Tag: fitnesstip

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Are protein shakes necessary?

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Are protein shakes necessary? 🥤

Protein shakes – all the rage, essential gym kit eh? But are they really necessary?

Protein is definitely essential, especially for maintaining and building muscle, so i it helps with recovery and is also great at keeping you feeling full. But the reality is most people’s diet includes more than enough protein as it is. Average daily recommended intake is 55g for men and 45g for women’s (with heavy exercisers needing a bit more: 1.2 – 1.7g per kg body weight). It’s not hard to get that in your meals e.g. 1 egg: 6g, 1 chicken breast: 20g, 30g cheddar cheese: 7.5g, 1 serving cooked beef mince: 18g, 1/2 pot cottage cheese: 18g, 1 tin of tuna: 25g, 1 serving Greek yogurt: 18g etc. So it’s pretty easy for most people to eat the required amount, with no shakes or powders required.

Of course, the issue comes when you factor in timing. In an ideal world you want to get some protein in within 30 mins of a strenuous workout. So that could be a reason to grab a shake… but you could save some pennies and instead go for something simple like a glass of milk (dairy milk contains 8g protein, soya milk contains 7g), or one of the best post-workout recovery drinks – chocolate milk (perfect carbs: protein ratio).

Aside from saving money you will also be protecting your health. Recent research shows that too much protein in the diet can increase your risk of osteoporosis amongst other health issues. Plus if you’re already eating a good diet then all you’re doing is taking on extra calories you don’t need – which could stall your weight loss attempts. They’re also not ideal as a meal replacement – unless you combine them with other ingredients. For example as an on the go brekkie option they’re great – when combined in a smoothie with banana, milk, etc to give you a range of nutrients and a good balance of carbs too.

So if you’re eating a balanced diet, and working out at a normal level (i.e. not an Olympic athlete!), then don’t stress about protein shakes as they’re really not necessary at all! Save your pennies!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Easy calorie cuts

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Easy calorie cuts 🍽

Trying to lose some fat? Cutting just 100 – 200 calories a day can help you drop those pounds. Here are some easy ways to cut a few calories.

# Ditch the soft drinks

Switch to water, calorie free squash or zero calorie soft drinks – cutting just one soft drink a day at roughly 140 cals is over 50,000 cals over the year!

# Go naked

Not you, your burger, sandwich etc. Ditch the bread and do yourself a favour by cutting about 150 cals. Have an open sandwich instead or a salad, or use portobello mushrooms for burger buns etc.

# Drink before you eat

Have a big glass of water before you eat. Studies have shown this results in a 13% reduction in calorie intake.

# Switch to cauliflower rice

There is nothing wrong with rice or any other ‘carbs’ so I’m not suggesting you cut them completely but a switch to cauliflower rice now and then is an easy switch to reduce cals. It’s tasty too and will save you approx 160 cals.

# Go black

Try ditching the milk in your coffee or tea – or at least switch to skimmed milk or a low cal non dairy alternative (e.g oat milk). We forget all the extra calories from those dashes of milk in our coffee and they can soon add up!

# Be careful with condiments

Lots of condiments are calorie heavy – mayonnaise and sugary things like ketchup and bbq sauce can easily add in sneaky extra cals. Mustard on the other hand has almost no cals, so try making the swap or go for vinegar, salt and pepper to spice things up.

# Chew the cud

Taking longer over your food helps the body realise it’s fuller sooner, which tends to reduce over eating and means fewer calories are consumed. Studies have shown that individuals reduced their calorie intake by an average of 88 – 100 calories when eating slower. That may not sound much but over a year that can add up to over 95,000 cals! Try to take at least 20 mins over your meals.

Try these tips and see how you get on!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Always hungry?

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Always hungry? 🍔

Is hunger sabotaging your weight loss attempts? Here are a few reasons why and ideas to help you manage it

#1 thirst

The hypothalamus regulates both hunger and thirst. When you are dehydrated, it sends the same signals as hunger so make sure you’re drinking lots and when you start to feel hungry drink some water first before eating.

