Why We Weigh Every Day (And You Should Too)

Posted on 18th June 20196th August 2020 by Theo Whittington

What Weight Loss Really Looks Like

Weight is something that a lot of us are quite sensitive about, it’s personal to us and we might not quite fit into what society expects of us. Weighing ourselves is something that is done in halls full of people once per week where a little machine on the floor will give us a number that tells us whether we’ve had a good week, for some people it goes deeper than that and hints at their self worth.

I mean sure, if you wear similar clothes, if you’ve eaten a similar amount, if the scales are in the right place on the floor, if you’re wearing your lucky shirt…

It gets a bit crazy doesn’t it? Even if you control the many variables that might affect your weight to the best of your abilities, you still need to face the fact that four data points per month doesn’t give you a clear picture of your weight loss.

Here’s the massive problem with that, the information isn’t really that reliable!

The image at the top of this post is one client’s weight loss over three weeks, she’s someone I coach online via my fitplans service and I make her weigh every damn day! Take a look at the graph and you’ll see why.

If she’d taken her weight at any of the peaks over these three weeks, no matter how well she was doing by eating the right foods, recording her intake and exercising regularly, she would have seen that number and perhaps even quit because of it. If she’d taken her weight weekly she would have seen a modest loss after the first week and found after her second week she was even heavier than when she started! When we look at all 21 data points, we can see a trend showing a loss of just over a kilogram per week.

It is not the numbers but the trend that matters

See another graph above, different person but there are still significant fluctuations. I could show you dozens of these but there is one thing I can’t show you in any of my client’s progress..

A straight line.

So if you’re weighing weekly, get off the emotional rollercoaster, stop worshipping the scales and start using them as a tool. You’ll see a lot more ups and downs but you’ll have clarity on your progress.

That is why we weigh every day, and why you should too.

List Of Foods Under 100 Calories

Posted on 28th January 20186th August 2020 by Theo Whittington

When you’re losing weight, it’s often about making the most of your calorie allowance. You need to make sure you fill your diet with healthful foods, but you may also want to have a little treat now and then too. Here you can find quick and easy foods that come in under 100 calories! From fruits and vegetables to healthy carbs and fats, to damage control when you go out for a drink!

Quick & Easy Foods Under 100 Calories

Fruits & Vegetables

1 Medium-Sized Apple

95 calories

Apples have a ton of health benefits from reducing cholesterol to fighting cancer! And a medium sized apple is only 95 calories!

Read more about the health benefits of apples!

1 Large Orange

87 calories

Oranges are nutritional powerhouses, a single fruit could provide 100% of your daily vitamin C needs at less than 100 calories!

Discover more health benefits of oranges!

1 Lemon

17 calories

A single lemon provides 50% of your daily vitamin C needs at just 17 calories! If you’re looking for a bit of flavour with barely any calories, grab a lemon!

Read more about the health benefits of lemons and limes!

1 Cup Of Blueberries (150g)

86 calories

This low sugar, flavour rich fruit provides a ton of nutrition without lots of additional calories, they’re delicious too! A cup of blueberries is only 86 calories!

Find out more about the health benefits of blueberries!

1 Cup Of Raspberries (125g)

66 calories

Raspberries are another great nutrient-rich food with anti-cancer and anti-obesity effects. A cup of raspberries is just 66 calories!

1 Cup Of Blackberries (144g)

62 calories

Blackberries are high in fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. and a cup of blackberries is just 62 calories!

1 Small Banana

90 calories

Bananas provide fibre, important minerals and may even boost your mood! A small banana is just 90 calories!

2 Kiwis

84 calories

Kiwis contain more than xx vitamin C and they taste great too!

2 kiwis contain just 84 calories making them a great low-calorie food for losing weight without sacrificing flavour!

10 Large Olives

70 calories

Olives are a great way to increase your intake of monounsaturated fat, whilst getting in a number of cancer-fighting, health promoting nutrients! Plus 10 jumbo olives are just 70 calories!

