How to get your dream body in 2021: Dietitian Leanne Ward reveals her guide
Your ultimate guide to your dream body: Dietitian reveals what to do to sculpt your physique in 2021 – and the EXACT day on a plate for weight loss
- Dietitian Leanne Ward has revealed her guide to sculpting your dream body
- The 31-year-old from Brisbane shared exactly what you should eat each day
- Leanne said fat loss is as much about sleep and stress as it is exercise and diet
- She also revealed the major mistakes people make when trying to lose weight
A leading dietitian has revealed exactly how you can get your dream body in 2021, and the day on a plate she swears by for weight loss and quick, effective results.
Leanne Ward, from Brisbane, is a leading sports dietitian, and her programs are followed by thousands across the country and further afield.
‘While you can and will get your dream body in 2021, you need to allow yourself a bit of time and possibly up to 12 months,’ Leanne told FEMAIL.
A leading dietitian has revealed exactly how you can get your dream body in 2021, and the day on a plate she swears by for weight loss and quick, effective results (Leanne Ward pictured)
The first things you need to think about is making a detailed and tailored plan that you know you can stick to come January 1, Leanne (pictured) said
What are the first things to think about for lasting weight loss?
The first things you need to think about is making a detailed and tailored plan that you know you can stick to come January 1.
‘Forget anything you have ever heard about restricting certain foods and start to think about having a healthy lifestyle long term,’ Leanne told Daily Mail Australia.
‘There’s no point in starting anything on January 1 if you can’t see yourself doing it in 12 months time on December 31. Consistency is KEY and if it’s too restrictive, it won’t last.’
However, there are a few rules you can try: namely eating more vegetables, balancing every meal with high fibre carbs and reducing any ultra-processed foods.
‘Stick to wholefoods or minimally processed snacks where possible, and try a “dry January” as alcohol and fat loss don’t go well together.’
You could also cancel ‘cheat weekends’ as a concept, and instead incorporate a daily treat or treat every couple of days to ‘keep you motivated and on track’.
‘Most people do well Monday to Friday, then blow out all weekend, re-gain the weight and have to start again every Monday,’ Leanne said.
‘Stop doing this and plan ahead for your weekends to stay on track.’
There is no hard and fast approach but there are a few rules you can try: namely eating more vegetables, balancing every meal with high fibre carbs and reducing ultra-processed foods
What is the perfect day on a plate for weight loss?
Leanne shared two typical days on a plate for her (pictured and left)
BREAKFAST: Two free-range eggs, one piece of grain sourdough with a spread of avocado, two cups of cooked colourful veggies (mushrooms, tomato, silverbeet, broccoli, asparagus, capsicum) and one tbsp salsa & black pepper/chilli/garlic flakes for flavour.
SNACK: One x medium cafe coffee and one piece of fruit.
LUNCH: Tuna salad: one x 95g tin tuna in oil and 150g roasted sweet potato with the skin on, roasted pumpkin, capsicum, mushrooms and zucchini. Add baby spinach, tuna, roasted veggies into a bowl and toss with balsamic vinegar and some feta.
AFTERNOON SNACK: One x 10g square of dark chocolate + 25g roasted nuts.
DINNER: 120-150g chicken/pork/tofu stir fry with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice and lots of vegetables (use soy sauce, chilli, garlic and oyster sauce to make a stir fry sauce).
DRINKS: Two litres of water per day (more if you are in a bigger body/ feel thirsty/train hard/ are in the heat or are a heavy sweater), 2-3 cups of unsweetened coffee/tea/herbal tea each day with a dash of milk if needed. Minimise ALL other drinks so water is your top fluid choice (add a slice of lime, mint or cucumber if needed to help you drink more water).
Fill your fridge with plenty of fruits and vegetables and aim for the perfect proportions on every plate for weight loss (Leanne’s fridge pictured)
What is the ideal day on a plate for weight loss?
When it comes to what you should and shouldn’t be eating, Leanne, 31, said it’s all about protein at every meal, high fibre carbs at every meal and lots of salad and vegetables, as well as a small serving of healthy fats.
‘Ideally, every plate should be filled with 1/2 plate of non-starchy vegetables of salads, 1/4 plate of lean protein and 1/4 plate of high fibre carbs,’ Leanne said.
