by EM2WL | Jul 7, 2014 | Consistency, Fat Loss / Cutting, Nutrition, Troubleshooting
If you listen to the media, fat loss can sound pretty complicated. High carb, low carb, nutrient timing, intermittent fasting, carb cycling, ketogenic diets, carb backloading, juicing, green smoothies, magical supplements…
It can be challenging to keep a level head and avoid all the latest trends, wondering if a tweak (or two) might be a way to break out of a plateau or to get better results. There are definitely times to include a tweak, but generally speaking, its best that you save these for times that you really need them.
So how do you know if its time to include a tweak?
At EM2WL, we encourage you to take a very no-nonsense, simplified approach to fat loss with minimal rules. Instead of spinning your wheels to figure out which diet is best — take a moment to strip away the “nonsense” from various diet plans that are often just minute variations on the basics. There are a few best practices that we believe to be critical to your success. It’s best to make sure that these elements are firmly in place before tweaking anything.
Think about building a successful fat loss program like building a house. When building a house, you wouldn’t want to try putting up walls before the basic foundation has been laid. Without a firm foundation to build upon, everything else is pretty useless.
What makes up the foundation of a successful fat loss program? We believe there are four key components that are critical to have well established before incorporating any other “tweaks.” We recommend looking over your current fat loss plan and evaluating whether you have a good handle on the following four elements before making any additional changes. How do you measure up?
1. Sufficient calorie intake
If you’ve been following EM2WL for some time, you know that we firmly believe that eating enough is a key component of a successful fat loss plan. The standard “eat less, exercise more” model of weight loss can lead to more muscle than fat loss, lowering your metabolic rate over the long term. Without eating enough calories, you run the risk of causing metabolic damage which does more harm than good. If you’ve been dieting for a very long time and are not seeing the results that you desire, it is very likely that you would benefit from doing a metabolic reset. If you are still struggling to get in an appropriate number of calories daily, it is highly recommended that you become consistent there before incorporating any additional changes. If you’re curious about how many calories is considered sufficient, check out our calorie calculator.
2. Protein
Not only do most women typically not take in enough calories, but tend to be lacking in the protein department as well. This macronutrient can be one of your biggest weapons in winning the fat loss game! Generally, we recommend taking in about 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight. A number of studies have shown numerous benefits to high-protein diets. Since protein takes longer for the body to break down and digest, it promotes a feeling of fullness, making it easier for you to stick to your plan. Protein also is essential in sustaining your lean mass, helping you to recover from workouts, and maintaining healthy skin, nails and organs. Protein also has been reported to improve brain function, lower blood pressure and improve sleep quantity.
It can be very challenging to get in all that protein! Give yourself time to get acclimated to a higher protein diet by setting reasonable goals and increasing them weekly. For instance, if your goal is to eat 150 grams of protein, but you’re currently averaging around 75 grams daily, you might start by trying to get in just 100 grams daily and increase slowly. Divide your protein among your meals, and it will likely seem a bit more manageable. Focus on making sure to hit your protein target daily, and then allocate the remaining calories to carbohydrates and fats.
3. Fiber
Most Americans only average about 15 grams of fiber daily, while most people should be taking in anywhere from 20 to 30 grams of fiber daily. Foods high in fiber are more filling and generally take longer to eat than foods low in fiber. They are a great way to “stretch out” your meals, thereby eating a high volume of food without adding many calories. In addition, including fiber in your diet will slow the digestion of carbohydrates and absorption of sugars, keeping blood sugar stable. High fiber foods also promote digestive health and prevent problems like constipation, hemorrhoids, IBS, and other digestive complaints. High fiber diets also promote heart health by moving fats and bile salts out of the body, lowering cholesterol in the process.
Tip: Yummy snacks like Quest Bars can provide 20g of protein, and 17g of fiber per serving. They can be helpful to reach your goals in a pinch, or if you’re newer to tracking these macros, but be sure to try getting as much protein and fiber from whole food sources as possible.
4. Heavy Resistance Training
Heavy resistance training should be a key component of any fitness program whose goal is fat loss. Heavy resistance training has a number of metabolic benefits that will pay off in the fat loss department. Unlike cardio, the metabolic benefits of this type of training last for 24-48 hours after completing your workout as your body must work harder to rebuild its oxygen stores. This effect, commonly referred to as the afterburn effect or EPOC (post-exercise oxygen consumption) has a number of metabolic and athletic benefits that will improve your body composition as well as your gym performance! If you don’t know where to start, there are a numb
er of strength training programs to get you started on your journey to a leaner, stronger, healthier you!
