I'm a weight loss coach AMA.

[elf22]

I'm a registered dietitian specialising in the field of sport and weight management. I'm also a level 4 personal trainer. I'm currently coaching clients on their weight loss journey.
Happy to answer anyone's questions

Can you recommend any weight loss tips people with PCOS?

Also, tips on developing a routine and sticking to it? I lose motivation after a few days and find it difficult to stick to a routine and be consistent

@TownHallDesigner
When clients are unmotivated to begin their journey, I recommend making small healthier changes to their lifestyle, drinking 2L a day, incorporating more home cooked meals, walking more etc. A lot of clients assume their whole life has to change to lose weight, if I had to change my lifestyle I would feel very unmotivated, that thought can be quite depressing.
But motivation can come from anywhere. One client was motivated by achieving personal bests in fitness, another was motivated by what her scale read. Some are not motivated at all, and just do it as if it's a chore. It can take a while to find what motivates you, but trust me, once you do find it, it can be very overpowering.

@SidneyCasing
Yes when I was 18/19 I lost 90lbs, just over 6stone in 18 months.

@EvieRussell
When clients first come to me, they typically say that they can't stick to a diet, so I would say it's consistency. I always recommend a diet that isn't super strict, restricting yourself of certain foods just encourages you to eat them even more, you're more inclined to binge on them too, and once you do that, you become unmotivated to carry on. However, cutting out trigger foods can be good for some people, it depends on how much willpower an individual has.

@Reearry

Can you recommend any weight loss tips people with PCOS?

Also, tips on developing a routine and sticking to it? I lose motivation after a few days and find it difficult to stick to a routine and be consistent

@Reearry I have PCOS and insulin resistance, I've lost 59lb by reducing, NOT cutting out, carbs so instead of bread every day I have it a couple of times a week, pasta once a week. I log all my food and drinks on MyFitnessPal and stick to the calorie allowance it gives me. I don't eat back all the calories I gain from doing exercise but that's mainly because I don't 100% trust that I've actually burned off as many as it says I have.

I've replaced starchy carbs with green veg, so will have roasted green beans and/or tenderstem broccoli instead of oven chips for example. Or steamed mushrooms, sugar snap peas, babycorn and asparagus as a warm salad with some wafer thin chicken slices, salt, pepper and spring onions.

I've also added in 3 x 30 min workouts a week, I use the OurParks couch to fitness programme which is free and doesn't use any equipment. It gets your heart rate up and increases muscle strength, there is 1 x cardio, 1x core and 1 x Glutes workout a week, they start easier on week 1 and work up to really bloody hard in week 9

Do you believe your body becomes "resistant" to weight loss so the same approach multiple times is less effective if you keep putting the weight back on after losing? Or is this a myth?

Thank you for taking the time to do this. I am ppl a healthy weight and use 'my fitness pal' to keep track of my intake. I am always low in sodium and potassium - is this a problem I need to rectify? And if so, how? I am vegan (in case that makes a difference)

How old is too old for making this sort of change (diet and exercise)? What if someone is very unfit and in their 60s?

Following with interest
Zero self control energy willpower or motivation at the moment
Ironically and amusingly autocorrect just changed zero to aero 😂

What do you think of the Fast 800 programme? Thank you.

Oh great topic

What do you think about intermittent fasting?

I've about 5 stone to lose and I really struggle I just have 0 motivation to cook or anything and think I live off sugar which I know is really really bad.

@RJnomore1
I tell my clients to have a mindset of 'what is going to make you proud of yourself'. If that's going for a 3 mile walk/run, cooking from scratch, choosing the healthier option, even drinking a litre then do your best to achieve that, it will provide you with great fulfilment no matter what that challenge is and will make you want to achieve that feeling again. Having daily achievements is a great way to find short term motivation, which makes the day slightly easier during lockdown.
I tell clients to not have any triggering foods in the house, that encourages emotional eating. But if you do, and you do end up eating out of emotion, do not beat yourself up for doing so. If a friend came up to you and said "I ate an entire packet of digestive biscuits" you wouldn't tell them that they are terrible, a failure and that they should just quit now. You would tell them to pick themselves back up and carry on, it's just a small blip. So never be too hard on yourself for overeating. Take each day as they come.

Be honest - at 40 years old, is healthy eating and C25K going to rid me of the sudden fall of my 'round' tummy to the huge sag between my belly button and floof?

@clare8allthepies

Do you always advocate a particular way of eating like low fat, low carb or just calorie deficit and if it varies what makes you decide that it’s the best method for that particular client?

