You may think that to lose weight and see results in the gym you have to cut out all your favourite foods – putting a ban on booze, bread, biscuits and let’s face it, all things joyous.
But David Jordan, Director & Personal Trainer of The Fitting Rooms, insists that an obsession with “clean eating” – aka denying yourself all foods that aren’t deemed traditionally healthy – can lead to dangerous food habits and insists you can still achieve your desired results AND eat the foods you love. WINNING.
He explains, “The term ‘clean eating’ has been doing the rounds in the fitness industry for a good number of years, but what started as a concept to encourage people to eat better is now considered to be one of the biggest drivers in the huge rise in orthorexia, where people become unhealthily obsessed with only eating foods they consider ‘clean’."
He adds, “Unsurprisingly, people started looking for more flexibility when it came to dieting, which led to them adopting the IIFYM or ‘If It Fits Your Macros’ approach where you adhere to predetermined calorie and macronutrient goals and as long as you stick to them, you can eat and drink whatever you want! Whilst it is still always advisable to choose healthier options for general well-being, it does mean you can indulge in the odd treat, making it a far more sustainable way to keep your weight in check.”
So what are macros and how can we determine the right level for ourselves?
David explains, “Macronutrients are categorised into carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Carbohydrates are essential for energy, particularly for high intensity exercise such as HIIT or weight training. They also play a role in muscle growth and fat burning. They are found to some degree in most foods but are most prominent in pasta, bread, rice, potatoes and vegetables. Carbohydrates give 4 calories (kcal) per gram.
“Fats are again essential to our body for energy, this time particularly for lower intensity exercise such as walking, slow jogging and general day to day activity. They also help our body in many other ways such as hormone regulation and ensuring we get enough vitamins and minerals. Fats are found in meat, poultry, fish, dairy, nuts, seeds etc. Fats give 9 kcal per gram.
“Protein is a hot topic in the fitness industry and rightly so: it’s essential for both muscle growth and repair. Protein is found to some extent in most foods but to a greater degree in meats, poultry, fish, dairy and soya. Protein will give you 4 kcal per gram."
Check out: 15 female celebrities who will inspire you to hit the gym
Need some gymspiration? Here are 15 female celebrities who will inspire you to hit the gym - SLIDER
1 of 15These ladies are all the gymspiration you need
2 of 15Binky Felstead
Named "gymspiration" of the year Binky Felstead is quickly becoming our favourite super-fit celeb. Not only has she recently been signed to Select Models, but the reality star is also the UK brand ambassador for sports brand Reebok.It's safe to say she's motivated after all, during her pregnancy with baby India she continued with her strict training regime with her personal trainer Tyrone.**How often does Binky Felstead work out?**Binky has revealed she likes to work out a few times a week: "I'm addicted to training, I love it so much. I probably train 3 times a week."I literally can't stop, and it makes me feel so much better and healthier and healthier," she told OK! magazine.
3 of 15Scarlett Moffatt
**How did Scarlett Moffatt lose weight?**Over the past few years Scarlett Moffatt has gone through an incredible body transformation. After finding out she was putting herself in danger by being overweight, the Gogglebox star lost an impressive three stone.She told New! magazine: "I've just started exercising quite a bit actually. I'd say I do HIT [High Intensity Training] about three times a week."She has since become fit and healthy, and has gone on to release her own fitness DVD Scarlett's SuperSlim Me Plan so we can all follow in her slender footsteps.Thanks Scar!There's since been reports that her DVD was a 'sham' however the TV presenter has since been papped getting fit and healthy bu going to the gym.
4 of 15Khloe Kardashian
**How did Khloe Kardashian lose weight?**The youngest Kardashian sister has proved that hard work in the gym REALLY pays off.Khloe Kardashian has a body that's toned-yet-curvy, and regularly posts photos that make us very envious. As well as hitting the gym five times a week with her personal trainer Don, Khloe also recently revealed that she now watches what she eats and drinks five to six litres of water a day.**How much does Khloe Kardashian weigh?**We know that Khloe lost 40 pounds but we're not sure if she even knows how much she weighs. She told PeopleStyle: "I don't weigh myself, I don't believe in numbers."
5 of 15Lorraine Kelly
**How did Lorraine Kelly lose weight?**We LOVE Lorraine Kelly. Not only does her show make our mornings that little bit better, but at 57-years-old she's proof that you can be fit and fabulous at any age. Over the last few years she's dropped from a size 14 to a size 10, and confessed that keeping fit and exercising has also helped her mentally.Want to get fit the Lorraine Kelly way? Well you can thanks to her fitness DVD Lorraine Brand New You.
6 of 15Louise Thompson
**How much does Louise Thompson weigh?**Binky's Made in Chelsea cast mate Louis Thompson is always posting photos of her body that make us want to run to the gym and eat a tub of ice cream at the same time (it's all VERY confusing tbh!). She regularly trains with her boyfriend Ryan Libbey - who happens to be an athlete, personal trainer and fitness model (hot!) - and has revealed that when she's in the gym she spends most of her time using weights.We're not actually sure how much she weighs - she doesn't either - but she has revealed a few of her workout routines to OK!: "We [Ryan and herself] will do four sets of eight reps for each exercise, which include things like deadlifts and weight squats."With the heavy weights, I have recently learnt to make a note of what I'm doing so that I can improve every fortnight and try to life heavier."Thanks for the tips, Lou!
7 of 15Davina McCall
**What does Davina McCall eat?**Davina McCall - who is in her forties and looks absolutely fabulous - has been giving us major fitness inspiration for years now. She regularly works out, and recently revealed that she's also cut sugar from her diet (yes, that means no more chocolate brownies, guys!).Want a hot bod just like hers? Then you need to check out her workout DVD Davina 5 Week Fit.
8 of 15Lucy Watson
**What does Lucy Watson eat?**As you can see from her social media photos, former Made in Chelsea star Lucy Watson has an amazing body. She eats healthy (she's recently been following a vegan diet), regularly goes to the gym and constantly makes us want to work out more.Lucy - what's your secret?!
9 of 15Kate Wright
**Has Kate Wright had surgery?**Did someone say body goals? Yes, TOWIE's Kate Wright has without a doubt one of the best bodies on Instagram. She's curvy, fit, toned, and regularly shares videos of herself working out. Not only do her videos help keep us motivated, but she's also really great at detailing exactly what exercises she's doing so we can all copy.Thanks Kate!And other than her lip fillers she's not had any plastic surgery.
10 of 15Helen Mirren
**How does Helen Mirren stay in shape?**Can you believe Helen Mirren is in her seventies? No, neither can we! The actress has previously revealed that she stays fit by doing a 12 minute exercise inspired by the Royal Canadian Air Force. Yes, 12 minutes! Now that's the kind of workout we're into. She told Hello! magazine: "It is the exercise I have done off and on my whole life."It just very gently gets you fit. Two weeks of doing that and you think: 'Yeah, I could go to the gym now."If it's good enough for Helen...
11 of 15Vicky Pattison
**How did Vicky Pattison lose weight?**Over the years Vicky Pattison's weight has fluctuated, but she's now settled at a healthy and happy size. Vicky's proven that you can be any size you want if you're willing to put the work in. The former Geordie Shore star lost four stones by cutting out junk food and alcohol from her diet.Want to follow in Vicky's footsteps? Then treat yourself to her fitness DVD Vicky's 7 Day Slim DVD.
12 of 15Lucy Mecklenburgh
**How much does Lucy Mecklenburgh weigh?**Since leaving TOWIE in 2013 Lucy Mecklenburgh has created her own fitness website, and regularly posts photos that make us envious of her body. In the past she explained she works out four to five days a week, and told MailOnline: "I always mix it up otherwise I would be bored. Variety is key to keep motivation."Noted!In the past she revealed she doesn't have any scales: "I don't even know what I weigh at the moment. You can get a bit obsessed and the scales mean nothing," she told Hello! Online.
