I HAD STRUGGLED with weight loss and adopting healthy habits since my teenage years, which continued in college and medical school. I had a hard time keeping the weight off. My fitness journey has always been a roller coaster with me making great progress for a certain period, but then going back to my old habits when life got busy or challenging.

I became vegan ten years ago for health reasons, and it initially made a significant impact on my weight loss and energy levels. I initially became a vegan for health reasons, but it quickly became a lifestyle that I embraced to advocate for the well-being of animals and the planet. Vegan or vegetarian diets are not deprivation diets as many people think. I was able to get into the best shape of my life and transform my body solely on a healthy, plant-based, vegan diet.

However, during my medical residency and fellowship training, my schedule got busier, and I started neglecting my health again. Although I was exercising a few times a week, I wasn’t noticing any sustainable results.

I had some experience in the fitness world. I was a fitness instructor for a Bollywood-inspired dance fitness program called BollyX for almost a decade. When my work schedule allowed, I would teach dance fitness classes, holding me accountable to get some movement and cardio into my routine.

“It was much easier to know what to do than to do it”

OVER THE PAST few years, I put on a significant amount of weight and was unhappy with how I looked and felt physically. My exercise tolerance decreased, I constantly felt fatigued, I lacked confidence, had low self-esteem, and was ashamed of years of damage I had done to my physical and mental health.

I would tell my patients to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle, then come home, sit on my couch, eat processed junk food, and not exercise. I kept using my busy work schedule as an excuse to not lead a healthy life. I went through periods of trying many different lifestyle approaches, such as the keto diet, intermittent fasting, and 12-week bodybuilding training programs that I found online. None of them helped me create long-lasting, sustainable health habits that I often preach about to my patients.

A blood test put me in action

BEFORE STARTING MY journey, I had a routine physical exam with body composition and blood tests. My BMI was within the healthy range, however, I carried a significant amount of visceral fat in my abdominal region, which is a large risk factor for developing heart disease and other chronic metabolic disorders. Although my blood pressure and cholesterol levels were normal, I was found to have an elevated level of Lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a).

Lp(a) is a cholesterol-carrying molecule which contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries that can lead to a heart attack. Unlike cholesterol levels, which are frequently linked to diet and other lifestyle choices, Lp(a) is unique in that it is primarily driven by individual genetics and is an independent predictor of developing heart disease.

COURTESY SHERE

The levels of Lp(a) vary significantly among different ethnic groups. South Asians, in general, are known to have higher levels of Lp(a). Statistics show that South Asians are two to three times more likely to develop heart disease and develop it nearly a decade earlier than people of other ethnicities. South Asians are also more likely to develop other metabolic risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

I was already at an increased risk of developing heart disease due to my strong family history, and now even higher with an elevated Lp(a). I was aware that even though my genetics put me at risk for early-onset heart disease, I had to take charge of my health to prevent it.

As a cardiologist, I encounter and treat some of the sickest patients in the hospital. I strongly believe that the most effective way to combat heart disease is to prevent it from happening in the first place.

From lost and defeated to taking charge

MY WEIGHT LOSS and health journey began on June 11, 2022, which also happened to be my 34th birthday. I reflected on my personal, health, and professional goals as I do every year. As I stood in front of the mirror that morning, I felt disappointed with my health. I was overweight, tired all the time, and lacked energy. I felt like a hypocrite for promoting a healthy lifestyle to my patients daily and not following the same advice. I wasn’t being the doctor I wanted to be for my patients. I felt lost and defeated.

This was the moment I knew I had to make a change and take control of my health, although I didn’t exactly know how. Coincidently, that day, I discovered an online training program called KMak Fitness, which had a strong track record of transforming the lives of busy professionals. After speaking with Kunal Makwana, the founder, and my now trainer, I knew that this program was the perfect fit for me.

The online nature of the program is convenient for someone like me who works 70 to 80 hours a week. The personalised program was tailored to my busy lifestyle and offered me structure, guidance, and accountability. That day, my ‘why’ for embarking on this journey became clear—I wanted to become a positive role model for my patients and learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle so that I could confidently help others.

I put fitness in my life without giving up on living

DURING THE FIRST month of my program, my coach helped me develop the mindset and habits to overcome mental obstacles and navigate situations such as social events and vacations. I learned that having fitness goals doesn’t mean giving up on living life but rather finding ways to make the best of every situation.

Resistance training, adequate water intake, protein consumption, prioritising sleep and recovery, and more movement (at least 10,000 steps per day) were the basics that kept me on track. Instead of focusing on a certain target weight or physique, I concentrated on building healthy, sustainable habits.

The workout sessions were straightforward yet effective, lasting only 45 minutes, two to three times a week. (One day for upper body, another for lower body and another for full body.) I kept it simple and stuck to classic exercises like biceps hammer curls, triceps pull-downs, chest presses, shoulder presses, squats, leg presses, and some core work. Now, I’m working on adding more exercises with free weights to help me build strength and improve stability.

By staying consistent and following through, I quickly saw the pounds shed and was able to lose almost 30 pounds (13 kg) in just six months and gain real lean muscle mass. I felt the best I ever had.

I developed the mindset and tools to better guide my patients. I have become a more empathetic and understanding cardiologist, meeting patients where they are on their own journeys without any judgment. I am now more curious and inquisitive about their unique journeys so that I can better assist and support them.

After hearing about my transformative journey, my patients are much more open with me regarding their own challenges. I feel a greater sense of responsibility now to truly become that positive role model I wanted to be at the start of my journey. I have developed a stronger relationship with them, and in a way, I have become both their cardiologist and personal lifestyle coach!

