1. Avoid sugar and all calorie dense refined carbohydrates!
This has to be number one on the list because it is a major cause of obesity in developing countries across the world. It is now understood that very sweet foods stimulate the brain's reward system in a similar way to that of cocaine and gambling. The challenge for most of our ancestors throughout history was getting enough to eat to avoid starvation. It was important to feast on sweets and fats whenever available as a matter of survival. However, in modern society, where there is an abundance of quick release high-calorie food, our biological instincts work against us and when we consume these foods often we get fat! Things that may quickly turn you into a Yule hog; white bread, bagels, pasta, pastry, pizza bases, white rice, biscuits, granola, potato chips / crisps. 2. Eat a higher proportion of vegetables. Go on, go crazy. For weight loss to occur, the energy intake must be less than energy expenditure. This dietary energy deficit can be achieved by consuming quite a high volume of vegetables because they contain fewer calories. For example, 6 cups of cooked broccoli, 2 heads of romaine lettuce, 2 cups of blueberries, 1 apple, and 1 orange represent a large quantity of food but only adds up to 800 cal. As well as losing weight, a diet rich in fruit and vegetables can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, and lower the risk of eye and also digestive problems. 3. Slightly increase the amount of lean protein in your diet. Eating more protein has been shown to help people lose body fat (when combined with exercise) and maintain a stable weight after weight loss. Fish and poultry such as chicken and turkey are great sources of lean protein but you don't have to get your protein from meat as it can be obtained from a varied vegetarian diet. Nuts, beans, chickpeas, lentils, soya and peas are all rich in protein as well as important vitamins and minerals. 4. Eat foods high in monounsaturated fatty acids such as Avocados, Nuts, Olives and Sunflower seeds. Snacking on Almonds has been shown to be good at suppressing hunger and therefore halting cravings for the unhealthy alternatives. Avocado is also high in dietary fibre and several vitamins and minerals. Studies have linked avocado consumption to lower body weight, BMI, and reducing waist circumference. Fibre rich foods will reduce the rate at which sugar is released into the bloodstream and therefore helps prevent it from being stored as fat. 5. Eat slowly please, it's polite. Several studies have demonstrated that eating slowly can reduce calorie consumption and body weight. To feel full after eating, the brain must receive hormonal messages (such as cholecystokinin from the gut and leptin produced by fat cells). Research suggests that leptin has to interact with dopamine in the brain to produce the feeling of being full after eating. However, eating too fast does not allow enough time for these signals to meet, the result being that you do not feel full until you have eaten more than you should! 6. Stay well hydrated and drink water before a meal. Researchers from the University of Birmingham have found that drinking a bottle of water half an hour before each meal is a very effective weight loss strategy. The experiment was carried out over 12 weeks using obese adults. Participates in the study group who were instructed to ‘preload’ with water lost, on average, 1.3kg (2.87lbs) more than those in those who were in the control group. Also, staying hydrated increases mental alertness, metabolism and the activity of the nervous system, contributing to energy expenditure and therefore helping weight loss! 7. Sleep for 7-9 hours each night (every night!) This is a serious issue and usually when I tell people about this they give me that look like they are pretending to take me seriously but they really have absolutely no intention of doing anything about it. From a health perspective, inadequate sleep promotes systemic inflammation (ruins your immune system) and completely messes up the hormones in our body. Leptin is a hormone made by fat cells that decreases your appetite. Ghrelin is a hormone produced by cells in the stomach and pancreas which increases appetite. As well as making you annoyingly grumpy, a lack of sleep will lower leptin levels and increase ghrelin causing hunger and increased food consumption. 8. Use bacteria like they use you. The amount and type of the bacteria that exists in the gut has been shown to differ depending on whether you are lean or obese. This is because bacteria can influence how efficient the body is at extracting calories from food. Prebiotics are food ingredients that encourage the growth or activity of certain types of beneficial bacteria in the gut. They can be found in variety of foods such as vegetables and whole-grain cereals, and can be added in yoghurt. There are specific bacterial species such as Bifidobacterium spp. that have been actually been shown to reduce weight gain and fat mass. 9. Life is way too short to be stressed all the time. Stress is an evolutionary fight or flight response. In the past our ancestors would engage in some kind of physical activity when stressed (running away from the giant sabre toothed piglets or fighting them to survive). However, now we have the option of eating hedonic food, food makes us feel better, well for about as long as it takes to us to eat it. “Stress eating” and “self-medication with comfort foods" is very common in those who are having to deal with a stressful situation. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) discovered that mastering simple stress-reduction techniques helped prevent weight gain even without dieting. If you really cannot avoid stress then try to do something to reduce it, weight loss tip number 10 may help! 10. Exercise. I wonder if there was just one secret thing that would help me lose fat, whilst massively improving my overall health and would make me look good naked... That would be cool... Ryan Fearn: Personal trainer Canterbury References http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2015/08/Abottleofwaterbeforeeachmeal260815.aspx https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4901052/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-sugar-and-fat-trick-the-brain-into-wanting-more-food/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4111078/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4270213/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4121911/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4116579/ http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v67/n11/full/ejcn2013184a.html http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v68/n7/full/ejcn201439a.html https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/additional-protein-intake-limits-weight-regain-after-weight-loss-in-humans/29CB9EE1953ABE6A05000A80B3F19B73 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3545982/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1663443 http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-eating-slowly-may-help-you-feel-full-faster-20101019605 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706150639.htm http://nutrition.ucdavis.edu/info/perspectives/pastissues/2011/6np_novdec_11.pdf http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2016/01/26/ajcn.115.119339 http://www.nature.com/ajgsup/journal/v1/n1/full/ajgsup20125a.html http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7122/full/nature05414.html https://genomemedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13073-016-0303-2 http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v67/n8/full/ejcn2013116a.html
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Many people find that despite exercising and following diet plans, they do not shed body fat as quickly as they’d hoped. This is, understandably, demotivating and can lead people to give up, thinking that all that effort doesn’t make a difference! ‘I might as well drink all this wine tonight as I’m going to stay this weight anyway’. But there are some deep misconceptions and a general lack of awareness about how what we eat affects out body’s hormones-and this is one of the leading factors in preventing the body shredding fat.
The key hormone in this process is insulin. Reducing the amount of insulin your body makes, and increasing your body’s sensitivity to it, goes a great way towards reducing body fat, because: Less energy is stored in fat cells. We are also more sensitive to leptin, the hormone that stops us feeling hungry. How can you reduce levels of insulin? The first thing we should do is significantly reduce the amount of sugar in the diet. Completely cut out fizzy drinks, fruit juice, and flavoured water and, of course, sweet foods (cakes!) The sugar glucose is responsible for making the liver produce insulin. Less sugar in the blood means less insulin released into the blood steam. Eat more fibre. Eating food that is high in fibre will reduce the rate at which sugar enters the blood stream. There are plenty of foods packed full of this stuff, including beans, lentils, nuts and whole grains. Exercise. Yes it’s obvious that exercise is good for you but it’s also the quality of exercise that is particularly important. Muscles consume a lot of glucose. Exercise will increase their demand for more glucose, thus lowering blood sugar levels. This will not happen unless you have the correct quantity of quality weight training, high intensity training and some low intensity “cardio” in your fitness programme. Feel free to get in touch with me via my Facebook page if you are interested in finding out more. The other hormone that has a big impact on fat retention is Ghrelin. Ghrelin is the hormone that lurks around in the back of your mind telling you you want a doughnut on the way to work or encouraging you to eat your lunch at 10:30 – it’s the hunger hormone. Reducing levels of this hormone will help you to stop the snacking and not have to buy second lunch. If we have less of this hormone then we will have less desire to start snacking. How can you reduce levels of ghrelin? Eat a high protein breakfast! This could include omelettes, scrambled eggs, salmon or peanut butter. Protein reduces your hunger hormone, reduces insulin and requires more energy to break down. Don’t eat late in the evening. Night eating between 8pm – 6am is particularly risky. You are not going to burn calories quickly when you are asleep. [Unless you are one of those irritating people who thrash around] Sleep. Without adequate sleep your body will not be able to regulate blood sugar as effectively. It’s worth mentioning that sleep deprivation can also weaken the immune system, which will put a stop to any strenuous workouts you have planned. I would recommend reading Dr. Robert Lustig’s “Fat Chance: The Hidden Truth About Sugar, Obesity and Disease” for a more detailed explanation of these topics. 1. Set goals. How much weight do you want to lose each week / in total? What type of training will you do on each of these days? How many times are you going to train during the week? When can you make time to do it in your busy day? There is always time but sometimes you have to be a bit creative! Write out a timetable and stick it on your wall or highlight it in your diary. This is your time not anybody else's, it is only for one hour of your day so protect it.
