28 Day Fat Challenge
Why this challenge is for you
During this 28-day nutritional and lifestyle programme, you will not be relying on willpower or restricted eating which is painfully boring, difficult to stick to and has been proven to be ineffective. If you love delicious food including chocolate, coffee and the occasional glass of wine and a flexible eating plan, then you will enjoy this programme. If you have a big appetite and carbohydrate cravings or if you have yo-yo dieted in the past and feel that your metabolism is slower than it used to be, this programme is just what you need. Also, if you feel that you need more energy, increased mental clarity, a calmer digestive system, reduced anxiety, less cravings, improved sleep and clearer skin, then this programme is for you.
Support every day
Throughout the 28 days, I will be in touch with you every day to ensure you make the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle to enable you to achieve optimum health; ultimate personal physical and emotional well-being. Watch the video below to find out more.
Carbohydrates and insulin
Carbohydrates have a huge impact on insulin levels in the body, a hormone made in the pancreas and passed into the blood when blood glucose is raised. Insulin shuttles glucose out of the blood stream and into your hungry cells, either to be used as energy or to be stored as glycogen or as fat, hence the term, ‘the fat storing hormone’. When consuming refined carbs, your blood sugar levels will initially rise steeply, but then after insulin is released, this blood sugar level will drop. Eating like this throughout the day can cause a blood sugar roller coaster, or metabolic syndrome, and each time your blood sugar is low, you can feel hungry, crave more carbohydrates and have low energy. Not only is this an unpleasant cycle, metabolic syndrome is really bad for your health and is what leads to diabetes and obesity.
Satiating foods
The 28-day programme converts you into a ‘fat burning animal’, showing you why and how you should be eating a diet which is high in fat, high in fibre, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrate. This diet is not only satiating but satisfying and energising. The programme guides you through making subtle changes to your current diet, moving you onto more healthier options.
Fat for fuel
When the body uses carbohydrates as the predominant source of energy, the maximum amount of glycogen we can store is around 500g which is equivalent to 1,700-2,000 calories of energy. Hence, with the glycogen pantry having no more than 2,000 calories, marathon runners who rely on carbohydrates for fuel, can ‘hit the wall’ or ‘bonk’ at about 15 to 20 miles, and so they constantly need to refuel with energy drinks and gels to get them through. Conversely, fat is stored as fat and is converted to ketones which are oxidised to produce energy and our fat pantry, on a lean athlete, is around 140,000 calories! So, once you are ‘fat adapted’, you have access to this huge store of energy. This is great if you are just a run-of-the-mill human being, like me, who just wants to feel energised all day long without any energy dips. This is also great if you want to reduce your fat stores. For serious athletes, this is great news as this endless source of energy can keep you running, cycling, swimming etc. for hours and hours without having to refuel. In fact, the world record for the most miles run in 24 hours is held by a fat-adapted athlete called Mike Morton who ran 172 miles in 24 hours without stopping to eat!
The process
After analysing your food diary and medical symptoms questionnaire, we will meet online, or in-person, to discuss how the 28 days will map out specifically for you. At any stage you can pause the programme, so it can take you as long as you need to complete it. The programme is delivered with videos, emails and phone calls to ensure you keep motivated and stay on track. Watch the video below to find out more.
Beyond 28 days
At the end of the 28-day programme we meet to discuss the way forward, ensuring that you continue the good work and habits for the long-term. Clients really enjoy this programme as it is as educational as it is practical; you will end up with an in-depth understanding of what healthy nutrition is all about, giving you the motivation to eat this way for the rest of your life.