I have been involved with the fitness industry for more than 25 years. I have seen fad diets come and go, however I have also been around long enough to see certain diest facts be proven again and again..
Ten tips to lose fat
You may be one of the 7% of South Africans happy with their physical condition or one of the other 8% who claim to be trying to do something about it. If so, feel free to jump to the next page which has something about the late night coffee and waffle diet.
For the 75% of you who do need to do something about their fat levels, and those who have asked me for weight loss (fat loss) advice over the Christmas period ;this is for you
(And before you ask the Missing 10% is the part of the population that is not happy with their physical state and can’t be bothered doing anything about it. I know that does not affect my readers because those people can’t use computers.)
Some tips for 2012
However, because all of you want to know how to get into shape for summer here are some of the “secrets” to rapid, effective fat loss.
I have chosen my ten favourite
Please bear in mind that these are tips and not full explanations as to WHY the tips work.
I run fat loss courses and corprate wellness seminars where questions can also be asked.
Contact me on 071 86 7398 or miles@gym4me.com for more details
1. Goal Setting
Fat Loss Goals
- Set your realistic goals and make the commitment. There is an emotional catharsis that comes with the purchase of exercise equipment or joining the gym. Until you make that commitment you are straddling the fence and you will only fill yourself with doubt. Write the goals down and keep a reminder of your goal where you can see it, such as the fridge or your desk.
Keep the benefits in mind. You are doing this for appearance, health and to feel great about yourself every day. In addition you may have a number of other reasons. The fat you have didn’t arrive over night, mostly it has been a consequence of bad eating and exercising habits over a long period of time, it will take some time to go. So stick with the program and read the next point carefully
2. Measure your success
Body Fat Measurements
What you don’t measure you can’t improve. Get your measurements taken and refer to them at least once per week during the initial stages of your program. Get the following measurements taken, (and consult with your Dr before embarking on a new exercise program.)
Body fat
Weight, (for mere academic curiosity only)
Blood Pressure
Tape measure circumferences.
Fitness test, including resting and recovery heart rate
Cholesterol is never a bad thing to have checked every once in a while. Even though it may have been perfect before
Before Pictures. Yes, Yes, Yes. Nothing shows off your resolve, determination and strength of character more than an honest set of before and after pics. You don’t want to show off your great body? I don’t believe you.
And No, you can’t do this by yourself. Enlist to help of a personal trainer or gym instructor to assist. Yes, you can afford it. This is your one and only body that you will ever get and you are not getting any younger. Sop looking for excuses to get started.
3. Exercise is Vital
Exercise
Exercise is absolutely vital. Whether you are trying to lose weight, firm, shape up or just stay the way you are. Exercise is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle and a wellness program. It amazes me when I speak to ill-informed medical professionals and dieticians who believe in diet alone.
This is a blog with ten tips, so I wont use it as a platform to rant and rave about the fat bloated professionals on chronic heart medications, wobbling around behind their big wooden desks, telling people that exercise is not necessary for health fat loss. No, I will just resist the urge to make those comments.
There are some great home programs available now including a bodyweight exercise program which we will be launching for January 2011.
For more information on exercise equipment for the home contact me on 071 863 7398 or miles@gym4me.com
4. Small Frequent Meals, (Eat before you get hungry)
Eat Before you are hungry
SFM stands for “Small Frequent Meals”. When you start to feel hungry you have left it too long. For fat loss and healthy eating the days of three square meals per day, (especially processed high Glycemic load foods), are over.
Eat before you get hungry. When you become hungry, as many people on diets do, this means that your leptin levels have begun to drop and your ghrelin levels have increased. (I will explain the hormone functions later). Don’t wait until you feel hungry and this means 5 meals per day minimum. (three meals and two snacks if that sounds easier).
5. Strength and Weight Training for Fat loss
Weight training for fat loss
Strength training is more important than cardio. Build, or at least keep the muscle and burn the fat. Muscle burns calories. Simply put the more muscle that you have the higher your metabolism will run. That means burning fat as an energy source when you are at rest. For ladies forget putting on too much muscle, I have been trying to put on too much muscle for the last 25 years. For men; those who say you don’t want to look like Arnold, you make me chuckle, especially with your mouths filled with KFC and a beer belly that needs to carried around on a wheelbarrow.
6. High Intensity Cardio. The second component to your fat loss exercise regime.
High Intensity Cardio For Fat Loss
HIIT stands for “High intensity Interval Training” and is the keystone concept to all fat loss programs. Interval Training has been around for many years and was made famous by Bill Phillips when he designed the Body for Life Program and challenge. I still regard the program as an excellent transformation method, although there have been many advances in fat loss science since he wrote the book.
Tabata is a relatively new high intensity method of training, although you should not try this unless you are already in pretty good physical condition.
Don’t waste your time with mind numbing, lengthy low intensity cardio workouts. The principle of staying at one heart rate for a lengthy workout was a result of misinterpreted scientific data. Don’t waste your time.
7. Get your food ratios correct
nutrition for fat loss
Diet ratios. The International Sports Sciences Association recommends the following ratios when designing your meals for fat loss
You will notice a decent serving of fats. Cutting all fat out is unhealthy and you will suffer from so many different disorders on a total fat free diet that it depresses me just to think about it.
Carbohydrates 50% of calories
Protein 34%
Fats 16%
I have yet to come across a more sensible breakdown and I use this as base point for most of my clients.
Bear in mind that these are based on calories, not grams. Calories per gram listed hereunder
Protein: 4 calories per gram
Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram
Fats: 9 calories per gram
Alcohol: 7 calories per gram
These are guidelines used by fitness certified fitness professionals when guiding clients towards safe and effective fat loss. If you are one of the (rare) people suffering from a metabolic disorder or disease then you may need the advice of a Dr or dietician. This advice is not intended to replace the advice of your medical team.
However let me end this point by observing that many food choices are common sense and 90% of the people I meet who are overweight did it to themselves and can quite easily undo all of the damage themselves. Don’t blame it on a medical condition unless it really is a medical condition.
8. When you eat is as important as what you eat.
Eating times for fat loss
When you eat is as important as what you eat. The typical South African Diet involves big evening meals with the family. Timing is very important. Big breakfast with some healthy fats, medium lunch and smaller supper with carbs coming from green veg and salad. Try to limit the carbs to earlier in the day. Don’t forget your two to three snacks when calculating the calories.
A good pattern would be more than 60% of your total calories by the end of your lunch. Don’t forget to count those alcohol calories at the end of the day.
Low fat milk at night is still a good bedtime snack. Milk contains two types of proteins both very high quality but one takes longer to break down than the other. Perfect for bedtime.
9. Cheat Yourself Thin
Cheat yourself to a Lean Body
Cheat yourself thin. Yes, the secret is out and cheating is in.
Get control of the hormones which make life hell when you diet, including leptin and ghrelin.
Our understanding of how the body stores and creates fat means that we now know that long term calorie restriction / starvation diets will not serve you. No long term calories restriction. The cheat day or high calories day is as important to you fat loss program as the restricted calorie days.
This also means that you can diet for the week and have a sensible cheat day over the weekend. That’s good news for Christmas holidays.
Structured cheating is not gluttony. Eat the things you like at the normal meal time. Don’t try and fill yourself up. And when you see the results of your hard work you won’t feel like being a piggy.
10. Sleep yourself thin
Sleep yourself to Fat Loss
Sleep yourself thin. Hormones play a big role in fat on the body. The stress hormone cortisol affects the way in which the body holds fat around the belly. Less sleep equals more of this stress hormone and you guessed it, more of that wobbly. Jelly like belly fat. Yum Yum.
If you don’t get adequate sleep at night then, circumstance permitting, an afternoon nap/ siesta works well. My father, bless his cottons has been doing this for many years and is now 81. Yesterday he spent the day chain sawing down a Wendy house and building a box girder bridge, all before lunch. “so what are we doing today Bwain?”
Rest and sleep are so neglected in our holistic fitness programs, so make a point of including them as you would exercise and nutrition.
About the Author
Contact Miles Harrop on 071 8637398 or mail miles@gym4me.com
Miles Harrop
Miles Harrop
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About Miles Harrop. Miles Harrop is a lifetime wellness expert. He started off as a drug free bodybuilder and personal trainer in South Africa and won more than 30 bodybuilding competitions. He is regarded as an expert in all areas of the Wellness, Health and Fitness Industry. He is also regarded as one of South Africa’s leading expert on fat loss programs.
Miles has formal qualifications in
- Personal Training, CFT, (International Sports Sciences Association)
- Business Administration, (Management College of Southern Africa)
- Hypnosis (South African Institute of Hypnotism)
- Neuro- Linguistic programming. (Master Practitioner: Advanced Human Technologies)
After running and owning commercial health clubs in South Africa for more than 20 years, Miles now owns “LifeShifts Coaching” which creates Total Trace-formation and turnaround opportunities for all of his clients.
He administrates many websites including the Gym4me.com and NLPsouthafrica.co.za sites and writes as a freelancer for other websites
Miles consults to the fitness and wellness industry and assists many small business owners to set up and manage their own health and fitness centers.
For Total Trance-formation Coaching, Gym setup, business management or gym equipment purchases contact him personally on 071 863 7398 or mail miles@gym4me.com.
Call : 071 863 7398
Email : miles@gym4me.com
alternatively miles_jhb@mweb.co.za
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