Macabolic in Darlinghurst, New South Wales | Medical and health

Macabolic

Locality: Darlinghurst, New South Wales

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28.01.2022 Nutrition is a spectrum. Choices and behaviours are not good or bad, but rather they sit on a continuum. When life inevitably throws a speed bump in front of our nutrition plans and aspirations, preventing us from achieving the plan A, there is no reason why we need to go to plan Z automatically. Responding by adjusting our diet dimmer knob to explore, the next best feasible option Such as plan D, H, and M, is an essential skill and part of achieving continual p...rogress and goal success. Dichotomous thinking towards food and eating has been linked to negative outcomes including disordered eating, and higher BMI [1]. Any talk of being on or off a -Bandwagon -Plan -Diet As well as rigid food rules, including -What ‘can or can’t’ be eaten (wellness guru telling you to avoid wheat, dairy, caffeine, etc, is anything but wellness). -Rigid Calorie or macro tracking approaches (PT giving rigid macro targets and no alternative to tracking). -Behaviours such as I must track, or following the plan. .Are all examples of dichotomous thinking that can impact our health and progress negatively. If we approach food and eating in a black or white way with little room for the flexibility needed to navigate life. We might experience the f**it mentality where any thought of conscious, health-seeking food choices goes right out the window. The sad part of it all is that often it’s the ‘health professionals’ that impart these binary approaches on the clients they’re meant to be helping. [1] PMID: 28131005 See more

23.01.2022 Your diet should match your values, and what makes you happy... Or at least it should strive to do so. The nutrition approach of someone who lives and breathes bodybuilding is going to be vastly different to someone whose profession and lifes work revolves around baking cookies. (as an example). Whats easy and situationally appropriate for some couldn't be further from appropriate and easy for others. While there are instances in which extreme nutrition approaches do actual...ly align with someone's individual values... Almost always moderation or a "middle road", is far more appropriate. This is because it's extremely rare for someone to have values that are so extremely skewed towards just one thing, meaning nothing else matters... at all. We all value our social, financial, emotional, intellectual, and physical health to certain extents. It's not like those who value their physical health, don't give a single shit about their financial or social health. It's not a matter of "yes or no", but rather a case of where we sit as individuals between all of them. What level of attention and importance do we place on one thing, versus another. Most people who live and breathe bodybuilding still value their social life. So whilst tracking macros for years on end might be an appropriate approach considering their values, it should still have room and flexibility for a social life. Likewise, someone whos a professional cookie baker would certainly not want to approach their nutrition like a pro fitness model. However, they still care about their physical health and appearance, and their nutrition should factor this in, as opposed to being a 'free for all' constant, cookie binge.

16.01.2022 COCONUT YOGHURT IS NOTHING BUT AN EXPENSIVE, SHITTY TASTING TUB, OF CALORIE DENSE, SATURATED FAT, CRAP. Coyo: One of the shittiest ‘trending health foods’ ever. I have spoken about my hatred for Coyo before, and many of my insta nutrition friends have also recently This post doesn’t seek to copy old content or the content of others Rather it seeks to add to the message that Coyo sucks. ... Why does it suck? 1. It’s really Calorie dense - It’s high Calorie per bite which isn’t conducive to weight loss/management. 2. It’s very high in saturated fats - There are folks out there who glorify saturated fat, saying that we’ve got it all wrong, and that saturated fat is fine. Well, actually based on the consensus of all evidence available, it probably isn’t fine. A little is okay, but it’s certainly something we don’t want to eat a tonne of, for the sake of our long-term cardiovascular health. There is a reason why national dietary guideline lines all around the world, and global health bodies recommend the moderation of saturated fat. 3. It’s very expensive enough said. 4. It tastes horrible - I get taste is subjective, and some people like the taste, so this one is really my opinion. 5. What if I can’t eat dairy - there are other superior dairy-free options around. For example YoPro does a ‘pretty good’ soy-based option, that's far lower in Calories, saturated fat and actually has a decent chunk of protein. Whilst a food can’t really be labeled ‘good/bad’, ‘healthy/unhealthy’ without firstly considering dose, context, and situation. Stating that coconut yoghurt is ‘generally health-seeking' is objectively misleading. The shitty thing about Coyo is that it’s a bit of a ‘trend food’ with influencers, left, right and centre recommending it. So to the influencers who push Coyo. Pls STOP.

14.01.2022 Energy balance is much like budgeting in the sense it involves inputs and outputs that regulate an average balance over time. We can also use methods involving numerical objective data to track and control it. However, we don't regulate our finances and our energy balance the same ways, so I don't personally like the comparison. We have internal appetite regulatory hormones that respond to the ingestion of food, our levels of body fatness and more. We don't have these for o...ur finances. Yes, these internal cues are heavily confounded by the modern world with hyper-delicious foods readily and conveniently available. Yes, tracking is a great way to develop nutrition literacy and it's the most precise way to control diet variables. But that doesn't make budgeting and macro tracking a good comparison. Our finances are not regulated by a series of hormones. Maybe economic knowledge, literacy and levels of risk avoidance play a role. But there ain't no specific set of hormones that controls our spending habits right?

