| I’ve got a real treat for you – 3 healthy snacks that can help you make it through the mid-afternoon slump.I don't know about you, but that little 3-5pm slot is when I when I get 'cravings' That’s one of my personal prime snacking times! Planning ahead so I have something healthy on hand is a must for me - otherwise I'm tempted by crap foods. These snacks are surprisingly satisfying and so tasty you’d never guess they’re actually GOOD for you. PLUS, all of these snacks are high in protein and low in sugar, so they’ll easily tide you over till dinnertime … AND keep you on track with your New Year goals 🙂 Cucumber slices with hummus. Peel a medium cucumber and cut it into spears. Dip the cucumber into your favourite flavour of hummus and enjoy. [carrot sticks are another option here, if you fancy something with more crunch!] Turkey roll-ups: Take 4 slices of nitrate-free deli turkey and 4 pickle spears. Roll the pickles up in the turkey slices. Guacamole stuffed eggs. Cut a hard-boiled egg in half, and stuff each side with prepared guacamole. So good! [honestly these are better than they sound, especially if you've made your own guac](Hack for perfect hard-boiled eggs: Place eggs in a medium pot and add enough cold water to cover them, plus ½ to 1 tsp salt. Place on stove over medium-high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Cover the pot, turn off the heat, and set a timer for 20 minutes. When the timer dings, carefully drain the pot and rinse the eggs with cold water until cool. Your eggs are ready!) I hope these snacks help you feel fit, healthy and energised! Committed to Your Success, Jamie |
A while ago I slipped into a not-so-mindful habit … I was multitasking while I was eating.
And by that I mean, I wasn’t paying attention to the food going into my mouth and instead was focused on [my phone/TV/computer/work].
I know I am not alone in this.
It’s something most of us do almost daily. We do it to save time, keep ourselves entertained, and just out of habit.
But when I realized what was happening - I made a really important connection with my new “habit” and my moods.
That’s because when I was distracted, I barely NOTICED or TASTED anything I was eating.
When you consider that it takes about 20 minutes for our bodies to send “I’m full” cues to your brain, you can quickly see how easy it is to overeat.
Not to mention you end up ignoring how the food makes you FEEL – physically and emotionally.
Plus, instead of eating because we’re hungry, we can start to rely on outside cues like our emotions or because we see or smell tasty foods.
Or even because it’s a certain time (think dessert after dinner even when you’re full), or for entertainment’s sake, or to relieve boredom or other emotions.
This is where mindful eating comes in.
Basically, it’s simply slowing down and really paying attention when you eat.
Here are the basics. Just pick one meal and:
● Turn off the TV and put your phone out of reach.
● Eat slowly, taking time to chew and taste each bite.
● Focus on how your body feels with each bite.
● Stop eating when you’re full.
● And also, before and after you eat, note – without judgment – whether you are truly hungry, and whether what you just ate benefits your health, goals, and your well-being.
When you start to tune in, you’ll probably notice that your habits and food preferences begin to change …
and you’ll begin to make choices that help you feel better and reach your goals faster.
You don’t have to do this with EVERY meal. Just start with one a day and see what happens.
Oh, and stick with it as at first you'll probably feel a bit bored.
To get something different, you have to DO something different!
Jamie
Good morning ~Contact.FirstName~,
What do you think I'm talking about?
Carbs?
Exercise?
Supplements?
Fasting?
Protein?
They all are factors but no
WEEKENDS
I see so many slimmers get absolutely nowhere with their weight loss efforts because they blow it every weekend.
Make progress in the week but as soon as it gets to Thursday night/Friday the flood gates open.
I admit it's tough on weekends, there's so much more going on socially at weekends usually plus you have a lot more time, routine goes and it can be a much more difficult time to keep to your usual routine.
I struggle myself to get it right on weekends and it annoys the hell out of me!
Getting to Sunday night and thinking 'I've gone overboard AGAIN!'
Should you treat the weekend the same as the week?
There's no right or wrong answer here, some people successfully do this other need a few treats (as it makes them better in the week).
That's my approach, keep it controlled in the week and then a few treats on the weekend.
The best thing you need to do to get your weekends right is PLAN it.
Don't lose that control, plan in treats, plan in a few drinks, a dessert or whatever you fancy but decide what you're having it and enjoy it.
