https://www.focusednutrition.uk/

Focused Nutrition, Method Training, Beaminster Way, Newcastle upon Tyne (2026)

31/01/2026

I have this conversation with people often and it is a hard one for them to get past.

Just because you did do it, doesn’t mean you can do it all of the time. Times change, people change, situations change and instead of focusing on the past that is holding you back, focus on what you can do.

I actually don’t post a lot about myself on here, mainly because Focused Nutrition is not about me BUT all of these different stages in my life have been different, if I got caught up in beating myself up for not training as much or as hard as I used to, I would be constantly upset. There are certainly times when those thoughts pass through my head BUT I ask myself, ‘do I want to sacrifice that much time and energy on those things again?’ And my answer is no and that’s ok. I still love training and train more than most but now for different reasons.

I am still always going to try my best, but my best now just looks slightly different to what it did, in some ways better, in some days not as good 🤷🏻‍♀️.

If you feel like this about anything, ask yourself…
- why do you want to do that again, how much did you have to sacrifice to get it?
- was your life different then to now?

Relationships with food and training can be a minefield, if it was just about counting calories and going to the gym, it would be easy! 🙄 But I certainly know that is not the case and I would love to help if I can. Shoot me a message or book a call if you feel you need some wise words or help in the right direction.

27/01/2026

DO NOT listen to 50 Cent if you want to lose weight…

Usually a little bit of this and a little bit of that adds a lot of calories onto your day without you even realising.
It is so easy to add these additions to your foods throughout the day potentially adding 100’s of cals for very little reward.

Yes they taste delicious at the time but if you went through the day without them, you wouldn’t notice too much. When I look through peoples food diaries, it is one of the first things I am looking for, small additions that are expensive calories.

If you are a picker and you keep telling yourself ‘it’s only small or only one’, and you struggle to lose weight, this can be the reason.

If you are not seeing any progress in weight loss, recognise these additions and make some changes. Pick some lower calorie options or just don’t add them and watch your weight start to move. 👀

23/01/2026

I cannot shout this from the rooftops loud enough.

There is NO denying that carbohydrates improve physical performance and massively improve recovery, yet people do not fuel before or after their CrossFit sessions.

In my experience of being a nutrition coach for 5 years, a fitness coach for over 15 years and trained CrossFit myself for 10 years, I can safely say carbs will HELP you.

Unfortunately carbs can be demonised as ‘making people fat’, yet no one macro nutrient makes people fat, eating too many calories overall or not moving enough makes people fat.

People often say to me, ‘I know what to do to lose weight, but I just can’t seem to do it,’ then proceed to tell me they know pizza and McDonald’s are bad and processed food is bad and when I ask why they actually don’t know… Trust me… people do not know.

And that is ok, how would they know what to believe, we are bombarded on social media with ‘influencers’ who get paid to tell you certain products are the best but don’t tell people they get paid to promote it…

When I look at food diaries, the most common thing I see is not enough protein, the second biggest thing I see is people not fuelling for their sessions appropriately. Either not eating for a morning session or leaving a big gap between food for an evening session.

Let me tell you why it is important… CrossFit uses mainly the glycolic energy system, therefore requires carbs to maintain a high level of output from the body.
We hold a certain amount of carbs in the bloodstream and in the muscles and once we run out, if exercise is long enough we can use fat stores (which is not readily available so the duration of exercise has got to longer) or if you have a low body fat percentage, you’re screwed running on empty.

I must have said this sentence 1 million times but nutrition has context, there is a time and place for ALL foods, whether this is nutrition density, goal driven choices, performance driven or social enjoyment - no food is bad.
Problems arise when people do not have enough knowledge of the above… knowledge is power when it comes to nutrition. Keep reading ⬇️

14/01/2026

Let us talk about ‘brunch’…

Healthy does not mean low calorie and low calorie does not mean unhealthy. It is all subjective to the goal.
Avocado toast, fancy oils and ‘clean’ add ons can be just as calorie dense as what we class as ‘fast junk food’.

It is easy to think because food is freshly cooked and has ‘healthy’ ingredients such as avocado, eggs and sourdough that the calories would not be high. BUT this is not always the case and if your goal is weight loss then this is something to definitely be aware of.

As you can see, a lot of the take away options that would typically be classed as ‘unhealthy’ are lower in calories overall with not much difference in protein levels. It is usually fats that add more calories to brunches.

If you were going out for brunch, here are some easy wins/ swaps that can help with overall calories without restriction.

- Ask for hollandaise (or sauce) on the side - then you can choose how much you put on and you will probably find you don’t have as much.

