Topics

1. Calories

2. Creatine

3. Protein

4. Essential Amino Acids (EAAs)

5. Carbs

6. Strength

7. Fat Loss - Cardio

8. Diet Tips

9. Fat Loss - Why do we store fat?

10. Fat Loss - How do we control fat storage

11. Fat Loss - Reverse Dieting

12. Fat

13. Pre-Workout

14. Hydration

15. Advertising - Facts & Myths

16. Intermittent Fasting

17. Perimenopause/Menopause

18. Water Manipulation

19. Can I spot burn fat?

20. If I lift weights will I get bulky?

21. Carb Timing

22. Are abs worth it?

1. Calories

A calorie equates to the amount of energy required to increase the temperature of 1kg of water by 1 degree Celsius.

Calories are usually displayed in ‘kcals’ or just ‘Cals’ (with a capital ‘C’), which is actually 1,000 calories (260 Calories in a Mars Bar is actually 260,000 calories). Another measurement of energy in food is kilojoules. There are 4.184 joules in one calorie (4.184kj = 1 kCal).

These are the body’s fuel source and are contained in each of the macro nutrient groups listed below. Every calorie that is not consumed will be stored as fat – that is the universal truth of all diets.

The Body's Energy:

Any movement in the body requires energy, which we obtain from the food we eat and the oxygen we breathe. We have a number of energy systems that are used sequentially during exercise. To understand these we must first look at a substance called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP).

ATP is like a rechargeable battery for the body. It is made up of one adenosine molecule and three phosphate molecules. Energy is released when one of the phosphate molecules is broken away from the chain (leaving Adenosine Diphosphate ADP - one adenosine molecule and two phosphate molecules, the ‘flat battery’). All energy is obtained from this process and the phosphate molecule is added back (recharging the battery) from one of the energy systems.

Energy Systems:

1. Natural ATP supplies

The body stores a small supply of ATP which can be used to create an initial burst of energy for up to 4 seconds

2. The Creatine Phosphate Energy System

Creatine Phosphate is located in the muscle and is used to turn the ADP into useable ATP. Energy from this source usually lasts 6-10 seconds. As no oxygen is used in the ‘recharging’ process, this is classed as an anaerobic energy system. It usually takes 1-2 minutes of rest to recover this energy system.

3. The Lactic Acid Energy System

The muscle also holds a small supply of glycogen (broken down from carbohydrates) which is used to ‘recharge’ the ADP into ATP. Energy from this source usually lasts 2-3 minutes. The chemical process of removing a phosphate molecule from the glycogen creates a by-product called lactic acid. This accumulates in the muscle causing it to tire, or the familiar burning sensation. As no oxygen is used in the ‘recharging’ process, this is classed as an anaerobic energy system. It usually takes 1-2 minutes of rest to recover this energy system.

4. The Aerobic Energy System

The final energy system is aerobic, so called because it uses oxygen together with fat stores from the body, the larger stores of glycogen held within the liver or protein in the muscle to ‘recharge’ the ADP to ATP. Whether fat, glycogen or protein is used depends on the amount of energy required and the length of time it is required for. Higher levels of energy are taken from the simpler forms as they are quicker to breakdown (glycogen and protein), whereas if only small amounts are needed the body has the time to breakdown the more complex fat structures. The by-products of this process are water (which is absorbed back into the body) and carbon dioxide (which is expelled when we breathe out). We can maintain the aerobic energy system as long as we have oxygen and fat (or protein) stores in the body.

2. Creatine

We have looked at our energy systems in which we detailed the Creatine Phosphate phase. This is where we can recharge our ATD to make ATP to give us energy, providing 6-10 seconds of explosive power.

We have a minimum and a maximum (saturated) level of creatine we can store. If we want to get the most out of this explosive energy phase we want to maximise the levels of creatine in the muscle. Everybody’s natural levels are different, if you are naturally low you will feel a big difference when you saturate your creatine levels, for those that have naturally high levels the difference is a lot smaller and less noticeable. It is a very safe substance but it will draw water into the muscle so too much can dehydrate the body and can give you headaches. Sticking to the recommended dosage guidelines should prevent any issues.

Creatine can be found in different forms; however the purest and most usable version is creatine monohydrate. Creatine may be loaded, taking 5g of creatine monohydrate 4 times a day for 5 days to saturate your levels. This isn’t essential but it is considered the quickest way to maximise your performance. Once you have loaded you should maintain your levels with a single 5g serving per day. It is not a stimulant so the timing makes little difference, you just need it in your system on a daily basis.

Creatine can be manufactured in the body from amino acids and is also found in our diets, primarily from red meat and sea food. As such vegetarians and vegans may especially find this to be a useful supplement (most versions are vegan friendly but always check).

3. Protein (4 Calories per gram)

Every cell in your body has a set lifespan a lot shorter than our own. As each cell dies off we create new cells to replace them. It is thought that the oldest cells in your body are around 10 years old (contained in your liver). Protein is the building blocks that make up cells.

Imagine that our bodies are made up completely of Lego bricks. Think of protein sources like boxes of Lego. Each box is a different set, for example chicken may be a car, beef may be a house, eggs may be a pirate ship. When we eat the protein sources (Lego sets) our body breaks them down into individual amino acids (Lego bricks). The body can then use these amino acids (different Lego bricks) to rebuild the cells of our body. If we lack a certain amino acid in our diet (don’t have a particular Lego brick in our set) then we are unable to effectively repair that cell (complete that Lego set), so it’s important to get complete proteins which we will look at in more detail in ‘Essential Amino Acids’.

We are constantly repairing cells, in our organs, skin, muscle, hair and finger nails, in every physical part of the human body. We prioritise which cells to repair by how important they are to our survival. Organs are given top priority whereas hair and fingernails are very low priority. As such if you have brittle nails or lose a lot of hair this could be a sign of protein deficiency. By doing resistance training in the gym we try to damage the muscle fibres so they will repair thicker and stronger. This is additional intentional cell damage which is why gym goers are recommended to have higher protein intake than a non-gym goer, to ensure we have sufficient protein to replace/repair those cells we have damaged. Muscle is not essential (other than some basic movements) so is a relatively low priority area to allocate protein to, so we would rather have too much protein than too little.    

High amounts of protein actually increase your metabolic rate and so allow the body to lose weight faster (protein synthesis is a thermogenic process which means it uses energy to breakdown and use – 30% of the calories in protein are consumed just by digesting it – only 10% is used to digest carbs and fats). Protein does use a lot of water to digest which can damage liver and kidneys if eaten in large quantities for a long term. If you increase your protein intake it is therefore important to increase your water intake.

Protein Powder

There are literally thousands of protein powders available on the market but there are few variations. Protein powder usually comes from milk and is commonly Whey protein or Casein protein (Whey is a by-product of the cheese making process and Casein is Latin for cheese). Whey is the quickest absorbing protein and found in most protein powders and post workout shakes. It is usually taken immediately after a workout so it can get into the bloodstream quickly, which takes the amino acids directly to the muscles to start the repair process. Casein is a slower digesting protein as it clots in the stomach so is usually taken before bed to ensure a drip feed supply of protein as you sleep/recover. You can also use Protein Blends which are basically a combination of different protein sources that digest at different rates, from the quickest (Whey) to the slowest (Casein) and a number of non-milk based sources in between. There are an increasing number of Vegan alternatives and non-milk based sources such as beef, which allow for more variations of texture and flavour so we are now getting a lot more palatable drinks that are more like refreshing drinks/flavoured waters rather than the ‘milkshake’ we have had for decades.

4. Essential Amino Acids (EAAs)

Protein is used to describe amino acids of which there are thought to be 20 in total:

 9 essential amino acids (must come from the diet)

• Histidine

• Isoleucine

• Leucine

• Lysine

• Methionine

• Phenylalanine

• Threonine

• Tryptophan

• Valine

 5 dispensable amino acids (can be synthesized in the body)

• Alanine

• Aspartic acid

• Asparagine

• Glutamic acid

• Serine

 6 conditionally essential amino acids (can be synthesized by the body under certain conditions)

•  Arginine

• Cysteine

• Glycine

• Glutamine

• Proline

• Tyrosine

All the essential amino acids can be found in meats, eggs and fish (although fat content should be considered) and some amino acids can be found in plant based produce such as cereals, beans, pulses, nut, seeds and soya products. No one plant source offers all the essential proteins so it is important to mix these, especially if you don’t eat meat.

Essential Amino Acids (EAAs)

Simply put, EAAs contain those essential amino acids we need to have in our diet, usually in the ratios we need them (as we use different amounts of each one). If you do not have a varied diet or you are a vegetarian/vegan, you may want to consider a Vegan Friendly EAA supplement.

Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

There are 3 amino acids that have a branch (string of 3 or more carbon atoms). They are Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine (often referred to as L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine and L-Valine). These BCAAs are 3 of the 9 essential amino acids and account for over a third of the amino acids of muscle protein. As with a lot of nutrients the key is not as much about the amount of amino acids you consume but more about the ratios. The preferred ratio of BCAAs is 2:1:1 and are needed specifically during and after training, but can also be taken throughout the day. Although they are often taken by those who do resistance training as they provide the building blocks of muscle repair, these 3 aminos are often found in the most abundant ratios in EAAs as well. BCAA’s are therefore losing the appeal in the market as people favour the complete EAA supplement instead.

Glutamine

Glutamine (often referred to as L-Glutamine) has 2 main purposes. It is primarily used in the synthesis of protein and as such is often added to protein powders. A glutamine deficiency can impair the use of protein to repair muscles. The secondary use provides energy similar to the use of glucose. Although we are able to create this in the body, due to it’s importance in the muscle repair process it is a common supplement to take to ensure we recover effectively and efficiently.

5. Carbohydrates (4 Calories per gram)

Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms, as the name suggests (Carb – O – Hydr). A carbohydrate has no structural use by the body but is used primarily as fuel but does have a role to play in some of the body’s hormonal responses, such as insulin and leptin production. It is the cleanest, most efficient nutrient that can be completely broken down by the body’s digestive system into energy.

Carbohydrates can be split into 2 types, simple and complex. These terms relate to the length of the chain of sugar molecules that are linked together.

The longer the link the more time it will take for the digestive system to break them down. The shorter chains are simple carbohydrates and are usually found in sweeter tasting foods. These are quickly digested and provide a quick hit of energy, often referred to as a ‘sugar rush’. This is usually short lived and followed by a ‘sugar crash’ due to the body producing a higher level of insulin to distribute the energy out of the blood stream and into the cells, which results in a rapid drop in blood sugars. The body then has a craving for sugary foods to readdress the balance. This cycle can play a significant role in weight gain.

Longer chains are complex carbohydrates and are found in wholegrain or wholemeal products (unprocessed or unrefined) such as pasta, rice, bread and some cereals. Due to the length of time the body needs to digest all the sugar molecules, the amount of insulin produced is more gradual. This essentially drip feeds the body with energy rather than in one big hit. You will therefore feel fuller for longer and have more even energy levels.

A diet high in carbohydrates will produce high amounts of energy, which if not used will be stored as fat. This can lead to obesity, heart disease and diabetes. The type of carbohydrates in the diet is important, focusing primarily on the complex carbohydrates which are more nutritious rather than the sugary simple carbohydrates, which have little nutritional outside of the energy.

Although energy can be derived from proteins and fats, these can take longer to digest and they are needed for other essential functions by the body. Carbohydrates will always be the body’s first port of call for energy where possible. Carbohydrates are therefore not considered an essential nutrient but a diet very low or devoid of carbohydrates can have an impact on the body’s ability to produce and regulate insulin and leptin (the hormone responsible for regulating the body’s fat stores and inhibiting hunger) levels. Fibre is also classed as a carbohydrate, which although may not be digested by the body, does have an important part to play in the digestive process.

Carbohydrates are the body’s main and most efficient fuel source. They’re a good fuel that burn clean, that is you can use 100% and there will be no residue to store as fat. If you use less than 100% your body will transform it to fat and store for later use. Carbohydrates also store water, about 2.5g of water per 1g of Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are broken down by the body into its simplest form called glucose, which is used for energy. The body can store small quantities of this in your muscles and liver in the form of glycogen and is the body’s first point of call for fuel. The body can only store a certain level of glycogen, so any excess glucose in the blood stream is converted to fat and stored for later use. As glycogen from the muscles and liver is used the body will restore the levels from either food or from stored supplies within the body (fat).

Imagine that our body uses energy like a house uses oil fired central heating. The boiler is like our muscles, always containing a small amount of oil (glucose) ready to heat up when required. Our liver is like an oil tank, storing a set amount of oil (glucose) to supply the boiler (muscle) when it needs it. If we have more oil than the boiler and tank can hold then it will spill out everywhere. In the same way excess glucose is converted to fat and spills out around the body.

Insulin

Insulin is a hormone produced to help regulate the metabolism. It facilitates the nutrients (such as glucose) out of the blood stream and into the muscles and liver and is responsible for excess glucose being stored as fat. It therefore has a crucial role in amount of fat stores we have and the weight and obesity issues that society now faces.

Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose which enters the bloodstream to be distributed around the body. Insulin is then released by the pancreas to allow the glucose to be taken out of the bloodstream and into the muscles for use as energy. Glucose is toxic in the bloodstream so its removal is very important. Insulin converts glucose to glycogen so the muscles can utilise it and takes any excess to the liver where it is stored. When the glycogen stores in the muscles and liver are full, all excess glucose is converted to fat and stored in the fat cells. The liver only holds around 400 calories worth of glucose so there are a lot of potential unused calories that will be converted to fat.

Insulin release is triggered by the amount of glucose in the bloodstream. If we eat a lot of simple sugars we get a ‘sugar rush’ and the glucose content is very high. The Insulin release is also high but can result in overcompensating and removing too much glucose from the bloodstream. This leaves the body low on available energy and craving simple sugars again. More complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and turn into glucose. As such the insulin release is more gradual and even resulting in a better distribution of energy over a longer period of time.

If the body receives a consistently large amount of simple sugars, resulting in large amounts of insulin in the bloodstream over a long period of time, the body becomes less efficient at processing the glucose. This results in a lack of energy due to the reduction in glucose transfer to the muscles. As such, more of the glucose is unused and therefore converted to fat.

A prolonged diet high in simple sugars can also lead to insulin resistance, whereby the insulin produced no longer removes sufficient glucose from the bloodstream into the muscles and liver. This is due to the reduction in sensitivity of insulin receptors to this sugar and eventual failing of the pancreas to produce sufficient insulin due to its constant overuse. This can lead to Type 2 Diabetes, although if caused by a poor diet it can often be reversed over time by reducing the amount of simple carbohydrates and increasing exercise levels (exercise increases insulin sensitivity). Symptoms include lethargy, weight loss and increase urination (as the body excretes the toxic excess glucose in urine) and develop over years so often go unnoticed.

6. Strength Curve

The strength curve is basically how much weight a muscle can move through its full range of movement. Simply put the muscle is weakest in full contraction and at full stretch and strongest in the mid range of movement creating the above bell curve graph.

Muscle fibres come in 2 types:

• Type I – Slow Twitch, known as the red muscle due to the high density of capillaries rich in myoglobin and mitochondria. They can carry more oxygen and therefore sustain aerobic activity using food as fuel. Slow twitch muscles contract for longer periods of time but with little force and increase muscle tone.

• Type II – Fast Twitch, known as the white muscle due to the low density of capillaries rich in myoglobin and mitochondria. They hold no oxygen so tire quickly using only anaerobic energy. Fast twitch muscles contract quickly and more powerfully and have the greater potential for growth.

When we are looking at hypertrophy training (the increase of muscle size) what we want to achieve is sufficient trauma to the fast twitch (Type II) fibres that causes some of them to tear. The body will then use protein from the diet to repair them, although as it knows they were too weak to cope with the load, the body repairs each fibre a little bit thicker so it can cope in future. This tear/repair process over time makes fibres thicker adding to the mass and size of the muscle as a whole. As we create stronger fibres we must increase the weight to achieve the same trauma, which is known as progressive overload, increasing the weight you move over time as you get stronger.

It is important to note that only the fast twitch fibres (responsible for the short bursts of intense power) that will grow in this way. The slow twitch fibres (Type I) which are more endurance based will not add size. Think of the different physiques of Usain Bolt (fast twitch dominant powerful sprinter) and Mo Farah (slow twitch dominant endurance runner). As such in order to ensure we use our fast twitch fibres we must use sufficient weight for an anaerobic period of time (going back to energy systems – about 45-60 seconds). 

The strength curve is a good illustration of optimal training weight. You basically want to achieve ‘failure’ by hitting the curve on the graph. Note that failure can mean many things, but in reality failure is the failing of the muscle fibres that then tear. It does not mean the failure of movement, when you are physically unable to move any more. That is usually way past the point you need to be to achieve effective hypertrophy. It can be described as ‘failure of form’ where you are getting to the end of your anaerobic window (45-60 seconds) and you’re beginning to struggle, either your range of movement is reducing or you find yourself wriggling or moving other parts of your body or changing angles to help you to continue to move the weight.

The graph shows the range of movement of a muscle when lifting 3 different weights:

Red Line – This is a very heavy weight with a small range of movement. Sufficient tension is caused to create trauma in the fast twitch fibres but the load going through the joint in the tendons, ligaments etc is extreme, there will be minimal control and the exercise is high risk – often referred to as ‘ego lifting’.

Blue Line – This is quite a light weight and although the range of movement is great, the weight itself is not sufficient to target the fast twitch fibres and the person can perform good form for longer than the anaerobic window (longer than 60 seconds/20+ reps).

Green Line – This is a weight that is sufficient to cause trauma in the fast twitch fibres with a decent range of movement resulting in failure within the anaerobic window. It can achieve similar hypertrophy results to the Red Line but in a much safer and controlled manner.

