Step#1=GOALSETTTING

The importance of setting goals. Whenwetalkaboutsettingagoal,whetherthat’stoloseweight,gainmuscleorbehealthier,thenweneedtoconsiderhowwegoaboutthisbymakingsurethegoalswesetareappropriate.Ifweusetheexampleoftryingtoloseweight,simplystatingoutrightthatyourgoalistoloseweightis,formany,agoodstartingpoint,butthisarbitrarystatementfallsshortasitdoesnotplotajourneyfromwhereyouaretowhereyouwanttobe.Inorderforagoaltobereacheditfirstlyhastobemeasurable.So,intheaboveexample,‘Iwishtolose10kg’wouldbeagoodstartingpointandfromthatpointwecanstarttoworkbackwardstoformulateaplan.Thatplanprobablyinvolvestheideaof‘eatinglessandmovingabitmore’tosomedescription,buttheamountoffoodwewillneedtoeattosupportfatlossandhowmuchexercisewewillneedtoperformwilldependonthetimescaleinwhichyouwanttoachievethis.Timescale’sareavery,veryimportantfactorwhenplottingaroutetoyourgoal;ifweconsiderthatahealthyamountoffatlossisintheregionof0.5-1kgperweek,thenweshouldaimtoloseour10kginaperiodof10-20weeks.Itisalwaysadvisabletoworkonthelongerendofthescaleforanumberofreasons:

Firstly,itallowsforbumpsintheroad.Whateveryourgoal,over-comingobstaclesisaninevitablepartoftheprocess,whichcanleadtoastand-stillinprogress.Thiscouldbeaholiday,injuryorjustassimpleasyourbodyreachingnaturalplateaus.Iftheseareplannedforandfactoredin,youhavelesschanceoffallingbehindschedule,becomingdisheartenedandquittingentirely.

Secondly,itallowsslowandsteadyprogresswhichwillallowformoregradualchangesindietandexercise.Thiswillbelessharshonthebody(forbothfatlossandmusclegain)andleadtomorepositivelifestylechangesandbetterhealth,andwillalsoensurethatyourprogressissustainable.Crashdietsoftenfailbecausetheyaretooharshandtheyencourageweightregainbydamagingthemetabolism,whichthenencouragesepisodesofbingeeatingafterperiodsofsevererestrictionofintake.Inordertomakesurewecanmakesmall,positivechangestoourdietandexerciseregimetoreachourgoal,andtoensurethatthosechangesareeffective,weneedtotakeaperiodoftimetocalculatewhereourstartingpointis.Formost,thiswouldbeourmaintenancecalories.Whatwearelookingtodoismonitorourweightforafewweeksbeforecommencingourgoal-orientatedprogramtotryandfigureouthowmanycaloriesweneedtomaintainourcurrentweight.Withoutknowinganapproximationofyourmaintenancecalories,itreallyisashotinthedarkastocreatingastartingpoint;startontoolowanumberofcaloriesforafatlossprogramandyouwillrunoutofplacestogoveryquickly,andthiswillmakestickingtoaplanverydifficult.Downloadingafoodmonitoringapplike“myfitnesspal”(availableforasmartphone)isaneffectivetooltomonitoringintake.Loggingyournormalweeklyfoodintakeforaweekorsobeforeyoustartyourplanmeansyoucanusethisinformationasaguidetosetyourstartingpoint.Then,ifyoudropafewcaloriesorincreaseyouractivitylevel,youshouldstarttoseesomepositivechanges.Ifthingsstagnate,itisimportantNOTtomakedrasticchanges.Itmayappearasthoughyouaren’tlosing/gainingweight,butthismaynotbethecase,especiallyifyouhaveonlyjuststartedtoexercise.Itispossibletolosefatandbuildmuscleatthesametime,sothescalesshouldbeusedasaguideandcertainlynotthebeallandendallofmonitoringprogress.So,takemeasurements,pictures,anddocumenteverything.Attimesyoumaynotfeellikeyou’vemadeprogress,butlookingbackovertheweeksandmonthsmakestheprocessaloteasiertonotonlyseetheprogressyou’vealreadymade,buttoensureyoustaymotivatedtowardsachievingyourgoal.Finally,haveaplanforwhathappensafteryouachieveeachofyourgoals,planarewardforyourself,andtrytothinkaboutwhereyouaregoingtogofromthatpoint.Whetherthat’smoreweightloss,moremusclegainortomaintain

yourgoalweightandplanaccordingly.Thereisnopointreachingyourgoalifyouhaven’tgotaproperexitstrategy.Thisagainhighlightstheimportanceofaslowandsteadyapproachbecauseitmeansthatifyoudodecidetomaintainweightafterfatloss,youwon’tbeondesperatelylowcaloriestodothis.Thisisanotherreasonwhyexerciseissoimportant,asitallowsyoutokeepmorefoodinthedietandstillgetthephysiqueyouwant.

Step#2adjustingeverydayphysicalhabits

The art of exercising without exercising. Aswellasstartingastructuredtrainingplanwithus,therearemanyotherwayswecanburnsomeextraenergybesidesgoingtothegym.Let’sbehonestmanypeoplewhoarelookingtoloseweightfallatthefirsthurdlebecauseofafearofexercise;theideaofgoingtoagymandfeelingouttheircomfortzonecanbeoff-putting,especiallyiftheyareinsecureandafraidofjudgement.Unfortunately,exerciseisimportantforweightlossandhealthforanumberofreasons.Exercisesupportsfatlossbycreatingabiggercaloriedeficit.Itmakespeoplefitter,whichwillallowthemtotakepartinmoredemandingactivitiesandusemorecalories,whichleadstoevenmorefatlossandmaintenanceofmuscle,whichwillpreserveyourmetabolismwhichcansuffermassivelyifsomeonedecidestodietasameanstopromotefatloss.Aboveallelse,exercisewillallowsomeonetokeepmorefoodinthedietwhilststillpromotingfatloss.Thiswillstopcraving,reducehungerandmakethedietmoremanageable.So,howdoweexercisewithoutexercising,oratleaststartusonapathtobehappierwithourbodiesandfitter,sothatstructuredexerciseandactivitiesseemlessintimidating?

Thesimplesttrickistojusttryandmovealittlemoredaytoday;takethestairsinsteadofthelift,walkthedogthatlittlebitfurthereachday,andinsteadofdrivingtowork,maybewalkonceinawhileorparkalittlebitfurtherawayeachday.Tomany,thismayseemsilly,butitISprogressandiftheyareconsistent,itwillmakeadifferencetoboththeirhealthandwillalsopromotepositivechangestotheirphysiqueandimprovedself-confidence.Thekeyistodevelopprogression;mappingawalkusingasmartphonetowalkabitfurthereachday,andthenmaybeafterafewweeks,briskwalkingorjoggingorfindingbighillstowalkupasfitnesslevelsareimprovedisagreatwaytodothis.

