When I go shopping I almost never go down the food isles in the middle of the shop because it’s pretty much all processed and refined foods. But the other day, I ran out of coconut oil so I made a quick stop at the new Sainsbury’s in Sunderland to pick some up.  I know that many supermarkets still don’t stock coconut oil, so I knew that I was taking a chance but I really didn’t want to battle traffic and fight for a parking space in the town centre just so I could go to Holland and Barrett, so I decided to give it a shot.

Since I wasn’t familiar with the layout of the shop, I started to look for the signs above the isles for cooking oils, and when I found the aisle…(not to my surprise)…I couldn’t find any coconut oil. As a last ditch effort I decided to asked the shop assistant if they sold coconut oil, and much to my surprise she said that they do and I would be able to find it in the “health food” aisle.  Great! So I headed down the “health food” aisle to look for the coconut oil, and that’s when I noticed all of the so-called health foods that were in the aisle.

Honestly, other than the coconut oil and a few other things, I couldn’t identify any other products that I would consider healthy, just processed foods and drinks marketed as being healthy.  And one of the most obvious themes in that aisle was ‘fat free’ or ‘reduced fat’.

Dietary fat has been the scape goat for the UK’s ever expanding waist line for a long time now and it’s difficult to simply erase the stigma it carries.  As well as many food companies still pushing ‘healthy foods’ that are really high in sugar…it’s no wonder that people are completely confused.

I don’t want to sound like a proponent for all things fatty, because there are bad fats and even good fats can be bad if you combine it with certain foods…in particular foods high in sugar.  However, fat can be the ultimate scale tipper IF you eat proper foods.  I mean that literally because consuming enough fats in your your diet can make a huge difference in your body weight and body composition.  But this is only the case if you’re restricting your sugar intake.

Keep in mind that not all sugars are created equal either.  You want to eliminate all refined sugars and stick to getting naturally occurring sugars from whole foods such as vegetables and fruits.  Although I would recommend staying away from eating too many fruits, especially those with very high sugar contents like bananas, mangoes, grapes.

I have believed in low carb eating for sometime now, (hence the Nutritional Responsibility Guide that my clients stick to) but I know that if you don’t eat the right foods it can be difficult to stick to.  Some of the common complaints people have are low energy, increased hunger and feeling weak.

When you first lower your carb intake you’ll notice that your energy level goes down.  Some people will notice it more than others, but it’s completely normal and it’s just your body going through withdrawals from not being able to get energy from sugar sources.  If you stick it out this will pass.  It may take up to 3 weeks or longer depending on how dependent you were on sugar, but your body will eventually learn to get energy from other sources, which in this case is mostly fat.

The other problem is hunger and feeling of weakness.  This is more to do with lack of calories.  As soon as you cut down on your carbs you’re automatically cutting your calories.  The mistake that people make is to try and make up the calories by consuming more proteins.  Although you should be eating ample amounts of protein, most people simply can not eat enough protein to make up for the calories loss.  Protein is vital but it’s not meant to be eaten alone…you need fat with it.  In fact when you’re eating low carb the single biggest mistake that people make is not eating enough fat.  Not eating enough fat makes you hungry and weak.

You see, when you opt for these ‘low-fat’ or ‘fat free’ items you are missing out on key nutrients that your body NEEDS!

As long you’re consuming enough fat with your protein and not over training you should be able to easily sustain a low carb diet without ever feeling hungry or weak.

So if you’re still stuck in the mindset that eating fat it bad…you need to let it go.  And if you’re currently on a low carb diet and are struggling to sustain it because of constant hunger and weakness, make sure to increase your dietary fat intake.  If you’re unsure of what kinds of fat to consume, here are my recommendation of healthy fats: coconut oil and other coconut products (like coconut butter, coconut milk), olive oil, avocados, fatty meat (grass-fed), salmon (any cold water fish) and nuts (in moderation).

Thanks for reading,

Graham

P.S. When you’re on a low carb diet, you need to make sure that the fitness program seamlessly works with the diet.  Most fitness programs will have you do too much and your body simply can’t sustain the necessary energy needed to finish the program when you’re restricting your carbohydrates.  If you’re looking for a fitness program that’s designed to work with a low carb diet, then G-Low Fitness Academy workouts are for you.  They are specifically designed to maximize fat burning while maintaining your lean muscles so you can get stronger and more fit…all while being on a low carbohydrate eating plan.  And although it’s not easy…in fact it’s quite challenging…the rewards are well worth it.  If you’re ready to put in the work and reap the rewards of getting lean and fit, then boot camp or personal training is for you.

The important thing is to get back on track as soon as you can!

Once you have had a slip up, if you don’t jump back into action quickly you will become lazy and lose focus on what you’re trying to achieve.

Some people go off the rails for a day, some a few days, some weeks, and dare I say it some go off the rails and never get back on!

The LONGER you leave it, the bigger chance you have of NEVER achieving your weight loss goals!

I’m going to tell you how I fell off the rails over the Easter break and then I’ll tell you my 5 best ways to get you back on the road to success….

When the Easter holiday was approaching I told myself I would stay disciplined and eat clean. I was in the right frame of mind up until good Friday when I took some chocolate treats to boot camp for my boot campers to enjoy.

As part of the workout the boot campers had to collect eggs from a basket (some of them had chocolate in). If they chose an egg with chocolate inside they had to do 15 burpees to burn some of the calories off before they consumed them

At the end of the workout there were a few chocolate bunnies left. I gave in and had 3 little chocolates, they were my favourite Lindt chocolates I couldn’t resist! That was enough to send me off the rails for the whole bank holiday weekend.

Saturday night we invited some friends to the house for a takeaway, I had a chicken kebab from Grill n Chill in Seaham. Sunday I had dinner at my parents house which included hot cross buns, chocolate eggs etc. On Monday my son Max had a stack full of chocolate built up on the kitchen table. Hes only 9 months old so I thought he would need a hand getting rid of them so I kindly polished his milky button egg off.

Anyway, you get the point, I totally pigged out!

And I bet a lot of people reading this did the same thing. After all, its Easter and I think most people let their hair down when a holiday comes around.

But like I always say, when you have a slip up it’s important that you get back on track asap! On Tuesday I done 5 things to get me back on my healthy eating plan. You can do them too.

Here are my 5 tips to getting back on track….

1. Get all the bad food out of the house to avoid temptation. If its lying around the kitchen at some point it will be eaten, even with all the will power in the world! So get rid of unhealthy foods. That doesn’t mean you need to throw everything in the bin. You could put things that will keep in a box and put it in your garden shed out of the way. Or somewhere where it’s not easy to get your hands on. Or, you could give things like chocolate eggs to friends or family. At least it’s not going to waste

2. Get weighed – You may be scared to step on those scales because you know you will be disappointed in yourself.  But, flip it round, turn that disappointment into a fierce determination to get what you want!

It also gives you a fresh starting point. Imagine, in a weeks time when you are feeling better in yourself and know you have lost a little bit of weight, you want to know how much you have lost, right? If you don’t weigh yourself to start with you will never know how much progress you have made.

