Holistic weight loss tips

Healthy weight management isn’t just about seeing a smaller number on the scale — it’s about creating balance and supporting your body to thrive. It's not a quick fix. Sustainable results come from nourishing foods, regular movement, quality sleep, and mindful habits that promote overall wellbeing.

Get your diet right

Fibre 

A fibre-rich diet that contains roughage, which helps to hold water and create a sense of fullness. Fibre-rich foods are also typically higher in nutrients than their low-fibre alternatives. Fibre is found in complex carbohydrates such as wholegrains and vegetables. Learn the difference betweeln soluble and insoluble fibre.

Tip: Switch white rice for brown rice and white bread for brown bread. Aim for 7 to 10 portions of vegetables per day. The best way to cook them is to lightly steam them, as this preserves their nutrient content most, otherwise, eat them raw. 

The UK fibre recommendation for adults is a minimum of 30g per day. However, on weight loss diets, extra fibre can be helpful for helping you to feel full without adding additional calories. Fibre also feeds the probiotics in your gut and having a happy set of diverse probiotics can help to speed up weight loss. Wondering if you need to take a fibre supplement? Our expert nutritionists explain when to take fibre supplements.

Here are some fibre-rich foods (grams of fibre per 100g serving) you may consider adding into your diet.

Protein 

Protein-rich foods take longer to digest and therefore keep you feeling fuller for longer. Lean proteins and plant-based proteins should be consumed with every meal and snack. 

An additional protein powder can also be useful for some people. The level of protein varies in each food type. A 100g serving of a protein rice food does not contain 100g of protein, so learning to read labels is a good skill to have to work out how much protein you are consuming. Protein needs to be divided equally throughout the day. Since the body cannot absorb more than 30g of protein at any given time. Below is a list of vegan protein-rich foods and their protein content (grams of protein per 100g). 

Fats

Fats, although they have a bad reputation, should not be avoided completely. Omega 3 fats are essential for the brain and for keeping inflammation in check. Studies have shown that a low-fat diet can lead to low moods.¹ Nuts and seeds contain high-quality fats that are needed by the body and taking an omega 3 supplement is another great way to ensure that your body is getting what it needs. That said, it is advisable to reduce your intake of denatured fats and fried foods since they may contribute towards inflammation in the body and are additional calories that do not provide any health benefits. Studies show that there are three types of fat that are actually helpful for weight loss. These are called monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and medium-chain triglycerides.^2,3,4

These fats are worth incorporating into your daily diet. A list of sources is below.

Reducing portion size 

Sometimes it can also be helpful to reduce portion size. Using a small plate helps with the perception of how much you have eaten and can lead you to feel fuller on less. At DR.VEGAN^® we are not advocates of starving or lowering calorie intake to an incredibly low level. It's better to start with healthy food choices and a slightly reduced volume of food. Food is what provides your daily nutrition and we need enough of it to maintain health and protect bones.

Carbohydrates

One of the easiest ways to encourage fat loss is to avoid any refined and added sugars. Most people biologically don't need to eat refined and added sugars; as long as you are consuming some complex carbohydrates, your body will take the sugar it needs. Excess sugar is a disaster for health and excess weight, so avoiding it will benefit your body, regardless of how much weight you lose. You do need some carbohydrates however. The trick is to get them from complex carbohydrate sources. Sometimes during weight management, it is useful to keep fruit to low-sugar fruits such as apples, pears, berries and cherries. High-sugar fruit should only be eaten occasionally, as in some individuals, it can show down weight loss.

Here is a list of carbohydrate sources to include and avoid.

Although calories do matter, it is much more important to look at where your calories come from. For example, 100 calories from broccoli is far superior to 100 calories from confectionery.  

Foods to add into your weight loss journey

There are a few foods that are particularly helpful to add into a weight loss plan. These contain certain nutritional compounds that may enhance your efforts. 

Seaweed: Seaweed is a rich source of iodine. Since iodine is required for normal thyroid function and metabolism, boosting your intake with seaweed may give you a little more oopmh. Seaweed can be added to many dishes as an additional flavour or form the base of a meal when added to salads. Watch out for fried seaweed, however, as this can be counterproductive. 

White Mulberries: White mulberries contain several nutritional compounds, including anthocyanins, flavonoids, polyphenols, rutin, and 1-deoxynojirimycin, which help improve glucose and fat metabolism and the research concludes that white mulberries are a useful addition to a healthy weight loss diet.⁵ White mulberries make a great snack when combined with some protein such as pumpkin seeds. 

Kidney beans: Kidney beans are rich in α-amylase inhibitors — proteins that reduce the activity of α-amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch into sugars. This can slow carbohydrate digestion and reduce spikes of glucose and insulin. Kidney beans also contain phenolic compounds, which also have hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic actions.⁶

Pumpkin seeds: By slowing digestion, pumpkin seeds may blunt glucose rises and improve insulin / glucose ratios after a meal.⁷ In animal studies, pumpkin seed proteins have helped prevent fat tissue mass increases when animals are exposed to high-fructose diets.⁸

Fermented foods: Fermented foods contain probiotics and can improve the gut microbiome. Improved microbial diversity is linked to healthier body weight and metabolism. Try adding foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha and yoghurt to your diet each day. 

Here are some recipes that are a great addition to a weight loss diet:

Move

Daily movement is essential for health. Even for those who are physically impaired, classes like chair yoga can make a big difference. If you can, commit to at least 45 minutes each day of active exercise.

This can be built into your daily routine, such as parking further away from work or getting off the tube a stop earlier. Take a walk in your lunch break and find a physically active hobby.

Exercise doesn't have to be boring and in fact, if you incorporate a new skill or hobby with exercise, you are more likely to spend longer doing it! Make it fun! Take your partner to a Latin American dance class, join a handstand class, walk your neighbours dog or join a circus skills class. Anything goes as long as you have fun. Or, you could just join the gym!

Love yourself 

This is the most important step. Accepting who you are and appreciating that weight loss is a journey to be enjoyed. Don't punish yourself over that accidental doughnut at work; just accept that sustainable weight loss does take time and on your weight loss journey you can explore lots of new foods, physically active hobbies and meet new people that are in the same boat. Aim for a healthy diet 80 to 90% of the time and allow yourself some leeway for that piece of birthday cake or that meal out that you crave. Practice self-love and patience the DR.VEGAN^® way. 

View our range of award-winning probiotics, vitamins and supplements.

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