nutrition

  • Weight Loss

    3 Weight Loss Mistakes Beginners Make

    Introduction

    Are you struggling to lose weight despite your efforts? You’re not alone. Losing weight is not a walk in the park, and setbacks should be expected. The key is to learn from mistakes and not to be discouraged. In this post, I want to talk about 3 common weight loss mistakes beginners make that could be preventing you from reaching your weight loss goals, and more importantly, how to correct them. By understanding these mistakes and making the necessary changes, you can make sustainable changes to your lifestyle that will be the key to your long-term success.

    Weight Loss Mistakes Beginners Make

    LEARN MORE ABOUT MY WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY! > How I Lost Over 80lbs: Tips For Starting A Weight Loss Journey

    1. Relying On Low or Reduced Fat Foods

    There is a common misconception that cutting out fats entirely is the key to losing weight, but the truth is a bit more nuanced.

    Fats have been unfairly demonized in the health and fitness space, and part of the reason is because of their calorie density. Unlike proteins and carbohydrates, which provide approximately 4 calories per gram, fats are more calorie-dense, having around 9 calories per gram. This higher caloric density has led to the misunderstanding (and marketing) that consuming fats automatically leads to weight gain.

    While it’s true that fats are more concentrated in calories, it’s important to understand that not all calories are created equal. In reality, the type of calories we consume matters just as much as the total calorie count.

    Fats And Satiety

    Fats actually play an important role in promoting satiety, helping you feel full and satisfied after a meal. Whereas low-fat options*, marketed as healthier choices, can have a negative affect on satiety because of their sugar content. When a product has reduced fat content, manufacturers need to compensate for the loss of flavour and texture that fat brings, by adding sugar.

    sugar and weight gain weight loss mistakes beginners make

    Low-fat options with high sugar content might give you a temporary sense of fullness due to the quick energy spike from sugar. But, the feeling is often short-lived, as the rapid rise in blood sugar is followed by a crash, often leaving you feeling hungry and craving more food.

    The high sugar content in low-fat products can trigger cravings for even more sweet foods. The cycle of sugar spikes and crashes can create a rollercoaster effect on hunger and satiety, which can make it more difficult for you to maintain a consistent and balanced eating pattern.

    Including healthy fats in your weight loss journey is important for a lot of reasons, with satiety being a key factor for weight loss.

    *Products where the fat has been removed or reduced, not naturally lower fat foods

    Tips To Include More Healthy Fats Into Your Diet

    • Choose Whole Foods: Aim to eat whole, minimally processed foods. Avocados, nuts, seeds, and olives are all nutrient-rich sources of healthy fats.
    • Enjoy Full-Fat Dairy: When it comes to dairy, choose full-fat options like whole milk, Greek yogurt, and real cheese. These offer more satiety compared to their low-fat options.
    • Cook with Healthy Oils: Use healthy cooking oils like olive oil. It adds more flavour to meals and provides essential fatty acids. Just be cautious of how much you’re using.
    • Include Fatty Fish: Eat fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, or sardines. These have a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for both satiety and overall health.
    • Snack on Nuts and Seeds: Nuts and seeds, like almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds, are great to snack on. But be mindful of portion sizes as calories can quickly add up.
    • Avocado Additions: Add sliced avocados to salads, sandwiches, or as a topping for different meals. Avocados are a really satisfying source of monounsaturated fats.
    • Include Eggs: Eggs are a nutrient-dense food that contain healthy fats. Include whole eggs into your meals for more satiety.
    • Balanced Meals: Aim for balanced meals that include a combination of healthy fats, proteins, and complex carbohydrates. A good balance of macros contributes to sustained energy and satiety.

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    healthy fats to lose weight

    2. Only Looking At Food As Calories

    As mentioned in the previous section, not all calories are created equal. One big weight loss mistake beginners make is having a laser focus on calories—counting, restricting, and tracking everything. Weight loss, in theory, is simple – calories in vs calories out. As long as you eat fewer calories than you burn, you’ll lose weight – that’s a fact.

    But having a solely calorie-centric approach has its limits. It overlooks the importance of the quality of the calories consumed. This again comes down to nutrient density and satiety.

    If you look at a piece of fruit and a chocolate bar, they may have similar calorie content. But the fruit comes with the added benefit of fibre. Fibre increases the feeling of fullness in a few ways. First, it adds bulk to your food, making it physically more filling. Second, it slows down digestion, helping to regulate the release of glucose into the bloodstream and preventing sudden hunger. It also influences the hormones, leptin and ghrelin, which control appetite, telling your brain when you’ve had enough to eat.

    So while a chocolate bar may have the same calorie content as an apple, they’re not the same. BUT if you’re craving a chocolate bar, you should have it! It’s important to find a balance and not completely cut-out foods you love.

    Weight Loss Mistakes Beginners Make

    80/20 Approach

    When counting calories to lose weight, a great way to make sure you are eating a balanced and satiating diet is to use the 80/20 approach (Something I write about A LOT).

    The 80/20 approach involves mindful, whole-food choices 80% of the time but allowing yourself the freedom to treat yourself to less nutrient-dense options the remaining 20% of the time.

    By making 80% of your diet whole, nutrient-dense foods, you’re giving your body the fuel it craves. Foods, like fruits, veg, lean proteins, and whole grains, are packed with vitamins and minerals that keep you feeling full and satisfied. So, when you have the occasional treat during the remaining 20%, it becomes a joyful experience rather than a source of guilt. This balanced approach helps to build a positive and sustainable relationship with food, making your journey towards a healthier lifestyle more enjoyable.