- Ask for 1 hash brown instead of 2 and ask for an additional poached egg (less cals, more protein)

- Don’t feel obliged to eat ALL of the avocado if it is stacked up and piled on, this adds a lot of calories…

- Ask for no butter on bread, it’s an easy 100 cals gone that you don’t actually taste.

- Ask for no oil to be added as dressing - this again can often add another 100 cals.

- Another way to help balance your overall calorie intake the day is prioritise protein more before or after this meal, that way you add volume and increase your protein intake. Avoid more fats in the day, this again will add calories without you even realising.

There is no good food and bad food, there is more calorie dense food without good quality and then there is less processed food.

It sometimes depends on your goals as to which you pick and when and where. If weight loss if your goal, overall calorie intake has always got to be the main factor. You are always trying to get more value for what you eat and your nutrition.

#1:1coaching

24/11/2025

It is Monday morning… you’re feeling tired, lethargic, a lack of motivation and no sense of drive.

Over the weekend you may have ate and drank more alcohol than you usually would and it has taken its toll. You want to change but just don’t know how. Alongside that, you’re starting to think, ‘oh but it is Christmas soon’, this usually means more alcohol and more food for the sake of it.

Everything comes with a price, for all of the short term good times, there are usually longer periods of feeling rubbish.

I am absolutely not saying that the good times should not happen, however when there is no balance, the downside is how you feel.

- You feel stuck in a rut
- Tired
- Sick of your overthinking of what decisions are right and wrong
- Sick of your bad relationship with food, which is exhausting
You promise yourself every week that Monday it will be better, only for this to last a few hours/days for you to revert back to old habits.

I find this is mainly down to lack of knowledge, this is no fault of the individuals it is the fault of social media and what is fed to us as ‘right or wrong’ OR the fact there is a ‘right and wrong’, when there is not.

The differences in the choices we make around food are there calorie and nutrient density but all foods have a time and place in our life. No food should be cut out, especially if you enjoy it!

Sometimes we just have to focus on the balance a little more to help achieve goals we have.

Introducing small changes and tweaks make a BIG difference, again it is just knowing how.

If you have overindulged this weekend, try these things to help you feel better:
- Drink plenty of water
- Get some fitness in (even if it is the last thing you want to do)
- Get active
- Eat nutrient dense food today

If you have overindulged this weekend and this is you every weekend, DM for more small changes I can introduce to you that can help.

#1:1coaching

03/11/2025

Be smart when it comes to meal prep 🍽️

Pick things you can PUT together, rather than feel as if you have to cook everything from scratch.

Cooking from scratch is time consuming and not always the ‘healthiest’ option.

If your goal is to lose weight AND you are busy you need to read this.

This is a typical meal prep week for me. I pick a protein, a carb, a veggie and put them together. These options consisted of:

Protein:
Chicken sausages - 10 mins in air fryer
Pre flavoured chicken - 14 mins in air fryer

Carb:
Root veg mash - from a pack 3 mins to heat up when ready to eat
Rice - from a pack 3 mins to heat up when ready to eat

Veg:
Mixed from a steamer pack - 4 mins in microwave (I took the butter out)
Broccoli - 4 mins microwaved (left in pack to steam)

I put all of these together for my main meals - it took about 5 mins to assemble.

For my snack/sweet options I picked one carby option for pre/post training and one higher protein option for snacks away from training to help me stay fuller for longer.

My high protein option was: (added to a big bowl to mix)
- 1 tub of Isey baked apple protein yogurt
- 4 scoops of optimum whey protein powder
- 4 pink lady kids sized apples
Mix all together then divided into 5 portions.

My higher carb option was:
- 1 tub of Skyr yogurt (lower in protein, higher in carbs and more runny for better texture pre or post training)
- 4 scoops of protein
- 1.5 cups of oats
- milk to help with texture (not too claggy)

I divided this into 6 portions.

All of this took me about 30 mins to cook and put together and it lasted the whole week. It saved money, time and also helped me stay full when I needed to be and fuelled when I needed to be.

Learning about nutrition with me is not about restriction or a series of ‘don’t eat this or that’, is conversations of why and what can help YOU towards your goals.

Nutrition has context and there is NO right or wrong. There is only, how we can make this better to help you achieve your goals…?

#1:1coaching

08/10/2025

There is a big difference between telling people what to eat and teaching people how to eat.

Telling means handing over a meal plan or a list of “yes/no” foods and letting that person get on. This is usually time restricted and also does not teach that person anything about why or how to help themselves after said meal plan.

Teaching means helping someone understand how to build a balanced plate, have a balanced lifestyle, tune into hunger cues, and make confident choices anywhere, anytime.

