The secret to getting into shape…is to create an energy deficit.
To do this, we are going to need some form of exercise.
At THQ we love weight training.
Aiming to get fitter and stronger each time you return for a session.
In between weight sessions, we encourage people to be active.
Steps and walks complement weight training well but a run, bike, swim etc are also great.
Now that all sounds easy and reasonable to do.
But it’s not enough to see visual body shape changes.
We see your efforts putting in a lot of work on the training side of things.
But your nutrition also needs to go alongside it.
If anyone at THQ isn’t seeing any weight/inch loss when they first start with us…we request a 7-day food log.
I always think back to this one lady who told me “this whole eating healthy doesn’t work for me”
So I asked her for a week’s food diary and had a good look through it all.
This lady told me she doesn’t eat more than 1300 calories a day, and I could see that she was probably around the 13-14 stone mark – this did not add up.
For someone of that size to lose weight, I would recommend hitting 1800-1900 calories a day and she would be losing weight and inches at a good pace.
But this lady asked if she should go lower than 1300 calories a day, as her metabolism is a bit slow and that she thinks her thyroid is playing up??
I stopped that action immediately and instead asked her what she normally ate for meals.
Some eggs and fruit for breakfast.
Meat and salad for lunch.
And then meat, veg and carbs at night – all made from scratch.
She was correct…this was about 1300kcal a day worth of food and she should be seeing the inches and pounds tumble.
But when I delved deeper into her food diary, I asked a few questions.
Q. What did she cook her eggs in the morning?
A. Butter and she also had coffee with cream and sugar
= Add in an extra 200kcal
Q.is there anything else on your lunch?
A. Yeah I add a bit of mayo….(covers the whole meal in mayo)
= Add in an extra 300kcal
Q. Do you use oils to cook meals? Do you weigh your carbs portions?
A. Yeah use lots of healthy olive oil and just eyeball carbs portions (underestimates them)
= Add in an extra 400kcal
**oh and sometimes I eat the kid’s scraps or have a glass of red wine/small chocolate bar**
= Add in an extra 200-300kcal
So, we’ve now discovered an extra 1200kcal a day.
This lady had been actually consuming 2500 calories a day which would definitely make her results plateau.
This is so common and easily done.
To blast through weight loss or even weight gain plateaus (do the opposite and eat more when you’ve been under-eating) try a food diary.
Be deliberate and conscious for 7 days and record everything that you consume.
It takes no more than 5 mins each day to do but it could save you years of frustrations.
Maybe start this weekend and really see what gets consumed!
Let me know what you discover.
Ryan