Thenext‘trick’istofindanactivitythatwillincreaseexpenditure,issuitabletoyourfitnesslevels,andhasagroupdynamic…Evenifthisinvolvesgettingthefamilyonboard!Groupsupportisessentialatsomepointduringafat-lossjourney,asemotionalsupportfromyourpeerscanhelpyougetthroughdemandingperiodsthatyoumayfinddifficulttoovercome;thismightbeinyourdiet,oritmightbethatwhatyouaredoingthatdayyou’refindingparticularlychallenging.Thingslikehillwalking,clubsanddanceclassesareagreatwaytofindanactivitythatwillsuitanindividual’sactivitylevels,providesupportandwilldistractthemfromthefactthattheyareactuallyexercising!Evenmoredemandingteamsportswillbeaccommodatingtobeginnersandlearninganewskillwillimproveconfidence,providesupportand,whoknows,mightevenleadtocompetitionandalife-longloveofasport.Boredomisonethingthatmanypeoplewhoexercisefindhardtoovercome,andthefeelingthattheyarequittingwhentheystopdoinganactivityissometimesdiscouraging.Ifthissoundslikeyou,thenthekeyhereisvariety.Itisoktodomultiplethingsandtrysomethingnewwhenyouloseinterest…Justbeactive!Maybeyouwanttoplaybadmintononeweek,hillwalkthenext,thendodanceclasses.Trynewthingsandmakethisapartofwhatyoudo,anddon’tseestoppinganactivityasafailure,butseeitasanopportunitytotry

newthingsthatwillkeepyouinterested.Makethisnewactivityyour‘thing’thatyoudoaspartofyourlifestyle,andplanthingsaccordingly.Donotviewthisasareflectionofaninabilityto‘sticktosomething’,aseverybodyisdifferentandvarietyisthespiceoflife,afterall!Thesetipsarealsousefulforthosewhoalreadyusestructuredworkoutsandhavefoundthattheirjourneytowardstheirfatlossgoalhasstalled.Byfollowingthesesimpleideas,youcanincreaseexpenditurebychanginghabits,notspendingmoretimeliftingweightsoroncardioequipment.Tryingnewthings,startingsmallandmakingmanageableprogressionswillgetpeopletoalevelofactivitywhich,withalittlepatience,willmakethemfitter,healthierandhelpthemreachtheirgoals.Step#3Managingstress

Some simple pointers to managing stress. Nothingismoreimportanttoachievinghealthgoalsthenmanagingstress.Thestressesandstrainsofmodernlivingcancomeinmanyforms,fromwork,homeandevenfromourdietandtraining.Althoughexerciseandpropernutritionareanessentialpartofbeinghealthywhentakentoanextreme,especiallywhencombinedwithotherstressors,cancauseawholehostofhealthproblems.Whenwetalkaboutthephysiologicalresponsetostress,wearetalkingaboutelevationsinahormonecalledcortisolandforthisreason,itiscommonlyreferredtoasourstresshormone.Whenunderperiodsofshort-termstress,suchasfromexerciseorbeingchasedbyasabretoothtiger(ifwe’rethinkingfromanevolutionaryperspective),acuteelevationsincortisolhelpustoaccessourbody’sfuelreservesmoreeffectivelyandhelpsusstayalert.Italsohelpsintherecoveryprocessafterexercise,ascortisolhelpsinthebreakdownofmusclewhichisrequiredforittoberemodelledtorecoverbigger,strongerandbetteradaptedthanbefore.Acutestressisthereforeveryuseful;itislong-termelevationsinstressthatcancausetheissues.Thisisknownaschronicstress,wherecortisollevelsremainpermanentlyhigh.Fromasurvivalperspective,thisisalsoimportantasithelpliberatestoredbodyfat,improvessomepartsoftheimmunesystem(butnegativelyaffectsothers)andintimesofstarvation,keepsusalertand

focussedonfindingfood.However,inthissituationwheresurvivaltakesprecedenceoverotherfunctions,wegetreductionsinsexdrive,metabolismandmusclemass;notgreatforusinthemodernworldbutanimportanttraitforsurvivalbymakingusmoreenergyefficient.Unfortunately,evenwithouthavingtodealwithalackoffoodorbeingconstantlychasedbyman-eatingbeasts,ourbodystillrespondstomoderndaystressinthesameway.Somestressorscanbedealtwith,othersnotsomuch;buteveninthesesituations,wetendtoavoidhelpingourselveswhenitispossibletomakeunavoidablestressmoremanageable.So,hereareourtopfivetipstokeepyourstresslevelsundercontroltokeepyoufit,healthyandstrong:

1. Getenoughqualitysleep.

Stressitselfisafactorinbeingunabletosleep,butformanypeople,stressisn’tthereasonbehindtheirinsomnia.Theremaybeseveralreasonsforalackofsleep,butifyouliketostayuplatetowatchtv,areonyourphone,laptoporotherelectronicdevicesinbed,orarenotdoingenoughactivitytotireyouout,thenyouarenothelpingyourchancesofgettingenoughqualitysleeptosupporthealth,recoveryfromexerciseandmanagestresslevels.Thegoodnewsisthatacoupleofearlynightscaneasilyrectifythisproblem,andforthosewhoburnthecandleatbothendsbyusingtimeoffworkasachancetopartyallweekendinsteadofrecovering,allowingevenfurthersleepdeprivation,youhavebeenwarned!

2.Eatenoughnutrientdensefoods.

Notonlywillthishaveobvioushealthbenefitsbyprovidingallyouressentialvitaminsandminerals,foodsthatarerichinanti-oxidantswillhelpreducesomeofthedamagingeffectsofstresscausedbythingscalledfreeradicals.Freeradicalsareatypeofimportantcellularsignallercalledreactive-oxygenspecies(ROS),whichresultasabi-productofnormalenergymetabolism;buthighlevelsofROS,whichcanbecausedbyphysicalandenvironmentalstress,candamagethecellsofthebodyandcausemutationsinourDNA,leadingtocancer.

Anti-oxidantsfoundinfruit(particularlydarkberries)helpreducetheamountsoffreeradicalstosafelevelsandnegatesomeofthenegativeeffectsofday-to-daystress.Keyminerals,suchasmagnesium,alsohelpthebodytorelax,andforthisreason,itisoftensupplementedbeforebedtohelppeoplesleep.

3.Watchoutforover-trainingorover-dieting.