12.01.2022 Metabolic adaptation probably isn’t your main fat loss handbrake. Negative metabolic adaptation essentially refers to a reduction in how many Calories your body burns (metabolism) in response to periods of underfeeding (Calorie deficit) and subsequent weight loss (dieting). Metabolic adaptation is a thing, but it’s effects are ‘not forever’, and the magnitude of metabolic ‘drop’ is probably over played, and ‘over diagnosed’. ... If you’re a non-athlete struggling to lose weight, metabolic adaptation probably isn’t your primary handbrake, its probably more to do with true adherence and consistency. FN’why When we diet, the number of Calories our body burns in a day reduces because we become smaller people, who therefore require fewer Calories to function and maintain weight. However, independent to weight lost, further reductions in Calorie burn may be observed. This may come from reductions in sub-conscious and non-exercise movement. Bodily functions may also become more efficient, meaning we might even burn less Calories lying in bed, just ‘keeping the lights on’. However, there are 2-key issue with blindly blaming metabolic adaptation for your weight loss struggles. 1) The actual magnitude of metabolic ‘drop’ you’ll get from dieting is not very much. -One 2020 study measured the resting metabolic rate of 61 obese people before and after a 9 week diet. The subjects lost an average of 14kgs across the 9 weeks, but resting metabolic rate only reduced by 92 Calories per day on average. Larger magnitudes of metabolic ‘drop’ probably occur due to reductions in movement. 2) True adherence to a consistent Calorie deficit is probably a bigger problem that deserves attention. Even if you’re tracking, rarely do tracked Calories closely equal actual Calories consumed. FN’simple Yes, metabolic adaptation is a thing, and higher level athletes often experience it in great magnitudes. However, if you’re not an athlete, and you’re struggling to lose weight, objectively assessing true adherence and consistency will more likely reveal your biggest handbrake. PMID: 32844188

12.01.2022 WHY I GET REAL MAD ABOUT DUMB ASS NUTRITION FLUFF, BUT NOT TRAINING FLUFF As a nutrition professional, and someone who cares about helping people improve their health and happiness through nutrition to the nth degree. Naturally, I'm going to get worked up and urges to throw shit, when I see nutrition dumb stuff going on. This used to be the same with training. I'd go to the gym or go on Insta, see people doing these "cutting-edge" complicated, yet pointless exercises, or nam...ed program "methods". However, these days I couldn't give a flying if someone's doing something silly things in the gym. Why? Firstly, whilst I enjoy training myself a few times a week, it's not my wheelhouse professionally. Secondly, and to the point of this post. Training with added, pointless fluff won't really negatively impact someone. It might make workouts more of a mission to set up, and distract from the things that actually matter. However, if consistent, hard work is present, reasonable to very good results will likely occur. Plus, if it's safe and enjoyable it's not hurting. Here is the difference to nutrition though... Nutrition is not just the 45 minutes you spend in the gym, it's 'all the time'. Adding useless fluff on top of either an effective or ineffective diet foundation literally makes LIFE harder, inconvenient, and often more expensive, etc. It negatively affects LIFE! That's why, these days, my response to seeing silly things in the gym is very "meh'... The complete opposite of when I see nutrition fluff, especially if the stupid is coming from a 'nutrition professional'... Who makes money off dishing out their shitty nutrition recommendations.

11.01.2022 RESULTS MAINTENANCE TIPS Maintaining fat loss results into normal life balance is not an easy thing. Many folks don't find much success with it for a few possible reasons. Beyond the first critical few weeks of the recovery to maintenance eating process, there are a few habits and concepts that should probably stick around. ... 1. Maintenance dose of Calorie-conscious habits. Technically you don't need as much restraint to maintain a new lower weight than what was required to achieve fat loss in the first place, but you'll need to maintain some healthful Calorie-conscious habits. Revert back to your old habits and way of eating and you'll revert back to your pre-diet weight. Any habits you identified and stuck with throughout the dieting phase you worked for you, should be continued to a certain degree at least. 2. Diet dimmer knob. Recognising that you're no longer dieting, or actively trying to achieve fat loss, you're 'maintenance eating' so allowing other areas of your life to blossom. This also includes more acute instances where you might lower your expectations if you're having a tough week or maybe a social day. Part of this concept is being okay with the idea of 'maintenance' occurring across a fluctuating range of restraint and control. 3. Be okay with mistakes. Naturally, we may view ourselves as a failure if we deviate from our expectations and maybe even go down the "what the hell with it" rabbit-hole. But actually, firstly mistakes will happen, and secondly, without mistakes, you'll struggle to learn how to build greater 'nutrition skill', nutrition autonomy and find ways to make healthful-eating fit your preferences and the curve balls day to day life can throw at you. 4. Keep up the activity. This firstly involves not doing silly amounts of activity during your dieting phase in the first place and participating in activities you actually enjoy. Keeping up the activity you enjoyed throughout the dieting phase is paramount for weight loss results maintenance. There are no results around what this is or isn't. Boost enjoyment and longevity by creating performance or functional goals as well.

