Tag Archives: Weight Loss

Nutrition, Uncategorized, Weight loss

Which Dieting method is for me?

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Dieting. What is the best?

If you are here it is probably because you have tried dieting in the past and for some reason it has not worked for you. So here I will post about two different less commonly known diets and how each one works with details of the pros and cons of each to give you a more educated view on your next potential diet. Mainly this is because we all know that not everyone is the same, people have different tastes, different lifestyles and therefore not everyone’s diet will also be the same.

Atkins Diet.

The first diet is one which not everyone may have heard of but it is called the Atkins nutritional diet.  This diet focuses on the body’s insulin levels by trying to restrict the amount of carbohydrates entering the body.  With most people when the body takes in carbohydrates the bodies insulin levels increase and from this the amount of energy that is stored also increases. Therefore, by restricting the amount of carbs you take in this enables the body to not store excess energy which allows you to eat more foods containing protein and fats.

Pros.

By this diet only restricting one food group ( carbs) this allows you to eat all the other types of foods which are usually restricted in most diets such as cheese, meat and other high fat foods. Which we all can say is a big big bonus.

Another perk to using this diet is how you can eat whenever you want as long as the food is in the permitted group. This mean no more long breaks between food and you can just eat when your body is hungry. No more need to be Hangry.

If you are someone whose suffers from Type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that by having a more regulated insulin function this can help reduce and even sometimes reverse the effects of Type 2 diabetes by ” Controlling symptoms of metabolic syndrome.”

Cons.

Unfortunately like most things there can be drawbacks.

The first major thing which I will get out of the way first is the drop out level. Even for a diet which only removes one food group plenty of people choose not to stick to this diet and will move onto something new. Therefore if you are someone who struggles keeping your diet in check this might not be the best thing for you.

The Atkins diet is more of a  diet that is aimed at the short term. With the diet basically changing normal metabolic behaviour in the short term of less then 6 months this diet is one which shows the most weight lost. However if this is a diet you want to try for the long term understand that after 6 months the weight loss will be minimal and it may be best to slowly transition your way to another form of weight loss.

The Zone Diet.

This diet is one in which you might need your pen and paper out for this one.

So the Zone diet is one in which you need to calculate all the nutritional information of all the items you eat. 40% Carbs 30% fats and 30% protein. Now what this diet does is that it match’s your own bodily functions so like the Atkins diet it helps regulate your insulin levels in order to give you a more successful weight loss regime.

Pros.

This diet gives a better more ” balanced ” diet as there is not one specific food group that is restricted. This means that even though certain foods would have to be eaten in small less frequent occasions it is still possible to do so if done correctly. So if you are someone who will just not give up chocolate you do not have to.

This diet is more universal as you do not have to have any animal products to meet your protein level. Therefore if you are vegetarian or vegan or just don’t particularly like animal products you do not have to. However  word of warning some of the top brands in vegetarian food do have a very high carbohydrate level, and even some would have too high a level for this diet. Therefore this is something to look out for.

Cons.

Now I bet some of you have just scrolled past this bit as I have said it requires some tracking. Unfortunately this is one of them diets when you have to read all the packaging in order to correctly figure out your allowance for each meal. Even something as a snack will require calculations. So if you are someone who does not want to be reading and solving maths problems just to eat I would not recommend this diet.

Now If you don’t mind getting your calculator out from time to time another negative to this diet is how you are not restricted to a particular food group. However you are restricted to certain items within each category. For example with proteins you are more then welcome to eat chicken breasts and other lean pale meats, but if you are a big fan of steak or other organ meats ( yes not steak and kidney pies) then these are not foods which would help this diet.

Dieting as a whole.

I know some of you who have go to this bit may be sceptical about trying a new diet, or one which is not as common as some others. I would ALWAYS recommend that if one of these diets is something you are planning on going for please check with your doctor first as they would be able to give a more educated and personal recommendation rather then just a blog on a website.

Just think reading up on this is the first step on achieving your goal.

Stay safe everyone.

5 Healthy snacks you can eat on the Go.

 

Nutrition

Veganism and Vegetarianism: Ditching Ribs for Radishes

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How to Follow a Healthy Vegan Diet | AIPT
Bowl of chickpea salad. Courtesy of: https://www.aipt.edu.au/articles/2019/09/how-follow-healthy-vegan-diet

Is a Vegan or Vegetarian diet plan too complicated to follow? Too expensive? 

Veganism and Vegetarianism have been on the rise for the past 10 years, and are currently the biggest trends in food and nutrition.
So why are people giving up their chicken and eggs? And more importantly, where can Vegans and Vegetarians get the right nutrients to ensure that not only they’re healthy, but their wallet is healthy too. We’ve done some digging, and we’re gonna spill the kidney beans on all the details you need to know…

Veganism is a bit different from being a Vegetarian.
Vegetarians = don’t eat fish, meat, or anything that contains it e.g. gelatine or animal fat.
Vegans = don’t eat any products that come from animals, including eggs, dairy, and honey.

Some make the decision to switch for animal welfare, or for the environment, but some choose to ditch the drumsticks, sling the steak and cut the chicken for their own personal health, not to mention some of the cost benefits.

Whatever your reason, we’ve included loads of helpful tips, tricks and titillating meal ideas to help keep you full of energy no matter your personal goals at the gym.

Gaining Muscle

How to Gain Muscle Mass Naturally - 5 Key Variables for a ...
Woman using Pulldown Machine. Courtesy of: https://www.theultimatealphaproject.com/gain-muscle-mass-naturally/

Gaining muscle requires resilience, determination, and of course, protein. So if you’re looking to get as hench as John Cena, you’re in luck! You can definitely still do that on a Vegan and Vegetarian diet.

Extra Tip: Check out this dumbbell set– helping you build muscle even whilst stuck at home for lockdown #3

Foods High in Protein: 

Seitan:

Easy Homemade Seitan Recipe. Make Protein Packed "Wheat Meat!"
Seitan. Courtesy of: http://coachdebbieruns.com/easy-homemade-seitan-recipe/
Memphis-Style Vegan Pulled "Pork" | Food Adventure Club
Memphis-Style Vegan Pulled “Pork”. Courtesy of: https://foodadventureclub.blogspot.com/2011/05/memphis-style-vegan-pulled-pork.html

Seitan is a meat-textured substance made of wheat, originating from Ancient China. It is easy to find in most supermarkets, but also comes in a lot of pre-made vegetarian and vegan meat-substitutes, so if making it from scratch isn’t your style, it won’t be a problem. It takes in flavour really well, which means you can easily personalise it to your favourite hoisin duck recipe, or maybe your favourite pulled pork bbq sauce. And the best thing – it’s PACKED full of protein! A really easy way to enjoy a tasty meal whilst getting all the protein you need to bulk up.

Chickpeas and Beans:

A Roasted Chickpeas Recipe that Actually Makes Them Crisp ...
Roasted chickpeas. Courtesy of: https://www.theawesomegreen.com/a-roasted-chickpeas-recipe-that-actually-makes-them-crisp/

Chickpeas and beans are a super-easy way to get protein into your diet, whatever meal you’re cooking. Kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans and chickpeas are all really easy to find in the supermarket, and really cheap too! They can be popped into a curry, chilli or soup for some extra flavour and texture or even mashed into a patty and cooked however you like to make a protein-packed delicious burger. Chickpeas can be roasted by themselves with paprika and garlic for a tasty snack you can take on-the-go, at Tesco, you can pick up a tin of chickpeas for just 55p. Why not give some of these ideas a try!?

Extra Tip: Here’s a great recipe for roasted chickpea wraps that have 4 of your 5 a day! I’m munching on one right now and can confirm – delicious!

Peas:

Delicious Foods That Are Good for You: Green Peas | Food ...
Peas in a decorative bowl. Courtesy of: https://foodtolive.com/healthy-blog/delicious-foods-green-peas/

Ah, the unassuming pea. Something your Mum or Dad always had to force you to eat, but now a great way to get pea-tein in your diet in an incredibly healthy way. Peas are bursting with protein to help you gain muscle, but are also known to boost weight-loss and aid digestion, so a great addition to your dinner regardless!

