Are results linear?

When it comes to fat loss or any other health goal, it might seem logical that if you are doing everything right, that you should see a linear trend.

Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Some days the scale might go up and some days it might go down. Salt intake, water intake, stress, menstrual cycle, time of day, bowel contents etc can all cause shifts in bodyweight. This is usually a reflection of changes in body water and not body fat.

Side note: this is why if you want to track weight, you need to weigh daily and take the weekly average. This will give you a better picture of what is going on.

Our body is a rather complex system. You are not living in a vacuum.

Some weeks, everything might go smoothly. And some weeks, you might have more stress and other commitments. It is important that you monitor overall trends and not react based on a single day’s reading or measurement.

Are you being too hyper focused on the number on the scale?

While scale weight is an easy and objective measure for measuring dieting success, it is NOT the only measure. I have had clients who managed to improve their body composition and drop several sizes without any changes in weight.

I’ve also had clients who have achieved all of the above but are frustrated that the number didn’t go down. If you are progressing, does the number actually matter? Please do not use the number on the scale as a measure of self-worth. It tells you nothing other than the force of gravity that is acting on you. Change your perception of scale weight and don’t let it dictate or undermine your amazing progress!

There is more to life than just seeing results and looking at the scale.

Look out for these:

• Are you gaining strength?
• Do you feel better and more confident?
• Are your clothes fitting better?
• Do you have more energy?
• Are you moving better?
• Are you getting better sleep?

These are ALL signs of progress! In fact, I personally feel that these matter even MORE.

Shift your focus and mindset. FOCUS on building healthy habits! Keep going!

If you are feeling lost and need help, reach out to us!

The post Fat Loss Progress: What to expect? appeared first on Nutrition Track.

The good news is – Unlikely!

We tend to assume that our metabolism slows down as we age (especially when we hit 30s and 40s) and that this is the main cause of weight gain.

Fun fact: Your metabolism actually stays relatively stable from 20-60 years old! Research suggests that any change is potentially due to a decrease in physical activity and a loss of muscle mass, which comes down to lifestyle change.

Some examples of lifestyle change:

• Uni/work
• Moving out of home
• Migration
• Partner/marriage: your partner can influence your eating behaviours
• More social events: eating and drinking
• Stress

Some examples of changes in physical activity:

• Less movement in general
• Less time for physical activity
• Not engaging in strength training
• More sedentary

All of these factors can gradually lead to weight gain over time.

What can you do?

Here are some ideas of how you can stay active as you age and keep your metabolism firing! The other components that I talked about in “4 Ways to Boost Metabolism?” are important too!

Start working on these components today!

Reference:

1. Pontzer, H., Yamada, Y., Sagayama, H., Ainslie, P. N., Andersen, L. F., Anderson, L. J., … & IAEA DLW Database Consortium §. (2021). Daily energy expenditure through the human life course. Science, 373(6556), 808-812.

The post Why do I have a slow metabolism? appeared first on Nutrition Track.

Should I include them in my calories burned and account for them in my food intake?

First of all, your metabolism is way too complex to be captured by your fitness tracker. Secondly, the number of calories that you burn based on your fitness tracker is not likely the number of calories that you actually burned during your workout. There are TOO many variables involved and it is almost impossible to tell how much one actually burns during a workout (unless you are in a metabolic lab).

A study looking at the energy expenditure from fitness trackers across different activities found that the error rate was between 27.4% to 92.6%! That is a pretty huge range! Therefore, if you are eating back the number of calories burned, your progress will likely not go where you want it to. This is a mistake that many of my clients make.

However, your fitness tracker is NOT completely useless. It is still a useful tool. Since these numbers are likely to have the same error rate, you can compare them on a day to day basis. For example, if you burned 400 kcal on your workout today and the next day you burned 200 kcal, you can then assume that you worked out harder the day before. So, you are still using these numbers but not the EXACT number.

