Tag: fitnessmotivation

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Consistency is key

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Consistency is key 😇

Consistency is key – I say it all the time and I’m sure you find yourself saying it too – ‘I just need to be consistent…and then I’ll start seeing results’. But whilst that is undoubtedly true the issue lies in what we think of as ‘consistency’. Often we struggle with consistency because our expectations and perception of what consistency looks like aren’t realistic. We assume it means being 100% on our nutrition every day, smashing out 1-2 workouts every day hitting 10,000 steps daily, getting to bed early every day, and being 100% on it and motivated every single day.

But who can actually do that every day? I couldn’t! We’re all busy with work, families, social lives and many of us are already running on close to empty as it is. Trying to eat and workout like an Olympic athlete isn’t going to work. You don’t have time and you can’t sustain it . And this is why you feel like you’re failing – your expectations don’t match your capabilities. The better approach is to have a realistic, sustainable plan based on what you can manage.

A good way to do this – every Sunday (or any day that works for you) have a think about:

⁃ How many workouts you can realistically fit in and that you want to fit in that week? Maybe it’s 2 maybe it’s 4 … whatever is fine! Schedule them in.

⁃ Food wise could I keep it simple with the same basic breakfast and lunch for a few days? If so what do I need to get for that?

⁃ What social events/meals out do I need to plan ahead for?

⁃ How many steps did I manage last week? Could I do the same or slightly more this week (500 extra steps for example).

⁃ What small steps could you take this week to help reach your goal e.g. only drinking alcohol 2 nights instead of 4, swapping a heavy calorie snack for a lower calorie one etc

Focus on being consistent at things that you can actually fit into your life and you’ll find you’ll actually succeed.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

I’ve blown my diet.…

Dr Nancy P

I’ve blown my diet.… 🫣

When you’re trying to lose weight we often conflate ‘healthy’ foods as automatically

helpful for weight loss. With the weather a little warm (at times) 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 dried fruit (mango).

In reality in terms of calories the ‘healthy’ snack in this example is actually worse ! Yes the mango does have 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 (and the mango is even higher) and they have the same

amount of protein. 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 the other micronutrients in your other meals.

Emotional well being is also important and depriving yourself of foods you enjoy and instead choosing the dried fruit 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 dried fruit is brilliant and does make a great snack option (as long as you’re aware of the calories) but on warm days an ice cream lolly or two is definitely required! 🍦 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Average Calories

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Average Calories 📊

You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight but that doesn’t mean you need to be in a calorie deficit every single day. This is where people often get confused and struggle. It’s averages over weeks and months that count.

If you’ve determined that you need to eat 1700 cals per day to give you a deficit to lose weight most people assume that means they have to have 1700 every single day to get results. But of course it doesn’t work like that – in reality you just need to average 1700 cals per day. Some days you could eat more calories, and some days you could eat fewer, but if you’re averaging 1700 cals by the end of the week, you’ll be on track.

E.g.

Monday – 1700 calories

Tuesday – 2200 calories

Wednesday – 1400 calories

Thursday – 1700 calories

Friday – 1500 calories

Saturday – 2000 calories

Sunday – 1500 calories

Weekly Average – 1714 cals (basically on target)

Now, let’s say that you hit 1700 cals every day for a week, but then you have a day where you have a bit of a blow out at the weekend.

Monday – 1700 calories

Tuesday – 1700 calories

Wednesday – 1700 calories

Thursday – 1700 calories

Friday – 1700 calories

Saturday – 2600 calories

Sunday – 1700 calories

Weekly Average – 1828 calories.

So yes in that second example you’ve gone over but your weekly average is still not far off the deficit goal and long term that small amount of extra cals won’t stop progress. So many people will have a bad day and think they destroyed their progress for an entire week, but that’s not the case. You’d have to have that blow out Friday, Saturday and Sunday to have any meaningful impact.

You will have days where you go over your calories – intentionally or unintentionally. When that happens, don’t panic and think f*ck it and then ruin the next few days. Just put it behind you and, most importantly, get back on track the next day. Do that, and you’ll still be moving in the right direction.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

How To Stay On Track At Summer BBQ’s

Dr Nancy P

How To Stay On Track At Summer BBQ’s 🍗

It’s BBQ season! With lots of summer parties and BBQ’s it can be hard to stay on track with your goals. Here are some tips to help!

# Eat before you go

If it’s more of a drinks and nibbles type event then eat before you go so you’re not starving and likely to stuff down whatever nibbles come your way. Equally if it’s a late afternoon BBQ don’t let yourself get too hungry before you go – have an early lunch or brunch so you are satiated and less likely to overeat later.

# One piece of meat

There is no other meal really where you’d load up on chicken, burger, a sausage… maybe a lamb kebab … so why do we do it at BBQ’s? Treat it as a normal meal – one , maybe two pieces of meat max!

# Watch the salads

Salads are great but if they’re loaded with dressing, sauces, avocado, potatoes, cheese etc then they’re also quite high calorie. That’s not a prob – but don’t kid yourself that they’re low cal!

# Stay hydrated

Drinking water in between each alcoholic beverage can help keep you hydrated and save you some booze calories. Not getting too drunk will also help you make more sensible food choices too.

# Don’t stand by the food table.

You are more likely to over eat if you’re hanging around the food table. Take your conversation and move it away so you’re not tempted to mindlessly snack.

# Bank calories

As with any social event you can save some calories ahead of time. Don’t go too low in the preceding days but saving 100-200 cals for a few days will give you more to spend at the party.

# Shift the focus

Instead of focusing on the food and drink focus on the company instead. You’ll remember the fun times with friends more than the burger you eat…

# Have fun and don’t stress

If you do wake up the next day and you’re a little heavier don’t stress yourself out over it. Get right back on track. It’s most likely just water and a lot of glycogen. Stressing about it it’s just going to make things worse. Enjoy yourself.

🤗Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Magnesium and sleep

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Magnesium and sleep

There’s been lots of talk about the benefits of magnesium for improving sleep quality so what’s the evidence actually like?

Magnesium increases our gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels by binding to GABA receptors in the brain. GABA is the neurotransmitter responsible for quieting down nerve activity. When GABA levels are low, the brain feels like it is constantly switched on, which makes it very difficult to relax and can lead to increased stress and anxiety which can lead to poor sleep. Magnesium, in theory, helps you “wind down” and prepare for sleep.

Studies have shown a possible association between low magnesium and poor sleep but there are few studies actually testing the impact of increasing magnesium. Studies on insomnia found that on average people got to sleep 17.36 minutes quicker and had an increase in total sleep time of 16.06 minutes with increased magnesium intake. In terms of general sleep the results are less clear but they did find an association between higher magnesium intake and better sleep for those with very poor sleep but there wasn’t anything suggest that magnesium supplements help sleep in the average person. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence from people measuring their sleep who have found some level of improvement with magnetism supplements but these aren’t proper studies so need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

The standard recommendation is 300-400mg ~1hr before bed. You can get magnesium from dark leafy greens, nut, seeds, fish, bananas, oats and tofu etc. I’m a fan of a food-first approach but there may be a case for taking a supplement too. Most people don’t get enough magnesium from their diet and it may not be realistic to get it from food, in addition there is evidence that the acute dose of magnesium matters i.e. getting 300-400mg in one hit – hard to do from food alone. There are plenty of options of supplements but magnesium glycinate is recommended.

So in summary, whilst the evidence isn’t conclusive it could be worth increasing magnesium intake if you struggle with sleep as it’s relatively cheap and safe when used in appropriate amounts.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx