Tag: calorieburn

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Are protein shakes necessary?

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Are protein shakes necessary? 🥤

Protein shakes – all the rage, essential gym kit eh? But are they really necessary?

Protein is definitely essential, especially for maintaining and building muscle, so i it helps with recovery and is also great at keeping you feeling full. But the reality is most people’s diet includes more than enough protein as it is. Average daily recommended intake is 55g for men and 45g for women’s (with heavy exercisers needing a bit more: 1.2 – 1.7g per kg body weight). It’s not hard to get that in your meals e.g. 1 egg: 6g, 1 chicken breast: 20g, 30g cheddar cheese: 7.5g, 1 serving cooked beef mince: 18g, 1/2 pot cottage cheese: 18g, 1 tin of tuna: 25g, 1 serving Greek yogurt: 18g etc. So it’s pretty easy for most people to eat the required amount, with no shakes or powders required.

Of course, the issue comes when you factor in timing. In an ideal world you want to get some protein in within 30 mins of a strenuous workout. So that could be a reason to grab a shake… but you could save some pennies and instead go for something simple like a glass of milk (dairy milk contains 8g protein, soya milk contains 7g), or one of the best post-workout recovery drinks – chocolate milk (perfect carbs: protein ratio).

Aside from saving money you will also be protecting your health. Recent research shows that too much protein in the diet can increase your risk of osteoporosis amongst other health issues. Plus if you’re already eating a good diet then all you’re doing is taking on extra calories you don’t need – which could stall your weight loss attempts. They’re also not ideal as a meal replacement – unless you combine them with other ingredients. For example as an on the go brekkie option they’re great – when combined in a smoothie with banana, milk, etc to give you a range of nutrients and a good balance of carbs too.

So if you’re eating a balanced diet, and working out at a normal level (i.e. not an Olympic athlete!), then don’t stress about protein shakes as they’re really not necessary at all! Save your pennies!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Easy calorie cuts

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Easy calorie cuts 🍽

Trying to lose some fat? Cutting just 100 – 200 calories a day can help you drop those pounds. Here are some easy ways to cut a few calories.

# Ditch the soft drinks

Switch to water, calorie free squash or zero calorie soft drinks – cutting just one soft drink a day at roughly 140 cals is over 50,000 cals over the year!

# Go naked

Not you, your burger, sandwich etc. Ditch the bread and do yourself a favour by cutting about 150 cals. Have an open sandwich instead or a salad, or use portobello mushrooms for burger buns etc.

# Drink before you eat

Have a big glass of water before you eat. Studies have shown this results in a 13% reduction in calorie intake.

# Switch to cauliflower rice

There is nothing wrong with rice or any other ‘carbs’ so I’m not suggesting you cut them completely but a switch to cauliflower rice now and then is an easy switch to reduce cals. It’s tasty too and will save you approx 160 cals.

# Go black

Try ditching the milk in your coffee or tea – or at least switch to skimmed milk or a low cal non dairy alternative (e.g oat milk). We forget all the extra calories from those dashes of milk in our coffee and they can soon add up!

# Be careful with condiments

Lots of condiments are calorie heavy – mayonnaise and sugary things like ketchup and bbq sauce can easily add in sneaky extra cals. Mustard on the other hand has almost no cals, so try making the swap or go for vinegar, salt and pepper to spice things up.

# Chew the cud

Taking longer over your food helps the body realise it’s fuller sooner, which tends to reduce over eating and means fewer calories are consumed. Studies have shown that individuals reduced their calorie intake by an average of 88 – 100 calories when eating slower. That may not sound much but over a year that can add up to over 95,000 cals! Try to take at least 20 mins over your meals.

Try these tips and see how you get on!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: Finding time to workout

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: Finding time to workout 🏃🏼‍♀️

I understand being busy – and I understand how it can feel like you barely have time to eat and sleep let alone workout but we’re rarely actually as busy as we think we are and you can probably find time to workout – you just need to be a bit creative! You won’t regret it.

Here’s some ideas.

# 1 Something is better nothing

5-10 mins while you’re waiting for dinner to cook, or between chores etc is enough – so a few mins skipping, some squats, jump jacks, push ups? Or do a mini circuit as you get out of bed in the morning? Push ups, squats, lunges, sit ups – done!

# 2 Social media time

I bet you spend at least 20 mins on social media a day? And much of that is mindless scrolling. Replace that time with a short workout instead.

