Summer is getting near
so I've been working on consolidating the most effective possible way for my private clients to lose body fat - without sacrificing on LIFE. That means I had to come up with the best method possible that'll allow for extreme results with flexible eating, never feeling hungry, having more energy and still getting results - guaranteed.

You might know that I absolutely hate what the word 'diet' stands for these days - restriction and suffering to get temporary results. Who on earth would still these days want that?

Since I started PTing I've never taken on clients who wanted to "lose a stone for a holiday starting in four weeks" -- not because it's not possible but because the lack of their long term weight loss goals and dedication. These chicks (it tends to be girls) CAN lose that stone before the holiday with my methods, but I don't want to be associated with tremendous results that are lost by the time they get back to England -- and after their holiday they'll pretty much always end up slightly heavier than they were when they started due to the loss of the very valuable lean mass (=muscle) in the process that keeps the metabolism revving.

So... The first decision you need to make is to change your habits for good. Evaluate carefully and specifically what you want and why you want it.

Did you know that your body weight takes a certain amount of calories to keep it up? Some very heavy people have to consume 4,000 kcal a day just to maintain their weight - and they do it day in, day out. That's A LOT of energy from food and not natural by any means.

If your bodyweight now is 80 kg and you want to be 60 kg, you will ultimately need to eat like someone who weighs 60 kg - that's a fact.

Also, there are no people who have "naturally got a spectacularly fast metabolism" - it's a myth. You might see them eat tons of food at once but that's only a glimpse of the big picture. AND if you try to lose weight with the 'on a diet' mindset (instead of having an overall good diet) but afterwards return to eating like the heavier person you used to be, -you knew it-  you'll always end up being at your starting weight in the long run (or more likely even heavier if you haven't worked on maintaining your naturally miraculous fat torcher - muscle).

So... After years of tons of research and experimentation, I've come up with the perfect recipe for an effective and flexible fat loss plan (see how I refuse to use the word 'diet'). I've picked up all the best pieces of different approaches to make it all as simple as possible. It takes into account things like your age, gender, lean mass (not just weight, making it more accurate), your body type, BMR (basal metabolic rate - the amount of calories your body burns in a day), general activity level and goals.

This way the diet is completely personalised and therefore highly effective.

Before moving on, here's some bad examples on methods used to lose weight:
- low calorie diets
- liquid diets
- diets that are too restricting in general
- specific meal plans (unless prescribed to you personally by a dietician) and timed meals
- too much cardio
- generic low carb plans

It's no wonder people are really struggling with their weight these days because there is too much information (and often misinformation) that just ultimately creates more confusion. "I know what I need to do, I just struggle to do it" is something I hear too often for my liking, and these individuals actually many times just need accountability and clarity - because in fact they don't know what they should be doing - they just think they do.

The perfect method will have a good balanced combination of all macronutrients (protein, carbs and fats) and will teach you a great deal about how to manage your weight for good.

The plan includes clear instructions and is easy to follow - it'll take a few minutes of logging your foods each day but that surely isn't a problem if you're serious about getting results. Besides, people who keep food diaries have been shown in research to achieve better fat loss automatically.

Here's what the perfect fat loss diet entails:

• Daily calorie range (most important factor)
• Amount of daily required minimum protein (in grams)
• Amount of fat required daily
• Suggested amount of daily carbohydrates (optional)

--  Once you've hit your calories, protein and fats you can feel free to eat whatever you desire within your calories.

Simple, right?

.,It's essential to get enough of protein to support maintenance (or growth) of lean muscle mass.
.,It's essential to get enough of fats to boost your fat loss (yes, you do need fat to lose fat).
.,With regards to carbs, the amount you consume depends on various factors including your preference and how your body reacts to them. There is a recommended amount of carbs on your plan (based on your body type etc.), but there are huge differences in people's bodies carb tolerance. You need to learn to get to know your body and eat accordingly.

I would also like to highly emphasise the importance of creating a habit of consuming nutritious whole foods at least 80% of the time -- that way you'll never be hungry and won't suffer from spikes in your insulin levels, optimising your feel-good factor every day. This is not optional if you want a healthy body (and regular bowel movements).

More important tips for successful fat loss:
- Keep yourself hydrated by drinking at least 2 litres of water daily (or more if you exercise)
- Have breakfast every day (this'll, amongst other benefits, prevent cravings later on in the day)
- Eat plenty of salads and vegetables (you can easily 'hide' these in foods too)
- Focus on getting plenty of fibre in your diet
- Eat oily fish twice a week (salmon/mackerel)
- Prepare meals in advance
- Plan your meals and/or create a sustainable main meal routine

I wrote up a simple A4 with all you need for this plan to work from meal suggestions to best protein/fat/carbohydrate sources so you can't fail - let me know if you want it.

Feel free to get in touch if you've got any questions or if you want me to calculate your numbers for you. There's no such thing as "it's so hard to lose weight" - don't let excuses get in the way anymore.

To your health and success,

/Erika Helsinki
erika@fitashel.com