Planning to lose weight

I have been a BTB member for 6 months now. In that time, I have lost over 8kg, 20inches and reduced my body fat by 12%. I’m really pleased with those numbers and the best thing is that in that time I have had a life, been out for dinner, had takeaways, drank alcohol and enjoyed the calorific glory of birthday cake and Christmas dinner. I have also consistently dropped weight and inches while getting stronger and fitter.

There is no magic wand. I have put the hard work in at the gym and I have learnt about planning and control. I have put this post together to share how I have managed to stay on track (not all the time) while balancing work, being a mum and a life surrounded by temptation. 

Planning

If you have found this post then you have probably read things from Glenn about a calorie deficit and that is what I aim to achieve each day. Glenn helped me work out the calories and macros I should be aiming for and that is what I plan against with the help of MyFitnessPal. I am six months into this now so it is pretty easy. I have a range of recipes I use regularly and have saved in MyFitnessPal so its easy to track and plan.

Its Sunday night as I write this and this is the key time for us to set up for the week as I checked our plan and the fridge in case we missed anything off the shopping list. At lunchtime today, I cooked a batch of piri piri chicken and rice and portioned it out ready for the next 3 days of lunches. On Wednesday night we don’t go to the gym so we will have something for dinner that we can make extra portions of. That will cover our lunches on Thursday and Friday at work, this week it will be egg fried rice. That’s lunches for the week sorted and I know all of them are around 400 calories. I have found that lunch was the most important thing for me to plan and get sorted because if I wasn’t working I was likely to pick and nibble all morning if I didn’t have a nice lunch planned and if I was working I would pop to Tesco in the morning and buy loads of rubbish!

When I have sorted the lunches the next thing I sort is dinners. I have always been someone that will batch cook and I am often mocked by people because my freezer if full of neatly labelled tubs. These are there as back up and for days we are rushing around, as long as one of us remembers to get one out of the freezer in the morning! This week for dinners we are having chicken and pesto pasta, stir fry, egg fried rice, beef bourguignon (from the freezer) and fajitas. All of these meals work out at around 500 calories.

Tracking

So, its Sunday night and I am sorted for the week. The fridge is full as is the fruit bowl. Each evening I will input the next day’s lunch and dinner into MyFitnessPal. I then know how many calories I have left for my breakfast and snacks throughout the day. Once I have put in my breakfast I check my macros. This is where another bit of planning can really help, having snacks for each area ready. If I need more fat then I add a handful of nuts, more carbs then I have some extra fruit and if I’m low on protein I can have a protein shake. If I am wildly off then I change what I am having for breakfast. Also, if I know I have something coming up that week where I may eat more, I aim to be slightly under each day in preparation.

This may sound like a lot if you are starting from scratch but I have built this up over six months. It has built up like this.

1. I started by just tracking my calories for a few weeks to see how much I was actually eating. Honestly tracking. Every sneaky biscuit. Actual portion sizes. Weighed and measured amounts.

2. I set my calorie target (with Glenn’s help) and just tried to hit it. Starting with small changes like portion size.

3. I started saving recipes in MyFitnessPal to save time when tracking. I like to use recipes from FoodForFitness and The Hairy Dieters.

4. I started to try to hit a protein goal when planning and then the remaining calories I could use however I liked as long as I was in my calories.

5. I reassessed my calorie target after losing the first 7kg

6. I started to try and hit all 3 macros.

I have just realised how boring this all makes me sound but in reality, it probably takes an extra 10 minutes a day to check what I can eat and it makes it really easy to stick to my plan.

The main thing I have found is that now we are in this routine if I fall off the bandwagon, attack the biscuit tin at work, eat my son’s leftover dinner, drink my weight in calories on a night out or just really fancy a massive piece of cake … it doesn’t matter! My calorie goal is set to lose just under a pound a week. If I aim to be good and hit this for 30 days I would hopefully lose 4 pounds. But, if in that time I have a dinner out, a stress induced biscuit binge, a cheeky extra glass of wine and some cake I won’t lose 4 pounds … but I’ll probably lose 3 because the rest of the time I have planned to succeed.

