Tag: fitnesstip

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Less Sleep More Fat

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Less Sleep More Fat 😴

There’s lots of evidence now about the link between sleep and weight. Getting less than 7-8 hrs sleep a night is linked to higher BMI. A 2015 study showed that losing just 30 mins sleep can lead to weight gain and increased risk of obesity by 17% and insulin resistance by 39 % and this multiplies for every further 30 mins lost.

A university of Colorado study found that lack of sleep was linked to food choices and meal patterns. Those with less sleep ate more, but also chose food higher in fat and carbs, ate smaller breakfasts but were more likely to snack after dinner. Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that lack of sleep resulted in participants eating an average of 300 extra calories per day (and mostly saturated fats). This is due to the impact sleep has on the hormones that regulate hunger and fullness – ghrelin and leptin.

Ghrelin tells your brain you’re hungry – less sleep means more of this is produced. Leptin, tells your brain you’re full – lack of sleep causes this to drop. So you feel more hungry and less full – meaning you’re likely to eat more. Cortisol levels also increase which cause the body to conserve energy and store fat.

I’ve talked about ways to improve sleep before but key things are reducing exposure to light and electronic devices an hour before sleep, increasing exercise in the day, cutting out caffeine (after 2pm) and alcohol (3 – 4 hr’s before bed) and sticking to a regular sleep schedule of bedtime and waking.

Sweet dreams!

Happy Tuesday 🤗 xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Do you deserve that dessert?

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Do you deserve that dessert? 🍰

One of the important habits to crack when trying to lose weight is eating for reasons not related to hunger. It’s that inner voice that tells you that you “deserve” that dessert, chocolate, glass of wine, or take away. Perhaps you’ve had a really busy day, or you’ve achieved some milestone, or some other reason, and so you deserve to reward yourself with food. It’s emotional eating – both positive and negative and is a massive factor in long term weight maintenance. You are ‘rewarding’ yourself with behaviour which actually makes you feel worse! So how do you stop it?

# 1 Stop thinking of food as something that has to be earned. Food keeps you alive and functioning, it’s essential and you can eat as much or as little as you want, whenever you want – you don’t need to earn or deserve it. You do however need to be ok with the consequences (e.g. if you eat loads of junk food maybe you won’t lose weight). We’re all guilty of it – I often hear myself thinking I’ve ‘earned’ this chocolate – so start reconsidering this approach.

#2 Ask yourself instead – how can I give myself what I really want? How else could you feel rewarded without reaching for that slice of cake? What would be a more effective way to relieve the stress of a busy day than nose diving into a tub of ice cream? How else could you spend that “me time” rather than with a glass of wine? Life is full of ups and downs and you don’t need a special reason to do something that makes you feel better.

So here are some ideas to reward yourself that don’t involve food: take a nap, play your favourite music, do your nails, read a book, do some adult colouring, have a bath, take a walk without your phone with you, have a little dance in your kitchen, call a friend, spend time with your pet, etc

So the next time you find yourself justifying your food or drink choice because you deserve it .. stop and think… and see if there’s another way to reward yourself and break that habit.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Protein isn’t magic!

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Protein isn’t magic 🔮

I talked about carbs last week – the devil food 😉 so now I thought I’d touch on the supposed super star – protein. Eat more protein and you’ll lose weight – right? That’s the rhetoric out there isn’t it? Well I’m sorry but protein isn’t magic – I wish it was, but it just isn’t!

The idea that eating more protein will magically alter the laws of thermodynamics and make you lose weight regardless of how much you eat is just silly. There is a basic law of physics at play here – to lower fat content of the body (i.e. to lose weight), you have to reduce the calories consumed, or increase the calories burned – where these calories come from makes no actual difference. In fact it’s been clearly disproved in many studies – in one study from Columbia University they fed participants liquid meals of fixed calories, some with vastly more protein, some with more carbs, some with more fat – but all contained the exact calories required for the participants to maintain their weight. Guess what – they all maintained their weight… even those eating more protein…

Now that’s not to say protein isn’t super important and a useful factor to consider though. There’s no denying that higher protein foods tend to keep you fuller and more satisfied for longer (especially when combined with fats), and as I’ve mentioned before there is a small increase in the calories used to digest protein (very small and not enough to really influence overall weight loss), it’s also full of vital amino acids for muscle repair and building. If you’re a body builder and looking to put on large quantities of muscle in a short time then yes def prioritise protein (but you’ll be over eating anyway as your goal is muscle gain… not weight loss). If you struggle to stick to your calories because you’re always hungry then yes definitely consider upping your protein and fats a bit in your meals – but not at the complete sacrifice of carbs (otherwise you will crash and burn).

