You’re probably thinking there’s no such thing, but taking the time to develop a pledge that is personal and real will motivate you all the more to achieve it! SO, how do you make the perfect pledge to yourself?

Everyone wants to reduce fat, tone up and stay lean. But there’s so much grey area to this goal that it will make it hard to ever get there  - simply because you won't know when you've got there.

Instead, give yourself a specific value you want to achieve - it could be a pre-baby weight or to build discernable muscle all over your body, or to be able deadlift or squat a specific weight. 

Remember the goal here is to be as realistic and as honest as possible. No one will see this other than yourself, but being realistic and specific about your goal will keep you motivated to achieve it!

It may not seem like it now, but when it’s 9pm on a cold Friday night and you’re craving a piping hot chocolate fudge brownie with a generous dollop of whipped cream (is your mouth watering too) , your why will motivate you to opt for a sensible bowl of dark chocolate covered almonds instead! 

The more you can emotionally engage with your goal, the easier it will be to achieve. The emotional intensity that you're able to attach to your goal will help you to stay consistent when you feel like slipping or stopping.

In order to create an emotional state connected to your goals, ask yourself these 3 questions;

1. What would it mean to achieve this goal? 

2. How would I feel if I acheieved it?

3. How would it feel if I never achieved this goal?

The more negative emotions you can connect to 3) and the more positive emotions you can connect to 1) and 2), the more likely you are to stay consistent and stay on-track.

Let's be honest, if our teachers didn’t give us homework deadlines, we’d never get that maths homework done! Targets give you something to work towards.

So set yourself a realistic date to achieve your promise based on what your goal is. It could be an upcoming wedding or party, maybe your birthday, or maybe just a random friday at the end of Feb. Whenever you decide to reach your goal by - make it as realistic and specific as possible!

I should mention that this date is not set in stone. Remember that you're on a fitness journey so along the way you might realise you can reach your goals earlier or even later and that is absolutely fine - you’ll learn with your body along the way!

If you want some extra incentive, we recommend sharing your goals with your friends and family. The more public your goal, the harder it is to slip. 

I'd even recommend scribbling down your promise on a post-it and sticking it on your vanity mirror as using it as a mantra to start your day with! Reminding yourself of your goal will motivate you to keep going!

Alternatively, if you're looking for a support network, we recommend joining our Facebook Community, Raw Beauties, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rawbeauties 

If you want to lose weight and tone up, protein is now your new best friend! Several studies have confirmed the benefits of protein for weight loss. Read on to find out why you want more protein in your diet

Protein is an essential nutrient to include in your diet if you are trying to lose weight! If you've ever stared back at someone in disbelief when they've told you they eat more  while they're trying to lose weight, it's because they're including more protein and fibre rich foods in their diet. 

While carbohydrates and fats are important for maintaining a balanced diet, the science supporting their health benefits are laregly controversial. However, most studies are in favour of protein's contribution in aiding to drop the pounds and stay lean. Find out why you want more protein below.

Protein keeps you fuller for longer by manipulating the activity to 2 important appetite related hormones. 

1. Firstly it reduces the amount of ghrelin - a hunger hormone responsible for signalling you need food to your brain
2. It also increases the amount of peptide YY - a hormone that signals you’re full to your brain (yes appetite control is literally a mind game!)

So replacing carbohydrates with protein can reduce the volume of food you eat without you feeling hungry - win win!

Your body needs energy to burn calories from food, so when you eat, you naturally increase your metabolism for a short while - this is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF). However, different food groups have different TEFs. 

Protein, for example, has a high TEF which means a lot more energy (20-30%) is used to break is down compared to breaking down carbohydrates (5-10%). This means eating protein essentially helps to increase your metabolism and helps you burn up to 100 extra calories a day (equivalent to about 30 minutes on a treadmill) just from digesting protein

As you age, you naturally lose muscle volume causing them to weaken and making you more frail and prone to falls and fractures. Keeping your protein levels high stops your body (literally) eating away at your muscles keeps you looking lean and feeling stronger. 

Hopefully the points above have helped indicate why you need this fitness friendly nutrient in your diet to help you get the lean, toned physique you always wanted! Working out how much protein you specifically need isn't very hard either as you usually need 0.8g of protein per kg of body weight. 

Daily protein volume = body weight (kg) x 0.8

If you're not into the math, it usually translates to an average of 45g of protein each day. If you're following a plant based diet, you may think it's hard to meet your daily protein volumes. Thankfully, there are lots of wholesome, veggie and vegan friendly ways to increase your protein without having to resort to meat! Check out the best plant based sources of protein in our downloadable checklist here

Metabolism is big buzz word in the weight loss industry, but it’s important to understand what it is before you attempt to increase it.

Metabolism is the rate at which your body burns energy - it’s a measure of how quickly you ‘use up’ the calories you eat. Your body breaks down the food you eat into nutrients and energy and shuttles them off to different parts of your body.

