Like most people, you might ask your friends or family for advice on how to lose weight, start a new diet, or improve your nutrition. But that might make it even harder for you to figure out what to do to keep a healthy weight.
A Poll of Dietitians About Weight Loss
As a global nutrition company, we talk to members of our Dietetic Advisory Board (DAB) from all over the world to stay on top of the latest nutrition trends. We also create training materials for our distributors to help their clients make informed decisions about nutrition.
But we wanted to understand more about the main problems and challenges many people face to lose weight. We recently asked dietitians who went to the 2018 annual Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics meeting about their patients’ nutrition goals, dietary myths, behavioral barriers, and other problems when trying to eat healthily. Some important points from that survey are:
- Nearly 57% of dietitians said their patients’ most common goal was losing weight.
- About 20% of dietitians said that getting their patients to eat healthier was a goal or concern.
- Patients often think a diet with few carbohydrates is the best way to lose and maintain weight. 31% of the nutrition experts who were asked said this was the case.
- Other common myths are that you should stop eating all forms of sugar (24%) and that vegetarian diets don’t have enough protein (20%).
- More than half of dietitians (51%) said that their patients’ biggest problem with sticking to their plan was that they didn’t have the motivation to do so.
- Dietitians also noticed that several of their patients had trouble controlling the size of their portions (18%) and didn’t have enough time to make meals (18%).
Set goals and celebrate them as you lose weight.
Celebrating each weight-loss goal is important because it keeps you focused on how far you’ve arrived rather than how far you still have to go. A slow and steady pace always seems to win when it comes to losing weight, but this can sometimes be frustrating.
So, make a lot of small goals along the way and find ways to reward yourself. For example, you could buy a new piece of clothing or get a massage. Remember that after all your hard work, you deserve it!
Get adequate protein.
Protein is an important nutrient that helps people grow and develop in the best way possible. It is also important for building and keeping up muscle mass. Protein is important for controlling weight because it makes you feel less hungry. Getting enough protein, like protein shakes or bars, at meals and snacks helps you feel full.
Include healthy snacking.
Nearly one-third of the energy people get daily comes from snacks in the modern world. But healthy and well-balanced snacks are an important part of a healthy diet. Snacks with a lot of protein can make you feel full and may assist you in eating less at your next meal. Instead of feeling bad about snacking, you should learn how to snack healthily.
Aim for 30 minutes or more of brisk movement each day.
One of the benefits of exercise is that it helps you burn calories, which can help you lose weight and keep it off. And doing moderate activities regularly can also help relieve stress. Think of ways you can move around more during the day. For example, get off the subway or bus two to three stops before your final destination and walk the rest.
Learn how to make quick, healthy meals.
Planning your meals will help you determine what to buy and stock your fridge, freezer, and pantry to make quick, healthy meals. Making food ahead of time also helps.
Foods that take longer, like beans and whole grains, can be cooked in large amounts and stored in the freezer for later use. You can wash and dry vegetables ahead of time to use them during the week. Eating healthy is a great way to start living healthier, but cooking healthier is the best thing you can do to keep living this way.
Learn how to control portions.
Controlling how much you eat is a key part of losing weight. You can eat fewer calories overall if you learn to control how much you eat. Use smaller plates, glasses, and utensils, and try to serve spoons to cut down on portions. It also helps to always put your fraction on a plate or bowl instead of eating right out of the package, which can cause you to eat too much.
Learn to read the food labels.
When watching your weight, you must know what you consume and drink. Understanding how to read food labels is helpful because they tell you how many calories, nutrients, and serving sizes are in the food. This supports you to control how much you eat and choose healthier foods.
