The term 'Weight loss' is a very broad term and is often misunderstood by people wanting to 'lose weight'.  The proper term is actually 'Fat Loss', which is a much more accurate description of what it is we are trying to achieve. Generally, no matter what our fitness goals are, we want to decrease the amount of fat stored on our bodies, and that is usually not a bad thing. But there is a problem. People are obsessed with the word 'weight' or the term 'weight loss' and as a result, stand in tears on the bathroom scales every other morning, looking at the pointer indicating that nothing has changed in the last 7 days. Folks, for the most part, the bathroom scales DO NOT give you an accurate indication of how you are progressing through your fat loss goals. And here's why;

Are you into weightlifting? Crossfit by any chance? Feel yourself getting stronger? well if this is the case, you have definitely increased your lean mass. (your lean mass is the percentage of your body that isn't made up of fat!) This means that you will have gained muscle and  increased your bone density.  And what is the result of both of these gains? yes - heavier on the bathroom scales!! However, so many people still get caught up with the emotional attachment of what the scales say, and automatically assume that because the scales still say the same, they are failing with their fatloss goals and are going nowhere fast.  

There are other factors that affect the reading om the scales also, like the time of day you weigh yourself, how hydrated you are, and whether or not you have eaten. Our hormone balance, particularly in woman, can affect how much water we retain, and this can vary from day to day, which will change our overall bodyweight. So considering these factors, we are going to move the bathroom scales to the bottom of the list of indicators as to how we are progressing with our fatloss targets and our overall fitness levels. Here are a few indicators that will give you a much better idea of how you are getting on.

Bodyfat Percentage - If measured correctly, this is a very useful tool to indicate how much fat is actually stored on the body and can be monitored over a long period over time. Although it is difficult to gauge an exact percentage, it generally remains consistent with each person, so will provide relevant, progressive data for each person. So if the option is there folks, have you bodyfat tested instead of your bodyweight on the scales!

Energy Levels - Made some positive lifestyle changes recently? Maybe cut out some unhealthy eating habits or started a new strength or running program? But they aren't working working because you've weighed yourself every 7 minutes since you've started? If you notice that your energy levels have increased, then it most definitely is working! Think back to before you started - you hated the sound of your alarm, couldn't function after 3pm without caffeine and slept on the sofa from 8pm onwards after eating your bodyweight in toast. Now you are bouncing out of bed, prepping food and planning your evening activities. Fatloss is definitely happeneing, regardless what the scales say!

Your Wardrobe - Are your clothes starting to feel a bit looser? Maybe your gym shorts are looking decidedly baggy, or better still, the new suit you bought 3 months ago is so ridiculously big and baggy that you couldn't possibly wear it in public? If that is the case, then you really are making the progress you were hoping, even though the scales don't agree.

There are a fair few other 'side effects' of fat loss that also 'outweigh' the importance of the reading on the scales. These include better sleeping patterns, positive mindsets, clearer thinking and feeling fuller and more satisfied after meals! experienced or noticed any of these feelings recently? 

So on a scale of one to rubbish, how helpful is it to measure your body weight on  a regular basis? You decide.......

Anyone here partial to the odd spud with their dinner? Yep, thought so. If you're reading this, you've probably also heard or read that ordinary white potatoes are absolutely terrible things and that you will face certain death if you eat more than one portion a month? And you've probably also heard that sweet potato is a very healthy food with loads of positives and is much better for you than the ordinary white potato, so you should eat as much of these as your stomach can hold down? Folks...don't be fooled.

The nutritional breakdown of both varieties of potato are almost EXACTLY the same. Basically, the only real differences are the colour, the taste, and some of the micronutrients that they contain (vitamins and minerals). They both fall into the 'starchy carb' bracket, in that they both contain mainly carbohydrates and provide us with very limited amounts of protein and almost zero dietary fat. So how come the white potato is vilified and the sweet potato is revered? I actually have no idea. But I do know that I like both and use them regularly and include both in my meals, sometimes even together!

Before we get carried away though, there are a few things to consider when using potatoes. There is a lot of good quality nutrients contained in and around the skin  area of a potato, so they best way to consume them is with the skin on, or at least cook them with the skin still intact.  The cooking method is also going to affect the quality of the nutrients available. The level of processing is also going to affect this - the more processed any food is, the less nutritional value available, and the more harmful it is! And then  of course, the quantity consumed. This is the money ball. if you go over on the quantity side of things on a regular basis, it doesn't matter whether you eat sweet potato fries, baked white potato, sweet potato mash, or cheese and onion crisps - you will start gaining fat.

