Right, here we go. This is about losing weight with a mixture of good diet and the right training. You can’t do one without the other.

It’s the end of the day, you’ve got 5 minutes and you want this blog post to enter your psyche, your brain cells or your trash folder very quickly. I’m sure you’ve read far too many long and dull documents today and you’re desperate to catch up on Facebook before you get home (to face the domestics) so I’ll make it quick.

1. Eating correctly (i.e managed carbohydrates, plenty of protein, vegetables plus a little dairy and fruit) will help you lose fat. A body who is host to minimum sugar is always going to be a happy one.
2. Your body can get its energy from muscle or fat. It will always turn to muscle first to get its energy as it wants to hang onto the fat. Fat is a store of energy for emergencies, for cuddling our reproductive organs, for keeping us warm. So muscle gives up the fight quickly and the body’s systems munch away at your thighs, leaving the precious fat behind.
3. But if you work those muscles and keep them in a dense (and therefore firm, yay!) state through what’s called resistance or strength training, then the body soon realises that the muscle is now flexing its proverbial biceps, rises up through the ranks… and is needed by the body. So the body will therefore turn to your fat for its energy supplies (providing you are eating correctly… see point 1).
4. “I’ve been jogging 5k two or three times a week for about 3 months now and I haven’t lost a pound and I still have fat round my middle, but I’m hardly eating anything”
   I hear this a lot. Firstly, I say… “Well done for getting fit enough to jog 5k, very admirable”. However, it won’t do much to get rid of your body fat. You’re not providing a stimulus for your muscles to become denser (and therefore encourage your body to burn fat).
   All you’re doing is burning masses of calories, thereby encouraging your body to want more food. And because you’re not eating enough, it will turn to your muscle for fuel and safeguard the fat for a future emergency. The body is a state of high alert.
5. And that is bad news. A size 12 woman (person A… Abigail) with a higher proportion of muscle (the posh word is ‘lean mass’) will burn more calories at rest (i.e sitting watching something on Netflix whilst) than a size 12 woman (person B… Belinda) with less muscle. Abigail has less body fat than Belinda because her body is better at using its body fat for fuel than Belinda’s. Abigail typically will do strength training or a bootcamp session (combining resistance work and high intensity cardio) or body pump. Belinda will probably jog, do zumba or power walking but little else. Abigail will weigh heavier than Belinda because she has more muscle mass. But her clothes will fit her better. Fewer lumps and bumps.

In short…

• EAT (unprocessed sugar free foods)
• LIFT WEIGHTS (or at least give your muscles some challenge)
• DROP A CLOTHES SIZE (or more)

Have a terrific evening. Annie x