Friday-Sunday most will have 9 meals. Still try and make 6-8 as healthy as possible.
Have a nice 'treat meal/drink/dessert/snack' and move on.
There's nothing worse than feeling sick and guilty every single week because you've had too much.
Regain control, plan ahead and you will be amazed how much quicker you'll get results when you don't keep having to start again every Monday.
Have an awesome day,
Jamie
PS I almost hate saying you need a treat on a weekend which suggests you're starving yourself or eating boring in the week. You shouldn't, I love my food in the week and have things like Greek yoghurt and fruit, eggs and bacon, chicken salads, stir frys, salmon and jacket potatoes, currys.
Definitely not rabbit food, really these foods are the treats. You feel much better after them.
I want to share a story that I am pretty sure you can relate to.
Because it’s about … drumroll …
“What’s for dinner?”
The answer is a never-ending nightly struggle, am I right?!
We make so many decisions every day - and by the time dinner rolls around - it’s like an endless loop trying to figure out what to eat.
For me, this struggle came to a head one night when I was standing in front of the fridge, trying to figure out what to make.
The same way I did almost every single night.
It wasn’t like I didn’t have any food on hand. I’d even gone food shopping over the weekend and stocked up on healthy food.
But everything required work – and time. It involved COOKING.
And honestly, I felt so tired and stressed out by the whole thing.
I just didn’t feel like making anything.
Then the 'Just Eat' app started calling my name!!
So I opened my phone and ordered takeaway.
Even though I knew it was going to set me back on my goals.
Can you relate?
Being stuck in that cycle is the WORST … because it’s way too easy to click that Uber Eats / Deliveroo / Just Eat button on your phone.
It's so damn easy and convenient!
Sometimes you’re not even sure you WANT to break out of it because it does make your life a little easier.
But when you look at the big picture…
● You end up consuming WAY more calories than you wanted to,
● There’s likely a lot more sodium (and other unwanted ingredients) in your food,
● And it’s not nearly as nutritious as if you were to make it yourself.
Here are three things I did to break out of the loop:
1. I got over the blame game with myself and analysed why my “meal prep” wasn't working, and why I was ordering so much delivery.
I always had good intentions of spending time prepping on the weekends - but the fact was, it wasn’t always happening.
So I absolved myself of that task! Which led to:
2. Spending time “batch cooking” a couple of weeknights. But I didn’t force myself into creating entire meals.
Instead, I spent about an hour on Mondays and Thursdays pre-cooking ingredients: quinoa, rice, potatoes, proteins, (chicken/turkey burgers/etc), and veggies.
This meant I could easily mix-and-match meals for the next few days (for lunch and dinner).
This one thing was a huge gamechanger.
With the right music or podcast playing in the background, I actually started to look forward to doing this.
3. Here’s where the magic happened! I noticed the link between how I felt (and my results) when I ate home-cooked meals vs. delivery a few times a week.
I had more energy, my stomach felt SO MUCH BETTER (seriously I didn’t even know how much it would affect me), I slept better, and I even had fewer aches and pains.
After that, it was so much easier to keep up with my batch cooking – AND stay (mostly!) away from the takeout food.
This ultimately not only kept me on track with my goals, but I also saved some £££s in the process. Love that!
Upgrading your habits isn’t always easy – but it’s not as hard as you think.
Your results are waiting for you.
If you need help, let’s do this together!
Make it an amazing day,,
Jamie Stedman
Have you ever gone on a trip and found out you’ve been UPGRADED?
Maybe it’s for a flight, car rental, or even your hotel room.
Everything feels like a treat … better seats, better ride, better sleep.
Well … that’s what your body feels like when you UPGRADE your food choices.
When you STOP feeding it ultra-processed food and START giving it food that’s flooded with benefits (more fibre, vitamins, minerals, etc.), your body feels like it got an upgrade!
Basically, it’s all about SWAPPING out things that block you from your results …
and replacing them with foods that move you closer to your goals!
Here are just a few examples of upgrade swaps to try:
Crisps → Nuts
Why upgrade? Crisps contain very little in the way of positive benefits for your results or your health. They’re high in sodium, usually contain unhealthy fats, and their refined carbs can send your blood sugar up. [I know, they taste soooo good though!!]