I work a lot on building a better relationship with food too. This has often been broken by past ‘plans’ and wrong advice. Someone could have followed every diet under the sun and still not have an understand of balance.

One creates dependency.
The other builds confidence.

As a nutrition coach, my job is not to control your plate, it is to teach you how to fill it in a way that supports your goals, your preferences and most importantly give you actionable ways to implement tactics that apply to YOU and your lifestyle.

People often think working with a nutrition coach will be restrictive and the food you love will be off the table, if anything it is the absolute opposite, sometimes I even encourage people to eat chocolate and pizza… 🍫 (yep that’s right).

Food freedom comes from understanding, not restriction.

17/09/2025

💪🍝 Fuel smart, train strong.

Carbs before a workout = energy to perform.

Carbs after a workout = recovery + muscle repair.

It is not about avoiding carbs it is about timing them to work for you and picking the right things to fuel your body.

20/08/2025

✨ Motivation feels good, but it’s fleeting. Momentum? That’s what creates lasting change.

When it comes to nutrition and exercise, waiting until you “feel motivated” keeps you stuck in the start–stop cycle. Motivation is the spark… momentum is the engine.

Every small action builds momentum:
🥗 Choosing a balanced meal instead of skipping
🚶‍♀️ Going for a short walk instead of doing nothing
💧 Drinking water instead of reaching for fizzy drinks

Those little choices compound. They create consistency. And once you have built momentum, you don’t have to rely on motivation, you have got habits carrying you forward.

💡 Reminder: You don’t need to feel motivated to take action. You just need to start. Momentum will take care of the rest.

Lastly, don’t let your momentum break, even the smallest effort of exercise or better choices can have a positive effect.

17/07/2025

‘Being kind to yourself’, what does that phrase mean to you?

That phrase to me does not mean bubble baths, it means making sure I do the things I set out to do, even on days when I do not want to because in the long term the results of those actions are the things that make me happy…

Sometimes, it is doing the hard things you do not want to do, getting up early, making that healthy choice, showing up when motivation is nowhere to be found.
It means doing what is necessary especially when you do not want to, because let’s face it who else is going to do it for you?

True self-compassion isn’t indulgence.
It’s discipline.
It’s follow-through.
It’s choosing growth over momentary comfort.

If we let every whim dictate our actions, we would stay stuck.
Kindness is keeping promises to yourself even when it is hard.

However, there has got to be enough time for the mind and body to recover on a weekly basis and that has to also be planned in and actioned too, this is very important.

Buuuut the more times you say you are going to do something and you don’t, the easier it gets to not do it… and before you know it, you’re not doing anything you set out to do… remember that.

15/07/2025

Can You Drink Alcohol and Still Build Muscle? 🍷💪

Short answer: YES.
Long answer: You need a plan.

Here is what alcohol does to your fitness progress:

⚠️ Slows muscle growth
⚠️ Reduces recovery quality
⚠️ Disrupts hormones
⚠️ Increases cravings + impacts sleep

BUT... you don’t have to cut it out completely.

Here is how to balance alcohol and results:

✅ Drink on rest days, not before or after training
✅ Stay hydrated (1 glass of water per drink)
✅ Choose lower-calorie options (vodka soda, dry wine)
✅ Eat protein before drinking
✅ Be mindful—are you drinking to enjoy or to escape?

Fitness is not just about willpower, it is about strategy.

You can live your life and still reach your goals. Balance > extremes.

💬 Drop a 🍷 if you’re working on that balance.

📩 DM me if you want help building muscle without giving up your lifestyle. It is about learning HOW to do this and also being realistic with your goals.

09/07/2025

Let me introduce , she has been with me at Focused Nutrition for 9 months now.

She originally came to me to get a better understand and knowledge of food and how to fuel properly for training. CrossFit was a new way of training, therefore she wanted to make sure she got the most out of it.

Each meeting we have made small changes in her diet to make sure she was getting the most out of her training as well as recovery from training. We have tackled obstacles and came up with strategies on how to overcome them and not let them be problems and get in the way of progress.

She has been consistent and determined these these are the results. We introduced weekly PT sessions into her schedule and these have been working wonders for her strength training.

Some people think once they get to a certain age, they cannot change, whether this be their body composition or their training style, Lisa is a perfect example of how you CAN! Things can be harder for females at a certain age, BUT it is absolutely do-able, it is just having the correct tools and help on knowing how.

There will be more to come from this lady!

Focused Nutrition

31/01/2026

27/01/2026

23/01/2026

14/01/2026

24/11/2025

03/11/2025

08/10/2025

17/09/2025

20/08/2025

17/07/2025

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09/07/2025

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