weight loss - Page 3 of 5 - The Body Retreat

Tried & Tested Belly Busting Blowout Recovery Plan

Today’s post is part advisory guidance and part confession…..

You see on Sunday this week I had a blow out… I was having a celebratory lunch with a girlfriend. We had planned it months in advance and so I knew it was going to be a feast of a lunch. Somehow….no additional questions please 😉 … my planned lunchtime indulgence cascaded over into the entire day.

The Belly Busting Food Diary
Breakfast : Large bowl of Bran Flakes
Mid Morning Snack: Slice of home made Pork Pie
Lunch: Crab Tiane with Smoked Salmon, Roast Pork & Mash, Baileys Creme Brûlée, Sauvignon Blanc
Supper: Vegetable Crisps, Smoked Mackerel Crostinis, Garlic Prawns, Garlic Mussels. 2 Cosmopolitan Cocktails

Unsurprisingly the next day I felt ROUGH…. now I cannot blame the cocktails or vino as I actually drank in moderation… what I didn’t do was eat in moderation. I was overcome by the “What the heck, it’s a celebration” voices in my head and had over indulged at every stage.

It wasn’t just the amount of food I ate but the type of foods. Just the amount of processed carbs alone was enough to throw my digestive system out of balance and left me feeling bloated, uncomfortable, groggy, with a fuzzy taste in my mouth. The next morning I felt sluggish and really quite down and unhappy. My entire mood being affected by how I felt physically. My stomach was stretched and felt as tight as a drum. Physically and emotionally I was not in a good place. To be honest I felt so bad that all I really wanted to do was lie on the sofa. I was very thirsty and because I felt so sluggish I was craving sugar to give me an energy boost.

It’s a Slippery Slope!!

Does this sound familiar? This is the point when in the past I would have given in the physical craving for sugar, carbs and diet coke and hit the corner shop… but now I know that only leads to a serious downwards spiral. One that ends up with about an extra stone around the middle. I’ve been there. I know only too well how slippery that slope is!!!

I also see it with my clients, time and again I see the same self destructive behaviour the day after a blow out. Its as though the blow out wipes out all good intentions, cancels out any good work gone before, confirms that you can’t do this healthy living stuff! They worry that this over indulgence will stop their weight loss.

But Im here to tell you that is just the cravings talking….like any addiction this is when you are at your most vulnerable. So now is a time for action…but mostly now is a time to be kind to yourself. Pick yourself up, accept that the blow out happened, but just more forward. No looking for excuses, no guilty recriminations , no negative self talk…the blow out was yesterday. Today is a new day and you can make a new choice right now.

The question is…what choice do you want to make?

To help you get back on track I’d like to share with you my tried and tested Belly Busting Blowout Recovery Plan. Just five simple steps to having in you feeling like yourself again in now time…and more importantly to stop you slipping down that slope into daily over indulgence.

The 5 Step Belly Busting Blowout Recovery Plan

1. EAT
Yes I know this might seem a contradiction when feeling over indulged. But it is important to keep your metabolism moving and your blood sugar levels stable. So today it is important to eat but EAT LIGHT.

Belly Busting Recovery Food Diary

Breakfast : Detox Greens Juice (You can find the recipe in our blog or on our FB page)
This will set you up for the day, flooding your system with goodness while at the same time being very light to digest.

Lunch: Green Eggs & Ham
A great protein based lunch, add chopped spinach to two scrabbled eggs and serve with a a slice of ham. The ham helps to satisfy salt cravings.

Afternoon Snack: Apple & Walnuts.

At the apple with help to keep you hydrated while irving natural sugar and fibre and the walnuts really pack a nutritional punch as the oils also help to balance your insulin levels.

Supper: Chicken & Barley Soup

Again keeping it really light and hydrating this tasty soup helps to satisfy your hunger which will have begun to build during the day. Again you can find a great recipe for Chicken soup on our blog.

