Welcome to the part to the website where I further waffle on about nutrition and training, however this time it is all orientated around loosing body fat. But before I begin, let me tell you a story….
As a child I was affectionately nicknamed ‘The Cube’ at school, why…because at the age of 5 I was as wide as I was tall, haha (quite a clever nickname I thought and I didn’t mind it since it sounded like a Super Hero’s name, haha.) It’s true; you see my mum, who’s kind of like an Italian/ English Mrs Butterworth, is an amazing cook and as a result I developed a sweet tooth. Seriously, I would finish any desert put on a plate in front of me, chocolate pudding, rice pudding, flapjack you name it, I’d eat it, the pudding didn’t stand a chance. So anyway 8 years later, at the age of 13, I realised two things, although I had a wicked Superhero nickname:
- No girl wanted to get with The Cube
- The Cube wasn’t all that good at swimming something The Cube really liked
That is the point I decided to educate myself about training, nutrition and more specifically weight loss and leave the Mighty Nickname of The Cube behind. I’m now 21 and what has taken me 8 years to learn, I will now teach to you in just a few pages. I call the following regime, “The Cube avoidance regime:”

As always I prefer to teach the principles of weight loss (rather than just giving you a nutrition and training plan) since this I find will better educated you so you know why to do certain exercises and to eat certain foods to decrease your body fat, rather than just being told. Thus in time you will be able to take control of your own training and nutrition and will no longer need me. Since the whole aim of this website is to make you all dieticians and personal trainers (of yourselves.)

Note: The content gets progressively harder and more complex the further down the page you go (i.e. It starts with the basics and will become more advanced) So if you are new to losing body fat don’t worry, simply start from the beginning and work your way through. On the other hand if you are a little more knowledgeable simply skip the parts you know and read the parts you don’t.
(Note: Newly added content will be titled, “New Content”….catchy title I thought, haha)

The Weight Loss section is broken down into 2 categories: Nutrition and Training, but first allow me to explain the very basics of fat loss:

Basics of Fat Loss
Losing body fat is essentially an energy deficit over a long period of time; please see my highly mathematical equations below:

Lose Body Fat:
Energy Deficit = Energy expended (exercise, metabolism, thermic effect of feeding) > Energy taken in (Food + Drink)

Gain Body Fat:
Energy Surplus = Energy expended (exercise, metabolism, thermic effect of feeding) < Energy taken in (Food + Drink)

Energy in:
This is anything that contains calories; food, juices, soft drinks and alcohol.

Energy Expended:
Energy is expended in the body through 3 ways:
- Thermic effect of exercise: Any muscle movement will result in the expending of energy
- Thermic effect of feeding: The actual digestion of food will result in the expending of energy
- Basal Metabolic rate: This is the number of calories expended merely keeping the body functioning at rest.
So in it’s simplest form, know that the ‘Energy Expended’ by your body (in the 3 ways mentioned) must exceed ‘Energy In’ in order for you to loose body fat.

NUTRITION FOR FAT LOSS

(If you are new to nutrition, I would advise reading the Nutrition part of the website before reading this section since there are a lot of principles in there that must be understood before reading this part.)
Our good friends over in China believe the Maitreya Buddha’s big stomach is a symbol of happiness, luck, and generosity…hmmm??? Does that mean people all over the world are becoming happier, luckier and more generous? No! Don’t get me wrong, I love the Chinese and they’ve done a lot of things right; food, technology, great cars and Bruce Lee, however their diagnosis of obesity is not up there with the best of them. So in an attempt to prevent more people becoming like the Maitreya Buddha (and The Cube, haha) here are my teachings on nutrition for fat loss:

Carbohydrates, Insulin Levels and Fat Loss explained:

Contrary to popular belief Carbohydrates are not the devil and carbohydrates are not making us all fat (Dr Atkins you idiot.) You simply have to know about them and there affects on the body, then you and carbohydrates can live happily ever after in a slim and blissful world. Allow me to explain:
The body requires a continual input of carbohydrates, mainly to ‘feed’ the brain whose primary energy source is glucose (2/3 of glucose in the bloodstream is used by the brain when the body is at rest.) Now carbohydrates are stored in the body in the form of glycogen (long string of glucose molecules) in the liver (capacity 60-90 grams) and in the muscles (capacity 300-400 grams). Only glycogen in the liver can be used by the brain, since muscle glycogen is inaccessible, therefore liver glycogen reserves must be replenished continually.
BUT!!! This is not to say eat bread, pasta, porridge, sweets and biscuits by the barrel full and you will become the next Steven Hawkins, since your body has a limited capacity to store excess carbohydrates and those excess carbohydrates are converted into excess body fat. However it gets worse, carbohydrates cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels and to compensate for this rapid rise the pancreas releases the hormone known as insulin into the blood to lower blood sugar levels. Insulin is a ‘storage hormone’ meaning it puts aside excess carbohydrate calories in the form of adipose tissue (fat) in case of future famine. And what is more increase insulin levels also tell the body not to release any stored fat, making it near impossible for your body to use its own fat stores as a form of energy…double bugger! So basically too many carbohydrates and the hormone insulin informs the entire body, “Store fat and don’t you dare give any precious fat up because there’s a famine coming!”
So now you are sitting there thinking, “great thanks Ross, now I don’t know whether to eat carbohydrates and become The Cube or avoid them and become dumb since my brain doesn’t have enough glucose.” But never fear, since you don’t have to be either….Solution:
Make sure you have some fibre, essential fatty acids or protein every time you have some carbohydrates since this will reduce the effect the carbohydrates have on the body’s blood sugar levels and therefore insulin. Result: A carbohydrate fed brain and a slim, trim body, winner!

Cravings Explained:

I Ross Edgley a.k.a. the former Cube, will be the first to admit it is sometimes hard to eat healthy, it does take a certain amount of will power. However understanding the Science of cravings will help your cause ten fold, since when you know how cravings occur and how to stop them…the battle is won, and you and the cookie jar can go your separate ways. Allow me to explain:
You will crave sugary food if:
- Your blood sugar levels are constantly out of balance
- You have nutrient deficiencies
- If you eat a diet high in refined, white carbohydrates
The main reason for this is because sugary, carbohydrate-rich foods and sweets raise the level of the feel-good chemicals in your body (these are the endorphins serotonin and norepinephrine.) Then as you know, once the sugar treat is consumed it raises the blood sugar levels in the body, which then triggers the release of insulin. However too much insulin is always released by the pancreas leading to a drip in both sugar and endorphins. It’s at this point where you reach for yet another sugar treat to ‘pick you up’…. Blood sugar levels and hormones go up…..insulin released….. Blood sugar levels and hormones go down…so….in goes another treat…..and so on... this my friends is the viscous food craving cycle which leads to weight gain, fatigue and mood swings, and this is the reason you can never have one biscuit, you’ve got to have the whole packet. Solution….Go Cold Turkey…avoid the cookie jar (rise in blood sugar) in the first place and keep blood sugar levels constant. Doing this will lead to a happier, trimmer you. And if that’s not enough, here are a few more ways to help regulate blood sugar levels:

-Astragalus 500mg give you an energy lift
-Live nutrient dense foods Spirulina
-Chromium: Chromium is often removed in highly processed foods
-Manganese: A deficiency in this mineral will cause blood sugar imbalances
-Magnesium: A deficiency in this mineral will cause blood sugar imbalances
-Essential fatty acids: Help regulate the metabolism and cravings
-Whole grains, yams, squash: all help regulate blood sugar levels

- Avoid saturated fats, hydrogenated oils, refined white carbohydrates and sugars like a kid would avoid Michael Jackson’s house. But ensure your diet has enough Essential fatty acids (fat burning agents) in it. The reason being ‘bad fats’ inevitably store as adipose tissue on the body however the ‘Good Fats’ actually support the bodies metabolism and aid in the burning of fat on the body.

- I am now officially placing a Curfew on carbohydrates in your diet that is not to say you can’t have them; it just means you can’t have any after 6 pm. Also it’s important to have your larger meals at the start of the day. The reason being your body’s metabolism slows down when you are sleeping so any access calories or carbohydrates that are still in your stomach at night will be stored as fat when you sleep.

- Have a good source of protein with every meal since protein requires more energy to digest therefore it burns more calories once eaten (thermic effect of feeding.) It also makes you feel full for longer and if that’s not enough it will also help you build muscle (for the women reading this don’t worry, you are not going to look like Arnie in a wig if you eat a lot of protein. You lack the male hormone testosterone to build any substantial muscle, so you will merely get the fat burning benefits of eating protein with every meal.)

- Always have some protein, fibre or essential fatty acids with your carbohydrates since this will reduce the rise in your blood sugar levels, thus reducing your bodies ability to store fat.

- DRINK!! A lot of water, since being hydrated will ensure your appetite is suppressed, your metabolism is supported and you don’t get fatigued easily. Also the kidneys can function efficiently, which means its surplus workload is not passed on to the liver meaning the liver can do its job of metabolising stored fat for energy properly thus meaning more fat is burnt.

- Eat 7 meals throughout the day….no this isn’t a typing error and no I’ve not been drinking, haha, eat 7 small meals throughout the day, keeping the total calories the same but just change the frequency of eating. This will ensure your blood sugar levels remain consistent (stop your cravings) and your body will be able to digest the food and burn the calories more efficiently.

- Become a fresh fruit and vegetable lover since they contain enzymes that support the body’s metabolism and bodily functions

Note: There will be new and more complex content added regularly

Training for Fat Loss

My man Benjamin Franklin once said, “I guess I don't so much mind being old, as I mind being fat and old.” Amen brother! And I’m sure, if they get broadband up in heaven, he’s logging on and reading this website this very minute. So this next part is for Mr Franklin and others who want to know how your training can be manipulated to make a slimmer and happier you:

Training and the Science of fat loss

It’s worth reading my articles entitled, “Science of Weight Loss” & “High and Low intensity work outs for weight loss” however for those of you who are too busy (or just don’t like my articles, haha) I’ve taken out the main points and written them below:

The enzyme in the body responsible for breaking down fats is called lipase and the process of breaking down fats in your body is called lipolysis and this really happens in two distinct phases; mobilization and oxidisation.

Mobilisation
Once you begin exercising the enzyme lipase turns fats, or triglycerides, into three unbound fatty acids (FFA) and one glycerol molecule, this process is basically the breaking down of fat in your body for future possible use. Worth noting is that this is merely the preparation for the use of fat as an energy source, the fat hasn’t been used for energy at this point or oxidised.

Oxidisation
Now oxidation is the point at which the fatty acids that were mobilized are actually burned. This process must take place if the triglycerides are to be burned, since un-oxidised triglycerides can be converted back meaning they will have to be mobilised again.

High Intensity & Low Intensity Cardio and fat oxidisation

I will now explain the two kinds of cardiovascular training; high and low intensity, and their effects on the body’s boy fat levels.
Your Target Heart Rate is the range of heartbeats per minute at which you should work at in order to best achieve aerobic fitness (Range typically between 50% to 80% of your maximum heart rate.) The bottom end of the scale (50%Max HR) is best for low intensity training while the top end (80% max HR) is for high intensity training.
Now people often say to me, “Ross put some clothes on?” and “what is the best type of cardio for fat loss?” Well regarding my naked appearance, it’s my house and I shall wander around how nature intended, haha, J But as for the best form of cardio, there is no best type, it really all depends on your current situation and your goals. I’ve taken the following extract from one of my articles:

Low Intensity = Loose Body fat but maintain lean muscle mass
For those of you wanting to keep your muscle mass, low intensity cardio (40-50% of your Maximum Heart Rate) is most definitely best, since:

-There is greater mobilisation of triglycerides

-There is greater oxidisation of Free unbound fatty acids

-More molecules of glycerol and Free unbound fatty acids are formed

-The majority of the calories burned come from fat (no lost muscle)

