How to lose weight safely and effectively

Get active and eat less

To lose weight you need to increase physical activity and eat fewer kilojoules. While the National Physical Activity Guidelines recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise such as brisk walking for general health, Australia currently has no guidelines for physical activity and weight loss. However, the Heart Foundation of Australia suggests that people living with diabetes or people at risk of developing diabetes who have no limitations to exercise should try to build up to 45–60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days of the week in order to lose weight.

Meanwhile, US physical activity recommendations for adults made by the American College of Sports Medicine suggest:

• you need approximately 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous- intensity activity on most days of the week to help manage your body weight and prevent gradual, unhealthy body weight gain. You should also not eat more than the amount of kilojoules you need.
• you need to do at least 60 to 90 minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity to sustain weight loss, while not eating more than the number of kilojoules you need. This recommendation is for formerly obese people who have lost a large amount of weight such as 20kg.

Choose activities that you enjoy and that are easy for you to include in your lifestyle. Below are a few simple suggestions that can help build exercise into your daily life:

• Use stairs instead of taking lifts or escalators.
• Walk or cycle on short journeys — for example, do the school run on foot instead of taking the car.
• Take a walk during your lunch break.
• Go for family walks or bike rides at weekends.

Follow a healthy, well-balanced diet

To lose excess weight you should reduce the number of kilojoules you eat. This doesn’t necessarily mean eating less food, but it may mean choosing different types of food. Your doctor or accredited practising dietitian can help you put together a healthy eating plan.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Include both lean protein and slowly-digested carbohydrates at each meal —‘slow’ carbohydrates, or lower glycemic index (low GI) carbohydrates, include oats, dense whole grain breads, legumes and pasta. This combination of protein and carbohydrate will help you feel full for longer.
• Eat at least five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit each day. Use less butter, margarine and cooking oils.
• Choose low-fat varieties of dairy products.
• Avoid high-kilojoule snack foods — fresh fruit is better.
• Poach, grill, steam, stir-fry in a little oil or microwave food instead of frying or roasting.

Improve your eating habits

Along with a healthy menu it’s important to have healthy eating habits. For example, snacking in between meals can sabotage your efforts to lose weight. These tips can help keep your weight loss plan on track:

• Eat breakfast — for most people, blood sugar levels drop at night, so it’s important to refuel first thing in the morning. Skip breakfast and you’re more likely to snack on sugary foods later in the day.
• Eat regularly during the day, but only eat when you are hungry.
• Eat slowly, chewing every mouthful thoroughly, and only eat until you are comfortably full.
• Don’t feel guilty about leaving food on your plate.
• Try not to eat late in the evening — if you feel peckish, choose fruit or a low-fat milky drink.
• Drink more water and avoid juices, which are healthy but not as filling as eating fruit, and soft drinks, as they contain lots of kilojoules but no nutrients. And remember — alcohol contains kilojoules too.

Set realistic goals

Decide on small, practical changes that you feel comfortable with and include foods that you enjoy in your eating plan. Aim to lose no more than half to one kilogram in weight every week. Remember, there is no quick-fix answer to long-term weight loss. Try not to focus on how much weight you have lost each week. Instead, focus on how you feel and look for positive changes as a result of your healthier lifestyle, such as feeling more toned or having more energy.

Don’t be tempted to crash diet

Crash diets can harm your health because you lose more lean body tissue and less fat. Your body’s response to this is to slow your metabolism down to conserve fat and ensure survival. This is the reason why the weight piles back on quickly once you finish crash dieting as you are not using the kilojoules you are consuming as effectively.

Get support

When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s helpful to get support. Arrange activities with your family or friends such as walking or cycling, or join a local weight loss group.

Reward yourself

Remember to give yourself a healthy reward when you meet your monthly targets such as taking time out to see a movie, or get a manicure or buy some new clothes.

Further information

Go for 2 and 5 http://www.gofor2and5.com.au

The Dietitians Association of Australia www.daa.asn.au

Glycemic Index (University of Sydney) http://www.glycemicindex.com

Sources

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Physical activity and public health guidelines. [online] Indianapolis, IN: ACSM. c2007 [accessed 11 Aug 2010] Available from: http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home_Page&TEMPLATE=CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7764

Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Physical activity guidelines. [online] Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia. c2007. [last updated 23 Mar 2009, accessed 11 Aug 2010] Available from: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines

Better Health Channel. Carbohydrates and the glycaemic index. [online] Melbourne, VIC: State Government of Victoria. c1999-2010 [updated Apr 2010, accessed 2 Aug 2010] Available from: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Carbohydrates_and_the_glycaemic_index

Better Health Channel. Metabolism explained. [online] Melbourne, VIC: State Government of Victoria. c1999-2010 [updated Jun 2009, accessed 2 Aug 2010] Available from: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Metabolism_explained

Donnelly JE, Blair SN, Jakicic JM et al. Appropriate physical activity intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise. Feb 2009; 41(2): 459–471.

Kellett E, Smith A, Schmerlaib Y. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. [online] Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia. 1998 [accessed 4 Aug 2010] Available from: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/E384CFA588B74377CA256F190004059B/$File/fd-cons.pdf

National Health and Medical Research Council. Dietary Guidelines for all Australians. [online]. Canberra: ACT: Commonwealth of Australian. 2003 [accessed 4 Aug 2010] Available from: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/dietsyn.htm

National Heart Foundation of Australia. Physical activity in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. [online] Australia: National Heart Foundation of Australia. 2009 [accessed 11 Aug 2010] Available from: http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/GP_PA_and_Type_2_Diabetes.pdf

Disclaimer
This information has been developed and reviewed for Bupa by health professionals and to the best of their knowledge is current and based on reputable sources of medical research. It should be used as a guide only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical or other health professional advice. Bupa Australia Pty Ltd makes no warranties or representations regarding the completeness or accuracy of the recommendations or assessments and is not liable for any loss or damage you suffer arising out of the use of or reliance on the information, except that which cannot be excluded by law. We recommend that you consult your doctor or other qualified health professional if you have questions or concerns about your health. For more details on how we produce our health content, visit the About our health information page.