It may be the end of National Nutrition month but it is the start of the next FITISM training block and also the official start of British Summer time it felt like a good time to break down exactly what I’d recommend if you have weight loss goals for the summer.
Over the next 12 weeks you have the chance to make some huge changes. You could lose significant weight and body fat if that's your goal, you could totally change your body composition and body shape and you could be the fittest you’ve ever been!
However this won’t happen by chance and to really make the best of the second quarter of the year, you’ll have to lock into some changes.
Everyone will be very different and this is why I’d always recommend working with myself or your Coach if you have ambitious or specific goals. However here’s 8 steps that I’d recommend actioning to ensure you boss the next 3 months:
- Decide on a weight loss goal
A loss of 0.5 - 1kg per week is suitable for most people and this rate of weight loss is less likely to lead to regain compared to quick, high weight losses. For example a great 12 week goal would be between 6 & 12kg depending on your starting weight.
- Decide on at least one non-weight loss goal.
This could be a goal based around how you feel, a fitness achievement, a lifestyle achievement or anything else that really sparks your enthusiasm and you can really visualise achieving. This goal(s) is going to keep you going when there's a plateau in weight loss (which unfortunately there probably will be). Goal examples…
Run without stopping for 15 - 30 minutes
Bodyweight deadlift
Be fit enough to do a park run with a family member
Feeling confident in a certain outfit at an event
Enjoying a long hike or cycle without being out of breath
Improve health markers such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels
- Perform an audit of your current lifestyle
Be honest about this and identify the areas that are currently getting in the way of where you want to be. Usual suspects include…
Not prepping or planning meals and relying on fast food or convenience
Frequent or excess alcohol intake
Frequent take aways or high calorie meals out
Being super restrictive in the week but going big at the weekend
Grazing all day
Eating a high volume of ultra processed foods
Trying to follow lots of diets and having lots of rules around foods
Not scheduling exercise into your week
Trying to exercise in a way you don’t enjoy
Low daily activity levels
- Try to ensure 80% - 90% of your week is in line with your goals
Take time to look ahead and plan meals, book gym sessions & prep your nutrition. If you have party on a Friday night and know you’ll be drinking alcohol try and plan your food around this and get back into routine on Saturday morning. Don’t let one eating occasion disrupt a whole week.
- Eat regular meals and try not to skip
Eating regularly can help with energy levels and also help your performance and recovery from exercise. Regular and consistent meal times are also linked with reduced rates of overeating and people who eat regularly often consume fewer overall calories than those who skip meals, graze or have irregular schedules. - Prioritise protein & fibre to avoid excess hunger
It's common to feel a little hunger when you are trying to lose weight, however, you shouldn’t feel starving and it's important to be satisfied by your meals if you want to make long lasting change. The best way to do this is to include high fibre carbohydrates, plenty of fruit and veg and a portion of protein at each meal. - Hydrate & move
Aim for 1.5 - 2 litres of water per day alongside any other drinks such as tea and coffee or the odd sugar free fizzy drink. Avoid high calorie frappes and lattes. Working on your daily movement is also very important, the more you can move the better: think cleaning, gardening, cooking, housework and of course going for a walk. - Address sleep & stress
Sleep and stress levels are often overlooked in the context of weight loss and fitness, but unfortunately if you’re not sleeping well and experience high stress then it will be more difficult to achieve improvements in weight, muscle mass and strength. Poor sleep increases appetite, increases cravings and can also increase how often we make emotionally driven food choices. Same applies to stress, we are much more likely to over eat and choose calorie dense choices if we are experiencing high stress levels.
Try if you can to investigate some ways to perhaps manage or reduce stress (easier said than done I’m aware) and try to also establish some new habits around sleep aiming for 7 - 9 hours per night.
This isn’t an exhaustive list and some of these points can of course be explored in so much detail, however, I’d encourage you to have a read though, do some planning or goal setting and seeing whether you can lock into all of some of the 8 steps if you want to feel amazing over the next block of training.
Happy Q2 everyone and if you ever need anything do drop me a message or let's jump on a call for a chat.
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