7. Exercise for Fat Loss

First of all you should consider resistance training within your exercise program if you want to lose fat. Muscle is anabolic which means it burns calories at rest (whereas fat does not). The more muscle you have the more calories you will burn doing nothing. As muscle is denser than fat it will weigh more so do not measure your weight to track fat loss.

If you want to add cardiovascular training to your regime then you should be aware of catabolic training, for example a 45 minute jog or steady state exercise where you’re out of breath. This is where the body needs quite a lot of energy over a sustained period of time it is unable to break the complex fat structures down quick enough. Instead the body will use the energy from the protein stored in the muscle, effectively eating your own muscle, to fuel the exercise. 

To target the fat stores the best forms of cardio are:

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High intensity requires you to put in your maximum effort for a short period of time (your anaerobic window), 30 seconds – 60 seconds. This is following immediately by a recovery period (low intensity exercise or rest). The exercise is repeated at maximum effort for another short period followed by the longer recovery period and so on for a total of 5-8 intervals. Examples include spinning bikes, rowing machine or interval sprints. The recovery time is based on your heart rate, which should get back down to around 120-130bpm before going again. As you do more intervals of exercise you will need longer rest periods to recover, so do NOT just time it, for example 60 seconds intensity followed by 60 seconds rest and repeat.

With any intense exercise you should always do a low intensity warm up and warm down before and after.

HIIT is considered the best form of exercise for fat loss. It also helps lower insulin resistance and increases your resting metabolic rate (EPOC – Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption) which can last 24-48 hours. The idea is that the exercise part is done in an anaerobic state, thus oxygen is not used to provide energy and muscle protein is preserved (your body needs oxygen in an aerobic state to break down muscle). The rest period when you allow your heart rate to recover is when you are recharging. As you are resting your body has time to break your fat stores down to recharge your ATP, which is why you must rest for long enough to bring your heart rate back to 120-130bpm, as if you start again too soon you will become aerobic and hit your muscle proteins for that energy supply.

Low Intensity Steady State (LISS)

Low intensity requires you to maintain heart rate of 60% - 75% of your MHR, ensuring you could comfortably hold a conversation as you exercise.  Steady state refers to the consistent level of effort you should sustain. Ideally LISS should be performed for 45 minutes – 60 minutes, but no longer. Examples include walking, elliptical trainer or upright bike.

Although not as effective as HIIT for fat loss, LISS is a more sustainable form of exercise and can be alternated with HIIT to help maintain a calorie deficit. LISS is also preferable for anyone with a medical condition or who is not used to intense exercise.

Fasted Cardio

If you exercise without a supply of carbohydrates for fuel you are said to be doing ‘fasted cardio’. Normally done first thing in the morning before your main breakfast, it assumes the body will use the fat stores for energy as there are no carbohydrates available. It is worth noting that there is currently no scientific evidence to support the benefit of fasted cardio over fed cardio. We must also remember the glycogen stores in the muscles and liver which probably account for more than the calories you burn during fasted cardio. Truly fasted cardio, where the science starts to make sense, requires a full depletion of stored glycogen, which is a longer period of carb free eating combined with high rep training. Simply waiting 12 hours since your last meal will not be sufficient especially when you consider how long it actually takes your body to break some foods down.

8. Weight Loss Tips

1. Plan your meals ahead rather than eating what you fancy and set aside times in the day for exercise and stick to it. It is much easier if it becomes a habit, which usually takes around 4 weeks to form.

2.  There is no such thing as a quick win. As much as you haven’t put all your weight on in the past two weeks, you can’t lose it all in two weeks either.

3.  Losing weight is a marathon not a sprint (metaphorically!), it doesn’t matter if you have a bad day or a bad week, just make sure you don’t give up!

4.  Weight can fluctuate dramatically in a day so don’t rely on your scales. Muscle weighs more than fat so ask yourself, what is your goal, to weigh less or to look better? Try taking a photo at the start as   a control to compare your results to and as an incentive of what you’re trying to get away from.

5.  Just because something ‘can help slimming only as part of a calorie controlled diet and a healthy and active lifestyle’ doesn’t mean you should include it in your diet. It has no weight losing properties and is just extra calories you will need to burn off.

6.  Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it kick-starts your metabolism after a full nights rest and sets you up for the rest of the day. Lunch should be a smaller meal to keep you going through the afternoon and then dinner should be the smallest meal as you will do the least exercise afterwards before going to bed.

7.  Try to eat ‘little and often’, 6 small portions a day instead of 3 big meals. This keeps your metabolism high and avoids energy peaks and troughs.

8.  Your stomach size is dependent on how much you fill it with. In the first few weeks of a diet you will find it hard to satisfy your hunger, but persevere as your stomach will shrink making it easier to feel full.

9.  Hunger only tends to go 20 minutes after eating, so give it time before you reach for that extra portion! Eat until you’re satisfied not until you are full.

10.  Chew thoroughly, up to 20 times for each mouthful.

11.  Drink water with your meal (that means water and not a can of pop as that is counter-productive)

12.  Make eating your focus; don’t get distracted by watching television or listening to the radio as your brain won’t register how much you’re eating.

13.  Eat off smaller plates and throw leftovers away as soon as you’re finished.

14.  Eat more fibre as it contains no digestible calories (eat brown rice instead of white, eat bran cereals or porridge/muesli rather than Coco-Pops and add beans and pulses to meals).

15.  Don’t just eat less than you usually do or starve yourself. This will slow your metabolism down

16.  Low in fat does not mean low in sugar – always read labels, avoid foods with more than 15% sugar.

17.  Spices add flavour to otherwise bland food without the high sugar and salt content of many sauces. Chillies help increase your metabolic rate.

18.  Eat more fruit and vegetables (remember that 5 a day is the minimum so aim for more), don’t just think about eating them in isolation.

19.  Try to eat oily fish 2 or 3 times a week (Salmon, herring, mackerel, kippers, trout, sardines, pilchards, tuna (preferably not tinned, but in spring water if you have to), anchovies and swordfish)

20.  Drink 4-5 cups of green tea a day as it helps increase your metabolism.

21.  Turmeric helps prevent oxidation of fats in the body – add it to soups, dressings, curries and sauces

22.  If you fry meat use a good quality oil and rub it into the meat rather than putting the oil in the pan, this way you will only use what you need.

23.  Cut the fats off meat when you cook them, you can leave them in the pan to cook with, the natural fats aren’t as bad as some oils, but don’t eat the fat.

24.  Alcohol contains nearly as many calories as fat and has no nutritional value!

25.  Drink plenty of water. Thirst also masks itself as hunger, so if you feel hungry have a drink. Drinking more water actually makes you retain less water.

26.  Eat chocolate, dark chocolate that is! Cocoa is good for you so make sure it is good quality and a high percentage. Don’t eat the whole bar, dark chocolate is very intense so you only need a small amount to get your chocolate fix.

27.  Eating good fats (in the right quantities) helps you lose fat as they can be digested more easily.

28.  Sleep is vital; it helps with your leptin levels which regulate appetite. Get more than 6 hours a night, preferably 8.

29.  Don’t add additional salt or sugar to your food and drinks.

30.  Cheat! Once a week enjoy a cheat meal. If you stop eating the foods you love then you are more likely to binge. A weekly cheat meal is a great reward, something to look forward to and if you know it is coming it is easier to wait rather than give in to your cravings.                      

31.  Eat healthy – providing your body with the nutrients it needs will mean you won’t have as many cravings or eat too many ‘empty calories’.

32.  Your body will improve through recovery – so give it a chance. Don’t overdo exercise.

33. Variety is key – both in diet and exercise you should vary what you do to keep the body from getting used to something and the mind from getting bored.

34.  Don’t take too many stimulants, such as caffeine, as these can put pressure on your adrenal glands. These can keep your cortisol levels elevated which will slow down fat loss.

35.  Eat for fuel – if you are doing a heavy resistance workout try and time your carbohydrates before and after for fuel/recovery. If you are having a rest day then reduce your carbohydrate intake.

36.  Consistency – stick to your diet and exercise plan. Do not change because there is a new fad diet or different people give you different advice. Concentrate on your long term goals and not a quick fix.

37.  Keep a record. This way you will know exactly what you have eaten, expended or lifted and what you need to change when you plateau.

9. Why we store fat.

Whenever we talk about diets it is usually with regard to one thing – losing fat.

It may help to understand why we put on fat in the first place. Quite simply it’s down to survival! We store fat partly as insulation (heat and protection of our vital organs) but mainly it is used as storage of energy. Over most of human existence we have struggled to eat enough consistently, from our caveman days up to the earliest times of agriculture around 10,000 years ago. Even then much of the population has survived off basic foods, what we can catch/kill, grow/gather or barter. Only in very recent times, in actual living memory of some, have we been able to mass produce food on the scale we see today. As such the ability to retain fat was a survival requirement and the better we were at it, the more likely we were to live longer and reproduce. Hence why so many of us find it easy to store fat, it has been the most useful and dominant gene passed down through the surviving generations to us in modern times.

