While some feel like they should eat until they’re full, this isn’t the case.
Instead, over-eating until you get that full feeling can leave you sluggish, uncomfortable and lacking in energy.
So to help people understand how much they should be eating at each meal of the day, personal trainer and fitness guru, Belinda Norton-Smith, shared her advice on her YouTube channel.
‘Let’s talk about these food portions and how we measure them the best way,’ the Gold Coast based fitness professional said.
So to help people understand how much they should be eating at each meal of the day, personal trainer and fitness guru, Belinda Norton-Smith shared her advice on her YouTube channel
‘Let’s talk about these food portions and how we measure them the best way,’ the Gold Coast based fitness professional said
‘When we clasp our hands together, it shows us the exact amount of food we should be eating for every single meal,’ she said
‘Our best gauge is actually on our body and it’s our hands.
‘When we clasp our hands together, it shows us the exact amount of food we should be eating for every single meal.
‘For an adult and a female adult of my size, my particular size is this much,’ she said demonstrating.
‘And this is the amount you should be eating six times per day.’
‘For an adult and a female adult of my size, my particular size is this much,’ she said demonstrating. ‘And this is the amount you should be eating six times per day’
Belinda, 40, said this method is exactly the same for children
Belinda, 40, said this method is exactly the same for children.
‘Have a look at their hands and clasp them together. That’s the only amount of food that they need, also six times per day,’ she said.
‘Instead of piling up those plates, it’s a better way to look at food for you. It stops them and you from overeating and that really awful full feeling.
‘When we stick to our portion sizes, we have a better level of energy, we feel full for longer but we feel light and energised also.’
‘When we have those giant smoothies, it’s way too much food and is actually taking up two meals,’ she explained
‘When we stick with our portion sizes we are happier and our mood is better because we feel better,’ she said
Belinda said it’s the same for things like smoothies.
‘When we have those giant smoothies, it’s way too much food and is actually taking up two meals,’ she explained.
‘When we stick with our portion sizes we are happier and our mood is better because we feel better.
‘Next time you’re going to pile up the dinner on your plate, just have a little think about how much food you should be eating.’
‘Next time you’re going to pile up the dinner on your plate, just have a little think about how much food you should be eating,’ she said
Belinda says there are simple lifestyle changes you can make to ensure long term results and urges people to avoid fad diets
Belinda regularly shares her tips and tricks for a healthy lifestyle and recently spoke to Femail about getting in shape for summer.
Belinda, who at 40 is in the best shape of her life, said fad diets and detoxes won’t give you long term results – instead, it’s about a lifestyle transformation.
‘All of these intense diets and restrictive programs can have some serious ramifications on your body and as we age it will start to show in your skin and you will age faster,’ Belinda told FEMAIL.
‘In my twenties I was over training, eating too little, doing too much cardio and not living a quality life. Instead we should all be spending our exercise minutes benefiting the whole body with targeted, quick exercises and by eating more.’
In the left image Belinda was 21, was running, riding, swimming and training twice daily – as well as eating pretty well. But at 38 (right) she only does 40 minutes of exercise at a time and has made simple lifestyle changes that have transformed her body
START THE DAY WITH FASTED CARDIO
According to Belinda, people should be starting each morning off with 30 minutes of fasted cardio.
‘You can walk for 30 minutes if you don’t want to run and if you can’t leave the house then do something stationary like jumping on the treadmill or bike at home or skipping,’ Belinda said.
‘Exercising on an empty stomach before breakfast kickstarts your metabolism, sets up your heart rate and speeds up your blood around your body. It’s also great for your energy and if you have kids, it’s great for them too.’
According to Belinda, people should be starting each morning off with 30 minutes of fasted cardio
DO SPEED CIRCUITS WITH LIGHT WEIGHTS
‘We don’t need to bulk up with heavy weights you just need to do speed circuits for 40 minutes with light weights to lengthen the muscles, not shorten them,’ Belinda said.
