Unfortunately, there are no foods that directly link to you gaining fat, I’ll say that again to give a bit more punch to this post…. THERE ARE NO FOODS THAT DIRECTLY LINK TO YOU GAINING FAT!
The Importance Of Hydration
Is It Just About The Calories?
Is it just about the calories?
Do we only need to focus on controlling caloric intake?
Healthy Snacks
Top 10 Quick Healthy Snacks!
You have found this blog because you're looking for some quick and simple snack ideas that are complementary to your health, fitness and body composition goals!
As a rule of thumb, you're looking for something high in protein, high in nutrients, and low in calories (if your goals are fat loss), or simply a bit of both.
These might not all be perfect, but they are quick, simple, taste damn good, and they sure do keep you out of the biscuit tin.
1 - Protein Shakes
2 - Rice Cake with Peanut Butter
3 - Greek Yoghurt (you can even add a scoop of protein)
4 - Raw Veg
5- Boiled Eggs
6 - Fruit
7 - Protein Bars
8 - Nuts and Seeds
9 - Chicken Strips
10 - Harley's no added sugar Jelly
If you want to completely change your body composition and health, then you will need to be following a training and nutrition plan that will complement your goals, these snacks will simply assist you in that process.
Losing fat
Why am I struggling to lose fat?
Now, this post is not for everyone, this post is for those of you who feel like you have tried everything and have never fully understood why it's not working.
You no longer need to keep stressing over this, as it will, without doubt, be one of these three issues:
1- Poor or no Nutrition Plan (eating/drinking too much)
2- Poor or no Training Plan (training with no structure and training like a fairy)
3- Medical Condition
Once you have ruled out number three with a trip to the GP, you can be quite sure that it’s number 1 or 2, or likely a mixture of the two. This might feel like some harsh truths, but the amount of people who have started working me with the illusion that they have tried everything is simply unbelievable.
I know far too many people who are struggling and getting frustrated that they’re not losing fat but have no idea how many calories they’re consuming each day, this is like complaining that the recipe you followed tastes like crap, yet you didn’t actually follow the instructions.
Let’s step into the shoes of someone who has “tried everything”, they don’t drink much, they train 4 times per week and hardly eat at all.
This is usually what this person week looks like:
- They don’t eat much…yet each evening they have a dessert containing upwards of 500 calories.
- They train four times per week…yet they don’t follow a plan, so they don’t train at all, they workout 4 times a week, trust me there is a difference.
- They don’t drink much…yet this weekend they did get drunk because it was their best friends birthday, actually the weekend before they celebrated a christening…..you can see where I’m going with this.
Let’s say your evening treat adds up to 300 calories, you have that 5 days a week, it ends up being 1,500 calories, now let’s factor in the 4 Jaeger Bombs on the weekend (632 calories)….. I love Jaeger Bombs…and then the 4 pints (720 calories). Oh, let’s not forget the Big Mac meal you had as a “1 off treat” (1,120 calories). Maybe this is an exaggeration….maybe not, but you can see how easily a week can escalate, due to these little extras we have added an extra 3,972 calories to our week!
A big issue I find is that people who eat like this think it’s normal, they think that they have just been dealt a slow metabolism hand. “All my friends are stick thin and they eat the same as me”, how do you know the eating habits off all your friends? Yes, they might go out every weekend the same as you, but they are a lot more active in the week as they don’t have an office job, or they only have an evening treat on a Friday, yet you have one every day. People will see a snapshot of someone’s life and think it’s their normality.
Let’s take me for example, I eat out most days on the weekend, and I’ll likely treat myself to the odd Costa panini and maybe the odd chocolate in the week. However, I train 4 times a week…. I mean properly train, I drink a ton of water, I’m very active through the days, most months I don’t drink any alcohol, my regular meals and my calorie intake are inline with my goals.
So, this is not me saying that you should completely eliminate all these treats because as you can see, I don’t! What I am saying is that you need to be a bit more self-aware of what you’re doing through the week and how that will affect your body composition. You need to take control of your body and mindset and not let anything hold you back from what you’re aiming to achieve!
Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate [NEW STUDY]
Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate
.........I honestly love it when a study like this is released! This study is particularly interesting due to its large group of participants, a staggering 12-month duration and careful dietary monitoring. Also, it was partially funded by NuSI, an organisation co-founded by low-carb advocates.
They randomly assigned 609 participants to either a healthy low-fat diet or a healthy low-carb diet for 12 months. During those 12 months, everyone was instructed to attend 22 dietary counselling sessions with a dietitian. While no calories targets were given, both groups were instructed to consume high-quality whole foods and drinks. They were told to maximise intake of vegetables and minimise intake of added sugars, refined flours and trans fats, also to focus on whole foods that were minimally processed, nutrient-dense, and prepared at home when possible.
The researchers looked to see if genotype or insulin production could predict weight loss on either a low-fat or a low-carb diet. Other health outcomes measured were weight change, body fat (DXA), cholesterol, blood pressure and fasting glucose.
Main findings were...
- No significant weight-loss differences were observed between the low-fat and low-carb groups!
- Neither genetics nor insulin production could predict weight-loss success on either diet!
- There were also no significant differences between groups for most other health markers tested!
Yes....triple shock!
The DIETFITS study replicates the results of numerous other studies, showing that when calorie intake and protein intake are consistent the amount of carbs or fat doesn't matter too much.
Summary
There will always be diet trends, people will always say "I have the diet for you!!" but.......in the end......it comes down to having a diet that you can stick with! Also, one that is abundant with whole and nutrient-dense foods whilst rich in protein.
References:
The DIETFITS Randomised Clinical Trial