Weâll begin with how many you need?
For a starting point weâll use a simple sum to roughly calculate your maintenance calories (your body weight in pounds x 12-15 depending on current activity levels).
So for me it would be 196 x 15 = 2,940kcal, so that guesstimates that I would need 2,940kcal per day to maintain my current body weight, but if I wanted to reduce my body weight then Iâd need to eat below that maintenance figure.
I would recommend a calorie reduction of 500kcal to achieve weight loss initially, however this is something that you will have to monitor and tweak once fat loss does inevitably stall.
A mistake a lot of unsuccessful dieters tend to make is that they start their diet with such a severe calorie restriction, that once the fat loss does stall they have nowhere to manoeuvre because theyâre already eating like a rabbit, thatâs when theyâre faced with two choicesâŚ. Hours of cardio a day or go to the Chinese âall you can eat buffetâ and the cycle of yo-yo dieting continues again.
This whole process is very simple (notice I didnât say easy) yet people still managed to fuck it up and a lot of that is due to misinformation, thereâs a smart way to lose fat and a lot of stupid ways to lose fat, stick with me and Iâll show you the smart way.
Cliff notes
â Calculate maintenance calories
â Create a calorie deficit of 500kcal
â Donât be extreme with your diet
â Adjust calories based on fat loss
â Look awesome this summer
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Change isnât easy and its unlikely to happen whilst you remain in your comfort zone, so my challenge to you is to get out of your comfort zone, get comfortable with being uncomfortable because thatâs where the magic happens, thatâs where the fat is lost, the muscle is built and your goals are reached and exceeded.
I could give two people identical workouts, but the result could be very different, in the gym you really do get out of it what you put in, sometimes just turning up isnât enough, think about that next time youâre in the gym.
Do more than just show up.
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This is a common question I receive and the answer is NO.
It is possible to lose fat without cardio, but this means you must create a calorie deficit through your diet and/or weight training alone.
So why would anyone do cardio? Besides the health benefits, cardio allows you to lose weight whilst eating more calories (win), this is why it makes sense to include cardio within your fat loss routine⌠Itâs not essential but it makes dieting easier, which is what we all want/need.
So how much cardio do you need to do? It depends how much of a deficit you need to create.
Do I need to do HIIT? Nope, you can do do high intensity, low intensity, you can walk the dog, you can play football, ride your bike or dance the night away. It does help if you have a rough idea of how many calories your burning, this is when heart rate monitors/fitbits can come in handy, theyâre not perfectly accurate, but theyâre consistent, which will give you a general idea for comparison.
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Getting the right amount of protein in your diet doesnât have to break the bank, below we have compiled a list of our top ten cheap protein sources and have ranked them in order based on cost per gram of protein.
1. ForŇŤa Fuel Protein Fusion (ÂŁ0.02)
2. Tinned Mackerel (ÂŁ0.02)
3. Milk (ÂŁ0.02)
4. Eggs (ÂŁ0.02)
5. Cottage cheese (ÂŁ0.03)
6. Tinned Tuna (ÂŁ0.03)
7. Turkey Mince (ÂŁ0.04)
8. Tofu (ÂŁ0.05)
9. Sardines (ÂŁ0.05)
10. Chicken Breast (ÂŁ0.08)
As you can see, eating enough protein doesnât need to cost a fortune and it certainly doesnât need to come from the same source at every meal, weâd recommend aiming for as much variety as possible⌠except when it comes to your protein shakes, always stick to ForŇŤa Fuel
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âIS FOOD âXâ GOING TO MAKE ME FAT?â
This is a question that Iâve been asked countless times and my answer is always the same ânoâ, it doesnât matter which food it is, my answer will always be ânoâ.
No single food or food group is going to make you fat.
I try and avoid labelling foods as good or bad, the quantity you consume is what leads to fat gain (plain and simple), but this has nothing to do with the food, or food type.
A couple of years ago I carried out a twelve week experiment, I wanted to show people that it is possible to lose weight whilst still eating foods that are perceived as âbadâ, so I ate two Krispy Creme donuts a day (tough life) whilst losing weightâŚ
So how did I do in those 12 weeks?
