Part 02 - Nutrition
So you’ve landed in the UK and had a blast, been to the pub a few times, had the odd late night kebab and settled in for a nice weekend of watching Football? Then you notice a something strange looking back in the mirror one morning. Struggling to keep off that extra weight in your new adopted home? Well, the Live Your Life Newsletter is here to help!
First off, you need to know your enemy - fat…Yes fat is your enemy and you need to know how it is created and why it will not go away even if you ask nicely.
Biologically, fat is stored in the body as our emergency supply of energy as it was when cavemen we could not be sure of their next meal. The best method of burning excess fat is to use exercise to burn more calories than we consume; allowing the body to use fat in small amounts when in a deficit. A three pronged attack is needed to fight the fat;
- Proper nutrition
- Cardiovascular exercise
- Resistance training
The first part of this series will focus on nutrition.
Eat more
Now this may sound crazy, but it’s true. You can lose weight by eating more and eating more often! As strange as it may sound, eating (albeit properly) is the most overlooked aspect of weight loss. When we starve ourselves, our body goes into emergency mode to continue its maintenance; including storing more fat and catabolising bones, muscles and vital nutrient stores (catabolism is the body breaking down your organs into fuel). However this is not a license to chow down on chips and chocolate, we should aim to eat “good” and “real” food in smaller portions but more often, with a variety of fresh (ideally organic) fruit, vegetables, grains, meats, fats, and dairy products.
Eat your greens
Fresh food contains more nutrients, vitamins and minerals we need and the longer food takes from the ground to your plate the less we get from it. The more added to it (preservatives, salt and sugar), and the more done to it (freezing, canning, or boiling), the less we get from it too.
It is important that we understand what we put into our body by reading the labels on our foods and asking why our food contains so many unnatural ingredients with incomprehensible names. They might say it’s good for you, but check the label to see what they are hiding. If you don’t know what that really long ingredient is and what it will do to you, why would you eat it?
Freedom to eat
The key to improved fitness is that we should be able to live our lives. Don’t chain yourself down to a rigid and possibly dangerous diet simply because a friend, celebrity or magazine says it works.
- Eat good food
- Get exercise
- Find what works for you
Don’t be afraid to eat things you shouldn’t sometimes. If you feel as though you have no choice or you resent the program you are on or the people who led you it, you’ll be no better off. No one wants to be a prisoner, subverting your desires. Eating comes naturally to us and it should be enjoyed, but enjoyed properly.
Keys to success
- Stay determined!
- Remember- you didn’t put on the weight over night so don’t expect it to disappear overnight
- Recognise that you will make mistakes and that’s ok as long as you are getting it right every other time and that you are improving your lifestyle, improving your health and improving yourself!
