Dieting Mistakes

For years prior to gym life, I lived off takeaways and junk food, unaware of the damage it was causing my body.  Many years on, I am trying to cut my body fat and slim my waist line. With an ageing body this can prove more difficult as your metabolism begins to slow.

Over the years, the main problem has been not knowing what I’m consuming, whether it be junk food, alcohol, sugar or excess carbohydrates. The last year I have started calculating the calories and starting to adjust my diet accordingly.  

The one big mistake I have made is not knowing how many calories to consume daily.

Following hours of research and numerous equations, I have come to a figure that’s right for me. Everyone’s body is different, so knowing your type is key.

Ectomorph Lean and long, ectomorphs have difficulty building muscle.

Endomorph Big with high body fat, often pear-shaped, endomorphs have a high tendency to store body fat.

Mesomorph Muscular and well-built, mesomorphs have a high metabolism and responsive muscle cells.

Most bodies will be a combination of two. E.g. I am a cross between Endomorph and Mesomorph. Knowing this information, I can therefore increase fats, lower carbohydrates or adjust my calories as required. As my body has a high tendency to store fat, so I will require to reduce my carbohydrate intake and increase my essential fats but still hit by calories for the day.

Making minor adjustments to you diet will make a big difference. Cutting out fizzy drinks for starters. Not only are they fuelling your body with sugar, which increases insulin levels and promotes fat gains. They also make you feel bloated and contain over 140 calories for a 355ml can. Keeping your body hydrated by drinking water throughout the day.

We have all been there… skipping meals. But most importantly, skipping breakfast. Thinking that skipping a meal will help lose weight / fat, big mistake. Starting with a good breakfast not only increases your metabolism but also keeps you more satisfied throughout the day.  Irregular eating habits also disrupt your blood sugar and metabolism, making it harder for you to lose weight anyway. 

Portion control. Remember you don’t need to over eat! Smaller portions and more frequently is what’s required. Aim to eat 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day instead of 3 main meals. Aim for a palm size amount of protein (Fish or meat), one hand full of a single carbohydrates and two handfuls of salad and vegetables.

Crash diets? It’s always temping to cut calories right back to drop that jeans size. Great for the short term but long term…not great. Once your diet is over, your body and metabolism is out of sync, make weigh gain more likely for the future! Your better off sticking to healthy habits for the majority of the time, so your body naturally let’s go of the unnecessary fat slowly and effectively.