Tag: caloriescount

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: 2000 / 2500 cals per day?

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: 2000 / 2500 cals per day?

You may have heard the recommendation that women need around 2,000 cals a day and men need 2,500? It’s a figure bandied about as the guidelines for health by the NHS and others – but is that really what you should be aiming for and where did it come from?

It actually came from a USDA study on calorie requirements which was then reduced by 20 percent (to cover a wider range). To further complicate things Public Health England then announced women should actually aim for 1800 cals.. confused? Yep me too and rightly so!

Sadly it’s not as simple as one number fits all. Your calorie requirement is influenced by height, age, gender, some

medical conditions, muscle mass and activity levels, so to suggest 2,000 cals would be appropriate for all women (or 2,500 for men) is ridiculous. I know personally that if I have 2000 cals a day I put on fat. If you’re trying to lose fat then your calorie intake will also need to be less.

So what should you aim for and how do you work it out? There are plenty of online calculators out there – you enter your details and it will give you an estimate of your basal metabolic rate (basic calorie requirement to function). Many will give you the option to specify how active you are – my advice, if you’re aiming to lose fat, is to opt for a lower activity level as most studies show we massively overestimate our exertion and activity levels. This will give you an initial calorie goal to aim for.

It’s not an exact science – you’ll need to try eating that calorie level for a few weeks and see how the body responds and then adjust it up or down accordingly.

At the end of the day if you’re trying to lose fat/weight and you’re not then you’re eating too many calories – regardless of what an online calculator tells you.

If you’re stuck feel free to drop me a message and I can help you work out a rough calorie goal for you 🤗

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: No Progress?

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: No Progress? 🤔

Are you stuck and not making progress? When things aren’t going the way you want it’s easy to give up, here’s a little kick up the backside to hopefully prevent that happening!

# 1 ‘I just need to find my motivation’

You don’t need motivation, you need action. Motivation isn’t going to magically appear; you have to decide to make a change. That will be what motivates you, not a pretty Insta quote (but we love them anyway 🤣).

#2 ‘It’s not my fault…’

It may not be your fault but it is your responsibility. We can all find reasons why we can’t do things. Yes it may be harder for you; you might have a health condition or responsibilities that affect your ability to exercise/lose fat etc. But what’s the option? Not bothering just because it’s going to be harder? Of course not! Anything is better than nothing! 🤗

#3 ‘I’m just not prepared to give up….’

Some things are going to have to change if you want your body to. The ‘you’ who has lost 10kg fat isn’t doing what you’re doing now, so if you want to get there you need to make changes. You have to decide what you’re willing to sacrifice; switch your 1200 tub of ice cream for a 320 cal one? Cut back on meals out? Switch tv time for a 30 min walk? The choice is yours.

# 4 ‘I just can’t say no…’

The main reason people don’t lose fat is because they can’t say no. ‘Fancy a cake with coffee?’, ‘want another drink?’, ‘how about a take away?’. Try saying no and choose something nice but lower in cals! Prove to yourself that you have the ability to choose!

#5 ‘It’s been 3 days and I’ve lost no weight…’

The body you want is the sum of all the small actions you do today. Eating 300 fewer calories today, or going to the gym when you don’t want to, doesn’t seem like it’s getting you that result today, but do it consistently for 1, 2, or 3 months and it will.

Life happens, things get stressful – it happens to everyone. Don’t let that stop you doing something. Can’t make it to the gym? Do a 15 min walk, Blown your cals? Get straight back on it tomorrow. Do something, no matter how small, every day that takes you closer to your goal.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: No Pain, No Gain

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: No Pain, No gain? 🤔

We’ve all heard that old adage – no pain, no gain… but is that really true?

Well yes and no!

# 1 Cardio/ Hiit Workouts

If you’re trying to lose fat or get fitter then you need to be in a calorie deficit. In order to do this you need to eat less and increase your calorie burn (through exercise and daily activity). To improve fitness you need to be increasing the cardiovascular “stress” on your body (getting your heart and lungs working harder). So you do need to be at least a little uncomfortable when you work out, for some of the time. No you don’t need to push yourself to your pain threshold but you do need to be out of breath, sweaty etc.

