It’s the end of week 19 of my 2012 fat loss challenge.

This week I weigh 82.6kg, which is 2.2kg HEAVIER that I was two weeks ago! Looking at the photos above, there doesn’t seem to have been much progress between weeks 8 and weeks 19 (apart from less hair!). Depressing, considering I’ve been slogging at the gym and eating little food.

I started taking creatine 2 weeks ago which would account for being heaving (one of the side effects is an increase in water weight), but I’ve no excuse for not looking leaner than 11 WEEKS ago.

I guess those 4 weeks I fell off the wagon in June over my birthday really took their toll, and I’ve only just got back to my week 8 stage. Or the photos could just be bad… (here’s hoping).

Stats

Date: Saturday 4th August 2012
Weight: 82.6kg

..and I’ve been naughty.

Weeks 10 – 14 didn’t go so smoothly. I fell out of my routine and ate the opposite of what I prescribe in The PERFECT Meal System. As a results my weight loss stalled. I even gained a few lbs (not that I weighed myself during these dark weeks – I didn’t want to feel the shame).

BUT – The GOOD news is I am back on track. The last three weeks I’ve been back in training and eating right. As a results I can happily say that my clothes feel better, I’m looking leaner, and my weight this morning was 80.4kg (177lb) – down from 81.9kg (180lb) at the end of week 10.

Sure, a three pound loss in 7 weeks isn’t huge (in fact it’s 1/2 to 1/3 of what I would hope for), but I am just happy I’m back in the game and headed for glory.

My goal is to hit reach under 80kg (176lb) by the end of July, and lose a further 6kg (13lb) by the time my holiday comes around in 9 weeks time. It’s a tough goal but achievable…fingers crossed.

That will put me within touching distance of my low of 72.3kg (159lb) achieved last year. And since I’ve gained muscle mass, I should look even bigger and leaner.

Stats

Date: Saturday 21st July 2012
Weight: 80.4kg

I’m not going to lie, the last two weeks I’ve been eating more than I should have.

I haven’t stuck strictly to The PERFECT Meal System and as a result my weight only dropped 0.7kg (1.5lbs) since my last weigh-in two weeks ago.

I now weigh 81.9kg, with the goal of reaching 75kg by the end of the year.

What I would say is that losing weight is possible even when you aren’t 100% strict. You CAN have the occasional treat, as long as the MAJORITY of the time you are good (80%-90%).

Stats

Date: Saturday 2nd June 2012
Weight: 81.9kg
Jeans: 36″ waist

It’s been 8 weeks since I started my 2012 fat loss challenge.

My weight reading on Saturday 19th May 2012 was 82.6kg, compared with 83.1kg two weeks ago. That’s a 0.5kg (1.1lb loss).

Whilst I was hoping to drop around 1kg (2lbs) per two weeks, any loss if good.

Training wise, I’m still following a Turbulence Training routine which consists of three 40 minute gym sessions (20 minutes strength training, 20 minute bicycle interval sprints), along with 30 minute body weight circuits on off-days.

Stats

Date: Saturday 19th May 2012
Weight: 82.6kg
Weight two weeks ago: 83.1kg
Start weight: 86.2kg
Jeans: 36″ waist
Belt notch: 4

With summer right around the corner many of us are trying to shed those last few pounds to make sure we are swimsuit ready!

Yet I’m sure many of you didn’t think about having to be in your swimsuit 4 or 5 months ago, when it would have been easy to drop those last 5 pounds and tone up with so much time available.

Now, with only two months before summer hits, we’re all scrambling to make sure we get in as many hours as we can. But in reality, who has hours to spend in the gym every day?

Don’t you wish you could burn more calories throughout your day, without having to spend so much time in the gym or on your home treadmill?!

Well of course you do!

Tricks of the trade

Photo credit: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/summer_cardio_activities.htm

The trick is to speed up your metabolism throughout the day, and then at night you will continue to burn more calories at a faster rate.

Here are a few exercise tips to help you benefit more from your workouts:

• Up the intensity. The higher the intensity, the higher the calorie burn you will receive from your workout. Makes sense right?! Not only will you be burning more calories in a shorter amount of time, but higher intensity workouts result in higher fat burn as well, especially post workout. Try a CrossFit workout, which is a high-intensity workout incorporating a unique blend of total body movements.
• Use your WHOLE body. Going right along with CrossFit, using more of your body will burn more calories. While most cardio exercises usually only target your lower body, like the treadmill. But if you use the elliptical, and make sure to be holding on to those handlebars, you increase your calorie burn by using more muscle groups, without having to work out as long. Try some full body workouts to increase your calorie burn in a shorter amount of time.
• Add intervals. This goes right along with upping your intensity. Instead of doing a continuous high-intensity workout, which can lead to fatigue, try switching it up. When you alternate between short bouts of very-high-intensity exercise with lower-intensity exercise, your body is able to process lactic acid build-up, therefore reducing fatigue. Intervals burn more calories and fat in a shorter amount of time than if you were to do a less intense, longer workout. Try switching up your next cardio session with 30 seconds going as hard as you possibly can to 60 seconds slower paced.
• Add muscle. Cardio is great for burning calories during your workout, but incorporating strength training as well will help to burn calories even long after your workout is over. Compared with other tissues in your body, muscle has an extremely higher metabolic rate. Meaning it is working harder, burning more calories, to function day to day, even when you are not working out.

