Weight

Management
Guide
Start it right
 Welcome
Here at Myvitamins, we want to support your weight management
goals from the inside out.

This January, we’re saying no to quick fixes and fad diets and replacing them
with simple, easy to follow tips, tricks and recipes, that will help you to support your
journey sustainably.

Our interactive calendar will help you to monitor your progress day by day, so you
can stay on track and feel your best. ​

In this guide, our qualified Nutritionist Rachel Greene gives you her favourite
weight management techniques, explaining the science behind weight loss.

Rachel answers your frequently asked questions, including how hormones and
sleep can impact our weight. Rachel also shares some of her most popular meal
ideas, letting you feel inspired in the kitchen to make positive changes. ​

​
To find out more
about the Myvitamins
Weight Management
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range, follow us
on Instagram.
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@Myvitaminsuk
 Ask the expert

Rachel Greene
Our Nutritionist Rachel Greene tells you ever y thing you need to

_
know about sustainable weight loss. Rachel shares daily tips,
exercise advice and more.
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The Science Behind Weight Loss
‘Eat less, move more’ has long been
hailed as the answer for weight
loss. However, this explanation
over-simplifies the science behind
weight loss, and does not explain
what ‘eat less’ ac tually means.
How Much Should I Be Eating?
The average man requires around
2500 kcal per day, whilst for women
this is slightly lower at 2000 kcal
per day.
To lose weight, we need to be in a
calorie deficit. To do this, you can
either reduce your calorie intake or
increase physical activity.
The standard recommendation
for weight loss is a calorie deficit
of around 500-600 calories per
day (roughly 25-30% of intake).
A smaller calorie reduc tion by 10-
20% may provide bet ter results
long term compared to the
recommended 25-30% and you
may also be less likely to regain the
weight. This means a large calorie
cut can be worse of f for you.
What About Moving?
In terms of physical activity,
increasing daily movement such as
walking can potentially increase
calorie burn by an ex tra 1000
calories per day. Gym sessions
on average burn around 100-
400 calories, so daily movement
can have a bigger impact on
overall calories burned. However,
it is impor tant to recognise
that ‘working out’ does have
other benefits e.g. improved
cardiovascular health, increased
bone density, and an increase in
endorphins (that post workout
buzz).
In conclusion, there is no ‘one size
fits all’ when it comes to weight
loss, and the most ef fective
way of weight loss is one that is
sustainable for you.
 Healthy Habits For

Weight Loss
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sleep Tr y resistance training
Prioritise
Whilst resistance exercise such
Sleeping less than 5 hours a night
as yoga, weights or bodyweight
can increase the likelihood of
exercises may not be the fastest
weighing more compared to those
way to burn calories, they will
that hit the recommended time of
contribute to that ‘toned’ look
7-8 hours per night. Lack of sleep
by strengthening muscles
increases ghrelin, the hormones
and also help to increase bone
responsible for hunger and
mineral density.
decreases leptin, which controls
feeling full. Feeling tired also
increases cravings for sugar y and
Have a meat-free Monday
fat ty foods as our brain sends out
signals for a quick burst of energy.
The ‘blue zones’ are famous for
having the highest population of
centenarians, as well as low obesity
rates. Beans play a huge role in the
diet across the blue zones, as well
as high vegetable intake. Tr ying to
choose a plant-based protein over
meat once a week might help to
boost your weight loss.
Eat plent y of protein
Protein is the most satiating
nutrient when compared to
carbohydrates and fat, and of ten
has a lower calorie count per
por tion. Protein also requires lots of
energy to digest, which equals more
calories burned. Sources of lean
protein include white meats, tofu,
fish (canned or fresh) and grains.
Get some daily laughter
Whether it be cof fee with friends or
watching repeats of your favourite
T V shows, an hour of genuine
laughter can burn between 60-
100 calories. Fur thermore, laughing
helps to lower our stress hormone
cor tisol, which can cause increased
fat storage when levels are high.
 What exercise is best for weight loss?
Any kind of cardio is going to increase fat loss: HIIT (high
intensity inter val training) workouts are easy to squeeze into
answered
a lunchbreak of af ter work, whilst longer runs and cycles
require a bit more planning. A combination of the two can
have the most benefit although ultimately, it’s down to
personal preference – pick something you enjoy, and you are
more likely to continue.

