What is stopping you from reaching your fat loss goals? Maybe you are on track. If so then you can skip this article and go read something else…however…if your body isn’t where you want it to be then keep reading.
It is not uncommon that I talk with someone about their weight loss and they are completely baffled about why they can’t lose more weight. They are training hard and they are using a solid high protein, reduced carbohydrate, low calorie diet but they just aren’t losing weight fast enough.
The first question I always ask is - “Do you track your compliance?”
They respond “Huh?”
The truth is that you may have an amazing training and diet program but if you aren’t following the plan then you might as well have a bad training and diet program.
You may be thinking. “Yeah, compliance…I’ve heard that before, I actually DO track what I eat.” That’s well and good but let’s takes this compliance thing one step further and look at the little things.
Let’s be honest. You can eat an extra piece of toast and not mark it down. You can make that teaspoon of peanut butter more like a tablespoon and not tell anyone but in the end the tape measure never lies.
It is these small food indiscretions that most people don’t may attention to but in the end they can be the deciding factor in your fat loss. You can overlook them and lie to yourself now but you’ll be disappointed later on when the time comes to measure your progress - the tape measure never lies.
It is better to be honest about your compliance so you can make strides to fix the holes in your plan, then lie to yourself, not lose the weight, and be stuck saying “I don’t know why I’m not losing any weight.”
Are you making this mistake? Be honest with yourself. Let’s look at some things that you should be doing on a daily/weekly basis. If you aren’t physically tracking your compliance then you need to start there.
How many of your planned meals are you eating? How many are you missing? That is step one.
The next step is to ensure that you are accurately tracking your compliance. This is an area we are all tempted to cheat in.
One of the not so obvious reasons why I recommend that people “chunk” their food prep and do in 1-2 times a week is because many people snack while cooking (I’m very guilty in this area).
A slice of chicken here, a couple carrots there, you know what I’m talking about.
These things add up. If you can’t cut out your nibbling when cooking it is very important that you “chunk” your prep. The difference could be as much as 500 calories a week saved (maybe more!).
Your mission is to get your compliance in check.
In order to guarantee your success this is the only change that you should make over the next 2 weeks.
Don’t change your diet, don’t change your training - just focus on accurately tracking your compliance and under the radar snacking.
If after 2 weeks you notice that your measurement are going down or the the scale shows that you’ve lost more weight then we know that was the problem.
Wednesday 20 May 2009
Tuesday 12 May 2009
Healthy Breakfasts
After hours of sleep we need food, but many of us choose to give breakfast a miss. This is a BIG mistake! Our first meal of the day is key to our wellbeing so to help you get your day started the right way I thought I would give you seven healthy options that are easy to prepare.
If you want to keep in trim, its tempting to skimp on breakfast and save up calories for a splurge later in the day. But this could make the battle of the bulge even more difficult.
Research tells us that eating a hearty, healthy breakfast helps to keep us slim.
In fact it looks increasingly likely that obesity and skipping breakfast are linked.
Researchers at the Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge recently published results of a four-year study showing that people who ate more at breakfast gained significantly less weight than those who skipped breakfast and ate later in the day.
Its not clear why skipping breakfast affects weight control, but Dr Forouhi, who led the study, thinks that after a long period of starving, metabolism may subtly change, causing the body to lay down more fat.
Make it a healthy start to the day
After eight hours without food, breaking-the-fast is important to get your body and brain functioning properly in the morning.
But a double espresso and a Danish is just about the worst thing. It acts as rocket fuel, giving fast energy but burning up fast - leaving you drained and hungry by mid morning.
Eating whole grains, fruit and a source of protein at breakfast means you are less inclined to snack and more likely to eat a lighter lunch.
And as long as you are sensible about your breakfast food choices, in the long run this translates to fewer calories overall in the day.
One week of healthy breakfasts
Here are seven breakfasts that are easy to prepare, including a treat for the weekend.
Try to set your alarm 10 minutes earlier to sit and eat your breakfast.
But if you are in a hurry, the breakfasts for days five and six can be eaten on the run.
Day 1
60g bowl of porridge (not instant types), low-sugar low-salt muesli or bran flakes, made with semi-skimmed milk and served with 25g sunflower seeds and 5Og raisins
Why is it healthy?
