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HELLO, WELCOME TO
STRENGTH FEEDS

This Nutrition starter pack is loaded with myth busting, lifestyle

changing information, that will give you the tools you need to take
control of your weight and health!
WHY STRENGTH FEEDS?
Large parts of the nutrition industry are flawed, as everyone adopts a
one size fits all approach. You will find that most of the information
out there pushes you towards a specific way of eating that will
‘guarantee results’.
Many professionals/coaches have pre-conceived ideas about
nutrition that they enforce on their clients, ignoring the facts and
science behind proper nutrition. While a certain method of dieting
may bring success for some people, it doesn’t mean everyone will
thrive on it!
To achieve SUSTAINABLE fat loss, you need to find a way of eating
that suits YOU, and this guide will give you the information you need
to achieve just that.

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SPOTTING THE SCAMS
Everywhere on social media, in magazines and on tv, there are
programmes/plans/diets promoting weight loss. It’s a big thing. But
all too often we are seeing phrases like…

Eliminate
cravings!

And we fall for it every time, because it sounds pretty awesome,

right?
In truth, none of the above statements are true, the fact is that for
the majority of people, fat loss is NOT easy, because they have built
bad habits and routines over time, that cannot be instantly reversed.
There are no new tricks for fat loss.
In fact, if I asked you to write down the top 5 things you do that stop
you losing weight, you probably could, and you would be right.
Then I could tell you to stop doing all those things, and if you did, it
would probably get you some pretty good results.
I wouldn’t do that though, because these 5 things you do, you
probably like to do them, and that’s normal. But there needs to be
some balance.
So hopefully in this guide I can give you the information to be able to
make better decisions for YOUR health

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What Is nutrition?

Nutrition
Noun
The process of providing or obtaining the food
necessary for health and growth.

Okay, so basically, it’s just what we eat. But how much do you know
about what you eat?
Are you calorie conscious?
Do you know about Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates?
Do you know what they do?
If you do, the next part may be boring for you. But all too often I find
that people don’t know this stuff! It’s not surprising. To be honest
neither did I when I first got into this.
Education is where we are going wrong as a society when it comes to
better health through nutrition. We are constantly told to do things
without ever asking, why?
Let’s take a deeper look at what Nutrition is actually made up of.

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COMPONENTS OF NUTRITION
You can break NUTRITION down into 6 categories. These are (in no
order of importance…)

The first 3, Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats are Macronutrients,

which means they make up most of our diet.
Vitamins and minerals are needed in much smaller amounts and are
known as Micronutrients

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PROTEIN
4kcal per gram
It doesn’t matter if you want to lose fat, build muscle, or just be a
healthy, well-functioning human being. Your daily protein intake
plays a crucial role in allowing all of that to happen.
Some key roles of protein are…

• Preventing muscle wastage when

in a calorie deficit
• Building muscle when in a calorie surplus
• Improving satiety
• Maintaining hair/nails
• Improving bone health
• Promoting a healthy immune system
• Transporting essential nutrients
between cells
The functions in bold are obviously the ones that are going to assist
you in reaching your goals in terms of body composition, but they
are all just as important as each other for better health.
Another key thing to remember here is that protein cannot be stored
by the body, it gets used, and when your body is unable to process
any more, it disposes of the excess. So, you CAN have too much
protein.
As a rule of thumb, I would suggest a protein intake of 1 gram per lb
bodyweight.
For most people though, a serving of protein (from the list below)
with each meal would be sufficient.

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 PROTEIN SOURCES
With Protein being a bit of a buzzword these days, there are loads of
options in your supermarkets with companies jumping all over it.
Just be aware that food with PROTEIN written on the packaging
doesn’t always mean it’s a SOURCE of protein, for example, nuts are
a source of fat with SOME protein in.

