To count or not to count.....CALORIES

When it comes to weight-loss, there are 3 basic methods. The first being calorie counting, the second being exercise in order to burn calories, and the third being combining both. The third method is where weight-loss can become a little tricky, as in order to lose weight, we want to burn calories and also eat less calories, right?

Wrong. Or at least this statement is not entirely right. It does depend on a few factors:

1. How many calories was I consuming in the first place?
2. Was I consuming enough calories in the first place?
3. Was I hungry a lot before (I started exercising)? Am I hungry now?
4. How much exercise am I (now) doing?
5. How strenuous is this exercise?

What is my recommended daily intake of calories?

General rule of thumb:

Men: 2500kcals
Women: 2000kcals

Remember to make sure you're eating your 3 basic nutrients: carbs, protein and fat. They're all good for you, that's why they're called nutrients. Even fat!!

Reducing calorie intake for weight-loss

A common approach to reducing body fat is to reduce your calorie intake. For example, if your recommended daily intake is 2500kcals and you consume 2000kcals that day, you have a calorie deficit of 500kcals. However, research shows that if the calorie deficit is too great then body fat is more likely to return, possibly to an even greater level. This is because your body is unsure of when it will get enough calories again, therefore it holds onto its fat as much as it can.

Because of this, it has been suggested that you limit your calorie deficit to 500kcals a day, which in turn should result in a 1lb a week weight-loss. This 'slow and steady' method is recommended, as most likely the loss will be mostly body fat - which is what we're wanting to lose!

What about when I'm exercising?

When you're exercising as well as counting calories, this is where it can let a little tricky. When you're exercising, you're creating a calorie deficit. But you're also creating a calorie deficit when you're eating less. This means that when you're exercising a lot but also eating a lot less, your daily calorie deficit is suddenly a lot greater, resulting in the problem (highlighted in red) above!

When I'm exercising more, I tend to eat more because I am more hungrier. This is my body's way of telling me that my deficit is a little too low. So, if you're hungry more - eat more! Just remember to eat all the right things and not slip back into old habits.

Some great snacks are:

• Seeds, nuts and raisins
• Apricots
• Yoghurt (preferably pro-biotic)
• Any fruit – can be whole or chopped up into a fruit salad or smoothie
• Dark chocolate (good source of antioxidants)
• Peanut butter (on low GI base like wholegrain bread, or rye bread)
• Avocado (rich in vitamin E) can have on wholemeal toast. Sprinkle on a little pepper for taste! Or you could put it in a salad, or eat half on its own with a pinch of salt and pepper
• Strips of carrot, peppers and cucumber with hummus or guacamole (avocados) dip. Could also use peas in a pod/or ‘snap peas’
• Lightly salted pretzels (preferably wholegrain)
• Boiled egg
• Oatcakes
• Leftovers from last night’s dinner in a tub!

Basal Metabolic Rate

If you're wanting to get a little more scientific, or you're really just unsure about your calorie intake now that you're exercising, you may want to look at your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) This is the amount of calories your body needs when at complete rest, and can be worked out here.

You'll notice that there's a table explaining how many calories you should be eating depending on how much exercise you do:

Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job)
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2 x day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)

If you're still looking to achieve weight-loss, your calorie deficit should be taken from the number that applies to how much exercise you're doing. When you're trying to lose weight, it's ok to eat a little less than what these numbers say, as long as it's no more than 500kcals.


How do I know if I'm eating too much/too little?

Your body will tell you if you're eating too much or too little. You will either be hungry or stuffed! Or you may be just right. Please remember that this calculation is just a guideline. Your metabolism may be higher or lower based on the amount of lean muscle you have. Treat the numbers you see as a starting point and tweak them up or down based on your weight loss or gain. It may take a couple weeks to get your exact calorie level. Listen to your body. If it needs something, it will tell you.

Also, if you're exercising, your body composition will be starting to change. You can pack more muscle into a small space that fat, so the numbers on the scale may not be what you were looking for, but the number on a measuring tape (round the waist) may be where your results lie. Invest in some tape and try monitoring your progress through some measurements too!

Happy Eating & Exercising!

Healthy Chicken Risotto

Healthy Chicken Risotto (10mins prep, 10/15mins to cook)

Serves 4

Ingredients
Rice (preferably wholegrain/brown) Doesn't have to be risotto rice!
Half an onion
Teaspoon of lazy garlic
Mixed veg (anything in the fridge!
Cooked chicken
Chicken stock cube
Soy sauce (optional)

Preparation and cooking
Boil the rice and chop the onion. Break the chicken into manageable pieces. Add boiling water to chicken stock and stir.

Brown onion and garlic in a deep frying pan or wok. Add mixed herbs. Add in your veg (I added peas, sweetcorn and brocolli) and let cook for a couple of minutes while stirring. Add the chicken stock and let simmer for a couple of minutes and put in some salt and pepper. Add the small chicken pieces (I also added some chopped ham!) and stir in and let cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the rice, and pour over a bit of soy sauce for added flavour. Stir for a bit and you're done!

It'll be a big batch depending on your quantities, so put the leftovers into tubs and freeze for another night!

Happy Eating!

What's best for weight loss - exercise or diet?

If you want to achieve weight loss, diet is just as important as exercise. This cannot be stressed enough. If you are wanting to lose weight, you have to achieve a calorie deficit in order to do this. This deficit, coupled with exercise, enables you to not only lose weight, but any loss in skin elasticity (as a result of weight loss) will be kept in check. Also, as your muscles become stronger and leaner through exercise, your body requires more energy to function, therefore burning more calories - effectively increasing your metabolism.

