Every Step Fitness

Punch them if you need… (*don’t actually punch anyone… unless they really deserve it…. 😉) Happy Monday 💖 💪🏼

Happy weekend 💖Have a fab one! 💖
🌟🏃🏼‍♀️🚴🏽‍♂️🏋🏼‍♂️👯‍♀️💖
Xx

Happy Thursday - quiz time! 🍫

Today I’ve gone for a different take on the traditional Malteser - the M&S blond chocolate version. So how many calories in one of these bags? Don't google it! No prizes, just a bit of fun!

Give me your best guesses 🤗

(Check back in the comments this evening for the answer!)

‘I’m pretty good at estimating my calories….. ‘ 🥑

I’m always telling my clients to try to be as accurate as possible when they’re tracking their food and calories. This means actually weighing things - particularly anything that is calorie dense.

Very often people tell me that they’re “pretty good” at estimating the amounts they’re having, that they have the same thing each day so they know what it looks like now, that they can estimate pretty well etc. I’m sure some can, but I know I can’t. I can at first but then often amounts creep up without you even realising it.

In this example on the left is an amount that was estimated at around 40g avocado by a number of people I asked, (calories excluding the toast), on the right is the actual amount - 120g! Now I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t have thought it was that much but look at what a difference it makes in calories. 40g can look very similar to 120g when layered on toast and you may not even realise how much you’re having. The same goes for nut butters, spreads, cheese etc - anything high calorie. With less calorie dense foods it won’t matter as much but with these calorie dense foods when you get it wrong you’re adding a large number of calories. This is also why measure like “a small avocado” are no good - what’s small? my small may not be your small… etc

So if you are trying to lose fat/watching your calories maybe it’s time to go back and get those scales out and double check those estimates and see if you really are as good as you think you are.
🤗
Xx

Tuesday Tip: How to get back on the wagon 🍟🍔🍕

After the summer holidays and a bank holiday weekend, you may feel as though you’ve overindulged and completely fallen off the wagon. So, what now? Should you throw in the towel and write the whole week off? Absolutely not! Before you beat yourself up or get stuck in a cycle of overeating, try these tips to get back on track.

1. Chin up
Stay positive. So you’ve eaten or drunk more than planned? One weekend or calorie splurge isn’t the end of the world. Refocus on why you want to lose weight or feel healthier. There will always be peaks and troughs—the overall journey can still be heading in the right direction, even with a few bumps along the way.

2. Make your next meal healthy
Don’t wait until tomorrow, Monday or when the children go back to school. Make your next meal a healthy one. You’ll feel better for it and immediately start getting yourself back on track.

3. Bank a few calories
Don’t starve yourself or severely restrict your calories after a blip. You’ll only end up ravenous and more likely to overeat again. However, you could eat around 100–200 Cals less for the next few days. You’ll barely notice the reduction, but it can help buffer some of the extra calories.

4. Get active
You can’t out-exercise a consistently poor diet, but being active can burn a few extra calories and help you feel better. Go for a walk, cycle, swim, take a class or grab a skipping rope—anything that gets you moving!

5. Think!
Consider what led to the splurge. There’s no need to beat yourself up, but it’s useful to understand why it happened. Were you away from your normal routine? Surrounded by tempting food? Bored, hungry or emotional? Did friends persuade you to have another drink?
Once you recognise the reason, you can plan for it next time. Most importantly, don’t let one indulgent weekend turn into an indulgent week. Draw a line under it and move on!

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

It’s the Bank Holiday! 🤗

Whether you have the day off or are working today I hope you have a lovely day! Enjoy it whatever you’re doing 💜xx

Happy long weekend! 💖 Have a fab one 💜

Happy Thursday - quiz time! 🥗

As salad and bbq season nears its end I’ve gone for a little ready made salad today - a Beetroot and whipped goat’s cheese salad. So how many calories in one of these small salad pots? Don't google it! No prizes, just a bit of fun!

Give me your best guesses 🤗

(Check back in the comments this evening for the answer!)

Carbs make you fat…. 🥔 🍞

I actually lose count of the number of times people tell me it’s carbs that are making them fat, or stopping them losing weight, or that they just need to cut carbs and they’ll lose weight….

The rhetoric is usually something along the lines of - to lose fat/weight you need to cut or reduce carbs and focus on more protein and fat based foods (nuts are a prime example). Many new clients I meet have either tried eliminating carbs from their diet or that they intend to, by which they usually mean cutting out potatoes, bread, pasta etc. Many social media ‘experts’ have suggested that carbs are ‘bad’ and to be avoided - but this is based on very little actual evidence. In fact many studies have supported the fact that eliminating carbs has no significant impact when it comes to weight loss - it’s the total calories that have the impact.

No food or macro is inherently fattening. It all comes down to calories. Carbs do not make you fat - as you can see in this example - those high carb foods are actually far lower in calories per 100g than those high fat foods. Now eating fat-heavy foods won’t make you fat either - but this just illustrates the point re carbs quite nicely.
From a fat loss standpoint, fats are more calorie dense than carbs or protein. Fats contain 9 calories per gram, carbs contain 4 calories per gram and so does protein. Therefore, fat as a macronutrient is more than TWICE the amount of calories compared to carbohydrates or protein. This doesn't mean fat is ‘bad’ it just means foods that are high in fat are also high in calories, so be mindful mindful of your portions! Often it’s what you’re putting on the carbs that make them higher in calorie - like cheese, butter, nut butter etc.

You CAN eat carbs and still lose weight when you are able to achieve a energy deficit. So stop believing that carbs are responsible for your weight gain. They’re not - whether intentional or not you were just eating more calories than you needed.

🤗
Xx

Tuesday Tip: Lemon water 🍋

Social media claims lemon water aids digestion, detoxifies the body, rejuvenates skin, promotes weight loss, boosts metabolism, balances pH, reduces inflammation and even prevents cancer. So, is it really an elixir of life? Nope!

1. Weight loss
Lemons contain pectin, a type of fibre that can help with fullness but a squeeze of juice contains virtually none. Water may fill you up or replace a higher-calorie drink, but there’s no magic effect from the lemon.

2. Detoxification
Your liver and kidneys remove waste products from your body. They don’t need ‘detoxing”’ certainly not by lemon water. No food or drink flushes mysterious toxins from your system.

3. Balancing pH
The claim is that our bodies are too acidic and need “alkaline” foods. In reality, your body tightly regulates blood pH. If it moves outside its normal range, that’s a serious medical problem not something fixed by breakfast! Food may alter the pH of your urine, but it cannot meaningfully change your blood pH. There’s also no evidence that an alkaline diet or lemon water prevents or cures cancer.

4. Boosting metabolism
Lemon water has no meaningful effect on metabolism. Many so-called ‘metabolism-boosting’foods produce, at most, a tiny and temporary effect.

5. Digestion
Good hydration supports normal digestion and helps prevent constipation. Adding lemon isn’t necessary it’s the water doing the work.

6. Immunity
Lemon provides some vitamin C, but the small amount used in lemon water is unlikely to “boost” your immune system or make a meaningful difference if you already eat a reasonably balanced diet.

Lemon water isn’t harmful per se, but regularly exposing teeth to acidic drinks can contribute to enamel erosion. It may also aggravate heartburn or reflux in some people.

So drink it if you enjoy the taste or the ritual but don’t expect it to detox your body, melt fat or transform your health!
Happy Tuesday 🤗
Xx