Is Weight Loss really about calorie counting?

It's seems there many many people out there; fellow Personal Trainers, nutritionalists all conveying a very similar message to me...

Recommending lifestyle weight loss systems and different recipes...

Only they are a lot more famous of course...

All with the same message we have all known, my self for about two decades now...

I read an article obviously written by the uninformed, but it would be a useful comparison and experiment to make...

They were taking some of the recommended recipes adding up the total calories and then stating a particular food on a well known fast food companies that was less...

For me though a great experiment and proof that we have moved far away from the fact that a calorie is a calorie...

I know of no before and after pictures out there that came from the "burger and chips nutrition plan"...

To be fair, knowing the numbers I could probably order smart from a takeaway menu each day and be a healthy weight...

But I would be having very small portions and very quickly be lacking in nutrients...

Don't get me wrong even with healthy, clean food you still have to be aware of portion sizes...

But the aim and the message is to create a lifestyle, to be a "foody" and be in good shape also...

And have great health and vitality, just simple feel good...

That comes from nourishing the body, creating the right balance, not just balancing calories.

Ed ( "I have just realised half an Easter egg is less calories than one of Ed's recipes, I know which one I'm having from now on)...

Two things that make Weight Loss possible.

When I was younger I may have got into talking about doing different exercises and exercising in general...

Being a busy step dad and family man means these days I tend to see exercise as a means to an end...

In a social setting, if they don't know what I do for a living I always get the same response about exercise...

"Oh I don't exercise, I just don't have the energy"...

I smile and nod (there's a time and a place, I'm learning)...

But that response baffles me...

Because exercising regularly gives you energy!

In fact healthy eating and exercise form an amazing healthy lifestyle cycle...

You see when you exercise, after because your blood sugar (energy reserves) are low and you have created the need for healthy soft tissue repair...

Your body is more likely to crave healthier food...

And when you regularly eat healthy food, you tend to feel healthier and cleaner and more vibrant...

More likely to be more active and move more, rather than sluggish and lethargic...

Then when you are more active, you are more likely to crave healthy food...

And it begins again...

And in this scenario, it doesn't really matter if it was the chicken or the egg that came first, the cycle will start either way...

"But I haven't always got time to drive to a gym, do an hour, drive back...

Then make use of whatever time you have...

The metabolism boosting exercise sessions in my 12 week programme are about 25 mins long and need no equipment...

Take whatever step you can in relation to your healthy lifestyle cycle...

Ed ( "Good news we are invited to a do and they are cooking for every one, they are even doing a vegetarian option" "Are they doing a Personal Trainer option?" "Yes it's called stay home on your own and eat Chicken & Broccoli") Stride.

Weight Loss results: Read before it's too late...

One thing I am not good at is mornings...

Once I'm up and out, it can be quite nice, that feeling of productivity, that feeling of self righteousness that you've started your day, before the rest of the population has even had chance to rub its eyes and scratch its bottom...

But most mornings although I give my self plenty of time, I start slow and end up rushing...

In life we are reactive to a lot of things, we don't tend to take action until we start to feel very uncomfortable about what that inaction may lead to...

It's very common for that to be about lifestyle goals too...

Modern life seems to include a lot of sitting down for example travel and work...

We tend to take the action to move more when we start to feel that we are seizing, or worse a back or joint problem...

We tend to take action with weight loss, when we reach crisis point...

Could be something we over hear, a throw away comment from someone, catching the sight of our reflection, feeling uncomfortable somewhere warm on holiday; instead of relaxing, spending the time feeling self conscious, or reviewing holiday photos and not liking what you see, or clothes that were once comfortable now feeling tight in the wrong places, not being able to join in with activities or do slightly energetic things with children as a few minutes in a sit down is required...

A lot of the time I am enlisted to help or my advice is followed when someone reaches this point...

It an "enough is enough" stage...

I have seen it time and time again...

When we reach this point, we also want the discomfort to go quickly, so the likelihood of doing something drastic increases, that leaves us repeating the process very soon...

I know in modern life there is a lot going on that leaves very little "you" time...

But before crisis point, take whatever action what ever small steps you can, start with something that doesn't take much of your time, maybe just a different food choice when you buy something or make something...

Any kind of increased movement...

I know you will find it's worth it.

Ed (Should just about be on time this morning, where did that traffic queue, tractor, road works, additional traffic lights, peak time learner driver, road closure come from!) Stride.

www.loseandshapeupexpert.com

Lose Weight, Change Shape and Indulge.

I know for some it is very hard to believe...

Difficult to comprehend even...

That I am not perfect, not just in real life...

But lifestyle...

I don't get excited about lettuce...

Or sprinting on Treadmills or doing push ups...

It's merely a means to an end...

But I am rock solid with my lifestyle habits from Monday morning until Saturday afternoon...

Unshakeable even...

Then at some point Saturday afternoon things change...

Even if there isn't a full moon involved...

I just relax it a bit, in fact I look forward to it...

The problem is I can eat, yes eating protein rich food and healthy fat satisfies you quicker, but for me it only works to some degree...

I don't visit them often, but the word "gluttony" would sum up me at a Buffett, it's not record breaking but my habits do Make Buffett owners sweat...

The first round of a Buffett is a bit of a recce, have a little bit of everything to suss out what's best, and then go back as many times as you can for what tastes best...

At a restaurant with family and friends, they don't have to ask, if there are left overs, they just send them over...

But the point of it all, is that I never ever ask those that I'm working with and helping to give up anything, that's just a short term strategy...

So yes, you can have your favourite indulgences and still get the results you want, you just have to make sure that for most of the time you are practicing good habits...

Then there is no guilt involved, I can enjoy food a Personal Trainer shouldn't be seen to be eating normally...

You can lose, change shape, improve health, feel better, look better and have a little bit of what you like...

See you really can do this...

Ed (As the waiter/waitress asks "did you enjoy your food?" I say mine was good, his was good, hers was good, hers was good, his was good...) Stride.

How to achieve your Weight Loss resolutions in 2017.

In order for 2017 to be different in terms of your health and your results...

In order to not be reading this message or a similar one in 2018 and being in exactly the same place...

Is that you have to do something different...

See I will readily admit, I have zero ability to predict the future, none at all...

However, if you continue to adopt the same lifestyle habits, the same routines and rituals as before, this will bring about the same or similar results as before...

If you have recently improved your lifestyle habits, then you are doing something different!
Remember to keep it long term though...

Maybe you have just gone back to what you were doing before the festive break, that will at least take you back to where you were...

But after that, you will likely reach a plateaux...

And unless you do anything different, the plateaux will continue, which is fine if your goal is maintenance...

But if you want this year to be the year you take back control, increase your energy and out look, get the results you desperately desire...

Then it's time to do something different...

Even one subtle lifestyle change, that you could start doing as soon as possible...

Doesn't sound much, but that will motivate you to start doing another...

and another...

Before you know it, that will lead to something big.

You can do this.

Ed.

Igniting your metabolism - don't fear hunger!

Lots of people view hunger as bad...

The thinking is; if I give into hunger it will negatively effect results...

Hunger must be suppressed...

Waking up and not feeling hungry must be a good thing?...

Mostly the answer is the opposite...

When I ran 12 week weight loss courses, the "homework" for week 1 was to start having breakfast if they weren't already...

There was always the reply of "but I'm just not hungry in the morning"...

My translation was "my metabolism is so slow that when I wake up after x many hours of not eating I'm still not hungry!"

How to fix the above problem? Start having something for breakfast it will kick start the metabolism...

Hunger is the bodies' way of telling you "I need nutrients"...

See that's the key, nutrients...

So to get results health or weight loss, you should eat when hungry but Nutritious food and moderate portions,  the food will not only be processed by the body but your body may have to top up fuel if there isn't quite enough and then turn a bit of body fat into energy...

Imagine if that happened constantly?

PS if you have any questions or suggestions for future blogs send them to edride27@yahoo.com

Ed's Top Weight Loss Messages

It seems things are changing slightly, the lifestyle messages of track suit wearing weirdos aka Fitness Professionals and Personal Trainers are becoming more mainstream... 

It's now becoming fact that...

1). Diets don't work.

"Diet" is my least favourite word, diets mean trying to eat as little as possible. Diets are quick fixes at best, that will teach your body to store body fat like crazy as soon as it gets chance...

We are designed to nourish our body with nutritious food and often, once you can get past what seems like a contradiction of eating more regularly your metabolism will accelerate.

2). Get rid of the weighing scales.

The weighing scales are a tool that measures every component of the human body, good and bad. Everyone is different it doesn't make sense to proclaim that you are this height, so you should be this weight!

How much we weigh shouldn't govern how we feel or how healthy we are.

3). Strength Training shapes and effects metabolism like no other form of exercise.

If you are not keen on exercise, then time efficient but slightly intense routines can still deliver results...

My very near future plan is to take all the systems that have worked so well with people I have worked with in person, to then be in a position to help the masses get results...

For a free report containing the system I use to help loads of my clients get results go to: www.costacoffeeonaweightlossplan.co.uk

Thanks,

Ed.

How many calories do most people consume per day?

You know as a Weight Loss and exercise expert I like to be on the button with relevant breaking news stories...

Sometimes they may have broke sometime before I come to realise, however...

On the news this very morning was a story that talked about how we underestimate how many calories we consume...

By about two thirds...