Accuracy of your fitness device also depends on the technology (heart rate, heat sensors, accelerometer etc) and the activity being carried out (steady state exercises are easier to capture compared to high intensity exercises).

To sum it up, fitness trackers are a good accountability tool and can help encourage healthy behaviours. But please do NOT factor them into your overall daily calorie intake.

I also don’t like to link exercise with the number of calories burned as exercise is MORE than just that. If you exercise just to burn off what you’ve eaten, you are undermining the importance of exercise and you will soon realise that over time, the math doesn’t add up.

Reference:

1. Shcherbina, A., Mattsson, C. M., Waggott, D., Salisbury, H., Christle, J. W., Hastie, T., … & Ashley, E. A. (2017). Accuracy in wrist-worn, sensor-based measurements of heart rate and energy expenditure in a diverse cohort. Journal of personalized medicine, 7(2), 3.

The post Fitness Trackers: Are they accurate? appeared first on Nutrition Track.

But do they actually work?

Before we look at how we can actually increase metabolism, we need to look at the components that make up our metabolism.

There are 4 major components of our metabolism:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – Your basal metabolic rate is the biggest component and makes up about 60% of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). It is the energy that your body uses while at rest to perform daily life sustaining functions such as breathing. Factors affecting BMR include age, gender, weight, body composition, genetics etc. Muscle mass seems to be the component that has the capacity to change BMR considerably. Muscles are metabolically active. This means that if the ratio of muscle loss to fat loss is higher, it can contribute to a drop in BMR (which is not what you want).

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) – NEAT is the energy that you use for all activity that is not formal exercise (it is a pretty big component!). This includes standing, talking, walking, typing, fidgeting etc. NEAT can account for up to 20-30% of TDEE and is actually one of the most adaptive components of metabolism, either increasing or decreasing in response to an energy surplus or deficit.

Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT) – The energy that you expend during formal exercise. This will depend on the activity, intensity and duration of the exercise. This component makes up about 10-15% of TDEE.

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) – The energy needed to digest, absorb and process food. This will be different for different foods. The TEF for protein, carbohydrates and fats are 20-30%, 5-10% and 0-3% respectively. Foods that are higher in protein and fibre tend to have higher TEF. As a whole, TEF makes up about 10% of TDEE.

As you can see, if you want to boost your metabolism in ways that will actually bring about a considerable amount of change, then you need to work on gaining/preserving muscle mass, consume adequate protein (to maintain/gain muscle mass and increase TEF), move more and get enough sleep.

Research has shown that when it comes to fat loss, individuals who go on a higher protein diet with exercise, lose more overall fat mass and in some cases, gain muscle mass compared to those who go on a lower protein diet.

This is not surprising as muscle is more metabolically active and protein has the highest thermogenic effect – AKA BOOSTING metabolism.

Martens et al. looked at the effect of high protein vs high carbohydrate diets on energy expenditure in weight stable individuals. After 12 weeks, energy expenditure (AKA metabolism) decreased significantly in the high carb low protein diet group. This overall decrease was attributed to the decrease in basal metabolic rate (from a slight decrease in muscle mass) and the decrease in dietary induced thermogenesis (AKA thermic effect of food).

To sum it up, here are 4 ways to boost your metabolism:

1. Build and maintain muscle mass

The best way to achieve this is via strength training! If you are completely new to this, I highly suggest working with a qualified trainer to tailor the session to your needs, ensure each move is executed properly with good form and to help you make progress. Progressive overload is important as your muscles will adapt over time.

2. Consume adequate protein

Ensure that you are consuming a wide variety of protein. How much you need will depend on several factors including individual goals and preferences. In general, you can aim for between 1.4-1.6g of protein per kg of bodyweight.

Here are some great sources of protein:

3. Move often

Our desk bound jobs may mean that we are more sedentary throughout the day, even if we exercise regularly! Keep in mind that formal exercise is about 10-15% for most people (formal exercise is STILL IMPORTANT!). This is why I highly encourage keeping active outside of formal exercise. This will come under the NEAT component, which makes up about 20-30% of your total daily energy expenditure!

