Weight Loss
Below is some helpful advice and top tips for healthy eating.
Click on any of the links below to get started
Are You Ready?
There are many reasons why you may decide to lose weight and an important first step is to decide if this is the right time for you. If you believe you are ready to make that commitment, take time to establish a plan that’s right for you, and take it step by step.
What is important to realise is that there is no quick fix. For long term success, make changes which you will be able to sustain. Learning more about your lifestyle and keeping a record of everything you eat and drink, as well as any activity you do will help you to set realistic goals.
Download the Food Diary and take note of your daily food intake. Click here to go to the Food Diary page
Download Document >>
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Setting Your Goals Remember...
- Losing 0.5kg-1kg (1-2lb) a week is a safe and significant rate of weight loss
- Be realistic about your goal weight too – a pound of fat contains 3,500 calories, so to lose 1lb a week you need to cut 500 calories a day
- Eat regular meals, starting with breakfast. People who do so find it easier to control their weight
- Keep your diet healthy, balanced and satisfying
- When days don’t go to plan, don’t give up and get straight back on track. The occasional lapse is normal, so don’t let it make you lose sight of your overall goals
- Check your weight just once or twice a week or measure your progress in lost inches
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Getting Started!
To make sure your weight management plan is nutritionally balanced and right for you, ask yourself a few questions before you begin.
Does your plan:
- Include appealing foods you will enjoy eating for the rest of your life, not just a few weeks or months?
- Include foods available at the supermarket where you usually shop or the food centre where you normally eat out?
- Allow you to eat your favourite foods in moderation?
- Recommend changes in your eating habits that also fit your lifestyle?
- Include regular physical activity?
If you can answer Yes to all these questions, chances are your weight-loss program will allow you to achieve long-term success.
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10 Top Tips for Weight Loss
1. Do Not Drastically Cut Calories: They are your
body’s energy and necessary for it to function efficiently. Drastic
reductions in calories can also result in cravings for high sugar
and fat foods. What you can do is limit the empty calories from
the top of the Healthy Diet Pyramid such as biscuits, cakes,
sweets and fries.
2. Snack Smart: When ice cream is in the freezer or
biscuits are calling you from the cupboard, they are hard to
ignore. Keep healthy snacks that satisfy your cravings close by.
Fruit, raw vegetables, whole-wheat crackers and diet yoghurts
are all good choices. Download our 50 and 100 calorie snack
options.
3. Do Not Drink Your Calories: Carbonated drinks,
juice, coffee filled with creamer or syrup can contain a lot of
calories. By sticking to tea and water you can cut calories each
day.
4. Every Little Bit Counts: Getting in shape does not
require a daily two-hour commitment at the gym. Something as
simple as a walk to the shop, walking your children to school,
getting off the bus a few stops early or using the stairs instead
of the elevator can make a difference. Try and learn more about
the calories you can burn though different activities.
5. Drink Water: Filling up on fluids will help to reduce
your appetite and you should aim for 1.5 - 2 litres (6-8 glasses)
each day. So next time you feel those hunger pangs grab a glass
of water and help keep them at bay. Soups (low fat or diet) are a
good lunch or snack choice as their high water content helps us
feel fuller for longer.
6. Boost the Fibre: High fibre foods such as fruit and
vegetables, wholegrain bread and cereals, whole-wheat pasta
and brown rice helps fill you up and can reduce your intake of
other foods. So fill up on fibre rich foods and help reduce your
total calorie intake.
7. Forget “Fried”: The difference between a fried
chicken breast and a broiled one can trip you up if you’re trying
to lose weight. Forget the fried chicken and earn 120 calories by
opting for skinless breast boiled chicken. When eating out go
for soup based dishes. Char Kway Teow has 743 calories
compared with 330 in Kway Teow T'ng. Simple changes in
cooking and eating out can help reduce calories and help you
lose weight.
8. Read the Label: Get familiar with food labels and
compare similar products and portions for calories, fat and
sugar content. Remember fat free or lower in fat does not mean
low calorie or low sugar. Many manufacturers add sugar to fat-
free products to make up for the texture and taste changes.
Read the label to compare and choose wisely.
9. Don’t Skip Meals: Studies show that people who
skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day tend to be
heavier than people who eat a healthy breakfast and eat four or
five times a day. This may be because people who skip meals
tend to feel hungrier later on, and eat more than they normally
would. It may also be that eating many small meals throughout
the day helps people control their appetites.
10. Size Up Your Portions: Getting familiar with the
Healthy Diet Pyramid food serving sizes is an important step in
controlling your food portions. Remember every calorie counts
and larger portions sizes may be where your extra calories are
coming from. Don’t feel like you have to clean your plate, avoid
second helping or simply use smaller plates and you can reduce
your food portions and save on calories. Download serving
size guide.
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Small Changes, Big Benefits
See just how many grams of fat and calories you can save by making some simple food swaps:
| Swap |
Save |
| 2 chocolate digestives for 2 plain biscuits |
113kcals |
| 5g fat |
| Cream cake for currant bun |
85kcals |
| 38g fat |
| Can of fizzy drink for sparkling mineral water |
138kcals |
| Milkshake for a diet drink |
516kcals |
| 13g fat |
| Large burger, large fries for a regular burger, regular fries |
461kcals |
| 32g fat |
| 1 pint whole milk for 1 pint skimmed milk |
200kcals |
| 22g fat |
| BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) sandwich for a 'Healthy eating' BLT |
411kcals |
| 38g fat |
| Chocolate biscuit for an apple |
89kcals |
| 7g fat |
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