Lifestyle Tips to Support Your Weight Health Journey

Weight management isn’t just about appearance. Weight gain happens for a variety of reasons, and it can have real effects on our health. What’s more, our time-strapped, stress-packed and sleep-deprived culture can often work against your best efforts.

If you’re looking for weight management support, this blog can help. While there’s no one-size-fits-all path, our tips can help you optimize your nutrition, exercise, sleep and mental health in a way that fits your lifestyle to help set you up for success.  

What does a whole-person approach to weight health look like?

For decades, traditional diet advice focused almost exclusively on restricting calories. But we now understand that weight health is shaped by many factors beyond just what we eat.

A whole-person approach considers the complex reasons why we gain and hold weight — including hormonal influences, mental health, sleep and environmental stressors.

This kind of comprehensive care can benefit from a holistic approach, and virtual care makes it easier to access a range of support — from dietitians to therapists — all working together to address the full picture of your health.

Why does sleep matter for weight health?

Sleep is often overlooked when it comes to weight management. However, its potential effects on your appetite and emotional regulation make it an essential factor to consider.

You’re likely already familiar with how easily a lack of sleep can derail your ability to stick to your routine. After all, it’s hard to prioritize movement or make healthy meals when you’re exhausted. Emotional eating to boost your low mood (like the kind caused by poor sleep), is also a very real phenomenon.

However, sleep doesn’t only affect your mood. It also plays a role in how your hormones function. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body responds by increasing its production of ghrelin — the so-called hunger hormone — and decreasing your output of leptin — the hormone that signals fullness. In other words, lack of sleep makes you hungrier.

What’s more, lack of sleep can also impair blood sugar regulation. Research shows that just a week of poor sleep may decrease how well your body metabolizes blood glucose.

Over time, this can contribute to higher blood sugar levels, prompting your body to increase insulin production. This, in turn, may increase your risk of developing insulin resistance and potentially prediabetes.

Given its influence on your body, it’s worth prioritizing seven to nine hours of sleep a night. To set yourself up for the best chances of success, practice proper sleep hygiene by: 

• Sticking to a consistent bedtime.
• Limiting screens for at least an hour before bedtime.
• Avoiding alcohol in the evening.
• Limiting your coffee intake and avoiding caffeine at least eight hours before bedtime.
• Creating a relaxing wind-down routine.
• Avoiding working, snacking or doing anything in bed other than sleeping or having sex.

If you’re not getting a full night’s rest despite top-notch sleep hygiene practices, it may be time to speak to a professional. Connect with a sleep therapist to explore the underlying causes of those sleepless nights. From there, they’ll work with you to develop an in-depth treatment plan to help you drift off night after night.

How does nutrition impact weight health?

Plenty of research shows that diets don’t work. While they may lead to temporary weight loss, most people gain all the weight back — and sometimes more — once they stop dieting.

Instead, focus on making sustainable shifts like eating whole foods, setting regular meal times and prioritizing fibre and protein.

Setting regular meal times is a good start. This will help you maintain steady blood glucose levels and keep you from getting too hungry. Ideally, it’ll mean less mindless snacking or hunger-based food choices.

What you eat is just as important as when. Prioritizing protein will leave you feeling fuller, longer. It’s also essential for building muscle. And, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn — both during physical activity and at rest.

Fibre is another key component of a balanced diet. Like protein, it helps you feel full. Eating enough fibre can also reduce inflammation in the body, support stable blood sugar levels, help to prevent obesity and lower cholesterol. Plus, it’s good for your microbiome too, since it nourishes the good bacteria that call your digestive tract home. 

You’ll want to make sure to stay hydrated too since dehydration can contribute to constipation, lower cognitive function and disrupt other bodily processes. However, since sodas and juices are often high in calories, choose water or other low-calorie options whenever possible.

If you’re looking for nutrition guidelines, Canada’s Food Guide is a great place to start. However, if you need more tailored support, visiting with a registered dietitian is a great next step.

Maple can connect you with a registered dietitian from your device when it’s most convenient for you. And, based on your unique situation, they can formulate a bespoke meal plan that fits your life and goals.

What role does movement play?

Moving your body is a key component of good health and weight management. For starters, movement helps build muscle. This increases physical strength, making carrying, walking, climbing and other movements easier.

Beyond easing your day-to-day tasks, physical activity has a measurable effect on your mood. This is because your body releases endorphins — so-called “feel good” chemicals — when you move. Exercise can also help with sleep, boost cognitive function and lower cortisol levels to help you deal with stress.

What’s more, it’s a great way to help maintain healthy blood glucose levels. In fact, it can help to prevent, manage and even reverse type 2 diabetes.

To benefit from these effects, aim for a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week. But don’t worry about hitting the gym (unless that’s your thing). Instead, aim to move your body in the ways most enjoyable for you, whether that’s dancing, hiking, swimming or anything in between.

Why does mental health matter when it comes to weight?

We eat for many reasons, not just hunger. And mental health can have a huge impact on what and when we eat. For example, we’re more likely to seek out high-calorie foods when we’re feeling down.

Unfortunately, this can trigger a vicious cycle, since poor nutrition can also factor into poor mental health. Scientists think this may be because diets rich in refined carbohydrates and saturated fats trigger inflammation and alter the intestinal microbiome.

For some, stress reduction techniques like mindfulness, meditation and breathing exercises may help with mental health during challenging times. However, many others need more support, such as seeing a therapist.

For those wrestling with low body image, or who’ve experienced previous stigma because of their weight, reaching out for help can be difficult. In these cases, online therapy may be especially helpful since it allows you to access empathetic support in the comfort of your own home or other familiar setting.

How can medication fit into the picture?

Weight management isn’t always straightforward. Many people experience setbacks in their  journey and sometimes need some additional support. If you’re eating better and exercising and sleeping more but still not seeing the results you’d hoped, you may need more help. 

Maple members in Ontario have the option of accessing Maple’s Weight Health program, which offers a holistic approach to weight management, including lifestyle-focused care. Members can access support from registered dietitians, weight health coaches, sleep therapists, and mental health therapists — all working together to provide personalized, evidence-informed guidance. The program also includes tools like digital therapy (iCBT) and proactive health screenings to support long-term health.

The program includes a Weight Medication Assessment with a Canadian-licensed primary care provider, who can assess whether prescription options, including GLP-1 medications, may be appropriate.

Weight management is complex, and there’s no single solution that works for everyone. But you don’t have to figure it out alone — and you don’t have to do everything at once. Whether you’re looking to improve your sleep, fuel your body with nourishing foods, move in ways that feel good, or explore medication options, support is available.

The final word on weight management

Successful weight management involves long-term, sustainable changes, including better mental health, nutrition, sleep, more movement and sometimes, medication.

Weight management is a highly individual journey that involves looking at your genetics, health history and lifestyle. In some cases, sleep may be enough to reach your goals, while others may benefit from weight-loss medication. In either case, it’s important to work with a healthcare provider who can tailor a plan that’s right for you. 

At Maple, we’re here to help you approach weight health from every angle — with compassion, expertise, and a plan that fits your life. Wherever you are in your journey, we’ll meet you there.

The information presented here is for educational purposes and is not meant to replace the advice from your medical professional.

When using virtual care, all medical treatment is at the sole discretion of the provider. Virtual care is not meant for medical emergencies, and your provider will determine if your case is appropriate for virtual care. If you are experiencing an emergency like chest pain or difficulties breathing, for example, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.