A rant

Today, it's been highlighted that WeightWatchers have a major contract with the NHS to deal with weight loss patients. This is also going to be on the Dispatches programme tonight on Channel 4 at 8pm. 

When I read this, I was furious. I had seen that south Lincolnshire were sending people to Weight Watchers groups but wasn't aware it was now nation wide. There two things I have an issue with here:

• Firstly, WeightWatchers meetings are not run by qualified nutritionists or dietitians. They are run by former members who have lost weight using the WeightWatchers program. So why does the NHS bother to employ dietitians and nutritionists if they are then not going to use them??
• Secondly, WeightWatchers is a diet which teaches you to count points. It doesn't teach you healthy eating and the importance of exercise. Most people know the importance of them both but we should promoting that not Calorie and point counting. We need to encourage people to make healthy lifestyle choices which will continue for the rest of their life and be something the whole family can partake in to encourage healthy eating habits in children.

I'm very much looking forward to watching the Dispatchers programme although it will have to be on catch up as I have food club and hope to be able to find out the reasons why the NHS feels WeightWatchers is appropriate. I will also be taking my food club leaflets to doctors surgeries and promoting a healthier way of losing weight and eating which doesn't involve Calorie and point counting.

Incidentally does anybody else think Greg Wallace looks ill now on all the WeightWatchers adverts?

Hannah

£7 for 7 days?

Yes you read the title right. £7 for 7 days is all I have to live on for food and drink at the moment as I'm taking part in a charity fundraiser with JCI for Save The Children. The aim is to highlight child poverty so we have a £7 budget for food and have to donate the rest of our weekly shopping money to Save The Children.

As a nutritionist I am loving the challenge (although I am looking forward to eating normally!) and decided I wanted to be as healthy as possible. I started mine on Friday as I'm away next weekend. Most of the members started today until Sunday. Friday was easy as I felt rotten so ate a bowl of porridge. Saturday was harder though but I've managed and now made all my meals for the rest of the week: porridge, soup for lunch and chilli/bolognaise for dinner with loads of veg in.

Actually living on such a small amount of money and being healthy is possible but what I have found is snacks are much harder to afford. Fruit, nuts, seeds and dried fruit are expensive when you can buy cheap cereal bard for less than a £1 for 6. Of course, there's no coffee as I'm a coffee snob and would rather go without than drink cheap stuff and no alcohol

It's certainly made me think about how much we all eat and how lucky we are to have the money to buy the food we do. So next time you're throwing food away, spare a thought for those that don't have enough to feed them never mind throw away.

To find out more visit www.justgiving.com/JCIUKpoundaday

New Year's resolutions

Wow! How is it already the 6th January?? This year seems to be whizzing by already. How are you getting on with sticking to New Year's resolutions? I know a lot of people haven't gone back to work yet and it seems they are starting then. Is that the case for you? I haven't made a resolution for this year but I am determined to make it my best yet both personally and in business.

I am however, not drinking alcohol for the rest of January. Although I didn't drink very much of Christmas and New Year, I feel I need a bit of a health kick and it will help hugely with my half marathon training. I can't run if I've been drinking the night before (even just a couple of glasses). Later this month I will also be doing JCI's pound a day diet to highlight the poverty some people live in. We have £7 to feed ourselves for the week and the rest of the money we would have spent on food is given to charity. You can't drink on that amount and I'm going to have to give up my coffee!

Onto the fitness side of things, with JCI we are going to organise some runs and walks which I will be taking part in. I decided to run the half marathon before it was decided on as a JCI activity because I would love to achieve something like that and want this to be the year I really improve my fitness. I've also be doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred exercise DVD which is amazing. She has a few which are all available online and I would definitely recommend them. A friend and I do them together which is good motivation. On Friday, we did the 40 minute problem area workout and I still ache from that! The 20 minute workouts are great if you don't have much time or want to start off more gently. If exercise is on your agenda but you can't afford a gym membership then definitely look at these.

The Real Food Club launch is tomorrow (Monday 7th) at Molly's tea room (Godfrey's Garden Centre, J31 of the M1). It's a free event and start at 7pm so feel free to pop in if you are interested in joining. The meetings kick off on Monday 14th with Molly's at 7pm and Thursday 17th at Zest, Upperthorpe, Sheffield. We are also looking to hold a small group in Chesterfield on a Wednesday evening. There are 3 places left at this one if anyone is interested. Comment below or email info@wisechoicenutrition.co.uk

Happy New Year

Hannah

New Year New You

How many people made a New Year's resolution to lose weight? Did you make the same resolution last year and then give up after a few days or weeks? This year you could make it the last year that losing weight is on your list.

The Real Food Club is a not just a weight loss club but a group that provides practical and personal support for anyone looking to lose weight or change their eating habits for the better. We don't talk about diets and we rarely mention Calories because healthy eating is far more important and sustainable. It is run by Hannah Bailey of Wise Choice Nutrition who is a fully qualified nutritionist.

Each week, we meet and have an informal chat whilst weigh ins are done (in private). It is up to you whether you reveal if you have lost or gained and only I will know if you choose not to share. There is then a 15 minute talk by me about an aspect of nutrition and ways to incorporate that into your diet. We then have an optional confessional where people discuss the good and not so good points of the week. This is optional and if you don't wish to participate, there is no pressure. You also receive 3 recipes for evening meals and 3 breakfast and lunch ideas.

The meeting costs £5.50 and includes a folder for all your recipes, weekly diet diaries, a mini gum bag after 4 weeks and lots of other helpful goodies.

If you would like more information, please email therealfoodclubsheffield@gmail.com or call Hannah on 07912 556470.

Good luck,

Hannah