2. DRINK
Water, water, water. Today it is especially important to drink lots of water, aim for about 2 litres in total of fresh plain water. If you really feel like you need something bubbly (I know I did) then avoid carbonated soft drinks. Instead add the juice of one whole lime and one whole lemon to a large glass of sparkling water. This will refresh you instantly.

3. WALK
You really need to get moving and not become a couch potato…even though every part of you will be urging you to just sit it out and wait for the discomfort to pass. Get outside into the fresh air…regardless of the weather. Walking for an hour is great, half an hour is good and 15 mins is the absolute minimum. This walk will lift you physically and mentally.

4. SUPPLEMENT
Having consumed a large about of dairy, sugar and proceed carbs my system was totally acidic. I was feeling totally backed up and very uncomfortable (if you know what I mean!!). I needed to get my system back into alignment as soon as possible. Gentle exercise and light eating both help to achieve this but you can super-charge this process by adding supplements into your diet right now. Both Julie and I always have Alkalising Salts at home. (I take them for Gastro Oesphical Reflux Disorder and Julie for an energy boost when she feels sluggish) Making up a glass of alkalising salts morning and evening will help to

Also if you have them take 2 probitotics before you got to bed at night they will also help to bentley get things moving regularly by morning.

5. TREAT YOURSELF
The day after a blow out is usually when the guilt and negative self talk sets in. I was disappointed in myself. I hadn’t meant to over indulge…it sort of crept up on me!! My mood was so low that I found myself ruminating on negative thoughts….. in short i was beating myself up for my behaviour the day before. This isn’t helpful. Instead, acknowledge that you perhaps didn’t stick to you plan, but also acknowledge that this one day doesn’t make you a bad person. There is no reason to be guilty and punish yourself. Instead lift your mood by treating yourself to something you really like to do, maybe its have a massage, a manicure, run a bath and take a magazine to enjoy a whole chunk of you time. Whatever is going to lift your spirits.

Let me know how you get on with the plan…it never fails to make you feel better fast. Follow this plan and you will undo that over indulgence in no time and find yourself back on track.

Please leave me a comment in the box below, I’d love to hear how you get on.

Is Weight On Your Mind?

Do you ever find yourself catching sight of yourself in a shop window or a mirror and find the reflection looking back at you isn’t how you think you look?

The question you may ask yourself is how did I put this weight on? Or at what point did my body change? Did it creep up gently or have you always been uncomfortable with your size and shape? Have you felt out of control recently? Maybe your weight is now affecting your self-esteem. Or you are worried that your weight is impacting your health?

You are not alone.

There are lots of women out there thinking the exact same questions as you are. Struggling with weight is not new, it is something most of us struggle with at some point in our life.

The media surrounds us with messages and images of being thin and the need to be smaller so that we can be normal, attractive and accepted. Women in particular tend to correlate weight with self-esteem, and we tend to feel better about ourselves when we are close to our weight target.

We are bombarded by the “Fact” that the way to lose unwanted weight is by eating less and moving more. It sounds so easy, right? – So why do the majority of us struggle to achieve this?

The answer is that losing weight is a complex psychological process. The process combines your behaviours, thoughts and experiences. No diet in the world will help you to lose weight if you are not in the correct state of mind and have barriers blocking the way.

Food is not just a source of energy – we tend to use it to reward or even punish ourselves. Food is associated with being sociable and food can be used to feel in control. It is not just fuel! With the exception of Sugar most food is not addictive, although at times the cravings you have can feel very much like addiction. Indeed the feelings we get from food certainly can really be addictive in nature. Some people find they feel good about themselves if they eat chocolate or some of us like to have a glass of wine when we get home. Or if we have had a bad day at work we treat ourselves to a comforting stodgy ready meal or just raid the bread bin.

The psychological factors will vary from person to person, when it comes to weight loss there is no one size fits all. Maybe you have an idea of what barriers are standing in your way. Or perhaps you feel overwhelmed and confused by what is the right path for you?