#2 Weights / Resistance Training

Ok so there is some truth in the phrase here – in order for your body to build more muscle you need a training stimulus that’s large enough. So you need to get out of your comfort zone, you need to be working to fatigue. This forces the body to adapt, and causes micro tears in the muscle and new muscle fibres to form. That means soreness during and possibly after a workout (Delayed onset muscle soreness – Doms). The pain is inflammation around the muscles as they heal, not the tears themselves. You can also build muscle without experiencing DOMs.

#3 Acute Pain

Acute pain during or after a workout usually reflects injury. Working out should be uncomfortable and if you are not getting to that point you may not be working enough to create the changes you seek.  However, working past that point is also not beneficial, causing damage to the tissues.  Achiness, soreness and fatigue are fine.  Sharp, stabbing, grinding pains should be avoided.  

So yes, you have to work out at a certain level that will cause changes in your body, but it’s definitely not a case of no pain no gain! If you experience DOMs after every workout then you need to reconsider your approach.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: How Many Steps?

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: How many steps? 🚶🏼‍♀️

We’re all used to being told to walk 10,000 steps a day – but why 10,000?

It turns out the 10,000 number isn’t based on loads of research and evidence, it’s in fact based on marketing for a Japanese pedometer in the 1960s and may not in fact be the holy grail for health it’s built up to be.

10,000 steps equates to roughly 5 miles (depending on gait etc) – when you’re just starting out that’s actually a really long way! You may not have the confidence or fitness to get close to 10,000. So having that goal can backfire if you’re constantly not hitting it and feeling bad. Also of course most trackers tend not to include things like swimming, cycling or spinning in the step count or any resistance training so it’s not an accurate measure of activity. On the flip side for some hitting 10,000 is a walk in the park (🤣) due to their job or commute so why have that as the goal?

A better approach, and one I use with my clients, is to track your current steps for a week or so, and look at the patterns. Then set goals based on those – so if on work days you’re only hitting 4,000 steps, there’s no point aiming for 10,000 if you physically can’t get them, instead aim for 6,000 instead – a moderate increase in activity. And rather than just focusing on steps think about increasing overall activity across the week.

Studies suggest 150 mins of moderate aerobic activity (walking, Swimming, gardening etc) , or 75 mins of intense activity (hiit classes, spin, etc) per week is the minimum requirement for overall health. If you’re trying to lose weight start there and then if you’re hitting it increase the goals.

When it comes to fat loss increases NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis) or the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise, is what matters in terms of increasing your overall calorie burn. So garden, walk, fidget, stand up – be as active as you can! And forget 10,000 and set yourself some realistic step goals.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Fake News

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Fake News 📰

We’re all busy, we almost all have smart phones, and there’s so little time in a day that it’s very easy to just scroll through facebook or Instagram for information and it’s all too tempting to take it at face value.

But according to a recent survey social media is the no. 1 source of nutrition and fitness misinformation.

There is zero control over what people put up on social media – design a funky graphic, tap in to a common fear or desire, and you can pretty much say anything and some people will believe you – eggs are bad, eggs are good, eggs cure cancer, eggs cause cancer… eggs contain lysozyme! (Long word, sounds scary, must be bad…… it’s not 😆) … I could go on!

That’s not to say you can’t trust anything you see on social media but just be a bit critical of what you see. Anything fear-based, food shaming or more about what not to eat than what to eat, or claiming some incredible effect of a specific food is likely to be something to be wary of. Social media can be a great source of information but check where that info is from – who is posting it? Are they qualified? Do they have a fitness or nutrition qualification? Are they quoting scientific, peer-reviewed, studies to back up their claims? Are they trying to sell something – if so that’s often a red flag, or at least a reason to investigate a bit more.

In general it’s mostly about balance and moderation – yes we can make grand claims about the awful effects of one food, or the amazing benefits of another – but it usually comes down to quantity. Having a takeaway once a week – not that bad, having it for 2 meals every day – probably not a great idea!

So be critical guys – it’s your body, read the advice, question it, ask for more info if you want – go and do a pubmed search online and find the research…. and yes I’m totally aware of the irony in me posting this on social media, but I’m very happy to chat through the research behind anything I post, and engage in healthy debate about it – any time!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx