Can you truly accept your body while still wanting to change it?

‘If I accept my body, then it means I’m giving up on myself’

This is an all-too-common sentiment when it comes to discussing body acceptance.

This notion reflects a common fear that embracing your body implies you will lack the motivation for looking after yourself.

This perspective fuels the idea that your self-worth is dependent meeting unrealistic body standards.

However, working towards body acceptance can be a profound act of self-empowerment, challenging the idea that your value is determined solely by your appearance.

What is body acceptance?

Body acceptance is about embracing your body as it is while acknowledging that you may have areas you want to change. It's about treating yourself with respect and care, fostering a positive inner dialogue, and letting go of shame. It is not about striving to be perfect.

A Different Perspective

Consider viewing your body as your partner, as you journey through life. Would your real-life partner or children only deserve your compassion and respect if they were perfect? Shouldn't they be deserving of compassion regardless? Accepting your body follows the same principle.

Contrary to popular misconceptions perpetuated by diet culture, body acceptance is not giving up on yourself, your health and your body. Instead, it is the start of the journey of reconnecting with your body from a place of compassion and not fear or hate and helps to remove the self-judgment that keeps you stuck.

To begin this journey ask yourself the following questions:

1. Why do I want to change my body? Be honest about why you want to change it. Write your thoughts down.

 2. Are these thoughts coming from a place of compassion, self-loathing or fear? Examine each thought individually and make a note.

A fear-based thought could be I want to lose weight because my husband won’t love me

A compassion-based thought could be I want to lose weight to be in less pain  

 3. Ask yourself if each individual thought is actually true? Do these beliefs hold up under scrutiny. How would you respond if a loved one expressed similar thoughts?

Recognise that attempting to punish yourself into change through self-hatred is unsustainable and doesn’t work. True transformation comes from a foundation of self-compassion and acceptance. By embracing your body with kindness and understanding, you’ll pave the way for genuine healing. You are inherently deserving of love, respect, and acceptance—just as you are.

Navigating the complexities of emotional and disordered eating requires a multifaceted approach—one that prioritises mental and emotional well-being alongside physical health. Reach out for support HERE if you would like to book in a complimentary call to find out how I can help.

If the idea of tackling your eating patterns feels overwhelming and you're unsure of where to begin, take a look at my FREE guide Breaking the Cycle - Your First Steps to Healing Your Relationship with Food to kickstart your journey today

This invaluable resource will help you:

✔️Know when you’re really hungry and when you’re not

✔️Learn when to eat that’s best for you

✔️Know the best snacks to help you stop craving and feeling out of control

Is Losing Weight the Key to your Happiness?

Are you constantly striving to attain a smaller body? For many people, this preoccupation consumes their thoughts and impacts many aspects of their life. If this is something you have been battling with, have you ever considered if shrinking your body will genuinely make you happy?

 For many of my clients who struggle with their relationship with food and their body, this question resonates deeply. They begin to peel away layers of societal conditioning, personal insecurities, and the relentless pressure to conform to unrealistic standards of beauty.

What is fuelling your deep desire to shrink your body?

The desire to be thin often stems from the belief that thinness equates to happiness, acceptance, and love. But if you delve deeper into this belief, you may uncover something far more enlightening.

• Take a moment to reflect on times when you might have been thinner. Were you genuinely happier then? Or was it a fleeting sense of satisfaction? Perhaps, like many of my clients, you found that it was never enough, and you were still striving to lose more weight.

• It might be that you were happy then. If so, was it attributed to your weight, or were there other aspects of your life contributing to your happiness, such as being in a positive relationship or having a great job?

• Perhaps you didn’t truly find happiness at all then. If this is the case, it's valuable to reflect on this when thoughts about losing weight dominate your thinking.

What else might be driving preoccupation with your weight

Weight Stigma and Diet Culture: In a society that glorifies thinness and demonises larger bodies, it's no wonder that many of us internalise these harmful messages. From media representations to interpersonal interactions, the pressure to conform to a certain body size is widespread.

Seeking Control: For some, the pursuit of thinness becomes a way to exert a feeling of control in a chaotic world. By focusing on your body you might feel in control of something where stress and overwhelm has taken over many aspects of your life. Consider what you might be trying to block out with this focus on your weight.

Thinness as a Moral Virtue: Thinness is often equated with morality and being virtuous, perpetuating the harmful notion that your worth is tied to your body size. But being thin does not make us inherently better people. Our value lies in our character, our actions, and the impact we have on the world around us.

