August 11, 2021

The Secrets to Balancing Your Weight Without Compromising Your Cravings

Lose weight without feeling guilty when sufficing your cravings. Nutritionists share secrets to losing weight without giving up on your favourite dishes.

Regency’s nutritionists have revealed that the number one goal for clients is weight loss. The demand for our nutrition services has increased significantly over the last 4 months. So much so that we now employ 35 fully-qualified, professional nutritionists globally.

With weight loss being such a big topic at the moment, we asked Regency’s nutritionists what their top tips are to fight cravings whilst maintaining a successful weight loss program.

Smaller portions

Eat smaller portions and eat what you want. Most Japanese people serve their food in small containers, which helps them eat smaller amounts. This promotes weight loss and allows the digestive system the time to process food properly. Your body can break down the calories and immediately use them for energy.

Regency’s research shows that if you plan your meals in advance, you will control your portion sizes and limit the risk of overindulging.

Be conscious and mindful of what you eat

"You are what you eat." This famous quote from Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, encourages you to consider what to put into your body.

Foods that are rich in nutrients are vital to the human body’s energy requirements that we use for optimal productivity. Most of these nutrients are found in plants, fruits and meats as long as they are clean and organic. Reach for foods that come from the earth rather than packaged, processed products and give your body the best fuel to perform at its best.

Avoid distractions

The pace of our lives has become so fast that it seems over indulgent to take time out of our day to eat without distraction. Human culture loves multitasking and is one of the most common actions within our society.

If your brain doesn’t focus on the main task at hand, your body won’t know when it is full, you can’t break down the food properly and you end up eating more food.

Turn off your phone notifications, turn off your TV and enjoy the presence of the food being served in front of you. If you are eating with someone, try to discuss how the food tastes and share what you like about it. And, this way, you can enjoy every taste of the food.

Take your time

Food is for enjoyment, not for devouring. Eating slowly is a way to enjoy the meal and let it work for a few more minutes. If you eat your food too quickly, you will no longer appreciate that it exists and tastes good. As a result, you will eat more of it and unknowingly consume more portions than you need.

When you eat mindfully, your hunger hormones Leptin and Ghrelin have time to communicate with your brain and tell you when you are full.

Do not eat until you are full

Follow the Hara Hachi Bu eating method of "eat until you are 80% full" by paying attention to how much you eat. As a result of using the method of allowing hunger hormones to tell them when they are full, most Japanese people suffer less from various diseases.

If you feel bloated, full or heavy when you eat, take a break and listen to your body signalling you that it is full and stop eating. This gives your body time to recover and digest properly without being overwhelmed by the amount of food you have to process.

Focus on Good Fats, Proteins and Low-Fat Foods

Foods that contain proteins and good fats can help you feel full for longer. As a result, you will not have as many cravings as you used to. In addition, eating protein as a snack can help balance your sugar levels. This can prevent you from overindulging when you are craving something.

Regency’s top tip is to carry a bag of almonds, peanuts or a protein bar, which all release energy slowly, to help you feel fuller between meals. This way, you can avoid overeating when it's time for a real meal. Switching to a high-protein and low-fat diet will not only help you balancing your weight, but it can also protect you from serious illness.

Count your calories

Calories are taken in through food and stored as energy reserves in body fat. When you lead a sedentary lifestyle, the energy stored in your fat continues to increase. As a result, you will gain weight due to the excess energy stored in fat. The only way to use up your energy reserves is to exercise.

Fat and muscle composition is unique to every individual. To know how many calories you should be consuming each day, calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). The BMR tells you how many calories that your body needs to function.

Regency for Expats’ team of fully-qualified, professional nutritionists can help you calculate the number of calories you need and help you take action to achieve your desired weight.

Exercise

Lead an active lifestyle and balance your calorie intake and expenditure. It’s science, you put calories into your body in the form of food and need to burn it off in the form of exercise.

Balancing your diet and exercise can help you lose weight and still eat what you like. For best results, consult with Regency’s professional fitness trainers and nutritionists.

Organise your kitchen

A successful, balanced diet starts in the kitchen. Have the right tools to prep meals, know what to put in the fridge and organise your stock to stick to your plan.

Regency for Expats will help you get your kitchen organised with training from our professional nutritionists, who are also experienced chefs.

Get to know your craving hormones

There are two types of hunger hormones we need to know about to help manage our cravings - Leptin and Ghrelin. Ghrelin is responsible for increasing appetite, while Leptin is responsible for decreasing appetite. Keeping these two hormones in balance is one way to maintain weight without giving up cravings.

One way to keep these two hormones in balance is to eat the right kind of foods. As mentioned earlier, eating good fats, high-protein, and low-fat foods can help you satisfy your cravings without worrying about your weight. These foods affect how your hormones signal you when your body has enough energy it needs.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is essential for cell restoration in our body and for us to function on a day-to-day basis. In addition, getting enough sleep balances the appetite hormones in our body to prevent different types of eating disorders.     

Sleep gives you a privilege to satisfy your cravings without overeating and worrying about your weight.

Regency for Expats hires fully qualified, professional Fitness Trainers and Nutritionists to help you lead a healthy life. You will have virtual access to our professionals 24/7 wherever you are on the globe as part of your Health Benefits.

For more information, you can send us an email at [email protected].