NUTRITION & HEALTH coaching
for better health & weight loss
Watch your waist
Contact me to sign up for my monthly email newsletter for dietary myth busting and top tips for sustainable change.
introducing
watch your waist
coaching
Your own personal trainer for your diet and wellbeing!
Putting on weight around your middle is a sign of carbohydrate intolerance and a key indicator for diabetes and heart disease.
It indicates the body’s hormonal system has gone awry. Ideally your waist should be no more than half your height.
If your waist is bigger than this, you need to reduce your carbohydrate intake to get your hormones back in balance. This will help you lose those excess inches from around your waist, reduce your overall weight and help protect you from diabetes or heart disease in the future.
The conventional weight loss advice is to eat low fat food with high levels of carbohydrate and to restrict calories. The scientific evidence suggests this approach is deeply flawed and unlikely to work for sustained weight loss, for most people without a waist. Adopting a low carbohydrate way of eating is becoming more and more popular and can be transformational for many people.
60% of the UK is now overweight or obese and this has increased in line with the change in dietary guidelines encouraging us to eat more carbohydrates and reduce fat. We need to get back to eating the food our bodies were designed for. I made the change to a lower carb diet 10 years ago, putting my Type 2 diabetes into remission and losing my excess weight.
Watch Your Waist coaching will help you find your waist again by reviewing what you eat, helping you make changes to your diet, eating habits and lifestyle to improve your health and lose any excess weight.
There is a lot of dietary information around with many conflicting messages and it can be confusing to know what is best to eat, especially as we are all completely individual with different needs and circumstances.
Most people need a little help to make the right dietary changes that will stick. As a qualified Nutrition and Health Coach I can be your encouraging expert, by your side with robust nutritional information, practical tips, reassurance and support, focused on helping you make better choices and improve your health. Your own personal trainer for your diet and wellbeing!
my story
Before diabetes diagnosis
After 3 months eating low carb
putting my diabetes into remission over 10 years ago
Back in 2011, after a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, I switched to a lower carb way of eating - losing 2 1/2 stone to get to a size 10 waist and a normal BMI. I also reversed my diabetes improving my health dramatically.
My mother was diabetic, my grandmother was diabetic, my brother is diabetic and I had gestational diabetes when pregnant. It seemed inevitable I too would become diabetic. 10 years ago, I finally faced up to my creeping weight gain, tiredness and niggling health issues to get checked out and was not surprised to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It was still a shock.
My mother had a major heart attack when she was in her mid 50s, through un-diagnosed diabetes. I did not want the same thing to happen to me. I wanted to be around to see my kids grow up.
I started reading up on the science and latest thinking, adopting the lower carbohydrate diet which I believed was the best way to control my condition.
Within 3 months I had lost my excess weight, got my waist back and my 20 year old body shape re-emerged from the flab. I also reduced my long term blood sugar HbA1c metric from 7.9%/63 down to a normal 5.5%/37. And I was told by my GP that I was no longer officially diabetic.
11 years later I still have my waist, my diabetes remains in remission and I am metabolically healthy, demonstrating that the lower carb approach is a sustainable way of eating and living. Not just a 'diet' for a short period of time after which the weight and inches go back on.
I have learnt so much over the last few years and have become truly evangelical about how eating well can transform health. I want to share what I have learnt to help others.
listen here!
Listen to my interview on the wonderful UK Low Carb podcast, if you want to hear more of my story. I was honoured to be invited as a guest onto this show to discuss my journey and mark my 10 year anniversary of being diabetes free.
*NEW *
AUTUMN DIETARY RESET
Are you feeling overweight or lacking energy?
Are you worried about prediabetes or diabetes either now or what might be coming down the line in the future?
In need of a step change in how you tackle these challenges?
Want to take control of your health and feel better about yourself this autumn?