But that’s not the only factor, the reason humans are the most dominant species is our ability to adapt. The body is no different and is able to adapt quickly to be able to survive a wide range of changeable conditions, and with fat stores this is assisted by our metabolic rate. This is the rate of calories (energy) our body consumes to perform certain tasks. Our heart beating every second of every day we are alive burns calories. Our diaphragm contracting to breath, regulating body temperature, digesting food, cell repair/regeneration, all burn calories before we even think about moving, and then there’s conscious exercise on top of all that.

If we ate an average of 5,000 calories a day the body would normalise this for daily function (our metabolic rate). If we then only ate 1,000 calories a day the body would start to become really efficient and over time it will be able to perform the same tasks at this much lower rate. During that time of adaptation the body will use stored energy (weight loss) as fuel until the body gets to the point of efficiency to run on 1,000 calories. There in lies the problem for long term fat loss – our metabolic rate adapts to what we eat.

As evolution takes many generations, thousands of years, the human body has yet to catch up to the relatively new concept of a constant and plentiful food supply. Our bodies still use energy as efficiently as possible and store unused energy as fat for use when there is no food available to consume. By trying to lose body fat we are actually fighting against the body’s natural survival instincts, this is why the body will resist and why we need to understand how the body works in order to change and control it. Add into that the learned behaviour we have picked up (or rather fed to us) – eating for pleasure. Our body only needs to eat to obtain essential nutrients but we so often eat out of habit, as reward or just because we enjoy it (and food manufacturing has fuelled this almost to the point of addiction and at the expense of nutrition).

So now we know why we store fat and how the body adapts, how can we control it?

10. Controlling your diet for fat loss.

In most weight loss diets you reduce the input (eating less calories) and sometime you will also increase the output (do more exercise). This change in the homeostasis causes the body to react, sourcing the shortfall in energy from the body’s energy stores (fat/muscle).

Typically the calorie deficit in weight loss diets is quite significant (>500kCals), so the initial weight loss is relatively large (the weight loss can be from fat, muscle or water loss or a combination of all 3). The body burns an incredible amount of energy just staying alive. Your heart is a large muscle that contracts every second of your life to pump blood around the body. Your diaphragm contracts to allow your lungs to inflate as you breathe throughout your life. You constantly regulate your body temperature to ensure you stay between 36.5 and 37.5 degrees Celsius in all conditions. We looked at digestion in an earlier post, 10% of the calories in carbs and fats are used to just break the food down and 30% of proteins. In truth around two thirds of your calorie requirements are used just to keep you alive! Only one third is used to physically move, either as specific exercise or a non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) such as getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom! That’s why it is often said that you can’t out exercise a bad diet; it simply doesn’t burn that many calories.

Over time the body adapts to the change in ‘energy in vs. energy out’ and a new lower maintenance metabolic rate is set to account for the current demands of the body relative to its smaller fuel supply (food). It has to become more efficient in order to do all the things it needs to do but now with less energy available. Everyone will adapt at different rates and the larger the gap in calories the longer it will take the metabolic rate to adapt to it.

For reference I paid for an accurate metabolic O2 test which measures your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). This is how many calories you burn just existing without any movement at all. My Resting Metabolic Rate was 2,261 and using the Harris Benedict Equation (a factor of your RMR used to calculate the average calories consumed based on your activity/movement levels in a week), my maintenance calories totalled 3,174 per day. I then ate consistently at 2,100 calories each day for 5 weeks and retested myself. After eating 1,000 calories below maintenance every day for 5 weeks my new actual maintenance calories (from the RMR O2 test) had dropped to 1,742 (2,445 including activity). I effectively slowed my metabolic rate down by over 700 calories in just 5 weeks, showing how quickly the body adapts when you under eat. Had I been able to continue (and afford) the additional testing I would expect my body would have fully adapted to 2,100 maintenance calories including activity in about 7 weeks. At that point if I wanted to lose more weight I would have to eat even less!

Regardless of what diet you follow, if it is consistent over time your weight loss will plateau/stop. Often at this point we will give up as we ate so dramatically less than our maintenance we couldn’t face eating even less (such as my example above). We then end up reverting back to our previous ‘normal’ diet. This will result in eating significantly more than we need as, due to the weight loss diet, our metabolic rate has adapted to be efficiently low. ALL the additional calories are initially stored as fat. The metabolic rate will adapt again over time to the inefficient higher calorie input, but until then we will be continually adding to our fat supplies, sometimes adding more than our original starting point. Our metabolic rate adapts slower to increasing calories than it does to reducing calories as it’s less risky to our survival. We often repeat the process which is always doomed to short term success followed by long term failure – the yo-yo dieter (see Graph 1).

So what do we need to do for sustainable fat loss? Stay one step ahead of your body’s ability to adapt!

We want to lose weight while eating as many calories as possible, so the first question is how many calories is that? In truth we will never know, simply because our output (calorie expenditure) depends on how much we move which is different every day. What we can control and monitor is our input, how many calories we consume, using good planning or useful tracking tools such as MyFitnessPal. We can either keep a food diary/track and work out the daily average over a few weeks to get an average to use as our starting point or we can just choose a starting point. This choice is often based on your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), an industry used formula to calculate how many calories you should consume based on a number of factors (gender/age/weight/height). Try www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html. The key to any baseline figure is consistency because we know we will adapt to something if we do it consistently for long enough.

After we have maintained our starting point average calories for around 6 weeks to reset our maintenance we then want to create a deficit of around 250-300 calories. Knowing our metabolic rate will adapt we want to make additional changes of a similar amount on a regular basis, usually every 6 weeks. This can either be a further reduction of input (eat 250-300 calories less) or an increase of output (exercise 250-300 calories more) or a combination of the two (but totalling 250-300 calories and not both at 250-300 calories). It's important to note that the body is not sensitive enough to be influenced by daily changes so think of your daily calorie target as a weekly average. You don't have to eat bang on 2,000 each day, just average 2,000 over the week so if you eat too much on one or two days then eat less on another couple of days to average it out.

Any deficit will create weight loss but by keeping it at around 250-300 calories means we have room to change over and over again as our body adapts. This means the weight loss may be slower but it is more maintainable/sustainable and in the long run usually more substantial. It is also easier to stick to as the deficit is less of a shock to the system and you won’t feel as big a need to address the balance (cravings).

This leads to the universal truth of sustainable weight loss:

Consistency – small change – consistency – small change – consistency

11. Reverse Dieting

When we reach a point where we do not want to continue to lose fat (as no one can do that forever), we need to consider a reverse diet. This is not simply going back to what you ate before your weight loss diet, nor is it staying on the low calorie intake you find yourself in now. Quite simply a reverse diet is going to take us back up to a maintainable level of calories without adding on the fat stores we previously had when we ate that much.

This is done by doing the opposite of our weight loss program, but this time we want our metabolic rate to keep up. To do this we need to make smaller increases to our calorie input, about 50 calories at a time. We also need to increase the frequency of these changes, about once every week. These smaller and more frequent increases allow our metabolic rates to keep the same pace as our dietary changes. By keeping up it means there is minimal difference and therefore fewer excess calories to store. We may add a little weight, but if done consistently we will achieve a higher level of metabolic rate (how many calories we can eat to simply maintain) at a lower body weight/fat percentage than we started. 

12. Fat  

Fat is not your enemy, your body needs fats, specifically essential fats. They are called essential as your body can not produce them itself and therefore they must be sourced from foods. Vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E are fat-soluble, which means they can only be absorbed with the help of fats. Every cell membrane (the casing of the cell structure) is made from fat so it plays a vital role in the replacing/repair of cells. It is an energy dense structure with 9 calories per gram, compared with 4 calories per gram of protein or carbohydrate, and consequently takes time to break down either in digestion or as energy from the body’s fat stores.

Cholesterol is an essential fat (lipid) that is carried around the body in the blood by proteins. When the fats and proteins combine they form ‘lipoproteins’.

• If the ratio is more fat than protein then the cholesterol is know as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) as fat is less dense. LDL carries cholesterol from the liver around the body to the cells that need it.

• If the ratio is more protein than fat then the cholesterol is know as high-density lipoprotein (HDL) as protein is denser. HDL carries cholesterol from the cells back to the liver to be broken down or passed out of the body.

The problem is when we have too much LDL as the excess can build up on the artery walls. A reduction in the size of the arteries means that blood flow is reduced and it must be pumped at a higher rate to achieve the required flow, therefore increasing blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease such as a stroke or heart attack.

The buzz around Omega 3 fats is just a marketing ploy that is based on fact but generally misses the point. Your body needs Omega 3, but it also needs Omega 6 (and Omega 9 but it can produce that itself from Omega 3 and 6) and it needs these in the correct ratios. A commonly agreed ratio is 1:2 for Omega 3 and 6 respectively.  Good sources of Omega 3 fats are nut (especially walnut) and seed (especially flaxseed) oils and olive (extra virgin) oils and all types of fish and fish oils. Green (the darker the better) leafy foods are also good natural sources. There is an abundance of Omega 6 in many of the everyday products we eat, especially sunflower oil and spreads. The reason for the push on Omega 3 fats is that the ratio in the modern diet is too heavy on the Omega 6, sometimes as much as 1:20. The desired result is to even out the ratio nearer the 1:2 by increasing the omega 3, but it could also be argued that we need to reduce the omega 6 intake instead – but that wouldn’t sell more products!

