N.E.A.T or Non-exercise activity thermogenesis a concept made popular by the recent Horizon ‘exercise documentary’ is vital for weight management.  Studies show that lean people fidget 150 minutes a day more than obese people, this is worth 10-30lbs of fat loss per year.

Tapping, gesturing and fidgeting can burn an extra 300-400 calories a day.  While this story does suggest some lean people might need to calm down a little it is worth giving some thought to where you can increase your activity and increase your daily fat burn.

One of the best descriptions I heard about going on a diet came from Barry Wansink in his book ‘Mindless eating’. In his book Wansink says;

“The best diet is the one you don’t realise you are on.”

The truth is if you’re a grazer and then you suddenly go and cut that all out and settle for 2 shakes and a meal, chances are this method is going to last a few weeks before you get bored, tired and give up.

With that in mind I am going to show you 5 ways you can literally trick your mind into weight loss and the beauty of them is you can implement them pretty much straight away!

Reduce the size of your plates

It appears it is not just the size of people’s waist that has increased over the years; it’s also the size of the nation’s plates. The problem is back in childhood the common scene is to have a parent insist on finishing everything on your plate before you could leave the table. Now even if you’re full you feel obligated to eat everything on the plate.

By reducing the size of your plate, you are putting less food on the plate, but your body will still feels full because it is used to an empty plate being the sign of a finished meal.

Eat Chewing gum straight after a meal

When you have been eating something that is protein and carbohydrates, having a mint chewing gum will give the brain a clear indication that your meal has finished. It will also stop the temptation of going for seconds if you are chewing on your gum.

Make it hard for yourself

Not in the way that causes harm for you but in a way that is less likely for you to find yourself eating foods that are not useful for your progress. If you buy multi pack crisps, sweets ‘for the kids’, carry spare change near a vending machine; all of this is making it easy for you to graze. By avoiding things like these and having beneficial alternatives to eat will reduce your waist line in now time.

Legs don’t need help!

Think of all the times you can use the stairs instead of the life or escalators or if you walked that little bit faster or instead of walking up your stairs at home, running up them! All of these small changes over time amount to a massive difference to the calories you are expending and without even thinking of exercise, you will start to lose more weight.

Drink water

When you feel hungry it is not always lack of food that is the reason, it can also be because you’re not hydrated enough. By drinking water it hydrates you but also takes away the feeling you get in your stomach people sometimes mistake for hunger. It’s not just that though; by drinking cold water the body has to use calories to get the water to your body temperature and the more time you do this throughout the day, the more calories you are burning on just this task.

For men it’s the soft fat around the stomach and love handles, for woman it is in the buttocks and thighs and sometimes the back of the arms.   Excess Estrogen can lead to growth of the Estrogen sensitive tissue in these areas.  These areas are also the most frequently mention areas when spot fat reduction is the topic.

It’s important to understand that the presence of fat in these areas is not a direct indication of excess Estrogen.  If you have fat all over then focusing on eating a fat loss diet such as the absolute health plan is the best place to start.

If you have shed fat in all other areas and are finding stubborn fat in one of the areas indicated above then you may have a case for excess Estrogen, likewise aan obviously bias fat distribution might be a useful indicator.  All that said, eating to avoid excess Estrogen is perfectly healthy and comes with man other health benefits besides.

The role of Estrogen in the female body is maintain growth and function of the uterus.  Estrogen in both the male and female body has a role in skeletal growth, skin, fat, protein deposition and electrolyte balance.

Too much Estrogen can result in increased body fat and increase water retention in the previously mentioned areas.  Other signs, symptoms or resultants include some Cancers, fatigue, mood swings, slow metabolism and PMS (although not so much for men with the last one).

Reduce your Estrogen now

1. Cut caffeine -  a study that measures caffeine intake and Estrogen levels showed that just one cup of coffee could raise Estrogen levels and 4 cups could raise levels 70% more than one cup.
2. Cut out sugar and processed foods – Dr Micheal Lam notes in the same study that excess sugar can have a similar effect although if you are trying to lose fat you shouldn’t be eating and sugar anyway.
3. Birth control pills - Some birth control pills can increase estrogen production.
4. Supplement Omega 3 oils - A good quality source of Omega 3 whether from flax seed, hemp seed or fish oil with help inhibit Estrogen.
5. Go organic - the pesticides found in no organic fruit and veg and the hormones found in non-organic meats can lead to excess Estrogen.
6. Aiding the liver to reduce Estrogen dominance in the body can be done through consumption of high Sulfur foods – eat eggs yolks, garlic, and onions.
7. Liver detox foods-eat lemons, limes and spinach.
8. Improved liver function – eat Brussels sprouts and Broccoli.
9.  Diinodolylmethane - follow the link for a great Estrogen blocker.

