Tag: healthy foods

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: How long to give a new plan?

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: How long to give a new plan? đź“ť

So you’re on a new health plan but how long should you keep on it if you’re not seeing the results you want? It differs for everyone, but there are some things that can help you decide.

# 1 Realistic?

Is your goal realistic? Losing 20kg in a month, or running a marathon in 3 weeks when you’ve never run 5k, are not realistic and likely to leave you feeling frustrated and ready to give up when you don’t manage it. Take a good look at your goal and make sure it’s doable. If you’re not sure then chat to an expert about it.

# 2 Are you sticking to it?

You may feel like you’re working really hard but are you sure you’re sticking to it? This isn’t about self-blame, but finding solutions e.g. are you logging your food accurately; weighing food, checking portions, tracking workouts etc. Then look at the issues; if stress or lack of time is causing you to de-rail then focus on strategies to de-stress, or time-saving hacks, rather than just feeling guilty and vowing to “try again tomorrow”.

# 3 Measuring

Often we think we aren’t getting results because we’re only focused on weight, but changing body composition may mean your weight changes less than you expect (due to increased muscle and fat loss). Try other means of measuring progress: tape measure, photos, using clothes etc. I always use measurements with clients, rather than weight, as the main focus.

#4 Tweaks

If you feel like you’ve stalled it doesn’t mean the plan isn’t working, you may just need to make some tweaks, especially if body composition has changed, or you’re getting fitter (burning less cals). Maybe you need to recalculate your daily calorie goal? or need to change your exercise routine?

#5 Enjoyment

Are you still enjoying it? You want this to last beyond your goal right? So experiment, have fun, keep trying new stuff and keep it fun. Enjoyment will keep you going – find food and activities you enjoy! If you loathe every second then yeah it’s time to change!

In general give any new plan up to 3 months and if you’re not seeing results and genuinely sticking to it, then try something that’s better suited to you and your goals.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: Tips to stay on track

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: Tips to stay on track 🤗

Here are some tips beyond just changing what you eat and how much you move, to help stay on track.

#1 No distractions

Are you multitasking whilst eating – on the phone or watching tv? This affects our ability to control what we eat. So when you eat – just eat. Focus on how it tastes, savour the meal and take your time, rather than having your phone in one hand and a fork in the other.

# No good or bad

Foods aren’t good or bad. “Bad” foods aren’t going to kill you with a few bites, the problem is when we eat too much of them. Instead, think of foods you can eat a lot of, and those you can only eat a little of. Then fit foods you love in your overall plan. e.g. 1 scoop of ice cream with a bowl of fruit, rather than 4 scoops!

# Add don’t cut

Focusing on what to cut from our diets makes us feel deprived and likely to binge later. Instead focus on adding; add MORE veg, if you fill your plate half full of veg you’re far less likely to eat loads of other stuff.  Celebrate the things you can eat and all the exciting new foods or recipes you can add to your diet.

# Brush your teeth

An easy and effective habit to help the post-dinner snacking or any time of day. Brushing your teeth after you eat removes the taste of food, and acts as a cue that the meal is over, so you’re less likely to eat more.

# Track why

Tracking not only what, how much and when you eat, but also how you’re feeling can help identify any patterns or emotional eating that you may not be aware of. Just being aware of the fact you’re eating because you’re bored can help you stop yourself doing that. And you can look at the overall pattern and think of other ways to address those emotions, without food.

# What are you NOT willing to do

As well as setting goals for why we want to lose weight, it helps to be clear on what you’re not willing to do. e.g. “I’m not willing to be unable to play sports with my kids” – whatever it is, write it down. Then when motivation is failing re-read it and it will help you choose that lower calorie option, avoid the junk, go for your workout. It will help you make decisions that get you to that goal.

Happy Tuesday! 🤗

xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday tip: healthy habit change

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday tip: healthy habit change 🤞🏻

Do you find yourself sat on the sofa after dinner halfway through a box of chocolates? You started off with great intentions, and then somewhere, something happened and you’ve mindlessly snacked your way to bed.

Behavioural habits are incredibly difficult to break, because they affect neural pathways in the brain, encouraging you to feed the habit and reinforce it. So how can we change these habits? A few simple interventions can help.

#1 Write it down

Make a note of the habit as it happens . Write down what the habit is, why you think you’re doing it and if you can then jot down an alternative. e.g. post dinner choc munching 8:30pm, craving something sweet, could get some better dessert options in to help e.g. strawberries and greek yoghurt

#2 Write it down EVERY single time

Don’t just write it down once – keep track of every time it happens. This ensures it’s at the front of your mind, making you more aware of it, and forced to take steps to deal with the habit and try to replace it with better thoughts and behaviour.

#3 Remove the trigger

Once you’ve identified the habit and when it’s happening you can start to remove the trigger e.g. don’t just sit down in front of the tv, try doing something else – a walk, adult colouring book, read etc

#4 improve the environment

A recent study showed that however good your intentions are they can be derailed by your surroundings. Keep the junk food out the house or out of sight, have healthy snacks on hand.

#5 set yourself up

Set yourself up for success – drink enough water, eat sensible sized balanced meals, pack good snacks, get plenty of sleep – follow a regular routine, schedule downtime, put devices away etc, remove junk food from the house. Finally get your friends and family on board – let them help you with the habits too by helping you recognise when you’re doing it, and help with alternatives.

Happy habit changing!

🤗 xx

Recipes

Chocolate peanut butter healthy pancakes

Dr Nancy P

Something for a rainy Sunday afternoon! These are based on my quick and easy healthy banana pancakes (recipe here) – just with a couple of Sunday additions! This makes two small pancakes, enough for one person, and comes in at approx 280 calories, plus the fruit.

You will need:

1 banana

1 egg

2 tbsp flour (any flour you like)

Cinnamon (optional)

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp peanut butter

Fruit of your choice

Mash the banana with a fork in bowl, add the egg and mix well.

The mixture will vary in consistency depending on your banana size and ripeness, and egg size – it really doesn’t matter though. Add the flour, cocoa and cinnamon and mix well. Stir in the peanut butter.

The batter will be lumpy – that’s fine too! Heat a little oil in a pan and then add the batter. Leave to cook on one side, then flip.

Serve with fruit (if you need it you can also add some maple syrup or other liquid sweetener but I find the fruit is sweet enough)

Enjoy 🙂

xx

Recipes

Vanilla brekkie smoothie

Dr Nancy P

This is my brekkie almost every day – it’s easy to grab and go, and I make a batch of 4 or 5 so I don’t have to worry in the mornings. You can switch the protein powder for nut butter if you like, I use the powder because it helps to keep me full and gives a balanced brekkie for me. Don’t worry about the spinach – you can’t taste it at all, but it does give a load of extra vitamins and minerals and studies have shown it also helps to increase exercise performance so it’s worth including!

This makes a full large blender load (I use a vitamix which holds almost 2 litres) and I split that between 4 or 5 shakers, each is about 250 – 75 cals. I use frozen spinach for ease but you can use fresh too.

You will need:

2 bananas

1 litre of your milk of choice (I usually use light soya, but go for whatever you fancy)

2 very large scoops of protein powder (I use a vanilla one usually and the scoop is equivalent to about 2 heaped tbsp)

8 cubes of frozen spinach (or 2 large handfuls of fresh)

Large handful of ice

Pop it all in the blender, whiz until smooth and creamy. Pour into shakers and store in the fridge. I usually add a couple of cubes of ice in the morning just to keep it cool.

Enjoy! 🙂

Xx