So remember your plate method - 1/2 plate non-starchy veg, 1/4 plate protien, 1/4 starchy carbohydrate (yes, this can be any variety of potato) 

If you have a look at the chart below, which i have 'borrowed' from Precision Nutrition, it will give you some idea of the similarities between the two, and also what the best cooking options are. I will just like to point out, before I finish, that sweet potato fries are exactly the same as eating normal white potato chips!! Sorry to ruin the fun! 

Fire away with any questions folks! - as you have been doing anyway......

Our all too familiar, cold, dark autumn mornings are closing in fast. Soon the evenings will be dark too. The idea of comfort eating sounds appealing doesn't it? Well, you can. There is often a misconception that 'comfort eating' involves eating large amounts of junkfood in one sitting. Unfortunately, this is true in a lot of cases, but it doesn't have to be. There are plenty of menu options when it comes to warm 'comforting' meals that will still support our training and fat loss goals.

This recipe below is just one example of that, and straight out of my own book! It is based on the zone diet and will provide you with a 4 block meal. If you are familiar with the zone diet, feel free to tweak the quantities to support your own goals, and if not, stick to the quantities stated and you won't be far off the mark!

Ground Beef Chilli - Serves 6

800g lean minced beef
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped 
400g tinned tomatoes
1 -2 Teaspoons hot chilli powder (depending on taste)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 medium onions, finely chopped
basil 
oregano
salt & pepper

 - Heat the oil in the pan, add the onions and the garlic. after 2 mins, add the beef and cook until browned
 -Add a sprinkle of basil, oregano and salt & pepper 
 - Add the chilli powder, turmeric and ground cumin and stir for 3 - 5 mins
 - Pour in the tinned tomatoes and stir well. cook for 5 mins before covering. Allow to simmer for 1-2hrs and stir occasionally

Serve with 1/2 cup of brown rice and 2 cups of green veg per person. This is also a great option if you don't want to share - simply box up the extra servings and put them in the fridge or freezer for later in the week. Enjoy!

PS. whoever posts the nicest looking picture gets to host come dine with me next week.....

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One of the most intense battles in the history of nutrition...........

There is conflicting information coming from all directions regarding the quantity of food we devour, and the quality of said food. Some say that we should eat only food from unprocessed, 'healthy' sources, and to eat as much of this food as we want, with no limits. Others say 'eat whatever you want, as long as it's not too much'.

So who is right?

Well, a bit of both actually. See, here's the thing. It doesnt matter what kind of food we eat, or where it comes from, if we consume more calories than we expend as energy, the only possible outcome is weight gain. So for that reason, the quality argument is fundamentally flawed. The simple fact is that all food, no matter what the macro content is, contains a certain amount of calories. If the 'healthy' foods are therefore consumed in excess of our expenditure, we have a problem - fat gain.

So what about the quantity then?  A little bit more complex but the argument is basically correct.
We already know how difficult it can be to control our portion sizes and almost impossible to accurately work out how many calories a certain meal contains.
Can anyone tell me how exactly many calories they burn in a day? (without looking at your fitbit Erina)
So the argument of 'eat what you like, just not too much' is right in theory, the problem is, that with us mere mortals that don't have access to the fancy technology, we have no idea what 'too much' is.

So how do we overcome the obstacles? its all about balance. Trying to control our food intake from poor quality food choices is a dangerous game. For example, when we put birthday cake in our mouths, a few things happen. Firstly, we usually get a sugar rush for a few minutes, due to a spike in our blood sugar, caused by the fast release of sugar from the processed carbohydrate in the food. Then, when the sugar high wears off, we often feel tired, lethargic, maybe even a little bloated. Our brain then decides that more energy is needed. That piece of cake was nice, wasn't it? So you'll have another...and so on and so forth. Suddenly you've eaten double what you had planned.  It takes a serious amount of self discipline to control your food intake, whilst consuming whatever foods you like.

On the other hand, a delicious plate of roast chicken, sweet potato and green veg  - all 'healthy' unprocessed foods - will be hard to resist. It will also be difficult not to overeat if this is placed in front of you, particularly if there are extras. Same thing as the cake applies. If the serving is too large, the chances are, your calories in, will be more than your calories out. The end result - weight gain

Ideally, if we can strike a balance between the two, we won't be far off the right track. If we get used to eating mostly whole, unprocessed foods that come from natural, local sources, we will be half way there. The other half of the deal will be controlling the amount of food we consume. Whole foods are generally going to support our overall health and fitness a great deal better than our friends over in the biscuit aisle, or in the pizza freezer.  There are a number of reasons for this, but most of these are for another day. The main reason that we are going to look at - and it's good news - is that good quality food makes us feel more satisfied. When we eat lots of green veg with our meat, or whatever else, our brain gets a message from  our stomach that says 'stop, I'm full!' And we generally do. 