Watch out for clever advertising, just because a spread has added omega 3 does not mean it is better for you. For example, the quantity of omega 3 added to Flora means that you would have to consume a large amount to have any impact on your ratios and this would mean also consuming the saturated fat (and some trans fats) at the same time – not good! The adverts will say the omega 3 found in Flora can help, it doesn’t say that Flora will help, as the studies have only been done on the omega 3 in isolation not on the spread as a whole.

Fats in food come in 3 types, saturates, unsaturated and Trans fats. Saturated fats occur naturally in meats, higher in red meats, and are known to cause heart disease in high quantities. You need some saturated fat in your diet, but not too much. The average recommended daily amount is around 16g (try for no more than 20% of your total daily fat intake). The easiest way to look for fats that are saturated is by checking how hard they are at room temperature. Saturated fats are usually hard and unsaturated fats are usually liquid – look at different types of cheese for good examples.

Unsaturated fat is better as the body can break this down. It comes in different forms, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. ‘Mono’ and poly’ relate to the available hydrogen atoms in each fat molecule before it becomes saturated. Mono has room for one more molecule and poly has room for two or more. It is thought that monounsaturated is the more efficient for your body to use, and can be found in higher proportions in extra virgin olive oil and almonds.

Without doubt you should never eat anything with Trans fat in it. This is modified fat (heated and hydrogen bubbled through it) so it stays solid at room temperature. It is a great preservative but not really fit for healthy human consumption. Avoid anything that has hydrogenated or modified oil, it’s often found in things like instant noodles, fried food and microwavable foods, especially popcorn. Reheating of oil also increases the saturation of the fat molecules, so avoid fried foods especially if you eat out as it’s just not economical for restaurants and fast food outlets (or you) to change the oil everyday. If you have to use oil try to use olive oil (or lighter versions if the taste of the oil is too strong) as this is one of the least affected oils from heating, as are nut oils such as macadamia, which also has a high smoking point and coconut oil. Good oils should be in dark coloured bottles and stored in a dark cool place to prevent oxidation (or add a vitamin E tablet).

13. Pre-Workout

Pre-Workout is exactly what it says, a combination of ingredients to be taken before a workout to maximise your potential. Most providers use the same basic ingredients, possibly in different proportions, but what should you look out for?

Arginine:
This is one of the most common ingredients as the body can convert it to nitric oxide (NO) has helps increase muscle vascularity and delivers nutrients and blood into the muscles providing that ‘pump’.

Beta-Alanine:
A non-essential beta-amino acid, it is commonly known to cause a tingling or itching sensation, particularly in the face, but this is harmless. Beta-Alanine passes from the blood to the muscle where it combines with Histidine (also referred to as L-Histidine), which is one of our essential amino acids. This raises muscle carnosine levels which help maintain pH levels and slow down muscle fatigue, specifically in the fast twitch (Type II) muscle fibres.

Citrulline Malate:
A combination of amino acids (citrulline and malic acid) which removes ammonia and lactic acid from the body allowing for better endurance (before you feel that ‘burn’) and therefore longer workouts.

D-Aspartic Acid:
A form of amino acid that can be used as a testosterone booster. Elevated testosterone levels only last a week to a week and a half in healthy men, with testosterone returning to normal afterward. It works in the central brain region to cause a release of hormones, such as luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and growth hormone. It may also build up in the testicles, where it alleviates a rate-limiting step of Testosterone synthesis, which leads to a minor testosterone increase.

Caffeine:
Works by stimulating the central nervous system (CNS), heart, muscles, and brain blocking the effects of adenosine, which is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel tired . It can help the glucose stored in muscles last longer, potentially delaying the time it takes your muscles to reach exhaustion. Caffeine can also act as a diuretic that increases urine flow. It’s found in high quantities in many pre workouts, although it is recommended that you do not exceed 500mg in a 24 hour period. Many pre-workouts offer a non-stim or stim free version which essentially has no caffeine in.

Creatine, Protein (either complete, EAA or BCAAs) can be found in some pre workout formulas, but see our post specifically on these for more details.

14. Hydration

Water is essential for life and it makes up the majority of our body, 60% for men and slightly less for women due to their higher body fat. It is important to understand that hydration is not just about water. Water lubricates the moving parts of the body, absorbs impact for the nervous system, moves nutrients around the body and waste out of the body and regulates our body temperature. Water is an essential function for every cell and hydration is a balancing act between the water put into the body and the salts (sodium) that keep it there (water in the cell and water around the cells).

• If we don’t consume enough water we become dehydrated as the body dries out by losing fluids such as urine or sweat.

• If we don’t have enough salt we can’t retain enough water and anything we drink goes straight through our system.

Dehydration is symptomatic so we can spot the signs which include headaches, poor concentration levels, darker (more concentrated) urine or the slightly more obvious sign of being thirsty.

People often avoid salt as it has a bad reputation and in large quantities it isn’t good for the body, but it is essential. A lot of processed foods/snacks are high in salt so be aware when you are eating these, but if you are on a cleaner unprocessed diet you may need to add additional salt to food to ensure you get enough. UK NHS guidelines suggest up to 6g per day is required.

We also lose salts, especially from sweat, so when we exercise we may need to replace the salt as well as the water. Rather than just drinking water, try swapping this for low calorie energy/sports drinks that are isotonic (contains a similar concentration of salt and sugar as human blood so are quickly absorbed) or contains electrolytes (minerals such as salt). These will help you retain the water you drink and improve your hydration levels.

The recommended daily consumption of water is around 2 litres for females or 2.5 litres for males. Aim for this as a minimum but also be aware of your salt intake and if you show any signs of dehydration even if you are consuming plenty of water try eating something salty.

We talk a lot about water as it is exactly what we need, but just as we don’t lose water in it’s pure form we don’t necessarily have to drink it in it’s pure form (if we’re honest it’s pretty flavourless and boring!). There is no issue in drinking fluids in other forms, such as in cordial, fizzy drinks, tea, coffee, water soluble vitamins, they all contain mostly water. Just be aware of what else you are consuming with the drinks by way of sugar (because of the extra calories) or caffeine and alcohol (which is are diuretic and make you urinate more).            

16. Intermittent Fasting

What exactly is intermittent fasting? Essentially it is regular periods of time where we do not consume any calories. This can be in a wide rage of different ways but the most common versions are 16:8 and 5:2.

• 16:8 relates to the hours in a 24 hour day. We do not consume any calories for 16 hours (we can continue to hydrate with water) and then we consume all of our daily calories in an 8 hour window.

• 5:2 relates to the days in a week. We consume our normal amount of food for 5 days and then massively restrict our calories (usually less than 500 calories) for 2 days.

So how does this benefit our body in terms of fat loss? Quite simply it does not. The driving aim behind intermittent fasting for fat loss is to reduce the time window that we can eat and as such it is hoped to reduce the amount that we eat. This results in a total calorie intake reduction which in turn leads to weight loss.

The problem is that when we fast we can often over compensate when we are allowed to eat and actually consume more calories, or more energy based macro nutrients (high fat/.high sugar). Equally when we are fasting and low on energy we are less likely to exercise or our NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, which is how much we move around that’s not specific exercise) reduces and we subconsciously become more sedentary.

So is there any benefit? Intermittent Fasting is a tool and when used correctly it certainly has its benefits. When you are struggling to stick to a lower calorie diet then, as we have previously looked at in our Fat Loss topic, your calorie intake is more of a weekly average than a strict daily target. We can use intermittent fasting to save up our calories so that when we eat we can consume larger, more satisfying meals.

Often the act of eating gives us pleasure so we want to eat more, whereas when we are fasting we do not get that pleasure hit so we can last longer without eating. This could also be related to insulin which is used to clear blood sugars. When higher GI (Glycemic Index) foods are eaten then more insulin is released and our blood sugars drop too far. The body then wants to raise the blood sugar levels again so we crave the high GI foods (sugary sweet stuff) which repeats the cycle. Obviously when we are fasting we do not have to clear our blood sugars so we may feel a more even energy level and hunger level.

So should you use intermittent fasting? This is totally a personal choice. If you find it works well with your lifestyle and allows you to control your diet better than go for it. If you have never tried it then feel free to give it a go. Just remember it is a tool and not a solution. If you use it for fat loss then you still need to ensure your calorie intake is at the right level and you are eating the right foods as well as doing the right exercises, intermittent fasting itself will not work without these.

Are there any additional benefits to intermittent fasting? In truth there are no scientific studies that prove the act of intermittent fasting has a direct benefit. All the studies published so far that have shown to have health benefits have not compared identical diets using a control group on consistent eating patterns compared to a group on the same diet but utilising intermittent fasting. As such the benefits could have been from a calorie reduction or simply a better diet which came from intermittent fasting and it was that which resulted in the health benefits. Such benefits that can be claimed to come from intermittent fasting include weight loss, a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and improved heart health, all of which are also benefits of healthier diet.