What’s next

APART FROM BUILDING strength, I am also now focused on improving my cardiovascular endurance. I want to challenge myself by training as a hybrid athlete. Over the past few years, I have accomplished two half marathons, and I’m determined to take things to the next level. My goal is to train for and participate in the NYC Marathon while raising funds for the American Heart Association to support heart disease research and outreach programs.

Another goal I have that is to establish a “Walk with a Doc” chapter in my community. I hope to inspire others to prioritize their health and well-being by simply walking and moving more.

I changed what I eat

WHEN I WAS at my heaviest, my diet was vegan, but mostly consisted of unhealthy ultra-processed vegan foods such as fried foods, dairy-free cheeses, ice creams, and pre-made frozen meals. I also had a lot of take-out and over consumed calories throughout the day.

Now, my diet is still vegan, but I mainly consume whole food and minimally processed plant-based protein sources such as tofu, tempeh, lentils, seitan, chickpeas, and edamame. I’ve increased my protein intake and maintain a caloric deficit. I also include plant-based protein shakes in my plan for convenience. I aim to eat at least 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kg of my body weight daily.

One of my favourite desserts now is melting dark chocolate on top of plant-based Greek yoghurt, freezing it for a few hours, and then topping it off with fresh berries and walnuts.

What Worked for Me

TIP 1

Solidify and discover your why

Before you embark on a weight loss or transformative journey, it’s important to take some time to reflect on your why. When you truly understand the reasons why you want to achieve your goals, you will become unstoppable. Whether your why is to improve your self-confidence, prevent future health issues, inspire your loved ones, or regain control of your life, knowing your why will plant the seeds for growth during your journey. Keep your reasons why at the forefront of your mind, and you will become the master of your destiny.

TIP 2

Strive for consistency

Choose exercises and meals that you enjoy. When you enjoy the process, you’re more likely to stay consistent. Staying consistent with healthy habits was truly the key to achieving my health and fitness goals. Consistency helped me build discipline and mental resilience, paving the way for personal growth and success.

When faced with challenges or setbacks, staying consistent made it easier for me to overcome obstacles. I wasn’t discouraged by missing a workout or falling off my nutrition plan for a day or even a few days. The more consistent I was, the more empowered I was to get back on track and accomplish my goal.

TIP 3

Seek coaching and community support

I was lost and unsure where to start on my fitness journey. Seeking advice from fitness experts and joining a supportive community made a huge difference. Surrounding yourself with people who can provide mutual support and encouragement on challenging days can make all the difference to ensure you stay on track. Community and coaching support certainly made my journey an incredibly rewarding experience.

Related:

Can wearing a weighted vest lead to more weight loss?

Here’s what you need to know about weight training for weight loss

The post How this doctor’s lab results sparked him to lose 15kg appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

Taylor-Johnson’s goals for the production were lofty. He set out to gain a serious amount muscle in six months. That’s the type of mission even a superhero wouldn’t scoff at – so the actor brought in experts to help him along the way. He tapped Nate Schmit to handle his diet, then brought in trainer David Kingsbury to help fine-tune his workouts to build up the Kraven physique. 

Men’s Health got an exclusive look at the details of the program directly from Taylor-Johnson and his team to learn more about what it took to build up the Kraven body ahead of the film’s release in Australia on December 12.

Sony Pictures

Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven the Hunter nutrition

To eat like the world’s greatest hunter, Schmit built Taylor-Johnson’s diet around real food and stripped away the extras, like sugar. “The idea was, we have this monumental task of eating this much food – how can we do it, and keep you functional?” Schmit says. That meant getting protein from real sources in any way possible, from bone broth and gelatin gummies and marshmallows to steaks. Then, they added carbs for plenty of fuel to burn.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven the Hunter upper body workout

After the diet had run for three months, it was time to kick the training into gear. Taylor-Johnson began working with Kingsbury to refine the accumulated mass into the svelte, slightly-scary Kraven shred to drop body fat. “From my perspective, it was the perfect starting point because this person’s already got muscle mass,” the trainer says. “Building quality muscle takes months and years. Dropping body fat takes weeks.”

The post Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven the Hunter workout appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

What’s more, exercise alone isn’t a suitable plan to rip up your midriff. To say goodbye to belly fat for good, you’ll have to focus on losing fat across your entire body and the best way to achieve that? An emphasis on an nutritional intervention that elicits an energy deficit.

‘[Excess belly fat] is linked to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke’

But that’s not to say that your ultimate goal can’t be to lose belly fat. That’s as good a goal as any, and if that is your aim, science certainly has your back. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that your belly may increase your risk of dying early. The 2.5 million-person study revealed that as waist size increases so does all causes of mortality. The study found that for every four inches (10cm) of added waist size, the chances of early mortality increase by 11 per cent.

‘Belly fat is the fat that is stored around the organs in the abdomen and its excess is linked to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Therefore, having more belly fat can increase the risk of dying from these diseases,’ said study author Tauseef Ahmad Khan, from the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto.

‘People should be more concerned about their waist rather than focusing only on weight or BMI. Waist is a better indicator of belly fat and while one cannot target where one loses fat from, losing weight through diet and exercise will also reduce waist and therefore belly fat.’

Khan is exactly right, losing weight and dropping your body fat percentage is the only way to ultimately get rid of your belly. But if you want to know what belly-fat exercises to use to expedite your path to that end point, we can help you with that.

Types of belly fat and the dangers

Before we get to the exercises, first of all it’s important to say that not all belly fat is created equal. According to Harvard Health, there are two kinds of fat in your stomach:

Subcutaneous fat

The soft layer of chub that sits directly under the skin – the wobbly bits – and is generally harmless.

Visceral fat

The stuff you can’t see, which forms around your organs and has been proven to negatively effect health by increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

The bad news is that belly fat is metabolically active, and excels at pumping out various inflammatory substances that interfere with hormones that control appetite, mood and brain function. It can also impact your cortisol level, potentially sending your stress levels through the roof.

