Unfortunately, weight loss can sometimes be a slow journey.
Especially if you’ve reached a plateau or have a long way to go to your goals.
However, it’s important to remember that no method of weight loss is guaranteed to work overnight – and it’s actually better if it doesn’t.
In this article, we look at some ways that you can help to speed up your weight loss if you’re going through a slow patch.
How to kick start weight loss
Firstly, it’s a good idea to remember that weight loss shouldn’t be about reaching short-term goals as fast as possible.
It should be about making sustainable lifestyle changes that you can carry with you to maintain a healthy weight after reaching your goals.
However, you can start making some of these changes from day one such as making a conscious effort to eat less fat.
This may start with cutting the rind off any meat that you cook, or reducing the amount of ice cream that you eat after dinner.
Although these are small changes, they’re still progressive changes that should make a positive impact on your weight loss journey.
If you aren’t already eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, then this is a great place to start in kick-starting your weight loss!
You can include loads of colourful vegetables in some of your favourite recipes to boost your intake.
You could even pack yourself a nice fruit salad to snack on throughout the day at work. It’s sometimes surprising how filling fruit and vegetables can be, especially if you aren’t used to eating many of them.
You may also want to look at what you’re drinking if you’re wanting to kick start your weight loss journey.
It can be easy to forget about the calories that we consume through liquids, but some drinks can be fairly high in calories.
This is especially the case with full-sugar soft drinks and alcoholic drinks.
If you’re sticking to your daily calorie limit throughout the week but then drinking a lot of alcohol at the weekend, this could slow or even halt your weight loss.
We recommend drinking a diet soft drink between each alcoholic drink or choosing lower-calorie options in order to reduce how much energy you consume through your drinks.
Essentially, you just need to prepare for some lifestyle changes, and be ready to accept them as part of your life before you begin a weight loss journey.
Unfortunately, there’s no overnight way to lose weight, but you stand a greater chance of success if you’re open to lifestyle changes from the get-go.
Why is my weight loss so slow?
There are a number of reasons why you might think that your weight loss is slow, but first, we need to determine what a “slow” weight loss actually is.
Many people become disappointed if they only lose 1lb a week, but a weekly loss of 1-2lbs is actually what’s recommended by the NHS and other healthcare organisations worldwide.
Although it might seem slow and it might take a while to notice a physical difference, this kind of weight loss is healthy and sustainable.
This means that you’re more likely to keep it off in the long term with a gradual and sustained loss.
However, if you’ve been experiencing weight loss for a while and have noticed that your losses have reduced, it may be because you’re reaching a plateau.
This is nothing to be worried about, in fact, some argue that a plateau should be celebrated, as they’re important for long-term weight loss.
Plateaus happen when you’ve lost some weight and your body needs time to adjust to its new energy requirements.
As we lose weight, our bodies need less energy to maintain themselves, so it could just be a case of your body adjusting to its new weight.
To push past a plateau, you may have to make some small changes to either consume fewer calories, or burn more.
This could mean reducing your portion sizes, changing your food choices, or even stepping up your workout routine so that you’re working harder, or for longer.
Small changes like this can sometimes be enough to boost your weight loss when you’re going through a particularly slow period.
Occasionally, weight loss may be slow due to an underlying health condition such as polycystic ovary syndrome or even a problem with your thyroid gland.
If small changes to your lifestyle aren’t helping you to speed up your weight loss, it might be a good idea to make an appointment with your doctor to make sure that nothing is preventing you from losing weight.
What foods help to speed up weight loss?
Whilst there’s no magic food that you can eat to dramatically decrease your weight, there are ways that you can adjust your diet to include lower-calorie foods that are more likely to keep you fuller for longer, such as lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and Low-GI carbohydrates.
The key to weight loss is to consume fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its weight.
It, therefore, makes sense that by choosing foods that are low in calories, you should be reducing your calorie intake. Just as long as you’re eating the right amount of them.
Another thing to remember with food when it comes to weight loss is that if you eat more than you need of anything, it can cause you to consume too many calories and potentially hinder your weight loss.
Portion control is also important if you’re counting calories, as weighing and measuring is sometimes required to make sure that you’re eating the right amount of calories and not going over or under your daily allowance by too much.
It’s also important to drink plenty of fluids. Not only can it help to keep you hydrated and healthy, but drinking enough water can also reduce the risk of experiencing fluid retention, or “water weight”.
Fluids also take up some room in the stomach, so it’s a good idea to drink water alongside eating a meal, as you may become more satisfied sooner.
Essentially, if you’re looking for foods that can give your weight loss a boost, you should be looking at filling your plate with low-calorie options like salad or vegetables, having a reasonable portion of lean protein such as chicken, tofu, beans or lean fish, and opting for low-GI carbohydrates which should help you to feel more satisfied for a longer amount of time.
