Snacks are always a tough topic. It’s almost like the marmite - people either love snacking or hate it. Now, what if we tell you that snacking can actually a good thing, but it can also be the reason that sabotages your weight loss progress. Read on to see what tips we have for you.

The key to successful snacking is to know what to eat. Also understanding what common snacking mistakes could be in the way of you achieving your ideal shape. We carefully prepared this ‘mistake guide’ for you to understand a healthy and beneficial way to enjoy your favourite snacks.

Here are the most common mistakes you want to avoid.

1. SNACKING OUT OF BOREDOM

We often tend to snack when we work, study or watch a film, and before you know it the whole large bowl of popcorn is gone.

When you start to feel hungry or feel the need for a snack, first just try to reach out for a glass of water instead. Wait for around 20 minutes and if you’re still experiencing hunger, then reach out for your healthy snack.

2. LESS IS MORE

Nuts, seeds and dried fruit, although healthy and delicious, they are also very easy to overeat on. You better watch out! Over-snacking is another very common issue.

You want to apply the good old 'all in moderation' rule, because even when it comes to healthy snacking you don't want to overdo it. Instead, aim for appropriate portion sizes. Good examples are nuts and seeds, you don't want to eat more than 28g (a handful) of these in one day (unless you follow a vegan diet and nuts/ seed are the only sources of fat intake - then go nuts).

OUR TIP:

Instead of eating right from the big packaging, prepare small snack bags or serve an appropriate amount of your snack in a bowl.

3. REGULARITY IS THE KEY

Having a light lunch and then starving yourself until dinner will either result in overeating in the evening or reaching out for a fast unhealthy snack. You want to make sure you don't get to the point when your blood sugar gets too low so that you'd wanna eat anything and everything you lay your eyes on.

WE SUGGEST:

be prepared! If you know you'll be in for a long day at work, prepare a healthy packed lunch and some snacks. You want to make sure your snacks are balanced in macros: fat, carbohydrates and protein. You can read more on this topic HERE.

The Solution?

A great snack would, for example, be: cucumber with canned tuna and a whole grain cracker, peanut butter rye toast with banana, or yogurt with fruit and nuts.

You'd be surprised how much can those three simple steps help you in achieving your weight loss goals. It really can be that simple if you put your mind to it. However, if you feel confused and need a little extra guidance in your weight loss journey, don't be afraid to get in touch with us or claim your free consultation, by clicking HERE.

Losing weight is never easy, especially if you need to have the results FAST. There are a number of different ways to lose weight depending on, well lots of things. Whether you want to lose weight fast, or slow with long lasting result, whether you will be following a workout routine or not.

Of course the long-lasting results are the right way to leading a healthy lifestyle. However, at times you might need a quick fix for a wedding for example or some other special event.

In this blog we will look specifically on the easy way to lose weight fast.

1. Keep a Track of Your Diet

This can be a tough one for most people, depending on where's your diet at. If you follow a diet high in sugar, fried and processed food then you might want to consider some serious changes, not necessarily for your weight loss but for your over all health too. If you follow a considerably healthy lifestyle than you may not need any drastic changes in your diet.

Counting calories and macros are a great way of keeping a track of where you get your energy from. However, counting calories might not be as important as knowing your food's nutritional values and the type and amount of macros they have to offer. (you can read more on macros HERE)

We encourage our clients to use a diet tracking app/ website such as myfitnesspal. There you can simply input what you eat, but try to be honest! The app, depending on your goal and your needs, will calculate your daily calorie intake without judgement.

A good idea is to get a body composition assessment, to provide you with more accurate tracking throughout your training programme. Muscles are more metabolically active and its a healthier tissue than fat, so it is important to see how you reduce fat while gain muscle. You will never be able to view this on a regular scale.  If your body fat has decreased and lean mass increased, a little weight gain at the beginning can mean your routine is working after all.

2. Reduce Eating Sugar and Carbs

This is one of the most important parts of a quick weight loss, and a one you have most likely heard of already.

When you cut back on sugars and carbs, your hunger levels will naturally lower (you know, sugar cravings). And instead of burning carbs for energy, your body starts feeding off from your stored fat. Other than that lowering carbs and sugar intake also lowers insulin levels, so that your kidneys can eliminate excess sodium and excess water from your body. This is because carbs store extra water which can result in a little bit of a puffy appearance. Therefore you can achieve the short-term results of looking leaner as your body loses water weight.

Note that for a long-term results and a transformational lifestyle change, we recommend a diet with a moderate complex carbs consumptions. A good example of complex carbs would be: whole-grain sources which are the most efficient and healthiest fuel like corn, peas, white and sweet potatoes, squashes, wholewheat bread, brown rice, oats, chickpeas, beans, lentils. You can read more about carbs in one of our blogs: HERE!

3. Eat Your Protein, Fats and Veggies

Each meal you eat throughout the day should include a protein source, some fat and of course vegetables (preferably low carb). Eating this way, your carb consumption will be automatically lowered to around 20–50 grams per day, which is your aim during weight loss.

We recommend you eat 3 meals per day accompanied by 2 snacks - morning and afternoon. And always remember: all in moderation

Best Protein Sources

• chicken
• turkey
• salmon
• tuna
• tofu
• chickpeas
• lentils

Vegetables (non-starchy)

• broccoli
• cauliflower
• spinach
• kale
• cabbage
• lettuce
• cucumber

Fat Sources

• olive oil
• coconut oil
• avocado oil
• nuts and seeds

4. Fibre is Your Friend

A diet based mostly on protein and vegetables contains all the fibre, vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy. Fibre helps to slow the digestion speed of carbs, keeping you fuller for longer but also maintaining a steadier blood sugar. So no more sugar rushes & crushes, followed by overeating.

This is also why whole grain products, fruit and vegetables tend to be a better choice than their not so fibre rich simple carbs.

5. Lift Weights

Choose weight lifting as a part of your workout routine, and not necessarily cardio. Or mix it up with a combination of the two. Initially, resistance training might cause a little weight gain due to your body's inflammatory response. Weight lifting, burns calories, builds some lean muscle tissue and keeps your metabolism going.

It has been shown that with a low-carb diet you can gain a bit of muscle too while losing body fat. People who follow low-intensity exercise programme although burning calories, they often tend to eat more.

If it's you are new to weight loss whether the quick way or the transformational way, or the whole weight loss thing is a little too confusing, we recommend to seek a help from a professional, and that's what we are here for! Book a FREE consultation with us now!