Tag: feelbetter

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Fasted vs non-fasted Exercise…

Dr Nancy P

Fasted vs non-fasted Exercise… 🏃🏼‍♂️

There’s a fair amount of confusion out there about whether you’re better off exercising fasted (on an empty stomach) or after you’ve eaten something (non-fasted) and whether one is better or worse for fat loss.

The confusion arises because people often talk about how exercising on an empty stomach increases fat oxidation. This then gets conflated with fat loss. Fat oxidation is the process of using fat for energy in the body. When you eat something the body secretes insulin to aid in the processing and metabolism of the food for energy and storage. Insulin reduces fat oxidation, so less fat is used for energy. So the argument is that if you haven’t eaten anything yet that day then you won’t have secreted any insulin and therefore fat will be oxidised and used for energy.

Whilst this is true – you will have more fat oxidation, it doesn’t actually mean more fat loss. Fat loss is dependant on overall calories consumed, on average, over the day/week/month etc. Even if you exercise before eating, you still need to have a calorie deficit for that day otherwise any excess calories will still be stored as fat. So It makes NO difference to fat loss whether you choose to eat before or after exercise.

For some people they prefer to exercise on an empty stomach, but for others they need some food in their system to workout. From a workout perspective if you haven’t eaten yet then you may find you fatigue faster and aren’t able to work as hard, so you may end up burning fewer calories. So it’s very much personal preference!

However bear in mind that doing too much intense fasted cardio does impact hormone production. Firstly, it causes stress hormones like cortisol to rise, thyroid activity to be depressed, and in women decreases the production of kisspeptin (disrupting the release of estrogen and progesterone) which isn’t great!

🤗
xxx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Cortisol and Belly Fat

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Cortisol and Belly Fat 😓

Cortisol makes you gain belly fat is a common myth. The idea is that the stress hormone causes stubborn belly fat and therefore we should avoid cortisol ‘spikes’ at all costs (which translates to suggestions to avoid certain workouts etc), but is that really the truth?

Cortisol is essential. It helps regulate energy, inflammation, and even fat metabolism. Levels naturally rise and fall throughout the day, with a large spike in the morning (part of your circadian rhythm) and smaller increases during activity or stress. Research shows these short-term rises are not harmful, they’re protective and necessary. Exercise, fasting, even drinking coffee trigger temporary cortisol increases, and that’s a good thing. These transient spikes mobilize stored fuel and support recovery. If cortisol alone caused belly fat, athletes and early risers would all struggle with weight gain, which clearly isn’t the case.

So where does the belly fat myth come from? Chronic stress or Long-term elevated cortisol has been linked to appetite changes, sleep disruption, and overeating. But importantly, cortisol doesn’t directly add fat to your stomach. Instead, chronic stress often leads to behaviors like late-night eating, less activity, poor sleep etc that add up over time. The hormone plays a role, but it’s not acting in isolation.

Some also claim exercise spikes cortisol and therefore makes fat loss harder. Acute exercise-induced cortisol is good – studies show that long-term training actually lowers resting cortisol levels and improves stress resilience. So workouts don’t make you fat, they make you fitter and more stress-tolerant.

Remember – cortisol spikes are normal and often beneficial. Chronic stress may influence weight, but mostly via the habits it can create, not hormones alone. Exercise helps regulate cortisol long-term. If you’re concerned about ongoing stress or health issues, consult your doctor—not social media.

Stressing about cortisol is more harmful than the hormone itself.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

‘A quick refreshing drink…’

Dr Nancy P

‘A quick refreshing drink…’🥤

During the warm weather you might be out and about and fancy a quixk refreshing iced drink. A cold drink doesn’t always feel like ‘food’ so many of us don’t really count the calories properly in our heads. But some of these drinks can pack more calories than an actual meal.

In this example a large Starbucks Caramel Mocha Cloud Frappuccino (which sounds delicious!) comes in at around 469 calories. In comparison the Starbucks Chicken and Chorizo Focaccia only contains 394 calories which is significantly fewer

That’s not to say you should never have the Frappuccino. If you genuinely fancy it, go for it! Eating (and drinking) is about pleasure as well as nutrition. The key is simply being aware. If you think you’re only having a quick drink, and then later have lunch as normal, you have actually consumed the equivalent of two lunches without realising it.

It’s just a reminder that liquid calories still count. Unlike a meal, they often don’t leave us feeling particularly full, making it easy to eat exactly the same amount afterwards. So next time you’re tempted by a fancy iced coffee or Frappuccino, just stop and make sure you’re aware of the calories it contains. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have it, just make it a conscious choice rather than one that slips under the radar.

As always knowledge is power!

Enjoy! 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip : Gained Weight Heatwave?

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip : Gained Weight Heatwave? 💦☀️

At this time of year there’s a lot of frustration from my clients who feel they’ve been ‘good’ and stayed within their calorie goals but the weight on the scales has gone up!

It’s very common, but before you panic or decide that a calorie deficit doesn’t work and it’s time to give up, just remember that it’s totally normal.

Hot weather can make you heavier, without you gaining any fat.

When it’s hot, your body naturally holds onto a little more water to help regulate your temperature and maintain blood volume. So you retain a lot more fluid. On top of that, your blood vessels widen to help you lose heat, allowing more fluid to move into your tissues. This is why during hot weather feet and ankles look puffier, hands may feel swollen, rings feel tighter, your trousers may feel tighter and you feel a bit ‘squishy’.

The scales can easily go up a 2-3 pounds because of it. It’s not fat. To gain 3 pounds of body fat, you’d need to eat roughly 10,500 calories more than your body needed. If you’ve been consistently eating in a calorie deficit, that simply hasn’t happened. And yes maybe your calorie tracking is off (and that’s another discussion) but it’s unlikely to be that far off in such a short period of time.

So don’t panic, don’t slash your calories, or try to do a tonne of extra workouts and definitely don’t think you’ve failed and give up. Instead, stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids, stay consistent with your eating, and keep moving and doing your usual exercise. Once it cools down for a few days the extra fluid will be excreted and the scales will

go back down.

The scales only tell you what you weigh today, not how much fat you’ve gained. Sometimes they’re measuring the weather more than your progress!

Happy Tuesday! 🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

How to get bikini ready..

Dr Nancy P

How to get bikini ready.. 👙

Summer holidays are here and already people are talking about wanting to get bikini body ready… so here’s my top tips for getting a bikini body! You probably assume you need to lose weight, cut out food groups and foods you enjoy, live on salads, do loads of workouts etc…

Nope – it’s a very simple 2 step process to getting your bikini body.
Step 1 – have a body ✅
Step 2 – put a bikini on it !

Ta da!

Now I realise it’s actually not that simple – and that wanting to look a certain way in your swimwear is totally valid. If you want to lose weight to feel more comfortable when you’re on the beach then that’s great – go for it! However whether you prefer a bikini, a swimsuit, a swim dress , a tankini, a sarong, T-shirt and shorts… whatever.. you’re entitled to wear whatever you like however you like. You deserve to enjoy the sunshine regardless of your shape or size. You don’t have to lose weight to do that! Find a style you like and rock it!

Happy summer!

Xx