Interested in Losing Weight?

What You Need to Know Before Getting Started
Weight loss can be achieved either by eating fewer calories or by burning more calories with physical activity, preferably both.

A healthy weight loss program consists of:

• A reasonable, realistic weight loss goal
• A reduced calorie, nutritionally-balanced eating plan
• Regular physical activity
• A behavior change plan to help you stay on track with your goals

We want to help you with each of these components.

Keep in Mind

• Calories count
• Portions count
• Nutrition counts
• Even a small amount of weight loss can lead to big health benefits
• Strive to develop good habits to last a lifetime
• Discuss weight loss with your doctor before getting started

Getting Started

• Check your Body Mass Index(link is external) (BMI) - an indicator of body fat - and see where it fits within the BMI categories.
• Discuss weight loss with your doctor and decide on a goal. If you have a lot of weight to lose, set a realistic intermediate goal, maybe to lose 10 pounds. Remember that even a small amount of weight loss can lead to big health benefits.
• Estimate your calorie needs. Using USDA's online Adult Energy Needs and BMI Calculator(link is external), you can determine the number of calories needed each day to maintain your current weight. To lose about 1 pound per week, subtract 500 calories each day from the daily amount. To lose about 2 pounds per week, subtract 1000 calories daily.
• Score your current food intake and physical activity level using MyPlate SuperTracker. Taking a good look at your current habits will help you determine what changes you might make as well as what you are doing right.

How Do I Know Which Weight Loss Plan is Right For Me?

• Keep in mind that you want to develop lifestyle habits that will help you maintain your weight in a healthy range. A short-term "diet" that you "go on" and then "go off" is not the answer to long-term weight management.
• In choosing how to go about losing weight, keep in mind key habits of people who have lost weight and kept in off. These people are called "Successful Losers" by the weight control experts who have studied them.

Key Behaviors of Successful Losers*

• Getting regular physical activity
• Reducing calorie and fat intake
• Eating regular meals, including breakfast
• Weighing themselves regularly
• Not letting small "slips" turn into large weight regain

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Tips for losing weight healthily

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommends that we all achieve and maintain a healthy weight. More than half of all Australian adults are above their healthiest weight.

How do you know if you are carrying extra weight?

Most adults can use the following graph as a guide to the healthiest weight for their height.  Draw a line across from your height without shoes in centimetres and a line straight up from your weight in kg with light clothes but no shoes. The point where these two lines cross will land in a BMI range. Your weight will be classified as ‘underweight’ (less than your healthiest weight), ‘normal’ (healthiest weight), ‘overweight’ (above your healthiest weight and at greater risk of some health problems) or ‘obese’ (significantly above your healthiest weight and at greatest risk of health problems).

You can also use the graph to work out what is the healthiest weight for your height. The graph cannot be used for children or people under eighteen years of age because they are still growing and developing.

If you are carrying extra weight losing even 5kg can make you feel better and lower your risk factors for health problems.

Everyday there are new ideas, diets, programs and books telling us how to lose weight. It can be very confusing and hard to know what to try.

It’s easier than ever before to gain weight and harder to take it off. Discretionary foods are cheaper and tastier, portion sizes are larger and we are less active at work and in our spare time.

So to lose weight that stays off we need to make small changes that turn back the clock. We need to limitdiscretionary foods, down size our portions, and find ways to be more active in our everyday lives.

To lose weight, we need to eat and drink fewer kilojoules that we use. Choosing foods from the Australian Dietary Guidelines will help us choose foods that provide the most nutrients, without the extra kilojoules. For example eating more coloured vegetables and salad will keep us feeling fuller for fewer kilojoules. In fact making half our meals coloured vegetables or salad and having smaller portions of the other foods, we can reduce the kilojoules by up to half.

There recommended number of serves can be used to plan meals and snacks for weight loss. Following the serves from the Five Food Groups and avoiding discretionary foods will help most people lose weight while staying healthy. Younger men, people who are taller than average or more active may find they need to include the ‘additional serves’.