You can get peas into your diet in really creative ways, seeing as you can cook them however you like,  or even eat them raw! Have them on their own, as an addition to your Sunday roast, in a curry, rice dish or soup, even mashed with your cheat-day chip shop takeaway. They’re cheap, easy to grab at any supermarket, and really versatile.

Extra Tip: Check out some of these reci-peas on BBC Goodfood to see all the creative ways you can get peas into your diet!

Weight Loss

25 Weight Loss Tips for Men – How Men Can Lose Weight
Person weighing themselves. Courtesy of: https://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/a19536817/weight-loss-tips-1/

Losing weight is different for everyone, depending on your activity, metabolism and routine; but generally, cutting your calories, eating healthier, and exercising more will help aid in losing extra weight.
If you’re counting calories and worried about how becoming Vegetarian or Vegan might affect you, we’re here to help.

Extra Tip: If you’re looking for some at-home cardio help, check out this indoor trampoline for the most fun you’ll ever have working out!

Carbs: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:

VineelaSiva: How to cook Pasta(Basic)
Bowl of plain white pasta. Courtesy of: http://vineelasiva.blogspot.com/2012/11/how-to-cook-pastabasic.html
Irish Soda Bread Recipe (Traditional Brown Bread)
Brown bread loaf, partially sliced. Courtesy of: https://www.happyfoodstube.com/irish-brown-soda-bread-blenerville-ireland/

Refined carbohydrates (‘bad carbs’) are mostly known as bread, pizza, pasta, tasty and convenient, but aren’t too great if you’re looking to shed some pounds. They tend to not have much fibre and don’t make you feel as full as complex carbohydrates (‘good carbs’). Chickpeas, beans, soya, and whole-grain foods such as brown pasta and brown bread are all complex carbs that will help make you feel full without having a negative effect on your diet.

So if your meals contain a lot of white bread and pasta, try switching them out for whole-grain substitutes, and try adding more chickpeas and beans to your meals to make you feel more full, reducing your portion size and curbing extra snacks.

Extra Tip: Here’s some great recipes that include whole grains!

Highly Processed Foods:

Ultra-processed food could raise cancer risk – 5 of the ...
Examples of processed foods. Courtesy of: http://home.bt.com/lifestyle/health/healthy-eating/ultra-processed-food-could-raise-cancer-risk-5-of-the-worst-to-avoid-11364250651590

As with any diet, it’s really easy to reach for frozen foods that are easy to sling in the oven after a long day of work. If you’re not already veggie or vegan, meat is a common example of processed food to avoid when dieting, as its high in salt and fat, so might be worth dropping.

If you’re already vegan or vegetarian, foods like frozen veggie burgers, microwave meals, and cheese, are all going to make losing weight harder. A better alternative would be preparing meals ahead of time so you can reheat them throughout the week when you don’t have time to cook, for example, soup, curry or bolognese that can be packed full of your favourite vegetables.

31 Meal Prep Recipes Perfect For Quick Easy Meals To Lose ...
Meal prep boxes. Courtesy of: https://www.trimmedandtoned.com/31-meal-prep-recipes-perfect-for-quick-easy-meals-to-lose-fat-fast/

Extra Tip: Check out this exercise bike that will make you feel like you’ve cycled for miles even with Boris telling us to stay inside.

So if you think that going vegan or vegetarian is right for you, know that it won’t get in the way of whatever your goals are at the gym, and that going meat-free won’t cost you an arm or a leg to do!

If you liked this article, you might enjoy:

The Truth about Frozen Foods

Eco-Friendly Yoga Guide

Weight loss

Tips on how to lose weight on a calorie deficit diet:

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Photo taken by: i yunmai on unsplash

When you hear the word diet you automatically think of boring dull food and hours of exercising. But when on a healthy calorie deficit, you can enjoy the foods you love by eating in moderation and taking part in fun short home workouts that will help you to reach your goal.

Your calorie intake is calculated in a certain way depending on your height, age, weight and how active a person is. You would need to eat 500-1000 calories less than the number of calories your body needs a day in order to lose 1-2 pounds (lb) a week. To find out your calorie allowance for your BMI check the NHS Website.

Fitness app:

Fitness apps are an easy way to guide you in the right direction with not only exercise but meals and calorie counting. The app allows you to work out from home with professional guidance and also has easy low-calorie recipes to follow that you can enjoy.