2. Pick an exercise you either enjoy or something that will allow you to see progression. A faster time on your last series of sprints or lifting an extra few kilos more than the last session really helps you see how well you are improving! Each little improvement adds up and you will feel that bit more healthy and fitter each day. 3. During exercise, remind yourself that you have already done the hardest bit, you made it to the gym! Remember, you have goals, and it’s going to feel great when you reach them. If you are luckily enough to have achieved them before in the past then you already KNOW that you can do it! 4. Listen to your body and just do what you can. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting crazy unrealistic goals. When you don't achieve them you will just feel rubbish and it will be more likely that you will give up altogether. If you feel sick then have a day off, if you are tired then just do something light (both are fine, don't feel guilty). 5. Try and surround yourself with people who are positive, who encourage and support you. Or even better, train with them! Doing it alone can be tough. 6. If you fell off the wagon in the past then figure out why. Did you get distracted? Did you run out of money? Family commitments took over? It was too busy at work? Your gym routine was unexpectedly messed up by hundreds of surprise meetings, you have had six too many "treat days" that week, you fell ill for a few days and just didn't go back, the gym burnt down! Now come up with a plan to deal with these and other obstacles in the future. Get your focus back and find alternatives to life's obstacles that you can’t control. Ryan Fearn: Personal Trainer Canterbury 1. Make the commitment to a lifetime of fitness! There is little point going into training with the mindset "I will just do it for a month". This way of thinking might seem good for starting out but it offers up an available excuse to stop once the time period is done. Short term diet changes and training will make a small difference but the big changes require a big change in lifestyle that does not just happen over night.
2. Be honest with yourself. If you fail then it is so important to recognise the reasons why, be responsible to yourself and don't try to blame other external factors. The reason your body fat didn't budge this week is probably not because you were busy and had to go and see friends for dinner, it is more likely to be the knock on effects of what you choose to eat and drink before, during and after that occasion. 3. Improve your eating habits day by day based on a sound nutrition plan. You may need to make small changes at first. The most simple important step would be to get rid of processed carbohydrates (definitely sugars!), reduce alcohol intake and up your greens! Don't starve yourself either please! :) 4. Adjust your lifestyle so that you can "fit in" exercise. Bring your gym clothes to work so you can go straight after you finish, do some circuits at home in the living room (who cares if it looks weird) or go for a 30 minute run at the weekend before you start your day off. Ryan Fearn: Personal trainer canterbury Here are some of the key reasons why it works! - Increases your metabolic rate after the workout, known as the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) effect. - Improved Insulin sensitivity.Someone who is insulin-sensitive needs only a small amount of insulin to keep blood glucose levels in the normal range, supplying the body's cells with the glucose. An person insulin-resistant individual needs a lot more insulin to get the same blood-glucose-lowering effects. - Hormones that have been shown to increase during sprints include catecholamines, cortisol, and growth hormones. These hormones are largely responsible for fat release from both subcutaneous and intramuscular fat store. Ryan Fearn: Personal trainer canterbury We tried this 4 sets of this complex as part of a circuits session. It is really tough!
Barbell squats 10 reps, 70% max 1RM Box jumps 10 reps Lunges using the powerbag. 12 reps, slow at 50-60% 1RM Ryan Fearn: Personal trainer canterbury Practising jump position, second pull to clean and jerk.
These lifts provide an exhausting total body workout that can help transform body composition and improve strength, speed and flexibility. Common mistakes to try and avoid - Bending arms to try and pull the bar upward - Rounding shoulders puts stress on the lower back - Jumping off the ground Ryan Fearn: Personal trainer canterbury Protein!
Why? Protein prevents gains of body fat, reduced daily food intake and feelings of hunger, and stabilised glucose levels. The protein in eggs and salmon take longer to breakdown than traditional cereal based breakfasts and therefore will not lead to a spike in blood sugar. Don't skip breakfast! Ryan Fearn: Personal trainer canterbury This is such a tough exercise and most of my clients find it hits the thighs after just a few reps! It is perfect to do at home because it requires no equipment and works all the body. Stand up straight and then walk out into a plank position using your hands. Keep the body in this position without allowing the hips to drop and then walk back into a standing position again. Put this exercise into a small circuit to get your heart rate up quickly!
Ryan Fearn: Personal trainer canterbury The soft texture of sand reduces the stress caused by the impact of running. However running through sand is still very challenging and it will require more effort and therefore burns more calories than on harder surfaces. Tyre flipping requires the work of pretty much every muscle in the body! great for building strength and for burning fat. Ryan Fearn: Personal trainer canterbury |
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Canterbury Strength Weightlifting Club
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