I COULDN'T EAT ANOTHER THING.....!

Except maybe a mince pie, a slice of chocolate log, some Christmas cake, or a few foil wrapped chocolates?
Does that sound like you? Can you survive Christmas?
My advice to you... DO NOT TRY TO DIET! Set out to maintain your current weight & give yourself a chance by having some healthier foods around you.Plan well.
And if you can add in some exercise - be it at a gym, at home, on a bike, or just walking out in the fresh air, you will burn up excess calories.
Be kind to yourself & think of how you want to feel after eating... full & bloated, or pleasantly satisfied? In my experience nibbling is many peoples downfall. Make sure you buy olives, seeded bread sticks, nuts in shells (& the nut crackers!), chestnuts (low in calories) & plenty of crudites (raw carrot, celery, pepper, cucumber radish etc) to dunk in tomato salsa, guacamole or hummus.
If you have a sweet tooth melt some high cocoa content dark chocolate & dip in some strawberries, pineapple chunks or kiwi fruit - delicious when others are diving into the pick n mix selection! Brazil nuts are lovely coated in dark chocolate too. Don't deprive yourself as it can often lead to over eating!

I also want to let you all know that DUE TO AN AMAZING RESPONSE I AM ADDING A 3RD ZEST4LIFE CLASS IN JANUARY! So if you are truly fed up with years of yo-yoing do get in touch & I'll explain why the low GL diet really works.

Finally I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my blogs & wish you all a very happy Christmas & a peaceful New Year.

Bev
zest4life coach
SUSTAINABLE WEIGHT LOSS WILMSLOW

ZEST4LIFE DIET TRIAL SUCCESS

The last few weeks have been so hectic - thanks so much to the 21 people who completed the zest4life low GL diet trial.
It's the perfect way to lose weight & fat - not water or muscle, which is often what is lost with other diets. The body analyser scales showed an average of over 1% total body fat was lost per person.... in only 3 weeks & if you lose actual fat, you are much more likely to keep it off long term - meaning less yo-yo dieting.
Taking the focus away from weight & shifting it to your body fat % means you can stop standing on your home scales & concentrate more on eating properly to ensure you get the results you want. Weight alone can be a de-motivater as it fluctuates so much.
Everyone on the trial reported the low GL diet had resulted in reduced sugar cravings (meaning less willpower is needed to follow it) & also higher levels of energy.
People also reported they were sleeping better, waking more easily, having fewer mid morning & mid afternoon slumps, experiencing improved concentration levels & finding their skin & hair appeared to be in better condition.
I even got a 'Thank You' card signed with the most lovely messages!
All in all a fantastic start & great results!
Programmes & 1:1 consultations available - please see the zest4life page for details.

Happy low GL eating!
Bev
Sustainable Weight Loss Wimslow

FREE EVENING PRESENTATION

What a week! My free diet trial has started with a bang - I've had such lovely emails & texts from people, saying it really opened their eyes to the amount of sugar they were eating.
I had such a huge response to the trial, and am really sorry I could not take everyone who applied - but thank you all for your interest.
However I am now offering a FREE evening presentation.
It's at 7pm on Thursday 21st November, at the Best Western Pinewood Hotel, 180 Wilmslow Road, Handforth, Cheshire.
I will be explaining all about Patrick Holford's zest4life programmes and the low GL diet - what they are, and how they can benefit your health and help you lose weight.
If you are a yo-yo dieter, or just want to feel fitter and healthier, through changing your daily diet, then this is for you.
On the evening there will be a FREE raffle, with prizes including a private consultation with me and a low GL cook book.
I will also have the body analyser scales with me - would you like to know your biological age?
Places are limited, so I urge you to contact me now if you would like me to reserve you any places.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Bev

Sustainable weight loss Wilmslow

YES FREE... NO CATCH!

