my body has changed a lot throughout the years. i’ve been overweight, i’ve been severely underweight… and now i’m a fitness model and personal trainer! throughout all of the ups and downs, the blood, sweat, and tears—i have learned so much from my journey. i have worked with dietitians, doctors, and bodybuilders. and today i’m sharing with you a few things i’ve come to know about weight loss, weight gain, fitness, and nutrition. i hope this helps you with your own journey!
CHECK OUT THE REST OF MY SERIES:
the ultimate guide to binge eating
the ultimate guide to recovery
the ultimate guide to getting in shape
calculate your predicted weight loss
calculate your bmi + caloric needs
calculate how much exercise will burn off what you ate
MYTH: “carbs make you fat.”
→ FACT: when it comes to weight loss or gain, the only thing that matters is calories in vs. calories out. you could eat nothing but chocolate cake and still lose weight (but you might feel like crap) as long as you’re in a calorie deficit. no matter how many carbohydrates you eat, if you consume less calories than you burn, you will lose weight—and therefore not gain fat. besides… your body needs carbs to function! carbs are our main energy source, and a building block for muscle.
MYTH: “you have to eat breakfast in order to lose weight.”
→ FACT: as long as your total calories are in check, it does not matter when you eat them. however it’s proven that skipping breakfast can lead to overeating (or even binging) later on in the day, as well as lack of energy and focus, increased cravings, bloating and constipation. there have been numerous studies showing that people who eat breakfast are able to lose more weight—and that’s the tea so don’t @ me.
MYTH: “you should exercise every day.”
→ FACT: this can actually hurt your progress! muscles are built outside of the gym—growth occurs during rest. overtraining can prevent muscle gain, hinder your workouts, and lead to injuries. the recommended amount of times you go to the gym is 3-5x per week. rest days are a must!
MYTH: “lift as heavy as possible.”
→ FACT: it’s true that you should aim to increase the amount of weight you’re lifting. however this is a process that takes time. don’t sacrifice good form for heavier weights. your form is way more important! take your time getting accustomed to each new amount—start with 10-20 lbs and prioritize mastering each exercise.
MYTH: “gluten causes weight gain.”
→ FACT: if you are on a gluten-free diet in the hopes of losing weight, and you don’t have a gluten sensitivity, you are probably just wasting your money on expensive gluten-free products. the reason people lose weight when cutting out gluten is because they tend to eat less high-calorie items like bread, ice cream, and sugary baked goods. foregoing gluten will not make you lose weight if you don’t have a sensitivity or other medical reason to avoid it.
MYTH: “protein supplements are healthy.”
→ FACT: most protein bars, shakes, and other supplements are actually kind of terrible for you (and expensive). they’re loaded with sugar, saturated fat, and chemicals. in fact many of them are just as bad as actual candy. halo top, the popular protein ice cream, has a whopping 20-30 grams of sugar! it’s a much better and more effective choice to get your protein from natural sources like seafood, eggs, and legumes. but here are a few of my favorite, less offensive protein bar brands [ nugo | quest | thinkthin | clif whey | one ].
you probably need more calories than you think you do—especially if you’re a teen or young adult. you’re still growing after all, and your body uses a lot of energy each day. take a look at this chart below to see what your recommended daily calorie needs are:
…but keep in mind that everyone’s body has different needs. physical activity level, metabolism speed, and overall health varies greatly from person to person.
your body will adapt to its circumstances; if you eat only 1000 calories a day, your metabolism will adjust to that amount… and that means your maintenance calories will be 1000, and you’ll hit a weight loss plateau. not to mention that your body will start to shut down as a way to save energy (loss of period, hair falling out, dry skin, rotting teeth, etc.) and eventually you’ll develop severe health problems from malnourishment. if you’re suffering from an eating disorder take a look at my post on recovery. because recovery is the first step to getting in shape.
besides, restricting your calories too much will lead to failure. why? because it’s not sustainable. in fact many people will gain back all of the weight they lost (and more) after a crash diet. increase your physical activity instead of decreasing your calories… or be in a small sustainable deficit. plus, this will make sure that your metabolism doesn’t slow down tooo much.
