NUTRITION FAQ'S
how should i be eating if weight loss is my goal?
Contrary to popular belief, there is no 'best' way to eat for weight loss. What we do know, is that weight loss occurs by being in energy deficit - that is, you eat less energy (calories) than your body requires. How one achieves this is completely individual (and the reason nutritionists exist!). Your nutrition coach will help you to find sustainable ways to eat less calories, based on your food preferences and lifestyle.
I heard carbs and fat are bad. is that true?
This is another popular belief, and we don't like to categorise food as 'good' or 'bad' per se. However, in this day and age, refined and processed carbohydrates and fats are found in many, many processed and fast foods. These refined and processed carbs and fats absolutely can lead to health issues, which is why the recommendation is to eat minimally processed, whole foods as often as you can. However, you should absolutely not be concerned about consuming quality carbohydrates (brown rice, whole grain pasta, veggies, legumes, fruits) or fats (olive oil, avocado, seeds, fish).
my friend tried (keto/fasting/low-carb/vegan) and lost lots of weight. Should i do that too?
This is one of the most common questions we get asked. As we mentioned before, weight loss works when you consume less calories than your body requires, consistently.
If anyone you know lost weight doing any kind of diet, it's because they found a way that they could consume less calories, not because of the diet itself. They were consuming less calories on the diet than they were off it.
Whether or not that same diet will allow you to consume less calories is difficult to judge. For example, if you really like carbs, trying a low-carb diet won't lead to long-term adherence - you might stick to it for a week, and discover it's impossible for you to manage.
It's all a matter of adherence, what can you stick to for the long-term?
If anyone you know lost weight doing any kind of diet, it's because they found a way that they could consume less calories, not because of the diet itself. They were consuming less calories on the diet than they were off it.
Whether or not that same diet will allow you to consume less calories is difficult to judge. For example, if you really like carbs, trying a low-carb diet won't lead to long-term adherence - you might stick to it for a week, and discover it's impossible for you to manage.
It's all a matter of adherence, what can you stick to for the long-term?
should i have a protein powder?
Protein powders are not an essential part of the diet. However, for some people who exercise a lot, are busy at work and have little time to eat, or struggle to eat enough protein-rich foods, a protein powder can be a useful supplement to their diet.
how much alcohol is too much for weight loss?
Alcohol is absolutely an issue when it comes to clients losing weight. All alcohol contains 7 calories per gram. So, even if you're having a vodka and soda - the vodka contains alcohol, which then contains 7 calories per gram.
One of the major issues with alcohol is it sneaks in calories really, really easily. Therefore, we recommend minimising alcohol consumption (plus we're thinking about your general health!) as much as possible. If you must drink, it's helpful to be aware of how many calories each alcoholic beverage you consume contains.
One of the major issues with alcohol is it sneaks in calories really, really easily. Therefore, we recommend minimising alcohol consumption (plus we're thinking about your general health!) as much as possible. If you must drink, it's helpful to be aware of how many calories each alcoholic beverage you consume contains.
is it true that i shouldn't eat carbs after 3pm?
No. There is no evidence to suggest consuming carbohydrates after 3pm affects weight loss or any health markers.
Should i be eating every 2 hours to keep my metabolism high?
Research shows consuming more frequent meals (i.e. every 2 hours) does not affect metabolism any more than eating less frequent meals (i.e. 3 meals per day). Experience tells us that eating less frequently (i.e. 3 meals per day) is a wiser choice for a wide variety of people.
how often should i be working out?
The number one thing to remember when it comes to introducing exercise into your regimen is your goals, with the second thing to remember is how realistic your expectations are. Let me explain;
We advocate regular exercise, due to the multitude of health benefits that are associated with frequent physical activity. If your goal is to improve athletic performance, we might recommend you workout on most days of the week. If your goal is to become a little fitter, a little stronger, and enjoy all the health benefits of strength training, we might recommend you workout 3 times per week. Your goals really determine your required exercise frequency.
