London Personal Trainer, Lou shares the secret of the balancing act between exercise and nutrition

The end of January is upon us and some of our optimistic New Years resolutions may have already tailed off slightly, predominately from the last few weeks of bitter cold mornings and evenings. January is already one of the hardest months, let alone when trying to maintain a strict, structured work out and diet plan, so to anyone that has fallen off the bandwagon slightly, do not beat yourself up!!

The problem is that many of us try to go for it from the get go after Christmas which can result in maintenance being almost impossible.  Depriving yourself completely from many of your favourite foods is definitely not the answer to ensuring that you keep up with your plans throughout the year. So if you have broken some of your resolutions that were going so well, and feel that you’ve failed, you are wrong, just ensure that you change your regime slightly! If you feel that you need the extra push and motivation to get you back on track, then our Chelsea personal trainers can certainly help you to achieve your goals.

The absolute key to losing weight, getting fitter and feeling good about yourself is balance! You have to incorporate regular exercise and a healthy, balanced diet together to get the best results. It is no good training like mad and eating a poor diet or visa versa. Do not deprive yourself from all your favourite foods, instead eat them in moderation. Perhaps a little less than you would like and after a great workout. Trust us, you will appreciate them much more and you won’t feel guilty. You will still be getting your sweet or salty fix, but as a reward for the energy you’ve expended. 

To those who have started to give up with their resolutions, do not fear, you can do this by altering your plan to a more balanced approach that you can maintain throughout the year.  Here is a breakdown of our advice:

*Diet

The most important meal of the day is breakfast, as it gets the metabolism going for the day ahead after the fast during the night. Try to eat a nutrient-rich morning meal (like oatmeal with almonds and berries, or a spinach and feta ommelet with a slice of whole-grain toast). Try to eat this shortly after getting out of bed, as "Eating breakfast gets the engine going and keeps it going," Hyman explains. (http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306911,00.html#get-started-in-the-a-m--0)

Ensure that you eat little and often, never over eat to the point of discomfort; the best way to ensure that you avoid this is by stopping food consumption when you are starting to feel full. Try to fill half of your plate with vegetables, this will make it a lot harder for you to fill your plate with the more calorific foods.

The majority of foods are acceptable if eaten in moderation, and if you are craving something sweet it is ok to have one. However, studies from (http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20513624,00.html#curb-your-sweet-tooth-0) have shown that it is advisable to replace cake and milk chocolate cravings with other sweet alternatives, such as; greek yoghurt with frozen berries, as you are still getting your sweet fix, but in a much healthier manner.

*Water

Drink 2-5L of water every day. It will make you much more energized for workout and will curb your cravings! Thirst is one of the most common misinterpretations for being hungry. Therefore, before grabbing a snack, reach for your water bottle and keep sipping on it throughout the day. 

*Exercise

Try to fit in 4-5 sessions a week for 30-60 minutes and make sure that you do a variety of different exercises. By strength-training a couple of times a week for example, you’ll reverse the likelihood of your metabolism slowing down by up to 50%, so start with lifting some small weights (http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306911,00.html)

If this doesn’t fit into your schedule, then try to walk places rather than hopping on a bus or the tube. Studies from ‘Journal of the American Dietetic Association’ (http://www.livestrong.com/article/160132-how-does-walking-increase-metabolism/) found that those who walked for nine hours per week experienced a lower body fat percentage and an increased basal metabolic rate. We further recommend to take the stairs, walk your dog more regularly or maybe walk to work if it is within reach.

These are just a few tips on how to improve your lifestyle through a more balanced approach. However, if you need that extra push to get you back on track please get in touch with our Chelsea based London personal trainers, who can plan a specific training and diet plan to help you to get to where you want to be!

Let us know how you get on!