Meanwhile, nuts contain heart-healthy unsaturated fats, fiber, and micronutrients your body needs.
Fun fact: people who regularly eat nuts are 14% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 20% percent less likely to develop coronary heart disease!
TIP: Portion control is everything. One serving of nuts equals about 1 oz., or about ¼ cup (38 grams). Savour each and every bite!
Cookies/Cakes/etc. → Dark chocolate
Why upgrade? You’re swapping out all the unhealthy refined ingredients (sugar, white flour, unhealthy fats) … and you’re replacing it with an ingredient that actually helps you!
The cocoa in chocolate contains flavanols, which (among other things) can help lower your blood pressure and improve how your blood vessels function.
Again, it’s all about moderation – 1 ounce (30 grams) equals 1 serving.
Fizzy drinks → Herbal Tea
Why upgrade? Most of us already get way too much added sugar.
The Heart Association suggests that women get no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar (24 grams) a day, and men, 9 teaspoons (36 grams).
But ... get this!!!
A single 12-oz serving of sprite contains 7-10 teaspoons of sugar. GROSS.
Not only that, but studies link diet drinks to weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease.
Herbal teas are a MUCH better choice. Some (like chamomile) can help you relax, others (like peppermint) can energize you, and some just plain taste great!
Burgers → Salmon
Why upgrade? You’re swapping out saturated fats for healthier fats that protect your health.
Burgers, and hot dogs are all high in saturated fat that can raise your level of LDL (“lousy”) cholesterol that’s linked with heart disease.
But fatty fish like salmon and albacore tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which most of us don’t eat enough of. These healthy fats lower how much fat is in your blood and cut back on plaque build up in your arteries.
Pasta/Rice/Potatoes → Veggies ... Especially Green Veggies!
Why upgrade? For starters, most of us don’t eat nearly enough veggies.
If your diet is heavy on starchy carbs (like pasta, rice, or potatoes), one of the easiest ways to get more is to swap out a serving (or 2!) for vegetables.
Starchy carbs contain a lot of calories for how many nutrients they contain. Plus, they can raise your blood sugar.
By swapping in veggies instead, you can boost your micronutrient intake AND reduce inflammation that contributes to disease.
TIP: To add a little more snazz to your veggies, experiment with some homemade sauces and marinades
As you can see, upgrading your food choices has nothing to do with deprivation. It’s all about foods that taste great … and have great benefits.
By the way, I'd like to add that I eat all of the above unhealthy foods as well [but in moderation] - most of the time I will make the sway - like during the week. But then if I'm having a treat at the weekend and fancy a nice juicy burger then I will have it.
Have an awesome day
Jamie
I’ve got a question for you …
Do you have a kitchen cabinet, shelf, or drawer that is OVERFLOWING with plastic reusable containers?
I know I certainly did!
But a while back, I made the decision to get rid of most of them and I haven’t looked back.
I’m here to encourage you to do the SAME THING.
The tipping point was when I used to batch cook food at the weekends and store them in plastic containers and when I'd grab one from the fridge midweek, and heated it up in the microwave, the food would taste of plastic as well.
The longer it was stored in the containers, the more like plastic it would taste.
It’s time to send (most of) those plastic containers out for recycling and replace them with something better.
And by better, I mean better for your health, the environment, and also the taste of your food!
Plus, it will even save you £££s in the long run because you won’t constantly have to replace flimsy, worn-out containers.
Glass is a MUCH better choice.
● Even if you use BPA-free plastic, studies show that toxic chemicals in plastic can migrate to your food when you microwave them. That doesn’t happen with glass.
● Glass can withstand higher temps, which means it won’t warp or break down when they’re washed in a dishwasher.
● Glass containers can last practically forever with the proper care, and if you do want to get rid of them, they are easily recycled.
● Glass containers are usually freezer-safe, don’t release chemicals when they’re frozen, and are less likely to leak.
● Glass containers don’t smell or absorb stains.
● And they look nicer, too!
Plus, glass containers are surprisingly affordable, especially if you buy a set of them. - you can get them from IKEA or amazon at a good price.
Are you going to be treating yourself to this upgrade? Let me know what you choose!