However, there are several apps available at exercise.co.uk that have more advanced options than others.

  • Own your goals
  • Sole Fitness
  • Inspire Fitness
  • Bionic Body
picture taken by: Brooke Lark on unsplash

Here are some important tips:

– What to eat:

A balanced diet is the key to a healthy diet with stable weight loss. When preparing meals make sure your plate contains proteins at least one meal a day, carbohydrates, minerals, fibre and vitamins. Fill your plate up with plenty of vegetables in order to feel satisfied. Aim to cut down saturated fat and prepare meals with a little salt.

– Which foods to avoid:

Foods that are high in calories are best to avoid, such as oil. It is very easy to go over your calories when cooking with oil. Therefore, the best alternative is ‘spray oil’ this will help to keep count of your calories.

– Don’t drink your calories!

A forgotten source of calories, are drinks. Drinks are often packed with calories and sugar. Always check the calories to make sure.

When drinking a lot of sugar beverages, can increase your hunger and add unnecessary calories.

It is best to save these calories for something more filling.

Tea and coffee are great to drink when dieting, they are healthy and low in calories. They also stop cravings. However, avoid adding sugar as only one spoon has 16 calories in it. This may not sound like a lot but when drinking a few cups, a day the calories add up.

– Drink plenty of water:

Picture taken by: Damir Spanic on unsplash

Not only does water help a person stay hydrated but it also speeds up metabolism and helps avoid feeling hungry.

Use a refillable water bottle which you can sip from throughout the day.

-Weigh food and count calories:

When weighing food makes counting calories easier and more precise.

Don’t forget you are not limited there are always alternatives for certain foods with lower calories, just remember to always check the label when shopping.

When on a diet consistency is the key. If you have a one-off day or a cheat meal, don’t worry, don’t give up and carry on where you last left off.

 

Nutrition, Weight loss

Does timely nutrition need to be coupled with exercise to escalate weight loss?

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Does timely nutrition need to be coupled with exercise to escalate weight loss?

Are you worried that even though you are exercising regularly still your rate of weight loss is very low? Answer this simple question and all your worries will be over. Do you take correct nutrition rich diet at the correct time? It is not necessary that you have to cut down all forms of fat to reduce weight. A diet rich in protein is a nutritious diet and aids in weight loss. So it is essential that a diet which contains animal fat such as egg, cheese, extra virgin olive oil coupled with correct exercise elevate the rate of weight loss. Contrastingly we would like also argue on this point doe your sake that not only a proper diet but a nutrition rich diet at the correct time is also a major governing factor in case of weight loss.

Exercise.co.uk is always there to help you in this regard. Through our blogs and expert opinion we aim at guiding in you towards nutrition rich diet that is scheduled at par with your exercise regime to ensure effective weight loss. People opting for weigh loss tend to skip breakfast or tend to have too light breakfast. But all they need is timely nutrition. So as per recommendation of our top nutritionist a timely protein rich diet between 6 O’clock in the morning to 10 O’clock is recommended for less accumulation of fat and better loss of weight. It even gives a sense of fullness which prevents sedentary snacking. 2-4 hours followed by this timely protein rich diet a mid-morning snack at around 12pm is recommended. This can be any type of nuts or fruits which are low in fat and sugar.

The lunch is another essential component of your diet and needs to be taken within 3pm to ensure timely nutrition to enhance weight loss process. The lunch need to comprise of protein such as whole egg, and minimum 50 grams of green leafy vegetables and accompanies with minerals in the form of grilled salmon or tuna. This timely protein rich diet is essential to improve the fat burning process. Just 2-4 hours after the lunch evening snack is recommended to reduce the gap between the meals as it can cause overeating.  The prevention of over eating is an indispensable part in weight lossand ensures that you get timely protein rich diet. Finally the dinner needs to be between 5-7pm and needs to be rich in protein such as chick pea along with very low carbs and fat but rich in vitamins and minerals such as green leafy vegetables. Such combinational timely protein rich diet is ideal for weight loss along with proper exercise.

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So do not wait further our experts at Exercise.co.uk are 24*7 available to help regarding your diet and nutrition. We care for you and your health and would be happy to guide in taking a timely diet that can help in your weight loss.

