Choice

You choose! Simple question, and often there is a simple answer. So why is it sometimes difficult to choose when you are looking at weight control.

A restrictive diet may work in the short term but are you prepared to carry on with this for the next 1, 5, 10, 15 years?

Lifestyle changes are a better long term solution for weight control and the key is to start by making simple choices.  Imagine it's mid-morning and you are feeling a little peckish.  You know that a couple of chocolate biscuits will tie you over until lunch - mmmmmmm, biscuits!  Two chocolate biscuits will yield 168 calories and contain 43% fat, of which 10% will be saturated.

What about an apple?  An average size apple has around 50 calories, including less than 2% fat (zero saturated).  An apple also contains more fibre which will help you feel fuller for longer.  In addition, apples are a good source of vitamin A and B1.

So, what is your choice? Even if your goal is not weight loss the apple is the healthier choice.  The choice is yours to make, no one can make it for you.  Take control of what you eat and what you do and ensure they support your goals.

It make take a while to make changes but stay focused and stick with it and you will succeed.

What has been your experience of making changes in your lifestyle?

The signs

No one wakes up one morning and thinks, wow where did all that weight come from? It crept up over a period of months and years in a stealth like manner. The problem, the signs were missed. Signs! What signs I hear you ask. Well, I'll tell you...

Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI is an equation between your height and weight. Take your weight and divide it by the square of your height. Example, weight 72 Kgs height 1.8 meters. Therefore, 72 divided by 1.8x1.8 = BMI 22.2
Between 20 - 25 are considered OK. Between 25 to 30 is considered overweight and 30 + obese. BMI is a guide as it is entirely possible that an athlete can have a BMI over 25 owing to muscle!

Abdominal fat
Abdominal fat carries a greater health risk as it is close to internal organs. Someone with excess abdominal fat is considered to be, 'Apple' shaped. If you are a man with a waist circumference of 94 cm or more, or a woman with a waist circumference of 80 cm or more, you have excess abdominal fat.

Waist / hip ratio
This is another, more simple, equation. Divide your waist circumference by your hip measurement - in inches or centimetres Example, waist 70 cm hips 95 cm (70 divided by 95 = 0.72).
In men this should be 0.95 or less and in women 0.8 or less.

Body fat %
A healthy body fat percentage in men is between 10 - 20% and in women 20 - 30%. Body fat can be measured in a number of ways but the two most practical are; Skinfold callipers and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA).
Skinfold callipers are used to measure, in millimetres, the layer of fat just underneath the skin on various places on the body. Your health practitioner is an ideal person to carry this out.
BIA works by passing a small electrical charge between two points of the body, foot to foot or hand to hand. It is important to be well hydrated in order to conduct the current. There are a number of weighing scales that now have a BIA function. If using BIA equipment, fully read and understand the instructions and any warnings that come with it.

If you get into the habit of checking the signs on a monthly basis you can take action at the right time. This need not be drastic, just a few lifestyle changes in food choices, activity/exercise and habits will make all the difference.

A modest weight loss can bring about the following benefits;

• Reduced risk of developing heart disease and stroke
• Reduced risk of developing diabetes and helping to manage diabetes
• Improvements with blood pressure
• Feeling fitter and having more energy

Taking action is the first positive step. Whether you join a slimming club, join a gym or seek assistance from a health and fitness professional, is up to you. The important thing is you must feel comfortable with the surroundings and/or the individual who will be helping you reach your goals.

If you are new to exercise or returning to it after a long time away, you should seek guidance of your Medical Practitioner or GP, prior to starting.

For impartial advice you can contact me at info@nutrivive.co.uk

Stretching the point

Today, we will look at some simple stretching techniques that will enable you to maintain or improve flexibility. Stretches may be held from 10 to 90 seconds or sometimes longer.
Muscles are best stretched when they are warm, after exercise or a hot bath for example. Hold each stretch at the point of tension and not discomfort. Breathe normally, in through nose out through mouth, throughout the stretch. Come off a stretch gradually, imagine your muscle to be an elastic band - you know what can happen if you stretch an elastic band and let go quickly!

And so to the stretches...