10.01.2022 Honestly, organic food doesn’t deserve the hype it gets. Most people (95%) don’t eat enough fruit and veg in the first place [1], so how is making people feel like they need to eat organic food to be healthy, helping anyone Missing the forest for the trees is what it is. Firstly, it seems that what constitutes an ‘organic food’ is vague itself. Currently, in Australia, there are no mandatory requirements with brands relying on third-party certification [2]. So usually an o...rganic label just means ‘less’ pesticides, not ‘pesticide free’. Secondly, pesticides are not ‘bad’. Sure, in high doses they are, but not in the known safe amounts that foods must abide by to be sold commercially [3]. The devil is in the dose, not the presence. Even water can be ‘bad’, and kill you if you drink too much of it. Pesticides are added to food for a purpose. They enhance food supply, consistency, and integrity of produce [4]. Lastly, current evidence does not allow great confidence to be placed in the notion that organic food is definitely healthier. Even in the long term with numerous variables such as varying levels of health-seeking behaviours, confounding observational research [5]. Taken together, when pesticides are present in safe doses (as required to be sold in Australia), they’re probably a net benefit. However, it’s certainly possible, that future research could swing the overall consensus to s**t, non-organic food is actually detrimental. But right now there isn’t enough backing to support that idea, nor the idea that organic food is ‘better’. So you won’t find me forking on the $$$ on organic food, and demonising non-organic foods For now. Every time someone says It’s organic (insert food here) my instant thought is Why? Why not just the regular stuff? [1] DOI: 10.25816/5ec1e56f25480 [2] Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment - Organic and biodynamic produce [3] FSANZ - Chemicals in food - maximum residue limits [4] WHO - Pesticide residues in food [5] PMID: 31861431

10.01.2022 3 Day Refeeds: Hype or Helpful FN’simple Refeeds usually involve eating at your weight maintenance Calories for a period of 1-3 days during a dedicated fat loss dieting phase.... Most people define refeeds as ‘shorter than maintenance phases’ which typically last more than a week, but definitions can vary. Refeeds are among bodybuilding and fitness circles and positive anecdotal* experiences are often cited as reasons to use them. However, in reality, the research to support their effectiveness is shaky at best. Whilst there might be certain contexts where a refeed is a good idea their benefits are likely overblown by trends There could also be a risk of it turning into a ‘binge-restrict’ cycle. FN’why. Part of the rationale behind using refeeds, is that they supposedly reduce the magnitude of negative effects that can occur as a result of being in a prolonged Calorie deficit. Some folks reckon they help preserve more muscle mass, help prevent your metabolism from dropping, and keep ‘hunger hormones regular’. A 2020 study showed favourable results for metabolism and muscle loss with refeeds. However, the magnitude of difference was tiny, and possibly even nil, when flaws of the studies design are considered. [1] A brand new 2021 study in trained individuals used far longer periods of maintenance Calories than compared to your typical ‘couple-day-refeed’ and found no difference in terms of hormones. It did find reduced hunger and desire to eat with a regular 7-day maintenance phase every 3 weeks. [2] The latter seems positive, but 7-days of maintenance Calories is far longer than your typical 2-3 day refeed. FN’opinion I’m not a fan of refeeds, and have not been for a while now. I think the risks outweigh the very small rewards. ‘Rewards’ that I always thought did not make sense. As you can see, the above doesn’t pose a great argument for the effectiveness of refeeds. However, if you’re someone who prefers having maybe 2 higher Calories days, for preference or adherence reasons, and/or to fuel an important/ hard training/competition day, then go for it. Just recognise the benefits of refeeds are likely very small, and mostly psychological. They certainly won’t dramatically improve your fat loss success. If you’re someone who has ‘binge-restrict’ tendencies then a refeed approach is likely not for you, and can be a tad risky. *Anecdotal: based on personal accounts rather than facts or research. [1] PMID: 33467235 [2] PMID: 33587549