Oats and other wholegrain cereals have a low GI. This means they give slow release energy that will keep you going until lunchtime
Sunflower seeds are a protein source and the fibre in all three ingredients helps to keep blood sugar level stable and so control appetite.
Day 2
125g plain yoghurt with half a grated apple, 50g chopped dried apricots and 25g walnuts.
Why is it healthy?
Yoghurt is a source of protein and so doesn’t adversely affect blood sugar.
Walnuts boost protein levels further and are sources of healthy omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, while dried apricots provide iron and beta-carotene.
Day 3
A small can of reduced salt baked beans on two slices of wholemeal toast (no butter or spread). Finish off with an orange.
Why is it healthy?
Beans are loaded with fibre and are low-GI, while the fruit provides vitamin C. Like all pulses, beans can count towards one of your five portions of fruit and veg a day - so this breakfast gives you two portions in total.
Day 4
Blend 80g soft fruit (eg strawberries, banana or pear) with 100g low-fat yoghurt. Top with 60g cluster cereal (granola) and chopped dates.
Why is it healthy?
This breakfast gives a satisfying start to the day and gives you slow-release energy and fibre aplenty. By eating two different fruits at this time of the day you are boosting your antioxidant levels to help your immune system.
Day 5
Two or three rye crackers, or three or four oatcakes, topped with two teaspoons of low-sugar peanut butter and two teaspoons of apricot jam. Follow with a banana.
Why is it healthy?
Peanut butter is quite high in calories, but if you eat it in moderation it’s a great alternative to butter because it’s a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids. This breakfast is high in fibre, which helps to keep mid-morning hunger pangs at bay.
Day 6
Make a smoothie from 150ml semi-skimmed milk, one medium banana and either a handful of raspberries or a cupful of frozen berries. Process in a blender, then tip the mixture into a plastic cup to enjoy while on your travels.
Why is it healthy?
This is a blameless alternative to high-cal Frappuccinos. Milk is a source of calcium and contains vitamin B12 and the minerals zinc and magnesium. Both fruits provide vitamin C and count towards your five a day, and bananas are also rich in vitamins A and B.
Weekend treat
Poach one egg and serve with 2 slices of grilled lean bacon, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms and a slice of wholemeal toast. Start or finish with half a pink grapefruit.
Why is it healthy?
If you grill instead of fry and keep added oil levels to a minimum, there is no reason not to enjoy a full English breakfast.
It is also a source of antioxidants, fibre, protein and whole grains. The grapefruit, tomatoes and mushrooms make it count towards your five a day.
So there you go, a whole weeks worth of healthy and tasty breakfasts.
Give them a go and let me know what you think.
If you want to keep in trim, its tempting to skimp on breakfast and save up calories for a splurge later in the day. But this could make the battle of the bulge even more difficult.
Research tells us that eating a hearty, healthy breakfast helps to keep us slim.
In fact it looks increasingly likely that obesity and skipping breakfast are linked.
Researchers at the Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge recently published results of a four-year study showing that people who ate more at breakfast gained significantly less weight than those who skipped breakfast and ate later in the day.
Its not clear why skipping breakfast affects weight control, but Dr Forouhi, who led the study, thinks that after a long period of starving, metabolism may subtly change, causing the body to lay down more fat.
Make it a healthy start to the day
After eight hours without food, breaking-the-fast is important to get your body and brain functioning properly in the morning.
But a double espresso and a Danish is just about the worst thing. It acts as rocket fuel, giving fast energy but burning up fast - leaving you drained and hungry by mid morning.
Eating whole grains, fruit and a source of protein at breakfast means you are less inclined to snack and more likely to eat a lighter lunch.
And as long as you are sensible about your breakfast food choices, in the long run this translates to fewer calories overall in the day.
One week of healthy breakfasts
Here are seven breakfasts that are easy to prepare, including a treat for the weekend.
Try to set your alarm 10 minutes earlier to sit and eat your breakfast.
But if you are in a hurry, the breakfasts for days five and six can be eaten on the run.
Day 1
60g bowl of porridge (not instant types), low-sugar low-salt muesli or bran flakes, made with semi-skimmed milk and served with 25g sunflower seeds and 5Og raisins
Why is it healthy?
Oats and other wholegrain cereals have a low GI. This means they give slow release energy that will keep you going until lunchtime
Sunflower seeds are a protein source and the fibre in all three ingredients helps to keep blood sugar level stable and so control appetite.