Calf

• Stand with feet hip width apart
• Take a big step back with left leg - maintain width of stance
• Bend right leg and ensure your knee does not go past your toes
• Place hands on right leg for support
• Press heel of left foot in to the floor
• Keep body aligned - head, hips, heels
• Toes of both feet face forward
• Repeat with right leg

Hamstring (back of upper leg)

• Stand with feet hip width apart
• Bend right knee, keep foot slightly turned out, and place hands on thigh for support
• Extend left leg in front of body but do not lock knee
• Left foot should be flat on floor - raising your foot to come up on heel will place stretch into calf as well
• Sit back to feel stretch
• Repeat with right leg

Quadriceps group (front of upper leg)

• Stand with feet together - knees not locked
• Hold something solid for support as you will be standing on one leg
• Flex (bend) left knee and bring foot towards buttocks
• Hold foot in place with left hand - do not pull foot with hand
• Look forward and try to keep knees together
• Repeat with right leg

Chest

• Stand with feet hip width apart
• Maintain an upright posture
• Place hands/palms on lower back
• Pull elbows behind body to retract (close) the shoulder blades

Mid-back

• Stand with feet hip width apart
• Maintain an upright posture
• Extend arms in front of body at shoulder height - do not lock hands together
• Protract (open) the shoulder blades
• Additionally, you can lower your head to stretch neck muscles

Shoulders

• Stand with feet hip width apart
• Maintain an upright posture
• Bring left arm across body at shoulder height
• Place right hand on left triceps to hold stretch
• Keep shoulders down
• Repeat with right shoulder

Triceps

• Stand with feet hip width apart
• Maintain an upright posture
• Raise left arm and drop hand behind head
• Keep left elbow pointing to the ceiling
• Hold stretch by placing right hand on back of left triceps
• Repeat with right triceps

If you can put aside some time each day to carry out a stretching routine then, over time, you should see and feel improvements in flexibility.

10, 20, 30, 40, 50%

If you have committed to lose some weight, you may want to look at a gentle introduction. If so, then the 10, 20, 30, 40, 50% plan could be the way forward.

This plan will enable you to make some ready lifestyle changes and kick start a new way of looking at diet, activity and wellbeing. So here goes...

10% increase in fresh fruit and vegetables - as a start. Get used to a healthy snack of fruit or a crunchy carrot. Aim for at least 5-a-day and choose different coloured fruit and vegetables, the rainbow effect, as each will have differing antioxidant properties. Antioxidants attack free radicals that are produced as a bye-product of burning oxygen in the air we breathe.

20% reduction in unhealthy snacks; crisps, cakes, popcorn, chocolate bars etc. These are generally high in calories (high in fat) and low in nutrients. They provide a quick fix solution to hunger but, afterwards, the energy slump soon kicks in!

30% reduction in calories from fat. If you currently have 700 calories from fat (35% of 2000 calories) then reduce to 490. Saturated fat should be no more than 1/3 of total calories from fat.

40% swap for calories to low to medium Glycaemic Index (GI) carbohydrate for a slow energy release, thereby reducing the chance of a 'quick fix chocolate bar'. Some examples include; low fat fruit yogurt, apples, Allbran, boiled potatoes, couscous and wholemeal bread.

50% more activity/exercise. Walk to local shops, take a walk at lunchtime, take the stairs instead of the lift. Dance around your living room! More movement burns calories - more calories burned equals weight loss.

By making these simple changes you will on the road to a healthier lifestyle and all the benefits this brings.

10 Tips for weight loss

We have recently taken a look at some exercises so today we will look at 10 tips for weight loss.  Combine these with your exercises to achieve your aims.

1. Maintain a food diary - this will give you a better idea of what, and when, you eat. Note down portion sizes of food consumed. You will also notice snack foods that are calorie dense such as crisps, cake and chocolate. You can gradually reduce the portion sizes and make healthy substitutions.
2. Start the day with a healthy filling breakfast - it will kick start your metabolism and give your body the fuel it needs to support daily activities.
3. Spread your meals throughout the day - this helps to avoid blood sugar highs and lows and the resulting insulin surges. In addition, after eating a meal your body raises its metabolic rate by about 10% for the next couple of hours thereby providing calorie burning potential. Aim to fit 2-3 healthy snacks between the 3 major meals of the day.
4. Reduce your intake of saturated fat. Fat is needed for fat soluble vitamins A, D and E. A high intake of saturated fat is associated with high cholesterol and Chronic Heart Disease (CHD). Try to have a healthy balance of mono and polyunsaturated fats. Daily intake of fat should ideally account for no more than 30% of calories consumed.
5. Cut down on alcohol - your evening out could account for a large chunk of the calories your body needs on a daily basis. A pint of draught Guinness has 210 calories, the average draught bitter has 182 calories, a shot of vodka has 72 calories. A 500ml bottle of lager has 145 calories and a 175ml glass of white wine has 133 calories.
6. Build activity into the working day - take the stairs instead of the lift, take a walk at lunchtime. Any extra activity will help to raise your metabolic rate and burn off calories. Aim to make the little extra a good habit.
7. Make enjoyable activities such as walking, cycling, swimming, gardening etc, part of everyday life. This way you will be burning off calories without giving it a conscious thought. Try to encompass weight bearing exercise into your schedule - 3 times a week is a good start. If you don't want to go to a gym then carry out simple exercises at home using tinned food or bottles of water.
8. Set realistic goals - a goal is like a destination, it will give you something to aim for. Have short, medium and long term goals, say 3, 6 and 9 months. Your goals should be stretching but achievable. Give yourself a little reward - not food related - when you reach your goal. You should never aim to lose more than 10% of your starting weight - once you have reached this, evaluate you goals and set a new target, again no more than 10%. Aim for a weight loss of about 1lb a week, that's almost 2 stone in 6 months!
9. Engage support of family and friends - let them know the journey you have commenced. Let them inspire and encourage you as you move toward your goals - a healthier, fitter, slimmer you. They may even want to join you.
10. Do not go food shopping when you are hungry as you are likely to pick convenience food that will satisfy your hunger. You should, if possible, plan what you need in advance and stick to this when you shop. Take a little time to look at food information labels, especially for fat and saturated fat.

If you can maintain the majority of these tips then you should see and feel success. Small incremental weigh loss is the way to go as you have a greater chance of maintaining your new lower weight. 

One more notch

This builds upon the first 2 levels and is therefore more challenging. Basic technique remains the same as does the speed of the exercises. You will be using different hand positions for press ups so safety and comfort will be paramount. If hand positions prove uncomfortable then change them and look to regain over a period of time.

Set 1.

• Assume standard press up position but widen legs to form a solid base
• Bring hands under chest and form a diamond shape with fingers and thumbs touching
• Slowly lower your chest towards the floor with the aim of touching your chest bone on your hands
• Push through both hands to return to start position
• Repeat 10 times
• This press up will mainly work your triceps

For your abdominals, you will use an exercise from Pilates - the Plank

• Lay face down on the floor
• Come up onto your forearms whilst keeping your upper arms directly under your shoulders
• Support your weight via your forearms and toes
• Engage your TVA and hold this position for 10 seconds
• The aim is to build up to 10 plank holds for 10 seconds each

Set 2.

• Assume standard press up position
• Place your hands shoulder width apart slightly in front of your shoulders - towards your head
• Slowly lower yourself to the floor
• Push through both hands to start position
• Repeat 10 times
• This press up places more emphasis on the shoulders
• To increase the difficulty, move hands further forward away from your head

Now for the abs - abdominal hollowing

• Kneel on the floor in an all fours postion
• Allow your abdominals to relax and sag downwards to the floor
• Now pull your navel toward your spine
• Hold this position for 5 seconds - then relax
• Breathe normally throughout the exercise - do not take a deep breath when trying to hollow your abdominals
• Do not arch your spine or tilt your pelvis
• The aim is to build up to 10 abdominal hollows for 5 seconds each

Set 3.

• Assume standard press up position but keep slightly apart
• Place your hands shoulder width apart slightly behind your shoulders - towards your waist
• Slowly lower yourself towards the floor
• Push through both hands to return to start position
• Repeat 10 times
• This press up places more emphasis on your biceps
• To increase the difficulty, move hands further towards your waist

Now another abdominal exercise from Pilates - Side Plank with rotation

• Lay on your right side and extend your right arm to bring your body off the floor
• Your right hand will be directly under your right shoulder
• Your weight should be supported by your right hand and the outside of your right foot
• Raise your left arm directly above your left shoulder
• From here, slowly rotate your body toward the floor - whilst bending your left arm - and aim to bring your left arm under the right side of your body
• Rotate back toward start position
• The aim is to carry out 6 repetitions on each side so now repeat on the left

You should rest for 1 minute between each set. Gradually build up to 16 press ups and 16 abdominal exercises. Back exercises should be carried out as normal.

Throughout any exercise it is important to mainatin correct form to gain maximum benefit and avoid injury.

You now have a selection of exercises to mix and match - from level 1 to 3. You can vary the speed of exercise, especially press ups/ triceps dips, to challenge your muscles. You could run through sets 1 to 3 without a rest to create a circuit - you can then build up circuits as you progress.

Enjoy!

Up a notch

This builds upon the original routine and is a little more challenging! You will be keeping a 3 set system and also adding an exercise to directly target the triceps.

Your Transverse Abdominis (TVA) will need to be engaged throughout all exercises. All movements will be to a count of 3 on the way down and on the way up.

Set 1

• Assume a standard press up position but widen your legs to form a solid base
• Hands should be slightly wider then shoulder width apart
• Place a football under you left hand and, remembering the count, slowly lower yourself to the floor
• Push through both hands to return to start position
• Carry out 5 press ups and then change ball to right hand for a further 5
• This type of press up will also help stabilise your core muscles as you maintain your balance

For your abdominals, this set will include bicycle crunches

• Lay face up on the floor and place hands by your ears
• Your feet can start on the floor but if raised you should bend your knees slightly
• Slowly bring your left knee towards your body and at the same time, crunch up to bring your right shoulder towards it
• Return to the start position and then carry out the same action for the other side
• The aim is to carry out 6 on each side (12 in total)

Set 2

• Assume standard press up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart
• Now place your left hand by your hip with finger pointing out at a right angle
• Lower yourself to the floor and then push through your hands to return to start position
• Carry out 5 press ups and then swap hand positions for a further 5 press ups

• Now lay on your back and bring feet up close to your buttocks
• Lock your fingers and, with straight arms, turn your hands so that your palms face the ceiling above your chest
• This is the start position - from here, crunch up and keeping your arms straight push your palms towards the ceiling
• Return to start position - repeat 12 times in total

Set 3 You are now going to work your triceps

• Stand with your back towards a table or other solid object that you can grip. If using a chair, ensure it is supported to avoid injury
• Place your hands shoulder width apart, facing forwards, on the edge of the table
• Legs should be out in front of you, do not lock your knees. To make the exercise easier you can bring your feet closer to your body
• Bend your elbows and lower your body. Elbows should not bend beyond 90 degrees.
• Straighten your arms to return to start position - do not lock your elbows at the end of the movement
• Elbows should face backward throughout the exercise
• Repeat 10 times in total

Lay on the floor and assume the standard crunch position.

• Using you Rectus Abdominis, crunch up so that your shoulder blades are just off the floor - this is your start position
• From here, crunch up a little further and return to start position
• Repeat 12 times in total

Rest for 1 minutes between each set. When you can perform 16 press up/triceps dips and 18 abdominal exercises it will be time to move on.
Back exercise should be carried out as in the original routine.
Aim to carry out this new routine on alternate days.

See you on the other side!

The start to strong abdominals

We are going to look a an introductory abdominal programme. Press ups have been included as they will also work your core muscles.

Weeks 1 & 2
You will carry out 3 sets of 10 press ups with hands directly below shoulders. Your body will be straight and supported by hands and toes only. Keep abdominal muscles engaged and lower your chest to the floor. Push up through the arms to return to the starting position. Straighten but do not lock arms. Count to 3 on the way down and 3 on the way up.
Rest for 45 seconds between each set. Carry out 3 times a week with a day rest in between.

Weeks 3 & 4
Keep as weeks 1 and 2 but add an abdominal crunch between each set of press ups so that the 2 exercises make a set.
To perform a crunch, lay with your back on the floor with feet tucked up close to buttocks. Rest arms across chest. Engage TVA and by using the large muscle down the front of your abs (Rectus Abdominis) crunch up so that shoulders are about 30 degrees off the floor. Count to 3 on the way up and 3 on the way down. Control the movement throughout.
You will be carrying out press up/crunch - repeating 3 times. Rest for 45 seconds between each set.

