How to Lose 1Lb of Bodyfat Each Week

July 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

One of the main reasons why our clients in Surrey decide to work with a personal trainer is to get results; weight loss, fat loss, toning, to get more from their exercise program, to reach a specific target.  There is so much information available in the press, the media, even in gyms that it is difficult to know where to start.  Achieving the above isn’t about following the latest FAD diet (oh, another diet…if they really worked, why are there so many?) or going to the gym and doing the same routine over and over again and expecting different results.  It’s about setting a realistic and achievable goal and putting the necessary steps in place to make it happen.

Let’s break it down into simple terms.  The safest way to achieve weight and fat loss is to do it slowly.  The human body can only lost 1 to 2 Lbs of bodyfat each week.  If you suddenly go on a restrictive diet and lose 5 to 10 Lbs in the first week, then it won’t be fat that you are losing.  It’s more likely to be water and perhaps a bit of muscle tissue due to incorrect nutrition.  Time and time again our personal trainers in Surrey are approached by people who have done the low-calorie or ‘points’ diet, only to find that after achieving their weight loss target, the weight goes straight back on… plus more!  Why?  Because the metabolism slows right down when not exercised and fuelled correctly. 

Lack of proper education can lead to poor food choices.  The cost of eating bad choices, i.e. junk and processed foods WILL lead to an increase in bodyfat and weight.  The benefit of eating healthily, is stable bodyfat and weight.  ‘Diets’ should never need to be considered when eating and exercising correctly.

So, if you want to lose weight the safe way, here’s the information that you need:

1Lb of fat is equal to 3,500 kcals

Over the course of a week, aim to lose 500 kcals each day through exercise and/or healthy food choices.

1) Exercise: fat loss is much easier to achieve during and after interval training.

2) Increase your muscle mass: 1Lb of muscle burns MORE ENERGY THAN 1Lb of fat!  Incorporate resistance and strength training into your exercise routine.  There are many benefits to this type of exercise that go further than weight and fat loss.

3) Eat a wholesome diet and plan your meals in advance.

4) Reduce portion sizes generally, eat less starchy carbs at night.

5) Cut the high calorie convenience, processed foods and alcohol down / out.  AIM TO CHOOSE LOW GI OPTIONS FOR ALL FOOD GROUPS.

6) ALWAYS eat before you are hungry = keeps your blood sugar level stable and doesn’t trigger and insulin response.  The more insulin in your blood stream, the harder it becomes to break down fat.

7) Keep a food diary and an exercise diary.  Seeing it in black and white will help you amend and keep track of your progress.

1 Lb x 52 weeks a year = 52 Lbs = 3.5 stone weight loss a year…

SAFELY and what is more likely not to return.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , , ,

Little Acorns Grow into Big Oak Trees

June 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The feel-good factor.  Job satisfaction.  Reward for my effort, or just doing what I am paid for and have chosen to do.  I’m not sure which category what I am about to write falls into, but it could probably be all of them!  A simple but true story…

Several mornings each week I get up very early, cycle down the mountain and meet with a client who lives at the bottom.  She came to me two months ago and asked for help.  Her ‘wants’ at the time were to lose the fat around the middle including the bloat, to get-in-shape and more importantly, feel better every day.  This particular lady runs her own business, is incredibly busy and has to motivate a small team.  She knew that her body needed a ‘kick-start’.  The scene was set.  She had desire, motivation and the ability to ask for help!

We started training, gently at first so that I could watch her movement patterns and how her body reacted.  The exercise included some CV work (cycling – this is what she enjoys) followed by dynamic stretching and resistance training.  All movements were bodyweight as there were some muscle imbalances that needed addressing, yet worked against gravity to achieve the right intensity.  The first two weeks went by and she was immediately feeling better, albeit a little sore in places.  Whoops!  That’s normal.  The exercises were progressed, the CV work was intensified and the fat was starting to shift.

Whilst all of this was going on, she then wanted to take the training one stage further… to improve her diet.  We’d talked about this at the start, and she knew the importance of doing so.  Hoorah!  Healthy diet combined with the correct exercise = RESULTS.  She has made the changes necessary and guess what?  She has lost the bloat, is continuing to lose more fat and is feeling fantastic.  Can you imagine waking up each day and looking forward to exercise????  She does!

Her training is progressing even further.  We have introduced interval training into the sessions (which she NEVER thought she would be able to do), her balance is improving and the resistance exercises are becoming more complex.  I like to challenge the brain with movement, something that the body is designed to do especially as we move in different directions each day.  The feedback is so positive, and I can see a little acorn growing into a big oak tree!  The training is fun, varied, set at the right intensity and yields results. 

Not bad for the first working hour of the day!  No matter where you are, whatever your circumstances or the goals that you want to achieve, our team of Surrey Personal Trainers can give your body a ‘kick-start’ too.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , , , ,

Even a Surrey Personal Trainer Can Lose 2% of Body Fat!

June 19, 2009 By 1 Comment

OK, 2% of body fat may not sound like very much.  However, body fat, or more importantly visceral fat (fat that is stored around our organs and that which you cannot see when you look in the mirror) is very stubborn to shift.  There are several factors involved which aid the reduction, and if one is out of balance, the fat may not shift at all!  I’ve mentioned body fat % in previous blogs, but I want to share my own experience of real life.

I manage a team of personal trainers and weight loss specialists in Surrey.  I am a trainer myself and like to think that I practice what I preach (how else could I lead by example and motivate my clients?)  After making changes to my diet and exercise routine after graduating as a mature (ish!) student in 2003,  my body fat % has always been in the ‘healthy’ category.  Specific CV and resistance training, along with a nutritious and well-balanced diet help me to maintain this level. 

After moving to Italy at the beginning of April 2009, I was surprised to see what had happened to my body fat % when I measured it last week.  A 2% reduction in only 2 months.  That’s quite substantial!  So what had I been doing differently:

1) I have increased the amount of interval training sessions each week.  I now enjoy cycling the mountain roads and HAVE to deal with the hills – there is no other way for me to reach my house!

2) A certain amount of stress has been eased, which in turn has decreased the stress response in my body, inhibiting the breakdown of fat due to too much insulin.  (I will blog about this separately as it’s a whole new issue).

3) The quality of the food that I am eating is superior to that which I have eaten before.  There is a lot that can be said for first cold pressed olive oil and locally produced foods.

4) I have REDUCED, not cut out, starch and heavy carbohydrate foods from my diet, i.e. potatoes and rice.   This has eased my digestive system somewhat!

5) I always avoid low-fat foods which have been processed and/or chemically treated.  If the food isn’t in it’s natural state, I stay away from it!

Body fat is stubborn stuff.  By allowing a slow and gradual reduction, you give your body a much better chance of keeping it off.  Yo-yo diets only tend to give short-term results (and nutritional deficiencies), then the fat is piled straight back on, plus more.  My team of Surrey personal trainers deal with this problem every day.  It’s all part of our service.  If it can happen to a personal trainer, it can happen to you!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , , , , ,