Body Transformation Programs

There are many strategies to adopt for weight loss, with some being better than others! Gyms and the internet are full of polarising and also straight-up incorrect strategies. So, here are 12 of the best ways to achieve a body transformation as detailed by science, to help end any confusion you may have, and get you in the shape of your life, quickly!

1. High Protein Diet 

You might have been confused over what "diet" is the best for weight loss. The answer is, whichever one you find easiest to stick to.

But there's one thing they all have in common: they're all high in protein.

That's because protein is one of the key pillars of a weight loss diet.

Protein is simply the best macronutrient for satiety; the feeling of being full. The more we feel full, the less we're likely to overeat; which helps us stay in a calorie deficit!

Protein also supports our weight training and other exercise by helping us grow muscle and recover adequately; an important strategy for body transformation.

Moreover, protein provides great dietary satisfaction; absolutely paramount to sticking to a diet for a given amount of time!

But it's also very low in calories (just 4 per gram) and is hard to gain weight from. This is because our bodies burn 30 per cent of protein calories from just digesting it!

So 100 calories from a lean protein source like chicken breast means only 70 calories are really absorbed.

To illustrate just how great protein is for weight loss, this study overfed resistance-trained subjects by 800 calories via whey protein, to see how much weight they would gain. And they gained next to nothing!

This is because of whey's low carbohydrate and fat content, and the thermogenic effect of the protein consumed.

And it's why our Workout Meal options come packed with lean protein; we know how important it is to you and your goals!

 

 2. Learn about NEAT and how it can help you

NEAT isn't just something we should try and keep our living space, it stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis. NEAT refers to the activity we do daily that isn't exercise. For example:

- Walking your dog

- Walking to your next meeting

- Taking the stairs when you can

- Stand instead of sit

- Walking to the bathroom

- Grocery shopping

- Cleaning your living space

- Playing with your kids

- Gardening

- Maintaining posture

- Tapping

- Chewing gum

Whilst this list might not seem like activities that burn a heap of calories, you'd be surprised!

Research reveals we burn around 350 calories a day from NEAT.

These activities might not seem like "hardcore exercise." But consider research suggests we can burn an extra 350 calories a day from NEAT activities.

For context, 30 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) burns around 360 calories.

So going about your daily business can burn as many calories as going all out at the gym or the park via HIIT.

So we can should focus more on NEAT, as burning those extra calories is critical for a body transformation.

 

3. Be consistent

Think about brushing your teeth; you do it no matter how you're feeling.

This is the attitude you have to have towards your training for a successful body transformation program.

You. Must. Turn. Up.

There's no point going hard for a few weeks and quitting, then waiting for the new year, setting a new year's resolution, only to fall off the bandwagon again in February.

Don't make things hard for yourself: find a gym close by your home or office, ensure your daily meal intake isn't a tough assignment to have prepared, and choose the exercise that you enjoy doing the most, which brings us to our next point.

 

4. Home Workouts

If you have a busy lifestyle and find it difficult to get out to the gym, you might want to consider home workouts.

You might just be intimidated by gyms, and that's no problem at all. There are solutions: many beginners and fitness fanatics have set up a home gym that allows them to be tested adequately and get results.

If you prefer cardio, then getting a treadmill or other equipment is a great option. Moreover, a simple barbell and some dumbbells are enough to achieve a full-body workout in the comfort of your own home.

Take a read of this Workout meals article that details a full-body workout program that you can get started with today!

 

 

5. Find a Personal Trainer and Nutritionist

If you find the detail of a body transformation quite daunting, or simply just want to outsource the homework required, then you might want to consider hiring a personal trainer or nutritionist.

It's a stellar idea; they do this day in and day out and the great ones work with many different people from all walks of life and get results.

Also, one of the biggest reasons people fail on their weight loss diets and body transformation goals is because they lose motivation.

Personal trainers and nutritionists help keep you motivated so the results keep coming.

 

6. Create your own meal plan or get someone skilled to do it for you

Having a plan is essential for success.

When we're out and about, or at home with not a lot of options to eat; this is when poor eating choices are made.

You must know what your personal deficit of calories are, and how many grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fat you need daily, and how to incorporate the foods you love without gaining weight.

If you're across this detail, go for it!

But if you're not, a nutritionist (or us) can do that for you; so all you have to do is eat it!

7. Do the exercise you love

 

There's no point running if you hate it. Or doing HIIT just because some magazine article told you to.

You must choose what you're going to want to do frequently.

Is that an individual exercise? Group exercise?

The more you know about what you enjoy and what you can stick to, the better for your long term weight loss goals.

If you see it as a chore, you won't keep turning up. And that's the worst thing that can happen.

 

8. Learn how many calories you burn a day and eat less than them

We all have our unique number of calories we burn daily; our total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

And once we know how many that is, we subtract around 20 per cent for an optimal weight loss diet.

This allows us to lose weight in a slow and steady fashion, so we don't crash and end up right back where we started!

And you can learn just how to calculate your total daily energy expenditure via this Workout Meals article.

 

 9. Understand macronutrients and how much you need of each daily

This is absolutely critical for weight loss results.

As discussed, protein must be the majority of your intake, then carbohydrates, and fat last.

You need roughly 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for weight loss; the rest come from fat and carbohydrates.

When you know your unique number of all three macronutrients, weight loss and thus a body transformation can become fat less daunting.

 

10. Learn to incorporate your favourite treats into your diet

Once you know your unique number of macronutrients, you can then incorporate your favourite "forbidden" foods into them.

Donuts, cake, some chocolate nothing is off limits in the right balance!

We do this because it allows for diet consistency, and it's this consistency that allows for a successful body transformation.

The science is clear: a "flexible" approach to dieting with the foods you like beats out a "rigid" approach to dieting for long term fat loss. 

 

11. Drink less alcohol

Alcohol is seven calories per gram and does absolutely nothing for our body transformation efforts.

Cap your alcohol intake at two standard drinks per sitting, as alcohol provides no other micronutrients!

Too much alcohol can also lower testosterone, which is not good for either gender looking to get into optimal shape! 

 

12. Join Workout Meals 360 for a simplified Body Transformation Program

The other way to ensure your best body transformation is by joining our world-first offering: Workout Meals 360.

This is where we take all the guess work out of you getting into the shape of your life, providing you with a nutritionist, personal trainer, and our delivered meals (to your door!) so you can simply follow the plan prescribed to you for the easiest results possible.

We've seen people fall short of their goals for far too long, and know that our body transformation program will help you get to where you need to go.

So, there are twelve factors to consider to ensure you get into the shape of your life! As with most things, knowledge is king, so there's a large dose of it to help you get into the shape you deserve.

 

 

References

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Stokes T, Hector AJ, Morton RW, McGlory C, Phillips SM. Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training. Nutrients. 2018;10(2):180. Published 2018 Feb 7. doi:10.3390/nu10020180

Osilla EV, Safadi AO, Sharma S. Calories. [Updated 2021 Sep 15]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499909/

Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Lemmens SG, Westerterp KR. Dietary protein - its role in satiety, energetics, weight loss and health. Br J Nutr. 2012 Aug;108 Suppl 2:S105-12. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512002589. PMID: 23107521.

Leaf A, Antonio J. The Effects of Overfeeding on Body Composition: The Role of Macronutrient Composition - A Narrative Review. Int J Exerc Sci. 2017;10(8):1275-1296. Published 2017 Dec 1.

Chung N, Park MY, Kim J, Park HY, Hwang H, Lee CH, Han JS, So J, Park J, Lim K. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): a component of total daily energy expenditure. J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2018 Jun 30;22(2):23-30. doi: 10.20463/jenb.2018.0013. PMID: 30149423; PMCID: PMC6058072.

Falcone PH, Tai CY, Carson LR, Joy JM, Mosman MM, McCann TR, Crona KP, Kim MP, Moon JR. Caloric expenditure of aerobic, resistance, or combined high-intensity interval training using a hydraulic resistance system in healthy men. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Mar;29(3):779-85. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000661. PMID: 25162652.

Emanuele MA, Emanuele NV. Alcohol's effects on male reproduction. Alcohol Health Res World. 1998;22(3):195-201.

Helms ER, Zinn C, Rowlands DS, Brown SR. A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes: a case for higher intakes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2014 Apr;24(2):127-38. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2013-0054. Epub 2013 Oct 2. PMID: 24092765.

Smith CF, Williamson DA, Bray GA, Ryan DH. Flexible vs. Rigid dieting strategies: relationship with adverse behavioral outcomes. Appetite. 1999 Jun;32(3):295-305. doi: 10.1006/appe.1998.0204. PMID: 10336790.