Weight loss is hard, yes? There wouldn’t be too many people out there that would disagree with me. Nearly all of us watch our weight, if not all of the time, at least at somestage in our life – and we should. It is part of living an healthy active life, and being mindful of our consumption (as overconsumption is so easy to do) and to be aware of what we eat, when we eat, and why we are eating.
I know I have mentioned to you all that watching your weight is a simple equation on calories in V’s Calories out, but I have also mentioned to you that everyone is different and everyone metabolises foods differently, due to your lean muscle mass composition, genetics, type of exercise you do, your hormones, stress levels just to name a few. Also, you all have different fitness levels that affect your ability to burn calories. You also know that I am a big believer of high intensity interval training, and that this is more beneficial than say, walking, for fat loss and increased fitness.
So, that said, here is an article written by the very clever Andy DuBois that may better explain why some of you are finding it easier than others to lose the weight. It also explains why I am so focused on you eating not a low calorie diet, but a HEALTHY diet. And why I also bang on about the obvious importance of exercising regularly, and at the right intensity for your desired outcome.
I have highlighted a few good points that I want to focus on and hopefully this will explain more about the differences in food (and why I hate white stuff!). It also mentions that there are inaccuracies with tools of measurement such as Heart Monitors and calories counters etc. While this is true, without the use of these tools many of us would have absolutely no idea of the calories in foods and how many calories you burn during exercise, so these tools are still invaluable even if they cannot be measured exactly. They allow you to take an element of control over your diet, but more importantly, your exercise and eating behaviour.
Happy Reading!
Simone
Fat loss is easy, all you have to do is eat fewer calories than you burn, or so many people would have you believe. If you aren’t losing weight then you are either eating too much or not exercising enough. Unfortunately the human body is a little bit more complicated than that and the calories in vs calories out model of fat loss has some serious flaws. It’s all about balance yeah?
1. Food isn’t just calories.
One assumption calories in v’s calories out makes is that the all the food we eat is converted into calories. This assumes that whether you consume fat , protein or carbohydrate (macro-nutrients) it is all going to be used for energy and no other purpose. This is an incorrect assumption. Protein is used for muscle repair. It is also found in our hair , nails , skin and brain and it can be converted into a number of hormones essential for the body to function. Fat is used for insulation , it is used in cell membranes , it makes up part of the fatty sheath that surrounds nerve fibres, it helps with the absorption of some vitamins and is a key ingredient in hormones and other chemical substances that are vital for the body to function. Carbohydrates are almost solely used for energy. So depending on what you eat a certain amount of the macronutrients will be used for maintaining the cells in our body. A meal high in protein and fat will have a percentage of its potential calories used as building blocks for the body whereas a meal high in carbohydrates will be used solely for energy.
2. The numbers don’t add up.
According to the calories in v’s out argument if I ate 100 fewer calories per day for a whole year I would lose 36500 calories or approx 4 kilos of fat. That sounds great you may think. What if I then kept this up for 10 years. I would then have lost a total of 40 kilos of fat. I currently weigh 67 kilos so I would then weigh 37 kilos! Now 100 calories is approx 1 slice of bread . So I wouldn’t exactly be starving myself. The good stuff There have been a number of studies that have shown that people eating the same amount of excess calories put on vastly different amounts of weight. If the calories in v’s calories out theory is correct then the amount of weight gain should be very predictable, instead it ranges enormously. Studies have also shown that it is possible to gain weight when eating fewer calories than your body supposedly needs to maintain weight.
3. It takes energy to store energy.
Energy is required to convert food into a form of energy that can be stored by the body. The amount of energy required depends on whether it is carbohydrate, protein and fat and which scientific paper you read! The macro nutrient composition of your meal will affect how many calories are burned in converting food into a storable energy source.
4. Different macro nutrients affect our bodies differently.
Hormones such as insulin and glucagon affect our fat storage or fat usage systems. Other hormones like leptin and ghrelin affect our feeling of hunger and satiety and all of these hormones are influenced by what we eat. The primary influence is not the amount of calories that we eat but the type of food we eat. If the calories in vs calories model out is correct then it shouldn’t matter if we obtain all of our calories from pure sugar or from lentils. If we eat fewer calories, then we should lose fat. But sugar has a vastly different hormonal effect on the body than lentils.
