Healthy Life Articles
How to Build a Balanced Shopping List
Learn how to build a balanced shopping list that supports energy, gut health and easy meals. Simple food groups, practical tips and stress-free planning for healthier eating.
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Mindful Eating: Why It Matters and How to Begin
Transform your health with mindful eating. Discover how to improve digestion, support weight stability, and reduce food anxiety. Get practical tips to change your eating habits now!
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Chromium: The Underrated Mineral That Could Help Balance Blood Sugar & Curb Cravings
Chromium for blood sugar balance: discover how this essential mineral supports metabolism, reduces cravings, improves insulin sensitivity and aids energy and weight management.
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Cultivating a Positive Relationship with Food
Discover the impact of restrictive eating, emotional eating, and food labeling, and learn practical strategies rooted in self-compassion, intuitive eating, and mindful nourishment. A must-read for anyone ready to break free from diet cycles and embrace food as a source of joy, fuel, and emotional well-being.
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Top Supplements for Fasting
Intermittent fasting explained: discover how fasting works, its benefits for fat loss and insulin balance, plus essential supplements like electrolytes, magnesium and probiotics to stay healthy while fasting.
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Inulin for Visceral Fat: Does it Really Work?
What is inulin? Discover how this prebiotic fibre supports gut health, aids weight management, helps reduce visceral fat, and improves metabolic health naturally.
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The Health Benefits of Chocolate
Discover the health benefits of dark chocolate, from antioxidants and heart health to brain function, fibre and essential minerals.
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One You: How to Meet Public Health England's Calorie Intake Suggestions
Around two thirds of adults are overweight, with a quarter falling into the category of obese. Even more alarmingly, a third of children will be either overweight or obese before they even leave primary school. The health consequences of the situation we find ourselves in are considerable. Obesity is a leading cause of heart disease and diabetes, and is the largest cause of cancer after smoking. Obviously something has to change. In a bid to help Brits to shed some pounds, Public Health England (PHE) has taken the radical approach of suggesting calorie limits for individual meals. The reasoning behind the initiative is that UK adults are currently believed to consume an average of 200-300kcal more than their requirements each day. What Is the New Calorie Suggestion? The guidelines published in PHE's latest report on obesity have set the target of 400-600-600. This is 400kcals for breakfast, 600kcals for lunch and 600kcals in the evening meal. Some of you may ask: “but I thought women were recommended 2000kcal per day, and men 2500kcal?” That is correct; the remaining ‘calorie allowance' can be consumed through snacks. What Are the Strengths of This Message? This message is likely to have some notable positive implications. Firstly, the nature of it indicates to the country how much of a necessity it is to take control of our diets and how the onus is on us as individuals. Another positive of the message is that it encourages us to focus more of our attention on the energy content of food. Ultimately, obesity is caused by a chronic imbalance of calories, with more calories being consumed than are required. As this suggestion fundamentally recommends tackling calorie consumption, this is surely a step in the right direction. One of the contributing factors to the obesity epidemic is the sheer lack of nutrition knowledge of the general public. This lack of knowledge is characterised by the struggle to understand nutrition labels, the calorie content of common foods and what a suitable portion size is. Hopefully, this message encourages many to improve their nutrition knowledge so that better, healthier choices can be made. One point most nutritionists would agree on is how useful it can be to track your calorie intake for a certain period of time. By doing this for a month or so, most people would be surprised with their new ability to fairly accurately ‘eye-ball' the energy content of commonly eaten foods. This gained knowledge will allow people to make smarter food choices and consume more appropriate portions. As well as having positive implications for the individual, these guidelines also encourage the food industry to support the message. Manufacturers, retailers, restaurants, and takeaways are becoming increasingly aware that they have a role to play in tackling the obesity epidemic. From the guidelines, PHE have encouraged these stakeholders to contribute in 3 different ways. Firstly, the food industry has been instructed to reformulate 13 different food product types, so that within 6 years, foods such as ready