In pursuing a healthier lifestyle, it’s difficult to think of something more sought after than weight loss. It’s easy to see why, losing weight has such a significant impact on overall health, performance, and the way you look and feel.
A simple online search will yield millions of ways to help you lose weight. However, many of those will try to entice you with the allure of instant weight loss through fad diets and questionable advice. So, when it’s getting harder to distinguish between what’s just trendy and what’s effective, it’s never been more crucial for you to make your own decisions and take control of your weight loss journey.
To help you do that, we will cut through the noise and give you some simple, practical advice. We will explore weight loss plans, explain why you should seek sustainable diets, and outline the basics of creating your weight loss plan.
It may go without saying, but a weight loss plan is simply a structured approach to reducing body weight to, ultimately, improve your health. Plans typically comprise multiple lifestyle adjustments including diet modifications and increased amounts of physical activity tailored to your preferences and goals.
Your goals should stem from an initial assessment of your current condition, which will measure things like your body weight, body composition, metabolic health, and medical history. Based on these findings, a customised plan can be crafted with the goal of achievable and sustainable weight loss.
But before we get to that, you must understand the difference between weight loss and fat loss. Weight loss refers to the reduction of your absolute body weight, whereas fat loss refers specifically to your body fat.
The truth is that you don’t want to lose as much weight as possible because some of that is good weight that you likely want like muscle mass and water. Solely focusing on the numbers on the scales can sometimes mask the progress you’re making towards an improved body composition, especially if you’re adjusting both your exercise routine and diet. Prioritising fat loss over weight loss and being mindful of building and preserving muscle mass is fundamental to fostering sustainable, long-term results.
All too often we see individuals start their weight loss journey with unrealistic goals. This sets you up for failure before you’ve even begun to succeed.
It’s important to set goals that align with your lifestyle and current condition; this will give you a better chance of achieving them. While this may require a little more patience and the results may not be as drastic, it will ensure that you’re able to sustainably lose weight and not be overly restricted in the process.
So, when you do set goals, make sure they’re realistic. Aim for a number that brings you some of the way towards your target weight in a reasonable timeframe. We recommend 0.6–0.7 kg (1.3–1.5 lbs) fat loss for men and women per week. Oh, and when you do hit your goals, don’t forget to celebrate them—it’s always important to revel in small victories!
Now we’ve some of the groundwork out of the way, let’s look at how you can craft your sustainable weight loss plan. Creating a plan tailored to your unique needs and preferences can be complicated, but we will focus on three fundamentals: exercise, diet, sleep, and rest.
We highly recommend incorporating more physical activity into your weekly for sustainable weight loss. Aim to perform both cardiovascular and resistance training to promote both fat loss and muscle gain. The former will burn more calories during an exercise session, while the latter will help increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR), burning more calories at rest.
Prioritise activities that you enjoy and will stick to in the long term and, if you need to, find communities that keep you motivated and hold you accountable.
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week alongside at least two days of resistance training.
You can come up with your own set of exercises or just come to one of our classes:
Achieving gradual and sustainable weight loss doesn’t have to mean weighing every gram of food you put in your mouth or spending hours calculating calories and macros. Initially, focus on making smarter choices and trying to achieve balance and moderation over restriction or deprivation.
Focus on whole, unprocessed foods, including fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Be vigilant of your portion sizes and when your body gives you hunger and satiety cues.
Two of our top tips are to be especially careful with snacks like nuts and dried fruits, which are deceptively high in calories, and to always drink water before you eat (your brain isn’t great at distinguishing between thirst and hunger).
In the early stages of your weight loss journey, it’s not about perfection but progress, so don’t beat yourself up if you’re only “good” most of the time—enjoy the occasional treat without guilt!
The unsung heroes of sustainable weight loss are sleep and rest. While we appreciate it’s often easier said than done, achieving 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night is a game changer.
To improve your chances of achieving enough sleep, consider revamping your bedtime routine by limiting screen time before bed, adjusting your sleep environment to ensure it’s restful, and avoiding fluids 1–2 hours before bedtime.
Additionally, don’t forget to incorporate rest or active recovery days into your exercise routine to allow your body time to repair and grow, and prevent burnout.
We're passionate about helping you achieve your weight loss goals healthily and sustainably.
Our tailored programs can encompass health screenings to accurately assess your current condition, personal training to establish an effective exercise routine, and sessions with a nutritionist to create a customised meal plan for weight loss.
You’ll never hear us touting quick fixes, but we will empower you to make lasting changes that fit your lifestyle. Just like all our past clients.