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EXERCISE FOR WEIGHT LOSS

1/11/2018

Exercise for weight loss

We’ll tackle this one first because by a country mile the majority of people who walk through the doors of any gym or start exercising are doing it to primarily look better.

Though we’re going to focus on exercise, we want to make it very clear that you cannot outrun your fork. If you’re overweight and your nutrition isn’t in order then exercise will not help with your weight loss.
A closer look at some of the studies make it clear that exercise has a depressingly low effectiveness for weight loss, despite some sensationalist headlines.

There’s no doubting that exercise could be described as the single best drug in the world, but it is not a weight loss drug. We say that not to discourage you from exercise but rather to value the unbelievable benefits of exercise regardless of weight.

sUMMING IT ALL UP

1/11/2018

Ok so we’ve gone through a lot of popular diet plans over the last week or so, and if you’ve been reading along the fog should be clearing with regards commonalities.

All of them, put some restriction on your overall intake (and therefore calories). This is dieting 101, if you haven’t managed to get yourself into an energy deficit then no amount of super foods will do the trick.
The good ones will also put a focus on primarily whole foods and an emphasis on higher daily protein and fat intakes. This is also important from the perspective of regulating both hunger and blood sugar.

There are people who have succeeded on every diet vogue in books and on the internet, you’ll never hear of those that failed, of which you can be sure there are plenty.

Find something that works for you, your lifestyle and tastes. It still won’t be easy, it will still require consistency and discipline, but setting your diet up properly will have a profound effect on your results over the long term.

Need help with this? Just drop us a line or comment below.

EXERCISE BENEFITS

1/11/2018

The vast array of benefits that exercise offers extends well past weight loss. A lack of it has far reaching negative implications too.

Exercise is possibly the single most important modifiable determinant of your health.
There’s nothing you could do that would help and benefit your health more than regular exercise. Over the next week we'll take a look at some of the biggest effects along with some practical applications.

BULLETPROOF COFFEE

1/11/2018

Bulletproof coffee... What is it? Though not technically a diet, it’s something we’ve been asked about a few times so here we go... This involves adding one to two spoonfuls of butter and some MCT oil to your regular morning coffee.

The good: Coffee

The bad: Butter in the coffee

The stupid: Not sure where to start with this one, so how about the fact that it’s 450+ kcal’s. You can read that again if you like and then go about your business for the rest of the evening. Here’s another kicker though, if skeptical of anything then follow the money, in order to make the real deal you really should be buying the ‘official’ ingredients directly from their site…and you’ve guessed it, it gets pretty pricey.

DETOX DIETS

1/11/2018

We weren't actually going to hit detox diets, but by request... What is it? We’re going to lump a few diets in here to simplify things, let’s call it any diet that uses or references the term ‘detox’. The general idea of these is to purge any would-be toxins out of the body.

The good: It’s generally true that some of us probably from time to time over-consume high sugar, high fat foods, overuse alcohol and/or medications, overuse supplements and eat nutrient-poor foods. Along with other things such as traffic pollution and sleep deprivation. All of which probably increase your disease risk. Some of these diets encourage a better quality of nutrient rich foods such as fruits and vegetables.

The bad: The answer to all of the above does not have to be a ‘teatox’ or ‘juice cleanse’. These things appear to work because they show an extremely quick result on the scales staring back at you. This though is because you’re essentially running on empty, there’s nothing sitting in your stomach, and you’ve expelled water and carb stores. Most of these diets are extremely low in calories and can be as long as 7 days+. The irony of loading yourself up with all these new nutrients is that they themselves can actually prove to be ‘toxic'. The stupid: Some are simply dangerous. Along with being low in calories, they also tend to be low in other essential nutrients such as protein, fats, vitamins and minerals. Some have a diuretic effect which can have potentially harmful effects on your electrolyte balance. There are plenty of reports of people ending up in A&E after these sorts of plans. Perhaps the biggest issue though is the binge/purge cycles they tend to encourage. Anyone we know who has used these seems to rely on them on a regular basis.

VEGAN DIET

1/11/2018

Ok, here's (hopefully) a balanced view on the Vegan diet... What is it? A diet based primarily on plant sources with several different routes to take, but we’ll focus on vegan here meaning an avoidance of all animal produce. Currently popular possibly due to some high profile documentaries.