External Validation: The validation you might receive for losing weight may provide a temporary high, but it’s important to recognise that your worth is not dependant on the approval of others, it has to come from within. Bear in mind also that the validation you seek is often from others who are struggling with their own issues around food and body image.

So how can you break free from the shackles of diet culture and cultivate true happiness? It starts with embracing body acceptance and shifting your focus away from thinness as the ultimate goal.

Here are some steps to get you started:

1. Practice Self-Compassion: Recognise that your struggles with food and body image are valid and worthy of compassion. Instead of berating yourself for not meeting unrealistic body standards, offer yourself kindness and understanding.

2. Challenge Internalised Beliefs: Question your beliefs about thinness and worthiness. Challenge the notion that your value is tied to your body size, and embrace your worthiness, irrespective of your appearance.

3. Foster Authentic Connections: Shift your focus to the qualities that truly matter in relationships. Surround yourself with people who uplift and support you, not based on your appearance, but because of who you are as a person.

4. Pursue Meaningful Experiences: Engage in activities that bring you joy and fulfilment, regardless of how of your body size. Whether it's socialising, holidays or dancing, prioritise experiences that nourish your soul.

Try to remind yourself every day that true happiness lies in embracing yourself as you are, freeing yourself from the constraints of societal expectations, and embracing a life rich in meaning and connection.

If the idea of tackling your eating patterns feels overwhelming and you're unsure of where to begin, take a look at my FREE guide Breaking the Cycle - Your First Steps to Healing Your Relationship with Food to kickstart your journey today

This invaluable resource will help you:

✔️Know when you’re really hungry and when you’re not

✔️Learn when to eat that’s best for you

✔️Know the best snacks to help you stop craving and feeling out of control

Is the fear of weight gain stopping you from healing your relationship with food?

One formidable hurdle often stands in the way of making peace with food and your body – the fear of gaining weight. This fear is deeply ingrained, fuelled by societal norms, diet culture, and a pervasive belief that thinness equates to worthiness. But what if you challenged this fear? What if you dared to redefine health and happiness beyond the constraints of the scale?

The problem is that even if life feels all consuming, distressing, and these behaviours encroach on various aspects of your being, you still might feel conflicted about letting go because of the uncertainty that change will bring. The fear often stems from a nagging question about what might happen to your body if you abandon these familiar patterns. Diet culture, with its relentless pursuit of thinness, has normalised this fear, making it seem like the only acceptable goal is to be thinner.

Whether you struggle with chronic dieting, binge eating, bulimia, or emotional eating, it’s likely that your strict food rules and dieting behaviours have given you a sense of control. However, the longer they persist, its important to ask yourself if they are truly serving you now.

In order to move forward and overcome your fear its important to consider the following:

1. Understand Where your Fear has Come From

To overcome the fear of weight gain, it’s critical acknowledge its roots. Whether it stemmed from your childhood; perhaps you were made to feel unworthy because you weren’t the ideal body size? Perhaps comments were made at school, or your body felt different to others because you went through puberty early? Maybe the influence of social media, or the pervasive messages of diet culture have allowed these fears to take hold, dictating your choices and diminishing your self-worth.

2. Fixation on Weight Loss at What Cost?

Are you missing out on vital aspects of your life? It could be the lack of social connections with friends and family, or perhaps you're unable to share meals with your children, impacting your relationship. Maybe you find yourself with no headspace to focus on meaningful aspects of life that bring you purpose, joy, and fulfilment.

3. Reframe your Perspective

Challenge the notion that all weight gain is bad and all weight loss is good. Instead, focus on behaviours that promote overall health and fulfilment. This means reconnecting with our core values and remembering the things you loved about yourself and your life before weight loss became the priority. Many people’s unintentional weight loss is due to health issues- they may have an eating disorder or a chronic illness. For others gaining weight is a positive thing to help with hormone function, menstrual cycle regularity and, energy, vitality and health.

4. Embrace the Uncertainty

Life is inherently uncertain, and change can be uncomfortable. But by embracing the unknown and surrendering the need for all the answers, you can open yourself up to new possibilities. Yes, the journey may be challenging, but pushing through discomfort is where your growth begins.

5. Challenge Your Internal Dialogue

Challenge your inner voice that constantly equates your worth to your appearance. Your value, ability to be loved and worthiness are not dependent on the number on the scale. Instead, they are rooted in your experiences, relationships, and the joy you find in life. Talk to your self with compassion and kindness as you would with someone you care about.

