So this has been a common complaint over lockdown – here are my top 3 recommendations of things you can start doing straightaway…

Firstly – cut yourself some slack

Its been a challenging few months and dealing with all of these changes has taken some deep breaths, to say the least. So, if you’ve put on a few pounds, its not the end of the world, (when you think of all the things you have been hearing about on the news). But if you’ve decided that enough’s enough and you’re going to use this as an opportunity to get healthy, you’ve come to the right place… Start by  taking your waist to hip ratio and getting a benchmark you can refer back to before you get started on the weight loss.

Secondly – ease back to a regular sleep pattern

We know from studies that sleep deprived people will crave more fats and carbs the day after a shorter sleep. Well you know that thing called a bedtime you used to have when you had an office to get to by 8:30 in the morning, and / or possibly children to get to school? Go back to that. You’ll feel more rested and able to deal with whatever the next few months throw at you. (Netflix can chill by itself and you can get some zeds). Plus – its good for your immune system… (win/win).

Thirdly – get a healthy eating plan

Most people believe weight gain is due to eating too many calories; whereas in fact it’s all about managing blood sugar levels (or the glycaemic load – GL). When your blood sugar level rises your body produces a hormone called insulin, (the fat storage hormone).  If you consume a high sugar or high carbohydrate diet over a long period, your cells become less responsive to insulin, causing even more insulin to be produced and storing even more sugar as fat.  To get around this you need to:-

• Eat protein with each meal and snack to slow the release of glucose into the blood. Protein can mean meat, fish, tofu, chickpeas, lentils or other legumes, nuts and seeds.
• Eat no more than a quarter of your plate as carbohydrates (ie rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, fruit). To do this you will need to ensure you eat roughly half a plate of salad or vegetables with your main meals. This displaces a lot of unnecessary pasta and fills you up with nutritious vitamins and minerals.

Finally – consider incorporating some of my immune supporting foods items to help you. If you need help putting a weight loss diet into practice, I have lots of experience and many resources at my fingertips (see my weight-loss testimonials). I am also holding 121 meal planning sessions as people get back into a bit of normality. Alternatively, if you’d just like a refresher nutrition consult – you know where to find me.