Tag: everystepfitness

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

I started my day with a clean brekkie…

Dr Nancy P

I started my day with a clean brekkie… 🍉

‘Clean’ eating is a recent trend we often see on social media and I often hear people telling me they are ‘eating clean’ in order to lose weight/fat.

‘Eating clean’ is essentially the idea that you’re eating foods which are perceived to be better for one reason or another (that might be based on properties the food supposedly has, or nutrients it contains etc).

There is nothing wrong with that at all, though I’m not a fan of demonising foods, but if you want to eat certain foods for whatever reason then that’s fine. The problem is that the common misconception is that because a food is ‘clean’ or promoted as healthy, that it is automatically going to help you lose weight/fat and that it must be a ‘better’ option than other foods you may also love.

The breakfast granola and smoothie bowl is a great example of this. They’re very photogenic and found all over Instagram. It’s essentially granola and smoothie in a bowl topped with fruit, seeds, nuts etc. They’re delicious and full of great nutritious foods, but they’re also rather high in calories and sugar (mostly from the large amount of fruit used). In this example, based on a standard instagram smoothie bowl recipe, there are 761 cals in one bowl! Combine that with a bottle of “healthy” smoothie and you’re looking at over 1100 calories in total.

In comparison a Gregg’s sausage bap with a small white coffee is often perceived as a bad or dirty choice. In fact it has less than half the calories of the clean option with only 511 cals in total. It still provides carbs, protein and fat so will keep you satisfied until lunch. I’m not suggesting you have one every day, but it’s certainly not terrible!.

So if you’re trying to lose weight/fat, and you really enjoy a sausage bap for breakfast then go for it! As long as it’s part of a balanced diet which contains fruit and veg etc it’s fine! Don’t be swayed by beautiful Instagram photos and Instagram experts telling you that you need to eat clean to be lean. You don’t.

Enjoy a range of foods and be mindful of the calories and you’ll be fine! 🤗xx

Enjoy 🤗

xxx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: Celebrate the Small Successes

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: Celebrate the Small Successes 🏆

We’re past ‘blue’ Monday – supposedly the most depressing day of the year and a day when many people give up their new year’s resolutions. It’s easy to get despondent if you’re not seeing the scale shift but just because you’re not losing weight it doesn’t mean your weightloss journey isn’t a success. It’s all about creating sustainable, long lasting habits that help you live a healthier lifestyle, so we need to celebrate those too!

So today’s tip is all about celebrating the small successes! Here are a few examples:

– Often maintaining your weight is a victory itself. It’s just has hard to maintain as it is to lose, so if you’ve maintained then give yourself a high five!

– Doing your belt up a notch tighter, smaller clothes sizes, finding the clothes you have are a little looser in certain areas are all massive successes! Celebrate the progress!

– Maybe you’ve just completed your first run! Or your first cardio class, or gym workout! That’s amazing!

– You’ve managed to fit exercise regularly in to your weekly schedule – that’s awesome!

– Perhaps you’ve avoided the sweet snacks at work, or said no to the dessert you’d usually have, or passed up on that glass of wine with dinner – huge successes! Be proud!

– Maybe you’ve seen improvements in things like blood pressure or cholesterol etc or you’ve been able to reduce your medication as a result of lifestyle changes you’ve made.

– Getting through that spin class without having to stop, managing those burpees or jump lunges in bodyattack, completing the push ups, moving an extra kg up in your weights – these are all things to be proud of.

– Choosing healthier options without even thinking about it. Stop and think about your meals and snacks – have your choices changed? Sometimes these changes happen without us even realising it.

– maybe you’ve had a stressful day or week but managed not to turn to chocolate, crisps, wine, whatever your favourite comfort food/drink is. That’s a massive achievement!

So here’s to all those successes that the scales don’t measure! Do you have some to celebrate? (we all do!) – share yours below! 🤗💜

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Sometimes the “bad” option isn’t so bad…

Dr Nancy P

Sometimes the “bad” option isn’t so bad… 🍔

So before anyone reacts – I’m not suggesting a McDonald’s is a healthy meal choice – it’s clearly not. It is however something you can have now and then as part of a balanced diet if you want to. There may also be times when, for whatever reason, you have no option but to grab a Mcdonald’s for lunch/dinner and in that case it’s worth considering the options.

