Weight loss lifestyle articles
Weight loss lifestyle articles
Are you an emotional eater?
Many people who are overweight or obese are emotional eaters. Being an emotional eater means that as well as eating when hungry, you’ll eat when you're experiencing negative emotions such as sadness or anxiety.
Eating in response to negative emotions is often associated with eating high fat and high sugar foods. These foods can lead to weight gain and make weight loss more challenging. It also increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The first step in changing any behaviour is recognising the behaviour in the first place. If you are reading this and recognise that this might be something you are experiencing then this is a great first step.
A good starting point is to think about what's happening for you when you reach for a snack. Are you really hungry or are you actually fed up or bored or something is upsetting you.
If you would like some help and support to lose weight come along to our twice weekly webinars and ask our expert panel your questions.
Balancing blood sugar to support weight loss
Managing your blood sugar and insulin levels can be the key to long lasting weight loss even if you are not diabetic or pre-diabetic.
Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas in response to rising blood sugar. The insulin keeps sugar levels stable and allows you to store the extra energy that you don’t need right away. If you have a high sugar and carbohydrate diet, over time your body becomes more resistant to the action of insulin. More insulin has to be produced to maintain the balanced blood glucose level.
Insulin is also a fat storage hormone. Higher amounts of insulin lead to increased appetite and weight gain.
Following a lower carbohydrate diet can balance your blood sugar and improve your energy and mood whilst helping you to lose weight.
How to lose weight
People often want a magic formula to help them lose weight.
In truth for the majority of people there is no magic formula. But the good news is there are steps that can lead to successful weight loss.
Commit to the process of losing weight.
Make a plan. Have you ever heard the expression,’to fail to plan is to plan to fail’? This is why so many weight loss attempts don’t work. Losing weight successfully involves making a plan, allowing enough time and making a long term commitment.
Set a goal. Think about how much weight you would like to lose. Based on losing a certain amount of weight each week, work out how long you need to reach your goal.
Small steps. Break your overall goal down into smaller actions. Setting a goal for your first month is a great step and makes the whole process more achievable.
Be consistent. Losing weight can be frustrating. Be kind to yourself and stick with the plan. If you have a wobble, pick yourself up, leave the wobble in the past and get back on track.
We have four recommended dietary approaches that focus on eating healthy foods. These support better health and weight loss. Take a look and decide which option works for you and give it a go.
If you have any questions why not come along to one of our twice weekly webinars? We are there to answer your questions and support your weight loss and health improvement.
How to Make a Healthy Habit
A habit is something that you do with little or no thought. The first step in building a new habit is creating a routine by planning and repeating a behaviour. Creating a routine requires thought and focus to allow this to be regularly repeated.
To help create a new routine, attach your new action onto something you already do every day. For example, every day at lunch time plan to have a 20 minute walk. If you want to drink more water, commit to drinking a glass of water every time you make a hot drink.
Choose one behaviour that is important for you to achieve, such as being more active or getting to bed earlier. Be patient with yourself and make a plan to practice this activity every day.
For many people morning routines are quite established so think about adding on a new action here.
Making a small change is a great first step. Once you have achieved this you can think about other things you can adjust in your routine.
Another important thing is to think about what habits you have developed that have led you to gain weight. What are your eating habits? Are you a snacker or a fridge raider? Do you eat to relieve the boredom?
Once you have identified these habits, start thinking about what healthy activities you could do instead.
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Last reviewed on: 17/04/2023