fitnessmotivation – Page 121 – Every Step Fitness

“Calories can’t tell the time…. “ ⏰

It’s really easy to fall into the trap that eating your meals/snacks etc at certain times of day (or not eating at certain times of day) will help you lose weight (fat) more quickly.

One common idea is that you should fast for a certain number of hours during the day and only eat within a certain window of time. This varies but is usually an 8hr window or so. Proponents of this method suggest that by only eating during certain hours you can forget “complicated” diets etc and lose weight without doing anything more. You’ll hear lots of people saying they’ve achieved great fat loss using this method and they undoubtedly have. So surely it works then? Well yes it works – but only because those people have ended up eating fewer calories and therefore been in a calorie deficit, and lost fat/weight.

The problem with this method is that it doesn’t account for individual’s daily caloric requirements. So if someone started this method, but was eating more than their daily calorie requirement within that 8hr window, then they wouldn’t make any progress. Studies have shown that this method ONLY results in fat /weight loss when participants eat fewer calories than they are expending, and are therefore in a calorie deficit. Meal timing is irrelevant in terms of fat loss, it’s energy in vs out that matters.

Having said that, for some people, it’s easier to eat fewer calories if they restrict the hours in which they are “allowed” to eat. So if skipping breakfast, or not allowing yourself to eat after 8pm works for you then go for it! BUT you still need to be eating in a calorie deficit. For some people though, fasting for long periods of time, or skipping meals, isn’t a sustainable strategy long term. It can result in reduced energy levels, and excessive hunger, leading to periods of “binge” eating and therefore eating more than their daily calorie target. It can also lead to less activity (and therefore fewer calories burned) due to low energy levels.

So basically – do what works for you, but remember it’s the total calories that count – not when you eat them

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Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Small changes, big results

June 9, 2020 Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Small changes, big results 🤗

Fad diets and massive changes to eating and exercise habits work well for some people, in the short term but research shows that for most people these drastic changes don’t last and only increase the likelihood of gaining back the weight when we go back to our old ways. It’s also overwhelming and much more likely to lead to failure. So stop trying to change everything at once!

Instead, identifying lots of smaller changes and trying to do them daily works much better. This ‘habit stacking’ has been shown to be more successful than making one massive change. Big goals are overwhelming and scary, and you’re far more likely to stick to small, easy changes and you’ll also get a confidence boost from sticking to them.

So for example rather than going cold turkey on sugar try reducing your 2 spoons of sugar in your tea to one, then none, try reducing your soft drinks to one a day instead of three, try adding one portion of veg to your meals, then two etc. A recent study showed that it takes approximately 8 weeks for a new habit to form so stick with them and you’ll find these new habits will stay with you!

Happy Tuesday

😁

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Half an Avocado….

June 3, 2020 Dr Nancy P

Half an Avocado…. 🥑

If you’re trying to lose fat and tracking your calories it’s really important to be as accurate as you can and this is why. If you’re using an app like myfitnesspal you might assume that the calorie value for half an avocado is a generic measurement for all avocados. Of course in reality avocados vary quite a lot in size – is that half an avocado a small one? A medium one? Or a large one? Obviously the nutritional value, and calories, will vary significantly with size. In this example one half is a pretty small avocado (150g), which means half will be around 149 cals. However, if you’re lucky enough to get a large avocado (350g) then you’d be looking at 347 cals for half!

So if you were just logging a generic half

an avocado at 149 cals but actually eating a large avocado then you’d be underestimating your calorie intake by 200 cals. If you’re an avocado fan and having some most days that could be an underestimate of 1000 calories or more a week – which is significant enough to prevent or slow fat loss.

If you’re having something low calorie then it won’t matter but with something calorie dense like avocado it really is important to know how much you’re having – assuming your goal is to lose weight/fat.

This is why I encourage my clients to weigh, in grams, rather than using generic, subjective measures like ‘half an avocado’. So if you’re trying to lose fat and tracking your calories have a go at weighing your avocado next time. You may be surprised! 😬

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Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: Get back on track

June 2, 2020 Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: Get back on track 🙌🏼

With lockdown changing routines and habits it may be that you’ve gained a little weight recently. We all have! With Summer approaching and the regulations lifting it may really get you down and weight loss may seem overwhelming. Here are a few tips to get back on track.

# Do something

Stop saying “I’ll start tomorrow”, you never will! So start small and start today. If it’s exercise that’s slipped then just commit to 5 mins of something, whatever it is, once you do 5 mins, it’s easier to do 10, 15 or even 20 mins. Same with food, start small e.g. cut out post dinner chocolate, only have 1 glass of wine, reduce portion size etc. Small steps quickly equal big leaps.

# Ditch the guilt

It’s natural to feel guilty, embarrassed, even ashamed if you’ve regained weight. Everyone gains sometimes, beating yourself up over that chocolate bar won’t help, instead focus on how you’ll make sure your next meal is healthier. Strive for progress, not perfection.

# Plan to succeed

Meal planning is helpful to prevent you reaching for easy, high calorie options. It doesn’t need to be a detailed plan, just decide on main meals for the next few days/week and have a list of snack options. Write it out and put it somewhere visible (e.g. the fridge)

# Friends

Tell your friends what you’re doing and ask for their support. You could even do a challenge together. Sometimes it just helps to have someone to vent to as well! Also get your family on side and ask them to help and support you.

# Ask for help

Whether it’s from the dr, a nutritionist or a PT it helps to have someone to hold you accountable. A professional can help unpack why you may have gained the weight and what you can do to make a change that sticks. If you’re coming back from illness or injury then speak to a physio/GP to learn what exercises you may have to modify. I often work closely with clients’ physios/ Dr’s to design safe and effective programs for them.

Weight gain happens and weight loss is hard work, so if you’re struggling don’t give up or feel defeated, we all feel like this and you’re not alone.

Happy Tuesday 🤗 xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Rice cake or Crumpet?…..

May 27, 2020 Dr Nancy P

Rice cake or Crumpet?….. 🥯

As I often say, the key to managing your dietary intake and weight or fat loss is about understanding that there is no such thing as a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ food. There are just different foods that serve different needs.

The nutritional breakdown and mirconutrients in food are important of course. So in that context you may feel that a rice cake, with peanut butter and banana is a ‘good’ snack. It’s full of good fats, protein and some carbs too. It will certainly keep you satisfied, but it is also perhaps higher calorie than you’d expect for a ‘good’ snack – averaging around 244 cals per rice cake (and let’s be honest I’d certainly have two!). Given the perception that this is a ‘good’ snack it would be easy to assume it was lower calorie or ‘better’ than the ‘bad’ snack – a crumpet with butter.

In fact the crumpet and butter is only

135 cals. Nutritionally it’s still good – with carbs and fats, but does contain less protein. That doesn’t make it ‘bad’. If your goal is weight or fat loss then it may be a better snack for you, that day, depending on your calorie target.

Most importantly you may actually just fancy a crumpet – and if so you should have it! Remember food also provides enjoyment too! And having things you enjoy will increase the likelihood of long term adherence and sustainability.

Personally I like both these snacks – and I’d happily have either! But being aware of the calories helps me make an educated choice.

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