healthy foods – Page 78 – Every Step Fitness

Most common weight loss mistakes … 😝

These are the most common mistakes I see with clients trying to lose weight.

# Cutting out favourite foods/food groups

Being over restrictive and cutting out favorite foods/ food groups is unnecessary and means it won’t be enjoyable. You’re setting yourself up for failure and it won’t be sustainable long term.

# Looking for a quick fix.

There are no quick fixes. You didn’t put weight in overnight so you can’t expect to lose it that fast either. Think long term lifestyle as opposed to short term fix.

# Jumping from diet to diet

It’s not about the next fad diet – it won’t be sustainable long term. Just stick to a modest and consistent calorie deficit.

# Too little protein/fat

You don’t need to go overboard on protein or fat, and calories are definitely the most important but protein and fat can help satiety (feeling full) so can prevent snacking and overeating and help recovery.

# Going cardio crazy.

Punishing yourself with hours of exercise won’t help. It will exhaust you and make you hungry. Just include exercise you actually enjoy, ideally a range of resistance training and cardio, and keep generally active.

# Eating back exercise calories.

I’ve written in detail about this but essentially we always overestimate what we burn and our bodies adapt to exercise (as do smart watches – up to 93 percent over!) so eating back exercise calories will usually mean you’re over eating.

#Assuming healthy foods are low calorie

I often hear people proudly telling me they’ve swapped their unhealthy snacks for nuts instead, not realising they’ve actually doubled their calorie intake. It’s easy to carried away with ‘healthy’ but calorie dense foods like nuts, nut butters, avocados etc.

# Estimating calorie intake

Estimating calories generally results in getting it wrong. Studies show that most people grossly underestimate their caloric consumption (even qualified nutritionists and dieticians). Best approach – weigh portions and track accurately. Assume you’re not good at estimating and weigh things rather than assuming you’re always right.

🤗

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Are super foods super?

May 31, 2022 Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Are super foods super? 🫐

Green tea, açai, blueberries, avocado, kale… just a few of the supposed super foods which can ‘detox’ your body, lose pounds, even cure cancer! How super are they really? A quick google search reveals thousands of articles and products relating to super foods. Many of these relate either to some supplement, product, weight loss program or some other sales pitch. You rarely see true nutrition experts (qualified nutritionists/ dieticians) using the term, many of whom dispute that particular

foods have an specific magical health benefit claimed by their advocates. People are however willing to pay more for foods perceived as healthy and these superfood labels aim to cash in on this.

So are there such things a superfoods? The short answer – no. Yes many of these foods have good nutritional profiles and may be higher in particular micronutrients but that doesn’t make them any better than many other foods. So what makes them super? Essentially a combination of poor scientific research / cherry picked research, catchy headlines and marketing campaigns from food producers.

Really a superfood should be one that not only keeps you well nourished, but that also provides pleasure and enjoyment to eat and makes you feel good. In that respect almost any food could be super, especially within the context of a balanced diet. So don’t be distracted by the latest, overhyped, trendy ‘superfood’ – instead focus on eating a variety of foods, including a range of fruit and veg, and those that taste good to you!

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

‘Skinny’ chocolate spread vs Nutella

May 25, 2022 Dr Nancy P

‘Skinny’ chocolate spread vs Nutella 🍫

This is another great example of how manufacturers have tapped into the weight loss industry to market their products. The natural assumption is that the skinny chocolate hazelnut spread is going to be a lower calorie option and perhaps a ‘healthier’ choice.

In reality there is actually very little difference. The skinny spread is marginally lower in calories at 23.2 cals per 5g compared to 26.7 cals for Nutella. Their fat content is also very similar. The only difference is in sugar content. It’s also worth noting that the skinny spread displays a 5g serving size (who has a 5g serving?!)- whereas the Nutella displays a 15g serving size so if you were to do a quick comparison you may not spot that that and that makes the Nutella look far worse! The skinny spread is also considerably more expensive than Nutella.

