Fit-Bullets Friday: December 2nd, 2022
Fit-Bullets: Factors Holding You Back, Myths You Can Ignore, How Long To Stay In A Deficit, and My Favourite Supplements
Happy Fit-Bullets Friday!
Here are 4 things I wanted to share with you this week...
—
Click here and sign up to get the next edition of Fit-Bullets Friday in your email next Friday.
—
Overlooked factors holding you back
The longer I work as a coach and post on Instagram, the more factors I see holding people back from making progress.
Sure, for some it's not knowing how many calories to consume or how to strength train.
(Both of which I can help you with - I’ll send you a free guide to both if you sign up for Fit-Bullets Friday here.)
But once someone has an understanding of those things, failure to make more weight loss progress usually comes down to one or more of the following factors:
- Not managing stress
- Not managing your time
- Lack of sleep
- Binary thinking ("good" food vs "bad" food, the all-or-nothing mentality)
Read more at this Instagram post.
—
Don't believe these myths
There's a ton of bad information out there around fitness and nutrition.
Especially in the realm of weight loss.
So here are a few myths you can safely ignore:
- Lifting weights makes women bulky (lifting weights doesn't make anyone bulky - consuming too many calories makes someone bulky)
- You shouldn't eat after 10pm because you'll store the calories as fat (the only reason not to eat late is because it can potentially make your sleep quality worse, leaving you tired, hungry, and cranky the next day. But you won't store those calories as fat if you're in a calorie deficit)
- Eating sugar spikes insulin, which makes you store all the calories you eat as fat, even in a calorie deficit (simply wrong - if you're in a calorie deficit, you'll lose fat, even with insulin spikes. It makes sense to limit sugar for general health reasons, but eating the occasional cookie while following an overall nutritious diet will not stop progress)
- Fasted cardio is the best way to lose fat (being in a calorie deficit is the best way to lose fat. You don't have to work out on an empty stomach for that to happen)
- You have to be in ketosis to lose fat (wrong - you have to be in a calorie deficit to lose fat. And what many don't realize is that you will actually gainweight in ketosis if you're eating too many calories)
—
How long should you stay in a calorie deficit?
If you're reading this newsletter, there's a good change you're either currently in a calorie deficit or you're planning to get into a calorie deficit in January.
And a common question I get is:
Do I need to stay in a calorie deficit until I reach my goal weight?
The answer: definitely not. I don't recommend you stay in a deficit until you reach your target weight.
Most of my clients stay in a deficit for 5-6 days, and then they take 1-2 days off.
Now, let's be clear...
When I say "take 1-2 days off" I don't mean they consume as many calories as they want.
I mean they go up to maintenance, which is typically 300-500 calories above their calorie deficit target. They mostly do this so that they can enjoy the weekend with friends and family while still getting results.
And most of my clients go into a small surplus on special days likee Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.
So if you're trying to drop 30 lbs and you know from my posts that it's going to take you 6-12 months to do so, the good news is that you absolutely do not have to be in a calorie deficit for the next 6-12 months.
You can spend 5-6 days in a deficit followed by 1-2 days at maintenance.
You can even take a week or more at maintenance whenever you feel you need it - which is particularly useful when you're on vacation.
During the fat loss phase I'm currently in, I've taken at least 1 day per week at maintenance. It makes the whole process feel far more sustainable.
And if something's sustainable, it means you're more likely to stick with it for long enough to see results.
—
My favourite supplements
First of all, I'll make this clear:
No supplement will increase your rate of weight loss.
And also...
If your movement and nutrition habits aren't in place, supplements are a waste of money.
I don't take supplements as a way of "boosting" my weight loss. The supplements I take fall into one of the following two categories:
1. They make life easier.
or...
2. They help me fill in any gaps that my nutrition habits might miss.
In the first category, there's protein powder. I have a high protein target, 150-170g per day, and protein powder makes it so much easier to hit that target.
I'm a huge fan of both whey protein and casein protein. The main difference between then is that whey is fast-digesting and casein is slow-digesting. This means that casein will keep you full for longer, which makes it a great choice during a weight loss phase.
I'll still use whey, but mostly because there are more flavour options and it also mixes a little better with water - casein does mix well, but it's pretty thick and therefore isn't the best option if I just want a quick shake after a workout. Whey would be the better choice for me in that situation.
In the second category, we have:
- Multi-vitamin
- Fish oil
It's hard to cover all the vitamins and minerals I need, even when following a very nutritious diet, and I view a multi-vitamin and fish oil as "insurance" to make sure I cover my bases.
(Should you consult your doctor before taking a new supplement? Yes, especially if you're on any kind of medication)
So these are the supplements I take:
- Casein protein powder
- Whey protein powder
- Multi-vitamin
- Fish oil
Frankly, the brand doesn't matter all that much - as long as it's a reputable brand.
I use Legion Athletics. To be 100% open, they sponsor me - and I happily accepted their sponsorship as they are such an ethical and transparent company.
And their protein powder is literally the most delicious protein powder I've ever tasted.
Here are links to the supplements I mentioned:
- Casein protein powder (I like the chocolate flavour)
- Whey protein powder (Cinnamon Cereal and Salted Caramel are my favourites)
- Multi-vitamin
- Fish oil
If you decide to order anything, you can use the code ROSENTRAIN to save 20% on your first order. They're also having a big sale for another couple of days, so now's a good time to stock up :)
—
See you next time,
Daniel