The good news is that it’s easy to get rid off, providing you know what you are doing. And a lot of it comes down to the type of exercises. However, they probably aren’t the exercises you think. Let’s start with the ones you shouldn’t do, but everyone does (or has done).

Exercises that WON’T burn belly fat

Abdominal exercises. Simply put, bashing out endless reps of sit-ups won’t have any real impact on your belly fat, according to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning. Of course, these kind of exercises will help strengthen your abdominal muscles, and even build them, but they won’t shift the layer of fat above them.

There is a belief, among some, that you are able to target a specific body part for weight loss, a process known as ‘spot reduction’. Unfortunately, the majority of studies cast doubt of the validity of this process.

So let’s make it clear: in order to reduce belly fat you’ll have to reduce the body fat percentage of your whole body. Simply put, in order to coax your body into utilising its stored body fat as fuel, you must be burning more calories than you’re consuming.

Unfortunately, and we’re sorry to be the bearer of bad news, you have no real control over where you’ll lose the fat first. But that’s not to say that the exercises below – a combination of full-body movements that demand a bucket load of effort and promoting a huge calorie burn – won’t almost immediately start to bring your body fat down and, in time, shave flab from around your stomach, revealing your muscle groups. What’s more, when they do finally make an appearance, they’ll look strong and chiselled.

Implement a selection of these 25 fat burning exercises to hammer the dozens of muscles between your shoulders and hips and get better metabolism at the same time.

The 25 best exercises for burning belly fat

1. Burpee

If you want to lose your gut, you need to work as many muscles as possible. The burpee does just that. The explosive exercise – which entails going from a push-up position to a jump and back to a push-up position – hits every muscle from head to toe.

In fact, a study from the American College of Sports Medicine found that 10 fast-paced reps are just as effective at revving your metabolism as a 30-second all-out sprint, so you can burn your belly fat faster than ever before.

DO IT:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your body until your palms rest on the floor about shoulder-width apart.
3. Kick your legs backward into a push-up position, perform a push-up, and then quickly reverse the movement and perform a jump when you stand. That’s 1 rep.

2. Mountain climber

Think of the mountain climber as a moving plank. You perform a mini crunch when you explosively draw one knee into your chest.

What makes this move so difficult, however, is that your core has to work overtime to keep your body stable and straight every time you lift a foot off of the floor.

DO IT:

1. Assume a push-up position with your hands below your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels. This is the starting position.
2. Lifting your right foot off of the floor, drive your right knee towards your chest. Tap the floor with your right foot and then return to the starting position. Alternate legs with each repetition.

3. Kettlebell swing

The kettlebell swing might be one of the best calorie-torching exercises of all time. In order to propel the heavy ball of iron, you need to engage big fat-burning muscle groups like your glutes, hips, and quads.

The explosive nature of this movement skyrockets your heart rate right away, but it also hammers your core.

DO IT:

1. Bend at your hips and hold a kettlebell with both hands at arms length down in front of you. Rock back slightly and “hike” the kettlebell between your legs.
2. Then squeeze your glutes, thrust your hips forward forcefully, and swing the weight to shoulder height. Reverse the move between your legs and repeat.

4. Medicine ball slam

If you haven’t used a medicine ball since school, you’re missing out. ‘Your core is your centre of power, so performing explosive movements like the med-ball slam requires all the muscles between your neck and your hips to work together,’ says expert coach Sean De Wispelaere.

And if you pick up the pace and propel the ball with more power and velocity, you’ll elevate your heart rate and burn some serious belly flab, he says.

You don’t even need to increase the weight. A 3-kilo medicine ball will work just fine if you go hard and push yourself.

DO IT:

1. Hold the ball above your head with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Slam the ball on the floor as hard as you can. Catch the rebound and repeat.

5. Dumbell overhead lunge

Add a dumbbell overhead during a lunge, and you suddenly have a core chiseler.

‘As the load shifts with every rep, all of the muscles in your torso need to work together to keep the weight directly above you,’ says Tony Gentilcore, strength coach at Cressey Performance.

The move engages your back and butt, too, because hunched shoulders and weak glutes also contribute to a bulging belly.

DO IT:

1. Grab a pair of medium- to light-weight dumbbells. Press the dumbbells overhead so your palms face each other. Be careful not to scrunch your shoulders up by your ears.
2. Step forward into a lunge position, pause, and then bring your back leg forward to step your feet together. Alternate legs as you walk forward.

6. Treadmill sprints

If you’re looking to drop weight, few exercises are better than short, sharp cardio bouts. Forget about daily 5ks and turn to HIIT instead. A study published in the Journal of Strength Conditioning Research found that participants burned up to 30% more calories doing a fast-paced HIIT workout over a longer, lower-intensity session for the same amount of time. To start, hit fifteen sets of 20 seconds sprinting with 40 seconds rest, and gradually increase your work:rest ratio.

DO IT:

• Increase the incline on a treadmill and sprint at full speed for the designated time.

7. Thrusters

Hit this multi-joint movement made of a squat and a squat and a shoulder press will ignite your glutes, quads, abs, shoulders and arm, while taxing your cardiovascular fitness. It’s the ultimate bang-for-your-buck exercise that hits almost every major muscle group.

DO IT:

1. Hold two kettlebells (or dumbbells) by their handles but so the weight is resting on the back of your shoulder.
2. Slightly bend your knees and squat down, keeping your legs in line with your shoulders.
3. Drive through your legs and straighten them, extending your arms as you do so to raise the kettlebells above your head. Squat down and repeat.

8. Skaters

Spur fat loss, improve agility, build strength, boost power, and skyrocket your fitness: the benefits of skaters stretch way beyond simply burning belly fat, but they’re excellent at that too.

