Early Saturday morning seems as good a time as any to talk about
the weekend weight gain cycle that many of us find ourselves in come Friday
night. A week of relatively well controlled eating quickly replaced with overeating,
over drinking and basically overindulging until Monday morning. While there is
nothing wrong with enjoying the weekend with plenty of good food, wine and
company, a weekly ritual of consuming many, many more calories than anyone
needs, simply because it is the weekend is a habit that has to be broken.
Whether it is programming imprinted in our brain when we are
small, or that we are overly restrictive with our diets in the week and feel
that we need to reward ourselves on weekends, straying too far from our calorie
controlled meal plans simply because it is the weekend is a recipe for disaster
â research has proven this. The US Weight Control Registry, a research group
that tracks the progress of those who have lost significant amounts of weight
and kept it off for longer than 5 years has shown that people who control their
weight keep their food intake stable MOST of the time. What this means in
relation to the weekend is that while they many enjoy a meal wth more calories
than they usually would for special weekend occasions this does not equate to
an addition two coffees a day, a bottle of wine on Friday and Saturday nights as
well as Sunday afternoon, some extra cake with coffee as well as dessert simply
because it is the weekend.
My observation is that clients get things wrong on the weekend due
to three main factors; too much alcohol, café style eating and high calorie restaurant
or takeaway meals. These extra calories, combined with far less physical activity
mean that you can easily gain a kg or two, just over the weekend and find
yourself starting each week behind the eight ball when it comes to controlling
your weight long term. The good news is that just a few simple tricks will help
you to balance your caloric intake over the weekend to ensure you can still
enjoy your weekend minus the extra few kg to match.
Café breakfasts are a lovely way to enjoy the weekend with friends
and family, but heavy banana breads, Turkish toasts, large juices and jumbo
coffees are far too many calories for the average person. Instead focus on your
protein rich options of eggs, ricotta, smoked salmon or even lean bacon and aim
for just 1 slice of grain or sourdough toast to balance the calories. Remember
your mantra of ‘no one needs a large coffee’ and keep the freshly baked goods
to special occasions only. Order extra vegetables such as mushrooms, spinach
and tomatoes to give your café breakie plenty of bulk and remember that you are
unlikely to need to snack if your breakfast is much larger than it usually
would be.
When it comes to the alcohol, self-control is the key. A highly
controlled intake of wine and beer during the week is pointless if you then
down 2-3 bottles of wine or 10-15 beers in a sitting over the weekend. Try and
shift this binge drinking mentality to a more moderate approach in which you
can enjoy a few alcoholic drinks without feeling the need to drink for the sake
of it. Be mindful of spending time socially with people who encourage binge
drinking and if you can limit heavier drinking occasions to just once or twice
each week. Alcohol tends to be a habit rather than an enjoyable addition to
life and for this reason can be managed.
Finally watch those calories from higher fat fast and restaurant
style meals. The average fast food or restaurant meal will have at least 200
calories more than a meal you prepare for yourself at home simply because of
the extra sauces, breads, oil and dressings and larger serving sizes. Have a
substantial protein or vegetable based snack an hour or two before you venture
out so you do not put a food order in while you are starving. Share meals where
possible, especially dessert as portion sizes tend to be large and again try
and avoid overeating simply because you are out. Training ourselves to not eat
extra simply because we are ‘going out for dinner’ is a key way that you are
able to enjoy eating out regularly without associated weight gain.
Aside from these tricks and tips for specific weekend eating occasions,
another simple way of keeping your own weekend under control when it comes to
your food intake is to follow as normal a food routine as possible and if you
do have breakfast or lunch out, compensate with a light soup or salad the
following meal. If you find that you have a number of heavier meals over the
weekend, then have a lighter day or two of eating earlier in the week. We live
in a world of constant calorie overloading and minimal activity and for this
reason we cannot wipe out two entire days of the week if we want to maintain
let alone lose weight, so identify your food rules and stick to them, even on
the weekends.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
To sushi or not to sushi?
Fresh sushi seems like such a healthy option, but is it? While fresh
sashimi has numerous positive nutritional properties including being low in
calories and rich in omega 3 fats, some of the popular rolls of choice contain
much carbohydrate and plenty of calories. For this reason, if you do enjoy
sushi you are best to choose sashimi and really enjoy it with the beans and
seaweed salad to really get the low calorie benefits of Japanese food.
