I managed to lose 8kg over 5 months by training 4 days a week, regular walks and being really consistent with my nutrition while including many social events, holidays, drinks and any food I wished to enjoy. I don’t punish myself after a weekend of extra indulgences by trying to burn extra calories etc, I just return back to normal the next day and still progress as planned. It’s felt like a rollercoaster at times with a few challenges along the way and I am so grateful to Paul for his patience, sensitivity and for keeping me grounded when any doubts start to creep in.
The Definitive Guide to Tracking Calories Using My Fitness Pal
Tim Purss - Testimonial
Prior to seeing Paul, I had moderate success previously with weight loss but was still very overweight and had been so since my early teens. I found setting a goal that will take several months to accomplish while requiring consistent discipline horrifically daunting (the root cause of previous missed goals). Paul's approach to training worked really well for me. Start small and build from there. I wasn't going for one big win but rather a series of smaller wins.
I've now reached the goal weight I set with Paul back in September 19'. Total weight loss to date has been just over 35kgs.
Other than weight loss, my strength, cardio fitness and overall health has dramatically improved. I have less joint pain, sleep better and have a better outlook on life in general.
Anyone considering training but have always felt uncomfortable in a gym or even talking about fitness in general, I can not recommend Paul enough. He motivated and pushed me but I always felt supported and respected.
Peter Allan - Testimonial
I’ve been working with Paul for at least the last 18 months, initially due to a back injury that was potentially requiring surgery. It was a slow process to recovery and is still ongoing, but with Paul’s patient assistance and expert guidance he has got me in the best physical condition since my 20s (I’m now 40!).
A Handy Guide to Trainers Lingo, Jargon and Nonsense
I very often take it for granted that my clients understand what I'm talking about when I say something like "4 sets of 6 reps with a 40X0 tempo".
However, there is a very good chance you'll have no idea what I'm talking about!
So here is a glossary of terms that will likely help you navigate the weird and wonderful world of personal training and gyms.
Marco Gavarini - Testimonial
Watch this short video testimonial by long-term client Marco who has made incredible progress over the past 18 months.
In all Marco has reduced his body fat from 24.6% to 13.5% and has also increased his lean body mass from 50.1kg to 61.1kg.
Marco came to me having not trained for 2 years. He was low on confidence and didn’t like what he saw in the mirror.
He has changed dramatically over the past 18 months, both physically and mentally.
Watch the full video and check out his awesome progress below.
How to Maintain Your Results for the Long Term
Lose weight with no hunger! Welcome to the Holy Grail of Dieting...
Many people (quite rightly) find dieting difficult because of hunger. Hunger is the enemy of the dieter. If it wasn’t for hunger we could all just choose to eat a little less food and carry on as normal. Unfortunately, our bodies fight back and increase our hunger levels as we drop our energy intake.
So the question is, how can we diet in such a way that minimises hunger yet maximises the fat loss result?
First of all, let’s have a look at the factors that cause us to over-eat in the first place.
Guys - Lose your gut. Forever!
There’s nothing more frustrating than achieving your dream body, only to see it disappear in a matter of weeks.
It’s akin to winning the lottery, only to realise you left your winning ticket in the pocket of your pants that are now in the washing machine.
Weight cycling, yo-yo dieting, weight regain are all variations on the same theme: the fact that people regularly achieve weight loss, but many see that same weight reappear within a matter of weeks or months (often with interest).
Surely it’s time to stop banging your head against a wall and achieve lasting change based on scientifically based evidence on what it takes to successfully maintain weight loss results in the long term?
Stop seeing your weight fluctuate seemingly at will and feeling powerless to control your body and instead take charge of your body, regain control and achieve long lasting weight loss.
So what sets weight loss maintainers from weight regainers?
Client Corporate Testimonial: David
David has been part of the @formbay team who has been training 2 x per week during his lunch hour.
Here we briefly touch on the benefits of training, with a clear emphasis on how training can help you manage stress, something which is massively important, and often overlooked in favour of aesthetics.
Training can be great for clearing your mind, reducing anxiety and, as a result, increase productivity.
Finding the 'Middle Ground'
If you take nothing else from this post, please heed this advice: -
Make sure you diet for a defined period of time (generally no longer than 12-16 weeks). When you stop dieting, make sure you don’t fall completely off the wagon, but eat to your maintenance levels to allow your body to recover. If you still have more weight to lose, you can reduce calories again after a couple of weeks at maintenance.
Dieting shouldn’t be ‘boom or bust’. It’s time to find the middle ground…
REAL WORLD WEIGHT LOSS: "I'm a complete beginner to lifting weights, how much weight should I be lifting?"
Successful weight loss takes programming, not willpower
Whilst acknowledging the vital importance of nutrition for weight loss, resistance training is also extremely important. I have written about the many benefits of strength training, which you can read about here.
Strength training will help you preserve (and possible gain) muscle mass as you lose weight. It will also help strengthen your bones, tendons and ligaments.
When starting out, it is easy to get confused with how much weight you should be lifting. Now, without knowing exact individual circumstances, I can give you a rough guide by introducing some concepts to you that will allow you to make the judgement about the weight for yourself.
Real World Weight Loss: "I travel regularly for work, what advice do you have to help me stay on track?"
“To travel is to live”
Unfortunately for many of my clients, making a living means travelling. A lot.
Take Eric for example. Over 1/3 of his year is spent travelling. Yet he managed to achieve the results you see below, going from around 17% body fat to under 8%.
I know, you’re probably thinking ‘how was that achieved?’.
Well it certainly didn’t happen by accident.
Eric was kind enough to write about the challenges he faces when he travels in this awesome blog post.
The first thing to work on is how you view the challenge of travel. Because you have to view it has a challenge to overcome, rather than an insurmountable hurdle that is going to immediately stop progress in its tracks.
You are still in complete control over what enters your mouth. You don’t suddenly lose all control over your food intake the moment you start travelling.
Study in Review: "(Over)eating out at major UK restaurant chains: observational study of energy content of main meals" (Robinson et al, 2018)
The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased markedly across the developed world over the past few decades. Increases in energy intake, caused partly by a shift in the ‘food environment’ has been identified as a key factor explaining this weight gain at a population level.
One of the key trends observed is the increasing prevalence of consuming food out of the home. For example, the UK Food Standards Agency (2016) reported that 39% of UK adults ate out at least once per week.
The aim of this study was to examine the energy (calorie) content of main meals (lunch and dinner) sold by major restaurant chains in the UK. 27 full service restaurants and 6 fast food establishments were studied.
Client Testimonial: Oisin
Paul has had a massive positive impact on my life over the last few months. In October 2018 I was at my heaviest at nearly 105kg. I wasn’t training and I was unhappy as a result of my size and weight. I was only fitting into XL or XXL clothes and I was making poor nutritional choices which further compounded the issue at hand. I did not know where to start to get back on track.