Fitness Journey

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Step 1

NUTRITION

Eating correctly is probably the most important thing you can do. You have to know what you're putting in and how much to know the impact of those choices.There are plenty of free apps out there for logging food and tracking calories. I use Cronometer because it talks to Apple Health and logs more nutritional data than others I've used (caffeine tracking is really helpful for seeing why that sleepless night happened).The word 'macros' scared the life out of me because I didn't understand it in the context of fitness - however, the rule of thumb is simple: more protein, balanced carbs, less fat, little to no alcohol. If you're tracking everything - including cooking oils used when making meals - then you'll know precisely when you're in a calorie deficit (i.e. weight loss) or surplus (gain).To work out how many calories you should be over or under, again use a free tool such as this one. Tracking apps should work out your macros for you - change the targets if you need to, but they're usually pretty alright as a starting point. Rule of thumb: protein = 1.2x body weight (160g as a baseline); fats = 60-80g daily; the rest carbs (not the enemy - ENERGY!)To support protein intake, consider supplementing with whey/vegan alternatives; to support with strength, consider supplementing with 3g creatine monohydrate (if so doing, drink an extra litre of water per day on top of the two litres you should be drinking anyway and take it every day to protect your kidneys). Don't spend a fortune - MyProtein offers everything you need at really reasonable prices (and if you have Blue Light or Student codes, there's always an additional discount to be had).

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Step 2

EXERCISE

Exercise is a non-negotiable - you have to move more to use up the energy you're putting in. The right exercises will spur muscle growth, fat loss, and change your body shape.If you're anything like me, growing up as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in the 1990s meant that the gym was a place which routinely excluded those of us who were different. Hypermasculinity and the perpetual fear of the PE changing rooms from school limited the positive relationship we should have developed with regard to fitness. Fortunately, there are plenty of very friendly gyms out there now where it is perfectly safe to be oneself. Major commercial chains and smaller LGBTQ+-friendly independents all have decent policies around inclusion. I use a small chain called Fitness Worx, which is robustly anti-harassment of any kind.Knowing where to start with workouts is tough, though. Firstly, knowing what to do; secondly, knowing how to do; thirdly, knowing how to track progress.Just like most people, I started with cardio - jogging on the treadmill, 45 minutes on the cross-trainer. That is amazing for fitness, and you should do some, but you need to do resistance (weight lifting) training to have a long-term effect on your body and to change your overall shape.I use an app called Hevy, which makes all this easy. You can add your own workouts if you have access to expertise to help or you can use its 'Trainer' feature, which builds workouts for you based on your goals - and has handy 'this is how to do it' animations for every exercise. If you choose to use it, follow me and steal my 'Gym Push/Gym Pull/Gym Legs' routine as a starting point - designed partly by an old personal trainer and partly by Hevy's database of exercises.

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Step 3 continued

MOTIVATION

For everybody, this is the tricky bit. Staying motivated in the face of slow progress is tough, especially as you'll feel like you've given it your all for little movement on the scales.1. YOU'VE GOT THIS2. Progress is slow. The body is not Playdoh and you can't resculpt it in a week. That hit of loss in the first week is likely water weight - it slows down after that - but don't be put off by the scales. Trust the adjustments in shape and size, not the number of kilos you can see, especially as (at some point) you're going to start putting weight on again - muscle weighs more than fat.3. There are going to be moments when you look in the mirror and loathe what you see: the stretch marks, the slightly looser skin, the muscles becoming more visible but smaller than you think you deserve given the months of effort. That's normal. You'll have those moments even in a few months when you think you're making great progress. You'll have those moments three years from now when you're built like a brick outhouse. Accept that your eyes see a reality coloured by your experience.4. Seek motivation from people who you know have been there and will remind you that you're doing well. Equally, ask them to be honest - if they see you picking up a fourth glass of wine on a random weeknight, you want them to hold you to account rather than egg you on!5. You're allowed bad weeks - when the regulator comes to inspect the workplace, when it's someone's big birthday, when you've had a really bad electricity bill - but log it, balance out the calories from the stress-pint over the week, and don't worry about one missed gym session - you're walking around the world, not racing to the corner of the next street.

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What next?

Tapering out

Once you're well on the road to your goals, you need to know when to switch from a fat loss programme to a recomposition programme to a muscle gain programme.

• Changing my programme

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I need more help

Who can support?

I am not a personal trainer and have no desire to be one. I will happily talk to anyone about my journey and what I've learned on the way - but, if you need more specific support, you need a qualified professional.

• Personal Training

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What next?

Tapering Out

Your exercises might stay the same, but your calorie intake will change, moving from a deficit to almost maintenance calories (just enough to balance out your daily expenditure) to a surplus to encourage muscle growth. This is what all the influencers are on about when they talk about 'cutting' (fat loss with muscle maintenance) and 'bulking' (muscle and fat gain). Again, a good nutrition app should help with that, but remember to keep the principles the same - high protein, balanced carbs, low fat, limited alcohol.Example: my fat loss deficit was circa 400kcal - daily intake at 1800kcal against maintenance of 2200kcal. My muscle gain intake is 2500kcal - a surplus only on non-exercise days, meaning I end up around 200kcal over maintenance per week - just enough to spur muscle growth and force my body to use fat stores for energy. Very slow, but sustainable.

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Who can support?

Personal Training

1. In-person personal training: speak to your gym about what they offer and how much this costs. Usually a package will include 30-60 mins of training time per week; some will include personalised nutritional support (in which case, disregard all this and listen to the experts!); some will build unique exercise programmes for your goals. Mine are pretty generic all-rounders.2. Online coaching: This is great if you just need someone who is going to hold you accountable and monitor your progress. There are some amazing trainers out there who achieve exceptional results without ever meeting their clients in person by helping with tracking and adjusting, holding accountable and motivating where needed.

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One last thing...

Keep going!

Consistency is key - don't change routines too frequently, aim for progressive overload (increasing reps - start with 8, do it until your form is great, do it on that weight until you get to 10 reps easily, then up the weight and start again at 8), keep your calories in check and don't stop monitoring - data is your key to staying not straying.Finding a gym buddy can be the fastest way to stay motivated - if I know we've both arranged to be there, I'm less likely to drop out... Peer pressure is an amazing tool!If you need to chat - DM me

• Keep in touch