Without the planning I would’ve still lost some weight and inches since joining BTB but it definitely wouldn’t have been as much or as consistent. I don’t think I would’ve realised just how high my calorie intake was (even though my increasing weight should’ve given me a clue) and I would’ve been able to take control.

Happy planning,

Sooz

How I Learned To Love Myself (And Lost 80lbs)

A year ago, I set myself a challenge to find the time, space and self-respect to “Learn to Like and Love Myself”. It’s been a long, hard journey, but it’s been worth it.

Why did I set this challenge? I’d hit rock bottom. I had move forward. I don’t want to wallow in self-pity, but to set the scene…

This time last year I was constantly ill, in and out of hospital with repeat infections, diagnosed with diabetes, had numerous chest infections and was relying on painkillers due to nerve damage, which in turn... you guessed it… was making me ill. I weighed 242 lbs. I didn’t particularly like or love myself and I relied on other people’s validation. I hit a wall when a close friend betrayed my trust. I promised myself I would never allow myself to be that vulnerable again, and to do that I needed to become a stronger person.

I asked myself what would make me, not others, happy. 
I’d love to say it was enrichment of souls and becoming a nicer person, but the truth was at that time, what I wanted was “to look thinner” and to “be healthier”. I wanted to feel attractive in my own skin. I’ve spent years using my poor health as an excuse. I was sick of making myself a victim and I made a commitment to celebrate the positives in my life.

I took responsibility for my diabetes.

When the doctor first diagnosed me with diabetes I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have. This changed. I started to focus on my diabetes and have spent the last 12 months trying to improve it with diet and exercise. I committed to a low sugar, low carb, high protein diet. I stopped drinking alcohol and sugary drinks. I had to stick with it for a few months before I saw any positive results. I’d tried this in the past and lasted a couple of weeks max before I gave up because I hadn’t gotten a quick fix.

For my entire adult life I have rewarded myself with food. Treating myself when I’d been good, down, angry, sad. You get it! I’m an emotional eater. This time I tried to say I loved myself too much to worsen my diabetes by eating the wrong food. Saying this to myself, that I was loving myself by staying healthy, made the process easier, and a year later I’m maintaining my new lifestyle. It’s been easy to not cheat on my new eating plan because I’ve changed my mindset. At I struggled at first, but once I started seeing the positive outcomes... it’s been a breeze and has given me the incentive to continue.

My results now show as pre/non-diabetic.

(I do want to acknowledge that not everyone can improve diabetes with diet no matter how hard they try, and that there is a chance my results will return to a ‘diabetic’ level with age and hormone changes, but a change in lifestyle has worked for me).

I learned to love exercise.

I started to exercise more. It wasn’t easy - I have nerve pain in my arms and hands pretty much constantly. But when I asked myself what would make me happier and help me to respect myself, I knew I wanted to be fitter.

I told my close friend Kellie how unhappy I was. Her life partner, Glenn, is a PT and runs a Gym called BTB (Better then Before) in Southam. Kellie kindly arranged for me to meet him. Glenn listened to what I wanted and told me what I needed to do to achieve my goal. He set me a balanced exercise plan including both cardio and weightlifting. The program was challenging and at times scary, as I’ve spent most of my adult life protecting myself and making excuses. I was scared about failing and I was scared about hurting myself. Glenn showed me how to lift weights correctly and then left me to my own devises. I would check in with him every few weeks to discuss how to tweak or add to my workout. Once a month I would document my weight and take my measurements.

Most importantly, Glenn made it clear I was accountable to myself and the only person who could get me to my goal was me. I put my faith in Glenn and did what he asked with 100% commitment. To my surprise I discovered I was capable of so much more than I ever gave myself credit for! 
I’ve continued to workout regularly for the last year. I don’t cheat on my workouts – I’m doing them because I care about myself and I’m worth the investment. Surprisingly, I’ve discovered I enjoy exercise! I love lifting weights. I enjoy challenging myself and I’m not that bothered if I fail if I know that I’ve given my all.

I learned the science behind diet and exercise.

I like to understand the theory of why things work, so another thing I did was to research into the science behind diet and exercise. I now understand how the human body burns and stores calories, how building more lean muscle improves and increases my metabolism. I make more informed decisions about my diet and exercise program.

