Reach and maintain your goal weight

From time to time we all struggle with our weight. The stresses of life mean that it’s hard to always find enough time to exercise or to eat the right food. But with a little planning there are ways to choose more wisely and to live a healthier, balanced lifestyle. Chemistworks can help!

Get started:

Dieticians recommend that everyone chooses a weight loss goal which is appropriate for them. Calculate your body mass index (BMI) easily by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared. A healthy weight range will see you sit somewhere between a BMI of 20 and 25. Having a weight loss goal can help you stay on track and give a greater sense of purpose.

Slow, consistent weight loss is crucial to weight loss success. According to studies conducted by Slate magazine, rapid weight loss is followed by equally rapid weight gain, with an incredible 97% of crash dieters re-gaining all of the weight they lose.

Get moving:

A consistent exercise plan is important for weight loss success. Doing any physical activity is better than doing none, so, if you currently take no exercise, why not start with simple activity like walking around the block?

Having worked at least some movement into your routine, you should gradually built up to at least 2 ½ hours of moderate intensity physical activity every week and at least two days a week of weight training, What is ‘moderate intensity physical activity’ you may ask? Try running, skipping and other aerobic exercise. If solitary work outs are proving tedious or boring, there are plenty of fun group exercise options, which sometimes offer complimentary trial classes. Zumba, pilates, yoga and boxing are excellent aerobic exercise. Team sports are also offered at some community clubs and are a great way to make exercising a social activity as well.

Sustain and maintain:

In 2014-15, 63.4% of Australians aged 18 years and over were overweight or obese (11.2 million people, Australian Bureau of Statistics). Healthy controlled weight loss can dramatically decrease your risk of colon and bowel cancer, increase life expectancy and dramatically lower the risk of diabetes. In the short term, weight loss has also been shown to improve sleep, sex drive and overall wellbeing. Though the equation of ‘more calories out then in’ is the usual format for successful weight loss, maintaining a goal weight also takes the deliberate effort of achieving a nourishing and sustaining diet. This is especially the case if you’re looking to increase your muscle mass. Make sure that you’re enjoying a varied and interesting diet. Whole grains deliver crucial fibre, fresh fruit and vegetables provide vitamins as well as magnesium and potassium. Some high quality protein is also important, including a small amount of red meat, an excellent source of iron, and fresh fish which can be high in valuable Omega 3 fatty acids. It’s sometimes difficult to ensure that you’re getting enough of the protein that will help you to feel full after exercising and can be an important supplement to muscle development. It’s here that a protein supplement can come in handy.

Here at Chemistsworks we offer tools and support to help you reach your weight loss goals quicker. Whether it’s just a few kilograms that you’re looking to shed ahead of the summer months or a more sustained weight loss plan, the friendly staff at Chemistworks have everything you need to have you looking and feeling better!