The imminent arrival of the Summer holidays is one of the prime motivators for people to decide to get in shape each year, yet realistically very few succeed in reaching their goals.
A huge majority will go on some form of calorie cutting diet for a few weeks before their willpower snaps and they revert to their old habits, swiftly regaining any weight lost plus a few extra pounds!
Realistically, everyone would love to wake up tomorrow with the body of our dreams, and be able to maintain it with no effort and no sacrifice.
Just in case you are delusional, I will let you know ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!
Since you are reading this blog post and have got past the first sentence, I can be fairly sure that you would like to change some aspect of how you look or feel. Stop for a second and consider how exactly you are proposing to do that.
There is this really misleading concept out there right now which says that if you just make small changes in your diet and exercise regime, then you will get where you want. Now this might be true if you have just a few pounds to lose, already have a super clean diet or are naturally blessed with a great metabolism.
For the rest of us, the best thing to do is to STOP KIDDING YOURSELF!
The chances are that it is going to take some massive action on your part. Before anyone gets uppity, I am not talking about starvation diets, hours of exercise per day or radical surgery, just intelligent, consistent and focussed effort in a few key areas; namely diet and exercise.
It is an inescapable truth that the food which you have been eating and the exercise (or lack of) which you have been doing has built the body you have now. It therfore makes sense that you are going to have to do something very different if you want to see a noticable change, especially one which you can maintain.
I am reminded of the Albert Einstein quote; “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
When it comes to weight-loss we seem to live in a quick-fix mentality, which is always looking for the next short cut or trick which is finally going to get us the results we want.
This may be a real spoiler for some of you, THE QUICK FIX DOESN’T EXIST!
I just had to cringe the other day when I noticed how many of the supposed fitness friends on my Facebook list had ‘liked’ a diet drops product which was touting its ability to shed pounds if you simply added a few ml of their ‘secret’ to your diet. PUHLEASE!
I checked out the website to be confronted by some shmancy marketing spiel designed to get you to buy this grossly overpriced bottle of chemicals, and even some pretty believable testimonials from successful clients. I had a good look at the ingredients and it was going to set you back £35 for what amounted to 20 days’ worth of basic amino acids, green tea supplement, herbs and spices.
Right at the bottom there is some accompanying small print about the VLCD (very low calorie diet) which you also have to be on if you want to lose weight, so my guess is that people following the diet will initially see good results and somehow think that the drops are having an effect – not the simple fact that they are starving themselves! Unfortunately, pretty soon their metabolism will be so damaged that they will be guaranteed rebound weight gain, and worse still their health could be seriously affected.
If these things really worked, don’t you think the NHS would be handing it out like free candy? (Obesity is predicted to cost the NHS in England £6.2 billion/year by 2015!)
Or how about a vibration plate class which is going to condense your fat-blasting workout into just 10 minutes, and you won’t even have to break a sweat. (Note that I am not talking about some of the commercial Power Plate® type equipment which has incredible applications in rehab and specialist training.) You can’t jiggle away fat, melt it with light, pulse it away with electricity or melt it off with pills. That seems unlikely if you really think about it. There wouldn’t be any overweight people in the world if the solutions to weight loss were simple.
Maybe you are one of the tems of thousands who bought a thigh/ab/arm/butt trainer on an instalment plan from a tv shopping channel, which purported to easily tone up those jiggly bits in just a few minutes per day. My bet is that it is hidden in a cupboard, under the bed or acting as an expensive clothes horse. Aside from some clever hormonal manipulations which you can put into practice if you know how, spot reduction of fat doesn’t work. Short duration workouts can be successful, but only if you are prepared to work VERY hard, and not just focussed on one body part.
All of these are praying on a ‘quick fix’ mentality, getting you to part with your hard earned cash with false promises and claims. Some even offer you a money-back guarantee, knowing full well that if you were gullible enough to be sucked in in the first place, you are unlikely to admit what a fool you have been and ask for your money back.
Worse still, these gimmicks all leave you, the once optimistic purchaser, feeling like it was you that failed, when in fact it was an unethical company which chose to prey on your insecurities in the first place.
If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!
Stop looking for the magic pill or machine and finally accept that it’s going to take hard work, dedication, commitment and sacrifice to get the body you want.
Trying to find a fat-loss programme which really works, without sacrificing your health, wealth or sanity can feel like hanging above shark infested waters, with lots of unethical companies and individuals trying to bite your feet. Its tough to know who to trust.
Now I am not saying that all of the diet and weight loss programmes out there are a sham, as that wouldn’t be true. It’s just that those which will actually get you results are few and far between, and pretty much all of those will attack the problem from both a diet and exercise standpoint using some form of scientifically proven system.
If you lack the knowledge of how to put a successful programme together, don’t have a workable plan of action which integrates all of the components required for your success, and perhaps most importantly a support system required to help you to reach your goals, then sadly you are likely to fail.
Realistically the best fat-loss results are being reached by the clients of some of the top independent personal trainers and group fitness programmes in this country. Those are the people whose livelihoods actually depend on their ability to get a client the results which they are paying for, not some faceless internet business hiding behind a corporate façade. Those companies neither know nor care about YOU, and at best you simply represent a number on the balance sheet.
If your chosen programme isn’t giving you reliable advice about diet AND exercise, then I am confident in saying you are being misled. The same is true if you are being advised to consistently cut calories, buy pre-packaged ‘approved’ meals instead of real food, fit your meals within a points structure with little concern for quality, adopt a lifestyle which you couldn’t possibly maintain or take very expensive supplements. Don’t allow yourself to be sucked in to the money-making machine, as only your health and confidence will suffer.
So now that you know the pitfalls, and the things which to put it frankly can’t and won’t work when it comes to sustainable weight loss, it’s only fair that I tell you what will!
Some of these are non-negotiable, i.e. without them in place you are unlikely to be successful, and some are ‘icing on the cake’, things which will accelerate your results to a new level. It is all about synergy, and bringing the various strategies together in a way which maximises your chances of success.
The things which it is vital to have in place are:
- A clear goal and a workable plan of action – no more ‘on again off again’ ideas, gimmicks or unsustainable fads. Some people have the skills, knowledge and discipline to put their own diet and exercise plan together, but the vast majority would benefit from the guidance of a recognised expert who can set you on the right track and make sure you stick to it (see point 5).
- Some form of caloric deficit. Much as I shy away from suggesting that anyone spends their lives counting calories, it is an inescapable fact that in order to lose body fat we need to consume fewer calories than we are expending. Yet even this isn’t cut and dry, as problems arise very quickly if we consistently cut calories to any measurable degree – a slower metabolism, less ability to use fat as fuel, reduction in lean muscle tissue, hormonal damage, sleep problems and emotional instability – none of which sound good. Sadly they start to happen wthin only a few days of starting the majority of ‘diets’, which is why so many people fail. To protect the body and ensure long-term results whilst cutting calories, it is generally necessary to do some macro manipulation, IF (Intermittent Fasting) or supplementation.
- A clear understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet to promote fat loss in terms of food quality, quantity, macros (fat, protein and carbohydrate content), and the ability to use self-control and discipline when it comes to making the right choices. The average person would do well to eat ‘cleaner foods’ (less packaged and processed), more high quality protien (fish, meat, eggs etc with every meal), more vegetables, and significantly less simple carbohydrates (cakes, buiscuits, chocolate etc), starchy carbs (pasta, bread, potatoes), dairy and alcohol. I guarantee that you will look and feel better in a matter of days, and the excess pounds will start shifting with much less effort.
- A consistent workout ethic – a minimum of three structured sessions per week, at the optimal intensity and duration, and of a progressive nature. Many people would benefit from less moderate intensity cardio (not none!), and more strength training, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Traning) or MRT (Metabolic Resistance Training).
- Support – I was going to put this in the ‘nice to have’ category, but I strongly believe that it is very difficult for anybody to achieve lasting and sustainable fat loss without some form of support system in place. Ideally this comes from a recognised expert such as personal trainer or dietician, but it is important not to underestimate the ability of friends and family to either enhance or sabotage your efforts. Surround yourself with a strong and supportive team, and you are significantly more likely to succeed.
