Losing Weight Without Extremes: 30 Days of Realistic Habits

Every autumn and every spring, many people decide that "from Monday" they are starting a new regime. The decision often comes with a crash diet that lasts a week or two, after which everything goes back to the way it was. This article does not promise a certain number of kilos in a month. Instead, we offer 30 days of small, realistic changes that you can keep up after the month is over.

#Why crash diets rarely work

When we cut down on food sharply, the body treats it as stress. Tiredness, irritability and intense hunger set in, and sooner or later willpower gives way. Nutrition specialists have long given the same advice: better slow and sustainable, with the right food, regular meals and normal portions, than fast and temporary.

The aim of the next 30 days is not "to lose as much as possible" but to build habits you can keep. That is why each week adds just one new theme, while the previous ones stay.

#Before you start

Choose a day when you will have a little peace and quiet – Sunday, for example. Get a notebook or a note on your phone ready, a water bottle and comfortable walking shoes. If you like, measure your waist and weigh yourself once so that you have a starting point, but do not weigh yourself every day – daily fluctuations due to water and salt only confuse matters.

#30 days divided into four weeks

#Week 1: observe without judging

In the first week, do not change much. Write down what you eat and drink, when you are hungry and when you eat out of habit – in front of the television, out of boredom, on the go. Note how many hours you sleep and how many steps you take.

This exercise alone shows many people things they had not suspected – for example, how many calories come from drinks and "little bites" between meals.

#Week 2: the plate

Now it is time for the first changes to your food:

• half the plate – vegetables, salads or soups;
• a quarter – protein: fish, chicken, eggs, pulses, cottage cheese;
• a quarter – wholegrains or potatoes;
• water instead of sweetened drinks and juices.

Do not ban anything outright. If you love banitsa, eat banitsa – but not every day and not as a "snack between meals". Eat slowly, sitting down, without a phone in your hand.

#Week 3: exercise

Add exercise that you enjoy. Brisk walking for 30 minutes, cycling, swimming, dancing, gardening – it all counts. If you have not been very active until now, start with 10–15 minutes and build up. Take the stairs instead of the lift, get off a stop earlier, go for a walk after dinner.

Exercise is not just for burning calories. It improves your mood, your sleep and the way you feel in your body.

#Week 4: sleep, stress and taking stock

Lack of sleep increases appetite, especially for sweet things and pastries. Try to go to bed at the same time and put screens away at least half an hour before sleep. Think too about when you reach for food because of stress – and what else might help you at those moments: a walk, a conversation, a cup of herbal tea.

At the end of the month, take stock. Do not look only at the scales – pay attention to your waist measurement, your energy, your sleep and how your clothes fit. Choose the two or three habits that did you the most good and keep them.

#What to expect realistically

Every body is different, and the results depend on your starting point, your food, exercise, sleep, state of health and the medicines you take. That is why we do not promise a specific result. What we can say is that sustainable changes in habits are the foundation of maintaining a healthy weight.

If after the month you feel good on the routine, carry on with the habits. You will find more ideas for everyday life in the article 9 healthy habits to improve our daily lives, and the products on this topic in the Excess weight category.

#Where herbs fit in

Some people want to combine their new habits with a herbal supplement. Our tincture Perfect Figure contains ginger, fennel, dandelion, green walnut husks and rosemary – herbs used in folk tradition to support normal digestion. It is a food supplement, not a weight-loss product, and it does not "burn" kilos for us. It is taken according to the product instructions. Read more about it in the article Herbal tincture "Perfect Figure". A herbal supplement is not a required part of the plan – the habits work without it.

#Important safety information

• The tincture is not intended for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
• It is not intended for children and adolescents. Do not give tinctures to children without advice from a paediatrician; many products are not intended for people under 18.
• Tinctures are water-alcohol extracts (about 20% alcohol) and each dose contains a small amount of alcohol – take this into account if you drive, if you do not tolerate alcohol or if you take medicines that are incompatible with it.
• Rosemary can raise blood pressure – if you have hypertension, do not take the product without consulting a doctor.
• It contains green walnut husks – do not take it if you have a nut allergy.
• Dandelion belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae) and fennel to the carrot family (Apiaceae). If you are allergic to ragweed, chamomile, celery, carrots or other related plants, be careful. If you have gallstones or a disease of the bile ducts, consult a doctor first.
• In larger amounts ginger can affect blood clotting. If you take blood-thinning medicines, consult a doctor first.
• Do not exceed the recommended daily amount and do not randomly combine several products with a similar purpose.

#When to see a doctor

See a doctor before starting a weight-loss regime if you have diabetes or a disease of the heart, thyroid, liver or kidneys, or if you take medicines. Also see a doctor if:

• your weight changes sharply for no obvious reason – up or down;
• you have constant tiredness, swelling or shortness of breath with little effort;
• your relationship with food worries you – overeating that you cannot control, or a fear of eating.

A doctor and a dietitian can help you with a plan tailored to your health.

#Small decisions every day

Sensible weight loss is not a sprint but a series of small decisions that we repeat every day. The thirty days are simply a convenient framework and a reminder of those decisions – the real work is done by your plate, exercise and sleep.