A well balanced diet and active lifestyle support good health – and help maintain body weight or promote weight loss.

The healthy plate guide is crucial for weight loss. The combination of protein, fibre and a healthy fat helps turn off hunger hormones and keeps you feeling fuller for longer. The plate guide consists of:

• 1/4 plate of lean protein
• 1/4 plate of low GI carbohydrates
• 1/2 plate non-starchy vegetables
• 1 tablespoon of healthy fat (3)

Discretionary foods (like cakes and chips) are highly energy dense, but have little nutritional value. These are the foods we need to keep to a minimum when trying to lose weight, under 2 serves per day. They can be replaced with more nutritional options like bliss balls, or kept to minimum quantity like 2 squares of quality dark chocolate (1).

Avoid drinks containing calories (like soft drink, juices, alcohol) as they increase your kilojoule intake easily. Opt for mineral water an herbal teas where possible (1).

Exercise & weight loss.

Exercise and energy expenditure is one of the most important factors when looking at weight loss. In order to create a negative energy balance, your body needs to use more energy than you’re consuming and we can do this through exercise (4).

Exercise is not only beneficial for losing weight but helps with cardiovascular and mental health. The idea is to find ways to incorporate it into your day with incidental exercise, as well as planned exercise like going to the gym (1). Incidental exercise might look like taking the stairs instead of the lift, parking further away from the entry or walking places where you’d usually drive (2).

30 minutes per day or more of moderate-intensity exercise is recommended for modest weight loss. Those who adopt a diet and exercise approach to weight loss, typically lose more weight and retain more muscle. In addition, diet and exercise combined improve blood pressure and insulin resistance (3).

Weight loss resources.

Food diary

An app like Easy Diet Diary can help you keep track of what you’re eating, and where your energy intake is coming from.

Exercise tracker

A FitBit or Apple watch are great devices to track your energy expenditure and keep yourself accountable to exercise goals.

Meal Planning

Meal planning is essential to avoid discretionary food choices and keep you on track.

Shopping online

Ordering groceries online is a great way to avoid unwanted purchases when you browse through aisles in-person.

Want extra help with your weight? My free eBook gives you great everyday snack ideas.

REFERENCES

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

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

(3) Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute. (2022). Portion plate guide. https://www.baker.edu.au/Health-Hub/Fact-Sheets/the-Portion-Guide

(4) 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