BEEF
CHICKEN BREAST
TURKEY
CHICKEN SAUSAGE
EGGS
FISH
LAMB
PORK
BEANS/PULSES
QUORN
TOFU
DAIRY
CHEESE
PROTEIN POWDERS
(HEMP/PEA/WHEY)
SAUSAGES

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CARBOHYDRATES
4kcal per gram
Carbohydrates (Carbs) provide your body with energy. They can be
broken down into 2 categories:

Simple Carbohydrates (sugars)

Sugars can be categorised as single sugars (monosaccharides), which
include glucose, fructose and galactose, or double sugars
(disaccharides), which include sucrose (table sugar), lactose and
maltose.

Complex carbohydrates (starches)

Complex carbohydrates, also known as polysaccharides, are starches
formed by longer saccharide chains, which means they take longer to
break down.

Chemically, they usually comprise of three or more linked sugars .

NOTE: ALL CARBS ARE SUGARS!

Although calories from carbs are a major part of people’s daily
intake, they are actually the least important macronutrient.
In other words, your body can survive without carbs, but not fat
(fatty acids) or protein.

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Do carbs make you fat?
More on this later, but basically, no! EXCESS CALORIES MAKE YOU
FAT. If you overeat on ANYTHING you will gain weight, simple as
that.
How carbs CAN cause fat gain
All carbs that we consume are broken down into glucose and
released into the bloodstream to be used as energy (simple carbs
faster than complex)
Any excess that we don’t need will be stored as glycogen in the liver
and muscles, and these stores will act as an energy reserve
Your muscles and liver can only store so much glycogen however,
and once these stores are full, if you continue to consume excess
carbohydrates over a period of time, then your body will convert
them into fat for storage.
Carbs get a lot of bad press these days, and they are associated with
weight gain because…
1. Carbs tend to be delicious which means we want a lot of them
2. A LOT of people’s favourite foods (including mine) are high in
carbs
3. Sugars (simple carbs) aren’t particularly filling, so it’s very easy
to overconsume

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 CARBOHYDRATE SOURCES
Once upon a time I used the terms ‘good’ and bad carbs to
categorise them, and try to deter my clients from choosing anything
on the bad list.
These days though I have a much more open approach to the
consumption of different types of carbs, and so should you. Here are
2 lists. Simple and complex carbohydrates.

COMPLEX CARBS
SIMPLE CARBS
OATS
FRUIT
BREAD
FRUIT JUICES
RICE
SWEETS
PASTA
BISCUITS
SWEET POTATO
CAKES
WHITE POTATO
SUGARY CEREALS
VEGETABLES
SYRUPS
BEANS

Notice that white bread, pasta, potato and rice are NOT in the simple
sugars section where a lot of people put them. The reason they are
often categorised as simple carbs is because then contain very little
fibre, and have a high GI rating. But they ARE a complex carb.
Remember this is not a list of good vs bad. Purely a list based on the
structure of sugars in each type of food.

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Fats
9kcal per gram
Most of the foods that we eat contain some form of fat. Fat has been
labelled as a food to avoid in the past, although gradually, the
demonization of this essential macronutrient is easing.
Fat has many different roles in the body including…

• Insulation
• Protection
• Providing energy
• Improves satiety
• Transportation of fat soluble Vitamins A,D,E & K
There are four types of fat, saturated, monounsaturated,
polyunsaturated and trans fats. They are each made up of units
known as fatty acids. Most foods contain a mixture of fats but are
categorised according to the type found in the largest amount.

SATURATED FATS
These are generally solid at room temperature and are most
commonly – but not only – found in significant amounts in animal
products.

POLYUNSATURATED FAT
These tend to be liquid at room temperature. They can be divided
into two groups – omega-3 and omega-6. Both are important for
heart health but omega-3s also help to reduce inflammation and are
important for cognitive function.

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MONOUNSATURATED FATS
These are also usually liquid at room temperature. Health experts
agree they’re the healthiest type as they help to lower total and LDL
cholesterol but, unlike polyunsaturated, they also maintain levels of
HDL or good cholesterol, making them a great choice for a healthy
heart.

