Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 146, Nov 2021 November 2021 | Page 51

Live Well

Do You Really Eat All That ?

By Jo Hill
It seems I get asked the same thing over and over : “ Jo , do you really eat all that ? Then why aren ’ t you … ummm … fat ?” In fact , I get asked this so often , that I ’ ve literally taken to responding with answers like , “ Well I baked the cake , so I created the calories , which means they don ’ t count !” Oh , how I wish ... so I then spend hours explaining food , macronutrients , micronutrients , calories , and what our bodies do with them all . I ’ m not going to do that here , though … I ’ m going to keep this brief and to the point : “ Yes , Susan , I do eat all of that . And no , Susan , I ’ m not fat .”
Images : Pexels

You just have to spend 15 minutes scrolling through Instagram to see that I ’ m a huge advocate of the flexible dieting approach . At the end of the day , all that matters is calories in , versus calories out . If you want to lose weight , consume less calories than you burn . If you want to gain wait , consume more calories than you burn . If you want to maintain your weight , then eat the same amount of calories that you need to function . Pretty simple , hey ? Well , not quite , but I ’ ll take this topic in stages …

Breaking It Down
Okay so food is made up of macronutrients and micronutrients . Our bodies are dependent on both , but the calories come from the macronutrients , which consist of protein , fats and carbs . The part where it gets a bit tricky is that they are equal to different calories :
• 1 gram of protein equals 4 calories
• 1 gram of carbs equals 4 calories
• 1 gram of fat equals 9 calories
So , if I make myself a mug-cake that has 28 grams
of protein , 8 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fat , it would look a little something like this : ( 28 x 4 ) + ( 8 x 4 ) + ( 3 x 9 ) = 171 calories … which is probably the equivalent to a small portion of grilled chicken and some steamed broccoli . So , if I have a craving for some cake , I have learnt that I can try substitute it with all the grilled chicken and broccoli I want , but nine out of 10 times I ’ m going to give in and have the cake over and above my healthy substitutions . As I see it , the simple solution is to find a way to include the cake into my diet , and make it guilt free .
Being Myself
I ’ ve come to terms with the fact that I ’ m not a ‘ single square of dark chocolate ’ kinda girl . I ’ m an ‘ ice cream and waffles ’ kinda girl … so I have ice cream , waffles , chocolate and cookies every single day . Of course , I still eat grilled chicken and steamed broccoli . Those foods are important , but in saying that , so is treating yourself . Thankfully , I have learnt how to bulk up my meals , because nobody enjoys being hungry or craving things , especially if there is a way you could eat all that you want to eat while guaranteeing that you were full , cravings were satisfied , and you have optimised your micronutrient intake , too .
Jo Hill is a Durbanbased baking enthusiast with two self-confessed addictions : Fitness and chocolate . She has made it her mission in life to show the world that it is possible to have the best of both worlds . The popularity of her healthy recipes led to her creating her popular Facebook page and blog called Pull ups and Peanut butter , where she shares her recipes for clean , healthy and diet-friendly treats . More info at www . pullupsandpeanutbutter . co . za

Workout Time

Weight Workout By Logan Coleman

Here ’ s a simple but effective full body workout that just requires two small weights . Do 30 seconds of each exercise , and complete 2 to 4 rounds of each circuit .
Circuit 1 : Staggered squats , Jump squats , Bent over rows Circuit 2 : Back lunge front raise , Sumo squat pulses , Rear delt flies Circuit 3 : 1 & 1 / 4 deadlift , Side raise , Bicep curls
You can watch a video demonstrating the various drills here
Logan Coleman is the sole owner of Logan Coleman Fitness and says her mission is to help women achieve their goals through balanced eating plans as well as awesome training plans . She has a specialised nutrition qualification from Trifocus and has worked in a boutique gym . She believes in making plans simple to follow , delicious , and most importantly , to fit into one ’ s lifestyle . More about her at www . logancoleman . com .
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