Most people would assume the cheeseburger is a “bad” choice, whilst the grilled chicken wrap must be a better option – because it’s grilled chicken right? It’s grilled chicken, it doesn’t have cheese, it’s in a wrap – it must be a better choice ….

However when you actually look at the calories you may be surprised. Neither are particularly high in calories and both provide a range of fats, carbs and protein which will help to keep you fuller for longer. However the cheeseburger is actually lower in calories than the grilled chicken wrap. Now I don’t know about you but that surprised me.

Mcdonalds are one of the many restaurants that have all their calories on their website so it’s very easy to check before you order. But this does go to show that we need to consider our preconceptions about certain foods and whether the are “bad” or “good” and remember that ultimately it’s the calories that count.

Enjoy 🤗

xxx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Don’t Detox

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Don’t Detox 🥗

Across social media people are peddling “detoxes” and “cleanses”. We’re told our bodies are full of toxins, and if you follow plan X / buy the pill/tea/shake you’ll get rid of them and feel/look amazing. You don’t need it, your liver and kidneys do a great job of “detoxing” you, and these products can make your health worse. But they sell them because WE want them; why?

# Post holiday detox

Over holidays we eat and drink more, so we crave simple, nutrient dense food – like salads. Physically it feels good, and psychologically it feels good too; drawing a line under all the junk. This sort of “detox” isn’t silly, it’s just a word we use to say “lets get back to eating well”

# Bloated

Over-indulging, or eating certain foods makes you bloated; rich foods, alcohol, beans, fizzy drinks, or foods high in salt, certain starches and sugars. If it’s a chronic issue see a Dr. If you’ve been eating lots of salt you will retain water, making you look and feel bloated, reduce the salt for a few days and you’ll be fine. Overdo the food and drink? You don’t need to do anything just eat normally for a few days.

# Bunged up

If you’ve been eating badly you may be constipated. Most detoxes /cleanses are laxatives, which can permanently damage your intestines. So first of all, increase water and fibre intake, then increase fruits, veg, and whole grains, but do it gradually; a sudden fibre increase can make you feel worse. If that doesn’t help, see a Dr, not a Facebook detox salesman.

# Fatloss detox

No, just no. A pill/shake won’t do that! Sometimes just buying something special is a powerful psychological message that you’re making a change and acts as a kickstart; which is why we fall for it. Sadly it won’t last, and you’re left out of pocket and likely to rebound. The more radical approach to losing weight, the more likely it is to fail. Slow and steady wins the race; make small, sustainable habit changes and you’ll reap the rewards.

It’s normal to want to reset, feel better and make changes, but you don’t need a “detox”. Just try to get some sleep, drink more water, eat veg and get moving. You’ll look and feel far better for it!

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Consider your snacks…

Dr Nancy P

Consider your snacks…

I think we’ve all experienced that mid-afternoon snack attack. You might be tempted to grab a muffin with your coffee. Now I’m not suggesting that a muffin is a great choice for a snack, nor are the items on the other side either as both are probably far more calories than you need for a snack, but I think the comparison is really useful.

I think most people realise muffins are quite high calorie and sometimes you may just want to spend those calories on one, and that’s fine! But whilst the muffin might taste good, in terms of keeping you full it’s not going to be that effective. It’s a calorie dense option – high cals, high sugar, in a relatively small package.

If you are trying to lose weight/fat and tracking your calories then it’s worth considering the volume of the food you’re having as well as the absolute calories. Higher volume foods will help to keep you fuller for longer. For fewer calories than a blueberry muffin you could have a bag of popcorn, a yoghurt, two squares of dark choc and a skinny flat white! Now that will definitely keep you full! And it has the added bonus of more fibre and protein which also help keep you fuller.

So if you’re looking for a snack – try to consider volume as well as absolute calories. If you really want a muffin, then have it, be aware of the calories it contains though.

Enjoy 🤗

xxx