Join Caroline for a FREE webinar on Tuesday 24th September @7-8pm on important dietary principles for weight loss and preventing/managing diabetes as well as suggestions for where to start in making changes you can stick with, that work. This is the first session of a 4 week online coaching programme that is available either as a group coaching programme (£135), running across 4 Tuesdays in September and October, or a more bespoke 1-2-1 programme (£180) where the subsequent sessions will be scheduled at a time convenient for you.
All are welcome for the first free webinar, even if you choose not to progress with one of the subsequent Autumn Dietary Reset programmes. It is designed as a standalone webinar that will deliver useful and practical suggestions.
Find out more here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/autumn-dietary-reset-for-weight-loss-health-and-diabetes-free-webinar-tickets-1012889007287
Places are limited so book now!
1-2-1 coaching to
improve your
health
Improving your health is journey…
who will benefit
Anyone overweight, especially around your middle – your waist should be no more than half your height which you can measure with a piece of string cut to your height
Yo-yo dieters or people who have struggled to sustain their weight loss when they come off a diet
Type 2 diabetics, prediabetics or women who have had gestational diabetes
Anyone who is metabolically unhealthy so people with high blood pressure, high blood triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol (in addition to those without a defined waist or who are prediabetic/diabetic)
People with a family history of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes or dementia
Anyone who is unsure what or how to eat for optimum health given the conflicting and frequently flawed dietary advice pushed out on a daily basis
Anyone keen to invest some time, effort and money in themselves, to find a better way to eat and live that will set you up for a healthier future
WHAT YOU WILL GET
My popular core coaching programme is a 5 session ‘Nutrition and Health Reboot’ at £300
Each session typically lasts 1 hour and is conducted over Zoom
The first session for both programmes is a ‘Taking Stock’ meeting to understand you, your goals, your environment, your lifestyle and general health situation. This is a critical first stage to allow me to provide personalised advice and share with you potential changes to your diet and lifestyle
Subsequent sessions will review your progress and discuss challenges you may have at putting changes into practice, helping you establish new habits
While we work together I will share with you relevant resources, menu ideas and evidence based thinking on nutrition to give you the information you need to reach your goals
Each session is followed up with an email of the main points and agreed action steps to help you progress on your change journey. On-going email support is also available for the duration of the programme for any questions, advice and food inspiration
At the end of the programme I will do two further email check-ins, approx. 3-4 weeks apart, to get an update on your progress and to provide further advice or support, helping you make the changes stick
Some clients go on and arrange additional ad-hoc progress check coaching meetings, as and when needed, to keep on track and progressing along your health journey. Sustainable change is not an overnight fix and achieving your goals can take time and these sessions can help you keep going
I can also tailor the sessions to your needs - just get in touch to discuss
Having the right information with support creates sustainable change
coaching benefits
Individual, one to one coaching and support to help you make the right changes to your diet (based on nutritional science not dogma) and lifestyle to improve your health or manage your weight, that is sustainable into the future
Support and practical, sensible advice from someone knowledgeable and empathetic, who has experienced her own dramatic health improvement through adopting a better way of eating and healthier lifestyle, helping you change your habits
Accountability and encouragement to keep you focused and kickstart more positive change in your life
why work
with me
my credentials and qualifications
I am a qualified Nutrition and Health Coach from the Irish Institute of Nutrition and Health (IINH) with an Advanced Diploma in Nutrition and Health Coaching. With the emphasis of this very much on the latest nutritional evidence and information.
I am a full member of the UK and International Health Coaches Association which is the professional body for Health and Wellness coaching in the UK and Ireland who set, guide and drive professional standards in the sector.
I am also an Ambassador for the Public Health Collaboration (PHC) to support the NHS and Healthcare Professionals help people make better dietary and lifestyle choices to improve their health.
Visit www.phcuk.org for more information.
