day' to begin with and building on this.

Best Wishes and Good luck

Sharon

Hi Mem,

Thanks for your question.

Our basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the daily minimum level of energy or calories that the body requires when at rest (which includes sleeping) in order to function effectively.

Increasing your muscle mass helps to raise your BMR, (each lb of muscle requires around 6ckal daily to sustain itself, each lb of fat only requires approx. 2ckal) which increases the number of calories you burn and helps to decrease body fat levels. Your BMR measurement can be used as a minimum baseline if you are counting Kcals, however it is important to add extra kcals to support additional requirements based on your own personal level of activity.

As people age their metabolic rate changes. A slow BMR will make it harder to lose body fat and overall weight therefore I believe the long term key is in supporting healthy muscle mass.

From a nutritional perspective staying hydrated is very important as the body requires water to carry out many metabolic functions and scientific studies have linked a more efficient metabolism to those who were hydrated. Aiming for 2ltrs of water daily is recommended as well as including at least 5 portions of vegetables and 2 fruit as they provide a good amount of water to the body.

Including caffeine in moderation is known to increase the metabolic rate and I would recommend getting this from green tea if you tolerate caffeine. Green tea also contains catechins which are powerful antioxidants that have been linked in studies with an increase in energy expenditure amongst many other potential health benefits.

Make sure you are eating enough and avoid low calorie diets as well as crash dieting or going for long periods without eating as although you will more than likely lose weight initially a lot of this can be muscle mass which in the long term would actually result in a slower metabolism and rebound weight gain of weight originally lost and potentially more!

I hope this helps.

Kind Regards

Sharon

Hi Stacey
Thanks for your question. I don't advise that anyone eats a lot of protein, as too much can have negative health benefits such as kidney damage. We should be eating enough but unless you're doing lots of exercise I would stick to about 1g of protein per kg of body weight. If you're doing lots of exercise then you could increase this but unless you're an elite athlete I wouldn't go above 1.4g per kg of body weight. The diet you mention also seems to avoid healthy fats such as oily fish, avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds, and actually these are very important for our overall, long-term health and can actually help weight loss as fat doesn't cause a blood sugar or insulin spike like protein and more so carbohydrates. When insulin spikes it removes blood sugar either into cells for energy or is stored as fat. Also, eating little and often as your friend has suggested is not a healthy way to eat, as it causes frequent spikes of insulin, which is inflammatory as well as fat storing. In terms of the shakes you mention, quite often they are full of sugar or sweeteners and also possibly other additives. There are so many ways to lose weight but eating a healthy diet, three meals a day, is a more sustainable healthier way to lose weight. It would be a good idea for you to work out what your Basal Metabolic Rate is, and then multiply it by the rate of exercise you do using the Harris Benedict equation. This will give you an idea of how many calories you should be consuming and you can subtract 500 calories from this figure to lose 1-2lbs a week. Also, the 5:2 diet or daily fast, where you eat for 8 hours a day and fast for 16, has been shown to help with weight loss and also overall health. It also been shown to maintain muscle mass whilst losing weight. These are just some of the ways to lose weight but there really are so many ways and it is an individual thing where every aspect of your health and overall goals should be taken into account before embarking on weight loss. I would recommend you speak to a nutrition professional beforehand to get some further advice but certainly avoid 'diets', which could negatively impact your health in the long-term.
Good luck

Hi Marta,

Thanks for your question.

There may be many reasons that make it difficult for us to lose weight. I would ask the following questions and also have a look at if the diet you are eating is the right one for you.

Are you eating enough - eating to few calories can lead to muscle loss in the long term which can impact the metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight.

Is there any stress currently affecting you - stress can produce cortisol which may lead to fat storage.

Are you sleeping enough - lack of sleep may contribute to weight gain and make it harder to shed unwanted lbs.

Are you including exercise (aerobic and weight bearing) - exercise can play a huge role in weight management alongside a healthy diet and lifestyle.

