Beginners guide to Second Nature recipes and weight loss plan
I am a big fan of weight loss plans that help you to change habits rather than just fad diets. The Second Nature diet is definitely a lifestyle change and from what I have seen the success stories are real and the plan definitely works.
Read on for Second Nature recipes I have written about fake weight loss photos before so do have a read if you’re looking for a weight loss plan!
Feel free to read of what it is about on the Second Nature website. This beginner’s guide to the Second Nature diet should help you decide if it is for you.
One of the most popular Second Nature reviews on the net, this will help you!
As you know if you are a regular reader of my blog I do not believe in quick fixes or things that are not sustainable like shakes and pills.
Second Nature surprised me in that I actually was excited with what I read. I couldn’t wait to share it with you guys.
What is the Second Nature diet?
Second Nature is not just a weight loss programme, it is a healthy eating-for-life technique.
The Second Nature programme is designed not just to help people lose weight but also to focus on other areas of their life.
It aims to help areas such as reducing food cravings, having more energy, sleeping better, improving your general happiness and well-being, and reducing the risk or management of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease etc.
What is the Second Nature tech package?
The Second Nature tech package is where you pay a little more but get smart scales and a fitness tracker all connected to the app to help you to keep track of your weight and exercise. More details are below.
Are the Second Nature Smart scales worth it?
If you like the idea of not being able to cheat and pretend the scales read a different number then these are definitely for you.
The smart scales are great for keeping you on track with your weight loss.
Second Nature recipes and the app
There are a lot of differences between how Second Nature works compared to other plans so here I will try to share the main points with you.
So many Second Nature reviews don’t talk in detail about them so I want to make sure you know what it is about.
There are recipes and reading on the app to help you with your weight loss and a mentor to help you.
All the guidance you need and Second Nature recipes, tips and support are right there on your phone whenever you need them.
What are you counting on Second Nature recipes?
Complex carbohydrates eg bread, pasta and potatoes are eaten in moderation. However, they are not counted as such but are given portion size guidance.
Protein eg meat, eggs, fish and vegetarian alternatives again this is not measured or counted just portion size guidance.
The Second Nature weight loss plan long term outcomes
Second Nature has a three-stage programme.
1. Reset – ditching old habits and starting a new healthier lifestyle.
2. Restore – this builds on Reset adding a little more flexibility to help you continue with the challenges life can throw at you.
3. Sustain – this looks at the long term and gives you tips on how to approach difficulties if you struggle and slip back into old habits in the future.
Second Nature treats
Simple guidelines are in place. These are things such as that those occasional foods like chocolate should be on the side of your index finger.
This makes the Second nature plan easy to follow.
The emotional side of overeating
Daily reading/articles are available to help you think about how you approach your feelings towards food. Ideas of how to address them and techniques to conquer them.
Support from your group members and mentor is through the app not in person.
Support and recipes on the Second Nature app
A mentor is available who supports you with messages in the group chat part of the app.
They also contact you by individual message through the app. He/she is nutritionally trained and can give you meal ideas and support.
Group chat has around 10 members and is anonymous with members showing only their first name and a small bio. Members are all over the country.
All support is online. This is why reading Second Nature reviews are important before you spend your money.
Weigh in methods, progress and targets
Online programme so weigh-in is when it suits you and you either enter your weight online or if following the tech programme the smart scales send over your weight automatically.
You and your mentor know your weight, your group only knows the per cent change.
Overcoming difficulties or issues with the Second Nature diet app
The mentor is available in the small group to chat as well as privately online.
Other members of the small group are often online for support.
Second Nature recipes and making meals on the diet
1/2 of the plate vegetables from the non-starchy vegetable guidelines, 1/4 of the plate a portion of protein from specified guidelines, 1/4 of place complex carbohydrates from guidelines
One meal a day is advised to be complex carbohydrate-free.
The Second Nature app and support
If you follow the tech plan the exercise tracker will track your steps in the early weeks and then advise you on how to build those up in the following weeks.
The mentor can give you personalised advice on meals that will help you nutritionally before and after exercise.
Second Nature UK Cost and What is Included – Second Nature diet reviews
After reading this beginner’s guide to Second Nature you think this would be a great diet for you then the costs are as follows.
No tech option – £10 a week, billed monthly at £40 or paid upfront for £110 for the 12 weeks which works out to £9.17 a week. Includes handbook recipe book and support.
