I’m sharing a very personal story with you today about the most challenging three months of my life and how I managed to come out the other side stronger, thanks to the habits and lifestyle changes I've been working on for years. Trust me, this isn’t your typical episode.

Why You Should Listen

In this episode, I open up about the most challenging period of my life. I talk about the two terrifying house break-ins, my mother’s battle with a rare cancer, and the sudden loss of a close family member. It was a whirlwind of emotions, fear, and uncertainty, and I felt like everything was happening all at once.

But this isn't a story of despair. It's a journey of resilience, where I share how my habits and lifestyle choices, which I’ve cultivated over years, helped me navigate through these tumultuous times.

What You'll Learn:

• How to maintain your sanity and well-being during a crisis.
• The importance of sticking to healthy habits, even when life gets tough.
• Personal strategies for managing emotional upheavals without resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms.

This episode is a candid look into my life and a testament to the power of a resilient mindset and healthy living. I believe that by sharing my story, I can inspire others who might be facing their own struggles. We all deal with trauma in different ways, but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.

I encourage you to give it a listen, and if you know someone who might benefit from hearing this story, feel free to share it with them. Sometimes, knowing that someone else has been through the storm and come out stronger can be the greatest comfort.

These past months have taught me that even in the face of immense challenges, it's possible to come out stronger if you've cultivated robust, healthy habits. If you find yourself going through a tough time, remember to prioritise your nutrition, get moving, manage your emotions proactively, and take care of your mental health. These strategies have made all the difference for me.

LINKS:

Apply for the Lean Body & Strong Mindset program here

Join my Free Facebook Community: Weight Loss Made Simple for High-Achieving Women

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Tik Tok: @thehealthydiary

Website: https://www.thehealthydiary.co/

I am so excited to introduce you to Roger Sutherland today, who is not only my very good friend but someone with incredible knowledge and insight on how the body works. He joins me today to discuss how we can optimise our lives by synchronising with our circadian rhythm, an important aspect of any fat loss journey.

After 36 years of shiftwork and serving in law enforcement, Roger wanted to find answers for shift workers on how to best cope with their lifestyle. He returned to study in the field of nutrition and his expertise now extends into chrononutrition, the science of how good food, metabolism, meal timing, and your body clock interact, and chronobiology, the study of biological rhythms.

Roger coaches his predominantly female clients one-on-one with great success and through his podcast, "A Healthy Shift", he shares evidence-based strategies for thriving, not just surviving, as a shift worker.

What is the circadian rhythm?

The circadian rhythm is a key biological function of our body controlled by a master clock located in the base of our brain. This clock runs on a 24-hour cycle and is primarily influenced by light, movement, and food timing. Roger explains how these cues help synchronise our internal clocks for optimal functioning.

Why Is It Important?

A synchronised circadian rhythm significantly impacts our health. It governs when we wake up, feel alert, get sleepy, feel hungry and how our body processes food. Jetlag is a prime example of when our circadian rhythm is misaligned, but this can also happen on a smaller scale depending on your sleep, movement and eating habits.

A well-aligned circadian rhythm is crucial for maintaining overall health, including heart health, metabolism, and mental clarity. Disruptions can lead to brain fog, fatigue, and even weight gain. To stay synchronised with your internal clock, Roger shares the following tips:

Start Your Day with Light

Getting natural light exposure early in the morning helps suppress melatonin and adjusts your body to daytime mode. Simple practices like opening your windows and going for a walk can make a significant difference.

Maintain Regular Meal Times

Eating at consistent times aligns with our body's natural rhythms. Aim to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at their typical times, and avoid eating late at night when melatonin levels rise. When your melatonin is high, your body can’t process the food like usual, therefore it gets stored as fat, directly leading to weight gain.

Consistent Sleep Schedule

It's tempting to stay up late and sleep in on the weekends, but this can disrupt your circadian rhythm, causing the dreaded Monday morning fatigue. Try to maintain your sleep schedule even on weekends to ensure your body remains in sync.

Poor sleep can exacerbate stress levels and will increase your hunger levels, meaning that your weight loss efforts might go to waste, regardless of how well you eat or exercise.

Roger and I share the same philosophy when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Keep it simple. Don’t overcomplicate nutrition and weight loss. Roger’s advice is to focus on getting early light, moving throughout the day, eating at regular times and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. This will drastically improve your overall well-being and help you stay on track with your weight loss goals.

LINKS:

Connect with Roger Sutherland

Website: https://ahealthyshift.com/

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When people decide that they want to lose weight, the first thing that often comes to mind is signing up for the gym or working out. While exercise is great for your overall health, it only counts for a very small portion of your daily energy expenditure. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, working out shouldn't be the main focus. Instead, you need to prioritise your food and use exercise as a bonus.

From my perspective, the order of priority for weight loss is nutrition first, sleep second, and movement third. If you place too much focus on your workouts when trying to lose weight, you might end up doing the opposite. Here are 5 reasons why:

Overeating After Workouts

There’s a big misconception that we burn a huge number of calories during workouts but that’s not actually the case. For example, a 30-minute home workout might burn 100-200 calories, but it doesn’t give you a free pass to consume an additional 400 calories. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit so plan your meals around your workouts to avoid overeating. This doesn’t mean you need to track your calories, but it’s important to have a general understanding of your energy requirements.

Refueling with Unhealthy Food or Beverages

A common mistake is refuelling with unnecessary, high-calorie foods and drinks. Pre-workouts, post-workouts, and even so-called "superfoods" can be calorie-dense without being particularly nutrient-rich. Instead of buying into marketing gimmicks, keep it simple—if you need a hit of energy before a workout, opt for something like coffee over a sugary pre-workout drink.

Using Workouts as an Excuse to Be Sedentary

You may think you’re active just because you work out, but what about the rest of your day? You could be working out for an hour and then remaining sedentary for the remaining 23. Focus on increasing your daily movement for better results. Incorporate more non-exercise activities, like walking or taking the stairs.

Disrupting Your Sleep Routine

Sleep is an often overlooked factor in weight loss. If your workout schedule cuts into your sleep, it could be counterproductive. Poor sleep affects hunger hormones, increases cravings for carbs, and reduces your overall activity levels. Prioritise getting at least seven hours of quality sleep and then fit your workouts around that.

Becoming Obsessed with the Scale

Weight fluctuations are completely normal, especially if you’re new to exercise. Microtears in muscles and water retention can cause temporary weight gain but don’t let the scale discourage you. Instead of weighing yourself daily, track your progress weekly and use alternative methods like measurements or how your clothes fit.

Movement and exercise are super important for your health, both mentally and physically. I fully support incorporating movement into your day for your overall well-being but when it comes to losing weight, the first place to start is your nutrition.

Start by understanding your energy requirements and optimize your diet to create a slight calorie deficit, without obsessively counting calories or tracking the number on the scales. Then, approach movement as an enjoyable bonus. I hope this episode supports you and that you feel empowered to approach your weight loss journey with the information you need.

LINKS:

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