We all know that creating a calorie deficit is what matters for losing weight – simple right? Doesn’t mean it’s easy! However, if you have the lifestyle behaviours in place then you can make it a lot easier for yourself! Here are our top 10 lifestyle behaviours to lose weight and keep it off.
1. Follow a plan
A personalised plan provides you with the guidance and structure to meet your own unique goals. The plan removes the guesswork, wasted time thinking and provides you with something objective to follow. Importantly, it provides you with something to review and adapt depending upon the outcomes from following the plan – adherence to plan, weight, body comp, appetite, training, food preferences etc.
How? Spend some time jotting down your goals and using this to make a specific and personalised roadmap that will facilitate you reaching these goals. Alternatively, get support from a qualified nutritionist and weight loss specialist.
2. Record data
We typically like our clients to record a mixture of objective and subjective data. Recording weight and food is key for self-regulation. But having a record of habits and feelings etc is also helpful to reflect upon and see if there are any patterns which are either helpful or unhelpful. Essentially what you record will be used to inform how your plan needs to be adapted and ensure that you meet your goals as effectively and efficiently as possible.
How? Buy yourself a journal or create a document on your phone – record your data and habits consistently! There are many good apps now that can help you track what you are doing, whether sleep, movement, nutrition, stress/emotions etc.
3. Sleep enough
If you are not sleeping enough, your hunger hormone ghrelin increases, and you are likely to choose foods higher in sugars and fat as well as eat bigger potion sizes that you would do normally. This is likely to reduce your likelihood and/or ease of meeting your calorie deficit. You are also less likely to train (effectively) and may reduce your energy output.
How? Follow a sleep schedule with a regular wake time being the priority. If you can get a regular going to bedtime and bed time routine, this will really help too. Remember to allow your in bedtime that is not sleeping!
4. Manage stress
Continued stress means that levels of your stress hormone cortisol will be elevated. This is not good for body composition – higher stress has been associated with increased fat stores around the tummy, with a loss of muscle. Also, depending upon you as an individual, you may respond to stress by becoming super hungry and/or reaching for the biscuit tin.
How? Understand what stresses you and what alleviates it. Make a commitment to alleviating it on a daily basis and where possible minimising what stresses you.
5. Exercise regularly
Because you want to be healthy, and you want to maintain weight in the long term. Long term weight loss maintenance is associated with regular exercise.
How? Follow a weekly exercise schedule as part of your personalised plan. Much like your nutrition plan, create a training program to follow that complements your goals and suits you. Adapt this over time so that your exercise plan continues to challenge you. There should be some level of progressive overload, continually asking your body to adapt and improve. Simply going through the motions and repeating the same training plan you have done for the last 2 years or worse still having no training plan and making things up as you go along won’t cut the mustard.
6. Move daily
Moving throughout the day and being active is essential for keeping your energy output at a level which facilitates you being able to eat a good amount. It’s also important for general health and feeling energised. See this article about Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis for weight loss.
How? Incorporate movement at multiple times throughout the day and set alarms on your phone.
7. Eat mindfully
What does this mean? Sitting down, focusing on the food that you are eating and taking a few breaths before. Super important for registering the food that you are eating, influencing your levels of hunger/fullness and making decisions that are most aligned with your health goals of losing weight. The more stressed you are the more you rely on impulsive and instant reward based decisions. By being more mindful or creating a more mindful and relaxed state you awaken aspects of the brain involved in rational decision making.
How? Practice 1-3mins of diaphragmatic breathing before eating
8. Practise presence
If you are present, you will be more likely to adhere to your plan because you will be focused on what you have to do at that exact moment. So, when it comes to the meal, you eat that meal, and once you have finished the meal, you go onto the next thing, such as a walk with your best friend. Being present will help you reduce stress levels considerable. This goal ties in with increase mindfulness.
How? Check out apps like Calm and Headspace if you are interested in incorporating periods of meditation and mindfulness. Alternatively, seek the help of a professional in this area. We work closely with David Behrens, who runs 1-2-1 meditation and mindfulness programs.
9. Social support
Ultimately, consistent adherence to your plan is what will allow you to lose weight and keep it off. Whilst you may not feel like you “need” support, it may benefit you – providing you with some welcomed encouragement, an opportunity to gain insight, motivation to take your commitment up a notch, as well as of course picking you up during a challenging time.
How? Enlist multiple people to support you on your health journey that you can rely upon – a best friend, a family member and/or a Nutritionist and Health coach.
10. Keep a journal
It doesn’t need to be long. It might be as simple as what you’ve done well, where there are opportunities to go forward and what you’re grateful for. This helps you to take responsibility for your journey and take ownership of it.
How? Keep a daily 5 minute journal and do it at the same time daily!
Work with a weight loss specialist
Our clinicians specialise in weight loss. All our qualified nutrition professionals have backgrounds in the exercise industries and a vast amount of experience coaching clients towards their goals.
Check out our weight loss specialist page, where you can learn more about our services, clinicians and the support and programs that we offer.
If you would like to enquire to work with one of our practitioners, please click the button below:
