Expert Advice submitted by Body and Mind Ladies Only Fitness Centre

"Hello to all you budding healthy fit people.

January is over and we hope you're all still as committed to your New Years Resolutions as you were on January 1.

So far we've covered the basics such as motivation, simple tips to keep you on track and exercises you can do at home when you just can't make it to the gym.

Now we are going to look at diet.

What's the use of all the exercise and commitment if what you eat is not in line with your exercise regime? So where to start? Easy - at the beginning.

The one thing we want to lose more than anything when trying to lose weight is body fat. Did you know you need to eat at least 35 grams of fat per day to enable your body to produce fat soluble vitamins?

Have you ever embarked on a fad diet or detox plan? Did you find that by day four or five you felt low, not just in energy but also in moral?

This is due to the fact many fad diets or detox plans allow for little or no fat at all a day. The result? When your body has too little fat each day you cannot produce the essential fat soluble vitamins which leads to you feeling low. This is the point where many of us would give in and eat something indulgent and why not? Your body is trying to tell you to eat a vital food group!

To start you on the right track with your food don't diet. Make a lifestyle change.

Keep it simple - eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Three square sensible meals a day will give your body a routine and train your appetite.

If peckish between meals eat fruit. Not only is it healthy and nutritious but fruit, especially hard fruits such as apples or pears, contain cellulose. When digested, cellulose becomes 'sticky' which means your digestive system has to work harder to break the cellulose down.

 
The effect? This speeds up your metabolism. The faster your metabolism the quicker your body burns off calories. Couple this with the effect of exercise and increasing your muscle mass and your journey to goal weight / ideal dress size becomes that much quicker.

To start this lifestyle change check the fat content of your meals and aim to have 10 grams of fat per meal (women) and 15 grams (men). You'd be surprised what you can eat that stays within the 10-15 gram fat range and how quickly eating a more healthy diet effects your body tone and weight loss."

Good luck!

For more information about fat content or eating a healthier diet contact Body & Mind at Bodyandmindladiesgym@manx.net.