Make it a healthy day,
Jamie
I’m lucky to have a few really great cooks in my life.
Several of my friends actually cooked/used to cook professionally, which I have recently learned makes them actual “chefs.”
Anyway … one of the chefs blew my mind when he gave me the secret to his amazing family meals.
I am sharing this because all too often we OVERTHINK meal planning and prepping.
His advice is so simple and so fool proof that it completely transformed how I personally approach my own meals.
Here it is:
“As long as you put together ingredients that taste good, your meal is going to taste good.”
(I told you it was simple.)
However, I’m going to take it to the next level – with one slight change:
● I would add the words “healthy whole food” to the ingredient criteria: “As long as you put together healthy, whole food ingredients that taste good, your meal will be healthy and taste good.”
I used to spend too much time making over-complicated recipes … it always felt like a chore.
You know, something fancy like “braised Brussels sprouts with pork tenderloin and peaches.”
Which is fun sometimes, but gets old fast … and the clean up takes way too much time.
Instead, it’s all about putting together:
Simple and easy recipes for busy ladies.
Delicious protein + delicious vegetable + healthy fat + (sometimes) a whole grain.
And then adding a seasoning or sauce that tastes great! Or you can even throw them together in a pot with some broth and make a soup.
Now, on any given day you will find in my fridge:
Protein choices: pre-prepped chicken, ground turkey, salmon, ham, etc.
Veggies: sauteed carrots, roasted cauliflower, sweet potatoes, broccoli, etc.
Grains: Jasmine rice, quinoa, chickpea pasta, etc.
When it’s time to put together a meal for lunch or dinner, all I have to do is grab my ingredients and put it together.
It’s not always fancy, but it IS always healthy and delish. And it also keeps me on track with my goals and energized to take on my day.
Like I always say, it’s the small, simple steps that add up to BIG RESULTS!
What are YOU having for dinner tonight?
Jamie
Good morning,
We are a couple of days into our September 28 day program.
Last weekend we did 2 inductions for keen new ladies looking to embark on their health and fitness journey with us.
Our coaches take care of the exercise for them but very often the sticking point is with food.
It's the same for all of us that exercise, the time we spend in the gym is a very little percentage of our week. Our time alone in the big wide world with food temptation everywhere is the other 99%!
That's why in the induction the main focus is on discussing the food and lifestyle side of things, these make or break every single person's weight loss efforts.
We got talking Saturday about our relationship with food.
So many ladies I speak to have a routine similar to this:
Sound familiar?
Morning - In a rush so piece of toast or maybe just a coffee
Lunch - If busy in work sometimes skip it or just grab a meal deal (or another coffee)
Dinner - Starving from eating nothing or hardly anything so just grab whatever you can find
Repeat every day
You see these ladies aren't overeating, they are UNDER eating.
They have a negative relationship with food, almost unintentionally starving themselves and still very often not losing weight.
This approach doesn't work.
This does:
Eat For Health
Try and put as much food in your body which will nourish it and make it healthier.
Foods like:
- Lean chicken/turkey
- Fish
- Eggs
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Nuts
Natural, single ingredient foods.
If you can pack your diet full of this stuff then you will naturally get healthier which will lead to:
- More energy
- Stronger muscles
- Reduced illness potential
And
WEIGHT LOSS
Just rethink your diet and don't just concentrate on cutting out, add in the good stuff.
Have a great day,
Jamie
What I find with the ladies (and myself at times) is getting the meals right is fine, it's the snacks where people often go wrong.
Unhealthy snacking can really slow down results.
I do always focus with my clients first on getting the meals right and the rest will follow.
Unfortunately with the amount of temptation out there today going through a day without snacking is virtually impossible for some (especially office workers!!) so I’ve come up with a list of healthy snacks to stop you from reaching for the nearest biscuit tin or bag of crisps.
So here they are:
1. Nuts – Nice, easy and delicious. You can pick up some good packs for relatively cheap of mixed nuts. Make sure you get unsalted. Great ones to eat for loads of healthy fats and packed with goodness are Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds and walnuts. Seeds (pumpkin, poppy, sunflower) are also great.
2. Fruit – What could be easier? If you are trying to lose weight then you don’t want to be eating much more than about 2 pieces of fruit a day. Aim for low GI fruits, basically means less sugar. So go for fruits such as berries, plums and apples as opposed to grapes and pineapple.
