5 Nutrition mistakes that are making you FAT

1) Going cold turkey

For a smoker, going ‘cold turkey’ has been proven as the most successful way of doing things. In a recent study 68.5% of ex-smokers quit by going cold turkey. This is great news for them, but when you consider that sugar is far more addictive than smoking and in order to cut it out you have to make multiple sacrifices when renovating your diet, you'll realise you may have to take a different approach. So my advice is this: change ONE thing at a time. You might want to start by getting your breakfast spot on, for example, swapping your cornflakes for something more protein based, such as eggs and avocado, or you may benefit from reducing your portion sizes first.

Research suggests that it takes 66 days to form a habit but it can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. In another study, it took anywhere from 18 days to 254 days for people to form a new habit. In other words, if you want to set your expectations appropriately, the truth is that it will take you anywhere from two months to eight months to build a new behavior into your life. Once it becomes habit you can then introduce something new until your diet represents that of a Greek God's…and so does your bod, so be patient!

2) Thinking that just because it’s Paleo, it must be good for you

As a trainer this one really frustrates me. The amount of times I've had a client come to see me beaming at the fact that they’ve cooked some ‘healthy Paleo treats’ to aid their with fat loss is ridiculous. I’ve then begrudgingly had to piss all over their proud little bonfire by enlightening them with the truth. I’ll tell you why; There's no such thing as a healthy treat and if there was we'd all be living on Paleo cake & chocolate surprise for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Recently my wife was handed a recipe for Paleo brownies by one of her clients, this sheet of A4 had the following ingredients: Dates, agave syrup, almond butter, honey, 70% chocolate, coconut oil, almond flour, coconut flour, eggs and a banana. Individually these ingredients are ‘healthy’ but collectively they produce a monster brownie with a stupendous 500 kcals of fat and sugar EACH….is that healthy when you’re trying to lose fat? You tell me! Can eating sugary treats aid you in your fitness performance? Maybe, but if fat loss is the goal then you're better off leaving them out.

3) Cutting out carbs

Carbohydrates are primarily a source of immediate energy for all of your body’s cells but if you eat too much it will end up being stored as fat.

So yes, when the carbs you’re eating consist of simple sugars and refined carbs such as biscuits, pastas and white bread, it will result in increased levels of bad cholesterol and insulin resistance. On the flip side, when the carbs that are digested and absorbed slowly, such as whole grains, fruits and veggies, these can help to control insulin response, energy levels, and have a positive effect on body composition. Not to mention, and this is the big one, the body CANNOT burn fat without the presence of carbohydrate!

So, can limiting carbs help us lose weight short term? Absolutely, but there are some more serious consequences that the carb cutters have to consider (especially when taking part in intense exercise like our transform class or circuit training). To name a few: decreased thyroid output, increased cortisol output(stress hormone), decreased testosterone, impaired mood and cognitive function, muscle catabolism (your body eats muscle) & suppressed immune function. And to top it off as some of you will know, you end up feeling like dog shit.

It really impacts your performance too guys, as mentioned in the last newsletter, building muscle is the aim of the game for multiple reasons. When you're carb depleted you could be completing less than half of the reps that you could do normally!

4) Obsessing over calories

The simple rule with calories is: if you are consuming more than you expend then you WILL gain fat. That said there is an easier way than counting all the calories you eat during your day, bearing in mind that 90% of clients I train operate in peaks and troughs when it comes to diet - 'peaks' being weeks of counting calories and healthy eating, 'troughs' being the Sunday high tea for a friends birthday, midweek drinks with the girls plus the weekend brunch because you’ve fallen off the wagon in your high heels screaming “Prosecco!” Sound familiar?

My personal opinion is, that the peaks can be extended by adopting an easier and more sustainable way of controlling calories and is therefore long-term. ‘Palm portions’ is an affective and simple way to control the calories entering your mouth. It’s more easily explained by the infographic below

5) Listening to mainstream marketing

“BUY FAT F@CK FURNACE 10,000 TURBO NOW TO LOSE 100kg’s IN 1 WEEK”

“LOSE 8 MILLION KILOS OF FAT AND GAIN 12 BN KILOS OF MUSCLE IN JUST 6 WEEKS WITH THIS 30 DAY TWATTY PLANKING FITNESS PROGRAM”

They promise you just about anything to sell their product but there’s no substitute for hard work in the gym and harder work in the kitchen. There’s no secret formula (although according to the Internet there are thousands). You don’t have to buy every supplement under the sun to lose fat and build muscle, there’s no one workout' that beats the rest, there’s no one diet that is the Holy Grail. Choose a way of eating that fits your lifestyle, watch your portions, stick to foods that are the only ingredient, do exercise that inspires you and that you enjoy, and exercise with a professional that can guide you when necessary. It’s really not as difficult as everyone makes out.

See you all soon

Brendan