What makes weight loss successful...
First and foremost, it's important to understand that any diet that involves a caloric deficit i.e. consuming fewer calories via food and fluid than we're expending via exercise, activity and the maintenance of basic bodily functions, will lead to weight loss, however, there are six fundamental factors that can increase the incidence of weight loss success in obese and overweight individuals - Buns & Guns refers to these as the six steps to successful weight loss...
1. Sustainable.
Food and fluid swaps should be simple and sustainable. Examples include:
- Swapping sugar for a sweetener such as stevia.
- Opting for wholegrain/complex carbohydrates i.e. wholemeal bread, as opposed to refined/white varieties.
- Making and baking healthier versions of favourite foods.
- Swapping fizzy fluids for sparkling water flavoured with a slice of fresh fruit.
2. Suitable.
Any dietary adaptations that are made must be practical and personal to the individual. This includes taking into consideration factors such as:
- Time, financial and confidence constraints.
- Food accessibility, availability and affordability.
- Potential psychological barriers that may be preventing positive change.
- Personal preferences relating to food likes and dislikes.
- The individual's current caloric consumption and appetite etc.
3. Satisfying.
Snacks and meals should be satisfying on both a physical and psychological scale. For example, incorporating more fibre-rich foods into an obese or overweight individual's daily diet can aid appetite, weight and calorie control in the following ways:
- Fibre-rich food sources such as fruit and vegetables are low in calories - this can aid weight loss by reducing overall caloric consumption.
- Fibre blunts the post prandial blood glucose response - an action that strengthens physical satiety and promotes a feeling of fullness (for longer).
- The chronic chewing that's associated with fibre-rich foods such as apples promotes a sense of psychological satisfaction - a factor that plays a predominant part in successful weight loss.
4. Safe.
Although it's not uncommon for obese and overweight individuals' to initially eliminate a substantial amount of excess weight in a short space of time, a slow and steady weight loss of 1-2lbs a week is much more likely to lead to long-term weight loss and maintenance.
5. Significant.
Due to the disruption that dietary changes can cause to an obese or overweight individual's current lifestyle, any adaptations that are made must be significant i.e. goals must be motivating for, and personal to, the individual, but still substantial enough to make a distinct difference. This will not only maintain motivation when weight loss plateaus (which it will!), but reduce the risk of the individual resorting back to their unhealthy habits as a result of failing to see, and feel, satisfactory change.
6. Sensible.
In order for weight loss to be successful in the long-term, slimming should stem from a sensible solution/s i.e. all of the above, as opposed to the unrealistic rules and regimes that resemble restrictive eating, excessive exercise and/or liquid based meal replacements etc - this is largely due to the fact that strict and sudden lifestyle changes are likely to be met by resistance and rebellion, particularly by obese and overweight individuals' who have become accustomed to an abnormally large appetite, and/or caloric consumption.
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