Aswehavesaidpreviously,theacutephaseelevationsincortisolareofbenefittousintermsofenergyusageandmusclegrowth.However,ifweover-train,thiscanleadtochronicfatiguesyndrome,whichcantakemonthstorecoverfromduetothehavocthatthisstresscausesonthebody.Itisunlikelyarecreationalgym-goerwillsufferthis,butover-doingitwithtrainingwithoutadequatenutritionandrestcanstillbeacauseforconcernandjackthosecortisollevelsrightup.Ofmoreconcernisforthoseundertakingfatlossdietswhodropcaloriestoolowtoosoon.Thiscausesahugeamountofstressandalthoughcortisolwillhelpreleasestoredbodyfatforuseasafuel,asalong-termresponse,itcanseverelyimpactonmetabolicrateandleadtorapidfatre-gain.So,forthoselookingtoloseweight,gradualchangestoexerciseanddietareveryimportanttomanagestress,andthiswillmakeresultssustainableinthelongrun.

4.Don'tbeafraidofcarbsbeforebed.

Cortisolhatesinsulin.Ifwecanelevateinsulin,wereducecortisollevels.Insulinisreleasedasaresponsetoeatingcarbohydrate,andI’mmostofyouwillhavebeenvictimtoacarbcomaatsomepoint,andthisisoneofthereasonswhy.Insulinhelpsreducecravingsandmanageshungerbysignallingtothebodythatnutrientshavebeenprovided.Carbohydratesalsocausethereleaseofserotonin,ourrelaxationhormone;soifyoustruggletoswitchoffandareunderstress,thenhavingacarbohydratemealbeforebedcanhelpyousleep(sugarsnotadvisablehere!)Thisisespeciallyimportantforthosewhoaredieting,andevenmoresoifrestrictingcarbohydrateintake.Inthissituation,thebesttimestoconsumeanycarbohydrateswouldbeeitherbeforetrainingtofuelaworkoutandprotectmuscle(insulindoesthataswell!),orifyoustruggletosleep,thentryeatingthembeforebed…You’llbesurprisedathoweffectivethisisathelpingtoreducestress,promoterelaxationandsleep.

5.Viewsometypesofstressasapositive!

Thismayseemodd,butresearchhasshownthatcertaintypesofstress,suchasworkorfamilystress,caninfluencetheoutcomeintermsofourhealth,dependantonhowweviewit.So,howcanweviewstressasapositive?Thinkaboutitfromthisperspective…Ifsomeone,orsomesituation,isdependentonyourabilitytoperform,therearetwowaysyoucanperceivethis.Youcaneitherbecomestressoranxiousthatyoucan’tfulfilthistask,or,youcanseethatisinherentlyagoodthing,becauseitmeansthatsomeonemusttrustyouwiththeresponsibility,andfeelyouarecapableofhandlingthistaskproperlyforyoutobeinthissituationinthefirstplace.Doyouseehowthisworks?Ifyouareunderworkstressortimepressuretocompletetasks,there’safairchanceitisbecauseyouhaveapositionthatisimportant,andyouaregoodatyourjob!Thisalsogoesbeyondyourworklife.Ifyouarethepersoninthefamilywhoeverybodyturnstoforsupport,thisshowstheytrustandvalueyou.Itmaynotfeellikeitatthetime,butitiscertainlysomethingthatdemonstratesyourvalueinapositivemanner.Thedifferenceachangeinperspectiveonthestressorsinyourlifecanhaveinmanagingyourresponsetostresscanbeastonishing,andisimportantforboththeshort-termmanagementofstress,andprotectingyourlong-termphysicalandmentalhealth.Insummary,stressisallaroundus,butawarenessofwhatitis,whatcausesit,andhowwecanreducetheimpactsofstressonourbody,areimportanttoolstokeepusfitandhealthy.Aboveallelse,thistellsusthatitisimportanttotakeabreakfromdietandtraining,andremoveourselvesfromworkorhomestress.Weallneed‘metime’occasionally,andifyouneedanyreasontotakeawell-deservedholiday,thenthisisit!Step#4structuringanutritionplan

A few simple rules to structure a basic nutrition plan. Withthenumberofdietsavailabletoday,itcanbechallengingforsomeonetochoosewhichwillworkbestforthem.Thetruthis,thedietthatworksbestforyouwillbeonethatyoucanstickto;notjustforshorttermgain,butalsotocreateasustainabledietarypatternthatissustainableforthelongterm,whichalsofactorsinthingslikesocialoccasionsandfamilytime.Thisissomethingthatwhenthefundamentalsofdietareinplace,canbeaccountedforwithoutanydetrimentalimpactonyoureachingyourgoals.LuckyTTCtakescareofitallforyoubutit’salsogoodtounderstandthewhyandhow.

Therearemanyfactorsthatcaninfluencethe‘optimal’diet.Whatfoodsweshouldhaveandwhen(knownasnutrienttiming),theoptimaldoseandfrequencyofprotein,carbsandfatstosupportourtrainingandrecoverythatmightinfluencefatlossand/ormusclegain,andhowthesetimingsandamountsofnutrientsimpactonotherfactorssuchashunger,energylevelsandmanymoreoutcomes,areallseenasimportantwhendesigningtheoptimaldiet.Thetruthis,for99.9%ofthepopulation,thisdoesnotneedtobeofconcern.Afterall,theoptimaldietislikelytobeveryindividualisedandeventhebestdietonpaperisuselessifyoucannotsticktoit!Adherenceiskeytothesuccessofanytraining,dietorgenerallifestylechange,andthefactorsthatgovernthisareverypersonspecific,and,inournextarticle,wewillgiveyousomepracticaltipstohelpyousticktoyourdietandgettheresultsyouwant.Thisarticlethen,willfocusongettingthebasicsright.Ifyouapplythese5simplerules,youwillbemostofthewaytodevelopingthefoundationyouneedfromanutritionalperspectivetogetbetterhealthandperformanceoutcomes,andalsotransformyourphysique…Don’tsweatthesmallstuffyet,justgettheseright!Now,beforewestart,I’dliketoinformyouthatthisisgoingtobeafairlylongpost(sogograbacoffee!).Notbecausetheprinciplesare,inthemselves,complex,butinordertounderpintheseprinciples,wefeelitisimportanttogivesomedetailedexplanationsastowhyyouwould,orinfactshouldbedoingthese5simplethings…Wewouldn’twantyoutojustfollowour(oranyoneelse’s)adviceblindlywithoutunderstandingnotjustthe‘how’,butthe‘why’.

