SLEEP & DIET SATISFACTION
This week we have 2 topics to cover, firstly sleep and why it’s important for not only fat loss but overall health too. Next, we look at diet satisfaction which is crucial if you are going to make long-term changes..
If you feel like you put lots of effort into good eating and exercise is on point, but you still don’t feel or look the way you want, poor sleep may be to blame.
Sleep is a fundamental aspect of our lives that often goes overlooked in the pursuit of our goals.
However, understanding and prioritizing sleep is crucial for overall health and well-being.
The Role of Sleep:
Sleep is not just a state of rest but a complex process that plays a vital role in various physiological functions.
Sleep affects our mental and physical health, including cognitive function, mood regulation, immune system function, and even body weight regulation.
Sleep Quantity and Quality:
While the recommended amount of sleep varies depending on age and individual needs, adults generally require between 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.
Quality sleep involves uninterrupted sleep cycles that include both non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stages.
Impacts of Poor Sleep:
The consequences of insufficient or poor-quality sleep can be significant such as impaired cognitive function, reduced productivity, increased risk of chronic diseases (such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions), compromised immune system, and mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
For fat loss specifically, it can cause you to crave junky/high-calorie foods.
Strategies for Better Sleep:
Establishing a consistent sleep schedule will help you improve.
The link below will take you to a handy infographic that has more information and strategies in one place.
By prioritizing sleep and adopting healthy sleep habits you can reap the benefits of restorative sleep and enhance your overall well-being.
DIET SATISFACTION
You need to eat every day for the rest of your life.
You have to enjoy it!
Please download and fill out THIS SHEET HERE.
This will give us a great indicator of whether or not you will stick to the current diet you’re eating.
And if not, let’s get to work making small changes in the right direction.
There are many factors involved in dietary success.
We will explore and experiment with what works for YOU.
However, we don't want the majority of your daily calories coming from junk.
We want a nutritious diet that benefits your long term health.
More fibre, increasing protein, “eating the rainbow” for vegetable intake, including healthy fats etc…
The trick here is to find a way to do the above whilst still enjoying your food.
I want you to reference your initial nutrition pack and the “Eat more, eat less.” pages.
If you are trying to improve your diet (not just lower calories), it’s key to learn how to prepare these foods in a tasty way.
PRACTICAL TIPS
Below there are some extra tips you could utilise to help you enjoy your “new” diet.
Air Fyer
Personally, I love my Air Fryer, and allows me to quickly knock up crispy meats, veg, and all sorts. I can also set and forget what’s cooking, take the dogs for a walk, and come back to it. I didn’t realise how much I rely on mine until I took a trip to Cornwall.. I felt lost!
Vegetables
Pair with low-fat cheese.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice after you steam your vegetables. It can add a nice surprise to spinach or broccoli.
To infuse your vegetables with flavor, sauté them in olive oil, garlic, and herbs of your choice.
Spice Them Up! Jalapeno pepper, pre-mixed seasonings etc…
Dip your raw vegetables into a lower-calorie dip like hummus, which itself can be eaten as a side dish.
Add a ton of veggies to your favorite soup for more flavour.
Grill them! Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning for a perfect side to any dish.
Stuff them with cheeses, meats, or whatever you’d like to experiment with.
Marinades
As I said previously, “Marinate your fucking chicken.”
What a grim life it would be to eat bland tasting foods all the time.
Take some time out to experiment with some marinades and lean protein options (doesn’t have to be chicken).
It’s a game changer.
Recipe Book
I am a huge fan of TheFitnessChef.
He’s created amazing recipes based on “real” food, the stuff we actually like to eat.
Highly recommend any of his recipe books for ideas on how to make takeaways healthy and continue to enjoy the foods you love, just improving upon them.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Graeme-Tomlinson/e/B06XF7G721?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1674642235&sr=8-1
Slow Cooker
Slow Cookers Can Save You Money. One of the main advantages of slow cooking is that you can use cheaper cuts of meat that you wouldn’t normally use if you were in a hurry. Slow cooking brings out the best in their flavour.
The meals are super-easy to make. Everyone can master meals with slow cookers, since nearly all the ingredients the recipes require are added at the same time.
Slow cooker recipe books are plentiful with amazing meals you might not of tried before. You can pop your ingredients in for a new recipe, get home from a days work and have it ready to go!
If you’re a fussy eater slow cookers can be great too! It’s very easy to throw a ton of different vegetables into the slow cooker.
Whether or not you use Reddit you can look at others posting up inspiring results and ideas that you can steal for yourself.
There’s a plethora of helpful posts in these groups:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Volumeeating/
https://www.reddit.com/r/1500isplenty/
https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/
WEEKLY TASK
Check out this SLEEP infographic and note a way in which you’d like to try and improve your sleep.
Let me know your ideas and give it at least 3 days consecutively.
Trying several over the coming weeks can help you find what works for you.
Personally, nothing has helped me more than black-out curtains, a white noise App, and reading a book before bed.
Download and fill out THIS SHEET HERE.
Reference your nutrition pack and look at ways to include “Eat More” foods this week and how to prepare them in a way you truly look forward to eating.