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    3. Weighing Too Often Or Taking Too Many Progress Photos

    It can be really tempting to check the scale or take progress photos frequently. But it’s important to remember that progress isn’t always linear, and tracking these things too often can leave you feeling demotivated.

    weighing yourself too often

    The numbers on the scale fluctuate everyday, for a lot of different reasons including water retention, hormonal fluctuations, and even the time of day. Constantly weighing in can lead to you to feel extremely frustrated, especially when faced with natural weight fluctuations. Fluctuations are entirely normal and don’t reflect your true progress. Don’t let these day-to-day changes discourage you and undermine the positive efforts you are making!

    Taking progress photos will actually show you a more accurate picture of your progress. But again, these shouldn’t be taken too often. The minute changes in photos are often so subtle and may not be noticeable on a day-to-day basis. Space out progress photos over longer intervals, every 4-6 weeks is ideal. This way, you’ll be able to see more significant changes, giving you a more positive outlook on your changes.

    Other Ways To Measure Progress

    Rather than fixating solely on weight or progress photos, think of some other ways to measure success in your journey. Improved energy levels, increased stamina, or achieving new fitness milestones are much more meaningful indicators of progress. Non-scale victories provide a more holistic and positive perspective on your journey.

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    Smart Weight Loss Goals: How To Make A Plan To Lose Weight

    Weight Loss Mistakes Beginners Make celebrate small victories

    3 Tips for Successful Weight Loss

    • Set Achievable Goals: Setting realistic and achievable goals is key to maintaining motivation on your weight loss journey. Break down your larger goal into smaller, more manageable milestones, and celebrate each small victory along the way!
    • Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues. Eat when you’re hungry, and stop when you’re satisfied.
    • Stay Consistent, Be Patient: Consistency is key to long-term success. Be patient with the process, and focus on creating sustainable habits rather than seeking fast results.

    Weight Loss Mistakes Beginners Make: Conclusion

    Starting a weight loss journey is a step towards improving your overall well-being. As a beginner, it’s important to recognise that mistakes and setbacks are a natural part of the process. Instead of viewing setbacks as failures, think of them as learning opportunities. Learn from the challenges you encounter, adjust your approach, and continue moving forward with resilience.

    Celebrate not just the scale victories but also the small achievements that contribute to your overall progress—improved energy, better fitness levels, and a positive mindset. Your journey is unique to you, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss. Embrace the process, stay consistent with healthy habits, and be patient with yourself.

    I hope you enjoyed this post and found it informative. Share your thoughts, experiences, or any tips you have for a successful weight loss journey in the comments below!

  • Nutrition, Weight Loss

    Simplify Nutrition With These 5 Easy Tips

    Introduction

    Do you want to eat healthier but are overwhelmed with all the different nutrition advice available? Eating right and staying healthy can be hard work. There are so many conflicting studies and theories about what you should and shouldn’t eat. It can be overwhelming just to know where to start. But good nutrition doesn’t have to be a chore. In this post, I want to discuss 5 tips that simplify nutrition and help you get all the nutrients your body needs.

    WANT A MORE DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF NUTRITION? > Science-Based Nutrition: 5 Tips To Lose Weight The Healthy Way

    simplify nutrition

    1. Know What You Need

    Understanding Macronutrient Distribution

    It’s important to make sure you are getting the right amount of each macronutrient to help keep yourself healthy and energized. The amount of each varies person-to-person depending on your activity level, body type, and age. Protein helps your body heal, rebuild, and repair. Carbohydrates provide it with energy and dietary fibre .And fat helps you absorb essential vitamins and is necessary for cellular growth and function.

    The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) for the average adult is:

    • Carbohydrate: 45% to 65% of total calories
    • Fat: 20% to 35% of total calories
    • Protein: 10% to 35% of total calories

    Personalising Your Macronutrient Balance

    But it’s important to determine the right balance of these macronutrients that work best for you. Nutritional needs change over time, so you should regularly reassess the type and amount of fuel your body needs to function at its best. Even if it’s hard to find the perfect balance, taking the time to assess your nutrition needs will pay off in the long run.

    balanced meal macronutrients

    If for example you take up weight lifting, increase your protein intake to help build muscle tissue. If you begin training for long distance running, increase your carb intake for the extra energy. I recommend the book ‘Training Food: Get the Fuel You Need to Achieve Your Goals Before During and After Exercise by Renee McGregor‘ if you are taking on any new sport or exercise.

    Even as we age, our macronutrient needs change. We begin to lose more muscle after the age of 30, so protein becomes even more important.

    Taking these factors into consideration can help you tailor your diet to your own specific needs. Making sure you’re eating healthy, nourishing food is essential to feeling your best!

    Building a balanced plate doesn’t have to be complicated. I’ve broken it down step by step in my Beginner’s Guide to Building a Balanced Plate.

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    2. Focus on Quality

    The quality of your food makes all the difference! Choose high-quality foods that will provide the most nutrition for your calorie intake.

    simplify nutrition

    An important way to simplify nutrition choices is to focus on whole foods, like vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and legumes. These foods provide the most concentrated source of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. This includes foods that are minimally processed. A minimally processed food usually just means that the food is still in it’s whole form, but has been preserved or cut-up in some way.

    Processed (and especially ultra-processed foods) tend to be high in calories and low in nutrients, so they should be consumed in moderation. They often don’t help with satiety and can sometimes leave you hungrier than before you ate.

    Opt for complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates if you’re looking for an energy boost that will last throughout the day. Complex carbs are broken down more slowly and provide sustained energy, while simple carbs provide a quick but short-lived burst of energy. And choose foods that contain healthy unsaturated fats (like in olive oil, nuts, avocados, and fatty fish like salmon) over saturated fats where you can.

