A nutritionist has revealed what the best practice is to losing weight by outlining 'five basic rules' that must be followed.
Adjusting to a healthier lifestyle can be tricky, with sticking to a new regiment one of the more difficult tasks, The Daily Record reports.
But Guna Bilande, who specialises in operation transformation style weight loss journeys, says simplicity is "key" for living a healthy and balanced life.
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She stressed: “Most people generally know how to live healthily, but life gets in the way. This is why we need to keep things simple.”
These are her five top tips for losing weight and keeping it off, as reported by Nottinghamshire Live.
Sticking to a ‘healthy eating plate’
Guna's first slice of advice is to ensure each meal follows the same guidelines, starting with 25 percent of the plate comprising of lean protein like chicken or eggs.
Fifty percent should be given to vegetables, and the rest complex carbohydrates such as potato, rice or pasta.
She said: “Lean protein is really important in the diet because it helps to build and repair muscle, and keeps you feeling fuller for longer, therefore promoting fat loss.”
Meal preparation
Takeaways are often the easy way out, however you will suffer the consequences if they stack up.
Simple meal prepping ensures that there's always something healthy to dig, according to Guna.
She stated: “If you are making a dish of food, always prepare more than you need. That way you can box up the leftovers and put them in the fridge or freezer for another day. This works with everything from salads or soups for lunch to casseroles or at least stock for dinner.
“This will stop you from reaching for ‘convenience’ foods which can be packed with salt and sugar.”
Pace your mealtimes
In many cases, people aren't eating and chewing slowly enough, which could affect their weight loss journey.
The expert detailed: “People now are used to doing everything very fast, and preferably yesterday."
“The same goes with eating food. It’s important to slow down and ditch all screens including TVs and phones at mealtimes. As well as making it more enjoyable it means you are more likely to stop when you feel full. Taking smaller bites and chewing properly can help with this.
"It’s especially important for patients after surgery because the body cannot tolerate large amounts of food."
Keeping hydrated
Water can assist in suppressing hunger, the expert advised.
She said: “Most people live with others in their home and if they don’t eat the same ‘healthy’ diet as them it can be difficult because the ‘other’ foods are still around.”
“When you feel hungry, first drink a glass of water. I say the same thing to women who find they reach for sweet treats when suffering from PMS. If you keep well hydrated and if you stick to a high level of protein in your diet, you will keep hunger away.
“Then if you still want to snack after you’ve had that you are much more likely to go for less food than if you went for it straight away.”
Thirty minutes of exercise each day
Squeezing just 30 minutes of exercise in each day can do wonders for your weight loss journey.
Guna said: “That could be walking, yoga, pilates, swimming, or whatever works for you. Some people have arthritis or disabilities which means certain things aren’t possible. Find something that works for you and stick with it. The small things matter.
“It’s almost useless to go for a two-hour hike at the weekend, especially if you then ‘reward’ yourself with a big meal after. Instead, do a 30-minute walk every day or night. This will be more beneficial.”
When asked about ‘fad’ foods and crash diets to lose weight, Guna said: “The only magic is there is no magic. The magic only happens when you get up from your couch.”
