Why you may not be seeing results || Part One ||

First post of 2019 and first post in a very long time and it's a fitness post?? Whaaaaaaaat?! Yes! My blog has always evolved with me; from my ranting-nothing-makes-sense posts days in uni, to my makeup obsession phase (well I still love makeup. that hasn't changed) and now to this. Fitness!

I know, I know, just hang in there and ride along with me. It'll make some sense in the end. I promise!

For this post I wanted to share with you some key things that I've learnt that has shaped my outlook on fitness, the way that I train and overtime has helped me attain the best results physically (& mentally). So if you've been training for some time now and you are currently or at some point fallen into a slump or you feel the way you look isn't a true reflection of the amount of time/effort you're putting in, this might be helpful to you.

Not to make this post too lengthy, I've split it into two. Part two will follow next week. So enjoy and let me know your thoughts:

Nutrition
When it comes to weight loss, I'm sure you've heard the rule '80/20'. Meaning 80% nutrition, 20% exercise or 80% healthy foods 20% less healthy foods and I cannot stress how important and how true this is. Hitting the exact ratio doesn't matter but knowing and understanding that your diet is the primary catalyst to your progress is crucial. So if you've been focusing a lot on exercising and you've got to a point where you've plateaued or you're not seeing any results, I suggest you take a second look at your diet. Ask yourself - Are you eating right? Are you eating to match your goals? Are you consistent?

Food is life! Food is fuel! We all need to eat to live. Or in my case I live to eat lol. Whichever way round you look at it, the key is eating the right types and amount of food to fuel the body. Now when I say 'types' I don't mean the misconception around which nutrients are good and bad for weight loss. Carbs are good for you, they are your main source of energy, Protein is good for you to build your muscles. Believe it or not Fats are also good for you. They help reduce the risk of heart disease and decrease inflammation. The type I'm referring to here is the difference between healthy & unhealthy foods. Stay away from processed foods, stick to the produce section at the grocery store and incorporate more fresh, wholesome foods into your diet. You don't have to give up the things you love and have salads & smoothies everyday to see a difference. Cheat meals are okay, I have one every Saturday but I try to eat 'clean' Sunday through to Friday. It's all about having a healthy balance.

Loosing weight is just simple mathematics and I'll go into it in more details in my next few posts. But if you want to loose weight - eat at a deficit (i.e. eat less than you currently are) and if you want to gain weight - eat at a surplus (i.e. eat more than you currently are). It's all about trial & error. Start slow, find out what your current calorie intake is and reduce it by 5%-10% at a time and see how your body responds to it. If you're not dropping the pounds, reduce it further and compare. Keep going until you hit a healthy deficit that fits into your current lifestyle/activity level. And remember, it takes time. You can't loose weight overnight & even if you did, you still have have to work hard overtime to maintain that weight.

Make a Plan & Train SMART
If you're more advanced, you probably have the experience and the knowledge to go to the gym and just wing it. But for beginners/intermediates like myself, having a plan  is very beneficial:

• it helps you strategise your workouts so you don't end up overtraining or under-training.
• you're mentally prepared because you're organised and already know what you're doing beforehand.
• you're more likely to spend less time at the gym faffing around or waiting on equipments (especially during peak hours).

One of the most effective ways I found to plan my workouts is through a Training Split. What this is, is basically targeting a specific muscle group each session. When I first started training, this helped me to pay close attention to my form and focus on one muscle group each day rather than a full body workout. Plus it gave my muscles the time to recover, repair and rebuild before working on them again.

Training smart is all about utilising your time to get the best out of your workouts. Are you incorporating supersets and tri-sets into your workouts? Are you grouping your exercises according to your muscle groups (as well as the layout of your gym)? What about your intensity? Are you pushing yourself hard enough? Don't just go through the motion just to complete a session and tick a box to say - 'Yes, I went to the gym today'. Focus on your form - use your mirrors, check your tempo (slow down the movement if you have to). Get that mind to muscle connection.

And make it fun! Going to the gym can be daunting and it can be hard to find motivation especially on our off days. So incorporate variations in some of your compound movements. For example, try some squat pulses, squat jumps, squat hold, curtsey lunges, single leg deadlift, throw some concentric and eccentric movements in there as well. Maybe do a drop-set with your Lat Pulldowns. Doing the same thing over and over again will eventually get boring and might make you want to quit.

Summary
These are the two main drivers when it comes to weight loss (or weight gain). If you manage to nail these two things down, you're more than halfway there. I want to go into more details about how I train, what I do, what my current training split looks like and why. What I'm currently eating, what calories and macronutrients I'm currently on and what the heck that all even means but this post will never end. So for now, try introducing these into your routine and keep at it until it becomes second nature. And if you think you already are, take a step back, have a look at what you're doing and be true to yourself - does your effort match your expectations (and goals)? You only get as much as you put in and that goes for everything in life.

If you have any tips, advice or any changes you've made to get the best results, I would love to read them so leave me a comment down below. And if you have any questions, feel free to drop them down below in the comment section as well. Feel free to share this post and let me know if you have a particular topic you'd like to see on here.

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***Disclaimer: I am not a fitness professional (i.e. Personal Trainer, Dietician, Nutrition etc.). Content of this post is based predominantly on my personal experiences (and things I've researched and learnt over the course of my 'fitness journey'). Please consult your doctor/physician or fitness professional for any concerns you may have. Thank you.