It’s such a small amount of weight – so why is losing that last five kilos so hard to achieve?
It may come as a surprise to hear that it can be much harder to drop a few kilos than it is to lose 10 or more when you have loads of weight to lose.
Hearing this may come as some relief to struggling dieters – especially if this is a goal that seems to constantly elude you.
It is not you, nor your lack of will power or self-control. Rather, losing that stubborn last 5kg is hard to do – for a number of reasons.
While most of use would like to be a few kilos lighter, our bodies don’t always feel the same way.
It’s often the case that the closer you get to your goal weight, the more your body resists: It fears you are at risk of starvation due to the calorie deficit and all of a sudden you start feeling much hungrier.
There are other reasons why the last few kilos can be so elusive: Sometimes dieters lose the determination they had at the start of their weight loss journey when the kilos were falling off. In other instances, old snacking habits start to creep back in.
That’s why I decided to write a focused guide to this singularly tricky weight loss obstacle, 5 in 4: The Art and Science of Losing Those Last Few Kilos. And, just like the title says, it really is possible to achieve in just four weeks.
It’s such a small amount of weight – so why is losing that last 5kg so hard to achieve? Dietitian Susie Burrell (pictured) has written a book that reveals how to shift those stubborn kilos
Susie is the author of 5 in 4: The Art and Science of Losing Those Last Few Kilos
Dedicate time to your goals
In many cases, it is not that an individual doesn’t want to lose weight, it’s that they do not want to enough.
Sometimes, this simply comes down to time: People leading busy lives simply do not have the time they need to focus on themselves and give exercise and food the time and attention needed.
What’s the solution? Before you tackle that last 5kg, do your best to set yourself up for success. Create the time and space to fully commit for at least a few weeks.
Start by committing to a single day or two of light eating. For example, try eggs and a green juice for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and a vegetable-based dinner.
On day three, introduce some protein, such as lean chicken or fish, with your lunch and dinner. You will be a kilo or so lighter within a few days.
Ask yourself the tough questions
Before you tackle that last 5kg, set yourself up for success. Create the time and space to fully commit for at least a few weeks
If something is holding you back from your weight loss goals, it may be time to ask yourself: 'What do I really eat?’
By that I don’t mean, 'What do I usually eat?’ or 'What’s on my meal plan?’
I’m talking about the work snacks, the extras in between meals, what you eat on the weekends and, yes, your alcohol intake.
It’s also worth reviewing where you are buying food and your exercise routine – which includes hitting your 10,000 daily steps.
Focus on hunger-based eating
Do you ever find yourself eating not because you’re hungry, but because others are eating? Or it’s a meal time? Or something tasty happens to be on offer?
Eating when you do not really feel that hungry – or eating out of fear of experiencing hunger – leaves us prone to constant overeating.
Getting back in touch with your natural hunger. Committing to hunger-based eating is a significant step towards long-term weight control.
Often we eat when we are four or five out of 10 on the hunger scale, when we should really wait until a seven or an eight to enjoy a well-balanced meal.
Not only does consistent hunger-based eating help program our bodies to allow several hours in between meals, but it also has another added benefit: food tastes much better when you’re actually hungry.
Protein is vital…
As we learn more about the science of weight loss, we are also learning the key role protein plays in regulating appetite.
Protein – think meat, poultry, fish and eggs – is digested more slowly than carbohydrates, and as a result helps to regulate blood glucose levels and helps to keep us fuller for longer after eating.
Research suggests that until the body gets the adequate amounts of protein, the desire to consume calories remains strong.
Prioritising protein could be the deciding factor that helps you maintain a consistent calorie deficit and lose weight.
Protein – think meat, poultry, fish and eggs – is digested more slowly than carbohydrates, and as such helps to regulate blood glucose levels and helps to keep is fuller for longer after eating
…as are veggies
The easiest way to lower your overall calorie load, and support sustainable weight loss, is to increase the volume of low-calorie salad and vegetables you eat every day.
Not only does this mean you basically get to eat more, but you will then naturally reduce your overall calorie intake without impacting appetite.
The key is to make sure that each time you eat, you include some type of fresh food.
The easiest way to lower your overall calorie load, and support sustainable weight loss, is to increase the volume of low-calorie salad and vegetables you eat every day, says Susie
Are carbs the problem?
If you have not been getting the results you are expecting from your diet, the first thing to assess is how much carbohydrate you’re having.
As carbs are digested to glucose – the fuel for muscles and the brain – the amount we need is largely dependent on the activity we do on a day-to-day basis.
The problem is, most of do not reduce our carb intake when we are less active.
Another mistake is having portions that are too large – think extra-chunky slices of sourdough and huge scoops of rice or pasta.
As a reference, a small female exercising a few times each week will need as little as 100g to 150g of carbs per day.
When you consider that a cup for rice contains 45g, it’s easy to see how easy it is to eat more carbohydrate than we need.
Time your meals effectively
Our bodies are programmed to burn more fuel in the first half of the day and to store it later – and there’s not much we can do to change this.
Because we don’t burn as much energy overnight, we are more likely to store food consumed at this time. The lesson is clear: avoid a late dinner.
Ideally the body needs at least 10 to 12 hours without any food overnight, which in reality means eat dinner by 8pm – or ideally even earlier.
The same applies for breakfast: The earlier the better – because eating by 7am or 8am taps into your natural metabolism. 9am is too late for breakfast.
As for lunch, generally speaking, you will feel hungry three to four hours after your first meal, which means most of us will benefit from an early lunch.
Watch the weekends
It doesn’t matter how strict you are with your diet in the week, or how much exercise you do, if you routinely blow out on weekends with high-calorie meals, treats and too much alcohol, you will constantly struggle with weight maintenance.
Yes, you may not be gaining weight, but you will be unlikely to lose it either.
For many it’s not realistic to maintain weekday eating habits on the weekends, but one way to keep your weight loss goals on track is to have one or two more indulgent meals at the weekend, but buffer these with plenty of exercise and lighter options the rest of the time.
A handy rule of thumb is 'go light on Sunday night’. Forget waiting until Monday to restart your healthy diet for the week.
The pitfalls of alcohol
Booze is often associated with weight gain, but in most cases it’s not the alcohol itself that causes it.
Instead, the problem is the calorie-dense foods we tend to reach for when enjoying a few drinks – think fried food at the pub, cheese and dip platters, or the large plate of pasta that accompanies a few glasses of red.
Bad snacking habits
What tends to happen after a person have been following a diet and exercise program for a while, is that old, bad habits slip back in, gradually taking them out of their calorie deficit and back into a cycle of gradual weight gain.
A common example of a bad habit is excessive snacking.
While snacking is important to keeping the metabolism pumping, the reality is that our go-to snacks tend to be more like small meals, which result in overeating.
Ideally, we need at least three to four hours in between meals and snacks – so you may be better off ditching the mid-morning snack and having an early lunch. This means you are just one mid-afternoon snack away from dinner time.
To avoid temptation during your work day, keep your snacks away from your desk and only pack what you need for the day.
And also keep an eye on after-dinner sweet treats. If you can’t eat them in moderation, the solution is to not keep large portions of tempting food at home.
A few pieces of dark chocolate after dinner is fine, but if you can’t eat evening sweet treats in moderation, don’t keep large portions of tempting food at home
Walk more!
Chances are, if you’re struggling with shifting the last five kilos, you need to move your body a lot more every day.
At a minimum, aim to reach upwards of 8,000 steps per day, spaced out throughout the day. Moving after a meal is one of the best things we can do for blood glucose control.
When it comes to counting steps, there is also no need to invest in expensive monitoring equipment. In most cases, your phone will have an inbuilt pedometer.
From movement to exercise
You may have been successful at dropping a few kilos simply by moving more – but if your weight loss has halted, or if you want to take things to the next level, it may be time to up the ante when it comes to exercise.
This could be as simple as walking in a way that increases your heart rate to a degree that you are not talking as easily. It could mean adding a different type of exercise that gives you a decent workout.
The key to keeping on top of our weight and metabolic health is reaching a level of acceptance about the need to exercise, on most days, for the rest of our lives.
Once you get to this point, all you need to do is work out how to get your heart rate up for 20 to 30 minutes on more days than not.
You may have been successful at dropping a few kilos simply by moving more – but if your weight loss has halted, or if you want to take things to the next level, it may be time to up the ante when it comes to exercise
Be cautious when eating out
While there is nothing wrong with enjoying a meal out, from a calorie perspective a meal at a restaurant is generally double the calorie load of a meal we would prepare at home thanks to the liberal use of sauces, oil and butter, fattier cuts of meat, and portion sizes.
To prevent overindulging, never go to a restaurant or event when you are hungry. This will only lead to you over-ordering high-fat foods and extra side dishes.
Plan ahead by topping with a protein and veggie-rich snack a few hours before heading out.
While there is nothing wrong with enjoying a meal out, from a calorie perspective, a meal at a restaurant is generally double the calorie load of a meal we would prepare at home
