Tag: getfitwithnancy

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Holiday health

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Holiday health 🌴

We’re well in to the holidays now and many of my clients and friends are off on their hols soon and worrying about maintaining their fitness whilst away, so here are a few tips for staying healthy while you’re away.

#1 No gym no prob

If you don’t have access to a gym or don’t want to spend your precious holiday time in one then no prob – take a resistance band with you and a skipping rope and you can do some cardio and resistance work wherever you are. 5 mins of skipping and a 5 – 10 min band workout is easily doable (crab walks, hip abductions, etc 2 – 3 sets of 10 -20 reps).

#2 Workout and sightsee

What better way to stay healthy and active and see the sights than combine the two. Take walking tours around the city, guided treks in the countryside, hire a bike or a kayak, take a snorkelling trip. They are a fun way to get out, get active and see new places and make the most of your hols.

#3 Pack snacks

Finding healthy foods at airports and on planes/ferries etc can be tricky, so come prepared. Pack some fruit for the plane/ferry – this will hydrate you as well. If you’re out on day trips from the hotel grab an extra apple or banana from brekkie and take that with you, or buy some local fruit and store it in your hotel mini fridge.

#4 De-stress

Emotional health is important too. Yes holidays are meant to be relaxing but they can bring their own stresses – especially if you’re herding small people around too! Try to take some time out to de-stress – try some yoga, meditation, even just a few mins of deep breathing will help.

#5 Try new things

What better time to try something new than when you’re away? If you’re at a hotel with outdoors activities give something new a go – paddle boarding, mountain biking, volley ball etc

#6 Get out and explore

Don’t obsess about not finding somewhere to workout – just get out, have fun, explore and enjoy your holiday and you’ll probably find you’re more active than you realise anyway!

Happy holidays 🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Embrace Mornings

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Embrace Mornings ☀️

If you’re not a morning person then working out early can seem horrendous but there’s lots of reasons to give it a go. It is linked to reduced blood pressure, and studies have shown you consume fewer calories throughout the day, and it means your workout is done, leaving your day free! Here are some tips to help embrace the morning!

#1 Buddy up

It’s harder to hit snooze if someone else is waiting for you. A study in the journal of Obesity found people lost more weight when they worked out with others. So find a workout buddy – go to an early class together, or for a walk or run, or it could be a virtual buddy that you text, or share your workouts with on social media.

#2 Enjoy it

If you loathe working out in the gym you’re far less likely to get up early to do it. Find something you enjoy – bootcamp, walks, cycling, spin, etc. It’s your time so spend it on something that will get you fit and feeling happy.

#3 Be prepared

Get your kit ready the night before; lay it out, have the bag ready by the door, have your brekkie bits out and ready to go. That way you don’t have to get up EVEN earlier. Make it as easy as possible for yourself.

#4 Plan

Make a plan and commit to it. Don’t be vague about what you may do the next morning; plan it, write it down, tell someone, and you’re far more likely to do it. The first few mornings will be tough but the more you wake up early the easier it gets.

#5 Reward yourself

Set yourself a goal e.g. 4 weeks that early spin class 3 times a week, and then reward yourself with something. Don’t reward yourself with food; instead pick a reward like a new top, new trainers, trip to the cinema, time out with your book etc. If you’ve spent time working out early maybe you can have a little me time later in the day as a daily reward too.

#6 Be Happy

This sounds cheesy but focusing on the positive aspects of those early mornings makes a massive difference. Appreciating the quiet, the sunrise, the frost on the ground, being thankful you’re able to get up and workout, being happy to be up and moving will make it so much easier to stick to.

Happy early mornings guys! 🤗

xx

Fitness and Exercise

Fuelling for a big cycle ride or run!

Dr Nancy P

This time last year I was gearing up for the Ride 100 next week, riding for Bowel Cancer UK (and raising over £5000). Sadly this year I’m not riding – mainly because I didn’t feel I could ask everyone to sponsor me again after they were all so very generous last year, but also because I’m currently in a fracture boot recovering from multiple stress fractures – so it wouldn’t be sensible lol!

However I do have clients and friends who are riding and have been asking for advice on how to fuel themselves before, during and after the ride. So I thought I’d share a few tips. These are relevant to any endurance event – not just cycling.

So here are my tips!

In the week leading up to the big ride try to eat normally but well, so have three good meals a day, and snacks as needed, avoid all alcohol, and get some good carbs in where possible (brown rice, sweet potato etc).

48hrs before the ride is the time to start ‘Carb loading’. Carbs are the best source of fuel, so you need to make sure your muscles are full of glycogen before the ride. For the 48 hours before the ride, base all your meals around carbs and have carb based snacks throughout the day. So for example breakfast could be cereal, toast with peanut butter and banana, fruit and yogurt.

For lunch, go for wraps, jacket potato, pasta salad etc. And for dinner, try to eat something rice-based, pasta, or lean meat/veggie protein with potatoes. Have something like yogurt and fruit for desert.

For snacks go for energy drinks, dried fruits, and cereal bars.

On the ride day morning have a good carb-based breakfast two hours before the start (or as early as you can if you have a very early start time). Aim for at least two servings of any of these: cereal, toast and jam, porridge with fruit juice, and cereal bars and yogurt.

