The truth behind the Popeye syndrome and protein

Throughout my career as a personal trainer, I think the most popular answer I have had when questioning female clients about their goals is this:

'I want to be toned but I don't want to get too big'..........

Little do they know that in the absence of the male hormone testosterone it is extremely difficult, if not impossible for a female to develop muscles anywhere near the size of a male. Of course like anything there are exceptions and some females are more genetically prone to building a bit more muscle, but for most of us there is nothing to worry about, I guarantee you are not going to look like popeye.

The next hurdle I have come across with most clients, male and female, is the amount of protein in their diet. Again many people will be under the illusion that if they consume protein they will end up building massive biceps for example which will bust out of their t-shirts because they are just so huge and bulbous! Again, NOT TRUE..............................  Of course it is perfectly true that protein is the macronutrient that builds and repairs muscles, but unless you are male and training specifically for hypertrophy (increase in size of muscle) this is not going be a problem for you.

Just so I don't go on too much I am going to list 5 reasons why you should be eating enough protein. For the record the recommended amount of protein you should consume to avoid atrophy (muscle wastage) shouldn't be less that 0.8g per 1lb of bodyweight. If you train regularly then you want to aim for about 1g per 1lb bodyweight.

5 Good Reasons to include enough protein in your diet.

1. If you come to a decision that you need to lose some weight the first thing you do is restrict calories. Just make sure that you don't restrict your protein! When you eat a protein rich meal, accompanied by carbs and/or fats you will feel fuller for longer and when the scale begins to drop you can be sure that it is fat you are losing and very little muscle. When you lose fat you will appear more 'toned' as you expose the muscle underneath.

2. Apart from building and repairing muscle, protein is responsible for building and repairing your skin, blood, cartilage plus much more......

3. When we think of protein we normally associate it with body builders and their boulder shoulders, six-pack, biceps and bulging pecs. But what about our heart? This is the muscle that keeps us alive and works hard every day pumping blood around our bodies and keeping us fit and healthy. How can we maintain cardiovascular health in the absence of protein?

4. If you don't eat a balanced diet full of protein, carbs and healthy fats it will eventually be detrimental to your health. Your immune system will suffer and you will be less able to fight infection and be more susceptible to ill health and disease. It is well documented that the countries which follow a healthy nutrition protocol have less rates of cancer, heart disease and consequently live longer.

5. Last but not least, if you accompany a healthy diet made of  at least 0.8g protein per 1lb of bodyweight and the rest made up of healthy fats and carbs with regular exercise, you are onto a winner.

I hope the above dispels any myths you may have heard and as always, message me if you have any questions relating to this blog. 

How January goal setting can hinder your progress

Hi everyone and a Happy New Year to you all!!

So here we are in early January and I expect many of you have already decided to adopt a healthier lifestyle and lose the extra lbs that have crept on over Xmas.

The first thing that we must all remember is that it is perfectly normal to gain a pound or two over the festive period; even if we keep over-indulgence to a minimum.

From my experience in the gym this is the time of year when a lot of people decide to make the necessary changes to their lifestyle and it normally begins like this:

"I'm going to go the gym 5 times a week"
For some people who have just lapsed over Xmas it is perfectly achievable to visit the gym 5 times a week. But these are the members that follow a structured work out split already and probably have a personal trainer once or twice a week.

If you are new to the gym, set yourself a realistic goal e.g. "I am going to make sure I go to the gym at least twice a week". This will encourage a sense of achievement and you will be much more likely to continue working out regularly.

 "I am going to eat 'clean' from now on"
 It is a popular choice for many people nowadays to 'eat clean'. The first pitfall with this option is that it can be interpreted in many ways. More often than not it will mean the elimination of a certain food that may be considered 'unhealthy'. A popular choice would be to cut out caffeine, sugar, wheat, alcohol etc etc etc.

My advice would be to adopt a more flexible way of eating. Consume a diet at least 80% rich in whole foods and the remainder can be reserved for the odd treat that everyday life will inevitably throw at you. Everything in moderation is a more realistic goal.

"I will lose a stone before the end of January"
Unfortunately there is no quick fix for weight loss. In fact it has been proven that if you lose weight quickly, not only will you put it back on, you will gain more than you set out to lose in the first place!


In order to lose 1lb per week we need a deficit of 500 calories per day. This can be done in many different ways e.g. 250 calories worth of extra exercise a day and 250 calories less consumed to name one. Using this method will ensure permanent weight loss and your goals will be realised.

By taking these points into consideration you will ensure that 2016 becomes a very successful year as far as health and fitness is concerned.

I would like to wish you all the very best for the year ahead and if you need any advice or assistance just message me. I am here to help every one of you!

Maximise your Christmas calories!

In the next couple of weeks there will begin a string of events that none of us will be able to control..... and that will be the onslaught of Christmas celebrations. Lunch engagements, parties, Christmas drinks and family get togethers in abundance!

For some, this can be a scarey time as the inevitability of weight gain seems unavoidable. So we have a couple of choices to make:

1. Stay at home and don't accept a single invitation

or

2. Go out and have a good time, be mindful and use the extra calories to your advantage.

I know which one I will be choosing and of course it has to be number 2.

Those of you who have a few years experience training in a gym are well aware that to build muscle there needs to be a caloric surplus; and this is where it all comes together. (To the beginners out there you can refer to my earlier post on 'Bulking' if you need more information on this subject).

The key things to remember and put into action are:

1. Keep up your training during the festive season and if you are not already in a hypertrophy (muscle building) phase start now.

2. If you know that you are out for a big carb rich meal use this to your advantage by performing your workout beforehand. A good leg workout in the 12-15 rep range would be a great way to use these extra calories to your advantage.

3. Use cardio wisely and limit it slightly; this way when you eventually begin the fat loss phase it can be introduced again to accelerate results and reveal the newly built muscle.

4. Be mindful when you do have a meal out. Drink plenty of water inbetween the alcohol to keep feeling hydrated and to prevent over eating.

5. Don't go to an event feeling overly hungry. Make sure that you have had a snack a couple of hours before so you don't eat too much at the meal.

By following these 5 tips you can relax and enjoy this time of year and even come out the other end with some good results. You can then ensure that it really will be a Happy New Year!

I don't need my bikini body anymore? ............or do I?

Well everyone, I don't know about you but now it's September I don't need my bikini body anymore, or do I?

The picture below was taken in June this year on my 50th birthday - and yes I am enjoying a rum and diet coke on the beach and basically this is what this post is about.

I think my pet hate in the media and the fitness industry is the misconception that we need to prepare for a particular occasion with a particular 'bodyshape'. At the beginning of the year we need to get ready for summer with our bikini body and get rid of all the pounds we may have gained over Xmas. In Autumn we then knuckle down and work hard at losing the weight we may have gained on our summer holiday; so that when we get to the festive season we have 'room' to be able to put the pounds back on again! This kind of mindset just leads to yo-yo dieting which we all know definitely does not work in the long run. In fact it can actually lead to weight gain when it is repeated year in year out....................

Consistency is the key!

In my experience it is much better to be consistent all the year round. It really is that simple. Calculate your calories and macros (you can see how to do this in my earlier blog posts) and stay within these figures as close as you are able to all the time. If you have a holiday or special occasion be mindful of what you eat e.g. if you go to a restaurant try and avoid creamy dressings and sauces, but if you really want one, don't deprive yourself, just ask to have it on the side which will enable you to be in control of the amount you choose to add. If you want a dessert have one, it really isn't the end of the world. However, if you do go out for a meal or attend a special occasion, make an effort to eat within your numbers the day after. You don't need to keep your food diary in MFP every day. In fact the longer you complete them the more aware you will be of amounts etc. Just enjoy the moment and be aware of the consequences of over-eating. I remember from a long time ago, overeating on Xmas day but not even enjoying it! Picking at sweets etc for most of the day just because they were there................ absolutely ridiculous. Of course there are times of  the year when everyone gains a little weight, but this can be minimised by following these guidelines.

I have definitely reached a time in my life when I am very aware of how much to eat. I love my food and nothing is ever going to stop me having a dessert if I want one. But I also do not pile my plate up with so much food that I can't finish it, eat for the sake of it or think 'oh well I've had two biscuits I just as well eat the whole packet'.

I give you my word that this approach works. My clients and I are living proof that being consistent is the only way to be, so don't forget 'be mindful and consistent' and you are on your way to a much healthier attitude to eating.

Until next time everyone..............................................

Let's Get Started!

We have now arrived at the moment when we can put all the previous information together and begin calculating our macros to achieve either:

a) fat loss or
b) muscle building

We will start on the ever popular fat loss. FFor most of us this will be our ‘go to’ option. It won’t be about achieving that ‘summer body’ or that ‘bikini body’ – let’s concentrate on a body that suits us for the whole year and can be maintained long term.  Of course we want to feel confident in a bikini but we also want to slip on a pair of skinny jeans in winter and feel comfortable too.

See below:

Determine body weight on scales that you normally use. Even though they may not be very accurate, they will be good enough to determine weight loss or weight gain. We will use a 65kg female for this example.

2   Find a BMR calculator online. I tend to use http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/  I entered 156cm tall, 65kg, 30 years old female (this is just hypothetical, I wish I was 30!) and I got a BMR of 1419 kcals which I rounded down to 1400 kcals. This figure determines a baseline calorie amount that you should not go under.

3   We then need to multiply our weight in lbs by 12 which will give us a calorie total to begin with. So 65kg in lbs is 143lb x 12 = 1716 calories. (This clears the 1400 cals BMR). We now have a baseline of 1716 which we will round down to 1700 calories. Again be aware that the fitness industry has many different equations to make these calculations but I have used the one that I feel has turned out the best for myself and my clients.

     Our 30 year old female now has 1700 calories to begin her fat loss journey with. The next step is working out her macros.

     Protein (1g per lb bw) = 143g (remember protein has 4kcal/g) = 572kcals

This leaves 1,128 kcals to split between carbs and fats, 564 each.

Carbs are 4g per calorie so 564 divided by 4 = 141g

Fats are 9g per calorie so 564 divided by 9 = 62g

6   To conclude:

141g Carbs

143g Protein

62g Fat

All this information now needs to be monitored on a daily basis. I would thoroughly recommend ‘Myfitnesspal'  which can be downloaded onto your smartphone aswell as your ipad and/or desktop. It will be necessary to add your statistics and adjust the goals to match your figures.

There will be a lot of weighing to be done so grab yourself some digital kitchen scales.

Stick with the your initial figures for a few weeks and monitor your weight. If everything is going well and you are steadily losing then keep it up until you reach your goal. Take a ‘before’ and ‘after’ photo and re-take weekly so you can see results!

If you find that nothing is happening and you are maintaining or even gaining, then your figures need to be re-evaluated. If you find you are craving more carbs you can sacrifice some fat for example. The only macro that you should try and stick with is your protein as this is the macro most people tend to neglect.

I think that is plenty of info to be getting on with! As far as muscle building is concerned, well I think I will leave that for the next blog.

I have written a ‘myfitnesspal’ user guide so if anyone wants a copy just message me your email address and I will send one over FOC!

Until next time fat loss bloggers......................