How to lose the FIRST 5KG

Changing ingrained habits can be hard work, so here are six simple eating strategies to tackle the first steps of you weight-loss journey

- Susie Burrell

Losing weight can be tricky. Not only do you need to identify the right diet, you also need to stick to it relatively strictly for at least a week or two to achieve a significant drop on the scale. Losing weight is particularly complex for those who need to actively manage their blood glucose levels. If that’s you, you’ll need to ensure you are consuming enough carbohydrate throughout the day to keep your glucose levels controlled, while simultaneously managing your hunger. As is the case with many things in life, getting started with a weight-loss plan can be the hardest part of all, but over time, as you get used to a new regimen that is supporting sustainable weight loss, things will get a whole lot easier. So, if you know you need to lose weight, but don’t know where to begin, here are the key steps to take to kickstart your weight loss and lose your first 5kg.

1 Get serious

Commit for at least two weeks. At a minimum you need to guarantee at least 5-7 days of relatively strict, kilojoule-controlled eating to achieve weight loss. The reason for this is that it takes at least 2-3 days of light eating to deplete some of the stored fuel in the body and to start to burn significantly greater amounts of body fat. When many of us start a new diet, we are strict for a couple of days before the bad habits gradually slip in again. However, if you’re able to focus and pledge to at least a week in which you do not eat out, prepare all of your meals and snacks, and exercise daily, then you will see results. This is why choosing the right time is crucial for weight loss, so plan to start when you can entirely commit yourself for at least a week or two.