Nutrition, Weight loss

Donuts, Doritos and Deficits. Lose weight eating foods you love.

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The concept of a calorie deficit is thrown around repeatedly when people are trying to lose weight. People are constantly preaching to others on social media, or in the gym, about using this straightforward method to make weight loss easy .

But people don’t understand what a calorie deficit actually is.

Asking people what this is or how to create the perfect deficit is sometimes too embarrassing but truly this is as straightforward as some preach. Following these simple steps will enable you to understand and lose weight while still eating the foods that you love.

Continue reading Donuts, Doritos and Deficits. Lose weight eating foods you love. →

Weight loss

You don’t have to choose diet meals, you can easily lose weight by eating like this every day

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Summer is just around the corner and it’s time to show off your figure again. After the festive, food-filled Christmas and Chinese New Year, is weight loss in the front row of your New Year’s resolutions? “Even if you eat and drink in moderation, it is inevitable that you will gain weight during the festive season and the Chinese New Year when you eat and drink a lot.

At this time of year, many people choose to work out or control their diet by eating high protein and low-fat foods every day, eating only chicken breasts and fruit and vegetables, and staying away from fried foods and sweets.

The complete adherence to a healthy meal diet is undoubtedly very disturbing to people, because very often a low-calorie diet simply does not satisfy the desire to eat, and people wonder, what is the best way to lose weight even if I eat normally most of the time? At this point, many people may think of the world’s most popular diet in recent years – light fasting

What is “light fasting” dieting?

Light fasting is intermittent fasting and can take several forms.

● Intraday fasting: eating normally for only 8 hours of the day and fasting for the other 16 hours.

●Fast of the week: 2 days of the week, usually non-consecutive days, with the calorie intake limited to 500 kcal and 5 days of normal eating.

●Fast of the Month: 3 non-consecutive days of fasting in a month, with the calorie intake limited to 500kcal on these 3 days and normal eating on the other days.

The most appealing aspect of light fasting is that it claims that you don’t have to control your diet and count calories every day and that you can eat whatever you want during the so-called “normal eating” days, whether it’s a dinner party or a high-calorie snack, you can “eat without fear”. These accumulated problems of blood sugar, blood lipids, and weight gain can be solved with a few “fasting days”.Light fasting also has risks，For example：
1. Prone to rebound
Light fasting, in fact, is also a kind of dieting, all need to adhere to a relatively long period of time, and if you stop dieting, the weight may rebound and aggravate.
2. prone to hypoglycemia
Many people will experience dizziness, weakness in the limbs, fatigue, low mood, ease to get anger, lack of concentration, and other problems after taking a light fasting diet. This will also be a big detriment to your work efficiency.
3. Light fasting is not suitable for special groups of people
Not everyone is suitable for light fasting, such as high blood sugar, low blood sugar, low blood pressure, the elderly, malnourished people are not suitable, blindly using light fasting, can aggravate the condition, or even bring serious consequences. For example, if your BMI is below 20 or you are already malnourished, it would be unwise to restrict your nutritional intake at this time.
The current research on light fasting is basically in 2-3 months, and the effect and safety of light fasting in the long term remains to be seen, so we must grasp the degree, like those methods that are advertised as fast weight loss, the principle of which is mostly to get rid of water in the body, once you resume a normal diet, it is easy to rebound. In fact, NA recommends that people lose weight through a reasonable “keep your mouth shut and your legs open” approach rather than such a diet.

“Keep your mouth shut and your legs open” is a long-established diet that we all talk about. But there are also techniques to keep your mouth shut and your legs open.

Firstly, the diet should meet at least three conditions, namely negative energy balance, low glycemic, and nutritional enrichment. The first is mainly to control our calorie intake, not to let the intake of higher than the calories we consume; the second is to try to avoid a large intake of those foods with high glycemic support, so as not to stimulate insulin secretion, accelerating the synthesis of fat; the third should pay attention to nutritional balance, because long-term lack of that nutrient is not good for our body, and the necessary nutrients are also fat Only rich nutrition can ensure the smooth decomposition of fat.

