When I'm explaining the weight loss process to clients at Places Gym, Hinckley or at my local and European bootcamps, I always keep things simple.
No jargon, fad diets, cleanses, detoxes or magic pills that promise the world but give a prolonged stay on the toilet every time you take them.
If you were travelling by car from Hinckley to London, you'd take the most efficient route available.
You wouldn't zig-zag your way down the country via Worcester, Bristol and Taunton, would you?
But that's basically what you're doing with dieting.
You know your starting point and your goal, yet you zig-zag your way there and after a while, the majority of people end up back at the start.
Each new diet you start, every different detox, your regular cheat days and "oh, just one more" moments, add another waypoint on your journey.
What you need is the most efficient, effective and simple route possible to get to your goals.
One that has been tried and tested with countless clients with guaranteed results.
Do these three things, correctly and consistently and you will lose weight.
Calorie counting It's vital that you are aware of what you're eating when you're trying to lose body fat and what changes you can make to ensure the process is as efficient and fast as possible.
Tracking your calories opens your eyes and forces your buried head from the sand.
The number of people that tell me they undereat but can't lose weight or fat is truly remarkable, and then after two weeks of calorie counting suddenly see why that is.
We all under report what we eat, seeing it in black and white gives you the evidence you need to make changes.
Fat loss is only achieved through a calorie deficit, take the guesswork out of it and begin logging your food without much effort.
Use an app and arrange a nutritional consultation with BenYatesFitness if you're not sure how to set it up.
Move more This doesn’t mean necessarily slogging it out at the gym.
NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis are calories burned during non-intentional exercise activities, such as walking, dancing, gardening, housekeeping, standing and sex.
The better your understanding of NEAT, the easier weight management becomes.
If you already do 10,000, add 3-4000 more.
Walking is the simplest, most accessible form of exercise but often the most neglected.
Any form of physical activity can help you to manage the balance between energy in and energy out, improve your heart health and strengthen muscles and bones, and improve sleep, relieve stress and lift your mood.
And finally...
Lift more You know when you look at a cover model and admire their physique, it's generally two aspects that jump out.
One is the 'leanness' or body fat level which is achieved by nutrition and calorie balance.
And, the second is the shape of the body and muscles.
This is achieved by strength training and muscle hypertrophy.
And to dispel any lingering doubt, not only can women cope with and adapt to the stresses of resistance training, there is a multitude of physical and mental benefits to doing so.
I strongly recommend finding a recommended, local personal training who can teach you the correct lifting techniques and how to put a programme together.
Ben Yates is a personal trainer based at Places Gym Hinckley and Hinckley Leisure Centre in Leicestershire.
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