17. Perimenopause/Menopause

The menstrual cycle (periods) tend to stop in women around the age of 45-55. Perimenopause is the process of change that is often symptomatic (‘going through the menopause’) and leads to the menopause which is when a woman no longer has any periods.   

Although everybody can experience different symptoms at different times and at different levels of severity, the majority of problems occur because of the levels of the hormone oestrogen drop dramatically. Some of the physical changes include weight gain, hot flushes, night sweats, irritability, poor concentration, more frequent headaches, and joint pains. Women can also experience higher blood pressure, changes in cholesterol levels (which can increase their risk of heart disease), and losing calcium from their bones (which can increase their risk of osteoporosis). Although hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is available to help address the hormone levels, this is not always an option for some people and also does not always stop the symptoms.

With this in mind it is even more important for women to look at their diet and exercise. In terms of exercise, resistance training (weightlifting) can help maintain bone density while increasing (or just preserving) muscle mass to ensure the metabolic rate remains as high as possible. Muscle is anabolic which means it burns calories at rest. As we lose muscle mass we burn less calories during the day and as such can put weight on, so it is important to use what muscle we have in order to keep it, or even better try and increase your muscle mass through exercise. It is also beneficial to add in some cardiovascular training both for heart health and for fat loss (or prevention of fat gain), but we cover more about what types of cardio in our previous post called ‘Fat Loss – Cardio’.

In terms of diet, keeping control of calories is important and you can find more out about that in our previous topic ‘Fat Loss – How do we control fat storage’. It is also important to ensure sufficient protein and fat are consumed as these are vital for muscle and brain function.

Even from the age of 35 our bones start to lose calcium but this is accelerated during menopause. As such it can be beneficial to take a calcium supplement (at least 1,200 mg per day) or include some calcium rich foods in the diet such as dairy products. Vitamin D is also important for bone health as it helps absorb calcium and we do not get enough of this from natural sunlight in the northern hemisphere so taking a supplement of at least 600-700IU a day is recommended (but no more than 4,000IU a day due to its impact on the kidneys). It may be beneficial to incorporate plant oestrogens into the diet. These are very similar to human oestrogen and can be found in soya products, milk, yoghurts, linseed or edamame beans. With hot flushes being a common symptom, it is advised to avoid trigger foods and drinks such as spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol. As with any changes to your diet or exercise, especially if it is related to the menopause, we would recommend you consult with a medical professional first.   

18. Water Manipulation           

Not many people know what water manipulation is but it plays a vital role in many of the ‘ripped’ photos you see of athletes and fitness models. These photos of Kevin are taken 7 days apart and the difference in his physique is mostly down to water (and maybe a touch of fake tan) but there was very little, if any fat loss.

The majority of the human body and especially muscle is made up of water. Water can be held within or around every cell and under the right conditions we can use certain techniques to direct where water is held in order to look a specific way. Now firstly the body fat percentage needs to be relatively low as if we have too much subcutaneous fat (just under the skin) then this will hide any impacts of water manipulation. If we are at a low body fat percentage, in a condition similar to Kevin’s left hand photo, then we can start the water manipulation process which usually takes 5-7 days.

It starts out by water loading. This is a process where we drink a volume of water greater than our daily average, maybe twice as much. So for example if we normally drink 2.5 litres a day we would start the process by drinking 5 litres. This increase in water puts the body into flush mode, essentially as the body is getting abnormally large amounts of water from an external source it feels that it no longer needs to retain as much water in the body. Remember the body is all about balance so if it gets too much of something it will lose it, if it doesn’t get enough of something it will retain what it can. Flushing is basically peeing out all the excess water the body now has.

At the same time we start a very low (less than 30g per day) carbohydrate diet. 1 gram of carbohydrate in the body will hold 2.5 grams of water so by reducing the carb intake we reduce the amount of water that can be retained. The calories should remain the same as we are not trying to lose fat during this process so the amount of protein and fat we consume goes up to compensate.

We also embark in depletion exercises, which are higher rep but lower weight repetitions to use up the glycogen (carbohydrates) stored in the muscle. We may also perform cardiovascular exercises, but as previously discussed they should be HIIT or LISS only. As we are not eating many carbohydrates the body is unable to replenish these stores so the glycogen and associated water stores are drained.  

We repeat this process, increasing the water intake by 0.5 – 1 litre each day to ensure your body keeps flushing the excess water. After 4-5 days of this we tend to look and feel weak as our muscles are drained and flat and we no longer have the energy stores in them.

About 24 hours before we want to peak (ie our photoshoot or stage performance) we stop drinking water altogether. As we have built up into flush mode over a number of days, the body is unable to adapt to the sudden stop that quickly. It continues to pee out water on a regular basis but it is no longer getting replenished. This allows the body to dry out.

Now that we have stopped putting water into the body we want to manipulate what water is left into maximising our look. We do this by reintroducing carbohydrates into our diet, usually in the form of fructose (fruit) which provide some additional fluids to maintain a minimum level of hydration (some people allow up to 1 litre of water to be consumed in that last 24 hours for safety reasons) or carbohydrate foods that you have used in the diet leading up to this state such as rice. It is risky to use alternative sources as during the diet phase we often eat very clean unprocessed foods which can lead to intolerances to processed or starchy foods. All the carbohydrate we now consume will go directly into replenishing our muscle glycogen stores as these instant energy supplies are a priority for our fight or flight responses. This is helped by doing a ‘pump’ session where we activate the muscles we want to look bigger. It may be worth noting that we do not ‘pump’ the muscles where definition is more important than size, such as abs and quads where the visible separation of muscles has more impact.

We know that every gram of carbs holds 2.5 grams of water so all this new carbohydrate that’s going into our muscle brings with it whatever water we have left around the muscle and under the skin. The result is that the muscle belly fills up and expands making our muscles look bigger and those areas around the muscle look dryer and tighter which leads to better muscle definition. 

Reintroducing carbohydrates in the last 12 or so hours is known as back loading. It is thought to lead to better overall results but carries with it the most risk. Under eating carbs can lead to a flat look and overeating can lose the definition. It has become more common to front load which is where we start the whole process a few days earlier and look to reintroduce carbs a few days earlier too. This allows us to hit a condition early and then maintain a level of carbs up to the peak hour. We can then increase or reduce the carbs as the condition changes throughout each day giving us more control over the final look.

All of this is useful to understand for anyone thinking about doing a photoshoot or show, but for the majority of readers I hope it gives you an insight to the tricks the industry plays in order to deliver the final product – a ripped body. It is an attainable physique both naturally (as with Kevin) and using many enhancing drugs as we find in the body building world, but absolutely no one (including Kevin) can live every day in that condition. Have realistic goals and expectations and don’t get sucked into the manipulated images you may seek to inspire you.

19. Spot Burning Fat

One of the most common questions we get asked at Elite Fitness is ‘how do I lose the fat around my mid section?’ 

The answer is unfortunately always a disappointing one; you can not spot burn fat.

That is to say you can not target a specific area of fat to lose; fat loss always follows the path of least resistance. We often forget that we NEED fat, it is essential to our survival and serves a number of functions in the body. It is not only a stored source of energy which we can tap into when we are unable to consume sufficient calories but it is also a vital insulator and protector. It also ensures we can absorb certain fat soluble vitamins (A, D & E) and is in the membrane (outer casing) of every single cell in our body. So when it plays such an important role in our body we understand why it is so hard to get rid of! 

Some of the functions of fat may not be area specific, but the roles of protector and insulator are. If you look at our skeletal structure some of our bones are designed for movement such as your arms and legs, but others are designed to protect the vital organs, such as your skull (brain), ribs (heart and lungs) and pelvis (bladder, colon and internal reproductive organs). What we can clearly see when we look at a skeleton is the lack of bones between your rib cage and pelvis. This mid section still contains vital organs such as your stomach, small and large intestines, liver, pancreas, etc. so without any solid bone structure to offer protection the body stores fat around these organs to keep them safe. It is this essential job that means the body will retain the fat stores in that area for as long as possible and choose to utilise the fat from other less essential areas first. The body is in survival mode as we are physically consuming ourselves just to stay alive.

The problem for most of us is that psychologically this abdominal area is the one place we don’t want to hold the fat. Because of that we often fixate on that area and use it as a measurement for our fat loss journey. This can mean we overlook all the other areas where the fat is actually being reduced. As a general rule of thumb, we lose fat from the outer most areas and it works its way towards the mid section as a final destination. We usually see changes in our face first, then maybe our arms and legs, women specifically see a loss in the breasts as these contain a lot of fat but are the least essential areas for the survival of the person.

