Simple Changes To Improve Your Body Composition

Ever heard the words "Skinny-Fat"?

At some point in our lives we've heard the words "You're so lucky you can eat anything and stay skinny!" 

This has either been said to us or said to someone we know. 

 If you are skinny, you might think you are lucky that you can "get away with" eating junk food and not exercising as long as you are not gaining weight. However, your daily lifestyle and choices does not only affect your looks, it affects your health and feeling of wellness too. We have to remember, a healthy body and mind is not defined by your body weight but your actual body composition. Essentially, lean muscle tissue vs fat.

Small changes to begin with will be easier to keep, focus on one change per week and keep working on it . Your health is worth it, no matter what size you are. Focus on health. Your body is after all the only place you have to live!

How do you know if you are "Skinny Fat"?

You can’t really tell just by taking a look at the numbers on the scale. You really need to have testing done if you want to know how fat you have on the inside. 

Lifestyle factors are normally a telling sign if you are at risk. If you don’t exercise and have a pretty unhealthy diet, or eat very little, you are at greater risk and probably could do with making a few small and simple changes right now!

You might think that because you look fine without rolls of excess fat on the outside that all is ok. This is not the case. Although excess fat carried on the outside is unwanted by many for sheer aesthetic purposes, it is the fat on the inside that is actually dangerous. You store your fat on the inside, around your organs. This type of fat is called visceral fat and it puts you at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, insulin resistance and  insulin sensitivity, and a fatty poorly performing  liver and kidneys. 

The fat around your inner organs quite easily moves towards a healthier level by implementing small changes towards a healthy lifestyle.

1. Start an exercise regime
Regular physical activity is really good to help fight visceral fat. You must do a combination of weight training or resistance training as well as cardio (eg. walking/running) for the best effect. Even if you just start with walking, you'll find yourself feeling fitter and able for more in a short space of time. If you're unsure what to do, enlist the help of a coach in your local area or online to help you get started on your fitter journey.

2. Choose Real Food

The foods I recommend in my programs are made up of the basic wholesome foods which are easy to source – healthy carbs, lean proteins, healthy fats, starchy and non starchy vegetables, in season fruits, nuts, seeds and herbs. These foods will provide you with a boost of nutrients. Your body will soon realise it doesn't need to hold on to excess levels of visceral fat to protect your organs from toxic foods if you're feeling it with clean wholesome foods.

Processed foods are normally high in trans fats and saturated fats. Healthy Fats (unsaturated fats) are  far more beneficial for your health as well as your appearance, so try to include raw olive oil, nuts/seeds and oily fish in your diet.

4. Stop The Empty Calories
Sugary drinks will provide you with tonnes of calories that won’t give you any of the nutrients you need! We call this "empty calories". There is also a chance that soft drinks promote the storage of fat around your organs and in your liver due to the sugar rush causing a blood sugar spike and then promoting the fat storage hormone to get to work in your body.

Small simple changes like the above will get you very far along the way towards a healthier. Once you conquer these basics, it's time to work on other changes. Take it one day at a time.

For me, nothing compares to the feeling of confidence and empowerment I've gained from training and adopting a healthier lifestyle. 

Love,

Lisa xx