I’m happier, healthier and I love myself.

A year on, and I’ve transformed myself both physically and mentally. My health has improved. I have less chest infections. My pain has reduced. I think this is because I’m stronger and my pain tolerance has improved. My diabetes is now at a pre-diabetic level. I have lost almost 80lbs in weight, I love how I look... but more importantly I like and respect the person I have become.

My relationship with my husband has improved as I feel better about myself. I don’t beat myself up anymore and I try to live life to the full. I enjoy my own company and have stronger relationships with my friends. I’ve removed toxic people from my life to create a strong, loving network of friends.

Six months ago, I set up a fitness group designed to celebrate the positives. It’s a safe environment where we can discuss how to improve fitness, no matter how small, and encourage each other to challenge ourselves. I’ve learned a lot and I want to pass some of it on, but success starts with learning to love yourself.

So, I ask you... do you love yourself?

If your answer is no, then I ask you are you ready to change your journey and commit the next year to discovering a happier you? If I can do it, so can you.

But if I lift heavy weights, I'll get big and bulky – wont I?

Girls!

But if I lift heavy weights, I'll get big and bulky – won't I?

If you can achieve the body of a Greek goddess in 4 weeks without having to lift any weights and while just doing a few sit ups, and endless treadmill sessions, why would you do anything different?

The problem is those promises don’t deliver.

Strength is vital, it's the foundation to which the rest of your training is built on, and this is no different to how we train our male members.

Getting stronger doesn’t necessarily mean getting bigger muscles.

There are a lot of other factors that come into play when it comes to building muscle mass such as being in a calorie surplus, having adequate levels of testosterone (big reason women will not gain substantial levels of muscle), training frequency, rep ranges etc.

Becoming “bulky” is actually a lot harder than just lifting heavy weights up and down a few times, just ask a guy who has specifically tried to gain muscle mass how hard it is... And they are hormonally much better equipped to do it.

Here are just a few other benefits to consider when thinking about strength training too:

• Calorie Burning (increased fat loss)
• Improved body composition (better shape)
• Improved mood (hormones)
• Reduced levels of inflammation (repair)
• Increased confidence (happier)
• Increased bone density (less chance of joint problems)
• Improves sleep (required for recovery)
• Reduces stress (stress relief)

So for all the females reading this, have no fear – we can assure you with all certainty that you’ll never, ever look like a male as a result of training for strength with heavy weights.

Quite the opposite in fact!.

Macros.... Getting more technical

Last time we covered the basics of changing what you eat and setting yourself up for changes.

Today we discuss getting a little deeper into specific goals and targets...

Most people can get in really good shape doing the basics consistently well, if you want to go to the next level in terms of body composition or learn how to be more flexible with your diet to include some of the ‘naughty foods’ and still progress then you need to be aware of your intake and can begin to be more calculated.

Working out your numbers…Firstly eat normally for a few days and track your food in a diary and roughly work out your current intake.

There are several different calculators and formulas used to work out your BMR. BMR (basal metabolic rate) is roughly the amount of calories your body needs to exists when doing nothing (sitting on your arse) as your metabolism, organ function and other biological functions all burn calories when doing what they do.

So if you were eating this amount and started to do a little exercise then you would lose weight as the exercise would take you under this caloric baseline.

If you are embarking on some more intense training or are someone with a decent training back ground then you will require more calories to fuel your training. Here we would look at your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). This formula takes into account your training and calories needed to support it.

There are plenty of apps and online calculators for these… (For me, my TDEE is around 2600 calories at my current bodyweight)

So you have this number now what the hell to do with it?

We need to break it down into your Macro Nutrients…Protein, Fat and Carbohydrates.

So lets set Protein… there is loads of research on how much protein we need and I can say its a large range so pick one a stick with it!… for individuals who are training I suggest 1-1.4g p/lb of bodyweight depending on your goals. (2g-3.3g p/kg)

For fat loss we would aim slightly higher to preserve muscle tissue.

SO… Im around 180lbs so that's roughly 215g (at 1.2g/lb I’ve gone for the middle of the road…why not?)

Protein is 4 calories per gram so this means I’ve used 864 calories for my protein (216 x 4)

Now for the fat.

