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This post is sponsored by Nourish’d. All text and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that help make FatForWeightLoss possible!

I’ve been finding it hard recently to ensure every meal is “on track” with the introduction of my baby daughter eating solids. It’s hard enough to think of what nutritious foods to feed her, let alone what to eat myself.

I’m usually the king of meal prep, but my own weekly cooking time has decreased from 8 hours down to 2. And sometimes this just doesn’t always happen. 

Meal delivery services are a great option to fill in the gaps, but in my opinion, are not a complete solution. You still need to learn how to cook, and to combine flavours, but sometimes it’s handy to have the odd pre-prepared meal to tie you over until the next meal if you’re in a rush.

What is Nourish’d?

Nourish’d is a meal delivery service that delivers fresh meals without preservatives, also with gluten-free, dairy-free, no added sugar and low carb options. 

They opt for good quality ingredients where possible, for example, ingredients like free ranged chicken and nitrate-free bacon just to name a few.

There are lots of other meal prep companies out there that use a lot of preservatives, artificial colours and flavour enhancers that don’t do your health any good. That’s why I love Nourish’d. It’s simple, delicious food.

How Nourish’d Works

The Nourish’d service works by selecting a pack, which breaks down into a few different options:

1. A Slice Of Convenience (5 meals)
2. The 9 to 5 Er (10 meals)
3. The Daily Dose (15 meals)
4. The Ultimate (21 meals)
5. Hungry Hungry Hippo (28 meals)
6. Build Your Own (minimum 5 meals)

Once you select your pack, you get to choose which meals sound delicious to you, and you can also select the size. They come in standard, large and athlete sizes.

They have a rotating menu of 20 meals each week, and you don’t have to lock into a subscription. You simply purchase enough for the week ahead, and you can purchase more whenever you need it.

You can also opt for a recurring weekly service which makes it slightly cheaper as well.

Pricing

The pricing per meal works out to be around $12.35 per meal for the large sizes, but depending on what pack you get, this can change:

1. A Slice Of Convenience ($13.87 per meal)
2. The 9 to 5 Er ($12.87 per meal)
3. The Daily Dose ($11.93 per meal)
4. The Ultimate ($11.38 per meal)
5. Hungry Hungry Hippo ($11.03 per meal)
6. Build Your Own ($12.75 per meal)

*keep in mind these prices are for the weekly subscription. The once-off meals are about 15% more expensive*

What I chose and how it went

I heated 3 meals from their menu and loved every one of them. The flavour combinations were robust and well thought through, and even the ingredients used to substitute things like potato (i.e cauliflower) were done in really delicious ways.

For instance, the Portuguese chicken comes with Cauliflower mash, but that mash is elevated by bacon. Everything’s better with bacon right?

The Nourish’d keto meal prep delivery meals were sent fresh, which I love. Not having to freeze meals or reheat from frozen is a nice touch since a lot of other meal prep companies don’t give you a choice. 

I did freeze mine as there was a little bit of time between receiving the meals and creating this post. They reheated in the microwave just as well as they taste fresh, which is a huge bonus in my opinion as well.

The beef ragu can only be explained using one word… delicious! Honestly, I had to stop myself from consuming the entire meal during the tasting in the video below. If they have this on the menu when you next order, I would highly recommend it!

Where do I think keto meal prep delivery fits into nutrition?

Over the past few years, I have worked with hundreds of clients who have a goal of weight loss. The ketogenic diet often gets automatically linked with weight loss, but not everyone is successful in achieving this outcome.

I find that the clients who are most successful tend to rise to whatever challenge life throws at them. They continue doing the things that are important for their health, regardless of the situation.

I’ve also had some clients who just don’t have the time to cook, and often get pulled into eating the “same way they used to” which often results in weight gain, then disappointment, and inevitably results in a less than ideal weight loss journey.

Having someone else do part of the keto meal prep for you for the workweek is a huge step forward in the right direction, however, it can also breed a diet mentality.

Learning how to cook and knowing what to cook when you don’t always have time is a skill that needs work during a weight loss phase. Having all your meals prepped can put you in the all or nothing mentality. You’re either on a diet, or you’re off a diet.

So, If this is something that can make your week easier, then by all means order SOME of your meals pre-prepared. I’d recommend ordering the “slice of convenience” option because this gives you five meals for the week which could be a dinner for you, or whoever else is in your household that can be made quickly and easily.

Instead of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole so to speak, you need to do what is sustainable for you. I always ask this same question – “can you do this for the next 6 months?” If the answer is maybe, then it’s best to reduce what is required every day in order to see results, and steadily make 10% improvements each week.

Nourish’d is a company that makes pre-prepared meals using good ingredients without preservatives, so if you are in the market for keto meals delivered to your door, I would highly recommend them.

The post Keto Meal Prep Delivery Review (Nourish’d) appeared first on FatForWeightLoss.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

About 4 weeks ago, I hurt my lower back doing deadlifts in my home gym. I’m 6 foot 5 inches (196cm) tall, so I’ve dealt with a lot of back pain in my life. But, this was very different.

I spent 20 minutes on the floor, unable to get up. Every time I tried to roll over, the pain was so intense that I thought I was going to pass out. After an hour, I was able to muster up the courage to climb up the stairs and onto the living room floor and promptly rang our doctor.

It took about 2 weeks to heal, but I was devastated. I had been making great progress in the gym, adding muscle under the guidance of my coach from renaissance periodisation. 

I didn’t want to lose the strength that I’d gained, so I started researching different ways to keep training without having to work under the same amount of weight and risk causing more injury.

This post contains affililate links, which if you decide to purchase using the links in this post, at no extra cost to you provides a small amount of income to me. Thank you for supporting FatForWeightLoss.

What Is Blood Flow Restriction Training?

Blood flow restriction training is the act of putting your muscles under metabolic stress, by limiting the amount of blood and lactic acid buildup that can be removed through normal blood flow. 

