For weight loss success its a must!!

Don't until Monday, press the reset button today x

 

www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au

Beating late night binging is a must for weight loss success - Here's How

Beating Late-Night Eating

Tips that helped save late-night nibblers from the call of the fridge or the cupboard

For many people it is easy to eat well and stay on track during the day but night time is when things that can go wrong usually do….Too much snacking while preparing kids lunches for the next day or picking while you are cooking dinner.  The most damage comes from raiding the pantry, fridge or freezer for after dinner munchies.

First of all you need to establish why you are wanting a late night snack, develop a strategy and then change your way of dealing with those late night snack attacks!

Reasons for evening eating
These are some of the main culprits…..Can you relate to one?

Boredom
You may be bored or dealing with another emotion like stress, and use this time to preoccupy or anesthetize yourself with food. If boredom is your enemy then find tasks around the home to occupy you, a diversion might be all that you need.

Restriction
You have restricted your calories too much during the day and truly are hungry. This is a big one, review what you are eating during the day and check whether restricting your food intake during the day is the problem.  This might be a conscious or unconscious restriction.  If you days are action packed and you are skipping lunch and forgetting afternoon tea then you are definitely going to be hungry.  If it is an unconscious choice you maybe operating under the false myth of reducing calories will help you lose weight.  Eat regularly during the day and you might find your late night snacking problem solved!

Off-limits thinking
The more you tell yourself you can’t have something the more you want it!!!!!  ‘Diet’ mentality is a common cause for bingeing and late night snacking.  Depriving yourself of regular wholesome food is going to play havoc with your mind.  Eat to fuel your body rather than deprive it and you might be surprised at the results.

 

Emotions

We think that a biscuit binge or a serve or seven of ice-cream will make us feel better.  Maybe for about....1 minute and then you feel sick!  You may get a quick release of dopamine that will make you feel great for that 1 minute but the more we abuse this dopamine release the more sugar we have to consume to get that same ‘hit’  It takes just a matter of moments to consume 500 calories, just think about how long it’s going to take you to burn off. 

 

Are you FLAB??????  Before you eat ask yourself am I FRUSTRATED, LONELY, ANXIOUS OR BORED… If you answer yes go and distract yourself and stay away from the kitchen!

 

Late-night survival strategies
To combat those cravings, here are some real-life survival tips for beating the refrigerator battle.

·  When you feel the tug to comfort yourself with late-night snacks, investigate other things you consider comforting, like reading a good book, having a relaxing bath or shower or even going to bed early.

·  Keep busy while you are breaking some bad habits set yourself a project list that you can refer to when late night snacks are tempting you.  It may be cleaning out the linen cupboard, clean the bathroom…..Anything to side track you!

·  Try delay tactics as a tool to avoid snacking.  If you ‘think’ you are wanting to snack first have a drink of water, had the water and are still tempted go to the loo!  Sounds crazy but it might be a good diversion to get you as far away from the kitchen as possible!  Another good strategy is clean your teeth, you are less likely to head back into the kitchen if you have already cleaned your teeth.

·  If you are genuinely hungry or you have tried some of the above strategies and you still want something to eat then picking low-fat snacks is a good idea: rice crackers, yogurt, fat-free pretzels or maybe a herbal tea will do the trick. It’s important to take out the portion and close the container before eating. If you have made the decision to eat, then sit and enjoy it guilt free, don’t stand in the kitchen and scoff it, sit and enjoy. Other ways to monitor behavior include "closing" the kitchen and not walking back in.

·  Make sure you're eating enough throughout the day: Evaluate your level of hunger when you wake up. After an eight-hour stretch, you should be moderately hungry within 30 minutes of waking up. If you're not, you probably ate too much the night before.

 www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au

Why am I not losing weight!

Weight loss journey is a tough one!  We want immediate results and we want them yesterday!  Some people can appear to be doing all the right things but not losing weight...”Why am I not getting anywhere” Is one of the most common questions I get asked as a Fitness Professional. Sometimes, the answer isn't that easy to come by.

But usually, when someone seems to be doing the right things but not making progress, a list of possible problems runs through my head. These are the most common scenarios I tend to see that stop people from getting results—and they could be the culprits for your weight woes, too.

So here are a few hard truths about why you're not losing weight.

You're eating back all the calories you burn.
When you work out, you're burning extra calories. That's why exercise is so important in the weight-loss equation. But a lot of people overestimate how much they burn and under estimate how much they eat.  So often I hear 'but I did a work out today so I’ll treat myself!'— How many times have you faced a food temptation and thought, "Well, I worked out today, so it's OK this time." Or even, "I'll have this now, but work out extra hard tomorrow to burn it off If that sounds all-too-familiar, this is one major reason why you're not losing weight. For you to get a step ahead on the weight loss journey...

don’t underestimate your calorie consumption

don’t over estimate your calorie burn
 
-Exercise can help you lose when you're really using it to burn extra calories, not as a reason to eat more.