DO IT:

1. Standing with your legs shoulder-width apart. Jump to one side of your mat and bend one leg behind the supporting leg at a slight angle.
2. Come back to standing and leap to the other side of your mat.
3. Shift your weight and land with the opposite leg behind you. Repeat.

9. Tuck jumps

This plyometric exercise absolutely torches calories, which makes it a perfect addition to any body-fat burning workout.

DO IT:

1. Standing with your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees and extend your arms out at shoulder height.
2. Using the power from your legs, bend deeper and jump straight up lifting your knees to touch hands extended.
3. Be sure to land softly and with your knees bent.

10. Squat jumps

Another calorie-sizzling plyo movement, squat jumps are a building block for just about every explosive lower body movement imaginable.

DO IT:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hinge at the hips to push your butt back and lower down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
2. Press your feet down to explode off the floor and jump as high as you can.
3. Allow your knees to bend 45 degrees when you land, and then immediately drop back down into a squat, and jump again.

11. Froggers

Don’t let this simplicity of this exercise fool you, it targets the entire body, working the arms, abs, glutes, legs and heart in one effective, and for our purposes calorie-crushing, move.

DO IT:

1. Squat down and place your hands on the floor between your feet.
2. Kick your legs back into a press-up position.
3. Reverse the movement back to the low-squat position. That’s one rep.

12. Broad jump

The compound and explosive nature of jumping means that it requires a lot of energy, which is why broad jumps are such a great exercise for calorie burning.

DO IT:

1. With your feet shoulder-width apart, lower yourself into a squat position.
2. Swing your arms back and use them to propel yourself forward, then bring your legs forward for additional momentum.
3. Jump as far as you can and land in a low-squat position.

13. Jumping jacks

No, jumping jacks aren’t an exercise reserved for your half-arsed warm-up, they torch calories, are good for you heart and can be done absolutely anywhere.

DO IT:

1. Stand with your feet together and your hands at your sides.
2. Simultaneously raise your arms above your head and jump up just enough to spread your feet out wide.
3. Without pausing, quickly reverse the movement and repeat.

14. Jumping lunge

Thought the dumbbell overhead lunge was the only lunge you need in your life? Hold on a second, a simple jumping lunge is also an effective calorie killer and, like that other exercise, it’ll work your core too.

DO IT:

1. Lunge forward until your rear knee is almost touching the ground.
2. Jump into the air, bringing your rear foot forward and the front foot back.
3. Land in a lunge and repeat.

15. High knees

Haven’t got access to a treadmill? No problem. Stand on the spot and blast out some high knees. Oh, and if you want to make these more difficult, try testing your coordination with alternating punches too.

DO IT:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Aim to lift up your right knee to your chest.
2. Lowing your right knee and lift your left knee to your chest.
3. Continue the movement, alternating legs and moving at a sprinting or running pace.

16. Skipping

Jumping rope for an hour can burn between 800 and 1000 calories, and while we don’t expect you to skip for that long, don’t underestimate how much good a simple skipping rope can do.

DO IT:

1. Hold the rope in your hands with your arms by your sides.
2. Jump on each revolution.
3. Focus on keeping knees soft and core engaged.

17. Devil’s press

Fewer movements require quite as many muscles as this sinisterly named dumbbell delight, and more muscles means a bigger calorie burn.

DO IT:

1. Holding two dumbbells, drop down into a press-up position and lower your chest to the ground.
2. Press back up and quickly jump your legs back towards your chest landing with your dumbbells between your legs.
3. As you begin to stand back up, use the momentum to swing the weights between your legs, then explosively overhead.
4. Lower under control, back to the ground and repeat.

18. Barbell clean and push press

Utilising nearly every muscle in your body and moving a barbell from ground to ceiling is a sure fire way to spike your metabolism.

DO IT:

1. Hinge down and grasp a barbell, hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Shins perpendicular to the ground. Tightly lock your arms and back
2. Explode up, extending your knees and hips and using the momentum to power the bar to your shoulders. Flip your wrists to land it above your chest with a slight bend in your knees before standing up straight.
3. Take a deep breath and brace your core. Dip at the knees and use your legs to help press your barbell overhead. Lower under control to your shoulders, then to the ground and repeat.

19. Alternating dumbbell snatch

Explosively tossing a dumbbell from the ground to overhead? Probably the most fun you can have with a dumbbell (and the most calories you can burn).

DO IT:

1. Hold one dumbbell on the ground between your legs, squatting and hinging down with a flat back.
2. Drive up through your hips and knees, generating momentum to pull the dumbbell up to chin height.
3. Quickly flip your wrist and press the dumbbell directly overhead in one movement. Lock your arm out overhead and stand tall.
4. Lower the dumbbell safely to the ground, switch arms and repeat.

20. Farmers walk

Walking is uncontroversially a pleasant way to wile away the calories. Walking with a heavy set of weights in each hand may be far less pleasant, but its definitely more efficient for ramping up your metabolism.

1. Hinge down and deadlift a heavy pair of dumbbells or kettlebells to waist height.
2. Stand tall, pull your shoulders blades back, lock your ribcage down and brace your core.
3. Stride forward quickly, completing 10-20m lengths, or simply keep going until your grip gives out… then repeat.

21. Sled push

The sled push will not only overload your quad muscles and deliver a massive shoulder burn, it will also scorch calories.

DO IT:

1. Hold onto the handles with your torso lowered and arms straight.
2. Push each leg behind you and drive the sled forward with your core braced.
3. Take long and forceful strides.

22. Reverse sled drag

Targeting the posterior chain with the sled pull, you can fire up your hamstrings, calves, glutes and test your endurance while racking up calorie burn.