getting enough sleep is very important. sleep deprivation causes fatigue, a scattered brain, and can slow down fat loss. studies show that lack of sleep is linked to an increase in appetite, as well as a slowed metabolism and excess production of cortisol—a stress hormone that stimulates fat storage.
don’t deprive yourself. if you have a craving for something “bad”, indulge every once in a while! remember the 80/20 rule: eat clean 80% of the time and eat whatever the hell you want 20% of the time. i have a treat meal every. single. day… because that’s what’s sustainable for me.
some metabolism boosters: green tea, dark chocolate, berries, peppers + other spicy foods, oats, and iced water. being consistently active also gives your metabolism a lil kick.
taking laxatives will not help you lose fat! it only expels waste and water weight. laxatives are really harmful when overused.
if you struggle with binging or overeating, check out my masterpost on the topic for tips and tricks on how to stop.
INTERMITTENT FASTING is becoming an increasingly popular trend in the fitness community. basically it’s when you have an eating window (during which you consume all of your calories for the day), and a fasting window. a common approach is the 8:16 method. intermittent fasting itself will not cause you to lose weight, but it can help you eat less calories… and that’s why it’s effective for some people; it does not have magical fat-melting powers. though it has been proven to help you reduce bloating, stop binge eating, and improve blood sugar. (fasting is not reccomended for everyone, so be sure to check with a doctor before starting a new pattern of eating.)
one of my favorite fitness sayings, that totally changed my life: fat loss is not the same thing as weight loss!
first thing’s first: you need to step away from the scale, because it is not an accurate way to measure your progress. remember that muscle also contributes to the number on the scale—as well as water retention, waste and food weight.
cardio burns more calories than strength training during exercise. however, your body burns significantly more calories after lifting weights, as you’re using energy to build muscle. it’s important to fuel your body with food in order to grow and have energy.
when you start lifting weights, your body undergoes recompositioning, also called the “newbie effect”. what this means is that your body will start replacing your fat with muscle—that’s why people lose fat super quickly when they begin picking up weights, even on a surplus.
yes, you need to be in a calorie surplus. in order to build muscle you have to eat more calories than you burn. make sure to prioritize protein in your diet; the recommended daily amount of protein is 0.8-1 gram per pound of body weight. for example, i weigh 105 pounds so i eat 105 grams of protein per day. protein is absolutely necessary to repair your muscles!
you need carbs and healthy fats as well. a big mistake a lot of people make is attempting to eat a small amount of carbs and fats. don’t do this! your muscles are actually partly comprised of cacarbohydrates, so you need them to grow. carbs are also your body’s main source of energy to get through your workouts, as i stated earlier.
and of course you need to get enough sleep. sleep is very important for the anabolic process. aim for 8-10 hours of sleep per night for maximum growth (as well as fat loss.)
gaining muscle will not make you look bulky. it will make you look leaner and more toned. it can also make you more curvy if you choose to train your lower body. (you must lift weights if you want a peach like sommer ray!)
it takes time to build muscle. a loooong ass time. and lots of consistency, patience, and hard work. keep pushing yourself and eventually you’ll be able to look back and see how much progress you’ve made.
genetics play a huge role in determining what your figure will look like. some people will never have big glutes, some people will never have a small waist or lean legs. our bodies store muscle and fat in different ways. it is what it is.
warm up: start with a brief cardio warm up to get your blood pumping. this should be around 10 minutes. you can do active stretches, jog on the treadmill, or jump rope—whatever primes your muscles best. a warm up is essential for proper growth and avoiding injury. there are lots of great warm up videos on youtube.
activation: doing this will transform your progress in the gym. it’s ideal to use resistance bands, light weights (like dumbbells) and/or machines at the gym for activation. studies show that more growth/stamina occurs when muscles are properly activated before lifting. for glutes, some good exercises include bridges, clamshells, and kickbacks.