meals, pizzas and savoury snacks see a calorie reduction of 20%. This is similar to what has been seen due to the sugar tax and the salt reduction programme. As already mentioned, portion sizes are a big issue as they have increased quite considerably over the last few decades. Research by the British Heart Foundation carried out in 2013 showed that in as little as 20 years, the size of a shepherd's pie ready meal increased in size by 98% and a pre-prepared lasagne by almost 40%. As larger portion sizes naturally increase calorie intake, PHE obviously want to tackle this. The third and final area in which PHE want the food industry to tow the line relates to lower calorie options. Although certain retailers market low calorie foods, this isn't seen across the board. If more companies produce low calorie meals and market these correctly, it will hopefully encourage the consumer to use their daily calorie allowance more wisely. Lastly, the government have plans to make calorie information mandatory on all meals and food items on menus in the future. A relatively small survey conducted by Diabetes UK found that over 80% of people would support such a motion. Interestingly, recent research has shown that providing such information results in people autonomously reducing their energy intake by 12%. What Are the Limitations of This Message? Although this approach from PHE has the potential to have a positive impact, it has also received notable criticism. One concern raised is that PHE have not made it clear what sanctions will be levied if the food industry fails to comply with the targets. Some nutritionists have also criticised the message as they believe that it focusses too much on food quantity and not enough on food quality. Calories and macronutrients are only one cornerstone of good nutrition. Vitamins, minerals, fibre and essential fats are all crucially important for health, and foods rich in these nutrients are not typically inundated with calories. So, focusing on food quality is in many eyes a good way to regulate bodyweight without having to count calories. Similarly, many experts are staunchly against calorie counting as a viable method of weight-management. This is because tracking calories can cause people to obsess about food, which can harm people's relationship with food and potentially lead to disordered eating. What Could 400-600-600 Look Like? By now, you may have your own view about PHE's new calorie targets. Regardless of your stance, we thought it would be useful to quantify what 400-600-600 and some healthy snacks could look like. Breakfast Porridge oats made with milk and a large handful of mixed berries. Or A two egg omelette with vegetables and a large slice of wholegrain toast. Lunch Chicken, avocado salad wrap with a portion of carrot sticks and hummus. Or Vegetable and chickpea curry with brown rice. Evening meal Wholemeal spaghetti with Bolognese sauce. Or Grilled salmon with stir-fried vegetables and a portion of wholegrain noodles. Snacks Not everyone will choose to snack as many prefer to use their calorie allowance in the 3 main meals. However for those who like to snack, fruit, yoghurts, nuts and seeds are healthy options. As crisps, chocolate and sugary drinks are easily over-consumed and do little to fill us up; they should not be eaten regularly. What Else Have PHE Got Planned? As we have seen, the UK government is getting more proactive in its approach toward health. But what other plans have they got in the pipeline? There is a large demand for a ban on junk food advertisement before 9pm in an attempt to shield children from the constant promotion of unhealthy, nutrient-poor food. This wouldn't just be of benefit to children however; as it would also decrease the number of such adverts that adults are exposed to. Junk food is engineered to have the perfect balance of sugar, fat and salt – something known in the food industry as the “bliss point”. This level of engineering results in a highly palatable and energy-dense food that is easily over-consumed, subsequently wreaking havoc on our appetite responses. Summary Although there is some merit to the criticisms of PHE's calorie target for the nation, it should be looked upon as a step in the right direction. As the current initiatives appear to have failed miserably, it is good to see the government taking a more hands-on approach. That being said, obesity is an individual problem and for those who are battling weight issues, there has to be an intrinsic motivation to make positive changes. Hopefully this extra push from the government will be enough to improve the current “obesity epidemic” regularly reported in the press. Sources: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/685359/Calorie_reduction_The_scope_and_ambition_for_action.pdfhttp://cochranelibrary-wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011045/pdf
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How to Stop Feeling Hungry When Losing Weight