High Intensity – Solely concerned with losing body fat
For those of you whose only concern is to loose body fat and you are not too concerned about muscle mass, high intensity cardio (75% of your Maximum Heart Rate) is most definitely best, since:

- Although there is less mobilisation of triglycerides

- Although there is less oxidisation of Free unbound fatty acids

- There are less molecules of glycerol and Free unbound fatty acids are formed

-It does burns more intramuscular triglycerides

-It increases your basal metabolic rate (your metabolism) so you burn more calories even after you have finished the exercise itself

-It does burn more calories overall however not all the calories come from Fat and there may be some muscle mass lost

Some additional Notes on Cardiovascular training and fat loss:

· 30-40 minutes cardio as soon as you wake up (whether this is 9 o’clock in the morning or 1 o’clock in the afternoon) Do not eat anything before (or possibly just 15 grams of protein to prevent muscle mass loss) and get hydrated. Then don’t eat anything until an hour after finishing. The reason being this is the optimal time to begin burning fat for the glycogen levels in your muscles are depleted and your insulin levels in your blood are at their lowest after 7 hours of sleeping and not eating. This means your body will have no choice but to use the fat on your body as a source of energy. Also afterwards your basal metabolic rate and enzymic activity is elevated so you’re still burning calories.
Note:
If you feel faint when exercising on an empty stomach, try eating something containing alot of protein, limited carbs and limited sugars before hand. Since this will still ensure blood sugar levels are low and no insulin spike is caused.

So now you (and Benjamin Franklin) have been enlightened and now know how to manipulate your cardiovascular training to bring about your desired results for your body.

Strength and Anaerobic training and Fat loss:

For those of you wanting to loose body fat but like cardio about as much as a pig likes the butchers (not very much) never fear, for there is hope and it comes in the form of anaerobic workouts. You see, strength training, like cardio, burns calories as well but what is more strength training increases a person’s basal metabolic rate for the following 24 hours due to EPOC (Excess post exercise oxygen consumption) something cardiovascular training doesn’t do, WOO HOO!

Anaerobic – High Intensity Interval Training:

And for those of you that don’t want put on muscle mass for whatever reason (detrimental to your sport, personal preference or you don’t want to look like Mrs Hulk and hate weights) never fear, for once again there is a solution called… High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.) This basically involves a weapon of your choice e.g. treadmill, rower, cycle machine…. a warmup period, several short, maximum-intensity efforts separated by moderate recovery intervals, and a cooldown period. The period of alternating effort and recovery intervals typically lasts a total of 15 minutes. Example:
· Choose your weapon I.e. exercise method
· 4 minutes warm up (low intensity)
· 30 seconds high intensity followed by 30 seconds low intensity (repeat 6 times, totalling 6 minutes of 30-30 intervals)
· 2 minutes warm down
· Sit back and bask in the glory of raised Basal Metabolic rate for the next 24 hours due to EPOC (Excess post exercise oxygen consumption) CHAMPION!!

Note: There will be new and more complex content added regularly

Supplements for Fat Loss

Finally supplements, the little helpers in your quest for lovely, happy body (Note: Don’t rely on supplements, the majority of the work has to come from you. Eating these with your McDonalds and then washed down with a Super Sized chocolate milkshake just isn’t going to work.)
· B vitamins – help metabolise carbohydrates and protein
· L tyrosine – to reduce appetite
· Co-enzyme Q10 – is a metabolic stimulant
· Green and sea vegetables – support the body’s metabolism
· Multi vitamin - support the body’s metabolism
· Udo’s oil or flax oil – a great supply of essential fatty acids
· Chromium polynicotinate – helps stop cravings
· Chickweed - breaks down fat deposits
· Kelp - helps support the thyroid gland (gland responsible for the bodies metabolism)
· Green tea – breaks down fat and burns calories
· Ginseng – will nourish the metabolic system
· Caffeine – this is a thermogenic (burns calories) but studies are controversial and some believe it makes the thyroid gland tired. Try it and be your own judge
You do not need all of these, WOW that would be a feat. Just try certain ones and see how you feel.

Note: There will be new and more complex content added regularly