A mere 571 calories per day extra, over two weeks, can add up to 2.4kgs of fat. It sounds like a huge amount of calories, but who hasn’t managed to put on a couple of kilos in less than a month when on holiday?

We are literally making ourselves ill through poor lifestyle choices. About 80% of the country’s premature deaths last year could have been prevented, new research shows. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors study of 2019 found that Kiwis were living longer, but spending more years in poor health. That doesn’t sound very appealing to me, being alive, but not living life the way you want to because of poor health.

Growing up in America with two working parents, food was an afterthought. We ate whatever was quick and convenient. Fast food, pizza, macaroni and cheese, pop tarts, and 2 minute noodles were staples. Through University and into adulthood the food habits that I established as a child did not change.

How did you go over the latest lockdown? Some found it harder than the first one earlier in the year. It was easy to turn to mood food to deal with lack of routine, boredom, lack of interaction with others and feeling a bit unsettled about life in general. Anyway, it’s over for now and time to move on, to drop the extra kilos and get back into eating well again. It is inspiring to notice that the days are lengthening and the spring flowers are out - are you ready to throw off a layer or two?

Are you feeling a bit discouraged about how unhealthy habits have crept in over winter? Was lockdown a bit of a disaster as far as food and alcohol intake went? Are your clothes feeling a bit snug? Are you feeling stuck in a rut and fed up with where you are at? If yes, then it’s time for a re-set!

Yes, all of a sudden, salads don’t hold quite the same appeal as they did on warmer days. But what do you eat instead? Lunches are usually the sticking point and you still need to have a source of protein, plus a decent serve of veggies.  If you want to enjoy a hot lunch it usually means needing to do some food prep. 

From reading various Facebook feeds the common theme seems to be weight gain during lockdown. Lots of baking, drinking and trying of new recipes and not a lot of wearing much other than leggings. Because I understand how tough it can be to get back on track once you have had a break from routine and eating healthily, I am, for a limited time, offering some discounted nutrition packages.

Almost two weeks into the lock down and it seems like a lot of people are finding ways occupy their time by getting busy in the kitchen. Who is buying all the flour and more of a concern, what are they doing with it! Budding Bake Off competitors maybe, or just baking up a storm for entertainment? The result is the same in that there is more temptation on hand.

Yes, alcohol does contain more calories than fat or protein (almost twice as many,) but it is the effect that alcohol has on your fat metabolism that is worth knowing about too. Your fat burning ability is reduced by as much as 73% after only two alcoholic beverages. What this means is that any food eaten at the same time as you are drinking is more likely to be stored as fat, than burnt for fuel.

I’ve had a few clients try T.R.E. over the past few months with really promising results. It has been something to try when, for whatever reason, their fat loss has slowed or stalled, or they simply want to try something different.

Good health and fitness give you the opportunity to do what you want, to tackle new adventures and to enjoy life. To a large extent we have the ability to improve our health and fitness by the way we live. Don’t take good health for granted. There is never a better time to start looking after yourself and improving your health and wellbeing than now. Here are five simple steps to get you started.

Lynne, aged 69 has lost 20kgs despite having a condition that prevents her from exercising, and Jayne dropped 7.4kgs and lost her ‘mummy tummy’.

As the end of the year looms closer a lot of you will be concerned about how to get through the next month or so without gaining a few kilos. Let’s face it, Xmas and New Year are times of excess and indulgence.

I was losing the weight loss war and it was affecting my health. I had to do something and was considering bariatric surgery.

Aimee is both a client and personal trainer who sends many of her clients my way - “I love seeing and hearing my clients buzz when they finally find out to eat in a healthy and maintainable way, after years of battling with their weight.“ says Aimee.

I have struggled with weight all my life and over the last couple of years, since finishing work, my weight had increased to the point where I was feeling unwell and knew I needed to do something about it. This situation was compounded by the fact that I have Parkinson’s Disease and find exercise difficult.

It is a common issue. You know how it goes, you have been losing weight for a while and then it stops. Why did it happen? Did you reach a magical plateau? Has your body decided that it is happy at the new weight, or?

I have seen this scenario play out probably thousands of times over the years and this is my take on it.

Psychological hunger is head hunger and originates in your mind, not your stomach. Here are some strategies to help deal with it.

Doesn’t that sound enticing? Take this shake, swallow those fat burner pills, or follow a very rigid and very low calorie diet and fat will magically melt off you. Does it work? But more importantly, do the results last?

Winter is an even more challenging time to stay on track with healthy eating because we are inside more, it is cold and the nights are long. Most people admit to eating because they are bored. When you have time on your hands what do you think of? Certainly not dropping to the floor and doing 20 press ups.