Set a reminder to get up every 35-45 mins for a quick stretch.

Here are some other ideas:

4. Get enough sleep

When it comes to fat loss and the metabolism, sleep is the most underrated tool! Why sleep?

One study found that in a calorie deficit, insufficient sleep led to a higher proportion of muscle loss vs fat loss. Knowing the importance of muscle mass, you definitely do not want to be losing muscle!

Insufficient sleep has also been associated with an overall increase in energy intake due to (but not limited to) the increase in the hunger hormone ghrelin and a decrease in leptin.

One study found that there was an overall increase in food reward, cravings, hunger and self-selected portion size with sleep curtailment. There was a 12.4% increase in total calories and portion size was significantly higher for rice and potato chips. Participants also selected snacks that were higher in fat. I like how this study used a modest reduction of sleep (33% from their habitual sleep hours) rather than setting a specific number of hours, which would reflect real world experiences.

In short, insufficient sleep can potentially affect muscle mass, appetite, portion sizes and food choice.

Also, when you don’t get enough sleep, your energy levels are affected. You may not have the energy to exercise or even think about nutrition!

And of course, in general, sleep is very much needed for our overall health and wellbeing. Make is a priority!

TLDR:

Forget about “metabolism boosting” products and focus on these 4 elements!

References:

1. Longland, T. M., Oikawa, S. Y., Mitchell, C. J., Devries, M. C., & Phillips, S. M. (2016). Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 103(3), 738-746.
2. Martens, E. A., Gonnissen, H. K., Gatta-Cherifi, B., Janssens, P. L., & Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S. (2015). Maintenance of energy expenditure on high-protein vs. high-carbohydrate diets at a constant body weight may prevent a positive energys balance. Clinical Nutrition, 34(5), 968-975.
3. Nedeltcheva, A. V., Kilkus, J. M., Imperial, J., Schoeller, D. A., & Penev, P. D. (2010). Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Annals of internal medicine, 153(7), 435-441.
4. Yang, C. L., Schnepp, J., & Tucker, R. M. (2019). Increased hunger, food cravings, food reward, and portion size selection after sleep curtailment in women without obesity. Nutrients, 11(3), 663.

The post 4 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism appeared first on Nutrition Track.

GREAT!

I’m going to share the number 1 mistake most of my clients make so that you can start off on the right foot and achieve the results you desire!

The Mistake: Wanting Instant Results… LIKE NOW!

Source

I totally understand the need to want instant results, especially in this day and age where EVERYTHING is instant, quick and fast. Food can now be cooked and delivered straight to your doorstep! GASP!

But…

You didn’t gain 10- or 20kg overnight. So uh, don’t expect to lose it overnight.

There are 2 main problems with wanting things FAST:

1. Resorting to extreme ALL-OR-NOTHING crash diet methods

Source

“NO SUGAR! NO CARBS! NO JUNK FOOD! NO FAT! FOREVER!!!!”

Sound familiar?

Most people think that they need to CUT out all these “bad” foods to see results. Not only is this not sustainable, it can be detrimental to our mental (and physical) health. Research has shown that being overly restrictive can lead to increased cravings, overeating, and sometimes, a trigger for binge eating [1].

The extreme dieting cycle usually looks something like this:

When you keep cycling through this process, you might end up gaining MORE weight as extreme methods tend to lead to a decrease in overall energy expenditure. So, when you get frustrated and decide to GIVE UP, GO ALL OUT AND EAT ALL THE FOOD, you find that you gain weight easier.

The OVERALL END result?

Source

Weight gain!

This is usually the breaking point for my clients. When they come to me for the first time, they’ve usually tried every single method out there with either zero results or have lost the weight and gained it all back when their diet ended (because they had no idea how to maintain the weight loss).

Going to extremes is NOT the solution.