5. Inaccuracies measuring calories.
If the low-calorie theory is correct, then it is important to figure out how many calories we need to eat and how many we are burning per day. After all, 100 calories extra and you will put on 4 kilograms in a year! It is almost impossible to measure either the amount of calories you eat or the amount of calories you burn to anywhere near that degree of accuracy. Any watch or machine that tells you how many calories you burn is making some pretty big assumptions. The amount of fat and muscle you have will affect your calorie usage, your genetics will also affect it, as will the amount of sleep you had, the temperature, the time of day, your stress levels and numerous other factors. There are numerous calorie counters that will tell you how many calories are in a certain foods but the level of accuracy of these is very questionable. How many calories in an apple for example , a quick search on the net shows anything from 70-120 for the same size and type of apple. If you are measuring everything you eat, and using a state of the art watch to measure your calories burned you are still only going to have an estimate that is maybe several hundred calories out. Clearly this isn’t a good way to go about losing fat.
6. All exercise is not the same
The more calories we burn during exercise the better. Right? Well what about exercise that doesn’t burn as many calories during exercise but raises your metabolism after your workout? What about the hormonal response to exercise? Different exercise affects our hormones in different ways and our hormones affect fat storage , fat usage , muscle growth and numerous other bodily functions. High intensity cardio or weight training involving full body exercises will elicit a greater hormonal response than going for a walk. But if calories out is all that matters then whether we walk for 60 minutes or do weight training for 20 minutes as long as we burn the same amount of calories it shouldn’t make a difference. In the real world, weight training or high intensity interval training will have a far greater fat loss benefit than walking (comparing workouts burning the same amount of calories)
Why do some people lose weight when they count calories? The primary reason some people are successful is that when people calorie count they choose healthier foods as they are often lower in calories. It isn’t the fewer calories that promotes the weight loss it’s the healthier food choices.
So if counting calories doesn’t work what should you do? Whilst there is a raging argument going on between low carb, high carb, Atkins, Paleo, Dukan, South Beach or any of hundreds of other diets, I prefer to keep it simple. Eat a diet high in vegetables, a moderate amount of fruit, legumes, protein and good sources of fat, low in grains and cut out the processed stuff (it’s not really food).
Written by Andy DuBois, Mile 27
Love it, love it, love it! I hope you got something out of this. So, next time you head for that burger, fries, extra couple of slices of white bread or sweet biscuit, think of the response your body is going to have after digesting it.
Heart Rate Monitor & GPS Reviews on Various Brands
/in UncategorizedFor all you Tech-Heads out there (and those that just like to know where they are at with their training), here is a great site that reviews all of the current brands of Heart Rate Monitors & GPS devices that are on the market. I reckon if you need it or want it – it is here! It reviews devices for running, triathlon, paddling cycling and multisport activities.
I personally recommend anyone over the age of 40 wear a Heart Rate Monitor whilst training. Firstly because it gives you a good indication of how you are training and feeling on a particular day. Secondly, it shows your recovery time after efforts which is a great indicator of fitness. Thirdly, it is an ideal tool to have if you are watching your weight and counting calories, and lastly, it gives you permission to slow down if you are working too hard, and also tells you (or your trainer) when you can work harder or give yourself a kick up the backside! It can also indicate when illness or over-training are imminent.
I’ve always been a Polar fan, but there are many new products on the market and it is worth looking into all of the brands and features available. Some are simple, and for some of you that’s all they need to be. Others offer many more technical features that can be used effectively to help you improve performance. It’s really a case of ‘horses for courses’ as everybody has different needs and wants, and of course you need the technical know-how to be able to use the thing! For me, I am glad I have a teenager in the house!
Knock yourself out and have a look!
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/product-reviews
Sutherland Half Marathon
/in UncategorizedA great local event held on Lady Carrington Dr at Audley. This event has something for everyone – 1km, 2km, 3km, 5km, 10km, and 21.1km (Half).