10 modified chins

5 press ups

As many rounds a as possible in 15 minutes

1. Cut out all processed foods- This is a simple step and implementable now, processed foods rob nutrients from the body making fat loss harder but health impossible.
2. Sleep- Getting to bed early has been shown to aid fat loss.  Try and make your sleep time divisible by 90 minutes.  Sleep cycles last 90 minutes so getting up at the end of one will leave you feeling more refreshed than if you had an hour longer in bed.
3. Vitamin D-  A very high percentage of the population are deficient in vitamin D. If your levels are below 40ml then supplement.
4. Weights- isolated movements- If weight loss is your goal then avoid wasting precious workout energy on biceps , triceps and isolated movements unless you have plenty of training time.
5. Weights- focus on full body movements that produce the greatest growth hormone release.  Squats, Deadlifts, Chin ups, Bench press, shoulder press and bent over row.
6. Hypertrophy- Try a rep range of 8-12 reps to increase energy demand thus more fat is burned.
7. TUT- Increase the time your muscle are under tension count to 4 when lowering a weight and explode upwards in 1 second.  This will increase energy demand further and increase Human growth hormone release.
8. Reduce rest- Try and reduce rest time between set, tri and quad sets can help here to give sufficient rest between repeated exercises.
9. Sprint- Training anaerobically to increase metabolic rate and increase HGH production
10. HIT circuits-  High intensity circuit  training popularly utilised by Crossfit is a great way to induce maximal growth hormone response.
11. Avoid long bouts of cardio- Long bouts of cardio can have a catabolic effect leaving you with less muscle and a slower metabolic rate.  It can also increase your desire for high GL carbohydrate.
12. Record and progress- write your training programmes in advance (including the big lifts) record reps, sets and load and aim to progress a little each time.
13. Work hard- This is a no brainer but sometimes it is not easy to apply.  The best you can do is better than last time.  But it shouldn’t be easy.  Eventually it should start to feel really hard.
14. Low GI- Downloadable from a million and 1 websites the Glycaemic index indicated those foods that have the lowest insulin response and thus can be eaten in greater quantities.
15. 15.   Drinks- avoid all fizzy and flat flavoured drinks, diet coke and other diet drinks a definitely off the menu, they will massively hamper your progress.
16. Only drink coffee, tea, water… This needs little explanation although you should keep your caffeine intake to 1-2 cups per day and avoid immediately after training as it can promote cortisol release which can interfere with the muscle recovery process.
17. Drink 2-3 litres of water per day- avoid causing your body stress through dehydration.  Maintain a consistent flow of water throughout the day and leave your body free to focus on burning fat.
18. Keep fructose low- Fructose (found in high quantities in fruit) has long been the go to sugar for health food marketers due to its low calorie content.  However , fructose once in the body is processed by the liver and turn into glucose and pumped back into the blood stream and eventually stored as fat.  Some fructose may be left behind in the liver and can be responsible for the condition ‘fatty liver’.
19. Only eat berries- berries surprisingly create a low insulin response while also being high in antioxidants.
20. 20.   Dark greens- Eat dark green spinach, broccoli, kale, pok choi, cabbage, these leafy green are so low cal they can be eaten in huge quantities if you choose. Containing Iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamins K, C, E and many B vitamins.
21. Multi vit- Sometimes supplementing with magnesium, calcium and zinc is necessary but you can discover this by talking with your doctor.  However food does not provide the nutrients it once did, so a good quality multivitamin is a great catch all for many of the nutrients that we fall short in.
22. Avoid Grains- High in GI offering a huge insulin response.  Grains also contain phytates that impair the absorption of magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc, nutrients all essential for health.
23. ALA- Alpha Lipotic Acid is a good fat produced naturally in our sells.  One of its main functions is to convert blood sugar into energy.  Studies have also shown ALA can benefit hypertension, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, liver disease, ageing, degenerative disease and many more.  For this reason it is worth considering supplementing.
24. Omega 3- essential for reducing inflammation in the body thus helping to prevent chronic disease including obesity, the body does not produce this fat naturally.  Supplement with an oil with EPA and DHA totalling over 1000mg.
25. Eat good fats- Eating good fats is essential for health but in terms of fat loss is great for satiety.   Eat good fats, feel fuller for longer and loss body fat.
26. 26.   Cut trans fats- margarine and other toxic fats cause havoc for the body which treats them a poison helping to create that tough to shift stomach fat.
27. Eat organic- At present a fairly expensive habit but the chemicals sprayed onto non organic vegetables are designed to kill… I don’t think I need to go on?
28. Eat grass fed meat- grass fed meat is high in omega 3 and is often found in the diets of communities producing the most centenarians.  It is the cheaper, mass produced corn fed meat that gives meat such a bad rap.  The high omega 6 content of this meat can cause inflammation which can lead to chronic disease.
29. 29.   Relax- stress from the demands we place on our body and mind cause our bodies to produce cortisol arguably the nation’s biggest killer.  Relax and give your body chance to recuperate, you’ll probably get more done.
30. 30.   Do something you enjoy regularly- having fun can be something we forget to do as we get older but it could not be more important now.   Serotonin and other feel good hormones are able to counteract the effects of Cortisol on the body.
31. 31.   Don’t drink coffee after a workout, it increases cortisol
32. Eat a high protein breakfast- Starting your day with a high protein breakfast is the best way to maintain your diet for the rest of the day.  Protein will keep you full and keep your blood sugar levels low so you won’t crave something sweet later in the day.
33. Drink green tea- studies have shown that when added to a diet green tea can accelerate fat loss.
34. 34.   Avoid sugar full stop- Sugar will shoot your blood sugar level up but the knock on effects of craving and hunger can continue long after.  Save yourself the pain.
35. Avoid sugary salad dressing.  Opt for pesto over Caesar, opt for Olive oil of a sweet dressing. These sugars are hidden but can be what makes the difference between fat loss and staying the same.
36. If you must drink alcohol aim for low sugar red wine
37. Avoid dairy- it keeps insulin levels high.  Full fat bio (live) yogurt is ok
38. Plan your meals in advance- If you have planned your meals in advance you are far less likely to slip up.
39. Man / woman up- take responsibility for your actions, you decide what does and doesn’t go into your month.  No one and no diet is responsible for your current health whatever that may be.  Live consciously, observe what happens to your body and if you don’t like it change what you are doing.
40. Learn to cook -21 meals a week for the rest of your life, it’s worth being good at.  Try recording what you do then it’s a case of trial and error from there.
41. Create a menu.  Learn to make10 meals well and put them on your menu.
42. Do not reward yourself with food
43. Do not punish yourself with food
44.  If you slip up move on don’t give up- be aware that you have slipped up and put it behind you
45. Move- walk to work or park a suitable distance from work, get out of your chair as often as you can when at work., choose the stairs.