3. Prepare every meal for the first few days until you are back into the swing of things. Write down on a piece of paper every meal (even snacks) that you are going to have 3 days in advance. Write a shopping list and make sure you have all of the ingredients in the house. Do as much preparation for each meal now so that when it comes to meal times most of the work is already done. This will reduce the chances of picking up some fast food when you are in a rush.

4. Stock your cupboards with healthy snacks so you don’t go long periods of time without food. If you don’t snack in between meals there’s a good chance you will start to feel hungry. When hunger sets in, you get lots of cravings and you want to avoid that if you can. Stock up on things like unsalted nuts, fruit, berries etc.

5. Get out and put yourself through a tough workout. It will be hard at first and will take some determination to push yourself through it, but it will give you a good sense of achievement when you are done.

When you workout it releases endorphins (the feel good hormone) in your body and you will feel healthy, refreshed and full of life again!

So, if you are the same as me and went off the rails over Easter go and give these 5 steps a go.

Graham

The world of supplements is a mine field, but I’m hoping by the time you have read through the content I will have cleared up all of your questions.

At the end of the article I will show and tell you which supplements I personally take and why I take them. Plus I will show you a picture of inside my knee!!! (sounds a bit random I know haha, but keep reading)

Supplements:

If you make every effort to eat the right things, it’s certainly possible to maintain a healthy diet through food alone, but sometimes supplements can help. If you’re taking on a serious training programme or find yourself short of cooking time – or both – supplements are a simple and convenient way to get all the nutrients you need to build a strong, lean body.

Like I said earlier, buying supplements can be baffling because there are so many to choose from. I have added my top 8 below. That’s not to say you need to go out and buy all 8 supplements though! Read through each one and work out which ones you may benefit from.

1. Whey Protein – When taken in conjunction with a good nutrition and exercise programme whey protein helps you gain lean

  muscle mass. Here is a simple equation to why it works…

More lean muscle mass = Increased metabolism = More fat burned!

Ladies, don’t worry, you’re not going to look like Jodie Marsh after a couple of protein shakes. Over time it will make you look leaner but it will never make you look like a body builder!!!

Plus, whey protein helps speed up recovery after those tough sessions. To get the best results, drink a protein shake as soon as possible after a workout to start the recovery process straight away.

Whey protein comes in a powder form and can be mixed with water or milk to make a protein shake. It can also be added to smoothies and juices if you want extra flavour.

I recommend Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein.

I could go into a lot more detail about protein but Im trying to keep this short and to the point. However, if you want to learn more you can download my free e-book ‘Your Guide To Buying The Right Protein Supplement’. http://www.glowfitnessacademy.com/e-books/

2. Matcha Green Tea

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1999) found that green tea can increase thermogenesis by 35-43% and thermogenesis is one way of raising your daily energy expenditure. So, drinking green tea can increase thermogenesis, which in turn can increase your daily energy expenditure (i.e. burning more calories).

Also, a study in 2008 found that green tea ingestion ‘can increase fat oxidation during moderate intensity exercise’ So, if you are planning a little workout, why not try taking a shot of matcha half an hour before.

I recommend Teapigs Matcha Green Tea.

G-Low Fitness Academy is an official stockist of Teapigs. I have a couple of these left in stock. If you would like some drop me an email and I will get it sent out to you asap.

3. Krill Oil

Krill oil is oil from a tiny, shrimp-like animal. Baleen whales, mantas, and whale sharks eat primarily krill. In Norwegian, the word “krill” means “whale food.” People extract the oil from krill, place it in capsules, and use it for medicine.

Krill oil is packed full of omega 3 fatty acids.

Omega-3s sourced from krill are more effective than fish oil in combating some metabolic symptoms, including raised fat levels in the heart and liver and violent mood swings.

In a recent study researchers found that both fish-sourced and krill-sourced omega-3 fats are effective in reducing fat levels, but krill is more effective.

The researchers found that, when parameters associated with obesity were considered, krill oil reduced rat heart fat levels by 42 percent, compared to 2 percent for fish oils.

In the liver, a 60 percent reduction was observed for krill, 38 percent for fish oil. Fat build up in the liver can lead to insulin insensitivity and cause type 2 diabetes.

4. Multi Vitamin

I always recommend taking a multivitamin with added minerals for extra nutrient support. Specific minerals such as iron, selenium and zinc help to facilitate weight loss by waking up and nourishing the thyroid gland.

You could also consider CoQ10, a vitamin-like compound that aids in the production of 95 percent of the body’s energy, and is also a thermogenic, meaning it increases metabolism causing the body to burn fat faster. Thermogenic supplements are intended (and taken) specifically to increase your metabolism, which helps you burn fat and sugar. CoQ10 has been clinically proven in studies to help burn calories faster.

5. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a natural hormone produced by the body when exposed to sunlight or acquired through diet and supplementation. Its shown to play a critical role in increasing the metabolic energy of fat cells faster weight loss benefits.

New scientific research on Vitamin D revealed its natural ability to make fat cells become more metabolically active for quicker weight loss and better toxic waste elimination.

As well as its weight loss benefits, its also known to help support a healthy bone structure and aid in several health challenges like

• targets belly fat first
• turns body into fat burning mode instead of fat storing mode
• high blood pressure
• helps form stronger bones to fight osteoporosis
• helps protect against different cancers
• boosts natural immune system
• reduces inflammation & joint stiffness
• effects the ‘i’m full to brain’ leptin hormone

6. Zink

Found in meats, nuts and seafood, zinc is a mineral that is required for enzymatic reactions and proper immune function in the body. Zinc is a mineral that is required for enzymatic reactions and proper immune function in the body.

Research suggests that zinc boosts fat-burning hormones leptin and thyroid, which help induce fat loss.

7. Magnesium

Magnesium and the B-complex vitamins are energy nutrients: they activate enzymes that control digestion, absorption, and the utilization of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Lack of these necessary energy nutrients causes improper utilization of food, leading to such far-ranging symptoms as hypoglycemia, anxiety, and obesity.

Food craving and overeating can be simply a desire to continue eating past fullness because the body is, in fact, craving nutrients that are missing from processed food. You continue to eat empty calories that pack on the pounds but get you no further ahead in your nutrient requirements.

Magnesium is also necessary in the chemical reaction that allows insulin to usher glucose into cells, where glucose is involved in making energy for the body. If there is not enough magnesium to do this job, both insulin and glucose become elevated. The excess glucose gets stored as fat and contributes to obesity. Having excess insulin puts you on the road toward diabetes.

The connection between stress and obesity cannot be overlooked. The stress chemical cortisol signals a metabolic shutdown that makes losing weight almost impossible. It’s as if the body feels it is under an attack such that it must hoard all its resources, including fat stores, and won’t let go of them under any inducement. Magnesium can effectively neutralize the effects of stress.

8. Flaxseed Oil

A high content of good Omega 3 fatty acids is the important fact related to weight loss and flax.