The Body Retreat’s unique approach to weight loss can help you change how you connect to food and ensure that when you return home you have all the tools and resources to support yourself to maintaining the weight loss and to continue until you achieve the body, health and wellbeing you want and deserve.

So what are you waiting for? Just email us at Info@thebodyretreat.co.uk and we will set up a time to chat through what your concerns are right now and how we might be able to help you to achieve your goal.

Are You Stuck in the Sugar Trap?

Sugar Is A Devious Thing.

It’s not just found in the usual suspects of sweets, chocolates, soft drinks etc. It is naturally occurring in many food groups but it has also insidiously crept into all kinds of everyday food, including breakfast cereals, bread, pasta sauces, stock cubes, yoghurts, and many products masquerading as “healthy,” “low fat” and “natural.”

There is so much Sugar to choose from these days Granulated, Cane Sugar, Honey, Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose, Maltose, Lactose, Maize Syrup, Agave Syrup, Molasses the list of sugars goes on and on. Then of course there is the killer in the pack High Fructose Corn Syrup (often shortened to HFCS on labels).

In the long term, too much sugar in the diet can lead to weight gain and diabetes, but it can be harmful in the short term too. Even moderate regular sugar intake is linked with a host of conditions from brain fog, fungal infections, mood swings, low energy levels, mucous production, inflammation and lowered immunity.

The other problem with Sugar and its various understudies is that it gives you an endorphin rush, which over time becomes very addictive. Also your brain runs on Glycogen and if you don’t give your brain the right fuel then guess what? Your brain actually sends you straight to eat some carbs to replenish its energy levels… but of course you don’t go for a plate of healthy slow release carbs like whole grains or veggies…. Not when you are habituated by Sugar…. You hit the vending machine!

Swapping to Artificial Sweeteners.

You might think that you are ok because you have substituted artificial sweeteners for many sugars in your diet.

Artificial sweeteners were designed to be sugar substitutes as a calorie cutting alternative. These artificial additives mimic the flavor of sugar but with virtually no useful energy. Cancer concerns aside there are numerous reasons why artificial sweeteners are bad for your overall health (I will blog about that one another time) but also very often these sweeteners have a little added sugar for taste.

There Is An Answer.

If your diet has been sugar rich lately, or if you have been feeling tired and run down, chances are you could benefit from a sugar detox. It’s not as hard as it sounds. The trick is to eat the right foods in the first place in order to avoid sugar cravings, balance your blood sugar and then if you would like something sweet, to surround yourself with healthy options.

Below are 3 Steps To Combat Sugar Reliance Now.

Eat more protein with each meal. This balances your blood glucose and creates a slower release of energy to reduce sugar cravings.
Eliminate processed carbohydrates. White carbs turn into glucose far too quickly in the body, resulting in a release of insulin by the pancreas. This leads to blood sugar fluctuations and sugar cravings. Avoid these types of carbs and replace them with whole grains like whole rolled oats, wholegrain basmati rice and quinoa.
Avoid processed foods. These often contain hidden sugars, so if you are really stuck during your detox period and you must use them, make sure you read the labels carefully. Look for anything which ends in “-ose” (such as fructose, glucose, maltose etc etc) as these are just other types of sugar.

Quitting Sugar Can Be Tough

When giving up sugar, the first few days are often the hardest, but gradually your blood sugar will become more balanced, your skin will start to glow, and you will begin to shed a couple of those stubborn pounds. Best of all, your mind will feel clearer and you will discover an abundance of energy you had forgotten was possible.

Need Help Overcoming Your Sugar Habit?

Join us at our Sugar Detox Retreat where our carefully designed programme balances your blood sugar levels, resets your hormones and supports your body and mind to beat this vicious cycle and put you back in control of your health permanently.