At any one time, it is thought that up to two thirds of us in the UK are on a diet or are trying to lose weight. Interestingly, this mirrors the proportion of us who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 25 and are therefore either overweight or obese. Unfortunately, we are not reaping the rewards from our efforts because obesity levels continue to rise. Although there are arguments about the actual percentage of diets that fail to provide long term success, those who lose a significant amount of weight and are able to keep it off are very few and far between. Certainly, there are numerous factors that determine the success, or lack of when it comes to dieting. However, more often than not, diets fail because they are too difficult to sustain, largely thanks to the often ravenous hunger that we are in a constant and draining battle with. Sure, you are bound to experience some hunger when decreasing calorie intake, but this can be managed with a few key behavioural changes. In this article, we are going to explore the topic of appetite and find out what we can do to manage our hunger to set us up for long term dieting success. Appetite Hormones In the body, appetite is regulated by the brain, hormones and our fat cells. These factors work to ensure that we obtain sufficient energy to be able to carry out our daily demands, but not so much that we become obese. You may rightly ask – why then do we have such an obesity crisis in the developed world? Well unfortunately, our bodies have not yet adapted to the omnipresence of highly palatable, energy-dense foods that overpower our biological cues. Our appetite hormones can be split into two groups. The ones that promote satiety, or make us feel full, are known to scientists as anorexigenic hormones. Hormones that stimulate appetite are known as orexigenic. CCK, GLP-1, and PP are some of the better-known hormones that signal to the brain we are full, whereas ghrelin is the only known hormone that makes us feel hungry. Leptin is a unique appetite hormone because it is contained within our fat cells. As we gain fat, we have more leptin. This signals to our brain that we have enough energy stores and this impacts appetite. The same is true if we lose fat, as appetite subsequently increases. Again, this will raise eyebrows as this should mean that we are somewhat protected against obesity. However, if body fat levels are high for extended periods of time, our brains actually become resistance to the effects of leptin, meaning our brain thinks our fat levels are healthy. This results in no reduction in appetite. So it is crucial for our health to act quickly if we find ourselves out of shape. Now that we have learnt the basics about appetite regulation, it is time to look at what we can do to make sure this highly sophisticated system works in our favour. Diet Although some hunger pangs are to be expected when reducing calorie intake, there are certainly things we can do to make it manageable. Protein Protein is arguably the most important nutrient to address when aiming to lose weight and this is down to three key reasons. Firstly, losing weight can put us at risk of losing muscle mass, as our body often turns to the protein in our muscles to use as fuel. This should be avoided at all costs, as muscle burns a lot of calories per day even at rest. So, losing muscle mass would mean your metabolism would slow - not a good thing for weight-loss efforts. So by increasing protein intake, your body will not need to use your muscle tissue for energy. To complement proteins ability to protect against a slowing metabolism, protein intake actually boosts metabolism. This is because the body has to work hard to digest protein, something nutritionists call a high thermic effect. Typically, the body uses 20-35% of the calories from protein to actually digest it! This is in comparison to carbohydrates 5-10% and fats 2-5%. So, those with a high-protein diet typically burn more calories per day. Last but not least, protein is well-known to be the most filling macronutrient as it not only helps to boost the hormones that make us feel full, but also suppresses ghrelin for a lengthy amount of time. It should come as no surprise then that those people on a high-protein diet don't suffer from as much hunger, snack less and have an overall lower calorie intake. Now that we have cited the phrase ‘a high-protein diet' numerous times, it is time to quantify what this actually is. At the current time, adults are recommended to consume 0.8g of protein for every kilogram of bodyweight they weigh. So for a 70kg adult, this equates to 56g per day. To reap the benefits from protein however, it is recommended that 1.2-1.5g per kg of bodyweight is consumed every day, and is spaced evenly across meals. This means for a 70kg adult, 84-105g per day would be the aim. Looking at this figure, it would seem suitable to aim for 30-35g in each main meal, with a small amount provided through snacks. Although it may seem a daunting task to increase your protein intake to those levels, focusing on lean meats, dairy, fish, nuts, seeds and legumes should see you reach this target easily. However, if this is a struggle, a high-quality protein supplement such as whey would be a smart choice. Fibre Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that passes through the body, neither being digested nor absorbed in the