These weight loss strategies can be used individually or combined. Regardless of the weight loss strategy you adopt, you should always focus on avoiding processed and ultra-processed foods/products, and having enough daily protein in your diet.
Low-carbohydrate
This strategy requires reducing/avoiding the amount of starchy and sugary foods and drinks (cereals, tubers, fruits, pulses, fizzy drinks, sugar…) in your diet. While doing that, you can eat as much as you need from other food groups without the need to reduce portion sizes. For more ideas/resources you can check our low-carb guide and the webpage www.dietdoctor.com.
Fasting / Time-restricted eating
Time-restricted eating (TRE) also known as time-restricted feeding (TRF), consists of reducing the amount of daily time you get exposed to food. For example, you may have your 1st meal of the day at 6 am and your last meal at 10.00 pm (an “eating window” of 16 hours). To implement TRE, you could postpone your 1st meal and bring forward your last meal to, let’s say, 10.00 am and 6.00 pm, respectively (an “eating window” of 8 hours). You do not need to reduce the amount of food you eat, but instead, the number of “eating hours” a day. This way you also increase the number of non-eating/fasting hours a day. Plain water, tea and coffee (without milk) would not be considered meals and could be drunk out of the “eating window”.
Fasting – 5:2 approach
This approach implies having 5 days a week eating as you would normally do, and 2 days a week (alternate or consecutive) eating only 1 small meal per day, equivalent to around 500-600 kcal (moderate fasting). Plain water, tea and coffee (without milk) would not be considered meals and could be drunk at any time during the fasting days.