If your current fitness program does not currently involve heavy resistance training at least 2-3 times a week, it is highly recommended that you start here before adding in cardio or other forms of exercise to accomplish your goals. You will be amazed at the way your body transforms when you consistently hit the weights!
DISCLAIMER: We know that many of our followers love running and other forms of cardio and we firmly believe that you should regularly engage in a form of exercise that you truly enjoy! However, there may be times to evaluate whether your preferred form of activity supports your goals.
The Take Away Message
If you feel that you have a good handle on these four elements, there is absolutely nothing wrong with making a small change or two to see how your body responds. We emphasize that it is usually best to change one thing at a time and give your body a chance to respond before changing another variable, however. As you make adaptations to your plan, you will want to make sure you are listening to your body! Pay attention to how you look and feel, how you are performing in the gym and your energy level any time you make a change. Often times, just a very small change can lead to some great results, but if you change too many things at once you will never know what that missing part of the puzzle was!
Photo credit: Apolonia, hin255 of www.freedigitalphotos.net
by | Jun 3, 2014 | Consistency, Increasing calories, Testimonials, Transformations
I have been on this journey for about five months now, at the beginning I’ve got to admit whilst the science made sense I was skeptical. I kept thinking well if it’s that easy why isn’t everyone else doing it. I had already come to the conclusion that these low calorie diets were doing more harm than good, had already experienced that first hand. I didn’t want another holiday to go by where I would be vetting the photos before showing anyone to take out the horrible, fat ones. I figured ‘why not’ there’s months til my holiday I’ll give it a go.
I’m not going to say that the journey has been easy, I have had to deal with some pretty big mental issues. It’s extremely hard to get your head around the fact that you really can eat more (in my case a lot more and still lose weight) and also learn to deal and how to cope when the scale doesn’t do what it’s supposed to. But I persevered believing that the hardship and the stress would be worth it in the end. So I continued to eat more, continued to lift heavy weights, and now also added in running. It no longer was a hardship, somehow along the way it became ‘normal’ and I stopped fretting about the scale and stopped fretting about going slightly over my allowance.
I log my intake on a regular basis, and do keep an eye on my weight, but I really feel as though for the first time in a long time, my weight has taken a back seat. I feel as though I am just living my life, without worrying about what I’m eating all the time. I can’t pretend I’m there yet, I still have several inches of fat that I have to lose before I can say I have finished cutting. But I wouldn’t have gotten to this point if someone hadn’t sent me the link to the group one day – this is why I feel that the Eat More to Weigh Less lifestyle (because it shouldn’t be viewed as a quick fix diet!) should be shouted from the rooftops!!!
I am obviously delighted that I have lost weight and inches, but I really feel that my favourite benefit is feeling as though I have control over my eating. I don’t binge, then feel guilty and wanting to starve myself. I don’t feel as though there are things that are out of reach or feel as though I have to restrict my eating of certain things.
It sounds crazy, but I am seriously happily living my life, I don’t think I even really think about food like I did before, where I was constantly thinking about what I was going to eat next, is everyone going to think I’m a pig if I have another chocolate or biscuit. Now I literally eat what I want and move on, and it’s AWESOME!!!!!!!
So, I feel like I’m here to stay the course, I have totally turned my life around, and am eating loads and exercising loads (and really enjoying it). I have found that I have started to inspire more people around me, now they can see my results, so hopefully they will also abandon these crazy 1,000 calories diets in favour of listening to what their body wants. Everyone should know that there is no need to starve themselves, there is another healthier way of doing this.
by | May 28, 2014 | Consistency, Fat Loss / Cutting, Motivation, Testimonials, Transformations
I am almost two years into my EM2WL journey. Having been a classic yo-yo dieter since around the age of 15, I was introduced to MyFitnessPal by a colleague in April 2012 at the age of 29. I started out typically on 1200 cals and not understanding the necessity of eating back exercise calories.
I stalled out and lost will power pretty quickly and I wasn’t seeing the losses that I had done when eating that little when on diets in previous years. While hovering around the forums I soon started to notice mention of EM2WL and TDEE and BMR and it all got me thinking. I soon joined at EM2WL group and started reading all about the concept of losing weight by eating a small cut from TDEE. I tried out various calculators and was shocked to discover my estimated TDEE should be somewhere in the region of 2700 cals. No wonder I had been struggling to get through the day on 1200, which inevitably led to binges.