small intestine. Unfortunately, it has been well-documented that many of us are falling well short of the recommended 30g per day, with 17g for men and 16g for women being the current average. Not only does a fibre-rich diet reduce the risk of colon cancer, it also helps to keep blood sugar and cholesterol levels in check. Another well-known benefit of fibre is that its helps to increase the bulk in the stomach which leads to a reduction in appetite. Interestingly, a lot of fibre-rich foods are also high in water, which as we will find out later can also be beneficial for keeping hunger pangs away. To ensure we meet the recommended fibre intake, choose wholegrains over refined grains and aim to achieve 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Nuts, seeds, legumes and dark chocolate are also great sources to include regularly. Energy Density As we found in the previous section, increasing the bulk of food in the stomach is a great way to keep hunger at bay. When discussing the topic of managing hunger, energy density is a topic that regularly crops up. Energy density is, in basic terms, how many calories a food provides per gram. So when aiming to lose weight, it is recommended that you, for most part, consume foods that have a low energy density. Typically, foods that are low in fat, high in fibre and water are the ones with the lowest energy density. For example, a big mac burger provides 540 calories, but weights under 180g! Compare this to a water melon, which only provides around 50 calories for the same 180g. Although this is an extreme example, it reinforces how important it is to use your daily calorie intake wisely, and not blow over a quarter of it on a burger that will not fill you up. Highly Palatable Foods As we touched on early, highly energy dense foods that taste good can wreak havoc on our appetite responses, as the impact they have on the reward system in our brain overpowers our appetite hormones. Such foods are easily over-eaten, so we must ensure that portions of these are small. This is easier said than done, however, as these foods are hard to eat in moderation. So to not counteract your weight loss efforts it is best to totally omit ‘junk food' from the diet. Fluids You may have heard that our bodies can often be confused between being hungry and being thirsty. As after all, hunger and dehydration can both lead to feeling weak and dizzy. Not only does fluid intake help us stay hydrated and allow our bodies to function normally, it also adds bulk to our stomach which helps to suppress appetite hormones. So if you haven't had a drink in a while and are starting to feel hungry, it may be worth having a glass of water and seeing how your body reacts. On a day-to-day basis, 2-2.5L of fluid should be sufficient for most people to remain adequately hydrated. This can come from all fluids, not just water. From a weight-loss perspective, it is highly recommended that most fluid intake comes from calorie-free beverages. Sugar-sweetened drinks are not only bad for our health but do very little for supressing appetite. Exercise Unfortunately, many people regard exercise as fruitless for weight-loss, as they believe that the calories burnt are simply compensated for by eating more food throughout the day. Although exercise doesn't burn as many calories as people think, it can actually suppress appetite. This depends on the mode of exercise however, as is shown by a research study conducted at Loughborough University in 2012. A group of healthy males were recruited and assigned to complete 3 different trials in random order. The first was a control trial that performed no exercise, and then ate buffet meals 3.5 hours and 7 hours after their rest period. The second trial saw the participants perform an hour of cycling before the food and the final trial was a repeated sprint protocol again followed by the buffet meals. The researchers not only assessed how much food was consumed at the two meals, but also measured the appetite hormones and asked the participants to rate their hunger levels. Interestingly, it was found that the hour cycling session not only burnt substantially more calories, but it also supressed appetite to a greater extent than the sprint cycling protocol. This led to the participants creating a larger energy deficit, which is the primary aim when losing weight. The physiological and psychological benefits of sprint interval exercise cannot be denied, but this study and others confirm that for a weight-loss programme, continuous exercise such as an hour long bike ride is the most effective. Summary To conclude, weight loss is a high priority for most of us but more often than not, our appetite puts up a good fight which can be too much for even the strongest of willpowers. Hopefully this article has outlined some straightforward changes that can be made to give you the greatest chance of success, so you can reap the rewards of your new-found bodyweight. Sources: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article-abstract/42/2/177/4691750?redirectedFrom=PDFhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC524030/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29547523https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28935147https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29202887https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29038018https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232741337_Appetite_gut_hormone_and_energy_intake_responses_to_low_volume_sprint_interval_and_traditional_endurance_exercise