Whilst some claim that weight training is equally good for

fat loss, you would need to do a session at high intensity
with limited rest between sets in order to get your hear t rate
high enough to burn some serious calories.
Your questions

Average calories burned

during a 30-minute session:

Swimming 300-400 kcals

HIIT 290 kcals
Cycling 300 kcals
Running 240-350 kcals

Weight training 100-200 kcals

Should I eat a low carbohydrate diet?
Rather than dramatically restricting your intake, I would focus on
the GI rating of your carbohydrate choices. The glycaemic index (GI)
is a system used to show how carbohydrates affect your glucose
levels. As well as impacting your blood sugar levels, high GI foods
including white bread, potatoes and white rice have been linked to
levels of bad bacteria in the gut microbiome. I would recommend
swapping these out for low GI options including wholegrains such
as oats.

Do men lose weight faster than women?

Women have a lower propor tion of lean muscle tissue compared
to men, as well as being generally smaller. This means women
have a lower metabolic rate, so burn few calories than their male
counterpar t. Whilst weight-lif ting doesn’t burn many calories, it
does help to increase lean muscle, which can increase metabolic
rate, so you might want to add it into your training routine.

What’s the best way to reduce belly fat?

Unfor tunately, you may have heard before that you can’t ‘spot
reduce fat’, so no amount of crunches will get you the flat
stomach look favoured by fitness models. However, fat stored
around our bellies can of ten be influence by dietar y changes –
not only eating less but also looking at the types of food we are
eating. Increasing fibre intake can help to remove foods that
would usually be turned into fat cells during their slow transit
time through the gut.
As a qualified Nutritionist, I’m often asked what the ‘per fect weight
loss’ meal plan consists of. Unfor tunately, there’s no quick fix. It
really is all about eating a balanced diet that’s low in sugar and high
in protein to keep you fuller for longer.

Here’s three of my favourite meal ideas. They ’re nutritious and quick to
prepare, making them a great star t for your weight loss journey. Feel free
to add some healthy snacks if you feel your energy dipping.
 Breakfast:
Green smoothie
Both flaxseeds and peanut but ter contain healthy fats, protein and fibre
to keep you fuelled until lunchtime, whilst adding greens is an easy way to
sneak in ex tra nutrients.

Nutritional Information (without protein powder): 388kcals,

13g protein, 45g carbohydrates, 16g fat.

What you need: ​ Method

1 kiwi Add all ingredients to your blender and

whizz until smooth.
1 medium banana

80g frozen strawberries

75g baby spinach

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

15g peanut but ter

200ml unsweetened
milk /plant-based milk

Optional - 1 scoop
vanilla protein powder
 Lunch:
Niçoise salad
Nutritional Information: 385kcals, 23g protein,
21g carbohydrates, 223g fat.

What you need: ​ Method:

100g new or Chop the potatoes into quar ters and boil for
charlot te potatoes
12-15 minutes until sof t. Drain, and then leave
1 / 2 tin tuna steak in to cool. You can add the green beans to the
water (drained) last 5 mins of the cooking time.

