Tag: healthy living
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Are we the biggest losers for watching The Biggest Loser?
Weight loss TV shows were common in the early 2000s. Did these shows plant the seed of diet culture in you when you were growing up? We called it “The Ad Game”. My younger brother and sister and I invented it while watching a weight loss show on TV. (There were quite a few of…
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The 3 most common nutrition coaching mistakes
Dietitian Lucy Carey explores the most common nutrition coaching mistakes that she sees in her practice (and that she’s made herself). Let’s dive right in, shall we? In my opinion, these are the 3 most common nutrition coaching mistakes that coaches of all levels of experience make. I’ve made them all myself, so I’m not…
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Weight loss is beneficial, but focusing on it is detrimental
Weight loss could greatly improve the health of many people, but focusing on losing weight often backfires. Dietitian Lucy Carey explains. “I know you keep saying that the weight isn’t what this is about but…” She was agitated, her blonde hair flicking into her eyes as she spoke. She had clearly steeled herself to ask…
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Why nobody sticks to their diet
If diets are the answer to weight loss, why does nobody stick to them? Dietitian Lucy Carey explains the diet trap. The first real diet I tried was the lemon detox diet. It is just as terrible as the name suggests. You basically consume nothing but a lemon-flavoured beverage for a week or so. No…
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You don’t earn food with exercise
Do you need to do burpees for every fry you consume? Dietitian Lucy Carey explains why you should not earn your food with exercise. We called it the ‘Exercise Park’. It was just a big field with a playground and some exercise machines. I don’t know if this is like, a Kiwi thing perhaps? But…
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Mindful eating this festive season
Mindfulness has huge benefits to health and has exploded in popularity. So how can we transfer mindfulness to how we eat? He was giving me the side-eye. My six-year-old was unimpressed that I was reading emails off my phone at the breakfast table. He was perhaps too polite to point it out verbally, but he…
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What NOT to bring to Christmas dinner
Comments about what someone is eating, or their body size and shape, are sadly common over Christmas dinner, but never appropriate. “You actually want some? I didn’t think you’d eat anything so unhealthy!” “It’s so good to see you tucking in.” “Go on, have some more. You need fattening up.” These are all things that…
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No big deal
One of the most powerful reminders that diet culture has affected you, is witnessing an unaffected child select their food. “What do you want, darling? We could get popcorn, Malteasers, chippies… We could get it all! Anything you want, you choose.” I was so excited. This teacher-only day was a special day together for my…
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Goodbye Paw Patrol, it’s Goonie time
Screen time for children can feel inescapable, but is there a way to mitigate the harms? Dietitian Lucy Carey shares her screen time experiences. The pitter patter of rain drops serenaded our conversation. “I think it’s your turn to pick our family movie,” I said to my 5 year old son. “Okay! I know exactly…
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All or nothing with food
Progress is more important than perfection. Dietitian Lucy Carey describes how to overcome an all or nothing attitude to food. “I open the pantry doors, and I sort of barricade myself behind them so no one can see me, and I just quickly eat the whole thing before anyone notices.” I appreciated that she was…