Week 5
Now the fun begins! You will be using the same set system as before but there will be a variation in the type of press up and abdominal work. Back exercises will be introduced to compliment the abdominals. so,

Set 1.  Standard press up X 10 plus standard crunch X 12. Rest for 30 seconds.

Set 2.  Wide hand spacing (wider than shoulders) press up X 10 plus crunch with hands pushed through gap in legs X 12. Rest for 30 seconds.

Set 3.  Narrow hand spacing (narrower than shoulders) press up X 10 plus side plank - hold for 5 seconds with 4 repetitions on each side.

Back exercises:

Back extension - lay face down on the floor and place your hands by the side of your head. Now slowly raise your head, shoulders and chest from the floor. This will be just a short distance. Hold for a count of 2, then slowly lower to the floor

Dorsal raise - lay face down on the floor with your arms stretched out in front, away from your head.  Slowly raise your right arm and your left leg. Aim to push your arm and leg away from your body. Hold for a count of 2 then slowly lower to the floor.  Repeat with left arm and right leg.

Carry out 2 sets of each back exercise with 12 repetitions in each set. Rest for 30 seconds between each set and for 1 minute between each exercise.

Next time we will look at something a little more challenging.

A simple programme

Here is a simple programme of exercises that can easily be carried out in the comfort of your own home. As always, see your GP first if you are new to exercise or returning after a lengthy absence or illness.

Squat

• Stand with feet hip width apart with toes turned slightly out
• Place your hands on your shoulders
• Slowly bend your knees as if going to sit on an imaginary chair - maintain the natural curve in your back and keep looking forward. At the end of the movement your thighs should be parallel to the floor. Your knees should not go past your toes
• Now push through your feet to return to the start position - do not lock your knees

Half (box) Press Up

• Maintain an all fours - knees and hands - position on the floor
• Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart
• Bend your arms until your nose almost touches the floor
• Push through your hands to straighten your arms - do not lock your elbows at the end of the movement

Triceps Dip

• Stand with your back towards a table or other solid object you can grip
• Place your hands shoulder width apart, facing forwards, on the edge of the table
• Legs should be straight out in front of you - do not lock your knees. To make the exercise easier you can bring your feet closer to your body
• Bend your elbows and lower your body. Elbows should not go beyond 90 degrees
• Straighten your arms to return to the starting position - do not lock your elbows at the end of the movement
• Elbows should face backwards throughout the exercise

Crunch

• Lay with your back on the floor and feet tucked up close to buttocks
• Rest arms across chest
• Using the large muscle down the front of your abdominals (Rectus Abdominis) slowly crunch up so that your shoulders are just off the floor
• Hold this position for a count of 2
• Slowly return the start position

Back Extension

• Lay face down on the floor
• Place hands by the side of your head
• Slowly raise your head, shoulders and upper chest off the floor - this will be just a short distance
• Hold for a count of 2
• Slowly return to start position

How to perform the exercises
For each exercise you should engage your abdominal muscles - this will be the Transverse Abdominis (TVA). This is a muscle that lays under your Rectus Abdominis and runs horizontally - it acts like a band.
To engage your TVA gently pull your navel toward your spine. For each phase of the exercise you should count to 3. Breathing should be normal throughout all exercises.

How many
Initially, you should aim for 10 repetitions of each exercise with good form. When you can achieve 10 then raise it to 15. When you can achieve 15 then introduce another set but lower to 10 repetitions. You will now be doing 10 repetitions of each exercise for 2 sets. When you can achieve 15 repetitions for 2 sets then introduce another set but maintain 15 repetitions.
Rest for 30 seconds between each exercise and for 90 seconds between each set.

How often
Aim to carry out your exercises 3 times a week leaving 1 clear day between exercising. Over a period of time you can build up to 4 times a wee.

Carry out these exercises as advised and you will see an improvement in fitness, health and shape.

Next time will we look at the first of 3 programmes for abdominals.

Until the next time!

Home exrecise

This week we are going to look at some simple exercises that can be done in the comfort of your own home. You will not need specialised equipment or gadgets for these.