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Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight on a Diet
Whether for health reasons, or to look and feel better, millions of us every year have something in common: we aim to lose weight. Unfortunately, our efforts are often not reflected in a decreasing waistline, as obesity and the consequences of high body fat levels are only worsening over time. Although there is debate with regards to the exact percentage of diets that work on a long term basis, it is clear that only a small minority of people can lose a meaningful amount of weight, and most importantly, keep it off. If you are struggling to lose a few pounds despite your continued efforts, this article is for you, as we will explore some of the most common reasons why you are not losing weight and provide expert tips on how to overcome this. How Fat Loss Occurs Although “weight loss” is the most commonly used phrase when describing the aim of a diet, this should technically be “fat loss”. This is because weight loss can occur due to a decrease in the size of the muscles, bones, organs and of course water weight. This is not something to be aimed for. What we are all aiming for is to decrease the fat stores in our bodies. Fat loss occurs when we consume fewer calories than our body requires, as we then have to turn to our fat stores to make up for this energy shortfall. The only way we can lose weight is by burning more calories than we consume. Directly or indirectly, therefore, the reason you are not losing weight is due to an issue with calorie balance. Now we have cleared this up, let's have a look at where many of us are going wrong and what can be done about it. The Top Reasons Why You Are Not Losing Body Fat You Have Not Accurately Estimated Your Calorie Requirements Fat loss fundamentally requires a manipulation of energy intake and expenditure, something scientists call ‘energy balance'. A negative energy balance is what is required for fat loss, whereas a positive energy balance results in fat (or muscle) gain. To lose fat at a healthy and sustainable rate, it is crucial to accurately estimate how many calories you require per day. Although this can be done through scientific methods, most people use an equation such as the Schofield, Cunningham or Harrison-Benedict. Such equations are quick and cost-free whilst still providing a fairly accurate representation of your basal metabolic rate – or how many calories you burn per day at rest. Once you have adjusted the equation to include the amount of physical activity that you do, you will now have an estimate of your total daily energy needs. However, this is the amount of calories you require to maintain your weight, not lose. So, you will need to cut a certain amount of calories from this number to stimulate weight-loss. Just how much depends on how quickly you wish to lose weight. A negative energy balance of 500kcal per day will roughly lead to a 1lb loss of fat per week, with a 1000kcal deficit leading to 2lbs lost. It is not recommended that you lose more than 2lbs per week unless you are extremely obese. Tip: It is very important to input details into an equation which are as accurate as possible. Most people fall-short as they overestimate their physical activity level, which then means the equation subsequently overestimates how many calories then burn per day. Hidden Calories As the name suggests, hidden calories are foods that provide energy and sabotage your weight loss efforts despite being ‘off your radar'. These foods are not usually the main-players in a meal, but still provide a hefty proportion of the calories. Classic sources of hidden calories are cooking oils, spreads, sauces, dressings, toppings, condiments and added sugars. Over the course of the days eating these hidden calories can certainly be the difference between the scales not budging, and you stripping body-fat week in week out. Let's explore a few examples of common offenders: Cooking oils: 135kcal per tablespoon Butter: 102kcal per tablespoon Peanut butter: 90kcal per tablespoon Mayonnaise: 94kcal per tablespoon Parmesan cheese: 130kcal in 30g serving Cup of coffee with whole milk and two sugars: ~70kcal By looking at these examples, hopefully it has become clear how easy it can be to consume hundreds of hidden calories per day. By not taking into account the butter on your toast for breakfast, the mayonnaise in your wrap for lunch, the oil to cook your stir fry for dinner, and the calories in your daily hot beverages, you could easily be consuming upwards of 500kcals more than you thought. Tip: Try and keep your diet relatively simple, with uncomplicated meals that only use a handful of ingredients. This way, you should be able to accurately quantify how many calories you are consuming