I lost 17 kilograms (37.4lbs).
You can fit the foods you enjoy into your diet every day and still lose fat, thereâs a simple method to it and itâs called being in a calorie deficit.
I really canât emphasise how simple it is to lose fat, yet so many people struggle with it because they over-complicate it.
By using the right methods to fit your lifestyle you can make fat loss simple, sustainable and painless.
Thereâs no need for temporary quick fixes like Slender Blends, Magic Teas or any of the other nonsense currently being pushed by âZ list celebritiesâ for a quick buck. In the end youâll only end up fatter, poorer and unhappier, make it a lifestyle change not a quick fix and reap the rewards.
â
By Philip Gonçalves | @philipforca
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When it comes to fat loss, a lot of people tend to overthink every single aspect of it, from the perfect diet plan, to the trendiest workout routine, to the next greatest fat loss supplement.
Iâve got news for you, all of the above DOESNâT MATTER if youâre not in a calorie deficit.
You can achieve a calorie deficit by following Joe Wicksâ âLean in 15â recipes, you can achieve a calorie deficit by going âpaleoâ or âveganâ or by âcounting your macrosâ, itâs totally up to you.
The point Iâm trying to make is that a calorie deficit can be created by following any number of different diet plans. The best one is always going to be the one that works for you and the one that you are capable of sticking to long term.
The fact is that if youâre in a calorie deficit you WILL lose weight, if you arenât in a calorie deficit you will NOT lose weight, it really is that simple, the key is to find a sustainable way of dieting.
If youâre able to follow the âLean in 15â plan and lose weight over a long period of time then maybe thatâs the âbest dietâ for you, if youâre not then that diet is absolutely useless for you, this applies to nearly every diet on the market⌠However there are more than a fair few diets that nobody should ever consider Juice Plus and Herbalife meal replacements spring to mind â theyâre not sustainable or healthy and they are severely overpriced.
There is no âbestâ diet for everyone, just what works for you, the individual.
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When dieting to lose fat the most important macronutrient is protein, which is why I cringe when I see people thinking that protein-less salads are a good option to go with when it comes to fat loss (for the record I have nothing against salads as long as they contain a protein source).
When dieting your body will look for ways of conserving energy and muscle tissue is very âmetabolically expensiveâ for your body to hold onto, so your body wants to get rid of it, we do not want this to happen under any circumstances, one way to combat this is to eat sufficient amounts of protein and I would also recommend consuming a good quality BCAA during training sessions.
The main aim of a fat loss diet should be to maintain muscle mass (whilst losing fat) not lose muscle mass, thatâs the wrong kind of weight to lose.
Less muscle = less calories burned per day.
So how much protein do you need?
My recommendation is 1-2g per of protein per kg of body weight and Iâd try and split that up into 20-40g per meal if you can.
Benefits of protein
â Helps conserve muscle tissue when dieting so you wonât look skinny fat after dieting
â Protein helps you feel fuller for longer
��� The âthermic effect of foodâ (TEF) is the energy we use to digest food into small, absorbable components. Protein has a higher TEF compared to carbs and fat meaning youâre actually burning more calories to process protein than to process the other two.
â Protein helps your body repair and regrow.
Now itâs important to note that protein alone wonât make you lose fat, you must still be in a calorie deficit to do so, that is non negotiable when it comes to fat loss.
Cliff notes
â Eat 1-2g of protein per kg of body weight
â Preserve muscle tissue to ensure you donât look skinny fat on the beach
â Protein alone wonât make you lose fat
â Calories are still king, you must be in a calorie deficit to lose fat
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Although I really hate the word âtoningâ and hate it even more when someone asks me for âgood toning exercisesâ I understand the look theyâre after.
So how do we achieve the coveted âtonedâ look?
Well to start with itâs important to understand what a muscle is capable of doing.
