Above The Grind Fitness

So you're in a deficit to lose weight so wouldn't eating even less calories make you lose more weight even faster!? while this might seem logically sound, it's really not great in the long run.

You will initially lose weight but then it'll all come screeching to a halt within a matter of weeks.

But you were in a deficit right? So what was the problem?

STALLED WEIGHT LOSS
As you consistently eat so little, your basal metabolic rate (BMR) adapts by prioritising holding onto fat to conserve energy, this in turn stalls your weight loss progress.

FATIGUE - WEAKNESS - BRAIN FOG -BURNOUT
The definition of deficit is having less than what is required, so it's not exactly Einstein material to now eat EVEN LESS than what was already considered less than requirement. Severely cutting calories strips you of the energy required for daily activities and maintaining an exercise routine! It'll also eventually lead to irritability and low moods, lower quality of life and a higher chance of a food binge relapse and also quitting on your weight loss goals.

MUSCLE LOSS
From a survival point of view, your body needs fat more than it needs muscle to survive and to sustain life. So when starved of adequate fuel your body will prioritise breaking down muscle for fuel instead of targeting bodyfat. And having less muscles means permanently lowering your calorie burning capacity.

SO WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?
The solution is to stop looking for quick fix results. Practice having some patience, you're not gonna lose 20 pounds overnight or even in a week! Keep resistance training 3-4x per week on average,

Stick to a good deficit around 250-500 calories under your maintenance, prioritise high protein intake daily. Look for about 1.8 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (about 0.8 to 1 gram per pound) daily. This higher intake keeps you fuller, will preserve lean muscle mass, and promotes muscle protein synthesis. (Growing m00scles 💪🏼)

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For all other personal training enquiries, drop me a message in my inbox.

See you on the other side ✌🏼

Client spotlight - Charlotte .w00d

This is Charlotte, she's not only lost a whopping 20kg/44lbs of bodyweight but also her bodyfat percentage has dropped over 7% and counting!

We're not even done yet.

There's been many improvements not only with what you can see here but with discipline, routine, balance, her self esteem, self confidence and ability to reason with herself if motivation dips low.

Charlotte is now definitely more confident with herself and her own abilities in the gym along with incorporating her new healthier and fitter lifestyle that accompanies and provides her results.

Although sometimes there may be a few stumbles occasionally or roadblocks here and there, but these things are perfectly normal as long as you have the right support systems in place to keep you on the right track to progress.

And that's what I'm here for as her PT coach, I provide her the necessary support, accountability, encouragement and help to steer her back onto the right path when things start to go south/or have gone south.

Everyone's fitness journey is unique to themselves and it is not always so black and white.

Life can be complicated and unpredictable at times so why should your health and fitness have to be complicated too?

Have it rest assured and taken care of with a coach that keeps you accountable and supported especially if/when you slack or begin falling behind.

Someone to encourage you when your motivation is low and you're playing devil's advocate with yourself.

Take away the guesswork.

Spaces are available for PT coaching if you'd like to get into shape for summer.

Drop me a direct message in the inbox 📥

Client spotlight on my client Kerr.

Kerr has been a long time on/off PT client of mines, his goals were never to get shredded in the first place or be super lean.

When Kerr approached me he just wanted to shift the weight he had put on since lockdown which refused to budge.

Being a vegetarian, his body type presented something that I see commonly in a lot of vegetarian/vegans body types who don't actively train with weights.

This being a typical carb heavy diet with low protein (or not enough protein)

It gives what I consider a "skinny fat" look.

It was an easy fix on paper.

He need to resistance train 3-4x a week
Move more for his daily energy expenditure
And obtain higher protein intake daily.

That's the usual standard jist of it.

But of course in practicality it wasn't always that straightforward.

We had many obstacles, one namely the intensity of the workouts often made him feel sick 🤢 at times we didn't even train that hard. He was just unfit at the time

We've now lost 16.6kg in bodyweight. He has push heavy weight with full intensity like never before. Something cracked while he kept up the consistency and he broke through that mental and physical plateau.

Which goes to show things may prevail if you just stay the course and don't throw in the towel in too early.

Well done Kerr, excited to see how your progress further develops down the line!
💪🏼👏🏼

Ok it's been a long minute since I've made one of these types of posts.

This is my good client Chrissy, and here is his progress so far.

It's been a long time coming and well we've lost 25kg so far and his bodyfat has dropped too.

HERE'S WHAT YOU DON'T SEE IN THE PHOTOS...

- The weight that was regained several times due to food relapses/falling off the wagon/binge weekend/low motivation to follow plan

- the periods of time where motivation came crashing almost to a halt and the frustration that came with it

- the mentality that was required to get momentum again after spinning wheels for a lengthy period of time

- the frustration of starting and stopping and at times regressing from all the progress we had made.

- the infinite patience/reassurance required and the ability to start over again from near square one.

🏆

We've still got a long way to go, but it's definitely worth sharing this progress so far!

The journey that Chris is on isn't always as smooth sailing as other people make it out to be.

But the most important thing is that he stays determined and doesn't quit!

25kg loss will look drastically different from person to person.

Chrissy will be partaking in the kiltwalk for charity at the end of this month and we plan on losing at least another 10 kilos before his next upcoming holiday abroad!

If you have been in a similar situation before with frustration in the gym, with your diet and losing weight.

You're not alone. Some journeys aren't meant to be walked alone.

Drop me a message if you're interested in achieving your own weight loss results.

See you on the other side ✌🏼