So there it is – yes protein is great, but no it isn’t magic! So no need to fret over it too much!

Happy Tuesday 🤗 xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Carbs are ok

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Carbs are ok 🥖🍞🥔

Carbs are the devil right? We all know someone that cut carbs and lost a stone in 4 weeks or whatever… so obviously carbs are bad?

There is so much conflicting, scientific sounding rhetoric out there blasting carbs – saying you shouldn’t eat them, or if you do eat them you should only eat them at certain times, or that cutting them will result in massive weight loss (well yeah if you cut any major food group out of your diet you’ll lose weight – you’re eating less!).

This is not actually true. The common argument is that carbs cause insulin to be released and to spike and therefore it’s bad because that insulin will somehow cause fat to be stored ….well sorry but all meals do this – and in fact some proteins cause a greater response than carbs! In addition those insulin level changes have no direct impact on weight gain or weight loss. You have to be eating more than you’re using to store fat.

Carbs are the body’s preferred fuel source – breaking them down to glucose, but if there are no carbs around the body simply breaks protein to glucose instead. This applies at any time – not just when you’re exercising- because we need glucose to function – both physically and mentally.

Does that mean that there is no point in eating more carbs at certain times and fewer at others? No – you can definitely choose to have more carbs when your body may need extra fuel eg when working out, or in the morning when you’ve not eaten all night. But it’s not black and white and you certainly don’t need to ONLY eat carbs at these times and you definitely shouldn’t be avoiding carbs altogether.

How many carbs you eat doesn’t determine your weight loss – it’s total number of calories eaten and calories expended that matter. Carbs are just one part of the equation that you can play around with to help you meet those goals. There’s no need to obsess over carbs – yes small tweaks may help and YOU may find it easier to only eat carbs in the morning, or whenever, but if you like carbs eat them – just manage your portion size.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Sweet sleep

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Sweet sleep 😴

Most people need more sleep. Too little sleep causes hormonal changes which influence appetite (and weight), mental alertness, motor function and the immune system. Better sleep improves recovery, and aids weight loss.  Here are a few science backed tips.

#1 Stick to a sleep schedule

Sleep is all about rhythm; a stable sleep schedule will help you get to sleep, sleep more soundly and wake refreshed. You need to figure out your chronotype (early riser, night owl etc) – there are online tests to help. Combine your chronotype with your lifestyle and come up with the best fit. Then stick to it – every day; not just week days, every single day (even holidays).

#2 No caffeine after 2pm

Caffeine still has 50% of its stimulant effect 6 – 8 hours after consumption; a 4pm coffee is still having a stimulant effect at 10pm. It disrupts melatonin production (the sleep regulating hormone). Even if you think you sleep fine after coffee, studies show less deep and REM sleep and far poorer quality. It’s not just coffee that contains caffeine – tea,chocolate, and energy drinks do too. Cut caffeine consumption gradually and replace with other options.

#3 No alcohol within 3 hrs of bedtime

Alcohol is a commonly used sleep aid, but it’s probably the worst!  It helps you fall asleep, but drastically reduces sleep quality and REM sleep. It causes restless, fragmented sleep and inhibits melatonin, messing with your bio clock. You’re more likely to wake frequently in the 2nd half of the night, not get back to sleep , and you will suffer fatigue, mental slowness, irritability and often sleep badly the following night. Ensure you have your last alcoholic drink over 3 hrs before bedtime so it can be metabolised.

# Here comes the sun

Five minutes of sun exposure in the morning resets your body’s bio clock and strengthens your natural sleep-wake cycle, regulating melatonin production. Morning sunlight exposure causes melatonin to drop so you feel alert and awake. If you can’t get outside exposure to bright light indoors works too.

Don’t let another night go by with rubbish sleep! Try these tips

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx