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
Thursday, December 29, 2011
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
Monday, November 28, 2011
Alcohol management
It is likely that you have already noticed an increase in your alcohol intake as we head towards the warmer months and whether this is a few extra beers over the weekend, or a couple of cocktails as you catch up with friends at the end of the day it does mean more calories, and ultimately more calories = weight gain. So here is how you manage your alcohol intake over the party season and prevent unwanted weight gain in the process.
1) Be firm and do not look as Christmas as an excuse to drink too much. Remember that 1 alcoholic drink = 1 slice of bread in calories so count your drinks and know your limits.
2) Know that spirits served in a tall glass, with lots of ice and a low calorie mixer such as soda or diet soft drinks are your lowest calorie option with 80 calories per glass. This is compared with a large glass of wine or beer which contain between 120-140 calories.
3) Eat something an hour before you head out and drink 500mls of water as you will drink far less if you are not hungry and hydrated.
4) Differentiate special parties from everyday drinks and catch ups after work and indulge for special occasions but be strict with day to day catch ups.
5) Remember that for every “big” night you are looking at 2hr the gym to burn the calories off and do extras where you can to compensate.
1) Be firm and do not look as Christmas as an excuse to drink too much. Remember that 1 alcoholic drink = 1 slice of bread in calories so count your drinks and know your limits.
2) Know that spirits served in a tall glass, with lots of ice and a low calorie mixer such as soda or diet soft drinks are your lowest calorie option with 80 calories per glass. This is compared with a large glass of wine or beer which contain between 120-140 calories.
3) Eat something an hour before you head out and drink 500mls of water as you will drink far less if you are not hungry and hydrated.
4) Differentiate special parties from everyday drinks and catch ups after work and indulge for special occasions but be strict with day to day catch ups.
5) Remember that for every “big” night you are looking at 2hr the gym to burn the calories off and do extras where you can to compensate.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Christmas rules
It may seem a little early but the reality is that many of us will start the Christmas party season very soon, and hence we need to be on top of things if we are going to prevent weight gain over the next 5-6 weeks. So, here are the rules, guaranteed to keep your weight under control if you want it to be.
1) No mince pies until Christmas Eve. With more than 250 calories and at least 10g of fat per pie, these Christmas treats need to be consumed sparingly.
2) Under no circumstances are you to skip training – in fact, if you can afford to you should be doing extras to compensate for the extra calories you will be consuming.
3) Eat light if you are going out – this means soup or salad for the other meal of the day.
4) Always eat a snack before you go – a Body for Women protein shake or bar, nut bar + 1 vegetable will ensure you do not arrive at any function starving.
5) The 5 canapé rule – 5 canapés equates to a meal worth of calories so make sure you are counting.
6) An alcohol limit – it may be just on weekends or for the very special Christmas parties but create your own rule and stick to it.
7) Christmas foods at Christmas only – this means all the extra chocolates, nuts and other Christmas foods be kept until…..Christmas.
8) Quality over quantity – commit to enjoying it if it is very good quality but don’t waste calories on poor quality party snacks, chocolates and lollies.
9) The extra walk – for any big parties, commit to an extra walk the next day to compensate.
10) the 2 vegetable rule – this is not just a Christmas rule but munching on 2 vegetables a day will help to keep you full so you are less likely to overindulge in rubbish.
1) No mince pies until Christmas Eve. With more than 250 calories and at least 10g of fat per pie, these Christmas treats need to be consumed sparingly.
2) Under no circumstances are you to skip training – in fact, if you can afford to you should be doing extras to compensate for the extra calories you will be consuming.
3) Eat light if you are going out – this means soup or salad for the other meal of the day.
4) Always eat a snack before you go – a Body for Women protein shake or bar, nut bar + 1 vegetable will ensure you do not arrive at any function starving.
5) The 5 canapé rule – 5 canapés equates to a meal worth of calories so make sure you are counting.
6) An alcohol limit – it may be just on weekends or for the very special Christmas parties but create your own rule and stick to it.
7) Christmas foods at Christmas only – this means all the extra chocolates, nuts and other Christmas foods be kept until…..Christmas.
8) Quality over quantity – commit to enjoying it if it is very good quality but don’t waste calories on poor quality party snacks, chocolates and lollies.
9) The extra walk – for any big parties, commit to an extra walk the next day to compensate.
10) the 2 vegetable rule – this is not just a Christmas rule but munching on 2 vegetables a day will help to keep you full so you are less likely to overindulge in rubbish.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Why adding salad is futile
Whenever I am woken by the telephone at 6am usually it is the radio calling for an early morning interview, inevitably because one of the fast food chains has promoted a new initiative and yesterday it was McDonalds starting to offer salad as well as fries when you order a burger.
There are so many things that run through my dietitian’s brain as I contemplate this to decide if it is indeed a good idea. Surely any promotion or initiative that encourages the consumption of more salad and / or vegetables is a good thing, ultimately giving consumers the option to make a healthier choice should they want to? Hmmmm, maybe but offering one small good thing as part of a much bigger bad thing ie eating a fast food meal, does not make the fast food meal any better. In fact, it could actually make people feel better about eating the fast food meal, which is not a good thing.
Then, while having the option available to choose salad instead of fries may result in some people ditching the fries in favour of salad, I would be more inclined to think that the majority of people who are going to a fast food chain are not looking to swap their order of fries for a salad. If in real terms this means that McDonalds sell 1 salad for every 50 serves of fries, it would suggest that such a tactic from McDonalds is merely ticking a box of ‘looking like” they are trying to do go by the health of all Australians as opposed to actually doing any good at all – there is a big difference.
And then we have the issue of quality. If you have seen a healthy choice at a fast food chain recently, you may have noticed they do not tend to be the most desirable looking menu options. A minuscule serve of soggy lettuce and chopped tomato costing more than $3 hardly appetizing compared to sizzling meat patties, melt in your mouth burger buns, sugar twists of fat known as a McFlurry and the far more affordable $2 lunch deals. I am a dietitian and I would not pay the money for the salads that are served in McDonalds.
So while another marketing executive is likely to be patting themselves on the back this afternoon as McDonalds has again grabbed the headlines with its “salad offering”, here are some things to consider next time they really want to grab a health headline properly. McDonalds sell 1 million meals a day in Australia. All that would be needed to improve the nutritional quality of the current McDonalds menu items and indirectly the health of all Australians would be to add more salad to all the burgers on the current menu, improve the quality of the bread the burgers are served on and for the fifteen year old servers to stop asking everyone to upsize their order and buy more the high fat, high carbohydrate foods they do not need. It is not rocket science McDonalds and you are also likely to save a whole lot of salad that no one is going to eat in the process.
There are so many things that run through my dietitian’s brain as I contemplate this to decide if it is indeed a good idea. Surely any promotion or initiative that encourages the consumption of more salad and / or vegetables is a good thing, ultimately giving consumers the option to make a healthier choice should they want to? Hmmmm, maybe but offering one small good thing as part of a much bigger bad thing ie eating a fast food meal, does not make the fast food meal any better. In fact, it could actually make people feel better about eating the fast food meal, which is not a good thing.
Then, while having the option available to choose salad instead of fries may result in some people ditching the fries in favour of salad, I would be more inclined to think that the majority of people who are going to a fast food chain are not looking to swap their order of fries for a salad. If in real terms this means that McDonalds sell 1 salad for every 50 serves of fries, it would suggest that such a tactic from McDonalds is merely ticking a box of ‘looking like” they are trying to do go by the health of all Australians as opposed to actually doing any good at all – there is a big difference.
And then we have the issue of quality. If you have seen a healthy choice at a fast food chain recently, you may have noticed they do not tend to be the most desirable looking menu options. A minuscule serve of soggy lettuce and chopped tomato costing more than $3 hardly appetizing compared to sizzling meat patties, melt in your mouth burger buns, sugar twists of fat known as a McFlurry and the far more affordable $2 lunch deals. I am a dietitian and I would not pay the money for the salads that are served in McDonalds.