Secondly, it is important not to let up on exercise. Some people may ask, the greater the amount of exercise, the greater the intensity is not the faster you can lose weight, not so. The amount of calories consumed by exercise is determined by several factors, such as gender, weight, and exercise program, and NA’s advice is that if you belong to an obese group, it is best to be guided by a professional in slimming exercises.

Light fasting is more about improving our quality of life, not just about the number on the scale, so don’t overdo it, especially if you are a special group of people who have blindly adopted light fasting and ended up with no success in losing weight, but also brought serious harm to your body.

Light Fasting Food Programme

1. 5+2 pattern of light fasting

Every week, 2 light fasting days and 5 low GI main food days, e.g. Wednesdays and Saturdays can be set as light fasting days.

Light fasting day: Light fasting meal pack x 3 + 100 g of fruit + 500 g of vegetables. Low GI staple days: normal breakfast and lunch, low GI meal pack for dinner. 2.

2. Nutritional recommendations during light fasting

Desirable: Mixed grain staples, pulses, vegetables, eggs, milk, low-fat meats (fish, prawns, skinless poultry).

Avoid: fried foods, sugary drinks, desserts, barbecues, hot pots, and pans.

Light fasting days

Water: Drink plenty of water, make sure you have at least 8 glasses of water a day, and encourage clear coffee and tea (no milk, sugar, companions).

Fruits: Choose fruits with high satiety such as apples, grapefruit, papaya, blueberries, citrus, etc. Avoid fruits with high simple sugar content such as durian and pineapple honey, and do not substitute fruits with dried fruit products.

Vegetables: Choose vegetables that are cooked with less oil and sugar. Stir-frying, raw and blanched are recommended, and avoid blue vegetables with high starch content such as potatoes and corn.

General rule: Ensure that the recipes for light fasting are strictly followed and recorded accordingly.

Low GI Staple Food Day

Three meals: focus on breakfast and lunch to ensure nutritional intake

Meal replacement: Low GI meal packs for dinner, vegetables, and meat, avoiding overeating

Life: Stay on schedule, avoid late-night snacking and get plenty of sleep

Snacks: avoid fruit and dairy products as an addition to meals

Staple foods: Avoid all staple foods such as refined rice and noodles, and advocate replacing half of the staple foods with potatoes, legumes, and other miscellaneous foods.

You must keep your mouth shut when you’re losing weight, everyone knows meat tastes good and everyone knows skinny looks good! You must drink more water during weight loss! To get twice the result with half the effort, then both keep your mouth shut and keep your legs open, combined with exercise and fitness, you can definitely lose weight! You’ll be able to get your body to slim down!

Fitness, Nutrition, Time Saving, Weight loss

Ultimate Meal Prep Guide: Weight Loss, Maintenance & Bulking

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Did you know when following any type of healthy diet plan to fulfil a healthy lifestyle the 80-20 rule is an important rule to follow by? This rule consists of 80% nutrition and 20% fitness, both in which compliment each other and are not effective unless they are fulfilled together. This rule highlights to us how important nutrition and our diet is hence meal prepping being key to maintaining this rule of thumb. For more detailed, prep planned aimed at specific needs check out our up and coming blog explaining what macros are and how to implement them.

 What is Meal Prepping?

The answer is in the name …meal prepping literally means prepping your meals in advance, this could be through choosing a free afternoon to pre-cook and portion your food out for a few days or even for the week. The goal is to help you stay on track through controlling your nutrition and calories to meet desired dietary needs and goals.

Why Meal Prep?

The beauty of meal prep is that it allows you to be ahead of yourself for a few days or a week. This is perfect for people with busy lifestyles or if you just simply need a little motivation, structure and a plan to follow. It also allows you to reduce your time and food shopping cost whist reaching you desired goal such as losing weight, maintaining weight or bulking.

How to Meal Prep?

Firstly you need to determine your end  goal, this will allow you to start your meal prepping journey in terms of making your nutrition and training plan personal to your desired goal.

Tips when Meal Prepping:

There are several useful tips for meal prepping… our top three picks have to be:

  1. Making a meal plan (set a day to cook every week)
  2. Weekly shopping list
  3. Exercise at least three times a week (this will help you maximise your visual results and see the real benefits of your meal prep journey).

Remember.. consistency is KEY.

