5 Weight Loss tips When Moving to Australia to Work

Australia is one of the most popular destinations in the world for individuals, couples and families to work temporarily on schemes such as the 457 visa. What attracts most people is the lifestyle and the livable cities (Melbourne was named the world’s most liveable city for the fourth year running). The key issue though is that maintaining or losing weight in a new environment can be challenging without planning and very expensive (Australia’s affordability is a real issue for new migrants).

Here are a few tips on how to manage or lost weight during your stay in Australia.

1) Get The Right Australian Health Insurance Policy

Most working visa’s (such as the popular 457 visa) have condition 8501 stating that you must have “adequate health insurance” during your stay in Australia. Has this means that health cover is essentially compulsory most visa holders choose to purchase the cheapest policy but this is a huge mistake. This is because the these policies only cover visits to a hospital but not key elements to keep you healthy such as:

• Subsidised Gym Memberships
• Weight Management Programs
• Physiotherapy and massage treatments

To get these areas covered you actually need something called ‘extras cover’ which is provided from Australian health companies such as HIF and Australian Unity. The additional cost of ‘extras cover’ is often less than the benefits and encourages visitors to Australia to stay active or work on strategies to lose weight.

2) Do Your Grocery Shopping Online

While Australians love to eat out, there is a growing movement to eating healthy with home cooked meals. The major supermarkets in Australia (Coles and Woolworths) have jumped onto this trend offering health recipes online.

When you find the recipe you like online, you just press on it and that indigence can be automatically added to your cart. Most of these recipes also include the calorie (kilojoule) information to ensure you know how health the meal will be.

This growing trend ensures you stop cooking unhealthy meals and don’t get trapped in a supermarket buying junk food which is strategically positions throughout the store.

3) Visit An Australian GP

Australian (like more developed countries) has a weight problem and general practitioners (the family doctor) are becoming increasingly savvy with their patients in medically proven weight loss strategies. It’s critical to point out that these strategies will differ for individuals so it’s not worth speculating what these are but they are all medically proven and worth investigating.

4) Join A Gym

Getting into the right habits is the key when relocating to a new country. Finding and joining a local gym early is great way to ensure your fitness is kept in check and as explained earlier, may be subsidised by your Australian health insurance policy.

It’s also recommend to get a personal training to over sea your program regularly to make sure your getting the most from each gym session from a weight loss perspective.

5) Consider Weight Loss Technology

A growing trend is wearable technology such as fitbit. This technology can measure elements such as how often you exercise, what distances you travel and how much energy you have burnt during your day (or exercise session). If your a results oriented person this could be a great way to ensure your getting the right level of exercise you need each week. More simple elements such as having weight scales at home is also recommended to ensure your weight loss strategy is working.

Overall, moving to Australia is an experience of a lifetime for those moving to work temporarily but planning ahead is the key to maintaining your health or losing a few kilograms.

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