Overcoming the fear of weight gain may be challenging, but it's also a journey toward reclaiming your health, happiness, and autonomy. By confronting outdated societal norms, reconnecting with your values, and embracing the uncertainty of change, you can free yourself from the shackles of diet culture and discover a more fulfilling way of living.

Do you long for a happy relationship with food, but are feeling lost on where to begin? Grab my FREE guide Breaking the Cycle - Your First Steps to Healing Your Relationship with Food, to kickstart your journey today

This invaluable resource will help you:

✔️Know when you’re really hungry and when you’re not

✔️Learn when to eat that’s best for you

✔️Know the best snacks to help you stop craving and feeling out of control

Emotional eater? Here’s why dieting is not the answer

As someone who works with women who consider themselves to be emotional eaters, I’m asked this question ALL the time. But what defines an emotional eater? And will dieting stop it in it’s tracks?

To some extent we all emotionally eat. During celebrations we might eat some delicious cake when we’re not hungry. Perhaps because it’s a happy event, to be social, connect with people, take joy from the whole experience. It might not have been a conscious decision to eat the cake.

Often, emotional eating isn’t a problem that needs solving. Sometimes we do eat for comfort when we are feeling sad, angry stressed or alone. It is a coping mechanism we can turn to for a sense of solace. Comfort is after all defined as ‘a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint’.

However, emotional eating can be complex. When it becomes our ONLY mechanism for soothing ourselves, and leads to anxiety, obsession, and overwhelm, emotional eating is no longer our friend.

The difficulties occur when it becomes a never-ending cycle, channelling feelings of guilt and shame. Often ‘all or nothing’ thinking is at the heart of this cycle - ever said to yourself “I’ve blown it today so I may as well just carry on”?

Many women battle with this for years of their life and repeatedly turn to dieting to put a stop to it. If this resonates – let me ask you this, is dieting the solution to your emotional eating or the solution to the feelings of contempt you have for your own body?

The problem is that dieting (AKA food restriction) often plays a role in emotional eating or bingeing. The scientific literature explains that there are several complex mechanisms and research is still ongoing. Put simply we know that dieting often leads to food obsession, hunger and intense cravings. Perhaps you are burdened with those relentless thoughts 24/7, that hijack your headspace on a daily basis? Dieting is not the solution but the fuel to the fire.

SO WHAT IS THE ANSWER?

• Learning to be able to clear your head of diet thinking and cultivate a new mindset; giving yourself the permission to eat what you love without feeling out of control.

• Learning to eat in a way that helps you to feel satisfied so that you no longer have cravings

• Learning to reconnect with your body and know when to start and stop eating

• Learning to acknowledge your emotions, not push them away and find other, more helpful coping mechanisms.

AND WHERE CAN YOU START? 

If perpetual dieting has left you in a muddle about food and eating, and you feel overwhelmed anxious and confused about what, how much and when to eat then have a read of my free resource ‘What the Diet Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know’

You can download this HERE to support you on your journey to dismantle your diet mindset and begin the process of breaking free from dieting, binge eating or emotional eating.

What happens to our metabolism when we yo-yo diet

Over half the population of adult women will be on a diet at any given time. And for seventy percent of these women, this will not be their first diet.

It might surprise you to hear that approximately 95% of dieters regain their lost weight after between 1 and 5 years. If you are a yo–yo dieter ie. someone who loses weight and regains it in a never-ending cycle, it is likely that this will be taking its toll on your body; not only physically but emotionally and psychologically too.

It might feel like dieting is the only way you can be happy and healthy, feel good about yourself and enjoy your life; but have you ever weighed up the cost of doing so?

WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR METABOLISM?

Most people eventually end up the same weight or heavier than when they started the diet. This is because the body typically reduces the amount of energy it uses when weight is lost to preserve it, whilst at the same time, hunger increases. Hunger hormones, including ghrelin rises with weight loss and satiety hormones decrease.

And there is the ‘set-point’ theory to consider. This proposes that the body uses a natural mechanism to maintain its natural weight, rather like a ‘fat thermostat’ so that it will always go back to its ideal weight range, after restriction or over exercise. This can fluctuate during our life-time and thought to be regulated by mechanisms of our metabolism and thyroid hormones.

MUSCLE VERSUS FAT

Another complication of weight cycling (as it’s known in scientific literature) is that it’s likely to lead to a less healthy body composition. When breaking down the body into its core components – fat mass and lean body mass (organs, skin, bones, body water and muscle mass) we can have a far better understanding of the physiological changes in the body.