Sushi (Per roll) Calories Total Carbohydrates (g) Protein (g)
Teriyaki chicken 170 27 7
Tuna 210 24 7
Avocado 180 30 3
Bento Box 640 65 40
Sashimi 150 <1 18
Seaweed salad 25 3 2
sashimi has numerous positive nutritional properties including being low in
calories and rich in omega 3 fats, some of the popular rolls of choice contain
much carbohydrate and plenty of calories. For this reason, if you do enjoy
sushi you are best to choose sashimi and really enjoy it with the beans and
seaweed salad to really get the low calorie benefits of Japanese food.
Sushi (Per roll) Calories Total Carbohydrates (g) Protein (g)
Teriyaki chicken 170 27 7
Tuna 210 24 7
Avocado 180 30 3
Bento Box 640 65 40
Sashimi 150 <1 18
Seaweed salad 25 3 2
Friday, February 24, 2012
Everything you have been taught about weight loss is wrong
A few days ago, scientists attending an academic conference presented a new formula which is proposed to accurately predict how many calories and how much exercise one must do, over a period of months or years to successfully lose weight. Prior to this, many believed that weight loss was a gradual process that was completely dependent on calculating calories in versus calories out. For example, if you routinely consume 1200 calories a day, you will comfortably lose ½ - 1kg a week.
Now, anyone who has successfully lost weight, who works in the field of weight loss or who is currently trying to lose weight, will know that this is not the way things work. In real life, sometimes you will lose weight, and sometimes you will not, and sometimes this can have nothing to do with how many calories you have taken in, nor how many you have been burning via exercise, rather it has to do with changes to metabolism over time. To make this clearer, try and imagine that your body is like a machine, with each cell representing an engine that can burn fuel or in this context, calories. When someone is overweight, chances are the cells are not burning their fuel efficiently and as a result; a reduction in fuel intake from taking in fewer calories from food will result in weight loss. Once though a certain amount of weight is lost, whether that is 5kg or 10kg or 20kg, the cells will begin to work more efficiently, which also tends to mean that they need more calories to continue to burn energy as efficiently as they once did. In the case of weight loss, this may also mean that people may need to eat more calories to keep losing weight. Or if someone has been used to consuming a high number of calories and has still been losing weight, they may need to further cut back on calories to continue to get the weight loss results they are looking for.
Basically what this means if you are trying to lose weight is that adjusting the number of calories you are having regularly is crucial for long term weight loss. Sure a 1200 calorie plan may see you take 5 or 10kg off, but once weight loss slows down, you are likely to need 100-200 calories more to see continual weight loss, simply as 1200 tends to be the lowest any human can go calorie wise without negatively impacting metabolic rate.
When it comes to training, it also means that you can do too much. If you are only consuming 1200 calories and then burning 600-800 with 2-3 hours of training a day, your weight loss too may slow as the differential between calories in and calories out is simply too great.
So, the take home message today – if you are trying to lose weight, adjust your calories when you experience a weight loss plateau and check that you are not overtraining for the amount of calories you are taking in. As a general rule of thumb, add an extra 100 calories for every hour of exercise that you do and you will be on the right track.
Now, anyone who has successfully lost weight, who works in the field of weight loss or who is currently trying to lose weight, will know that this is not the way things work. In real life, sometimes you will lose weight, and sometimes you will not, and sometimes this can have nothing to do with how many calories you have taken in, nor how many you have been burning via exercise, rather it has to do with changes to metabolism over time. To make this clearer, try and imagine that your body is like a machine, with each cell representing an engine that can burn fuel or in this context, calories. When someone is overweight, chances are the cells are not burning their fuel efficiently and as a result; a reduction in fuel intake from taking in fewer calories from food will result in weight loss. Once though a certain amount of weight is lost, whether that is 5kg or 10kg or 20kg, the cells will begin to work more efficiently, which also tends to mean that they need more calories to continue to burn energy as efficiently as they once did. In the case of weight loss, this may also mean that people may need to eat more calories to keep losing weight. Or if someone has been used to consuming a high number of calories and has still been losing weight, they may need to further cut back on calories to continue to get the weight loss results they are looking for.