If we exercise a certain area the muscles in that area may grow (slowly over time if the type II fibres suffer sufficient trauma) but the fat in that area will not be used to fuel the exercise. Doing abdominal crunches will not reduce the fat in the mid section as much as doing leg extensions will not reduce the fat in your thighs. As we have looked at previously, building muscle mass in any area will help increase your metabolic rate which can lead to fat loss, and they will provide more visible shape and tone to the muscle when the fat is lost, but only to the body as a whole rather than to any one specific area.

Another myth is that you can turn fat into muscle or if you don’t workout your muscle will turn into fat. Fat and muscle are two totally different substances and you can not change them any more than you can change water into wine. You can simply change the quantities and ratios of each by doing increasing or decreasing amounts of certain activities. 

So back to the question ‘‘how do I lose the fat around my mid section?’

The answer is the same as how you lose the fat in any area of your body, the science doesn’t change. You just need to persevere as in all likelihood it will be the last place your body goes to.

20. If I lift weights will I get bulky?

If you perform hypertrophy training (the act of causing trauma to type II muscle fibres responsible for the strength and power movements and allow these to repair with sufficient rest and protein) then you will increase the size and density of these fibres. How visible these changes are is down to genetics and hormones.

We are born with a predetermined number of fast twitch and slow twitch fibres although there are also a number of indeterminate fibres known as Type II A. 

• Slow twitch (Type I) are low oxidative fibres which contract relatively slowly and use aerobic respiration (oxygen and glucose) to produce ATP – see previous topic on Energy Systems. They produce low power contractions over long periods and are slow to fatigue and are often used in endurance exercises (15+ reps at a 2:2 tempo).

• Fast twitch (Type II B) have fast contractions and primarily use anaerobic glycolysis (the energy systems before we become aerobic) and contain much more glycogen (carbohydrates to use as energy). These fibres fatigue more quickly than the others but have more strength and explosive power (8-12 reps at a 1:2 tempo).

The indeterminate fibres known at Type II A are a hybrid of fast and slow twitch fibres and sit somewhere in between either characteristic. These have more endurance than our standard fast twitch fibres and more power than our slow twitch fibres.

However your fibre ratios are made up you are stuck with them and cannot create additional fibres or change the nature of existing fibres. That gives you your genetic potential for how visible or ‘bulky’ your muscles can get. Those with a higher proportion of fast twitch have greater potential for adding muscle size, those with more slow twitch will find it difficult to add muscle size.

That’s where the male and female playing field stops being level and we look at our hormones, specifically testosterone. In muscle, testosterone stimulates protein synthesis (growth) which is an anabolic effect and prevents muscle degradation (anti-catabolic effect). The more testosterone you have the more growth will occur under sufficient muscle stimulation (hypertrophy training). Males typically peak in their late teens and on average have around 900ng/dL of testosterone naturally present in the body. Females at the same age are also at their peak, but only have on average around 75ng/dL. This massive difference (12 times as much) represents a huge advantage in males for muscle growth and why females will relatively struggle to increase their muscle size.

It is important to remember that this is peak levels and they will start to decrease as we get older. In females the levels drop to 65 aged 30, 30 aged 40, 20 aged 50, 10 aged 60 and 5 aged 70. As the starting point in males is so high the drop is more dramatic, 800 aged 30, 570, aged 40, 350 aged 50, 300 aged 60 and 200 aged 70. You can see that even a 70 year old male has 2.5 times the testosterone levels as a female at their peak. This is why resistance training is more important as we age to retain what muscle we have to help slow (or even reverse) the impact of our reducing testosterone levels.

All of that is about the natural levels of testosterone, but some males increase their levels unnaturally by injecting testosterone (steroids) into their body. Sometimes as a legitimate prescribed dosage by a GP when natural levels decline quicker than expected, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) aims to being an individual back to their average levels for their age. This is similar equivalent to HRT with oestrogen/ progesterone for females during perimenopause. Some males (and even some females – see above photo for an example) choose to inject larger amounts of testosterone to aid muscle growth but this tends to be alongside many other drugs that have additional or counter balancing effects to enhance muscle growth and tries to reduce the severity of the negative side effects.   

So in answer to the question, which is more commonly from females, the answer is that lifting weights alone will not make you look bulky, certainly no where near as muscular as a male. You have your own potential and can always stop at any time, but remember as you age your muscle will naturally waste away so it's not necessarily about getting bigger, it can be about maintaining what you have and all the health advantages muscle mass provides - just give it a go, you might like it!

21. Carb Timing

Carbohydrates are essentially fuel and we should only really consider timing when looking at them in this respect. Just like a car we do not add fuel when the tank is full, but also we do not have to wait until the tank is empty. The fuller the tank the heavier the car and less economical or fast it will be, so if we take out the convenience factor of filling up, we would ideally just drive around with enough fuel to complete our journey.

In the body we have a fuel tank of carbohydrates called glycogen which are stored in the muscle (80%) and liver (20%). There’s about 600g of glycogen in the average male body which accounts for 2,400 calories. We are also fortunate enough to have 2 reserve fuel tanks by way of protein (muscle) and fat which can be converted to glycogen. The amino acid in protein called Glutamine can be used to convert protein into glucose (sugar) mainly by your liver during a process called gluconeogenesis and glycerol in fat can also be easily metabolised into glucose. Normally we do not want to dip into these reserves so it is best to maintain an optimal intake of carbohydrates to stay energised.

So how much carbohydrate should we eat? Of your total daily calories, around 50% of your calories should come from carbs, which leaves around half to come from protein (30%) and fat (20%). If we are in a calorie deficit and are looking to lose fat we can reduce the proportion of carbohydrates as it is more important to maintain the levels of protein and fat for the essential functions. We can use any free BMR calculator online to workout our expected average calories if we need a starting point and then apply the ratios from there. Just remember that regardless of when we eat carbs, if we do not use the energy from them we will store their energy as fat – timing has no effect on this universal truth.

So now we know how many carbs to eat, when should we look to eat them? In truth, unless you are an athlete where peak performance and regular intra-daily training is paramount, the timing of carbs is fairly irrelevant. We only really need to time carbs by way of refuelling. It is commonly agreed that the earlier we eat carbs the more efficient the body is at using them. This stands to reason as we are fuelling up for the day ahead and are breaking the fast from our overnight sleep.

The only other significant refuelling point is after exercise. When we do prolonged exercise we drain the glycogen from the muscles we use, either during cardio or resistance training, and the blood is pumping to those areas to deliver nutrients or oxygen to maintain the energy expenditure. When we finish the blood is sill flowing into those muscles so we want to take advantage of this delivery mechanism by putting the nutrients we need to refuel and repair into the bloodstream as quickly as possible.    

The complexity of the carbohydrate is also important as it’s not necessarily the time we eat it, but the time we are able to digest it and the nutrients enter our bloodstream. In order to ensure the necessary nutrients get to work straight away post workout we want to have some very simple sugars, ideally in liquid form as this is easier to breakdown than solid food. The carbohydrates enter the blood causing a spike in blood sugars which signals the pancreas to release insulin to disperse these sugars into the muscles.

As a side, we also want to consume protein to piggyback the carbohydrates and get to the muscles quickly to start the repair process of any damaged muscle fibres. Whey protein is the quickest digested protein source, with hydrolysed (pre-digested) versions even quicker. As any consumption of macro nutrients will take time to get from the mouth to the bloodstream, it may be recommended to consume both carbohydrates and protein before or during exercise (think protein shakes and Rice Krispie Squares!), although due to the stress on the body of digestion, some people find this inhibits performance and choose to wait until they have finished.

It is also useful to note that the stomach can not compartmentalise nutrients and will digest whatever is consumed as a whole. As such, when we eat more complex carbs or fats (which are a more complex structure) this will slow down the overall digestion rate. For example, the carbs in Haribo when consumed with peanut butter (not a serving suggestion!) will digest slower than the carbs in Haribo if eaten alone. Everyone also digests at different rates so you have to find the times to eat that suit you best, whether you train fasted and fuel up afterwards, have meal 2-3 hours before you workout or eat during your exercise session, it is always personal preference. Just try to plan what you eat, in terms of complexity, allows for the digestion to be done for when you want the nutrients to do their work.

So to sum up, timing of carbs is about when you want to refuel and the speed of delivery of that fuel is dependent of the complexity of the carb source. Plan to use them when you need them after times of exertion or periods of fasting and other than that you can just eat them when you want.    

Are abs worth it?

In the gym it is very common to see people on a ‘cut’ or getting ‘shredded’ or getting photoshoot or stage ready, but what is the reality of this and is it really worth it?

The problem in a modern society with social media is that we all get obsessed with the visual. We set our goals, our expectations, our worth based on what we can see, or what others can see or what we think is deemed the best by society or what we are fed through the media. The truth is that these images, even if they are not photo shopped, AI generated or manipulated in any way, are still not representative of health. They are at very best attainable but in no way are they maintainable and at what cost?

If you are thinking about taking your body to a lower body fat position than it’s been before, or you have already started your journey, it may be useful to understand what to expect. This is my account of what I experienced, it may not be the same for everyone, but I certainly wish I knew this before I started.