This type of training has been studied now extensively in both patients who have severe muscle atrophy, and also people who are merely looking to improve strength who might be suffering from an injury.

Blood flow restriction training limits the amount of weight that is applied to a specific movement to maintain or increase muscle.

The individual results can vary, but it’s been shown to help maintain, and even gain the same amount of muscle as people who undergo lifting with much heavier weights.

Who is blood flow restriction training for?

This type of training is perfect for those who are:

• Recovering from an injury
• Repetitive injuries from specific exercises
• Those who can’t lift as much weight as they used to due to muscle atrophy or pain
• Targeting specific areas without increasing stress

So, for someone like me who has recently suffered an injury, has had repeated exposure to this type of injury in the past, and wants to keep improving without aggravating the injury, this type of training is perfect.

How to train using blood flow restriction?

There are plenty of different ways you can limit the amount of blood that circulates to your limbs:

• Using a resistance band (unsafe)
• Using a floss band (unsafe)
• Using a cheap strap with a clasp (unsafe)
• Using a specific blood flow restriction cuff (safe)

There is only one safe way to restrict blood, and that is by using a device that can precisely restrict a certain percentage of blood flow. 

All of the research indicates that completely cutting off all the blood to your arms or legs is a bad idea, and instead should be applied at 80% restriction in your legs and 50% restriction in your arms.

Here in Australia, the only device available that can accurately do this are the Saga BFR Bands (BFR = blood flow restriction). I purchased the large pair to start training my legs the day after my injury, and they kindly also sent me a set for my arms to try out.

You generally want to use weights that are 10-20% of your 1RM (the most amount of weight you can lift for 1 rep). 

The most common way to program a specific exercise is to perform 30 reps in the first set, then 15 reps each for the following 3 sets. This would look like this: 30 X 15 X 15 X 15.

Saga Blood Flow Restriction Cuffs Review

Quality

The quality of these bands is outstanding. They are made of good quality materials, with metal clasps and excellent velcro. They are medical grade products, so it almost feels like you’re putting on two sets of blood pressure checking sleeves.

The velcro holds even under a great deal of pressure. For the past four weeks, I’ve been using them at 80% occlusion on my legs, which feels tight, and haven’t had them slip off or come undone at all.

The part that inflates the bands are unfortunately made from plastic, and stick out a little, but generally speaking, they don’t get in the way at all (unless you’re doing dumbbell lunges).

They connect to your phone using Bluetooth and can be pressurised and released within an app on your phone. They connect seamlessly, and the app is very simple to use and has been tested well.

Price

The bands are not cheap. They are priced at $279 for the large cuffs (legs), and $249 for the medium cuffs (arms). Compare this to cheaper BFR bands which cost between $30 and $80, it’s a lot more money.

However, as mentioned before, these are the only bands that can accurately cut off 50% or 80% of blood flow, which is the safest (and most researched) way to train using blood flor restriction. The other bands are just guessing, so you may risk injury by using them.

If you’re injured, you don’t want to injure yourself again by using equipment that isn’t fit for the job. My advice is always to be safe and buy the expensive ones first. If they don’t work for you, you can always send them back, or if they go unused, you can always sell them.

Results

I’ve been training with them for 4 weeks now, and I’ve never felt my legs working so hard before. Using blood flow restriction takes all the pressure off your joints, but by no means is it easy. 

I’ve been able to fully recover my back, but still maintain the same level of strength in my legs and arms by simply using much lighter weights and doing more reps. With injuries in the past, I’ve had to take 3-4 weeks off from the gym, which negatively impacts my strength.

I’ve also started using them during my upper body training days to add variety to my workout, but also to avoid doing more damage to my back. Using 10kg dumbbells has never felt so hard.

I also spent 5 days in a sleep training facility with my baby daughter without access to a gym. So I took the SAGA cuffs and a light resistance band to continue my workout plan even whilst travelling.

In Summary

Using blood flow restriction bands isn’t for everyone, however, if you are currently suffering from an injury, or you just have “bad shoulders” and need a way to be able to reduce the load without compromising on your ability to stay fit, then likely blood flow restriction training is going to help you.

I don’t think they replace lifting heavy weights, but they are an excellent way to maintain muscle while travelling, or in periods where you don’t have access to a gym.

The Saga BFR bands are the best blood flow restriction bands you can buy in Australia and the safest. I know that in America there is also a brand called Smart Cuffs, which I’ve heard good things about.

Let me know if you have tried these bands, or if you have any questions about them in the comments below! I’d love to help you decide if blood flow restriction training is suitable for you.

The post Blood Flow Restriction Training (SAGA BFR Band Review) appeared first on FatForWeightLoss.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

First, I want to let you know that I have a mini-course called Fasting Foundations where I dive into personal adaptations, science and individual methods. If you love this practical adaptation to fasting I’m about to show you and want to learn more, I recommend you check this out. Click here to view the mini-course.

Okay, so since there are plenty of other resources online that talk about the benefits of fasting and the nitty-gritty science behind the reasons for fasting, I’m not going to cover that. This video is about how to apply fasting to your lifestyle in a practical way without all the hyped up fluff.

Why Fasting?

Here are a couple of reasons why you might want to fast.

1. Because you hate breakfast
2. Because you want to try to lose some body fat
3. Because you want mental clarity which comes with the side benefit of not having to think about eating all the time.

How Long Should You Fast For?

Let’s talk about timeframes. There are a few routes you can take when it comes to fasting,

1. Intermittent fasting also called 16:8 or IF
2. “One Meal A Day”, OMAD or 24-hour fasting.

Don’t worry, there are other types, but they all piggyback off the concepts of these two timeframes.

Intermittent fasting just compresses your eating window, so you have less time during the day to eat. For example, skipping breakfast and just eating lunch and dinner, or vice versa, skipping dinner and just eating breakfast and lunch (this is my personal preference).

One meal per day just gives you one meal in the day. Super simple.

Which Type Of Fasting Should I Do?

We have covered the time frames of fasting, now let’s discuss the different types of fasting.