DO IT:

1. Attach straps or a rope to your sled and grip with both hands.
2. Explosively march backward with small but powerful steps.
3. Focus on the tension in your hamstrings as you stride backwards.

23. Airbike sprints

Love it or loathe it, the airbike (or assault bike) is an efficient calorie torcher. Complete sprints of 20 seconds full out effort, 40 seconds off with 3-5 sets for a true test of cardiovascular output.

DO IT:

1. Set up on the bike – your back should be straight and the saddle adjusted so you have a slight bend in the knee at the bottom of your cycle.
2. Peddle the feet and use the arms to simultaneously push and pull the handles.
3. Try not to flail around, instead keep your movement as economical as possible.

24. Row sprints

The rowing machine may be one of the least loved pieces of cardio equipment in your gym, but used with intent, and it will be a formidable calorie torching tool. Challenge your cardio by completing sets of 100m full out effort, 30-60 seconds rest, trying to beat your time with each round for 5 rounds.

DO IT:

1. Begin with your feet strapped into the rowing machine with the correct setting on the footrests.
2. Maintain an upright torso and reach forward to the handles.
3. Push through the heels powerfully and simultaneously straighten your legs whilst you travel your torso from the forward position to leaning back and drawing the handle high on your chest.
4. Reverse the movement and reach forward, ready to repeat.

25. ‘Deadmill’ sprints

The tread push or ‘deadmill’ sprints are not only a great way to skyrocket the heart rate, but it is also a potent quad and glute burner and builder. Complete all out intervals of 20-30 seconds on and 30-60 seconds off for 3-5 rounds.

DO IT:

1. Either use a curved treadmill with the resistance setting on high, or an electric treadmill with the power turned off.
2. Hold onto the handlebars and take long, purposeful strides.
3. Keep your chest low and maintain a rhythm for the allotted interval time.

This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.

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Can you actually burn fat and gain muscle at the same time?

The post 25 exercises and principles to help you lose belly fat (and fat from everywhere else) appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

Now, new evidence supports this, with one study indicating that wearing a heavy weighted vest could lead to an additional three pounds of fat loss over three weeks compared to carrying less weight, whilst also maintaining muscle mass.

Published in The Lancet, the study’s researchers wanted to investigate the effects of additional weight on fat loss. Specifically, the researchers wanted to examine the effects on the hormone leptin during the intervention, which had previously only been studied in rodents.

They mention, ‘We have recently published evidence that there is a loading dependent homeostatic regulation of body weight and fat mass, named the gravitostat, supported by the finding that increased loading using weight capsules reversibly decreased body weight and fat mass in rodents,’ The aim of their study was to investigate if artificially increased weight loading would decrease body weight in obese humans also.

A total of 69 healthy men and women between 18 and 70 years old with mild obesity were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either low load or high load treatment.

• The heavy loading treatment consisted of a weight vest with a weight corresponding to 11% of the participants’s body weight
• The light loading treatment consisted of a weight vest corresponding to 1% of the participants’s body weight.

Both groups had weight vests from the same manufacturer with identical appearance. The participants were asked to use the weight vest for at least eight hours per day for three weeks without deviating more than 20% from these outlines. The participants recorded daily the time using the weight vest in total and the time using the weight vest standing. They were encouraged to continue with their normal lifestyle activities except for the extra amount they spent standing each day.

Measurements were taken by bioelectrical impedance analysis before and after the intervention. Their food intake was measured using weekly dietary food questionnaires.

The researchers found that over three weeks:

• The bodyweight loss was significant in the high load group (1.68%) but not in the low load group.
• Analysis of the absolute change in body weight showed that the high load treatment reduced the body weight by an average of 1.31 kg (2.9 lbs) compared to the low load treatment across both genders.

The researchers conclude that: ‘The main finding was that high load treatment reduced body weight compared to low load treatment and that this was the result of a reduction in fat mass while fat-free mass was unaffected. Our interpretation of these results is that there is a weight loading dependent homeostatic regulation of body weight, the gravitostat, also in humans.’

They continue to explain these results as being due to increased loading leading to increased energy expenditure to provide energy for an inevitable increase in physical workload. This would especially occur when moving upward to resist gravity. This mechanism could be regarded as a part of the gravitostat as it senses the body weight and adjusts the body mass.

To conclude the researchers note that ‘Increased weight loading reduces body weight and fat mass in obese subjects in a similar way as previously shown in obese rodents. These findings demonstrate that there is a weight loading dependent homeostatic regulation of body weight, supporting the gravitostat hypothesis also in humans.’

South_agency//Getty Images

The post Can wearing a weighted vest lead to more weight loss? appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

Let’s take a look at the science behind protein, how effective this macronutrient is for weight loss, and how it can help you to manage your appetite, build more metabolism-boosting muscle, burn more calories at rest and help you recover from your workouts.

What is protein?

Protein is one of several ‘macronutrients’ alongside carbohydrates and fats. Made up of individual amino acids, the body requires protein to build, repair and maintain most of our vital systems, including muscle, bone and skin, as well as to create hormones and enzymes. Protein is absolutely vital to our health.

In relation to calories and weight loss, protein contains 4 calories per gram, the same amount as carbohydrates, with fat containing 9 calories per gram. Although this isn’t quite as cut and dry as seems, as we’ll find out later.

Is a high protein diet good for weight loss?

Protein can be extremely important when it comes to weight loss.

Research has shown that consuming more than the recommended daily allowance of protein can contribute massively to losing weight. In fact, some studies have demonstrated that by focussing on nothing other than increasing the amount of protein in the participants’ diet, fat loss was easily achieved.

It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean that wolfing down protein acts as a workaround for the ‘calories in vs. calories out’ rule we spoke about earlier, only that increasing daily protein intake had a direct effect on the total number of calories the study participants consumed, even if they weren’t asked to track or. restrict calories.