    If you’re looking to simplify your nutrition while staying full and satisfied, check out my list of Wholesome Foods for Sustainable Weight Loss.

    3. Make It Fun

    food with friends

    Experiment with different flavours and textures to make eating healthy food more enjoyable!

    Instead of using the same ingredients for a meal every day, vary them with different spices and herbs, or use something like balsamic vinegar or olive oil to add extra flavour to a meal. You can even make your own desserts or snacks with healthier ingredients, like chia seed jam or baked oats. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be dull! Making eating fun and exciting is the key.

    Making healthy eating a social activity can make it much more enjoyable. Having something to look forward to and share with your family or friends can help make healthy eating more of a pleasure than a chore. For example, you can commit to having a cooking night with a friend once a week where you both make or try a new meal together. This can be a great way to explore new recipes and get creative in the kitchen.

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    4. Learn to Read Labels

    simplify nutrition

    One way to simplify nutrition is to read labels. By looking at ingredient lists, you can determine what is in the food, as well as the serving size. And aim for foods that don’t have huge lists of ingredients you can’t pronounce! Pay attention to the substances or additives in the food, like salt, sugar, or fat. Aim for foods that are low in saturated fats, high in fibre, and rich in vitamins and minerals.

    You’ll often find that foods marketed as ‘low fat’ or ‘zero fat’ have had sugar added to them. In essence, what these companies are doing is replacing the fat with sugar in order to make the food taste better. It is especially important to be mindful of this as most of these ‘low fat’ or ‘zero fat’ products are often marketed as healthy alternatives.

    By doing a little bit of research and taking the time to understand the nutritional value of the food you’re eating, you can make the most informed decision about your health.

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    5. Find Balance

    Find a balance between eating healthier foods and the treats you love, you don’t have to completely cut out the unhealthy foods you enjoy!

    I find the best approach to nutrition is the 80/20 approach. This means aiming for whole nutrient-dense foods 80% of the time and leaving room for indulgences and treats 20% of the time. This allows for flexibility and balance in your diet, so you never feel restricted or deprived.

    You will fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to function at a high level but ensure you’re still enjoying the occasional treat without feeling guilty about it. Ultimately, it’s about finding a balance that works for you and your lifestyle.

    For those who like a little more structure, learning how to meal plan using macros could be a game changer. I’ve got all the details in Meal Planning by Macros.

    Eating well doesn’t have to be complicated. Often, simplifying our approach to nutrition can make it easier to stick with healthy habits. If you’re ready to move beyond fads and focus on food that nourishes without stress, explore Victoria’s Secret vs. Reality: A Sustainable Meal Plan for Real Life. It covers easy, balanced meal ideas that fit perfectly into a busy lifestyle.

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    healthy balanced meal

    Simplify Nutrition: Conclusion

    Nutrition should be simple and accessible, not complicated or intimidating. Everyone deserves to understand how to nourish their body and make it as healthy as possible. Set realistic expectations, start small and make incremental changes, seek help where you need it and learn to forgive yourself! You have the power to make nutrition work for you.

    I hope this post has helped to simplify nutrition for you! What have you found most helpful in this post? Let me know in the comments below!

  • Fitness, Nutrition, Weight Loss

    Burn Fat Not Muscle: 3 Steps To Successful Weight Loss

    Introduction

    When on a weight loss journey, how can you ensure you are burning fat and not muscle? And why does it matter? Achieving sustainable weight loss goes beyond what you see on the scales and there is a significant relationship between muscle preservation and lasting fat loss. In this post, I want to discuss the importance of maintaining muscle mass, and how to ensure you burn fat not muscle.

    LEARN MORE ABOUT MY WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY! > How I Lost Over 80lbs: Tips For Starting A Weight Loss Journey

    The Importance Of Retaining Muscle

    Maintaining muscle mass is important to not only long term weight loss success, but also your health in general. Muscles help to support skeletal structure, allowing you to move and stay active, protect internal organs and keep joints stable. This is especially important as you age. Research shows that after age 30, we naturally begin to lose up to 3% to 5% of our muscle mass per decade.

    When talking specifically about weight loss, how much muscle you have directly impacts your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). TDEE is essentially the total number of calories your body needs in a day to function, and it’s made up of your basal metabolic rate (BMR), physical activity, and the thermic effect of food. Your BMR is the calories your body burns at rest, the energy it needs for basic functions, like breathing, circulating blood, maintaining body temperature, and all the behind-the-scenes tasks that keep you alive.

    lose fat not muscle

    Muscle mass is more metabolically active than fat, meaning it demands a higher energy expenditure just to maintain itself. Basically, the more muscle you have, the more calories your body needs to sustain that muscle, even when you’re at rest. So the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.

    Understanding the difference between weight loss and fat loss is crucial. Learn more in my post on Weight Loss vs. Body Fat Loss.

    Metabolic Adaptation

    Retaining muscle mass is a key aspect of preventing metabolic adaptation during weight loss. Metabolic adaptation, where the body adjusts its energy expenditure in response to changes in calorie intake, can lead to a reduction in the number of calories burned at rest. But, by holding onto your muscle mass, along with other tactics, you can counteract this effect.

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    1. Stay in a Small Calorie Deficit

    If you aren’t eating enough food – your body, in its adaptive nature, might switch from burning primarily fat to tapping into muscle for energy. It’s a survival mechanism – a recognition that muscle tissue demands more energy to maintain. So when faced with insufficient calorie intake, your body may perceive this as a signal to prioritise essential functions and start breaking down muscle for energy, a more metabolically active tissue compared to fat.