You're relying on exercise alone to do the trick.
Yes, exercising can help you lose weight (and it has so many other health benefits) But here's the truth: Exercise alone will not help you lose weight. For emphasis, I'll say it again. If you are relying on exercise alone to lose weight, you are fighting an uphill battle. Here's why.

It takes time, effort and energy to burn 500 calories but you can consume 500 calories in a matter of moments! If you are not changing the way you eat, exercise alone probably won't help you much. As they say, "you can't out-train a bad diet." No amount of exercise can make up for a poor or high-calorie diet. You've got to have both an optimal eating plan and a exercise schedule. 

-You don’t have to eat less you just have to eat right...

You're not eating as health as you think.

There are so many ‘diet’ and ‘healthy’ products on the market and they are just not what they claim to be!  I was looking at the nutrition panel of a protein bar recently and it had as much sugar in it as an average chocolate bar!  People think they are making healthy choices but we are being conned by the marketing of these products.  Just look at the stats!  More than 40% of adults are over weight and over 20% of our children are obese...We are definitely doing something wrong.

- Research confirms that people underestimate the quantity of food they eat, so read labels and measure.

You're doing the wrong kinds of exercise.
If you are exercising regularly, you're already doing a very important thing to improve your health. But when it comes to exercising for weight loss, there's a lot of confusion out there. One day you hear that strength training is the best way to lose weight. The next day you're told to focus on cardio—but not just any cardio, intervals. Then you hear it has to be high intensity intervals. What gives?

-The best exercise plan emphasizes cardio for calorie burning, but still includes strength training to preserve lean muscle. Both are important; neither option can do everything.
 

You're not being consistent enough.
When you're struggling to lose those last few kilos or to overcome a plateau, consistency in your efforts is even more important.  A lot of people stick to strict diet and fitness programs for days or weeks at a time, but their habits simply aren't consistent for long enough. Ever eat "perfectly" and exercise "religiously" for a whole week, only to step on the scale that weekend to see that you haven't lost a gram? "What's the point!" you may think as you go on an all-out eating fest and skip the gym for a couple days. Maybe you don't even make it a few days "on track," but rather you eat right for one day, then fall of the wagon the next.
 

 Think about how long it took to put the excess kilo’s on and do you really think you are go lose ‘Biggest Loser’ style in the first week!  Being good Monday to Friday and indulging on the weekend is called maintenance.  To get on a losing streak you need consistency in both eating and exercise with an occasional cheat meal.
 

-Eat right and exercise as consistently as possible and apply both moderation and portion control when it comes to indulging.

You're not measuring the right things.
A lot of people complain that they're not seeing the scale move, even though they are losing inches and clothing sizes. Despite these obvious signs that they're getting leaner, they still want to see the scale change.
If you are noticing other improvements in your body shape or size, you are losing fat. Ultimately do you want to look amazing in your skinny jeans or are you hoping that people try to guess your weight!

 

-Don't just rely on the scale to measure your weight loss.That number won't really tell you everything you need to know.

You don't need to lose weight.
If you are in the healthy weight range, you probably don't need to lose weight for any health or medical reasons. Still, you may want to lose some pounds for vanity's sake, or even to improve your athletic performance. There's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to lose weight when you're already at an acceptable weight. But, when you only have only a little body fat to lose, it can be extremely challenging for some people.

- When you have less fat to lose, the road may be harder and longer; consistency is key!

You have an underlying issue.
Hormones, gut health, thyroid and can play havoc on weight loss.  If with the guideless of a Fitness Professional you have genuinely ensured that you nutrition and exercise plan is where it should be it is definitely worth seeking medical support whether it be blood tests with your GP or a naturopath consultant it up to you.  

Here are a few other common reasons you may not be losing weight despite doing everything right:

• Your are not getting enough sleep
• Your cheat days are cheating you.
• Stress is your enemy
• You are not eating enough

Weight loss seems simple, but it doesn't happen easily. But many, many people just like you have fought the battle and won—and you can, too. Just be consistent. Track your meals, log your exercise and ask for help and support. And slowly but surely, you will get there.

 

By Sarah Shaw ...Real Fitness for Real Women
 

 

How many people have touched it?????

Your food that is!  We are eating soooooooo much processed food that doesn't look like it did in its natural state we don't know how many people have touched it :-/

I stand at the supermarket deli and wonder how many people touched the food to get it to look like that?  What did the kabana/meat look like in its natural state?  The same thoughts go through my mind when I look at frozen meals.....worth thinking about.

So much of our food and more so our snacks are processed and come in a packet.  A big part of my role with helping people on their weight loss journey is teaching them how to read food labels.  Trust me there are a lot of tricks the manufactures use to entice us to eat their product but that is another topic!!. 