During weight loss, fat mass tends to reduce more than lean mass. However, when weight is regained, the proportion of fat in the body increases more than that of muscle and bones etc.

METABOLIC CHANGE AND YO-YO DIETING?

There is some evidence to indicate that weight cycling may lead to the development of conditions such as insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease and hypertension (high blood pressure). Although more research is needed in this area as some studies have been found to refute this.

HOW IT MAKES US FEEL

I witness the emotional impact that yo-yo dieting has on my clients – and the literature back’s this up too; Poor body image, a preoccupation with how they look, feelings of failure and shame, as well as higher risk of depression and anxiety. Bingeing behaviour stems from restriction and the feeling of deprivation that dieting brings.

The diet industry would have you believe that the only way to be truly healthy is if you are slim and that the only way to enjoy life, be happy and like yourself is if you diet. My mission is to help debunk this myth and help women build a happy relationship with food and their body. It is possible to accept your body whether you are carrying excess weight or not, without dieting. It is possible to eat in a balanced way AND take joy from your food.

If you are you struggling with your eating and your relationship with food + your body, head over to The Food Freedom Collective free group, for daily support and weekly live videos to tackle your challenges

If any of these resonate then this community is for you :

💠You are on and off diets all the time

💠You find yourself binge eating

💠You are an ‘emotional eater’

💠You restrict food in order to lose weight

💠 You can’t stop thinking about your weight, appearance or food

💠 You feel overwhelmed and confused no longer knowing what you ‘should’ eat

Why eating ‘addictive’ foods, doesn’t make you a junk food addict

Ever stopped at one Pringle?

Find it hard to eat only half a KitKat?

Perhaps the temptation of a whole Dairy Milk is just too strong?!

Like many processed foods, many crisps, chocolate bars and biscuits contain a combination of carbohydrates, the unhelpful fats, sugar and often salt that affect our brain-reward circuitry. They overpower our appetite signals that tell us when we’re full. These foods have been coined hyper-palatable foods, by researchers studying their powerful effects.

Most processed foods commonly consumed in Europe and the US, meet the hyper-palatable food criteria. This was defined and accepted in 2019 by researcher’s who came up with specific quantities and proportions within processed foods that have the ability to affect our brain chemistry in this way.

WELL DESIGNED FORMULAS TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT WE EAT

Professor Fazzino and his team conducted a study that found that food companies have well designed formulas for foods to increase the amount we eat. The scientists believe they can activate our brain neuro-circuits in a similar way to cocaine. The researchers also discovered that these foods may have the ability to overcome our satiety and fullness signals that tell us when to stop eating.

The same study found that 49% of foods labelled low or reduced sugar, fat or salt also met the criteria. Understandably it feels almost impossible for most to navigate the food isles and avoid these brain-hacking food products.

Most people I work with to overcome compulsive and emotional eating feel guilty and blame themselves, they feel society blames them for having no will power, failing at diets and not being ‘good’ enough. However, the battle is so much more complex than having will power. The addictive nature of these foods is one of the many components making it so hard.

If this is something you struggle with, it’s important to acknowledge firstly that you are not alone but also that just because you find these foods addictive (as they have been designed to be), it doesn’t mean that you are a sugar or junk food addict. It is possible to learn how to eat these foods as part of a balanced diet without feeling out of control around them.

Sometimes addressing this alone is too great a challenge to undertake -especially if you have years of chronic dieting, bingeing or emotional eating behind you. 

I work with people just like you, who need a new approach so they are able to live life to the fullest. Book in a complimentary call HERE to find out how I can help

Please also come and join us in FOOD FREEDOM COLLECTIVE, Facebook community- supporting women to ditch dieting, beat binge eating and make peace with their food and their body. I do live videos in the group each week to discuss a new topic to support you on your journey and I share, food ideas, motivation and support – it’s free to join!

'Diet-free your life' - FREE on-line workshop

Free on-line workshop for women struggling with yo-yo dieting, binge + emotional eating.

Discover the key mistakes most women make when it comes to their challenges around food, the 3 little-known reasons why dieting may not be working for you and I’ll show you what I teach my clients to successfully do instead.

When:

Choose from one of the following 45 minute sessions:

7.30pm Tuesday 19th October

1pm Thursday 21st October

7.30pm Wednesday 27th October

⭐️I would love you to join live but if you can’t make it be sure to register HERE to receive the recording ⭐️

About your coach…..

