Category: Nutrition and Calorie Tips

What you think is slowing weight loss…. 🤔

This is a bit of a tough love post. We all do it and we all want to find reasons to explain why we aren’t losing weight but most of the time the reasons people come up with (often thanks to social media/media ) aren’t likely to be their main issues.

# ‘I have a slow metabolism.”

Whilst a small percentage of the population do have a slow metabolism the reality is that, on average, studies show that obese individuals have similar or faster metabolisms than lean individuals.

# ‘It’s my hormones’

Hormones are often blamed but rarely are we specific which hormones or how they are actually affecting weight loss. Some hormones can affect weight loss by increasing hunger or decreasing energy expenditure e.g. thyroid hormones. However most people haven’t actually had their hormone levels tested – if you really think your hormones are at the wrong levels then you need to go get yourself tested. Forget weight loss, it’s a medical issue and can have serious health implications. If you have a hormonal problem, you need an endocrinologist, not someone on social media trying to sell you a new diet plan or supplement.

# Macro ratios

It must be because I’m not eating enough protein or my carb percentage is wrong…. Meanwhile you’re overeating your calories … but yeah it’s definitely the fact you’re having 40 percent protein instead of 45 percent. It’s not. Calories are king. The finer details of specific percentages of nutrients are really irrelevant for most people – unless you have a medical condition or you’re a professional athlete.

# Specific nutrients

One of the most common things people blame is specific nutrients: sugar, carbs, artificial sweeteners, meat, fat etc . In fact research has shown people lose equal weight regardless of what they eat so long as calories are controlled.

So what’s actually preventing weight loss? We cling to these other reasons because they take the responsibility away from ourselves. Meanwhile people are over eating at the weekends, aren’t aware of the cals in certain ‘healthy’ foods, are inconsistent and only sticking with things for a week or two, drinking lots of alcohol and aren’t really being honest about what they’re doing (perhaps subconsciously). Yes some people have genetic and environmental circumstances which make it harder to lose weight but that’s rare. So before you blame metabolism/hormones/sugar/carbs and throw your money at another fad diet / lifestyle trend just stop and think about what you’re actually consuming and how.

🤗xx

Just a tub of ice cream.. 🍨

I am a big ice cream lover, and even more so now we’re moving towards spring and summer!

If you’re watching a movie or you’ve had a tough day or just fancy some dessert you may be tempted to grab a tub of ice cream

and a spoon and tuck in! And once you start a tub it’s gone before you know it isn’t it? A portion is supposedly two scoops but that can be quite hard to stick to! However if you’re trying to lose or maintain weight it might not be possible to accommodate an entire tub in your calories.

In this example the tub of Häagen-Dazs comes in at around 1265 cals. One option would be to swap to a low calorie alternative (such as Oppo, Halo top, Aldi own brand, etc ) and you’d probably spend around 400 cals max on an entire tub. But sometimes you don’t actually want the lower calorie version or you may prefer the taste of the original Häagen-Dazs. In which case then maybe the better option is to go for the mini tubs instead. One of these is only 262 cals. So technically you could even have 2 or 3 and still be saving some calories!

So if you do want to enjoy some Ice cream but save some cals try going for the mini tubs instead of the full size ones.

🤗xx

Weight loss is rarely linear…. 📉

I’ve had to remind a few clients of this recently so I thought it was worth re-sharing. Most people measure their fat loss progress by stepping on scales. This can create an all or nothing mentality and can impact not only your happiness but your behaviour. If the scales don’t go down when you’ve been ‘good’ then what’s the point? You may as well throw in the towel and enjoy that cake!

Weight loss is rarely linear. It’s normal for your weight to fluctuate on a day-to-day basis. There will be days where your scale weight goes up, just like there will be days where your weight will drop, and there will also be days (maybe even weeks) where your weight will stay exactly the same. Your weight can fluctuate up to 6kg during the day depending on what you eat and drink, and how you exercise. If you drink 2-3 litres of water a day that’s up to 3kg. Then how much do you pee, sweat and breathe out over the day? It’s impossible to measure. Our bodies are mainly water so changes in hydration cause significant weight fluctuations.

In addition a bowel full of food, a big meal the night before, fibrous or salty meals, and menstrual cycle hormone changes can all influence weight and cause greater daily fluctuations so real change can be hidden. Exercise can affect the scale both ways; if, after a workout, you’ve refuelled properly your muscles will be full of glycogen and water. On the other hand if you’ve sweated loads your weight will drop due to dehydration. Alcohol does the same; it’s a diuretic so will dehydrate you initially, but can cause cravings for salty foods leading to water retention.

For many of us, seeing that weight go up, despite ‘being good’, can make us give up. It’s vital to trust the process and think long term. This graph is real client data. Look at how the weight fluctuates and look at the overall trend. By trusting the process and not giving up when the scales went up they’ve continued their weight loss over time.

We’re conditioned to focus on weight but instead try to use other measures e.g. items of clothing and how they fit, or cm measurements etc. If you must step on the scales then look at averages over time rather than daily variations and focus on long term trends.

🤗 xx

‘I’ve had so many naughty snacks’… 😈

With Easter just behind us I’m hearing a lot of people saying how ‘naughty’ they’ve been or how they’ve been having lots of ‘naughty’ snacks. When you’re trying to lose fat it’s natural to try to avoid ‘junk’ food or foods high in sugar and fat. One such ‘naughty’ snack is the Cadbury chocolate orange mousse bunny . It’s chocolate so very often it’s perceived as a bad thing to be eating and is therefore accompanied by feelings of guilt and shame. But eating the cacao and almond ball is viewed as healthy and something to feel virtuous about.

In reality in terms of calories, sugar and fat the ‘healthy’ snack is not really much better than the chocolate! Yes the cacao ball has a little more protein (which can help you feel fuller for longer), and more micronutrients, so it is a slightly more balanced snack, but that doesn’t mean the chocolate is necessarily a bad option. Contrary to what many people may think the chocolate also has less sugar too (again something that is often vilified unnecessarily). The calories are very similar between the two.

Overall calories and overall nutrition across your entire diet are what count – and if you’re trying to lose fat you need to be in a calorie deficit – and in that scenario either would probably be fine if you have enough calories for an approximately 170 cal snack, especially if you’re eating a balanced diet and getting protein and the other nutrients in your other meals.

Emotional well being is also important and depriving yourself of foods you enjoy and instead choosing the cacao ball under the misguided impression that it’s a healthier option or isn’t good for long term sustainability or a healthy approach to food.

As an additional aside – the bunny is only 40p and the cacao ball is £1.85! So you’re saving yourself a good few pennies too!

So if you have a few Easter chocolate bunnies still hopping around at home don’t feel guilty about eating them!🤗