A fast metabolism means you can burn through calories faster both at rest and during activity helping you stay lean and toned

A slow metabolism means you burns through calories slowly causing more of those calories to be stored at fat in your body until you’re ready to burn them off. Understanding if you have a fast or slow metabolic rate can help you plan your diet and exercise routine better to make sure are taking the right steps for YOUR body to help you tone up your physique

As I am sure you’ve guessed, for those of us looking to lose weight, the aim of the game is to increase your metabolism while reducing your calories so you can burn off the excess fat and replace it with metabolism boosting muscle!

The good news that there are many things you can do to increase your metabolism naturally such as:

I’ve touched on this before but eating regularly stops your body going into starvation mode and keeps your metabolism active and working throughout the day. Eat regularly by splitting your melas into smaller portions and eating every 2 to 3 hours.

Green tea increases how much fat your burn by breaking down the fat in your body into smaller fatty acids that can be used by the body to release energy. Additionally, as they are herbal teas, they have very few calories making them the perfect addition for a weight loss diet.

A sedentary lifestyle can slow down your metabolism as you essentially are using less energy while sitting. Instead try and move around more during your day - especially if you have a desk job. For example, if you’re going to the bathroom, go to the bathroom on the floor above or below your own and take the stairs there or take a quick 5 minute stroll around your office every hour or two to get your muscles working and blood pumping - this can also help boost your energy!

Increasing your water intake generally increases your metabolism as you’re essentially drinking less sugary drinks that are full of unnecessary calories. Drinking water before you eat also causes you to eat less food as it naturally fills you up. However, cold water can give your metabolism an added boost because your body uses extra energy to heat it up, helping you burn more calories

If they aren’t there, there won’t be any temptation. Instead swap them for healthier snacks you know are good for you and will help you reach your goals faster! Check out our food swaps in module 4 for more ideas.

Your body can commonly mistake thirst for hunger which might be making you unnecessarily eat more when you’re just thirsty.

So keep a water bottle nearby and if you feel hungry, take a couple of sips of water and wait about 20 minutes. If you’re still feeling hungry, then go and eat something.

You don’t need an elaborate meal prep session to plan your meals - if you can then that’s great. But if you’re strapped for time, check out this trick: make more of every dish when you cook. This way you’ll always have something healthy leftover in your fridge that you can grab the next day when you’re hungry! Bad diet choices are usually made on an empty stomach so preparing yourself for when you become “hangry” will make sure you eat the right food for your fitness goals 

This may be easier said than done if you have a hectic schedule but humans are creatures of habit. So trying to eat at the same time each day will essentially get your body (and it’s hormones) on a clock. This will stop you eating at random times during the day and also help you stick to your meal plan and planned calorie intake for the day.

1. Why is sugar so bad for you
2. 4 ways sugar can harm your weightloss journey

So you know sugar is bad for you, but what foods should you avoid to make sure you’re steering clear of it?

Refraining you from eating all sugar in an unrealistic expectation, and not all sugars are bad for you. But to understand what sugars you should and should not eat, you need to understand the glycaemic index. The glycaemic index is a measure of how quickly a particular food can increase your blood sugar levels. 

- Foods with a high glycaemic index spike your blood sugar levels very quickly and lead to the effects mentioned above

- Foods with a low glycaemic index are broken down slowly and help keep your blood sugar and your energy levels much more balanced.

To lose weight, you want to reduce the amount of food in your diet that sits higher on the glycaemic index. And while these foods may be some of your favourites, knowing the consequences of eating them may give you the motivation to cut out these sugar loaded foods that aren’t doing any favors for you or your waistline!

1.  Sugary drinks

Sugary drinks are another word for empty calories usually have little, if any, nutritional value and are just loaded with sugar and calories

Fizzy drinks are probably your first point of call, but be wary of fruit juices as although they are marketed as ‘one of your five a day’ they are packed with ridiculous amounts of sugar. 

Additionally, the sugar in drinks is known as liquid calories because your brain doesn’t acknowledge the sugar from drinks in the same way as it does from solid food - so you may be drinking a lot ,more than you would be eating!

2. Sweets, chocolates and ‘healthy snack bars’ 

Sweets and chocolates are outright guilty of packing in ridiculous amounts of sugar in a bar or pack smaller than your palm - and you know you should avoid these. However, be aware of ‘healthy’ snack bars like granola bars. They may be advertised as a healthier option, but they are packed full of fructose sugar to hold the bar together which can cause huge spikes in your blood sugar

In fact, in one test, the amount of carbohydrates and sugar found in a KIND surpassed the amount found in a snickers bar.