TRANS FATS
Trans fats are considered ‘unhealthy’. They are manmade fats that
come from hydrogenation, a process that turns liquids into solids.
Foods on the trans-fat list are fried foods like doughnuts & chips,
desserts like ice cream and cakes
Does fat make you fat?
Similar to the earlier question on carbs, NO!
The ultimate factor in weight management is the calories you
consume against the calories you burn. The source of the calories is
irrelevant.
The fact is though, that if you eat a lot of fats, you are also eating lots
of calories as it contains more than double (9kcal compared to 4kcal)
the energy per gram than protein & carbs.

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Fats in the body
Fats enter the body as triglycerides (3 fatty acids & a glycerol
backbone). They travel to your liver, muscle and fat tissues and are
broken down to free fatty acids and glycerol. The fatty acids can
enter your cells and burn as a fuel source, or they can be stored in fat
cells. Your fat cells have unlimited storage space, so if you keep
overconsuming, you will continue to get fat.
any excess calories consumed by FAT OR CARBS, that the body does
not require, will be stored as fat.

FAT SOURCES

Monounsaturated
Polyunsaturated
Saturated Almonds
Sunflower seeds
Coconut oil Macadamias
Sesame seeds
Palm oil Hazelnuts
Pumpkin seeds
Butter Pecans
Walnuts
Cheese Olive oil
Pine nuts
Animal fats Peanut oil
Oily fish
Chocolate Sesame oil
Flaxseed oil
Avocados

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VITAMINS
Vitamins are fat-soluble or water-soluble compounds necessary for
the healthy functioning of the body. They provide essential nutrients
for normal cell growth. They cannot be made by the body, so we
must consume them as part of our diet.
There are essential vitamins necessary for things like metabolism, as
well as building bones, teeth, muscles, blood, and many tissues.
Water-soluble vitamins are quickly eliminated from the body through
urine, so we must consume them daily to replenish.
Fat soluble vitamins use the fats we consume for transport
throughout the body. These are also stored in fatty tissues in the
body.
To keep this simple. If you are eating a healthy, balanced diet, you
will probably be getting enough of these.

MINERALS
Minerals are non-organic elements that come from the soil and
water and are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals.
They have similar roles in the body to those of the essential vitamins,
such as, maintaining strong bones & teeth, supporting muscle &
nerve function and maintenance of the immune system
Your body needs larger amounts of some minerals, such as calcium,
to grow and stay healthy. Other minerals like chromium, copper,
iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc are called trace minerals because you
only need very small amounts of them each day.

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 VITMAIN/MINERAL SOURCES
VITAMIN/MINERAL
Vegetables, fruit, meat, animal
Vitamin A
products
Vitamin B1 Egg yolk, cereals, red meat, nuts
Vitamin B2 Milk, cheese, leafy greens, fish
Fish, bananas, chicken, pork,
Vitamin B6
wholegrains
Vitamin B12 Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk
Vitamin C Cirtrus fruits, vegetables
Vitamin D Sunlight, fortified food sources
Vegetables, fruit, meat, animal
Vitamin E
products, nuts, seeds
Carrots, egg, avocado, beans, leafy
Folic acid
greens
Calcium Dairy products, Kale, broccoli
Leafy greens, legumes, nuts, seeds,
Magnesium
whole grains
Lean red meat, oily fish, egg YOLKS,
Iron
leafy greens, nuts, wholegrains
Zinc Meat, milk, brown rice, wholegrains
Broccoli, potato skin, leafy greens,
Potassium
bananas, legumes

