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: Under-reporting food 📝

The sad truth is that people are terrible at accurately reporting how many calories they’re eating and multiple studies demonstrate this time and time again. For example in a couple of recent studies participants were convinced they were eating 1200 cals or less a day but on average they were eating over 2200 cals! In other studies it’s been shown people under-report by an average of 1500 cals.

It’s not that surprising – if you’ve never tracked your food intake, why would you have any idea how much you’re actually eating? This is even harder when we are surrounded by calorie dense, easily accessible foods which are easy to over eat.

It’s quite fashionable at the moment to disparage calorie tracking (ironically often by those social media ‘experts’ who’ve spent years tracking their own food) but it’s still something that’s actually really important. Aside from providing a reality check on how much you’re eating it also helps as it gives you a better idea of not only calorie content but also other nutrients. You learn what actual portion sizes look like and how many calories some of those restaurant meals actually contain but equally you may find other things you’ve avoided through ‘fear’ are actually fewer cals than you thought. It also dispels the marketing myths around foods and the assumption that ‘heathy’ foods are naturally low calorie etc.

Tracking isn’t so much about tracking but more about increasing knowledge and awareness about your diet and habits and then how you can make positive changes. Not everybody has to track, but most people could benefit from tracking for a short period of time.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Tuesday Tip: How to get back on the wagon 🍟🍔🍕

After the summer holidays and a bank holiday weekend, you may feel as though you’ve overindulged and completely fallen off the wagon. So, what now? Should you throw in the towel and write the whole week off? Absolutely not! Before you beat yourself up or get stuck in a cycle of overeating, try these tips to get back on track.

1. Chin up

Stay positive. So you’ve eaten or drunk more than planned? One weekend or calorie splurge isn’t the end of the world. Refocus on why you want to lose weight or feel healthier. There will always be peaks and troughs—the overall journey can still be heading in the right direction, even with a few bumps along the way.

2. Make your next meal healthy

Don’t wait until tomorrow, Monday or when the children go back to school. Make your next meal a healthy one. You’ll feel better for it and immediately start getting yourself back on track.

3. Bank a few calories

Don’t starve yourself or severely restrict your calories after a blip. You’ll only end up ravenous and more likely to overeat again. However, you could eat around 100–200 Cals less for the next few days. You’ll barely notice the reduction, but it can help buffer some of the extra calories.

4. Get active

You can’t out-exercise a consistently poor diet, but being active can burn a few extra calories and help you feel better. Go for a walk, cycle, swim, take a class or grab a skipping rope—anything that gets you moving!

5. Think!

Consider what led to the splurge. There’s no need to beat yourself up, but it’s useful to understand why it happened. Were you away from your normal routine? Surrounded by tempting food? Bored, hungry or emotional? Did friends persuade you to have another drink?

Once you recognise the reason, you can plan for it next time. Most importantly, don’t let one indulgent weekend turn into an indulgent week. Draw a line under it and move on!

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx