Healthy & Sustainable Weight Control

Strategies for Healthy & Sustainable Weight Control

• Explore a wide range of wholesome foods that nourish & satisfy. Be adventurous.
• Begin to 'Crowd Out' the old familiar choices with these nutritious foods.
• Adjust eating habits and other behaviours to support the above.
• Give up calorie-reduced diets and dieting - for good.
• Severely limit all junk foods and drinks - this is half the battle.
• Drink enough fluids, mainly water. Herbal tea's and some diluted juices are fine too.
• Base your diet around fresh veg (limit starchy veg), beans/lentils, fish, real meat, eggs, fruits and modest amounts of good quality dairy, seeds & nuts. Keep bread to a minimum.
• Fats & Oils - no more than 20-25% of total calories.
• Avoid low-fat products - generally poor quality, additive rich.
• Take foods rich in EFA's - oily fish, ground flax, chia seeds, flax oil, UDO's oil.
• Eat 3-5 times a day at regular intervals. Main meal at lunchtime. Don't eat more than 3 times unless you need to for blood sugar balance.
• Snack only on fruit (no banana's) plus limited nuts and seeds. 
• Reduce portion size - smaller plates can help. Do it gradually to avoid feeling deprived.
• Don't eat large meals or heavy snacks close to bedtime.
• Only eat when calm and take plenty of time to chew. Well chewed food satisfies sooner.
• Stop eating when 80% full. Takes strain off the digestion process.
• Find ways to reward and comfort yourself without using foods. Distract yourself from cravings.
• Check for allergies or intolerance's if there are persistent digestive problems e.g. bloating. 

Tips for helping with overweight Children

• Agree your strategy with your partner - and stick to it.
• Parents must lead by example (kids are programmed to copy).
• Eat the kinds of foods and snacks you want them to eat.
• Sit and eat with them, so they can model what and how you eat.
• Establish and encourage an active lifestyle for the whole family.
• Limit daily time at computer games & TV and establish weekly exercise or sports schedule.
• Praise a picky eater when they eat well, and don't make them guilty when they don't.
• Tell them you understand it can be hard to make healthy choices sometimes.
• For Infants: keep presenting new foods, and don't react if they reject things. Keep trying.
• Don't see meals as a 'big deal' battle ground.