Author: Louisa

This is a question that has puzzled psychologists and behavioural experts for years and it continues to plague many of us. It is something I find fascinating and am enjoying learning about. 

In Michelle Segar’s book The Joy Choice, she discusses how in the moment decisions can derail our good intentions around healthy eating and exercise. I covered some of the background in this post: Why is it so hard to change behaviour when it comes to healthy eating and exercise? 

Segar has identified four of these decision disrupters which “literally disrupt our decisions at the moment of choice, often before we realise it”. When taken in the context of our chaotic, busy, stressful and tiring lives, these can easily derail any good intentions we may have. According to Segar, identifying these disruptors, and gaining awareness, is key to forming alternative pathways to successful exercising and healthy eating.  

So what are these decision disrupters: 

1.     Temptation: 

Giving in to in the moment tempting choice. This is when our current impulses, desires and wants override what we know we should be doing. It’s the conflict between wanting what we want right now versus long term goals. 

The Affective-Reflective Theory (ART) of physical inactivity and exercise

This conflict is so common and familiar that scientists have developed a theory to try to explain it. The Affective-Reflective Theory (ART) of physical inactivity and exercise published by Ralf Brand and Panteleimon Ekkekakis . It taps into Daniel Kaheman’s system 1 (reactive and feeling) and system 2 (rational and logical) thinking. It is the conflict between the automatic gut reaction “affective” versus the more thoughtful long-term “reflective” state. The theory proposes that in order for an individual to successfully participate in exercise the two states must be aligned. 

For a lot of people exercise is associated with negative tags which can be rooted in their unconscious mind such as shame, dislike, unpleasant feelings, fatigue, sweat, pain, discomfort or displeasure. These negative connotations  become attached to the idea of exercise and can create aversion to doing it in the moment.  These feelings are visceral and automatic and can not necessarily be controlled.

Grounded-cognition theory of desire 

This theory proposes that our choices related to eating healthily are “grounded by the nonconscious simulations of the relevant senses that are involved when we eat, such as taste, vision and those cultivate desire toward eating”. Behind every choice related to food and drink lies powerful and rich memories creating vivid cues.

Have you ever experienced a very strong desire to eat a cookie when you walk past one of those cookie stalls pumping out the smell of freshly baked goodies? This desire is built into your memory bank from the day you did eat a lovely fresh cookie. You want to experience that sensation again and feel the textures, smells and tastes of that lovely piece of temptation. 

Again this can often be deeply embedded in our unconscious thought processes. As a result we may not be aware of this happening. When we succomb to temptation our rational self might end up feeling guilty. We might judge ourselves as weak or lacking in willpower. 

None of this is our fault. We certainly aren’t lazy or lacking in willpower – these things are so deeply ingrained it might be hard to overcome them. 

2.     Rebellion:

Rebelling against the “should”. When our freedom and sense of autonomy feels threatened we can sometimes take the opposite path of rebellion. The communications we tap into in our daily lives are continually bombarding us with should messages. We should eat this and not that, we should exercise x amount, we should look a certain way etc. 

If our reaction to these should messages is to get annoyed then the likely outcome is rebellion and doing exactly the opposite of what the should is telling us. It can sometimes feel empowering to rebel and embrace our sense of autonomy and personal choice. 

 E.g. “sod it I’m sick of my GP telling me I need to exercise more I’ll sit on the sofa and eat crisps instead”.

Cognitive dissonance 

Michelle Segar talks about cognitive dissonance as “a fight between two conflicting beliefs, values, or states“. People experiencing cognitive dissonance may try to minimise the discomfort they face by rebelling against the rules and doing the opposite of what they have been told.

These type of conflicts can be very common in smokers and those trying to lose weight through dieting. Having a cigarette or eating that slice of cake can be a way of retaining a sense of control and an alignment of self-worth in the short term. This poses a very complex psychological dilemma for people which may not be easily understood. Studies have shown that social stigma for those trying to lose weight can cause “increasing vulnerability to stress, depression, low self-esteem, poor body image, maladaptive eating behaviours and avoidance of physical activity”. As Segar writes, “unfortunately…physical activity and healthy eating have gotten all tangled up in the classic shoulds related to weight and health, and the associated stigma and shame”. This can result in a confusing mess of feelings and emotions about what we should be doing and what we shouldn’t. “It creates a continual inner tug-of-war about food and movement choices”. 

Given this complexity it isn’t surprising that so many people rebel against the very choices they know they should be making. 

3.     Accommodation: 

Putting the needs of others before our own goals to the detriment of ourselves. This can start out with a simple action such as eating a piece of cake because you have been offered it by your close friend and you don’t want to hurt their feelings. I am sure we have all been here before. You are out with colleagues and decided you were not going to drink any alcoholic drinks and then your boss offers to buy you a drink. You don’t want to seem like you are “boring” or not joining in the socialising so you think to yourself that “one won’t hurt”. It’s true that making one off decisions, which go against your long-term health plans, are unlikely to hinder your progress. However, these sorts of decisions can often snowball over time and become a real barrier to healthy eating and exercise goals. 

Research has shown that altruistic behaviour results in benefits all round for the giver as well as those around them. However, some givers go too far the other way and sacrifice too much.  As Segar writes “selfless givers are inclined to drop everything when people need something from them”. She adds “when there is an imbalance between the care and concern we give to others and to ourselves, we are at higher risk for burnout and getting sick”. 

This is another familiar story and one which I often see in my work with women and mothers in particular. Exercise and healthy eating goals can slip to the bottom of the priority list as there are so many other needs to consider in the busy day. 

E.g. “I can’t go to my yoga class as my son/daughter is crying and needs me rather than my partner for bedtime”. As Segar notes “accomodation, unlike other decision disrupters, can touch us where we are most vulnerable, in relationship to our undeniable value of and responsibility and care for and nurture family, friendships, relationships and work”. 

It may be an accommodation red flag if you see self-care as selfish. This notion goes against all of the research in this area showing that prioritising self-care is anything but selfish. 

4. Perfectionism:

Assuming the ideal over the real. Perfectionism is the trap many of us fall into when we embark on ambitious new year healthy eating and exercise regimes. This is the pathway to success we have been taught and sold by the diet and fitness industry. It’s the all or nothing approach, the way to get the perfect body, how to achieve ultimate health and fitness and be happy forever. It’s the never eating any processed food ever again, the working out 5-6 times a week, the drinking no alcohol.

If we fail, which we inevitably will, we will chastise ourselves with self-blame and lack of willpower and self-control. As we try to get it right we go round and round in circles and are stuck in an endless trap of exercise plans, diets and subsequent failings when things inevitably don’t pan out because the initial goal was too unrealistic in the context of real life. 

Segar notes that perfectionism “creates the perfect conditions” for the other 3 decision disruptors. It “stops us in our tracks” as it leaves no room for flexible thinking or taking an alternative path. E.g. if I can’t do it I won’t do it at all: “I don’t have time to do a 1 hour session in the gym so there’s no point in going at all”. 

“Rising up, consciously and unconsciously – memories of mouth-watering meals, feeling shamed for adolescent weight probems, being called last for the team in junior high PE, defiance against deeling controlled, feeling selfish about self-care, stressed out by choosing between the all or the nothing – these disruptors ambush our focus and trap our attention, ultimately resisting our hoped-for, planned for, and well-intended eating or exercise decisions”. 

Michelle Segar The Joy Choice

Ironically research shows that people who seek to have more self-control actually end up having less self-control. “Believing that we need more self-control to succeed only reinforces our belief that we don’t have what it takes to get there”. 

So what do we do to overcome these decision disruptors?

Half of the battle may be in recognising these disruptive thoughts and starting to build self-awareness of the “in the moment” choices we are making. Seeing patterns of thought emerging is often a very powerful way to start to change thinking. Can you spot some of these in the moment decision disruptors?

In The Joy Choice, Segar proposes a new way of tackling these decision disruptors which I will cover in future blog posts.

I recently finished reading and reviewing Michelle Segar’s latest book The Joy Choice. I am a big fan of her first book No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness. This book does not disappoint.

It is a really interesting read and explores the real day to day conflicts we face when trying to change exercise and eating habits. Michelle Segar is a behavioural change expert who has spent decades researching how to achieve lasting changes in eating and exercise and other self-care behaviors. She believes most of what we’ve been taught about creating change in eating and exercise is simplistic, outdated, and for many, misguided.

Why do our eating and exercise plans so often fail?

Decisions around healthy eating and exercise are often much harder than other in other areas of behavioural change because they have to be taken in the context of our chaotic lives.

“If home life is generally chaotic and it’s taking lots of attention and effort to manage the basics…like getting up and out the door, it’s hard to layer on “extra” effort, like having the ingredients for a healthy meal on hand- not to mention enough time and cognitive space to plan and prepare it. Furthermore, if the chaos is also causing stress, it may be even more tempting to eat comfort foods as a strategy to regulate your emotions.”

Alison Miller, University of Michigan quoted from The Joy Choice by Michelle Segar

Our life space gets in the way

Our thoughts, feelings and emotions are continually getting in the way of our rational and logical plans to eat healthily or exercise. Social psychologist Kurt Lewin calls this our life space. As Michelle Segar notes, this internal world “influences how we interact with the people, events, and tasks we encounter in daily life, and the choices we make…Life space is inherently dynamic”. We all have our own individual and unique life spaces each with our own identities and roles.

Derailing conflicts

There are many potential derailing conflicts we face each time we embark on exercise or healthy eating. Segar refers to these as “choice points” which are the in-the-moment conflicts we face which can easily derail eating and exercise goals. In The Joy Choice, Segar outlines 4 types of decision disrupters we must overcome when facing choices around exercise and heathly eating: temptation, accomodation, rebellion and perfectionism. I’ll write more about these in a post soon!

This is a truly insightful book delving deeply into the psychology of why we struggle with sticking with healthy eating and exercise intentions. The first step towards enacting successful behaviour change is to become aware and this book certainly helps to with thsi concept. It also provides a practical and simple framework for how to start to breakdown some of the internal barriers we face and move towards a healthier and happier relationship with food and exercise. I will certainly be embracing some of the concepts in this book in the coaching work I do!

A special post for Mental Health Awareness Week 2022

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 and the theme this year is loneliness. This is a fitting topic as we all adjust to life after lockdown. Loneliness is a huge issue with 1 in 14 adults over the age of 16 feeling lonely.

A new study, by researchers at Penn State, has recently been published showing that engaging in activities which are fully engaging can effectively reduce loneliness.

I’ve written lots about mental health and exercise in previous posts including: Exercise and mental health: why is it so good for our minds?, Exercise is an effective treatment for depression and Water, swimming and wellbeing: why is it so good for us?  In this post I’m focusing on staying connected to tie in with the theme for this year…

Here are 5 ways exercise can help us feel less alone:

1. Get us into a “flow state”

An exercise activity which induces a state of “flow” can help us to feel less lonely and more connected to ourselves. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience says: “I developed a theory of optimal experience based on the concept of Flow – the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do even at great cost for the sheer sake of doing it”.

2.Walking outdoors with a friend

3. Exercise buddy

Pairing up with a friend to do exercise is a brilliant way to ease feelings of loneliness as well as getting movement into your day. It’s much more motivating and social to exercise together and you can hold each other to account.

4. Fitness classes

Working out in a room full of people can be intimidating but it can also be great fun. In her book The Joy of Movement, Kelly McGonigal  talks about how exercising to music and in a group can be so rewarding and help us feel so great. Providing us with the benefits of movement as well as the feeling of connection and empowerment we get from music. I definitely feel this during my power ballad classes.

5. Parkrun

April is stress awareness month. Did you know that exercise can be a great way to reduce stress?

If I feel stressed my number one coping mechanism is to get outside and move my body. I know that however overwhelmed I feel, I can cope better if I exercise. The good news is that you can benefit from the stress reduction exercise offers through only 20-30 mins of mild to moderate exercise 3 times a week. 

Here are 8 ways exercise helps relieve stress: 

1. It reduces the stress hormones in the brain:

Exercise is proven to reduce the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline and regulate the body’s fight or flight response. It also increases norepinephrine which can help the body respond to stress. In his book The Stress Solution, Dr Rangan Chatterjee discusses research showing how the chemical GABA is increased through exercise which encourages the brain into a calm state. 

2. It helps build resilience in stressful situations:

During exercise the stress hormones in the body increase, in the short term, but they soon return to normal after exercise has finished. As Mithu Storoni in her book Stress Proof,  notes “Exercise is a stressor. As you mount a small stress response to exercise repeatedly, your stress response becomes smaller. Regular exposure to exercise makes you better at recovering from it”. 

3. It regulates the nervous system:

Exercising consistently helps the body to switch between the body’s sympathetic state (fight and flight) and parasympathetic state (rest and digest) more easily. This again allows for greater resilience to cope with stress. Exercise such as yoga is particuarly helpful in correcting a balance between the two states. Mithu Storoni notes that exercise can reduce rumination after a stressful experience by improving prefrontal control over the HPA-axis response (the body’s stress response axis). 

4. It activates the brain’s reward system:

by giving the brain an immediate boost of feel good chemicals: dopamine, endocannabinoids, norepinephrine and serotonin. I’ve written lots about this in previous posts: Exercise and mental health why is it so good for our minds?

5. It improves blood flow to the brain

When we move our bodies more oxygen and other essential nutrients become readily available to the brain. This immediately makes us feel better.

6. Takes your mind off your stress and worries

The repetitive movement of exercise can be meditative and transform our state of mind. Exercising outside can be particularly beneficial in encouraging a meditative state.  

