Obstacle Mud Runner - issue 6

obstaclemudrunner.co.uk ForEliteAtheletes toFunRunners 28 We’ve all been there, hours of graft in the gym, plenty of prep for your race, and being careful with your nutrition choices, yet you jump on the scales and that mischievous arrow points to the exact same number as last week. What’s going so wrong? Fitness contributor and Director of the Better Body Group Chris Wharton explains why you aren’t shifting that stubborn body fat. 1 You don’t want it enough Let’s get the most obvious cause out of the way first. We all love the idea of being in great shape, but are not so in love with the hard work it takes to get there. The science of fat loss is relatively simple (for most), aside from some rare gut issues and genetic disorders the majority of us will lose body fat simply by lowering calorie intake, and raising activity levels. Simple, however, does not mean easy. The harsh truth is that most people aren’t prepared to sacrifice the nights out, glasses of wine after work, or the odd crème brûlée after dinner in order to get in shape. Whilst I’m not saying that you can never eat your favourite foods again, if you really want to lose a significant amount of fat, in a short amount of time, there has to be some sacrifice along the way. You have to want it enough! The solution Your best bet is to set aside a period of 4-6 weeks where you have fewer social commitments, schedule time for your training, plan your nutrition and go for it. Also aim to be as active as possible outside of the gym by increasing your calories burned through NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis). Activities like taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking the dog, or cleaning the house all chip away at body fat. If you are certain you want to get in shape. Have a word with yourself, figure out how much you want it, make the time and commit. 2 You are not tracking your food intake. Regardless of how much you ‘want’ it, a laissez faire approach to nutrition is likely to leave you disappointed with the results. I’ve had countless conversations with clients who have been eating with the right intentions, only to find that they have not been tracking their calorie intake. Put it this way, someone eating 1000kcal of chocolate each day, would lose more body fat than someone eating 1600kcal of vegetables. Despite feeling terrible, the milky bar kid has consumed less energy overall, thus creating a bigger calorie deficit over time. I am by no means suggesting you nail 1000kcal of Maltesers each day to lose weight, only that for fat loss, the all important rule is that you burn more calories than you consume. The solution Download a simple food tracking app like ‘MyFitnessPal’, to make monitoring your intake less of a chore. Set yourself a realistic calorie target and try sticking to it for a week. If you are starving hungry at the end of the day, try raising your target by 100kcal until you find a manageable level. Note: Going to bed feeling a ‘bit’ hungry is not going to do you any harm. Go to sleep or even burn off a few more calories by being ‘active’ in the bedroom. 3 Not eating enough protein Despite my rant above, it’s important to consider that all food groups are not created equal. Protein may well be the single most important nutrient for fat loss. Increased protein intake helps us lose fat in three important ways: n Increased thermic effect. A certain amount of energy is needed to digest and metabolise all foods. In other words, we burn a number of calories just by eating them. This ‘thermic effect’ of food is known to be as much as 30% higher in protein than its counterparts; fat and carbohydrate. n Improved hormone release. In order to know when we are full or hungry we release hormones to send reasons you’re not losing weight 28 HEALTH : WEIGHT Chris Whaton on body fat It’s no surprise lots of us give up on our quest for a more ripped, race day physique after a few weeks. I am by no means suggesting you nail 1000kcal of Maltesers each day to lose weight 8