How excited am I on a scale of 1-10 about my new zest4life classes? About 19! My training is now complete & I'm doing a pilot launch. I am currently looking for 20 willing participants who would like to be on the FREE DIET TRIAL at The Best Western Pinewood Hotel, Handforth, near Wilmslow, Cheshire.  If you can commit to 4 consecutive Tuesday evenings or Wednesday mornings (beginning week of October 28th) and have a history of dieting, along with at least 10lbs to lose, then I'm interested in you!
Please email me your details, including your phone number.
As you can I imagine, I'm expecting a huge response to this, and will contact everyone who applies over the next few weeks with a few more questions.
There will also be a FREE SEMINAR on Thursday 14th November, at the same venue. Please email me to reserve a FREE place. On the evening there will be a presentation to introduce you to zest4life.
If you want to know more about zest4life right now please take a look at the website http://www.zest4life.eu/how-it-works.php 

Hope to see you soon!
Happy healthy eating,
Bev

SUSTAINABLE WEIGHT LOSS MANCHESTER

ICELAND HERE I COME!

I'm off to the wilds of Iceland for my 4th 'Racing The Planet' event this week. For the past 3 years I've been lucky to have worked as a volunteer on what TIME Magazine describes as the hardest endurance footrace series in the world. I've worked in the Atacama Desert in Chile, The Annapurna foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal & the Sahara in Egypt. Now I'm really excited about being in the barren Icelandic desert for 7 days (with no showers)!
It's a huge privilege to watch such races - the amazing fast elite athletes, the middle of the pack slog it out guys & the never give up, back of the pack "I'll finish every day if it kills me" runners.
We all have to be self sufficient - runners & volunteers alike. The only things provided are tents, drinking water & hot water every morning & evening. Work is quite physical - setting up checkpoints & lugging hundreds of bottled of water each day. It won't be pretty - this is the first time I've needed to pack waterproofs & wellies - we could get rather wet & muddy. I'm sure there will be a huge rush for warm showers when we arrive back in Reykjavik!
The moral of this story is.... You can do whatever you want to do.....I've gone from overweight comfy couch potato to fit, healthy, nutter who enjoys roughing it & pushing myself in the great outdoors.
All it takes is determination to change.
What do you want to change?
Till I return.....Happy healthy eating!
Bev :)

BIG EXCITING NEWS!

I'm so excited....! I have been offered a place & just enrolled to become a zest4life practitioner. This means I will be running weekly weight loss & healthy eating programmes in the Cheadle Hulme/Bramhall/Wilmslow/Alderley Edge areas. They will be so much more than the usual pay your money, weigh in & go home diet club. I'm still seeing clients as The Personal Nutritionist - just adding another bow to my strings. There's tons of training to do & I will be in London for a whole week, but I hope to be set up & ready for action by the end of the year. I'm also doing some further nutrition training & will be a qualified Nutritional Therapist.
My decision has come about because I have followed Patrick Holford's Nutrition Bible with my own weight loss journey, & I firmly believe it's the best way to lose weight - & then keep it off - without all those cravings that yo-yo dieters have.
I may be needing some people for FREE diet trials Sept/Oct time - not sure yet if they need to be face to face or online - so please drop me a line if you would like to considerd as a guinea pig!
I'll be keeping you up to date with any new developments.....
So in the meantime.... happy #healthyeating

Bev x

Sustainable Weight Loss Manchester

LOSE YOUR OTHER HALF & LOSE WEIGHT!

Don't get me wrong - I'm not for one minute suggesting anyone splits up! However I have come to the conclusion that it's much easier to eat really healthy meals & shift a few stubborn pounds when you're only looking after yourself. My wonderful husband of nearly 30 years has gone to China for 2 weeks & evening meals have become incredibly simple. He's very fit & healthy but quite partial to steak & chips or lasagne, followed by some cookie dough ice cream! How do you resist that? So yes, when clients tell me it's really difficult to eat healthily because your family want something else, I understand. Like you, I sometimes find myself cooking 2 different meals. It isn't always easy.
But now my fridge is running at bare minimum - only what I need, so no temptation. I've planned my meals, been shopping & am totally organised. Tonight I'm having a pearl barley & butternut squash salad - also throw in some peppers, sun dried tomatoes & broccoli. Toss in a little virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Simples!
So whether you are cooking for 1, 2 or the whole family, take advantage of this lovely warm weather & create some tasty salads. If others want more than that, serve up some meat, poultry or fish with it - but at least you're only making one big bowl of delicious, filling salad.