Food Ideas

We have you covered with our quick and easy meal prep ideas for three different goals:

  1. Weight loss
  2. Maintaining Weight
  3. Bulking

Here is an example day of Meal Prepping for three different goals: 

Who said you can’t have fun when Meal Prepping ?

Weight loss

Breakfast: Egg Muffins – Eggs,Courgette, Spinach, Turkey Rashers.    Lunch: Tropical Salad – Quinoa, Tuna, Papaya, Mixed Leaves, Peppers,Grated Carrot, Feta Cheese.                                                                       Dinner: Nando’s Fakeaway- Nando’s Sauce, Chicken Breast, Sweet Potato, Broccoli.                                                                                                                     Snacks: 2 Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes, 1 Protein Bar.

A days Weight loss Meal Prep:

  • This meal prep example is very high in protein. The benefits of protein being a big assistant in helping the process of changing your body’s composition resulting in overall weight loss.
  • The most suitable exercise to complement your weight loss journey is cardio,  also interval training  is a good fun way to incorporate into your fitness regime. This type of training is when you alternate periods of high and low intensity activity. An example of interval training could be alternating between  sprinting and walking on a treadmill.

Maintenance

Breakfast: Overnight Oats- Protein Powder, Oats, Water.                         Lunch: Skinny N Spicy Salad- Chicken Breast, Sweet Chili Sauce, Rice, Mixed Leaves, Peppers, Grated Carrots, Cabbage.                             Dinner: Bangers N Grains – 4 Beef Sausages, Rice, Green Beans           Snacks: Handful of Mixed Seeds & Nuts, 1 Protein Bar, 2 Dark Chocolate Rice cakes.

A days Maintenance Meal Prep:

  • This Meal Prep example day shows the importance of balancing protein, carbohydrates and fats when following a maintenance diet. Protein is used for both energy and building muscle, Carbohydrates are important for energy and fats are used for energy after been broken down into fatty acids.
  •  When following a Maintenance Meal Prep plan to maintain your overall body weight, a balance of both strength training and cardio is the best to do this, as it allows you to strengthen muscles as well as keeping your fitness levels up too. Exercises for both cardio and muscle strength, could be sprints using the rowing machine.

Need a little more inspo and motivation? why not take a look at our guide to 20 Minute HITT Rowing Machine Workout.

Bulking

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Overnight Oats- Protein Powder, Peanut Butter, Oats, Water.                                                                                                           Lunch: Power Plate- 2 Tins of Tuna in Olive oil, Quinoa, 1 Avocado.   Dinner: Omega Loaded- 2 Salmon Fillets, 2 Sweet Potatoes,Broccoli Snacks: 2 Chicken Breasts, 1 protein bar, Bagel with Peanut Butter & Banana

A days Bulking Meal Prep:

  • There are several  key factors when Bulking such as feeding your muscles with enough nutrition. It is important to include fatty foods, this is to ensure muscles can be repaired as quickly as possible after heavy training. It is essential when bulking  to radically increase the calories consumed beyond your bodies needs. This provides fats to be a good way of getting your calorie intake up, as they’re over double the amount of calories per gram than carbohydrates and protein. For more advice see our guide to Why a high-calorie breakfast is good for weight gain. 
  • To maximise your  results, you need to be doing intense weight training, bulking is all about packing in those heavy weighted workout routines. The bulking process acquires you to have a lot of dedication, patience and commitment with your training, even at home there are no excuses weight training can still be fulfilled…. check out our resistant band workout  guide.

Change in Mindset

Meal prepping allows you to have structure, as it sets you up for the week, changing your mindset from your old bad habits to new good ones. This therefore motivates you to reach your goals. Along with Meal Prepping and training,  meditating a few times a week will allow you to completely detox your body with any stress or worries. All of these factors can have a knock on affect in your new regime of meal prepping; getting into a new routine to better yourself.

Before beginning any exercise or nutrition program, consult your physician, doctor or other professional. This is especially important for individuals over the age of 35 or persons with pre-existing health problems. Exercise.co.uk assumes no responsibility for personal injury or property damage sustained using our advice.

If you experience dizziness, nausea, chest pain, or any other abnormal symptoms, stop the workout at once and consult a physician or doctor immediately.