1. Creatingacaloriestartingpoint.

Whetheryouarelookingtolosebodyfatorbuildmuscle,weneedtoknowhowmanycaloriestoconsume.Caloriesarekinginthisregard,soweneedtogetaroughestimateofwhatourcurrentmaintenancecaloriesareinordertoworkoutwheretostartfrom.Maintenancecaloriesaretheamountofcaloriesyouneedtomaintainyourcurrentweight,andtherearemanyformulastocalculateyourdailycalorierequirement.However,thesecanbeinaccurate.Thebestbetistotakeafoodlogforaweekortwoandthen,usinganapplikeMyFitnessPal,calculateroughlywhatyourdailycalorieconsumptionhasbeenandusethisasastartingpoint.Evenifyouhavegainedsomeweightinthat

period,itisofnoimmediateconcernaswearejustcreatingastartingpoint.Itiswhatwedofromthispointthatwilldeterminehowourbody’schange.Wedothissimplybyeitheraddingincaloriesifwearelookingtogainweight,orbyincreasingexerciseorreducingcaloriesifwearelookingtoloseweight.Thiswouldtypicallybeintheregionofarounda300kcalincreaseordecrease,dependingonthegoal,wheneachstickingpointisreached…Andremembertobepatient,especiallywithmusclegrowth,asyoucanonlydevelopafewgramsofmuscleperweek.Rapidincreasesinweightprobablymeansyouwillbegainingunnecessarybodyfat.Itisimportanttoconsiderthatbeforewemakeanyadjustmentstoouroverallcalorieintake,wecanhavepositiveeffectsonourphysiquebysimplychangingtheratiosofourmacronutrientintake,andincreasingtheamountofproteininthediet;thenwecangeneratesomepositiveinitialchangeswithoutneedingtoreduceorincreasecalories…Magic!Itisimportanttonotethatwhateveryourgoalsare,thescalesareonlyonedeterminantofsuccess.Ifyouhaven’talreadyreadourarticleonthedifferencesbetweenweightlossandfatloss,Isuggestyoudothisbeforecommencinganynutritionalortrainingprogram,asithighlightsthekeyoutcomeswearetryingtoachievewithourclientsandwhatyoushouldbetryingtoachieveyourself.

2. Calculatingyourproteinneeds.

Thisonewewillkeepreallysimple.Ifyouarelookingtobuildmuscle,consumingaround2gperkgofbodyweightisappropriate.Iflookingtolosebodyfat,thenkeepthisslightlyhigherataround2.5-3gperkg.Thereasonitneedstobehigherforlosingbodyfatisthattypically,youneedincreasedproteintohelpprotectmuscle,asitwillbeputatriskonacaloriedeficitwhichis,ofcourse,requiredtolosebodyfat.Proteinalsohelpstokeepyoufeelingfull,soalthough2gperkgmaybeenoughtoprotectandevengrowmusclewhilstonacaloriedeficit(yes,youcanbuildmuscleandlosefatatthesametimeincertaincircumstances),increasedproteinintakewillhelpyoufendoffhungerandcravings.Althoughcaloriesfromfoodareessentiallyenergytobeusedasfuel,proteinisslightlydifferent,inthatingestingitintherightquantitiesattherighttimesstimulatesproteinsynthesis(thecreationofnewmuscle),whichisanenergydemandingprocess.So,ifyourememberintheprevioussectionwetalkedaboutadjustingmacronutrientintakebeforeadjustingoverallcalories,thenby

increasingprotein,youcancausefatlossbystimulatingproteinsynthesis,andthiswillalsoreplacesomeofour‘energycalories’intheformofeithercarbsorfats.Youcan,intheory,putonbodyfatfromeatingprotein,asexcessiveamountscanbeconvertedtoglucoseandusedasenergy,butthisishighlyunlikelyattheamountssuggestedhere.Themostcomplexthingyoumightwanttoconsiderhereismakingsureyoueatproteinatevenlydistributedintervalsofapproximatelyevery4-6hourstoreallygetthemostoutoftheeffectsofstimulatingproteinsynthesis.Butagain,don’tstressaboutthistoomuch;justmakesureoverthecourseofthedayyouhityourallowancesoveratleastthreemeals.

3. Calculatingyourfatintake.

Again,thisissimple.Fatsshouldbeconsumedataround0.6-1gperkgofbodyweight.Althoughlowfatdietshavebecomepopularinthepast,fatsareessentialinthedietandifyouareeatingleanmeats,oilyfishandusingqualityvegetableornutoilsforcooking,youshouldbeconsumingtherighttypeandamountoffatstosupporthormoneproduction,supportmetabolismandmaintainhealth…Fatsaresomuchmoreimportantthanjustfuel.Ifyoupreferfattyfoodssuchasnutsandseedsincomparisontocarbohydrates,thenyoucanincreaseyourfatintakeandreducecarbintaketoreachyourmaintenancecalories;butbeware,asfatsareovertwiceasenergydenseascarbohydratespergram,soyoumaywanttoconsiderfoodvolumeifyouarelookingtofendoffhunger.Conversely,ifyoustruggletogainweight,addedfatsareagreatwaytoincreasecalorieswithoutlargeincreasesinfoodvolume.Ouradviceistostartatthesuggestedamountabove,thenovertime,decidewhatfoodsyouenjoyorstruggletolivewithout.Youcanthenfactorthesefoodsintoyourdietandthenadjustyourmacronutrientamountsfromthere.Remember,adietyouenjoyisadietyouwillstickto.Fundamentally,oncewehaveaccountedforourproteinintake,wherewegettherestofourdailycalorieallowancefromdoesnotmatter,aslongaswehavetheminimumamountoffatincludedinthediettoallowfornormalhormonalfunction.

4. Calculatingyourcarbohydrateintake.

Oncewehavedecidedourproteinandfatintakeandweknowhowmanycaloriesthisprovidesuswith,wecanthensimplysubtractthesecaloriesfromourcalculatedstartingpointtodeterminehowmanycaloriesfromcarbohydrateweshouldstartwith.Forexample,ifmystartingpointis

3000kcaladayandIweight100kg,thenIconsume250gofprotein(250x4kcal=1000kcal)and100goffat(100+9kcal=900kcal),Ithenhave3000-1900=1100kcalleftforcarbs.Ascarbshave4kcalpergram,Isimplydivide1100kcalby4toget275gofcarbsperday!Althoughcarbsgetabadreputation,theyreallyshouldn’t.Althoughnotanessentialnutrient,whichiswhywesetproteinandfatintakefirst,carbohydratesarecertainlybeneficialforbothmentalandphysicalperformance;plus,theinclusionofcarbsinthedietallowsforavarietyofnutrientdense,fibrerichfruitsandvegetables,whichwillaidinthepursuitofahealthierlifestyle.Fromasocialperspective,theallowanceofcarbsinthedietwillmakeiteasiertoeatsocially,ascarbavoidancecanbedifficultinday-to-daylivingoriftryingtoeatonago.Itismuchbettertonotremoveentiremacronutrientsfromthedietorindeedfoodgroupsunlessyouhaveagenuineintolerance,asthiscancausedeficiencies,digestivesystemdisruptionandleadtonegativepsychologicalassociationsofguiltwithcertainfoods,whichissomethingthatshouldbeavoided.Foodshouldbeseenasnotjustnourishmentforthebody,butshouldstillbeenjoyable.Understandingthatyoucanstillreachyourgoalswithoutrestrictingentirefoodgroups,andthatbeinghealthyandhavingbalancednutritioncanbebothdeliciousandunrestrictivewithoutsuffering,isabigsteptowardswinningthebattlebetweenbeingonadietandcreatingashifttowardsasustainable,stressfreehealthylifestyle.