09.01.2022 You know how I’m always saying nutrition IS NOT an ‘all or nothing’ thing? Well that approach also applies to making food choices that satisfy environmentally conscious values. Look many will argue against this, but it’s pretty objectively undeniable that eating meat isn’t the best thing for the environment and no grass-fed meat isn’t any different. So don’t be throwing me the old what about grass-fed meat argument it’s no different. For so long, I was of the attitude... that you’re either vegan or you're not. But then I came to the obvious realisation that I didn’t necessarily need to go full vegan if I wanted to eat in more of an environmentally conscious way. And so, I reduced my meat consumption to once every ~3 days, and it’s great. Just like nutrition for fat loss and total health, any small differencemakes a difference and is probably worthwhile doing. Nutrition is a spectrum, there is no reason why it needs to be ‘back and white’. If it’s feasible for you to reduce meat consumption even a little bit, then just start there? And honestly f**k anyone, who ridicules people for making some form of positive change, because it’s ‘too small’, or ‘not up to their standard’ You don’t ridicule a ‘gym newbie’ for getting to the gym, and having a solid crack Instead, you encourage and support them. So why should the approach towards someone seeking to reduce meat consumption, who grew up eating meat, be any different? Support, encourage, LISTEN, and offer feasible strategies WHEN GIVEN PERMISSION. Quit the forceful ‘preachy, propaganda shit’, if you want to actually encourage change.

06.01.2022 Does low fat mean added sugar? If yes, so what? FN'simple Low fat often but not always means refined sugar/free sugar is added back in. ... While added sugar is generally not health-promoting, it does not automatically mean the food is worse off than it's full-fat original from a health and weight management perspective. Consider "Calories per bite", and the saturated fat content which should be consumed sparingly. [1, 2] FN'why Reducing the fat content of a food reduces the "Calories per bite" which is helpful for health and weight loss/management. Often this also means reducing the saturated fat content as well. While some saturated fat is fine, it should be included sparingly. [2] Refined sugar is often added back in to enhance the taste which does indeed increase the Calories per bite. However, the Calorie content may still be lower than the original full-fat variant. Reducing the fat content of a food may reduce satisfaction, because fullness is signaled to the brain by multiple pathways including in response to eating fat. However, you can often eat more food (size, weight, surface area) when the fat is reduced, because there are fewer "Calories per bite" which promotes fullness. [3] FN'opinion Sugar does not automatically turn into body fat. Both sugar AND dietary fat can make foods more Calorie dense and delicious. A reduced-fat option offers great utility even if some sugar is added back in after the fat has been taken out.

06.01.2022 FN’Sausage comparison At FNC we love our sausage. We also love our dad jokes. There is a sausage for everyone, even those who believe in conspiracy theories. Sausages fall on a spectrum, with cost, Calories, taste, and saturated fat content. With that said, you don't always pay for a better taste or greater nutrition despite what the packet claims. So choose based on your preferences, awareness and consider your sausage values.... FN'why It's summer, the barbies are running hot and so is the sausage. A social Australian summer is built around the great Australian BBQ. So it's a given you're going to get a few sausages up ya this summer. Thus, a bit of awareness and comparison can help you make an informed choice. FN'how Start by considering the characteristics of a sausage you value most, then choose from there. If taste is paramount, and you view a sausage much like a fine wine, then it's probably appropriate to spend more Calories, money, and saturated fats. Despite popular belief sausages can be quite healthful. If you don't care for taste so much, and maybe it's not just a social thing, then maybe go for the Kangaroo with plenty of plants on a whole-grain roll. If you're budget conscious, accept a health and Calorie sacrifice. Luckily, vegetables and wholegrain bread are cheap, so an overall healthful meal can still be achieved. FN’Opinion Don't buy into the grass-fed / paleo options. Much more expensive on financial cost, Calorie and saturated fat aspect, making them the least desirable option of all. Reference: Saturated fat guidelines - National Health and Medical Research Council. (2013) Eat For Health: The Australian Dietary Guidelines. Canberra: NHMRC

02.01.2022 In episode 72 of the Macabolic Podcast Janina ’ @Naturally_Nina ’ Gelbke reflects on her nutrition journey through severe disordered eating, and an obsessive ‘all or nothing’ approach to food, that negatively impacted her life throughout her childhood and teenage years. Nina is an accredited nutritionist, and nutrition influencer specialising in vegan nutrition guidance and disordered eating. She’s also the GOAT of aesthetically pleasing ‘Insta recipes’. We discuss ho...w Nina now views food, what she now seeks to obtain from her diet, and what lessons she wishes to pass onto others in order for them to avoid the ‘nutrition whirlwind’ she previously endured. We finally touch on the pitfalls of an ‘all or nothing’ approach to both nutrition and being a vegan, as well as how a ‘numbers obsession’ can turn your diet from ‘health-seeking, to ‘health impairing. Now live on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ghdrC4rhd49dLTqEuoYvU See more

02.01.2022 Iron - why it’s important, who’s at risk of deficiency and how to reduce risk. FN'simple Iron deficiency causes impaired immunity, reduced exercise capacity (especially aerobic endurance exercise), weakness, lethargy and more. ... Iron requirements vary considerably. Vegans, athletes, and adult females are at greater risk of deficiency. We get iron from regularly eating wholegrain cereals, nuts, legumes, and meat. We can enhance absorption by eating those foods alongside plenty of fruits and vegetables. Drinking tea and coffee away from meals can also help for those who are at increased risk of deficiency. Iron deficiency should be screened through a blood test by a medical professional. FN'why Poor iron absorption, increased iron loss, reduced iron intake, and reduced iron body stores contribute to iron deficiency and explain why vegan/vegetarians, hard exercising individuals, those restricting their Calorie intake, and menstruating females should be more vigilant. Consuming vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables such as oranges and broccoli at the same time as eating iron, improves iron absorption, which is especially important for vegans because iron from plants is very poorly absorbed. Consuming tea and coffee away from meals containing iron is recommended as polyphenols in those drinks inhibit iron absorption. Increasing iron intake during menstrual bleeding due to increased short term iron loss, is a trending strategy. However, it seems consistent iron intake fairs the same if not better than focusing on iron for only a few days during menstrual bleeding. FN'opinion The need for vigilance with iron falls on a spectrum. Males who eat meat probably don't have anything to worry about. However, vegans, athletes, and adult females should be vigilant. Eating plenty of wholegrains, nuts and legumes, at the same time as fruits and vegetables, whilst drinking tea and coffee at other times helps. Menstruating females should be conscious of habitual iron intake as opposed to only during their period. If you have any symptoms of iron deficiency, speak to your doctor and get a blood test.

02.01.2022 DO BIG CALORIE DEFICITS, & FAST WEIGHT LOSS INCREASE THE RISK OF WEIGHT REGAIN OR ‘REBOUND’? I’ve long been a proponent of more assertive approaches to setting Calorie deficits, in seeking faster rates of weight loss. However, as trends have shifted, by todays standards, what I once considered to be aggressive (in terms of Calorie deficit size), seems to be the new norm and rapid weight loss is almost now trending in the nutrition space. ... As part of a Master’s research project, I sought to review the current literature assessing the magnitude and prevalence of weight regain after assertive or conservative weight-loss diets, which as a result yields fast or slow(er) weight loss. What I discovered was nothing short of interesting (to me at least). Despite the consensus of the papers I reviewed largely supporting larger Calorie deficits, and stating the risk of regain is probably no different. When I looked deeper and considered how applicable, relevant and robust the studies were My stance has actually changed a little. As a result, I’m a litttttle more of a team conservative guy now. Whilst I think the risks of larger Calorie deficits, and faster weight loss can be largely negated with appropriate planning, support, and execution For lean people, athletes, or ‘athletically minded’ people, the cons of aggressive diets with bigger Calorie deficits, outweigh the pros in my opinion. To understand my rationale, the research process and thought process that went into my newly changed stance. Be sure to check out episode 71 of the MACABOLIC PODCAST which is now live on SPOTIFY & APPLE PODCASTS. Link below. https://open.spotify.com/episode/5l2NUFO5eZ1zeGHXjI0NXi

22.12.2021 What intuitive eating actually is. FN’simple Intuitive eating involves eating with health-seeking values in mind via internalised hunger and fullness cues.... It also rejects the idea of ‘good and bad’. Intuitive eating is not a weight loss diet by definition, so people need to stop promoting intuitive eating as something it’s not. If your primary goal is not to change your body weight or shape, you might strive for maximum levels of intuitive eating. Even if you are seeking weight loss, taking elements of an ‘intuitive eating mindset’ is a good idea. FN’why Intuitive eating involves 3 primary components. 1) Health-seeking, body appreciation focused eating. 2) Mindful eating and awareness. 3) Non-dichotomous thinking. These approaches collectively make up intuitive eating and have been consistently associated with positive overall wellbeing, reduced rates of risk of disordered eating and body image issues. Whilst higher rates of intuitive eating has been associated with lower body weight (BMI to be specific), this does not mean intuitive eating achieved weight loss. It just means that those with a healthy BMI tend to eat intuitively likely because they don’t have any desire to change their bodies. FN’opinion If your primary goal is to be ‘health-seeking’, feel good, and generally live a healthy life - then intuitive eating is an approach to strive for. If you want to lose weight, it’s a good idea to apply elements of an intuitive eating mindset where possible. For example, you can apply a non-dichotomous approach to food selection when Calorie tracking, and you can still seek to be highly aware of internal hunger and fullness cues. PMID: 33279464 PMID: 26474781 PMID: 28131005 PMID: 33786858 PMID: 23356469