So while another marketing executive is likely to be patting themselves on the back this afternoon as McDonalds has again grabbed the headlines with its “salad offering”, here are some things to consider next time they really want to grab a health headline properly. McDonalds sell 1 million meals a day in Australia. All that would be needed to improve the nutritional quality of the current McDonalds menu items and indirectly the health of all Australians would be to add more salad to all the burgers on the current menu, improve the quality of the bread the burgers are served on and for the fifteen year old servers to stop asking everyone to upsize their order and buy more the high fat, high carbohydrate foods they do not need. It is not rocket science McDonalds and you are also likely to save a whole lot of salad that no one is going to eat in the process.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Why am I not losing weight?
Why am I not losing weight? - Perhaps the most common question from clients who appear to be doing everything they can to support weight loss. They are going to the gym, cutting back on carbs and not drinking during the week and yet the kg won’t seem to budge. Here are the most common reasons that you may not be losing weight with the good news is that all of these factors are very easy to adjust and get things moving the right way on the scales.
You are eating breakfast too late in the day
One of the most important things you can remember when it comes to weight loss is “the earlier you eat breakfast, the better”. Waiting until you get to the office to enjoy the first meal of the day is a little late when you consider that breakfast fires up the metabolism for the day ahead. So if you are waiting until 8 or 9 to enjoy your eggs, oats or shake, shift it forward an hour or two and get that metabolism firing.
You are training inefficiently
It may sound harsh but the longer you have trained, the more you are going to have to push yourself in order to achieve the same calorie burn you did initially. Change things around with your training as much as you can and focus on working out intensely for just 20-30 minutes burning 200-300 calories in this time. Change the settings on the machines, swap the order in which you do your cardio and/or weights and swap between different machines and classes. When you have trained for many years, sometimes all you need to do is change the type of training and intensity to get things moving again.
You are having too many extras
An extra coffee or two here, a biscuit there and there you have the difference between losing weight and not. If you doubt what is really going in your mouth spend a day keeping a record of everything you eat or drink. Sometimes the simple act of becoming more mindful is the difference between a few extra hundred calories a day or not.
You are sitting down too much
While it is great to commit to regular training, if you then spend the remaining 14 hours of your day sitting, you are completely negating the benefits of training completely. Start to wear a pedometer and become more aware of how much (or how little) you really are moving. Try and avoid hours sent lying in front of the television at night and get outside at lunchtime and move around because the more you move, the more you burn.
You are overdoing the coffee.
There is nothing wrong with a coffee or two each day but if you find yourself constantly sipping on a latte for most of the day, therein lies the problem. Not only are liquid calories a nightmare when it comes to insulin release and weight gain, but we rarely compensate for them, which means they become extras that many of us do not need. Enjoy your milk based coffee with your meals or as a snack and drink only water or herbal tea inbetween.
You are eating breakfast too late in the day
One of the most important things you can remember when it comes to weight loss is “the earlier you eat breakfast, the better”. Waiting until you get to the office to enjoy the first meal of the day is a little late when you consider that breakfast fires up the metabolism for the day ahead. So if you are waiting until 8 or 9 to enjoy your eggs, oats or shake, shift it forward an hour or two and get that metabolism firing.
You are training inefficiently
It may sound harsh but the longer you have trained, the more you are going to have to push yourself in order to achieve the same calorie burn you did initially. Change things around with your training as much as you can and focus on working out intensely for just 20-30 minutes burning 200-300 calories in this time. Change the settings on the machines, swap the order in which you do your cardio and/or weights and swap between different machines and classes. When you have trained for many years, sometimes all you need to do is change the type of training and intensity to get things moving again.
You are having too many extras
An extra coffee or two here, a biscuit there and there you have the difference between losing weight and not. If you doubt what is really going in your mouth spend a day keeping a record of everything you eat or drink. Sometimes the simple act of becoming more mindful is the difference between a few extra hundred calories a day or not.
You are sitting down too much
While it is great to commit to regular training, if you then spend the remaining 14 hours of your day sitting, you are completely negating the benefits of training completely. Start to wear a pedometer and become more aware of how much (or how little) you really are moving. Try and avoid hours sent lying in front of the television at night and get outside at lunchtime and move around because the more you move, the more you burn.
You are overdoing the coffee.
There is nothing wrong with a coffee or two each day but if you find yourself constantly sipping on a latte for most of the day, therein lies the problem. Not only are liquid calories a nightmare when it comes to insulin release and weight gain, but we rarely compensate for them, which means they become extras that many of us do not need. Enjoy your milk based coffee with your meals or as a snack and drink only water or herbal tea inbetween.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Why I prefer people eat vegetables instead of fruit
It may surprise you to hear that I, even though I am a dietitian,hate apples. I am not sure if I hate them because my mum sent me with one for recess on my first day of school when everyone else had potato chips, or because I find them sickly sweet, but whenever I see a dietitian’s logo featuring an apple, I feel slightly nauseous. In fact, whether it is an apple, an orange or even a mango, give me a vegetable in its place any day. It is not that I do not like all fruit, I simply prefer vegetables.
Now, you do not need a science degree to work out that fruit is very healthy. Packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals as well as being low in calories, fruit is a great snack choice. But the truth be known, if it came to choosing between fruit and vegetables, I would go for veges any day.
Before you get outraged that a dietitian would dare not talk about apples in anything but glowing terms I want you to consider this. Fruit, whilst being healthy contains far more calories and sugars than vegetables, with fewer health benefits. It is much easier to eat numerous pieces of fruit each day than it is to eat too many vegetables, and most clients I see for weight loss are eating far too much fruit, and far too few vegetables.
Vegetables make the perfect snack. They are generally not sweet, so you are not tempted to eat more and more of them. They are bulky, so they fill you up. They have virtually no calories but are so rich in nutrients that they are one of the few types of food that are actually linked to a reduced risk of developing some types of cancer long term.
So next time you go to grab a piece of fruit as you try to be “healthy”, grab a vegetable instead and your health, your weight and your tummy will benefit long term.
Vegetable/Salad (per cup, raw) Total Carbs (g) Total Cal
Broccoli <1 20
Pumpkin 1 70
Carrot 7 45
Tomato 4 30
Red capsicum 4 30
Cucumber 3 16
Peas 10 100
Green beans 3 30
Beetroot 10 60
Celery 1 15
Now, you do not need a science degree to work out that fruit is very healthy. Packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals as well as being low in calories, fruit is a great snack choice. But the truth be known, if it came to choosing between fruit and vegetables, I would go for veges any day.
Before you get outraged that a dietitian would dare not talk about apples in anything but glowing terms I want you to consider this. Fruit, whilst being healthy contains far more calories and sugars than vegetables, with fewer health benefits. It is much easier to eat numerous pieces of fruit each day than it is to eat too many vegetables, and most clients I see for weight loss are eating far too much fruit, and far too few vegetables.
Vegetables make the perfect snack. They are generally not sweet, so you are not tempted to eat more and more of them. They are bulky, so they fill you up. They have virtually no calories but are so rich in nutrients that they are one of the few types of food that are actually linked to a reduced risk of developing some types of cancer long term.
So next time you go to grab a piece of fruit as you try to be “healthy”, grab a vegetable instead and your health, your weight and your tummy will benefit long term.
Vegetable/Salad (per cup, raw) Total Carbs (g) Total Cal
Broccoli <1 20
Pumpkin 1 70
Carrot 7 45
Tomato 4 30
Red capsicum 4 30
Cucumber 3 16
Peas 10 100
Green beans 3 30
Beetroot 10 60
Celery 1 15
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