7. It improves the quality and duration of your sleep

which in turn reduces levels of stress. People who regularly exercise tend to enjoy deeper more sound sleep. Studies have shown that exercise frequently increases total sleep time and the time it takes to fall asleep is reduced.

8. It can protect your telomeres

Dr Chatterjee also discusses the role of telomeres (protective material found at the end of our chromosomes inside our genetic material). If your telomeres are damaged you will age more prematurely and experience more stress. A study conducted in 2010 with stressed out women concluded that “vigorous physical activity appears to protect those experiencing high stress by buffering its relationship with telomeres”.

Next time you are feeling stressed…

Try to do a short burst of activity – a walk, a 7 minute workout, dance to your favourite songs, do 20 squats – and see how you feel after – I guarantee you will feel less stressed than when you started! 

Beware of over-exercise

It’s important to note that over-exercising can have a negative effect and actually drive up the stress state as well as increasing inflammation and placing the immune system under threat. It’s important to listen to your body and feel what sort of exercise might be best. For example, if you have been really active are super busy at work, and are feeling tired and achey in your body then it might well be time to have a day off or do lighter exercise such as a walk or restorative yoga or pilates. 

This question comes up a lot. Whilst any amount of exercise is better than none, ideally it’s important to get a good combination of different types of exercise to work the different energy systems in the body.

I like to divide it into three different types of exercise: aerobic, strength and flexibility and balance: 

Aerobic 

Aerobic exercise is any continuous activity which increases heart rate and can be sustained over a relatively long period. Aerobic exercise is good for building and maintaining cardiovascular and respiratory fitness. It can reduce the risk of developing many cancers, type two diabetes and the risk of early death by up to 30%.

Examples are brisk walking, jogging, running, swimming, dancing, cycling, fitness classes, rowing and hiking.

It’s good to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week spread over 4 to 5 days or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise spread across the week (NHS guidelines). 

Strength 

Strength based exercises use resistance to build and strengthen muscles, joints, bones, tendons and ligaments. Strength training is particularly important as we age as it protects against muscle and bone decline and osteoarthritis. Having strong muscles can help reduce aches and pains and promote good posture.

Weight bearing exercises don’t necessarily mean having to go to the gym and lift heavy weights. There are lots of strength based exercises you can do in your own home with no equipment.

Examples of body weight exercises are squats, press-ups, lunges, tricep dips, wall sits etc. You will also work your major muscles by doing every day chores such as housework, picking up young children and gardening. 

Aim for at least two sessions of strength training a week working all of the major muscle groups (NHS guidelines).

Flexibility and balance 

Increasing flexibility and balance are important components in overall fitness. Flexibility and balance exercises can improve joint movement and optimise motor skills. Flexibility exercises require stretching the muscles without any sudden or high impact movements. This can help with moveabilty and reduce the risk of falling as we age as well as keeping our bodies strong and subtle. It can also lead to improved posture, contribute to enhanced sports performance and have enormous benefits for mental health. 

Flexibility and balance exercises include yoga and pilates. These exercises can also contribute to strength training. Tennis, squash, t’ai chi and dance are good examples of exercises combining balance with aerobic fitness. 

I’ll be writing more detailed posts on each of the three types of exercise in my next posts so look out for more coming soon!

Research shows that 24% of women and 13% of men in England are diagnosed with depression in their lifetime. Anxiety and depression are at an all time high as a result of the global pandemic. 

I have struggled recently, as many of us have, trying to cope with the uncertainties and challenges the global pandemic has thrown at us. My main coping mechanisms when things are hard are exercise, mindfulness meditation and self compassion.

I’ve written about all three topics before in the following blog posts:

• Exercise and mental health: why is it so good for our minds
• Self-compassion and being kind to yourself: how it can help you feel your best self
• Feel good with mindfulness meditation

Here I am focusing on exercise as an effective treatment for depression and a natural alternative to antidepressants.

Exercise as an antidepressant: the science 

There is a wealth of literature supporting the notion that exercise is as effective an intervention for depression as medication. In fact, many GPs are now actively prescribing exercise as a treatment for depression. 

Dr Brendon Stubbs has written extensively about this topic. Stubbs refers to a study, by Schuch et al, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, in 2018 which followed 260,000 people and their exercise habits over 7 years. The study showed that people following recommended activity guidelines were 30% less likely to develop depression. Stubbs’s research has shown that even if you are predisposed in your genetic make-up to develop depression, exercise can act as a preventative measure. 

Studies on sedentary behaviour, in people who were previously active, have shown that after just a week of low activity, signs of stress, anxiety and depression start to emerge. This is something a lot of us know intuitively but it’s great to see the research base growing in this area. 