Flaxseed contains 42 percent of oil, out of which 70 percent is polyunsaturated fat that is essential for your health -our body cannot make it on it’s own and needs a nutritious source in order to be healthy.

It is the healthy Omega 3 fats found in what we eat, ie Flax Omega 3, that tell our brain we are full and that we don’t need to eat for a while.

You could eat low fat foods all day long on a special diet and STILL not feel full! How frustrating! (for you and for your body!)

Flax is essential as it contains Omega 3 polyunsaturated fats that help you REALLY feel full!

Ok, so they are my top 8 supplements for weight loss. Some of them may not be for you, so it’s important that you do more research into each of them before you decide on which ones you take.

Here are the 5 supplements I take

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100 % Whey Protein.

I have 1 protein shake every day after a workout, It helps me gain lean muscle mass and it helps speed up my recovery after those hard sessions.

Omega 3 Krill Oil (Holland & Barrett)

I take my krill oil every morining to get the essential omega 3 fatty acids my body needs.

Glucosamine Sulphate (Boots)

This one isn’t on the list above because it doesn’t really affect weight loss. I take it because it helps strengthen my joints.

In 2005 my football career was cut short due to a knee injury. I shattered my knee cap playing football and I had to have reconstructive surgery on my knee. In short detail, they had to detach my quadriceps muscles from below my knee cap and peel the muscle back so they could remove the shattered pieces of bone. The surgeon said that a quarter of my knee cap was shattered into little bits like rice crispies. Once they removed the shattered bit they then had reattach my muscle using pins. Nice eh?

Anyway, after the operation I was told that it was highly likely that I would get arthritis in my knee when I was older. So in order to combat that I have taken Glucosamine Sulphate ever since. Here’s why…

Glucosamine is used to help the body to repair damaged joints and this process can be slowed down by a lack of glucosamine in the joints.

Many scientific studies have shown that glucosamine improves joint pain and medically-approved measures of severity of osteoarthritis. The results of studies conducted between 1980 and 2002 were pooled, standardised and reviewed in 2003. The conclusion drawn was that glucosamine is effective for the relief of osteoarthritic symptoms both in terms of symptom relief e.g. pain and in improving the structure of joints.

If you have joint aches and pains this supplement could help.

Oh, and here’s the picture I promised you of inside my knee. This is when they were removing the rice crispies

Energise Effervescent – (Asda)

This is a multivitamin like berocca. I get Asda’s own brand because it is cheaper and you get more in the packet, and the ingredients are EXACTLY the same!

Energise effervescent contains vitamin B and C and essential minerals. The magnesium and B vitamins help you release your energy and offer a healthy way to stay on top form. Its free from caffeine, sugar and artificial stimulants.

Matcha Green Tea

I have matcha with my mid morning smoothie. I mix together some frozen berries, fresh fruit, natural yougurt and one serving of Matcha. It gives me a great boost when I most need it.

I hope this has given you a little more of an insight into supplements. If you have any questions dont hesitate to ask. Head over to my facebook page to ask any questions.

Thanks

Graham

Ok don’t get too excited, that doesn’t mean I have found a quick and easy way lose weight. I haven’t had liposuction or been taking diet pills.

I’ll never do that because I actually LOVE working hard to get my results, it’s really rewarding!

But, I do CHEAT every now and again.

What I am talking about is CHEAT MEALS.

Cheat meals can have a real positive effect on you physically and mentally when you are on your weight loss journey!

I’m going to tell you the 3 main points about HOW and WHY cheat meals work…

First though, let me tell you how I first discovered cheat meals. About 6 years ago before I moved to Dubai during my personal training course my tutor spent half a day talking about them. At the time I thought he was crazy!

I thought, how can you be on a diet trying to lose weight but then sometimes eat what you want? Doesn’t that contradict itself?

Then he started telling me the science behind it. I must admit I still wasn’t convinced!

When the course had finished and I passed all of the exams, an opportunity came my way of working as a personal trainer in Dubai. I jumped at the chance!

As soon as I found out I had got the job I hit the gym and started a clean diet. I wanted to get lean to look my best for when I was chilling on the beach

But, after about 5-6 weeks I hit a plateau with my weight loss. I couldn’t work out why. I was working just as hard in the gym, my diet was still clean, in fact perfect!

I thought back to that day when I was told about cheat meals and thought I’d give it a go…

To cut a long story short (because Im rambling on a bit now haha), a few days after my first cheat meal the pounds started to drop again. Let me explain why…

DONT WORRY, I’m not going to baffle you with science I am going to tell you very simply, 2 ways how cheat meals work!

1. Lets imagine you are on a calorie controlled diet. When you restrict calories your metabolic rate slows down as your body adapts to the low calorie intake.
For example, if you require 2000 calories per day, and your diet programme is providing 1400 calories, your body will become used to this low calorie intake and over time your metabolic rate will slow down as your body wants to hang on to those valuable calories. We call this ‘starvation mode’.

How quickly your metabolic rate will slow down depends on how severe your diet is and how lean you are to start with, but your metabolic rate will definitely slow down over long periods of dieting.

So, a cheat meal simply tricks your metabolism into thinking that the famine that is occurring is not, which in turn will keep your metabolism high.

2. Apart from the metabolic affect, I think the most important part of a cheat meal lies in the psychological factors.

If you plan a day in your week to have one cheat meal, it will change your whole mindset of the diet. You will have something to look forward to, it will motivate you to stay focused during the week and it will probably help you stick to your diet for longer.

As you may have experienced at some point when you are on a diet for a longer period of time, your cravings will begin to intensify. These cravings can be very strong and sometimes may even stop you from continuing with the diet. Cheat meals satisfy those cravings and keep you motivated to continue with your healthy eating plan.

So, although it may be hard to get your head around, give a cheat meal a go as it really does have its benefits.

Here’s how we plan our cheat meals in our house…

We normally have our cheat meal on a weekend, as this is the time when we tend to go off the rails. Knowing we are going to treat ourselves to a cheat meal helps reduce cravings for things like fast food and alcohol at the weekend. It also gives us motivation and something to look forward to during the week.

Sometimes I use my cheat meal at those awkward times when I cannot find a healthy option. Like when I’m at a birthday party or going out for a meal with the family. Or even when I’m out shopping and I need something quick.

Enjoy!

Graham

P.s. please remember, although cheat meals are good, ONLY ONE PER WEEK and try to control portion size! Don’t go crazy and start having a cheat meal every day. You still need to be disciplined!

Two weeks ago I went away for the weekend for my brother Adams 21st birthday. There was about 30 friends/family and we rented a few holiday homes in Pickering, Yorkshire. The place was great, it was out of the way so we couldn’t disturb anyone and it had a private swimming pool! I actually had a great workout in the pool, I might post this later if anyone is interested?

Anyway, I was a little nervous about going away for the full weekend because I had been eating clean since January 1st and didn’t want to ruin all my hard work. You know what its like when you go away for a party weekend – its full of unhealthy food and alcohol.