When you’re actually on the ride the glycogen supplies in the muscles will last about 90 mins so you need to keep topping up. Don’t worry about the first 45 minutes, but from there you need to take in around 60g of carbs every hour (the maximum amount an average body can absorb). energy drinks, gels, bars, or other easy-to-digest carb snacks are good as they’re designed for easy digestion and quick absorption. Or you could go for cereal bars chopped up or dried fruit. My preference was chopped up cereal bars and jelly tots 🙂

Be careful during the ride and avoid any foods such as cake, biscuits, pastries, crisps or sandwiches containing cheese or mayonnaise. These are high in fat and will sit heavy in the stomach, taking time to digest. This will make the following 10-15 miles after the stop quite uncomfortable so not ideal!

At the end of the ride you need to replenish the glycogen stores in the muscles and repair the damage to your muscles so you need fast digesting carbs and protein so things like scrambled eggs on white toast, white rice and chicken and veg, tuna pasta etc

An ideal post ride drink is chocolate milk – perfect combo of carbs and protein etc so try to have that as soon as possible after you finish. You can also get various protein based recovery drinks which work too.

Then get back to normal eating after that!

So there you go – a few tips for you! Note I’m not suggesting specific foods as such – just giving examples and the figures on timing and quantity of carbs etc are based on scientific studies and evidence based research. This is what I’ve done every year and I’ve always been fine and recovered quickly and not ‘crashed’ (energy-wise) during the Ride.

Hope that helps – safe riding everyone! See you there next year! 🤗xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Lunchtime mistakes

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Lunchtime mistakes 🥪

Lunch is one of the meals I’m definitely worst at and many of my clients are the same. Here are some of the biggest lunchtime mistakes that can derail your weight loss journey and how to prevent them.

#1 Eating out every day

Do you just end up buying lunch instead of bringing it? If you’re making yourself dinner each night then there’s no excuse for not making a bit extra for lunch too. Obviously there are good options you can buy but if you’re finding yourself only buying junk, or have limited options, then take lunch instead. Save calories and money!

#2 Eating too fast

I get it, you’re racing around, back to back meetings, no time to stop…. stuffing your lunch in on the go… but this is when we tend to forget about portions and over eating. A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition and Diatetics found a direct relationship between faster eating and weigh gain. Try to take at least 20 mins over your lunch.

#3 Eating too little

I often hear clients saying they only have a small salad for lunch.. and they wonder why they end up craving snacks at 4pm or tucking in to the biscuits late at night. Salad is a great lunch but it needs to be more than just leaves and a bit of cucumber. Use some dark leafy greens as a base (e.g. spinach), add veg (carrots, pepper, cucumber etc), then a protein (chicken, egg, feta, chickpeas, tofu etc) and then add some complex carbs (quinoa, brown rice, beans etc).

#4 Choice of drink

Going for a juice or soft drink at lunch in your meal deal is just extra empty calories. Ditch it and go for water (add lemon, cucumber or zero cal squash for flavour if you need) and save the calories for your food.

#5 You’re too hungry

You rush to work, skipping breakfast and by lunchtime you’re so hungry you end up making bad choices. Avoid this by either having breakfast or having a 100 – 200 cal mid morning snack (yoghurt and berries, apple and nut butter etc). This will help you make better choices at lunch.

Happy lunching! 🤗

xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Surviving lack of sleep

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Surviving lack of sleep 💤 We all suffer from bad night’s sleep from time to time. I’ve talked before about how to ensure you sleep better but here are some tips on how to cope when you just don’t get the sleep you need, without resorting to endless coffees!# 1 Stay hydratedDehydration makes you feel even more tired so start the day with a large glass of water (add a squeeze of lemon for extra freshness). Ensure you keep drinking plenty during the day. # 2 Cold showerTry contrast showers – alternating between hot and cold water stimulates your circulation. Also splash cold water on your face or use a cold damp cloth on your neck to give you a boost.# 3 Use Peppermint oilTry dabbing peppermint essential oil on your clothes, or on a little on a tissue and inhale the scent with a few deep breaths. If it’s in a skin-safe carrier then also rub some on your wrists and neck for an energy boost.# 4 MoveEven if you’re exhausted it’s important to move as much as you can. Walk or cycle to work, go for a walk at lunch, or just try 5 mins of exercises when you get up. Do something outside as the daylight blocks the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, preventing you feeling too drowsy.# 5 Eat rightIt’s tempting to reach for starchy carbs and sugar to get you through the day. Avoid these and instead grab some fresh fruit and protein rich foods (e.g nuts, yoghurt, chicken, fish etc). Avoid heavy meals that use lots of energy for digestion. You can also try chewing peppermint gum; a recent study found it significantly increased alertness.# 6 Power napIf you can take a mini nap at some point in the day it will really help to recharge your battery. Make sure it’s less than 20 mins though or you will end up feeling more tired than before. # 7 Mix it upWhen you’ve not had enough sleep you are likely to be less active and less productive the following day. So try to manage your day by focusing on activities that are “easier”and require less thought. Also try to do something different or mix up your routine to keep you alert. Try these tips the next time you’ve missed out on those zzzzzz’sHappy Tuesday! 🤗xx