Most people said they consumed about 2,000 calories per day when in actual fact it turned out to be 3,000 calories.

Usually when we exercise we tend to either overestimate how many we are expending or underestimate how this effects the balance of calories in and calories out...

So if we are actually consuming 3,000 calories a day for most of us that is probably more than we are burning...

Which means slowly but surely body fat is creeping on...

The summer is a hard time to conserve calories especially if you are on holiday surrounded by nice food...

Summer is a hard time to burn calories especially if you have children to entertain 24/7 (mind you that does burn a few calories)...

So if results are important (you may have heard this message before :))  keep monitoring your nutrition habits, natural foods, moderate portions, eating little and often, staying hydrated...

If you need more help, after 20 years of doing this I've got content coming out of my ears!

12 week weight loss programmes for specific people and an ongoing information base coming soon...

For a free weight loss results report and free regular content go to : www.costacoffeeonaweightlossplan.co.uk

Weight Loss Motivation: Focus on what is going well...

Despite life getting in the way a lot of the time and despite our best intentions, being able to achieve a weight loss goal, lifestyle goal or any fitness goal is challenging.

Previously when I have run weight loss courses or even talking to someone about their goal, I always would ask "what is going well at the moment?"

Typically I would get short answers, but if I asked "what are your challenges?"

The reply would be a long and extensive list!

When I would take measurements, either results would be staying the same or slightly improving.

This tells me what they were doing right made up at least half of their habits.

But when asked it was a different story.

Which means we tend to focus a lot more on what we feel we can improve rather than what we are already doing that is working.

To fit any kind of exercise routine in each week takes time, so does preparing food and not to mention discipline.

To even be aware of what you are eating, or the fact that you haven't moved for a long time at work and it's time to walk around is a very positive one.

When it comes to food, we all have different attitudes and relationships with food, which can determine how easy it is to adopt certain or new habits.

I am lucky growing up some of the days were healthy food days, some not so healthy.

I think Lifestyle and eating habits wise this has given me a head start and made it easier now.

We all start from a different place and sometimes for different reasons.

Keep these reasons in mind, they will help with motivation.

They will help you decide what you need to do, but make a list of what you are already doing right, it's bigger than you think....

For a healthy weight loss free report and receive content like the above and healthy recipes each week, head to: www.edshealthyweightlossfreereport.co.uk

If we want to lose weight is that all we can eat?

I last week'a blog post, There was a link to a video I made, a practical demonstration to show how much fuel we can process per meal and how much energy certain foods contain.

Basically showing, if you eat a certain type of food regularly, chances are you will gain weight or if your body can process the energy in the food (with a little to spare) over time you will lose and get leaner.

On the demonstration it was pointed out the only food I used to illustrate the point of being low energy was Spinach.

I wanted to make the point that compared to the others you could consume a very large portion and even that would be low energy.

See I thought I was illustrating a point but people have been asking "So is Spinach all we can eat?" So basically only Popeye is happy :).

So for my new website I have been making lots more videos.

Some of the meals can be processed, some not so much.

The videos are also on You Tube, search for Ed Stride.

But I didn't want to go for the obvious...

For example a sweet and sour chicken ready meal, with rice. 

Sticky sauce and rice, I thought it would be quite high energy, remember I was using sugar to illustrate what the body was breaking the energy into...

I don't think had a container big enough to put the equivalent amount of energy in! 

About three times the amount that could be processed per meal. 

Juice and baked beans were others that were high.

On the low energy list was a big handful of strawberries, a handful of mixed nuts, a table spoon of peanut butter and a quarter of a pot of Humous.

I'm sure there will be loads of others as I've just began to compile the list.

But if your nutrition plan consists mostly of foods your body can process, then it will be more about losing fat than storing fat.

Don't forget all the recipes fit into the moderate energy category.

More where they came from...

So if you just need it simplified so you can take action, no excuses!

If you would like a free report and to sign up to regular emails, similar in content to the above, go to www.edshealthyweightlossfreereport.co.uk.

PS If you have a question write it in the comments section.

Weight Loss motivation dampeners...

I'm noticing the gym I work at is already a little bit quieter compared to last month.

Some of those who started their exercise routine with great expectations have stopped.

Having seen this constant trend for nearly 2 decades it usually comes down to a few things...

Too much attention to measuring on the weighing scales. I was listening to a famous trainer who had labelled the scales "the sad step".

Great way of putting it!

The scales don't measure shape change only the total sum of all the components of the human body.

Most of our total weight is water and it's far healthier to be better hydrated!

I know so many people who are leaner, in better shape, slimmer waists, clothes fitting way better, but either the same weight or slightly heavier.

Taking photos before you start or before progress has been made and then an "after photo" or waist measurements or even how clothes fit is a better option for measuring.