Body weight exercises are ideal, press ups and leg squats are good examples.  Press ups will strengthen your arms, shoulders, chest, back and core.  You can start by placing your knees on the floor and as strength improves you can complete full press ups, supporting your body weight on your hands and toes. As you improve further you can vary your hand spacing and position to add variety and continue to challenge your muscles.

Squats are a good all round exercise, improving leg strength and cardiovascular ability.  When starting out you can perform a half squat and gradually build up so your thighs are parallel to the floor in the lower position. An important point is that whilst in the lower position your knees should not go past your toes. This will avoid potential knee problems later on. Once you get the hang of squats you can add some weight by placing a heavy book in a rucksack and strapping it to your back.

If you live in  a house then use your stairs to train your calf muscles.  Simply perform 10 calf raises on each step as you ascend. Eventually, you will be able to reach the top! Walking up and down stairs can give a good cardiovascular workout.

Abdominal and core exercises are many and varied, there is too much choice to go into here. When performing abdominal exercises the key is to go slowly in order to fully recruit the maximum amount of muscle fibre. Fifteen slow crunches are far better than thirty done incorrectly.

Be inventive with your exercises. Bottles of water or tins of food can be used as simple weights for bicep curls, triceps and shoulder presses.

Next time we will look at a simple programme to get you started on your way to improved fitness and shape.

Increasing activity

If you have done little, or no, exercise in the past then the worse mistake you can make is going too fast too soon. This will result in aching muscles within the following couple of days.  This is known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and may be just the excuse for not continuing, and giving up. A gentle introduction to an increase in activity would be the way to go as you can gradually build it up and start to see and feel the benefits.  Either way, if you have any health implications it is best to see your GP before embarking on something new.

What is the best way to increase activity? The most simple answer is, 'move more'. It will just take a slight behaviour change to build some extra activity into your everyday life.  Try these simple tips:

• Walk to local shops instead of taking the car
• Get off the bus a stop earlier and walk the rest
• Take the stairs at work, may be part way at first, instead of the lift

Even activity at home can help, with examples being; gardening, hoovering, general housework and washing the car. All of these activities burn calories.

Here are some average calorie burn examples for 30 minutes activity:

• Gardening 105 calories
• Walking 105 calories
• Dancing 135 calories
• Jogging 195 calories
• Swimming 225 calories
• Cycling 185 calories

If you want some direction, motivation and guidance then contact Mark at www.nutrivive.co.uk

Next time we will look at increasing the intensity with some exercises that can be carried out at home with little or no equipment.

Simple tips and changes

We will now look at some simple tips and changes to aid your weight loss goal. Firstly, look to swap some of your high fat choices for low fat options. Low fat is 3 grams, or below, in every 100 grams of product. Zero fat may be a tempting option but these can contain high levels of sugar or artificial sweeteners to give it some flavour. If you eat chicken then take the skin off. 98% of fat in chicken is in the skin! Grate cheese as this makes the portion look a lot bigger, you can easily save 50% of your normal calorie intake from cheese this way.

Chew you food slowly. It takes about 20 minutes for the, 'I'm full', message to get from your stomach to your brain. Rushing your food will mean you end up overeating and this equates to extra calories.

Have a chunky vegetable soup for lunch.  This will fill you up and provide essential vitamins, minerals and fibre at very little calorie gain.

If you are prone to snack on biscuits, crisps and chocolate then do not take the packet with you.  Empty half the crisps onto a plate, take 3 biscuits on a saucer or break off a line of chocolate.  This way you will not be tempted to eat the whole lot. You can eat these types of foods but they should be seen as a treat and not an every day occurrence.

Next time we will look at increasing activity to aid calorie burn.

Looking at patterns

You have now accurately completed your food diary for the past 7 days.  It is now time to take a look  and see if you have some common patterns.

There is a common myth that missing breakfast will help you lose weight.  People who miss breakfast often over compensate and eat more at mid-morning and lunch. Breakfast should consist of some wholemeal carbohydrates and a little protein. Cereal, low fat yoghurt and a fruit juice would be ideal.  If time allows, what about scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast? Eating a healthy breakfast will kick start your metabolism and calorie burning potential.