Planning is the secret to successful weight loss. By thinking ahead about meals and snacks we can spread the number of serves from the five foods groups over interesting meals and snacks and avoid unplanned eating of extra serves or discretionary foods.

Making a plan for meals and snacks will also make food shopping easier and quicker and cheaper and avoid unplanned extra kilojoules, because then we can buy exactly what we need. Also, knowing a few tips for getting the most out of food labels when shopping can help avoid extra kilojoules.

MORE: How to read nutrition labels for weight loss and health

Eating away from home can be a challenge when wanting to lose weight, but again, thinking ahead and knowing some useful strategies can make it work.

If we eat more ‘mindfully’, turning off the TV, slowing down and savouring food, we can enjoy food more, be more in touch with how hungry or satisfied we are and eat less.

You will find plenty of great information and tips to help you with goal setting, increasing physical activity and making other lifestyle changes to help with weight loss at The Healthy Weight Guide website.

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What a Nutritionist Eats in a Week

I do believe in everything in moderation. I follow an 80/20 philosophy with my diet – where the 80% accounts for nourishing wholefoods, like organically sourced fruits/veggies/meat and plenty of good fats – and the 20% includes healthy treats in moderation; a few squares of dark chocolate or a glass of red wine at the end of the day. Enjoy the 20%, but make sure you are having a good quality animal protein and loads of colourful and green veggies to go with it!

Here is what a week on my plate looks like – I make sure to include heaps of variety – eating the rainbow is truly the easiest way to make sure you get all the essential nutrients your body needs!

Monday:

Pre breakfast: lemon and ginger warm water + yoga + belly breathing exercise. (Everyday)

+ Morning piccolo coffee – 1 shot of coffee with a small serve of hot milk.

Breakfast: 1/2 cup organic rolled oats cooked in water/almond/coco milk and cinnamon. Topped with berries, a scoop of vanilla pea protein and some mixed seeds. It is so important to get some good fats and proteins in at breakfast time to keep your blood sugar levels stable until dinner.

Daily vitamins: Fish oil, Multi mineral, Vitamin C. (repeated daily)

Snack: Green apple with cinnamon and ginger lemon tea

Lunch: Salmon trout served on a mixed leaf salad with avocado slices. Lemon juice and Dijon mustard mixed together for the dressing.

Snack: Carrot sticks with clean hummus

Dinner: Grilled sea bass/snapper with sautéed/steamed garlic broccoli and grilled asparagus. Lemon ginger tea/chamomile.

Nighttime vitamins: Magnesium powder and a probiotic.

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Power protein shake: scoop of vanilla pea/whey protein, 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1 tbsp chia seeds, cinnamon, 1 tsp almond butter, vanilla stevia, 1 cup ice cubes, 1 cup almond milk. Blend. This keeps me so full and satisfied all morning.

+ Morning piccolo coffee – 1 shot of coffee with a small serve of hot milk.

Snack: small handful of raw almonds

Lunch: Tuna and roasted cauliflower salad: a bed of lettuce, chopped carrot, artichokes, avocado, onion, cucumber and roasted cumin spiced cauliflower. Tossed with sesame dressing made from Dijon mustard, sesame oil, tamari and white balsamic.

Snack: 2x sugar free protein balls 

Dinner: Grilled salmon served with pesto green beans and a mixed salad

Wednesday:

Breakfast: 150-200g Greek yoghurt/Coyo with 1/2 cup mixed berries. Add a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and chia seeds. Top with a handful of raw almonds and a drizzle of honey/stevia/cinnamon to sweeten.

+ Morning piccolo coffee – 1 shot of coffee with a small serve of hot milk.

Snack: 1x boiled egg + fresh green juice

Lunch: Grilled chicken and avocado salad with rocket leaves and grilled zucchini. Top with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Snack: Carrot and cucumber sticks with tahini dip

Dinner: Piece of lean eye fillet steak served with cauliflower mash (recipe from my book, The Healthy Life) and roasted sweet potato slices.

Dessert: 2-3 pieces of 80% dark chocolate.