I am of course talking about dark chocolate the higher the percentage the better so aim for 70% plus, 90 % if you are having it more regularly.  This weekend I actually melted a bar into a bowl and used it as a dip for strawberries completely guilt free! I at least had the decency to be watching trash tv at the same time so I was becoming more stupid as I ate; getting smarter at the same time would have made me far too smug…

A Dentist just walked in, he tells me to make sure this is eaten with a meal and not as a separate snack.  (Thanks Francis, so much better than Vahe).

A study conducted by Jeffrey B. Blumberg, a professor of nutrition and a senior scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging at Tufts University found some surprising results when conducting a study into the effects of dark chocolate.

Their studies found that subjects with hypertension who consumed 3 ounces of Dark chocolate a day over 15 days showed a reduction in blood pressure scores.  Not only this but subjects also exhibited positive changes in insulin sensitively, it is this study that has led to chocolate being touted as the ‘almost too good to be true’ fat loss treatment.

Eating dark chocolate stimulates the release on endorphins, phenyl ethylamine and serotonin both mood effective chemicals that can counter the effects of stress hormone cortisol.

Serotonin levels drop as a woman approaches her period which may go some way toward explaining carb cravings during this time.  The consumption of dark chocolate in the days building up towards this time can help boost these hormone levels and stabilise mood.

Yin Wang et al studied the Effects of cocoa powder and dark chocolate on LDL oxidative susceptibility and prostaglandin concentrations in humans. They found in conclusion that Cocoa powder and dark chocolate may favorably affect cardiovascular disease risk status by modestly reducing LDL oxidation susceptibility, increasing serum total antioxidant capacity and HDL-cholesterol concentrations, and not adversely affecting prostaglandins.  Dark chocolate is also shown to have anti-inflammatory properties which can have a positive effect on all kinds of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even some cancers.

