Losing weight isn’t just about eating less — it’s about creating balance and building habits that last.
For Turkish people living in Europe, adapting to new foods while maintaining cultural eating patterns can be challenging.
Here’s your step-by-step guide to sustainable, realistic weight loss in Europe 🌿
🥗 1. What Does “Sustainable Diet” Really Mean?
A sustainable diet focuses on long-term habits, not short-term restrictions.
Forget “lose 3 kilos in 3 days” diets — they lead to yo-yo results.
💡 Goal: Not just to lose weight, but to maintain it healthily.
🍞 2. Adapt Turkish Cuisine to European Life
Turkish cuisine can be very balanced when approached mindfully.
The challenge is portion sizes and processed foods common in Europe.
✅ Tips:
- Replace white bread with whole-grain or rye bread.
- Bake or grill instead of frying.
- Enjoy olive oil-based vegetable dishes — high in fiber and healthy fats.
💡 Tip: Always check food labels for “sugar” and “saturated fat” levels.
🕒 3. Structure Your Meals
Skipping meals slows metabolism and increases cravings.
Regular meals stabilize blood sugar and prevent emotional eating.
🍽️ Sample daily plan:
- Breakfast: Oats + yogurt + fruit
- Lunch: Grilled chicken + vegetables + bulgur
- Snack: Walnuts + fruit
- Dinner: Olive oil vegetable dish + whole-grain bread
💧 4. Hydration and Sleep Matter
Proper hydration supports fat metabolism.
Lack of sleep increases hunger hormones and cravings.
✅ Drink 2–2.5 liters of water daily.
✅ Aim for 7–8 hours of quality sleep each night.
🧠 5. Recognize Emotional Hunger
Many people confuse emotional hunger with physical hunger.
Eating due to boredom, stress, or loneliness hinders weight loss progress.
💡 Quick test:
Physical hunger builds gradually; emotional hunger is sudden and often craves specific foods (like sweets).
👩⚕️ Conclusion
Sustainable weight loss requires balance, patience, and mindfulness.
With the right plan, you can achieve lasting results — without giving up the flavors of Turkish cuisine or the lifestyle of Europe.
💬 Need professional guidance?
I’m Tuğba Kaşlıoğlu, a Turkish dietitian based in the Netherlands.
I create personalized online weight loss programs for Turkish clients across Europe.
👉 Connect on Instagram: @hanzibeslenme