I adhere to the IINH Scope of Practice, available on request, that is approved by the UK Health Coaches Association.
what else i bring
I put my own diabetes into remission over 10 years ago through dietary changes focused on a real food, lower carb way of eating, so I understand the challenges people face making sustainable changes that fit around family/working life
I know about cooking and food! With a full time course at the Prue Leith School of Cookery, a season cooking as a chalet girl and a love for Jamie Oliver I believe in making tasty, nutritious dishes with as little faff and fuss as possible. I am also super organised so adept at menu planning that keeps things simple and the other people in your household happy
I understand the science of nutrition with a BSc in Genetics and I read so many books on nutrition and lifestyle that my bookshelves are groaning under the weight
I am a clear and concise communicator, able to share the latest nutritional, evidence based, knowledge in a way that makes sense
My coaching programmes have been developed to support and empower you to take control so you can achieve lasting change. This work is my opportunity to help more people, sharing and giving what I have learnt over the last decade, to transform the lives of others
Having changed myself, I now want to help others get their waist back and improve their health
subscribe to my
monthly newsletter
Use the ‘contact me’ form below to sign up for my popular myth busting monthly newsletter that aims to inform, inspire and encourage
JOIN MY FACEBOOK GROUP
The group is called ‘Watch Your Waist – nutrition and lifestyle support’ and can be found by searching for this name or following this link: facebook/watchyourwaist
I post regular photos of what I am eating and sound, sensible advice on how to eat nutritious food that fits in with busy lifestyles
the case for
lower carb
eating
Lower carb eating is interesting and colourful!
why it works
We eat too much carbohydrate that our bodies were not designed for.
Our physiology is based on being hunter-gatherers, which we were for 2 million years. It was only around 10,000 years ago we became farmers and started to cultivate carbohydrates. In our society today, there is always plenty of food and we eat too much refined carbohydrate.
As a result many of us are now carbohydrate intolerant. One sure sign of this is extra weight, especially around your middle.
There is clear evidence to suggest that the standard dietary advice, which is what many weight loss diets are based on, is flawed. There is no benefit to counting calories as different types of food are processed differently by our bodies. Not all calories are equal.
Carbohydrate intolerance is actually an issue of hormonal imbalance, primarily too much insulin and insulin resistance. To tackle this we need to reduce the amount of carbohydrates we eat and eliminate sugar.
Insulin converts blood sugar into energy for our cells to use. Storing any excess as fat. With a carbohydrate rich diet we can produce too much insulin and become insulin resistant – where we struggle to use the energy from the blood glucose and build up fat. When our cells lack energy we feel tired and hungry for more carbohydrate based food. Whilst we hang on to our fat!
The vicious circle goes on if we continue to eat carbohydrates with the fat continuing to build up.
Only when our insulin levels come down, through lowering our blood sugar and eating only when we are hungry, will we switch to burning fat for energy.
Lower carb meals do not spike the blood sugar, so help us maintain more stable hormone levels and reduce insulin resistance. In time this will encourage our bodies to burn fat for energy – both the fat we eat and the excess body fat we have stored.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
“It’s been fab - I’ve really found my feet with it and just going to keep going. I feel so much better, it’s nice to not feel sluggish, I’m not hungry and just haven’t got the urge to snack constantly. I’ve finally found a plan that I find easy and can stick to.”
“You have certainly helped to focus my mind and I enjoyed our regular meet ups. Your newsletter is great - full of sensible advice!”
“I have lost lots of weight. In part by keeping food diary so no snacking and cutting carbs.”
“I found the meetings really useful. I now have better blood sugar control and have lost weight too.”
“Many thanks for helping navigate the complexities of diet. I have felt a real difference in how I feel, have a better understanding of why low carb, as well as a new repertoire of lunches.”
“Printed off your info which was really useful. The graph showing the way insulin works really helped consolidate why you should not snack as I had got into a habit of doing.”
“Thank you so much for all your help. It’s been really helpful having the Zoom chats which have definitely made me more accountable. It has helped me get on the right track and one I am staying on now!”
“Your support and help has been fantastic and I will continue with the changes.”
“I’m pleased to say I’m 2 stone lighter than this time last year and still low carb!”
“I feel excited to be learning about the science and impact of snacking. I managed to not snack yesterday!! Thanks for all the info and recipes.”
“Lots of really helpful info and I am going to read a couple of the books you recommended.”