1) It can get bigger
2) It can get smaller
You canât actually âtoneâ a muscle. So when someone says they want to achieve the âtonedâ look, what they actually mean is that they want their muscles to look more defined and the key to doing this is by reducing body fat, but if you havenât built any muscle then thatâs where youâll need to start (by lifting weights, not zumba classes).
The way to achieve a âtonedâ physique isnât hours of cardio, eliminating carbs and only drinking Slender Blend shakes. They key is to get in the gym and to follow a strength training program that allows you to progress weekly, eat enough calories and protein to support muscle growth (without unnecessary fat gain) and with time and consistency you will be the proud owner of a âtonedâ body.
Bonus Tip: Donât get your nutrition advice from reality tv stars, most of them can barely tie their own shoe laces.
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Hopefully by now everyone who is reading this understands the importance of protein, whether youâre trying to build muscle or lose fat ensuring that youâre hitting your protein targets should be one of your top priorities.
As a general guideline Iâd recommend consuming a minimum of 1g of protein per kilogram of body weight, that is the absolute MINIMUM that you should be consuming. I donât care what the RDA says, the RDA does not apply to people who are trying to better their physiques.
For us meat eaters itâs pretty simple to consume plenty of complete protein sources but for those of you who donât eat meat it can get a bit more tricky, so below I have compiled a list of my top vegetarian protein sources to ensure that even the veggies amongst us can hit their protein targets with ease:
1. Quinoa â 13g of protein per 100g
2. Buckwheat â 13.5g protein per 100g
3. Soy beans â 36g protein per 100g
4. Quorn â 11g per 100g
5. Ezekiel Bread â 11.8g protein per 100g
6. Eggs â 6g protein per egg
7. Fat Free Greek Yogurt â 8g per 100g
8. Quark â 14g protein per 100g
9. Cottage Cheese â 14.3g per 100g
10. Força Fuel Protein Fusion â 80g per 100g
Whatâs your favourite vegetarian protein source?
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Hereâs a little secret that the supplement industry doesnât want you to know⌠Thereâs no such thing as a âfemale proteinâ powder or âmale proteinâ powder, theyâre exactly the same thing, the only difference is the way in which theyâre marketed and the random shitty âmagic ingredientsâ the company decides to sprinkle in, or allegedly sprinkle in, in some cases.
Products aimed at females will often come with promises of a toned and shapely physique, whilst products aimed at men will promise slabs of muscle in a matter of days, but guess what, they both do exactly the same things⌠they help to build, repair and maintain muscle, whether youâre male or female.
The protein powder aimed at females might feature a highly paid and heavily photo-shopped Kardashian swearing that all she did to get in shape was drink this âmiracle mixtureâ and the product aimed at males might feature a male model whoâs taken more steroids than the entire East German Olympic team of the eighties, but he swears itâs this product thatâs responsible for his bulging biceps.
The main point is that there is no such thing as âmale proteinâ or âfemale proteinâ, protein is protein and that can include many sources, none of which are better for men or women.
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There are many different routes you can take to achieve your fat loss goals, with some obviously working better than others, but at the end of the day fat loss comes down to one variable â calories, more specifically a calorie deficit, failure to create a calorie deficit will result in failure to lose fat.
Once again, in case it hasnât sunk in, fat loss is impossible unless you create a calorie deficit no matter what âMr Lean in 15â tells you â It really isnât just about clean eating and HIIT workouts.
Number two on the list of importance when it comes to fat loss would be protein consumption, you need to ensure that youâre consuming enough, 1.8-2.9g per kilogram of body weight should do the trick.
There are a number of reasons why consuming enough protein is essential when dieting:
1) It will protect you from loss of muscle mass when dieting, losing muscle mass will lower your Basal Metabolic Rate, resulting in you burning less calories, meaning youâll have to diet on a lot less calories to lose weight.
2) Of the three macronutrients, protein is the most satiating, which essentially means youâll feel fuller for longer, which is a must when youâre in a calorie deficit.
3) Of the three macronutrients protein has the highest thermal effect, which means youâll use more calories consuming sources of protein than you would in consuming sources of fat or carbs.