11.12.2021 Pre-workout powders are basically just a vehicle to consume caffeine before exercise to boost performance. Remove the caffeine, and you’re left with a non-stim pre-workout". So if you don’t have caffeine, what do you have, and do the things that are left, do anything?... - Beta-alanine and/or creatine monohydrate are both effective ingredients present in many pre-workouts. But whether the dose per serve of these two effective ingredients is adequate, is another question What about ‘the pump’ ingredients? - The main one that comes to mind is citrulline, which exerts positive performance benefits by promoting increased blood flow, energy supply, and reduced muscle fatigue. However, evidence relating to actual performance outcomes isn’t sufficiently positive on the net balance. What about carnitine? - Carnitine is involved in the transportation of fat into a cell to be used for energy, thus increasing fat-burning. But! This is not the same as fat loss, it just means your prosperity to use fat as a fuel source, may be greater. - An increased bias towards using fats for fuel (in theory) may boost performance in certain types of exercise. But this narrative hasn’t delivered upon testing, among other limitations. What about nootropics? - Look some of them might work, (a tiny bit) but I wouldn’t bother. I don’t there is enough positive support to back their benefit in real-world exercise performance settings. Other stuff - B vitamins, amino acids We can get them from food and consuming them pre-workout specifically, isn’t really necessary/helpful. - Ketones, random fruit extracts, fibre, pink Himalayan salt completely pointless, and unsure why they’re ever included IMO. Overall, a non-stim pre-workout is a supplement stripped of the actual ingredient that will notably help. Outside of a possible ‘placebo pump’, I see no point. PMID: 34176406 PMID: 30895562 PMID: 31906370

07.12.2021 Dieting and tracking are NOT going anywhere. There is nothing wrong with wanting to change your physique and losing weight is often great for health. Calorie/macro tracking can also be a fantastic strategy to help you achieve that, and learn a tonne at the same time (when applied appropriately). ... Failing to acknowledge the place and purpose of tracking and saying things like... Everyone should avoid tracking and tracking is dangerous is narrow-minded and naive. Rather, applying certain strategies to reduce disordered eating risk during short-term tracking phases, is a far more productive and helpful path to take. I recently dove deep into the relationship between Calorie tracking and disordered eating for a uni assignment. I wrote a blog post about what I learned, and how it can be practically applied. HIT THE LINK BELOW TO READ IT. https://www.fortitudenutritioncoaching.com.au/fnc-blog

18.11.2021 What would life be like if we applied the you can’t manage what you don’t measure logic (often used to justify Calorie tracking), to every possible measurable variable in our lives imaginable? Can you imagine how, overwhelming, restrictive, inefficient, and frankly shit, life would be like, if we tracked Everything? All because you can track or ‘measure something’, doesn’t mean it’s worthwhile, or a helpful thing to do, that yields a net positive. ... When applied to appropriate situations, for appropriate time frames, Calorie tracking specifically, has a massive benefit, use, place and purpose in the practitioner's toolkit. However The negatives, risks or ‘reasons to not track’ are rarely considered and often ignored by the bias, and sometimes lazy close-minded attitudes from health professionals. A one size fits all, everyone should track approach is narrow-minded, and won’t be a positive, or helpful thing for everyone. The amount of things we can track in life is endless. We don’t track them all though We just track the ones that are worthwhile for us, in the context of our situation, values, goals, etc. Calorie tracking and using My Fitness Pal isn’t worth it, or beneficial for everyone. Therefore it should not be pushed upon everyone, as a blanket approach.

02.11.2021 Challenging automatic holiday food assumptions. Do you automatically associate holidays with excessive overindulging? I always come back from holidays a few kilos heavier... Whilst gaining a kilo or two when on holidays is normal and not necessarily a bad thing, ask yourself Is such a high level of food indulging on holidays actually enjoyable? Does it actually enhance the holiday or do I just end up feeling anxious, bloated, ‘heavy’ and even a little guilty? Perhaps it’s time to challenge the pre assumption that holidays = overeating. Perhaps reframing it to a flexible week of consciously enjoying yummy food with friends/family is a great start. At FNC we often talk about reverse engineering your social occasion, holiday or whatever food-related event might be in question. You can start with a few questions 1) Why am I on this holiday, what is the purpose, and what am I seeking to get from it? 2) How would I like to reflect on this holiday? 3) What would enjoyable approaches to eating actually look like this holiday, and what would it NOT look like? From here, you can aim to set some flexible (but also realistic) boundaries, and guidelines that YOU feel will help you find your FN’sweet spot. Giving yourself permission to indulge, but concurrently keeping conscious, mindful eating present. For example You might decide 3-6 drinks per week is a nice happy middle-ground for you. You might then decide only 1-2 cocktails are needed per drinking occasion, with any further drinks being clear spirits with sugar-free mixers (eg Diet Coke). You might also set a target guideline of 1 palm of protein and 1 fist of plants with your 3 daily main meals Set guidelines that are truly realistic (at least a 9/10) and where possible, set flexible ranges instead of rigid rules (eg 3-6 drinks, instead of 4 drinks). These are just examples. If you have any guidelines of your own, let us know in the comments.