Then, add a thumb-sized amount of healthy fats so you don’t go hungry.’
The perfect day on a plate for the dietitian comprises eggs, tuna salads, chicken with brown rice and vegetables and even some dark chocolate.
‘This calorie torching meal plan is for an active female, as it alows your body to be nourished and fuelled appropriately whilst still burning unwanted fat,’ Leanne explained.
‘Sustainable fat loss is about fuelling your body properly to burn fat, not starving or restricting it!’
Leanne (pictured) said she does four weights sessions per week, one HIIT session and also makes sure she gets good sleep and does plenty of walks
What is the perfect training regime?
While Leanne said she is not a personal trainer and so cannot comment on exactly what you should be doing, she said she favours four weight sessions per week and one HIIT session (high intensity interval training).
‘Two of my weight sessions are focused on the upper body and two are on the lower body,’ she said.
‘I also make sure I get 5,000 steps on exercise days and 10,000 steps on rest days. Walking works wonders for fat loss!’
Leanne said the ‘dream combination’ for losing weight is combining strength with cardio and steps: both are ‘important for metabolism and fat loss’.
You should stop weighing yourself every day, and instead weigh yourself, take a baseline and then put the scales away for four weeks,’ Leanne (pictured) said
What are the fat loss hacks that work?
Leanne said there are a few fat loss hacks that will help you in your quest to your dream body, namely that you should switch your snacks.
‘Instead of regularly snacking on energy-dense holiday food such as slices, cakes, bliss balls, deep-fried products or crisps, aim to fill your tummy with foods that provide your body with heaps of nutrients and fibre like veggie sticks, boiled eggs, nuts, hummus, roasted chickpeas and fresh fruit,’ Leanne said.
You should also stop weighing yourself every day, and instead weigh yourself, take a baseline and then put the scales away for four weeks.
‘Focus on being as consistent as you can in those four weeks (no need to be perfect) – consistent with fat loss is key, not perfection,’ Leanne said.
Finally, allow yourself to continue eating out once or twice a week; as long as your make healthy choices that contain lots of veggies, you should be okay.
Just make sure that water is your number one fluid source and cut out drinking alcohol where possible:
‘Alcohol provides substantial calories which people often forget about,’ Leanne said.
;A few glasses of alcohol can be more calories than a meal.’
What are the main mistakes people make?
* Stop doing restrictive diets and starting living a healthy lifestyle long term.
Leanne (pictured) revealed the major mistakes people make with weight loss
* Dramatically reducing calories leaves people cranky, hungry and tired. For sustainable fat loss, a very small drop in calories is all that’s needed every few weeks.
* Less than four per cent of Australians consume the minimum recommended amount of vegetables: focus your attention here.
* You don’t have to give up your favourite foods altogether, you just need to balance your portions properly to allow your body to constantly feel full and satisfied. This is the key to long term successful weight loss.
* Just because you eat very well Monday to Friday and then ‘treat yourself’ on the weekend does not mean you’re immune to weight gain. So many people are busy at work during the week that they have reduced temptations for alcohol, sugary drinks and processed foods during the week. Come the weekend, we just want to relax so we may sleep in (and skip the gym), eat out more regularly as we don’t want to cook, indulge in alcohol more regularly due to social occasions or indulge in more processed foods as we’re at home more. Try to avoid this as much as possible.
Source: Leanne Ward
‘Chronic lack of sleep is like credit card debit. It just keeps building up and up and even though you might catch up a little, in the long run you are always behind,’ Leanne (pictured) said
What are the final tips to ensure your new body lasts?
To make sure your new body lasts, Leanne said there are a few things to keep in mind:
‘Focusing on your sleep is key,’ she said.
‘Getting less than seven hours sleep consistently each night has been linked to weight gain.
‘Chronic lack of sleep is like credit card debit. It just keeps building up and up and even though you might catch up a little, in the long run you are always behind.’
Alongside making sleep a priority, Leanne said you should also make your ‘exercise fun’.
‘The holiday season is filled with plenty of catch ups with families and friends but instead of sitting at home eating or in a cafe enjoying a meal, schedule in a “moving date”,’ she said.
‘This way you’re preventing unwelcome weight gain by moving more and you’re still spending valuable time with family and friends.’
To find out more about Leanne Ward, you can visit her website here. You can also follow her on Instagram here.