Thursday:

Breakfast: Power protein shake: scoop of vanilla pea/whey protein, 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1 tbsp chia seeds, cinnamon, 1 tsp almond butter, vanilla stevia, 1 cup ice cubes, 1 cup almond milk. Blend. This keeps me so full and satisfied all morning.

+ Morning piccolo coffee – 1 shot of coffee with a small serve of hot milk.

Snack: 1 cup of blueberries sprinkled with cinnamon

Lunch: Tuna and avocado brown rice sushi – from my local Japanese café.

Snack: 150g Greek yoghurt sweetened with cinnamon and stevia granules. Topped with some raw almonds – keeps my blood sugar levels nice and stable until dinner.

Dinner: Snapper in a bag – with lemon, rosemary and garlic – baked in the oven. Served with sautéed garlic spinach and a fresh green salad.

Dessert: 1 sugar free protein ball

Friday:

Breakfast: 1/2 papaya with a squeeze of lime juice. Topped with Greek yoghurt and mixed seeds.

+ Morning piccolo coffee – 1 shot of coffee with a small serve of hot milk.

Snack: Carrot sticks with a smear of almond butter

Lunch: Pesto Zucchini pasta with chicken breast – amazing pasta alternative. So satisfying.

Snack: Herbal tea

Dinner: Grilled lemon and herb chicken breast served with sweet potato mash.

Post dinner: Chai tea with almond milk and cinnamon

Saturday: 

Breakfast: Warm cinnamon oats topped with 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt, banana slices and a mix of nuts and seeds.

+ Morning piccolo coffee – 1 shot of coffee with a small serve of hot milk.

Snack: 1 carrot sliced – sprinkled with rock salt.

Lunch: Chicken, pumpkin and avocado salad – spinach leaves as the based. Drizzled with a miso salad dressing.

Snack: My signature Power Protein shake – minus the fruit.

Dinner: Garlic and Ginger Prawn stir fry – with lots of greens and fresh herbs. Served with brown rice. Glass of red wine.

Sunday:

Breakfast: Treat breakfast of an Acai bowl from a local acai bar in Bondi.

Snack: Morning piccolo coffee

Lunch: Roasted chicken with grilled parmesan asparagus and big salad – enjoyed with my family.

Snack: Greek yoghurt sweetened with cinnamon and stevia

Dinner: Scrambled eggs with pesto and served with avocado – Sunday nights are always easy egg night!

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What Does Organic Really Mean?

In Australia, the Australian Certified Organic ‘BUD’ logo is a great way to check whether the product you’re buying is, in fact, organic. If you see this logo on a product you’re buying, it means it’s met the requirements of the Australian Certified Organic standard.

Choosing organic produce where and when you can means that you’re making a decision that helps support the soil, animal, plants, people and the environment we live in on a day-to-day basis. The more chemicals we spray on our soil, the more chemicals that can end up in our food and water supply, and potentially in our bodies.

The ‘Dirty Dozen’ is a list of fruit and vegetables that are the best investments when it comes to choosing organic. In other words, if you’re shopping on a budget and want to know the best foods to prioritise when choosing between organic and non-organic, I think these are the ones to pick. I also choose to buy organic dairy, chicken and red meat.

• Apples
• Celery
• Grapes
• Peaches
• Blueberries
• Potatoes
• Spinach
• Nectarines
• Capsicum
• Strawberries
• Lettuce
• Cucumber

Eating organic is an investment in your health – you’re helping to avoid eating unnecessary chemicals.

Comment below any other articles you'd love to see or read about! xo

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6 Tricks To Combat Hunger And Lose Weight

Most of us know where our next meal is coming from. Yet our reaction to hunger has not evolved with our convenience-centered world. This is why even the thought of being hungry may send you running to the mini-mart for sustenance. It's also why some people get so "hangry" when they're hungry.

The problem: A lot of different factors influence how hungry you feel—many of which have nothing to do with your body's energy requirements. Your eating habits and schedule, the types of food you swallow, and even how tired or stressed you feel can drive hunger. 

These six tips help you control hunger and feel satisfied when you eat. 