Even more fat burning boosts

Adding that muscle is going to help you increase your calorie burn throughout the day, even while you are not at the gym, but here are a few other tips that should help:

• Walk more. Another weight loss tip that seems like common sense, but do YOU make sure you get in your recommended 10,000 steps a day? Wear a pedometer if you need to be held accountable for yourself. Take the stairs, park your car farther away, or try to walk around for the last 5 minutes of every hour. Take a stroll to get during your lunch break, even if it is only 10 minutes. Sitting for long periods of time, without any movement, will slow your metabolism. Every step counts to helping you get closer to that swimsuit body.
• Drink up. And I mean water of course! But avoiding alcohol for the next few months will help to get your body ready for summertime. A German study found, “drinking water throughout the day caused metabolic rates to increase by about 30 percent”.
• Eat more fiber. Not only does this help keep things running smoothly, but your body uses more energy to break down fiber-rich foods. Just make sure you are getting adequate water to help wash it all down.
• Eat more protein. Along with eating more fiber, protein too burns more calories to digest. Protein has a higher thermogenic effect when digested/absorbed than carbohydrates or fat. In fact, some reports have stated that as much as 50% of the calories consumed as protein are “used” in the digestion/absorption process.
• Sleep better. Multiple studies have proven that a poor night’s sleep caused people to not only eat poorly the next day, but to also to move less. While getting up early to fit in that workout is a great idea, make sure you are going to bed earlier as well to make up for it!

Make a conscious effort to move more throughout your day and with your movements, try tightening those muscles. Increasing your calorie burn and muscle building.

A ten minute walk during your lunch break may not seem worth it, but you can burn about 20-30 calories during those ten minutes. Add that up throughout the week and that’s 100-150 calories burned, all in only 10 minutes a day. This on top of all the other tips will only add up to even more. Every little movement you make will help you get closer to reaching your swimsuit body.

Noone is going to give you the body you want.

You have to go out there and earn it.

You have to sweat.

You have to suffer.

You have to persist.

You have to overcome.

Only those who do will achieve their dreams.

What are you waiting for?

Commit today.

My weight reading on Saturday 6th May 2012 was 83.1kg, compared with 84.4kg two weeks ago. That’s a 1.3kg (2.9lb loss) which I’m very happy about.

My clothes are looser and I’m beginning to get back some of the definition I achieved in my 2011 fat loss challenge.

Training wise, I’ve been following a Turbulence Training routine which consists of three 40 minute gym sessions (20 minutes strength training, 20 minute bicycle interval sprints).

On ‘off-days’ I’ve been doing 30 minutes body weight circuits. I’ve particularly enjoyed using ViPR, a piece of fitness equipment that is essentially a rubber tube with hand holds. Looks basic, but it’s kicking my butt. If you get a change to play with one I suggest you do.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the kind of functional moves you can do.

Stats

Date: Saturday 6th May 2012
Weight: 83.1kg
Weight two weeks ago: 84.4kg
Start weight: 86.2kg
Jeans: 36″ waist (feeling much looser than last week)
Belt notch: 4 (one down from previous weigh-in)

You can’t pickup a newspaper or turn on the TV without hearing about the latest about what you should be eating to lose weight.

It’s all got so complicated, don’t you think?

The self-help section of my local bookstore is 80% diet books and growing every week. But I’m not sure where all this information leave those people who want to lose some fat.

It’s all too confusing.

There must be an easier way…

Most diets suck

Most diets are produced to make the publishers rich. Very few will get you lean. Authors take a simple concept and fluff it up to look more impressive than it really is.

The real message – the one that will get you results – gets watered down and you get caught up in the details rather than the bigger picture.

Most diets:

• are designed to sell you a book or magazine, not make you lean
• are a fad. They are not sustainable in the long term
• leave you feeling hunrgy, tired and lacking motivation
• severely restrict you food choices, or worse still tell you exactly what food you should eat at every meal. How are you going to cope when the diet ends or you go on holiday?
• don’t teach any scientific principles behind how they work

Diet science made simple

Losing fat and getting lean is ridiculously easy once you know the following little secrets. Don’t overlook them because they are simple and require hard work. They are how ALL diets really work, no matter what the creator tells you.