Again plenty of different ways people go about it, people on lower carb diets tend to go higher fat.

For the most part we would allocate around 25%-30% of our total calories for fat. So for me that's 650 calories.

Fat is 9 calories per gram so 650/9 = 72g of fat.

Other methods would use bodyweight so this would be 0.4-0.5 x bodyweight, so for me 0.4 x 180 = 72g

A lot of the literature suggests that people with a higher body fat percentage allocate more calories to fat than Carbohydrates.

So I've got my Protein and my Fat now the rest is left for my Carbohydrates… so 2600 calories minus my 864 calls for protein and my 650 cals for fat. This leaves 1086 cals.

Carbohydrates are 4 cals per gram so 1086/4 = 271g

WHAT nearly 300g CARBS!!! Yup!!! Remember we are setting my baseline this may go down or even up depending on progress and specific goal, we don’t want to lose or gain to quickly. (obviously if you don’t respond well to carbs you can up fats in exchange… but honestly just trust the process)

In my opinion we want to ‘diet’ on as much food as possible so lets see where it goes and reduce if needs be.

Bottom line is this can be a fairly complicated thing to do, its something that can help or hinder your progress depending on how willing you are to plan and work all this stuff out and more importantly… stick to it.

So now you have your numbers you can fit your food in… but working all this out is for another blog post and comes with its own complications… how accurate are food labels? Using apps like my fitness pal planning fitting in food we want… you can see why keeping it simple is a good approach! 

Things to take into account…

What if my food diary shows I'm eating less than this already and not losing weight?

Well this is a tough one! I mentioned earlier about certain functions in the body not working properly or becoming down-regulated when we eat lots of crap all the time….this can also be true when we don’t eat enough. In my experience… females tend to be a little worse for this as unfortunately society seems to push females on and off different diets from a young age. Its then difficult to explain and gain the trust of a client when we say we need to gradually get you eating more… and yes you may have to put the weight loss on the back burner for a little while and be patient it could take a few months…

But sure enough over time your body will adapt and these functions (thyroid output etc) should begin to adapt and work in your favour and you can lose fat eating more then you’ve eaten in long long time.

Fibre…

We’ve talked about Protein, Fats and Carbs but Fibre is something that can often be under or over cooked too… Fibre is Important for gut health, digestion and has an effect on thermogenesis so depending on the individual between 25g-60g would be adequate.

Take your time…

Most of the industry is 6 weeks, 8 weeks 12 weeks etc, But keep things high for as long as possible and only make very gradual changes, don’t panic or make snap decisions if after the 1st week or two you don’t lose loads of weight… healthy weight loss can be as gradual as 1 pound a week.

So many people crash diet and lose loads of weight in the 1st week or two but then what happens when it slows down or stops and you are already eating hardly anything? You are more likely to keep the weight off and avoid a re-bound if you take your time and allow for more flexibility.

Be consistent and honest…

If you go on a bender or have nights out planned, this is totally cool as long as you aren’t working towards a massive deadline then allow for these breaks and more flexible times. Just understand they can slow short term progress. The best thing here is to plan for them, make sensible choices and never feel guilty so many people slip up or have something ‘naughty’ and then say F$%K it the damage is done and go off the rails for a few days. Relax and enjoy yourself its a lifestyle choice not a punishment.

Be realistic…is it worth it?

We’d all love abs all year round, but be realistic with yourself would you rather be 85-90% there and enjoy nights out and meals out… or would you rather have the mental abs and be a boring bastard? This can be done for a period of time for some photos or a holiday…Its your call and you can have it all within reason but don’t expect to look like the front cover of Bikini Model weekly or some Men's Health all year round (the people you’re looking at certainly don’t) but they do a good job of keeping in touching distance… so once you get where you want to be try to find stability and maintain as best as you can but don’t ruin the rest of your life chasing something that isn’t all that when you get there.

Is the information you are reading meant for you? 

I used to read a lot of bodybuilding magazines etc but I know that the training volumes and nutrition advice in there is aimed at bodybuilders who are usually massive dudes who’ve been training for years and years and are synthetically enhanced so is the stuff I’m reading relevant to me? Not really, I find it interesting but I need to take from it what I can and ignore the stuff that I don’t need.

