Category: Nutrition and Calorie Tips

‘It’s only a little sauce on the side, and a bit of oil for cooking – I don’t need to track that…’ 🤔

If you’re hoping to lose fat in a sustainable way you need to be aiming for a deficit of around 200-300 cals a day. Most people are pretty good at tracking the big stuff – the sandwich, the packet of crisps, the porridge for breakfast etc but how often do we overlook the little stuff. That little bit of ketchup on the side, that chilli sauce on your rice, that dash of oil in the pan…. And how often when you’re trying to lose fat do you deny yourself something you really want simply because you’re ‘on a diet’.

A cheeseburger comes in at around 805 cals – this is something you may not feel you can have whilst on your ‘diet’ and yet you probably don’t even think twice about the 1,284 cals you might rack up in sauces and oil (and tbh that’s a conservative estimate on the oil!). In one week that’s your whole deficit gone and you may not even realise it.

I always tell my clients to track everything – right down to the oil they’re cooking with as that can be the difference. So if you’re tracking cals and hoping to lose fat make sure you include these, and if you’re just trying to cut some cals maybe they’re a good place to start being more mindful too?

Oh and if you fancy a cheeseburger – just factor it in to your calories and have it! 🤗

Remember – calories count! 🤗xx

Reasons you’re hungry… 🍔

A lot of my clients have been telling me how hungry they are feeling now the inevitable post Christmas ‘back on it’ season as started!

There are some really obvious reasons why you might be hungry. Remember a little hunger is a good thing so don’t be too quick to want to feed it! But if you’re starving hungry then it could be because you’re not eating enough calories – whilst obvious this probably isn’t the main reason tbh. You have probably just gone from eating several thousand extra calories a day over Christmas and new year, to eating normally or cutting calories – so yes you will be hungry! Your body is expecting large amounts of calories that you’re now not eating.

Other obvious reasons include perhaps not eating enough protein or fats – both these help you stay full and it’s common to avoid the fats especially when trying to ‘be good’. You may also not be eating enough carbs. Carbs are often the first thing people cut but really you need to try to ensure you’re still eating a good quantity of them to help you manage your hunger. Each macronutrient triggers a specific hormonal response which signals satiety (fullness) – fats cause the release of GLP-1, carbs cause the release of leptin, protein stimulates release of GLP-1, glucagon, CCK and PYY which tell the brain you’re full.

However there are probably a number of other reasons you’re hungry.
You might be low on fibre – it slows digestion, adds bulk and is fermented in the digestive system to produce short chain fatty acids which once absorbed tell the brain we’re full.
You might be eating low volume calorie dense foods. Whilst calories are king when it comes to fat loss, food volume really helps with staying full. So aim for high volume, lower calorie options to help if you’re hungry.

If you’re eating whilst distracted (watching tv/on the phone) or inhaling your food too fast multiple studies have shown you won’t feel as full as if you take your time and eat more mindfully.

Your emotions will definitely impact on your eating. If you’re bored, lonely, anxious or sad (or suffering from PMT) you may turn to food for comfort. It’s totally natural and fine to do, it’s also important to try to find other ways to make you feel better: calling a friend, speaking to a therapist, exercise, meditating, engaging in a hobby etc

Finally if you’re sleep deprived you will definitely be hungry – your body will be seeking energy to keep going and that’s going to lead to food cravings and less control around food. So work on getting a better nights sleep if you can.

Xx