strength: this is when the muscle building magic happens! prioritize compound movements like deadlifts and squats. you should aim to do 3-5 sets of 8-10 reps, with a 2 minute rest in between sets for maxmimum performance. if you want to lift really heavy weights, the 2-5 rep range is good—just make sure you aren’t sacrificing proper form. try to fit around 2-4 heavy movements into your workout (for example: 1. romanian deadlifts, 2. split squats, 3. lunges).
isolation: during this portion of your workout, you should do a couple of isolation movements using weights. while compound movements engage multiple muscles at once, isolation moves focus on a single muscle group. if you want to grow your glutes, you might do some hip thrusts or kneeling squats.
cool down: end your workout with static stretching, more cardio, or yoga.
your workout should be about an hour long. studies show that working out for more than an hour and a half is actually counterproductive. you don’t need to go super hard for hours every day—in fact you definitely shouldn’t! try to work out 2-5x a week and make sure that you have rest days to properly recover.
work your total body! if you just work your legs + glutes, your upper half will be neglected; you should tone up your entire body for that lean, athletic look. it’s smart to dedicate your workouts to a specific muscle group—perhaps come up with a schedule to make sure that you’re hitting all of your muscles each week.
PRE + POST WORKOUT NUTRITION:
because what you eat is so important… oh and you absolutely do not need supplements, bcaas, or preworkout powders. they’re expensive and 100% not necessary—i have never used them.
before you exercise: go for simple carbs and natural sugars. oats, fruits, bread, and potatoes are all good choices. this will give you the energy you need to be successful. try not to eat too much protein before working out because protein takes longer to digest, and you don’t want to be uncomfortable when exercising. this is also a good time to have caffeine—like dark chocolate, coffee, tea.
after you exercise: the building block of muscles, protein, is the most important thing to include in your post-workout meal. you should also eat some complex carbs and healthy fats to help replenish and promote muscle growth. here’s an example meal: a plate of fish, sweet potato, and steamed vegetables.
resistance bands [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ]
lifting gloves [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ]
yoga mats [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ]
sports earbuds [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ]
kettlebells [ 1 | 2 | 3 ]
barbell pads [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ]
phone armbands [ 1 | 2 | 3 ]
take off your lifting gloves between sets, so that they don’t get too damp with sweat and hinder your ability to grip the barbell.
if you’re self-conscious while squatting, tie a jacket or hoodie around your waist so you don’t have to worry about anyone looking at your butt.
listen to music while you exercise! make a playlist that gets you pumped. wireless headphones/earbuds are excellent if you don’t want to wear a bothersome armband.
make sure that your core is engaged with every exercise. this will strengthen your abs and make it so that you don’t really have to do any ab-specific workouts (which nobody likes to do).
drink a glass of water in the morning before your first meal, to revv your metabolism and get your system up and running for the day.
if you’re bulking (eating in a surplus to build muscle), eat calorie-dense foods like avocado, nuts + nut butters, and rice. this will help keep bloating to a minimum.
you can use the edge of your bed or couch for doing hip thrusts from home.
if you don’t have a barbell foam pad, a folded yoga mat or thick pillow works just as well to protect your hips from bruising.
if you have to go somewhere in the morning and don’t want to appear bloated after eating breakfast, drink your calories instead. don’t skip breakfast… whip up a smoothie or have a protein shake!
videotape yourself during your workouts, to reflect on your form and make any corrections if needed. this is how i discovered that my back was too rounded when i deadlifted.
banana “nice” cream is a great alternative to processed ice cream. simply freeze bananas overnight and blend them in a smoothie with your toppings of choice. banana is naturally creamy and sweet.
if you struggle to drink water like me (i get full on it really quickly), drink it through a straw. it’ll make it easier to be sipping water throughout the day.
try not to exercise to close to bedtime, as that can keep you awake. ideally you should work out in the morning or mid afternoon.
stay consistent and work hard, create a sustainable fitness lifestyle, have tremendous patience, step out of your comfort zone— and you’ll reach your goals in no time!
❤ ask me anything | my answered asks | backup blog @thefitnessdiarist | instagram @growwithkat ❤
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