Sorry I didn't realise you can quote reply until now!

I always encourage clients to adopt a calorie deficit. I never want to restrict food groups, as if encourages binging. However that doesn't mean its okay to have bread, pasta, potato etc for each meal. It's just making sure you have a balanced diet, that is enjoyable, and is able to keep you consistent with and have you in a calorie deficit.
However, for some clients, particularly those on strength programs, then I recommend a high protein diet. As well as those with food intolerances.

@5zeds

Have you ever supported anyone who eats less but DOESN’T lose weight?

Yes. One of my clients only lost 6lbs but dropped 3 dress sizes, which is a small amount of weight lost compared to other clients who drop 3 dress sizes. Her body composition changed completely, due to weight training.
I've had a few clients who follow the diet plan I recommend them, but taken it to the extreme, and cut the food quantity even more in order to lose weight quicker. Their bodies acted negatively to this, and they didn't lose what they wanted to within the time frame they wished to achieve it in.

Intersting AMA, thanks.

Stats say that 10% of obese people lose weight and keep it off.

Is that your experience? Do you think that people who have more support do better? or do I just need to get surgery

@Babysharksmom

I have 6 stone to lose. I cannot get motivated. My head is taken up with 3 kids under 4 But I desperately need to. For me and for them Waiting for the light bulb moment and it's not coming Any advice or help

The lightbulb moment can literally be anything, however changing your lifestyle just a tiny amount will allow you to have more exposure to having that moment.

My tips to starting the journey of losing weight is
-don't eat 'clean' 100% of the time, it encourages you to not stay consistent and binge more. Remember it's a lifestyle change!
-try and drink 2L of water a day.

• Try and have a more performance /fitness based goal rather than a scale/physique goal. I never want my clients to think that once they get to 130lbs, they will finally be happy as what if they get to that weight and are still not fully happy with what they see. However when you have a goal of being able to run 3 miles or deadlift a new personal best, then it proves to you that you are becoming fitter, stronger and healthier once you reach that goal.
• Adopt a calorie deficit!
• Try to eat three balanced meals a day!
• add more protein to your diet!

@NationalShiteYear

I'm really motivated to lose weight, know how to eat healthily, but something stops me. Self sabotage mayhe. I always want to start next week...any tips on getting over this hurdle?

Don't make it a complete and utter lifestyle change, as I would put it off week after week too! Find healthy, balanced meals that you can look forward too, allow yourself that chocolate bar, make exercise into a hobby rather than a chore etc, and then it becomes easier! Make small changes, stay consistent with them and they will soon be engraved in your lifestyle.

@Cuddling57

Do you earn a good wage? Are you constantly looking for new clientele or do you have an employer?

I make a pretty decent wage, but I have worked so hard for it. Lots of time, money and dedication. Me and my partner have our own company. We have great connections and network. My partner coaches some of the worlds most elite athletes and we end up coaching some of their family, friends and even fans. We used to have to spend a lot on advertisement, however through hard work, our reputation and clients do that for us now

Does it get harder to lose weight once you reach 40? Also, what's the best exercise you would recommend to lose the post baby tummy?

@HollowTalk

What's your success rate?

It depends on how you would measure success. We see success in different forms, ie adopting a lifestyle change, new confidence, weight loss, increased muscle mass, pb's etc, i see one of these from every client, so I guess you can say my success rate is 100%

I have a under active thyroid and have beeen struggling to lose weight. I've even gone to eating 900 calories a day but still not really losing, maybe the odd 1lb here or there. I don't know what to do. Any tips??

@mistermagpie

Do I you have an 'aspirational' physique yourself? I ask this because my neighbour is a PT and, well, doesn't look like one. She has struggled to get clients and I have idly wondered if this is a factor. For me I think it would put me off, like going to a hairdresser who doesn't have nice hair.

Clearly this is all very judgemental but there you go!

My physique isn't one some of my clients wish to have, as I have one that is very muscular due to my sport, CrossFit and weight lifting (search up female CrossFitters and you will get an idea, although I'm not quite as toned as them!!!). I understand what you are saying, However fitness can come in all different shapes and sizes!

@unicornparty

Can you help a power lifter lose weight without losing muscle or strength?

Protein, protein, protein!!! The theory is that heavy mass can lift heavy mass, so strength will naturally decrease as weight decreases, which isn't a terrible thing. But eating more protein, losing weight a lot slower and more rest will encourage strength to not deplete.

Is there a way of losing weight without ending up with empty saggy skin?