I recently posted on my forum for members to supply their questions for Nutritionist and Psychologist, Susie Burrell. Here is what we recieved:
1. My question is about calorie intake v calories burnt for maximum weight loss. I have an online food journal and it gives me a total limit of 1470 calories per day. If I eat 800 calories today but burn off 400 at the gym, some people say you are supposed to eat back the 400 calories you burn off. I am confused about this opinion because how would you lose weight if you ate them back?
First of all, 800 calories a day is far too few while you are exercising. A low calorie diet can be used effectively to lose weight (please note, lose weight not body fat) quickly, but there is insufficient energy to exercise intensely as well. Try increasing your baseline calorie intake to 1200 –1500 calories and exercise for just 30 minutes at low intensity and fat loss should again be stimulated.
2. What are good strategies to avoid yoyo dieting?
Starting overly restrictive diet regimes is a sure way to set yourself up with unrealistic expectations, and more likely to see you fall off the wagon, back to where you started. So, set small achievable weight loss goals, start small, implement one change at a time and accept that you are not going to be able to “be good” 100% of the time.
3. How can you maintain the 'good feeling' or set yourself with unrealistic expectations to put it better maintain the will power to stay on track?
Goal setting, for both short and long term weight loss goals is the key to long-term behavioural change success. Studies have repeatedly shown that outcome is significantly more likely if clear goals are set for any behaviours we seek to change. When you begin a weight loss program, map out a weekly, monthly and even year plan for success with weekly strategies that will help you to achieve these goals. It will make task not seem as daunting and will help you reward yourself along the way as you move towards to your long term weight loss goal.
4. Does it really matter what time of the day you eat especially if you have lots of energy (fat) in reserve?
Absolutely. Metabolic processes including digestion and hormonal regulation are programmed according to a 24-hour body clock. For this reason, eating in the morning to kick-start your metabolism after the nights fast is imperative for successful weight loss. Similarly, keeping your food intake lighter at night is also important to help increase fat metabolism overnight.
5. Is it important to have a good breakfast when you have a 3-6 month supply on energy (fat) in reserve?
See above
6. What strategies can you have to reduce feeling hungry?
While a small amount of hunger is fine, feeling chronically hungry or ravenous in between your meals may mean that you are eating far too few calories in total OR have other hormonal imbalances such as insulin resistance that may need to be explored. To manage slight hunger feelings, try drinking a green tea after meals and make sure that you are drinking enough water each day, as dehydration can sometimes be perceived as hunger.
7. What strategies can I use to make my 7 year old eat vegetables?
It is not uncommon for children to tell parents that they do to like eating vegetables, What they mean is that they would prefer to eat something other than vegetables. The biggest mistake parents make when children refuse vegetables is to offer another, sweeter, more appealing food option such as toast or milk. Try and offer a range of tasty vegetable else options with each meal, allow family members to self select their vegetables from the middle of the take, ask children which vegetable options they would like from a controlled list and never substitute vegetables for another food option. If there are no other options, children will eat vegetables and remember, vegetables do not have to be cooked, salad or vegetables can be enjoyed raw or cooked and have the same nutritional benefits, As long as your kids each one orange and one green vege each day and they will be fine.
8. Can eating certain foods actually help you to lose weight this seems to contradict the calorie deficit theory of weight loss?
Unfortunately there is not one food that directly results in weight loss. Low energy foods including vegetables mean that you can successful lower calorie intake that may long term result in weight loss. Consuming green tea and chili have been shown to have small positive effects on increasing the metabolic rate but these are very small effects.
9. Are certain combinations of food undesirable?
The body is extremely well equipped to digest mixtures of food; in fact, most food is made of a mixture of the 3 nutrients so there is no need to worry about food combining.
10. Are there health advantages in restricting ones diet such as being a vegetarian?
There is evidence to show that people who choose to follow a vegetarian style of eating do have lower body weights than meat eaters, as their intake of low energy foods including vegetables tends to be higher, and their intake of saturated fat, which comes from animal foods is lower. But eliminating entire food groups means that you do need to make sure that you replace the key nutrients that you are not getting from the animal foods. Key nutrients at risk in a vegetarian diet include iron and zinc if all meat is eliminated and possibly calcium, Vitamin B12 too, if all animal foods are eliminated.
11. How do you change a habit that you have grown through the years that you know is not good for you but psychologically and mentally you just don't know how or where to change?
Either consider all of the pros an cons of changing and make a firm decision to change or not. Why waste time trying to convince yourself to do something if you are not ready?
12. I like to eat scrambled eggs for breakfast once or twice a week to reduce carbs and I add tomato and mushroom as well. I also have oats and berries or just toast a day or two a week with Avocado on it and also enjoy avocado in salads etc.
On my last checkup my cholesterol was higher than it was this time last year, but I am now eating healthier and have lost weight!
Do I need to choose different foods other than eggs and avocado which I realise do have an effect on cholesterol if you eat too many?
It is unlikely that the eggs would have caused the increase in cholesterol, particularly since you have lost weight. One option may be to make sure you are consuming 30g of fibre every day by choosing wholegrain breads and cereals and aiming to eat 3 cups of vegetables or salad every day. Other options that have been shown to be effective in lowering cholesterol for some people include supplementing wit fish oil and perhaps enjoying a glass of red wine each night to increase the amount of “good” cholesterol in your bloodstream.
I drink green and peppermint tea (Approx 5-6 per day) and only have approx 1 coffee. Is *any* green tea good as I buy the Green teabags with Jasmine at the moment... or do I need to buy the loose leaf tea to get maximum effect.?
The stronger the tea, the stronger the effect so you may be better to aim for fewer cups but brew a stronger tea.
This refers to my 16yr old son. He seems to have a VERY fast metabolism and has to eat very regularly otherwise gets a headache and becomes very unwell( needs to lie down, liquid panadol only, otherwise throws up water and tablet) aversion to light, sometimes vomits, confusion etc. YES- I have taken him to our GP a few times over the years, but told it's probably migraines. I KNOW it is to do with his food intake as I have studied him and asked lots of questions over the years about when his headache started etc. If he doesn't eat enough breakfast, he'll be sick by recess(have had to pick him up from school a few times) If he doesn't eat enough recess, he'll be sick by lunchtime and if he doesn't eat enough lunch, he'll be sick when he gets off the school bus. He HAS to eat before bed or he will wake up with a bad headache. He often goes to bed at say 10.30pm,then gets up to eat as he says he is starving and starting to feel sick.
He eats after he gets home from school between 4.30- 5pm), then eats dinner @ 6.30-7pm and then has to eat again before bed. Is this unusual for teenagers or am I just going to have to feed him alot more and make sure he eats more protein to keep him full for longer? He has a very good appetite and as a family we eat home-cooked meals with veges and/or salads most nights. He is 180cm and weighs 74 kgs.
For those blessed with a fast metabolism this can be the case. Dietary supplementation with protein may be an option and make sure your son is taking a multivitamin. There is a small chance that he is also not absorbing some of the nutrients he is eating, so these extreme symptoms could warrant a blood test to make sure that there are no underlying nutritional deficiencies that are prevent optimal absorption of nutrients.
If you'd like to read more tips from Susie, visit http://www.SusieBurrell.com.au
http://www.RayKellyFitness.com
A friend has been involved in raising funds to build a new hospital in Tanzania. He told me about it a while ago but today was the first time I've ever had a chance to check it out.