IT might be fair to say the majority of people during lockdown haven’t learned a new language, or an instrument or found inner peace.

Instead most have struggled to maintain a healthy balanced lifestyle which has led to poor food choices, reduced exercise and ultimately some fat gain.

A biscuit, a bag of crisps there, mixed with the overall lack of movement, all of a sudden means weight gain.

So how can you lose this extra fat? Is it a particular exercise? Do you have to cut out carbs? Or will a secret supplement be the answer?

No, no and definitely no. There is no exercise you can perform that will cause fat loss. Exercise, however, does increase your calorie burn by up to ten per cent of your total calories used in any one day.

This obviously isn’t a lot, so there are more important factors to consider to lose fat.

The first is your total calorie consumption, such as how much food you eat.

Your body will have a loose range of food intake for maintaining your current weight and composition known as your ‘maintenance calories.’

If you under-consume between 200 to 500 calories from your maintenance calories and everything else stays the same, you will lose weight.

I mention weight, as not all of the weight you will lose on the scales will be fat. A lot of it will be water as humans are 60 to 70 per cent water.

This is a good reason to not only focus on the number on the scales, but to also take body measurements or photographs. These visual aids will give a better representation of fat loss.

I ask my clients to record their steps which is a simple task if you carry a smart phone, or even better yet wear a smart watch.

The reason for this is 20 per cent of your daily calorie burn is from your is Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). Put simply, your NEAT is the energy we use for anything we do that isn’t sleeping, eating or intentional exercise. Examples include walking, standing, fidgeting, stretching, bending or doing house work.

You may be surprised that just adding ten per cent each week to your usual step count can add up to a big calorie burn, even more than in an exercise session!

It is more important now than ever to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle that can be sustained. Not only do we put ourselves at risk of disease if we aren’t in a healthy condition, but as role models to the next generation we need to set a good example.

Taking a small step can make a big difference to your overall health.

It doesn’t need to be scary or a dramatic change as you probably won’t stick to it! Focus on small, easy goals which will lead to long-term change, which, by the way, will keep the fat off!

If you need any help or advice on how to improve your health, drop me an email at [email protected] and I’ll be more than happy to help.