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What to expect at a Women Only Weight Loss Retreat

If you are thinking about attending a women’s weight loss retreat (not just a Body Retreat one… although of course we think we are the best), you will probably have a few questions as to whether it will be suitable for you, There a lot of options out there, from weight loss bootcamp to weight loss holiday the choice seems vast so the following information may help you make your decision.

First of all, note that a “women’s weight loss retreat“ will mean different things to different people, no matter whether they are running the retreat or attending it! We all have different ideas and expectations, so, you will need to do your research first to ensure you find the retreat that is most suitable for you.

Questions to Consider when choosing a Weight Loss Retreat:

What sort of events / activities will you be taking part in? Are they a mix of cardio, plus high and low impact exercise to not only burn those calories off, but shape and tone your body too? A variety of exercises and activities will help keep you engaged in what you are doing, so you (should!) enjoy them more;
How big are the groups at each retreat? Obviously, the smaller the groups, the more personalised and individual attention you will get – helping you to achieve your goals that much quicker and prevent the likelihood of injury;
Also who else is attending the retreat? Often the staff on Women Only Retreats are male and its not unheard of for advertised women only to take men, so ask the question. Is it a mixed retreat, could you be the only female in the group? Will you be in good company that can help and support you or is the environment competitive and strict?
What sort of diet will you be on? Some retreats will severely restrict your calories or put you on to a liquid only diet. Others, such as ourselves, provide tasty and nutritionally sound meals that provide the foundations to helping you shed the unnecessary weight – and maintain that weight loss;
Is the focus purely on losing weight, or does the retreat programme include looking at all areas of your health and well-being? For example, our weight loss retreats are designed to help you think about the relationship between your lifestyle, weight, nutrition and health – and creating a balance.
What is the age range on the retreat? Not only of the clients but also the instructors and experts. You will want to feel comfortable and have common ground with those around you.
And last but by no means least, what results can you expect to gain and maintain? This is an important question because the truth is that when you eat less and move more you will lose weight, but will you continue to lose or maintain the weight loss? Read the testimonials, ask to speak to a past client so you can find out for yourself what the post programme support helped them to achieve.

What happens at The Body Retreat Weight Loss Retreat?

There are a few things that make our retreats different to some others – our groups are small for a personalised service and we have an online support community after the event where you can talk to other women who have been, or are going on, the same life changing journey as you.

Ours is a holistic approach, and all our retreats are based on our 4 Pillars of Wellbeing, they are Behaviour, Nutrition, Exercise and R&R so our days are balanced to ensure that you have the time you need to not only make change but to really embed it so that it becomes habitual.

The experts we have chosen to support us on our retreat are women who have studied female health and wellbeing extensively, they have years of experience and more than that as all our team are women they understand the nuances of the journey each women makes to achieving the body and fitness she wants and deserves. You can be confident that you are always in the very best care.

And last but by no means least The Body Retreat venues offer you every comfort and luxury you would expect at a spa retreat, from the spa facilities, power showers and deep bath tubs, fluffy bathrobes and towels through to beautiful healthy food that not only is a delight for your eyes and tastebuds. We have designed a unique retreat experience that is based on results but hasn’t neglected pleasure and relaxation.

What is a typical day like on Weight Loss Retreat?

Depending on the type of weight loss retreat you are attending, a typical day may consist of around 8 hours of different activities – for example, a variety of toning and cardio activities such as circuits, Nordic walking, kettlebells, pilates, yoga, and boxing etc as well as health, nutrition and well- being workshops. Most retreats will have an early start with exercise before breakfast, we start our days with our Wake Up Workout, a short and snappy workout deigned to wake your metabolism and get you into fat burning straight away.

On some retreats you will be exercising outside all day. We try to get outdoors as much as possible (weather permitting) and show you how you can exercise and get fit without the need for lots of equipment or gym memberships. We are also lucky to have indoor exercise areas so that if…or should that be when the good old British weather lets us down we can still follow a full programme dry and safe from the elements.