19.10.2021 RECENT HIGH QUALITY STUDIES, COCONUT OIL AND HEALTH. FN’Simple Coconut oil is undeniably a ‘trending health food’, with wellness influencers, and health food stores glorifying the fact their dumb ass ‘raw treats’ contain coconut oil. ... Two 2021 systematic reviews with meta-analysis (the gold standard of study design) conclude negative health effects of consuming coconut oil. Coconut oil should not be consumed liberally, and olive oil is almost certainly a superior option for health. FN’why Coconut oil is very high in saturated fat. Now some folks will tell you saturated fat is good for you, however, the overwhelming consensus backs saturated fat being a type of fat we should at least moderate, and not actively seek to consume. Two high-quality review studies were published in 2021. This type of study reviews the overall body of research on a particular question forming a consensus. They’re considered the GOAT study design in most contexts. 1) Jayawaedena et al., found strong evidence that coconut oil has adverse effects on 'fatty blood markers’ (trying to keep it laymans here) and cardio-metabolic health. 2) Dhanasekara et al., found that coconut oil does not improve blood sugar regulation. Another review shows similar results to the above two studies. Neelakantan et al., in 2020 also found coconut oil to have unfavourable effects on blood markers, and no effect on blood sugar regulation. However, with in the ‘saturated fat’ category, coconut oil seems to be healthier than animal fats such as butter. FN’opinion. Coconut oil is overrated. A bit of coconut oil certainly won’t kill you, but you probably should purposely go adding it to your meals. Cooking with olive oil is probably a better idea. PMID: 33689936 PMID: 34802850 PMID: 31928080 PMID: 29511019

02.10.2021 The 1 tip to rule them all. FN’simple The ‘social season’ is upon us. You want to hang out with your friends, and family and support your social health. ... However, you also value being health-seeking in your food and lifestyle-related decisions. What do you do? You go for the FN’Best Feasible (BFO) and appropriate option. FN’why Nutrition is not all or nothing. Rather than an ‘on/off switch’ it’s dimmer knob. When you’re presented with certain situations it can be appropriate and justifiable to ‘lower your diet dimmer knob’, setting expectations at ‘best feasible and appropriate’ levels. If you set the bar too high, you’ll inevitably fall short. If you couple that with an ‘all or nothing’ mindset. You’ll feel like a failure, like you’re inadequate like you’d ‘stuffed up’. This will impact your ability to keep going, or ‘try’ in any capacity. Ahh what’s the point, I stuffed it. I’ll start again in January. This vicious cycle is not helping anyone. FN’How Break the cycle. Remove yourself from being on or off a bandwagon, on or off track. Rather aim for a range that falls on the ‘diet continuum’. Use your ‘diet dimmer knob’ to adjust expectations to feasible and appropriate levels, and be give yourself a pat on the back for choosing the best feasible and appropriate option.

28.09.2021 STOP FORGETTING ABOUT WHOLE GRAINS! Lately, I’ve observed numerous ‘what I eat in a days’ or ‘shopping hauls’ on Instagram, with a common trend of little to no whole grains. We should ALL be seeking to consume whole grains! ... Even those who are celiac, should seek gluten-free whole grains. Even those with POCS should be seeking to consume whole grains. Even hard exercising athletes with extremely high-Calorie demands should still include a foundation of whole grains beneath their low fibre, comfortably digestible high carb foods. From a health perspective, the negatives associated with ‘refined carbs’ are not applicable to high fibre whole grains. They should NOT be ‘lobbed into the same basket’ as refined, highly processed carbohydrate-rich foods (which still have a place and purpose, depending on the context BTW). Whole grain-rich foods are nutrient-dense, rich in vitamins and minerals. Playing a role in human function, integrity, and health. Whole grain fibre also ‘feeds the good bugs in our guts’, contributing positively to gut health and function (oooo gut health). Whole grain fibre also fills us up, which helps us control our Calorie intake and manage our weight. Whole grains are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and colorectal cancer [1]. Bottom line: WHOLE GRAINS ARE YOUR FRIEND, SO STOP FORGETTING THEM. Nutrition professionals, you should know better! The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend 6 servings of grains (mostly whole grains) per day for adult Australians [1]. 1 serving equals: -1 slice of bread or 1/2 medium roll. -75-120g cupped cooked rice, pasta, quinoa, etc. -120g cooked porridge. -30g wheat cereal, or muesli, 3 crisp breads (such as Vita Weets). Stop skimping on the whole grains Exclusively consuming XO Crunch, crumpets, and ONLY worrying about maximising ‘volume eating’ because your fav fitness influencer does, doesn’t make it the right thing to do. [1] Australian Dietary Guidelines

