I’ve blown my diet.… 🫣

When you’re trying to lose weight we often conflate ‘healthy’ foods and automatically helpful for weight loss. With the weather warmer at the moment you may be craving an ice lolly or two. You may even have two or three and then find yourself feeling guilty for having succumbed to the craving and berate yourself for being really ‘bad’ and blowing your diet. Or you may think you’re being very virtuous and avoid the ice cream and have what is perceived to be a ‘healthy’ snack of organic cacao bites.

In reality in terms of calories they are almost the same. In fact the ‘unhealthy’ ice creams actually less fat and have slightly more protein (which can help you feel fuller for longer). The cacao bites do have less sugar and more micronutrients but that doesn’t mean the ice cream lollies are a bad option. Of course the ice cream lollies are high in sugar but sugar isn’t inherently bad either! In reality you’re unlikely to eat 3 ice lollies in one go anyway so you’d in fact be consuming even fewer calories!

Overall calories are what count if you’re trying to lose weight. You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight so in that scenario the ice lollies are the better option. 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 bites under the misguided impression that it’s a healthier option or because it’s marketed as ‘a healthy snack’ isn’t good for long term sustainability or a healthy approach to food.

Personally I’d choose both on different days – and I’d include them in my calories. The cacao bites are a great snack option (as long as you’re aware of the calories) but on days like we’ve had lately an ice cream lolly or two is definitely required! 🍦 🤗

Xx

Being mindful… 🍕

When you’re attempting to lose weight /eat healthily it’s important to be mindful of what you’re consuming for obvious reasons. This means being aware of what you’re doing, thinking, feeling and experiencing. It doesn’t mean judging yourself for it. It also doesn’t mean being perfect all the time.

We all have reasons behind our actions- being mindful is about knowing why you’re choosing to do something and making the deliberate decision to do so.

One day you may decide to home cook a salmon and couscous dinner because you have the time to do so. On another day you may be tired, back late from work, or may just fancy a prepared pizza to throw in the oven. That pizza isn’t ‘bad’ nor is the choice a bad one when made mindfully.

If you choose to eat certain foods on purpose (not just because it’s there), with joy and contentment, or a valid reason in mind (rather than guilt), in an amount that aligns with your overall health goals then that’s absolutely ok! You’ve weighed up and accepted the tradeoffs (the pizza is marginally more calorific and lower in micronutrients) and made a conscious decision. The time you’ve saved by having the pizza will be more beneficial sometimes than the marginal calorie cost.

So remember – losing weight and eating healthily doesn’t need to mean perfect home cooked meals and every morsel being perfectly nutritionally balanced. It’s about making conscious decisions about what you’re consuming and being aware of why you’re choosing things. Having this approach fosters a much healthier relationship with food.

Xx

Strategies for trigger foods… 🍬🧁🍫

We all have ‘trigger’ foods – those foods you just can’t resist, the ones that once you have one bite you have to have the whole pack etc. If you’re trying to lose weight then managing your trigger foods is vital. You might just assume it’s better and easier to just cut them out? For some people at certain points of their journey then maybe yes. But this doesn’t need to be a permanent choice and probably can’t be if you want long term success.

If you do cut them out the once you have a good set of new habits ingrained you can shift back to incorporating them in moderation. Or if you’re someone who wants to continue to include them during your entire journey then you’ll need strategies to manage them.

Here are a few tips.

# Buy sweets/ chocolate/crisps etc in individual servings / multipacks – ideally individually wrapped. It helps when things are proportioned.

# Keep these foods out of sight. So rather than having them out on the side/ in the front of the cupboard or fridge, put them inside a Tupperware at the back of a cupboard. Out of sight , out of mind!

# Focus on addition rather than subtraction. Add more fruit and veggies to your meals and snacks. You’re never going to get ‘fat’ from too many carrots or strawberries so just load up on the fruits and veggies.

# Be mindful. Eat slowly, with no distractions, while paying attention to your sensations of hunger and fullness, your enjoyment, and your thoughts.

# If you reach for these foods when you’re stressed/upset etc try to comfort yourself in other ways first – then reach for the food eg cuddle your pet, curl up under a weighed blanket with a favourite show on, rant to a friend or in a journal etc .

# Study your relationship with certain foods. Whenever you find yourself wanting a specific food try to notice your craving, identify and name it, and investigate why you might be feeling that way. It helps in the long term to look at the reasons why.

🤗 Xx