I’m Marcelle -BANT Registered Nutritionist + Health Coach with specialist training in eating disorders and eating distress ( Master Practitioner qualified - National Centre for Eating Disorders)

I specialise in helping women beat binge eating, emotional eating and yo- yo dieting for good so they can make peace with their body and heal their relationship with food so they are able to live life to the fullest.

I’m looking forward to joining you 💜

If you can’t make it live be sure to still register to receive the recording. Register by clicking the button below

Is it a new diet you need?

I wonder how long you have spent over throughout your life searching for the magic pill when it comes to weight loss? And how much money you have spent on miracle diets that promised to make the weight drop off over night?

If you are someone who has spent a significant amount of time in slimming clubs, slimming programmes or starting again on Monday, you may be beginning to think that something just isn’t working.

It is likely you have been taught the notion that calories in equals calories out, that low carb is better than low fat (or visa versa) or that drinking celery juice is the answer to all your prayers.

The weight loss group mantras seem to be about finding ways to cheat your body. It’s no wonder people lose weight and put it straight back on again.

What the slimming clubs miss is that unless you get to the root of what is going on for you, nothing will change in the long term and your mindset is at the core of this.

One part of this is taking care of your self-care. If you are an emotional eater, no ‘diet’ in the world is going to help you deal with what the REAL issue is – your wonky relationship with food. You need to rewire your food brain, because emotional eating or binge eating are major causes of feeling a diet failure but, unless you get to the underlying causes of the problem, you’re destined to yo-yo diet … forever.

Self-care is the recognition that only YOU can make yourself happy and that, if you make sure that you dedicate some time EVERY DAY purely for your own enjoyment, you will have more joy in your life, be more fun to be around and have far greater reserves to deal with the stresses of everyday life.

The miracle of self-care doesn’t end there. When you dedicate a small amount of time each day to your own happiness, there is less need to reach for the chocolate biscuits. I’m guessing you’re like many of my clients – you are usually so time poor, that rewarding yourself with treat foods like cake and biscuits is the easiest way to show yourself some self-love.

My experience when working with clients has shown me over and over again is that so little of why you eat what you eat has to do with nourishing your body. The greater part is to do with how you feel about yourself and about life in general. Eating half a packet of chocolate biscuits is much easier than getting what you really need, which might be a way to de-stress, feel loved, get attention, relax and even sleep. 

I am sure that you get what I am saying, but this is not enough for the magic to work. Just understanding won’t get you the benefits. You have to be in action.

I promise you that if you make a commitment to yourself, other challenges in your life will start to feel that bit easier. Maybe you need some support with deep rooted struggles; a slave to food, your weight or appearance or worry about every calorie that enters your mouth. Perhaps you’re unable to break free from the endless cycle of yo-yo dieting, binge or emotional eating, I want you to know, you are not alone.

I work with people just like you who need a new approach to gaining balance and moderation around food and eating. And I can help you to take action when you commit to doing something completely different so you can leave dieting behind for good. 

Un-diet your Mind is my new 21 day coaching course where you will unlearn your old food patterns & make new confident choices. I will be with you every step of the way, so you feel supported and motivated to begin the process of long lasting change. Its starting on Monday 1st November

Join my VIP wait list to be the first to be notified when the course goes live and have the chance to enrol at the discounted price!

The course is just £89 and only £69 to the first 15 people who enrol

Is dieting really the answer to emotional eating?

As someone who works with women who consider themselves to be emotional eaters, I’m asked this question ALL the time. But what defines an emotional eater? And will dieting stop it in it’s tracks?

To some extent we all emotionally eat. During celebrations we might eat some delicious cake when we’re not hungry. Perhaps because it’s a happy event, to be social, connect with people, take joy from the whole experience. It might not have been a conscious decision to eat the cake.

Often, emotional eating isn’t a problem that needs solving. Sometimes we do eat for comfort when we are feeling sad, angry stressed or alone. It is a coping mechanism we can turn to for a sense of solace. Comfort is after all defined as ‘a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint’.

However, emotional eating can be complex. When it becomes our ONLY mechanism for soothing ourselves, and leads to anxiety, obsession, and overwhelm, emotional eating is no longer our friend.

The difficulties occur when it becomes a never-ending cycle, channelling feelings of guilt and shame. Often ‘all or nothing’ thinking is at the heart of this cycle - ever said to yourself “I’ve blown it today so I may as well just carry on”?

Many women battle with this for years of their life and repeatedly turn to dieting to put a stop to it. If this resonates – let me ask you this, is dieting the solution to your emotional eating or the solution to the feelings of contempt you have for your own body?