I went away with all intentions of sticking to the nutritional responsibility plan (if you haven’t already downloaded it you can get it here www.glowfitnessacademy.com/nutritional-respsonsibility-the-guide/). Myself, Vikki and Max travelled down on the Friday night after Seaburn boot camp. By the time we got there the party was well under way, the drink was flowing and the tables were full of party food.

Immediately, everyone greeted us and offered us a drink. There was everything you could imagine, champagne, wine, vodka, whiskey, gin etc etc. As much as I tried to say no, I thought it would be rude not to celebrate my brothers birthday with a drink. So I thought one Jack Daniels and coke wasn’t going to hurt…

You know where this is going, right?

Yep, 4,5,6,7,  glasses later I was quite merry! But, although I had a good drink I managed to avoid the table of unhealthy food so I was pretty chuffed with that.

That was the first drink I had in about 8 weeks and I felt horrendous the next day. I woke up in the morning with a banging head ache and furry teeth! When I managed to drag myself out of bed to get a shower, in an attempt to freshen up, the smell of bacon sandwiches wafted out of the kitchen. Just what I needed to sort out this hangover – or so I thought.

I scoffed my way through 2 bacon sandwiches and a cup of coffee at breakfast. When lunch time came  I still wasn’t feeling too good and decided to join everyone in having fish and chips. On top of that I had other snacks throughout the day. The whole day was packed full of foods containing wheat and gluten.

What happened next shocked me! I hadnt eaten wheat or gluten for over seven weeks and I forgot the effects it can have on your body. Here are the three main things I noticed…

1. I noticed within the first 30 minutes of eating the two bacon sandwiches that I had instant bloating. It felt like I had a big pot belly! That morning I had a skype chat with a friend in Dubai and he commented that my face looked puffy and swollen, and that’s because when you have wheat and gluten it actually retains water and can make you look more bloated around the face and stomach. It also causes gastrointestinal inflammation and can lead to bloating in the GI tract.

2. I had problems going to the toilet for a couple of days and it gave me really bad indigestion. Gluten is the Latin word for glue. It binds up and becomes glue like in the stomach and it becomes difficult to pass through the digestive system, so you can end up with digestive issues. When you get digestive issues you are not going to take up all the nutrients you should be from the foods you eat. It can take 7-14 days to flush the wheat and gluten out of your system.

3. If you attend boot camp or personal training session you may have noticed I have had a cold for the last couple of weeks. That’s because wheat and gluten can reduce your immune system by 70%. I first noticed the cold appearing on the Monday, the first day after the weekend away. So I think the alcohol, wheat and gluten combined lowered my immune system and I imagine I have picked up a cold because of that.

Because my diet had been clean for over 7 weeks I had forgotten the side effects wheat and gluten can have so that weekend away really hit me hard. The important thing is I am back on track now and feeling great!

If you have little slip ups like this it’s really important that you get back on track right away otherwise you will find yourself on a slippery slope and before you know it you will be back into all of your old habits.

Sometimes, I think it’s important to have these little slip ups so you realise how badly your body can be affected by these things. You can learn from the mistakes and eliminate the things that make you feel bad from your diet.

Have you had any experiences like this? I would love to hear of your little slip ups. Im sure other people can learn from your mistakes too. If you would like to share them leave a comment on my facebook page www.facebook.com/glowfitnessacademy

I always considered myself to be quite a good sleeper. Id normally get that recommended eight hours sleep per night. But, about eight months ago my son Max was born and that sleeping pattern changed a bit. Actually, a lot!

After Max was born my sleeping time was reduced to about 6-7 hours of broken up sleep. To be honest I felt ok with this amount of sleep at first but it started to catch up with me and after a couple of weeks I noticed that my weight loss had slowed down.

Leading up to Max’s birth I was on a detox because I wanted to be in good shape when he arrived. I wanted to look good in those first baby photos (I know I’m a bit vein haha).

Anyway like I said, my weight loss had slowed down, but I hadn’t changed my eating habits, in fact they were probably better after he was born, and my training was constantly progressing. I couldn’t put my finger on why I stopped losing weight.

Until about 3 or 4 weeks after Max was born, when I was on my to a personal training session in Boldon. I was listening to BBC radio Newcastle in the car and they had a doctor on the show answering questions about sleep. I was listening carefully because I thought I might be able to get a few tips on how to get Max into better sleeping patterns.

They didnt speak about sleeping patterns for babies but what they did talk about changed my own sleeping patterns and it had a HUGE affect on my weight loss! Keep reading…

There were loads of callers on the show firing questions at the doctor (I can’t remember his name) and he was giving out lots of very good tips! I thought that I would try a few of who them to see if I could improve my sleeping.

This is what I done to change my routine and I’d recommend it to anyone who doesn’t get a good night sleep…

1. Get into a routine of going to bed at the same time every night. The human body is a very good adapter, it will adapt to change quite quickly, whether its with exercise, nutrition, sleep etc. If you get into a routine of going to bed at the same time every night your body will adapt and become used to that routine. So, let’s say you make your bed time 10pm, after a few weeks your body will adapt and automatically relate bed time to 10pm.

I used to go to bed at different times every night, sometimes 9 o’clock, sometimes 10 o’clock, sometimes after midnight. My body never knew when to shut down. I tried this technique – I set myself a target of going to bed at 10pm every night. It was hard at first, sometimes I had to really battle with myself to go to bed when I wasn’t tired. But it definitely paid off. Now when it gets to 10pm my body automatically starts to unwind and relax and I know its time for bed.

Here’s a quick scenario for you…

What happens when a new baby is born? What do most people tell you to do straight away? Get the baby into a sleeping pattern, right?

You get the baby into a routine as early as possible, don’t you? with Max we bath him at 6:30 every night, read him a story, do a little bit of baby massage (he loves it, he almost lies back with his hands behind his head), give him his bottle and hes in bed by 7:00-7:15 every night. He now sleeps like a baby (excuse the pun) from 7:30pm-7am!

Why should adults be any different? We all need a good sleeping pattern. I’m not saying you need a massage and a bottle every night but getting into going to bed at the same time every night can really help. Give it a go!

2. Read a book in bed. This was a big one for me. I HATE READING!!! I would rather watch TV or listen to music any day than read a book. I find it really boring. But after listening to the doctor on the radio I decided to give it a go.

See, when you open a book and start reading, it focuses your attention on one thing. You get engrossed in the book and your attention is solely in one place. You don’t think about anything else other than that book. Within no time your body starts to unwind and relax and your eye lids start to feel heavy.

Sometimes you may even fall asleep with the book in your hands. It normally only takes me about 20 minutes before I’m feeling really sleepy!

Give this a go, it really works. You can read anything, auto biographies, fiction, self help books etc etc.  I’m not a big fiction fan so at the moment Im reading ‘The 7 habits of highly effective people’ by Stephen R Covey. It’s a really good book, Id really recommend it!

3. Don’t eat just before bed, try to leave at least an hour or two if possible.

Why?

When you relax and unwind and get ready for sleeping, your body wants to shut down and do 1 thing… SLEEP!

