No matter what your exercise programme or method of dieting there are always people queuing up to advise you on what you’re
doing wrong. With the best of intentions they impart their pearls of wisdom about which diets worked for them and of course those that didn’t.
So how do you get an honest answer about the right nutrition? The truth is that we are all different and therefore our bodies function in different ways. No one diet can guarantee healthy weight loss for all and exercise programmes need to be tailored to meet your specific requirements and lifestyle.
Fad diets offer no permanent solution. They generally involve starving the body in one way or another. The end result is usually the same. You reach your target weight only to gain back all the weight you lost and more besides as soon as you go back to your normal eating habits..This is because your body goes into ‘starvation mode’. Think about a bear sleeping all winter without having to eat. When it wakes its body craves food which is instantly convereted to body fat to ensure the bear survives the next winter. Our bodies work on a similar principle. When food is scarce our bodies adapt to use less energy. We become lethargic; we sleep more and generally feel sluggish. When food is readily available again such as at the end of a diet, our bodies convert more of the food to body fat faster so as to protect itself in case of future famine. So what do we do?
Let’s go back to basics, back to how our bodies have evolved over the past 600,000 years. Our bodies are built to eat and digest food in a specific way. While evolution has seen our anatomy change (the appendix being no longer active in the digestion process for example) this has taken hundreds of thousands of years.
Early man used to live off the land eating only what they could hunt or gather. Meat, fish, nuts, berries, seasonal fruit and vegetables were all high on the menu. They had a balanced diet getting their protein source from the meat, fish and nuts and their carbohydrates from foods such as berries and fruit. There were certainly no artifical flavourings or additives.
Nowadays many of us bulk out our meals using complex carbohydrates such as potato, rice, pasta and bread. These kinds of foods only became available through the introduction of agriculture which, in the scheme of our evolution is surprisingly recent. All this means that our bodies have not yet evolved enough to be able to break some of these foods down properly.
As a personal trainer the first task I set myself when I am looking at a client’s eating plan is to find out which complex carbohydrates they are eating. We then work together to introduce alternatives which can be more easily broken down and digested. This is achieved by adding and removing foods from the client’s diet while closely monitoring their body fat percentage, body measurements and weight. I also look at my clients eating habits, when are they eating, how often and how much. We work together to get them into the habit of grazing.
The aim of graze feeding is to ensure clients don’t get hungry and go into starvation mode but I also don’t want them overindulging and putting on body fat due to excess eating. That’s why, initially we work together to identify suitable snacks to take in between main meal times that will work well as part of a complete and balanced diet.
One snack which is a favourite among dieters is the “healthy cereal bar”. This product was introduced to the market in 1997 and sales continue to grow. A lot of money has been spent advertising these bars as “healthy, light, diet or “Good for you”. The reason given for this is the use of whole grain that is low in fat and uses natural ingredients. However, once the ingredient lists are investigated and a full understanding of healthy eating applied then it soon becomes apparent that cereal bars may not be as healthy as the marketing may indicate. This can also be true for a lot of modern day food variations. Listed below are some considerations when next buying a cereal bar.
Whole grains are bland and tasteless – cereal bars often contain high amounts of refined sugars, sugar alternatives and fruit concentrates. This often exceeds the 15g sugar per 100g that the FSA (Food Standards Agency) set as the level for a high sugar food.
They will likely cause a high insulin response because of the moderate to high glycaemic loads. This is associated with fat storage.
- Grain products are usually high in mineral blocking phytic acid.
- They often use omega 6 dominant vegetable oils such as sunflower, rapeseed or soy bean oil.
- Starches, gums, preservatives and emulsifiers are commonly included additives.
- They may be fortified with synthetic vitamins.
Cereal Bars are just one example of how the new market of healthy, convenience foods continues to expand. Only time will tell what these highly refined carbohydrate snack foods will do to our bodies.
A good snack to have to hand during the day are nuts and fruit. Nuts provide a good source of protein and unsaturated fats that not only provide you with a much needed energy source but the unsaturated fats within the nuts assist with brain stimulation. Fruit is a good carbohydrate source so by combining a piece of fruit with a small handful of nuts you have created a good mid morning and mid afternoon snack for in between meals.
An excuse I often hear from clients when it comes to main meals is ‘I don’t have enough time.’ This usually means either a lack of preparation or psychological barriers they are putting in the way. People who really want to lose weight do not miss breakfast. If necessary get up 15mins earlier. Lunch time meals can be prepared the evening before or can even be leftovers of the previous evening meal. Meals can be simple and easy if time is precious. By far the best way to make your weeks eating simple and manageable is preparation. If you know work commitments or a busy family schedule will stop you eating properly during the week plan ahead and prepare your meals at the weekend. If you have an idea of what you are eating on which days then you can prepare for the coming week so write a menu for the week. It is important that all meals are eaten to allow you and your body to get into a routine and avoid going into starvation mode.
Even though, there are no generic magic diets there are some general rules that you can stick to that will improve your eating habits, help your bodies function properly and optimally help you to achieve your goals. Eat little and often. Three main meals and mid morning and mid afternoon snacks.
Cut out caffeine after 4pm to allow time for all stimulants to pass through the body by the time you go to bed. This will help you sleep better and allow the body to recover properly. Lack of sleep can also be a contributing factor to body fat storage. This is due to hormone imbalances and certain chemical productions within the body.
If you need an evening snack after your evening meal, ensure it is a protein based snack such as cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. Carbohydrates are an energy source and will stop you achieving a deep sleep when you go to bed.
Get the majority of your carbohydrates from foods such as fruit, vegetables and salads and reduce your intake of potato, rice, pasta and bread.
Ensure you drink plenty of water throughout the day.
I see a lot of people who want to lose weight and most have tried different diets before coming to see me. Some people have achieved great weight lose but suffered other effects such as loose skin or eating disorders. The majority have put the weight back on and more besides. To lose weight and keep it off you must eat healthily and combine it with an exercise programme suited to your specific needs.
You should always consult your doctor before carrying out any major changes to your eating habits or starting on a course of exercise especially if you have existing medical conditions. If you would like an individual eating plan tailored specifically for your requirements contact me today via my contacts page. Alternatively, contact a professional in your area.
