With only weeks to the Christmas period, many of us have set a goal to get fit into either a dress or suit for an event, be it a wedding, family get together, or the annual workplace Christmas party.
However, with Christmas bells fast approaching some of us may find that we have a little less time than we may have initially thought to to knuckle down.
This is no doubt causing some to cast an apprehensive eye at the dress they so dearly want to fit into or suit that’s already been bought.
But all is not lost yet. Your Create Active Coach is here to help you become more confident with your body and to get some awesome end of year results.
From working with hundreds of clients in one-to-one and group fitness classes, coach Johnny Walsh has found that the initial struggles that each individual has in relation to setting a goal and sticking to it are all very similar.
In order to get the best fat loss results you have ever achieved, there are three initiatives that need to be identified and tackled: Nutrition, Training and Accountability.
All of these need to be kept in mind each day in order to achieve the desired results. Not just one of them, or a half-hearted effort.
Speaking specifically on the topic of Nutrition first and foremost, the hardest part of improving your relationship with food is paying attention to everything that you are eating each day.
“Old habits die hard” could not be more true when it comes to making small changes to your day-to-day nutrition.
To make this short and simple for you, there are three things you need to make note of. Firstly is the “calories in versus calories out” principal.
A fat loss goal is a numbers game when it comes to measuring the amount of food you put into your mouth each day compared to how active you are.
To lose body fat and consequently to lose weight, you need to male sure you are burning more calories than you are consuming on a daily basis.
A typical guideline Johnny would recommend is as follows: Men 1600 kcal and Women 1200 kcal, divided into 3-4 meals over the course of the day (depending on how long your days are due to work etc).
Does the quality and composition of the food matter? Yes….Yes it does.
Proteins and Fats are the two most important macro nutrients you need to be measuring when in a fat loss phase.
Protein (meat, fish, poultry, etc) is important for the maintenance, recovery and growth of muscle mass.
For men every meal should have a protein source the size of the two palms of your hands (no fingers…nice try) and for women a protein source the size of one of the palms of your hands.
Fat (oils, nuts & seeds, avocado, whole eggs etc) are incredibly important for proper regulation of hormones.
For fat intake, men should have a fat source the size of your two thumbs and women should have a fat source the size of one of your thumbs.
In relation to Carbohydrates (grains, potatoes, cereals, etc), we use these foods mainly for providing energy and for recovery from exercise.
Ideally you want to limit your Carb intake for after you exercise in a gym or after any exercise activity.
For men a Carb source should look like two cupped handfuls of food and for a women it should be one cupped handful.
Lastly, keep yourself accountable! Take your weight on the same day each week and personal progress photos.
If you are not losing weight look at what you are eating firstly and what exercise you are doing. Keep making small changes.
Hang that dress or suit on the front of your wardrobe or have it as the screensaver on your phone. Remind yourself of how much time you have at the end of each week.
These simple steps will help to turn that goal into REALITY and get you the best RESULTS possible!
So the take home points to get into the best shape possible for the Christmas are as follows:
- Training – Don’t build an exercise routine into your week, build your week around your exercise routine.
- Nutrition – Keep an eye on your calories in versus calories out figure! Try using a simple food diary combined with the calories I have indicated as a guideline like the image below to keep track of your macro nutrients (i.e Protein, Fats and Carbohydrates).
- Accountability – Keep yourself accountable each week. Weigh yourself and take personal progress photos on the same day each week prior to eating and record if your weight is going up or down (hopefully down)!
Best of luck to you all and have a great start to the holidays.
If you would like some help and want to make an amazing transformation before your Christmas party or event then hit the link below to make an in person or phone call consultation with Coach Johnny Walsh:
Christmas Transformation Challenge
Check out our Clients Transformations & hear what they have to say:
Create Active Client Testimonials
You still have time!