    Ideally, you should aim to reduce your daily calorie intake by a maximum of 20% or around 500 calories. This moderate reduction allows for gradual and sustainable weight loss while providing your body with the necessary fuel it needs to preserve muscle mass. By staying within this balanced deficit, you send a signal to your body that it can rely on stored fat for energy without jeopardizing vital muscle tissue.

    burn fat not muscle

    Use an online calculator to work out your TDEE, which factors in your activity level, age, weight, and goals. And from there you can determine how many calories you need to eat to be in the deficit you want. For example, if your TDEE is 2300 calories a day, and wanted to reduce this by 20% – you would eat 1,820 calories a day. My eBook ‘Complete Weight Loss Guide‘, goes into more detail about TDEE and how to choose the right deficit based on your goals.

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    2. Increase Protein Intake

    Protein is essential for healthy muscle growth, as it’s made of amino acids, which are the building blocks needed to create muscle tissue. Eating enough protein can also help boost muscle protein synthesis, which is the process of creating new muscle tissue – even if you are in a deficit (with the right exercise – more on this below).

    During a calorie-restricted diet, where the risk of muscle loss is heightened, it is essential to have an increased protein intake. By prioritising protein, you send a signal to your body: preserve the muscle, burn the fat. So, while your body taps into its fat stores for energy during a calorie deficit, it’s the protein that safeguards your muscle mass.

    protein for muscle

    Recommended Protein Intake

    As a general guideline for muscle preservation during fat loss, aim for a protein intake of around 1.6g to 2.2g of protein per kg of body weight (or 0.73g to 1g per lb of body weight). This range ensures that you’re providing your body with enough amino acids to support muscle maintenance and repair.

    It’s also better to spread your protein intake equally throughout the day, as distributing it across your meals helps optimise muscle protein synthesis.

    Nutrition plays a huge role in fat loss. Check out my 5 Easy Nutrition Tips to make sure you’re fuelling your body the right way.

    3. Incorporate Resistance Training

    To help your muscles stay strong and healthy, and to help preserve them, it is recommended to do strength-training exercises at least two to three times a week, ideally for at least 20 minutes per session. This frequency allows for consistent stimulation of muscle fibres, promoting ongoing muscle protein synthesis and adaptation.

    Resistance training comes in many different forms, it’s not just weight lifting or body building. Yoga and Pilates are both a form of resistance training, as is swimming or body-weight moves like push-ups or pull-ups. It’s essentially the application of force or resistance against the muscles i.e. weights, body-weight, water. In fact, the more diversity you include in your resistance training will not only keeps things interesting but also ensures a well-rounded approach to muscle development. So find something you enjoy doing and can stay consistent with.

    Aim to challenge your muscles progressively by increasing resistance, adjusting repetitions or time/distance.

    yoga for building muscle

    Concurrent Training

    Concurrent training is an great way to incorporate resistance training into your routine for fat loss. It involves combining resistance with cardio exercise in one program to maximize the benefits of both. This type of exercise can help burn more calories, help build muscle and improve your strength and endurance. Choose a resistance and a cardio exercise that fit with your goals and fitness level. Then, alternate between the two on different training days, or combine them into one circuit/session. This can make your workouts more efficient and help you reach your fat loss goals faster.

    My eBook ‘Complete Weight Loss Guide‘ has an entire section on resistance training, including how to put together a weight training program for maximum progression. I also have a similar section in my FREE Reverse Diet eBook.

    To burn fat while maintaining muscle, you’ll need the right workout plan. Find out more about Compound vs. Isolation Exercises to build your routine.

    Rest and Recovery

    Finally, don’t forget to incorporate rest and recovery into your routine, as it is essential for muscle growth and development. Leave at least 48 hours before you work the same muscle group, and make sure you are getting good quality sleep at night to help you recover!

    rest and recovery burn fat not muscle

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    Burn Fat Not Muscle: Conclusion

    Muscle is essential to our overall health and wellbeing, and even outside of weight loss goals we want to be doing everything we can to preserve it.

    Muscle mass naturally decreases as we age, so it’s even more important if you are over 30 and trying to lose weight. But the benefits of muscle preservation are not limited to a specific age group or fitness level; they are universal and applicable to anyone seeking to improve their overall quality of life.

    Having increased muscle not only increases the calories you burn each day, but reduces your risk of injury, supports your joints, gives your more energy and makes you stronger! Making everyday activities more manageable.

    Have you found ‘Burn Fat Not Muscle: 3 Steps To Successful Fat Loss‘ helpful? Do you have your own tips for maintaining or building muscle? Let me know in the comments below!

  • Nutrition

    Satiating Foods: 5 Foods High On The Satiety Scale

    Introduction

    Do you ever find that no matter how much you eat, you still seem to be hungry? It could be what you’re eating and not how much. When we start a diet we tend to think of all the foods we have to cut out, and not what we should be adding in. When cutting down on calories to lose weight, you should incorporate as many satiating foods as you can. In this post I want to cover 5 different food groups that are all high on the satiety scale and explain why you don’t have to eat less to lose weight!

    Satiating Foods

    1. High-Volume Foods

    High-volume, low calorie foods are foods that have fewer calories per gram. For example 100g of Broccoli has 34 calories (high volume), whereas 100g of Almonds has 579 calories (low volume). These are called low-energy-dense foods.

    High volume foods are high in fibre, high in water or are considered ‘Air foods’. (Are still low in calories, will give you a full feeling, but offer little sustenance – think popcorn & rice cakes). Water has zero calories per gram, and fibre is not absorbed by your body and offers very few calories.

    Low volume foods are high in fat and sugar. Fat has almost double the calories of carbs and protein per gram. (This doesn’t mean you should avoid these foods, just that you should focus on adding more high volume foods to your meals).

