Weight loss and dieting | healthdirect

Many Australians need to lose a few kilos. New diets, programs and books telling us how to lose weight appear every day, but it’s important to follow an eating and exercise plan that you can maintain and will help you stay healthy in the long term.

To lose weight, you need to eat and drink fewer kilojoules than you use. (A kilojoule [kJ] is a measure of the amount of energy a person gets from food. The average adult will burn about 8,700kJ per day, although the amount varies depending on age, gender and level of activity.)

A weight-loss diet usually involves cutting out or limiting certain types of food and drink and replaces them with healthy, more nutritious options so you lose weight.

What is a ‘fad’ diet?

A ‘fad’ diet is an eating plan that often promises rapid weight loss. They are often advertised through the media and usually not based on science or do not have a lot of clinical research to back up their claim. Often, fad weight-loss diets want you to cut out entire food groups, which could mean you don’t get all the nutrients the body requires.

They should not be confused with vegetarian or vegan diets. These are not weight-loss diets and, with good planning, vegetarians and vegans can get all the nutrients they need.

It’s important to choose an eating and exercise plan that is healthy and that suits your lifestyle. Following a healthy eating plan is better for your health and will mean you are more likely to keep the weight off long term.

The risks of fad dieting

It is important to realise that not all diets work and some can also be potentially harmful. Going on a very restrictive fad diet can lead to:

• slowing of the body’s metabolism (how quickly you burn kilojoules), meaning you will put on weight more easily in future
• constant feelings of hunger, leading to food cravings and an increased appetite
• rapid weight loss followed by rapid weight gain
• an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia
• less muscle tissue and lower bone density
• headaches, insomnia and fatigue
• lower body temperature
• constipation and/or diarrhoea

Most of the weight you lose on a fad diet is water and lean muscle, not fat. That’s because when you eat too little, your body breaks down muscle to get enough kilojoules. It is easier for your body to get kilojoules from muscle than from fat.

How to spot a fad diet

Fad diets are very popular in Australia. Common fad diets include those that:

• promotes very fast weight loss (without supervision by a dietitian and/or a doctor)
• focuses on short-term changes to your eating or exercise
• includes pills or preparations

You might lose weight in the short term on a fad diet, but they are difficult to sustain and can cause serious health problems. The best approach to weight loss is to follow a long-term, healthy and balanced eating plan and to exercise regularly.

How to lose weight healthily

The key to healthy weight loss is to focus on a healthy lifestyle with plenty of regular exercise and a balanced diet with foods mainly from these 5 healthy food groups:

• different coloured vegetables
• fruit
• whole grains
• lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans
• milk, yoghurt and cheese, mostly reduced fat

You should also drink plenty of water, and limit your intake of foods that contain saturated fat, added sugar, added salt and alcohol.

Tips for losing weight

• swap foods high in fat, sugar and salt with foods from one of the 5 healthy food groups
• cut down on takeaways — eat leftovers from last night’s meal instead
• eat regularly and plan ahead with healthy snacks
• choose smaller portions
• eat breakfast
• enjoy a wide variety of foods
• exercise for 30 to 60 minutes every day
• eat plenty of fibre to fill you up
• eat more vegetables

For more information

• Talk to your doctor.
• Find an accredited practising dietitian from the Dietitians Association of Australia, or call 1800 812 942.
• Call the healthdirect helpline to speak with a registered nurse on 1800 022 222.