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WATER
Water makes up approximately 60% of our total body weight.
Our bodies use water in all its cells, organs, and tissues, and has
many vital functions such as;
• Protection of tissues, spinal cord, and joints
• Removal of waste products
• Assisting with digestion
• Regulating body temperature
• Supports healthy immune system
• Increases energy and relieves fatigue
• Prevents cramps
Because your body constantly loses water through
breathing, sweating, and digestion, its important
to rehydrate by drinking plenty of fluids.
The amount of water we need depends on a
number of factors including climate, activity
levels, and health state.
A useful rule is to try and drink

1 litre of water per 25kg bodyweight

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Fibre
What is it?
Dietary fibre is the indigestible part of plants that passes relatively
unchanged through the stomach and intestines.
There are two types of dietary fibre: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fibre can't be digested, but it absorbs water to become a
gelatinous substance that passes through the body. Good sources of
soluble fibre include fruits, oat bran, barley, and beans
Insoluble fibre is mostly unchanged as it passes through the body
and adds bulk to faeces. Good sources include wheat, nuts, seeds
and wholegrain foods.
The Heart Foundation recommends a daily consumption of 30g per
day. However, it really depends on how much you eat. I always
recommend a minimum of 10g per 1000 calories eaten
You will achieve this comfortably with a balanced diet.

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HOW WEIGHT LOSS WORKS
Okay so here it is, the secret to fat loss …
ENERGY BALANCE

Protein Exercise

NEAT
Carbs
BMR (resting
Fat cals)

It’s as simple as that.

Calories in > calories out = weight gain
Calories in < calories out = weight loss
Calories in = calories out = weight maintenance
Nobody on earth can dispute this fact. It is the 1 GOLDEN RULE of
weight loss. Its science.
Every single diet that ever existed aims to do 1 thing, LIMIT THE
CALORIES YOU CONSUME. It’s the one and only thing they all have in
common. ALL diets come back to this formula.
Try and see this formula as a weeklong deal though.
You need to CONSISTENTLY eat less than you burn to lose weight.
FACT.

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EXPENDING ENERGY
We have looked in depth at one side of the energy balance equation,
but the other side is obviously just as important in terms of weight
management and overall health
BMR (resting calories)
This is the number of calories your body burns at rest, so if you did
nothing all day (don’t do that) you would still burn this number of
calories, the value is dependent on your height, weight, age, and
bodyfat levels.
NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis)
This is all the calories you burn in addition to your BMR, but not part
of planned exercise. For example, walking round the shops, doing the
school run, sex (don’t exaggerate), basically anything involving
movement.
PLANNED EXERCISE
This is obviously the calories your body burns during planned
exercise. For example, in the gym, running, sport etc.
How can we use this to help us lose weight?
Your BMR is your BMR, this number will change if your weight and
muscle mass does, but there is little you can do RIGHT NOW to
change it. Sorry.
Planned exercise is great, and obviously I think everybody should be
playing sport or exercising in some way, it’s impossible to argue
against it. The benefits of participating in exercise are HUGE. The
number of calories burned during exercise however, is hugely
overestimated. Try and see planned exercise as a way of getting
stronger, fitter, or having fun. Seeing what your body is capable of.
EAT SO YO CAN TRAIN, DON’T TRAIN SO YOU CAN EAT!

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Which leaves us with NEAT. This is by far and away the most
underestimated factor in weight loss. If you more are active
throughout the day you will burn a tonne more calories than if you
are sat behind a desk. Its common sense.

THE ROLE OF EXERCISE

Below is a table of approximate calories burned during exercise for a
150lb male, obviously everyone’s numbers are different so don’t use
this as a rule for all.
Activity Cals burnt in
Moderate activities 1 hour
Walking (3.5mph) 280
Low intensity weights 220
Dancing 330
Golf 330
Gardening 330
Stretching 180
Light cycle 290
Vigorous activities
Running (5mph) 590
Cycling (10mph +) 590
Swimming 480
Walking (4.5mph) 460
Heavy labour work 440
Weightlifting 440
Basketball 440

As you can see, not all exercise involves dripping in sweat and
pounding the pavement.

if we focused on being more active daily, we would all be better off!