So why is protein so effective for weight loss? Let’s take a look.

Protein increases satiety

‘Satiety’, or the feeling of being full, signals your body to stop its hunger cues. Studies suggest this could be due to a rise in satiety hormones such as glucagon-like peptide- 1 and cholecystokinin, as well as a reduction in the hunger hormone, ghrelin, all derived from consuming protein. How pronounced is this effect? Well, one study demonstrated that by simply upping their protein intake by 15%, participants consumed over 400 fewer calories each day, leading to around 5kg in weight loss over 12 weeks, with no other conscious changes to their diet.

Your body burns more calories digesting protein

It might sound counterintuitive, but consuming calories actually burns calories. It’s a costly process for your body to turn the foods you eat into the energy you burn. Scientists call this cost ‘the thermic effect of food’ or TEF for short.

Of the three main macronutrients, protein has the highest TEF, with up to 30% of protein calories being burned during digestion. This means calorie for calorie, your body is able to derive less energy from protein when compared to carbs and fats. This also means there are fewer calories to store as body fat, if you’re consuming more calories than you’re burning on average.

Protein can ‘boost’ your metabolism

TEF also means that if you were to directly swap a portion of your carbohydrate or fat calories for protein, you would burn more calories on average each day – effectively boosting your metabolism – without altering calorie intake. Some studies have demonstrated that high protein diets can increase calorie burn by up to 200 calories each day.

Protein helps to promote and maintain muscle mass

It’s important when discussing weight loss to understand the difference between weight loss and fat loss. When losing weight, especially over prolonged periods of time, it’s inevitable that some muscle loss will occur. However, keeping this to a bare minimum and maintaining ‘fat free mass’ (FFM) is an important factor in healthy, successful weight loss. Not only because muscle mass is more metabolically active, meaning it burns more calories at rest, but also because studies have linked low muscle mass with higher risks of all-cause mortality. Basically, having a bit more muscle is very, very good for you.

Research has shown that a high protein diet, alongside resistance training, can help to prevent muscle loss, even during periods of calorie restriction and weight loss.

Protein may help to stop weight regain

A 2004 study demonstrated that patients on a weight loss programme who were administered a higher protein diet after their initial weight loss had a much lower chance of weight regain versus a group on a lower protein diet, possibly due to all the above listed benefits of consuming more protein.

It should be noted however, that this study demonstrates the importance of maintaining a higher protein approach to eating, even after weight loss. It can’t be stressed enough that habit and lifestyle changes are one of the most important factors in sustainable and sustained weight loss.

How much protein should I eat?

Although recommendations vary, even in the studies we’ve cited above, one factor seems to remain consistent for successful weight loss: eating more protein than the daily recommended amount. The current recommendation for adults is to consume 0.75g per kg of bodyweight – this equates on average to 56g per day for men and 45g for women. For men this is around the equivalent of a single chicken breast.

If the above research is anything to go by, you should be eating more than this, regardless of your goals. Between 1.6-2g per kilogram of bodyweight is a figure often cited by nutritionists and coaches.

You can read more about the research and debate on how much protein you should be consuming, including guidelines on how much protein to consume for fat loss and muscle gain, by clicking the link below.

Are high protein diets dangerous?

Despite persistent rumours that eating too much protein can be unhealthy or cause kidney damage, the latest research seems to suggest that in otherwise healthy individuals, consuming amounts of protein greater than the currently suggested recommendations does not have an adverse effect. However, it is important to note that any one of us may have underlying health issues that we are unaware of, and that all major changes in diet and lifestyle should be closely monitored, with health professionals being consulted, where necessary.

Are protein shakes good for weight loss?

Common wisdom and professional advice both dictate that you should aim to hit your daily protein goals through solid, whole food sources. However, if you struggle to reach these targets, research indicates that there is nothing inherently unhealthy about protein supplementation, and some studies even demonstrate increases in weight loss, as well as improvements in several markers of health and wellbeing through protein supplementation alone.

It is important to note that not all protein supplements are made equal, and that individual responses to different protein sources may occur, including adverse effects. So again, monitor closely and consult professionals, where necessary.

The research

Check out the following links for further reading on the studies cited in this article.

• A high-protein diet induces sustained reductions in appetite, ad libitum caloric intake, and body weight- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523295076?via%3Dihub
• Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss- https://www.jomes.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.7570/jomes20028
• A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: mechanisms and possible caveats-https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-7075-11-53
• Low skeletal muscle mass index and all-cause mortality risk in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies-https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37285331/
• Preserving Healthy Muscle during Weight Loss- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831322006810#:~:text=Together%2C%20these%20results%20suggest%20that,Smith%20et%20al.
• A High Protein Diet Has No Harmful Effects: A One-Year Crossover Study in Resistance-Trained Males- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27807480/
• Efficacy and safety assessment of protein supplement – micronutrient fortification in promoting health and wellbeing in healthy adults – a randomized placebo-controlled trial- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10079511/

This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.

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The post Is protein good for weight loss? appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

My advice to someone who is in a similar position as I was a few months ago would be to find someone to hold you accountable. It could be a mate, it could be a trainer, it could be a partner. Just do it with someone who has a similar mindset and you’ll both feel the benefits. Some people are pretty good at holding themselves accountable, but for me, it was helpful to have a trainer there to keep me focused and say ‘you can’t skip this, it’s important’ when I was considering slacking off.

It’s not all about these, eight-, 12- or 16-week challenges. Maintaining your health for the long-term requires a reason to keep doing it once you’ve lost that initial spark you get from a challenge. You need that source of motivation, and it can come from a trainer or a social community or a class. I went with a trainer because I liked having someone to guide me through things as well.