1. Silence your gut

PHOTOGRAPH BY RYAN J LANE/GETTY IMAGES

While fatigue or stress can trick your belly into believing it craves unhealthy junk foods, there are a few proven ways to help chill out its "feed me!" pleas. It may sound counterintuitive, but expending a little energy can help. A yoga practice, gym workout, or even a 10-minute stroll can help quell those fictitious hunger pangs. Keeping food out of sight can help, too. Seeing food makes you crave food, shows research from Cornell University. (Here are 5 ways to kill your food cravings.) 

2. Plan your meals

While "grazing"—or eating lots of small meals—had its day in the sun, the bulk of the research suggests sticking to three meals a day is a better plan for weight loss and hunger management. First of all, the fewer chances you give yourself to over-eat, the better. Also, when you only have three meals to manage each day, it's a lot easier to plan ahead—and that's exactly what you should do. (Follow these easy meal-prep tips to keep on track.) Again, you can't trust your gut when it comes to judging your food needs. By deciding ahead of time what you're going to eat at each meal, you won't be subject to your stomach's unpredictable whims. (Follow this perfect day of clean eating to keep you on track.)

3. Eat breakfast without fail

A recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition tracked the diets of nearly 900 adults and found that when people ate more fat, protein, and carbohydrates in the morning, they stayed satisfied and ate less over the course of the day, compared with those who ate their bigger meals later on. Unfortunately, many Americans start off on an empty stomach: In one recent survey, consumers reported that even when they eat in the morning, the meal is a full breakfast only about one-third of the time. While it might seem tough at first, eating your biggest meal of the day in the morning—and cutting back at dinner time—can recalibrate your body's hunger cycles in ways that will lower your disease risk and help control your weight, shows research from the University of Southern California. 

MORE: How To Recover From Vacation Weight Gain

4. Eat more healthy fat

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS GRAMLY/GETTY IMAGES

There's a reason you keep hearing this advice. Not only is dietary fat extremely filling, but it also tends to turn off your body's fat-storage processes. Healthy sources include pistachios and other nuts, olive oil, avocado, and Greek yogurt. 

5. Munch fiber all day long

Because the body processes a fiber-rich meal slowly, it will stay in your gut longer and keep you feeling satisfied long after you've finished eating. One review recently published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association linked a high intake of fiber with lower body masses—as well as a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Leafy greens, fruit, and whole grains are all good sources of fiber. 

6. Include healthy protein at each meal

When researchers at Purdue University asked 46 dieting women to eat either 30% or 18% of their calories from protein, the high-protein eaters felt more satisfied and less hungry. Plus, over the course of 12 weeks, the women preserved more lean body mass, which includes calorie-burning muscle. Eggs, fish, legumes, nuts, seeds, and Greek yogurt are all healthy protein sources.

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What Role Does Sugar And Salt Portray In A Healthy Diet

It is only natural to like sweets. Many people have become used to having something sweet daily as part of their standard food consumption. Yet too many sweets in the diet can lead to weight gain and health risks. The fact the sweets contain refined sugars add to the complications in the diet.

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Refined sugars have negative health effects including hypoglycemia, arthritis, diabetes, headaches, suppression of the immune system, osteoporosis, and depression. It also is stored as fat within the body increasing the weight of the individuals that consume it.

Replace the sweets containing the refined sugar with natural sweets such as fruits. Using the natural sweets to satisfy the sweet cravings will lead to weight loss and better health. Add grains and beans to the fruits to increase the natural goodness of the fruit. The natural sugar in the fruits provides the right kind of energy as well as essential fibers and nutrients.

Avoid consuming sugary drinks such as tea, coffee, and sodas. The average person will drink at least two servings of the beverages a day with the drinks containing about 10 teaspoons of sugar in each drink. The artificial sweeteners, used in the beverages, have been shown to interfere with the body’s natural ability to function properly; so even this type of sweetener is not good for a person. Instead of consuming the sweetened beverages, drink natural fruit juices, or water with a squeeze of lemon added as the sweetener.

Salt or sodium is another bad ingredient many people have in their diets. The issues with salt are that many people, highly over use it daily. They do not realize that they consume over 2,300 mg per day of the highly dangerous additive. Most of the foods consumed contain added sodium with processed, packaged, fast food, and restaurant foods. Even the canned soups and frozen meals have added sodium.

