Commonly people believe that if you want to look fabulously fit and lean, you must only eat celery and egg whites. Whoever told you this is bound to be a fat, lazy writer who has never lifted a weight in their life or eaten proper food. Personal trainer and fitness expert , Natalie Carter shares how you can lose weight by eating more and training less.
I have helped my clients lose hundreds and hundreds of centimetres off their waists, as well as countless kilos from their dreaded scales. I’m here to tell you the truth and help you break through your poor eating habits so that you too can eat more, train less and look better than ever!
Generally, when I start with a new client, their eating habits shock me. It scares me how little some people eat. These same people expect the world from their program, they want Katy Perry’s killer curves yet they seem to lack the basic knowledge of how to get them.
image via pinterest
Here’s the lowdown on fat loss in a flash:
1. Stop following diets! Whether it’s the latest craze in your favourite mag that shows how your favourite supermodel lost 8 kilos in 6 weeks or a crazy detox your girlfriend did, stop with the diets! Diets do not work. Long term you are in for catabolism (muscle wastage due to insufficient calories), fatigue, nutrient deficiency and increased adrenal stress.
2. If you are trying to lose body fat, you must eat fat to lose fat. Do not take a leaf out of the books of those who decide to cut out all fat grams in a bid to lean themselves out. This will only lead to poor skin, nails and hair as well as decreased brain function. Aim to get at least 40-60g, depending on your current body weight, of fat per day. Try to get your fat from sources such as red meat, avocados, eggs, oils (olive, avocado, rice bran, sunflower, nut oils), chicken, nut butters and fish (the oilier the better).
3. You can and should consume a range of slow releasing carbohydrates. Examples are: brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, oats, fruit, lentils, beans (these are all gluten free) and most vegetables, except those high in starch such as parsnips, potatoes and corn. Also include moderate intakes of wholegrain pastas and bread (not if you are gluten intolerant or have IBS). Aim to eat a small amount of these carbs with each meal, 1/4 cup -1 cup depending on your goals, along with protein. Quick release carbs such as sugar, white refined rice, pasta etc., are to be avoided at all times! You will get all your energy requirements from the slower release carbs without the upset to your blood sugar levels.
4. Equally as important is Protein. Protein is essential for growth and repair of muscles and cells. Consume animal and plant proteins such as meat, dairy, eggs, avocados, legumes, whey protein isolate and quinoa. You will need at least 50 grams of protein per day (as recommended by Aust. Dietary Guidelines) and more if you are active. I would personally recommend in the range of 100g-130g/day for active women and greater amounts for men.
5. You are going to need to monitor your calorie intake. Not obsessively however, you will need to make yourself aware of the calorie content of the foods you eat. To make it easy there are several sites you can visit for free. Consult a nutritionist and/or personal trainer for a thorough appraisal of your current eating plan. Generally, women will need to be consuming at least 1500-1600 cals/day for fat loss with up to 1900-2200/day, when following a maintenance plan.
6. You have to train! You can’t except to look like Katy if you sit on your butt surfing the Internet! Get out there and do some real surfing. Aim to do at least 3-5 days per week for a minimum of 30mins per day. The best kind of exercise is resistance/weight training, especially if you want to change the shape of your body, as cardio alone will not do this. Anything where you are supporting your body weight or added weight is classed as resistance training. Also High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a great way to burn a large amount of energy. Here’s some workouts for you to try, designed especially to shred body fat and increase muscle. More muscle means greater fat burning!
7. Rest! Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep and make sure you follow a recovery plan prescribed by a qualified personal trainer, including foam rolling. Rest is just as important as your eating plan and training regime, so get some! Don’t feel guilty when you’re choosing some R & R, over yet another drinking session, who needs the extra empty calories anyway?
8.Lastly, be patient. Results take time and if you follow these simple steps, you can expect some obvious changes to occur within 4-6weeks. Be honest with yourself, set some goals and aim to stick to them. Train hard and you will have a banging body in no time.
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