Struggling to lose weight: 8 nutrition tips for your diet

How many times have you tried to lose weight? Exercising a few times a week and eating healthier, but the weight will not come off. The milk chocolate bar and crisps in the cupboard eyed you temptingly and you could not resist those fresh cheeses in the fridge. You fall back into old patterns. Are there certain nutrients that can help with weight loss? Maybe you have heard of the combination of omega 3 and weight loss, but how does that work exactly?

Losing weight is a sensitive topic for many people. Making healthy choices can be incredibly difficult in a world where food is everywhere, all the time. At birthdays there is cake and at other parties the temptation of fried snacks. It is not easy to be wound up tight and have to say "no" to everything. But is that necessary? And how does losing weight actually work? Read on.

How can I lose weight?

Losing weight is basically quite simple: you have to burn more calories than you take in. When you burn more calories than you consume, your body will start burning stored fat, which leads to weight loss. The following points are important here:

• Calorie intake: Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Choose nutritious meals with plenty of vegetables, fruit, protein and whole grains. Soft drinks, for example, provide a lot of empty calories that do not fill you up. If you want to lose weight, it is good not to drink too much of them
• Calorie burning: Move more! From a daily walk to regular training sessions. When you move, your body burns calories. Losing weight by walking is also possible. An average 30-minute walk burns about 120-180 calories. A standard muffin contains about 250-300 calories. So you would have to walk about 45 minutes to an hour to burn off the calories of one muffin.
• Portion control: Pay attention to the size of your portions. If you use smaller plates and portions, you may eat less because it visually looks like more. This can help keep the total calories you eat under control.
• Drink more water: Sometimes hunger and thirst get confused, so keep drinking enough to avoid unnecessary snacking. Give your water a nice flavour with fresh lemon, mint or cucumber. Put a water bottle next to your desk or in your bag, so you always have water at hand.

Listen to your body: Learn to recognise the signals of hunger and satiety (when you are full). Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied.

Losing weight fast: is that possible?

If you are trying to lose weight, you naturally want to do it as quickly as possible. You know the diets that promise you can lose 10 kilos in three weeks.

Losing weight fast may sound attractive, but it can lead to the yo-yo effect. This happens when, after a crash diet, you quickly regain the lost weight, sometimes even more. Often you lose not only fat, but also muscle mass and fluid, which is not healthy. To lose weight permanently, it is important to follow a balanced diet, exercise regularly and adopt healthy habits. Did you know that it usually takes about 21 to 66 days for new behaviour to become a habit? So give yourself time to get used to exercising and eating well, until it is fully part of your system.

Omega 3 and weight loss: how does this fatty acid fit into a healthy lifestyle?

Omega 3 and weight loss are regularly linked. Omega 3 is a fatty acid that plays a role in various processes in the body. Although it is not a direct slimming solution, it can contribute to a balanced lifestyle within a healthy diet. Think of products such as oily fish, flaxseed or a supplement, especially if you eat little fish.

Losing weight: 7 nutrition tips

What can you eat if you want to lose weight? Actually everything!

It is too simplistic to label products as healthy or unhealthy. An example: is broccoli healthy? Yes, you might think. Suppose you were to eat nothing but broccoli. Would it still be healthy? You would probably miss out on certain nutrients and you would not feel very good either.

Balance is what will take you far in the end. If you have a diet that truly nourishes you 80% of the time, and 20% of the week you eat products that nourish your body a bit less, that is not a problem. That said, there are certain nutrients and products that can help you lose weight.

1. Proteins: Add protein to every meal, such as chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, dairy and plant-based protein sources such as beans and lentils. Protein keeps you feeling full and helps preserve muscle mass.(1)
2. Omega-3 fatty acids: Add oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, or consider an omega-3 supplement. These fatty acids can support weight loss and are good for the heart.(2,3)
3. Fibre-rich foods: Choose whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit for a fibre-rich diet. Fibre helps with satiety and supports your digestion.(4)
4. Green tea: Drink green tea for the antioxidants and caffeine, which can contribute somewhat to speeding up the metabolism.(5,6)
5. Chia seed: Add chia seed to smoothies or yoghurt for a satiating effect and a supply of omega-3 fatty acids and fibre.(7)
6. Spices such as cayenne pepper, ginger and chilli pepper: Green tea can speed up the metabolism and promote fat oxidation, while capsaicin and ginger can increase the metabolism and reduce appetite. (8,9)