13 of 15Kelly Brook
**Has Kelly Brook had surgery?**Model and actress Kelly Brook has always had a stunning figure. The 37-year-old - who has her own fashion line for Simply Be - has revealed she mantains a healthy balanced diet and has an active lifestyle. Sounds easy enough, right?On whether Kelly has had surgery or not in the past she told Mail On Sunday's YOU magazine that's she's natural: "I'm careful with the message I give out. I am natural – I don't have hair extensions or anything like that."
14 of 15Charlotte Crosby
**How did Charlotte Crosby lose weight?**Over the years, former Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby has had an incredible body transformation, which she puts down to simply working out and eating well. The 26-year-old reality star has confessed that exercise has helped her body confidence, telling the Daily Star: "Exercise is the key. It makes you feel like you've achieved something and it's so much better than lying about all day."Want to get your abs in tip top condition? Then check out Charlotte's 3 Minute Belly Blitz.
15 of 15Billie Faiers
**Does Billie Fairs work out?**Even though the yummy-mummy Billie Faiers doesn't go to the gym, she has a body that motivates most people to do a workout. The ex-TOWIE star has revealed that her daughter Nelly keeps her active, telling MailOnline: "I'm constantly running about after Nelly so I tend to be active and on my feet all day every day."She added: "I do eat relatively healthily, my diet is quite good but that's not to say I'm strict with myself, I just eat what I want when I fancy it really."
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So carbs, fats and protein are all essential to our body but how do we make sure we strike the right balance of each? David explains that if your goal is weight loss, you need to work out your Basic Metabolic Rate – how much energy you expend in a day – and multiply this by your activity level. Once you’ve figured this out, you apply a calorie deficit to lose weight or a surplass if you want to gain weight.
David explains, “It can sound a bit complicated but all you need is to plug your height, weight and age into the equation below."
BMR for Men
= (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) + 5
BMR for Women
= (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) – 161
Multiply Your BMR by one of the below that best describes your activity level
Sedentary: x 1.2
Lightly Active: x 1.375
Moderately Active: x 1.55
Very Active: x 1.725
Super Active: x 1.9
Finally apply daily calorie deficit or surplus depending on goal:
Deficit minus 600kCal
Surplus add 600kCal
If that still sounds too complicated, there are plenty of online calorie = calculators that will do the hard work for you!
So now you know your calorie intake, how do you work out the levels of carbs, fats and protein you should be consuming?
David explains, “Let’s use an example of someone with a 1,600 kcal goal and a bodyweight of 60kg. Always start with your protein level first. Ideally, you’d use your ‘lean mass’ measure to work this out but without getting your body fat measured this is difficult to do at home, so the next best solution is to use overall bodyweight. I recommend between 1-2 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight, so let's use 1.5, giving us 90g of protein (1.5x 60kg). We know that protein has 4 kcal per gram so 90 x 4 will give us the total number of calories from protein. This comes to 360kcal, leaving us with 1,240kcal.
“The remaining calories should be made up of both fats and carbs and there is no one definitive answer as to whether you go high fat or high carb, we just wouldn't recommend removing either completely. In this example we suggest 60g of fat which comes to 540kcal (60 x 9 kcal), leaving 700kcal. Divide this by 4 and you have 175g of carbs.
So, our Macros are:
Calories: 1,600
Protein: 90g
Fat: 60g
Carbohydrate: 175g
So without having to constantly check food labels and carry a calculator on your next food shop, how can you track your calories and macros to ensure you’re hitting your targets?
David says, “The best way to monitor your macros is by tracking your food on an app like Myfitnesspal so you can see how close you are to your daily target. Remember that the point of IIFYM is to be a little flexible, so allow yourself days where you are slightly over the target, so long as there are also days you are under so that your average across the week balances out. This flexibility should mean you’re able to maintain a normal lifestyle and see greater results in the long run”
Sounds good to us!
David is the director of The Fitting Rooms, which runs one on one and shared PT sessions.