2. Frustration

Sustainable fat loss is a LONG (and sometimes painfully slow) process. You NEED to ACCEPT this.

The going WILL get tough and you WILL be tempted to give up. Not wanting FAST results and knowing what it will take to achieve sustainable fat loss will help you to enjoy the process a little more. This also means that you are LESS likely to give up! #win

The SOLUTION

There are many tools and solutions when it comes to sustainable fat loss.

I like to work on changing habits and behaviours.

Why?

Because habits and behaviours are what you’re doing EVERY SINGLE DAY! Source

There is a BIG difference between knowing what to do and ACTUALLY doing it. Research has shown that having knowledge of healthy behaviours do NOT strongly predict the actual behaviour. We all KNOW (or at least kinda know) what we need to do for our health and fat loss. But… we’re just not doing it! This is known as the intention-behaviour gap [2].

We need to take SPECIFIC ACTION

Source

One of the ways to bridge this gap is to put in place specific actions. In research, this is known as implementation intentions (taking specific action) [2].

For example, the intention may be “I want to eat healthier!”… but how? when? where?

An implementation intention strategy to “eat healthier” could be “I will start by bringing a piece of fruit to work for my 3pm snack” or “I will eat 1 extra serve of vegetables at dinner at least 3 times a week.”

This strategy has been shown to be promising in helping people make healthier choices! It increases automaticity by linking the desired behaviour to critical cues. Therefore, you are less likely to rely on willpower.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Take a good look at your current diet

2. Decide where you need/want to change

3. Practice ONE SPECIFIC habit (JUST ONE!) that will help with point 2

4. Keep practising until it becomes second nature

5. REPEAT process with a NEW habit

I’ll end this post with one of my client’s amazing transformation and what she did to get there!

First of all, this is NOT a 30 day transformation. This is 5 months in the making!

I quote:

“2019 has really brought me to a new place health and energy wise.

It really came down to this: how much I wanted to change and what I was prepared to learn and take up along the way. Nobody could decide that for me, and nobody can decide that for you. I chose the tagline ‘trust in the process’ because change is a process and sometimes it can get scary and discouraging when nothing seems to be moving. That’s the time when we most need to trust in what we’re doing, and that we will get there in the end. We’re not a product, we are in the process of getting better and stronger. Like the PhD, I’m under no illusions this will be easy, only that I believe the journey is worth it.

Plus don’t be afraid to reach out to those who have the expertise to guide you on the steps towards real change. I’ve benefited much from the things @nutritiontrack taught me.”

Petrina KNEW that it was going to be a long and tough journey but she was mentally prepared! She went in with the right MINDSET!

And from there, she worked on her HABITS.

“My food stash in Jan 2019 (re a pic of her food stash).

Since then, I gave away the sweets, ginger tea, chocs and instant porridge. Slowly finished up the cereal and 3 in 1 coffee and milo. Nowadays, I either drink cocoa without sugar or very occasionally, order a hot milo kosong from the canteen when I crave chocolate. My morning beverage remains coffee but I’ve switched to skim milk from full cream, and I have it without sugar.

Snacks are now mainly fruit, cherry tomatoes, almonds, walnuts and meiji oat crackers.

A reminder to self that HABITS can change!“

2 key things about Petrina:

1. She DECIDED she needed to change and ACCEPTED the fact that it WILL TAKE TIME

2. She used the First Step Course to start taking specific ACTION

She showed up and put in the WORK!

The great thing is that THIS COULD BE YOU TOO!

If you are ready to start prioritising your health by changing your current habits and behaviours around food, then check out my First Step Course!

The post The Biggest Fat Loss Mistake and The Solution appeared first on Nutrition Track.

Have you tried many diets but failed to achieve your goal?

Do you struggle to find the right amount of food?

Are you sick and tired of spinning your wheels with nutrition and your weight?

Have you always wanted to do something about your health but have never taken that first step?

