“By failing to plan, you are preparing to fail”
When you think of your day, say at work. There is usually plan, or a to do list, a schedule, a system. In order for tasks to be completed we have a list - usually. In order for the kids to get to activities there is a schedule we need to follow. For a house to be built there is a plan & process.
Same with weight loss.
There is a Resistance Training Plan, Nutritional Plan & Cardio/ Aerobic Plan.
One of the questions I ask when meeting you for the first time is when do you want to train and how many times a week.This is relative more so to Personal Training - to change body composition there needs to be a certain about of volume for change to happen. Ideally this happens when you can train 2 or more sessions a week - but limit to 6 to allow for a rest day (rest is so important)
Ideally for muscle growth (body composition to change - 'toning') ideally wear re looking to do 10-30 sets per muscle group- This is where you would prioritise what you want to work on.. I love training legs/glutes so they are my focus of my program then arms ;) ... so we can obtain that in 2 sessions and over but not really in 1.
So in regards to "scheduling" how many days a week can you commit too? If you look at a minimum of 2 (3 is ideal) - 6 (max sessions) when you can you fit these in?
Be realistic. If you can defiantly fit 3 (three) in then schedule those and hey any more is a bonus.
So you have locked in your number of sessions per week, now how long so you have?
I'm not sure who ever said you need to be in the gym for over an hour to get the gains....As I have just said we look at volume. If you can get all your volume in a 45min session 2-3 times a week then great! It's just about being realistic to what works for your lifestyle. I also get bored after an hour!
So your Resistance training is sorted - now you need to make time to fuel yourselves. A meal prep day seems sol old school and Body Building, however these guys are the ones to look up to in regards to being prepared. Prioritise. Then you don't get caught out when something comes up or you have to take kids to the footy practice.
Certain foods you can pre cook and pack in containers for lunches and dinners on the run, snacks, fruit, veges.. Once you start then you'd be surprised at what you can prepare . (
You could check out our recipe E-Books here toneitup.net.au/shop)
At first it may take you a few hours - yes I know that sounds overwhelming. But think of it long term. For every meal you have pre pared you have avoided 'falling off the wagon', 'food choice guilt ', 'hanger' , 'over indulging', ' what will I eat for dinner?'- that's just a few things! When done and if correctly it will save you time. Give it a go!
Lucky last.. cardio/aerobic EXERCISE! Now this is different to your STEPS which I classify as:
NEAT (the amount of energy you spend doing unconscious little movements throughout the day that aren’t actually exercise)
Studies show that around 7,000 -10,000 min steps per day is required for good health and weight management
Your cardio or Aerobic EXERCISE is when you are able to increase your heart rate/ intensity. Scheduling in 20-30 mins 3 times a week is optimal.
I'll side track a little here and touch on NEAT - our bodies burn energy aka calories via different ways.
Basal Metabolic Rate
Non Exercise Adaptive Thermogenesis (NEAT) and Non Exercise Physical Activity (NEPA)
Exercise activity (EA)
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF).
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — The major component of your TDEE is your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR accounts for c70% of your TDEE and is the amount of energy your body requires to run basic processes and “keep the lights on,” so to speak. A more simple name might be “existence calories.” Still, even though this is a baseline to keep you alive, for most people it’s still the major determinant of your TDEE unless you do a lot of activity, in which case it may be a smaller overall contributor to your daily TDEE.
Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) and Non exercise physical activ- ity (NEPA) — NEAT is the amount of energy you spend doing unconscious little movements throughout the day that aren’t actually exercise.These include typ-ing on the keyboard, talking, fidgeting, wiggling your toes, etc. NEPA refers to walking, standing, and any voluntary, non-exercise activity. This is actually the most adaptive component of metabolism, and it increases significantly during a caloric surplus and decreases significantly during a deficit. Everyone handles the deficit differently. Sometimes even a small deficit renders you into being as inactive as Jabba the Hutt, but your NEAT still goes down, in which case, some people consciously increase their NEPA to offset the stillness of their metabolic adaptation. NEAT is often used interchangeably with NEPA (non exercise physical activity), though the main difference is whether we are conscious of the ac- tivity or not. For our purposes—and in the interest of not being pedantic—we will just refer to it as NEAT.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) — As weird as it sounds, there is also a thermic effect of food, meaning that it costs you energy to extract energy from the food you eat everyday. Think of it like a combustion engine. The conversion of gas-oline to energy isn't perfect; in fact, a lot of the energy is wasted and your car has to put energy into the system to extract energy from the gasoline. Different foods require varying amounts of energy to be processed and digested. Generally speaking, foods higher in fiber and protein have a higher TEF. (why I make a large emphasis on high protein)
Exercise Activity - This is exactly what it sounds like. When you exercise, you expend calories. How many you expend depends on the duration and intensity of the exercise performed.
Therefore scheduling some high intensity (Bootcamps, cycling, running, HIIT sessions) are a great way to hit your EA levels.
Are you a bit lost? Here is a break down.
How many days can you commit to resistance training? (PT/ Gym)
What day best suits for meal prep? Do you need to do an online shop before hand?
Schedule in steps & exercise!..
If you need further assistance then I am more than happy to help you out. Just shoot me an email to toneitup@outlook.com - Subject : HELP!
Speak to you soon!
Fiona
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