Going to the gym is awesome, but find BALANCE

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Below is an example of how NEAT has more of an impact on weight
management than you think…

Say this man, on a Friday, goes to work 9-5 to his desk job, then goes
to the gym for 1 hour of weights training, and goes straight home
after.
Exercise = 440kcals
NEAT = minimal
Total = 440

On Saturdays, he goes into town with his wife shopping for 2 hours
(let’s say he walks for half of that), then does 2 hours gardening in
the afternoon
Exercise = minimal
NEAT = 280 + 660 = 940kcal
Total = 940kcal

On a day off with no planned exercise, he has burned 500kcals more

than when he worked all day and went to the gym in the evening.

It’s a basic example but it shows that planned exercise is not the only
way you can burn more calories.

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THE DIET CYCLE
It is estimated that after 3 years of starting weight loss, 75% of
dieters are heavier than when they started.

Seem familiar to you?

All too often, diets promote restrictive eating that is not sustainable,
so sure, you get some good results to start with, but realistically,
keeping those results is damn hard.
Because of this cycle, you end up with a very poor relationship with
food, going through binge/purge cycles which will ultimately put you
in a far worse place than when you started.

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 COMMON DIETS
As mentioned previously, the 1 golden rule for weight management
is energy balance, if you want to lose weight, or more specifically,
Bodyfat, you need to be in a calorie deficit.
Consider any diet that ever existed, you will see that it all boils down
to this fact. In some way, the diet is restricting the number of calories
you consume.
We will go through a few, not to bash them, because for some
people they are a perfectly sustainable method of weight loss and
healthy living, simply to highlight this point.
Diet Rules Reason for deficit
Intermittent Only allowed food Restricted eating window means less
fasting (16/8) 12-8pm calories consumed, particularly as this is
normally a busy part of people’s days
Intermittent 500kcal 2 days per Minimum calories for 2 days per week more
fasting (5/2) week likely to result in a weekly deficit
Low carb Minimum Eliminating a large percentage of most
(Keto) carbohydrates people’s caloric intake
Low fat Minimum fat intake Eliminating the highest energy dense
macronutrient causes calorie deficit
Carb Eat all carbs in the Minimizing carbs all day, less likely to binge
backloading evening eat at night due to conscious decisions
Paleo Eat only food that Avoiding all high calorie processed foods
can be hunted or cuts out a high % of peoples daily intake.
gathered, (lots of
meat and veg)

Herbalife Use lots of Herbalife All supplements very low in calories, with
minimum additional food intake

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As you can see, all these diets have rules in place that push you into a
calorie deficit.
It’s not a bad thing, but there’s definitely no magic formulas, just
energy balance.
Wouldn’t you rather have a bit of balance rather than going cookie
cutting, and stopping eating the foods you love altogether?

DEMONISING MACROS
“FAT makes you fat!” “CARBS make you fat!”
Stop trying to blame 1 thing, they can’t argue back.
“But I cut carbs and lost loads of weight!”…

“But I cut all fats out and lost loads of weight!”…

Enough said!

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 CALCULATING CALORIES
Now that you know about the different macronutrients, and the way
that your body burns calories, it’s time to link them together.
Counting calories is NOT necessary for weight management.
However, I do feel that doing it for a short while will help to find out
about the right portion sizes for YOU.
So how do you work out your energy requirements?
STEP 1 – calculate BMR
Below are 2 formulas, 1 for male, 1 for female. (all metric)
Male: (10 × weight) + (6.25 × height) - (5 × age) + 5
Female: (10 × weight) + (6.25 × height) - (5 × age) – 161
For example: Lisa (Female) ,Age: 27 years, Height: 178 cm, Weight:
69kg, moderately active
BMR = (10x69) + (6.25x178) - (5x27) - 161 = 1506.5kcals

STEP 2 - Multiply this number by an activity factor, chosen from the

table below.