So I guess what I’m saying is don’t take everything you read as gospel… even this blog! Im no scientist, these numbers and calories etc will give a rough guide this information is from the current literature and from experience with clients and my own training, but you need to understand how to apply and adapt it to make it work for you… its trial and error with most things hence why consistency is so important so that you can make the right changes. Thats why having a trainer or a coach make the educated guesses for you is good way to go about it.

YOU are an individual the diet that worked for your mate, or Sue from accounts, it stands a good chance it may not be right for you…!

Macros!?

Tracking macros?

Calories and Macros…Do I need to count them?… If so How?

This topic is huge! And can get very complex, in its entirety. So today we are just splitting this into 2 parts, which only really scratches the surface!

There is plenty of debate in the industry surrounding approaches for health, dieting and fat loss.

You may hear the names of different diets and methods such as clean eating, paleo diet, IIFYM (if it fits your macros), flexible dieting, intermittent fasting, carb cycling etc.

Im sure that it all works… BUT the only one that works is the one you can stick to consistently.

Now it can be damn confusing, especially for someone who is looking to start a fitness journey.

So where do you start? 

Learn the basics… before you get bogged down with counting calories, proteins, fats and carbs its important you learn what they are…and where you get them from.

Protein is essential for overall health.

Proteins have several roles within the body, for individuals who are training the main functions are to support lean body mass, replace and repair damaged proteins within muscle tissue and in some situations (severe caloric restriction / low carb diets) protein can be broken down for energy. Protein is found in foods such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy.

Fat, like protein, is essential for overall health. These are important for cell function, absorption of fat soluble vitamins. Fat can also be broken down and used for energy. Fats are found in foods like oily fish, eggs, nuts, oils and butter.

Carbohydrates, these have got a bad reputation in recent times. Carbs are the body’s primary fuel source for high intensity exercise. These are found in foods such as oats, rice, pasta, potatoes and fruit.

So how much do we need?

This all depends on the individual, there a plenty of variables that would determine the requirements. Including specific goal, exercise and diet history, lifestyle, current weight, height, age and gender.

Before we get into the numbers its important we understand where we are.

If you are currently eating lots of junk food, kebabs, takeaways, pies and pasties and not doing any exercise then there is little point wasting time working these numbers out just yet.

Although the truth is that calories DO matter and that there is plenty of evidence and studies showing people eating crap food and still loosing weight because they are simply eating less and putting themselves in a calorie deficit, its something that I wouldn’t feel comfortable promoting as I want people to enjoy good food through adjusting their mindset and creating a healthy relationship with food and training.

When sitting down with a client for the first time there is no need to overwhelm and bog them down with too much information. I am yet to sit down with someone at day one to find they are in their current situation as they have accidentally eaten too much sweet potato.

I would look at adjusting several things. We need to hit the reset button and focus on optimising health from the inside out!

So… start with the Water… so many people don’t get enough water aim for roughly 35ml per kg body-weight. This may take a bit of getting used to so build up to it slowly.

For example, if you weigh  75kg that's roughly 2.6 litres per day.

Eat Real Food – try to include a quality animal protein source with every meal (meat, fish, eggs etc) get lots of veggies in and experiment with finding ways to enjoy all these foods.

Limit The Obvious – Diets often fail as people are too restrictive, people try to be 100% strict and live off chicken and broccoli and struggle to stick to it.

I’d rather someone be 90% for the long term, than be 100% for 3 days and the fall off the so called wagon.

However, this said its certainly worth a period of elimination to help your body become a fat burning, muscle building machine!

SO…10-14 days of cutting right back can help, as certain functions in the body can be inhibited or down regulated from years of eating crap and drinking.. 

The goal for most people is to enjoy a balanced lifestyle including things we enjoy such as chocolate and alcohol etc and not feel guilty about it! BUT to earn this lifestyle there has to be some sort restriction because if people could do the whole moderation thing we wouldn’t get ourselves out of shape in the first place. 

SO…Pull out the junk and drink and live off the land for a few weeks and see how much better you feel inside and out! 