The problem is that dieting (AKA food restriction) often plays a role in emotional eating or bingeing. The scientific literature explains that there are several complex mechanisms and research is still ongoing. Put simply we know that dieting often leads to food obsession, hunger and intense cravings. Perhaps you are burdened with those relentless thoughts 24/7, that hijack your headspace on a daily basis? Dieting is not the solution but the fuel to the fire.

SO WHAT IS THE ANSWER?

• Learning to be able to clear your head of diet thinking and cultivate a new mindset; giving yourself the permission to eat what you love without feeling out of control.

• Learning to eat in a way that helps you to feel satisfied so that you no longer have cravings

• Learning to reconnect with your body and know when to start and stop eating

• Learning to acknowledge your emotions, not push them away and find other, more helpful coping mechanisms.

AND WHERE CAN YOU START? 

If perpetual dieting has left you in a muddle about food and eating, and you feel overwhelmed anxious and confused about what, how much and when to eat? I would love to hear from you.

What are your main challenges? What would you love to know and learn? Where do you need support? How would you like to feel?

Your input will help me tailor my content and support for you – just hit reply and let me know :)

I have worked with hundreds of clients who have found themselves fighting this daily battle and I’m working on an exciting new short foundation programme to help you transition to a calm, balanced and joyous approach to eating

***KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR MORE NEWS ON THIS COMING SOON

P.S. Would you love to make peace with your body and build a happy relationship with food?

Come and join us in the FOOD FREEDOM COLLECTIVE, Facebook community- a safe place where you can question, share, learn + feel supported without judgement, comparison and shame. I will be sharing tips, simple recipe, meal, and snack ideas along with strategies, motivation and supportive practices and its free to join!

It’s time to release yourself from the shackles of diet culture + empower yourself to create positive change in your life.

Practical tool download and this months top picks!

This month I’m sharing among other things a practical tool to help you and your family increase the diversity of food in your diet- read on to discover the amazing benefits of doing so! 

I would love to hear what you think of this month’s picks and if there’s something you would like to recommend– do hit reply and let me know!

A SIMPLE TOOL I’M USING TO INCREASE DIVERSITY IN MY DIET!  

If you eat veg and fruit daily you are already going to see health benefits. But are you stuck in a rut by selecting the same vegetable choices day in and day out? Surprisingly many people in the Western world are deficient in certain nutrients.

If you think that in the Uk wheat accounts for 75% of peoples fibre intake. Studies have shown that a diverse diet which includes all major food groups has a positive impact on health. But it’s the special plant nutrients ( known as phyto-nutrients) found in veg and fruit  that support the digestive system, our immunity and reduce inflammation within the body.

Eating a diverse range of veg and fruit helps support the diversity of our gut microbiome (the eco system in our gut) by increasing the variety of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Let’s take the well -studied microbe Akkermansia. (Those of you who have done comprehensive stool testing with me, may remember this little beauty in your report!) There is evidence to suggest that increasing populations of this bacteria within the gut may help to combat metabolic syndrome and support weight loss.

So, to help you diversify what you eat, I’ve included my ‘50 foods’ tool HERE for you to download. This will help you keep track of every different food you eat for a week - aim for at least 50 foods, try to eat of all colours of the rainbow, the brighter the better. Let me know how you get on!

WHAT I’M USING IN THE KITCHEN…..

I waited around 2 years for the 8litre size of the Instant Pot to come into stock and I’m so glad I have it now. This kitchen gadget is great for stews (vegetarian or meat), stock, yoghurt and rice. It sautés, pressure cooks and slow cooks. I’m sure there are so many more meals I could make with this . If you have an Instant Pot yourself, do hit reply and let me know what you create with yours!

WHAT I’M WATCHING…..

In Brené Brown’s 2010 Ted Talk she open s up the conversation about vulnerability. If you don’t yet know about Brené I highly recommend you have a listen – her books are fantastic too. Every now and then I like to revisit her work as an important reminder. She shares insights from her research including having the courage to be imperfect, the compassion to be kind to yourself first (or how else can you show compassion to others) and letting go of who you think should be in order to be truly authentic. In my opinion this is key learning for anyone but especially if you are working on your relationship with food and your body.

P.S. Would you love to make peace with your body and build a happy relationship with food?

Come and join us in the FOOD FREEDOM COLLECTIVE, Facebook community- a safe place where you can question, share, learn + feel supported without judgement, comparison and shame. In the group my aim is to help you cut through the confusion and anxiety you feel around food and eating along with sharing motivation, supportive practices and steps you can take to get off the diet rollercoaster for good. And what’s more it’s free to join!

