If you are like me you will be confused from all the conflicting information on keeping fit and healthy and weight loss.  For that reason I have picked a few facts that people commonly ask about and tried to dispel the confusion.  I have used information from recent fitness and nutrition courses and reputable medical and fitness bodies.  I hope you find this blog informative and useful in your fitness and weight loss goals.

Skipping meals – Its so easy to skip meals as we lead such busy lives, but this is a big mistake.  Eating one major meal a day will cause your body to go into ‘over drive’ and try to salvage nutrients and fats from that one meal.  For the best results,  aim to eat 5 small portions per day and avoid eating large meals after 8pm at night.

Eating too fast – I was guilty of rushing meals and eating too fast, however this caused me a few digestion problems and made a food intolerance worse.  So I had to have a rethink about eating.  It takes roughly 30 minutes to digest food and for your brain to tell your body you are full.   So eating more slowly will result in consuming less food, and could result in weight loss.  I think the key is smaller portions, and give yourself to time to enjoy and taste the food.

Process foods – It is very difficult to avoid processed foods altogether, but by tryng to reduce them you will feel healthier and see a difference on the scales.  These foods are full of fat and sugar.  You may be shocked to see some of the foods considered to processed, foods we all eat on a daily basis.  To name a few, bread, cheese, bacon, breakfast cereals and of course ready meals. Try to limit the amount of process foods and eat more fresh fruit and vegetables where possible.

Muscle weights more than fat? –  For  years I believed this to be the case, but after a recent fitness course I found this to be untrue.  A lb or fat weighs the same as a lb of muscle,  The difference is that fat is bulkier than muscle tissue and takes up more space under the skin.  Two people may be the same weight and height but the person with the higher body fat % will wear a larger clothing size. It is worth noting that muscle does burn more calories than fat, even at rest.  This is a great reason to build strong and active muscles.

Are we drinking enough water?  - I would suggest that the majority of us never drink enough water, myself included.  Except for oxygen there is nothing your body needs more than an adequate supply of water.  The more exercise you do the more important it is to drink the right amount of water before, during and after exercise. In fact 2 litres of fluids includes of drinks, ie coffee tea, but drinking water, milk and healthy fruit juices is the best option. As a pointer for your next fitness session, aim to drink 1 cup of water for every 15 minutes of strenuous exercise ( Hiit training, aerobics), and aim to drink ½ cup of water for every 15 minutes of moderate exercise ( Zumba, Fitsteps).   Water is great for your skin, kidneys and can help with energy levels.

I hope you find this blog informative and gain something from it, and helps you in your goal to getting fitter, healthier and weight loss.

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