Saturday 16th August. See event website for start times. https://eventdesq.imgstg.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=main&EventDesqID=7947&OrgID=155
The North Face
/in UncategorizedThis weekend saw the 7th edition of The North Face 100 & 50km in the Blue Mountains. The year brought a new start and finish line, a new course and lots of new challenges. The EF team took on all of these challenges head on and all crossed the line, which in a race with a 1 in 3 DNF rate, is an achievement in itself. Well done guys and rest well.
The Benefits of Strength Training and How to Improve Your Metabolism
/in Strength, Weight LossWhen most of us think of getting fit, the first thing we think of is that we will be losing weight and burning body fat. But in fact, unless you are obese, these may be the last things you need to think about. Sure, losing that last 5 kilos is always a bonus and generally the hardest weight to shift, and as every woman (and man) knows we always feel a little better when we are less rounded or ‘bloated’. But do we think about what else we gain when we embark on a new training regime or lift those weights to fatigue in class? We should!
Muscular strength and endurance, along with cardiovascular and aerobic improvement, body composition (percentage of body fat to muscle) and metabolic changes should be high on your list of goals to achieve through training. Strength training is essential to achieve the above.
This article is about the importance of being involved in Resistance/Strength Training, especially for women, and not essentially about weight loss.
Many women are literally afraid to lift weights, but the National Strength and Conditioning Association provides these stand points on Training for Women, and if followed, will help you stay healthy, strong and slim for your lifetime. Of course most of these points relate to men too, so you blokes out there – read on!
But wait…there’s more………
Summary
In a nut shell, don’t always rely on cardio exercises such as running to improve your body and performance. If want to change your body, you will have to change your lifestyle and approach to training. Move more and get your heart rate up, and eat better quality food, but make sure you include resistance training in your fitness regime at least twice a week. You should then reduce your body fat, increase your lean muscle mass, lose centimetres, increase your metabolism, prevent injury and improve your performance results.
Simone’s Kale & Quinoa Tabouli Salad
/in RecipesINGREDIENTS
1 cup quinoa (try Woolies Macro brand tri-colour if available)
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon Moroccan Seasoning
Half a bunch of fresh kale leaves, stems removed and chopped coarsely.
Half a large red capsicum chopped
3 shallots sliced thinly
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 large cucumber, halved, deseeded , and finely chopped
Half a punnet of cherry tomatoes halved
Half a bunch of fresh basil roughly chopped
Half a cup of chopped walnuts, toasted *
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
Salt & Pepper to season
*TIP Place walnuts in microwave on kitchen paper and cook for approx 1 min – cook all nuts this way rather than cooking in oil in a frypan
METHOD
Place quinoa in stock, add Moroccan season and cook according to instructions until light and fluffy. Set aside with lid on saucepan so that any remaining water is absorbed.
Place oil, lemon and zest, and rest of ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.
Add cooked quinoa, toss and serve warm or cold.
Great as a meal or a side dish. Add tuna for extra protein as a complete meal.
SOOOOOO NUTRITIOUS AND YUMMY – ONE OF MY BEST YET!!
Mother’s Day Classic 2014
/in Events, Running, UncategorizedWhat a wonderful way to spend Mother’s Day!
This was the 6th year in a row that Energy Fitness has participated in the MDC, and each year it get’s bigger and better. Energy Fitness had two buses of participants from the Sutherland Shire with many other EF’er’s scattered over the other 6 buses, so a great turnout from all of you. Bay Babes had a whopping 720 members on the day, and I think they need to rename the event the Bay Babes Classic! 🙂
Being a part of the amazing Bay Babes is a truly special experience, as all the Gymea Bay mums and their families get together to celebrate the day, their health and to raise money for a wonderful cause, Breast Cancer Research. And once again, the Gymea Bay Babes took out the award for the Biggest Community Group! Well done to the organiser Chris Callinan and her committee of volunteers.
Amongst us there were survivors, carers and of course those battling the illness right now, so it speaks volumes about how important this event is.
The event consisted of 4km & 8km Walks, and 4km & 8km Runs. There were some that chose to walk with their families and others that took the event more seriously, and for those that ran the race in earnest, there were some fabulous results and massive improvements in times over last year.
