I had a really mediocre workout today.
I worked up a sweat but I know I didn’t push myself as much as I usually do, and that’s because I’m bored. My gym is boring me, and so are my routines so I didn’t want to include that in this post till I find a way to spruce things up. So instead, I’ll just talk about food and weightloss as they weren’t lying when they said weight loss is 80% food and 20% exercise.
1. Meal Prep. There’s a reason why so many fitness and nutrition ‘gurus’ say this. It’s because it’s true. Failure to prepare is preparing to eat the entire contents of the fridge. Meal prep is important for a whole bunch of reasons but these 2 are big ones for me:
– You’re more likely to eat less healthy if you’re tired. Mate, if I’ve come home from a long day at work after a heavy gym session in the morning the last thing I want to do is cook. Nope. Not today. So, what will I do? I’d either pick up anything I see in the fridge/freezer, good or bad, or I’d get a takeaway. Now don’t get me wrong, you can have a takeaway every now and again but it can start to become a habit, which won’t aid with your weight loss.
– It makes you more accountable for what you put into your mouth: If you’re a habitual ‘I’ll just pick up a quick snack from the supermarket and go’ sort of person then you’re not really engaging in what you’re eating. And it’s easier to lose track of what you’ve consumed during the day if you’re just grabbing and eating. By mealprepping you can see and plan what you will eat during the day making it less likely for you to waver, and helping you plan out what your body will need. It’s also great for portion control
2. Don’t have a cheat day, have a cheat meal. I only came to this realisation recently after talking to my friend about all the crap I ate over the weekend and I realised that because I gave myself the entire day to stuff my face with whatever I want, I’m literally taking in all the calories that I had been working so hard to be in deficit of (does that even make sense?) during the week. So basically all my hard work went down the pan. And also, I tend graze or binge a lot so by me having free reign all day, I’m going to take full advantage of that. Not only that but I’m not appreciating what I’m eating as much because I’m eating the world. So plan a nice cheat meal, sit down, and enjoy it. AAAAANNNDD, if you want to take this step further, make a healthy cheat meal! I know, I know, please, stay with me here, there are so many healthy versions of your favourite meals that you can try, I’m going to start posting more recipes on this blog but look up “healthy pizza”, “vegan brownies”, “dairy free ice cream” (I’m not vegan by the way, these have just been really good recipes that I’ve come across). That being said, if Dominoes is calling your name come cheat day, answer it, it would be rude not to.
(that’s a cauliflower pizza btw…not mine, found this pic on le Google, looks yum right?)
3. If you’re hungry, try and do something instead. This is because a lot of the time ‘hunger’ can actually be boredom, well that’s definitely applicable to me. So busy yourself somehow and see how you feel in 15 minutes or so. If you’re still hungry then go grab a healthy snack.
4. Drink lots of water. Yep, you’ve heard this one before blablabla. You’ve heard it a lot because it’s actually important. Here are 5 benefits to drinking water:
- Water flushes out toxins and also reduces bloating
- Maintains regularity of bowel movements
- Fills you up so you are more likely to eat less (which is why you are advised to drink a glass of water before a meal)
- Promotes healthy skin
- Fuels muscles- you lose water whilst exercising through sweat, so refuelling your water supply also refuels your muscles which helps them get stronger
LOOK HOW HAPPY THESE STOCK IMAGE PEOPLE LOOK! WATER CLEARLY MAKES YOU HAPPY!
This lady hasn’t quite got the hang of it yet….IT GOES IN YOUR MOUTH HUN!
5. Increase proteins, fruits and veg, decrease carbohydrates. Note, I didn’t say remove carbs, your body still requires carbohydrates so don’t eradicate them completely…Side note: I’ve got 4 Weddings playing in the background and they keep saying cake, please help me!
This is a good example of what your plate should look like
6. Avoid fad diets. Fad diets may be good for a quick fix- maybe you need to fit into an outfit for an event, but the results are in most cases just temporary and will probably just lead to a cycle of yoyo dieting. Try not to just focus on losing weight but implementing healthy and realistic eating habits.
7. Be wary of celebrity endorsed diets/products. I don’t care that you saw Beyonce’ lose weight drinking cayenne pepper and lemon or whatever it was, Beyonce’ probably has a whole team of nutritionists and trainers behind her who helped her with that weight loss. “Ahhh but Cheryl did the baby food diet and lost a bunch of wei….” BUT ARE YOU CHERYL THOUGH?? Everybody’s bodies are different, they look different and they work different so what may work for your favourite celebrities, may not work for you. I also think you should avoid comparing yourselves to them also, you’re allowed to see what the media allows you to see, you don’t know what they have gone through, undergone (surgically), or do to get that body. You are you, and that’s good enough, so stop trying to be them and concentrate on being the best version of yourself you can be.
Ok I think I’m going to stop there because I could go on forever, if you want any more tips feel free to let me know
Have a great day
❤
The Girl Who Doesn't Brush Her Hair 
Ooooh always nice to meet another health nut of sort 😛
As someone who struggled with weight loss, I can relate to all these and can confirm that all you’ve written have truth in them as I’ve practiced them myself XD
Indeed, do not follow fads or even take up celebrities diet. Aside from individuals having their own body type and support, we must remember that some celebrities lie too!
Especially in the men’s fitness industry where a lot of us wants to bulk up and look like a wrestler or something lol. Many of the top athletes are on drugs but publicly announces that they don’t and instead, they use specific products e.g. “Bulk Whey Protein” to achieve their physique (Due to endorsement etc)-
Which is a lie but fans / followers would be none the wiser!
Even world renown body builder Arnold Schwarzenegger confesses to it later in his career that he was on drugs!
Best way to maintain health and nice physique still comes from our own gym and kitchen. Nice article 🙂
Your pal,
Benjamin
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OHMYGOSH EXACTLY!! So many people out there are using other means (drugs/illegal supplements etc) to get that “perfect form” which is so damaging for their fans and followers because they believe it’s achievable and wonder why they can’t also be like them..which then leads to potentially dangerous methods (skipping meals..following all these fad diets etc) which just never work out in the long term because a lot of the commitment is mental…It’s going to the gym when you can’t be bothered to, it’s maybe not having that 3rd Krispy Kreme doughnut, and it’s also not “punishing” yourself when you do “slip up”…. there’s so much more to it than meets the eye but I guess it’s the instant gratification so many seek that causes so many problems….. Thanks for your reply, your insight is really interesting 🙂
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Indeed! It’s not easy to achieve the “Perfect form” but honestly, there has been many who’ve achieved it and shared their thoughts about it.
Just because you look good doesn’t mean you’ll feel good. There’s a reason why there are “Good looking people” who are depressed and even committing suicides, sadly 😦
Regardless, there’s a reason why your blog exist too, and this is probably one of the reasons- to help inform others to make a better decision eh? 😉
Your pal,
Benjamin
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