So far we have discussed energy balance (calories in vs calories out) and Macronutrients (Ratios of Protein, Carbs and Fats) as the main two considerations for anyone dieting, whether to lose body fat or gain muscle mass. These 2 factors are far and away the most important to consider, and must be addressed first before considering the other factors, one of which we will discuss today.

Micronutrients: What are we talking about?

Carbohydrates have been somewhat demonised of late due to some mis-leading claims surrounding the effect of carbohydrates on the hormone insulin. I have already written an article debunking the insulin-hypothesis & so I won’t go into this subject in any detail here. The point I want to make here is that when it come to losing body fat the two most important factors to consider are: -

1. Total Calorie intake
2. Adherence

Part I of this series looked at the first dieting priority which is Energy Balance and Adherence. If you missed this then take a look here http://physiquewise.com.au/blog/2017/3/21/physique-wise-dieting-priorities-part-i-adherence-energy-balance before reading on.

In the coming weeks we tackle the second priority when it comes to dieting, and that is the macronutrients and more specifically, what amounts should be ingesting for optimal results?

This week, we are looking specifically at the importance of protein
 

Over the coming weeks I will be taking you through each step of the pyramid so that you have a fundamental understanding of what is required to change your body composition (increase muscle, drop body fat etc.). 

So this week our attention turns to the very fundamentals that form the cornerstone of any attempt to alter body composition…. Adherence and energy balance.

Hunger is the enemy when it comes to dieting. Research has found that not being hungry is the most important predictor of successful weight loss. Without hunger, dieting would be as easy as just consciously deciding to eat less. Unfortunately, weight re-gain is common amongst dieters: -

“despite overweight people’s investments of effort, time and money in losing weight, virtually all non-medical approaches to weight loss are characterised by eventual weight regain, usually within several years” (Lowe, 2012)

So, with this in mind, here are some of the top tips I give my clients to prevent over-eating and control appetite: -

When it comes to health and fitness, there simply is no ‘one-size fits all’ approach that everyone can adopt. There are, however, some underlying principles that can be applied across the board. Here I want to share six dieting principles with you and offer some practical advice to ensure your weight loss journey is a success. This is Part I - Part II will follow next week.

The above question is one that I have been asked more than any other recently. It appears there is a good deal of confusion surrounding fruit and whether it is a good food to consume.

As with any other question I get asked about nutrition, diet, exercise, IT DEPENDS. Below I want to break down my recommendations regarding to fruit as it pertains to different scenarios......

Very often when we hear about people ‘overtraining’ what we actually mean is that they are ‘under-recovering’. In other words, they are unable to recover from the stresses imposed from the training they are undertaking.

A funny thought occurred to me recently during that seemingly never ending time between sitting down at the cinema and the film actually starting. It's a kind of no-man's land where you are at the mercy of advertisers. It was during one such advert for a high quality dog food that a thought occurred to me: 'Have we reached a point in which we feed our pets better than we feed ourselves?'.

Insulin Resistance is a state where the body’s cells refuse to allow any more glucose to enter. This usually occurs because there is just too much insulin being produced (usually because of a diet high in processed foods and high in sugar). Because the cells aren't accepting insulin, there is less glucose being transported into cells. This means that more glucose stays in your blood. 

“THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT INSULIN DOESN'T DESERVE THE BAD REPUTATION IT'S BEEN GIVEN.  IT'S ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY PROTEIN HELPS REDUCE HUNGER.  YOU WILL GET INSULIN SPIKES EVEN ON A LOW-CARB, HIGH-PROTEIN DIET.  RATHER THAN WORRYING ABOUT INSULIN, YOU SHOULD WORRY ABOUT WHATEVER DIET WORKS THE BEST FOR YOU IN REGARDS TO SATIETY AND SUSTAINABILITY.” (JAMES KRIEGER)

The majority of people who go to gyms and participate in exercise want to look better. Whilst there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, often overlooked are the many health benefits associated with weight training. Most are unaware of just how beneficial weight training is for health and well being.

Often, more cardiovascular forms of exercise, such as jogging, cycling and walking are seen as 'healthy' forms of exercise. Indeed, the American College of Sports Medicine only included aerobic forms of physical activity in its 1995 guidelines on Physical Activity and Public Health. However, these guidelines were revised in 2007 to include 'muscle strengthening activity'. So here I provide you with some key benefits to lifting weights, beyond looking better....

The New Year always evokes memories of me as kid watching the "World's Strongest Man" on TV and fantasising about what it would feel like to pull a truck!

Here I want to take a closer look at what 'Strongman Training' actually is, and how you can incorporate some of the exercises into your own training programs.

Every weight loss/fat loss diet in existence is trying to reduce your overall calorie intake, whether this is articulated or not. This can be achieved by fasting for periods of time (such as the alternate day fasting protocol or the 5:2 diet), restrict eating times (such as 'Leangains'), or eliminating foods (such as sugar, or gluten, or carbs, or fat etc). The end result is still the same: calorie reduction. 
 

A quick caveat. I'm not very good at setting goals & will procrastinate for extended periods over things that I 'should' be doing but is uncomfortable for me in some way to do. So don't make this out to be some kind of lecture. Goal setting is an extremely valuable tool if utilised correctly. I'm slowly learning how powerful it can be, and I hope you learn something from this short article....