Special mention goes to Natalie O’Brien and Linda Knowles of Gymea Bay that had great results in the 8km Run, with Natalie coming 2nd in her age (30-39) and 8th overall, and Linda coming 10th in her age (50-59) and a huge PB. She wasn’t the only one with a PB and there are too many to mention here, but I have to say as a trainer I am so proud of all of those that ran, as they all had a go and did their absolute best on the day. And that is all that matters!
I hope to see you all again next year and would love to see even more new faces at the event!
Calories in V’s Calories Out – Not So Simple…………
/in Nutrition, Uncategorized, Weight LossWeight loss is hard, yes? There wouldn’t be too many people out there that would disagree with me. Nearly all of us watch our weight, if not all of the time, at least at somestage in our life – and we should. It is part of living an healthy active life, and being mindful of our consumption (as overconsumption is so easy to do) and to be aware of what we eat, when we eat, and why we are eating.
I know I have mentioned to you all that watching your weight is a simple equation on calories in V’s Calories out, but I have also mentioned to you that everyone is different and everyone metabolises foods differently, due to your lean muscle mass composition, genetics, type of exercise you do, your hormones, stress levels just to name a few. Also, you all have different fitness levels that affect your ability to burn calories. You also know that I am a big believer of high intensity interval training, and that this is more beneficial than say, walking, for fat loss and increased fitness.
So, that said, here is an article written by the very clever Andy DuBois that may better explain why some of you are finding it easier than others to lose the weight. It also explains why I am so focused on you eating not a low calorie diet, but a HEALTHY diet. And why I also bang on about the obvious importance of exercising regularly, and at the right intensity for your desired outcome.
I have highlighted a few good points that I want to focus on and hopefully this will explain more about the differences in food (and why I hate white stuff!). It also mentions that there are inaccuracies with tools of measurement such as Heart Monitors and calories counters etc. While this is true, without the use of these tools many of us would have absolutely no idea of the calories in foods and how many calories you burn during exercise, so these tools are still invaluable even if they cannot be measured exactly. They allow you to take an element of control over your diet, but more importantly, your exercise and eating behaviour.
Happy Reading!
Simone
Fat loss is easy, all you have to do is eat fewer calories than you burn, or so many people would have you believe. If you aren’t losing weight then you are either eating too much or not exercising enough. Unfortunately the human body is a little bit more complicated than that and the calories in vs calories out model of fat loss has some serious flaws. It’s all about balance yeah?
1. Food isn’t just calories.
One assumption calories in v’s calories out makes is that the all the food we eat is converted into calories. This assumes that whether you consume fat , protein or carbohydrate (macro-nutrients) it is all going to be used for energy and no other purpose. This is an incorrect assumption. Protein is used for muscle repair. It is also found in our hair , nails , skin and brain and it can be converted into a number of hormones essential for the body to function. Fat is used for insulation , it is used in cell membranes , it makes up part of the fatty sheath that surrounds nerve fibres, it helps with the absorption of some vitamins and is a key ingredient in hormones and other chemical substances that are vital for the body to function. Carbohydrates are almost solely used for energy. So depending on what you eat a certain amount of the macronutrients will be used for maintaining the cells in our body. A meal high in protein and fat will have a percentage of its potential calories used as building blocks for the body whereas a meal high in carbohydrates will be used solely for energy.
2. The numbers don’t add up.
According to the calories in v’s out argument if I ate 100 fewer calories per day for a whole year I would lose 36500 calories or approx 4 kilos of fat. That sounds great you may think. What if I then kept this up for 10 years. I would then have lost a total of 40 kilos of fat. I currently weigh 67 kilos so I would then weigh 37 kilos! Now 100 calories is approx 1 slice of bread . So I wouldn’t exactly be starving myself. The good stuff There have been a number of studies that have shown that people eating the same amount of excess calories put on vastly different amounts of weight. If the calories in v’s calories out theory is correct then the amount of weight gain should be very predictable, instead it ranges enormously. Studies have also shown that it is possible to gain weight when eating fewer calories than your body supposedly needs to maintain weight.
3. It takes energy to store energy.
Energy is required to convert food into a form of energy that can be stored by the body. The amount of energy required depends on whether it is carbohydrate, protein and fat and which scientific paper you read! The macro nutrient composition of your meal will affect how many calories are burned in converting food into a storable energy source.