If you would love to leave your years of dieting behind you and create positive change in your life then come and join us now!

Myth busting: Is weight a true indicator of your health?

Many of the women who approach me for help with emotional eating, desperately want to lose weight. They have been on the diet hamster wheel for years and the battle gets progressively harder for them.

We start to discuss their ‘why’ – what will it change in their life? Often this is very much about how their body image is wrapped up with their self-worth and they cannot bare their shape or weight Their self-judgement is harsh along with the fear of how others judge them for their appearance.

For many women, however shrinking their body size may also be about their health. Or what they may have been told about how their weight is impacting it.

How is your weight classified?

BMI or body mass index is defined as your weight (in kg) divided by your height (in metres) squared. It has been an international standard for obesity measurement since the the 1980s. BMI was first introduced as a quick and simple way to measure the degree of obesity of the general population. A BMI of over 25 is considered ‘overweight’, 30 and above is classified as obese.

We are constantly told about the correlation between a high BMI and greater risk of early mortality and disease. However, there is consistent evidence to indicate this is not necessarily the case.

Is BMI really a good measure of your health?

A 2016 study by researchers at UCLA published in the International Journal of Obesity, assessed the health of 40,420 American adults as measured by six criteria including blood pressure, cholesterol levels and insulin resistance.

The researchers found that 47 percent of people with an overweight BMI and 29 percent of those who were identified with an obese BMI were healthy, for at least 5 least five of the criteria.

However, over 30% of normal weight individuals were found to be unhealthy according to the metrics.

The researchers stated that “Taken alone as an indicator of health, the BMI is misleading.”

They concluded that BMI is one of the least determining factors when it comes to assessing our health though it can be used only as a small part of the overall picture.

There are a number of studies that provide this contradictory information.

What can you do instead to optimise your health?

Has weight-loss been long lasting preoccupation for you? How many times have you lost the weight and then regained it and some more? Has it left you feeling repeatedly like a failure?  Please be assured that you have not failed.

You have been failed by the policy makers, diet culture and the mass media. We know that in the long term (after between one and five years) only 5% of diets actually work.

Isn’t it time for a different approach where you can improve your mental, emotional and physical health with self-compassion?

This time start to focus on eating to nourish your body and mind (rather than restricting it from what it needs).

Focus on sleep, non-punishing movement and emotional resilience.

Devote yourself to shifting your mindset and building a healthy relationship with food and your body.

P.S. Are you stuck in a cycle of emotional eating, bingeing or yo-yo dieting and need to make peace with your body and build a happy relationship with food?

Come and join us in the FOOD FREEDOM COLLECTIVE, Facebook community- a safe place where you can question, share, learn + feel supported without judgement, comparison and shame. I share tips, simple recipe, meal, and snack ideas along with strategies, motivation and supportive practices within the group and its FREE to join!

It’s time to release yourself from the shackles of diet culture + empower yourself to create positive change in your life.

{Myth busting} The truth about calorie counting and weight-loss

How many times have you heard the phrase .....to lose weight you simply need to burn more calories than you consume?

The diet and fitness industry have consistently driven this message home for decades (and it suits their collective bank balance to do so).

But why doesn’t it work in reality? With around 95 out of 100 diets failing in the long term – surely there is something that does not quite add up?

The simple truth is it is not so simple - Yes- a calorie is still a calorie, but not every calorie behaves the same way inside the body.

Our food sources are made up of a vast variety of compounds and substances, that interplay with our biology in so many ways, these extend way beyond just energy values.

Weight management is not like your bank account.

It is a complex interaction between hormones (e.g., thyroid, sex, appetite and fat storage), brain chemicals, the gut ecosystem, energy requirements, fuel source availability, genes and hundreds of other variables, all interconnecting.

Let’s take 300 calories worth of cake and 300 calories worth of cauliflower for example.

A calorie is a unit of energy so they must be the same right?

But do you think that same calorie of cake will impact our biology in the same way that cauliflower does?

In order for your metabolism to work properly, your body must not be deprived of any food group. If you find yourself avoiding any of the food groups based on the sum of their calories, you’ll likely be missing out on key nutrients, critical for your metabolism to function at its best.

The body also needs enough food, to sustain efficient functioning of your metabolism. Your subconscious brain will do everything it can to control how much fat your body stores. If you undereat because you are restricting your calorie intake, then your basal metabolic rate (BMR) will be switched downwards – slowing down your metabolism and the rate and which it burns energy. This is something you may be able to override for a short period of time i.e. during the honeymoon period of a diet, but ultimately for most people this will not be long lasting.