3. Cookies, cakes and doughnuts

Like sweets and chocolates, these foods are not only packed with sugars, but also with unhealthy trans fats that increase the amount of ‘bad cholesterol’ in your blood, increasing your risk of heart disease. They may be tempting to eat but they do little to satisfy your hunger and you’ll end up reaching for another treat very soon.

4. French Fries 

It might make a great side to your burger or pizza, but french fries are dangerously high in calories, especially because we have a tendency to eat them mindlessly (hence the danger as we are very often likely to overeat them). Fries and crisps are also high in a cancer causing substance called acrylamides - so it’s best to steer clear of them when you can. 

5. Pizza

This particular type of fast food deserves a special mention because not only are they extremely high in calories, they are packed full of highly refined foods like white flour and sugar as well as processed meats and canned veggies often soaked or fried before being added.

6. Frozen and ready cooked meals

Frozen ready meals are valued for their ease in preparation. However, the reason they require minimal cooking is because manufacturers load these foods with sugar and salt to act as a natural preservative. You already know the pitfalls of excess sugar intake, but the additional salt intake causes you to retain water and bloat. While bloating may not make you gain weight per se, you still won’t look lean, stopping you from looking and feeling your best. 

7. ‘Low fat’ foods

If you’re wondering why I added the quotation marks, it’s because these foods may have the fat removed from them, but this is usually replaced with more sugar to compensate for the poor flavour from the lack of fat. And we all know that increased sugar consumption will lead to insulin resistance which will cause (yup you guessed it) store fat.

8. Alcohol (you knew it was coming)

I’m not saying all alcohol is off limits, but most alcohol is packed full of sugar and empty calories that aren’t doing your weight loss goals any favours. Additionally, it lowers your inhibitions so you’re more likely to over indulge and also slows down your metabolism as breaking down the alcohol (considered a toxin by your body) becomes a top priority.

9. Refined grains

White bread, white rice, white pasta, all purpose flour, I’m looking at you. These foods lack very little nutritional value or fibre and are digested very quickly into sugars by your body. Not only will you eat more of these foods, but you’ll also spike your blood sugar very quickly.

10. Hot sugary beverages

Your daily starbucks might be the only thing to get you out of the bed in the morning, but the empty calories in these drinks will ruin any weight loss efforts you may have made.

Cutting ties with your favourite red velvet isn’t fun and while I’d say ditch the sugar entirely, the reality is we’re human and sugar cravings are a given (as someone with a serious sweet tooth this is the story of my life!). So to stop yourself strolling into a starbucks the next time a sugar pang strikes, prepare for a sugar craving by stocking up on our favourite sweet but healthy treats! 

While incorporating the foods we mentioned above can be great for your weight loss efforts, they might not be things you usually eat.

So, I’ve listed some common foods you’d want to stay away form and simple swaps you can make that will make you and your waistline smile.

I should mention here that it’s easy to ruin your relationship with food when you embark on a fitness journey, so be sure to make sure you stop and evaluate that it’s okay for you to indulge once in a while and eat your favourite foods. 

So you've decided to try out a protein powder, but have no idea where to start (don't worry, we've been there!). Read on to find out more about how to navigate through choosing the right protein powder

Protein powders can be a great way to supplement your fitness journey, but the number of protein powders available on the market are endless, making it difficult to decide which one will be the best for you. There are several key components of a protein powder which I talk through below. But 2 key components I want to point out are the ingredients used in the powder and how you intend to use it.

If you take a quick peek at the back of the most popular protein powders, there seems to be an awful lot of unknown ingredients added to it that aren’t exactly contributing to its protein content! Be weary of protein powder suppliers that choose to add all sorts of nasty ingredients like fillers, artificial sweeteners and additives. Yes, it’s important to have a great tasting protein powder, but this is attainable using clean, high-quality ingredients that taste great and are good for your gut, muscle health and your skin (trust us, we’ve tried and you can check out our brand-new protein powder here). So, before you even beginning deciphering if this protein powder is the one for you, check the ingredients and ditch those filled with unfamiliar ingredients (you know the 17 syllable words we left behind in chemistry class).

2.  Lifestyle

Secondly, have a brief look ay your lifestyle and try to determine when you are most likely to take the powder. The reason I say this is that a lot of protein powders, especially dairy based protein powders, have a tendency to sit in your stomach as they are quite difficult for the body to digest. If you’re planning to have the protein powder towards the end of the day, consider going for a plant-based protein powder instead. They usually are filled with more fibre and the lack of dairy makes them much easier for your body to break down. This can help reduce bloating and maintain the health of your gut as you train!

1.  Amino acid profile 

Different protein powders have different amino acid profiles based on the source the protein in it is derived from. Humans are unable to produce all amino acids ourselves, and there are 9 amino acids known as ‘essential’ amino acids that we need to obtain from food or supplements to keep us healthy. When trying to choose a protein powder, be sure to choose a source that has the entire amino acid profile or at least has the 9 essential amino that humans can’t produce.