Basically what this means if you are trying to lose weight is that adjusting the number of calories you are having regularly is crucial for long term weight loss. Sure a 1200 calorie plan may see you take 5 or 10kg off, but once weight loss slows down, you are likely to need 100-200 calories more to see continual weight loss, simply as 1200 tends to be the lowest any human can go calorie wise without negatively impacting metabolic rate.
When it comes to training, it also means that you can do too much. If you are only consuming 1200 calories and then burning 600-800 with 2-3 hours of training a day, your weight loss too may slow as the differential between calories in and calories out is simply too great.
So, the take home message today – if you are trying to lose weight, adjust your calories when you experience a weight loss plateau and check that you are not overtraining for the amount of calories you are taking in. As a general rule of thumb, add an extra 100 calories for every hour of exercise that you do and you will be on the right track.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
To protein or not to protein?
To protein or not to protein?
Research findings published yesterday by the University of Sydney which found that higher protein diets produced superior weight results results compared to high carbohydrate, low fat diets comes as no surprise to weight loss practitioners. A diet with a greater proportion of protein (25-30%) is known to improve appetite, helps to control insulin levels, improve the intake of essential nutrients including iron, zinc and calcium whilst being exceptionally easy to follow.
What is important to remember when the concept of ‘high protein’ is bantered about is that we are not talking about a ‘low carb’ diet, in which the majority of carbohydrate containing food including bread, rice, cereal, pasta, fruit and starchy vegetables are eliminated. Rather we are talking about a more subtle shift in which a small amount of wholegrain carbohydrate is combined with protein at each meal and snack to help regulate appetite and calorie intake.
A higher protein diet tends to be more filling, helps to prevent the sugar highs and lows many people experience when their diet is filled with processed carbs and fruit and is easily adopted into everyday life. It includes subtle shifts from cereal to toast with eggs or cottage cheese for breakfast, snacks of nuts, protein snacks and natural yoghurt rather than fruit and biscuits, and swapping heavy bread, rice and pasta for lighter salad and meat or fish based meals with a little wholegrain carbs in the form of crackers, grains or beans.
The diet of the average Australian, in particular our children is largely high carbohydrate in nature – white bread, processed breakfast cereal, snack bars and heavy rice and pasta base dishes dominating our daily food intake, and for a society which remains relatively inactive, weight issues are common. A gentle shift to a higher protein, more nutrient dense diet is an easy way to improve your nutrition and help control your weight on a daily basis.
Standard High Carb Diet High Protein Diet
BR: Just Right and milk with banana 2 eggs + 2 slices Burgen toast
MT: Fruit Cheese and crackers
L: Ham and salad sandwich Salmon salad with sweet potato
AT: Fruit yoghurt Nuts and Bodyforwomen shake
D: Chicken stir fry Grilled steak with greens
Research findings published yesterday by the University of Sydney which found that higher protein diets produced superior weight results results compared to high carbohydrate, low fat diets comes as no surprise to weight loss practitioners. A diet with a greater proportion of protein (25-30%) is known to improve appetite, helps to control insulin levels, improve the intake of essential nutrients including iron, zinc and calcium whilst being exceptionally easy to follow.
What is important to remember when the concept of ‘high protein’ is bantered about is that we are not talking about a ‘low carb’ diet, in which the majority of carbohydrate containing food including bread, rice, cereal, pasta, fruit and starchy vegetables are eliminated. Rather we are talking about a more subtle shift in which a small amount of wholegrain carbohydrate is combined with protein at each meal and snack to help regulate appetite and calorie intake.
A higher protein diet tends to be more filling, helps to prevent the sugar highs and lows many people experience when their diet is filled with processed carbs and fruit and is easily adopted into everyday life. It includes subtle shifts from cereal to toast with eggs or cottage cheese for breakfast, snacks of nuts, protein snacks and natural yoghurt rather than fruit and biscuits, and swapping heavy bread, rice and pasta for lighter salad and meat or fish based meals with a little wholegrain carbs in the form of crackers, grains or beans.