and not fall foul of the array of hidden calories. Overestimating Physical Activity As mentioned earlier, one of pitfalls of calculating your calorie needs is that people often overestimate how much exercise they actually perform. Not only that, people often reward themselves with food after performing an exercise session, not knowing that they have probably consumed more calories than they actually burnt. Although not always the case, the chances are that if you need to shed some excess pounds your fitness levels will be lacking. When you are unfit, the amount of time you can exercise for before feeling fatigued is quite short. On a similar note, when you are unfit your body cannot effectively utilise much oxygen. This means that you cannot burn many calories, which is obviously not ideal for fat-loss. This may make you think that exercise is pointless, but this is certainly not the case. As you become fitter, you will not only be able to exercise for longer, but will also be able to work harder and burn more calories. Tip: If you start an exercise regime, it is crucial to stay consistent with it as it may take a while to reap the rewards of it. That being said, fitness levels should increase quickly and will hopefully be enough to keep you motivated. It's also important to stay disciplined with your diet and not see exercise as a justification for going off track. Energy Density When it comes to a fat loss diet, taking into account the energy density of foods should be of primary importance. Energy density is basically a measure of how many calories a food provides per gram. Foods that have a high water and fibre content tend to have a low energy density, whereas fatty foods tend to be high. As foods with a low energy density can fill us up quickly whilst providing a relatively low amount of calories, these are ideal for inducing fat-loss. A point where many of us go wrong is that our diets are filled with foods that provide a massive amount of calories but aren't very substantial. These foods, which often taste great, are easily over consumed. Tip: Fruits, vegetables, legumes and lean meats are foods with the lowest energy density, so these should make up a large part of your fat-loss diet. Foods that are high in fat and sugar such as cakes, pastries, fried and fast foods are easily overeaten and should be limited. Snacking Just like the aforementioned hidden calories, snacks can provide a large proportion of our daily energy intake without seeming of much relevance. Furthermore, we often eat snacks mindlessly which can sometimes mean that we forget we even had them or struggle to quantify how much we actually had. Although there is no argument that nuts are a healthy snack, they may not be the best option for those of us who are trying to lose weight due to their energy density. Even a small portion of nuts can provide upwards of 200 calories which could certainly harm our efforts. Tip: When aiming to lose body fat, try limiting your food consumption to your main meals of the day. However if you do like to snack, try consuming fruit or raw vegetables as these will not only be healthy, but provide a low amount of calories. Alcohol and Liquid Calories Most nutritionists would agree that you should only consume a small amount of your calories through fluids each day, saving the rest for wholesome and nutritious foods. Not only do beverages not fill you up as well as foods, they can often provide a significant chunk of your daily calories. Those with basic nutrition knowledge understand that sugar sweetened beverages such as milkshakes, fizzy and energy drinks are not ideal as part of a fat-loss diet. However, the calories in fruits juices are often overlooked because of the supposed health benefits. Fruit juices typically have zero fibre and are almost exclusively sugar. Despite being more nutritionally dense due to its vitamin and mineral content, 330ml of fresh orange juice contains 150kcal and 33g of sugar which fairs no better than a full-sugar can of coke at 139kcal and 35g of sugar! If you wish to obtain the benefits of fruit, it is a lot better to consume whole fruits rather than just their juice. Alcohol contains 7kcal of energy per gram, which is more than both carbohydrates and proteins (4kcal per gram), and is second only to fats (9kcal per gram). Some alcoholic drinks are incredibly high in calories, with some Long Island ice tea's being almost 800kcal per drink! Even light beers are around 150kcal per pint, which soon adds up after you have had a few. Not only does alcohol provide calories, it can negatively impact other behaviours that harm our fat loss efforts. For example, how attractive does the takeaway seem after a few hours in the pub? And how unattractive does that planned exercise session the day after now seem? Although having the odd low calorie alcoholic drink isn't the end of the world, ideally alcohol would have no place on a fat loss diet. Tip: Try and consume as few calories from liquids as possible, saving your daily calorie allowance for food. The best bet is to just consume water, but if you cannot go without fizzy drinks, the calorie-free versions are best. Alcohol should be