The Balanced Body Podcast

Why You're Not Losing Weight (Even When You're Doing Everything Right)
If you've been eating well, staying consistent, and still not seeing movement on the scales, this episode is for you. I'm walking through the nine most common reasons women hit a weight loss plateau, and what you can actually do about it.
In this episode:
Why you're probably eating more than you think (and it's not your fault)
The weekday restriction / weekend blowout cycle that keeps you stuck
What metabolic adaptation actually means and when it's working against you
Why the number on the scales can lie (and what to look at instead)
Three practical options for breaking through a plateau
If you'd like more personalised support with this, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram at @nutritionbyhelena 
If you want a done for you plan without the coaching commitment, come Join the Community: The Balanced Body Reset

If fat loss is your goal, you've probably heard you need to be in a calorie deficit, but you might still have questions about how to practically achieve this. 
In this episode, I walk you through the exact framework I use with my clients to set up a calorie deficit in a strategic, sustainable way.
We cover:
What a calorie deficit really means

How to estimate your maintenance calories

How big your calorie deficit should be?

How to set a protein target to support muscle

How to structure meals and snacks

How to monitor progress 

Why you need a maintenance plan and exit strategy

If you'd rather not calculate and adjust all of this yourself, the Balanced Body Reset gives you a structure to stick to, support from daily voice notes and a very welcoming community of women with similar goals.
Or if you'd like all of this done for you with personalised guidance every step of the way, please send me a DM on instagram @nutrition.by.helena to discuss 1:1 coaching.
Join the Community: The Balanced Body Reset 1:1 coaching: Message me on Instagram @nutrition.by.helena

Before we dive in, here are Laura's contact details:
https://www.scencephysiotherapy.com.au/
@scencephysiotherapy
And a few ways I can support you:
Join the Community: The Balanced Body Reset 1:1 coaching: Message me on Instagram @nutrition.by.helena
 
I'm joined by Laura from Sence Physiotherapy, a women's health physio who specialises in pregnancy and postpartum care - specifically pelvic floor and pelvic health.
If you've ever wondered…
"Should I see a women's health physio in pregnancy even if I don't have symptoms?"

"Is leaking after having kids just normal?"

"How do I return to exercise safely after birth?"

"Is it too late to improve pelvic floor strength years postpartum?"
…this conversation will give you so much clarity.

We cover what the pelvic floor actually is, why prevention matters, and the myths that keep women accepting symptoms they don't need to live with.
Laura is a wealth of knowledge, enjoy! x

Before we dive in, here are a few ways I can support you:
Join the Community: The Balanced Body Reset 1:1 coaching: Message me on Instagram @nutrition.by.helena
...
Today we're unpacking a huge 30-year study exploring what people eat in midlife and whether it predicts "healthy ageing."
Healthy ageing in this study meant:
Living to at least 70

Free from 11 major chronic diseases

Maintaining cognitive, physical and mental function

Fewer than 10% of participants met that criteria.
So what were they eating?
We break down:
How the study was conducted (and its limitations)

The dietary patterns analysed (Mediterranean, DASH, plant-based indices and more)

Which pattern showed the strongest association with healthy ageing

The foods most consistently linked with better long-term outcomes

The impact of ultra-processed foods

Where saturated fats, red meat and sodium fit into the picture

We also talk about why unsaturated fats (including vegetable oils) were positively associated with healthy ageing, which really contrasts with some current social media narratives.
As always, I finish with practical takeaways you can actually apply: hitting your veggie targets, increasing plant diversity, adding nuts and legumes, and reducing reliance on processed meats.
If longevity matters to you, this is a conversation worth listening to.
And if you enjoy the episode, I'd really appreciate a rating or share to help me reach more women and support them to live longer, healthier lives too x
Original study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12092270/#Abs1

Today we are unpacking the idea of "metabolic confusion", which is the belief that you need to constantly change your food intake, calories, or training to "shock" your body into losing weight.
You've probably heard things like:
"You're not eating enough"

"Your body is in starvation mode"

"You need high-calorie days to reset your metabolism"

"Cheat days keep your body guessing"

But how much of this is actually backed by evidence?
In this episode, I walk through what metabolic confusion really refers to, what the research says about calorie cycling, and what actually leads to weight loss plateaus 
We cover:
What metabolic confusion actually is 

Whether alternating high calorie days and low calorie days improves fat loss outcomes

How relevant metabolic adaptation is in your weight loss journey 

Pros and cons of cheat days 

Hormonal implications of calorie cycling and intermittent fasting
Benefits of aiming for consistency with in-built flexibility 

I also give an update on the Balanced Body Community and our 30 Day Reset, which you are welcome to come and join!  Link below: 
Join the 30 Day Challenge: The Balanced Body Reset 1:1 coaching: Message me on Instagram @nutrition.by.helena