What is it about Beerguts and Moobs?

None of the above are things that I aspire to as a man in his 30’s Especially as a gym owner.

And for that reason I’ve spent years and literally thousands of pounds trying to find the best solution to a problem that I’d had since I was a kid with a wobbly belly and mini-moobs.

Trends, fads and rip-offs are all things that have plagued the health and fitness industry and, due to a combination of good marketing and a desire to get the best results for my clients, I’ve investigated a lot of them, and invested heavily in others

Looking back

Looking back, it’s almost as if I WANTED to be told that hormones are the problem.

To sound informed or intelligent by talking about Cortisol, Carbohydrate tolerance and even Insulin resistance!

And I’ll admit, I was sucked in like a true Gully-Bull.

But the answer’s been staring me (and you) in the face the whole time.

Some people love talking about toxins or the paleolithic lifestyle, whereas others will argue till they’re blue in the face that carbs are the problem, but all they’re trying to do is shift the blame from the fact that we’ve just eaten too much

The Painful Truth

Yep, I said it. What if the painful truth was that your science teacher in the 90s had things right all along?

Protein is essential, and training too, but other than that, it really is …

………All About Calories.

I.E. consistently eating less than you burn in order to lose weight.

So what?

What does that mean to you as a man in 2017? That you have to eat weightwatchers yoghurts that taste like camel p*ss?

No.

You can still eat Steak, Triple Cooked Chips and wash it down with nice glass of Chianti.

But just be aware of whatever else you eat that day.

What if Weight Watchers were right all along?

Funnily enough WeightWatchers had the right idea all along, just by limiting the amount of calories you eat.

“But counting calories is such a pain in the arse.”

True.

But what’s more of a pain in the arse?

• Tracking your food for a few days to see how much you actually eat?
• Weighing and measuring the perfect volumes and ratios of roasted vegetables, turkey breast and boiled eggs into tupperwares for 4 meals a day?
• Or buying new clothes every year because you’re still putting on weight because you couldn’t be arsed to track your food for 3 days?

***A client of mine recently told me: “I knew it was time to do something when the XL shirt from Jacamo was starting to get tight!”***

You see dude, it really does come down to protein, calories and training. Work out you daily calorie allowance. Subtract 500 to give you the number you can eat and still lose weight

Get your protein right (1.5-2.5g per kilo of bodyweight),

Make up the rest of the calories with whatever you want.

Can it really be that simple?

Obviously whole foods are better than junk foods….

Carrots are better than Mars Bars… and Steak is better than MacDonalds…

That’s a conversation for another day, however I’m not telling you to eat junk, I’m just making a point.

As long as you’re hitting your protein and eating less, you’re good.

The fasting dude

“But you’re the fasting guy!?”

Yep, that’s me.    No breakfast = less calories = winner winner chicken dinner

Training

And lastly… Training.

It’s got to be done. For so many reasons.

But not in the marathon running, ankle-warmers way you’re thinking.

How about this: Lift weights, get strong, burn fat. That’s a no brainer from where I’m standing.

If you want to work out your daily calories, go to this site and enter your stats.

It will tell you how many calories you need to eat to stay they same weight as you are now. Apply the formulas I mentioned earlier about deficit and protein and you’re good to go.

All you need to do is get an accurate idea of where you’re at right now by accurately tracking your food for just a couple of days.

The answer really has been staring you in the face all along.

Any questions, drop me a line.

Alex Backhouse