So the key is to control both our food sources and our quantities. Meet somewhere in the middle. We would recommend that you use your (smallish) plate as a guide. 
 - 1/4 of your plate protein (Meat, fish, eggs.....)
 - 1/4 of your plate starchy veg (potato, rice,bread....yes, bread!)
 - 1/2 of your plate green veg (broccoli, spinach etc....)

So Quantity V Quality? Why not have both. If you follow this general guide 3 times a day and have a couple of small protein based snacks throughout the day, you will be on the right track. This of course, can be tailored for the individual depending on their goals, but again, that is a new topic altogether! 

Happy eating...and stay tuned, I promise there will be some recipes in the pipeline!

As the mornings get darker and darker, and the evenings get shorter and shorter, lying in bed for an extra half hour sounds appealing, right? Even if it means skipping breakfast? Yep, We've all been there. 

Ok, missing breakfast one day here and there because you have accidentally slept in, isn't going to be the end of the world. However, lying on for that extra few minutes, knowing that you are either going to be late for work or miss your breakfast, is asking for trouble. The likelihood is that this is going to kick off  a chain of events that could very easily spiral out of control if not nipped in the bud at an early stage. 

The reality is that when you miss a main meal, especially early in the day, whether you like it or not, your body is going to overcompensate some time later in the day.  How will it do this? Have you ever heard of the 'see food diet'? I can guarantee you that if your body does not get properly fueled in the morning, you will be that hungry by mid morning that your body will indiscriminately crave and consume all the food you can get your hands on - good and bad!

And what happens after that? Guilt sets in. How do we cope with guilt? Go for a cup of coffee and eat 3 caramel squares along with it. Sounds familiar? By the end of the week you'll be stopping for a Chinese on the way home. All sounds very downbeat, but don't worry, there is plenty of light at the end of the tunnel.

People have  an emotional relationship with food. When we are eating well, we feel good, energetic, happy, focused, postive......and the list goes on. When we are eating poorly, or not as well as we would like, we often feel great when we are eating, but that's it. Afterwards we start to feel guilty, then maybe even unwell, bloated, lethargic, even depressed. That's how important Breakfast is folks, and just an example of what can go wrong without it. 

So how do we go about ensuring we get a good, nutritious breakfast? 

We plan.

Have everything you need sitting ready the night before. Overnight oats are a great option. That way, if you do happen to sleep in, or are running late, you can simply grab them on your way out and eat them on the bus! You could also cook up some Veg on the pan at night and have them ready for an omelette or simply scramble some eggs through them. that's a 5 minute job and tastes great! A favourite   
of my own would be to steal a potato from the dinner pot and fry it up on the pan with some kale or spinach and add some egg. That way, I have the perfect combination of protein, fats and carbs.

Stay tuned and we might even post a few recipes!! 

So The holidays are now over folks! The mornings are starting to get darker and the evenings are getting shorter. In another week or two, you never know, it might even rain...........

Seriously though, generally over the summer months, routines often fall by the wayside with holidays, kids running around, day-trips, midweek nights out.....the list goes on. And usually as a result, training suffers, and any kind of nutritional discipline generally goes out the window.

So now's your chance to get back on track. But the question is, how do you get back on track in a way that is going to be sustainable for the foreseeable future?

That's down to the individual  - one size does not fit all! however, here are a few simple guidelines to get you started.

Baby Steps - It can often be a good idea to begin making small changes to your lifestyle at first. These will be easier to maintain in the long run. for example, reducing your plate sizes in your kitchen will inadvertently reduce your portion sizes at mealtimes! This can make a huge difference down the line.

Quality - Sometimes, simply replacing one food product with another can make a huge difference to our body composition. It is a great idea to try to replace as many processed foods in your diet, with foods that come from a natural source. these tend to be much more nutrient dense and contain less sugar and artificial ingredients. A good example - prepacked mashed veg could be replaced with home cooked fresh veg from the local shop. Much better quality and you know exactly what you have.

Shopping - I know everyone loves going food shopping.....Shopping smart is very important here. What happens when your cupboards are full of junk food? you eat it, right? So don't buy it! Generally, if you keep your trolley moving at a decent pace around the perimeter of the supermarket, you won't be far away! Also, it's a good idea to have a list with you so that you know what you are buying before you get there. Better still, online shopping - order exactly what you need without having to walk past the biscuits or the hot food counter!

Accountability - set yourself some targets, make a plan how to achieve those targets and share this with a family memeber/friend/coach so that your progress can be tracked and maintained......Easy!