5. Useavarietyoffoods.

Ifyouusetwoorthreedifferentproteinsources,afewdifferentfatsourcesandavarietyofstarchycarbohydratesfromwholegrains,withplentyoffruitandvegetablestomakeupmostofyourcarbohydrateintake,thenyouwillnotonlybemeetingyourmicronutrientandfibrerequirementstokeepyouhealthy,butyouwillalsohelppreventfoodboredom.Don’tbeafraidtouse

seasonings,anditisevenpossibletoincludesome‘naughty’foodsonadailybasisaslongascaloriesarekeptwithinyourallowances(butbecarefultonoteatanythingthatmighttriggerbingeeatingepisodes!)Despitetheincreasinglypopular‘gluten-freediet’,thereisnothingwrongwithbreads,pastaorwrapsifyouenjoythem,anddespitewhatmanysay,thesearenotbadfoods(unlessyouhaveagenuineintolerance).Infact,itisbettertohavethesefoodsinmoderationandsticktoadietyouenjoyratherthanexcludethemandpotentiallyfalloffthewagon.Itisallaboutbalance.

Insummary,thebasicsofnutritionalprogrammingarereallythatsimple;itisunderstandingandconvincingyourself,orascoachesconvincingourclients,thatadietdoesnothavetoberestrictiveorapunishmentinordertogetresults.Simplycalculatecaloriesyouneed,workoutprotein,fatsandcarbs,useavarietyofwholefoodsandtheoccasionaltreatfactoredinthatsuitsyourlifestyle,andadjustwhenrequired.Althoughtheserulesarefundamentallysimple,webelievethesedorequiresomedetailedexplanationastothereasonswhyyoushouldbedoingthesethings.Withoutthisdetail,it’seasytoseewhymanypeopleirrationallyfearsomeofthethingswehavesuggested,as,undoubtedly,theyhavebeensoldonother,quitefranklyuneducatedorunnecessaryideologies,thatareeitherunsustainableordetrimentaltolongtermlifestylechange.Webelieveeducationistheonlywaytochangetheseperceptionsandhelppeoplereachtheirgoals…

Step#4continuedstructuringanutritionplan

key things to help you stick to your diet. Inourpreviousarticles,wehavelookedatafewfactorsrelatedtodietandtrainingtowardsreachingspecificgoals.Wehavecoveredafewthingsweneedtoconsiderwhengoalsetting,andthemainoutcomesweshouldbetryingtoachieve,suchasleanmusclegainandencouragingfatloss,notjustfocusingonweightloss.Wehavealsodiscussedthebasicprinciplesofstructuringanutritionprogramtosuityourownneeds;so,ifyouhaven’treadthatalready,pleasegivethatalook,asitisasolidfoundationwithwhichtoconsiderhowthe5keyfactorstieinwithyournutritionandcanevenguidethetypesoffoodsanddietarystructureyouemploy.

1. Controlyourcontrollable’s!

Nomatterhowwellstructuredadietorhowwellintentionedyouare,thekeytosuccessisconsistency,andthisgoesfortrainingaswell.Unfortunately,nomatterhowconsistentwetrytobe,therewillalwaysbeobstaclestoovercome,andoccasionallythesethingswillbeoutofyourcontrol.However,manyofthesethingswedeemasuncontrollableareindeedcontrollable,ifwetaketherightperspectiveanddevelopstrategiestocopewithsituationsthatmightordinarilymakeusfallofthe‘consistencywagon’.Thingswecancontroldirectlyarethefoodsweplanandprepare,andtheenvironmentweplaceourselvesinforavastmajorityofthetime.Foodpreparationis,however,notessential,aslongaswecanmakepositivefoodchoices;evenunplannedtripsorsocialoccasions,withenoughfoodknowledgemeanswewon’thavetodeviatefromourplan…Itwill,however,requirealittlethoughtandattentiontothefoodchoiceswemake.Therearesituations,suchaswhenonholiday,atawedding,atfamilyeventsorwhentravellingforbusiness,whenfoodchoicescanbelimitedoronlyincludefoodswemightnotbeconsistentwithourgoals.However,ifyou’reawareoftheseupcomingevents,youhaveafewoptions:Fortheobsessiveamongstyou,thereisalwaysmealprepandcoolbagstokeepyoumostlyonplan.However,wealwayswanttoencourageabalancedlife,andsocialisingandnormaleatingisapartofthat.Balanceisimportantforadherence,andtakingabreaknowandagainfromdietingisnotabadthing,

aslongasitisscheduledandaccountedfor.OneortwodaysoffdietnowandagainisNOTtheendoftheworld,and,aswewillsee,issomethingthatshouldbeencouragedonoccasionaspartofdevelopingalong-termlifestylechange.Ifweconsiderournormalday-to-dayeating,wehavemorecontroloverourenvironment.Ifthere’sapersonwhoalwaysbringstemptingtreatsintotheoffice,orafamilymemberwhoalwayshascakeonoffer,thenaskthemtokindlyrefrainfromofferingyoufoodsasyoustruggletosayno,too.Remember,ifyouareeatingregularlyandstickingtoaplanthatincludesavarietyoffoodsyouenjoy,thenyouarelesslikelytogiveintotemptation.So,makesureyouhavethefoodswithyouthatneedsothatyoucaneatbeforehungerandcravingscantakecontrol…Orquellthembeforeyougivein.