I decided to increase my calories to around 2200 in June 2012, around a 15% cut from TDEE. I started EM2WL at around 145 lbs and after a few months I stepped on the scale for the first time and found I had been maintaining. I was a little disappointed that my TDEE didn’t seem to be as high as the calculators put me, but I became to understand that I had lost a lot of muscle mass through my years of yo-yo dieting, leading to a suppressed TDEE. I then realised just how much harm I had unknowingly been doing to my body.
At that point, rather than cut my calories, I increased them to around 2500 and started lifting heavier. At this level I slowly started gaining weight but I was enjoying strength training and enjoying nourishing my body well and hitting my macros.
Over the next 15 months I gained a total of 20 lbs, taking me up to around 165 at my highest. However, I was still fitting into the same clothes and my food intake varied between 2200 and 3000 calories per day. During those months there were only two days when I ate less than 2000 and that was when I was sick.
The added weight has helped me regain some of my lost muscle mass. So in January 2014, partly spurred on by the concept of being bridesmaid for a close friend at Easter, I decided to make a concerted effort at a cut.
I settled at around 1900-2100 cals Monday to Friday, allowing myself around 2500 cals Saturday and Sunday so I could still enjoy my favourite meals out and take-outs as I always had. By mid-April I had lost around 10 lbs and I finally started to see muscle definition in my arms, shoulders and calves. My thighs are firming up, and my belly and back have less fat than ever before. In the past when I had starved myself down to a size 4 I was skinny-fat and had a pot-belly.
My TDEE is gradually increasing and I have now switched to maintenance for the summer, averaging around 2400 per day while focus on my lifting. I then aim to increase my calories again over the winter to try and add back more precious muscle. Over time I want to see my actual TDEE raised to where it should be based on my activity level. I currently cycle commute to work, strength train three times per week and do yoga or pilates once per week. I also enjoy an active outdoors lifestyle as much as the British climate allows, hiking and cycling when and where I can.
It’s been a long road and I’m still a work in progress but I am finally comfortable in my body, starting to love it a little bit more each day. I enjoy a balanced diet which allows me to eat all the foods I enjoy. I still can’t quite believe that I’ve found out that there really is a way to have it all.
I feel so positive about the future now and I couldn’t have got here without Kiki, Lucia and the EM2WL team. Thank you all so much!
by Trish Adams | Apr 17, 2014 | Consistency, Nutrition
It’s no surprise that most folks go оn а diet tо lose weight. We watch what we eat, how much we eat and even throw in some exercise for good measure. We start off determined and typically commit tо eliminating foods that we think are the culprit to our current situation. However, more often than not, thе diet goes off course, аnd we return tо eating the alleged ‘bad’ foods we eliminated. Any weight that was lost usually doesn’t stay off for long and at some point we find ourselves back on a similar endeavor repeating the same cycle.
Rather than labeling foods as good or bad and then eliminating them, losing weight while eating many of the foods you enjoy is possible. Sure, you may not eat them with the same frequency or quantity, but you should enjoy food without being consumed bу guilt afterward.
Healthy Foods v Unhealthy Foods
With so much debate surrounding healthy and unhealthy foods, it is near impossible to feel confident about the foods we choose to eat, how muсh wе should eat, or even when wе should eat. When setting a goal to improve our health oftentimes we think that means our diets should consist of only healthy foods. Images of bland chicken and plain broccoli or limitless plates of salad might spring to mind.
Because many of our favorite foods have been labeled as bad, we either attempt to eliminate them completely, or throw our hands up and gorge оn them. Of course neither approach is ideal or will lead to the healthier diet balance we’re looking for. Enjoying what wе eat, guilt-free, meeting our daily energy needs while striving for a healthier body composition, іѕ a step in the right direction towards developing а healthier relationship with the foods wе eat.
Getting started
Start bу changing how you think about food. Many perceive food аѕ the enemy when nothing could be further from the truth. How is it that the very thing you need for survival is the enemy? As human beings wе need food for life. But we have also come to rely on food іn times оf emotional stress, which often leads to over consumption. Thеѕе simple tips wіll help уоu enjoy what уоu eat, without feeling guilty during the process.
Learn More About What You Eat
Pay more attention to the nutritional content of food you eat, such as the macronutrients (i.e. protein, carbohydrates and fat) as well as fiber. Check out what constitutes a serving size of your food. Too many times I have eaten food only later to find out what I thought was a serving size turned out to really be 2 or 3. Knowing both the content and serving size wіll help уоu decide how muсh аnd whаt to eat.
