Are your fat bits hanging around?

GUEST BLOG BY JACQUIE DALE

I've enlisted the help of Jacquie Dale from Real Nutrition to help me give you some expert help. She'll be blogging on here once a week with some specialist advice

How many times have you joined a gym or embarked on an exercise routine in an effort to lose weight only to fall off the rails and end up right back where you started?

Then what do you do? You blame it on your willpower or motivation, give up for a while and wait for the next boot camp to start or try out the latest detox diet.

Someone tells you that spin classes burn more than 800 calories a time, so you give that a shot too. Fast forward a couple of months and the fat's still there. What's going on? I'll try to explain...

You're messing up your metabolism

If your priority is to lose weight (body-fat), then your priority should be your eating plan. If you increase your exercise without increasing your nutritional status you will be messing with your metabolic rate and slowing down any fat-burning.

Guys, this especially relates to you. I put my money on the fact that most guys under eat in the first place and don't eat regularly enough to get good results.

If you are exercising regularly and not getting results, it's usually because you are undernourished. You could spend all year training, only to gain and lose the same couple of kilos of fat and muscle all year.

Micro-nutrients

They are small but powerful. Micro-nutrients are vitamins and minerals your body needs to function every day. Exercise increases your bodies requirements for micro- nutrients. Believe it or not, if just one is missing, it could make a huge difference to your results.

For example your body uses iodine to make thyroid hormones that drive your metabolism. You only need a little iodine each day, but without it your exercise will be worthless. Don't think for a minute that another half an hour on the cross-trainer will fix it. Short changing your body on micro-nutrients can slam the door shut on your fat cells.

Hunger

Sure, you'll burn lots of calories running or spinning. Problem is, your body can't burn 800 calories of body-fat in an hour. Carbohydrates or muscle glycogen will fuel your exercise. This is going to ramp up your appetite hormones, just the thing you don't want when your goal is to lose kilos.

Exercising like this, without replenishing your body will leave you feeling tired and hungry, not the best scenario for sustainable weight-loss.

Those first few weeks

If you are a newbie to exercise, take note. Your body requires more protein in the first six weeks of starting a new exercise regime than it will need a year down the track. It's those first few weeks when your cells are screaming out for amino acids and glutamine that matter the most.

That's because going from being sedentary to embarking on a fitness program actually breaks down your muscles. Your body needs lots of recovery and repair to become toned, strong and fit. Rest is only part of the equation. Your diet must provide the building blocks for your body to change. Protein for repair and essential fats for every cell membrane.

Yes, that cardio may get your blood pumping, but if that blood's not carrying nutrients to all your cells, you're wasting your time.

Eating better for better results

Please don't think I'm trying to talk you out of exercise. The years I spent as a personal trainer taught me one thing. Most people at the gym want a leaner lighter body, yet without a good nutrition plan, results are very minimal.

You need an exercise routine that is applicable to your goals. For some, a walking plan is all that is needed to lose the first ten to twenty kilos. More importantly you need good nutrition if you want to actually lose weight and keep it off.

Otherwise your good intentions at the gym could turn out like just another crash diet.

Forget the rules

Don't listen to the so called experts who try to tell you not to eat any carbs or not to eat after your evening meal. Try not to get drawn into discussions over whether to eat before or after training or whether to wait an hour after cardio to eat.

Don't spend money on fat-burners without knowing how many calories you should be eating. All of these things could set you back even further. The simple fact is - that undereating can make you fatter in the long run and so too, can over-exercising.

The good news is that it is actually quite easy and enjoyable to lose between 500 grams and a kilo of fat a week, consistently, when you have a good food plan designed to give your body everything it needs. Don't try to change everything at once you will feel great if you start smart and put a workable plan in place.

Checking in with a nutritionist is a great way to find out all the answers you need to get results. How much do you eat, when should you eat, and why it needs to be enjoyable.

I hope this brief blog helps to explain why so many of us don't get the results we deserve through exercise. If you need a hand figuring out a good nutrition plan see someone you trust. 

So you guys- who has found they've broken a few rules and survived to live the tale?