GET SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR NUTRITION

If you want to reach your desired physical goal, then you need to start thinking hard about your nutrition and what you are putting in your body as fuel. The purpose of this post is simple: to emphasise that the more serious and consistent that you are with your nutrition, the more effective your exercise programme will be and the faster you will achieve your goals.

CALORIES ARE KING

Each individual is different and has their own “basal metabolic rate”, which indicates how many calories they need to consume in order to maintain their current body composition. By eating in a deficit or surplus of this rate, we can make the desired changes to our physique. Results are not always as swift as we might like, but when we combine the right nutrition with the right exercise programme, we create the optimal conditions for change. Here is a very simple breakdown:

If you want maximal fat loss, then obviously you need to be in a caloric deficit; and the very best way of achieving this is through a combination of a reduction in your caloric intake and an increase in the amount of calories burned through exercise. What exactly your caloric intake and macronutrient ratios should be will depend on a number of individual factors but generally speaking the reduction in calories should be gradual and not drastic. Always continue to get a good amount of protein, eat plenty of vegetables, and cut down on convenience foods and sugary snacks.

If you want to build the maximal amount of muscle or gain weight, then you need to be training hard with weights and taking on a caloric surplus. Again, the amount of calories/macronutrients that you need will be specific to you but think about increasing the number of meals that you eat on a daily basis and base each of these around predominantly protein and complex carbohydrates. You simply cannot expect to make significant increases in muscle mass if you are not eating enough good food – this is the major downfall of most guys aspiring to build muscle.

FOOD QUALITY

While calories should be the priority, they are not the only consideration. Of course, people will lose weight if they are only consuming slimming shakes or juice tablets on a daily basis but this is simply because they are in a caloric deficit and not because of anything magical within the products themselves. Also, the weight that you are losing is not always fat – if you’re not taking on enough protein, it’s likely that you are losing valuable muscle. The marketing is flashy and often clever but the reality is this: if you are consuming less than your maintenance calories, you should be losing weight – it’s just not necessarily the right kind. Better results will always be achieved in a much healthier and sustainable way through a planned reduction in calories based around real food.

The same principle applies to muscle gain. I can easily gain weight on the scales by eating 5000 calories of Big Macs and ice cream a day. But I won’t be gaining the sort of weight that I want. The body processes different calories in very different ways and I need the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats with plenty of vitamins and minerals if I want optimal muscle gain.

So while a focus on calories is important, nutrition is not just about eating the right amount of food and your weight on the scales; it’s also about the quality of the food and your health and wellbeing.

REMEMBER: YOU CANNOT OUT-TRAIN A BAD DIET

The reality is that if you want good results and you want them as quickly as possible, then you need a duel attack of good nutrition and the right exercise. You can train as hard as you like but if your nutrition isn’t on point then the results will be hindered. And this rings true regardless of what your goal is. Many will read this and think that it is “common sense” but it’s amazing how few people consistently adhere to it – and consistency is key when it comes to changing your body composition.

Of course, there always seem to be exceptions to the rule. There are those friends that appear to eat and drink whatever they want and still stay in shape. But in my experience these people are either; extremely genetically gifted or they are spending a lot more time in the gym than they are letting on. Either way, you are not them … so don’t eat like them.

If you are interested in a programme tailored to your goals and body composition, then please get in contact via the website.

Anthony