If the slog of January’s relentless weight loss messaging is getting you down, and your attempts in the gym so far haven’t paid off, it can be tempting to think about other routes. With weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro becoming widespread, it can be tempting to look for a quick fix.
Official stats on how many Brits are using semaglutides, which mimic the action of the hormone GLP-1, are hard to come by. But a recent YouGov survey found that two in five overweight Britons were interested in taking the drugs for weight loss. The drugs are available on the NHS to treat type 2 diabetes, but not for weight loss, but are available privately, and even illegally online.
Dr Bryony Henderson, GP and Medical Director at the online health provider Numan (numan.com) is worried about people taking it unnecessarily. “Medications approved for obesity management are just that - prescription treatments specifically intended for people with obesity. Despite some referring to them online as ‘skinny jabs’, they are not a shortcut or a golden bullet.”
London PT Rachael Sacerdoti, founder of It’s So Simple (@itssosimple_rs), herself lost more than 30kg, and knows the power of simple – and natural - hacks to lose weight. “Before turning to pharmaceutical interventions, it's important to explore natural and sustainable methods for weight management, particularly fat loss. Focusing on nutrition and building a solid foundation of healthy habits can lay the groundwork for long-term success and overall well-being.”
1. Eat your meals earlier in the day
Those who go to bed late often end up eating later, too, which can mess with our metabolic health. “Aligning your lifestyle and nutrition habits with your natural body clock can have a profound impact on metabolic health,” Stephenson says. “We know that the timing and composition of meals can significantly impact our metabolic efficiency.” Which in turn affects hunger cravings, how we metabolise food and weight.
Artah has a new nutritional programme The Chrono-Reset (£75, artah.co), which teaches you how to reset your body’s eating windows, such as eating breakfast earlier, “when the body is more metabolically efficient”, and leaving at least 12 hours of fasting; some days even longer fasts with main meals finished by 4pm, and only a light broth in the evening. “It’s about learning how to optimise metabolic efficiency, and the foods and habits we can incorporate to improve body composition and metabolic health,” Stephenson says.
2. Increase your protein intake
A simple trick is simply to up the amount of protein you consume in each meal. “It can be a game-changer,” Sacerdoti says. “Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth and plays a crucial role in supporting weight loss efforts. As well as helping you feel fuller for longer, protein has a higher thermogenic effect than carbohydrates and fats, meaning your body burns more calories during digestion, ultimately supporting fat loss goals.”
Dr Gabrielle Lyons, a physician and author of Forever Strong: Your guide to protein, muscle, and aging well, recommends eating at least 2.2g per 1kg of your ideal body weight per day. Research published in the journal Obesity, suggests that consuming at least 30-50g of protein at breakfast reduces hunger throughout the day, leading to weight loss.
3. Eat more fibre
Another easy dietary habit to take up (rather than give up) is to increase fibre. “It's important to remember that GLP-1 is a hormone we naturally produce, and we can upregulate its production with a high fibre, high protein meal,” says Rhian Stephenson, Nutritionist, Naturopath and Founder of ARTAH.
She says that while protein might have received a marketing boost of late, fibre is often underrated. Yet, “it’s incredibly important, yet in the UK, we aren't getting enough. Average daily intakes hover around 18g compared with the recommended 30g.” She suggests aiming for 10g fibre per meal, with easy hacks like sprinkling nuts or seeds on salads and including more beans.” See artah.co for free fibre-filled recipes such as its viral buckwheat loaf.
4. Lift heavy weights
While we might have been brought up to believe that endless cardio is the best way to fat loss, in fact “increasing muscle mass through protein consumption can help boost your metabolism,” according to Sacerdoti. “Muscle tissue requires more energy to maintain than fat, so by incorporating strength training alongside a protein-rich diet, you can effectively elevate your resting metabolic rate and promote fat loss.” Indeed, studies consistently show that regular resistance training leads to a significant increase in muscle mass, thus improving body composition by reducing body fat (NB – the scales might show an increase in weight as muscle weighs more than fat).
She adds that weight loss injections such as Ozempic can lead to muscle wastage (as with any crash diet), “which is detrimental to us, especially as we age”, and also can lead to weight regain once the injections stop.
5. Drink electrolytes
Often when we think we’re hungry, it’s actually thirst. One way to increase the amount of hydration your body absorbs – particularly if you’re stressed or tired - is to drink electrolytes, which (depending on the brand) can include sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
“Sugar cravings are the biggest reason why people gain weight. Fight them off with salt and electrolyte water,” Dr James DiNicolantonio, author of The Obesity Fix: How to Beat Food Cravings, Lose Weight and Gain energy, says. An easy at-home electolye mix is mixing a pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon juice into your water bottle; or buy pre made from the stylish brand Oshun, with salt harvested from the Great Salt Lake in Utah, with no sweeteners (£32.99; drinkoshun.co).
6. Supplements can help you cut down on sugar
We should always aim to get our nutrition from whole foods, but there’s no doubt certain supplements can play a part. A consumer trial showed that 94% of people saw a reduction in sweet cravings after one week of using Artah’s Metabolic Fix, (£32, artah.co ), which contains over 40 different vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, including targeted actives for blood sugar, such as Chromium, Magnesium, methylated B Complex, Berberine, Gymnema, Sage and Cinnamon.
Creatine also has a role to play – particularly if you are upping your resistance training: studies show it can increase the amount you’re able to lift by up to 32% and increase muscle mass by 7.2%. Nutritionist Rose Ferguson is a fan of the brand Ancient and Brave, which has recently launched creatine supplements to the range (from £16.99; ancientandbrave.earth).
7. If all else fails, try ultrasound therapy to kill fat cells
For stubborn fat pockets that exercise can’t target, you could look to a high-tech treatment being pioneered by The Glasshouse Clinic. The 3D Lipo Ultimate Pro uses a combination of high tech treatments including Ultrasound Cavitation, which uses ultrasound technology to break down fat cells below the skin, Cryolipolysis, aka fat freezing, radio frequency and shockwave therapy to disrupt the fat cells, break them down and allow the body to disperse of them naturally. It’s non-invasive, totally painless (feels exactly like an ultrasound) and can lead to up to six centimetres in fat loss. “After childhood we don’t grow anymore fat cells,” clinic owner Alison Telfer, an experience aesthetic nurse, explains. “They just expand. So, if we can destroy some fat cells, then you will appear slimmer. Those fat cells will never grow back.” (From £450 per session, theglasshouseclinic.co.uk).