Activity level Description factor

Sedentary Little or no exercise/desk job 1.2
Lightly active Light exercise 1-3 days/week 1.375
Moderately active Moderate exercise 3-5 days/week 1.55
Very active Heavy exercise/sport 6-7 days per week 1.725
Extremely active Very heavy exercise/physical job every day 1.9

1506.5 (BMR) x 1.55 (activity factor) = 2335kcals

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Lisa can eat 2335 calories per day to MAINTAIN her bodyweight.
This figure is known as TDEE (total daily energy expenditure).
We know from the energy balance equation, that if she consistently
eats less than this, she will lose weight, and if she consistently
exceeds this, she will gain weight.
This number is NOT definite, the activity factor is only an estimation,
and everyone is unique, so no 1 formula can accurately predict
everyones TDEE.
The amount you deduct/add will ultimately decide the rate of change
in your body composition, but in terms of fat loss, slow is
sustainable.
See this figure as a starting point. Depending on results and goals,
this number can frequently change.

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MACRO BREAKDOWN
From the example above, we now need to -Note-
determine her appropriate macronutrient split. Protein – 4kcal/gram
Let’s start with the macro that we can set a Carbs – 4kcal/gram
steady figure for, Protein.
Fat – 9kcal/gram
Remember, 1g/2.2g protein per lb/kg
bodyweight.
1. Calculate protein requirement - 2.2 x 69 = 152g protein per day
2. Multiply by 4 for protein calories - 152 x 4 = 608 kcals
3. Deduct from TDEE - 2335 – 608 = 1727kcals remaining
• Now the remaining calories can be split into fat & carbs.
• Remember some fat intake is essential, but the ratios between
these 2 come down to personal preference.
For the example, we will set her fat intake at 30% total calories. So…
4. Calculate fat intake (30% TDEE) – 2335 x 0.3 = 700.5Kcals
5. Divide by 9 for fat in grams - 700.5/9 = 78g fat
• Remaining calories for carbohydrates
6. Subtract fat & protein kcals from TDEE – 2335-608-700.5 = 1026.5
7. Divide by 4 for carbs in grams – 256g carbs

For Lisa to MAINTAIN her current weight, she can consume daily…

152g protein
78g fat
256g carbs

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Sample day of nutrition
Lisa wants to lose weight, she doesn’t really know about calories, so
she is following a plan to start, and then will track her food on her
own for a few days to make sure she is eating the right amounts.

Her starting calories are 1750kcal per day, a 600kcal deficit per day
from maintenance. She knows her protein intake should remain the
same so will take calories away from her carbs/fat intake.

Here is what a days food could look like…

2 eggs scrambled
Meal 1 50g smoked salmon
1 muffin
1 serving Moroccan cous cous
Meal 2 grilled chicken breast (200g)
50g rocket
30g whey protein
Snack 1 250ml unsweetened almond milk
150g frozen summer fruit
1 serving chilli
Meal 3 50g basmati rice (dry weight)
100g green beans

Snack 2 1 bar galaxy ripple

Water intake 2 litres per day

Kcal – 1750
Protein – 155
Macro
Carbs – 172g
breakdown
Fat – 48g
Fibre – 23g

As you can see, there is nothing restrictive here, Lisa is getting 3

good sized meals, and 2 good snacks per day, with a good balance of
macros.