If you eat just before bed, your body needs to do 2 things, digest the food you have just eaten and try relax/unwind. Your body cannot totally shut down, it needs to go to work on digesting!

So let your body have a break and let it switch off at bed time. Try to eat your last meal or snack at least an hour before bed.

So, there’s the three things that I changed to improve my sleeping patterns but I guess you are wondering how that affects weight loss?

Well, it’s down to hormones when we sleep. In fact two specific hormones called ghrelin and leptin.

Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin.

Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.

More ghrelin + less leptin = weight gain.

You are eating more, plus your metabolism is slower when you are sleep-deprived!

Go ahead and give these three techniques a chance to work and see if it makes a difference in your weight loss journey.

Thanks for your time reading my post today. Keep checking for my next post about ‘wheat and gluten and how I ended up with a puffy face!’

While there are many reasons that people fail to achieve their New Year’s resolutions, one of the most common is the lack of a clear plan. People say they are going to eat healthy or try to lose weight but they don’t take it any further than that.

If you’ve been guilty of this in the past, then today I’m here to help. In this article I’m going to be focusing on one specific dietary change and explaining how adding blueberries to your diet can help you achieve all your health and fitness based New Year’s resolutions.

Why Blueberries?

If you keep up to date with health and fitness news, then you’ll be well aware that blueberries are constantly billed as one of the healthiest foods on the planet. A single cup serving adds a minimal 84 calories to your daily intake but also contains plenty of fiber, manganese, vitamin C and vitamin K. However, the real beauty of blueberries lies in the anthocyanins they contain. The anthocyanins are a group of powerful, health boosting nutrients with a long list of health benefits and blueberries are one of the richest food sources. By eating blueberries, you can take advantage of these health boosting properties of anthocyanins which include:

- Fighting cancer

- Keeping your blood healthy

- Preventing diabetes

- Reducing inflammation within your body

- Supporting a healthy heart

Foods To Substitute For Blueberries

Blueberries are naturally very sweet but actually contain very little sugar, with an entire cup of these powerful fruits packing less than 100 calories. This makes them the perfect substitute for sweet treats which often contain hundreds of calories per serving and very few nutrients. By swapping any of the sweet snacks below for blueberries, you’ll get to enjoy all the health benefits listed above and also reduce your daily caloric intake:

- Cakes

- Candy

- Chocolate

- Cookies

Serving Suggestions For Blueberries

Blueberries taste fantastic on their own and make a perfect sweet treat in their natural form. However, if you want to get a little creative and add some variety to the way you eat blueberries, check out the serving suggestions below:

1) Blueberries & Oatmeal: Prepare your oatmeal as normal and then top with blueberries to give it a sweet, juicy twist.

2) Blueberry Blast Smoothie: Place a cup of frozen blueberries and a cup of frozen raspberries into a blender and blend until the berries are combined and frothy for a tangy, blueberry infused smoothie.

3) Blueberries & Greek Yogurt: Place a portion of Greek yogurt in a bowl and top with blueberries for a snack that’s naturally creamy and sweet.

Summary

I hope this article gives you a boost with your health and fitness based New Year’s resolutions. While blueberries alone aren’t enough to clean up your entire diet or help you lose weight, by having a clear plan and making small, consistent changes to your diet, you’re much more likely to succeed. Do this a few times with a few different foods and before you know it, your entire diet will be much healthier and those unwanted pounds will start to melt away.

In this article I’m going to be providing you with one of these specific actions and discussing how drinking more green tea this New Year can enhance your overall health and help you lose weight.

Why Green Tea?

Green tea is one of the most talked about health foods on the planet. However, unlike most health foods which get lots of media attention, green tea lives up to the hype. The reason green tea is so good for you is that it’s packed full of a group of health boosting nutrients called flavan-3-ols. These flavan-3-ols in green tea have numerous benefits in the human body which include:

-       Keeping your blood healthy

-       Keeping your heart healthy

-       Minimizing the severity of allergies

-       Protecting against cancer

-       Strengthening your immune system

Drinks To Substitute For Green Tea

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to stay fit and healthy is not paying attention to their liquid calories. They’ll count the calories they eat with scientific precision but then they’ll go and gulp down a sugar filled drink without thinking twice. Green tea contains zero calories, so if you’re currently guilty of not paying attention to your liquid calories, drinking more green tea can cut the amount you consume and help you lose weight. So, if you drink any of the following drinks on a regular basis, substitute them for a cup of green tea and watch the pounds melt away:

-       Beer

-       Liqueur

-       Milkshakes

-       Soda

-       Store bought coffees

Serving Suggestions For Green Tea

Although green tea is very good for you and can help you lose weight, many people find the grassy taste overpowering. So, if you’re not a huge fan of the natural taste of green tea, try one of the serving suggestions below:

1)    Green Tea Lemon: While your green tea is steeping, add a slice of lemon to the cup to infuse it with a sweet, citrus flavor.

2)    Green Tea Smoothie: Place a chilled cup of green tea into a blender along with a selection of your favorite fruits and blend all the ingredients until they’re frothy for a sweet, fruity green tea smoothie.

3)    Iced Green Tea: Place some green tea leaves along with a selection of your favorite fruits and herbs into a bowl. Then add hot water to the bowl and let the ingredients steep for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, strain the mixture into a large jug and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour to create a refreshing iced green tea.

Summary

While green tea is something of an acquired taste, drinking it can help boost your health in countless ways. Plus, since it contains zero calories, the more green tea you drink, the less liquid calories you’ll consume and the more weight you’ll lose. So get the kettle boiling, brew up a cup of this hot healthy drink and start taking your first steps towards achieving your health and fitness based New Year’s resolutions today.

Recommendation

The green tea I recommend is Teapigs Mao Feng. G-Low Fitness Academy is an official stockist of Teapigs and Mao Feng green tea is priced at £11 for a box of 50 tea temples. If you would like a box, please contact me via email info@glowfitnessacademy.com or phone 07875548880.

Like smoking, drinking, and drug abuse, overeating is a strong habit that will require a fair amount of determination to overcome. This is one of the main reasons why so many people hop from diet to diet, fad to fad – never quite sticking to one long enough to see results. They are seeking the “easy way,” not realizing that no plan is going to be easy because they have some deeply ingrained habits that need to be broken, and that is always a challenge no matter which weight loss plan they choose.

Does weight loss seem this difficult for you too?

If so, you’ll be glad to know that there are things you can do to make the process a little bit easier, and it all begins in your head.

First, you may be surprised to realize that most of the actions you take on a daily basis stem from your mind-set. A very negative mind-set will trigger you to take negative actions. (Example: have you ever had a bad day and ended up blowing your diet because you just didn’t care about reaching your goals in that moment?)

Just like your own thoughts can work against you, you can turn them around and make them work FOR you.

Start by making a decision that you are going to improve your eating and exercise habits no matter how challenging it may be at first. Commit to sticking with it and not quitting, not hopping to another program – no matter how long it takes to reach your goal.