#2 Too much last night

If you ate too much the night before you will wake up hungry again. This is due to the impact on blood sugar and insulin levels, and because your stomach will be stretched and “expecting” a greater food volume making you hungry.

#3 Cutting calories

If you’ve just started reducing your calories by 300 or more cals a day then of course you will feel hungry. It’s a good thing. Try to ensure you fill up with lots of fibre (e.g broccoli) and protein to help you stay fuller for longer or have frequent but smaller meals.

#4 Food porn

If you’re spending hours scrolling through posts of delicious food then it’s no wonder you’re hungry. Recent studies show that the mere sight of food increases ghrelin levels (hunger hormone) making you hungrier.

# Not enough sleep

Sleep deprivation reduces levels of leptin (hunger suppressing hormone) and increases ghrelin – making you eat more. This is why lack of sleep is often associated with weight gain.

#7 Skipping meals

Racing to work skipping brekkie, or working through lunch means by the afternoon you’re so hungry you’re likely to over eat. There is only one solution: eat regularly! Aim for 3 main meals and 1-2 snacks a day to keep your hunger in check.

#8 Bored

Ask yourself if you are hungry for an apple or a handful of nuts – if the answer is no – you’re not hungry. Find a distraction – work out, go for a walk, read a book etc.

#9 Eating too fast

If you’re eating too fast  your stomach can’t keep up and still sends hunger signals, meaning you will eat more. Slow down, chew properly and spent at least 20 mins on your meals.

#10  Eating too little

ok finally – if none of that applies you could be eating too little…but if you’re not losing weight then this option is probably the least likely I’m afraid!

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Fitness and Exercise

Ethical, environmentally friendly workout wear!

Dr Nancy P

Super excited to get my new Sundried vest top and thrilled to be working with these guys as one of their brand ambassadors.

Ethical, conservation friendly workout wear from a small uk business – and this top is made from recycled plastic bottles! What’s not to love! 🙌🏼

Love this top – comfy, cool and sweat wicking! I’d highly recommend it (phew! Glad it met my expectations! 😬🤣)

If anyone else is keen to save the planet while you workout then you can get 50 percent off by using the code ‘NANCY’ on their site! Go check them out (www.sundried.com) ! 🏃🏼‍♀️

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Starvation Mode Myth

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Starvation Mode Myth 🥗

I am often asked whether consuming too few calories causes your metabolism to slow down so that you stop losing weight, and even gain weight, as the body “hangs on to fat”. People say that to get out of this “starvation mode” you need to eat more. One small problem – starvation mode is a myth!

As long as you have a calorie deficit (eating less than you burn) you will lose weight – regardless. Calories in vs calories out is what matters. A long term calorie deficit does cause adaptive thermogenesis (metabolic rate slow down) BUT it is not significant enough to stop weight loss and can’t cause weight gain! It just slows the rate of weight loss down, but what slows it even more is the fact that you’ve already lost weight so the body isn’t burning as many calories as it did initially. That’s why you need to adjust your calorie intake as you lose weight and why plateaus are common. In one famous large scale study – the Minnesota study – 36 men were put on a 24 week low calorie diet (1560 cals) and also had to complete physical tasks. ALL the men lost approx 25% body weight and ended up at approx 5% body fat. No one stopped losing weight, no one gained weight. You can’t defy the laws of thermodynamics – you need energy to fuel your body, you can’t magic it out of thin air, if you don’t eat enough you will lose

So what’s the moral of the story? If you’re not losing any weight/fat or your shape isn’t changing over a significant period of time, it’s not because your calories are too low, or because you’re in starvation mode. It’s because there is no deficit. Even if you think there is… there isn’t. If there was, you’d be losing weight!

Happy Tuesday🤗

Xx