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Losing weight slowly over a decade, as the American singer Lizzo has, can seem like a tedious process. Experts share how, with the right mindset and consistency, these results can be made realistic and sustainable
Lizzo sweats it out on a half balance ball. Pics Courtesy/Instagram
American rapper and singer Lizzo is no stranger to making headlines. This time around, however, the spotlight isn’t on her music but on her inspirational weight loss journey. In a recent Instagram post, the rapper shared that she had reached her goal weight — lowered her body fat by 16 per cent and her Body Mass Index (BMI) by 10.5. But what makes her achievement truly remarkable in an era otherwise marked by seemingly miraculously shrinking bodies (Ozempic, anyone?) is that the 36-year-old took nearly a decade to achieve these impressive results.
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Lizzo performs her hits at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Pic Courtesy/Youtube
“A longer term, slow-burn approach to weight loss is typically far more sustainable as it involves lifestyle changes over short-term quick fixes. The biggest challenge for most individuals is to stay motivated, since the progress is gradual and not visually dramatic. This can be further exacerbated by social expectations for rapid results, which can undermine self-esteem. Further, when the results aren’t immediate, many people begin to question the effectiveness of their plan and find it easier to give up,” says Jeff Bathija, personal coach at Mid-life Lifting Club.
The singer announced her weightloss milestone through an Instagram post
Slow but steady
Setting the right targets is the first and most important step towards building a sustainable weight loss routine, notes exercise scientist Benafsha Gazdar. “Having unrealistic milestones, such as losing 5kg a week is impractical. I recommend targeting no more than 500g a week so that you can keep the weight off,” she explains.
Healthy sleep cycles help regulate hunger. Representation pics
Bathija recommends shifting focus to non-scale victories such as improved stamina, better sleep or reduced stress levels. At the same time, he suggests celebrating process-oriented goals that highlight a consistency in your workouts or meal prep. To stay motivated, use holistic tracking methods to measure your progress, such as photos, tape measurements, and improvements in your energy levels rather than focusing squarely on the numbers on the scale.
Simple activities like walking your pet can help burn extra calories
“Once you achieve a milestone, aim for new challenges. For instance, work towards improving your endurance or lifting heavier weights. A good hack to avoid monotony is to experiment with new workouts, recipes or activities. Regularly revisit your starting point and celebrate how far you’ve come; reflect on the consequences of reverting to stay mindful of how slipping back might impact your health,” adds Bathija. He clarifies that changing your mindset to focus on habits, and not outcomes, is pivotal. Your routine must be a natural part of your life, not something you ‘complete’.
The building blocks
Jeff Bathija
“While weight loss and fat loss are often used interchangeably, weight loss refers to a reduction in total body weight, including water, muscle and fat. Fat loss, on the other hand, specifically targets the reduction of body fat. Preserving or building lean muscle while reducing fat is crucial for sustainable fat loss as it supports a healthier body composition and better long-term results,” notes Jashan Vij, a health and fat loss coach. He, Gazdar and Bathija highlight the following elements for a balanced weight loss routine.
Benafsha Gazdar
1 Balanced nutrition: Very restrictive diets are, by their very nature, designed to fail. Instead, focus on including whole foods, portion control and consistency.
2 Regular physical activity: Your exercise routine should include elements of strength training and cardio. While cardio will help you lose weight, building lean muscle mass will help you burn fat even when you are not exercising. Additionally, increasing the amount of energy you expend on NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) which involves activities such as walking, standing and fidgeting, can help with weight management and improve your cardiovascular health. Easy ways to increase NEAT are to walk while running errands, engage in household chores, play with pets or children, or simply to stand up more often.
Jashan Vij
3 Manage sleep and stress: Poor sleep negatively impacts your hunger hormones and recovery, while chronic stress can lead to emotional eating or hormonal imbalances.
Reach out to support communities or a coach who understands your journey to stay motivated, especially if and when you encounter setbacks. Gazdar also emphasises showing up at all times, and tracking progress only once every 15 days.
Getting back on track
When building a long-term fitness routine, it’s crucial to acknowledge and anticipate occasional setbacks. “These are part of the process, not the end. Analyse what is wrong, without judgment — identify what triggered the lapse, and strategise accordingly to prevent a recurrence. When restarting your process, after a holiday or a bout of illness for instance, focus on rebuilding habits one step at a time rather than an immediate overhaul,” says Bathija. At the same time, Gazdar recommends getting back to your routine as soon as possible. An accountability partner can be the push you need to get back, she concludes.
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