4. Different macro nutrients affect our bodies differently.
Hormones such as insulin and glucagon affect our fat storage or fat usage systems. Other hormones like leptin and ghrelin affect our feeling of hunger and satiety and all of these hormones are influenced by what we eat. The primary influence is not the amount of calories that we eat but the type of food we eat. If the calories in vs calories model out is correct then it shouldn’t matter if we obtain all of our calories from pure sugar or from lentils. If we eat fewer calories, then we should lose fat. But sugar has a vastly different hormonal effect on the body than lentils.
5. Inaccuracies measuring calories.
If the low-calorie theory is correct, then it is important to figure out how many calories we need to eat and how many we are burning per day. After all, 100 calories extra and you will put on 4 kilograms in a year! It is almost impossible to measure either the amount of calories you eat or the amount of calories you burn to anywhere near that degree of accuracy. Any watch or machine that tells you how many calories you burn is making some pretty big assumptions. The amount of fat and muscle you have will affect your calorie usage, your genetics will also affect it, as will the amount of sleep you had, the temperature, the time of day, your stress levels and numerous other factors. There are numerous calorie counters that will tell you how many calories are in a certain foods but the level of accuracy of these is very questionable. How many calories in an apple for example , a quick search on the net shows anything from 70-120 for the same size and type of apple. If you are measuring everything you eat, and using a state of the art watch to measure your calories burned you are still only going to have an estimate that is maybe several hundred calories out. Clearly this isn’t a good way to go about losing fat.
6. All exercise is not the same
The more calories we burn during exercise the better. Right? Well what about exercise that doesn’t burn as many calories during exercise but raises your metabolism after your workout? What about the hormonal response to exercise? Different exercise affects our hormones in different ways and our hormones affect fat storage , fat usage , muscle growth and numerous other bodily functions. High intensity cardio or weight training involving full body exercises will elicit a greater hormonal response than going for a walk. But if calories out is all that matters then whether we walk for 60 minutes or do weight training for 20 minutes as long as we burn the same amount of calories it shouldn’t make a difference. In the real world, weight training or high intensity interval training will have a far greater fat loss benefit than walking (comparing workouts burning the same amount of calories)
Why do some people lose weight when they count calories? The primary reason some people are successful is that when people calorie count they choose healthier foods as they are often lower in calories. It isn’t the fewer calories that promotes the weight loss it’s the healthier food choices.
So if counting calories doesn’t work what should you do? Whilst there is a raging argument going on between low carb, high carb, Atkins, Paleo, Dukan, South Beach or any of hundreds of other diets, I prefer to keep it simple. Eat a diet high in vegetables, a moderate amount of fruit, legumes, protein and good sources of fat, low in grains and cut out the processed stuff (it’s not really food).
Written by Andy DuBois, Mile 27
Love it, love it, love it! I hope you got something out of this. So, next time you head for that burger, fries, extra couple of slices of white bread or sweet biscuit, think of the response your body is going to have after digesting it.
Cumin Spiced Chicken Skewers With Orange & Lentil Salad
/in Nutrition, RecipesINGREDIENTS – Serves 6
1 tablespoon ground Cumin
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 teaspoon olive oil
2 oranges, find finely grated, segmented
1 kg chicken thigh fillets, excess fat removed, cut into 3c, pieces
2 x 400g cans brown lentils, drained
½ cup firmly packed fresh continental parsley
1 bunch fresh chives
1 small red onion, halved, thinly sliced
2 Lebanese cucumbers, trimmed, halved lengthways, thinly sliced
2 large sticks celery, finely sliced
½ head fresh broccoli chopped into small pieces
Cumin-spiced plain low-fat yoghurt, to serve
METHOD
Per Serve
325cals
38g protein
10g fat
20g carb
6g dietary fibre
Calories in Chocolate – Is it worth having that pig out?
/in Nutrition, UncategorizedSo, Easter is around the corner and the stores are full of temping little morsels that you just can’t resist buying. Some for the kids, some for you?
