Trying to Lose Weight Without Overhauling your Life? A Nutritionist Shows How

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are enough influencers on the endless scroll pushing you towards workouts, meal plans, gym fits, supplements, and a million other things that will apparently "change your life". But if you struggle begins at being unable to take the first step of your health journey - because of work stress, demands, responsibilities and the like - the endless delay in itself feels frustrating. Nutritionist and weight loss expert Simrun Chopra explains how to get started, without feeling like you have to completely destabilise your current routine - after all, getting your health on track is never a sprint, it's always a journey.

Strategic Meal Swaps

'Overflowing' would be an understatement to describe the abundance of information available on the internet about how to actually start eating clean. Disclaimer lists run wild on what is good and what isn't, and conflicting claims and anecdotes further complicate an already overwrought mindset. But Chopra says: "Instead of focusing on 'the best healthy foods', focus on finding foods in those categories that you actually enjoy." Because the equation is simple - if you're already having trouble starting and then try to forcefully commit yourself to eating items you don't enjoy, chances are you'll constantly be looking for outs to 'cheat' because of that lasting feeling of unsatisfaction - an ideal case scenario for binge eating at some later point. Chopra suggests switches like going for salted and roasted nuts instead of raw almonds, adding a little fruit and honey to your plain Greek yoghurt and switching your bowl of plain oats with protein oats and peanut butter.

Sugar isn't the Devil

When starting slow, a hard reset on sweet treats that bring you joy is more likely than not going to throw you into a cycle of unhealthy restriction, and even unhealthier compensation. "Don't avoid sugar," says Chopra, adding, "Instead, buy single servings and find lower sugar alternatives you enjoy. When you completely restrict sugar, it often leads to binge-restrict cycles. Having controlled portions removes the 'all or nothing' mindset and helps you stay consistent." She suggests going for single serve chocolates as opposed to the whole bar, dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate and simply picking smaller portion sizes for dessert as opposed to skipping out on them all together.

Hydrate Right

This one is all about finding the liquids you love. "Hydration helps control hunger, improve digestion and reduce unnecessary snacking," explains Chopra. She suggests water with lemon, fruit infused water, sparkling water, hot tea, unsweetened iced tea, coconut water, black coffee, green tea, herbal tea, buttermilk and electrolyte water as an airtight list of rotations.

Eating Less isn't the Answer

You're supposed to actually eat more! The catch here is that the emphasis must be on loading up on the vegetables, fats and protein which increases satiety, also targeting that nagging feeling of craving carbs. Not just this, loading up on protein, fibres and healthy fats also helps stabilise blood sugar. Chopra explains, "This reduces cravings, prevents energy crashes, and makes it easier to naturally eat less without trying. If your meals are built properly, fat loss becomes a side effect, not a struggle."

What Not to Do

Chopra warns beginners to not get obsessive over calorie counting because over tracking she says, can end up disconnecting you from your body. The better cue here is to listen to your body to figure out when it is actually feeling hungry and at what point it gets full - this alone will help you regulate your intake better than any third person, also leading to more sustainable results.

Additionally, Chopra asks to prioritise sleep and stress control over meal prep and workouts. Without adequate rest and recovery and any attempt to keep your cortisol down, all that effort makes for just just added factors on your plate giving minimal results. If you keep running your body into overdrive, the result will be more cravings, slower fat loss, increased hunger and more belly fat storage. "A well-rested body makes better food choices without effort," she says.Chopra concludes by pointing out that one small setback cannot be the domino bringing your entire track down. "One 'bad' meal doesn't cause weight gain, one missed day doesn't ruin progress. What matters is what you do most of the time. Consistency beats perfection - every time," she concludes.