These two really are the major keys *DJ Khaled voice* as you can see I havenât mentioned any fancy diets, meal replacement shakes or âfat loss supplementsâ simply because they arenât necessary and all they are is a false dream sold to the desperate/gullible/stupid, who are looking for a quick/easy result, you didnât put on 20lbs of fat overnight, donât expect to lose it overnight, if you do, itâs not fat that you lost, itâll be a combination of fat, water, muscle and your money.
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Why do a lot of women tend to avoid using one of the most researched and clinically validated supplements available?
Some think of creatine as a supplement just for men who want to pack on slabs of muscle, whilst others are concerned with water retention and some even believe it to be a type of steroid.
The first point that needs to be addressed is that creatine is not a type of steroid, it has no relation to hormones or their effects and is actually produced naturally in the body, it can also be found in certain food sources (beef, lamb, pork and fish).
Second point that needs addressing is that creatine may cause water retention, but this will just be a small amount which is retained in the muscle and is nothing like the bloating experienced during âthat time of the monthâ and thirdly if creatine really did allow you to pack on serious amounts of muscle donât you think every guy who takes it would be massive? Muscle takes a hell of a long time to build (even longer for women) and anyone who gets muscular definitely doesnât do it by accident.
So what does creatine do?
The simple answer is that creatine replenishes Adenosine Triphosphate (the fuel in your muscle) to allow your muscles to work harder and longer.
Your muscles only contain a limited supply of Adenosine Triphosphate and once that supply has been used your muscles will fatigue very quickly, which is why supplementing with creatine is so beneficial for both men and women.
Conclusion: If you want to train harder and longer, try supplementing with creatine, which is one of the key ingredients in our Protein Fusion product.
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Many people consume their pre workout supplements without really knowing what theyâre drinking. Weâve provided a brief rundown of all the ingredients featured in Pre-Game Energy, so you know exactly what youâre consuming and how each ingredient is going to benefit you once you step foot in the gym.
AAKG â To Increase blood flow
Caffeine Anyhydrous â A highly concentrated form of caffeine proven to reduce fatigue, improve alertness and performance as well as increasing fat burning.
Beta Alanine â To enhance muscular endurance
Citrus Aurantium â Increases energy expenditure, raises resting metabolic rate and suppresses appetite
L-Taurine â Increases blood flow and exercise capacity
Grape Seed Extract â Exerts anti-estrogenic effects and may increase blood flow
Vitamin C â Immune system support
Vitamin B6 â Contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
Creatine Monohydrate â Increases power output
Tri-Creatine Malate â Increases physical performance during high intensity exercise
BCAA â Contribute towards growth and maintenance of muscle mass
Citruline Malate â Reduces fatigue and improves both aerobic and anaerobic performance, also used to treat erectile dysfunction
L-Tyrosine â Increases adrenaline production
Betaine Base Anhydrous â Increased power output, increased anaerobic work capacity, increased energy levels and increased cellular hydration
Black Pepper Extract â Enhances absorption of other ingredients
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Chocolate Protein Fusion, whipped cream and marshmallows.
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YES, especially for those of us who spend the majority of our days seated. Being in this position all day can cause our glutes to âstop firingâ as effectively as they should, so proper glute activation exercises such as X-Band Walks are essential during warm-ups, especially on leg day.
Not only will activating your glutes help with the overall performance of your lower body lifts, it will also help reduce the pressure on your lower back and knees as the glutes are now able to fire more efficiently and do their fair share of the work during exercises like squats/deadlifts/hip thrusts, which will lead to better glute development.
Glute activation can help with:
â Performance
â Injury reduction
â Building glutes of steel
EXERCISES SUCH AS X-BAND WALKS ARE PURELY ACTIVATION EXERCISES, NOT A PRIMARY EXERCISE. IF YOU WANT TO BUILD YOUR GLUTES YOU WILL NEED TO BASE YOUR WORKOUTS AROUND SQUATS, DEADLIFTS, LUNGES AND HIP-THRUSTS.