Our venues have a pool and most have sauna, hot tub and steam room, so as well as take part in aqua aerobics sessions or pool workouts you can also have a leisurely swim and relax those muscles at the end of the day.

R&R is a very important part of making change stick, you will work hard on a Weight Loss Retreat and there will be challenges and change to overcome, so having time every day to relax, enjoy a complimentary massage treatment, have time to reflect on your decision to join the retreat, just have time for you …when was the last time you had time just for you?

While the other ladies at the weight loss retreat will be people just like you, you don’t have to worry about needing your own space. It is up to you as to how sociable you are during your free time. Some of our ladies will go off to their room for a hot bath and to watch the TV while others may sit together and chat over a herbal tea – it’s your choice!

At The Body Retreat, we don’t advocate any diet, diets do not work! What does work is making a healthy conscious choice that is just right for you and your body. Making a positive healthy choice because you want to, because you care about your body. And anyway, life is too short to spend it worrying about what to eat and not eat…or worse eating bland tasteless food in the quest for weight loss. When I hear of the latest Diet trend I’m always reminded of a great quote by Dolly Parton

“I tried every diet in the book. I tried some that weren’t in the book.

I tried eating the book. It tasted better than most of the diets.”

Dolly-Parton-It-s-All-Wrong-But-Banner-I4-N5TF-KJF8-SA9M-orig

Our retreat workshops will help you identify just what aspects of your life are influencing your weight and fitness choices. Lifestyle is a generic concept that encompasses a range of factors, all of which are important to understand and take control of if you are to start to improve your body and the way you feel about it.

There is more to a Weight Loss Retreat than “Eat Less & Move More”

So, you see a Weight Loss Retreat is more than simply doing exercises and learning about eating the right sort of foodstuffs. It is about establishing mechanisms to empower you to start having more self-confidence and to do things differently in terms of your overall lifestyle.

If this all sounds a little theoretical, then be reassured that at our retreats there’s lots of emphasis on fun and practicality! This is about groups of women coming together to participate in sessions that have been designed by women and for women, with the ultimate objective of helping you achieve your goals.

Whatever your age or fitness level ,or long term goal you are likely to find the approach here at The Body Retreat to be thorough, practical and above all enjoyable!

I hope you found this article helpful to support you in asking the right questions and making the right choice for a Weight Loss Retreat that works for you.

And if you ave any questions about our women only weight loss retreat, don’t hesitate to ask 🙂

Good Luck

Ditch the Diets…7 Healthy Ways to Eat Less

We hate Diets at The Body Retreat!

Now both in our 40’s and like a lot of the ladies who join us now on our Weight Loss Retreats we have both been through the gambit of almost every Diet going, The F-Plan, The Cabbage Soup Diet, Weight Watchers, Atkins, The South Beach Diet, The Dukan Diet, The 5:2 plan…… the list goes on and on and on. We are yet to meet a happy Dieter. The idea that excluding whole food groups or by meticulously weighting and measuring every mouthful is going to make you healthy let alone happy is really quite ridiculous to us.

What diets do is set individuals up for disappointment and dysfunctional relationship with food and yet it is almost a national pastime. Every new Diet fad to hit the shelves brings with it a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe this will be the one.

The problem is that chronic dieting can actually lead to weight gain in the long term, as metabolism and hormones are thrown out of balance. So, women have been left feeling unhappy about their weight and their bodies. They are confused about what they can and cannot eat and when they should eat it. Should they fast, or graze, or stick to three square meals a day? Is fat the enemy or is it now sugar? Many see the plethora of Diet foods available in he supermarkets as the answer, after all its all weighed and measured for you, surely those who produce the meals will know what is good. Yet the unwanted and unnecessary weight stays put. Diets don’t work in the long term, they are not deigned to be a way of life.

At The Body Retreat no real whole food is off limits. Following the 80/20 principle we advocate that you cut the CRAP from your diet. 80% of the time you eat clean and as close to nature as possible. Choosing meals based on meat, fish, grains, pulses, fruit and veggies with small amounts of diary and good fats. Then 20% of the time you enjoy eating whatever you like…literally. No points, no syns and most importantly no guilt!!