Next, build yourself up! Start each day by encouraging yourself. Tell yourself that you CAN do this. You CAN make wise choices about the foods you eat. You CAN start exercising and getting in better shape. Tell yourself that it’s okay to go at your own pace because you will get stronger and pick up the pace eventually.

The more you build yourself up, the more likely you are to keep moving forward instead of quitting.
If you have a bad day, don’t let it destroy everything you’ve accomplished so far. Acknowledge that you’re not feeling so positive right now, and do what you can to make yourself feel better – NOT using food or other substances, but through healthy activities like walking, meditation, dancing, resting – whatever you have to do to get through another day, do what you can. And promise yourself that tomorrow will be better.

These may seem like small, inconsequential moves but you’d be amazed to realize just how much power your thoughts have over everything you do, or don’t do. Create the right mind-set for successful weight loss, and your weight loss will be successful!

SEABURN

Autumn

Chris

Michael

Untitled

Wendy has lost over 7 stones and gone from a size 34 to 16 within 9 months!!!

Taylor lost over 5 stones in 6 months!

Chloe lost over 2 inches from her waist in just 4 weeks!

Claire dropped 32 lbs & 7 inches off waist in 4 months!

Claire lost 26 lbs, and went from a dress size 16 to a 12 - All done in 4 months!

Emma lost nearly 5 stones and went from a size 18 to 10!

Janine lost over 3 1/2 stone, and went from a dress size 18 to 12 in three months!

Marina lost 2 stones and 6 inches in three months!

Chris lost 18lbs, 9.3% body fat and 3.5 inches from his waist

Wordpress Slideshow

I am happy to announce that G-Low Fitness Academy is an official stockist of teapigs.

My aim is to supply a healthy alternative to tea and coffee while you are sticking to the ‘Guaranteed Body Fat Reduction Plan’ and I find  teapigs the perfect option!

To buy any of the tea below please call or text me on 07875 548 880.

To help us all get into the swing of things this Christmas I’m going to do a Christmas themed boot camp session on Tuesday 4th December.
I have got a load of SANTA HATS and REINDEER ANTLERS to wear and we will be using SANTA SACKS to make sure you get a good workout!

To create more of a Christmas atmosphere, we will do the session next to the Chrismas Tree at BYRONS PLACE. We will meet there too so you can either park at Asda car park or in the car park opposite Barclays Bank.

The session will be as normal for monthly paying boot camp members or £5 for non monthly boot campers.

***PLUS*** everyone that attends this session will receive a FREE Christmas gift

I have got over 100 glow in the dark bracelets for this Bonfire Night special session (ok, its on the 6th so its 1 night late haha).

Its going to be another FREE family and friends session, so please invite them along.

My aim is to get as many people to attend the session as possible to create an eye catching illumination on the seafront at Seaham.

If everyone wears a bracelet on each wrist, when everyone gets moving it will look amazing!

So if you like the sound of this session please invite all your friends, the more the merrier

DATE – Tuesday 6th November 2012
TIME – 6:30-7:30pm (please arrive 10-15 mins early if its your first session to fill in a health questionnaire)
LOCATION – Seaham Sea Front (meet in carpark behind Crows Nest pub)
PRICE – FREE!

Then look no further!

If you know someone that likes keeping fit or someone that wants to get fit, this is the ideal gift for them!

Gift vouchers can be bought to any amount and can be used on any G-Low Fitness Academy service.

Voucher is presented in an envelope – perfect for all occasions!

If you would like to purchase a gift voucher or for any more info call Graham 07875 548 880.

I’M SACKING MY ADVERTISERS!

I’ve decided that instead of paying the newspaper, magazines or some direct mail company to market Boot Camp I’d rather reward you.

For every friend, family member or co-worker that you refer to Boot Camp, I’d like to give you  £10. (they must sign up to one month).

This will allow you to benefit from sharing your experiences with me and our programs to those that are important to you.  It will also allow me to continue to work with motivated clients like you and to spend my time working on program design, training and serving my current clients instead of marketing.

So, if you feel like my sessions have benefited you, I’d appreciate it if you share them with those people you care about.  I look forward to helping them and rewarding you soon!

To claim your £10 simply notify me when your friend signs up to one month of boot camp and you will receive the cash straight away

Offer ends 31.10.12

Seaham Running Club

Hi everyone,

Here is the news you have all been waiting for…

The G-Low Fitness Academy  running club is starting on Thursday 18th October.

DATE – every Thursday

TIME – 6:00 – 7:00 pm

LOCATION – meet in the car park behind the Crows Nest Pub at East Shore Village

I am running this group as an add on session to boot camp, so you have to be a monthly boot camp member to join.

Boot camp will stay at the normal price of £25 per month. This includes 2 boot camp sessions per week +1 running session. You can see more info about boot camp here http://www.glowfitnessacademy.com/boot-camp/

If you want to see more info about the running club please visit this page http://www.glowfitnessacademy.com/run/

There’s 10 weeks left until Christmas and it will be upon us before you know it!

Don’t leave it too late – if you want to get into your party outfit you need to act NOW!

I am running my Christmas Transformation Competition to help keep you motivated in the build up to Christmas.
Anyone can take part, all you have to do is stick to these 3 rules:

1. Attend any of my sessions in the build up to Christmas (boot camp, personal training, circuit training)

2. Take a ‘before’ photograph now.

3. Take an ‘after’ photograph on the deadline date.

As you know it is Halloween on Wednesday 31st of October so I thought we would get into the ‘spirit’ of things by having a Halloween themed boot camp session.

I have designed a session that will be challenging but fun at the same time – we will be using PUMPKINS for every exercise to give you a great fat burning workout! (you can see a sneak preview of some of the exercises at the bottom of this post)

I am making this Halloween session FREE to everyone! So feel free to bring along as many friends as you want, free of charge. The only thing they have to do is bring their own pumpkin.

I will supply the pumpkins to all monthly paying boot camp members. Pay per session boot campers please bring your own pumpkin as I don’t know who will be turning up.

Here are the details:

DATE – Wednesday 31st October 2012
TIME – 6:30-7:30pm (please arrive 10-15 mins early if its your first session to fill in a health questionnaire)
LOCATION – Seaham Sea Front (meet in carpark behind Crows Nest pub)
PRICE – FREE!

Once the session is over, feel free to take your pumpkin and make one of these healthy pumpkin recipes!

Pumpkin Recipes

Here is a sneak peak at some of the exercises…

Don’t miss this session, its going to be great!

Hope to see you there,

Graham

To claim the offer, call Graham on 07875 548 880.

Hurry, once the first 5 have been claimed the price will be going back up!

The complete supplement package ideal to compliment boot camp or personal training!

Includes:

Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein – available in chocolate or strawberry

Optimum Nutrition Shaker Cup

Omega 3 Krill Oil Gel Capsules

Teapigs Mao Feng Green Tea – (Teapigs Super Fruit tea or Lemon & Ginger tea also available)

.

1)   Arm yourself with a black bin liner, and head up to your wardrobe. Fill that bag with all your clothes that are now too big. Try some on as you go, and appreciate how much weight you’ve lost. Always keep one or two items from when you were at your heaviest, to remind yourself of how far you’ve come.