The post How Rob Mills dropped 6kg and loaded up on muscle in just 12 weeks appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

“I haven’t been to the gym in 13 years,” he tells us.

Until recently, Fevola hasn’t exactly felt his best physically, and he makes no attempt to obscure that fact. “After I retired, I just didn’t see the point because I had no reason to keep fit,” he says. “Eating as much as I used to was fine when I was playing footy, because I burnt a lot of it off with exercise. But after I started not exercising as much, it all stacked up.”

Fevola, before his weight loss transformation

Earlier this year, Fevola decided it was time to make a change. “I’m getting old now at 43, but I want to be able to keep up with my kids, and when you’re carrying a bit of extra weight that’s harder to do,” he says.

He was cautious of hitching his wagon to any plan of action that claimed to be a silver bullet, however. “I’ve tried to lose weight a few times before and have done a few challenges, but I haven’t really stuck with any of them and have just ended up putting the weight back on.”

Today, Fevola is a changed man. He’s lost 30kg on the year and shed 16kg in just the last month by overhauling his diet with a 30-day challenge with keto.com.au.

While he hadn’t had much success in getting fit in the past, Fevola did recognise that fixing his diet was crucial. If he could do that, everything else would fall into place, he says. “My main problem was my diet. I used to eat pasta, pizza and chips every day. I reckon I had hot chips with gravy for lunch every day for like two years.”

Based on his previous experiences with diet plans, Fevola found that, to get results, he needed to limit his carbohydrate intake but maintain his ingestion of fats. This made a ketogenic diet – which is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan designed to get the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates – the logical choice.

Fevola’s role in breakfast radio on Fox FM also presented a challenge, with the footballer being forced to structure his eating habits around atypical hours while also battling tiredness throughout the day. “My lifestyle can just flatten me sometimes,” he says. “The breakfast hours I work mean I’m tired at the wrong times, and before I was just eating constant carbs and not getting the good stuff to keep me awake. I don’t want to put all the blame on breakfast hours though, because you can still eat well at those times, but it’s all about the decisions you make.”

Fevola signed up for a 30-day challenge where he would only eat keto.com.au meals for a full month, with the aim of changing his diet cold turkey and reaping the rewards. He had a variety of ketogenic meals and snacks delivered to his door, which made up most of his caloric intake every day – completing the total overhaul of his diet.

Given his previous experiences with dieting, it’s easy to understand why Fevola was pragmatic about the potential outcomes of his challenge. “Really, I just wanted to try this out and see if it worked,” he says. It did.

When he speaks to Men’s Health, Fevola has one day left of his 30-day challenge, but he’s already seeing results across the board after losing of 16kg. Although, he insists weight loss wasn’t his primary goal. “I didn’t really do it for weight loss. It was more about feeling better and changing my habits.”

After completing his keto.com.au challenge, Fevola’s habits have been well and truly changed. “Before, my meals were always something full of carbs, now I look for something else to eat. Today I had cottage cheese, avocado and tomato in a bowl for lunch. I would never have that before, but it’s clean and it makes me feel good,” he says.

“I’ve been having keto bars for the last month if I get hungry, and they fill you up. Then I’ll have one of [keto.com.au’s] healthy ready-made meals for lunch and dinner and that’ll be it,” Fevola continues. “I was eating like 5 or 6 meals a day before, now I’m down to just three.”

But it isn’t just the quantity of Fevola’s meals that has improved for the better, it’s also the quality, thanks to the healthier alternatives provided by keto.com.au meals. “Instead of having fried rice or chips, I’m having cauliflower rice and cauliflower mash. There’s a mac and cheese, which you’d think isn’t good for you, but you swap out some of the ingredients for cauliflower and it is. Then there’s a zucchini pasta, and I love pasta coming from an Italian background, but I never would’ve eaten zucchini before.”

Fevola’s new outlook isn’t limited to weight loss either. He’s also been taking keto.com.au Sleep+ gummies to improve his sleep. “I’ve never been a great sleeper,” he says. “But now I sleep through the whole night right up to my alarm.” keto.com.au offers a wide range of gummies, some of which can help you sleep better, while others can help control insulin spikes or quickly convert fat into energy and switch your body into a ketosis state.

All in all, Fevola has lost around 30kg in the last 12 months – 16 of which were shed in August with his keto diet – and has reduced his previous total bodyweight of around 130kg by more than 25%. So, will he stick with it? To that question, Fevola provides a characteristically unconventional answer. “I’m not going to make any promises that will get printed, but I hope so,” he says before signing off.

If you’re keen on trying out the keto diet for yourself, you can sign up for keto.com.au’s meal delivery service, or shop a range of keto gummies and bars, here.

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The post Brendan Fevola reveals the diet that helped him lose 16kg in 1 month appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

YOU’VE ALMOST CERTAINLY heard the term ‘body fat percentage’ before, whether in conversation in the gym changing room, marketing fodder for fitness transformations, or even in a Men’s Health article. With a little bit of know-how, the measure can act not just as a motivator on your fitness journey, but better yet, a dependable marker of health. But that begs the question, what is a healthy body fat percentage?

‘When starting on a fitness journey, the odds of you actually sticking to it has been shown to be only 33 per cent,’ explains Josh Silverman, head of education at Third Space London. ‘Unlike BMI, this measurement takes into account your lean mass as well as total weight. Being in the healthy range will reduce your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome and more.’

Let’s chew the fat about body fat.

Fun fact: due to it being so active in the body’s functioning, fat is technically an organ. Far from being something to fear or vilify, fat is actually essential for human life. There are different types – brown, white, subcutaneous, visceral – and each has its own function, for better or worse. Visceral fat and subcutaneous fat are the two we’re going to focus on here.