Exercise as preferable to antidepressants

Exercise doesn’t carry the same stigma as medication and can empower individuals to have ownership over their illness. This can then also help to treat the symptoms of depression by providing a sense of hopefulness and optimisim for the future. Exercise does not pose the same risks in terms of negative side effects as medication. In fact, it does the opposite and reduces the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and many cancers. Once exercise becomes an engrained habit it can safely be done for the long term. 

So why does exercise make us feel so good

Exercise taps into our body’s reward system and triggers the release of feel-good chemicals like endorphins, adrenaline and dopamine. This is what people experience when they talk of the “runner’s high”. 

How exercise benefits the brain

Low-intensity aerobic exercise has a powerful effect on brain growth. Dr. Michael Craig Miller, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School notes: “In people who are depressed, neuroscientists have noticed that the hippocampus in the brain—the region that helps regulate mood—is smaller. Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, improving nerve cell connections, which helps relieve depression,” So exercise can actually rewire the brain!

Endocannabinoids and exercise

In her book The Joy of Movement kelly McGonigal explores the lesser understood endocannabinoid system also known as the “don’t worry, be happy” chemicals. The amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, areas of the brain that regulate the stress response system, are rich in receptors for endocannabinoids. When endocannabinoid molecules lock into these receptors they reduce anxiety and induce a state of contentment. Endocannabinoids also increase dopamine in the brain’s reward system which further fuels feelings of optimism. Research shows that exercise increases the endocannabinoid system in the brain. 

McGonigal talks about sticking with something which raises your heart rate for 20 minutes which will then ensure a high of some sort. Interestingly research has shown that when endocannabinoids are inhibited feelings of anxiety or depression are more likely to increase.

The more active we are the more our brains change and the more dense the binding sites in the brain become for endocannabinoids. The brain then starts to crave the feeling of exercise. This is fascinating and explains a lot in terms of why some people really need the buzz and the feel good factor they get from exercise.   

Myokines and mental health

McGonigal also clearly outlines the role of Proteins called myokines in this process. Every time we move a muscle myokines are released by the muscles into the blood stream . There are 35 different types of myokines all producing positive effects on the body.

Myokines have been shown to demonstrate positive effects on mental health. They can help to protect brain cells and even generate new neurons. They reduce the impact of anxiety, depression and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s.

It’s not surprising that they are dubbed by scientists as the “hope” molecule. The most exciting thing about this is that you don’t need to move that much for myokines to be released into your bloodstream. Walking, running, jogging, swimming, cycling, hiking and high intensity workouts have been shown to release myokines. The more you move the more myokines! 

The challenges of exercise and depression

Exercise might be the last thing an individual feels like doing when they are depressed. Sometimes it’s hard enough to muster the willpower to get out of bed let alone go for a run. From experience I know how hard this can be. It’s all about starting small and setting managable goals. Getting out for a 5 minute walk could all that it takes to get moving and onto a positive pathway.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that people with mild to moderate depression take part in about 3 sessions a week. Each session lasting 45 minutes – 1 hour.

Doing an activity you like and enjoy is also super important. See my post how you can learn to like exercise for life.

Happy 2022! How can it be January again? It’s super common to go into a new year with lots of good intentions to start a diet and exercise program after an indulgent festive season. It’s also completely human to start enthusiastically and then give up on new habits after a week or so. 80% of people ditch their new year fitness resolutions by mid February. Changing habits is hard! See my previous post how can you learn to like exercise for life.

Here are my top tips for starting as you mean to go on and actually sticking to those new habits:

1. Choose something you like to do

Simple but important. If you don’t like doing it you won’t stick to it. Exercise doesn’t have to be a gruelling 1.5 hour gym session. It can be going out for a brisk walk for your dog, playing football or running around with your kids or putting on your favourite songs and dancing around your living room. It needs to be something intrinsic to be meaningful to you. This means the activity you choose will feel great in the moment and after. Exercising for extrinsic reasons for example soley for weight loss or to build muscle isn’t as effective long term. See my previous post how can you learn to like exercise for life. 

2. Start small

If you had a pretty sedentary 2021 then attempting to go to the gym 5 days a week probably won’t be sustainable long term. Start with something more realistic and you’ll be surprised at how quickly a habit can build.  What about trying 5 squats each time you put your kettle on for a cuppa? Research shows that small habits lead to sustainable long term behaviour change. See my previous post How to transform your exercise and eating habits for life by making small changes. 

3. Set yourself a goal

We all need an end result whether that be to run a 5K or do 1 press up. Couch to 5k is a great programme to lead you up to that 5K running point. It’s much more motivating to have something to work towards no matter how big or small! Write your goal down and stick it somewhere in your house you will see every day. Acknowledge to yourself when you have made small steps towards your goal and congratulate yourself – even if it’s just getting out of the house.