2)   Take a photo of yourself and make a motivating Word document with it. Using a ‘fat’ photo on one side of the page, and the new photo next to it, you will clearly see your inch loss in all its glory! Keep the document on your desktop, and look at it to remind yourself how much better you are looking now.

3)   Scales not moving? Keep an inch loss results log as well as a weight loss record. That way you can see the results of your efforts when those scales are being stubborn.

4)   On the prowl for something to eat when you shouldn’t? Give yourself a mini mouth makeover! Brush your teeth really well for a good two minutes. Floss every single tooth, both sides. Brush your tongue. Brush your teeth again, then use Dentyl mouthwash so you can see what you have just removed. End with a slick of Vaseline over your lips!

5)   Spoil yourself by treating yourself to some bubble bath (something more expensive and indulgent than you would normally buy) and a few scented candles. Have a hot, relaxing bath, shave your legs, and use exfoliating gloves to make your body sparkle! Once out, pluck your eyebrows and apply body lotion.

6)   Can’t eat naughty things if your nails are wet! Spend the evening filing and shaping your nails using a proper manicure set. Treat your cuticles and apply hand cream. Paint your nails with three coats, base coat, colour and top coat, leaving them to dry in between.

7)   Eating too much fruit (and all its natural sugars) too quickly? Freeze it! A handful of frozen blueberries lasts a lot longer J

8)   Evening time a bit of a danger zone? Sit down with your address book, and ring a friend you haven’t seen for a while and have a good natter.

9)   Choose a gorgeous outfit you desperately want to fit into, and hang it somewhere prominent…I have a red dress I’m going to wear on Christmas Day hanging on my kitchen door.

10)   Move away from the fridge! Go upstairs and sit in front of the dressing table mirror and apply a full face of make up, trying something new….a new you should have a new look! Mess around with your hair, experimenting with a different way of doing it.

11)   Take pride in your appearance, and reward all your hard work….have your hair cut every 6 weeks to keep it looking good. Maybe consider having it coloured/high lighted. That can really ‘lift’ your whole face and take years off you.

Women  don’t like to lift heavy weights because they don’t want to get “big” or because their “legs get big really quickly with weights”.  As you will see this will not happen, plus by lifting heavy weights you will benefit from inches lost, improved energy, better sleep quality, increased sexual drive, stress dissipation, improved self esteem and sense of empowerment.  In fact you can do hundreds and hundreds of reps with light weight and end up with no curves, no definition, no cuts, and no inches lost to show for it.

The problem with light weights

Interestingly, 90% of female gym-goers are wanting fat loss, and yet they are training for endurance; in other words, they doing long, slow workouts with light-to-moderate resistance in order to be able to maintain a steady exertion for the duration of the workout.  If it is fat loss we want, why are we not training ourselves for it???

Hour-long toning classes require the participant complete hundreds of reps, with the goal of increasing weight lifted, all the while performing the same exercises.  Though incremental increases in weight are a great way to increase intensity, how much weight can you really add when you are expected to complete 100 reps with it?  Moreover, you are always doing the same exercises, class after class, to which we know that our bodies adapt more and respond less (i.e. burn less calories, build less muscle, release fewer amounts of fat-burning hormones) over time.

Furthermore, besides being a ridiculously-inefficient use of time, lifting with a weight light enough to complete sets of 30, 40 or even 50 reps elicits a very different hormonal response than that of heavier, more intense training.  Completing hundreds of reps using pink dumbbells essentially does the same thing as jogging in terms of the hormonal response.  It increases the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine, but without the complementary release of fat-burning hormones like growth hormone, testosterone and even lactic acid.   The low-intensity resultant hormonal soup promotes muscle break-down and potentially even fat storing in the middle.  The only way to increase fat burning while building muscle is to lift heavy weights, preferably quickly and get more done in less time.

Why lift heavy

Contrary to what many trainers may say, bulking up does happen.  However, it occurs when muscle is built underneath layers of fat, without any attention paid to fat-burning.  Thus, the client appears larger.  By now we know that we must lift heavy weights to elicit any physique change, but we also need to burn fat simultaneously to lose inches and gain more definition.   There should be no fear of bulking up when fat-burning is being maximized.

Lifting heavy weights to the point of muscle failure, in general, enhances the release of testosterone, which when increased naturally through weight training will increase fat-burning in women (one of the reasons men are leaner than women).  Lifting heavy enough to generate a strong burning in the muscles enhances the release of human growth hormone, which also aids in fat burning and has anti-aging benefits.

Finally, adding lean muscle mass will enhance your fat burning potential while you are not working out.  A pound of muscle burns 15-30 calories per day at rest, while a pound of fat burns 2-5 calories; it’s a no-brainer of which composition is more desirable.  More muscle makes us more metabolically active. Furthermore, a pound of fat takes up more physical space than a pound of muscle.  So, burning fat and increasing lean muscle will NOT create bulk, but instead strip inches creating a lean, tight, defined physique, not to mention your clothes hanging off you.

How to build muscle, burn fat and lose inches

So how do you do this?  First, stop doing “toning” workouts. If you can complete 50 reps without stopping, you are not “toning,” you are wasting both muscle and time.  Train with heavy weights, choosing a weight that elicits failure by the last rep.  For example, if you are going to do 10 reps, choose a weight with which you can barely complete 10 reps, and definitely not 11.  Next, utilize short-duration workouts by training quickly, sticking to less than 60 seconds between sets.  Workout sessions should be no longer than 40 minutes in duration for best results.  Long rest periods between sets is power lifting and does not burn fat.  Finally, choose the right kinds of exercises and switch them up regularly.  Compound movements like pull-ups, squats, lunges, push-presses, rows and bench presses use multiple muscle groups across several joints.  The more muscle tissue recruited by an exercise, the larger the metabolic effect of the workout.  Change up your movements every couple weeks to keep the muscles responsive and prevent muscle adaptation (i.e. plateau).

We talk a lot about the need to stop playing the weight loss game here at G-Low Fitness Academy.  This is a game where the scale is used daily to judge the progress of a diet and exercise program. Measuring your weight alone tells you NOTHING about the quality of the weight you are losing.

How do you know if you are losing fat, water or worse muscle? If you are using just a scale you have no idea. Losing or gaining 5 pounds of fat over a weekend is physiologically impossible, but the scale has convinced many that it can happen. A significant portion of those playing the weight loss game believe the weight they lose or gain on a day to day basis is fat. And the popular media and weight loss experts do nothing to help them understand that not only is this not true, but it also is one of the major reasons they continue to suffer from yo-yo weight regain and can’t lose fat as they age.

Losing muscle

One of the single most important mind-shifts to break is how much you weigh. Because if you are losing weight indiscriminately and shedding muscle instead of fat (which almost all dieters are), your metabolism is going to be in BIG trouble over the long run.