Happy #healthyeating everyone!

Bev

Sustainable weight loss Manchester / Cheshire

BUT I DON'T LIKE CARROTS!

I'm amazed at how many adults actually say they dislike a huge array of vegetables. Everyone has somewhere between 2,000 & 10,000 taste buds on their tongue, which detect sweet, salty, sour, bitter & umami (the 5th savoury taste). Luckily your preferences aren't set in stone - you can change the foods you like if the desire is there. It takes an average of 14 days to 'accept' a new taste. I know someone who went from 3 tsps of sugar in his coffee to none. Just stopped. After 2 weeks he tried it with only 1 tsp of sugar & really hated it - his taste buds had adapted. The same can be done with an 'unhealthy' diet.
We all know vegetables are good for you - full of vitmains, minerals & fibre. Eating at least 5 portions a day means you'll have less room for the unhealthy stuff. Eat as big a variety as possible for maximum nutritional benefits.
Yes ok, there may be some vegs that you find totally gross (sprouts spring to mind), but I just don't believe that you can't learn to love carrots! Try them raw with dips, grated onto salads, in a juice, roasted with parsnips, diced & mixed with peas, or mashed with sweet potatoes. Incorporate them into your meals regularly & you will start to develop a taste for them.
Sadly, if you eat a diet high in sweet, salty, fatty foods your taste buds will take some time to change, but
there's nothing like feeling good on the inside!
It's never to late to learn.

Happy Healthy Eating,
Bev
Sustainable Weight Loss Manchester

HAPPY EASTER!

The average Brit will spend approx £65 on Easter eggs, which experts reckon equals 53,000 calories - that's a lot of 'eggstra' calories being consumed!
Just one standard size Easter egg can easily add up to 1,000 calories, and of course those calories are made up of mainly sugar and fat - not ideal if you are watching your weight!
So here are my top 3 tips for not gaining lots of unwanted pounds this Easter......
1. Choose or ask for a dark chocolate egg. It will satisfy your taste buds much more than milk chocolate, so you will probably be happy eating less at one time.
2.  Break your egg into 100 calorie portions. You can do this by checking the nutritional information on the packaging. Then put the portions into small food bags & store at the top of a cupboard, out of easy reach.
3. Don't just mindlessly nibble your egg, and especially avoid eating while watching TV - it will be gone before you know it! Plan when you will eat some - maybe after dinner, so you have something to look  forward to. Then eat slowly, savour, taste and enjoy.

The beautiful photo is of some real eggs I saw in Harrods Food Hall last week. Aren't they lovely? Why not paint your own eggs, so you can have a pretty egg for breakfast on Easter Sunday? If you have children I'm sure they'd love to paint their own eggs in a box - get creative!

Hope you have a very happy healthy eating Easter,

Bev

Sustainable Weight Loss Manchester

LENTIL & RICE CASSEROLE

Oh the Great British weather! It's trying to snow again & is bitterly cold whilst I type this. So I thought a lovely warming & healthy casserole would be just the ticket.
This is one of my favourite recipes when I want a hearty, comforting meal that is also full of great nutrients. Why not give it a try.....