4. Do something which fits with your current routines

Again with an emphasis on ease. If you have a busy family life then movement needs to fit around your life. Choose something which slots in with how much time you have available, is within your financial means and is an activity your family will support you with.   

5. Do something with a friend

Research shows that you are much more likely to commit to an exercise session if you do it with another person. You can hold each other to account, enjoy the social aspect and feel great together after! 

Here’s the second installment of my blog on the topic of carbohydrates. See Are carbohydrates really “bad” for us for the background.

Cutting out carbohydrates when trying to lose weight 

If you want to lose weight you do not need to completely cut out carbohydrates from your diet. In fact, I don’t think it’s the best idea to cut out entire food groups at all. It’s probably not sustainable for transforming lifestyle change long term and it can also make us crave these foods even more. 

Is it about the number of calories? 

Rather than thinking in terms of calories, it’s better to focus on the types of food you are consuming. For example, you could eat the same number of calories in a piece of cake and a vegetable curry but one is much healthier than the other.  

 top tips for carbohydrates and weight loss 

If you are trying to lose weight, and be as healthy as possible, then aim to follow these carbohydrate based golden rules…

1. Stick to a diet of mostly complex carbohydrates. Opt for wholegrains and one ingredient foods: brown rice and pasta, wholemeal bread, lentils, pulses, vegetables, fruits etc. See my previous post Are carbohydrates really “bad” for us for more details.
2. Try to limit processed carbohydrates as much as possible. Eat them once or twice a week at the most and ensure you are following the other tips here too to counteract the impact of processed carbs. Examples of procesed carbs are pizza, white bread, pastries, biscuits, crisps and most supermarket pre-prepared meals (most of the foods we crave and love to eat – which is no coincidence). See my previous post Are carbohydrates really “bad” for us for more details.
3. Pay attention to food labels: Generally it’s good to avoid any foods containing long lists of ingredients, especially those which you don’t recognise. These will usually indicate that the food is a processed carbohydrate. See my previous post Are carbohydrates really “bad” for us for more details.
4. Check for sugar content: Food companies cleverly disguise the amount of sugar in products. Aim to avoid products with more than 15g of sugar per 100g. 
5. Eat lots of fibre in your diet to counteract the effects of carbohydrates – the best sources of fibre are: beans, lentils, dried fruit, nuts and seeds, fruit and vegetables, wholemeal and wholegrain breads, pasta and cereals. Bran cereals, figs, strawberries, peas and baked beans contain high percentages of fibre per 100g. 
6. Aim to eat 5 different coloured vegetables each day
7. Cut down on snacking – allow for 4-5 hour breaks between eating. If you need to snack choose fruits, nuts or a yogurt. 
8. Give your digestive system a long rest over night – aim for at least 12 hours of consuming nothing but water most days a week for 12 hours or more (this includes milk in coffee and tea and alcohol). Research has shown that when the digestive system is given a proper rest the body starts to burn stored fuel. If you give yourself at least 12 hours without consuming food the body will kick into fat burning mode. See my previous post on intermittent fasting here.
9. Reduce alcohol consumption, especially in the evening. Alcohol contains lots of hidden sugars. If you drink alcohol most nights a week you won’t be giving your body the rest time it needs to start to burn fat stores. It will be harder to stick to a 12 hours or under eating window if you drink in the evening.  
10. Review your breakfast choices: Avoid fruit juices, most breakfast cereals (porridge, bran based cereals and weetabix are OK), toast and pastries – they are full of hidden sugars – stick to protein based breakfasts such as eggs and avocado or porridge, nuts, fruit and yogurt.
11. Eat the majority of your calories earlier in the day. This has been shown to be an effective way to stay full in the evening and prevent overeating at night.
12. Exercise and be as active as possible: Last but not least and my favourite activity!   

It’s important to note that we are all different and what works for one person may not work for another. It’s also worth noting that the odd day every now and then where you break any of these rules won’t mean your diet plan has gone down the pan. You can simply return to where you were the next day. Experiment with some of these tips and see what works for you! 

References: 

Rangan Chatterjee Feel Great: Lose Weight

Jason Fung The Obesity Code: the bestselling guide to unlocking the secrets of weight loss

Satchin Panda The Circadian Code: Lose weight, supercharge your energy and sleep well every night 

Tim Spector The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat

Dispelling the myths 

As part of my quest to understand the science behind weight loss I am delving deep into diet and discovering some fascinating insights. There’s so much confusion around what to eat and “good” and “bad” foods. Particularly when it comes to carbohydrates. Research says that labelling foods as “good” or “bad” is not helpful. One way to avoid using such labelling is to use more descriptive words such as processed, whole and nutritious. 