If you can relate to the above, then this “First Step Program” is for YOU!

This 1 month online group-based program is designed to help you take that FIRST STEP towards healthy living! What you will get on the program:

• Personalised nutrition plan – Meal TEMPLATES (not meal plan) designed by Adele Wong (Dietitian) that will suit your goals. Meal templates allow you to eat according to your individual food preferences.
• Nutrition guide – Everything you need to know about nutrition for health and fat loss
• Supplement guide – Evidence-based guide on supplements that WORK
• Activity challenge
  
• Challenge calendar – Mini challenges each day!
• Tracking sheet – To track your progress!
• Support and accountability
• Access to me via private FB group

Price: RM299

Start date: 8th JULY 2019

Register: Fill out the enquiry form below

Register by 1st July 2019 to ensure that your personalised plan can be ready by the 5th of July 2019!

Let us solve all your nutrition problems!

All YOU need to do is EXECUTE the program!

Expect CHALLENGES, POINTS and PRIZES!

FAQ

 1. I cannot give up my favourite treats (ice cream/cookies/chocolates etc), will I be able to have them while on this program?

The short answer: Yes, you certainly can!

Long answer: Eating more highly processed foods might mean that you are depriving your body of key nutrients to function at its best. Plus, these foods do not keep you full and satisfied.

2. What do you mean by meal templates?

I personally do not believe in rigid meal plans when it comes to long-term nutrition and health.

Disclaimer: There is a time and place for meal plans but not here. For most of us, it is NOT sustainable.

Your nutrition plan will provide you with food group targets (veg, fruit, protein, carbs, fat, dairy), based on your lifestyle and health goals. From there, you will be able to build your own meals from the food list provided and choose the foods that YOU LIKE!

This means that YOU are in CONTROL!

3. Will this program work?

Yes! BUT… only if YOU do!

Don’t worry. I will be there with you every step of the way!

The program is designed to help you understand the fundamentals and steps to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

4. Does this program come with supplements/meal replacements?

NOPE! No supplements, meal replacements, detoxes etc.

You get to eat FOOD!

The First Step Program Reviews:

“Very highly recommended, especially for those struggling to eat healthy and lose weight. I’ve lost 11 cm and 6.6 kg within a month of working with Nutrition Track’s Adele Wong on the NT First Step Program.

Sensible, sustainable and no nonsense nutrition and diet plans to help you kick start your health and fitness journey. Adele provides you with the knowledge and know- how to cut through the vast swathes of vague, unhelpful or just plain wrong notions about food, drink, and exercise.

Her attention to detail in designing this program was excellent. I found the structured approach helpful in building a foundation for good eating and exercising habits. She was also empathetic and mindful about those who are in urgent need of a body system reboot like myself – her recommended exercises were challenging but achievable for beginners or those just starting to set foot in a gym. In doing so, she manages to avoid the problem of ‘too much, too soon’ which leads to stress, demoralisation and injury.

Above all, Adele is authentic, and her approach to fitness and nutrition reflects that same realness. If you are looking for someone to help you achieve your long term health and fitness goals, you’ve come to the right place.”

~Petrina Tan, Spore~

“If you think you might need help with your nutrition and overall health, Nutrition Track is where you should start! Do it – you won’t be disappointed!! There are no quick fixes or gimmicks, just facts, figures and a lot of support.

I was terrified of putting myself out there and asking for help, but I decided to take part in Nutrition Track’s First Step Program over the first four weeks of January. Now the program has ended, I can honestly say it has changed my life! 5.5kg down and 9cm gone off my waist are the physical changes, but it’s the mental and emotional changes I have noticed being my biggest achievements – funny how food can make you feel!

Adele’s approach to nutrition, health and wellness is both encouraging, enjoyable and most importantly, sustainable. Adele was always easy to contact and there to talk through things if I needed. That, and the support of the online Facebook community we had, was amazing.