FORĂA RECOMMENDS:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Woody-Band-Pilates-inch/dp/B00WF8DTJO?SubscriptionId=AKIAIP7TXYJUKVIMANBQ&tag=forcafuel-21&linkCode=alb&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00WF8DTJO
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Woody-Band-Mini-inch/dp/B00J5FGGCW?SubscriptionId=AKIAIP7TXYJUKVIMANBQ&tag=forcafuel-21&linkCode=alb&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00J5FGGCW
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Woody-Band-Small-inch/dp/B00J8QP4CG?SubscriptionId=AKIAIP7TXYJUKVIMANBQ&tag=forcafuel-21&linkCode=alb&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00J8QP4CG
Here is a video link to help show you how to use these products:
https://youtu.be/C9IcLbu8ThY
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Everybody I work with wants to burn fat and/or build muscle â to reach these goals their training must be structured in a way that facilitates these goals.
Training is just one tool needed to reach your desired body composition. The food and drink you consume everyday will essentially determine whether you reach your goal â this is the hardest part, not because itâs complicated, but because it is difficult (mentally).
When I train train clients they have an hour of intense work to get through to force their body to adapt in a positive way, with diet/lifestyle they have a further 23 hours to get through.
Are YOU mentally tough enough to get through that 23 hours making the correct choices with your goals in mind? Most arenât, I definitely have my moments of weakness!
You can tweak your diet and try intermittent fasting, carb cycling, IIFYM, juice only diets etc.. the list goes on, but until you realise that the fundamental rule for a successful diet is that it must be maintainable long term then you really are wasting your time by trying every fad under the sun.
MY TOP DIET TIPS
If youâre trying to build muscle then you must be in a calorie surplus, if youâre trying to lose fat then you must be in a calorie deficit, this is non-negotiable
Consume adequate protein (very few do this)
Prepare your food (not dry chicken and broccoli day after day)
Track your intake via apps like MyFitnessPal if thatâs how you roll, I personally donât like this route anymore
Donât drink your calories
Treat yourself now and again, one meal wonât destroy your progress (unless youâre having cheat days like âThe Rockâ)
Donât be a douche about it, just because youâre sticking to your diet it doesnât make you superior to anyone else
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Five Reasons Youâre Not Making Progress In The Gym
1. Youâre prioritising the wrong exercises
It doesnât matter whether youâre trying to build muscle or burn fat, your routine should be built around compound movements, this is program design 101.
Compound lifts are movements that involve multiple joints and muscles, which will provide you with the âbiggest bang for your buckâ in the gym.
2. Youâre rushing your reps
When it comes to weight training, execution is everything, it shouldnât be about moving from point A to point B as quickly as possible.
It is imperative that you focus on the muscle youâre training and develop a mind-to-muscle connection to get the most out of every exercise, it does help if you know which muscles each exercise actually targets, most people donât.
3. Youâve been doing the same routine for six months (or years)
Every gym has members who turn up every day, week in, week out and they look exactly the same week in, week out. Iâd be willing to guess that one of the reasons they havenât changed their body is because theyâre sticking to the same routine every single time they train.
Your body is amazing at adapting, but it needs a stimulus to do so, if youâre not giving it a reason to adapt, then it wonât and best case scenario is you look exactly the sameâŚ. worst case, you look worse.
4. Youâre not tracking your progress
Iâm a stronger believer in having as much data as possible to evaluate your progress in the gym.
I use a log book personally and something similar for my clients. I can look back over days, weeks, months or even years of my clients workouts to ensure that constant progress is being made, itâs not difficult to bring a pen and pad into the gym with you (Iâm old school like that) or even a fancy training app on your iPhone.
5. Youâre not training hard enough
If you want your body to change then youâre going to have to force it to do so and that means pushing your boundaries.
Now that doesnât mean you need to adhere to the âno pain, no gainâ attitude, because thatâs foolish, what you do need to do is strive for progress each week. If you managed to use the 6kg dumbbells for 10 reps last week, then go ahead and jump up to the 7kg dumbbells this week, you might not get 10 reps out straight away, but you will get there, itâs all about striving for progress with every workout, thatâs how we improve our bodies.
Until next time.
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