Weight loss: food facts and tips

Patient Information

Department of Nutrition and Dietetics

Weight loss: food facts and tips

This leaflet provides information on healthy eating for people who would like to lose weight.

1. There are health benefits to eating healthily and being as active as possible whatever your weight is.

2. Losing weight requires effort and cannot be accomplished overnight. It is a gradual process of making permanent lifestyle changes. Try not to think of this as a “diet” but a new beneficial way to live a healthful life!

3. For some people (e.g. with limited mobility, low energy requirements or people on certain drugs), not putting more weight on, eating well and feeling better about themselves are more realistic goals than losing weight.

4. Why change? Losing weight, eating a lower-calorie balanced diet and being active can help:

Reduce blood pressure

Reduce high cholesterol levels

Reduce joint pain associated with arthritis

Reduce breathlessness

Improve mobility

Improve blood sugar control if you have diabetes

Improve fertility

5. It is better to have a healthy lifestyle at a stable weight than to repeatedly lose and regain weight (“yo-yo dieting”).

What’s a healthy weight?

A healthy weight is based on BMI (Body Mass Index) which calculates our weight in relation to our height. An ideal BMI is 20-25. However, this may not be realistic for all individuals to achieve. Regular activity and healthy eating will benefit every body irrespective of BMI. Many websites have BMI calculators’ e.g. www.bdaweightwise.com

If you find it difficult to lose weight your practice nurse or dietitian may discuss a plan and set realistic targets with you.

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Your action plan

There are no miracle cures. Making healthful changes to your lifestyle can help you feel better, lose weight and keep it off, or maintain a stable weight. You can work through the following steps with your dietitian or practice nurse:

1. Identifying reasons to change

2. Learning about healthy eating

3. Understanding the role of physical activity

4. Making an action plan

5. Monitoring your progress

6. Reviewing your action plan

7. Feeling in control for the future

There is information about healthy eating & getting started in this booklet. Other leaflets you could ask for are:

Weight Reduction: Action plan worksheet

Weight Reduction: Making Changes work for you – booklet

Weight Reduction: Change for the better

Weight Reduction: Meal ideas

Weight Reduction: Food portion

Weight Reduction: Glycaemic index

Eating healthily

A few tips:

Eat regular meals - breakfast, a light meal and a main meal

Enjoy your food - variety is the spice of life

Reduce your portion sizes (except for vegetables)

Eat less fatty foods

Eat less sugary food and choose low sugar drinks

Eat more vegetables and include some fruit.

Drink plenty of fluids; water is best

If you drink alcohol, be mindful with the amount (see separate section on alcohol)

Reading food labels

Reading food labels can be very confusing. The following information is taken from the NHS choices website: www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages/Why5ADAY.aspx and may be a useful guide to help you make decisions when buying food.

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How do I know which foods are high or low in fat, sugar or salt?

There are guidelines to tell you if a food is high in fat, saturated fat, salt or sugar, or not. These are:

Total fat High: more than 17.5g of fat per 100g Low: 3g of fat or less per 100g

Saturated fat High: more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g Low: 1.5g of saturated fat or less per 100g

Sugars High: more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g Low: 5g of total sugars or less per 100g

Salt High: more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium) Low: 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium)

For example, if you are trying to cut down on saturated fat, limit your consumption of foods that have more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g.

A balanced approach to healthy eating for weight loss

Healthy eating – seeing it on a plate

The Department of Health produces a guide to healthy eating. This can be seen as the eatwell plate which shows at a glance the proportion of different food groups that should be present in the diet. It shows that most of what we eat should be vegetables with some fruit, and wholegrain starch-based foods such as wholemeal bread, rice, chapattis, potatoes and pasta. The remainder of what you eat should consist of protein foods and dairy foods and a very small amount of foods high in fat and/or sugar. Sometimes we get the balance wrong and have too much of the sugars, fats and fats! For more information on losing weight go to

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/start-losing-weight.aspx

What are the five food groups?

Fruit and vegetables

Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods

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Milk and dairy foods

Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein

Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar.

Fruit and Vegetables

Aim for at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day

A portion is:

Medium fruit: apple, orange, pear, banana 1 fruit

Small fruit a palm full

vegetables a large hand full have 2 or 3 different coloured vegetable portions at your main meal

One small glass of fruit juice a day (150mls) is high in sugar therefore calories.

Choose a wide variety - fresh, frozen, canned or dried - all are full of fibre, vegetables are low in calories, and help protect you against stroke, heart disease and cancer.

For more information: http://www.nhs.uk/LIVEWELL/5aday/Pages/5ADAYhome.aspx

Bread & other starchy foods

Aim to have a small portion (e.g. fist full) at every meal:

Bread e.g. wholegrain* (bread with bits), pumpernickel*, rye bread*

Breakfast cereals e.g. porridge*, oats*, bran-based cereals*

Potato

Pasta*

Rice e.g. basmati*

Noodles*

Sweet potato*

Yam*

Plantain

Green banana*

Chapattis

Food made from maize, corn-meal, millet or oats

Couscous

Choose higher fibre varieties whenever you can to fill you up - such as wholegrain bread, brown pasta or brown rice.