You can then start to introduce some ‘naughty foods’ every now and then when you learn how to moderate the intake of these foods to find a healthy balance.

Remember consistency is key… don’t eat ‘clean’ for a week and then have a massive binge! This is for you to decide how best to approach it.

Chocolate Biscuits Syndrome….

If you know you can have a small amounts (lets say 10% of your weekly intake) of the foods that can be described as ‘junk’ or ‘naughty’ and be consistent with this then by all means get them in and don’t feel guilty if its going to keep you on track long term.

BUT if you are like me and that small amount is likely to make you want more and more then you need to show a little more restraint. If I have "just one" chocolate biscuit, I WILL eat the whole packet!…So I avoid them and choose something like Greek yoghurt as a snack… but if you are one of those VERY rare people who can eat one and put the packet away as you have satisfied that need then this is cool!

If you are unsure.... Then choose a better option!

By default most people following these simple guidelines will get plenty of protein and fats, and will almost certainly reduce calories and carbohydrate intake. Whats important is that you eat enough, don’t go hungry just make smart choices. Most people know deep down what they need to do.

So you have got to grips with the basics and have shown the ability to eat well, train well and feel healthier and happier with the progress. Do you need more?

Next part we will cover what you need to do, if you feel you can get a little more technical...
 

We hope this helps.

If you have any questions on the above and would like some further advice, don't hesitate to reach out - coaching@btb.me.uk

or

If you’re looking to kick start your fitness journey (the right way) or your results have stalled and you’re looking for something new, JOIN US FOR A 30 DAY TRIAL and see if we’re the right fit for you.

How can I lose fat from...

One of the most frequent questions we are asked at BTB HQ, is "How can I lose fat from... (insert problem area here)?

Fat loss is very much generalised across the body. There’s no specific exercise or system to lose fat from a single targeted area.

If you are advised by someone, that this can be achieved, please walk away.

Its just not true.

For example a tennis player has a dominant arm and shoulder that they repeatedly strike the ball with however if you was to measure the fat volume of both the left and right arm there would be no SIGNIFICANT difference as fat is used and “burned” as a general full body source.

The mid section, bottom, thighs, and lower back are common areas in which many people carry a concentrated high percentage of there body fat.

This doesn’t mean that it is an area that we don’t work hard enough in the gym. Its just the bodies natural way to store fat.

The extent of fat stores is determined by your energy balance over time. (calorie consumption vs output)

Building muscle in specific areas is very much possible. Building your abs that have fat deposits over the top still prevents visibility and isn’t as important when looking for better shape in this area.

The way to losing fat from the troublesome areas, is to trust the system your working on.

If you have seen results so far from your training and nutrition, there’s no reason that it will stop working as long as you avoid deviating from your plan and adapt the overload of both training and nutrition as you progress.

Ab exercises are good for building strength and muscle volume of abs, however they don’t directly use up many calories meaning fat loss isn’t as optimal.

To achieve better shaped or visible abs, the fat loss is the more important factor for 99% of people. This is why programming should include bigger compound lifts like squats , deadlifts combined with all the other accessory and condition work such as circuits, with resistance and kettlebells etc, in order to maximise calorie expenditure both in and out the gym.

Maintain consistency in your working approach.

We hope this helps.

If you have any questions on the above and would like some further advice, don't hesitate to reach out - coaching@btb.me.uk

or

If you’re looking to kick start your fitness journey (the right way) or your results have stalled and you’re looking for something new, JOIN US FOR A 30 DAY TRIAL and see if we’re the right fit for you.

When progress stalls

So last week we looked at why diets fail or stall.

So heres a few pointers too keep you on track...

Mindless eating

So, what do these words that the fitness industry use, actually mean?

Well heres a breakdown of the attributes, that make up the definition of this..

Our food environment can work against us very easily. It’s not always about willpower and motivation if our food environment works against us. And in todays environment, of less time and quick "fixes", this is all too easy to fall into the habit of.

But

We can try put ourselves in the best environment as possible.

We make around 200+ decisions per day when it comes to food, and most of these are really subconscious decisions based on the moment and emotion.

Here are some simple things you can do to prevent mindlessly eating food that takes away from getting closer to our goal:

1. 20% rule – replace 20% of our plates fats or carbs with vegetables.

