Author: Vicki Chow

Nutrition and Body Composition

Eating healthy food is good for you, but it does not necessarily equate to weight loss. Let’s take a moment to clear up any misconceptions about how weight loss and weight gain occur, and look at the most effective and sustainable way to keep you on track.

Weight loss and weight gain are all about energy in vs energy out. Every day your body needs a certain amount of energy from food to function, and to maintain your current body composition and weight. When you eat over this amount you gain weight, and when you eat under this amount you lose weight – it’s that simple. We call these states a caloric surplus and a caloric deficit, respectively, because we usually measure food energy in calories. If you consume more calories than your body needs, the surplus energy has to go somewhere – and your body will store it as either muscle or fat. Likewise, if you expend or burn more calories than you consume, the extra calories need to come from somewhere – and your body will burn either muscle or fat to provide you with the energy that you need.

It doesn’t matter where the food calories come from – you can gain weight eating only chicken and broccoli, and you can lose weight eating only fast food. The quality of your food will, however, dictate how well you feel on a daily basis. While you might lose weight eating only a meal of fish n chips once a day, you won’t feel particularly spritely. Similarly, you will feel great eating salads all day, but eating them in excess will still lead to weight gain.

Fitness media will often try to drive home that eating healthy foods means weight loss, but unfortunately this is not necessarily the case. Healthy foods are certainly good for you from a nutritional standpoint, especially due to all the micronutrients in them – the vitamins and minerals – as well as generally slow-releasing energy and good fibre content. Healthy foods are also generally low in fat, and low fat food means relatively low calorie food, because every gram of fat generates 9 calories of energy – as opposed to only 4 calories of energy per gram of protein or carbohydrate. Avocados, for example, are a popular ‘healthy’ food – because they are full of good fats – but what people don’t realise is that means they are incredibly high in calories! When it comes to food and weight loss, we need to look not only at the nutritional quality of our food, but at the energy value as well. The most effective way to track how much energy you’re consuming is by tracking food calories – and despite all the hoodoo, it’s not as difficult as you might think.

Cardio is also a great tool for weight loss because it puts you further into a caloric deficit by expending more energy. It is important to understand that just like eating healthy food, cardio does not magically make you lose weight either – you can do cardio every single day, but if you’re still consuming more food than your body needs daily to function and to do the cardio, you won’t see any results. In fact, you might even put on weight. Energy in, energy out.

With all of that said, let’s not forget that getting into shape is a lifestyle choice – not a quick fix. Therefore your daily diet needs to be sustainable – it’s hard to maintain eating super healthy foods for weeks on end. This is where flexible dieting comes in. If we aim for approximately 80-90% of our food to be from healthy sources – vegetables, fruit, grains, lean protein etc. – and only 10-20% from less healthy foods/treats, we are far more likely to adhere to the plan and reach whatever our goal is. Approaching nutrition in this way means you don’t have to worry about ‘cheat’ meals either. Flexibility is crucial to keeping us on track (and keeping us sane!).

In summary, changing your body composition is all about energy in and energy out – not about how healthily you’re eating. However, the quality of food you’re eating will influence how well you feel in general. Both aspects of nutrition are important when it comes to weight loss, and finding the balance between the two is key.

My client Brett is a perfect example. After calculating his ideal food calories and macronutrients per day to lose weight, I worked with him to get his nutrition on point – and the results speak for themselves:

Contact Kieran at Kieran@gobeyondtraining.co.nz now for a FREE consultation, or to enquire about a personalised nutrition plan.

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You’ve worked all summer to get in shape, working towards looking your best on holiday or at the beach. Maybe you’ve set a New Year’s resolution to be a happier, healthier you. But as the weather turns and you find the sun going down by the time you leave work and you’re tempted to hit the snooze button in the morning, remember why you started and how far you’ve come. Being consistent is the key to success, so stay on track with your goals and you’ll reap the benefits in the warmer months! Here are 5 tips to stay motivated over winter. Because next summer is closer than you think.

• SWITCH UP YOUR ROUTINE
  Out with the old and in with the new! Spice up your current routine with something you’ve never tried before. Don’t be stuck behind a treadmill screen this winter, attend a class or include resistance training. For men – try switching from a muscle building plan to strength, go from machines to free weights or add supersets. For women – switch from bodyweight to dumbbells, try new machines upstairs or even ditch the cardio machines for HIIT! (High Intensity Interval Training).
• SET NEW GOALS
  Goal setting is important when it comes to exercise, and just because the weather is turning doesn’t mean they should be put on hold! Try reaching your main goal by setting smaller goals which will help you in the long run. This can be anything from attending the gym 3 times a week to pre packing lunches and making healthy choices at gatherings. A good way to start is to note down where you currently are in terms fitness, weight and strength and making a plan which has set dates and goals that you want to smash! 
• STRESS LESS
  Did you know that stress can lead to fat storage? Keep stress levels low and stay lean in the long run! De-stress with a cup of tea at the end of the day or try a yoga class. Exercise shouldn’t be a chore and once it becomes a healthy habit it’ll be something that you want to do. Being stress free should apply in all areas of life, appreciate the small things and don’t worry about things you can’t control. Nothing should make you stressed, angry, or unmotivated unless you give it permission.
• TRY NEW FOODS / SWITCH UP YOUR NUTRITION
  Winter produce may not be as exciting and colourful as summer berries, but there are still many healthy choices available. Try new flavours and combinations and stay inspired with your food during the colder months, work seasonal produce such as pomegranates, citrus fruits, purple grapes, and orange root vegetables into your meals. You’ll not only add colour to your plate, you’ll pack in some serious nutrition punch.
• TRAIN WITH A PARTNER
  Training with a partner will help spur you onto the next level, keep you accountable, motivate and provide healthy competition during your workout. Having someone there to help you push through your workout and keep you inspired is the best way to stay on track, workout with mates or enlist the help of a Personal Trainer! Training with a PT will be the best investment you make if you are serious about reaching your goals.

Get in touch with me if you need some help to switch up your routine this winter!

Jay Hawkins

027 828 8281 | jayhawkinspt@gmail.com