Enjoying a seasonal treat …. 🥚 🍫

I never tell clients to cut out any foods/drinks totally from their diet and as a big fan of Easter chocolate I certainly wouldn’t ever be ‘banning’ chocolate eggs, but if you are trying to lose weight/fat then you may just want to be aware of the calories involved.

There’s no reason you can’t have any Easter eggs you want as it ultimately comes down to whether you’re in a calorie deficit. However, with the size of some of the eggs out there now it’s very easy to rack up over a thousand calories or more, without even noticing!

For example – if you’re a Smarties fan and lucky enough to receive the Giant egg you’d be looking at nearly 2000 cals for the entire egg and accompanying bag of mini eggs (the egg alone is over 1500 cals!). That’s more than most people’s daily calorie goal 😬. Also they rather sneakily suggest a portion of the egg is only 106 cals… because they claim you can get 15 portions out of the egg 🤔.

In contrast you could enjoy a large Smarties egg and the tube of smarties for around 1000 cals. Now ok, the egg is just a milk choc egg (not full of bits like the giant one) but it’s still delicious and that’s still almost a whole day’s calories for many people.

So if Easter eggs are your thing (they are definitely mine!) then maybe just be aware of the cals in them if you’re trying to stick to your goals.

Enjoy! 🐣

Xx

‘I’ve had so many naughty snacks’… 😈

With Easter just around the corner and hot cross buns and Easter treats everywhere I’m hearing a lot of people saying how ‘naughty’ they’ve been or how they’ve been having lots of ‘naughty’ snacks. When you’re trying to lose fat it’s natural to try to avoid ‘junk’ food or foods high in sugar and fat. One such ‘naughty’ snack is the hot cross bun. For some reason these are perceived as a bad thing to be eating and are therefore accompanied by feelings of guilt and shame. But eating the fruit and nut snack pot is viewed as healthy and something to feel virtuous about.

In reality in terms of calories, sugar and fat the ‘healthy’ snack is actually worse! Yes the snack pot has a little more protein (which can help you feel fuller for longer), and more micronutrients, so it is a slightly more balanced snack, but that doesn’t mean the hot cross bun (an apple and cinnamon one in this example) is necessarily a bad option.

Overall calories and overall nutrition are what count – and if you’re trying to lose fat you need to be in a calorie deficit – in that scenario the hot cross bun is a better option (even if you added on some butter/spread), especially if you’re eating a balanced diet and getting protein and the other nutrients in your other meals.

Emotional well being is also important and depriving yourself of foods you enjoy and instead choosing the nuts and fruit pot under the misguided impression that it’s a healthier option or isn’t good for long term sustainability or a healthy approach to food.

The fruit and nuts are brilliant and do make a great snack option (as long as you’re aware of the calories) but sometimes if you fancy a hot cross bun then just have it and enjoy it! 🤗

What happens when we restrict foods… 🍕

We all have cravings for certain foods or drinks at certain times. It may be for chocolate, biscuits, cheese, fries, Pizza – etc, whatever it is it’s usually perceived as a “bad” food. If you’re trying to lose fat/weight and on a diet then you may cut out or avoid foods like this, so if a craving hits you may avoid it at all costs. Why? because it’s “bad”. This can come from fear that it will
make you gain weight or “ruin” your performance.

This mindset that you have to eat “perfectly” all the time or that certain food are off limits can lead to serious issues, including; disordered behaviors around food, constant thoughts about food, uncontrollable cravings, restriction, bingeing, missing out on fun experiences, negatively impacting your social life, feelings of shame, guilt and anxiety, fear of food, under eating.

What tends to happen when we demonise foods and restrict them is that we can’t stop thinking about them, and that obsession leads to uncontrollable cravings. This often means that when you eventually do have that food you over-consume them because you feel like you can ‘never’ have them e.g. I can’t have pizza again so I better eat as much as possible right now! This then leads to feelings of guilt and shame, and impacts weight loss progress. A better approach is to accept that all foods can fit into our diets. It just means we need to have some in moderation. This is easier said than done i know, but it starts from reframing how we think about food. So if you have certain foods or drinks you feel you can’t have when trying to lose weight, instead remind yourself that you can always have any food if you really want it. It’s always available to you and always will be. When you want it, have it as part of a balanced meal. So if you want pizza – have a few slices, have some
salad or veg with it, enjoy it and factor it into your calories.

Enjoy!
🤗
Xx