These sessions should include weights (10 – 15 reps of each), strength exercises and stretching and be done just three times per week.
‘Do these circuits three times per week for only 40 minutes, you don’t need to do anymore than that. These are important because as we age we tend to lose muscle and muscle tone and if we don’t build these muscles up we have no strength or mobility and our quality of life lessens.’
‘We don’t need to bulk up with heavy weights you just need to do speed circuits for 40 minutes with light weights to lengthen the muscles, not shorten them,’ Belinda said
AVOID PROCESSED FOOD
Belinda says it’s important to eat clean for every meal for the first 10 days.
‘You can rid yourself of those awful sugar cravings if you do this and you will start to crave clean foods,’ Belinda said.
‘With alcohol it’s fine to have it on a Friday night or for a celebration but try and avoid it throughout the week if you can. People forget how much sugar is in wine.
‘A great swap is to have some hot water or sparkling water while you are cooking or even some kombucha – that’s what I have. It’s so good for us and if you have it in a wine glass it almost tastes alcoholic.’
Belinda says it’s important to eat clean for every meal for the first 10 days
DRINK UP
Water is really important in flushing out toxins, banishing cellulite and improving health.
‘I try and aim for at least two litres per day and try and have the first litre down by lunch time,’ Belinda said.
‘It can be tricky for some people so I recommend having hot water instead or some tea as the day goes on.’
Belinda regularly shares before photos of herself to inspire people to make changes
EAT SIX MEALS PER DAY
‘Food prepping is a great way to get yourself ahead for the week so on a Sunday I usually make some granola, roast vegetables and some dinners and put them in the fridge or freezer,’ Belinda said.
‘Women need six meals per day to stabilise their metabolism so it’s really important to do this. If you cut out meals it will really impact your metabolism.
‘If you skip meals, straight away your sugar levels will start going up and down and hit crave peaks plus your mood will suffer and you will be unhappy and tired.’
DON’T WEIGH YOURSELF
Belinda urges people to stop jumping on the scales all the time to measure progress.
‘You need to look for the beauty in yourself and see and feel the changes because the scales don’t reflect what is going on in the inside,’ Belinda said.
‘Instead you should look in the mirror, say good things about yourself and be conscious of how your clothes feel and fit over time.’
‘You need to live for longevity and these programs are not for longevity,’ Belinda said
ABS ARE MADE WITH FOOD, BUMS ARE MADE WITH SQUATS
‘If I have a slice of cake and a few espresso martinis on a special occasion I immediately see a change in my abs and have this layer of food over the top,’ Belinda said.
‘If you want a toned stomach you need to really watch what you eat and try to eat really clean foods or all that exercise will fail to show results.
‘The best exercises for the stomach are ones that work both sides and push ups so don’t do those old boring crunches. Bridges are the best for us, especially if you add leg raises.’
‘A great bum on the other hand is all about doing squats and lunges – that is all you can do.
‘My bum was dragging lower and I started doing squats and lunges every day and it lifted up. Lunges are just as important as squats as the legs are attached to the bum and we need to build both.’
DITCH THE FAD DIETS
‘You need to live for longevity and these programs are not for longevity,’ Belinda said.
‘Kids start to think it is a way of life too and it’s so sad. I see kids all the time who say ‘Mum or Dad are on a diet’ and we really need to show them that healthy eating is a lifestyle.
‘There are no quick fixes, there are no tricks.’
‘There are no quick fixes, there are no tricks,’ she said
SET YOURSELF MINI CHALLENGES
‘One thing I really like to do is to set myself 30 minutes on a Friday night to clean the house,’ Belinda said.
‘I then have to try and get everything done – the vacuuming, the surfaces and mopping – in that time frame and it becomes a challenge.’
Belinda also urges people to set simple goals like adding five minutes to their workouts until they reach that 40 minute mark.
Belinda shares inspiring recipes and advice on her Instagram page and website.