2. AdherenceisEVERYTHING.

Intheaboveexample,evenifyoudogiveintotheoddpieceofcakeorbiscuit,itisNOTtheendoftheworld.Remember,caloriesareking,sosimplyfactorthisintotherestofyourdailyintakeandaslongasyouareinyourallowances,youwillstillbesettoreachyourgoals.Forthosewhohaveaverysweettooth,thentheinclusionofatreateachdayisnoproblemaslongasitisfactoredin.Itis,forthisreason,thatflexibledietinghasbecomepopular;soaslongasyouhityourcarbs,fat,proteinandcalorierequirementsfortheday,andamajorityoffoodsarewholefoodstoensuremicronutrientintakeismet,thentheoccasionalbiscuitorchocolatebarisnothingtoworryaboutifthisiswhatsuitsyoubest.Somepeoplemightprefertoeat‘clean’,aspsychologicallytheyfeelbetterwhenhavingno‘junk’intheirdiet,andthisisfineaslongasitisunderstoodthatnofoodshouldbe‘feared’.Nofoodsareinherentlybad,itistheoverconsumptionofthesefoodsthatcancauseissues;butwedoencouragefoodsthatcontainplentyofvitamins,mineralsandfibretohelpsupportgeneralhealthandthesewillhelpyoufeelingfullerforlonger,andgiveyousteadierenergylevelsthroughouttheday.Somepeoplewillplaceimportanceofcertainmealsatcertaintimes;thephrase‘breakfastisthemostimportantmealoftheday’isaprimeexample.Althougheatingbreakfastissomethingthatisadvisableformostpeople,ifyoudon’tfeelhungryofamorning,thennoteatingbreakfastisnottheendoftheworld.Thebestadviceformostpeople(we’renotdealingwitheliteathleteshereofwhomitmightbeofmoreconcern)istoeatwhenyoustarttogethungry,andeatatafrequencyandmealsizethatfitsaroundyourlifestyle.If

youliketoeatlittleandoftenover5or6meals,thendothat.Ifyoufeelbetteron3largermealsaday,thendothat.Thismaynotbeoptimal,butifithelpsyousticktoadietandreachyourgoals,thenitisthebestdietforyou!Ifyouliketohaveamorerelaxedapproachtoeatingofaweekendtosuityourlifestyleorsociallife(orifthereisaweddingorfamilyoccasioncomingup),thencaloriecyclingcanbeused,whereyoureducecaloriesintheweektoallowmorecaloriesofaweekend.Andaslongasyourweeklyaveragetargetsarehit,thenyouwillreachyourgoal.Thiscanbeusedtohelpcontrolwhatmayseemlikeuncontrollablesituations!Itisforthisreasonthat‘carbcycling’hasbecomeanincreasinglypopularstrategy(amongstseveralotherreasonsbutwe’llcomebacktothisinournextarticle)forpeopletoreachtheirgoalsandsustainthem,withoutsacrificinga‘normal’sociallifeandbeingabletoeatfoodstheyenjoy.

3. Giveyourselfabreak.

Dietingforanylengthoftimecanbestressfulonthebody,anditisadvisablethataroundevery3monthsyoureturnyourcalorieintaketoslightlyaboveyourmaintenancecalories.Thiswillnotonlyhelppsychologicallyforthenextphaseofyourplan,butphysically,thiswillhelprestockenergystores,kickstartmetabolism,andthiswillhaveapositiveeffectonyoureachingyourgoals.Aslongasthisperiodisnotoverlyexcessive,thiswillnotsetyoubackonebit.Thesameprinciplesapplytotreatmealsthatcanbehadeachweekifyoumeetyourweeklygoals,although,itmaybedifficulttojudgeifandwhenyouneedthese;aswehavesuggestedbefore,measuringprogressismorethanjustanumberonthescales,andacoupleofrelaxedmealsaweekcanundosomeofthehardworkyouhaveachievedoverthepreviousdaysifthisbumpsupyourweeklycalorieintakeoveryourcalculatedrequirements.The‘safest’optionifyouwanttohavenormaleating,restockenergylevels,yetreachgoalsandtakeawaysomeoftheguesswork,istofactoritintoyourweeklyintakebyusingacaloriecyclingprinciple.Yes,youcanstillhaveapizza,aburgerandchipsoracurryandreachyourgoalswhilsthavingthefoodsyouenjoyinmoderation,aslongasthesefoodsareaccountedforinyourweeklyaverages.Butbeaware,thiscomeswithacaloriecostfortherestoftheweek,sousewithcaution!

4.Usefillingfoodchoices.Ifthereisonereasonforeatingavastmajorityof‘clean’foods,itisthatwholesourcesofleanmeats,grains,cerealsandvegetablestendtohavealargeamountoffoodvolumeandaremoresatiatingthanprocessedorrefinedfoods.Althoughcaloriesareimportant,wedoneedtothinkaboutotheroutcomes,andcontrollinghungerisdefinitelyanimportantoneforlong-termfatlossandpromotinglong-term,healthyeatinghabits.Creatingstablebloodsugarlevelsbyeatingstarchy,unrefined,wholegraincarbs,havingahighfoodvolume(potatoesandoatsarekinginthisregard!)andincludingenoughprotein,whichisthemostsatiatingmacronutrient,aregreatwaystomakesurethathungerandcravingsarekeptatbay.Healthysourcesofunsaturatedfatsarealsousefulinthisregard,asourstomachsnotonlydetectfoodvolumebutalsoenergydensity.So,weneedacombinationoffoodvolumeandenergycontentineachmealtopromotefeelingoffullnesswhilstprovidingessentialhealthpromotingnutrients.Formanypeople,tryingtoloseweightandbeinghungrycomeshand-in-hand,butthebodywilladjustovertime.Itisforthisreason(amongstothers)thatslowandsteadyfatlosswinstherace,asitallowsmorefoodvolume,energy,andamoremanageablelevelofhungeruntilthebodyadaptstoitsnewintake.Severerestrictionofcalorieswillalwaysleadtooneoftwothings:dietaryfailureorpoorhealth.

Uselowercaloriealternatives.

Manypeopleareconcernedabouttheuseofartificialsweetenersastherehasbeenalotofscare-mongeringabouthowbadtheseareforthebody.Somesyntheticsweetenersinparticularhavebeengivenabadname,astheyare‘synthetic’andthereforeunnatural,andthismakestheminherentlyunhealthy.Thissimplyisnottrue,andthereisNOevidencewhatsoeverthatartificialsweetenershaveanyillhealtheffects.Theuseofdietversionsofsoftdrinkshasbeenassociatedwithweightloss,astheyallowasweettoothtobecateredforwithoutanincreaseincaloriesfoundinsugarydrinks.Evenifthisisaconcern,therearelowcalorie,naturalsweetenerssuchasstevia,whicharegreatalternativestosugars.Ataveryminimum,itisimportanttolookforproductswithnoaddedsugars.Somebrandsmarketthemselvesaslowinsugar,butbecautiousofoverallcaloriecontent,asthese‘lowersugar’alternativescanbesubstitutedwithahigherfatcontentto