Looking out our children we wonder why 20-25% of our children are obese....we are feeding them packaged and processed food!  We are always so busy and trying to fit so much in to our days that we often don't have time to prepare and cook meals.  We rely on take away and packaged meals to feed our families.  Now I am not saying everyone does this but it is a concern.....just look in the supermarket trolleys of other shoppers next time and I am sure you will be amazed.  With this frantic lifestyle we lead we are not passing cooking skills on to our children, this is not going to teach and enable our next generation to lead a healthy lifestyle.

I would dearly love people to not worry so much about products, carbs, calories and food labels but to focus more on the natural stuff....Food that has feed or grown from the ground. Foods without a food label eaten in its natural state.  Nature created food the way it is for a reason...for example eating fruit with the skin on is natures way of adding fibre to your diet and helping the body process the fructose (sugar) in the piece of fruit.  Not drinking a store bought 'healthy' juice that has been processed.  Yes it has still be processed because they have discarded all the important elements of the fruit and left you with the sugary juice.

When and where possible eat food in its natural state, your body will thank you.

I leave you with this thought......how many people have touched your food and how many steps of process has it taken to get it to look like it does now.....?

www.realfitnesforrealwomen.com.au

I was called a meanie for not sharing!

So here is the recipe for my Thai Inspired Meat Balls.....This was a bit of an a la Sarah so bare with me when it comes to measurements!!!!  They were a hit at my place x

300 grams Chicken Mince
1 cup blitzed veggies (I put celery, red onion, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini)
1 small egg
Buckwheat flour to bind
1/2 teaspoon Gourmet Garden Lemongrass
1/2 teaspoon Gourmet Garden Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Gourmet Garden Chili

Make meat balls and refrigerate for 20 mins if you have time they will hold their shape better. 
Fry with a little cooking spray

Sauce
1/2 teaspoon green curry paste
Dash fish sauce if you have it
small tin of evaporated milk

simmer to thicken slightly
(I added a little bit of sour cream to the kids dipping sauce to cool things down a little)

Enjoy xx

 

www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au

knowledge is power....apllication is gold....

 Knowledge is power, application is gold... Use the nutrition knowledge that you have and apply it to your life right now.

 

Spend some time reviewing your nutrition plan and make some changes today....

 

High Protein Diet

Did you know that if you do not have enough carbohydrates in your system for your body to use as a fuel source it will start to tap into your protein stores.  That means MUSCLE!  You do not want to be burning your muscle as a fuel source.

Muscle burns 40 calories per kilo per hour

Fat burns 4 calories per kilo per hour

The more lean muscle you have the more fat you will burn without even having to exercise.  Taping into protein stores as an energy source will lead to poor recovery and no lean muscle mass.

——————————————-

You still need to watch the amount of carbs you are eating.  Excess carbs will spill over into glycogen stores and will be stored in fat cells.

——————————————-

Simply adding an extra 100 grams of fibrous green vegetables to your eating plan could stimulate weight loss.

 Optimal protein intake is 1.2—1.6 grams per kilo of body weight per day.

 

When can it be a good time to add a simple sugar into your eating plan?

Add a simple carb or sugar before a high energy workout or class and you will not only burn more fat in your workout you will stimulate your metabolism to keep burning after you leave the gym.  5 glucose jelly beans is a great hit before a high intensity workout.

Tips to reduce body fat

1. Stimulate your metabolism

2. Eat 5-7 small meals EVERY day

3. Increase lean muscle mass

4. Reduce empty calories (processed foods)

5. Increase whole foods

6. Structure your nutrition to suit your workout

7. Consider supplements to get the best our of your workouts.

8. Add interval training to your workout regime.

9. Lash out and try something new, keep your body guessing.  Try a group fitness class you haven’t done before.

10. Make the most of your workouts, you made the effort to get to the gym, now put the effort in.  Simply turning up is not going to get you the results.

 

For further support and advice head to www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au

 

 

Happy Easter To all the Mums xxx

Enjoy the kids Easter Egg sugar rush!!!!!  My solution eat them all at once then they are gone!  No arguments and no temptation.....!!!!

 

www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au

 

 

Best fruit to eat for weight loss

You've probably heard the tip that if you're interested in losing weight, it's a good idea to eat slowly and chew your food at least 15-20 times before swallowing.  Doing so allows your brain and body to actually sense that it's full, instead of cramming a bunch of food down your throat only to find out 30 mins later that you're WAY stuffed.

And for that reason (and a few others)  I'm picking cherries as my #1 fruit for weight loss.

With cherries, you can't just pop 30 in your mouth in two mins like you could, and probably often do, with grapes or blueberries.  Instead, the pits force you to eat them slowly, allowing your satiation sensors to chime in and prevent you from over-indulging.

So that's reason #1 – built in portion control.