The diet of the average Australian, in particular our children is largely high carbohydrate in nature – white bread, processed breakfast cereal, snack bars and heavy rice and pasta base dishes dominating our daily food intake, and for a society which remains relatively inactive, weight issues are common. A gentle shift to a higher protein, more nutrient dense diet is an easy way to improve your nutrition and help control your weight on a daily basis.
Standard High Carb Diet High Protein Diet
BR: Just Right and milk with banana 2 eggs + 2 slices Burgen toast
MT: Fruit Cheese and crackers
L: Ham and salad sandwich Salmon salad with sweet potato
AT: Fruit yoghurt Nuts and Bodyforwomen shake
D: Chicken stir fry Grilled steak with greens
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Kids dont want hommus in their lunchbox
The week before school goes back and as expected the Sunday papers are featuring a ‘Back to School’ special with some lunchbox tips to boot. Now I am sure I am not the only person who sees the school lunchbox suggestions of ‘hommus’, ‘homemade frittata’ and ‘mini bran cakes’ to be nothing short of ridiculous, and I am a paediatric dietitian. Just in case you had not realized it before, kids do not eat this type of food. Children, young children in particular want recognizable, easy to eat foods, in small portions in generally as many packets as possible. Our job then as carers is to combine some level of nutrition with foods that our hungry, growing children will actually eat.
The biggest issue with lunchboxes is that they can easily contain far too much carbohydrate and too little protein. A fruit break, followed by a recess of potato chips, muesli bars and fruit along with a plain sandwich and juice for big lunch and you are looking at roughly 60% total carbohydrate and as little as 10% protein. Such a nutrient imbalance leaves our kids prone to sugar highs and lows, fluctuating energy levels, hunger and overeating.
The good news is that it is easy to fix. All you need to do is follow this simple lunchbox formula and you will achieve both nutrient quality and a lunchbox balance that the children will actually be happy to eat.
1) 1 vegetable – forget fruit break, the sooner it becomes vegetable break the better.
2) 1 piece of fruit – fresh only, dried fruit and fruit snacks are packed full of high GI sugar.
3) 1 protein snack – flavoured milk, cheese and crackers, dairy desserts, yoghurt – the kids love these foods, they are packed with protein and calcium and you can freeze them to keep the lunchbox cool.
4) 1 small packaged snack <400kJ – so they do not feel like they have a ‘boring’ lunchbox; look for wholegrain bars, popcorn, vegetable chips, homemade banana bread or muffins and perhaps include a treat of potato chips or a small chocolate once each week.
5) A wrap filled with protein – vegemite and Nutella are not good enough. Lean meat, egg or cheese will help to keep the kids full and the wrap break will help to lighten the carbs in the lunchbox.
6) Water to drink – no exceptions – cordial, juice and soft drinks have no place in the diets of children.
After working with children and their weight issues for more than 10 years, one thing I have learnt is that we have to leave children with a positive view of nutrition. This means combining what we them to eat to ensure optimal nutrition and weight control, along with foods that are child friendly. Once the lunchbox has a firm base, with less sugar from fruit, white bread and snacks and focuses more on vegetables, lean proteins and just 1 snack food, a perfect balance is achieved. Try working towards this lunchbox balance with your kids this school year, it never fails.
The biggest issue with lunchboxes is that they can easily contain far too much carbohydrate and too little protein. A fruit break, followed by a recess of potato chips, muesli bars and fruit along with a plain sandwich and juice for big lunch and you are looking at roughly 60% total carbohydrate and as little as 10% protein. Such a nutrient imbalance leaves our kids prone to sugar highs and lows, fluctuating energy levels, hunger and overeating.
The good news is that it is easy to fix. All you need to do is follow this simple lunchbox formula and you will achieve both nutrient quality and a lunchbox balance that the children will actually be happy to eat.
1) 1 vegetable – forget fruit break, the sooner it becomes vegetable break the better.
2) 1 piece of fruit – fresh only, dried fruit and fruit snacks are packed full of high GI sugar.
3) 1 protein snack – flavoured milk, cheese and crackers, dairy desserts, yoghurt – the kids love these foods, they are packed with protein and calcium and you can freeze them to keep the lunchbox cool.