Visceral fat is stored around internal organs as a protective mechanism, explains Silverman. ‘It’s the first fat that is usually used for fuel when you go on an exercise regime,’ he says. ‘This is why you might see the scales go down by your body appears to look the same for the first few weeks.’ Visceral fat is the most dangerous kind, but thankfully, it’s also the easiest to lose.

The less harmful stuff, subcutaneous fat, is the type that prevents your abs popping. ‘It’s the one stored between our skin and muscles which give us that ‘fluffy’ look,’ explains Silverman. ‘It insulates the skin and acts as stored energy for times where the body doesn’t have food in its system.’ Which although evolutionarily important, is practically redundant in today’s landscape where food sources are abundant.

What is body fat percentage?

Put simply, your body fat percentage is a measure of the proportion of fat mass in your body. It is the total mass of fat, divided by total body mass, times by 100. If you weigh 100kg and have 10kg of fat, for instance, you’d have 10% body fat.

Knowing your body fat percentage can be a good measure of fitness and functionality, says Dr Steven Heymsfield, professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Centre. For men aged 20-39, a score of above 25 per cent is classed as obese, for gents aged 40-59, this cut off point is raised slightly to 28 per cent.

Although higher percentage can represent health risks, the goal should never be to reduce body fat as far as possible: we’re talking about gym-goers who strive to get their score as low as possible, aiming for that worrying point where ripped meets translucent. We’re certainly not suggesting you go that low. ‘Pushing your body fat percentage below five per cent is very risky,’ says Heymsfield. ‘There are reports of deaths at these levels.’

The Royal College of Nursing defines a healthy body fat range as 8-20 per cent for 20-39 year old men, rising to 11-22 per cent if you’re between 40 and 59. ‘The value often cited for healthy men with normal BMIs is 15 per cent,’ says Heymsfield.

Vascular, lean muscle is one thing, a shrink-wrapped human is another. So, what is a healthy body fat percentage? Nuffield health recommends for men:

• 20-39 years old 19% or less
• 40-59 years old 22% or less
• 60-79 year olds 25% or less

Whereas the American Council on Exercise (ACE) recommends for men:

• Essential fat: 2-5%
• Athletes: 6-13%
• Fitness: 14-17%
• Acceptable: 18-24%
• Obesity: >25%

How to measure body fat percentage

First you need to accurately measure what you’re working with. These days there are a wealth of different tools you can use to measure your body fat. Below, Silverman runs through your options, varying in reliability.

For the best results, take the tests first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, don’t drink water or participate in strenuous exercise beforehand – yes, including running for the bus – and re-test in the exact same conditions every three to four weeks.

DEXA Scanner

Known as the ‘gold standard’ due to its reliability and applicability, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is an X-ray machine designed to measure bone density that doubles up as a neat little body fat percentage scanner. You’ll find them at pop up clinics, but again they’re pretty expensive and will demand a couple of hours out of your day.

Hydrostatic weighing

Also known as hydrodensitometry or underwater weighing. You’re plunged into a big tank and scientists measure your fat levels using the Archimedes principle of fluid displacement. It’s expensive and time-consuming, but also considered one of the most accurate and reliable.

Calipers

Calipers are handheld devices used, quite literally, to pinch and measure your fat in different areas with a calculation that determines your body fat levels. The accuracy really depends how well-trained the person using them is – for this reason, they can be a little hit and miss.

Bioelectrical impedance analysis

You’ve probably spotted Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis scales in your local health club – they use electrical currents to measure your body fat (and often a wealth of other things, too: muscle mass, water, bone mass, etc). They’re your best bet for an affordable measurement of body fat percentage, though some makes are admittedly better than others. The main drawback, however, is that there is a higher degree of inaccuracy, especially when the electrical currents measure water percentage, which can be affected by dehydration.

What are the risks of high body fat?

According to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH), the health risks of being overweight & obesity are:

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Sleep apnea
• Metabolic syndrome
• Fatty liver diseases
• Osteoarthritis
• Gallbladder diseases
• Cancer
• Kidney disease

What are the risks of low body fat?

Fat plays and important role in the body. It is our largest form of energy storage, helping us to survive during periods of low food supply. It also provides insulation and produces hormones that regulate metabolism and support our immune system. Whilst it’s important to have a healthy body fat percentage and high muscle mass, there are some symptoms associated with having very low body fat. According to an article published in Open Oregon Educational Resources:

• Osteoporosis and low bone mineral density
• Increased risk of infection, delayed wound healing, and greater post-surgical complications
• Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart attack, and coronary heart disease
• Some cancers, plus poorer response to treatment and survival rates after diagnosis
• Decreased semen quality

What is a realistic body fat percentage?

A healthy body fat percentage isn’t the same for every person – it will fluctuate depending on your height, age, genetics, as well a host of many other factors. As long as you’re within the recommended ranges, though, you needn’t worry. While incredibly important to be kept at healthy levels, regardless of your body fat percentage, it’s important to focus on:

• Balanced meal portions adequate for your energy needs and goals. You could adjust this using various methods such as calorie counting or mindful eating for weight loss, maintenance or gain. To work out your calorie goals for fat loss, use our guide here.
• Enough protein in your meals. For those with goals of getting leaner and gaining muscle, 2.2g of protein per kg of body mass is suitable. You can check out our guide on protein intake here.
• Adequate fibre intake from whole foods. Aiming for 30 grams of fibre per day is suitable. This can be obtained from fruit, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
• Resistance training 2-5 times a week with adequate recovery. This will ensure you maintain and gain muscle mass which is vital in maintaining a healthy body fat percentage.
• 150 minutes a week of moderate cardiovascular exercise or 70 minutes of vigorous activity. This can be split up in a way suitable for your needs and fitness levels. It can even be completed doing low impact activities such as brisk walking or swimming.

This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.

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The post What is a healthy body fat percentage? appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.