If none of these apply I would check the following to begin but you may wish to consult a professional to have a full health history taken and support you towards your ultimate goal.

Check thyroid function - underactive thyroid will impact the BMR which governs the rate at which the body burns energy and have an impact on weight loss.

Are there any food intolerances - this may hinder weight loss efforts and removing the offending foods and working on gut healing can offer benefit.

Don't worry though eating a healthy diet will bring benefits that go above and beyond weight loss alone. Visceral fat which is the fat stored deep in the abdominal core surrounding the internal organs and is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart, attack and stroke may be reduced when making healthier choices. The nutrients that healthy foods provide your body with will offer many additional benefits as well as weight loss.

Thanks and good luck.

Sharon

Hi Marta
Thanks for your question. Most ideas have been already covered however there are few bits I would like to add.

You might find it useful to download a calorie-counting app on your mobile that tracks your physical activity, food you eat (most apps also offer to scan barcodes of products to ease the work on you) and can calculate your basic metabolic rate (the number of calories you need to maintain the function of your body) and energy expenditure to calculate how many calories you should eat to lose weight. Please note, that you should never go below 1200 kcal per day. This will bring better awareness about what you have been eating and some apps also offer nutritional break down of minerals, vitamins, protein, carbohydrate and fat consumed.

Knowing you are getting enough nutrients like vitamins and minerals is essential – if your intake is low, your body could go into starvation mode and you can put on weight even when you restrict calories. Therefore, make sure you eat at least 5-7 portions of vegetables a day and 1-2 portion of non-sugary fruit like berries.

Another important thing is to avoid sugar that you might miss in your diet like smoothies, juices and sugary drinks. Alcohol consumption could also contribute to weight gain.

Even if your diet is healthy, you could overeat on healthy foods like dark chocolate and nuts – excessive consumption could contribute to your inability to lose weight since it contributes significantly to your calorie intake. Make sure that you eat high-caloric, healthy foods like this, in moderation.

You might also think about the addition of protein sources like lean meat and fish – the consumption of carbohydrates could increase your metabolic rate by 4%, fat by 6% but protein by up to 30%! Its thermic effect means that your body needs to utilize more energy to break it down so you burn more calories!

Please also note that age is relevant – the older you get the less calories your body will need hence it could lead to difficulty maintain the same diet and weight with increased aged.

The best would be for you to seek help of a nutritionist to guide you through a balanced and healthy weight-loss plan tailored just for you.

Take care and good luck!

Hello Marta
As we now know weight loss is much more than just calories in and calories out. As my colleague Sharon has explained there can be several other underlying factors which can contribute to weight gain and loss.
It sounds like you have been following a healthy diet but seem to have reached a plateau in your weight loss and there can be many reasons for this.
In their first instance I would keep a detailed food diary for 1 week, list everything you eat and drink and also try to write down portion sizes. Having an overview of what you are actually eating can be helpful and it may well be that you are consuming certain foods and drinks which could be hindering any weight loss. This can also be useful in looking at what you many not be eating, our bodies require lots of healthy fats as well as good hydration to assist in weight loss and it may well be that these are areas that need addressing.
If you find that you diet is well balanced but still you dont seem to be losing weight then you may well need to see a nutritionist so underlying factors such as hormonal issues or food intolerances can be ruled out.
Good Luck
Maria

Hi Linda

Thanks for your question. To calculate calories in your instance, you need to use a formula to calculate your basic metabolic rate – the energy needed for your body to function. You haven’t provided, however, the data needed for this calculation (your height, weight, and age).

Counting calories, nevertheless, does not equal good nutrition or weight loss – eating less calories could lead to malnutrition. There are “empty calories” that supply only few nutrients and can cause quick weight gain (like refined products high in sugar, refined grains and low in fibre) so instead of counting calories, try focusing on healthy calories!

Very low calorie foods are vegetables. You could find dark green vegetables especially useful since they are rich sources of vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, and calcium that can support bone health and recovery after your operation.