Day 2
125g plain yoghurt with half a grated apple, 50g chopped dried apricots and 25g walnuts.
Why is it healthy?
Yoghurt is a source of protein and so doesn’t adversely affect blood sugar.
Walnuts boost protein levels further and are sources of healthy omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, while dried apricots provide iron and beta-carotene.
Day 3
A small can of reduced salt baked beans on two slices of wholemeal toast (no butter or spread). Finish off with an orange.
Why is it healthy?
Beans are loaded with fibre and are low-GI, while the fruit provides vitamin C. Like all pulses, beans can count towards one of your five portions of fruit and veg a day - so this breakfast gives you two portions in total.
Day 4
Blend 80g soft fruit (eg strawberries, banana or pear) with 100g low-fat yoghurt. Top with 60g cluster cereal (granola) and chopped dates.
Why is it healthy?
This breakfast gives a satisfying start to the day and gives you slow-release energy and fibre aplenty. By eating two different fruits at this time of the day you are boosting your antioxidant levels to help your immune system.
Day 5
Two or three rye crackers, or three or four oatcakes, topped with two teaspoons of low-sugar peanut butter and two teaspoons of apricot jam. Follow with a banana.
Why is it healthy?
Peanut butter is quite high in calories, but if you eat it in moderation it’s a great alternative to butter because it’s a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids. This breakfast is high in fibre, which helps to keep mid-morning hunger pangs at bay.
Day 6
Make a smoothie from 150ml semi-skimmed milk, one medium banana and either a handful of raspberries or a cupful of frozen berries. Process in a blender, then tip the mixture into a plastic cup to enjoy while on your travels.
Why is it healthy?
This is a blameless alternative to high-cal Frappuccinos. Milk is a source of calcium and contains vitamin B12 and the minerals zinc and magnesium. Both fruits provide vitamin C and count towards your five a day, and bananas are also rich in vitamins A and B.
Weekend treat
Poach one egg and serve with 2 slices of grilled lean bacon, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms and a slice of wholemeal toast. Start or finish with half a pink grapefruit.
Why is it healthy?
If you grill instead of fry and keep added oil levels to a minimum, there is no reason not to enjoy a full English breakfast.
It is also a source of antioxidants, fibre, protein and whole grains. The grapefruit, tomatoes and mushrooms make it count towards your five a day.
So there you go, a whole weeks worth of healthy and tasty breakfasts.
Give them a go and let me know what you think.
Tuesday 5 May 2009
The Countdown Has Begun....
The countdown is on. We have now reached the month of May and that means Summer is nearly here and the much-feared "reveal your body to the world" swimsuit season.
Not quite ready?
Don't worry. I'm not suggesting that it's going to be easy - but there is still time to cut 6-10lbs of ugly fat from your torso if you step up and follow these simple rules.
Here's the fat loss basics:
You need to create a caloric deficit - no two ways about it - you must burn more than you consume.
The most effective way to create that deficit is to use a combination of diet and exercise.
Your diet should consist of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Keep starches and refined carbs to a minimum. Keep your fluid intake high (iced water only), and try to eat at least 4-5 small meals per day. This will help maintain blood sugar levels and keep you from blowing your diet. Follow this plan 90% of the time (which means 32/35 meals need to be "on" - but also allows for one or two slip ups or missed meals).
Exercise - strength training and metabolic training will provide the most bang-for-your buck.
Try to exercise at least four days per week - two days of strength training and two days of metabolic training.
Not quite ready?
Don't worry. I'm not suggesting that it's going to be easy - but there is still time to cut 6-10lbs of ugly fat from your torso if you step up and follow these simple rules.
Here's the fat loss basics:
You need to create a caloric deficit - no two ways about it - you must burn more than you consume.
The most effective way to create that deficit is to use a combination of diet and exercise.
Your diet should consist of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Keep starches and refined carbs to a minimum. Keep your fluid intake high (iced water only), and try to eat at least 4-5 small meals per day. This will help maintain blood sugar levels and keep you from blowing your diet. Follow this plan 90% of the time (which means 32/35 meals need to be "on" - but also allows for one or two slip ups or missed meals).
Exercise - strength training and metabolic training will provide the most bang-for-your buck.
Try to exercise at least four days per week - two days of strength training and two days of metabolic training.
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