You have 4 types.

1. Fat fasting
2. Regular fasting
3. Water-only fasting
4. Dry fasting

I generally wouldn’t recommend the latter two unless you’re very advanced. 

Fat fasting means you can have fat during your fasting window. This is generally more suitable for people looking to improve mental clarity

Regular fasting means you can only ingest things that have zero calories, for example, black coffee, black tea, herbal tea, electrolytes etc. This is generally best for people who are looking to lose weight. 

Water only fasting just means you can only drink water during your fasting window, and dry fasting means you can’t have any water during your fasting window (similar to Ramadan).

Let’s recap. Fasting time frames; intermittent fasting and 24-hour fasting. Types of fasting are fat fasting, where you only ingest fat, regular fasting where you can ingest things like black coffee, tea etc, water-only fasting and dry fasting.

How To Fast To Lose Weight

Let’s back up a little here and put these into perspective. When it comes to fasting, it’s just talking about nutrient timing. When you’re eating and when you’re not, so here is where it sits within your goals.

When it comes to your health, you need to be doing something sustainable. I always think, can I do this for the next 6 months? If you can’t, then it’s likely a fad that you’ll fall off. 

Secondly, you need to be maintaining energy balance for your goals. This means that if you’re looking to lose weight, you need to be eating slightly less than what your body burns each day to tap into your stored body fat as energy. Going keto will likely make this easier. 

Looking for maintenance? Simply eat enough to maintain your weight.

Thirdly, macronutrients like protein and carbs plus their underlying micronutrients make this approach specific to your goals which is key to a successful weight loss, maintenance or building phase.

And lastly, nutrient timing, also known as fasting. So, when it comes to fasting, ask yourself these questions:

1. Is this sustainable for me long term?
2. Am I eating enough for my goals (weight loss, maintenance etc)
3. Am I getting enough protein, carbs fats and quality to make that goal possible
4. How am I going to place those nutrients throughout the day to make this sustainable for me?

Example Day Of Fasting

A 60-year-old female who wants to lose weight is looking to try fasting. She simply skips breakfast and eats lunch and dinner, and repeats this throughout the working week. She drinks nothing but water, electrolytes and black coffee for breakfast.

So, by simply skipping 1 meal, she’s able to reduce her calories which should stimulate weight loss. By having zero calories before lunch, she’s also just doing regular fasting. If this is sustainable for her long term, this is ideal.

Another common example is this; A 45-year-old woman who is looking for mental clarity decides to start intermittent fasting. For breakfast, instead of cereal she consumes coffee with butter and MCT oil and eats a regular lunch and dinner.

This example is utilising fat fasting, since the only calories in her fasting window are fat, and she’ll likely maintain her weight and increase mental clarity due to the breakfast switch of cereal with bulletproof coffee.

Common Fasting Mistakes

There are also a few additional tips

• Collagen in your bulletproof coffee will break your fast since collagen is an amino acid (protein)
• Drinking coffee with milk or cream instead of black would be considered fat fasting. 

How Do Macros Change With Fasting?

If you’re tracking macros, this is where I would make adjustments:

• If you’re intermittent fasting, you still want to consume your daily calories, just in 2 meals instead of 3,
• If you’re fat fasting, that fat counts towards your fat macros for the day, so your later meals will likely have less fat.

A simple example would be this. If you have 3 meals of 30g protein, 10g carbs and 30g of fat, if you had two meals, this would equal 45g protein, 15g carbs and 45g fats.

What Type Of Fasting Should You Start With?

If you haven’t tried fasting before, definitely start with intermittent fasting.

If you have been intermittent fasting for a long time and you’re wanting to try and extend your fasting window, you can jump into one meal a day, but here is how I would plan it out.

Quick note, long fasting times tend to be stressful on your body, so if you’re doing one meal a day, or extending this into the 48-hour or 72-hour zone, definitely only do this sparingly and under the supervision of your doctor.

Again, since this is stressful, if you’ve recently started a new job, or you’re having family trouble, or you’re looking after someone who is sick, stick to something easier. You have a finite amount of stress you can handle and recover from, so don’t ramp up fasting without considering your recovery ability.

How To Do OMAD (One Meal A Day)

My clients will start with one 24 hour fast per week. This might be during the week while at work, or on the weekends, it doesn’t matter, but what matters are these few things:

Start your fast after your last meal, say 7 pm on Sunday. You’ll then fast throughout the next day and eat your regular dinner at 7 pm on Monday. Don’t do any fasting the next day, and get back into your regular schedule for the week.

Try to break your fast with bone broth, or something that contains glycine (for example my sugar-free jelly recipe on my website linked below) about 20 minutes before your first meal. 

What Do You Drink During A Fast?

I highly recommend drinking electrolytes during your fasting window, but it’s really up to you whether you decide to drink bulletproof coffee, black coffee, or just water. Just remember, these are different kinds of fasts with different benefits and you need to adjust accordingly.

There are circumstances and cases in which extended fasting might make sense, and I cover these in more detail within the Fasting Foundations mini-course which is linked below.

In Summary

So, to wrap it all up, if you’ve never done fasting and you’re looking to try, start with intermittent fasting. Confused as to whether to try fast fasting or regular fasting? If your goal is weight loss, leave the butter and cream out of the coffee. If your goal is mental clarity, leave it in.

If you’ve done fasting before, then you might like to try a 24 hour fast once per week. Pick a day when you are busy and can keep your mind off food and you’ll likely be more successful.

Fasting, But Not Losing Weight?

If you’ve been fasting for a long time, or even quite commonly what I see is people who are doing one meal a day, but still not losing weight, two scenarios might apply to you;

The first is that you’re simply eating more than what your metabolism and your daily activity are capable of burning within your allocated eating window.

Or maybe you’ve been dieting for a long time and you’ve already lost 10% of your body weight, but haven’t intentionally increased your energy at maintenance which strength training can help with.

What are your questions about fasting? Let me know in the comments below. 

