DOES it feel like you’ve tried everything in your quest to lose those final pounds?
While the world is obsessed with Ozempic-like fat jabs, not everyone wants to resort to injecting drugs to shed weight. But what’s the answer when all the fad diets have failed?
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As a nutritionist with over a decade of experience, I’ve seen it all from quick fixes to restrictive plans that rarely deliver long-lasting results. I’m not alone – most professionals in this space would agree that rigid diets don’t work long-term.
But here’s what does…. Rethinking your approach to weight loss and health by focusing on sustainable habits known as diet ‘anchors’.
Anchors are a common concept that many wellness experts (myself included) use with our clients. Think of them as an antidote to fad diets that don’t hold up over time.
Like the name suggests, these fundamental vows help keep you grounded and consistent. They are easy to weave into your daily routine, making them sustainable, unlike rigid rules that come with most diets. They become so ingrained that they become natural, which is the key to success.
Many of my clients come in thinking they need to overhaul their diet overnight, but when it comes to health, it’s actually the small, steady shifts that have the biggest impact.
So if you’re fed up of complicated calorie counting, are struggling with flagging energy levels or can’t seem to stick to the new gym routine, try implementing these tried and tested non-negotiable rules to flip the weight loss switch…
1. BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
It may be the first thing you eat, but breakfast sets the tone for the whole day. The food choices you make have an impact on your blood sugar levels.
Slurping a bowl of milky cereal or a chowing a syrupy stack of pancakes might hit your sweet spot, but sugary breakfasts send your blood sugar levels on a rollercoaster.
What this means, is that after they spike your blood sugar, you soon experience a crash. It results in a mid-morning energy dip and cravings for the biscuit tin come 10am.
Make sure your breakfast choices lean more towards savoury, protein-rich meals to feel fuller for longer with no nasty blood glucose crashes.
Protein takes more energy to digest than fat or carbohydrates, which means it slightly increases calorie burn, whilst keeping you feeling fuller for longer.
Panfried mushrooms with melted cheese on toast, anchovy and tomato bruschetta or eggs cooked shakshuka style are a protein-fuelled start to the day.
But if you’re limited on time, or on-the-go, try:
- Boil a couple of eggs the night before and serve with salad leaves or wholemeal toast. Make a veggie frittata which can be eaten cold.
- Whizz together a bowl of fruity overnight oats. Pop some oats in a mason jar and cover with milk. In the morning, add a sprinkling of seeds (which are high in plant-based protein), your favourite fruit and a drizzle of honey.
- Combine plain Greek yoghurt with berries and top with mixed nuts or chia seeds.
- Nibble a protein bar with a piece of low-sugar fruit such as an apple or pear.
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2. COLOUR, NOT QUANTITY
Variety is the spice of life, so if you’re eating the same foods day after day you’ll hit a boredom wall and risk nutritional deficiencies.
To avoid this food rut, rotate the colours on your plate, aiming for a total of nine different shades every day.
This is easier than it sounds, and the simplest way is to aim for three different vegetables at each meal.
For example, sneak diced courgette and colourful peppers into bolognese sauces, make use of frozen bagged vegetables into casseroles and soups and add a side salad to your lunch.
When you lose inspiration, find new recipes on social media; it’s saturated with accounts showing how to make meals that hit all the spots; healthy, delicious, cheap and quick.
Try doubling up on everything you make for a week or two, so that you can freeze portions. That way you always have a healthy meal when you’re in a hurry.
8 simple swaps to boost your fibre intake
Feel fuller for longer and support your digestion – both helpful for weight loss – with more fibre. SWAP:
- White pasta for whole wheat pasta
- White bread for wholemeal or seeded bread
- White rice for brown rice or quinoa
- Potato crisps for popcorn (air-popped)
- Breakfast cereals for oats or whole-grain cereals
- Snack bars for Vegetable sticks with hummus
- Fruit juice for whole fruit
- Mashed white potatoes for mashed sweet potatoes or parsnips
3. UP AND OUT
Kicking back on the sofa and flicking on Netflix might be your current go-to after dinner, but gentle exercise after eating is a science-backed no-brainer weight loss hack that us nutritionists swear by.
A short walk within a 60-minute window of finishing your meal can help with weight loss as well as ward off disease. It makes all the difference in how your body absorbs carbohydrates.
A 2023 study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine showed that 20 minutes of walking straight after eating helped muscle cells use glucose more efficiently from the bloodstream which reduces insulin demand and boosts weight loss.
No time to walk, or stuck at the house? Pace up and down the stairs – set a goal and see if you can increase how many flights you can do over time – or get some chores done around the house.