compensateforlossinflavour.Thereareoftenlowfatversionsofcertainfoods,especiallyinproductslikeyoghurt,thatareagreatwayofcuttingcalories.Butremember,lowfatoftenmeanshighinsugar,sothereisusuallyatrade-off.Fortunately,thereisanincreasingnumberoflowcaloriefoodoptionsthatarebothlowinfatwiththeaddedbonusofreducedsugarcontent,andanincreasingmarketforhighproteinfoodsmeansthereisnowanarrayofchoiceforthoselookingforalighteralternative.Thesemaynottastequiteasgoodastheoriginals,butiflookingtoloseweightorjustbeabithealthierwhilsthavinganoccasionaltreat,consumptionofthesefoodsisagreatwaytoincludefoodsinthedietthatwouldordinarilycontainalargeamountofcalories,whilststilladheringtoyourdiet.Therearealsolowsugar,lowcalorieversionsofmanycondimentsandcookingsaucesthatcanaddgreatflavourto‘dietfoods’,keepingyourmealsinterestingwithoutincreasingthosehiddencalories.Anotheradvantageofusinglowercaloriealternativesisthattheynotonlysavecalories,butthisthenallowsyoutohavemorefoodvolumeinthedietfromyour‘main’foodsources,whichwillkeepyoufullerwhilstprovidingalotofvarietyinthediettopreventfoodboredom.Whateveryourgoal,havingahealthy,balanceddietandstilleatingthefoodsweenjoyfromtime-to-timeisimportanttomakeadietsustainableinthelong-term,soyouneverreallyhavetodietagain,justeatabitsmartertosustainamorebalancedapproachtonutrition.Evenforthosewhohaveasweettooth,thereisanincreasingavailabilityoflowercalorie,typicallyhigherprotein-valuefoodsatanaffordableprice,evenincludingmanyfoodswe’dnormallyconsider‘junk’,fromdesserts,icecream,crispsandevenchocolate.Therereallyisnoneedforpeopletoexcludethefoodstheyenjoyfromtheirdiet,astherearecountlessproductsnowavailableonthemarketthatcatertoahealthierlifestyle,ensuringreachingyourgoalsisstillanachievableprospectwithsomeplanning,smarterfoodchoices,andabitofpatience.Step#5Monitoringprogress

Monitoring progress… why the scales can lie. InseveralofourshortblogsandFacebookposts,wehavetalkedaboutweightlossandhintedatthefactthatthescalesarenotalwaysthebestmeasureofprogresstowardsreachingyourgoals.Althoughitisundeniablethatweightisanimportantmeasuretomonitorprogress,forbothmusclebuildingandfatloss,itisfarfromtellingthefullstory.

Itisimportanttounderstandthatthebodycan,withtherighttrainingandpropernutrition,leadtosimultaneousreductionsinbodyfatwhilstincreasingmusclemass.Inthissituation,weshouldseeatrendofweightreductiononthescale,however,simplychasingweightlosscanbeproblematicforafewreasons.Firstly,weneedtoprotectmuscletokeepushealthyandsupportabettermetabolism.Ourmusclesusealotoffuel,soweneedtokeepit.Wedothisbyperformingexerciseandeatingenoughprotein;withoutthis,wewillinevitablylosebothmuscleandfatifweseverelyreducecaloriesinthediet.Thiswillleadtogreaterreductionsinweightonthescales,butwillmeanlong-termfatlossbecomesmoredifficultwithareductioninmetabolicrate,whichcouldpotentiallyputyourhealthatrisk.Secondly,anobsessionwithweightisunhealthyduetotheoccurrenceofnormal,largedailyfluctuationsinweight,especiallyinwomen,dependingonanumberoffactorssuchasthefoodsweeat,ifwehaven’tusedthebathroom,andinfluencesbymanyhormonesincludingoestrogenandthestresshormonecortisolarealsopossible.Again,wecanlookfortrendsinweightlossovertime,butweighingyourselfnumeroustimesthroughouttheday/weekisnotthebestidea.Weighingonceaweekatthesametimeeveryweekandonanemptystomach,alongsidetakingmeasurementsandprogresspictures,willgiveyouamuchmorecompleteideaoftheprogressyouhavemade,andif

progresshasstagnatedforaweekortwo,then,andonlythen,doyouneedtoconsiderchangestodietandtraining.Forthoselookingtobuildmuscle,itisessentialtounderstandthisisavery,veryslowprocess,withmusclegainoccurringattypicallylessthan100gperweek(thiswouldbeatthehighendofthespectrum!)Gainingweightrapidlyislikelytomeananaccumulationinbodyfat,notmuscle.This,ofcourse,isn’taproblem,aslongasitiskeptundercontrolandmonitored.Butremember,iffataccumulates,it’llprobablyhavetobelostatsomepoint!Someincreasesinbodyfatstoresmightberequiredtobuildmuscleinpeoplewhoarealreadyfairlylean,astheextracaloriesarerequiredtosupportmusclegrowth,duetothefactthatmuscle-buildingisanenergydemandingprocess.However,formostpeoplewithhigherbodyfatlevels,youcanbuildmuscleandmaintainorreducebodyfatatthesametime.Inthiscase,thescalesdefinitelywilllie,astherewillbeanetreductioninweightorweightmaintenance.Becauseoftheslowrateofmusclegainandthefactthatprogressisdifficultto‘see’attimes,itisimportanttotakemeasurements,picturesandweightoccasionally,butthebestmeasureofmusclegainisincreasesinstrength.Thechancesareifyouaregettingstronger,you’rebuildingmuscle;especiallyafterthefirstfewmonthsoftrainingwhentechniquehasbeenproperlydeveloped,soincreasesinstrengtharedirectlyproportionatetomusclesize.Ifstrengthhasstoppedincreasing,itmightbetimetoconsidermorefoodorabitmoreresttosupportrecoveryandgrowth.Forthisreason,themostimportantpieceofgymequipmentyoucanownisatraininglogbook,whereyoudocumenteverysessionandensureyouaretryingtoimproveeachweek.Ifyoucandothis,musclegrowthwilloccur;evenifthescalesdonotreflectthisforafewweeksormonths.LuckilyhereatTTCwemonitoryourprogressforyouwithaccurateskinfoldtestsandusingbaselinebeforeandafterphotos(don’tworrywedon’thavetoseethemifyouwanttokeepthemprivate)Step#5continuedMonitoringprogresspartII

