I had frustratingly gained considerable weight having sustained a dislocated shoulder playing rugby which had a huge impact on my training. As a result my nutrition also suffered. As soon as I felt the joint could get back into resistance training I assessed my current diet/nutrition.

I had been consuming far too many foods that had either been processed, or came from a sugar/carbohydrate source. My first action was to remove this completely from by diet.

‘A diet high in carbohydrate will result in the body reserving fat as a fuel’

Having assessed what had led to my body fat increasing, I reverted back to a high protein/fat diet. I had always maintained a high level of fitness and was shocked to see how poor my physique had become having not trained for 6-8 weeks. What was more disappointing was that my nutrition had been massively affected. I sometimes felt lethargic die to what I was eating, and waking up in the morning had almost become a chore again.

If fat is not apart of the diet, then the body will store any fat it can which is predominantly done through carbohydrates which leads to weight gain.

Shocking my body by removing all sugar/carb sources it had become accustomed too, promoted my body into having no choice but to tap into my fat stores. Our bodies will use any carbohydrates/sugar we consume as an immediate source of fuel as well as being stored as fat. This could therefore no longer continue.

A low carbohydrate diet will force the body to use its fat sources as a fuel

For any body composition/fat loss programme its essential to manage insulin. A diet high in protein/fat allows for a slow and steady rise in blood sugars. Providing a slower release of energy rather than a spike and then drop carbohydrates would do. This had a most noticeable impact on my in the mornings, after 2 weeks I was again able to wake up at 6am and not feel tired.

I was consuming healthy fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil) with every meal, a portion of protein (chicken, beef) and always a dark green vegetable. Dark green veg (spinach,kale) are dense in mineral, vitamins and nutrients. Nuts are also a great source of healthy smart fats that also allow blood sugar to remain stable for an extended period of time. I would consume around 60 grams per day and vary the nuts I was eating.

Including a green vegetable is important as they are nutrient dense, low in sugar and high in antioxidants which assists with digestion and gut health

After 4 weeks I could see a noticeable difference not only aesthetically but in myself, I felt great, had more energy and was training harder than ever. By the end of the 8 week programme I had reduced 4% in body fat and my weight had dropped 1.1kg. I am now aiming to get down to 12.% in the next 4/6 weeks.

Week 1

91.3kg

18% Body Fat

Week 8

90.2kg

14% Body Fat