Photo by Gardie Design on Unsplash
In short: Healthy weight loss isn’t a diet, a target or a race. It’s what may happen, in its own time, when you eat enough nourishing food at regular meals, move in ways you enjoy, sleep well and calm your stress. Most people need more nourishing food, not less. Below are my answers to eighteen common questions, with kindness and without counting anything.
It’s this time of the year again. Spring is unfolding and you’re getting your lighter clothes out. You try on last year’s summer trousers, and here comes that look in the mirror. When did this happen? Before you’ve even done up the button, a part of you is already planning what to cut out from Monday.
Are you tired of crash diets and of methods you can’t keep up? Then let’s do this differently. Your body deserves care, not punishment, and looking after your health and wellbeing comes first. Here are eighteen frequently asked questions about healthy weight loss, with detailed answers to guide you.
Frequently asked questions
I’ve grouped the eighteen questions into four parts, so you can go straight to the one on your mind today.
Where do I begin?
What is healthy weight loss?
For me, healthy weight loss is never the goal in itself. It is something that may happen, slowly, when you look after your body well. It has nothing to do with crash diets, extreme exercise or pills. It comes from eating nourishing food, moving in ways you enjoy, sleeping enough and calming your stress, and from keeping these habits because they make you feel good. A way of eating you can’t imagine keeping for the rest of your life is a diet, and diets end. I describe what they leave behind in what crash diets do to your body and mind.
How can I determine my healthy weight loss goal?
I’d gently suggest you don’t choose a number. A figure on the scale says nothing about your energy, your strength, your sleep or your health, and chasing it tends to make food a daily worry. Choose goals you can act on and feel: three real meals a day, vegetables at lunch and dinner, a walk most days, waking up rested, climbing the stairs without getting out of breath. If you’d like to know what a healthy weight means for your own body and medical history, your doctor is the right person to ask.
I made a short video about this, you can watch it below.
How long does it take to see results from healthy weight loss?
There’s no honest single answer, because every body has its own pace, and age, hormones, sleep, stress and your history with diets all play a part. What you can expect first has little to do with weight: steadier energy, fewer cravings, better digestion, a brighter mood. These usually show up within a few weeks of eating regular, nourishing meals. Your body shape changes slowly, if it changes, and that slowness is a sign that things are going well. Anything that promises fast results is asking your body to pay for it later.
Is it possible to lose weight without exercise?
What you eat, how you sleep and how you handle stress matter a great deal, so yes, your body can change even if a gym is not for you or your health limits what you can do. But I wouldn’t give up on movement altogether, because it does so much more than use energy: it keeps your muscles and bones strong, lifts your mood and helps you sleep. It doesn’t have to be sport. Take the stairs, walk after dinner, garden, dance in the kitchen. You’ll find gentle ideas in my article about moving every day.
What and how should I eat?
What foods should I include in a healthy weight-loss diet?
Think of what to add, not what to remove. A simple picture helps: half your plate vegetables and some fruit, a quarter protein such as fish, eggs, chicken, lentils or tofu, and a quarter whole carbs such as brown rice, quinoa, oats or wholegrain bread. Add healthy fats, a drizzle of olive oil, half an avocado, a few nuts, and drink water with it. A plate like this keeps you full and satisfied for hours. Most people aren’t eating too much of this kind of food, they’re eating too little of it, which is why I wrote why you need more food, not less.
Is it okay to skip meals to lose weight?
I don’t recommend it. When you skip a meal, your body goes without the fuel it needs, and it answers with tiredness, a foggy head, a short temper and, a few hours later, a hunger so strong that you eat whatever is closest. A body that is fed irregularly also learns to be careful with its energy. Regular meals do the opposite: they keep your blood sugar steady and tell your body it’s safe. And remember that what suits one person doesn’t suit another, so notice how you feel.
How much water should I drink to support healthy weight loss?
It depends on your size, how active you are and the weather, so I won’t give you a figure. A good sign that you’re drinking enough is pale yellow urine and rarely feeling thirsty. Thirst can feel a lot like hunger, so a glass of water before you eat is a nice habit: it lets you check what your body is really asking for. If plain water bores you, add slices of lemon, cucumber or a few mint leaves, or drink herbal tea. More ideas are in how staying hydrated helps your mood and energy.
Is it okay to have cheat meals while trying to lose weight?
I’d drop the word “cheat”. It says you’re doing something wrong, and guilt has never helped anyone eat well. When no food is forbidden, there’s nothing to cheat on. Of course you can have the pizza with friends, the birthday cake, the croissant on Sunday. Choose what you really love, sit down for it, eat it slowly and enjoy every mouthful. Then have your usual meal next time, without making up for anything. Feeling deprived is what leads to overeating, far more than the treat itself.
Can drinking alcohol hinder weight loss?
It can make things harder, yes. Alcohol brings energy without nourishing you, your body deals with it first and leaves everything else waiting, it disturbs your sleep, and after a glass or two the crisps and the cheese board become much harder to resist. That doesn’t mean you must give it up. If you enjoy a glass of wine, keep it for the moments when you truly savour it, have it with a meal, and drink water alongside. If you take medication or have a health condition, ask your doctor what is sensible for you.
How can I handle cravings while I’m trying to lose weight?