3 Large Carrots

90 calories

They might not give you predator vision like you might have been led to believe as a kid, but carrots are still a great weight loss food. Plus 3 large carrots contain only 90 calories!

1 Cup Of Grapes (92g)

62 calories

Grapes will help to satisfy a sweet tooth whilst providing resveratrol, antioxidants and important minerals! A cup of grapes weighs in at 92 grams and contains only 62 calories!

1 Cup Of Strawberries (144g)

47 calories

The strawberry might just be the perfect diet fruit. It tastes great and you could have 300 grams of them without going over 100 calories! A standard cup of strawberries is about 144g and contains just 47 calories!

Find out the health benefits of strawberries!

Half Grapefruit – White (118g)

39 calories

White grapefruit contains plenty of fibre, plenty of flavour, and even if you eat the whole thing in one go, you’ll still get change from 100 calories!

Find out how grapefruit can boost your health!

Half Grapefruit – Pink (118g)

50 calories

Pink grapefruit contains more calories than white grapefruit but is still a fantastic filling option!

Did you know red grapefruit can lower cholesterol?

Protein Sources

4 Slices Of Turkey Breast (85g)

88 calories

An easy, high-protein snack! You’ll get about 16 grams of protein from just 4 slices of turkey and you’ll only be consumed 88 calories!

Mini-Bag Of Fridge Raiders (25g)

47 calories

If you’re going to grab something on the go, you may as well do it right. Fridge raiders mini-packs are just 47 calories per bag and provide just over 5 grams of protein.

Small Glass Of Skimmed Milk (250ml)

91 calories

Milk contains lots of calcium and is also a good source of high-quality protein. A small 250ml glass contains only 91 calories and supplies you with 9 grams of protein.

1 Pot Low/Non-Fat Yoghurt (165g)

96 calories

Yoghurts, even when they have some pretty creative flavours added, are dairy products so you can expect the same health benefits that you get from a glass of milk. I actually took the calorie statistic for this one from Muller Light: Raspberry Doughnut flavour yoghurt!

Half Pot Of Cottage Cheese (150g)

90 calories

Cottage cheese is a fat loss superfood, it’s one of my fat loss favourites, it has lots of calcium and protein to support fat burning and half a tub is just 90 calories with 15g protein!

Boiled Egg

75 calories

Eggs are a great food for your health. They provide choline and 6 grams of protein per egg, they’re pretty filling too. Try them pickled, good if you don’t want to worry about them going off.

Half Cup Of Edamame (80g)

98 calories

Edamame boasts an impressive 9 grams of protein in just a half cup making it a great vegetarian source of protein! If you haven’t tried edamame yet, you really should!

Healthy Carbs

2 Scottish Oatcakes (21g)

96 calories

Oats are great for your health and oatcakes are a great way to get that goodness quickly and easily! Two oatcakes contain only 96 calories. Calorie content may vary based on flavour.

2 Rice Cakes (18g)

70 calories

Rice cakes have the same nutritional value of the rice they’re made from so wholemeal is better than brown, which is better than white. But regardless of colour, they’re a low -calorie food which can be taken anywhere.

Healthy Fats

While a lot of people get enough fat in their diet, most of us do not get enough of the right kinds of fat. Try adding these foods to your diet for better health and weight control!

1 Tablespoon Of Peanut Butter (16g)

94 calories

Peanut butter is good for your heart, and provides nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, and vitamins E and B6. It’s calorie-dense, but a tablespoon won’t hurt!

12 Almonds (15g)

84 calories

Almonds are high in protein and fibre and have been linked associated with greater losses in weight and waist circumference in studies. They don’t taste bad either!

1 Tablespoon Of Flaxseeds (10g)

55 calories

Flaxseeds provide lots of fibre and a very decent dose omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re vegetarian or do not eat fish regularly, your health will benefit from flax!