    The great thing about volume eating is that it’s not about what to take away from your diet, but instead is what you can add to it.

    low carb filling foods

    A Meal Hack

    For example, one of my favourite meals is Spaghetti Bolognese, and I love pasta in general. My average Spaghetti Bolognese would contain around 700 calories, and was generally pretty filling but to step it up a notch I started adding courgetti. (I can’t recommend a spiralizer enough! I use this one! It’s nice and compact, as I don’t like to take up too much room with kitchen gadgets) along with the spaghetti (not replacing it!), I found that I was struggling to finish the meal, and felt a lot fuller for longer afterwards. So to avoid waste, I started cooking less spaghetti and mince, keeping the same amount of courgetti in there, reducing the meal to around 500 calories. I still get to enjoy my favourite meal but for fewer calories, and I feel fuller for longer – win win!

    Examples:

    (Please note: This is not an example of “good” vs “bad” food – everything in moderation!)

    High Volume/Low Calorie Foods:

    • Leafy green vegetables
    • Berries
    • Air Foods like popcorn
    • Wholegrain oats

    Low Volume/High Calorie Foods

    • Fatty cuts of meat
    • Oil
    • Sugar
    • Sweets

    2. High Protein Foods

    nine essential amino acids

    High protein foods have a really high satiety score. By increasing your protein intake you can reduce hunger hormones, like ghrelin. Protein increases the time of ghrelin suppression and is one of the most satiating macronutrients and it also boosts satiety hormones, like leptin.

    Reducing levels of ghrelin (hunger), and increasing levels of leptin (satiety) will leave you feeling fuller.

    Try to include foods high in protein with all of your meals, so that you are consuming protein all throughout the day, rather than just in one sitting. You should consume between 1.6 and 2.2g of protein per kg of body weight (or 0.73 and 1g per lb) to aid in weight loss.

    Protein is so important when it comes to weight loss for a number of other reasons outside of it being one of the most satiating foods. Including muscle maintenance and growth. Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are essential for these processes. I go into detail about macronutrients and Leptin and Ghrelin in my FREE eBook, and my Complete Weight Loss Guide.

    3. High Fibre Foods

    Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that your body can’t digest. Most carbohydrates are broken down into sugar molecules, but fibre isn’t, so instead it passes through the body undigested. Fibre also slows down the time it takes for food to be digested and for your stomach to empty. Meaning it extends the time you feel full.

    Fibre also slows the rate that sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. When you eat foods high in fibre, the sugar in those foods is absorbed slower. This stops blood-glucose levels from rising too fast. A rapid increase in blood-glucose levels will lead to a dip which will lead to feeling hungry sooner, or craving more sugar.

    As mentioned with Volume Eating, high fibre foods provide volume to meals and because they often take longer to chew, allows you to be more mindful about what you’re eating and how full you are. See this post for more tips on eating mindfully.

    Foods High In Fibre:

    • Beans and lentils
    • Apples
    • Whole grains
    • Berries
    • Avocado
    • Bananas
    • Carrots
    • Broccoli
    • Chickpeas
    • Pears
    satiating foods

    4. Low-GI Foods

    GI stands for glycaemic index and the glycaemic index is a number from 0 to 100 assigned to a food (only foods containing carbs). With pure glucose (sugar) given the value of 100, which represents the rise in blood glucose levels two hours after consuming that food.

    The three ratings are:

    • Low: 55 or fewer
    • Medium: 56–69
    • High: 70 or more

    Low-GI foods take longer to digest and have less effect on blood sugar levels which can leave you feeling fuller for longer. This could help control your appetite and therefore can lead to reduced calorie intake.

    Examples:

    High GI Foods

    • White rice
    • White bread
    • Potatoes

    Low GI Foods

    • Green vegetables
    • Beans & Lentils
    • Sourdough Bread

    5. Healthy Fats

    There are 4 types of dietary fats. These are:

    • Saturated fats
    • Trans fats
    • Monounsaturated fats
    • Polyunsaturated fats

    Saturated & trans fats fall into the “unhealthy” category and mono & poly unsaturated fats fall into the “healthy” category.

    Note: I use the terms “healthy” & “unhealthy” loosely, as what defines a food is as healthy can often be relative to individual needs.

    Unfortunately, fat has gotten a pretty bad rep over the years because of it’s higher calorie density. Many diet products are labelled as low-fat or 0% fat, and are marketed as being better for us. Meaning that even unsaturated fats are also often avoided when people are on low fat diets. But we all need to eat a small amount of fat to have a healthy and balanced diet. Fat contributes to our energy levels, satiety, skin health, and so much more.

    healthy whole fats

    Why Fats Should Be On Your List Of Satiating Foods

    • Having a small amount of fat in a meal can slow down the rate that your stomach empties during digestion. So having the food remain in your stomach longer, will leave you feeling fuller longer.
    • Release of appetite hormones including a reduction of hunger hormones and an increase in satiety hormones.
    • Reduce intake of “low-fat” alternatives: Low-fat alternatives are packed with sugar and other highly processed carbs, which may promote hunger. Eating refined carbs can lead to spikes in blood sugar and a release of insulin. When insulin is released, it removes sugar from your blood and low blood sugar levels will signal to your body that you need more food. Leading to feelings of hunger, and craving more highly refined carbs and sugar.

    Satiating Foods: Conclusion

    Adding to meals can be a daunting task but it’s worth it for the positive benefits it brings. Good nutrition is the foundation for successful weight loss and maintenance so it’s important to make sure you’re getting the right nutrients in your diet.

    Increasing the amount of satiating foods like quality proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats in each meal will help keep you full and satisfied longer and these foods will provide you with the energy and nutrition your body needs to stay healthy.

