4th January 2011

However flawed you are, know that you’re okay!


OMG alarm clock woke me up this morning, that rarely happens and first day back at work, can’t wait to weigh you all this week ;-) I know I’ve gained about 5lb over the holiday but that’s just dandy cos they tasted fabulous and I’m ready to eat less and healthier, my body is screaming for it!

Exercise helps but alone it won't make you thin - to lose a pound of fat you'd have to run from Leeds to Nottingham! So I look forward to seeing you all this week to get back on the ProPoints Plan!

I’m not suggesting you don’t do any exercise but at the same time don’t expect it to be a miracle cure, for example you will to do an extra two hours of cycling to but 500 calories, that’s about 2 doughnuts!

Another danger of the high aerobic exercise workouts is that those who exercise cancel out the calories they have burnt by eating more, either as a reward to celebrate their hard work or even just to satisfy their stimulated appetite! Another danger is people who do gym type activity are less active in their day-to-day life because they believe they’ve done their workout already.

The good news is the latest scientific findings from the US suggest an intense work out is less effective than gentle exercises in terms of weight loss. Evidence emerging shows that moderate exercise such as walking may help to burn calories without making you reach for a snack the moment you’re done.

The bad news is research has confirmed that it is more difficult for women to shed the pounds than men, because women’s bodies are simply more efficient at storing fat (DAMN!). In one experiment in which overweight men and women were monitored while walking on treadmills, the women’s blood levels of insulin decreased while appetite hormones increased; the men’s, meanwhile, displayed no change ;-(

Next time you have a snack attack, here’s an idea of how long it will take to burn off ten of your favourite foods!

One portion of Tesco lasagne (560cals) = 45 minutes of spinning!

One slice of Domino’s pepperoni pizza (198cals) = 45 minutes of swimming

Morrisons choc-chip muffin (476cals) = 58 minutes of climbing

Packet of Walkers cheese and onion crisps (184cals) = 35 minutes of Frisbee

Subway tuna wrap (310cals) 1 hour & 10 minutes of body pumping

Bacon sandwich on white bread (430cals) = 58 minutes of football

Coffee Republic ham and cheese toastie (436cals) = 1 hour & 30 minutes of netball

Granny smith apple (62cals) = 15 minutes of weightlifting (so glad I don’t eat them!!!)

M&S hot-cross bun (159cals) = 20 minutes of skipping

Mars Bar (280cals) = 50 minutes of aqua aerobics

Exercise is important, it’s fabulous for your health and it’s also a great contributor to maintaining weight loss. Don’t forget that overeating by just 100 calories a day for a year can lead to a weight increase of 10 pounds.

Changing for life isn’t down to one single solution, it’s a combination of things, moving more, eating less, changing portion sizes, changing your attitude to food, etc, etc, etc but the one thing that I think helps more than anything is loving yourself for who you are, because remember however flawed you are, you’re okay!