I am not an emotional person, I am very goal oriented to the point of obsession so my journey suited my personality type and my emotional experience wasn’t too bad. I am therefore unable to provide much of an insight to that side of the whole event, although watching many people follow this process I have seen every extreme of emotion, a lot of tears and many rollercoaster rides. The changes I personally noticed more were physical and mental so that is what I will focus on. The overriding point to remember is that the body doesn’t want to lose fat, it’s what we have evolved to keep in order to maintain our body temperature (before we had central heating) and ensure we have sufficient energy stores (before we had mass food production). We are therefore starting a fight against our body’s genetic blueprint and it will fight us back the whole way.

In order to function optimally we need enough energy (calories). When we restrict our energy consumption and create a calorie deficit it triggers a response in the body. This instinctive reaction is to switch into ‘survival mode’ which essentially prioritises where the body should expend what energy is available – remember fat is not an instant source of energy, it takes time to metabolise.

To the body, the survival of the species (the technical point of sex) is far less important than survival of the individual so why prioritise energy on that. Your natural level of sex drive will determine how quick or dramatic this change will be but it will probably be one of the first things you (or your partner) may notice diminish.

As I started to burn through my fat supplies I immediately started to feel the reduction in insulation and therefore feel the cold more. This only gets worse as my body fat reduces so I found myself wearing layers in the summer when everyone else was in shorts and t-shirts and ultimately I had an inability to get/feel warm. The extremities are the least important parts of the body to its survival (hands & feet) so these are more susceptible to the cold and it can lead to circulation issues that can have physical implications on mobility and dexterity.

Other non essential parts of the body will also suffer in the prioritisation of nutrients. Brittle hair and fingernails are a common symptom of the deficiency, skin issues can arise (such as dry skin) and cuts may take longer to heal or scar and you are more likely to noticeably bruise.

My training took over my life! It is important to stay in the anaerobic window to prevent catabolic exercising, especially with any cardio, but cardio duration increases further and further with less and less energy available. My resistance training had to remain sufficient to maintain and preserve my muscle mass but now with less energy to do it. Personally I swapped to more strength based training (5 sets x 5 reps) in order to maintain the weights I was using as my stamina started to dwindle.

The amount of training is the thing I don’t think people really prepare for or realise the impact of, not necessarily on them physically, but on their partner or family. The entire process is an unbelievably selfish endeavour. Realistic expectations and agreement/buy in from anyone close to you is vital, both as your support network during the really hard times, but also for the health of your relationships with them during and after the process – these will be tested to the max!.

Food becomes life! I can eat the same thing over and over again so for me I didn’t find it difficult to prepare and consume my macros, I just ate the same meals/snacks every day for 16 weeks only amending quantities as my calorie allowance reduced. For those that require variety, keeping to a plan can be one of the hardest things and meals become a chore and have zero pleasure. Most plans involve only unprocessed natural foods, high in nutrients and low in calories. This is usually the opposite of our normal diet, certainly mine, so it can be hard to adjust to. This can lead to binges, feelings of guilt, even make people lie about it to friends/family/PTs to hide the shame of a single chocolate biscuit – that’s the beginnings of an eating disorder!

Equally as dangerous is the need to weigh and quantify every single thing you eat and drink. In order to ensure you are hitting your target calories or your macros you need to know what you are consuming. This can only be done if you know (and also record) exactly what you have to the gram. All the little over or under amounts add up and make a difference so you can’t leave it to chance or guesswork. I am a natural planner, so I planned each day ahead of time, prepped food when I wasn’t able to cook it fresh, but nothing entered my body that wasn’t weighed and checked. My day rarely changed from the home – gym – work – gym – home and repeat routine and my meals never changed so I found it easy to stick to. If anything happened outside of this I would really struggle. A social event, change of working hours, external demands on my time, I would resent anything and anyone that got in the way of my routine. Some people prefer to track, to account for their food and drink as they have it and use up any remaining calories/macros at the end of the day, or save them for a more calorie dense meal. Whether you are proactive or reactive you still need to account for every gram and this means obsessive weighing of everything you consume.

During these very testing times I found that I started to lose any social skills. Again the ability to function in a society is not as important to the individual as survival of the body itself. I lost any passion in my day to day life and became very withdrawn, almost vacant and finding myself staring into space all the time. I wouldn’t start conversations and certainly found it hard to continue a conversation. My brain fog increased and couldn’t think of words or get my mouth to engage when I wanted to talk. I found I had little interest in anything or anyone else, maybe my obsessive tendencies, maybe my brain becoming blinkered to keeping me alive! I lived on autopilot – like when you’ve had too much to drink and your body is walking you home even though you have very little awareness and certainly no memory of getting there. Socialising became a problem, I could no longer go out and enjoy a drink or a meal, I actually attended a wedding and had to leave to eat my meal from a Tupperware container while everyone tucked into their 3 course meal. Again family life and friendships get very tested!

The further into the process I went the more I noticed (with hindsight) my brain function reducing. After my conversational skills deserted me I started to struggle with cognitive thought. I have always been good at maths but I couldn’t add 2 numbers together and relied on a calculator to add up a protein bar and bottle of water as my brain just couldn’t do it. My memory also started to fail, I would forget conversations from 5 minutes ago, go into rooms and forget why I’m there, go shopping and come home with half of what I went in for. Brain function is fat based so when we become depleted in fat the brain is depleted and just like the rest of the body it will prioritise what is left for the most important tasks only. Towards the end I became more and more instinctive. I was less rational, unable to think in situations and just reactive. You could say I was more animalistic; don’t think - just do.

The more obvious change was my energy levels. I would be tired when I woke up, remain tired during the day and just want to get to bed at the earliest opportunity. I became dependent of stimulants, caffeine was my only friend and I couldn’t function without pre workout. I don’t drink coffee but I can see how addictive that can become and these days everyone is drinking energy drinks, but I would have the equivalent caffeine of 8 cans of Monster to get me through each day – this is terrible for the digestive and nervous systems. To combat the lack of energy the body started to reduce my Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenisis (NEAT). That is to say I started moving less, without noticing, but I would sit for longer, lean on walls rather than standing up, generally minimise all my body’s movements. Every movement became a battle between what I consciously wanted to do and what I was subconsciously trying to stop. When I did this it was before step counters became a thing so I didn’t realise at the time, but these days we are all trying to hit our daily steps so would probably be more aware of any decrease in movement – but that in itself creates an unhealthy obsession with numbers.

So after losing the body fat and getting through all this I ended with the trauma of peak week. That is the final week before our moment to shine where fat loss no longer becomes a priority and we begin to manipulate the body to look its ‘best’. I explained more about this in my topic on ‘Water Manipulation’ but didn’t talk about how it feels. Drinking that volume of water in a now reduced size of stomach (it does change size over time dependent on the amount that goes in it) was harder than any of the food during the preceding 15 weeks. I would last around 20 minutes between trips to the toilet which meant I could never be that far from one. Depleting glycogen makes the muscles ‘deflate’ which at a time of mental exhaustion does nothing to help. I already had developed body dysmorphia by fixating on that very last bit of fat I could see or pinch without seeing the progress I had made everywhere else. The window of opportunity closes as I got nearer to my photoshoot day and the panic set in on whether I had done enough, how was I going to look, should I just cancel it all now. The saying ‘it is always darkest before the dawn’ describes this last week perfectly!

I guess it all worked out ok in the end. I’m happy with the photos I got, but more of the lessons I learned about myself along the way. Anyone that does this will take more from it that just the end result, it is life changing and life affirming. You take your body to a place it has never been before and survived. I did another photoshoot for a charity calendar later that year and it wasn’t nearly as hard as my body knew it could go that far and not die, but that’s not to say I have any desires to go through it all again. It probably took another 2 years before I stopped hating my ‘normal’ body and no longer beat myself up by looking at my photoshoot photos and comparing. The process of gaining weight, even to get back to a healthy level, was such a scary thing to contemplate let alone go through. I had a very unhealthy relationship with food after that, or to give it a title it left me with an eating disorder. I also became intolerant to many of the starchy foods I had eliminated during my diet. Even 10 years later I am unable to eat bread, pasta, cereal or potatoes without bloating badly. These are foods I was virtually living off before the diet. I also became very sensitive to sugar, I now experience big crashes and even bloating when I have a sugary snack.

So if you think you want to see your abs, even for only a week of your life, maybe think whether you want to go through everything that process involves and if you do, then go into it with open eyes. There is no harm in trying and no shame in stopping. This was my journey and my experiences so it may not be the same for you or anyone else. One thing is true across the board; when you take your body to a place it has never been before it will resist with everything it has got. Your body only wants to survive and it will try every trick in the book to make it as hard as possible for you to continually lose fat beyond a healthy normal level. Also remember that this level of body fat is not healthy so do not pretend that you are getting fitter or better. Society and social media place too much emphasis on low body fat and good muscle size or definition as an indication of health. I was a healthier person at 20+ stone than I was ripped at 10 stone, but my healthiest is a middle ground, a happy, maintainable, functional, manageable homeostasis.