limited, but if you do have a drink, go for light beers, wine or spirits with a low calorie mixer. Lack of Sleep This is a factor that may surprise many, but it is undeniably important. It is known that in the UK over a third of us report that we only sleep between 5-6 hours per night. Although there are many factors at play in the current obesity pandemic, lack of sleep is certainly one of them. Not only does a lack of sleep decrease your energy levels and therefore the amount of calories you are likely to expend, it can play havoc with your hormones. One result of this can be heightened stress levels in the body, which adversely affects your appetite. Not only are you then drawn towards unhealthy food choices; you also eat more than you normally would. Interestingly, research has shown that even if you have a calorie-controlled diet, sleep deprivation cuts the amount of fat you lose in half compared to those who sleep well. Furthermore, you also feel more hungy, are less satisfied with food and have a decreased desire to exercise. Tip: To increase sleep quality, try turning off televisions, computers, tablets and phones an hour before bed and ensure your room is as dark as possible. You could also supplement with valerian, 5-HTP or melatonin - compounds known to help induce a good night's sleep. The Weekend One of the most common reasons that people struggle to lose weight is because they undo all of their hard work during the week by what they do on Saturday and Sunday. For example, if you cut your calories by 500 per day, you will have a net loss of 2500kcal from healthy eating between Monday and Friday. However, a meal out, a takeaway and some alcohol can easily replace this 2500kcal lost throughout the week. This means that when you look at the week as a whole, you have consumed as many calories as you have burnt, and therefore not lost any weight. Although you need to sometimes be more relaxed and flexible with your eating to ensure your diet feels sustainable, you need to be smart with this and plan ahead. Tip: If you know you are going to be socialising at the weekend, try performing an hour of exercise in the morning and eat a low-calorie breakfast and lunch so that you have some room to enjoy yourself in the evening without harming your progress too much. Eating Out Too Frequently When aiming to lose some body fat, it is a good idea to prepare and cook as many of your meals as you can, as these are likely going to be healthier and contain fewer calories than the shop-bought or restaurant equivalent. Most restaurants have the primary aim of making their food taste good and are not necessarily concerned with making their meals low calorie. Some restaurants have lower calorie options or even have their calorie and macronutrient information on the menu, but for the most part it is a guessing game. There has been talk of it becoming mandatory to provide calorie information on all food items, but until then, it is recommended that eating out is kept to a minimum when trying to shift some weight. Tip: If you enjoy eating out or you are away from the kitchen do not worry. To still eat out whilst not harming your progress, it is best to keep things simple. Try ordering a dish that contains a lean protein source with either salad or mixed vegetables. Try and avoid fried foods, sauces and condiments and only consume water or calorie-free beverages. You Don't Understand Portion Sizes If you have ever compared your portion size to the recommended one, you are likely to have had a nasty shock. This is not just for a small section of foods as well; this is across the board. The Department of Health are currently working to decrease our average daily calorie intake by 200-300kcals and rightfully, our portion sizes have come under scrutiny. Unfortunately, food packaging can be partly to blame for this, as the picture on the front of the box can often be highly misleading. For example, the recommended serving size of breakfast cereal is 30g. Nutritionists recently weighed out an amount which accurately reflected the picture on the box of one commonly consumed cereal brand. The result was over 110g - nearly 4 times the recommended portion! Tip: Developing a better understanding of food labels and portion sizes could certainly help the nation's health and waistline. For a short period of time, it is highly recommended that you weigh out your food so you can see how your portion sizes fare against recommended servings. This will help you quantify how many calories you are consuming. Your Protein Intake Is Too Low Protein is arguably the most important dietary component when it comes to fat loss and this is for 3 main reasons. Firstly, protein is very satiating – meaning it helps us stay fuller for longer, thus helping us to avoid overeating. Secondly, protein has a high thermic effect, which means that the body has to work hard to digest it, which speeds up our metabolic rate – great for fat loss. Last but not least, protein helps us to spare our muscle tissue. When losing weight, the body can often break down the protein in our muscles to use for fuel. This should be avoided at all costs, as less muscle means a lower metabolic