How to lose a stone - Safe weight loss tips

Top tips for sustainable weight loss, by a registered dietician and a qualified personal trainer

If you want to lost a stone, gradual weight loss is always best. Short-term dieting and compulsive exercising may get you results in one way or another, but they're not sustainable for long-term weight loss, and aren't recommended as a healthy way to lose weight.

If you want to lose weight, "avoid fad or quick-fix diets," says registered dietician and nutrition researcher Tai Ibitoye. "Healthy eating should provide freedom not restriction," she adds, explaining that people who set themselves 'safe, achievable and sustainable' goals will become more confident in their ability to lose weight safely. They'll also set realistic targets for themselves to keep the weight off long-term.

Between 1 to 2 pounds (approximately 0.5-1kg) a week is a healthy and realistic target for weight loss, according to Tai, which would mean losing up to a stone across six weeks. However, depending on your body size and unique metabolism, you could lose more or less than that across a 4-6 week period.

"The amount of weight you lose is unique to the individual and depends on many different factors," says Gina, a qualified personal trainer and founder of inspirational online fitness platform Just Geen, who believes losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise.

A 'common sense' approach to eating is vital for safe and sustainable weight loss. Tai doesn't advise cutting out whole food groups (without any medical reason to do so), taking special food products, supplements or pills to lose a stone without any guidance from a registered health professional.

Many people looking to lose weight often go wrong by limiting their choices, sticking to one particular type of food, or meal, for a set amount of days or weeks. "Sticking to these types of diets in the long-term can be very challenging," she explains. Not only are they "no fun at all" but "these types of diets are nutritionally incomplete and don't provide you with the right amount of nutrients your body needs". You should aim to eat a balanced diet full of lots of different types of foods to keep your gut healthy and happy, too.

If you're trying to lose weight, you may be tempted to miss a meal but you shouldn't skip meals, says Tai. "Have three regular and balanced meals throughout the day and include snacks between if you are physically hungry," she advises.

She also recommends reducing the amount of food and drink that are usually higher in fat, salt or added sugars, such as fried foods, cakes, biscuits, desserts and sugar-sweetened drinks, and instead opting for no-added sugar alternatives instead.

She notes that "these can be eaten occasionally, but in small quantities and less often."

When it comes to snacks, slices of apple with nut butter spread are great healthy alternatives. Unsalted rice cakes, lightly salted plantain crisps, and lightly salted or plain popcorn are also great options. Try small handfuls of unsalted nuts or raisins, low-fat hummus or salsa with carrot, cucumber and celery sticks, and oat cakes.

You should also aim to increase your intake of fruit and vegetables because most of us are not eating enough of them. Include at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day; one portion is 80g which is about a handful.

An example of 1 portion includes: 2 medium plums, 1 medium banana or apple, 16 okra, 1 handful of vegetable sticks, 3 heaped tablespoons of peas, kidney beans or sweetcorn, 1 handful of grapes or 1 cereal bowl of mixed salad.

Fruit and vegetables are generally low in calories, fat and high in fibre (which can help you feel fuller for longer). They also contain important vitamins and minerals essential for your general health and wellbeing.

Consider having a small portion first to tune in and feel for when you're full. If you're still hungry, you can go back for seconds. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain it's full, so eat slowly and stop before you feel uncomfortable.

Studying labels will help you choose healthier options when it comes to food and drinks. The traffic light colours on product packaging shows whether the product has a high (red), medium (amber) or low (green) amount of saturated fats, salt and sugars. Use the calorie information to work out how a food or drink fits into your daily calorie allowance, and keep track with health and fitness tracking apps like MyFitnessPal or Nutracheck.

When it comes to eating during meal times, one healthy eating tip to incorporate is filling half the plate with vegetables and salad. Then divide the other half between protein sources (such as chicken, fish, meat, egg, beans or other plant-based protein sources) and starchy carbohydrates like rice, pasta or bread. Where possible, opt for wholegrain varieties– like brown rice, brown pasta, wholemeal bread and wholemeal chapati – and eat potatoes, with their skin on, as these are good sources of fibre.

If you drink alcohol, be mindful of how much you are consuming. Alcohol is high in calories and can lead to weight gain in some people. For example, 1g of alcohol provides about 7 calories (kcal) compared with 4kcal per gram for carbohydrates and protein. Alcohol has been shown to stimulate appetite, too, and encourage some people to eat more.

The UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) have advised that it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis, as too much alcohol can lead to long-term health problems. Cut down on the amount of alcohol you drink by enjoying non-alcoholic drinks, low-alcohol and low-calorie drinks instead. You could also try to schedule in at least three drink-free days each week.

"I’m a firm believer that you cannot out-train a bad diet so by getting your nutrition in line, it should make the exercise side of things easier," Gina says. She developed her online platform after finding fitness to be a huge stress relief after a particularly turbulent time in her life and thinks mixing weight training and HIIT is the best combination for great results in six weeks.

"Both training methods are good for you but in short, weight training is best for fat loss and building lean muscle. Cardio will help with weight loss, improving cardiovascular health and 'uncovering' the muscle you've sculpted."

Tai agrees: "Being more physically active can certainly help you lose weight and maintain a healthy body weight. The NHS recommends doing some type of physical activity every day. Any activity is good, the more done, the better."

She adds: "Find a physical activity that you find fun and enjoyable, as the more you enjoy it, the more you are likely to do it and be consistent. Try and make it part of your everyday routine, like walking or cycling to work, taking the dog for a walk, taking the stairs instead of the escalators or lift, getting off a few stops before your destination and walking there."

Weight training is important in the weight loss process. This is because lifting weights can increase your lean body mass, which increases the number of overall calories you burn during the day. Your muscle mass largely determines your resting metabolic rate (how many calories you burn by just living and breathing). Therefore, the more muscle you have, the more energy your body uses up.

HIIT (High Intensity Training) is a convenient form of cardio which is short and intense with minimal rest periods in between. This type of training will encourage your body to burn calories even after you are done exercising. LISS (Low-Intensity Steady State) is low-intensity exercise, anywhere from 40 minutes onwards. It has been proven to trim excess body fat without affecting muscle growth by using fat stores as energy rather than carbs or glucose. Also, as it is not as as taxing on the body, you’re able to do it frequently without the need for long periods of recovery.

Gina says she'd recommend two to four strength sessions and one to two cardio-based sessions a week for six weeks. "For beginners, I would start at three overall sessions a week and build up from there."

Monday: Upper bodyTuesday: Lower body, abs & LISSWednesday: Full bodyThursday: RestFriday: Lower body & absSaturday: HIITSunday: Rest

"Weight loss is different for everyone," Gina says, "but the basic idea is simple – eat (around 10%) less than you normally would, drink lots of water and move regularly."

Tai agrees, and advises the best way to lose weight safely is to get the right support and seek professional advice. "Some people need that extra support to reach their goals," she says. "Decide who can help you through your journey and the best way that they can support you. This could be asking a friend to help you keep accountable. It is also worth seeking dietary advice from a registered dietitian to ensure you achieve safe, healthy and long-lasting results."

Women who are pregnant are not advised to lose weight. Gaining weight during pregnancy is natural. However, if they are concerned about weight gain, they should seek advice from their doctor or registered dietitian.

People with an existing medical condition such as type 2 diabetes, who are considering trying to lose weight, should always seek advice from their GP and registered dietitian for tailored medical and dietary advice.

Different approaches to weight loss will be successful for different people. One size does not fit all. However, a registered dietitian can help provide individualised dietary advice and plans to meet your health and nutrition goals.

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