Nuts: Which nuts are healthy when losing weight? Almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts and peanuts give you healthy fats, proteins and minerals and keep you feeling full.(10,11,12)

Finally: slow and steady wins the race

Losing weight is personal and it is important to do it in a sustainable way. Losing weight fast can lead to the yo-yo effect; a balanced diet, physical exercise and healthy habits are better. There is no such thing as 'forbidden' food, focus instead on balance and healthy choices. Add enough protein, omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, green tea, chia seed and nuts and drink plenty of water. Within the theme of omega 3 and weight loss too, it is not about quick results, but about long-term thinking and supporting a healthy lifestyle.

Remember that it is better to lose weight slowly, over a longer period, than very quickly. Sprinters burn out fast, and the chance of ending up back at your old weight is then much greater. What small change can you make today for a big result later?

Sources:

1. van Baak, MA, & Mariman, EC (2019). Dieetstrategieën voor het behoud van gewichtsverlies. Voedingsstoffen , 11 (8), 1916.
2. Albracht-Schulte, K., Kalupahana, N. S., Ramalingam, L., Wang, S., Rahman, S. M., Robert-McComb, J., & Moustaid-Moussa, N. (2018). Omega-3 fatty acids in obesity and metabolic syndrome: a mechanistic update. The Journal of nutritional biochemistry, 58, 1-16.
3. Salman, H. B., Salman, M. A., & Akal, E. Y. (2022). The effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on weight loss and cognitive function in overweight or obese individuals on weight-loss diet. Nutricion Hospitalaria, 39(4), 803-813.
4. Ruhee, R., & Suzuki, K. (2018). Dietary fiber and its effect on obesity. Advanced Medical Research, 1(1), 1-13.
5. Chen, I. J., Liu, C. Y., Chiu, J. P., & Hsu, C. H. (2016). Therapeutic effect of high-dose green tea extract on weight reduction: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Clinical nutrition, 35(3), 592-599.
6. Lin, Y., Shi, D., Su, B., Wei, J., Găman, M. A., Sedanur Macit, M., … & Guimaraes, N. S. (2020). The effect of green tea supplementation on obesity: A systematic review and dose–response meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytotherapy research, 34(10), 2459-2470.
7. Ayaz, A., Akyol, A., Inan-Eroglu, E., Cetin, A. K., Samur, G., & Akbiyik, F. (2017). Chia seed (Salvia Hispanica L.) added yogurt reduces short-term food intake and increases satiety: randomised controlled trial. Nutrition research and practice, 11(5), 412-418.
8. Taghizadeh, M., Farzin, N., Taheri, S., Mahlouji, M., Akbari, H., Karamali, F., & Asemi, Z. (2017). The effect of dietary supplements containing green tea, capsaicin and ginger extracts on weight loss and metabolic profiles in overweight women: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 70(4), 277-285.
9. Varghese, S., Kubatka, P., Rodrigo, L., Gazdikova, K., Caprnda, M., Fedotova, J., … & Büsselberg, D. (2017). Chili pepper as a body weight-loss food. International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 68(4), 392-401.
10. Wang, J., Wang, S., Henning, S. M., Qin, T., Pan, Y., Yang, J., … & Li, Z. (2021). Mixed tree nut snacks compared to refined carbohydrate snacks resulted in weight loss and increased satiety during both weight loss and weight maintenance: a 24-week randomized controlled trial. Nutrients, 13(5), 1512.
11. Baer, D. J., Dalton, M., Blundell, J., Finlayson, G., & Hu, F. B. (2023). Nuts, Energy Balance and Body Weight. Nutrients, 15(5), 1162.
12. Akhlaghi, M., Ghobadi, S., Zare, M., & Foshati, S. (2020). Effect of nuts on energy intake, hunger, and fullness, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 60(1), 84-93.