rate, which makes fat-loss all the more difficult. So to stop your body using your muscle protein for fuel, we need to provide a rich amount through the diet. Tip: The current recommendation for protein intake is to consume 0.8g per kg of bodyweight. For an 80kg person, this would be 64g per day. When trying to lose weight however, aim for 1.2-1.5g per kg. For someone who is 80kg, this is 96-120g per day. It is best to spread this evenly throughout the day, so aim for ~35g per meal with a small amount provided through snacks. Health Issues Although it is common to hear statements such as ‘I can't lose weight because I have a slow metabolism', it is actually quite rare to have a medical condition that predisposes you to being overweight. In actuality, people who are obese have higher metabolic rates than lean people, as they require more calories to support their higher body mass. Certainly, there are genetic factors involved in the regulation of body weight and fat levels, but there is no evidence to suggest that a prudent diet and lifestyle cannot ensure a healthy body composition in people with unfavourable genetics. If you are one of the unfortunate few that have a condition such as an underactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) then fat loss can be more difficult to achieve. In other instances, various medications can also make weight-management an uphill battle. Tip: If you are confident that you doing all the right things on a fat loss plan but still not seeing a change, it could be worth seeking advice from a healthcare professional to see if there is a plausible explanation behind your struggles. If not, attention needs to be paid to your diet and lifestyle. You Have Lost Fat but Increased Muscle Mass You may think you are doing all of the right things: you are eating a calorie-controlled diet, exercising hard and sleeping well, but the scales haven't budged. You feel totally demoralised and want to give up. But hang on a second – most home scales only measure our mass and do not accurately quantify our muscle and fat tissue. Chances are if you are a few weeks into a new exercise regime and the scales haven't moved in your favour, you have lost fat but gained muscle. This will be more likely if you have started weight-training as the body is primed to gain muscle if you have never really done it before. If this is the case, you will be in a much healthier position, but the scales may not reflect this. This highlights the limitations of basing your success purely on the number on the scales. Tip: Although weighing scales are an important tool, they can often be misleading. So alongside weighing yourself, you could also take measurements of your waist, hips, arms and thighs for example. After all, waist circumference is a much more valid indicator of health than your weight. You Are Being Impatient The chances are you didn't gain weight quickly. For most, the pounds will have slowly crept on over months, years or even decades. Considered from this perspective it seems illogical to think that your excess body fat can be stripped away in 28 days, like some of the magazines and diet books would have you believe. So you may be losing weight, but not at the rate you desire. If this sounds like you, it may be worth putting things into perspective and being patient. Those who lose weight and keep it off are the ones who make behaviour changes that they can sustain. So although you may want to lose weight quickly, getting to your goal weight and staying there is much more important than the time it takes. Tip: Rapid weight loss is often unsustainable and can cause muscle loss and dehydration that sets you up for a rebound. The best way to go about fat loss is to make improvements to your diet and lifestyle that you know you can maintain. Once you have this nailed down, the fat loss should follow. If your progress stalls, this is simply a sign that you need to slightly decrease your calorie intake or increase how many you expend. Summary Hopefully this article has stimulated some thought with regards to fat loss and has uncovered some of the reasons why you may not be losing weight. Although fat loss is simple in theory, in practice it can be very difficult. As there are so many things that can result in you being disappointed with your efforts, it is important to keep things as simple as possible and be ‘big on the basics'. A healthy diet that is structured to your needs and lifestyle, regular exercise and good-quality sleep should set you up for sustained success. By doing the right things consistently, you should be able to achieve your goal and reap all of the associated health benefits of your new-found weight. Sources: https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1479-5868-6-57https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14649371https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23107521http://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/746184https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4911848/https://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/features/why-arent-you-losing-weight#1
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