Start by getting curious. A craving is a message. Very often it says “I haven’t eaten enough today”, and the first thing to try is a more filling lunch with protein and healthy fats. Sometimes it says “I’m tired”, “I’m bored” or “I’m upset”, and food can’t fix those. So pause for a moment and ask: am I hungry, or do I need something else? If you’re hungry, eat something nourishing, such as fruit with a handful of nuts or vegetables with hummus. If you simply fancy a piece of chocolate, have it and enjoy it. I go deeper in where cravings come from and what they’re telling you. If cravings feel overwhelming or come with a lot of distress, do speak to a health professional.
How do stress, sleep and my body come into it?
Can stress impact weight loss?
Very much. When you’re stressed, your body makes more cortisol, a hormone that sharpens your appetite, especially for sweet and fatty food, and encourages the body to keep its reserves around the middle. Stress also spoils your sleep, which makes the next day’s appetite even harder to read. So calming your stress is part of looking after your weight, not an extra. Meditation, autogenic training, yoga, slow breathing, a walk, a talk with a friend: choose what suits you and do a little every day. I explain the link in how sleep and stress affect your appetite and weight.
Can sleep affect weight loss progress?
Yes, more than most people think. After a short night, the hormone that makes you hungry goes up and the one that tells you you’re full goes down. You’re hungrier, less satisfied after eating, and your tired body goes looking for quick energy, which usually means sugar and refined carbs. When you’re rested, choosing well and moving feel much easier. A regular bedtime, no screens and no coffee late in the day, and a cool, dark, quiet bedroom all help. There’s more in simple habits for better nights.
How can I avoid plateaus in my weight loss progress?
A plateau is not a failure. It’s your body settling and catching up, and it’s part of any lasting change. The worst answer is to eat less, because that tells your body there’s a shortage and makes it hold on more tightly. Look at the rest instead. Are you eating enough protein at each meal? Are you sleeping? Has stress crept up? Could you vary the way you move, or add something that uses your muscles? And look at everything else that has changed: your energy, your digestion, the way your clothes feel. Then be patient. Your body isn’t working against you.
Is it safe to take weight loss supplements?
I’d be very cautious. These products are not controlled the way medicines are, so what they contain and what they do isn’t always checked. Some contain stimulants that can raise your heart rate and blood pressure, and some interact with medication. None of them replaces nourishing food, movement and sleep. Before taking any supplement, ask your doctor or pharmacist. The same goes for weight-loss medication: that is a conversation for you and your doctor.
How do I keep going?
How can I stay motivated while I’m trying to lose weight?
Ups and downs are normal, so build on things that don’t depend on the scale. Make your goals small and doable. Notice every bit of progress: more energy in the afternoon, a better night, a week of proper lunches. Find people who encourage you. Keep the benefits in mind, because feeling good today is a much stronger reason to carry on than a distant number. Above all, be kind to yourself. A difficult day is only a difficult day, and the next meal is a fresh start. Your thoughts matter here, as I explain in how your mindset shapes the way you care for your body.
How can I stay accountable for my weight loss goals?
It helps a lot not to do this alone. Tell a friend, a family member or a coach what you’re working on, and agree to check in regularly. Make your goals concrete, and make them about what you do: “I’ll eat breakfast every day this week”, “I’ll walk on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday”. A simple notebook helps too, not to count anything, but to notice how you eat, sleep and feel, and to spot patterns. And celebrate what you’ve kept up, with something that gives you pleasure.
How to lose weight without sacrificing social activities?
Please don’t sacrifice them. Time with people you love is nourishment too. A few simple habits make it easy. Don’t arrive starving: eat normally during the day. At the table, start with the vegetables and the protein, then have what you fancy. Eat slowly, enjoy the conversation, and stop when you’re satisfied, even if there’s food left on your plate and even if everyone else carries on. And suggest other ways of being together now and then: a walk, a bike ride, a yoga class, a morning at the market. Friends who care about you will be glad to see you looking after yourself.
How can I maintain my weight loss once I reach my goal?
If you got there through habits you enjoy, there’s nothing to “maintain”: you simply carry on living this way. That’s the whole reason for avoiding restrictive diets, which nobody can keep up. Keep eating real, colourful meals. Keep moving in ways you like, walking, swimming, dancing. Keep listening to your hunger and fullness, which I describe in how to recognise your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Stay close to people who support you. And celebrate with things that have nothing to do with food: a new outfit, a massage, a weekend away. Bodies change through life, and a little movement up or down is normal.
Looking after your body doesn’t have to be overwhelming or complicated. Nourishing food, movement you enjoy, rest and a lot of kindness towards yourself go a very long way. Your body and your life are unique, so trust yourself and take your time.
Would you like some help?
Finding a way of eating that nourishes you, with no diet and no scale in charge, is one of the things we work on in my group programmes in nutrition and health, such as Six Tuesdays in Montignac. If you’d like to hear when the next group opens, write to me at hello@catherinepolet.coach.
Would you rather work one to one? I also coach online. Book a free 20-minute call, and bring the question that wasn’t on this list. We’ll look at it together.
About Catherine
I’m Catherine Polet, a holistic nutrition health coach, yoga and autogenic training teacher for more than 30 years, author and speaker. I help people find a way of eating and living that suits their own body, online in English, French, Spanish and German, and in person in Southwest France.