Moderation for the win
Indulging in a food item you perceive to be unhealthy, from time to time, will not do you any harm and may actually do you some good. So, make а conscious effort tо eat a particular food уоu have bееn avoiding. That’s right, eat the cake, cookie or pasta! Savor еvеrу bite. Not only might you satisfy a craving, but you will also eliminate any feelings of being deprived. Even consider fitting a small treat in your daily diet.
Unplug During Mealtimes
When sitting down for a meal, eliminate distractions by leaving cellphones and tablets in a different room and keeping the TV off. Eat slowly during the meal and pay attention to fullness cues, stopping short of complete fullness. It can take as much as 20 minutes for fullness signals to reach the brain. Eating until you are full can actually result in being overfull.
Variety is the Spice of Your Diet
When it comes to your diet, attempting a complete overhaul rarely works and usually will leave you feeling deprived and frustrated. Instead, start with substituting a few of your regular meals with healthier foods or recipes each week. Try a new vegetable with a meal that you make regularly. Be adventurous and don’t be afraid to try new things.
Get Help
When trying to improve your diet, consider having a friend join you. Having a partner can help with accountability and with getting back on track if you get too far off track. A nutritionist or nutrition coach can also help with figuring out how much you should eat, macronutrient recommendations as well as help you develop better dietary habits over time.
Remain Positive
As with any lifestyle change you attempt, having a positive attitude goes a long way. Things will not always go as planned and that is perfectly normal, especially nowadays where it seems that disruptions are more the norm than the exception.
Food is not your enemy. Turn thoughts like “I ѕhоuld nоt or can not have thіѕ food” into “I rеаllу like this food, so I’ll eat it today” and move on. If you are having this conversation several times throughout the day, every day, well, then yes you’ll need to have some restraint. Otherwise, eat what уоu most enjoy, in moderation, but let go of any guilt over it.
Aѕ уоu саn see, іt іѕ nоt hard tо start developing and eventually maintaining healthy food habits. Begin with changing your attitude towards food, eating іn moderation, and building upon a few healthy diet changes. Combine this with an effective exercise regimen that includes strength training and, with a little time аnd patience, you are on your way.
by | Apr 15, 2014 | Building Muscle, Cardio, Consistency, Fat Loss / Cutting, Transformations
If someone would have told me 20 years ago that I needed to increase my caloric intake by 30% to lose body fat, I would have laughed while continuing to lace up my Mizuno running shoes preparing for my hour long run. Now 5 kids later, a little older and a little wiser, with decades of trial and error underneath my belt, eating more to weigh less has been a key factor in my fitness journey.
A common misconception among those that want to lose weight is that you need to drastically cut calories and increase cardio workouts. This problematic approach has resulted in many trying to lose weight to only damage their metabolism. I speak on this issue not only from reading other stories, but I have personally experienced this metabolic damage which resulted in a serious health issue called Adrenal Fatigue. After everything I have learned, when I log onto My Fitness Pal and I see I see others eating 1200 calories with high calorie burns, my instincts are to immediately say, “Stop! Don’t do what I did.” As a longtime “My fitness pal” member, I recall an honest pal, Becca, specifically sharing this very concern with me that I was exercising too much, and not eating enough calories. Initially, for many weeks, I held onto the fallacy that I would attain my dream body while continuing on this path of destruction.
It was not until “my plan” to reach my “goal weight” by my 38th birthday came to a halt when my body reached homeostasis. I had reached a plateau in my weight loss journey and I was no longer losing fat, or gaining muscle. I was starving, exhausted and my body was at a complete standstill. Exasperated and feeling defeated, I went back to the drawing board to research fat loss remembering all the while Becca’s encouragement to eat more. Becca introduced me to a website for calculating calories. After spending some time on this website, I was shocked at the advice given. Based on my height, weight and activity level, I needed to be consuming 30% more calories. This line of thinking was so shocking and it went against every principle “I thought” I knew about losing weight.
I even approached my husband with my concerns asking his advice. With the research I had been doing, along with the advice given by Becca and Kiki, it was evident a metabolic reset was necessary. In terror, just 3 weeks away from attempting to reach my birthday goal, I began reverse dieting adding 50-100 calories weekly to reach my Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). At this time I also implemented a plan to strategically count my macros. I pay close attention to the number of grams of proteins, carbs and fats I intake daily. From my research, the keys to cutting body fat are increasing calories while counting macros, reducing cardio, and increasing my weight lifting.
Well, my 38th birthday came and went. The scale never reached the number in my head, but my goal had changed during this time. I was determined to be fit and healthy versus being skinny. I continued on the metabolism reset with correct macros and increased calories while simultaneously reducing my cardio, and lifting heavy weights.