UV damage was shown to be reduced in one study into the effects of Dark chocolate.  In this study subjects we given large quantities of high flavonoid Cocoa, those given lower quantities showed no change in UV damage levels.

Worthy note is the fact that it is the high flavonoid content of Dark chocolate that is creating all of these benefits and in particular the polyphenol content.  It is the high polyphenol content that creates the bitter taste of dark chocolate that some high street brands remove.

When looking for a dark chocolate aim for find one over 80% cacao with that bitter taste or even aim for 100% cacao powder.  This can then be sprinkled over some full fat strained yogurt and berries or enjoyed with a glass of red wine.

If you are looking for a treat why not visit the simple cake company, a friend of absolute health and creator of the ‘cheat day box’.  These guys are offering 10% off to accompany this article.

This month’s cheat day box offers A red wine and dark chocolate ganache!

500 m sprint

40 kettlebell swings

400m sprint

30 kettlebell swings

300 m sprint

20 kettlebell swings

200m sprint

10 kettlebell swings

100m sprint

Record time anladoads

Chest press 3, 6, 9, 12

Bent over row 3,6, 9, 12

Aim for max loads,lat 2-3 reps should betough, concentrate on range of movement

20 burpees

20bent over rows

400m run

15,15,15

300m

10,10,10

200m

Time and load to be recorded

What they don’t tell you about calories is the importance of where they come from.  The simple rule of thumb is…. If god didn’t make it, don’t eat it.  If you go into a shop and have to read the ingredients on the label then it probably isn’t very good for you.  Your body uses 85% of your daily calorie intake simply to stay alive.   So remember it’s not just about reducing calories it’s about increasing the quality of your calories.  If you give your body usable calories i.e. those from, veg, fresh fish and lean meats and occasional fruit your health goals will become far easier to achieve.

2.Fat is burned in muscle: If you have spent the last year doing long cardio workout in a bid to lose weight I am sorry for what I am about to tell you.  The best way to increase your fat burn is to increase your muscle.  Fat is burned, in your muscle.  (Don’t worry ladies this does not mean you will stack on muscle if you use weights, it is testosterone that builds bulk a substance of which your body has very little).  This simply means resistance training is the best way to burn fat.  The large compound movements that require the most muscle are most effective here, try squats, deadlifts, lunges, press ups, Bench press, seated row, Chin ups and overhead lifts.  Ask an instructor if you are unsure of technique.  Better still hire a personal trainer. (Do not hire a personal trainer until you read this)

3.Eat Organic: Today food is big business and he who produces the most food wins the price war.  Unfortunately this is often to the detriment of the customer.  Meat is treated heavily with antibiotics.  Antibiotics work by killing both good and bad bacteria in the animal and in essence keeping it alive to allow it to grow fat, the more animals that are kept alive the more money can be made.  Antibiotics however are not killed by cooking or killing which leaves us, the consumer full of good bacteria killing antibiotics.

If this weren’t enough to sway you animals are often corn fed, a food they are not designed to eat.  Corn is a high fructose food that will increase our omega 6 levels to an unhealthy range and also increase inflammation.

Vegetables and fruit are also treated with pesticides, a substance unrecognisable to the human body.  When the body does not recognise something it in turn treats it as a poison.  This then puts our ‘healthy’ fruit and veg into the category of anti-nutrient. These anti-nutrients are named as such because they leach nutrients from the body in order to digest or neutralise them.

So the message is to eat organic where possible, eat grass fed free range meat where possible and organic veg.  If this is not possible wash your veg thoroughly.  Buy the best quality food you can afford.

4. Drink plenty of water: Even mild dehydration will slow one’s metabolism by as much as 3%.  Lack of water is the #1 trigger of day time fatigue. Research from Simon Hartley at senseuk indicates that 8-10 glasses of water per day could significantly reduce back and join pain in 80% of sufferers. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic maths and difficulty focusing on a computer screen or a printed document.

Are you drinking the amount of water you should everyday? As a rule of thumb- drink half your weight (measured in lbs) in ounces of water per day. If you workout 3 plus time a week or during the summer months add another 24 plus ounces to that number.  Additionally, caffeine and alcohol dehydrate the body; you would need to drink twice the amount of water as you did coffee, coke, tea or alcohol to replace the lost water.