Related Topics

• Bulletproof Coffee (Butter Coffee) – The Breakfast Of Choice
• Top 5 Keto Mistakes That Stall Weight Loss
• 3 Steps To Breaking Through A Ketogenic Weight Loss Plateau

The post How To Fast To Lose Weight – A Practical Guide To Fasting appeared first on FatForWeightLoss.

In this post, I’m going to cover the top 5 keto mistakes I have witnessed my clients make before working with me that was causing them to stall, and what you can do about them. Let’s get into it.

But first, I just want to let you know that along with creating super easy and delicious keto recipes and meal plans, I also work with people one on one to help you get to your goal weight, and learn how to maintain it long term. 

It baffles me that nobody is talking about maintenance, as I think it’s possibly the most important part of any weight loss journey. If you’d like to work with me, there is a link to a book in time to chat with me down below. I don’t work with everyone, only people whom I can see are committed to change. 

Book A Time With Aaron: https://calendly.com/fatforweightloss/15-min-session/

So let’s go through some of the top 5 mistakes to see if you’re making them, and let’s go over how you might be able to change them to kickstart your journey again.

Top Keto Mistake #1: Focusing too heavily on carbs

The first mistake I see so many people making is focusing too heavily on carbs and leaving the rest up to chance. Sure, just simply tracking carbs is a great place to start if you have over 20kgs to lose, but to see any meaningful body composition changes, you need to focus on energy balance.

There is this common misconception that fewer carbs equal more weight loss, and it’s a hard pill to swallow. Fewer carbs often lead to emotional eating or rebounds, creating a challenging mindset that can be unsustainable for most people in the long run. 

Guess what? When I was on my journey towards my goal, I was eating “non-keto foods” such as fruit and sourdough bread. I went out to dinner with my family and didn’t need to research the menu the day before. As soon as you tell yourself you can’t eat something, all you do is crave that particular food, or your inner rebellion comes out to fight your every decision.

Weight loss and being in a state of ketosis are two separate entities. Ketosis means you’re able to very effectively burn fat for energy. Whether it comes from your body, or your food, keto is a metabolic adaptation. Weight loss is the purposeful use of your stored body fat as fuel.

It might feel like when you eat more carbs than usual you’ve gained all the weight back, and in fact, that’s not true. Carbohydrates are stored along with three times their weight in water. Ever heard the term “losing your water weight?” That’s the process of losing your glycogen storage. We don’t burn one source of energy exclusively, we can mix our energy sources which is often called metabolic adaptation.

So, how can we change this? Well, with my clients I often start with a higher amount of carbs and work down if necessary. I rarely go below 35g of carbs for anyone. I tend to focus more on protein than carbs and fats put together.

Top Keto mistake #2. Letting stress and external circumstances overwhelm your nutrition and having nobody to keep you accountable.

This one doesn’t necessarily apply directly to keto itself, this one can be applied to the general healthy eating mentality. You start meal prepping, or you purposefully buy healthy foods from the grocery store and begin your journey, but a stressful scenario or some sort of external circumstance causes you to throw in the towel. 

You are probably someone who cares for other people, either at home, or at work, or within your family. What happens when they get sick, or they need your help? Well, your new healthy eating plan goes out the window because it’s easy to put other people first. 

You’ve got a big to-do list, and your priorities tend to fall off that to-do list very easily. Putting yourself first doesn’t always work, and it’s much easier to put others’ needs in front of your priorities because that’s what you’ve always done.

Does this sound like something you’ve had to deal with in the past? You’re not alone….

The first thing I always ask my clients before we embark on any change is this. From 10% to 100%, how confident are you feeling about these changes? If it’s any less than 100%, then it’s either not easy enough, or there are hesitations. We work through worse case scenarios and reduce the changes necessary to still get to your goals.

Not everyone can get grass-fed, holy monk blessed foods and eat as clean as possible every single day of the week. It’s unachievable for most people, but for some reason, everyone seems to start at the top. 

I preach sustainability. Can you do this for the next 6 months? If not, let’s make it bulletproof. There is always an easier way to your goal if you know what concepts matter when it comes to weight loss.

Top Keto Mistake #3 – The all or nothing mentality, or as I like to explain it as “I’m on a diet, or I’m off the diet”. 

Why are these top 5 keto mistakes so common? Well, you might be someone who thrives on a plan. You are good with routines and structure and do well when someone is giving you parameters with which you can operate.

But, when you’re stressed out, you can go from strict discipline to unintentional rebellion or uncontrolled eating. Then the feelings of guilt or disappointment start to creep in, and you do it all again, creating this negative loop that self perpetuates until you finally decide to give up.

My job is often to help you find the grey area in between the all or nothing mentality. All or nothing usually gets us nothing. Something is better than nothing, so let’s just try to make something worthwhile.

I always see clients who have tried everything in the past. From certain types of fasting to eliminating specific foods from your diet to working out like an athlete whilst also trying to hold down a full-time job and a family.

You don’t have to be doing everything right all the time to lose weight. You just have to be using your precious energy to focus on what matters. There is no point in doing unsustainable fasting to lose weight. Fasting can be a great accelerator in specific circumstances, but it’s not the main driver of weight loss.

Instead, I work with my clients to create a positive space to grow. Honesty is key, and creating a mindset that allows you to keep trying again without guilt is the key to success. My clients often have nights out, or work functions, or birthday celebrations, Christmas, easter, new year celebrations, you name it. None of my clients put on weight during these times, and even if they did, they didn’t feel guilty about it because it was planned.

The negative loop happens when you don’t have a plan. You remove all the guilt when you have a plan, and automatically remove yourself from the negative loop that can destroy your mindset very quickly.

Another common mistake, and this is keto mistake #4, is to give up when you’re not seeing the results you expected.