4) 1 small packaged snack <400kJ – so they do not feel like they have a ‘boring’ lunchbox; look for wholegrain bars, popcorn, vegetable chips, homemade banana bread or muffins and perhaps include a treat of potato chips or a small chocolate once each week.
5) A wrap filled with protein – vegemite and Nutella are not good enough. Lean meat, egg or cheese will help to keep the kids full and the wrap break will help to lighten the carbs in the lunchbox.
6) Water to drink – no exceptions – cordial, juice and soft drinks have no place in the diets of children.
After working with children and their weight issues for more than 10 years, one thing I have learnt is that we have to leave children with a positive view of nutrition. This means combining what we them to eat to ensure optimal nutrition and weight control, along with foods that are child friendly. Once the lunchbox has a firm base, with less sugar from fruit, white bread and snacks and focuses more on vegetables, lean proteins and just 1 snack food, a perfect balance is achieved. Try working towards this lunchbox balance with your kids this school year, it never fails.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Making 2012 healthier and happier
If you are one of the many who are all too ready to bid 2011 goodbye, it is the perfect time to reflect and consider what may help you to build a happier and healthier 2012.
Sitting with clients for many hours each day, discussing health, diets, weight loss, mood and wellbeing gives me great insight into what makes some of us happy, fulfilled and satisfied, and others not. So, as we move into a bright and shiny New Year, here are my best tips on how to make 2012 a happy and healthier one.
1) Be strict with your time
While we all have 24 hours a day, some of us use this time much more constructively than do others. Time is our most precious resource, and yet too often we fritter away time on pointless meetings, unfulfilling social engagements and doing mindless tasks. If you can, set aside at least 30 minutes each day where you can simply be; free from demands, technology and stimulus. More importantly, be strict with your time in general and if the engagement is not important, be brave enough to say no – as you time may be best used elsewhere.
2) Take a break from technology
This may mean switching off your phone after hours, or having a cut off time from the computer. It may mean no television in the bedroom, or it may mean walking to work minus the music. Whatever ‘a break’ means for you, your brain needs a break. It needs a break to think, reflect, ponder and dream. Constant stimulation can distract from important thought processes and disrupt sleep and crucial relaxation time. Even if it is just an hour a day, ‘a technological break’ will benefit both your cognitive functioning and your health.
3) Seek out nature
For those of us who live in busy cities, the rushing, the traffic and the intensity is enough to send anyone crazy – aggression, anger and frustration becoming a ‘normal’ part of the day. One of the most powerful things we can all do to help get some balance within busy lives is to regularly seek out nature. Whether it be a beach walk each morning, a trip to the bush once a month or a regular weekend away, spending time in nature is proven to improve well-being.
4) Prioritise activity
There comes a point where keeping fit and healthy is less about aesthetics and more about being able to do the things we want to do. Incorporating daily exercise or even movement poses only benefits when it comes to health, movement, mood and well-being. The truth is that knowing this is not enough, activity needs to be scheduled or it will never get done. Aim for 30 minutes a day as a rule.
5) Get some sunlight
Low levels of Vitamin D are becoming increasingly common as we spend hours of our day indoors and cover up aggressively when in the sun. The issue is that low Vitamin D can make you feel as if you have been hit by a bus – with low energy, constant fatigue and low mood - knowing this, make a real effort this year to get some sunlight every single day.
6) Drink less alcohol
While there is nothing wrong with a glass or two of wine, drinking more than 1-2 alcoholic drinks, every single day is a bad habit not a positive life addition. Drinking too much, too regular is bad for your health, your weight and ultimately your motivation as time spent in an alcohol haze prevents you from doing the things you know you should be doing. Develop your own alcohol rules, in which you actively control your intake and aim for at least two alcohol free days each week.
7) Eat less sugar
It may surprise you but the truth is that you do not need to aggressively diet to control your weight. All you need to do is develop some strong dietary habits and one of the most powerful habits is to cut back on your sugar intake. Whether it is via added sugar, sweet treats, juices or white bread or processed breakfast cereals, the less sugar and sweet foods you have, the less you will want and that is good for the hormones that regulate your weight, long term.
