Dietitians Say Follow These 5 Tips For Healthy, Sustainable Weight Loss

Any diet will work as long as you're in a moderate calorie deficit — aka "eating fewer calories than you burn," says Laura Hamilton, MA, RD, CSP, LD, of Empower Nutrition. Some people achieve this through a vegetarian or plant-based diet; others do Mediterranean, Paleo, or keto; and some find success with weight-loss plans like Weight Watchers.

Kayley George, MS, RD, LD, owner of The Healthy Weight Loss Dietitians, agrees, saying, "It doesn't matter if you're eating a vegan diet or intermittent fasting; no diet works without a caloric deficit." You can use online calorie-deficit calculators or this calorie-deficit formula to get a rough estimate of your caloric needs. If you want to get more specific, look for a place that offers RMR (resting metabolic rate) testing in your area. It usually costs around $100 to $250 and will tell your more exact caloric needs; it will also indicate what macros (fat, carbs, protein) your body metabolizes best.

If you don't want to bother with numbers and formulas, just be aware of how much you're currently eating. This is the amount needed to maintain your present weight, so if you want to lose pounds, eat about 500 calories fewer, recommends Adrienne Ngai, RD, MSc, CDE. Physical activity can also affect that number, so the more active you are, the less of a calorie deficit you'll need.

While calorie deficit is important, George explains three other fundamentals for every weight-loss journey: sleep, stress, and mindset. Lack of sleep will slow down your metabolism and increase hunger signaling, and stress will increase cortisol levels, which can cause the body to store extra fat and lead to uncontrolled blood sugar.

Mindset is also key, Hamilton says, because you can't sustain a lifestyle if you feel like it's too restrictive or if you're unhappy. George focuses on all three principles: if a person slacks in any one of those areas, it can undermine weight-loss success.

George defines the "10-year test" as a diet and lifestyle you feel you can confidently stick to for the next 10 years. For instance, if you don't think you can give up bread and pasta for the next 10 years, keto isn't the right path for you. Find a way of eating that you can see yourself continuing once you reach your weight-loss goal, since that's what you'll need to do in order to maintain your weight loss.

There isn't one set formula for weight loss that's successful for everyone, George says. Some people benefit from eating multiple smaller meals, while others do better with three big meals. Some benefit from low-carb diets, while others need a higher-carb diet. What works for one person won't necessarily work for the next, so it may take a little trial and error to find what works best for you.

Ngai agrees, saying it's important to listen to your body's cues. Knowing when you're hungry or full, knowing which foods you crave (since that's part of keeping yourself satisfied), and knowing which foods make you feel your best are all part of solving your personal weight-loss puzzle.

Working with a dietitian is the quickest shortcut to getting a customized weight-loss approach. If that's not in the cards, listen to your body's feedback — it knows what approach is best for you. "I'll hear so many women say, 'I felt really good when I was doing X,' and that's valuable information," George says. As long as you're hitting your foundations (sleep, stress, and mindset) and your caloric balance, you can experiment and make adjustments to figure out the right formula. The key is to not be too rigid with yourself and find your perfect balance.

Be compassionate and kind to yourself during your weight-loss journey, Ngai says. It's not always going to be smooth sailing, and that's completely normal. When things don't go as planned, know that tomorrow is a new day and a new start.

Celebrate your wins — both scale and nonscale victories. Thank yourself for making the empowering decision to change your eating habits, and be proud of even the smallest choices you make every day.

The textbook rate of healthy weight loss is about one to two pounds per week, George says. For women with more weight to lose, you can expect to see weight loss in the range of two to four pounds per week. If you have less weight to lose, even losing half a pound per week is a great accomplishment.

Remember, weight loss isn't always linear, so look for downward trends rather than exact numbers. George recommends weighing yourself only once a week — at the same time, same place, and in the same clothes — to get the most exact data. It can be helpful to look at monthly rather than weekly weight loss, since there can be a lot of variation from week to week. Expect an average of four to 10 pounds lost per month.

Here are some ways to measure progress beyond the scale. Celebrating these can help motivate you on your journey:

Physical changes: You can lose inches without the scale moving, so keep track of body measurements like waist circumferences, body-fat percentage, and clothing size (you drop a size about every 10 to 15 pounds). Ngai also suggests taking weekly or monthly photos, since your physique can change if you're working out and building muscle.

Other physical improvements from changing your diet and exercising more can include better sleep and digestion, as well as clearer skin. If you're working out more often or doing a new kind of activity, you may also notice improvements in your workout performance, like being able to run faster or lift heavier weights. It's empowering to take the focus off of what you look like and think instead about how strong you're getting.

Emotional improvements: If you feel better emotionally, have increased energy and mental clarity, are being kinder to yourself, and have an improved relationship with your body and with food, these are clear signs that you're doing something right.

Changes in your daily habits: Doing more beneficial daily habits like meal planning, exercising, or prioritizing self-care are also signs that you're making progress. These habits will become a routine part of your daily life and reinforce your weight-loss success.

When choosing a healthy, sustainable weight-loss plan, avoid:

• Plans that have a time frame: Any "30-day plans" or weight-loss plans that promise you'll "lose weight fast" in X amount of time scream unsustainable weight loss, George warns. Weight loss takes time and is different for everyone, so there shouldn't be a definitive time frame attached.
• Plans that sell products: If a plan requires you to buy or eat certain products in order to lose weight, what happens when you stop using them? Remember the "10-year test": if you're not planning on eating or using these products for the rest of your life, the plan isn't sustainable.
• Plans that are overly restrictive: Things like juice or soup cleanses, detox teas, and two-week "clean eating" plans that omit entire food groups lure people in, because they promise to work fast. While fad diets may work initially to help you shed a few pounds, they aren't sustainable for the long haul, so you'll end up gaining the weight back. Weight loss is an extremely complex process that takes time, effort, and often-major lifestyle alterations, George says.