The good: Possibly a more sustainable way of feeding the planet along with taking a stand against animal cruelty and exploitation We could probably all stand to benefit from adopting more vegetarian habits, fruits, vegetables and less fatty processed animal meats.

The bad: You’ll have to consciously go out of your way to ensure you hit certain essential nutrient levels such as protein, calcium, VitD,
iron, VitB12, despite claims that these are easy to hit through plant based foods. If you’re considering going this route please do as much research as you can and possibly in conjunction with your GP and a dietitian. It also makes for quite an impractical daily regime.

The stupid: The belief from some vegan factions, that beyond anything else this is the ‘healthiest’ way to eat. As above, any diet that leaves you deficient in essential nutrients simply can’t claim to be the bastion of health.

MEDITERRANEAN dIET

1/11/2018

Mediterranean is up today... What is it? Eating a diet primarily based around plants, vegetables, beans, whole grains, seafood, lean meats and healthy oils.

The good: Sometimes touted as the healthiest diet in the world by some doctors and dieticians. Mainly due to the fact it’s linked to a reduction in heart-disease risk factors and blood sugar control. Studies based around the World’s blue zones (Those areas that have the most longevity and least disease) have also seen a common link with this dietary approach.

The bad: It still requires a conscious restriction of calories and possibly a good deal of meal preparation. There is a rough recommended ratio of carbs:fats:protein too which some might find confusing.

The stupid: Possibly the most famed aspect of this diet is the allowance, or even recommendation of 1-2 glasses of red wine. I’ve actually seen some people adopt this approach solely on the inclusion of alcohol...and everyone knows all too well it's hard to get that cork back in the bottle.

LOW-CARB

1/11/2018

Low-carb is next up... What is it? Pretty much as it says on the tin. This involves reducing your carbohydrates intake, by how much is what’s usually debated. Low-carb to one person may not necessarily be low-carb to someone else.

The good: If you take away (or restrict) a whole food group then you’re, in theory at least eating less calories. This leaves the majority of your choices to be protein and fats. These are satiating nutrients which means they keep you feeling full for longer…good news when you’re dieting. It’s also report to help keep your blood sugar more stable. It seems to work quicker, the scales starts dipping a little quicker than more traditional approaches due to the fact that you shed a little more water and glycogen with this approach. To note though over time, that effect balances out.

The cons: As with any restrictive plan, you’re potentially leaving behind some healthful benefits of those foods that are left out. Add to the fact that some people just don’t do well on this approach with some reporting a change in, ahem, toilet behaviour due to a lack of fibre and it simply mightn’t suit everyone.

The stupid: Believing that carbohydrates, and/or sugar are the only reason for weight gain and/or certain medical conditions tops the charts on this one.

CALORIE COUNTING

1/11/2018

Calorie counting next... What is it? Tracking all the calories that enter your mouth through either an app, or food diary and calculating the totals.

The good: Possibly the single biggest thing you can do if you want to figure out why you’re not losing weight. It’ll probably shock you but once you do it’ll be dietary enlightenment.

The bad: Even with apps making it simple it’s still a hassle and a pain. 100% accuracy is also impossible. Calorie counts on products are notoriously inaccurate, there’s individual variance on how you actually absorb food and how you prepare food can change the numbers too.

The stupid: If you’re basing your food choices solely on maths calculation chances are it’s not a healthy approach. Caloric neurosis can set in and it can become a more stressful approach than others, if you're that type of person it mightn't be for you.

INTERMITTENT FASTING

1/11/2018

Intermittent Fasting next... What is it? A period of feeding restriction, the most common protocols being the 5:2 (2 days eating very little and 5 days normally) and daily time restricted fasting (8hr eating window/16hr fasting). The good: It can negate the need to count calories, as it’s generally hard to overeat in such a small eating window. It allows you to be a bit more productive as you don’t need to think about food, or prepare as many meals. Some studies might suggest it has other benefits outside weight loss but unless your a mouse, take it with a pinch of salt until there’s more conclusive evidence.

The bad: Some people report being weak and/or tired during the fasting period. Both of these will obviously have a bearing on your daily tasks.

The stupid: Some people still manage to turn this into a binge-fest. If you think fasting is a magic bullet to a diet exclusively of junk food, think again. Personally I’d be liable to kill all around me if I was asked to survive on 500cals, even if it were just for 2 days.

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