The number on the scale temporarily went up, but then my weight leveled out. One of the first physical changes I observed was my lack of hunger, increased energy level as well as the change in my body composition. My cellulite and fat began to diminish and I could see I was building muscle to form shape to my body. These major changes finally allowed me to feel more comfortable with my body.
Although, I agree with counting your macros daily food intake, I am not a fan of “If It Fits Your Macros” simply because many will eat pop tarts, snickers bars, and a bag of chips, if it fits their macros. Although, I do have a weekly cheat, I attempt to eat real whole foods. Food is fuel. As a general rule, I stay away from processed foods, which means making time for prepping meals. With a large family to take care of and working 30+ hours weekly planning meal prep time is just as important as planning my workouts.
I am a homeschooling mother of 5, and I hold a 30+ hour job outside of the home. I make time for heavy lifting 5 days a week along with meal planning. This is not a New Year’s Resolution. This is mine and my husband’s lifestyle. My continued love for fitness has propelled my desire to become a certified personal trainer to continue to learn about fitness while helping others achieve their fitness goals.
Don’t give up on your fitness goals. I believe that anyone who truly wants to be fit and healthy will make the time. There is no secret pill or supplement. Hard work and dedication will help you get to your desired level of fitness. I know the proposition of adding calories for weight loss seems improbable, but I am living proof that it works.
If you are inspired by Tracy’s amazing story, make sure to follow her on Instagram!
Becca is a busy wife and homeschooling mother to five children ages 5 to 13. About three years ago, she embarked on a journey to health and fitness that resulted in the loss of approximately 100 pounds. Today, she is a competitive powerlifter and strongwoman who loves ice cream and deadlifts. As an ISSA certified personal trainer, she is passionate about helping women to get started on a lifestyle of strength and fitness.
by | Mar 28, 2014 | Consistency, Life Application: Monthly Calendars
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Spring is finally here! After a long winter of being cooped up indoors, most of us are ready to take some of our workouts outdoors, get out the shorts and tanks, and work in our gardens.
Often, the warmer weather means that we are inundated with a whole new wave of messages telling us to resort to quick fixes that are sure to get us into bikini-ready shape in no time at all!
We’re here to combat the quick-fix mentality by encouraging you to incorporate more positive thinking this month. You’ve been working hard on your goals all year. Rather than resort to crash diets and quick fixes, continue to stay the course and trust the process. Consistency always wins, and when everyone else is regaining the weight they’ve lost from quick-fix diets, you’ll be celebrating your success.
You may consider looking at the messages that you’re allowing to come into your life regarding fitness and nutrition. Do you subscribe to a lot of diet and exercise advice on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? Too much information and a million different opinions about the best course of action to guarantee results can literally drive you crazy. It may be worth it to evaluate if the messages you’re getting are encouraging you or causing negativity and confusion to creep in. Surround yourself with people and messages that encourage you to be consistent, nurture yourself, and celebrate the successes you experience along the way. Do you honestly need to be constantly surrounded with messages telling you to eat clean, kill your workouts, and think of nothing else but nutrition and fitness? Especially if you’re already stressed about — or doubting — the process? You’ll likely discover that thinking about your fitness goals a little less can go a long way in helping you to enjoy the journey and let go of some of the stress that can be more of a hindrance than a help to your success.
We look forward to hearing about how you personalize this month’s #bestyearyet challenge and make it work for you!
Becca is a busy wife and homeschooling mother to five children ages 5 to 13. About three years ago, she embarked on a journey to health and fitness that resulted in the loss of approximately 100 pounds. Today, she is a competitive powerlifter and strongwoman who loves ice cream and deadlifts. As an ISSA certified personal trainer, she is passionate about helping women to get started on a lifestyle of strength and fitness.
If you’ve been following EM2WL for some time, you know that we firmly believe that eating enough is a key component of a successful fat loss plan. The standard “eat less, exercise more” model of weight loss can lead to more muscle than fat loss, lowering your metabolic rate over the long term. Without eating enough calories, you run the risk of causing metabolic damage which does more harm than good. If you’ve been dieting for a very long time and are not seeing the results that you desire, it is very likely that you would benefit from doing a metabolic reset. If you are still struggling to get in an appropriate number of calories daily, it is highly recommended that you become consistent there before incorporating any additional changes. If you’re curious about how many calories is considered sufficient, check out our calorie calculator.
er of strength training programs to get you started on your journey to a leaner, stronger, healthier you!
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