Sodium leads to weight gain, heart disease, and health issues related to the added chemical in the body and bloodstream. Sodium makes people retain water leading to the bloating of the body. It also tends to make people feel thirsty constantly, so when even consuming fluids, often times their thirst is not quenched.

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Salt is not bad when used in moderation. There are high quality sea salts that have up to 90 minerals that are healthy for the body. Use sea salt that is either reddish or brownish in color or even the non-colored salt for the best type of salt to add to the diet. These types of salts do not have additives, chemicals, and are not bleached.

Your body does require a certain amount of sodium and natural sweeteners, in order to function properly. You should reduce the extra amounts you consume, to create a healthier life style and body. It is also important for you check with you doctor, prior to making major changes to your diet, in order to determine if it could affect your overall health adversely.

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Get an amazing body

Celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson reveals her secrets to a slim, toned body.

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You may not know her name, but you've seen the results of her work. Tracy Anderson is responsible for transforming hundreds of curvy men and women into toned, tight gods and goddesses, including Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. Her techniques helped her shed 30 kilograms after the birth of her son. Here, she reveals her secrets.

Many of us yearn for flat, strong bellies because they make us feel sexy and attractive. But there's more to a strong abdomen than that, isn't there?

Our core is the centre of structural connection, connecting our lower muscles to the upper torso. Among other things, it is the area of structural stability: we need a strong core for good posture, improved balance and a pain-free back. Also, a fat abdomen increases the likelihood of heart disease and other killers. A strong core also helps us look sexier and feel more confident.

Can women who have had children ever get their beautiful, flat stomachs back?

Yes, absolutely! I'm a perfect example. But it's not easy. The only way is through smart, consistent exercise. I have dedicated much of my career to solving this problem for women because I was horrified by what happened to my body after giving birth to my son, Sam.

That's how I developed my post-pregnancy program, which reawakens the core abdominal muscles (which separate during pregnancy) through my unique sequence of exercises. The bottom line is start exercising immediately after your doctor gives you the green light.

Is it true that once we hit a certain age we're destined to have flabby stomachs and thick middles?

In my experience, anyone can have an amazing body at any age. All it takes is a consistent and intelligent approach. As I always say to my clients, young and old: if you do the work, if you exercise with focus, commitment and clear outcomes in mind, you will have a youthful, energised body. If you don't do the work, or don't do it in a smart way, then you will pay the price. That being said, it is true that when we hit 30 or thereabouts, our bodies begin to show signs of physical decline. We must fight for our quality of life and we should start now. But incredible change is possible in all areas, no matter who you are. Your mid-section can get tight again, your arms can get strong, your legs long and sexy. You can even regain sexual vibrancy again!

Does diet matter more than exercise, or exercise more than diet, or should we be focusing on both?

Both. Your body is a reflection of what you eat and how you move. The foods we eat and the exercises we choose have a direct relationship to our energy levels and body shape. If we do the work, the results will be visible for all. Inner and outer beauty require care and attention. But it can be time-consuming. For whatever reason, most people who have flabby bodies don't have positive associations with exercising and eating well, but those with sexy bodies usually have positive associations. Once we become fit, a great workout feels better than eating a chocolate sundae. When we eat clean, nutritious foods, we feel more powerful than when we're eating junk. It is just convenient to eat poorly and not exercise. In my experience, some of the most successful people in the world - those with the most demands on their time - make time for proper nutrition and consistent exercise. We can no longer make excuses.

What part does attitude play in our quest for health, fitness and beautiful bodies?

Attitude is everything. It is the inspiration that allows us to move our bodies when we are unmotivated. And it's the motivation that gets us to work consistently, especially when things get tough. Attitude helps us attain the body we always wanted, but thought was beyond our reach. I have learned through my years of research and training countless women and men around the world, that the mind, when used properly, is a powerful tool that can make our dreams a reality. But, like every other muscle, it must be exercised. So we must stay positive and fight for the physical and emotional health we deserve.

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