    Understanding how foods keep you satiated is crucial when it comes to being able to eat more intuitively and incorporating healthy habits into your lifestyle to maintain a healthy weight. But it’s important to try and incorporate changes slowly. Don’t try to make too many changes at once as it often leads to disappointment and frustration.

    Have you got a favourite food hack that helps keep you full? Leave a comment below!

  • Nutrition, Weight Loss, Wellbeing

    Intuitive Eating And Weight Gain: How To Prevent It

    Introduction

    Can you eat intuitively and lose weight? Many people will say the two can’t co-exist, and that the idea of intentional weight loss goes against intuitive eating. But this depends on how you view intuitive eating. Listening to your body and recognising hunger and satiety cues requires practice. As well as a good idea of the basics of nutrition for satiety. In this post, I want to cover ways you can incorporate mindful eating practices into your weight loss journey. Intuitive eating and weight gain don’t have to go hand-in-hand.

    intuitive eating and weight gain

    What Is Intuitive Eating?

    • Rejecting Diet Mentality
    • Listening to hunger and satiety cues
    • Eating what you want

    A couple of years ago I stumbled across the term ‘Intuitive Eating’ from a podcast (I can’t remember the exact one) and thought I had found the thing for me. Intuitive eating seemed simple enough, stop dieting and eat what you want but pay close attention to your hunger and fullness cues. I bought several books on it and devoured all of them, but I soon realised something they all had in common – they all said that you need to stop trying to lose weight.

    I didn’t agree with this, and I still don’t. Intentional weight loss has actually started to gain a bad rep over the last couple of years. It’s labelled as ‘disordered eating’ or ‘diet culture’. While I think these can be true to a certain extent, this is a huge generalisation and I don’t think it’s helpful to simply tell people to stop trying to lose weight. I also have this post on practicing body positivity while trying to lose weight that you may find helpful.

    One book I read stated that you can eat whatever you want, and eventually, your body will stop craving all the “junk” or processed foods. You will start craving salads, and eventually, your weight will settle to where it’s meant to be – or something along those lines. But this didn’t make any sense to me in the slightest. I had been eating this way for years! Why wasn’t I now eating non-stop salads? Because it just wasn’t true. And I’ll explain more in later sections.

    Allowing yourself to eat what you want can feel scary, but it doesn’t have to lead to weight gain. Learn more about giving yourself unconditional permission to eat in my post on Sustainable Weight Loss.

    diet culture

    Diet Culture

    I do think that there is harm in diet culture and there are a lot of shady and dangerous diets out there that should be avoided. But losing weight can have huge benefits to your health. While I think that should be the main focus of weight loss, there’s also nothing wrong with wanting to look a certain way. As long you don’t believe it’s the ‘be all and end all’ of happiness.

    Despite these books advising you can’t eat intuitively while trying to lose weight – I gave it a try. The general advice is to rank your hunger and fullness levels between 1-10 before and after meals. There is an ‘ideal’ range where you are not starving before a meal, and not feeling sick with fullness afterwards. I think this is good advice, and I think it’s something that everyone should practice. (Not necessarily ranking their hunger but just paying attention to it a bit more).

    But I don’t think you can rely on this solely. Here’s why.

    Ultra Processed Foods

    Over the last few years I’ve researched nutrition A LOT, and it’s been proven that “junk food” stimulates the reward system in the brain in the same way as addictive drugs. Whether or not this food fills you up, you get a hit of dopamine (the reward chemical) and your brain is hardwired to seek out things that release this again. This is something a lot of food companies are aware of, and design foods that will keep people eating.

    This is a really simple way of explaining it. This book really helped me understand this more. The author talks about the ‘Bliss Point’ of food, stating “The bliss point is an industry reference to the perfect amount of sugar in products that will get us to not just like those products, but to want more and more,”

    You do get a small release of the same chemicals when eating whole foods like fruits and vegetables. Because obviously your brain wants you to eat. But it’s no where near the levels that you will get from processed foods.

    On top of this, most highly processed foods have little nutritional value. Satiety has very little to do with the amount of calories you’re consuming and a lot more to do with the quality of food, the macronutrients, and the volume of these.

    Reason for Intuitive Eating And Weight Gain: Not All Foods Are Made Equal

    So for example, a pack of Oreos contains around 640 calories, but how full would that keep you really? Not at all!

    Whereas for the same amount of calories or less, you could actually have a pretty big meal of whole foods i.e. the below makes up roughly 540 calories:

    • Chicken Breast Fillets – 300g
    • Whole Grain Rice – 1 Serving (50g)
    • A salad with tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber.

    (And you can still have a couple of Oreos after if you want!)

    eat more lose weight

    Chicken is very high in protein and rice with vegetables is high in fibre – both of which are the two most important macros/nutrients when it comes to satiety.

    Not all foods are made equal. When I previously tried Intuitive Eating, I was still eating mostly processed foods. I believed I was eating intuitively because I was paying attention to how hungry I was. But my body was still getting little to no nutrition and I was a complete sugar addict. I was hungry all the time! And after a meal, would soon be hungry again.

    So, intuitive eating at that time was a bust.

    Emotions can complicate our relationship with food. If you struggle with emotional eating, I’ve got some tips to help you in Conquer Emotional Eating Today.

    80/20 Nutrition

    The key to satiety sits with whole foods. The majority of your diet should be made up of whole foods, high in nutrients and vitamins. Including:

    • Fruit
    • Vegetables
    • Wholegrains
    • Nuts and Seeds
    • Beans and Lentils
    • Lean Meats

    Eating whole-foods is essential for weight loss.

