You don’t need a prescribed ‘diet’ in order to lose weight successfully and sustainably.

A fad diet is more likely to lead to nutritional inadequacy, especially if it limits a whole food group. In fact, a diet that consists of all the five food groups (grains, dairy, protein, fruit and vegetables) is important when trying to lose weight. The key to lasting weight loss is by making small, incremental changes over a longer period of time, than diets that promise a ‘quick solution’ (1).

To lose weight, it’s fundamental to adopt a diet that creates a negative energy balance (2).

In order to lose weight, we need to create an energy deficit, meaning you are expending more energy (through your daily activities and exercise) than you are consuming (through food and drink).

The food we consume is measured in kilojoules (kJ) and you can find out your estimated energy intake in kilojoules at Eat For Health. It’s recommended that an energy deficit of 2,000-4,2000 kJ per day is required to produce a weight loss of 0.4-0.8kg per week.

In addition to kilojoules, nutrients to watch for weight loss include:

• Total fat < 30% of total kilojoules
• Saturated fats < 10% of total kilojoules
• Fibre 25-30g per day
• Sodium < 2,000mg per day

Weight loss expectations need to be reasonable and achievable. Rapid weight loss can lead to loss of muscle mass, nutritional inadequacy and rapid weight regain.

Based on research, reasonable rates for weight loss are:

• 0.25-1kg per week or;
• 10% of body weight in 6 months (3)

For more on weight loss, this post has some tips I use with all my clients.

REFERENCES

(1) Dietitian Connection. (2021, May 17). Weight loss. Dietitian Connection. https://dietitianconnection.com/patient-resources/weight-loss/

(2) Freire, R. (2020). Scientific evidence of diets for weight loss: Different macronutrient composition, intermittent fasting, and popular diets. Nutrition, 69, 110549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2019.07.001

(3) Whitney, E. N., Rolfes, S. R., & Crowe, T. (2019). Understanding Nutrition. Cengage.