5. The key to optimum health: There are a number of foods that for what ever reason, for example are, difficult to digest, act as poisons to the body or are simply empty calories that we should try and minimise in our diets.  These foods are: hydrogenated fats, those found in pastries and chicken nuggets and other processed foods, sugar and aspartame (a sugar replacement), dairy, gluten found in bread. Bleach found in those foods that have been whitened i.e white flour, white rice etc and caffeine and alcohol (discussed above).  The list below highlights a number of illnesses, ailments and allergies that all have their base in food. I’m sure you will find you have a few of these conditions.  Simply by either reducing or decreasing as suggested you might find them clearing up in no time.

· Symptoms associated with essential Oil deficiency (not enough Omega-3) Dry Skin, Inflammatory health problems, water retention, high blood pressure, poor learning, memory and concentration, impaired child growth, heart attack, stroke, cancer, obesity, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, ADHD, postpartum depression, Alzheimers disease.

• · Symptoms associated with dehydration: Asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, allergies, low back pain, arthritis, peptic ulcers.

• · Symptoms associated with excess sugar: kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease, ADD and ADHD, behavioural problems, depression, violent tendencies, tooth decay, colon cancer, schizophrenia, osteoporosis, yeast and fungal overgrowth, chronic fatigue.

• · Symptoms associated with Gluten Intolerance: Fatigue, energy slumps, headaches, skin conditions, constipation, diarrhoea, irritable bowels, heartburn, excess gas, bloating, abdominal cramping, food craving, water retention, weight gain.

• · Symptoms of diary intolerance: stomach aches, wind, bloating, cramping, diarrhoea, constipation, runny nose, asthma, earaches, diabetes, heart disease, anaemia, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, infertility.

6. Motivation: Motivation, much like confidence doesn’t really exist.  If you fake it for long enough it will just become part of who you are or in this case what you do.  Here are a few tips to help strengthen your resolve in those early months.

Make an appointment and stick to it.  Whether it’s with yourself, with a friend or even a personal trainer making an appointment will make you more likely to attend.  Especially, if someone else is relying on you.

Set short term and long term goals.  In the short term, what do you want to achieve? 1lb weight loss per week, lifting a certain weight, running a certain distance.  Once you have reach this goal set another, just make sure it aligns with your long term goals.  In the long term.  How do you want to look? Feel? What will people say when they see the new you?  Paint a vivid picture in your mind of the thinner or more muscular or healthier you.  Make it as bright and colourful as you can.  Visualise yourself moving towards it each time you train or eat a healthy meal.

Take advantage of social media.  Tell the world what you plan to do and promise to put an ‘after’ swim suit shot on facebook in 6 months time or you will donate £1000 to the absolute health improvement fund.  (other charities are available)

7.  Burn more fat for 38 hours: One hour of continuous cardiovascular exercise will burn approximately 600 calories during the hour of training and 100 in the hour afterward but after that your metabolism will return to its normal rate. When we engage in resistance training or interval training we can burn up to 250 calories in 30 minutes of training and again 100 in the hour after training, but where this form of training becomes more beneficial is that it will keep your metabolism burning fat at a higher rate for up to 38 hours after training and will also have a far greater impact on your fitness levels.

So what is interval training? Interval training is all about achieving your bodies maximum output as frequently as possible during one session.  It will really push you out of your comfort zone but trust me when I tell you the result are well worth the effort.  Try this simple example of interval training.  After a 5 minute warm up on any CV machine you are ready to start your 15 minute session.

This can be done on any machine or even outside, for this example I will use the treadmill.  Setting the treadmill on an incline of 1, run for 2 minutes at RPE 8 ( Rate of Perceived Excursion; on a scale of 1-10) Then after 2 minutes drop down to a comfortable walking pace about RPE 5 now repeat this 5 more times.  You’re done! Have a 5 minute gentle cool down walk or jog. Mix this in with your regularly training and the results will amaze you.  Speak to a trainer for help devising more.

8. Follow the 80-20 rule: Train hard and eat healthily 80% of the time.  The other 20% of the time you can do what you like (within reason).  Have that piece of chocolate cake and a few glasses of wine.  It will strengthen your resolve and serve to remind you why you are doing this in the first place…. so you can enjoy the things you love in moderation without feeling guilty.  Don’t berate yourself if you miss a training session or have a bad food day, just put it behind you and carry on.

2lbs of body fat per week is a realistic target, likewise, 0.5-0.75lbs of muscle gain per week is all it is possible for your body to gain.  With this in mind, make your goals realistic.  Consistency, variety and technique (to avoid injury setbacks) are the keys to your success.

I do hope these hints and tip will help you in your quest what ever your goals may be. For further information or to book a free personal training consultation call Ed on 01179 555 258

Until then eat well and train hard