    The 80/20 approach is a form of flexible dieting. The idea is that 80% of the foods you eat should be whole unprocessed foods, and “junk” or processed foods should make up 20% of your diet. That way, nothing is off limits, but the bulk of what you’re eating is filling and nutrient-dense.

    Mindful Eating

    Learn to enjoy food at meals.

    Mindful eating is often confused with Intuitive Eating, and maybe to some they are exactly the same thing.

    But I see mindful eating as just paying attention more to what you’re eating. It’s not measuring your hunger before and after meals and listening to your body. It’s sitting down with a meal, with minimal distractions and enjoying your food.

    intuitive eating and weight gain

    I’ve sat down to eat in the past with a fork in one hand and my phone in the other, scrolling through Instagram while taking bite after bite. By the end of the meal, it was like I hadn’t eaten anything!

    Mindful eating is savouring the taste of food, and having the majority of your focus on your meal. It’s recognising when you are no longer enjoying the taste as much (that’s when you know you’re getting full). And I think this is especially important when you’re treating yourself, and having something like a takeaway, or some cake (more calorie dense, processed foods). I believe in all things in moderation, but what’s the point if you’re not enjoying it?!

    Tips To Practice Mindful Eating:

    • Sit at a table to eat
    • Identify what stops you from focusing on the food and remove it from the environment while eating
    • Chew food thoroughly
    • Pause mid-meal for a few minutes – it can sometimes take a while for us to recognise when we’re full, pausing mid-meal gives your body time to catch-up.
    • Pay attention to the change of taste in food, I’ve often pushed past fullness, ignoring the fact that the food doesn’t even taste good anymore…because I’m full! You’d be much better off saving the rest for later, or the next day where you will enjoy it again.

    Intuitive eating pairs perfectly with mindful eating. Learn how to stay in a calorie deficit without obsessing over every bite in Mindful Eating 101.

    Intuitive Eating And Weight Gain: Conclusion

    Intuitive eating is something we should all be working towards, whether on a weight loss journey or not. But you’re probably not going to be able to wake up one day and be able to just ‘listen to their body’. Years of dieting, diets high in processed foods and a lack of nutrient-dense foods have left us unable to recognise our natural hunger and satiety cues.

    Intuitive Eating is something you should work towards but isn’t something to solely rely on when trying to lose weight. Instead, start practicing better eating habits that will help you lose weight and give you the skills and knowledge to keep the weight off. Intuitive eating and weight gain are not exclusive to each other.

    Have you tried intuitive eating? What is your experience with it? Leave a comment below!

  • Weight Loss

    5 Weight Loss Mistakes Beginners Make

    Introduction

    Have you ever wondered why your weight loss efforts seem to always hit a roadblock? A successful weight loss journey isn’t just physical; it’s a mental journey. There are bound to be mistakes made along the way. But knowing some of the most common weight loss mistakes can you help you avoid them.

    The first hurdle is recognition, and this post aims to guide you through it.

    1. Trying To Do Too Much At Once Is One Of The Weight Loss Mistakes We Are All Guilty Of

    I think that anyone who has had weight loss struggles knows this feeling. You make a plan on Sunday that from Monday, you will eat 1200 calories and go for a run every day.

    Then you follow through Monday and Tuesday, maybe Wednesday you start to slip, and by Friday you’ve given up. Now you feel like a failure and it’s a downward spiral, you’ve set yourself up to fail.

    This was my biggest problem – I’ve always had an “All or Nothing” approach, and not just to weight loss! If I wasn’t 100% in, what was the point? But I would quickly become overwhelmed, and would be so hard on myself for “failing”. I would convince myself that I could never do it, and would never be able to stick to anything.

    Long-term sustainable weight loss is made up of small habit changes over-time.

    Instead, you should be looking at your “unhealthy” habits, maybe even listing them down. And focusing on making small changes at a time.

    Weight loss is 80% nutrition.

    food mistakes weight loss

    Focus On One Thing At A Time

    I recommend focusing fully on nutrition at the start of any weight loss journey. Weight loss is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. You can lose weight without exercise, but trying to lose weight just by exercising, although not impossible, is very difficult. I would say a month is a great amount of time to focus on this area before introducing any exercise plans. But you may need a shorter or longer amount of time – it’s completely up to you! If you already do some exercise or just want to get moving more, you can carry on with these as normal.

    What this nutrition change looks like will vary from person to person. You might want to and be able to take bigger steps e.g. cut out refined sugars altogether. But if you’re not ready for that you can take a look at certain food habits you have and start changing them slowly.

    And once you do want to start bringing exercise in, start one thing at a time. Depending on your fitness levels, you can start by going out for walks. Find something fun that you enjoy doing (this is a tip by itself), or whatever you want really! And once you have gotten into the habit you can start adding in more intense exercises or programs, etc.

    Feeling stuck? It might be more than just these common beginner mistakes. I also dive into some motivation mistakes in No Motivation for Weight Loss?.

    2. Letting One “Bad” Meal Ruin A Day

    All foods in moderation!

    This comes back to that ‘All or nothing’ mentality.

    You’ve been “good” all day, you’ve had a salad, some fruit, and a low-fat yogurt. Then someone comes along and offers you a slice of cake, or pizza and you just can’t resist it. That’s OK!

    But my mindset in the past always told me I had already ruined the day, so why continue eating healthy? And then the binge monster would kick in with promises of ‘tomorrow’.

    And the cycle would inevitably repeat.

    I’m going to be honest here, this pattern is not easy to get out of. I won’t say it’s something that comes naturally to me yet. I have to make a conscious effort to remind myself that I’m allowed foods in moderation.

    If you’re thinking ‘I need to do everything perfectly,’ you might be sabotaging yourself. Learn more in my post on All-Or-Nothing Thinking.

