Trouble-Shooting Nutrition

There are many pitfalls which can be detrimental to life long exercise and nutrition planning.

These examples may seem like small indiscretions, but they all add up, as I’m sure you are aware. After all, just one piece of cake isn’t going to make you fat, but add one piece of cake to your diet every day, and you soon will be! Just as going for a run only once, won’t make you lose fat, but going every day, will! The key to weight loss, or weight gain, is the accumulative effect – of energy expenditure, and also energy input (i.e.. exercise and eating).

If any of the following examples apply to your eating or activity habits, try using some of these tips to combat them.

Eating late at night
Suggestion: If you get hungry late at night; raiding the fridge or pantry, it’s time to distract and substitute! Have a large glass of water or hot drink. Don’t go into the kitchen. Go to bed and read a book. Do some sit-ups. Anything that will distract you! Breakfast is just around the corner, and you’ll have a great appetite for it!

Skipping breakfast
Suggestion: Make sure you don’t eat too late the previous evening. If you don’t feel you can ‘stomach’ breakfast, have something light and easily digested. Smoothies, packed with fruit and vitamins are a good breakfast for those who can’t tolerate eating anything heavy. You can add a weet-bix to the blender for a little more substance. Get creative!

Sugar cravings
Suggestion: If you often get cravings for sweets, firstly look at what the reason might be. If applicable, is it your cycle? If so, just knowing the cause can help you fight the cravings until they diminish. Make sure you are spacing your meals out evenly throughout the day. You may just need to have a piece of fruit to satisfy that craving - even a small piece of chocolate. Just make sure it’s one small piece. Usually the taste and smell of something is enough to curb the craving. Alternatively, you could try cleaning your teeth. Often that works wonders!

Bingeing on food after a few drinks
Suggestion: if, after a few drinks, your nutrition plan goes out the window and you find yourself wolfing down a meat pie at StarMart at 2am – think ahead. Wait until you get home, then have a Berocca with a large glass of water instead. You will need to re-hydrate after drinking alcohol anyway, and it will help curb your (alcohol-induced) hunger. This will also help to avoid a hangover the next morning. Be sure to have only healthy snacks in your fridge and pantry, but try to avoid them in this case anyway. Try to limit your alcohol intake.

Eating on the run (eating junk food out of convenience)
Suggestion: you should be planning for your meal times in advance, which is approximately every 3 hours. But if you’re finding you’re getting caught out without any food, plan ahead! Have some healthy cereal or snack bars, rice wafers or fruit punnets on hand – in the car, your bag or your office – wherever you’re likely to be!

Too tired/busy to prepare evening meals (buying take-out)
Suggestion: for those times when you’re just too tired to prepare meals… don’t resort to take-out! Make sure you have some healthy frozen dinners on hand. Healthy Choice meals are a better alternative to the high calorie/fat content of take-out foods.

3pm tiredness
Suggestion: If the mid-afternoon ‘snoozies’ hit you – take a brisk walk. Eating small, regular meals throughout the day, will be helping to minimise this problem. Around 3pm is about the time for your afternoon snack, so take a break from what you’re doing and take a 5-10 min walk. You will feel energised and probably hungry for your snack. Refuel yourself with a large glass of water and your snack, and you will soon feel energised!

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