Muscle is absolutely essential for maintaining basal metabolic rate. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) accounts for over two thirds of the calories burned at rest and more than half of BMR can be accounted for by the amount muscle a person has (1). It was shown as far back as 1988 in the February issue of the New England Journal of medicine that a slowed BMR is a predictor of fat gain over the course of a 2-year period. In this study those with the slowest metabolic rate had a 4-fold increase in gaining 15 or more pounds over the next 2 years. This explains why 66% of individuals going on weight loss diets end up fatter 2 years later compared to when they started the diet.

So, lose muscle and you lose your metabolic potential!! And guess what is a great formula for losing muscle? The “eat less, exercise more” model. A low calorie diet combined with aerobic exercise is a solution that may make you smaller  for a short period of time, but will end up making you either flabbier or fatter in the long run and in a terrible position to make losing weight again that much more difficult, because you lost muscle along the way.

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in April 1999 showed just how damaging the standard weight loss model can be on metabolic efficiency. This study looked at a group of obese individuals who were put on a very low calorie diet and assigned to one of two exercise regimes. One group followed the popular aerobic exercise model (walking, biking, or jogging four times per week), while the second group did resistance training three times per week and no aerobic exercise.

At the end of the twelve-week study, both groups lost weight but the difference in muscle vs. fat loss was striking.  The aerobic group lost 37 pounds over the course of the study.  The resistance-training group lost 32 pounds. Of the 37 pounds lost by the aerobic group, 10 pounds of muscle was lost on average. In comparison, the resistance-training group lost fat exclusively and had no muscle loss. This had consequences on basal metabolic rate (BMR). At the conclusion of the study, the aerobic group was shown to be burning 210 fewer calories at rest per day while the resistance-training group actually increased their metabolism by 63 calories per day. No wonder yo-yo weight regain is such an issue.

So please, resist temptation and do not focus on whether you have gained or lost ½ a pound of weight in a day, and focus more on how you look in the mirror, and how your clothes are feeling on you.

Many people are still unaware of the difference between weight loss and fat loss. They are not the same thing and understanding the difference is key in achieving and maintaining optimal body composition.  Our culture is obsessed with weight loss but this obsession may actually be making us fatter.  This is because the traditional weight loss approach of low calorie diets combined with hours of cardiovascular exercise burns fat, but also dramatically lowers muscle mass.

Muscle is the bodies number one metabolic organ.  The muscle mass of an individual determines 40% of his or her insulin sensitivity and 70-90% of a persons ability to remove glucose (sugar) from the blood. Low calorie diets deplete muscle tissue, significantly reduce metabolic rate (the rate that you burn calories) and makes it more and more difficult to lose weight after each month (6).

Adding exercise can help this decline. But, not all exercise is equal. resistance training, NOT aerobic exercise, helps maintain muscle mass and maintain a normal metabolic rate (BMR) BMR can be decreased by 10-20% during traditional weight loss diets this means that, a slower BMR is a predictor of future fat gain.  .

So, the lesson is to seek fat loss NOT weight loss. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn and the more likely those calories will come from fat.  Muscle loss means less fat burned during exercise and less fat burned after.

It is time we stop thinking about metabolism as something you “speed up” or “slow down”.  It is about efficiency. Adding extra muscle is more beneficial because it helps you burn a higher proportion of calories form fat.  Whether you are burning 2,000 calories a day or 2,030 per day does not mattter as much as the percent of fat you are burning.  Burning 60 percent glucose (sugar) and 40% fat vs 50% glucose (sugar) and 50% fat makes a huge difference whether your metabolism speeds up or not.

By playing the weight loss game and not trying to maintain muscle, the metabolism is less efficient when the diet ends. Post-diet, the body is more likely to store fat compared to building muscle and will pack on the fat pounds quicker then before because less muscle is present to stop this effect.  Many people who subscribe to this back and forth “dieting” end up with more fat and less muscle in the long run.  This is the chief reason it gets harder and harder to achieve the body of our younger days as we reach our thirties and beyond.  One study showed one more scary side effect of the “eat less, exercise more approach”. Testosterone levels dropped by a whopping 63%.

Whether you are male or female a drop in testosterone is the last thing on earth you want if you hope to maintain a lean physique.  Testosterone is a chief fat burning and muscle building hormone in both men and women and is a primary factor in decreasing belly fat and keeping the body firm.  A lack of testosterone is easy to detect whether someone is skinny or overweight because the body takes on a “mushy feeling” which is the key sign muscle is lacking. To lose fat takes a different approach.  Here are 3 quick steps to burning fat NOT muscle, turning weight loss into fat loss and regaining a tight body and healthy metabolism. There are more, but get these three things right and you will restore metabolic function within a 3 to 6 month period.

1. Eat more not less.  Eat more of the right foods more often. Eat foods that are more filling and change the hormones towards fat burning and muscle building (which means they control hunger, cravings and energy and result in hormonal balance and less calories eaten without trying).  This means 80-90% of your food should be protein and vegetables with the remaining 10-20% being fruits, dairy, and grain in that order.

2. Skip the treadmill and hit the weights. Heavy weight training elevates testosterone levels and helps regain the muscle mass that many people have lost over the years.  This is the quickest way to tighten the body.

3. Address your estrogen to progesterone ratio.  If you are someone who stores fat in your lower body and/or breasts, your estrogen to progesterone ratio may be elevated, effecting your ability to burn fat.  In order to lower estrogen relative to progesterone, increase foods that help detox estrogen like cruciferous veggies and green tea.  Limit non-organic coffee (or cut coffee out altogether!), limit your exposure to pesticides by incorporating more organic foods and avoid drinking out of plastic bottles if possible. Also, high cortisol levels from stress may impact this ratio also, so try to lower cortisol by walking, doing restorative activities like yoga and Tai Chi, and having quiet time to destress. Implementing high intensity exercise like weight-training and HIIT can help lower cortisol over time, as well as increasing testosterone, a fat-burning/muscle-building hormone that women need to help burn fat.

Your consistent cardio efforts are not bringing the desired results. The fat still remains where it was when you had started out.  On the contrary the fat percentage has gone up.

Excessive cardio increases stress hormones and down regulates the growth hormone and testosterone, that preserves muscle. And these elevated stress hormones can make you insulin resistant, which eventually lead to overeating especially insulin resistance foods such as sugars and starches

When you are insulin resistant, you body does not hear the use insulin properly to bring blood sugar levels.  Also instead of the sugar going to the muscles to be used for energy, it goes into fat cells instead, which then makes the cells grow bigger and makes you fatter!!

To give you an example, observe closely the bodies of a distance runners/joggers and a sprinters. Many joggers and cyclists are not really lean. They may look slender because they have little muscle mass, but their body fat percentages are often surprisingly high. In contrast, sprinters, thanks to the high percentage of human growth hormone and testosterone level, they are lean and muscular with low body fat percentages.

So the moral of the story is stay away from long cardio machines such as the treadmill, stepper, cross trainer UNLESS you are going to do interval training, where you mix short, sprint segments, with rest and recovery sessions.  If you want to know more information about how to do this properly then please ask.