• to lose weight you must eat less calories than your body uses up every day
• the rule above must be put into practise for several consecutive weeks before you see a real difference
• eating too few calories can cause problems, including upsetting your hormone balance, tiredness, drop in metabolism and muscle mass loss. It is better to create a smaller calorie deficit (500-1000 calories per day) and lose the weight at a slow and steady speed.
• when dieting it is important to perform resistance training 3 times per week to avoid muscle mass loss. Losing muscle instead to fat will make the scales go down but your physique look worse
• most diets do not have you eating enough protein. You should eat 1-1.5g per pound of body weight.
• most diets try to limit fat intake. Your body needs fat to continue operating smoothly
• most diets overdo carbs, including fruit. A bowl of fruit salad for breakfast is not a balanced meal and won’t take you towards your goals

The PERFECT Meal System

I want to provide you with reassurance that losing weight doesn’t have to be an all encompassing mission that takes over your life and makes you feel like shit when you don’t achieve your target.

I got fed up of continually being bullshitted by diet companies. So I created by own easy to follow plan called The PERFECT Meal System.

And unlike most diet authors I actually used it to lose massive amounts of fat in 2011.

It’s an incredibly simple system that lets you score meals out of five using a set of easy to remember criteria. You should only be eating meals that score five out of five if you want a ripped physique and low body fat all year round.

Aren’t you curious how the meals you ate today score? You might be surprised.

My system is simple and free. You can get a copy right now.

Visit the Perfect Meal System page and download your free copy, or enter your email at the bottom of this page. I’ll email you straight back with your copy.

Download the PERFECT Meal System today.

But are you losing it too quickly or too slowly?

How much weight should you be losing per week?

Fat not weight

Before I share with you the formula I use to calculate how much weight you should be losing each week, I want to make an important point.

Losing fat, NOT weight should be your goal.

Fat is the bad stuff – the stuff that makes you look ugly. Weight is EVERYTHING about you – your organs, your muscle, your bone, your fat. You should aim to preserve the weight that isn’t fat, and drop the fat only.

If you still don’t understand this, please read why losing weight isn’t a great goal.

So how much weight should you aim to lose per week?

The ideal weight loss formula

Aim to lose 0.7% of your body weight per week.

This figure is based on the research conducted by Precision Nutrition in their body transformation challenge. It’s the average amount that participants in their study lost.

Some lost 0.3% of the body weight per week, others lost 1.2%.

But the average was 0.7%.

Here’s the calculations for varying weights:

• 400 pounds – aim for 2.8 pounds per week (146 lbs per year)
• 350 pounds – aim for 2.5 pounds per week (130 lbs per year)
• 300 pounds – aim for 2.1 pounds per week (109 lbs per year)
• 250 pounds – aim for 1.8 pounds per week (94 lbs per year)
• 200 pounds – aim for 1.4 pounds per week (73 lbs per year)
• 150 pounds – aim for 1.1 pounds per week (57 lbs per year)

You can see where the often quoted “you should lose 1-2 lbs per week” comes from.

Even though the figures per week are small, the yearly totals are significant. Losing 1.4 lbs per week will amount to a whopping 73 lbs in a year.

That would be one amazing body transformation.

Why so slow?

You might be thinking – why can’t I just increase my calorie deficit and lose more, like 5 or 10 pounds per week?

Well, you could. But there are a couple of important points to make:

• Water weight. You might lose 5-10 pounds when you first start a diet, but this is not fat. It is the water and glycogen being released from your muscles (notice how you pee more when you diet). This weight is a side-effect of dieting and won’t make you look any leaner. Losing fat weight will.
• The faster you lose, the more likely you are to re-bound. In order to lose fat rapidly you have to severely restrict your calories. Being too strict on yourself will only make you want unhealthy food more. The better way is to adopt healthy eating habits that you will continue for life, not just the 12 weeks when you want to lose weight.
• You screw up your hormones. Create a huge calorie deficit and your body will begin to shut down. Your libido will drop. You’ll be tired, irritable and no fun to hang around with. Is it really worth it?
• Think of the yearly pound totals. Remember that losing just 1lb a week means a 52lb loss in a year. That’s nothing to be sniffed at.
• You’re more likely to lose lean mass. And losing muscle mass along with fat is not ideal. You want your muscle to give you that lean look at the end of your diet quest. Keep up the resistance training to prevent muscle loss when dieting.

In conclusion, aim to lose 0.7% of your body weight per week. Be kind to yourself, and don’t drastically reduce your calories in order to lose weight faster. You’ll only end up re-bounding and miserable. Slow and steady wins the race.

Tags: weight loss

My weight reading on Saturday was the same as it was two weeks ago. I put this down to a heavy cheat night on Friday which pushed up my weight (my reading on Friday morning was 84.4kg).

My main priority with my 2012 fat loss challenge is to be kinder to my body. I won’t diet or be as strict as I was on myself last year. If I want to go out and enjoy some chocolate or alcohol, I will. All that matters to me is that I am making some progress every week – no matter how small that might be.

Although my weight remains the same as my previous reading, I am comfortable that I am looking leaner and my jeans are looser.

Photos

To come.

Stats

Date: Saturday 21st April 2012
Weight: 84.4kg
Weight two weeks ago: 84.4kg
Start weight: 86.2kg
Jeans: 36″ waist (feeling much looser than last week)
Belt notch: 3