3 EASY STEPS TO WEIGHT LOSS FOR BUSY MUMS

Dr Sally Norton a consultant surgeon and weight loss expert. She explains why women put on weight during the menopause and how to lose weight in a sustainable way.

Is it True that We Put on Weight When We Go Through the Menopause?

It’s quite a controversial issue. There’s no good medical evidence that shows that menopause causes weight gain. There are some studies that say women don’t put on weight during the menopause.

But the reality is that many people do put on fat and weight at about the same time as they go through the menopause.

The drop in oestrogen at the time of menopause causes an increase of fat mass. At the same time, bone and muscle mass can decrease. So it’s easy to see why medically we don’t “gain weight”. We gain fat, and lose bone and muscle mass which can result in being the same weight.

The change in fat distribution is a problem. We don’t want more weight around our middle! Central obesity is bad for our health....

Hands up who has cravings? Those all encompassing thoughts that consume you until you go out of your way to please them.

Cravings can be smaller, such as not starting work until you’ve had a coffee.

Or larger. When you drive half way across town to find a specific food.

Either way, cravings are addictions. Our brains are addicted to the dopamine rush we get when we satisfy the craving.

For me, caffeine is my weakness. My brain is addicted to the rush of caffeine I get when I drink my daily coffee.

Cravings are Like Habits Gone Wrong

Our brains love efficiency and create habits so we don’t have to think. We do things on autopilot. This autopilot is another way of describing habits. Habits are things we do without having to think about it. Such as brushing our teeth, driving to work, drinking coffee.

How Do Habits Work?

Habits are driven by a neurotransmitter called dopamine. That’s the “reward” we get. Dopamine makes us feel good. Dopamine is great...

I’ve seen this with several clients. As they get closer to their dream weight, they find themselves doing things that they wouldn’t normally do.

Eating stuff that’s sabotaging their efforts.

It’s as if their body is saying “whoops, we’re getting a bit close to that goal so let’s eat loads and stay this weight because it’s safe.”

Sound familiar?

(It doesn’t have to be a weight loss goal. Could be anything!)

I notice myself doing it with work related goals…

“polishing my podcasts”

“tidying my computer”

Keeping myself busy “doing” stuff that isn’t going to get me closer to my goals.

Is it Self Sabotaging or Self Protecting Behaviour?

Actually I think we should rename it “self protecting” behaviour. It’s our body’s way of keeping things normal and avoiding the dangerous unknown.

We just have to be the leader and say “it’s OK body, we’ve...

Ever had a day when your mind takes over and throws you down the plughole of a negative thought? It's like a song that you can't shake off. You spiral down the negative thought as it grows and grows.

You know that creating positive thoughts will help you spiral up again.

The only problem is, you need to create thoughts that you actually believe. You can't trick yourself into believing things that you know aren't true.

Here's a fantastic exercise to help you create and build on positive thoughts that will help you get back on track.

Dr Orlena Author Bio

Dr Orlena is a health coach. She helps busy mums go from "I can't lose weight" to feeling fit and fabulous. Find out more about her here.

Does your life ever get knocked sideways with a bout of negative thinking? Mine sure does! Today I want to share with you some of the tips and tricks that I use to make sure I don’t spiral down the “negative plug hole”.

Why Is it Important to Get Out of a Negative Thinking Rut?

It doesn’t matter what your goals are. Healthy eating, weight loss, healthy living. Even work related goals. A bout of negative thinking can lead to self sabotaging behaviour. It’s at these times that we give into emotional eating, throw in our exercise regime and become less productive at work.

Me a Few Years Ago

A few years ago, I used to suffer with big bouts of negative thinking. I’d get frustrated with something. Then it would spiral out of control. I’d pay attention to all those negative thoughts in my head. What started with frustration at a small task would escalate into “my life is a disaster” and “I can’t do anything!”

Even...

Dr Harriet Holme talks to Dr Orlena about the benefits of a plant based diet. What does the research tell us about the health benefits of a plant based diet? What exactly is a plant based diet? How much meat, eggs and dairy can you eat in a plant based diet? Are meat, eggs and dairy bad for you?

Dr Harriet Holme

Dr Harriet Holme worked as an academic paediatric doctor. She is a registered nutritionist. She does bespoke nutritional consultancy.

What is the Research behind the Plant Based Diet?

There are many studies that conclude a plant based diet is good for us. Studies vary in size as well as quality.

One large study was recently published in the Lancet. Read the article here.

The PREDIMED study is another landmark piece of research.

It’s clear from the research that fruit and vegetables are good for us.

One question that we haven’t answered is the “fliexitarian” vs “vegan” debate. Is it better to eat a diet full of vegetables that excludes...

One of my favourite subjects is “getting started with self care”? Why? Because until we take that step and prioritise our own needs, we’re stuck on the “habits hamster wheel”. We’re doing the same things over and over again. Without thinking.

We Often Need A Nudge to Get Us Started with Self Care

You know what life’s like. We’re all getting on with life. For parents, that includes looking after our kids. We often don’t have enough energy to think about “self care”.

We either think we’re doing OK and have got healthy living nailed. Or it’s something we put off for another day.

Often we need a bit of a wake up call to get us started on “healthy living” and feeling “fit and fabulous”.

I had several “small wake up calls”. I thought I was leading a healthy life. But I wasn’t feeling fit and fabulous. Now I do lead an amazing life style. I take care of myself. And feel...

Have you heard of the book “How Not to Die” by Michael Greger, MD? What a great title! Today I’m exploring Dr Greger’s book and messages. The bits I love and the bits I’m not so sure about!

Overview of How Not to Die

Dr Greger is a physician from the U.S. The book is divided into 2 parts. The first half has chapters on how not to die from specific illnesses such as heart disease and lung cancer.

The second part goes into his dietary recommendations.

What I Love About How Not to Die

I love reading books about nutrition and how to be healthy. My “big message” is that we can avoid so many diseases by leading a healthy life.

I was excited to dive in and find this quote on the first page:

Most deaths in the US are preventable and they are related to what we eat. Our diet is the number one cause of premature death and the number one cause of disability.

I agree 1000%! A huge round of applause for an inspiring and empowering message.

Dr Greger...

In this episode, Dr Orlena talks about how to changing your habits  to eat and live more healthily starts with self awareness. Big changes can happen over a period of time. But those big changes start with little changes. And little changes start with the awareness of what you want to change.

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve all had a great holiday and are feeling refreshed and ready to take on 2020!

How Far we’ve Come in 10 years

Isn’t it incredible to think back 10 years? What was your life like then? What changes have you made since then? What amazing journeys have you been on? The good times and the not so good time!

10 years ago I was living in Wales. I was working as a pediatric doctor. I had 1 son.

Now I live in Spain (we’ve moved several times since then!) I have 4 kids and am growing a business. So many changes that I didn’t expect.

Where Will You be in 10 Years Time?

How would you like your life to be in 10 years time? My wish for you is...

Have you ever stopped to think about what it means to forgive someone?

"To cease to feel resent against..."

Once we forgive, we let go off resentment and all the negative energy that is eating us up.

Forgiveness is a super simple tool that helps us become more positive and happy.

Find out what happened when Dr Orlena first turned her mind to forgiveness.

Author Bio

Dr Orlena is a health coach. She helps busy mums go from "I can't lose weight" to feeling fit and fabulous. Find out more about her here.