This one can be hard to deconstruct, but usually, we have this preconceived notion that going keto will give you really fast weight loss. It also comes with the mindset that sounds like this:

“Once I get to my goal weight, I’ll be able to loosen up a little”

Usually that comment right there is a red flag for me. Do you know when people talk about keto being a lifestyle? Well, a lifestyle has no endpoint, it’s just something you do. You don’t have to be keto for the rest of your life to create a healthy lifestyle, it’s just something you do.

Trust me, it’s not a race to the bottom. Losing weight quickly often leads to unsustainable eating patterns or schedules that have no room for error. 

Sustainable weight loss happens at around 0.5% to 1% per week. So if you’re 200lbs, that would equal 1 to 2lbs of weight loss per week. If you’re 100kgs, that would equal 500g to 1kg of weight loss per week. 

You can’t lose weight indefinitely either. If you’ve been dieting for a long time and you’ve never sustained a period of maintenance, then this could be the source of all disappointment. It’s easy to want to get the weight off as quickly and effortlessly as possible because you just want it gone, but remember, it’s a journey.

You can’t be the same person you are right now and just weigh 25 kilos less. It’s also a mindset journey, which is often the first one to undermine your best efforts.

Periods of maintenance with increased energy are really important to maintain a healthy metabolism. Without them, it’s hard to continue dieting because your body just fights back with all its evolutionary power.

So what can we do about it? Well, periods of weight loss that span 8-16 weeks in length are all that is needed to get to your goal. Building in either maintenance or diet breaks are the best insurance policy against gaining that weight back again. 

95% of most people who lose weight gain it back again within 12 months. Don’t be a statistic, keep it off for good.

And lastly, the 5th mistake I see many clients who come to me making is this: Not having structure.

Having structure is important, but we often fall victim to shiny object syndrome where we attempt to add in other methods or strategies that don’t actually work that well, and simply make it harder to stick to.

Should you be intermittent fasting? Should you be taking this specific supplement? Should I be doing X? I’ve read online that it’s something I should be doing.

Having someone who can objectively make these decisions for you is invaluable. When I first started, I worked with Frida, and she was my decision-making centre. Should I be using kettlebells? Should I be lowering my carbs? What do you think about these supplements? Often the answer would be… well, it depends. If you’re able to add that into what we’re already doing, great. If not, that’s the first thing you should drop.

I now work with renaissance periodisation with a doctor called Trevor, who can course-correct my wayward thinking. Even coaches need coaches right?

So if you’re needing the same kind of accountability and strategic direction, I help my clients lose 10kgs in 8 weeks using a low carb ketogenic diet without crash diet strategies. If you’re making these common mistakes that I’ve outlined today, then you might need someone who can give you some strategic direction and guidance towards the path of success.

There is a link below which you can book a time to chat directly with me and we can discuss the possibility of working together. 

So, I look forward to speaking with you. Let me know in the comments which mistake you feel like you’re currently making, or have made in the past, and how you overcame the hurdles that often try to derail our efforts.

The post Top 5 Keto Mistakes That Stall Weight Loss appeared first on FatForWeightLoss.

Celebrate this festive season keto style with these Christmas recipes that will impress the whole family:

Keep reading, it includes everything you need to create a mouthwatering holiday feast that your friends and family will love (even if they don’t know the first thing about keto).

This festive season I want to help you to commit to your keto diet AND enjoy delicious, healthy meals with your family and friends.

You won’t need to spend time brainstorming meal ideas and testing recipes… I’ve done it for you. Now you can watch over my shoulder as I prepare a stunning 3-course meal – simply follow along with the videos

Whether it’s cooking up scrumptious festive favourites for yourself or cooking up a mouthwatering keto feast for your friends and family these holidays, you’ll get everything you need to play the role of master chef

Click HERE to enrol in the FREE Keto Christmas Course.

What does this post cover?

• 90+ Mins of FREE Recipe Videos
• Full Keto Christmas Recipe Book
• All In 1 Shopping List
• Fancy Menu For Your Guests
• Cooking Order & Overview Directions
• Full Video of Keto Christmas With My Non-Keto Friends

Everything inside the bundle is based on an ACTUAL keto Christmas feast I made for my closest friends last year… I’ll literally walk you through everything from start to finish.

(You even hear what my fussy non-keto friends thought of their meal.)

Here Are Just Some Of The Best Christmas Keto Recipes

Ketogenic Trifle – A Very Keto Christmas

The keto trifle is a festive treat that is usually the most decadent item on the table. Low and behold, the keto version is a mighty feast.

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Keto Gravy

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Keto Roast “Potatoes”

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Keto Custard

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Keto Almond Cake

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Christmas Keto Pavlova – Australian Keto Recipe

Christmas is coming up, and I thought I would make a keto friendly pavlova for you to share with your friends and family. Its low carb, sugar-free and keto friendly.

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“From an avid lover of bread and potato, this has to be one the most incredible Christmas dinners I’ve ever tasted. The flavours were so vibrant and warm, just the way Christmas should be. I wouldn’t have even known the mash was cauliflower if I wasn’t told. The meat was cooked to perfection and all the added flare of the cranberry sauce and gravy just nailed it. Also, for someone who used to put aside her Brussels sprouts as a kid, I can honestly say they were my absolutely favourite thing on the plate.”

– Zoe

“I loved all of it – I’d happily eat every single thing that was on the menu any time! I was surprised by how well-balanced the meal was – I didn’t miss the carbs at all!”

– Flora

“Best dinner party I been to in a long time…. that cauliflower mash. Damn! That shit was amazing. Was great to share a healthy keto meal with friends”

– Chris

Other Great Keto Christmas Recipes

• Keto Cheesecake – New York Baked Low Carb Cheesecake
• Keto Rum Balls Keto Eggnog
• Keto Gingerbread Cookies

The post Keto Christmas – Your Complete Guide To Christmas On Keto appeared first on FatForWeightLoss.

What Are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals that allow the travelling of nerves, contracting of muscles, and proper hydration of the body. When embarking on the ketogenic diet, the body no longer stores as much glycogen (energy from carbohydrates), which reduces the amount of water the body can hold.