8) Go for quality time
It may be your husband, your best friend or your soul mate but spending quality time, at least once each week with someone very important to you is a crucial aspect part of your day to day well-being. We all need someone we can talk to, share our most intimate thoughts with, someone who is ‘on our side’, unconditionally. Once you are lucky enough to have this person, make regular time to spend with them.
9) Avoid shopping centres and school driving zones at all costs
We all know that stress is a natural part of day to day life, but actually putting ourselves in situations in which we are bound to experience much stress from other people’s children, traffic, other people rushing and mass consumerism are best avoided. Shop out of hours, drive the long way around and spend less, trust me, this is the one you will be most grateful for.
10) Look after yourself
So many of spend each day just trying to ‘make it through’ that we forget how important it is to ‘self-care’. In fact, the better we are at ‘self-care’, the better space we are in to be better partners, carers, friends, parents and workers. Schedule time each and every week for your own self-care – a massage, pedicure, trip to the movies, counseling session, trip the gym or a coffee at the local shop – simply time to relax and enjoy. You can find 30 minutes but you need to prioritise it and everyone around you will also benefit.
Wishing you all a fabulous and fulfilling 2012!
Susie – December 29th 2012
Sitting with clients for many hours each day, discussing health, diets, weight loss, mood and wellbeing gives me great insight into what makes some of us happy, fulfilled and satisfied, and others not. So, as we move into a bright and shiny New Year, here are my best tips on how to make 2012 a happy and healthier one.
1) Be strict with your time
While we all have 24 hours a day, some of us use this time much more constructively than do others. Time is our most precious resource, and yet too often we fritter away time on pointless meetings, unfulfilling social engagements and doing mindless tasks. If you can, set aside at least 30 minutes each day where you can simply be; free from demands, technology and stimulus. More importantly, be strict with your time in general and if the engagement is not important, be brave enough to say no – as you time may be best used elsewhere.
2) Take a break from technology
This may mean switching off your phone after hours, or having a cut off time from the computer. It may mean no television in the bedroom, or it may mean walking to work minus the music. Whatever ‘a break’ means for you, your brain needs a break. It needs a break to think, reflect, ponder and dream. Constant stimulation can distract from important thought processes and disrupt sleep and crucial relaxation time. Even if it is just an hour a day, ‘a technological break’ will benefit both your cognitive functioning and your health.
3) Seek out nature
For those of us who live in busy cities, the rushing, the traffic and the intensity is enough to send anyone crazy – aggression, anger and frustration becoming a ‘normal’ part of the day. One of the most powerful things we can all do to help get some balance within busy lives is to regularly seek out nature. Whether it be a beach walk each morning, a trip to the bush once a month or a regular weekend away, spending time in nature is proven to improve well-being.
4) Prioritise activity
There comes a point where keeping fit and healthy is less about aesthetics and more about being able to do the things we want to do. Incorporating daily exercise or even movement poses only benefits when it comes to health, movement, mood and well-being. The truth is that knowing this is not enough, activity needs to be scheduled or it will never get done. Aim for 30 minutes a day as a rule.
5) Get some sunlight
Low levels of Vitamin D are becoming increasingly common as we spend hours of our day indoors and cover up aggressively when in the sun. The issue is that low Vitamin D can make you feel as if you have been hit by a bus – with low energy, constant fatigue and low mood - knowing this, make a real effort this year to get some sunlight every single day.
6) Drink less alcohol
While there is nothing wrong with a glass or two of wine, drinking more than 1-2 alcoholic drinks, every single day is a bad habit not a positive life addition. Drinking too much, too regular is bad for your health, your weight and ultimately your motivation as time spent in an alcohol haze prevents you from doing the things you know you should be doing. Develop your own alcohol rules, in which you actively control your intake and aim for at least two alcohol free days each week.
7) Eat less sugar
It may surprise you but the truth is that you do not need to aggressively diet to control your weight. All you need to do is develop some strong dietary habits and one of the most powerful habits is to cut back on your sugar intake. Whether it is via added sugar, sweet treats, juices or white bread or processed breakfast cereals, the less sugar and sweet foods you have, the less you will want and that is good for the hormones that regulate your weight, long term.