4. SPICE AND NICE
Lots of us have to make a conscious effort to cook things from scratch. It’s easier to grab ready-to-eat meals for the family, but this is certainly not the best way to lose weight.
If there’s one thing you can do to liven up meals that you’re cooking from scratch – and keep your diet on track – it’s adding flavour. So, include at least one herb or spice at each meal.
From adding blood-sugar balancing cinnamon to porridge, topping green smoothies with anti-inflammatory golden turmeric and being extra liberal with herbs like sage, basil and parsley in pasta sauces, getting in the habit of seasoning will help to elevate your meals both in taste and nutrition.
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You can use dried herbs and spices or buy fresh. To keep costs down and wastage low, you can now buy pre-chopped herbs, as well as onions and garlic, in the frozen section.
Want to take it one step further? Create your own little herb garden on a sunny windowsill. Basil, thyme and mint are all super-easy varieties to grow at home.
5. SELF-WORTH REIGNS
Sustaining motivation to workout and eat well can be difficult at the best of times, but anchoring your thoughts to your goals is the best way to keep your get-up-and-go firing. Keep in mind that success is about consistency, and it’s those small wins that add up over time.
Mantras can help to reinforce your diet choices, so put pen to paper and make up a few that resonate with your goals.
Some of my personal favourites include “your choices today build results tomorrow”, and “nothing changes unless you change it”.
Self-worth can often shatter on fad diets, but with diet anchors you feel shaped by your positive health choices, so when you do smash one of your micro goals, be kind to yourself.
Even something simple like getting your nails done, or pampering yourself with a candlelit bath, can help to keep motivation high. And if you do fall off the wagon? Don’t beat yourself up for it, every day is a new day with new possibilities to better your health.
6. PLATE ART
Learning to become meticulous about how you organise your plate is a simple yet powerful anchor that can help to speed up weight loss, and keep those stubborn pounds off.
To build the perfect plate, it’s important to re-think the way you serve your food; Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and peppers as these are high in fibre and contain a hefty dose of nutrients.
Next, dedicate one quarter to protein – this includes foods like eggs, poultry, red meat or tofu to help support muscle health and promote fullness.
Finally, split the remaining quarter between healthy fats, (including avocado, nuts, and seeds), along with complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, wholemeal pasta or sweet potato as these help to sustain energy whilst providing essential nutrients.
The order in which you eat your food can also make a difference to weight loss – it’s a concept called ‘food sequencing’ and can help to improve your body’s insulin response to food.
To practice food sequencing, eat your non-starchy veg first, followed by your protein and healthy fat sources. Save your carbs until last to help minimise blood sugar spikes and aid fullness.
Louise Pyne is a registered nutritionist. Find her at www.louisepynenutrition.com and on Instagram @loulou_nutrition.
What a balanced plate looks like
How can you make sure you are eating a balanced, filling and nutritious plate at every meal?
Think of your plate divided into different food groups – protein, carbs, fat and fruit and veg.
Protein: David Wiener, training and nutrition specialist at AI-based lifestyle and coaching app Freeletics, told The Sun: “Aim for one to two palm-size portions of lean protein in each meal.”
Protein includes meat (chicken, turkey, pork, beef), beans, peas, lentils and fish.
The NHS Eatwell Guide says to choose lean cuts of meat and mince, and eat less red and processed meat like bacon, ham and sausages.
Aim for at least two portions (two x 140g) of fish every week, one of which should be oily, such as salmon, sardines or mackerel.
Carbs: Carbohydrates should make up about a third of your plate, or a fist-sized portion.
The Eatwell Guide says: “Choose higher fibre or wholegrain varieties, such as wholewheat pasta and brown rice, or simply leave the skins on potatoes.
“There are also higher fibre versions of white bread and pasta.
“Starchy foods are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet.”
Fat: Generally the advice is to think of fat like a thumb-sized amount on your plate.
The Eatwell Guide says: “Remember all types of fat are high in energy and should be eaten in small amounts.
“These foods include chocolate, cakes, biscuits, sugary soft drinks, butter, ghee and ice cream.
“They’re not needed in our diet, so should be eaten less often and in smaller amounts.”
But a small amount is still essential for the diet. Try and eat more unsaturated fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil), which are healthier than saturated fats (butter, hard cheese, sour cream).
Fruit and veg: David says: “Make sure you also get lots of colourful fruit and vegetable carbohydrates too.
“Aim for at least five of these portions a day.
“One to two fist-sized portions of fruits and vegetables with every meal is generally recommended.”
Fruit and veg can be fresh, frozen, tinned or dried. You can roast, boil, steam or grill veggies.
