Chloe McLeod is an accredited practising dietician and sports dietician with a focus on gut health. Here, how to shift those last few stubborn kilos – and stay happy and healthy for life.
Do a total reset
“Food diaries can be incredibly useful, as writing everything down means you become more aware of everything [you eat]. Also, if your motivation’s flagging, come back to your goal. Even create an external reminder, like changing your phone background to the place you’re going on holiday in a few months.”
READ MORE: “I’m A Dietician And These Are The 3 Healthy Eating ‘Rules’ I Live By”
Eat pizza (yes, really!)
“If there’s been too much restriction or deprivation, you feel like you’re missing out on things – a glass of wine or slice of pizza – and after a while, you don’t want to [miss out] anymore. I often talk to clients about still including some of those extra things throughout the weight-loss process because it makes it much easier to maintain the changes they’ve been making. And it can be easier to say ‘no’ because you’ll know you’ll have those treats at a point when you really want them.”
Don’t forget weekends
“One of my clients [who’d hit a weight-loss plateau] was killing it with her food between Monday and Friday. But then, come Saturday, she’d have cake with her husband after the gym, then lunch with friends and usually half a bottle of wine in the evening. So her overall kilojoule intake for the day doesn’t compare to the rest of the week. It’s about looking where you can make small changes. She didn’t want to not have the cake, which is totally fine, so we looked at how we could make lunch lighter or not include some of the other snacks in the day.”
READ MORE: Exactly How To Lose 2kg, 5kg Or 10kg, According To A Dietician
Nix cravings with carbs
“If you’re craving carbohydrates, often it’s because there haven’t been enough healthier carbs at other times of the day. Say, lunch is a tuna salad – a really healthy lunch, but a lot of the time because there are no carbohydrates there, you’ll end up being a bit hungry or looking for those carbs later on in the afternoon. Incorporating a small portion of the right carbs at lunch (like chickpeas, quinoa or sweet potato) can help manage that afternoon craving. Same with dinner and craving sweets afterwards.”
Spot hidden kJs
“Things like cordial (whether it’s sugar-containing or one with artificial sweetener) can add kilojoules or increase that taste for something sweet later in the day. A lot of smoothies and yoghurts can be quite high in kilojoules, so be mindful of those. And if you like a milky coffee, maybe have one a day rather than two or a small instead of a large.”
READ MORE: The 7 Best Packed Lunches For Working Women, According To A Dietician
Portion distortion
“If you’re overeating, it’s hard to lose weight – but also if you’re under-eating. I’m talking to more and more people about eating enough rather than cutting back. Your body needs enough food to function each day and, in some cases, eating too little can slow weight loss as your body tries to conserve fuel. Look at portions, timing and activity – if you’re getting up, walking your dog, going to a spinning class and are pretty active, you’ll have different energy requirements to somebody who gets up, goes to work, does a Pilates class and that’s about it.”
Love power foods
“Legumes are one of the best food groups for weight loss. They’re rich in fibre, low GI and really good for your gut health because of the prebiotic fibres they contain. Also focus on good-quality protein and eating at least five servings of veggies each day. Keep well hydrated too.”
