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Losing weight & keeping it off - A guide to long term weight loss for adults
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"I welcome this leaflet which contains sound, practical advice on long term weight loss. It reflects the current scientific consensus of the importance of a well-balanced, high carbohydrate diet in weight control".
Anne de Looy, Professor of Dietetics, Centre for Nutrition and Food Research, Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh.
Are you someone who regularly 'goes on a diet' but then gives up, regains the pounds and starts all over again? Or perhaps you need to lose weight for the first time. Either way, read on to discover a new approach to reaching a healthier weight and staying there! Even a weight loss of 10lbs (5kg) can make all the difference.
The waistline test
Measure around your waist. Check where you are in the chart below to find out what action you need to take.
You may decide to lose weight for the sake of your looks or health, but first check that you really do need to slim. You may be just fine the way you are!
Woman's waist measurement |
Man's waist measurement |
Action needed |
Less than 80 cm or 31.5 inches |
Less than 94 cm or 37 inches |
Your weight is within the healthy range. If you need to shape up, exercise is the key. Check you are eating a well balanced, high-carbohydrate diet, |
80 to 88 cm or 31.5 to 34.5 inches |
94 to 102 cm or 37 to 40 inches |
Try to lose some weight. Adapt your diet for steady weight loss and long term results. Get more active in your daily routine. |
Over 88 cm or 34.5 inches |
Over 102 cm or 40 inches |
Take action to lose weight now! Adapt your diet for steady weight loss and long term results. Try being a bit more active in your daily routine. |
Getting started
Set yourself realistic goals. Be prepared for a gradual, steady weight loss right from the start.
For most people, excess fat is gained over many months or years. Your body copes best if you lose weight slowly over several months. This gives you time to learn to enjoy your new eating style, and get used to being slimmer. When starting a diet you may lose a few pounds straight away, but this is usually just water. To lose fat takes much longer! The high carbohydrate eating plan outlined here leads to steady fat loss, but not water loss, so you are less likely to get an initial 'false' drop in weight.
Achievable targets
It is tempting to be ambitious about how much, and how quickly you are going to lose weight. Instead, set yourself a target that you have a real chance of reaching. Aim to lose no more than about a pound (half a kilo) a fortnight.
Guiding principles
Do not drastically cut calories. Eat regular meals, including breakfast.
Clearly you will have to reduce the calories you eat to lose weight. However, if you drastically restrict the amount and range of foods 'allowed', you will become hungry and 'crave' your favourite foods. This leaves you open to temptation and you are likely to overeat. Strict, short-term diets are not the answer to losing weight and keeping it off. Remember it's better to lose a little weight gradually than to crash diet.
Little and often
Start the day with breakfast which gives you an important boost in the mornings, and eat modest amounts at regular intervals during the day. This way you will not get too hungry and you will be more in tune with your appetite.
Carbohydrates work to quell hunger quickly, making you feel full and satisfied. They also have fewer than half the calories of fat. For example, carbohydrate has only 4kcal per gram while fat has 9kcal per gram. So, eating plenty of carbohydrate-rich foods and reducing fat, means you can eat a reasonable amount of food, stop the hunger pangs and still be cutting your overall calorie intake.
Where to find carbohydrates
Carbohydrates come in the form of starch and sugars, and are found in many foods. Here are some good sources:
- All types of bread, pasta, noodles, rice and potatoes
- All types of breakfast cereals
- Peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas
- Fresh, dried or canned fruit
- Jam, honey and marmalade
- Fruit juices and regular soft drinks
Eat a greater proportion of foods that are high in carbohydrate and low in fat, such as bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit and vegetables.
Puddings, cakes, biscuits, cereal bars and confectionery all contain carbohydrate, but choose those with a lower fat content. Some lower fat examples include: arctic roll, sorbets, fruit yoghurt, trifle, rice pudding, currant buns, fig rolls, jelly beans and mints.
Adapt the balance of your usual meals in favour of carbohydrates.
Meal make-up
The diet which is going to work best for you is one based on foods you enjoy. You just need to adapt the makeup of your meals in favour of high-carbohydrate foods.
Breakfast
Eating any type of breakfast cereal, served with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, is a great way to boost your carbohydrate intake. If you prefer toast, cut thick slices of white or brown bread and use some low fat spread with either jam, marmalade or honey. Alternatively, if you prefer a cooked breakfast, try grilled bacon with poached eggs and plenty of toast, rather than a traditional 'fry-up'.
Other meals
You can continue to eat your favourite lunch and supper time meals too. Again, you simply need to adapt the balance in favour of carbohydrates.
Try these examples:
- More mash, less sausage, plenty of beans
- More spaghetti, less bolognese sauce, plenty of salad
- More potatoes, less meat, plenty of vegetables
- More rice, less curry
- Thicker bread, less meat, cheese or other filling, plenty of salad or pickle
Try a fruity dessert or a moderate portion of a lower-fat pudding (see ideas on previous page).
Fruit and vegetables
As well as being good sources of carbohydrate, fruit and vegetables also provide important vitamins and minerals and contain virtually no fat. Try to include about five portions every day. For example:
- 1 glass of orange juice
- 2 tbsp vegetables, raw, cooked, frozen or canned
- 1 dessert bowlful of salad
- 1 apple, banana or orange
- 2 plums
Snack attacks
Have up to three snacks a day and choose fruit or low fat types of biscuits, confectionery or buns such as iced buns, currant buns or scones.
Eat a wide range of foods and include your favourite foods wisely.
It is important that you eat a wide range of foods to ensure that you get all the nutrients you need and do not feel deprived. Try different types of fruit and vegetables, experiment with high carbohydrate foods and lower fat recipes.
Favourite foods
There is no need to ban high fat or favourite foods from your diet. Instead, try to reduce the portion size or have them less often. This way you can build them into the overall healthy balance of your diet. It's the total number of calories over a few days that counts, not just the amount in one meal or snack. Alcohol is also high in calories, so you may need to reduce your intake if you have more than a couple of alcoholic drinks a day.
Keeping it off
Enjoying a well-balanced, high carbohydrate diet and some regular exercise is the key to keeping slim.
This type of eating plan is designed to be one you can stick to. To keep your new slimmer shape, simply adjust the amount you eat to keep your weight steady. By then your appetite should be better tuned in to guide you on how much to eat.
Active lifestyle
It is now well known that people who are more active are more likely to keep weight off when they have lost it. This is because being active boosts the amount of calories used each day, and it helps to regulate the appetite. However, a lot of people find it difficult to start an exercise plan and a restrictive diet at the same time. While you are trying to lose weight, start off by generally being more active in your day to day routine. For example:
- walk to the shops if you're planning to do some 'light' shopping
- use the stairs instead of the lift or escalators
- get off the bus a stop early and walk home
- walk your children to school instead of using the car
- cycle if you can
Start exercising more seriously later to keep the weight off. Remember, you still need to include plenty of carbohydrates in your eating plan.
Top tips for a slimmer future
- Set a realistic goal and aim for steady, gradual weight loss
- Base your eating plan on altered amounts of foods and dishes you already eat
- Re-balance the make-up of your meals and snacks so they are higher in carbohydrate than in fat
- Build in your favourite foods as part of the overall healthy balance
- Once you reach your target weight, eat in the same way, but adjust the amount you eat to keep your weight stable
Published 07/12/98
This leaflet is provided through an educational grant from The Sugar Bureau
6 Catherine Street, London WC2B 5JJ
www.sugar-bureau.co.uk