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 “I CAN’T LOSE WEIGHT!”
Let’s look at a basic example of someone who is struggling to lose
weight, but feels like they are doing things right. (really basic but
work with me here).
Bob has a goal to lose 2 stone, He is burning on average 3000 calories
a day. He knows he needs to be in a small calorie deficit to lose
weight,
Bob is smart. Here is his week.
Day Calories eaten Calorie deficit Notes
Mon 2500 -500 Stuck to plan
Tues 2400 -600 Stuck to plan
Weds 2600 -400 Stuck to plan
Thurs 2800 -200 Stuck to plan
Fri 3000 0 Stuck to plan (had 1 beer)
Sat 4200 +1200 Been good all week, had large slice
of cake, 2 beers & chocolate bar
Sun 3500 +500 Cheeky roast with the trimmings
Weekly calorie difference 0

Now I know this is simplified to the extreme. But this is what so many
people are doing, and actually on a far worse scale.
Being too restrictive through the week and then far too much on the
weekend. But with Bob its interesting, because he is doing pretty
well. And probably doesn’t think the treats on the weekend are
hurting his good weeks work, but as you can see, his calorie balance
across the week is EVEN. So, he will not lose any weight.
After a few weeks Bob will gradually eat less and less through the
week to drop those pounds. But gets sick of being tired and hungry
all the time, and gives up.
Bob is now on the diet cycle.
Don’t be like Bob.

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Diet myths
Myth 1. A detox is a good way to kickstart a diet
Your body is designed to filter out most of the harmful substances
you eat naturally.
Our kidneys filter our blood and remove any waste from our diet,
and our livers process medications and detoxify any chemicals we
ingest. Paired together, these organs make our bodies a natural
detoxing powerhouse.
Myth 2. Eating little and often boosts your metabolism
The theory here is that your body burns additional calories through
digesting the food you eat, this is known as TEF (thermic effect of
food). So if you eat every 3-4 hours your body is supposedly
continuously burning calories to digest the food at more regular
intervals.
The fact is however, that TEF is proportional to the number of
calories eaten in any given day, so if you eat 4 chicken breasts at
once, it takes your body longer to digest, but uses the same energy
as you would if you ate 1 chicken breast every 3-4 hours. (just an
example).
Myth 3. Eating carbs at night will make you gain fat.
your body doesn’t just decide what time of day it wants to store fat
The total number of calories you eat throughout the day will
ultimately depend on whether you lose, gain, or maintain weight. If
you exercise in the evening then eating a carbohydrate meal
afterwards will be beneficial to restore your energy levels.
carbs also increase serotonin production, this is a neurotransmitter
responsible for feelings of relaxation and calmness. So, for some
people, eating carbs at night will help to relax and aid better sleep.

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Myth 4. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
There is no meal more important than the other throughout the day.
As we saw before, your body has stores of energy for when you have
not eaten, so if you didn’t eat breakfast it would simply tap into your
glycogen stores to get you going.
Some people may benefit from skipping or delaying breakfast as it
ultimately adds a controlling factor for the total amount of calories
that you can consume in a day.
At the end of the day it comes down to personal preference, but
don’t force yourself to eat breakfast because you feel like you must.
Myth 5. You can eat as much ‘healthy’ food as you want
Calories are calories, YES, certain foods will provide you with more
micronutrients, and increase your satiety, but if you eat too much
chicken and sweet potato, you will still gain weight. Again, the only
golden rule is energy balance.

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CHEAT MEALS
Cheat meals are becoming very common these days. But I guarantee
most people try and justify a cheat meal without ever actually
knowing what its meant to be for.
The idea of a cheat meal among the bodybuilding is to restore
certain hormone levels that are affected after being in a calorie
deficit for a period.
These are also known as ‘refeeds’, however (a term I prefer to use)
And are periods of time that are structured to be above maintenance
calories through additional carbs/fats.
If you are trying to improve your lifestyle, and lose some weight,
your body doesn’t NEED this.
For most people, what does ‘cheat’ meal represent?
• Calorie dense foods they haven’t been able to eat on the diet
they are following
• Overindulgence, because it’s another week before you can do it
again
• Guilt following because you have ‘cheated’
• Lack of results because calorie deficit for the week wiped out by
cheat meal.
If you feel you have suffered to the point that you need a huge
blowout on crap, you’re doing something wrong in the first place.
This is where moderation is key, structure your cravings into your
diet, don’t leave it to impulse. Most people can fit a little ice cream
or bit of chocolate into their daily nutrition perfectly well, leaving
you far less likely to binge at the weekend.

