Ask The Experts - Laura Williams

Q: I've heard protein can aid weight loss, why is this?

Protein is something of a wonder food group! It does two things as far as your waistline's concerned: firstly, protein slightly suppresses the appetite and helps with feelings of satiety and secondly, it has a thermogenic effect on your body. Put simply, this means that just by consuming adequate amounts of protein, you're cranking up your metabolic rate.

Q: I've heard the term 'whey protein' used, what does this mean?

Whey protein is a protein source that's a by-product of cheese. Whey is considered to be a high quality, low fat protein - studies have shown that whey protein promotes fat loss at the same time as maintaining lean muscle mass creating a win-win situation! If you're looking to get some whey protein in your diet after reading this, you can do so with Definity and Sculptress shakes.

Q: I have read somewhere that it is important to ensure you consume complete proteins. What is the difference between a complete and an incomplete protein?

All proteins contain amino acids (amino acids are the building blocks of protein). There are also essential amino acids (so-called because they're vital to human beings and we need to obtain them through food sources).

A complete source of protein is considered to be one which contains all nine of the essential amino acids, while an incomplete protein contains fewer than nine of these. Plant sources tend to be incomplete proteins (such as nuts and beans) but by combining them, you can form a complete protein. By including complete proteins (such as whey protein) in your diet, you will ensure your body gets all it needs for healthy muscles, skin, hair and nails.

Q: I lack motivation to get back into the gym. I used to train 3-4 days a week, but now find it a bit boring. I need to lose about 7lbs need to really tone up what would you recommend?

First, you need to really vary your workouts to avoid boredom. Don’t just stick to the same cardio equipment, weights exercises or classes – mix outdoor running with spinning, BodyPump and circuits. Speak to personal trainers at your gym to find exercise routines and moves with a twist – switch ordinary lunges to multi-directional lunges; swap your standard squats for skater squats and swap your normal sit-up for a boxing crunch. Keep mixing it up but most of all, keep going whatever you do! In order to tone up, you also need to ensure you’re getting enough protein in your diet. Keep a really honest food diary for a week and review it. If there’s a few too many fatty snacks – chocolate, crisps etc – you know you need to cut those out to lose those pounds. You can swap out naughty snacks with some of our healthy ideas and if you’re lacking protein, try to add more lean meats, eggs and low fat dairy. You could add Definity shakes as a convenient way of getting pure protein into your diet. Remember, eating about 5-6 smaller meals and snacks per day rather than three large meals is also the ideal way to avoid cravings for high sugar snacks.

Q: I’m a 17 year old female who weighs around 10 and a half stone and am 5"6. I'm extremeley self-conscious about my weight as I’m a typical pear shape and hold it all around the waist, thighs and bum so it’s near enough impossible to hide all three. My diet consists of mainly Quorn products as the only meat I eat is chicken. I rarely eat cheese or milk and anything fatty like crisps/ cake, but my downfall is chocolate. My diet I believe is quite healthy with hardly anything excessive yet I can't seem to shift any weight. I go to the gym possibly once or twice a week but get very bored easily. I’m going on holiday with friends (who have figures to die for) and would love just to be confident and not worry about my weight. can you give me any advice?

I’m ‘blessed’ with a pear-shape too so I know it’s all about working with your body shape – forget looking wistfully at your friends’ figures and focus on getting yourself the best body you can. Work on upper body moves such as the shoulder press, upright row and swiss ball press-ups to help balance out your figure. Running helps to tame the thighs and make sure you keep any lower body exercises to high rep, low weight sets. It’s worth speaking to the personal trainers at your gym too to ask for advice – it’s what they’re there for and they may give you a few exercises which you can really get into. Ideally, you need to get your metabolism up to start shifting weight so going to the gym or exercising at least three times a week is ideal – and really push yourself while you’re exercising. You need to really feel that you’re working hard, and be honest with yourself – if you leave fresh faced and no more tired than when you started, you need to work harder. As for your chocolate habit, just don’t keep chocolate in the house! I have a chocolate habit too and have been eating a Sculptress bar in the afternoon recently which helps to curb appetite and give me a chocolate fix. Good luck!

Q: Is there anything that you can tell me that can help me to loss fat/weight and tone up?

Losing weight and toning up require several different approaches. To lose weight you need to restrict your calorie intake and to tone up you need to exercise (exercise helps burn calories too by the way). So try eating less by having smaller portions and by eating five to six smaller healthy meals / snacks throughout the day to avoid naughty cravings. Remember: this isn’t for life, it’s a short term measure until you reach your goal weight. You don’t need to join a gym to tone up either – you can devise routines at home using inexpensive equipment such as an exercise ball, a skipping rope and a resistance band that will still get you great muscle tone. And don’t forget household furniture either – step-ups on stairs, tricep dips on a chair and tummy-tucks while sitting on the sofa will work wonders too.

Q: What Maxitone product is best for fat loss?

I love the Sculptress shakes. They taste good and are high in protein which will help to curb cravings. Try cutting back on your food intake and upping your exercise at the same time as trying Sculptress shakes; it should help when your willpower’s failing!

Q: I am looking to lose baby weight. I’ve lost some through diet and 30 minutes of exercise a day but need a boost of protein would you recommend Sculptress shakes? I have read reviews and it sounds good ?

Try the Sculptress shake definitely – I’ve been using it myself recently. Baby weight can be tough to shed; this is a good thing really as baby weight is designed to support breastfeeding, but it can be frustrating for a new mum who wants to get back into her pre-baby jeans. Give it time and try and be patient but be consistently ‘good’ with your diet and exercise too. There IS no quick-fix and every day builds on the last so you just need to keep going.

Q: I’m really interested in trying the Maxitone products. A friend of mine is using them and they’re working for her. I am a regular at the gym and do a mixture of cardio and light weights. My key goal is weight loss, then toning. Please can you help or guide me which products are going to work best for me?

You’ll find that fitness people all say different things but what’s worked for me and my clients is a lot of cardiovascular exercise, some resistance / weights exercise all combined with a reduced calorie diet for the short term to create the deficit that will help you to lose that initial weight. You can use the Sculptress range to help you with this too. If you could manage 4-5, 40-60 minute sessions at the gym (with 2/3 of each workout consisting of cardiovascular exercise) each week, you should really see results. You don’t have to do this forever – just until you reach the weight you want to be. When you’ve reached your target weight, using the Definity range – particularly the high protein shakes – will help you to achieve that gorgeous toned look you’re after.

Q: I'm 17 and really want to lose some weight, not just to look better but to feel better and to get fit and healthy. I've tried so many things but can never seem to stick to it or it doesn't work. I'm not looking for a quick fix but I really need help.

It’s the sticking to it that determines success or failure, I’m afraid. You need to exercise frequently and eat less of the naughty things in order to lose weight until you get to where you want to go weight-wise. You mention that you’ve tried lots of things but you don’t say what you’ve tried? Find something that works with your lifestyle and then give it a go for at least six weeks; it’ll take that long for you to settle into any kind of routine – try different classes, new clubs (badminton, tennis, running, football, dancing) – anything that might grab your interest and keep you motivated to go regularly. As soon as you start seeing results, this should spur you on to keep going. You can’t just give up when you feel frustrated or tired or fed up. The slim woman’s secret is this – she’s consistent with her eating efforts and her exercise routine regardless of how she feels... THAT is your quick fix! Good luck!