BANT REGISTERED NUTRITIONIST
The Positive Weight loss method
If you’ve ever been in the yo-yo diet trap in the pursuit of weight loss, felt shame around food or have struggled to lose weight - you’re in the right place. I’ve created a unique approach to weight loss which is based on wellness, not weight. There are no banned foods, no counting calories, judgement or strict rules. We must count how we feel - not our calories. And always in a colourful and positive way.
You're beautiful no matter what size you are and you must never define yourself by your weight. The focus is on wellbeing. That's why my method is centered around the mantra, '...You are your wellness, not your weight".
In the era of being kind we can't forget to be kind to ourselves - your body will thank you for it. This is absolutely key to my method and it must run through it like a rainbow through a rainy spring sky. Once our focus is truly on this, amazing things can happen.
A restrictive calorie deficit diet does not work in the long run as the focus is on weight alone and calories are not created equal. Plus, it's bloody boring and life is too short for dry crackers and low fat cottage cheese. Once we shift the goal to supporting wellness, sustainable weight loss will follow. Each plan is bespoke to the individual needs of the client but my method is threaded through each plan, focusing on 6 main points:
Balance blood sugar
Eat real food
Sleep better
Move more
Stress less
Have no food shame
We must connect with our food and listen to our bodies. If you listen hard enough, your body will tell you when it's full and when it's happy – it’s sometimes easier to tune out than tune in, but we must tune in. Secondly, it's not just about what we eat - behavioural and lifestyle changes are also key and something we must work on to help support weight loss goals. This is a lifelong change, not a fad diet.
One of the best places to start is always with our blood sugar levels. They dictate how hungry and energetic we feel - when this is balanced we feel fabulous! If we continue to spike our blood glucose levels, this will lead to insulin (a hormone) being released from the pancreas. Insulin stimulates the uptake of glucose into the cells (in our muscles) as we don’t want a high level of glucose in the blood as this can be dangerous.
What also happens, is that any excess glucose will be stored as fat. What goes up must come down and in the dip following the spike we experience feelings of hunger, tiredness and sugar cravings later in the day; this is why it impacts our waistline so much and be a driving force at the root of the problem for many struggling with weight loss. It can also drive inflammation and hormonal issues such as PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). We want to balance our blood sugar so we keep a stable level of glucose in our blood stream and avoid the storage of glucose as excess fat. To do this we need a reduction in carbohydrates and a fat and protein present to buffer the impact.
When I work with clients I want to ignite a new understanding of how our body works. It is not a celeb diet. I coach my clients how to eat for the rest of their lives - this is not a 7lbs in 7 day fad. I’m not after perfection, as that doesn’t exist. The focus is on eating gorgeous foods, working on self love, balancing blood sugar and reaching your goals. Plus, we always have some laughs along the way.
To read some of my success stories head over to my testimonial page.
why not be my next success story?
To book your FREE discovery call with me email Hello@hannahalderson.com
References:
A Review of the Carbohydrate-Insulin Model of Obesity https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28074888/?from_term=body+weight+insulin&from_filter=species.humans&from_pos=1
Effect of Dose of Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment on Glycemic Control in Adults With Prediabetes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31245006/?from_term=glycemic+control+weight+&from_filter=species.humans&from_pos=2
The Pathogenesis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): The Hypothesis of PCOS as Functional Ovarian Hyperandrogenism Revisited https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27459230/
Insulin Resistance and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27510482/?from_term=insulin+resistance+pcos&from_filter=species.humans&from_pos=1