Trying to lose weight, but getting food cravings?

 

A big success in weight loss and weight management…

Is stabilising blood sugar by consistently having a good balance of natural foods…

We know that if your blood sugar peaks and dips wildly throughout the day, unless you have great genetics you wont be as lean as you want to be…

You will be contributing to your body fat storage rather than burning it…

Your health will begin to suffer as the body is always fighting to process the amount of blood sugar in the blood stream…

Another contributor is that when our blood sugar regularly fluctuates, we have constant cravings…

Cravings that take over and make it very hard for us to resist stuff…

Children’s leftovers; especially deserts, specific coffee’s at coffee shops and the other stuff they sell, something to go with cups of tea, not just being able to have one glass of lady petrol (wine), just being able to have a little bit of chocolate…

the very stuff that is going to elevate our blood sugar very quickly and give us a massive low later…

Which means we get into a never ender spiral of repeating the process…

When our blood sugar is more stable, the cravings start to decrease, because we are not experiencing a blood sugar spike followed by a blood sugar low, we don’t experience the bodies urgent message of “quick, low blood sugar: raise it as fast as possible, eat the closest high sugar item as fast as possible…

We become that person you know with mood swings, displaying extreme highs and lows…

(And if you don’t know that person, it could be you :))

The more we stabilise blood sugar, by eating balanced meals and snacks, the more we bring our cravings under control, the easier it becomes to make better choices…

The easier it becomes to make better choices, the more we stabilise blood sugar, the more we stabilise blood sugar, the more our body wants to top up its energy from another source – body fat.

Ed (When the little ones decide they no longer like a particular child like treat or desert, it ends up in my little cupboard, at some point in the week end, I allow myself to indulge and I say to my self “I am a trainer, I have otherworldly discipline, I will have just one” and so I have one and in an instant a flock of wild horses or some huge obstacle or emergency would not stop me reaching for another) Stride.

An important weight loss question...

For most of us we share a common goal, to be leaner (lose and shape up) and we care about our health...

We want that great feeling that comes with feeling good about ourselves...

Our health issues are minimal, any medication taken is for minor and short term reasons...

So if that is the objective you have in mind...

I have a question, what are you willing to do?

Depending on that objective it may be easier or harder than you may think...

If you want to be super lean and you have normal genetics, then there is quite a bit to it...

Being very strict on your nutrition plan (weighing and measuring) and doing quite challenging exercise sessions quite a few times a week (maybe even twice a day)...

Maybe that was me before, now I'm left asking "who has time for this?"...

So if that is your goal then be realistic about what is involved...

For must of us our goals are a little bit more modest...

With this in mind, your lose and shape up and health goals are actually a lot more attainable than you think they are...

I can give you a numerous list of lifestyle habits to implement, but I don't know your readiness to do them at this point in time...

So my question again is: what are you willing to do now?

No matter how big or small...

Start with that and see where it takes you...

You can do this...

Ed ( actually I asked someone this and was not ready for the answer, they told me they were going to go to a different fast food chain from now on, I pointed out that the food there was no healthier than any of the others, this was agreed but the real reason was "none of these places have a drive through so you have to get out the car and walk in to get your food, burns more calories" can't argue with that logic) Stride.

Weight Loss: Get beyond the details!

The health and weight loss industry is a big one...

Millions spent each year...

Gadgets and fads included...

If you ever bought a gadget or entered into a plan, you've probably deliberated and then shelled out your money...

Felt excited at the prospect of achieving something that would have amazing benefits...

Either for it to totally not deliver, or deliver very quickly and stop...

Or deliver and then when you stopped, the situation reversed and maybe worse...

Leaving you feeling that that's the way things are, you are meant to be a certain size or level of health...

And you start to become sceptical to all messages, even the right ones...

And when people ask me questions, they want to get bogged down in the details...

Then it's my job to dodge the details...

The details, the gadgets, the fat burning pills, the metabolism boosting foods and drinks, body wraps, supplements, will bring you maybe a few percentage closer to results...

I want to bring your attention to the things that make the biggest difference...

That's why in my mail before I talked about a system...

We know nutrition habits are roughly 70-80 percent of weight loss, the right type of exercise making up the rest...

Skip the fat burning pills, decide which types of junk foods and alcohol you can either cut out or cut down on...

Moderate high energy carbohydrates if your goal is to lose...

Find a way to eat more vegetables, every nutrition plan, health specialist agrees with this one...

So it's not pretty, but I care about you getting results, I could easily write about fluff...

But fluff won't get you results...

Let let's keep focusing on the stuff that does!

Ed ( I'm not a liker of veggies since childhood, but it's easier now, I can mix Spinach into my scrambled eggs, who remembers boiled cabbage, can't mix that in your scrambled eggs) Stride.

One thing essential to lose weight (or achieve anything else).

If there is one thing that makes anyone successful at anything...

To step by step create any result...

It's a system!

Dynamic it is not...

Sexy it is not...

But when anyone has followed my healthy weight loss system...

They have got results...

But to be honest I don't ever recall anyone, ever using the word dynamic and my name in the same sentence...

But systems are effective...

If you are a Mum, what systems do you have in place to make sure the little ones get fed, do homework, bath time and get to sleep at a good hour?...

