health and fitness

  • 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

    3 Best Activities To Lose Weight: The Enjoyment And Challenge Factor

    Introduction

    Are you hoping to finally find the one exercise that will help you lose weight? The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer for that. The key is to find what clicks for you, something that makes you go, “Hey, I could do this every day!”. It’s not about fitting into someone else’s workout plan; it’s about creating one that fits into your life. So, are you ready to turn your fitness journey into a personalized adventure? Let’s find the perfect fit for you – These are the 3 best activities to lose weight!

    Best Activities To Lose Weight

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

    1. Embrace Enjoyment

    Working out shouldn’t have to be a chore, and that’s what the enjoyment factor is all about. When you actually enjoy what you’re doing, it stops feeling like a task on your to-do list and starts becoming something you look forward to.

    Exercise should be something that brings you joy and satisfaction.

    It doesn’t have to be overly strenuous, or difficult, or makes you sweat. Finding activities that you enjoy doing is key to making it part of your regular routine. You’ll find that you look forward to exercising and that you feel much better afterwards, meaning you will be much more likely to stay consistent with it.

    When exercising, think to yourself ‘Would I be doing this if I didn’t want to lose weight?’. If the answer is ‘absolutely not’, you may want to start looking at alternatives. Instead of focusing solely on weight loss, try to focus on how exercise makes you feel. Think about how energized and accomplished you feel after a workout, or how you are showing your body some love by moving it. This can help you to stay motivated and make exercise more enjoyable.

    man holding surfboard while walking with woman

    How to Make Your Workouts More Enjoyable

    • Explore Different Activities: Try out different exercises until you find something that clicks. Whether it’s dancing, hiking, swimming, or even jumping on a trampoline, the options are endless. Don’t be afraid to try new things. If the first attempt doesn’t spark joy, try something else. The key is to try.
    • Find the Fun Factor: Incorporate small ways to make exercise more enjoyable. If you love music, create a playlist that keeps you motivated. If it’s the getting outdoors, find a class or activity you can do outside. Enjoyment often comes from the little things that make the experience uniquely yours.
    • Buddy Up: Sometimes, everything is more fun with a friend. Find a workout buddy to share the sweat and laughter. Be each others personal cheerleader!
    • Reflect on What You Love: Think about activities you loved as a kid or hobbies that have always made you happy. Think of ways you can incorporate these into your workout routine

    The enjoyment factor should be a number one priority when it comes to choosing an exercise. The best workout is the one you actually want to do.

    Thinking of giving running a try? If you’re starting out with extra weight, I’ve got you covered with my Guide for Running When Overweight.

    Best Activities To Lose Weight: Why Enjoyment Matters Most

    • Boosts motivation
    • Increases consistency
    • Makes you more likely to stick with it in the long run

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    2. Conquer Challenges

    Best Activities To Lose Weight

    Challenges aren’t just about breaking a sweat or having a hard workout; they’re about breaking through barriers and proving to yourself that you can do things you might not have thought possible. And having specific fitness goals in mind is a great way to do this.

    Setting yourself a fitness goal is a great way to track progress, give you a sense of achievement with each step of progress you make and keep you going back for more to reach your goal. Whether you are losing weight or not. Those victories, no matter how small, create a sense of accomplishment that can make you forget all about the scales.

    Why you Should Set Challenging Goals

    • Boosts confidence
    • Keeps things interesting
    • Provides a tangible measure of progress

    When choosing a fitness goal, it’s important to make sure it is realistic and attainable. Start small and build up your goals as you progress. Breaking your goal into smaller targets can help keep you motivated.

    Exercise should be fun, not a chore. Here are 7 Joyful Movement Ideas to keep things exciting and enjoyable.

    Examples of Measurable Fitness Goals:

    • Do a pull up/push up
    • Run/walk a 5k/10k
    • Be able to lift a certain weight
    • Be able to do the splits

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    3. Move with Purpose

    What exactly does it mean to exercise with purpose? It’s all about the intention behind your daily movements, and making every step count. This could be as simple as playing with your kids in the park, walking your dog, choosing to walk to the shops instead of going in the car, cycling to work, or choosing the stairs instead of the lift.

    Why You Need Purposeful Movement

    • Contributing to Relationships: Whether it’s spending more time with your kids or a casual walk with your dog, these activities not only burn calories but also strengthen your bonds with people (or pets!) you care about.
    • Completing Tasks and Errands: Turn boring tasks into opportunities for physical activity. You need to get these things done anyway, so why not get things done while getting a workout.
    • A Reason to Get Moving: Purposeful movement is the extra nudge you need to get off the sofa. It turns exercise from a scheduled routine to a natural part of your daily life.

    Even just exercising for reasons outside of weight loss can be a big motivator, focusing on the mental health benefits or using the time to listen to a self-improvement podcast or audiobook can give you the energy boost you need to get moving.

    beginners running guide

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    How To Go To The Gym When You’re Anxious

    Best Activities To Lose Weight purposeful movement

    If you’re feeling burnt out from your workouts, you’re not alone. Here’s how to find balance and rediscover the joy of movement in Workout Burnout.

    Best Activities To Lose Weight: Conclusion

    Exercise should be a positive aspect of your life and something you should try to incorporate regardless of weight loss goals. It’s so important for our physical health to be active as much as possible, but it’s equally important for your mental health and wellbeing.

    The best activities to lose weight are ones you enjoy, challenge you and give you purpose. Enjoying the exercise you do is key to being able to stay consistent with it.

    The scale may measure your weight, but the true measure of a successful fitness journey is about how you feel, the energy you have, and the joy in your life. The healthier, happier you is a testament to the dedication, resilience, and self-love you’ve invested in yourself.

    Have you found this post helpful? Or have you discovered the exercise that is perfect for you? Let me know in the comments 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!