Weight Loss Unveiled: 5 Proven Methods

By Steph Harris | Health Scientist

Tired of trying to find the right ways to lose weight? Discover our proven methods for sustainable weight loss and start your journey with us!

1. Lose Weight Slowly

Losing weight should never be approached as a race. Plenty of companies will try to sell you on the idea that you can lose 20kg and more in 8 weeks. However, they don’t tell you what happens after.

The majority of the time, these people will gain the weight they have lost (and more) back, once they return to normal living. In order for your loss to remain a loss, lose the weight slowly.

This will give your body time to adapt to the internal changes that occur, such as hormonal variations, and promote a safe way of losing the weight. Always remember, it takes longer to lose weight than it does to gain it.  So, patience and consistency are key.

2. It’s About Adding More In, Not Restricting Yourself

Add healthy options into your diet, rather than restricting the unhealthy foods you currently consume. It may not be what you’re used to hearing – but we have seen more and more people achieving sustainable losses using this technique.

The idea behind it, is to eat the healthy options such as a piece of fruit after dinner before reaching straight for the chocolate. By doing this, your cravings are more likely to be satiated, and the desire for the chocolate subdued.

This method also has a more positive impact on the mind. Typical diets concerned with restricting foods, generally increase cravings for these foods. In other words, more people fall off the diet bandwagon sooner, and never see the results they desire. Knowing you can have a croissant, but choosing your poached eggs or oats for breakfast over it makes you less likely to crave the croissant.

3. Life-Long Changes (for Permanent Weight Loss)

All too often, people start diets that cut out next to everything their body is used to, and requires to survive. We’re here to tell you that this is not how to do it.

Every little change you make should be something you know you are able to stick to for the rest of your life. The extreme dieting should be reserved for athletes and bodybuilders. If you want to lead a healthier life, you need to find out the best way your individual self can do so, for the rest of your life.

4. What Works for Them, May Not Work for You…

There is no one formula for weight loss that works for every individual. If there was, we wouldn’t see hundreds of commercials for different diets that tell you completely opposing things.

What works for you might not be what works for your spouse, friends, or colleagues. In this case, trial and error is your best friend.

Working out what foods and styles of training your body reacts to best, is what will aid you the most in your weight-loss journey. If you’re unsure where to begin, consult your trainer for their recommended starting point for you.

5. Find Activities That You Enjoy Doing

When losing weight, the most important thing to consider is what you are consuming. However, the second most important aspect is your activity level.

Exercising at a moderate intensity for 30 minutes a day, will prove greater results in the long term, than just eating healthy alone. Exercise will help build up muscle strength, and endurance.

When considering what activities to do to lose weight, you should put resistance/weight training first on the list. Muscle tissue requires large amounts of energy (calories) to survive. Therefore, at rest you burn more calories with larger muscle mass than you do with less.

Focusing on building muscle will increase your resting (basal) metabolic rate, and will aid in fat loss. Aside from weight training, finding activities that you enjoy participating in is vital for long-term active living and happiness.

These activities may include walking, running, swimming, rock climbing, tennis, hiking… The list is endless! Finding the things that you genuinely enjoy will make you more motivated to get out of the house and do them.

So, there you have it! Five proven ways to help you lose weight, and maintain the loss! If you need any help, or have any questions regarding weight loss, please speak with your trainers – we’re here to help.