3. Dark Chocolate – I’ve found this so useful at cutting out those sweet cravings. Try and get high quality 80% + cocoa dark chocolate it’s delicious and just one piece can really stop you craving foods and suppresses your appetite.
4. Yoghurt – There are loads and loads of unhealthy yogurts out there. Ignore the low fat versions as they have added sugar (THE ENEMY) to replace the flavour lost from the fat. Full Fat Greek Yoghurt go for.
5. Salad – Lettuce, cucumber, celery, tomatoes and sliced peppers drizzled with some balsamic vinegar and a bit of black pepper. Easy! That’ll keep you going until your next meal and has hardly any calories in.
6. Veggie Crudites – Chop up some carrot, celery or cucumber sticks and snack on these. Great to dip into hummus for a delicious snack (occasionally).
7. Boiled Eggs – Maybe a little boring if you eat too often but a couple of boiled eggs are packed with good fats and protein and very filling.
8. Peanut/Almond Butter – Avoid overeating this but if you have got a bit of a sweet tooth this helps. Chop up some apple and have with a bit of peanut butter for a lovely tasting snack. Almond butter is healthier but sometimes more expensive. Go for natural peanut butter, Meridian do very nice peanut butter and it’s quite a bit healthier than your normal supermarket version.
9. Popcorn – Now we’re talking. Buy some popcorn seeds. Have a small handful and cook in a pan for a great and low calorie snack. That is as long as you avoid adding loads of salt or sugar. Try cinnamon and a little bit of honey.
10. Healthy Bars – There are a few decent bars out there which are great for deserts or snacks. You will find the best ones are higher in calories but that’s as they have some goodness in, you aren’t just eating empty calories. Good ones to try are Eat natural bars (The dark chocolate ones are amazing), Nakd bars or 9 bars. You can even make your own healthy bars.
So there you have 10 healthy snack ideas which are easy to make and healthy to eat.
Hope this helps you stick on the straight and narrow!
Jamie Stedman
An observation:
There is a new "diet" doing the rounds.
AND after doing my research.
For the first time in a while - I actually think it's a pretty good option.
What is this *new* diet I speak of?
Im talking about something you may or may not have heard about, it's called, Time Restricted Eating (TRE).
TRE is when you restrict the times you eat for some days or every day.
For example, you may decide to only eat between 8am-6pm or 10am-8pm. That's literally it.
You don't have to change what you eat, you just reduce the number of hours you're allowed food each day
and you will likely lose weight.
Although you don't HAVE to change what you eat
I'm pretty sure that eating unprocessed foods and minimally processed foods during these hours, would be preferable to eating pasta, bread, low fat yoghurts and drinking diet coke.
More.
The trouble with most people, due to our LONGER work ours and life being so BUSY, we are eating for up to 16hrs a day or more!!
For example:
Some of us have breakfast at 6 or 7am in the morning, and then are still munching on something before we go to bed at 11pm or later.
I've even heard of ladies waking in the night to eat or drink pop.
That's just too much food for your body to cope -
and the miracle that is your body isn't going to be able to lose weight, if you're eating for MOST of the day that you're awake.
The magic number for a TRE diet seems to be to eat around 9-12hrs per day, if someone eats longer than that, they can start to gain weight.
Maybe you learned something from that.
Maybe not.
Either way, squander this advice at your peril.
Thats all we've time for today.
To get help with all things fat loss and fitness related, you may want to give my "28 Day Transformation Program" a try.
It's ideally suited to local ladies over 30, 40, 50 and 60 who are currently not fit
and who would like to lose 1 stone or a dress size, and get fit in 4 weeks. Plus our nutrition plan teaches you how to do things like TRE and Fasting and get all the benefits associated with that.
Unfortunately we are full right now.
However tomorrow we will open registration for our September Programme.
We've already got 15 ladies on the waitlist who will get their chance to join first today. Going on the waitlist guarantees your space.
*Please note: As September is going to be a very busy time, we have already started to accept pre registrations.
If you would like to pre register now for September, so your place is guaranteed
just email me back saying 'September'
and we will send over all the details.
Jamie Stedman