The downside of reducing your glycogen levels is that you might lose many important minerals when water weight is reduced [1]. This means that you have to pay close attention to your electrolytes on a ketogenic diet.

The electrolytes include 4 important nutrients; Sodium, Magnesium, Potassium, and Calcium. I will cover what each of these nutrients is below, as well as what foods you should be eating to maintain a healthy balance of each.

Electrolytes on a Ketogenic Diet

Sodium

Sodium (Sodium Chloride) is the most important nutrient for the ketogenic diet, as when your body’s carbohydrate stores are low, you can have a difficult time maintaining a healthy water balance. Salt maintains your body’s water balance, aids in shuttling nutrients in and out of your cells, and prevents dehydration. At the same time, it helps nerves function and muscles contract throughout the body.

You can get plenty of sodium by eating sauerkraut, olives, shrimps, miso, ham, celery, watercress and simply by salting your food. Deficiency signs might come in the form of dizziness, heat exhaustion, low blood pressure, rapid pulse, mental apathy, loss of appetite and headaches.

Consuming too much potassium can reduce your sodium levels, however, having sufficient vitamin D in your body will help counteract this. Vitamin D is a promoter of sodium.

Hyponatremia (Dilution of sodium) can happen when you have consumed too much water, which in turn depletes or dilutes your sodium levels and can be very dangerous.

Magnesium

Magnesium is the second most important part of the electrolyte chain in my opinion and is one of the most important nutrients to monitor in our modern lifestyle. It is important for strong bones and teeth, healthy and relaxed muscles (can help with PMS pains) and promotes healthy bowel movements. It is essential for energy productions and helps maximize the potential of your mitochondria (the powerhouse inside every one of your cells).

You can get magnesium from whole foods by consuming plenty of pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, brewer’s yeast, brazil nuts, pecan nuts, garlic, spinach or any other green leafy vegetables.

If you do supplement with magnesium, amino acid chelate and citrate are more bioavailable and easier for the body to absorb than magnesium carbonate or sulphate. Having sufficient zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B1 and B6 are all important to help retain magnesium levels.

Not many people know this, but high doses of calcium, which is mostly in dairy, can hurt your magnesium levels.

How do you know if you are deficient in magnesium? Muscle cramps, spasms or twitches can be tell-tale signs of magnesium deficiency, as well as high blood pressure, insomnia and strong irritation to loud noises. Always make sure you check with your doctor before supplementing with any nutrients that may affect prescription medication or impact your current health situation.

Potassium

Potassium is a vital part of the electrolyte stack and people often overlook it when following a ketogenic diet. It enables nutrients to move in and out of cells, promotes healthy nerves and muscles, relaxes muscles, helps the secretion of insulin involved in blood sugar level control, all while maintaining healthy heart functions and stimulation of gut movements. As you can see, it’s a pretty important nutrient to have.

You can get plenty of potassium by consuming watercress, cabbage, celery, parsley, radishes, cauliflower, mushrooms, avocado, coconut, and courgettes. You can also get potassium from seaweed and brewer’s yeast.

Drinking too much coffee can deplete potassium and magnesium, so ensure you limit your caffeine consumption to retain adequate levels of electrolytes for your own particular needs. Coffee also stimulates your adrenals, which increases your cortisol levels and produces insulin in your body. You do not want elevated insulin levels when following a ketogenic diet, as insulin is your master switch to burning fat on your body. When insulin is in your body, you are controlling your blood sugar levels, but you are also storing fat.

You shouldn’t supplement with potassium unless you have your doctor’s permission, as too much (around 18,000 mg) can cause cardiac arrest. Instead, you might want to supplement with magnesium to help hold potassium in your body’s cells. Consuming excess sodium from salt, alcohol, and stress can lower your potassium levels. However, when following a ketogenic diet, this is less likely to occur.

Calcium

Calcium isn’t a problem for people on the ketogenic diet to worry about, as most consume plenty of dairy products which naturally contain a fair amount of calcium.  You would be more likely to have to focus on your magnesium levels instead. However, it is still important to understand the benefits and whole food sources when it comes to electrolytes on the ketogenic diet, especially if you decided to try a dairy-free ketogenic diet.

Calcium, as you know, supports strong, healthy bones, teeth, and your heart, while improving your skin and relieving aching muscles. It is also important for hormone secretion within the body.

The current RDA for calcium is 800 mg, which can easily be reached by consuming most types of cheeses, almonds, brewer’s yeast, parsley, artichokes, pumpkin seeds, and cabbage. If you must supplement with calcium, ask your doctor which calcium amino acid chelate or citrate is best for you, as they are usually twice as well absorbed compared to calcium carbonate.

Calcium, magnesium and vitamin D go hand in hand. Excessive amounts of vitamin D can interfere with your absorption of calcium, so it is best to consume these minerals separately. Excessive alcohol, lack of exercise and too much caffeine will hinder your absorption of calcium, so it is best to keep those things in mind when consuming dairy products.

Related Reading

• Sugar Free Jelly
• The Complete Beginners Guide To The Keto Diet
• Keto Macro Calculator
• Effortlessly track macros using this ONE TECHNIQUE

The post Electrolytes on a Ketogenic Diet appeared first on FatForWeightLoss.

My time as a keto cook has taught me plenty of things, but possibly the most important knowledge I would like to pass on to you is the flavour pairings for particular foods.

Knowing you can have “beef” doesn’t really help unless you know you can pair that with garlic and ginger, or mushrooms and red wine to whip up easy keto meals that are super tasty and delicious.