Alcoholic Beverages

With alcohol, it all comes down to moderation. While most drinks can be enjoyed with minimal impact on weight loss, the calories can quickly add up if you’re not careful.

1 Glass Of Red Wine (125ml)

85 calories

If you love a glass of red. there’s no reason you can’t enjoy one and still lose fat! In addition to being associated with a bunch of health benefits from lowering cholesterol to boosting your memory, a 125ml glass of red wine is only 85 calories!

1 Glass Of Dry White Wine (125ml)

85 calories

Prefer white? A 125ml glass of dry white wine is just 85 calories too!

Half-Pint Lager

~98 calories

Lager is typically quite heavy in calories, but you can enjoy half a pint of Carling, Carlsberg, Fosters or Skol for less than 100 calories! Typically the stronger the lager is the more calories it will contain.

Half Pint Of Cider

~97 calories

Ciders, like beers vary quite considerably depending on alcohol content, ciderss that came in under 200 calories per pint were Strongbow, Scrumpy Jack, and Blackthorn Dry. This list is by no means exhaustive though.

Shot Of Vodka

55 calories

A single shot of vodka has around 55 calories it it. To moderate your calorie content, just be sure not to use sugary mixers!

3 Unusual Yet Liberating Weight Loss Tips

Posted on 9th January 20186th August 2020 by Theo Whittington

There are lots of things we’re supposed to do to lose weight, you probably know most of them.

Well here are a few tips on things you don’t have to do!

Unusual Weight Loss Tip #1: You Don’t Always Have To Eat Less

Eating less is probably the most time-efficient way of losing weight, but it doesn’t suit every person or situation. Eating is fun, eating is social, and everyone loves a weight loss tip that doesn’t involve pushing the plate away!

To create a calorie deficit you can either decrease what you take in or increase what you’re burning. Exercise has a ton of benefits and eating is just plain fun. There’s nothing wrong with doing more cardio so you can enjoy the sort of diet you want. The plan that works is the one you stick to.

If you’d rather do 30-60 minutes of cardio daily and eat a healthy diet with a few meals out here and there rather than get super strict on your food, then do that.

Your life, your choice.

Just don’t go nuts, you won’t burn enough on the treadmill to support a diet of doughnuts and Ben and Jerry’s.

Unusual Weight Loss Tip #2: You Don’t Have To Lift Every Day

It’s become trendy lately to promote strength training as a panacea, I’m talking about personal trainers mostly to be fair, but it’s all over the place in magazines and online articles.

Strength is just one element of fitness, I love strength training, I do, but it’s just one tool in the toolbox.

Also, it just doesn’t burn that many calories.

Yep.

That afterburn effect you’re hearing about is what is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC for short. It’s effects are huge in marketing but small in reality.

It’ll help in the long run but it’s probably not going to get you ripped.

Ask a bodybuilder for weight loss tips.

They’ll tell you that they cut their calories back a bit and do cardio. Do that.

Strength training is for strength.

Unusual Weight Loss Tip #3: You Don’t Have To Snack

How about snacking? When did that become a thing?

You know, just a little something in case we die of starvation in between meals.

You may have heard that eating more frequently helps you lose weight. There was a surge of this kind of information about ten years ago. Unfortunately, it’s completely false. It’s not true. Yet it’s been eaten up by personal trainers, nutritionists, doctors, dieticians, basically all the people you’d think would know their shit.

Do you know what a more likely consequence of eating more frequently is? Eating more total calories.

The average person is really bad at estimating their calorie intake. So when given the chance to eat more often, they just eat more.

The bigger picture here is that behaviour makes a way bigger difference to our bodies than some small, in this case non-existent, increase in metabolic rate.

From my own personal experience and countless anecdotes from others, I’d also say that eating more frequently actually makes you more hungry. If six meals works for you then great, but don’t snack because you’re supposed to. It won’t help.

Besides, eating every three hours? I don’t check my email that frequently.

Until next time,

Theo