The perfect fat loss diet

Fit as Hel START-UP fitness, nutrition and psycholgy

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

 

 

The No. 1 tip for gym goers (with fat loss goals)

Don't waste any more time at the gym. For optimal fat loss results, an hour max is all you need.

If you can squeeze your workout into half an hour, even better.

But whatever you do, make it count. When you work out, work hard. Keep the intensity up. Get sweaty.

Watching films, making casual phone calls to friends or leg pressing 11kg are nothing that should ever be witnessed at the gym - and if you are guilty of these you might has well have stayed at home.

WORK HARD OR GO (/STAY AT) HOME.

Love,
Erika Helsinki

5 most effective gym exercises

you are serious about changing your body composition at the gym, these are the exercises you should be focusing on:

  1. Deadlift
  2. Squat
  3. Pull-ups
  4. Bench press
  5. Standing shoulder press

That's all you need, really. Compound resistance exercises are the most effective for fat loss!

Cardio+results? Here’s how to make it count —>

Intensity.

Intervals.

Going light over a prolonged period of time burns calories BUT it is certainly not the way to go if you're aiming for fat loss. Chances are that you'll just eat those "extra calories you earned".

Stable cardio will elevate your cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone which will encourage your body to store fat around your middle section. Not ideal.

High intensity interval training (such as Tabata), on the other hand, helps your body to keep burning body fat even for days after the actual workout. And it's great because you can do it despite your fitness level -- if you're not very fit then you'll just need to do things a bit slower to begin with. As long as you feel like you're genuinely trying hard, that's all that matters.

Because if it's hard, it  will work and get you the results you want.

P.s. If you've got medical concerns, please have a catch up with your doctor first to make sure you're fit enough to embark on such a strenuous training protocol.

Gym goer: Make this important decision

me
I was training at the gym last night. When I train on my own I get 'in the zone' and block out the world by listening to high energy music. I avoid eye contact and fully focus on the workout - usually lasting just 15-20 minutes.
quads

calf
It's now January. The gym is suddenly full of people with great weight loss and fitness goals. I have nothing but huge appreciation and respect particularly for the highly overweight people who have decided to do something about getting towards a healthier weight by improving their fitness. It is sometimes hard to be in an environment where it's very easy to feel self-conscious.

There are, however, two problems here.

1) I was distracted numerous times last night by seeing people do exercises with VERY poor form. This makes me sad as it can result in serious problems -- e.g. imbalances, injuries, back pain and problems with your joints. The adverse effects can be long term and you really don't want to go there.

2) Just being at the gym doesn't mean you're getting a good workout. So many people waste tremendous amounts of time hopping from one cardio machine to another, when they could get far better results 10 times faster (long term cardio actually encourages your body to store fat around your middle section).

If I'm not occupied I'll always do my best to interfere - correct people's technique and give them tips for better (more effective) workouts. You may understand though that it's not always easy - you can't just go to someone and say "you don't seem to have a clue about what you're doing and your form is shit."

Do yourself a favour and hire a reputable personal trainer who can teach you to work out safely and effectively (and help you with better lifestyle + nutrition). It’s an investment in yourself – your health is invaluable and you might as well get results while you’re at the gym. Nothing tastes as good as feeling fit feels. Clients actually often SAVE more money in the supermarket after hiring a PT than what it costs to hire one – a win-win situation!

Well done to those who’ve made the decision to get fitter this year – stick with it! This is also easier with a PT who’s keeping you accountable :-).

Questions? Ask.

Take care of yourselves.

/Erika xx

Tabata: The seriously fat torching training protocol

Tabata

If you haven’t heard of tabata training before you’ve totally missed out

A full tabata set = 4 minutes of work

THAT’S IT

20 sec high intensity intervals followed by 10 second rest periods – repeated 8 times.

It’s more powerful than over a half an hour run

Burns fat more than any other known training method to date

 

BUT

it must be done right. You have to go at it at 100%. If you’re really unfit you’ll just naturally do it a lot slower at first. Give it 2 weeks and the difference is IMMENSE.

It’ll make you ache like hell :-)  — and give you the results you want!!

 

No pain no gain!