There is a whole host of ‘icing on the cake’ items which may improve your results – but ONLY if you have the previous five items in place. None of these are vital, and far too many people skip over the hard to implement items above, and instead think that playing around with these will solve their problems.
There is also a lot of misinformation and sometimes downright dangerous advice in these realms, so it’s best to make sure that you are getting your information from a really reliable source before embarking on any experimentation.
- Appropriate supplementation – What works and what doesn’t? BCAA’s, CLA, Omega 3’s, Protein powder, green tea extract, caffeine, cinnamon, chromium, calcium, folic acid…the list goes on. It’s tough to cut through the hype surrounding many supplments but one thing is for sure, some will help, some have the potential to hurt, and the rest will do nothing at all except empty your pockets. All are utterly pointless unless you have the items in the first list dialled in!
- Intermittent fasting (IF) – IF is becoming increasingly popular with those looking to change their body composition – even in the absence of strict caloric control. There are lots of different protocols out there which give you a system for exactly how often to eat and when not to eat, with some enticing names like eat-stop-eat, warrior diet, leangains, ADF. Some are easier to maintain than others and most have some positive effects on body composition, but again none are absolutely necessary to get fat-loss results.
- Hormone manipulation – A clear understanding of the effects of insulin, leptin, ghrelin, oestrogens, thyroid hormone, cortisol, HGH etc. What you eat and when you eat it, coupled with how you exercise and how often. Again, this is one which should perhaps be in the category above. It is entirely possible to eat according to a prescribed diet, but if this is to become a long-term lifestyle choice it helps if you are aware of the ‘why’ and not just the ‘how’ when it comes to supportive eating.
- Macro manipulation – high carb, low carb, high protein, low fat, the ketogenic diet, IIFYM (if it fits your macros) etc. Adjustments here can indeed improve your fat loss results, but can’t do anything unless you have a clear understanding of what you are setting out to achieve.
Be aware that I am in no way endorsing any of the supplements or diets which I mention above – in fact some I would actively discourage you from trying. It may disappoint you to hear that I do not profess to be an complete expert in the fat-loss field, but I am somebody who has spent many years reading and learning from the brightest names in my industry. I can say with confidence that I know what works!
I have not only digested (pun intended) the research papers, but in some cases actually tried some of the fat loss plans out there so I can really understand the pitfalls and benefits. At Merlin Fitness I specialise in giving my clients sane and reliable nutrition and exercise advice tailored to their needs, and not the sort which comes from a tabloid newspaper or a sensationalist internet site with no scientific backing.
For the majority of people, safe reductions in body fat should be seen as one of the most effective things you can do to improve your health and reduce the risk of illness and disease. I am more than qualified to guide you towards what works and what doesn’t and, and equally importantly, why.
To read more about the Merlin Fitness Metabolic Makeover system, and book in for a private 30 minute consutation to see if it is right for you, please call 01752 721062.
We have an amazing offer available for only a very short time. If you want to shed those excess pounds and get in the best shape of your life before the summer, then this is your moment to act! Follow this link for more details.
Merlin Fitness has become known as the home of Metabolic Magic, one of the most effective ‘underground workout’ systems for accelerated fat loss. With the backing of years of client success stories, we can now bring you some equally ‘underground nutrition’ strategies to accelerate your results.
Fat-loss doesn’t happen quickly. It takes time, committed action and a concrete plan. Put the top five items on the list above into place, and I know that you will be going in the right direction. Only when you are on the right track is it worth investigating some of the more advanced strategies. There is no short-cut to success!
Again, if you want to know more about the Merlin Fitness Metabolic Makeover programmes, which guarantee your fat-loss results, follow this link.
I’m off outside now to get in a walk in the sunshine, before the busy Metabolic Magic class this evening.
Your ‘magical’ coach,
Beth
PS – I look forward to reading your comments below. Are you somebody who has previously wasted money on diets, supplements or funky exercise machines, or perhaps somebody who has turned their lives around with sensible diet and exercise? Share your story.