12.09.2021 Will you regain weight if you go back to maintenance Calories, after a diet? FN’simple You’ve completed a successful fat loss phase and now you want to maintain. But you’re worried about rebounding and undoing your hard work once you start eating your weight maintenance Calories. ... If you enter a surplus of Calories (eating more than maintenance Calories), yes, you’ll gain body fat. But if you stay at maintenance you won’t like the name suggests weight maintenance Calories. FN’how However, it’s important to be aware of a few things. 1) You might gain a little weight (maybe 1 kilo) in the first week or two at maintenance Calories. However, this weight gain won’t be body fat. It will likely be increased gut content, and increased glycogen (carbohydrates stored in liver and muscles) simply from eating more food and carbs. This should stabilise after about a week or so. 2) Your weight maintenance Calories will be lower than pre diet maintenance Calories. You need to consider the fact that you’ve lost weight, and are now a smaller human who requires fewer Calories to maintain weight. NEW weight maintenance Calories is what you’re after. 3) You’re prone to overeating. After a period of Calorie restriction, food focus and reliance of internal hunger/ fullness cues may be a little skewed. It can be tricky to avoid overeating immediately after a diet, and you might not realise you’re in a Calorie surplus. If a trend of weight gain continues after 1-2 weeks at maintenance Calories, it’s likely you’re actually in a Calorie surplus. You may need to audit diet behaviours or perhaps you’ve overestimated your new weight maintenance Calorie targets. FN’opinion If you have been tracking during your fat loss phase, it’s a good idea to continue tracking for 1-2 weeks at maintenance Calories, to let food focus settle, hunger cues normalise, establish eating routine and portion size awareness at weight maintenance Calories. Then from week 2 at maintenance Calories, you can commence a slow transition away from tracking, and towards weight-neutral intuitive eating.

09.09.2021 Should you do a very short, and super aggressive fat loss diet? The very short, very aggressive, ‘get in, get out’ fat loss approach is trending right now with a few fitness influencers talking about their 1200 Calorie, 2-4 week diets, because they prefer it to a slower approach. An approach like this basically involves hitting protein targets, and eating some vegetables but keeping carbs and fats close to zero. We might call this a ‘protein sparing modified fast’. ... In terms of weight rebound risk. At a glance the evidence appears to suggest there is no greater risk of rebound with fast, aggressive diets, However, if you look deeper at these studies, for a few reasons the opposite may be true. FNopinion. If you’re lean and active, the impacts on performance, recovery, risk of injury and illness with super large Calorie deficits should be enough to deter you from such approaches. This area of research highlights why you can’t just take the studies conclusions and run with it, without properly analysing the studies design first. FN’why. 1) To my knowledge, studies comparing fast and aggressive diets to slow and conservative diets are in overweight and obese populations only with the aggressive dieters often being instructed to consume <500 Calories per day via meal replacement shakes only. These Very Low Calorie Diets are mostly reserved for clinical weight loss settings and carry little relevance to lean, healthy and active populations. 2) The follow up time frames are often too short to truly assess whether fast or slow dieters are more likely to rebound. In a few studies, a greater trend of weight rebound was observed in the aggressive, fast dieters between the end of the diet and post diet follow up (usually conducted <12 months post diet). However, the follow up was conducted too soon for the aggressive groups to rebound beyond the conservative groups. If the follow ups were conducted later, the results have have flipped and in favour of the conservative dieters. 3) The aggressive dieters were given meal replacement shakes whilst the conservative dieters needed to prepare food and put in much more effort to adhere to the studies intervention. The level of effort, decision fatigue and exposure to situations that may trigger non-adherence was often far greater in the conservative group making for an unfair study.

01.09.2021 A maintenance phase is like a rest stop on a long road trip. If you don’t take those rest stops, the car will run out of fuel, or you’ll fall asleep at the wheel. So if you actually want to finish the road trip, rest stops are imperative. ... There are never ‘best’ times to diet, however there are ‘better’ times than others. The holiday period is probably a ‘better’ time to let your social life flourish, to take a break, relax and be more flexible. Therefore, it’s probably not the time to be dieting. FN’why 1) Rekindle that fat loss excitement - After a period of time in a dedicated fat loss phase you can simply begin to ‘care less’, resulting in adherence and vigilance slipping. 2) Avoid FOMO burnout - Feeling like you’ve missed out might make you question your goals and whether they’re worthwhile. 3) Let social life flourish - Let the holiday season be your time to give social health a boost. Say yes to family and friend time and don’t let guilt or restriction block you from obtaining benefits. 4) Stop, revive, survive - After extended period of time in fat loss, you might feel pretty over it. If you keep going, you might ‘burn out’, and ‘throw in the towel’. 5) Avoid feeling like a failure - Adherence to fat loss nutrition expectations is not really feasible if you’re frequently socialising, and surrounded by yummy, Calorie dense foods. The resulting sense of failure might diminish your desire to keep going. 6) Set up for easy fat loss in 2022 - Come mid-late January, you’ll be absolutely frothing for some fat loss. FN’how Start your maintenance phase a few weeks out from Christmas. Mindful eating with a focus on ‘value for indigent buck’ and some basic Calorie-conscious habits such as ‘the protein and plants focus’ should continue through the maintenance phase. The approach should still be ‘health-seeking’ A maintenance phase is not a ‘all you can eat, f**k it’ phase.