5 simple ways to help with weight loss through nutrition

Throughout my time as a dietitian, a large percentage of my clients have been looking for ways to lose weight. There have been plenty of things I have learnt along the way, so I thought why not share some of my wisdom.

No individual behaviour change strategy will be suitable for everybody and no mindset hack will work for everybody either. There is no one thing that is a secret to all this. I will try to cover 5 key concepts that will help most people, regardless of what strategy you are using for weight loss.

Higher protein intake

Per calorie, protein is the most satiating macronutrient. Per gram, fat has 9kcal/g and protein only 4kcal/g. When it comes to weight loss we want to look at satiation per calorie more than per gram, this is because we are working towards the goal of a calorie deficit, so we are trying to make that as easy as possible.

For example, somebody who has 20% of their calories coming from protein while trying to lose weight might find it easier to increase it up to 35-40%, as an example. This will leave you feeling fuller for longer, which would make it easier to eat less foods. Protein also has a higher thermic effect of food, even though this is not a big percentage of your total daily energy expenditure, it does make fat loss a little easier.

Higher fibre intake

Fibre is also highly linked with satiation as well as it helps to slow digestion down. Soluble fibre can absorb water which adds extra volume, signalling to your body that you are fuller. There is also a strong correlation with positive health outcomes and fibre intake. However, excess fibre intake can also cause gastrointestinal issues (GI) such as bloating and gas. It is a good idea if you slowly build up to a good fibre intake if you are currently consuming minimal amounts. The standard recommendations for men and women are 30g and 25g per day respectively. I think it is worth finding that sweet spot where you are benefitting from the fibre and also experiencing minimal GI symptoms.

Volume Eating

This is the concept of eating larger volumes of lower calorie foods. This could mean either eating the same number of calories but just more food or less calories with the same amount or more of food. You can see how this could help with weight loss. You are eating more food, feeling fuller, while still achieving a calorie deficit for weight loss. You are probably noticing a common theme with these tips. A lot of them are based on the idea of managing your appetite. If you feel satisfied on lower calories, it makes it easier to stick with. That being said, if you plan on losing weight, hunger is most likely going to be a part of the process. Part of the process involves embracing a little bit of hunger. A bit of hunger does not equal starving yourself. It is okay to experience a bit of hunger occasionally. These strategies are just to help avoid that being excessive.

Solids over Liquids

It is more satiating to eat than it is to drink. Liquids in isolation separate from meals often do not leave you feeling as satiated as if you had whole foods. Once again this does not need to be a black and white rule. I see it as more of a scale. Consuming fewer liquid calories, as a percentage of your total calorie intake while dieting, likely makes the process easier.

Flexibility vs Ridigity

When people come to see me asking for a meal plan, I hear these two lines.

“I want something that is easy to stick to and taste nice”

“I want variety, so I don’t get bored”

If you wanted to gain weight, you probably want your food to taste nice so it makes it easier to eat more if it. And you would want a lot of variety so you don’t get bored, and you can eat more. When you are looking to lose weight, you may want to lean slightly towards blander foods with less variety. If you are surrounded by foods you really want to eat, it can be harder to say no to eating more than what would be ideal for your goals.

A common theme I see people who have lost a good amount of weight is they are relatively routine focused, and they often eat similar kinds of things over and over, even more than I typically would like. We also need to know what works best for you, through trial and error we need to find an approach that works for you. This also applies to how you go about creating a calorie deficit, some prefer low fat, low carb, fasting or even a mixed approach. Some people work better with a stricter approach and others more flexible approach. Just have patience and build self-awareness around this.