You could try to include them into your daily regime: have a bowl of fruit before your breakfast, green soup (made of kale, spinach, broccoli and sweet potato) before your lunch and a vegetable salad with some seeds before your dinner.

In this way, you significantly increase your intake of nutrients vital for bone health and healing and reduce the intake of calories overall since you will fill up on vegetables and fruit first. This way, you do not go hungry and still reduce your food intake.

You can also try reducing the plate size – people find they eat less when they use smaller plates. If you include fruits and vegetables before your main meal, you should eat less anyway but it is also easy to overeat. Sticking to a small plate size could help you to manage this.

Try to eat protein (meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, pulses, nuts) with each meal which could help you to reduce appetite. Protein can stabilize sugar levels after a meal which leads to less cravings in-between meals and help to burn more calories.

Reduce the size of carbohydrates on your plate especially refined ones like white rice, white bread and white pasta and replace them for nutrient and fibre rich whole, unrefined foods like pulses, whole grain bread/pasta and brown rice. If you include fibre-rich foods in your diet, they can significantly reduce your hunger and improve your chances of weight loss.

To sum up, eat vegetables as a starter before lunch and dinner, use smaller size plate, and fill up half of your plate with protein rich foods (meat, fish, eggs), and then unrefined carbohydrates (whole grain bread/pasta, brown rice, pulses etc.) of the size of your palm only, and add some healthy oil (like Extra Virgin Olive oil), nuts and some more cooked vegetables to fill you up!

It goes without saying though, that reducing your sugar and fast/processed food intake is vital for your weight goals.

You may wish to visit a Nutritional Therapist to address your exact needs to make sure that you can support your body during the healing period and improve bone health with appropriate sources of nutrients.

Good luck!

Hi Linda,

As mentioned by Andrea it is possible to calculate your daily calorie requirements based on your age, gender, weight, and height using a Basal metabolic rate calculator (BMR). This will give you an indication of your daily minimal calorie requirements before you add in activity. To lose weight it is usually possible to lose 1-2 lbs (0.5 kg) per week by reducung your daily calorie intake by 500 calories per day. For most people this is a healthy amount to lose per week and results in improved body composition with an increase in lean mass. However, it is important not to go below your BMR as this will slow your metabolism and in the long-term may to lead to weight gain. As suggested a Nutritional therapist ould help you to work out your individual requirements.

In addition to all the healthy weight loss suggestions already offered consider some simple changes to reduce your calorie intake i.e eating sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, decreasing the starchy carbs on your plate and filling up on non-starchy veg such as greens that are low in calories but high in fibre, including 'healthy fats' in each meal such as oily fish, nuts, seeds etc. to help you feel fuller for longer, choosing wholegrain versions, substituting sugar for a sweetener such as Stevia, drinking water or herbal tea rather than fruit juice/squash/ coffee/ tea.

Best of luck!

Hi Linda, thanks for your question. As mentioned by Andrea and Joanne, you can work out your BMR using your height, weight and age. You can then work out how many calories you need by using an equation called the Harris Benedict equation, so multiplying the BMR by either 1.2, 1.375, 1.55, 1.725 or 1.9 depending on your activity level. As Joanne says, you would then reduce this amount by 500 calories in order to lose between 1-2lbs a week. Going below this could slow down your metabolism and make weight loss harder as well as possibly cause other issues like fatigue.

As Andrea says, more important than counting calories is eating the right kind of calories so ensuring you're eating nutrient dense vegetables, good sources of protein and healthy fat such as oily fish, olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. These will also provide you with the right nutrients for bone health and for recovery from surgery.

Vitamin D is also important for bone health so I recommend you get your vitamin D level measured and if it is low ensure you take a good vitamin D supplement, as our main source of vitamin D is sunlight, regular amounts of which are scarce at the moment!

I hope all goes well and if you need any further advice please contact customer services and they will be able to recommend further nutritional support.