Or in business terms, systems that create a desired result; productivity, profitability for example?...

If you need further proof I'm not dynamic, I even have a system for vacuuming the house or mowing the lawn, I know, I blow people's minds sometimes...

My systematic weight loss programme is designed such that all it involves is taking weekly steps, doing the things that make the biggest difference first...

I will tell you more about it very soon...

You can start your own today though...

If things are staying the same, that means something needs to be done differently...

Think of something you are willing to do now, no matter how big or small and commit to it for the long term...

Then next week, commit to another one and repeat...

That's it you are creating your own system!

You are making progress...

If anyone finds out about your system though, don't expect them to describe you as dynamic :) ... 

You can do this.

Ed ( I will admit it, describing my self as not very dynamic is a bit like describing the city of Venice as "a bit damp") Stride.

Is Weight Loss really about calorie counting?

It's seems there many many people out there; fellow Personal Trainers, nutritionalists all conveying a very similar message to me...

Recommending lifestyle weight loss systems and different recipes...

Only they are a lot more famous of course...

All with the same message we have all known, my self for about two decades now...

I read an article obviously written by the uninformed, but it would be a useful comparison and experiment to make...

They were taking some of the recommended recipes adding up the total calories and then stating a particular food on a well known fast food companies that was less...

For me though a great experiment and proof that we have moved far away from the fact that a calorie is a calorie...

I know of no before and after pictures out there that came from the "burger and chips nutrition plan"...

To be fair, knowing the numbers I could probably order smart from a takeaway menu each day and be a healthy weight...

But I would be having very small portions and very quickly be lacking in nutrients...

Don't get me wrong even with healthy, clean food you still have to be aware of portion sizes...

But the aim and the message is to create a lifestyle, to be a "foody" and be in good shape also...

And have great health and vitality, just simple feel good...

That comes from nourishing the body, creating the right balance, not just balancing calories.

Ed ( "I have just realised half an Easter egg is less calories than one of Ed's recipes, I know which one I'm having from now on)...

Two things that make Weight Loss possible.

When I was younger I may have got into talking about doing different exercises and exercising in general...

Being a busy step dad and family man means these days I tend to see exercise as a means to an end...

In a social setting, if they don't know what I do for a living I always get the same response about exercise...

"Oh I don't exercise, I just don't have the energy"...

I smile and nod (there's a time and a place, I'm learning)...

But that response baffles me...

Because exercising regularly gives you energy!

In fact healthy eating and exercise form an amazing healthy lifestyle cycle...

You see when you exercise, after because your blood sugar (energy reserves) are low and you have created the need for healthy soft tissue repair...

Your body is more likely to crave healthier food...

And when you regularly eat healthy food, you tend to feel healthier and cleaner and more vibrant...

More likely to be more active and move more, rather than sluggish and lethargic...

Then when you are more active, you are more likely to crave healthy food...

And it begins again...

And in this scenario, it doesn't really matter if it was the chicken or the egg that came first, the cycle will start either way...

"But I haven't always got time to drive to a gym, do an hour, drive back...

Then make use of whatever time you have...

The metabolism boosting exercise sessions in my 12 week programme are about 25 mins long and need no equipment...

Take whatever step you can in relation to your healthy lifestyle cycle...

Ed ( "Good news we are invited to a do and they are cooking for every one, they are even doing a vegetarian option" "Are they doing a Personal Trainer option?" "Yes it's called stay home on your own and eat Chicken & Broccoli") Stride.

Weight Loss results: Read before it's too late...

One thing I am not good at is mornings...

Once I'm up and out, it can be quite nice, that feeling of productivity, that feeling of self righteousness that you've started your day, before the rest of the population has even had chance to rub its eyes and scratch its bottom...

But most mornings although I give my self plenty of time, I start slow and end up rushing...

In life we are reactive to a lot of things, we don't tend to take action until we start to feel very uncomfortable about what that inaction may lead to...

It's very common for that to be about lifestyle goals too...

Modern life seems to include a lot of sitting down for example travel and work...

We tend to take the action to move more when we start to feel that we are seizing, or worse a back or joint problem...

We tend to take action with weight loss, when we reach crisis point...

Could be something we over hear, a throw away comment from someone, catching the sight of our reflection, feeling uncomfortable somewhere warm on holiday; instead of relaxing, spending the time feeling self conscious, or reviewing holiday photos and not liking what you see, or clothes that were once comfortable now feeling tight in the wrong places, not being able to join in with activities or do slightly energetic things with children as a few minutes in a sit down is required...

A lot of the time I am enlisted to help or my advice is followed when someone reaches this point...

It an "enough is enough" stage...

I have seen it time and time again...

When we reach this point, we also want the discomfort to go quickly, so the likelihood of doing something drastic increases, that leaves us repeating the process very soon...

I know in modern life there is a lot going on that leaves very little "you" time...

But before crisis point, take whatever action what ever small steps you can, start with something that doesn't take much of your time, maybe just a different food choice when you buy something or make something...

Any kind of increased movement...

I know you will find it's worth it.

Ed (Should just about be on time this morning, where did that traffic queue, tractor, road works, additional traffic lights, peak time learner driver, road closure come from!) Stride.

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