* These are especially good choices as they are slowly absorbed, so help you feel fuller longer

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Meat and other sources of protein

Aim for 2 servings per day.

These foods are good sources of protein. Some may also contain a lot of fat and calories choose wisely.

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and pulses and nuts are all included.

Keep portions small e.g. ½ small tin (50g /2oz) oily fish; 1 small fillet (l00g / 4oz) white fish, 50g / 2oz lean meat.

Choose plain meat e.g. chops, chicken etc. rather than processed meat e.g. burgers, sausages.

Fish - avoid batter and breadcrumb versions. Serve with a low-fat sauce/lemon.

Oily fish are good for the heart, but keep portions small as they’re high in calories.

Dahl is a healthy choice - lentils are low in fat.

Using oil/ghee adds extra fat and calories.

Milk and Dairy Foods –

Aim for 2-3 servings per day

This group is high in calcium, which is needed for healthy bones. It includes milk, cheese, yoghurt, and fromage frais. Examples of a portion: small pot of yoghurt; 200ml milk; 25g/1 oz cheese.

Use reduced fat variety e.g. skimmed or semi skimmed milk, low fat or diet yoghurts, and lower fat cheeses such as Edam, camembert, half-fat Cheddar, brie or low fat cheese spreads.

By using smaller amounts of a strong cheese you can get the same taste for less fat and calories.

The practice nurse or dietitian could advise you on alternative sources of calcium if you do not eat dairy foods.

Foods Containing Fat and / or Sugar

Limit these and do not have these as a snack when hungry:

Fats contains double the calories of starchy foods - eating less fat is the most effective way of eating less calories.

Sugar only contains calories - no other nutrients - your body does not need it! Eating too much sugar can make you put on weight and also causes tooth decay so try artificial sweeteners and sugar-free drinks.

Cooking oils and fats such as margarine, butter, lard, suet, ghee, dripping, creamed coconut and any vegetable oils, are all high in fat and calories so should be used sparingly - try to cook without using fat.

For a healthy heart choose olive oil or rapeseed oil for cooking, and lower fat olive oil or rapeseed oil spreads - but these still need to be used sparingly.

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Salad dressings, mayonnaise, and salad cream are all high in fat so choose low fat versions and use sparingly.

Biscuits, cakes, chocolate, crisps, ice-cream, pies and pastries contain a lot of hidden sugar and fat, so only eat them occasionally.

Beware of high calorie pub snacks, late night kebabs and curries - it all adds up!

Small changes can make a big difference (see the next section)

A low fat diet can help prevent heart disease whether you lose weight or not.

Salt

Eating a lot of salt can contribute to high blood pressure.

Try to cut down on adding salt at the table.

Reduce high salt foods e.g. stock cubes, ham, bacon, crisps and soy sauce or try to buy a low salt variety.

Fluid Try to drink at least 6 - 8 glasses or tumblers (1.5 - 2 litres) of fluid a day. Extra

fluid can make you feel full.

Choose low-calorie drinks or plain water.

If you have drinks with sweeteners, aim to use a range of different sweeteners e.g. aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K. Look at the ingredients label for information.

Alcohol Men and Women should not have more than 14 units per week and this should not be saved for one day. You should try to have several drink free days a week.

What’s a unit?

2016 Drinkaware

14 units is equivalent to six pints of average strength (4%) beer or six 175ml glasses of average strength wine (13%). Fourteen 25ml glasses of 40% spirits per week Alcohol is very high in calories and can make you hungry; it may also reduce your determination to lose weight. .

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Small changes can make a big difference

Fat contains more calories than sugar or alcohol. Changing from high fat foods to lower fat alternatives can reduce your calorie intake. This does not mean you have to completely give up your favourite foods, just make some small changes with:

1) The type of each food you buy e.g.

Fish – plain without batter or breadcrumbs, these add lots of calories

Yoghurt, fromage frais and similar foods – choose “diet” or “light” versions instead of creamy or whole milk options. “Low fat” may be still high in sugar and calories

Snacks – pastry items e.g. pasty, quiche, sausage roll, are high in fat and calories – why not choose a bread roll, pitta pocket or a wrap.

2) The amount you eat

How much - watch the portion sizes. It’s easy for these to gradually get bigger

How often – we’re not always aware how often the “extras” creep in

3) The way you prepare food

Only prepare the amount you need at each meal

Grating cheese instead of slicing it often means having less. Mix it with chopped onion or pickles for extra flavour

Choose lower calorie dressings & dips e.g. pickle rather than standard mayonnaise and salad cream

4) The way you cook food

When using oil measure how much is used rather than guess

Curry – use a small amount of oil. A chapatti is lower in calories than naan or paratha

Sauces – creamy sauces will be high in fat and calories. Why not try tomato-based or other low fat sauces instead?