How long do you go between meals? Going more than 5 hours without eating causes a drop in insulin and glucose levels.  We get sluggish and often reach for something sweet to give us a boost. This causes a rapid spike in insulin and glucose levels which will drive any excess calories into the fat cells - not a good idea! A sensible approach will be to include a healthy snack between meals so that you are eating every 3 hours or so. This will provide you with more energy and avoid the temptation for chocolate or biscuits.  Also, every time you eat, your metabolic rate is increases by around 10% for the next couple of hours - more calorie burning potential.

We will end with another common myth.  Eating late at night means that the weight goes straight to your hips, or other areas. You burn calories throughout the day, even while sleeping.  Increase in weight occurs when you consume more calories than you expend.  It does not matter when these calories are consumed!  Eating late at night may keep you awake with indigestion, but that's about it.

Next time we will look at some simple tips and changes to aid weight loss.

The first step

The best way to decide where you want to go is to find out where you are now. You have written your reasons, your goals and potential barriers so the next step is the first step to a new you.
You will need to maintain a food diary for the next seven days.  Do not change a thing, carry on as normal.  You will then be able to see where changes can be made. Your food diary should show;

• The date and time of eating or drinking 
• An accurate record of what is eaten or drunk. For example, 'Roast dinner', is not accurate. Show, 1 chicken leg, 3 boiled potatoes, 3 roast potatoes, dessert spoon of peas and dessert spoon of carrots.
• Mood and/or situation. The type of food eaten is often tied in with your mood. Record what mood you were in when you made your food/drink entry.  Situation is also important. You could be at a buffet, picking at food or sat in front of the TV/computer snacking on biscuits or chocolate!
• You will also need to record your activity/exercise.  This could include gardening, car washing or spring cleaning.  Record how long the activity carried on for. If exercising, record what you carried out in terms of CV or weight workout.

The golden rule for completing your diary is, if it goes in your mouth it goes in your diary. Make your record as near as the time eating etc occurred.  If you leave it to the end of the day you will forget something!

Next time we will look at common outcomes and pitfalls and see how you can move past them.

Getting ready

So this time you will lose weight! To do this you will need to make changes to your lifestyle and this includes activity/exercise as well as the food you eat. How committed are you right now? Score yourself on a scale of one to ten on your readiness for change. If you scored yourself at 5 or below then now is not the time. What will make your score higher?  When you are ready, you can start.
Firstly, write down your reasons for wanting to lose weight. It may be for health, wanting to be able to run around with the kids, or even after seeing that picture! These reasons will be your anchor, they will pull you back on track should you start to falter.
Nest, write down you goals. Goals should be SMART...Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timed. A goal may look like this. I will lose ten pounds over the next six weeks.  I will achieve this by losing one to two pounds each week.  I know will know I am on target by weighing myself every Monday morning. When you reach your goal give yourself a small non-food reward.
Finally, write down any barriers both real or perceived that may stop you from reaching your goals. Now write down how you will overcome them.
You are now almost ready to start your weight loss journey.

Biggest Loser

Caught a bit of the Biggest Loser on TV last night.  What a lot of effort, sweat and concentration the contestants put in.  One woman managed to lose three pounds, not a lot I hear you say for all that effort.  Sometimes weight loss plateaus for a while and then starts again.  It is normally at this point that diets are abandoned because, 'they are not working'. But back to the Biggest Loser...with the amount of exercise these guys are doing you would expect to see a decent weight loss. The un-doing of all that work could be the diet and I don't mean restrictive regimes but the food normally eaten. I didn't see any nutritional planning tips, I may have missed them! I suppose that does not make good telly.
With a combination of sensible eating and an increase in activity you should be able to see a modest weekly weight reduction of between one to two pound. One pound of fat equates to 3500 calories, that's a deficit of 500 calories a day, or less when increasing activity/exercise. Look to have smaller portions of fatty foods and increase the amount of vegetables on your plate.  If portion control is difficult at first just use a smaller plate.  This will automatically deliver a smaller portion.
Until the next time!

Welcome

Hi and welcome to my first post. I will use this forum to share my views on all things surrounding health, fitness and weight loss.  Please feel free to comment and say what you feel but keep it in the realms of sanity and decency.  If you have a spare moment you might like to view my web site, http://www.nutrivive.co.uk/
See you soon.