Click Here To Get The Free Keto Shopping List PDF

Keto Diet Menu List

Beef

25g protein per 100g | 15g fat per 100g

Best flavours to pair with beef

Garlic + ginger | Garlic + tomatoes | Mushrooms + red wine | Pepper + cabbage + garlic | Onions + Thyme | Arugula + parmesan cheese + balsamic vinegar | Mushrooms + watercress | Shallots + red wine | Chianti + lemon + salt

• Ground Beef
• Corned Beef
• Steak 
• Roast Beef
• Prime Rib
• Veal
• Brisket
• Stew Meats
• Loin
• Baby Back Ribs
• Brisket 

Poultry

25g Protein per 100g

Best flavours to pair with Poultry

Asparagus + ginger |Avocado + bacon + garlic + mayonnaise + tarragon | Basil + cinnamon | Mushrooms + rosemary | Cloves + rosemary + yogurt | Coconut + ginger | Coriander + cumin + garlic | Cream + Pepper | Cumin + garlic + lemon | Mustard + thyme | Garlic + pancetta + sage + thyme

• Chicken
• Quail
• Turkey
• Wild Game
• Eggs (7g protein per egg)

Seafood

30g Protein per 100g

Best flavours to pair with seafood

Horseradish + rosemary | Avocado + chile peppers | Bacon + cabbage + chestnuts | Beets + creme fraiche + cucumber + horseradish | Chives + leeks + lemons | Cucumber + dill | Cucumber + balsamic vinegar |  Lemon juice + dijon mustard | Miso + tomato + white wine |  Ginger + lemongrass | Herbs + white wine | Onions + tomatoes

• Tuna
• Salmon
• Cod
• Oysters
• Sardines
• Anchovies
• Catfish
• Trout
• Halibut
• Mackerel
• Mahi-Mahi
• Bass
• Haddock
• Talipia
• Clams
• Mussels
• Crab
• Lobster
• Scallops
• Shrimp

Pork

25g Protein per 100g

Best flavours to pair with pork 

Allspice + nutmeg | Mustard | bacon + mustard + sauerkraut | Chile peppers + cilantro + garlic + lime | Cinnamon + star anise | Coriander + soy sauce | Cloves + garlic + lemon | Cream + thyme | Curry powder + garlic + yogurt | Fennel + garlic | Port + rosemary

• Bacon
• Ground Pork
• Sausage
• Pork Rinds
• Tenderloins
• Pork Loin
• Ham
• Pork Chops
• Prosciutto

Organ Meats

• Heart
• Liver
• Kidney
• Tongue
• Brain
• Sweet Breads
• Tripe

Other

• Bison
• Goat
• Lamb
• Salami
• Deli Meats
• Bone Broth

Leafy Greens

Best flavours to pair with leafy greens

Any protein, especially bacon | Cheese | Chilli | Vinegar (all types) | Olive Oil | Bacon + onions | Garlic + olive oil + prosciutto | Bacon + garlic + walnuts | Chives + goats cheese + mascarpone | Cumin + garlic + lemon + yogurt | Fennel + parmesan cheese + mushrooms + balsamic vinegar | Feta cheese + lemon juice + oregano | Garlic + mushrooms

• Spinach
• Arugula
• Swiss Chard
• Romaine Lettuce
• Iceberg Lettuce
• Other types of lettuce
• Dandelion Greens
• Watercress
• Beet Greens
• Endive
• Bok Choy
• Kale

Cruciferous Vegetables

Best flavours to pair with cruciferous vegetables

Anchovies + capers + red pepper + garlic + olives | Lemon + garlic + olive oil | Garlic + tarragon | Garlic + oregano | Bacon + garlic + apple cider vinegar | Bacon + onions |  Cream + nutmeg | Lemon juice + thyme

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Brussels Sprouts
• Collard Greens

Other Produce

• Avocados
• Coconut
• Mushrooms
• Zucchini
• Asparagus
• Green Beans
• Broccolini
• Cucumbers
• Leeks
• Okera
• Eggplant
• Artichokes
• Sprouts
• Lemons
• Limes
• Peppers*
• Tomatoes*
• Berries*

*If strict keto, limit to 1 serving per day due to carbohydrate content

Fats and Oils

• Ghee
• Coconut Oil
• MCT oil*
• MCT Powder*
• Olive Oil
• Macadamia Nut Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Bacon Grease
• Duck Fat
• Coconut Butter
• Tallow
• Lard
• Cocoa Butter

*do not cook with MCT Oils

Nuts and Seeds

Limit these to 3-4 servings per week due to their carbohydrate content and lectin content

• Almonds
• Macadamias
• Hazelnuts
• Hemp Hearts
• Brazil Nuts
• Pecans
• Pistachios
• Walnuts
• Sunflower Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Chia Seeds
• Almond Butter

Condiments

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Yellow Mustard
• Brown Mustard
• Coconut Aminos
• Sugar-Free Ketchup
• Mayonnaise (homemade https://www.fatforweightloss.com.au/keto-mayonnaise/ or 100% avocado oil or olive oil)
• Horseradish
• Hot Sauces
• Lemon Juice
• Tahini (sesame seed paste)
• Vanilla Extract

Drinks

• Water
• Unsweetened Tea or Coffee
• Sparkling Water
• Unsweetened Coconut Milk or Almond Milk
• Bone Broth
• Keto Coffee*
• Kombucha**
• Stevia Sweetened Softdrinks**

*Adding additional fats in keto coffee isn’t necessary during extended keto dieting, however, is beneficial for beginners.

**Avoid drinks sweetened with any type of sugar or artificial sweeteners as they can potentially damage your gut health

Herbs and Spices

• Salt
• Pepper
• Cinnamon
• Turmeric
• Ginger
• Cayenne Pepper
• Cumin
• Cilantro
• Basil
• Thyme
• Sage
• Bay Leaf
• Oregano
• All Spice
• Nutmeg
• Dill
• Rosemary
• Parsley
• Chives
• Chili Powder
• Saffron
• Cardamom
• Paprika

Dairy 

Not everyone tolerates dairy well and is more often than not the reason why many weight loss stalls occur. 

Dairy often contains high amounts of sugar, particularly lactose, but also contains a protein called casein which is often undigested because some individuals don’t possess the enzymes to break it down.

Pasteurization in dairy often kills all the beneficial bacteria and enzymes required to digest dairy, and homogenization forces at through tiny screens which breaks the fat particles into smaller more damaging oxidised versions of otherwise stable and beneficial saturated fats.