2. Eat high volume, low-calorie foods (mostly high protein foods + veg)

3. Try eating in a focused state, away from too many distractions (tv dinner anyone?) Slow down, and take your time. Ideally, meals should last around 15 minutes, minimum!

4. Stop eating when you’re 80% full, less if possible.

5. Keep unhealthy foods out of sight. Don’t have them at your desk or in your home. Simple. You won't be tempted.

If you find this hard, make a date, and a time, and bin them, or better yet donate to a food bank. Many people can benefit from your "luxury treats".

6. Make it harder to get to your “unhealthy” food and easy to get to your healthy food. If you have fresh fruit out in front of you, you’re more likely to go for that. Hide your unhealthy food away somewhere, or do as above :)

“out of sight, out of mind. In sight, in mind”

7. Use smaller plates.

8. When eating out – limit variety. Rather than the starter, main and dessert. Maybe just stick to one or two plates. Make a decision to either have a starter or a pudding when you see the menu.

Think about it... Do you really need all 3.Make it almost a game!

9. Shop with a pre-written list to stop impulse buys.

10. Don't use food as a reward all the time.

So many fall into this trap.

"Oh I'll have a bag of crisps, or chocolate as a treat"

Think about it, if you do that daily or even a couple of times a week, its not a treat, its part of your almost daily intake.

We hope this helps.

If you have any questions on the above and would like some further advice, don't hesitate to reach out - coaching@btb.me.uk

or

If you’re looking to kick start your fitness journey (the right way) or your results have stalled and you’re looking for something new, JOIN US FOR A 30 DAY TRIAL and see if we’re the right fit for you.

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Cardio for fat loss?

One of the most misleading myths when it comes to female fat loss is that if you want to burn fat you need to do lots of steady cardio training and the more you can do, the better.

Actually, this isnt true

Long or short term fat loss is down to nutrition (what you eat AND drink)

Not, your cardio approach.

Lots of people can get themselves into great shape without doing any steady cardio – some with absolutely no cardio whatsoever.

There's little benefit of plodding along on a treadmill or rower, if you are only going to eat more than you burn. However, what works for one person will not always work for another so it’s impossible to say that one training method always trumps another for a specific goal.

However when we are asked what works best for fat loss in terms of importance the breakdown would look something like this....

1. Nutrition
2. Resistance training
3. Interval training
4. Steady cardio training

As you can see, the number one priority here is nailing your diet/nutrition.

Last on the list is Steady State Cardio

Now we're not saying at BTB HQ that cardio doesnt work, of course it does.

But in terms of people wanting results (generally as fast as possible for as little time), we find that results in body composition (shape and toning) are achieved much quicker when clients combine decent nutrition plans with resistance training.

If you have any questions on the above and would like some further advice, don't hesitate to reach out - coaching@btb.me.uk

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Why diets fail or stall!

You may have started a new diet or eating plan as part of your New Year Resolution, and are now starting to struggle, or may have even given up.

A diet fails when it no longer creates a calorie deficit to which you can stick to.

So you may have heard the word deficit being banded around, but what does it actually mean?

"A calorie deficit is the difference between the the calories that you eat and drink in day, and the calories that your body uses to maintain your current weight during the day, considering how much you move and exercise"

An effective way when losing fat/weight is going into a -500 calorie deficit per day / -3500 calories per week. When you’re in a “MINUS” 3500 calories deficit per week you should lose around 1lb of body fat per week.

Eventually, your body may have adapted now you have started to lose weight.

So what actually happens:

1. You simply weigh less

There is less weight you’re moving around. If you carried a 10kg rucksack around you would be burning more calories. 

Make sense? You’ve lost weight so your body doesn’t have to burn as many calories.

2. Your body has become more efficient

Your body can now perform the same tasks for less calories.

3. Your body also looks to preserve calories

You may have experienced it when you’re dieting you feel tired, and irritable. This is normal.

Why?This is your body trying to preserve energy.

4. Increased hunger

There is a study – for every 1kg you lose your appetite increases by 100 calories. So your body just wants to eat more

Next week we will show you what you can do when progress stalls.