    Losing Weight Is Calories In VS Calories Out

    We all know that losing weight is calories in vs calories out, so let’s look at the numbers.

    To lose 1lb of fat a week, I need to eat 1700 calories (Based on my TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) of 2200). A slice of red-velvet cake (my absolute favourite!) has 293 calories, are there more filling meals out there with fewer calories? Sure! But it’s not that bad. That slice of cake would count for 17% of the calories I would eat that day, the day’s not ruined!

    And this doesn’t just go for the day either, don’t let a bad day ruin the week! I call this “‘The Monday Mindset’, the ‘I’ll start again on Monday’. Your body doesn’t know the days of the week!

    Just pick yourself up as soon as you can and start working towards being more flexible, and eating healthy while enjoying treats in moderation.

    weight loss mistakes

    3. Trying To “Make Up” For Overeating

    Restricting too much will often lead to overeating later on.

    This is kind of the opposite of the last one. Instead of letting a “bad” meal lead to a binge, it leads to trying to restrict further.

    So you’ve just had a few slices of pizza for lunch (can you tell I love pizza?) instead of the salad you planned, you’re feeling guilty and so you tell yourself that you’re going to skip dinner and just have a snack in the evening. Or like me, you tell yourself you’re not going to eat again for the rest of the day.

    And my 6 pm, you’re starving, and by this point, the healthy dinner you originally had planned (before your “bad” meal) isn’t going to cut it, and you end up overeating.

    You should never starve yourself to make up for eating more calories than planned. You can adjust your calories around this extra meal you had, but again, if you look at the numbers (the 293 calories from a slice of cake for example), you’ll find that most of the time you can continue as normal. Eating 293 extra calories in a day isn’t going to lead to weight gain if you are already in a calorie deficit, and even if it puts you in a calorie surplus, it’s only one day! You would need to eat 3500 calories extra to gain a pound.

    4. Not Having Enough Non-scale Goals Is One The Easiest Weight Loss Mistakes To Make

    Weight loss can be your overall goal, but it is also a long process, and working towards sustainable weight loss can take years.

    One HUGE factor in my own weight loss and staying motivated to lose weight was running.

    Over the last couple of years, I have come to love running, which is something I never thought I would say. And the reason for this is that it’s something I can see progress with, that has nothing to do with weight. Each week I can run a little bit further, I can feel the difference in my breathing, my legs ache less, I get faster, etc.

    non scale goals weight loss mistakes

    Running my first 5K felt so much better than any amount of weight loss I have seen on the scales, after running my first 10K I was gleaming with pride for weeks! I’m running a half marathon this year and I genuinely think my head may explode from excitement when I finish it.

    Set Goals That Give You A Sense Of Achievement

    Realising how these non-scale victories were benefitting me so much, I started setting new goals – earlier last year I nailed my first push-up after months of trying. I’m currently working towards a pull-up (although this one’s proving much more difficult).

    The reason these goals work so well to keep you motivated is that although you may be able to see a 1lb-2lb loss on the scale, you can’t really see or feel it straight away. It can take months to start noticing weight loss.

    If you set yourself a ‘performance’ target, it may take a while to reach that goal but it is more measurable as you are working towards it. You can measure your pace or distance while running, go down a little bit further when trying to do a push-up, start lifting heavier weights and, feeling stronger.

    And if your nutrition is in the right place, these goals will still contribute to your weight loss. Because you have found an exercise that you will do regardless of how many calories it burns.

    weight loss mistakes beginners make

    5. Weighing Too Often And Letting Fluctuations Demotivate You

    I used to jump on the scales every morning. And my weight loss/gain would massively affect my mood for that day.

    There will always be weight loss fluctuations.

    Or even when weighing myself weekly, seeing no loss or a gain after a “perfect” week would frustrate to me so much and leave me feeling so dejected that I would have just wanted to quit there and then.

    There are so many reasons that your weight can fluctuate! And most of the time it just comes down to your body holding onto a bit of water weight, for various reasons. I tracked my weight every day for a month, see the results here.

    Weight Loss & Fat Loss Are Not The Same

    Carbs have a huge impact on water weight, that’s why people doing Keto will usually see a big loss in the beginning. This is because, for every gram of carbs you eat, your body can store between 3-4 grams of water. So if you happen to have had a bigger/higher carb meal than usual, it may look like you have gained 1-3lbs the next day, but this isn’t real weight. To gain 3lbs overnight you would have to have been in a 10,500 calorie surplus..in one day! And while I’m not saying that this is impossible, the average person would not be able to eat that much in one day. That’s around 5 large pan pizzas, on top of your maintenance calories!

    Another factor in retaining extra water weight is exercise. This is because when you exercise, you can cause micro-tears and in your muscles (this is good!). This is how your muscles get stronger. You get the micro tears, your body heals them, your muscles become stronger.

    During this ‘healing phase’ your body retains extra water around your muscles to help the process along. You may experience general aches or DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness). That’s why it’s so important to rest after strenuous activities – to give your body the time to heal. And the water weight increase will go back down.

    There are so many things that can affect your weight – hormones, stress, sleep, etc.

    As long as you have been in a calorie deficit overall, you will lose weight. It’s better to look at your averages of weight loss over some time rather than checking every day if you have lost anything.

    Overthinking every step? Try simplifying your approach and losing weight without the mental overwhelm—here’s how in How to Lose Weight Without Thinking About It.

    Weight Loss Mistakes Beginners Make: Conclusion

    There is a lot of conflicting information out there and so weight loss mistakes are going to happen. The most important thing is that you are aware of what they are and catch them out early!

    Have you made any of these mistakes before? Or have some advice that helped you? Leave a comment below!