# 3 Work it in to your day

Just ramp up your daily activities – walk instead of driving, speed walk instead of ambling, dance while you clean the house, take the stairs instead of the lift, do a few squats while you’re on the phone, march up and down while you brush your teeth..

# 4 Use your break time

Studies have shown you’re most effective when you focus intensely for 25 mins and then take a 5 min break. So in that break take a walk around the halls or a quick one outside if you can. In your lunch break take a slightly longer walk if possible.

# 5 Analyse your time

If you really can’t use any of these tips then make a detailed, honest, log of your time for an average week. Is there anywhere you could be more efficient or something you could cut or do differently to enable you to make some time to get active? This is a great exercise anyway to make your life a happier, healthier and more balanced one.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: Coffee-free boost

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: Coffee-free boost ☕️

Coffee – the go to pick me up eh? how many cups are you drinking a day – 1,2,5, more? Does it matter? Isn’t caffeine good for you? Yes in small amounts. It stimulates adrenaline production, hence the energy boost, increases heart rate and blood sugar levels. But this is an acute stress response – not something you want to put your body through several times a day! If you want to reduce your caffeine intake here are some tips to give you a caffeine-free boost!

# Cold shower

Ensure your morning shower isn’t too warm – the colder the better. It gets your blood pumping, wakes you up and strengthens your immune system. It’s best to cycle the temperature – start warm and gradually lower the temperature, rinse your legs, arms, then rest of the body and repeat.

# Avoid big meals

Digesting big meals diverts blood to your digestive system, which means less oxygen to the brain and tiredness. If you’re prone to that post-lunch slump then try smaller high fibre, low sugar, meals spread across the day for a steady supply of energy without the overload.

# Start right

Without the morning coffee what should you drink? Try a big glass of water as soon as you get up and continue to drink all day. Try Ice and lemon or cucumber to give you an extra boost.

# Inhale essential oils

Dabbing lemon or peppermint essential oil on your clothing or having a sniff of the bottle will give you a boost! Ensure you’re buying good quality therapeutic essential oils and apply to clothing rather than to your skin.

# Work out first thing

Exercise gives your body a natural boost – producing endorphins and adrenaline (but at a lower, safer level). Try a few bodyweight exercises after you wake – squats, push ups, a few skips etc to give you a boost.

# Other tips include massaging your ears or, according to recent research, belting out your favourite song! Research also suggests that actively learning something new (e.g via podcast, reading etc) can combat the mid-afternoon slump. Finally try chewing gum to increase heart rate and oxygen to the brain, This and the mint flavour stimulates the autonomic nervous system increasing alertness.

Happy Tuesday 🤗 xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: Burn baby burn

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: Burn baby burn 🏃🏼‍♀️

I’ve said before that calories count so as well as knowing how many you’re consuming it’s important to know how many you’re expending too. Many gym machines estimate calories burned, but sadly they aren’t always accurate. In fact, many inflate the number of calories you burn. They usually only take into account your weight and age, and some don’t even do that!

A study from the University of California found that machines like treadmills, spin bikes, elliptical trainers etc over estimate by 13 – 42 percent

So how much are you actually burning? Actual burn varies with height, gender, age, body composition and fitness so the figures below are still estimates, but they’re based on a recent Harvard study which measured averages from a broad selection of people. They concluded that the cardio exercises that burnt the most included spinning, swimming, circuit training, treadmill running and vigorous weight lifting

# Stationary biking / spinning

Moderate cycling on a stationary bike burns approx 210–311 calories per 30 mins. An intense 30 min spin class burns 315–466.

# Swimming

This is far better than you’d expect -burning 300–444 calories per 30-mins. It’s a great cardiovascular exercise and easy on your joints.

# Circuit training

A combo of intense cardio and resistance training like circuits, hiit, or even attack/grit classes will burn 240–355 cals per 30 mins.

# Treadmill running

Running at a 12 min mile pace will burn 270 – 380 cals per 30 mins. Adding an incline will increase this. Even better, try some intervals to burn even more and give you an after burn too.

# Vigorous weight lifting

You’ll burn 90–133 cals per 30 mins, but remember the more muscle you build, the more energy your body burns at rest. So despite the lower burn during it you should still include it!

These are only averages – more accurate than the numbers on the machine – but not necessarily correct for you. So take your exercise calories burn with a pinch of salt, treat it as a bonus and try not to ‘eat back’ all of them!

Happy working out! 🤗

Xx