Last week, we discussed some things you can add into your lifestyle that could help you kick start your fat loss goals. This week, I’m going to discuss the most common ways I have seen people sabotage their goals. But first, let’s dip in to what’s been going on in the last week.
Life Update
Last week I went and tried something new thanks to a push from one of the members at my gym, something I’ve been humming and hawing about for months but never went and did it. I did a class on handstands. Every Saturday in Terenure, a gym called AM Fitness runs a class called handstands and coffee, I was sold. You go in, have a coffee and chat to some new people and then you just get going. I had zero ideas of what to expect, it was completely new and so refreshing! Not only was it a different challenge to my strength and fitness levels but it was a great chance to meet some new people. I got talking to this guy, Michael, who’s really pushing fitness and mental health as one and I thought that was really cool! We’ve followed each other on Instagram and I look forward to checking out his work! That’s what’s going on this past week. Trying new things can be hard and not many people like being outside their comfort zone, however, it can help you meet new people and ultimately grow as a person.
Alcohol
A lot of people don’t realise, alcohol does contain calories. Below you can see the calories for standard pub measures of your favorite drinks
· Guinness (pint) – 125 calories
· Beer (pint) – 180 calories
· Bulmers (pint) – 239 calories
· Wine (Glass) – on average, 123 calories
· G+T – 120 calories (Choose a zero calorie mixer and you’ll only have 59 calories)
· Vodka + dash – Like above, the mixer can change this but the vodka alone is roughly 64 calories
It is not purely the act of drinking that ruins your calorie deficit, let’s consider what else happens when you go drinking. You go out and have several pints or whatever you’re drinking, you might end up having a few bags of crisps if you’re at a pub in front of a fire or if you’re out on the town you’ll more than likely end up in a fast food take away joint. Then you wake up, there’s still sauce on your face from last night’s kebab and you either need another drink or you ring up Dominos. In the space of 12 hours you’ve absolutely destroyed the calorie deficit you’ve been working so hard for all week!
Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with going for a few drinks with friends and socializing but if you’re not seeing any progress over the space of 3 or 4 months well perhaps you need to look at your drinking habits, or maybe just the habits you have while drinking.
If you’re not willing to cut down the amount you drink perhaps you can compromise with yourself by ditching the takeaway on the way home or prepare some food before you go out that you can just reheat the next day instead of calling in another take away. There are plenty of ways where you can still enjoy your social life and get lean!
Hidden Calories
These can be tricky to get a hold on but at the end of the day you just need to be aware of your eating habits, especially when you’re bored. Like above, if you’re not making any progress with your fat loss goals well maybe you need to be really vigilant about some of the hidden calories we’re going to discuss.
So when I’m introducing someone to MyFitnessPal they usually have a lot of questions, some come up quite regularly and others don’t. However, I find myself having to explain hidden calories quite often. I would consider hidden calories as those ones that don’t even cross your mind to log in. Coffee, cooking oil, salad dressings and those nibbles while cooking! I’ve found that most people get bogged down logging things like vegetables and salad when they don’t particularly need to and miss the beat when logging oils, nuts, seeds etc. Don’t forget folks, you should be logging that butter you smother on your morning toast and the oil you use to whip up your delicious stir fry!
Use milk in your protein shake? Log it.
Have 5 Grande lattes a day? Log them.
Enjoy peanut butter on rice cakes? Of course you do, log it!!
Mindless eating is one of the biggest downfalls in maintaining your calorie deficit. If you’re serious about lowering your fat levels you need to stand up and own your eating! Stop putting in so much effort into the gym and on your meal prep when you’re sabotaging yourself with hidden calories!
Relationships
Before you read any further, don’t take the title and think Rory says I need to break up with my other half because that’s not what I’m going to say. We ask every new member that comes to us about their family and if they will be a help or hindrance. The biggest reason is that we want them to start thinking about habits in the family home or with their friends. If your past time is going to brunch with friends or heading out for general food related activities, well then something will need to change.
What’s the old expression about insanity? Doing the same things time and time again and expecting different results? Can your lifestyle stay exactly the same, can you maintain the same ad hoc, careless relationship with calories and get lean? Probably not, sorry.
Where am I going with this?
Look at yourself, family and friends. If your relationships focus solely around the consumption of food maybe tell them you’re trying hard to change that and suggest some new activities and see will they join you? This links in to last week’s tip of upping your activity levels for fat loss! Friends will try their best to help you achieve your goals, if they point blank refuse, don’t be afraid to try things on your own. You may even meet more like minded people who will do those things with you!
I hope you take something away from this week’s post and can apply it to your life. You don’t need to be a social recluse to drop body fat but it does take some smarter choices when it comes to socializing. As always, if you know someone who could benefit from this information please send it to them. Every share helps me spread the word and reach more people. If you would like me to discuss a topic, please get in contact.
Have a great week,
Rory.