You Can’t Outrun a Bad Diet
You may have heard this phrase before, and quite honestly, it is one of the most critical (and often overlooked) components for physique change. It is impossible to overstate the importance of correct nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle, no matter if your ultimate goal is weight loss or muscle gain.
Each day, our bodies utilise a certain amount of calories, this is called our Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE for short. Our TDEE is made up of 4 parts:
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - the minimum amount of calories required to keep your body going at rest, used for brain function, breathing, central nervous system etc. [70% TDEE]
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) - the activity you do throughout the day such as walking up stairs, waiting for the tube or even simply fidgeting! [15% TDEE]
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT) - targeted daily exercise such as running, cycling, weight-lifting or swimming [10-20% TDEE]
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) - energy required to digest the food you eat during the day [5-10% of TDEE]
The reality is that most of our energy expenditure is predetermined and hard to change. Running for an hour will burn between 400-700kcal dependent on your age, height, gender etc and can be used to enhance a calorie deficit. However, this deficit can be shrunk to nothing simply with an extra piece of cake or even a 'healthy' calorie-dense smoothie with banana, oats & peanut butter.
In fact, a compensatory habit often occurs in fitness newbies. Whereby the thought process of 'I've been on a run/spin class/crossfit session etc, therefore I can eat 400 extra calories today' is hard to resist. However, if fat loss is your aim, then time would be better spent developing habits to help you eat fewer calories throughout the day. It is crucial to be discplined with your 'inner child' or 'animal brain' and to value the benefits of delayed gratification. Physique change is NOT easy, but if you apply the correct techniques, it is one of the most beneficial things you can do to lead a happier, healthier, longer life.
Exercise is a fantastic way to become a healthier individual. It reduces heart disease, high blood pressure and levels of blood fat. It boosts your metabolism and benefits our mental health. HOWEVER if your goal is to loose fat, focusing on maintaining a calorie deficit each day is far more beneficial than attending the latest HIIT class.
Here are my top tips to help you implement sustainable changes into your diet:
1. Honesty & accountability
It's time to get honest about what you are eating - download MyFitnessPal and spend 10 days completing the food diary. The more accurate you are, the better this will be. Cross-reference these results with your daily TDEE, you can use a fitness tracker (apple watch, fitbit, garmin) for this or a TDEE calculator online.
2. Ignore yo-yo diets & fads
All diets thrive on putting normal people into an unsustainable frenzy. Instead make simple changes, such as switiching from soda to a diet variety, or opting for fruit instead of a heavily processed desert. Long-term, sustainable changes will yield the best results.
3. Weigh yourself every other day
It has become fashionable to recommend 'throwing out the scales', however, what cannot be measured cannot be improved. I like to say it is time to take the power away from the scales - it is just a unit of measurement, nothing implicitly good or bad about it. Take control by not letting the scales impact your mood. It is simply one measurement of many that can show progress.
4. Calorie deficit
Fat loss occurs when you are in a calorie deficit, simply meaning you are taking on less calories than you are burning. Utilise points 1 & 2 to maintain a deficit of 10-20% of your TDEE per day.
5. Increase protein consumption
Ensure you are consuming a minimum of 1.5g protein per kg of bodyweight per day i.e. 60kg women ought to consume 90g protein minimum per day. Studies repeatedly show that protein increases satiety, reduces cravings and assists both fat loss AND muscle gain programs. It will also reduce bloating and boosts energy - what's not to like?
6. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods
I've left the most important point to last - ensure your diet is made up of 80% whole foods, by which I mean foods with as little processing as possible. Fruit & vegetables, eggs, legumes & grains, unprocessed meats (chicken, steak etc NOT bacon or sausages). Not only are unprocessed foods high in micronutrients, they also tend to be less calorie dense, meaning it is easier to maintain your daily calorie deficit.