I can’t thank Adele enough for all her hard work creating the First Step program. If you’re lucky enough to get to participate in one of these programs, you’ll get to see the hard work, dedication and passion Adele has for her craft – you can’t lose.”

~Jessica Earl, KL~

“Highly recommended program. I learned a lot, especially on eating and nutrition as well as managing stress. Even though weight loss was my target, I gained many insights on nutrition, what to eat, what to do and how to improve on bad eating habits.”

~RW, KL~

“Adele of Nutrition Track is not only highly knowledgeable, but she is very friendly, down-to-earth, supportive and non-judgmental about our struggles with food, life and challenges that we face in trying to improve our diet and health.

She provides a guide to your meals by using portions, and it is up to you to decide on your meals, making it customized to your own preference. Everything she teaches is evidence-based to provide a sustainable change, and not just another fad.

I have recommended Adele to both family and friends, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking to improve their health by healthy eating. Thanks Adele!”

~Doris Ng, KL~

“Simple and effective program, given that you are well disciplined enough to follow the meal plans and challenges. Also good motivation among the members t0 support each other.”

~Ping Ting, KL~

The post The First Step Program appeared first on Nutrition Track.

The holiday season is a time where we are surrounded by family, friends and LOADS OF FOOD!

I personally believe that we should relax and enjoy ourselves…

SENSIBLY!

While ONE meal is not going to do much damage, MANY meals could!

So, here are 6 tips for how to handle ALL your parties and social events!

1. Load up on the veggies and protein – These two foods are satieting and will fill you up easily. This means that you’re likely to consume less overall.

2. Stop when you’re 80% full – You do not have to indulge till you feel sick! This may affect your overall health goal AND ruin the entire experience.

3. Eat SLOWLY – CHEW and SAVOUR your food! Pause and put your utensils down in between bites. This will help you to be more mindful of how you’re feeling. Enjoy good conversations with those around you!

4. Forgo foods you don’t care much for – Survey what’s available and only eat the foods that you REALLY want! Using me as an example, I’d forgo the bread/potatoes as I do not care too much for them. Find what would work for YOU!

5. Be picky about treats – As with point 4, do the same for desserts! Instead of eating ALL the desserts, pick one and enjoy it!

6. Cut down liquid calories – Drinks are SO EASY to over consume and can easily put you over your calorie limit! My advice would be to stick to WATER or diet drinks!

NOW you’re ready!

With the right strategy and action plan, you CAN have your CAKE and EAT it too!

Have fun!

The post 6 Ways to Navigate Through the Holiday Season appeared first on Nutrition Track.

You’re not alone!

The scale provides an objective measure of fat loss. Studies have shown that those who track their weight frequently were more likely to maintain it.

Whenever clients sign up for my program, I get them to weigh themselves daily. However, taking daily measurements can cause a lot of unnecessary anxiety.

How do I help my clients deal with this?

Here’s what I help them understand:

• Scale weight fluctuates daily

Daily fluctuations in weight can be caused by hydration status, stress, food intake, sleep, bowel movements, hormones etc. For example, if you ate foods that were higher in salt the night before, you may wake up heavier due to water retention. The reason why I get my clients to weigh themselves daily is so that they can take the average over a week. This gives a better picture of what is going on.

• Scale weight alone fails to capture actual fat loss

The scale is just ONE of the tools to measure fat loss progress. I encourage my clients to also take body measurements (waist circumference etc), snap pictures, notice the fitting of clothes, how they feel etc. If you are actively going to the gym and building muscle, scale readings may not even move much as muscle weighs more than fat!

• Progress is not linear

This is NORMAL! There will be ups, downs and plateaus along the way. What you need to do is to make sure that you KEEP GOING! Of course, you need to make sure that you’re ACTUALLY in a calorie deficit.

If you still think you’re doing everything right and not seeing results or if you are unsure of anything, shoot me an email!

The post Scale Weight – Why You Shouldn’t Rely On It appeared first on Nutrition Track.

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