Relying on just exercise for results: exercise will help and has so many health benefits, but it's your nutrition or eating plan that gets best results, please keep trying to find a way.

Diets. I don't even like the term. Diets seem to mean restriction and low calorie. Which promotes turning your body into a fat storing machine.

People who have the fastest metabolisms eat mostly healthy and often, they seem so surprised that they feel like they are eating more but getting results!

They are teaching their body there is an abundance of nutritious food.

No need for the body to hold on to body fat because the body isn't getting enough nutrients from a low calorie diet, so it slows the metabolism to get through the shortage.

The body knows when we regularly eat balanced nutritious food it's is in good supply, if it needs more energy it can secrete a hormone (glucagon) to turn fat into fuel and we get leaner!

For more motivation and explanations of what works, the ebook is still available...

(Download the free kindle app to read on any device).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Point-Inspired-Checklist-Permanent-Weight-ebook/dp/B01AWX2EIA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453919450&sr=1-1&keywords=ed+stride

To receive regular free tips and information like this, sign up and receive a free report at; 

www.edshealthyweightlossfreereport.co.uk

If you have an questions let me know and I will make it the subject of one of the blogs.

I admit I comfort eat sometimes...

I have this other passion other than health and fitness I partake in on my day off if I can - wildlife photography, I have a specialist subject, I research the best place to go and sit and wait, sometimes for hours!

You always have to be prepared to wait for hours and for nothing to happen!

Only when nothing happens, you feel totally aggrieved it starts to make you question your life!

So as some of you know Sunday is a day I don't exactly follow my normal nutrition plan, I don't eat that much during the day, so when I get home feeling aggrieved and hungry, what do I do?

Sometimes sensibly I eat something relatively healthy to feel satisfied, but I don't stop there, what ever is hiding in the cupboard is not safe! With two little boys around there is always a tasty treat or two or three...

I am really hungry when I do this? No!
Do I feel better? A little bit, but not for long! Do I eat more than usual, oh yeah!

Apparently that is the difference between healthy eating and emotional eating, I am no expert on emotional eating, but apparently the first step is to recognise it, hunger is a different feeling, hunger can wait a bit, hunger doesn't always need a specific type of food, apparently I am supposed to pause before I eat in that situation, I should try that :).

Luckily for me, I only get the one day off!

But I understand sometimes me saying it's all about good habits and just choosing to eat healthier doesn't always work.

Recognise it if you can and just keep doing your best.

Didn't you know all Personal Trainers do a bit of wildlife photography on the side? Actually no your right, just me :))

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How to lose fat from stomach, bottom, thighs, hips, back of arms...

I don't spend that much time on Facebook I promise (do we all say that?:)) but occasionally I see something I like.  

Obviously I'm friends with a lot of other fitness people on there.

Whilst I'm not that interested in a video of someone Dead lifting, I did quite like the picture poster of an in-shape stomach with the words "want this then do 3 sets of eat less bad food!"

Working in a gym it's a question you get all the time from everyone; "can I have an exercise for my stomach, my backside, hips, legs, back of my arms..."

Resistance training does improve metabolism, but you can't turn fat into muscle, two very different things. 

To get any kind of shaping or weight loss result, it all starts in the kitchen!

There is always a look on someone's face when you have to explain it (could be the look you have right now!) but believe me I take people through exercise routines if it was all down to the exercises I prescribe I would be very happy!

But it isn't, it's mostly down to nutrition habits, I wish it wasn't the case, if any information comes out to say different with scientific rationale, then you will be the first to know!

Have a question? Leave me a comment.

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Weight Loss: Less Isn't Better...

When we are adjusting our nutrition habits to lose weight, we always tend to think eating less and low amounts of foods is the best way forward.
To some degree it is, but the idea shouldn't be to cut calories drastically, unless you are having huge portions of junk food at every meal!
Drastically lowering calories, tells the body to prepare for food scarcity, it does this by conserving energy, we lose weight quickly, but from water, muscle and fat, decreasing our metabolism and increasing our fat storing potential when the lowering of calories stops.
For a long term healthy weight loss plan, if you eat moderate balanced portions, with healthy natural food, you will find not only will you be processing and not storing the nutrients, but in actual fact you will be consuming less calories overall by eating more natural food in smaller portions. Eating often especially gives the body the impression food is in abundance, so if it feels it needs to draw on extra energy reserves it can use it's own fat stores, meaning steady long term healthy weight loss which is from fat loss, raised metabolism and numerous other benefits!

By the way,

If you enjoy the content of the blog, head to: edshealthyweightlossfreereport.co.uk to receive a free weight loss report, that outlines my weight loss system I use to help Personal Training Clients get results and best of all I will send you regular content straight to your inbox!