A lack of effort between exercising is the problem when things go wrong

At the start of every personal training programme I sit down with my client and discuss what they want to achieve.
Cakes are not a good idea when trying to eat healthy.Cakes are not a good idea when trying to eat healthy.
Cakes are not a good idea when trying to eat healthy.

We dig deep on why they want to achieve their goal. What motivates them. What has worked in the past? What hasn’t worked in the past?

And with that last question I normally get a list of things that didn’t work …

The Gym Fitness classes Zumba Running Swimming

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Here’s the thing … It’s not the exercise that isn’t working. It’s the lack of effort in between your exercise sessions that’s the problem.

You see, if you workout 4 times a week, for 45 minutes at a time, that is only 1.79% of your week! That means you have 98.21% of your week to undo all of your hard work at the gym.

So, if you’re eating takeaways, drinking too much alcohol and not doing much activity then you’re setting yourself up to fail.

To successfully lose weight and improve your fitness, you must do two things …

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First you must workout smartly and make the most of every single minute.

Make it intense. Raise your heart rate. Challenge your muscles. If you need an extra motivation to push outside of your comfort zone then I’d recommend joining a fitness group. Most people push themselves more when they’re in a group environment.

Secondly, and more importantly, it’s what you do with other 98.21% of your week that counts.

When you’re not training you must

Eat Right – get a good balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

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Avoid things like cakes, chocolate, crisps, white bread, pastries and sugary drinks. Stick to sensible sized portions and don’t go over your daily calorie allowance.

Avoid alcohol – alcohol and mixers are full of sugar so not only are they high in calories they also give you hunger cravings.

Alcohol is also treat as a toxin in your body so your fat burning process slows down while your body works to flush it out.

I’m not saying you have to give up alcohol forever, just be mindful of the quantity that you’re drinking.

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Get enough rest – Sleep is a really important part of a healthy lifestyle.

A good night's sleep can reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, improve your mood, improve your attention and concentration, speed up recovery and control hunger cravings.

My advice for a good quality sleep is:

Don't consume caffeine late in the day. Try to be consistent, go to bead and wake up at roughly the same time every day. Limit alcohol consumption. Remove TVs, laptops, phones etc from your room. Don’t eat or drink too many liquids late in the evening. Take a hot bath or shower before bed. Set your bedroom temperature to about 20 degrees.

Stay hydrated – If you're dehydrated your fat burning process will slow down!

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You should aim for a minimum of two litres of water per day.

My advice is to fill up a two-litre bottle on a morning and make sure it's gone by the end of the day, and replace your normal cups of tea and coffee for three cups of green tea per day.

Stay active between workouts – working out three to four times a week isn’t enough activity overall.

In between workouts you must stay active. Aim to get 10,000 steps a day. Go for a brisk walk, park further away from your destination and walk a little further, take the stairs instead of the escalator/lift.

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