8) Go for quality time
It may be your husband, your best friend or your soul mate but spending quality time, at least once each week with someone very important to you is a crucial aspect part of your day to day well-being. We all need someone we can talk to, share our most intimate thoughts with, someone who is ‘on our side’, unconditionally. Once you are lucky enough to have this person, make regular time to spend with them.
9) Avoid shopping centres and school driving zones at all costs
We all know that stress is a natural part of day to day life, but actually putting ourselves in situations in which we are bound to experience much stress from other people’s children, traffic, other people rushing and mass consumerism are best avoided. Shop out of hours, drive the long way around and spend less, trust me, this is the one you will be most grateful for.
10) Look after yourself
So many of spend each day just trying to ‘make it through’ that we forget how important it is to ‘self-care’. In fact, the better we are at ‘self-care’, the better space we are in to be better partners, carers, friends, parents and workers. Schedule time each and every week for your own self-care – a massage, pedicure, trip to the movies, counseling session, trip the gym or a coffee at the local shop – simply time to relax and enjoy. You can find 30 minutes but you need to prioritise it and everyone around you will also benefit.
Wishing you all a fabulous and fulfilling 2012!
Susie – December 29th 2012
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
A letter to my clients this Christmas
You know I love you all dearly – many of you I have seen for many months if not years and feel as if I know you as well as I do my own friends. I also often know your family as well as your friends who you have also sent to see me over the years so they too can learn to take control of their food, their body and their lives. I even feel great affection for those of you who skip your weigh in’s, who forget to text me your weight each week and even those who seem to come down with a cold every time the weekend eating and drinking became a little too much. I have seen you at your worst, often when you are most vulnerable and in general I feel privileged that you trust me to look after your weight and your diet.
But, I do have one request a mere few days before Christmas – please, please, please can you remember how hard we have worked together, how great our gains have been and not let it all go to waste?
Please don’t take this the wrong way; of course I want you to enjoy Christmas with your friends and family and indulge a little. Of course you are going to eat a little more than you should be eating and you are also likely to skip some of your training due to other commitments or family holidays.
You know what though? Such changes to your food and training schedules do not have to mean weight gain, at worst they should only result in no weight loss over the next couple of weeks.
If though you are viewing the holidays as an opportunity to throw all your hard work out the window, binge eat every morsel of food that crosses your path, opt to move your body as little as possible and see Christmas as a 4 week break rather than a special day or two, things are not looking great. Not only are you likely to regain significant amounts of weight as your body becomes overwhelmed by carbs, sugars and calories that it has been learning to live without but you are also likely to find it extremely difficult to lose this what all over again as your body’s cells start to tell you that they are sick and tired of these food games.
You know how good you feel when you are on track with your food and training, and you know how much better the start of a new year will be if you also start it feeling amazing. I promise I will be there for you all in January, helping to direct and motivate you for the year ahead but I need you to consider my needs to – and I need you to remember the foundations of what we have built together and give them the respect they deserve.
With Much Love and Kind Thoughts at Christmas
Your Devoted Dietitian
But, I do have one request a mere few days before Christmas – please, please, please can you remember how hard we have worked together, how great our gains have been and not let it all go to waste?
Please don’t take this the wrong way; of course I want you to enjoy Christmas with your friends and family and indulge a little. Of course you are going to eat a little more than you should be eating and you are also likely to skip some of your training due to other commitments or family holidays.
You know what though? Such changes to your food and training schedules do not have to mean weight gain, at worst they should only result in no weight loss over the next couple of weeks.
If though you are viewing the holidays as an opportunity to throw all your hard work out the window, binge eat every morsel of food that crosses your path, opt to move your body as little as possible and see Christmas as a 4 week break rather than a special day or two, things are not looking great. Not only are you likely to regain significant amounts of weight as your body becomes overwhelmed by carbs, sugars and calories that it has been learning to live without but you are also likely to find it extremely difficult to lose this what all over again as your body’s cells start to tell you that they are sick and tired of these food games.
You know how good you feel when you are on track with your food and training, and you know how much better the start of a new year will be if you also start it feeling amazing. I promise I will be there for you all in January, helping to direct and motivate you for the year ahead but I need you to consider my needs to – and I need you to remember the foundations of what we have built together and give them the respect they deserve.
With Much Love and Kind Thoughts at Christmas
Your Devoted Dietitian
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