Can you have chocolate when you have your period or when you have a birthday?
Doctor Tamara: “Occasionally a piece of chocolate goes well with a healthy lifestyle. It’s about balance. If you eat healthy and wholesome for the rest of the day, a piece of chocolate is fine. Preferably dark chocolate with more than 70 percent cocoa, it contains less sugar. Also stick to a few cubes and not a whole bar. There is nothing forbidden in the challenge. We only give you advice that you can stick to, but it is especially important to give it your own twist. Only then can you sustain it in the long term.”
How do I resist temptations at the weekend such as alcohol and tasty snacks?
Doctor Tamara: “That temptation is very recognizable. Try to avoid or limit the temptation. Inform others that you are participating in the challenge, so that they can take it into account. There are many low-carbohydrate snacks that you can put on the table, for example snack vegetables with a dip. I would try to avoid drinking alcohol altogether. Besides being high in calories and not healthy for you, it removes your inhibitions so you eat more.”
What can you replace fish with?
Doctor Tamara: „You can just add your own twist to the recipes. It’s no problem if you don’t like fish or don’t want to use it in the dishes. I like halloumi, tofu and tempeh myself. You can also add some extra nuts, chicken or vegetables to the dish instead of fish.”
Do you have any tips for less expensive shopping?
Doctor Tamara: “You can buy fruit and vegetables on the market or on sale in the supermarket. It also saves a lot if you do your shopping in a cheaper supermarket. Or buy frozen vegetables. In addition, large packages of nuts, for example, are cheaper. Finally, my tip is to buy fish from the freezer. That is a lot cheaper than fresh fish.”
What do you think of intermittent fasting?
Doctor Tamara: „If intermittent fasting fits well into your lifestyle, it is fine to do this. Intermittent fasting can be very healthy, especially for your heart, vessels and digestion. It is important that your body receives all the nutrients. You have to eat enough, so no less than 1500 kcal. Eating too little slows down your metabolism. The quality of your diet is also important. Make sure that at least 80 to 90 percent is good quality food, so not processed or from packages and bags. With intermittent fasting, quality and quantity are very important. If you do intermittent fasting during the challenge, you can, for example, have breakfast at 10 a.m., lunch at 2 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m..”
What can I do with the leftover ingredients?
Doctor Tamara: „You do not have to follow the weekly menu literally. For example, if you have some vegetables left over, you can make a vegetable omelette the next day. Or make double portions and keep it in the fridge or freezer. This also saves time on busy days. You can also just eat the same thing for two days.”
Isn’t the amount of nuts in the recipes too much?
Doctor Tamara: “We don’t use meat. In order to get your fats and proteins, we add nuts to the recipes. Plant-based recipes are sometimes very low in calories. So those nuts are a good addition. You also don’t want to eat too little.”
Can I add salt to the recipes?
Doctor Tamara: „You can certainly add a pinch of salt to your liking. We do not use ready meals, packages and sachets. That’s where 80% of our salt intake comes from. If you follow the menu, you can add some salt. You are allowed a maximum of six grams of salt a day, you really can’t get that with our menu. It often takes some getting used to to eat less salt. Give your taste buds time to get used to less salt and less sugar.”
Cheese contains a lot of salt. Is eating so much cheese good?
Doctor Tamara: “The amount of salt differs per type of cheese. In our weekly menus we have ensured that you do not exceed six grams of salt every day. Processed meats, packages, bags and sauces contain a lot of salt. These do not appear in the challenge. Because you don’t eat meat during the challenge, you have to get proteins and fats from elsewhere. For example from cheese. You don’t eat too much salt if you follow the menu, you could even add a pinch of salt.”
I still haven’t lost weight. How is this possible?
Doctor Tamara: “The scales can be misleading. If you only weigh once a week, it may be that you retain a little more fluid that day and are therefore heavier. It then seems as if you are standing still in terms of weight, while in reality you have lost weight. This can be very demotivating. You can choose to weigh yourself several times a week and take an average. You then compare the averages per week. Menopause can also affect weight loss. If you are in or after the menopause, losing weight can take a little longer. Give it time. Finally, you can also notice weight loss by your clothing. For example, pants that are looser or your belt that can be tightened by a hole.
Also feel free to adjust the portions. The weekly menus are around 1750 kcal per day. An adult woman needs an average of 2000 kcal. So you could lose weight with this 250 kcal deficit. But it is also important to look at your own lifestyle and whether this amount is appropriate. You can increase or decrease the portions.”
Participate
Our Tasty in your skin challenge will also be free in 2022 and available to everyone. Do you want to join us? Then go to the Nice in your skin page of VROUW or search Facebook for WOMAN Comfortable in your own skin challenge 2022. You can sign up for the private Facebook group there. And after signing up for the WOMAN Newsletter (check WOMAN Daily and WOMAN Weekly) you won’t miss anything anymore.
Have you prepared one of our recipes? Then we would love it if you could send the photos of your creations via the Nice in your skin challenge Facebook group shares! We also like it if you tag us on Instagram with @vrouw.nl and #LekkerInJeVel2022.