Secondly comes how 'real-world' your expectations are. For example, if you're new to exercise, starting out with a goal to workout every day probably isn't very realistic, considering exercise hasn't been a part of your daily routine before. On top of this, your body will become sore and tired, leaving you susceptible to injuries and performing exercises incorrectly.
Our best advice is something is better than nothing. One workout a week trumps no workout. Listen to your body, and ensure you're mixing your strength training workouts with lower intensity exercise (e.g. walking) to balance it out.
We advocate regular exercise, due to the multitude of health benefits that are associated with frequent physical activity. If your goal is to improve athletic performance, we might recommend you workout on most days of the week. If your goal is to become a little fitter, a little stronger, and enjoy all the health benefits of strength training, we might recommend you workout 3 times per week. Your goals really determine your required exercise frequency.
Secondly comes how 'real-world' your expectations are. For example, if you're new to exercise, starting out with a goal to workout every day probably isn't very realistic, considering exercise hasn't been a part of your daily routine before. On top of this, your body will become sore and tired, leaving you susceptible to injuries and performing exercises incorrectly.
Our best advice is something is better than nothing. One workout a week trumps no workout. Listen to your body, and ensure you're mixing your strength training workouts with lower intensity exercise (e.g. walking) to balance it out.
will eating fruit cause me to gain weight/prevent me from losing weight?
No. Fruit is packed full of good stuff, and in its natural form, a food we highly recommend consuming. Trust us, obesity is not caused by people eating too many blueberries, slices of watermelon, or oranges.
does celery juice and apple cider vinegar really burn fat?
The answer is no. Unfortunately, we are bombarded with these 'magic bullet' solutions to weight loss quite frequently in the nutrition industry. Trust me, if celery juice was the cure to obesity, everyone would be drinking it. Weight loss occurs by consuming fewer calories from the food and drinks that you intake. There is no way that we can make any excess in calories that you consume simply disappear!
how much protein should i be eating everyday?
This is a really important question, as protein plays a very important role in human health, particularly as we age. It's role in muscle tissue, and therefore our strength, function and health, cannot be understated. Unfortunately, I often see women who are consuming substantially lower protein levels than what is required.
The Australian recommended daily intake for protein in 0.75g of protein per kilogram of your body weight. So, if you weigh 100kg, you would need 75g of protein per day. Note, this is the minimum requirements to prevent deficiency.
If you're active, or over the age of 40, we recommend increasing that intake to 1g per kilogram of your body weight. 100kg = 100g of protein per day.
If you're very active, i.e. exercising most days and at a high intensity, you'd be looking at around 1.5g per kilogram of your body weight.
NOTE: See below for protein sources.
The Australian recommended daily intake for protein in 0.75g of protein per kilogram of your body weight. So, if you weigh 100kg, you would need 75g of protein per day. Note, this is the minimum requirements to prevent deficiency.
If you're active, or over the age of 40, we recommend increasing that intake to 1g per kilogram of your body weight. 100kg = 100g of protein per day.
If you're very active, i.e. exercising most days and at a high intensity, you'd be looking at around 1.5g per kilogram of your body weight.
NOTE: See below for protein sources.
what foods contain protein?
Protein is found predominantly in animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. However, it can also be found in vegetarian sources, such as beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, and vegetarian protein powders.
Note, all sources of protein contain different amounts of protein. For example, 100g of meat doesn't contain 100g of protein. 100g of meat contains roughly 20g of protein.
Note, all sources of protein contain different amounts of protein. For example, 100g of meat doesn't contain 100g of protein. 100g of meat contains roughly 20g of protein.
i crave sugar. what can i do about it?
This is a multi-faceted question which unfortunately isn't easily answered. Often, sugar cravings are as simple as a habit, where you crave a particular food after dinner because you know it's in the cupboard or freezer. A great way of working around this habit is don't buy the food you crave! Other times, it can be a disruption in gut bacteria, in which case it's best to speak with a qualified practitioner to assess your best options.