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Tracking results
You know what you need to eat, how much you need to eat. You
know you should be exercising and staying as active as possible
throughout the day to get your NEAT up.
Job done, lets see the results come in!!
How are you going to track them?
1. Weighing
There is a lot of debate over whether we should be weighing
ourselves as a measure of success when dieting, the fact is,
your weight changes daily, for example you could be 3lbs up on
any given day depending on what you had to eat the night
before, stress levels, hydration levels etc.
If you are going to weight yourself, I recommend doing it every
day, then finding your average over a 7 day period. So you end
up with a weekly weight. Once a week is a bit of a gamble, and
if you happened to catch yourself on the 1 bad day of the week,
it can throw you off completely.

2. Measurements
Cant go wrong here, take your measurements weekly, thighs,
hips, waist, wherever you want really. Loss of inches can be a
really motivational tool, especially if theres something your
trying to fit into!

3. Pictures
For me this is the most important tool you have, the fact is that
when you see yourself in the mirror every day, you don’t notice
the changes because they are progressive, on the same day
that you take measurements, take pictures as well, try and use
the same spot and same lighting every time.

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 10 STARTUP TIPS
1. CALCULATE
Work out your required calorie intake and
how much of each macronutrient you can
have per day in order to make progress
towards your goals

2. TRACK
Spend a few days tracking your
food with the MyFitnessPal app,
this will help you to become
more calorie conscious by seeing
what is in certain foods

3. COOK!
If you don’t cook very often, then try!
There are a tonne of simple recipes that
you can make, and it will make your diet
far more sustainable if you can vary the
types of meals you eat.

4. 80/20
Make a list of all the foods you class as ‘healthy’ (based on
the information you have just read), and another list of all
the foods you think are ‘bad’ but you like to eat them. 80%
of the foods you eat daily should be from the first list. 20%
CAN be from the second. Moderation is key

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 5. PLAN AHEAD
Being busy is not an excuse for poor nutrition. If you can
cook 1 meal in 30 mins, you can cook your dinners for an
entire week in the same time.

6. EAT TO FIT YOUR LIFESTYLE

Do not plan your day around what you need to eat, your
diet should be flexible, there is no need for strict
mealtimes and nutrient timing, so don’t stress about it.

7. GET SUPPORT
If you live with others and they are not supportive of what
you want to achieve, it will make it infinitely harder to
achieve. It is important they understand why you want to
make the changes you do, and if they can make some of
the changes with you (if they need to), then even better.

8. EXERCISE
Make planned exercise a part of your lifestyle, the benefits
are HUGE, and good nutrition combined with a structured
training plan will improve your results tenfold

9. CHANGE HABITS
Write down the top 5 bad habits that you feel are stopping
you reaching your goals, and try to stop doing 1 of them,
when you are comfortable with that, move on to the next
and so on. Changing habits cannot be done overnight, it
will take time.

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 10.STICK AT IT
If you want to lose a stone, it didn’t take you a month to put
it on, so guess what, it’s going to take longer than that to get
it off. You will have bad days, bad weeks, things happen, and
that’s life. But stay off that diet cycle, and remember why
you made the changes you did in the first place.

From this guide, you should now have an idea of what

you need to do to start shifting the unwanted pounds.
Remember Fat loss IS NOT easy, and it does take time,
but it is worth it.
If there are any dieting tips/tricks out there, that seem
too good to be true, then I’m afraid they probably are.
The key to any successful diet is sustainability. If you
can’t see yourself eating that way in a years’ time, then
what’s the chances of you sticking to it?
If you do need help at all with working out what your
intake should be, or if you are stuck and struggling to
make progress, then get in touch
Email : Strengthfeeds@gmail.com

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