What are carbohydrates?

Essentially carbs are all foods which are not proteins, fats and micronutrients like vitamins and minerals. So bread, pasta, potatoes, legumes, vegetables, fruit and everything else in between. 

There are three main types of carbohydrates: sugar, starch and fibre. 

Why do we need carbohydrates? 

Carbohydrates are essential for healthy bodily function. They provide fuel for the body and allow us to function to maximal capacity. When we consume carbohydrates the food is converted into glucose in the liver and then distributed to the muscles and cells to be used as energy. If excess carbohydrates are consumed, than the body needs to function, then the energy is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. 

How much carbohydrate should we be eating? 

The eat well food plate and the NHS tells us that carbs should form 50% of most meals. However, I think the amount of carbs you eat really depends on several factors. For example, if you are training for a marathon and out doing long endurance runs then you need more carbohydrate than if you are mostly sedentary. Generally it is a good idea to be carbohydrate aware and eat around a fistful as part of each meal. 

Do carbs make us fat? 

This is where the confusion lies. We have been told many fabricated myths about food over the years. In recent years carbs have taken the hit with the popularity of low and no carb diets taking centre stage. 

It is true that if you consume excess carbs you will probably gain weight. This is why: unused glucose is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles ready for use. If it is not used it is converted to fat. 

However…what is important when it comes to weight gain/loss is the type of carbs and when you are consuming them 

Types of carbohydrates 

There’s a vast difference between highly processed and refined carbs, also known as simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. 

Processed or simple carbohydrates 

Almost anything bought in a shop with more than one ingredient constitutes processed or simple carbs: cookies, white bread, cakes, biscuits, ready meals, crisps etc. 

Anything made with white flour has been processed and refined to the point where a lot of the nutritious content, such as fibre, has been removed. The digestive system doesn’t need to work very hard to process these types of foods. After eating highly processed carbohydrates there is a sharp increase in insulin levels and a spike in blood sugar levels. This process creates imbalance and in particular interferes with leptin, the hormone telling the brain the body is full. Blood sugar levels will drop quite quickly promoting hunger and triggering the reward pathways in the brain which in turn encourage further consumption of these foods. 

Dr Rangnan Chatterjee calls these “blissy foods” which have been designed specifically to become addictive by activating the dopamine response in the brain.

You know what I am talking about: crisps, chocolate, pastries, cakes, pizza, burgers, chips, sugary drinks etc.

“Dopamine helps create intense feelings of reward, and this motivates us to repeat the same behaviour – eating those blissy foods – over and over again”.

Feel Great Lose Weight – Rangan Chatterjee

Have you noticed how you don’t have the same cravings to devour an entire cauliflower compared to a huge bar of Dairy Milk? 

Complex carbs

Complex carbohydrates consist of wholegrains, legumes, such as pulses, fruit and vegetables. They contain dietary fibre, starch and are rich in vitamins and minerals. Fibre counteracts the effects of highly processed foods by slowing down the digestive system and making the body work harder to process food. Energy is released over a much longer period of time. So anything made from wholegrains – brown rice, pasta, brown bread full of seeds, rye bread as well as fresh vegetables, legumes and fruit are healthier for us and generally lower in sugars.  

Insulin Resistance 

Eating large amounts of refined and processed carbohydrates, particularly without taking breaks between eating of more than 4 hours, can contribute to insulin resistance. In the simplest terms this is what usually happens in the body when everything is working as it should:

• Glucose is produced from the food we eat in the blood 
• This blood sugar triggers the pancreas to release the hormone insulin. Insulin is a very important hormone as it regulates blood sugar in the body
• Insulin signals the blood sugar to enter the body’s cells for use as energy as well as telling the liver to store glucose for later use

If this process becomes unbalanced insulin resistance can occur:

• Sugar enters the blood steam in high quantities and the pancreas has to work harder to pump out insulin to get the blood sugar into the cells 
• Cells eventually stop responding to the insulin and become resistant
• The pancreas makes more insulin to encourage the cells to respond 
• If this process continues the pancreas can’t keep up and blood sugar keeps rising

Increasing blood sugar in the bloodstream is seriously unhealthy for the body. Higher levels of insulin can mean that the liver and the muscles get too full of blood sugar. When this happens excess blood sugar is sent to the cells and is stored as fat. 

It’s not surprising that eating too many refined carbohydrates is thought to be one of the main causes of insulin resistance leadingn to type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. 