Tech option – £15 a week billed monthly at £60 a month (total £180 for 12 weeks) or pay upfront for £160 which works out to £13.33 a week including handbook, recipe book, support, wearable activity tracker and smart scales which auto-sync to the app.
My Overall Thoughts and Why NHS Second Nature diet plans exist
Advantages
The scales weigh up to 30 stone so great for most people
The group support is small group support.
Mentor on hand whenever needed.
Explanations of dietary reasons behind the recommendations makes it easier to understand how this will help you and thus easier to stick to.
Comprehensive recipe book included in all plans.
Your mentor is a qualified nutritionist and the programme itself has been developed by both dietitians and behavioural scientists.
Disadvantages
No offline support
The initial cost is higher than some plans however isn’t really comparing like with like as they are very different in what they include eg scales. The long-term cost is good.
More you should know about the Second Nature diet
Whilst I have been given the programme to try out and paid for my work with Second Nature (while it was under the previous name of OurPath) I can assure you all opinions and experiences I share are my own.
An honest reflection of my thoughts and how I find the plan will follow in future posts. This beginner’s guide to Second Nature should have just given you a bit of a flavour into the plan.
Note: The costs above were accurate at the time of writing but may since have changed so do your own research.
Second Nature recipes
There are so many recipes you can make on the Second Nature diet and most are easily adaptable if you don’t have a recipe for something perfect on the app.
All my Slimming World recipes should be great for you on Second Nature. The main thing with the diet is to have whole grains where possible so wholemeal rice and pasta rather than white.
Second Nature recipes use fats such as olive oil, avocado and nuts. A recipe like this coconut and pea soup is perfect on Second Nature.
Here are three of their recommended recipes
Mediterranean tuna pasta salad
Our Path or Second Nature?
If you have heard of the Our Path diet and think this sounds the same, that is because it is. OurPath changed its name to Second Nature! The diet essentially stayed the same it was just the name that changed!
More you may like
To read all my posts with tips and experiences of various diets, exercises and lots more check out my comprehensive Weight Loss and Exercise section.
Other articles you may find helpful
If you are looking for a new diet to try and still undecided check out my full weight loss guide with lots of different plans. A few popular ones are:
If you have found this beginner’s guide to second nature helpful then please do pin it to Pinterest to share with others.
Jen how does OurPath work for vegetarians and those of us that cannot live without a few gins.I started Harcombe but tbh it was too strict and she is a lapsed vegetarian so I lost all respect for her
I was standing in line at a slimming club one evening and the lady ahead of me had gained. She was giving the group leader that old favourite excuse of having visitors staying over the weekend. When this lady had finished digging herself into a hole, the group leader looked at her, raised an eyebrow and said, “What did you do, eat them?” This was 1990 and that particular group was very successful because of the brilliance of its group leader and the structure of the session. Back then, there was none of the repetition which, in my opinion, blights Slimming World groups today. In 1990 we used to get a talk each week followed by some discussion. The topics included food science, nutrition and the psychology of dieting and each week, you came away firmly believing that knowledge is power. The more we learned, the better we got at weight control. More recently, I have been to Slimming World groups and had to stop going out of sheer boredom. Same old routine, week in week out. Reeling of every single weight loss and lots of clapping really isn’t going to teach you much. A recipe for tedium. I certainly come away feeling no more inspired than I was when I walked in. Now the tough love, blunt approach of 1990 may be a thing of the past but it was a lot more interesting and surprisingly effective. They also had enough scruples to ask you to leave if you weren’t losing weight. They were very nice about it and encouraged people to come back when they were ready but didn’t want to keep taking their money off them if this wasn’t the right time for them. As far as know, they were the only club ever to do this. But I digress. The reference you made to OurPath providing articles and a mentor got my attention. It’s not enough to be told what to eat. You need to know the whys and wherefores for long term success. And the most important factor when it comes to losing weight is your state of mind. If your head is in the right place, losing weight becomes remarkably easy. It’s nice to see a plan that offers this kind of support.
Would this be suitable for plant based/vegans? Sounds good otherwise ?
Yes I would say so 🙂
Ooh Jen, this looks fabulous. I could do with trying something new. I look forward to seeing how you get one next week. Xx
Hi Jen your stated price for joining SW isn’t right. It’s 14.95 but usually 9.95/£10 with offers from Slimming World and occasionally just £4.95 with a magazine voucher offer.
Have amended thanks.