Put 8oz red lentils & 4oz brown rice in a large saucepan. Add 2.5 pts of vegetable stock. Bring to the boil & then simmer for 15 mins. Meanwhile chop 1 leek, 1 red pepper, 4oz broccoli florets & 2oz green beans & then add to the lentils & rice. Also add 14oz tin chopped tomatoes, 1tsp cumin, 1tsp chilli powder & 1tsp garam masala. Continue to simmer for another 15-20 mins or until the rice is cooked. Finally add 1-2 tbsp tomato puree (depending on taste) & a handful of shredded basil.
You can add any vegetables you like really - these are my favourites. This amount will serve 4-6 according to appetite! But it's also a dish that you prepare in advance & freeze, or try reheating a portion for lunch the next day.
The men in my house usually eat this as an accompaniment to chicken or pork chops - you don't have to serve a vegetarian meal to those who don't want it.

Enjoy!
Happy healthy eating,

Bev
Sustainable weight loss Manchester

START DROPPING HINTS GIRLS!

February is famous for Valentine's Day. According to an article in the Daily Mail, British men will spend around a staggering £611 million on their loved ones! Women spend less than half of that - about £269 million. And the most popular gift after flowers is - yes you've guessed it - chocolate!
So if you don't want to undo all that great healthy eating you've done since New Year & pile on the pounds again it's time to drop some serious hints. If you're other half is likely to buy you chocolates it needs to be the right sort - namely DARK HIGH COCOA CONTENT CHOCOLATE. The higher the cocoa content the better, anything above 75% is good. And RAW CHOCOLATE bars are just divine - sold in many health stores. A LITTLE dark chocolate has been proven to be beneficial to your health - the flavonol antioxidants help lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol & improve blood flow to the brain & heart.
Milk chocolate has approx 25% cocoa - the rest is mainly fat & sugar, & it's extremely addictive. Can you really have 2 chocolates & put the lid back on the box? Or do you keep eating till you feel sick? Been there & done that! Smaller amounts of dark chocolate will satisfy you because of the higher cocoa content.
So, delicious decadent dark chocolate & a bunch of flowers sounds ideal - then you can melt the chocolate & dip some strawberries in it for the perfect romantic treat.

Happy healthy eating Saint Valentines Day everyone!

Bev

DID YOU DIET AGAIN?

 Well the average person stays on a diet for 19 days. Are you that person? All your good new Year 'diet' intentions disappeared?
It's now widely accepted that dieting just doesn't work - in my opinion it's beacuse people don't change their eating habits when they are 'on a diet' - then they have a setback, feel like a failure & revert back to the unhealthy eating habits that made them gain weight in the first place! So then any weight lost is regained - and possibly more.
To lose weight, and keep it off, you have to make life long changes.
 

When you go food shopping make a list of the food you need for the meals you intend to cook over the next 2 or 3 days. Add healthy snacks to the list & anything else you need. Then STICK TO THE LIST when you go - do not be tempted by the clever supermarket sales pitches for foods high in sugar, salt, saturated fat & calories. Junk food is addictive - the more you eat, the more you'll want, so be warned! You know it's true.... can you eat just one biscuit?
Which shopping basket does yours look like?

Happy healthy eating!
Bev
Sustainable Weight Loss Manchester

ARE YOU READY TO CHANGE?

There is no magic formula for losing weight. If there was, don't you think it would be the biggest news story of all time? Faddy diets usually make your bank balance thinner - not you. Don't believe all you read in magazines & the tabloids. The main stream 'diet' clubs will help you lose some weight whilst you attend their meetings, but once you stop going....? Over 90% people pile it all back on again. So what should you do if you are serious that this is the final time you struggle with your weight?
You have to make changes to what, when, how & why you eat - today, tomorrow, next week, next month & forever! It's not that difficult, & involves changing the basic foods you may have in your fridge & cupboards. So that whenever you eat food at home, it's the 'right' sort of food, ie. food that will keep you feeling full, & is packed with nutrients to fuel your body..... not 'junk' food that's devoid of nutrients & doesn't fill you up. When you eat out you'll pick the best food choices off the menu, but also allow yourself a few treats. It's about learning to have treats in moderation.... & once you've cracked that....!

A very happy healthy New Year to you all,

Bev
Sustainable weight loss Manchester