Next weekend when the house is full of chocolate, how will you cope? Do you have the willpower to resist hooking in to the Bunny’s ears every hour? Or peeling one more piece of foil wrap off a ‘tiny weeny egg’ – after all – how bad can they be? Might as well have another one!
You have trained hard all year and have realised your New Year’s Resolutions, only to be confronted with the friggin’ Easter Bunny and all his wicked ways, depositing his loot in all the wrong places so they can’t be avoided (the fridge) and all just in time to settle into Winter and hibernate. Right? Lucky that you can pull on some baggy warm clothes and hide those Cream Eggs! But it doesn’t have to be this way!
With that in mind, I thought I’d arm you with some knowledge that will help you turn away from temptation, and if you can’t, let you know how much damage you can do over a few days, and more importantly how hard you have to work to get rid of it all. Once it’s past your lips, it generally lands on your hips!
So, exactly how many calories are in those tiny eggs hey? Let’s see.
Cadbury
Mini Eggs 36cals each
Deluxe Bunny 100g (purple) 800 cals
Creme Egg 172 cals
Cherry Ripe Mini 84 cals
Cherry Ripe standard bar 241 cals
Crunchie Mini 87 cals
Crunchie standard bar 243 cals
Flake Mini 75 cals
Flake standard bar 161 cals
Lindt
Lindt Gold Milk Bunny w/ Red Ribbon
200g large 1086 cals
100g small 543 cals
10g mini 53 cals
Gold Bunny Gift Box w/ 3 carrots 716 cals
Mini Eggs 97 cals
Lindt Balls (red) 64 cals
Red Tulip
Mini egg caramel 48 cals
Maltezer Mini Egg 34 cals
Now, how long to work it off??
This is just an average and will vary due to body composition and fitness levels, but it is a good guide on how much exercise is needed to burn off Easter calories. Remember that if you are lighter you burn less calories, and heavier you will burn more. Use the weight in kilos below to gauge an idea.
EXERCISE 65KILOS 85 KILOS
30min Jog at 6.5km/hr 195 255
80min Soccer Match 607 793
60min Brisk Walk 345 451
Swimming 30 mins 189 247
Circuit Training Vigorous 75min 650 850
Mountain Bike Riding 90mins 829 1024
For less than a minute of pleasure on your tongue, you will need to perform at least 30mins of exercise to burn it off.
So by all means, enjoy an Easter treat, but be aware of what it will take to work it off. Think twice before going back for seconds!
Happy Easter!
BeachFit Wind Up April 2014
/in UncategorizedCongratulations to all of the guys and girls that have completed another 10 week round of BeachFit. You have been a fantastic group to work with and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching you all go from strength to strength. This has undoubtedly been one of the toughest programs I have set, and you have all passed with flying colours!
This week I ran their Time Trial for the last time (we do one at the start and one at the end) and then compared them with their trials 10 weeks ago. I am very pleased to report that there have been significant improvements all round.
Weigh-in was Monday night, and again, there have been some great results, with everyone registering body fat loss when compared to the beginning of the 10 week program. Proof that High Intensity Training works! It has been a tough program, but well worth the effort when you see these results.
This program has also had the highest rate of 100% attendance out of all of my previous programs – although obviously I would prefer 100% attendance, 100% of the time, from 100% of people! It is a big commitment to say you will get out of bed before 5am two days a week, but that is what you do when you sign up – you commit to making a change – so only you can get those changes happening, and the first step is obviously to get your butt out of bed! So well done to the following people that toughed out every single sessions with no excuses!
Kathryn Mayger – 100% both days
Sarah Dixon – 100% both days
Nadine Coady – 100% both days
Ian Linton – 100% both days
Rich Williams – 100% one day
Liz Williams – 100% one day
Jeanette Goodwin – 100% one day
Donna Snudden – 100% one day plus many casuals
Matt O’Brien – casual participant due to work travel but almost completed all sessions.
I hope you all enjoy your well earned rest now, and then decide what your next challenge is! Don’t let all this hard work go to waste! I hope to see you at Gymea Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays as you continue this healthy lifestyle journey! Find a new goal and then go out and chase it!
Thanks for being a part of BeachFit once again, I look forward to seeing you all at the next program when it starts in August/September.
Simone