When it comes down to it, one of the main reasons people don’t see the results they want with weight adjustment is due to their diet. Weight management is 80% nutrition, 20% exercise and 100% mindset so be honest with yourself.
I am a huge advocate for exercise, so I believe it should be done for all its health benefits rather than solely for weight change, benefits like:
reducing your cholesterol reducing risk of diabetes and heart disease giving you strong bones and muscles alleviating depression and anxiety improving your brain function and lung capacity
Starting an exercise plan is clearly a key plan is clearly a key part of achieving your healthy lifestyle goals but it's important to remember that working out can only get you so far. Research shows that it takes about 12 weeks on average to form new habits. You cannot lose/gain weight if your nutrition counteracts your energy expenditure.
If you are investing in training then give it your best, I’m giving you the tools to help but you are responsible for making the changes!
What you eat directly impacts whether or not you’ll achieve your weight targets. The number one reason why people find they don’t reach their goals, even when working out, is because they’re not consuming the right number of calories a day. You can use a calorie-counting app to help you keep on track.
Asides from exercise boosting appetite, there’s the rationale that you worked out, so you deserve to have a treat or more food!
Focus on eating more protein, more fibre, and fever refined carbs and sugar. Aim to eat healthy most of the time, prevent overeating by eating until your satisfied but not stuffed; 80% full, and drink lots of water. If you’re looking to gain mass, then eat more meals rather than larger portions.
To change your weight, you need to create a calorie deficit/surplus. If you walk for 60 minutes or run for 30 minutes and you suck down a 300-calorie post-workout protein smoothie, you haven’t created a calorie change- you’re just coming up even.
This will help you to determine your recommended daily calorie intake. In the settings say that you want to lose/gain 1lb/0.45kg per week so you’re not transforming too quickly. When you exercise, add in the exercise calories and eat back 50% less/more. If you burn 300 calories working out, eat back 150/450 calories.
An average woman needs to eat about 2000 calories per day, the average man about 2500 to maintain their weight. By adjusting down to 1500 or up to 2500 calories to lose/gain 1lb per week. Healthy weight change is best achieved by a combination of exercise and calorie control.
NEVER EAT LESS THAN 1200 calories per day.
The recommended UK guidelines for exercise is 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week and strength training exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulder and arms). 1
My clients will receive a food diary, this is for you to complete within your first week of training. Please fill this in and give it back to me so I can give you some verbal feedback on your current diet. Please be honest as this way I can give you valuable advice some of the most common feedback I will give is:
When starting a training programme try to keep your diet balanced, download this: THE EATWELL GUIDE and cut out the excess calories and sugar (sweets, cakes, chocolates, etc.) Try and avoid junk food (completely) and alcohol as this will interfere with your results and can set you back through unhealthy weight gain and reduce muscle growth.
Understand that starting a training program can be daunting in itself and sometimes the nutrition part can put a damper on what might already feel like an overwhelming ordeal. Challenge yourself in increments. Adjust to this new lifestyle in manageable chunks, for example: for the first month of training you might cut out alcohol (or if that's too much of an ask then maybe start with that superfulous extra glass that finishes the bottle) . Once you have done this for one month you might want to cut out alcohol and cheeseburgers for the second month. Eventually, with time, you will start to feel the benefits and bask in their rewarding nature.