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!