Reason #2, and it's a BIG one, is that cherries have the LOWEST glycemic index of all fruits, and one of the lowest glycemic indexes of any carbohydrate source—period.

Scoring at a ridiculously low 22, you can even snack on cherries in the evening without much detriment as their effect on insulin is minimal at best.  Again, it's not late-night eating that's the problem, it's eating the wrong foods (those that cause a substantial rise in fat-loss halting insulin) in evening hours that is.

So next time you're in the mood for a sweet, satiating snack, reach for a small bowl of cherries and enjoy the goodness. 
www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au

Here's a little perspective...140 vs 1

Here's a little perspective:

One McDonald's Big Mac contains 540 calories, 29 grams of fat, and more than 40 grams of highly-processed, blood-sugar-spiking carbohydrates.

And that doesn't even count the fries and soft drink that you KNOW you're going to order with it.

At the same rate, here are a few alternative food choices and amounts that will land you at the same 540 calories:

140 medium strawberries
5 medium bananas
1 QUART of plain Greek yogurt
14 oz of grilled chicken breast
17 cups of broccoli
6 and 1/2 cups of blueberries

Better yet, go ahead and eat ALL of this in one sitting:

4 oz of grilled chicken (120 cals)
3 cups of broccoli (90 cals)
1 medium banana (100 cals)
8 oz of plain Greek yogurt (130 cals)
10 medium strawberries (40 cals)
1/2 cup of blueberries (40 cals)

So basically, you have an OVERFLOWING plate of chicken and veggies and then a HUGE dessert of yogurt and fruit. I mean, that's a massive quantity of food right there. In fact, most people wouldn't even be able to finish it.

And guess what? It still contains fewer calories than ONE Big Mac and it's WAY healthier.

Simply put, you don't have to starve yourself (at all) to lose weight and shed those stubborn pounds...you just need to learn how to choose the right foods, and then eat your heart out.

Beat Salad Boredom!

Greek Salad with Tuna
   
In a large bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with 3 cups chopped romaine, 2 1/2 ounces water-packed tuna, 1/2 cup diced cucumber, 1/2 cup diced tomato, 1/2 cup cooked whole-grain couscous, 1 tablespoon crumbled feta, and 4 chopped Kalamata olives.




Thank you Healthy Lunch Recipes for a great way to jazz up a tuna salad!  Don't get stuck in a rut with your salads because if you do you are very likely to lash out and eating something 'naughty' because you are bored.....Add variety to your salads and stay on top of your eating xx

www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au

Do yourself a favour this weekend xx

Stop and read this article with top stress busting tips.  We have talked about no excuses and have touched on stress but in all seriousness it's time to get those stress levels in check......

 

Regardless of your profession or passion stress has a toxic effect on our body and our mind.  If you are busy with work, crazy at home with kids or getting ready for a big event such as a wedding then your best coping mechanism is to get your stress levels under control.  Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and release the natural high of endorphins that helps combat the nasty stress hormones.

In our busy lives it’s important to work smarter not harder when it comes to exercise.  If you are doing the same work out day in and day out and are stuck in a rut you will get mediocre results. Doing a strength session every blue moon won't ease much stress or get you looking any better. Lock in a minimum of two workouts a week and mix in some cardio, too.  Boxing is a great way to relieve stress at the end of a busy day plus it’s a great all over body workout.  If you want to de stress and get up a sweat then boxing is the best option.
 
No equipment?  No time? No excuse!!!!!  Simply going for a walk or a jog no matter how slow can be a great way to clear your mind and de stress.  If you are feeling overwhelmed hit the pavement, take a moment to breathe in some fresh air and watch your stress melt away.  While we are talking no equipment, no time no excuses!!!!  A quick home circuit is a great way to get the heart rate up! Sweating reduces the stress producing chemicals and our sensitivity to the stress hormones in the brain and body.

 

Why don’t you try these quick and easy pyramid workouts…..

LOWER BODY BLITZ                    UPPER BODY BLITZ

20 Squats                                            20 Push ups

5   Squat Jumps                                     5 Double tuck jumps

15 Squats                                            15 Push ups

10 Squat jumps                                   10 Double tuck jumps

10 Squats                                            10 Pushups

15 Squat jumps                                   15 Double tuck jumps

5   Squats                                              5 Push ups

20 Squat jumps                                   20 Double tuck jumps

 

Yoga and Pilates can be a great way to nurture your body and release stress.  You won’t necessarily get the blood pumping feeling of a quick run but as for a stretch, flex and de stress you can’t beat it!

 

Exercise is a fantastic way to overcome the effects of stress and feel both calm in body and mind.   Taking time out of your busy schedule for a quick workout will usually increase your focus and productivity….Book workout sessions into your diary and value them like you would an appointment at the hairdresser!

 www.realfitnessforrealwomen.com.au