What about grass fed, organic dairy?

Grass-Fed dairy that doesn’t contain any added hormones and has eaten organic food is okay in small amounts on your keto diet menu. It contains more omega 3 fats and more butyric acid so it’s better for you.

Tips with Dairy:

• Get unhomogenized 
• Get unpasteurized or raw
• Look for Grass-Fed
• Go Full Fat
• Try to get locally sourced

Don’t Get

• Commercial Dairy (i.e. mixed with canola oil, or “spreadable”)
• Processed cheese of any kind (like cheese slices or string cheese)

Dairy Sources

• Ghee
• Butter
• Cream
• Hard Cheeses
• Soft Cheeses
• Yogurt*

*don’t get anything over 5g carbs per serving

Other Helpful Keto Shopping List Resources

• Complete Guide To Keto
• Keto Diet Macro Calculator

Click Here To Get The Free Keto Shopping List PDF

The post Keto Shopping List appeared first on FatForWeightLoss.

This it seems is based on your genetic makeup. Specifically, a gene called APOE. There are 3 different types of the APOE gene which I will discuss later.

As a human being, we are given 2 of these types of APOE genes at the same time, meaning that we actively carry 2 types of genes that are instructions for our bodies on how to make apolipoprotein E, which combines with fats to form lipoproteins.

APOE Gene Types

The three different types of APOE genes are as follows:

1. APOE2 – Best suited to a High Fat / Low Carb Diet (saturated fats are good)
2. APOE3 – Suitable For Both
3. APOE4 – Best Suited For A High Monounsaturated Fat / Low Carb Diet (Avoid Saturated Fats)

Don’t freak out! Saturated fats will not kill you. If you feel good on a ketogenic diet, than there should be no reason to get your genetics tested. You should be getting your cholesterol checked as part of your regular medical checkup.

Because humans have two copies of each gene, these three isoforms code for six genotypes (E2/E2, E2/E3, E2/E4, E3/E3, E3/E4, and E4/E4). Your APOE genotype determines how your body metabolises cholesterol.

If you are consuming a high fat, low carb diet, you will increase your body’s production of cholesterol.

So how does the metabolism of cholesterol influence your body’s ability to handle cholesterol?

I spoke a little about lipoproteins before. These are made up of two components, cholesterol and fat.

When you increase your dietary fat, you increase your lipoprotein levels, which triggers the body’s cholesterol production to increase. This means that a high-fat diet is equivalent to a high cholesterol diet.

APOE 2 Carriers Thrive On High Fat

This means that APOE 2 carriers thrive on a high fat diet, as Cholesterol is an important part of the body’s ability to create hormones and function correctly.

However, research studies have shown that APOE4 carriers are most effected by high cholesterol, and benefit more from a low saturated fat diet, instead using monounsaturated fats,  low carb diet, whereas APOE 2 carriers suit a high fat low carb diet, regardless of the saturated fats.

It appears that the effects of these genes are dose dependant. For example, the cholesterol levels of an APOE 2 / APOE 3 are naturally relatively low, whereas the APOE4 / APOE4 gene makeup is associated with a greater risk of high cholesterol.

One study shows that APOE4 carriers have up to 20 times greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease that non carriers. A full list of specific circumstances can be found here.

I recently had my genes tested, and I am a mix of APOE 3 and APOE 4, which means I might be better suited to a Mediterranean diet that utilises a little more monounsaturated fats.

As usual, I am not a doctor. I am purely writing about what I find in my research and from other reliable sources. If you are in doubt about what to do, you should always seek medical advice.

Further Reading On APOE Genes

• GHHeathWatch
• GHR
• Free Mediterranean Diet 7 Day Meal Plan

The post APOE4 – The Gene That Can’t Have Saturated Fats appeared first on FatForWeightLoss.

The liver also has important feedback mechanisms that regulate how much it needs to produce from how much we get from our diet.

Cholesterols main job is to insulate parts of our cells, build and maintain cell membranes, help digest fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin D (Sun), E (Skin), A (Eyesight) and K (Blood Clotting) whilst also kick starting many of the body’s own pathways to producing hormones, including sex hormones!

Cardiac risk factors improve when blood sugar and insulin levels are lowered via dietary changes.  HDL cholesterol goes up on a low carb, high fat diet and triglycerides fall dramatically.

Eating A High Cholesterol Diet Does Not Increase Heart Disease

The American journal of clinical nutrition undertook a study proving that eating a high-cholesterol diet does not increase the risk of heart disease.

The study followed 1,032 initially healthy men ages 42 to 60. The men consumed an average of about 2,800 milligrams of cholesterol a week, more than a quarter of it from eating an average of four eggs weekly. (An egg contains about 180 milligrams of cholesterol.)

After controlling for age, education, smoking, B.M.I., diabetes, hypertension, and other characteristics, the researchers found no association between cardiovascular disease and total cholesterol or egg consumption.

The researchers also examined carotid artery thickness, a measure of atherosclerosis. They found no association between cholesterol consumption and artery thickness, either.

In Europe, The Countries That Eat the Most Saturated Fat Have the Lowest Risk of Heart Disease

Data from: Hoenselaar R. Further response from Hoenselaar. British Journal of Nutrition, 2012.

The Obesity Epidemic in The USA Started at Almost The Exact Same Time The Low-Fat Dietary Guidelines Were Published

Source: National Center for Health Statistics (US). Health, United States, 2008: With Special Feature on the Health of Young Adults. Hyattsville (MD): National Center for Health Statistics (US); 2009 Mar. Chartbook.

The Diseases of Civilization Increased as Butter and Lard Were Replaced with Vegetable Oils and Trans Fats

Source: Dr. Stephan Guyenet. The American Diet. 2012.

Further Reading On Cholesterol

• APOE4 – The Gene That Can’t Have Saturated Fats
• Understanding Keto Diet Macros
• Keto Macro Calculator

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