Move with Monty

It’s not just calories in, calories out.

Calories in, calories out does matter.
It helps control overall body fat percentage and can impact muscle mass too.

But that’s not the only thing that can make us look and feel a bit rounder.

Bloating is another big factor.

If you feel bloated and look bloated, you’re probably going to think you’re carrying more fat than you actually are.

And if you only focus on calories, without paying attention to how different foods affect you, you might be eating things that contribute to bloating.

That can give you an unfair picture of where you’re actually at with fat loss or muscle gain.

Common things that can contribute to bloating:

• Pastries and baked goods
• Oily or greasy foods
• Takeaways
• Very salty meals
• Fizzy drinks
• Large amounts of caffeine, for some people
• Alcohol
• Artificial sweeteners
• Large meals
• Eating too quickly

Honourable mention: stress.

The simplest thing to do is a process of elimination.

Take out one or two things at a time for a week or two.

See if it changes that bloated feeling.

You might notice your stomach feels flatter, your waistline feels a little slimmer, and you feel like you’re making progress again.

It’s a small adjustment, but if you’re missing this, you might be giving yourself a harder time than you deserve 👍

Exercises don’t always feel equal on both sides of the body.

That’s normal.

Sometimes, a good way to help is to use a low-threshold drill first.

Something lighter and easier that helps you find the feeling you’re looking for and load the muscle you’re trying to target.

Then you can take that into a heavier exercise, ideally one that uses a similar movement.

You’re basically taking the memory of that feeling, and the position of your body, and trying to carry it into the loaded movement.

That helps build the connection first.

Then you load it up to build strength and muscle 👍

This week I tried .uk 👍

I’m generally pretty busy. Most days I’m doing 6–8 PT sessions, and when I’m not coaching, I’m working on the app.

So anything that makes food easier is a win.

The other reason this works for me is that I’m not exactly known for my cooking skills 😅

Good food, easy to use, and definitely better than whatever sauce I’d attempt to make myself.

Thanks for sending these over, Batch 😊

Most people think about dieting as one thing.

But usually, you need different approaches for different phases.

One for maintaining.
One for fat loss.
One for building muscle or supporting harder training.

One of my clients has been incredibly busy with work recently, so the fat loss phase had to pause for a bit.

And that’s completely fine.

The important thing is that we already had a structure that worked before.

So when life settled down and the timing felt right again, we could get straight back into it without overthinking 👍

The gym can feel confusing at first because there’s so much to pay attention to.

Most exercises usually fall into three categories:
• Strength
• Fitness
• Mobility

A good place to start is by asking yourself what you actually want to improve.

Do you want to get stronger?
Move better?
Improve your fitness?

From there, keep it simple.

Pick 10–12 exercises and focus on learning those first.

You don’t need to train every muscle with loads of different exercises straight away.

Narrow your focus, get comfortable with the basics, and build from there 😊

You can do this 👍

If your training plan feels hard to stick to, try making it more clear, manageable, and purposeful 🙌

1. Write your exercises down

Even if you don’t do them in a perfect order, having a clear list removes a lot of overthinking.

2. Work within the time you actually have

Don’t try to squeeze 15 exercises into a short session. A smaller workout you can finish is always better than one you avoid.

3. Match your exercises to your goal

Strength exercises for getting stronger, fitness work for cardio, stretching for flexibility. Keep the focus clear.

4. Choose exercises you can feel working

You should feel confident doing them and understand what they’re there for.

5. Don’t panic if progress feels slower some weeks

You won’t improve every single session, and that’s completely normal. Just keep showing up 👍🏻

If you’re just getting started, try picking 2 or 3 things to focus on instead of trying to change everything at once 😊

1. Going for two walks each week
2. Repeating the same workouts consistently
3. Drinking more water
4. Getting a bit more sleep
5. Eating more protein
6. Feeling more confident in the gym
7. Improving your balance or coordination
8. Building strength gradually
9. Having more energy day to day
10. Moving your body more regularly

Keep it simple enough that you can actually stick to it 👍🏻

HealthyHabits UKFitness

The best time of day to work out is different for everyone.

Mornings can suit cardio well, especially if you’re fasted, just make sure you’re hydrated. Evenings tend to be when we’re strongest, thanks to our body clock and being more awake and warm.

That said, consistency matters more than timing. I’ve always trained around midday because it fit my life, and that’s what made it stick.

The best time to exercise is the time you can actually repeat. If you want help figuring out what works in your day, give me a shout.

If you’ve seen the 50 jumps challenge and jumping feels like a lot, you’ve still got options.

Think like this.
Calf raises. Level 1.
Marches. Level 1 to 2.
Bodyweight squats. Level 1.5 to 2.
Butt kicks. Level 2.
Jumps. Level 3.

You don’t need to start at the top. Pick the level that suits your body right now and build up over time. Progress comes from consistency, not forcing impact before you’re ready.

Building confidence in the gym comes from getting good at the basics.

In this video I’m working with two clients. One has trained for years, the other is only a few months in. Different starting points, same goal. Build muscle and a balanced physique.

If you want the same, there are two exercises worth learning properly. Squats and bench press. Squats train your lower body and teach you how to move well under load. Bench press builds upper body strength and confidence with weights.

Master these. Progress them steadily. They form the backbone of a balanced training routine.

If you want help building structure into your training, I offer online programming as part of my coaching. DM me “Info” if you want to learn more.