40g green beans

In a separate pan, cover the eggs with cold
2 large tomatoes water, then bring to a rolling boil; once

10 black olives
reached, turn of f the heat and leave the eggs
in the water for 10-12 minutes.
Gem or cos let tuce

1 egg
For the dressing; mix together the olive oil,
red wine vinegar, chives, salt and
10 ml extra virgin black pepper.
olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar Chop the tomatoes and the cooled eggs into
quar ters.
1 tbsp fresh chives

Sea salt and ground To serve, roughly tear the let tuce and then
black pepper. add all the salad ingredients, including the
dressing. Enjoy!
 A high protein
salad, this is quick and
easy to prepare, and
can be made a day
in advance for extra
efficiency.
Increasing vegetables is a great way to add bulk without increasing
caloric density, and this dish is packed with veggies, making this a filling
and satisfying dish.
 Dinner:
Tofu noodle stir- fry
Nutritional Information: 542 kcals, 30g protein, 71g carbs, 15g fat

What you need: ​ Method

¼ pack wholewheat
Cook the noodles until sof t.
noodles (approx. 60g)

80g ex tra-firm tofu For the dressing, mix together the lime juice,
soy sauce, syrup and chilli sauce, and set
75g baby kale
aside.
50g sugar snap peas /
snow peas
Chop the pepper into thin strips, slice the peas

50g baby corn
1 / 2 red pepper (bell
pepper)
75g beansprouts
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
in half and cube the tofu. Heat the oil in a
pan at a medium-high heat, and add all the
chopped vegetables, tofu and beansprouts.
Stir fr y for around 5-8 minutes, until the edges
of the tofu are golden, and the beansprouts
have sof tened a lit tle. Turn of f the heat.

1 tbsp maple /agave syrup
Juice of 1 / 2 lime
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
Spray cooking oil (low fat)
Drain the noodles and then add them to the
pan with the vegetables and tofu. Add in the
dressing and turn the heat back on, cooking
at a high heat for 2 minutes, making sure the
dressing is well mixed in.
What’s in our

Weight
Management
Bundle?
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A trio of popular supplements, designed to help

you stay on track on focus on your goals.

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 Glucomannan
_ “Superb product.”

_
( Glucomannan in the
contex t of an energy-
restricted diet contributes
500mg glucomannan to weight loss.
per capsule.

“I must say it’s been a

great addition to my
“I’m so happy and supplements regime.”
will continue using
them.”

Convenient
capsule form.

Caffeine Free Garcinia

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500mg of Garcinia 100µg of Chromium.

Cambogia Fruit
Powder

Chromium
contributes to normal
Chromium contributes macronutrient
to the maintenance metabolism.
of normal blood
glucose levels.
 and Apple Cider
Vinegar Gummies
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500mg Apple
Cider Vinegar.
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Chromium to suppor t
blood glucose control.

Chromium Vitamin C helps the

contributes reduction of tiredness
to normal and fatigue.
macronutrient
metabolism.
 More products to support
your weight
management journey

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Shapeshot

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A complex blend of nutrients
including glucomannan, designed to
suppor t your weight management
goals.* Glucomannan is a natural
fibre that absorbs water and
expands in the stomach to leave you
feeling fuller for longer.

White Kidney Bean

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A convenient source of a
natural food ex trac t.
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* Glucomannan in the context of an energy restricted diet contributes to weight loss* *The beneficial effect is obtained
with a daily intake of 3g of glucomannan in three doses of 1g each, together with 1-2 glasses of water, before meals and
in context of an energy-restricted diet.
 _

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Carb Metaboliser 

Ex trac ted from white kidney beans,

our exper t formulation includes
niacin to contribute to normal energy
yielding metabolism and vitamin
B6 to contribute to a reduc tion in
tiredness and fatigue.
My Progress
Diary

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Copy and print of f this
calendar to help you track
your progress each week.

For more help and advice on

weight management, check
out our blog.

Love from

Myvitamins
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 Week beginning:
Progress Tracker
Checklist Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Water intake

Today I am feeling... Today I am feeling... Today I am feeling... Today I am feeling... Today I am feeling... Today I am feeling... Today I am feeling...
Mood Check

Minutes Exercised

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Hours Slept

• Laughter is good for you and burns calories, enjoy yourself

Daily Reminders: • Tr y something new! Staying active doesn’t have to be boring
• Rest days are impor tant too. You’ve got this
w w w.my vitamins.com