Understanding Weight Loss versus Fat Loss. Imaginethisscenario.Youarelookingtolosesomeweightandyoustartwithahighlyrecommendedtrainer,butafterafewweeks,younoticethatyourweighthasonlydroppedakilogramortwo.However,youarefeelingandlookingfitter,leanerandarestrongerthaneverbefore.Now,answerhonestly…Ifyouhadn’tdroppedenough‘weight’,wouldyoubehappyinthissituation,orfeeldisappointed?Hopefully,youransweristhatnoticingoverallchangesinmeasurements,performanceandyouroverall‘look’isenoughandwouldmakeyouhappywiththeprogressyouhadmade,butunfortunatelyforsomepeople,thisisnotenoughanditiseasytoseewhy.Fromayoungage,weareweighedandmeasuredandaswegetolder,webecomemorefocusedonthewaywelookasweenterourinsecureteenageyears.Weightbecomesakeyoutcomethatwe,asasociety,useasameasureofhealthandindeedattractiveness…Howoftenhaveyouheard‘I’dbeabithappierifIcouldjustdrop‘x’amountofweight’?Thethingis,weightcanbeanimportantmeasuretomaphealthandprogress,butitfarfromtellsthewholestory.Itisnotreallysurprisingthatasasocietywehaveanobsessionwithweight.Youonlyhavetolookatamagazinestandtoseenumerousheadlinesalongthelinesof‘lose5kgin4weeks’,andevenformedicalprofessionals,weightisstillanimportantoutcomeformonitoringhealthovertime.Evenwithinthefitnessindustry,youonlyhavetobrowsethenumerousfitnesswebsitestoseethepromotionofweightlosssupplementsandvariousweightlossdietplans,andastrainers/coaches,weightisstillanimportantoutcometomapaclient’sprogress…Butitisnotthe‘beallandendall’ofprogress.Infact,blindlytargetingweightlossmaynotjustbemisleading,buthassomepotentiallydamagingphysicalandpsychologicaleffects.Ifwethinkbacktoourfictionalclient,ourgoalasacoachortrainer,orevenasanindividuallookingtotransformtheirphysique,shouldnotbeweightloss,itshouldbefatloss.Thismayseemapedanticdifferentiation,butitisanimportantoneforanumberofdifferentreasons.Firstly,anunderstandingofhowtolosefatandprotect,orevendevelopmuscle,isessentialforhealthyfatlossandforlongtermhealth.Musclelossisapotentialsideeffectofsevererestrictionofcaloriesthatmanypeoplewhoarelookingtoloseweightwillemploytogetthescalesmovinginthe‘right’direction.Theproblemwiththisisthatmusclehelpsmaintainmetabolicrate.Losemuscleandyouwillloseweight,butyoualsolosethecapacitytousefuelatahighrate.Soalthoughwemightexpectadownwardtrendinbodyweight,especiallyinveryoverweightpeople,whatwedonotwanttodoislosemuscleaswell.

Letmeputitanotherway.Youhavetwogeneticallyidenticaltwinswhohavethesameamountofbodyfatandhavebothundertakena‘weightloss’program.Twin1hasahighproteindietandhasenoughenergytosupportperformanceinthegym,meaningmorecaloriescanbemaintainedinthediet,butstillcreatesanenergydeficitwhichcausesfatloss.Ontopofthis,twin1doessomeresistancetraining,whichwillalsohelpprotectmuscletissue.Twin2doesnoexerciseandhasalowproteindiet,whichmakesupforthelackofexercisebyseverelyreducingcaloriestocreatethegreateramountofenergydeficitcomparabletotwin1.Theresultofthishypothetical(butveryfeasible)‘experiment’isthattwin1losesonly5kginthefirst6weeksofdieting.However,duetothenatureoftheweightlossregime,thisisallbodyfat.Twin2loses7kginthesametime,losing6kgoffatandalso1kgofmuscle.So,twin2wins,right?Well,notexactly.Thislossofmuscleandseverecalorierestrictionnowcreatesaproblem.Twin1willnowbeabletokeeplosingweightatasimilarrate.However,becausetwin2hadrestrictedtheircalorieintakesoseverely,itwillnowbecomeharderandhardertoloseweightandovertime,thebodywillstarttoeatawayatmuscleinordertoadapttothelowenergyintake,lowproteinandlackofexercise.Twin2nowhaslessopportunitiestoreducecalories,astheyhavealreadyseverelyrestrictedthemfromthebeginning,andadditionalrestrictionofintakecouldleadtoillhealthduetothelackofessentialnutrientsinthediet…Doesn’tseemlikemuchofawinnow,doesit?Ontheotherhand,twin1willcontinuetoloseweightatacomparablerate.Bymaintainingmuscleandmetabolicrate,thishasensuredtheycancreateasustainableandhealthierapproachtowardsweightloss,andarealsoabletoincludemorecaloriesinthedietfrommorenutrient-densefoodsources.Nottomentionthatproteinitselfhelpsstimulatemetabolicrateandhelpsfendoffcravings,asitisthemost‘filling’macronutrient,whichmeansstickingtotheirnewnutritionplanbecomesalittlebiteasier.Hopefullyatthispoint,youcanseethatourgoalforweightlossshouldactuallybefatloss,andthatlookingjustatthescalesdoesnottellthewholepicture.Assomeonelosesfatandtheybecomeleaner,itisalsopossiblethattheweightonthescaleswillactuallystopmovingdownwardsandmayevenincreaseslightly,asbody’sfatlossslows,butmusclegainisstilltakingplace.Thisisalsoverycommoninthosewhoseverelyrestrictcaloriesandhavedamagedtheirbody’scapacitytousefuelefficiently,leadingtoplateau’sinfat

lossandhavingnowheretogofromthatpoint.Inthissituation,increasingcaloriesslowly,restockingenergystoresandcreatingahealthierhormonalenvironmenttosupportmetabolism,combinedwiththecorrecttrainingprogramtosupportthis,willoftenresultinthescalesincreasing,butwithvisualdecreasesinbodyfatasthebodydevelopsmusclewhichleadstomorefatloss.Thisisverychallengingforsomepeopletocometotermswith,especiallythosewhohavesufferedwithdisorderedeating,butitissomethingthatwewitnesstimeandtimeagainascoaches,andisachievableaslongaswecanmakeourclients‘trustintheprocess’;andasalways,thebestwaytodothisisthrougheducation.Whateveryourgoal,healthshouldalwayscomefirstandgenerally,ifyoutakecareofyourhealthbystructuringamaintainableandwell-designedtrainingandnutritionplan,theneverythingelsewill,withtime,fallintoplace.Yes,weightisausefultooltotrackchangesinthebody,butitshouldneverbeusedasastandaloneguidetomeasureprogress;takepictures,measurementsandbepatientasthebodytakestimetoadapt.Remember,wewanttopursuefatlosswithanoverallshifttoasustainableandenjoyable,healthyandactivelifestyle,soyouneverhavetodietor‘loseweight’again

<-james5wks

<<-Caleb14-16weeks

<ßLeah6months

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