5) The way you serve food

Try smaller plates

Avoid a second helping

Use the eatwell plate as a guide for proportions of food groups http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/eatwell-plate.aspx

6) The foods you choose when eating out:

Potatoes – waffles, croquettes, chips, roast – these are all high calorie options. Mashed, baked, pasta and rice are all lower calorie options – choose wisely.

If your main meal is high in calories, stop and think – “Do I really need a pudding?” Alternatively if you know you’re going to have pudding – choose a lighter meal

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7) Nibbles & snacks Biscuits, cake, chocolate, Samosas, chevra, nuts and crisps are very high in calories. These are suitable alternatives: a plain biscuit; reduced fat crisps; unsweetened popcorn; crispbreads; rice cakes. Fruit and raw vegetables make excellent fillers between meals so do low calorie drinks.

Some more ideas to reduce calorie intake

Foods high in sugar will also contain a lot of calories. Here are a few ideas for alternative options:

Higher in calories Lower calorie alternatives

Sweets, chocolate & mints. Sugar-free sweets/gum or unsweetened popcorn. sugar-free jelly cubes

Sugar, honey, syrup, jam, marmalade, lemon curd

Artificial sweeteners, Splenda, Canderel, Hermesetas. Use spreads lightly

Sweetened squashes and fizzy drinks No added sugar, diet or zero

Puddings - tinned fruit in syrup, fancy ice-cream, cake-based puddings

Sugar-free jelly; tinned fruit in natural juice; small portion of plain ice cream

Improving Your Eating Habits

When, What, Why you eat Work out where the extra calories you are eating are coming from.

Questions to ask yourself:

Am I.......

Eating lots of fatty foods?

Eating high fat and high sugar snacks between meals?

Eating to keep someone else company?

Cheering myself up with food?

Eating because I am bored?

Eating more food than I need to fill myself up?

Eating when I am not really hungry?

Eating out of habit e.g. morning break?

Physical Activity

Being active improves your health whatever weight you are. (For adults, 30 minutes moderate activity at least 5 days a week is recommended for heart health.)

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To lose and maintain weight loss you need to be moderately active for at least 1 hour every day of the week. You can divide this into 15 min sessions ( moderate activity examples are walking, vigorous housework, gardening)

Being active when losing weight can strengthen bones and prevent loss of muscle.

Research also shows being active is good for your mood.

Local opportunities

Coventry City Council organise various walking and rambling activities across a number of areas of Coventry. This includes city walks, and Nordic walking they also offer other healthy activity programmes. For details call Tel: 024 7683 3148 or visit the Get Healthy Coventry website: www.coventry.gov.uk/beactivebehealthy Also, information about local rambler’s association walks is published in The Coventry Evening Telegraph.

For other activities e.g. different types of dance (such as line dancing, tea dances, salsa etc.), bowls, swimming, badminton and so on - ask at your local library.

Getting started

Now you have some idea of what you need to change to improve your lifestyle, you need to think about how you are going to achieve these changes. Your practice nurse, local health trainer (0300 200 0011) or dietitian can work with you on this.

1. Think of a few things you would like to change. It may be about food or physical activities. They should be small and manageable changes.

Making change is not always easy but worth the effort to make a difference

Here are some examples:

Eat a piece of fruit every afternoon.

Go for a walk every other lunch-time

Half the amount of chocolate or crisps you eat each week.

Use the stairs instead of the lift every day

2. Set yourself a time limit to achieve your changes.

3. When you are planning your goals, think of anything that might get in your way, and think of what you will do to overcome these.

4 Once you achieve a goal, decide if you are ready for another one. It could be to keep up the goal for another week or to build on it.

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5 If you did not meet your goals, ask yourself why - what could you have done differently? Was the goal too difficult? You could divide it up into smaller steps and try again.

Monitoring your progress

Keep a record of all your achievements. Try filling in the table below. When you reach a goal, congratulate yourself and reward yourself with something you enjoy (but not food). Here are a few ideas - watching a film, shopping, meeting up with a friend or pampering yourself. Weigh yourself no more than once a week at the same time of day on the same scales as long as the weight continues to reduce even a small amount of weight loss is beneficial

Remember

Don’t let set backs get you down - aim for progress, not perfection.

Being active and eating a low fat, balanced diet is good for your health whatever your weight.

Keep reminding yourself why you want to lose weight and the various benefits

you will gain from it.

Good luck!

Date

Weight / Waist cm Activity Achievements

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Date

Weight / Waist cm Activity Achievements

Produced by Coventry Dietitians, University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust

Contact number: 024 7696 6161

The Trust has access to interpreting and translation services. If you need this information in another language or format please contact 024 7696 6161 and we will do our best to meet your needs.

The Trust operates a smoke free policy

Document History

Author Coventry Dietitians Department Dietetic Department Contact Tel Ext 26161 Published Reviewed

June 2009 February 2016, March 2018

Review March 2020 Version 8.1 Reference HIC/LFT/401/07