Here's some food advice.....

Calorie intake
A recommended deficit for day-to-day is around 500 calories. Anything more than that and your body goes into starvation mode - as soon as you eat again your body will do what it can to retain as much fat as possible. It doesn't know when it'll get it again! Also, if you skip meals your blood sugar levels take a serious drop, leading to irritability, tiredness and sugar cravings.

What to eat...what not to eat.....
So...try having a couple of boiled eggs for breakfast instead of cereal or toast - you'll be fuller for longer. You could swap your daily latte for a herbal tea or espresso, swap fizzy drinks for water (with cordial if preferred), swap a big plate for a small plate at dinner. A large milkshake from (insert popular takeaway restaurant here) is over 500 calories!! Cut it right out! Don't feel you have to cut out carbs - they are a major source of energy. Opt for those with a lower glycaemic index (GI) like wholegrain pasta & rice, rye bread, beans, lentils and most fruit and veg. Less processed food means less bloatedness.

Portions
Be sensible with your portion sizes. For example, an adult serving of rice/pasta should be roughly the size of a tennis ball. Jacket potato = your computer mouse :-)

Hope this helps.

Happy Eating & Exercising!

Another simple, healthy recipe

Baked egg in tomato cup (10mins prep, 17mins* to cook)
Calories = 139, Fat = 6g, Carbs = 12g, Protein = 10g

Serves 1

Ingredients
1 large tomato (variety of your choice)
1 large egg
1/4 cup white cheddar, shredded
 Sprinkling of parmesan cheese, finely grated**
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon fresh basil, shredded

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Slice off the top of the tomato, and using a sharp knife, gently cut around the inside perimeter and scoop out the seeds. Place the tomato in an oven-proof baking dish. Depending on the size of your tomato, place about a tablespoon of the cheddar in the bottom, making a little well with your fingers so that the egg will lie flat. Break an egg into the tomato, trying as best as you can to keep all the whites inside the tomato.

Cooking
Bake the egg for 10 minutes. It will just begin to set during this time. After 10 minutes, remove the egg from the oven and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese**. Bake for another 7 minutes, until the egg is set to your desired consistency. Remove the egg from the oven and let sit for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and garnish with the fresh basil.

* depending on how you like your eggs

**parmesan is optional

Happy Eating!

What's the difference between....?

Ever wondered what the difference between Coke and Diet Coke really is? Green peppers and red peppers? Read on to find out!

Diet Coke or Coke Zero?

Nutrionally, there's no different between the two. The difference is in taste. Both are sugar and (virtually) calorie-free, but Diet Coke contains Aspartame - an artificial flavouring that's 200 times sweeter than sugar - while Coke Zero has aspartame and a sweetener called Acesulfame K.

Wholewheat or Wholegrain bread?

This can be a bit confusing. Wholegrain is higher in nutrients and fibre as it contains the entire grain kernel, and often has a mix of other grains (eg rye, barley & oats). Wholewheat only includes part of the grain. Today's diets are quite wheat-dominated, so it's good to vary your diet from time to time.

White sugar or Brown sugar?

Both are made from sugar beet or sugar cane, but white sugar is more heavily processed, so that the natural dark brown colour from the plant is removed. This means that brown sugar contains more minerals, like calcium, phosphorous and iron, and is slightly lower in calories. Any health benefits from brown are too small to make a real difference.

Green peppers or Red peppers?

This is down to ripeness - green peppers are picked before they're ripe (that's why they're bitter). If the pepper stays on the plant for longer, it turns yellow, and further still it turns red. The red ones are both sweeter and have beauty benefits - they're a great antioxidant to help fight the signs of ageing.

Cow's milk or Soya milk?

Both contain the same amount of calcium - it occurs naturally in cow's milk and is added to soya milk. Soya milk is made from pressing cooked soya beans and is lower in calories and saturated fat, and it tastes sweeter. Cow's milk has much higher levels of iodine, which is important for thyroid function. This one is more a question of taste.

So there you have it. Hope this helps!

Happy Eating!

*content courtesy of Glamour Magazine, August edition

NEW CLASS LAUNCH! Kickbox Cardio

KICKBOX CARDIO - LAUNCHING SAT 4th AUGUST!

Every Saturday, 11am - 12noon

Thornhill Community Centre, Falkirk

Only £3!

If you want an amazing full-body cardio workout, Kickbox Cardio is the place to be. Execute punches, kicks and blocks to music and feel those calories burn away!! Men and women of all shapes and sizes get something from this class as you can take it as high or low as you like! Non contact.

Happy Exercising!

Calf cramps - the causes and remedies

Have you ever been woken up by a severe cramp in your calf, or it's come on when you're stretching in the morning? What causes this? and what can we do about it?

Common causes

- Tightness after exercise the day before
- Dehydration
- Stretching as soon as you wake up
- Lack of potassium

Remedies

- Make sure to stretch after exercising. Muscles get leaner and stronger in the repair of the muscle fibres - so give them the best chance of getting stronger without injury by stretching after exercise.

- Keep hydrated throughout the day. Keep a water bottle with you at all times, especially at work. Government guidelines suggest that we should consume 6-8 glasses of water every day, so get drinking!

- If you must stretch, dorsiflex at the the ankles. Stretches where you raise your toes instead of lowering them will be best for avoiding calf cramps. Excessive plantarflexion of the foot in the morning just constricts your calf muscles. So, bring your toes towards you instead of pointing them.


- Eat a banana every day. They're a great source of potassium. Avocados, apricots and fish are some alternatives for you to try and get in regularly.

Happy stretching and eating!