So in reality, unless you’ve been medically advised to reduce sugar intake, then you’re better off just going with the spread you enjoy and saving your pennies! Don’t automatically assume these weight loss branded foods are always the better option.

Read the labels and look at the calories and then make your choice. If you’re trying to lose weight then go for the lowest calorie option, that you actually want to eat!

🤗xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Why lift weights?

May 24, 2022 Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Why lift weights? 🏋🏻

There are a lot of misconceptions and fears around lifting weights – especially for women. Many people believe lifting weights is only something you should do if you want to build ‘big’ muscles and will result in a certain, often termed ‘bulky’, look. Whilst altering body composition to achieve that look is valid reason to lift weights there are loads of other important reasons, not related to aesthetics, which are even more important as we age.

# Strong musculoskeletal system

Lifting weights improves the strength of our entire musculoskeletal system – muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints and bones. This helps us stay mobile, strong and safe and far less prone to injuries and health concerns such as osteoporosis.

# Independence

As we age we lose muscle mass which means we lose strength and bones become more brittle and prone to fractures etc. By lifting weights you maintain bone strength and muscle mass meaning as you age you can maintain your independence – get up without assistance, carry your groceries, lift heavy stuff, and are less likely to break bones if you do fall.

# Improved power

Power depends on the ability to generate force. As you get older you have to continue challenging your nervous system to be stable, powerful and coordinated. We lose power at almost twice the rate we lose strength. Power enables you to stop yourself if you fall, stop your children running out in front of a car, lift bags onto the kitchen side etc. Lifting weights aids in power development and maintenance.

# Proprioception

This is the awareness of your body’s position and movement in space and is a component of balance. Lifting weights improves your awareness of what your body is doing and how it’s moving. This improves coordination and is vital for daily movement.

# Resilience

Any form of fitness training requires you to challenge yourself, learn new skills, be consistent and willing to put yourself out of your comfort zone. This encourages mental and physical resilience and can help you manage stressful situations.

So lifting weights isn’t just about your looks – it’s vital to loads of aspects of your life, health and well-being. So if you’re not already then consider adding some form

of weight training (be it a class or in the gym) to your workout schedule.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Most commonly under-reported food and drink items when tracking…

May 18, 2022 Dr Nancy P

Most commonly under-reported food and drink items when tracking… 🍷

If you’re trying to lose fat and are working on reducing calories then you’re probably going to be recording your cals somehow. But are you really recording everything accurately? It’s very easy to overlook some things because they seem so insignificant or to under estimate certain things.

In studies the most commonly under-reported foods and drinks include things like spreads, sauces, dips, gravy, salad dressings etc. All those little extras in meals seem pretty insignificant and so people often either don’t record them at all or they’ll estimate them and usually those estimates are too low. For example a scraping of mayonnaise on your lunchtime sandwich may not seem much but if you have it 3 times a week that’s still at least 300 cals, and the gravy on your Sunday roast is probably another 200 cals, whilst a drizzle of salad dressing 3 times a week is another 540 cals. That’s already an extra 1000 cals that you may not have bothered to record or have under-reported. Oil for cooking is another key area that people underestimate – a slug of oil when you cook is at least 120 cals – but most people use more than that and estimate far less.

Liquid calories are something people often ignore or underestimate e.g. the dashes of milk in teas and coffees, soft drinks, juices and alcohol. These are easily overlooked or under estimated and can really add up across a week. The little nibbles – bites, licks, tastes, extra spoonfuls or foods or snacks are rarely tracked and of course can really add up (an extra spoonful of granola (40-50 cals), a lick of peanut butter (30 cals), a bite of the kid’s muffin (60 cals) etc etc).

A sensible calorie deficit for fat loss is around 200 – 300 cals per day. With this little lot you’ve wiped out your weekly deficit without even noticing. All these little extras sneak in without really affecting how full we feel and without us noticing but they can really add up. So whilst I wouldn’t want people to become overly obsessed with tracking the minutiae, at the same time if you’re not seeing progress then perhaps it’s worth just going back to basics and paying attention to some of these areas to see if you’re underestimating or overlooking them.

🤗