The key is to understand how your body works in order to overcome society’s deeply ingrained belief that we simply must eat less and exercise more. This thinking merely serves to promote a diet mindset that leads to destructive thinking and harmful eating behaviours.

Would you love to make peace with your body and build a happy relationship with food?

If you would like to understand more about the ways to maintain a healthy metabolism, eat in a balanced way, stay motivated and be part of a supportive community then come and join us in the FOOD FREEDOM COLLECTIVE, Facebook community- a safe place where you can question, share, learn + feel supported without judgement, comparison and shame. I will be sharing tips, simple recipe, meal, and snack ideas along with strategies, motivation and supportive practices and its free to join!

It’s time to release yourself from the shackles of diet culture + empower yourself to create positive change in your life.

Could this be your missing weight-loss puzzle piece?

I wonder how long you have spent over the course of your life searching for the magic pill when it comes to weight loss? And how much money you have spent on miracle products that promised to make the weight drop off over night – or at least not make the business of losing weight seem so tricky?  

If you are someone who has spent a significant amount of times in slimming clubs, what you should know is that almost certainly you have been taught to eat the wrong things. And the community mindset seems to be about finding ways to cheat the diet. It’s no wonder people lose weight and put it straight back on again. Of course, actually eating the right things will help you lose the weight naturally, without calorie counting. And eating the way I show my clients, has them naturally wanting to eat the foods that will love their body rather than deciding to seek solace in a bag of chocolate buttons!

What the slimming clubs miss is the vital mindset element of losing weight. Part of that is taking care of your self-care. If you are an emotional eater, no ‘diet’ in the world is going to help you deal with what the REAL issue is – your wonky relationship with food. You need to rewire your food brain, because emotional eating or binge eating are major causes of diet failure but, unless you get to the root of the problem, you’re destined to yo-yo diet … forever.

Self care is the recognition that only YOU can make yourself happy and that, if you make sure that you dedicate some time EVERY DAY purely for your own enjoyment, you will have more fun, you will be more fun and you will have far greater reserves to deal with the stresses of everyday life.

The miracle of self care doesn’t end there. When you dedicate a small amount of time each day to your own happiness, there is less need to reach for the chocolate biscuits. I’m guessing you’re like many of my clients – you are usually so time poor, that rewarding yourself with treat foods like cake and biscuits is the easiest way to show yourself some self love. However, during these unprecedented times (unless of course you are a key worker) you can give yourself the gift of time to really focus on your self care and health.

My experience in running a nutrition clinic is that so little of why you eat what you eat has to do with nourishing your body. The greater part is to do with how you feel about yourself and about life in general. Eating half a packet of chocolate biscuits is much easier than working out or getting – what you really need, which might be a way to de-stress, feel loved, get attention, relax and even sleep. 

I am sure that you get what I am saying, but this is not enough for the magic to work. Just understanding won’t get you the benefits. You have to be in action. Are you doing AT LEAST three things EVERY DAY just because they make you happy? 

Self care is a skill and it is a discipline. It is something that can be very easy to do (which is why it is something you often don’t bother to do). So, this week’s challenge: make a list of at least 20 things (even really frivolous things) that you LOVE to do just because they bring you pleasure.  Some take hardly any time; some take a little longer. You don’t have to spend long for this to be effective. You have to write them down, too. Just thinking about them is not enough.

I know from working with my clients that coming up with a list can feel difficult to start with. That’s why I’m offering you this little bit of inspiration: a printable self care planner packed with ideas to get you started. You will also need to keep your list somewhere handy so it is easy to turn to for inspiration.

I promise you that if you make a commitment to yourself, other challenges in your life will start to feel that bit easier. Maybe you need some support with deep rooted struggles; a slave to food, your weight or appearance or  worry about every calorie that enters your mouth. Perhaps  you’re unable to break free from the endless cycle of yo- yo dieting, binge eating or constantly overeating, I want you to know, you are not alone.

I work with people just like you who need a new approach to gaining balance and moderation in their life. I will help you to take back control without feeling deprived or hungry. My signature one to one programme (which I am currently running via video call sessions) is designed to help you shed the layers of shame and guilt and be able to accept yourself. You will discover how to make sense of what your brain and body are going through, feel supported and empowered.

Please book in a complimentary call HERE to see how I can help.

Click here to download your free planner