Want to drop a few pounds easily? You’re in luck. A dietician has shared four easy “food rules” for losing weight. It’s so simple that anyone can do it.
Susie Burrell, one of Australia’s leading dietitians and nutritionists and the author of “The 30-Day Reset Plan,” has shared her four easy “food rules” for losing weight. With nearly 42% of adults in the US being obese, according to data collected in 2020, it’s evident that Americans need all the help they can get. Thankfully, Burrell can help.
“Your rules should reflect your lifestyle goals and specifically target the areas in which you struggle to make decisions,” Burrell explained, according to The Mirror. With that said, the dietician offered four simple guidelines that she swears by for helping to lose weight and stay in shape, and she said they can help reduce the “pressure” around dieting. What’s more, they are pretty simple to follow.
Sweets
The first of Susie Burrell’s rules involves sweets. The expert recommends limiting your intake of sweets to once a day and restricting your intake to the same time every day. According to Burrell, you don’t have to give up sweets for good. Instead, limit yourself to enjoying them at a specific time of day. By following this rule, Burrell says you’ll be “more in control” of your sugar cravings, saving them for a certain time at the end of the day.
The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans also recommends limiting calories from added sugars, saying added sugar should make up less than 10% of your daily diet. “For a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s 200 calories or about 12 teaspoons,” the NY Post reported, adding, “Consuming too much sugar has been shown to raise the risk of developing obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, tooth decay, acne, high blood pressure, and chronic inflammation, among other ailments.”
Fried Food
Burrell’s second rule involves fried food, such as french fries, onion rings, and fried chicken, and it’s pretty simple: avoid it at all costs. Instead, choose vegetables over fried foods, Burrell suggests. “Whether you opt for chicken strips, or a vegetable rice burrito bowl, or a vegetable-rich frozen meal, you will be adding some nutrients into your day and making a much healthier option than fried food, burger deals, or pizza that you order in,” Burrell explained.
There are other benefits beyond weight loss to skipping fried cuisine. A study from 2023 found that “fried potato consumption—namely, french fries—is linked with a 12% increased risk of anxiety and a 7% heightened risk of depression, with young men affected the most.” That’s right, fried food, especially potatoes, has been linked to a greater risk of anxiety and depression.
Alcohol
It’s no secret that cocktails can pack a caloric punch. In fact, alcohol alone contains 7 calories per gram, and even more calories can be found in cocktail mixers. But did you know that having a drink before or with your dinner can lead to a higher percentage of the calories from food being stored instead of burned? According to The Mirror, this is because your body prioritizes metabolizing alcohol over food. For this reason, Burrell recommends abstaining from alcohol until Thursday, limiting your alcohol intake to a few days of the week.
However, the dietician says this rule can be tweaked if needed. For example, some may prefer to limit their consumption to one glass per night. According to Burrell, this is fine, as long as you drink it at the right time of day, which she claims is in the evening, after dinner. “Eat your last meal of the day as early as you can and indulge in one to two alcoholic drinks minus the extra food when you do enjoy an evening drink,” Burrell said.
Coffee
Last but not least, Susie Burrell says you should only indulge in one coffee with milk per day. This includes cappuccinos and other milk-based coffees. Why? It’s those pesky calories. You can pour as much black coffee as you’d like, but those lattes and other milk-containing coffee creations need to be limited to one a day as Burrell argues that between 60 and 100 calories could be added to creamy coffee beverages, even if skim or plant-based milk products are used.
By implementing these four guidelines for healthier eating, Susie Burrell believes you’ll achieve results that you’ll enjoy while experiencing less dieting stress and pressure. “When you have a food rule, for example, not drinking alcohol during the week, or not eating dessert on weeknights, the brain is not subjected to the extra pressure of having to make another decision, rather, you have a default set of guidelines that keep your diet on track,” she explained.
With excess weight and obesity increasing the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and several types of cancer, and knowing that almost half of adults in the US struggle with obesity, these tips are worth sharing. If you are one of those who are struggling, remember that you can change your health and your life with these four easy steps.
Although Susie Burrell noted that there’s not “one set of rules that will suit everyone,” she said these basic concepts should help most people reach their weight loss goals. Limit sweets to once a day, avoid fried food, abstain from alcohol until Thursday, and only indulge in one coffee with milk per day. That’s a pretty easy plan, and one worth not only implementing but also sharing with others.