You can read more about the 80/20% Principle for Weight Loss here.

On our Weight Loss Retreats we look to empower women to regain control of their health first. Making conscious choices that respect and protect their body, learning to listen to what the body really wants and needs. When you put health first, weight loss will follow.

Our 7 Healthy Ways to Eat Less is a great place to start to build a better relationship with food while at the same time supporting your body to shed the weight that is unnecessary for it.

1. Only Eat When You are Truly Hungry.

How often have you confused hunger with thirst or emotion. Very often we eat when we are not really hungry and so it is difficult to hear the “I’m satisfied” signal from your tummy. This can easily lead to overeating and weight gain. Learn to listen to your body and only eat when you are truly hungry.

2. Eat Real Food.

If you can pick it, plant it or catch it then eat it. If the ingredients sound like a school chemistry experiment then stay well clear. I know that many of you will say “but I don’t have time to prepare and cook real food” but healthy food doesn’t have to be long winded. Scramble some eggs, grill a piece of fish or throw a potato in the oven. Yes it will take some time to get used to a new way of preparing food, but it is change that is well worth making the effort in the first instance.

3. Eat Protein with Every Main Meal.

Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates. Getting enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like good organic meat, fish or dairy, nuts, or beans at meals.

4. Use a Smaller Plate.

Did you know that the average dinner plate has grown from 9 inches to 14-16 inches? Not to mention those lovely bistro bowls that are so popular now, you know there really deep ones so you can get all your delicious sauce to stay put. In their infinite wisdom some marketing chap decided that they can make more money selling us bigger plates and so the average dinner plate has evolved into something quite huge. The trouble is, is that your tummy hasn’t evolved to keep up, our stomach is the size of our own clenched fist. So in any one sitting you should not eat more than what would fill your clenched fist. Choosing to eat from a smaller plate helps your brian to become accustomed to less food without feeling deprived as a full plate sends a signal to the brain that you are having a full meal.

5. Sit Down & Pay Attention.

When you do eat you want to eat mindful of the healthy nutritious foods you have chosen. You want your body to have the time it needs to properly digest the foods so that you get the maximum energy and nutrition from every bite. So don’t eat on the go, sit down, even if its only for 5-10 minutes. Pay attention to the food on your plate and most importantly when its in your mouth. Chew slowly, really savour every mouthful.

6. Put Your Cutlery Down Between Each Mouthful.

This is one of the healthy habits we adopt on all our Body Retreats. Putting your cutlery down between each mouthful slows down your eating by about 25% therefore giving you time to properly digest the food and very importantly allowing time for the “I’m Satisfied” signal to reach your brain telling you to stop eating.

7. No Water While You Eat

Back in the day I can remember specifically being told that drinking lots of water with every meal made you feel full up faster and so you didn’t eat as much. True..BUT..and its a big BUT here.. the water you drink is absorbed in about 15 minutes and so you are left feeling unsatisfied and more likely to snack on fattening foods later in the day. Also drinking water at meal times dilutes your digestive enzymes and so your body is not able to get the maximum nutrition form the foods you have chosen, so it is kind of a lose, lose situation. Drink right up until you start eating and stop until about 15/20 mins after you have finished your meal.

Follow these simple 7 Healthy Steps to Eat Less and you will soon notice a huge difference in not only your waist line, but in your energy levels and digestive health too.

It really is time to ditch the diets and instead focus on making healthy choices about what we put into our body, because we care about our body, because we care about ourselves.

Ditch the Diet

What do you think? I’d love to hear your experience of dieting or even better how you quit dieting and started losing weight. Please leave me a comment in the box at the bottom and if you know a serial dieter who would benefit form reading this blog then please do share it with them…a ll you need to do is click the social media button and woos its done.