The evolution of fat loss
You wake up, get out of bed, stretch, and have a scratch like some primeval rock ape, you then look at yourself in the mirror. You may or may not like what you see, you may not care. There are very few people that I know that are 100% happy with the way they look. I find this fascinating as happiness in your life should be the number one priority, yet, most of us are not capable or willing to make the necessary changes that could bring us happiness.
In my years as a trainer and nutritionist I've met countless people who display the same trending behaviours that contribute to the poor physical condition that most people find themselves in. I'd like to talk you through the changes that I believe need to happen to achieve body transformation success. Before I begin, I'd like to point out the main overriding qualities I observe in individuals that lead to success. They are mindset and consistency. Those who are willing to listen, adhere, and change are the people that succeed long term.
As children, we are told what to do. Told when to eat, sleep and move by or parents. Usually this leads to a child flourishing and growing. Unfortunately, when we are allowed to make our own decisions it often goes downhill. This is because of the lack of education. It's not your fault, you simply weren't told the reasons behind the rules. It is the 'why' that ensures we adhere to the rules or there is no reason.
We are a living organism and our bodies are complex creatures that need maintenance to work optimally. Due to the comfort of modern life we don't need to be fit and strong to fight predators or hunt for food. We don't need to endure extreme temperatures or the risk of serious injury or illness. Because of this, our priority to be fit, strong and fuel ourselves correctly has gone out of the window, we care more about earning money and getting to work on time. Money is the new survival of the fittest. If you have more money you succeed in life.
Therefore, for us to improve our bodies we must get back some of our primal instinct. We need to remember that our bodies are living organisms that need the correct fuel and exercise to work properly, without this they fall into a state of disrepair.
External body fat is basically just extra fuel that can be burnt up at any time, so let's start with your muscles, they are the controlling factor. Muscle cells; size, number, ability to move, and their metabolic efficiency are what governs how your body performs. If you get your muscles working hard they burn up fuel, not only that, they get better at burning up fuel. If you grow the size and number of muscle cells, you can burn even more fuel. The very first step to getting back to our primal selves is to give our bodies a reason to stop storing fat and start burning it. We must move, frequently, and with purpose. Just taking the stairs every now and again and going for a walk with the dog does not constitute exercise. We are nomadic creatures designed to travel long distances, we've just forgotten.
To help our muscles perform even better we must feed them. Muscles need energy. It's been a while since I've had to wrestle a Sabre tooth tiger for my dinner, so feeding yourself shouldn't be too much of a challenge these days. Yet for some, it seems to be like doing long division in Greek while juggling underwater - tough. But why? You go to your supermarket, buy some food that looks like food i.e. meats, fish, vegetables, grains etc. You know, that stuff that grows from the ground, then you eat it. You buy enough food for 3-5 meals per day, seven days per week, rinse and repeat. This way your body gets all the nutrients and fuel it needs to perform well.
When your body starts to improve i.e. the exercise starts getting easier, you make the exercise more difficult. This means you adapt and improve again. Eat real food regularly and make sure you feel full enough to last until your next meal. When you have mastered the long-forgotten art of exercising and eating regularly, your body will start to perform better and better. When the 'inside' body is happy and is working well, it starts to affect the outside body. Remember, that extra fat you're carrying is just fuel.
The next job is to reduce our outside body fat. You have a choice, you can either do more exercise or reduce the volume of food you're consuming. Either of these will create an energy deficit and you'll use stored body fat to fill the energy void you've just created. You can do a combination of the two but remember, do not remove your food completely or starve yourself or your inside body will shut down fat burning and you'll lose the hard-earned new muscle you've just added.
I've probably not said anything today that you've not heard a thousand times before, however, the fundamental issue with people in poor physical condition really is largely down to failing at this basic notion. I urge you to rediscover your hunter gather roots, prioritise food over modern life and engage into exercise. Your body loves being moved and fed, so look after it, It's the only one you have.
If you would like any help devising a nutrition or training plan you can contact me at Ali@FatAlsGym.co.uk.