You cannot outrun a bad diet!

The fact!

It has been said time and time again that you cannot outrun a bad diet and it is a very true statement. As much as you try and run a bad diet will always find you. 

My weight loss

When I started my weight loss journey I did start the wrong way. I didn’t change my nutrition. I exercised more but nothing else. In a month I had lost a pound. 1 whole pound in a month. Not a great start. The following month I changed my nutrition and kept going with the exercise. I lost 3 kilos. 

Now you may ask yourself the following, “if you are a personal trainer then why didn’t you see that?”. It is a valid question and the short answer is I didn’t put two and two together and come up with the conclusion. I spend my days discussing nutrition with people but rarely do I turn the question around to myself. Now I have learnt my lesson.

The ratio

It has been said that a weight loss journey is 70% nutrition and 30% exercise. 70% is a massive number. You need to make a massive nutritional change to make it work.  

The examples

This morning I Googled some basic calorie to exercise ratios and found the following. 

The sugary drink

If you drink a sugary soft drink (Coca cola and the like) it will take 26 minutes of walking or 13 minutes of running. I mean how long would it take you to drink a coca cola? 5 minutes shall we say? Now look again at the exercise minutes. Crazy right?! While we are on the subject of sugary drinks. The diets and 0’s may not contain sugar but do contain a sweetener and still the caffeine. According to the NHS website sweeteners will not increase the blood sugar level whereas sugar will. As I say, everything in moderation. 

The blueberry muffin

If you go to your favourite coffee house and eat blueberry muffin at 265 calories it will take 48 minutes of walking or 25 minutes of running. If you add in a grande white chocolate mocha you are looking at 505 calories. As exercise that translates as 1 hour and 40 minutes or walking or 50 minutes or running. 

The crisps

My final example is crisps. You eat a small packet of crisps at 171 calories which means 31 minutes of walking or 16 minutes of running.

All the bad news can be changed

So, with all that bad news and the fact I may have made you think about that packet of crisps you are eating whilst reading this blog. How do you change it? It’s simple really. 

  • You eat more fruit and veg
  • Change the sugary drinks to water or fruit juice (180ml per day)
  • Eat a well balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner to help stop constant grazing and snacking
  • Snack on a handful of nuts or my personal favourite those Nākd bars
  • You make smart choices like a slice of pizza and lots of salad

A good website to check out is Change 4 Life. You can always keep a food diary and send it to 2 Spuds for analysis and recommendations (a small fee will apply). 

As I have said everything in moderation is the key to a balance diet. Eat the fruit and vegetable rainbow, drink water, get the right portion size, get regular exercise. I could go on but I am sure you catch my drift. 
Any questions just ask. 

Conclusion

As I have said everything in moderation is the key to a balance diet. Eat the fruit and vegetable rainbow, drink water, get the right portion size, get regular exercise. I could go on but I am sure you catch my drift. 
Any questions just ask. 

Ps.

This burger photo was taken after a day and a half of travelling to New Zealand from the UK. It was February and we had left minus degrees to be welcomed with 30 degrees. The burger was delicious but this is not my point. The next day we cycled for around 4 hours and walked a further 2. As I say, everything in moderation.