Achieve sustainable weight loss
Ditch the diet and lose weight (not just for summer!)
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in search of a swimsuit, is usually simultaneously in search of a diet!
We all know on a subconscious level that short-term extreme diets don’t work in the long term, and, that obesity causes serious health issues to many, so what to do?
Here is a five-point diet strategy that will work long-term, long after summer has gone. It’s a simple, sensible and sustainable approach to weight loss which will also improve your overall wellbeing.
1. Balance your blood sugar levels
If your blood sugar levels are consistently elevated (through regularly consuming excess caffeine, alcohol or processed foods), then your insulin hormone will be high and a chronic stress response takes place, accelerating the inflammatory processes.
Try adding protein to each meal to blunt the blood sugar response and choose lower GI/GL foods such as sweet potatoes, lentils and beans.
Adding fibre to meals not only contributes towards positive gut health, it can also help to make your bowel movements more regular, ensuring your gut isn’t holding an excess baggage. Prebiotics are especially good.
You can boost your fibre through foods like wholemeal grains or pectin from apples, Search for fibre on Superfied to see a list of high-fibre and prebiotic food options.
If, after trying these tips, you still feel that your weight is not shifting, it may be time to enlist professional health support to consider other contributing factors such as hormones, allergies and other underlying conditions. Remember, picking and choosing elements from a variety of diet plans may just undermine your hard work!
2. Control your stress levels
Exercise is not just important for a strong body, but for a strong mind also!
When we are stressed, we activate our sympathetic nervous system. If we stay chronically stressed, we divert blood supply from our digestive and sexual organs, potentially causing digestive problems and reduced libido – and stubborn weight around your belly!
Relaxing activities such as yoga, meditation, exercise and deep beathing, encourage our body back into a parasympathetic nervous system response and to better function physiologically.
Your body will then start to release some of the excess abdominal fat. Some people, when stressed, tend to eat more. If you find you tend to over-eat when stressed, then remember Superfied’s ‘2 hands’ rule for portion control – a practical way of maintaining portion control.

3. Hydrate!
Water fuels your cells – and remember we have about 100 trillion of them and we’re all 70% water!
The more power they have to do the work, the better they perform, and the less waste you accumulate. So, hydrate, and not just with the ‘fun’ liquids like fizzy drinks, alcohol and caffeine (they can be counter-productive for water intake!). Aim for 6-8 glasses of filtered.
4. Address any food allergies or sensitivities
If you have a sensitivity to gluten, eating cheese or deadly nightshade vegetables (like potatoes, aubergines and tomatoes) every day can create an inflammatory response that builds up, get out of control and disrupt your metabolism.
Find your food sensitives and if in doubt, ask a registered dietician or nutritionist who will get to the bottom of any food allergies and then you can restore gut function by limiting their intake temporarily.
This is a simple, sensible and sustainable approach to weight loss
5. Try out Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting (IF) is not for everyone (Blue body types may struggle – and it’s especially not diabetics), but IF can be very effective for shifting stubborn weight gain.
Aim to restrict your eating window to 12 hours for example, eating between 7am-7pm or even tighter. Your digestive system then has time to relax, recharge and process any food effectively.
For some people, IF give the body time and energy to repair, making it, not only good for weight loss, but for anti-aging and mental sharpness too!
Now, you may have heard of juice-fasts to lose weight. These can be great if done under professional supervision but are unsustainable if done for too long, leading to potential nutritional deficiencies. Best to check with an expert if you’re thinking of that.
As you already know, there are no magic bullets for weight loss – when you are healthy and balanced, you won’t be overweight. The key is to get into some good habits on a daily basis – Superfied will help with that but if it’s not shifting, there may be a good reason why and that’s the time to seek professional 1:1 advice. It’s an investment in you!
This self-care health hack is from Superfied expert nutritionist Karen Preece Smith