Losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can seem daunting. Hundreds of fad diets, weight-loss programs and outright scams promise quick and easy weight loss. However, the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to make lasting lifestyle changes. This newsletter provides practical tips and insights for achieving sustainable weight loss, drawing from expert recommendations and real-world experiences. Whether you're navigating weight loss with diabetes or simply aiming for a healthier you, these tips will guide you toward your goals.
Understanding the Importance of Weight Management
For individuals with diabetes, being overweight poses additional health risks. However, the benefits of healthy eating can go a long way for everyone, irrespective of health conditions. Losing just a few pounds through healthy eating and exercise can lead to increased energy levels and an overall improved sense of well-being. Remember, a desired number on the scale does not always mean you have achieved health.
Setting Realistic Goals and Mindset
It's important to set a realistic weight goal and timeline to achieve it. Ask yourself what weight has felt comfortable for you before. Then ask yourself if you can achieve that target without feeling overly deprived. Long-term weight loss takes time and effort. So be sure that you're ready to eat healthy foods and become more active. Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week over the long term. Losing 5% of your current weight may be a good goal to start with. If you weigh 180 pounds (82 kilograms), that's 9 pounds (4 kilograms). Even this amount of weight loss can lower your risk of some long-term health conditions.
A positive mindset is key to success in weight loss and diabetes. If you’re feeling depressed or overwhelmed, you’re not alone. No shame. No blame. Remember, no one else can make you lose weight. You need to make diet and physical activity changes to help yourself. Make a list of reasons why weight loss is important to you. The list can help you stay inspired and focused. Maybe you want to boost your health or get in shape for a vacation. Think of your goals on days when you don't feel like eating healthy foods or moving more. Find other ways to stay on track too. It's up to you to make the changes that lead to long-term weight loss. But it helps to have support from others. Pick people who will inspire you. If you prefer to keep your weight-loss efforts private, take some steps to stay on course. Track your diet and exercise in a journal or an app. Also track your weight.
Nutrition and Meal Planning
The key to weight loss for most people is simply finding the right combination of exercise, healthy foods and portion control. Emotional eating can quickly sabotage weight loss efforts. To lose weight, you need to lower the total calories you take in from food and drinks. One way that you can take in fewer calories is to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These are known as plant-based foods. They're low in calories and high in fiber. Fiber helps you feel full. Eat at least four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruits a day. Have whole grains, such as brown rice, barley, and whole-wheat bread and pasta. Use healthy fats, such as olive oil, vegetable oils, avocados, nuts, nut butters and nut oils. Limit foods and drinks that have added sugar. These include desserts, jellies and sodas. Focus on eating fresh foods. They have more nutrition than processed foods. Processed foods often come in a box or a can.
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Find a meal pattern that includes healthy foods that you enjoy eating. Both the Mediterranean diet and DASH meal plan include whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean protein, and some dairy products. Managing portions of all foods allows you to include foods you enjoy in moderation. Meal planning and food preparation help ensure you have healthy meals and snacks available.
It's a good idea to be mindful while you eat. Focus on each bite of food. This helps you enjoy the taste. It also makes you more aware of when you feel full. Try to not to watch TV or stare at your phone during meals.
The Role of Physical Activity
You can lose weight without exercise, but it's harder to do. Exercise has many other benefits. It can lift your mood, lower blood pressure and help you sleep better. Exercise helps you keep off the weight that you lose too. How many calories you burn depends on how often, how long and how hard you exercise. One of the best ways to lose body fat is through steady aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking. Work up to at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week. Also aim to do strength training exercises at least twice a week. Any extra movement helps you burn calories. So think about ways to move more during the day.
Set a goal of at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week. Aerobic exercises increase your breathing and heart rate, such as a brisk walk, bike ride or swimming. Add in strength exercises two or more days per week. Strength training can increase your metabolism which helps you burn more calories. You can set yourself up for more activity by wearing comfortable clothes and shoes. This may help you move more throughout the day. Fueling your body correctly before and after workouts is essential for weight management in diabetes.
Tracking and Monitoring Progress
Keeping track of food intake and physical activity is a proven tool for managing weight. Tracking helps to increase awareness of our eating and physical activity behaviors. It can help to set two types of goals. The first type is called an action goal. You can list a healthy action that you'll use to lose weight. For instance, "Walk every day for 30 minutes" is an action goal. The second type is called an outcome goal. You can list a healthy outcome that you aim to have. "Lose 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms)" is an example of an outcome goal. An outcome goal is what you want to achieve. But it doesn't tell you how to get there. An action goal does.
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Seeking Support and Avoiding Quick Fixes
Weight management programs offer support for your weight management journey. Be wary of programs that promise quick fixes. Long-term weight management is a journey that takes time.
It's not enough to eat healthy foods and exercise for just a few weeks or months. To keep off extra weight, you should make these healthy changes a way of life. Think about negative habits or other challenges that have kept you from losing weight in the past. You'll likely have some setbacks on your weight-loss journey. But don't give up after a setback. Simply start fresh the next day. Remember that you're planning to change your life. It won't happen all at once. Stick to your healthy lifestyle.
Community Engagement and Resources
Transform is here to offer a sustainable solution for weight loss. Transform will have a table at the Vision House luncheon. Our dietitian, Kelly, will lead a virtual cooking demonstration. Join her and others in the group while we cook the dish together from your own home. A list of ingredients to purchase before the event will be provided. This will be a great night to make a nutritious meal with a focus on technique. Share your experience, whether it was at one of our locations, our surgery center, or even virtually. For this month’s community group, Dr. Billing and Dr. Harris showcased our new surgery center by giving a virtual tour. Located in lovely Edmonds, WA, we now offer weight loss procedures, cosmetic surgery, and general surgery at the Transform Surgicenter. It was an awesome morning at the UW Cherry Blossom 5K. Most of us enjoyed the Sip and Stroll walk.
UC Davis Health patients can take a free class called Achieving a Healthy Weight.
Staying Informed
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