2. Source of protein  

Whey: Whey is the most popular source of protein in protein powders. Whey is a protein derived from milk and has a complete amino acid profile - in that they contain all essential amino acids that humans can’t produce themselves.

Casein: Casein is another protein derived from milk and also other dairy products. Casein is great for those that want to recover faster from their workouts as it is rich in glutamine - an amino acid that increases the rate of muscle recovery.

Soy: Soy protein is a vegan-friendly option that also contains all the essential amino acids needed by humans from food sources.

Pea: Pea protein is entirely plant based protein source that is also a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids. The added benefits of pea protein is that it’s rich in iron and in fibre, making it especially great for women who experience bloating from other sources of protein.

Hemp: Hemp protein is derived from hemp seeds and is also another plant based option that has a complete amino acid profile. It’s also a great source of essential fatty acids.

3. Amount of protein per serving 

The amount of protein per serving you choose depends entirely on how often you intend to take your protein powder. Most protein powder servings contain between 20-25g of protein per serving making them ideal for using once a day. However, if you want to take a protein shake twice a day, choosing a protein powder with a smaller volume of protein per serving might be more adequate to ensure you don’t go over the recommended 30g of protein each day.

4. Flavourings, additives and heavy metals  

When you’re not eating any sweet treats, a chocolate brownie flavoured protein powder might sound like a God send. However, before you dive in to satiate your sweet tooth, take a quick peek at the ingredients list to make sure you’re not consuming any harmful ingredients. Like your weight loss diet, a lot of protein powders claim to have no sugars or fats but unfortunately, that chocolate brownie flavour has to come from somewhere - and it results in several powders using artificial sweeteners, colours, flavourings and additives in place of sugar to make up for the taste.

A study among American protein powders found that the most popular powders have heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic that can be extremely toxic to the body! Making sure you choose the right powder can ensure you get the best results without harming your body.

When you embark on a mission to get fitter and healthier, our first point of call is usually auditing what we’re eating, but very little thought goes into the nutrients in those foods, but it’s these nutrients that determine which foods we’re likely to keep.

For example, carbohydrates can be found in sweet potatoes and in French fries, but we’d choose the sweet potatoes because they have more fibre, vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, iron, magnesium and potassium that can better support our body’s health and improve weight loss. 

Certain nutrients also directly affect our metabolism, a key component of our weight loss efforts. We’ve listed the most important nutrients below, what they do and where you can get them from!

1. Iron

Iron is essential for supporting your red blood cell function to ensure an adequate supply of oxygen is being provided for the production of new muscle cells. Iron is also involved in regulating your metabolism through its involvement in helping cells metabolise nutrients like protein and carbohydrates into energy.

Sources: dark leafy greens.

2. Magnesium   

Magnesium is involved in the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates into energy. Ensuring you have enough magnesium can keep your metabolism functioning optimally and help you lose stubborn belly fat. Magnesium is also particularly great for women as it reduces bloating and water retention.

Sources: dark chocolate, brazil nuts, tofu

3. Calcium

Calcium is involved in muscle cell production making it essential for those who are working out to gain muscle and trying to increasing the resting metabolic rate. However, calcium is also involved in thermogenesis - increasing the core body temperature which requires an increase in your your metabolism that can help burn excess fat.

Sources: chia and flax seeds, seaweed, spinach and bok choy

4. Zinc

Zinc can help weight management by reducing your appetite, so you take in fewer calories. 

Zinc also helps reduce insulin resistance, that improves blood sugar control and stops the build up of fat within cells.

Sources: Tofu, hemp seeds, lentils

5. Copper

Copper helps you burn excess fat in the body by moving fat from storage cells into the blood to be broken down. It also helps maintain the breakdown of fat for use as energy helping you break it down.

Sources: quinoa, peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds

6. Manganese

Manganese helps with weight loss by activating the enzymes required for your metabolism. Manganese also speed up the rate at which food, specifically protein is digested, making it even more important if you’ve got a high protein diet .

Sources: hazelnuts, soybeans, chickpeas

7. Vitamin K

Vitamin K helps protein synthesis in the body to build new muscle cells which can improve rest heart rate.It also strengthens the heart tissue, increasing cardiac output and consequently your ability to exercise much more efficiently.

Sources: brussel sprouts, kale, cabbage, spring onions

8. Vitamin C

Vitamin C can help you burn up to 30% more fat during exercise and essentially makes it easier for you to lose fat by increasing the rate of fat mass loss in the body (especially around the abdominal region).

Sources: red peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits, kiwi

9. Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is involved in the production of L-carnitine which is required by the body to burn fat. Vitamin B6 also reduces the amount of digested carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that are stored, and prompts the body to use them to release energy.

Sources: nutritional yeast, pistachio nuts, sesame seeds