My next post will cover what you can aim to do if you are trying to lose weight when it comes to carbohydrates!

Having a baby is obviously transformational but it doesn’t mean you can’t do any of the things you used to enjoy doing. After having my daughter Elsie by elective caesarean section in December 2020, I was determined to find a way to get myself fit and moving again. Exercise is my top self-care activity and I knew I had to make sure it factored in my life.  I also want my daughter to grow up loving movement as much as me.

It’s obviously super important to get signed off by the GP before commencing any exercise programme after having a baby. I’d also strongly advise seeing a physio (see my previous post on how to get moving after a c-section for more details). 

There are lots of ways you can factor exercise into your life as a baby, especially when they are very small and don’t move around much! Here are some ideas: 

1. Pelvic floor exercises

It’s super important for postpartum women to start strengthening the pelvic floor muscles as soon as possible again after birth whether you had a natural birth or not. Pregnancy and birth puts so much pressure on this area and repairing it will help with a whole factor of health issues later on. No one wants to be leaking wee everytime they laugh.

How to do pelvic floor exercises

Lots of women don’t know how to do pelvic floor exercises properly which is not totally surprising as it’s such a hidden set of muscles. I think the best way to describe how to work these muscles is to squeeze the muscles around your vagina as if you are holding in a wee (don’t actually do this when you need a wee). Imagine there’s a blueberry down there and you are squeezing it and then releasing. If you feel your bum muscles tensing you aren’t doing them correctly. It’s a very small movement but a very important one! Do short quick pulses (up to 20) two times a day and squeeze for longer (up to 10 seconds) and release 10 x twice a day. It’s a good idea to attach this habit to an existing one – see my previous blog post on this for more details.

2. Deep abdominal breathing:

This can be done really early on and can help to rebuild and strengthen the transverse abdominals and also helps reduce the c section bulge and the belly. Doing these exercises reguarly can also really help to flatten the stomach. I do my deep breathing every time I have a shower and just before I go to bed each evening.

How to do deep abdominal breathing

Put your hands on your lower tummy and take a deep breath in. Feel your tummy expanding and pushing out against your hands as you breath in. As you breathe out feel your tummy muscles contracting and pull your belly button in towards your spine. Hold the muscles in for a count of 5 keeping all of the muscles tense. Keep breathing out slowly through your mouth. Do 5 to 10 rounds of these breathing twice a day to feel the benefits. You can do these exercises whilst you are sitting, standing or lying down.

3. Walking

Get out for a walk every day with your baby. Fresh air is great to get them napping and also get yourself moving. Aim for 10,000 steps a day. Get power walking up those hills! You can even add extra weight into your pram basket to make your workout walks harder.  When you are walking you can also pull in and tighten your abdominal muscles to workout the core (see above for how to do deep abdominal breathing).

4. Workout with your baby

Here are a few ideas: 

Your baby is a great resistance weight! I’m sure you’ll be doing lots of squatting and bouncing up and down with your baby to sooth them so why not build this into a workout. Having your baby in a carrier can be a great way to squat and lunge safely. 

Pram workouts: you can do lots of exercises whilst rocking your baby to sleep in their pram – push the pram forward and squat as you bring the pram back towards you. Lunges can also be done in this way. 

Baby press ups: lie your baby on your exercise mat and press up down to give him/her a kiss – it’s a great way to keep them entertained and get yourself a good full workout at the same time. 

Shoulder presses: Babies love to be lifted up above your head and this is essentially a shoulder press workout for your arms. Lift your baby ten times like this and you’ll soon feel it in your upper arms! 

Yoga with the baby: babies will love lying on a yoga mat underneath you, or next to you, as you do your yoga moves. My baby loves it when I do a downward facing dog with her lying below me. 

5. fitness classes for parents and babies:

Look out for lots of local fitness classes where you can bring your baby. There are some great ones near me for example: The Body People. I’ve started up my own park fitness class for parents in my local park so if you are local to E17 give me a shout for how to join!  

6. A weaning workout:

Once your baby starts to sit in their highchair to eat you can optimise this time by doing a mini workout around their meals. 5 squats, a few shoulder presses and press ups on your kitchen counter – done every day can make a massive difference to how you feel, your body shape and your fitness!

7. Tag team a workout:

Team up with another Mum or Dad and take it in turns to do your favourite activity with the other looking after your baby. I’m so lucky to have my sister on maternity leave with me and we take our babies to the local lido and open water swimming. One of us swims whilst the other looks after the two little ones. My partner Steve and I also take Elsie to the local track to do interval training. She sits in her pram as one of us does a lap of the track with the other one feeding her her breakfast and then we swap over. It’s ideal resting time!