Although I’ve been very consistent with my exercise and nutrition over the past – oh, 15 years! – it’s only in the past 3 years that I’ve enjoyed results that I believe truly reflect the effort I put in.

Can you relate?  The results you’re seeing just don’t seem to fairly reflect the sweat and focus you’re giving?

These 5 quick fixes assume you’ve already got the 2 big hitters locked and loaded.

I talk about them frequently, however just in case this is the first post of mine you’re reading;

ONE. Primarily eat one ingredients foods.

TWO. Lift heavy weights.

Beyond those two massive-bang-for-your-fat-burning-buck essentials here are 5 of the upgrades I’ve made over the past few years;

Swap music for podcasts I’m excited to listen to.

How can this help you get your best body?

Firstly it’s aligned with my focus on either low intensity cardio (walking) or high intensity interval training.  Medium intensity cardio has no place in my weekly routine.

I spent years suffering through 40-60 minutes of tedious machine cardio after which I would drag myself home and succumb to the near unavoidable carb refuel (which would 95% of the time be a carb OVER-refuel).  Your body doesn’t demand a carb fest after low intensity cardio.  So you get to keep that precious energy deficit you just created. 

But the podcast’s Kate???

=> When you find a podcast you really enjoy – and you’re excited to hear the latest episode, it makes it that much easier to get your walk on.

=> If you’re increasingly time conscious, as I find myself becoming – it helps to know you’re exercising both brain and body at the same time.

Swap a low fat high carb breakie and morning tea to higher fat and protein plus.

I used to subscribe to the oats for breakie and fruit for morning tea ‘healthy’ low fat CARB FEST approach.  I thought I had a really super fast metabolism as I’d burn through that super quick and be starving again by 10am.  It was actually frustrating… I don’t want to always be consumed by my next meal.

=> Adding protein and good fats is satisfying.  Even if I’m caught up till 1pm or 2pm for lunch I can survive without becoming crazy-outta-control-moody-Kate.

=> It’s freeing to know that your mood and brain function isn’t at the mercy of plummeting blood sugar levels.  Plus, my stomach no longer rumbles embarrassingly a mere 1-2 hours after a meal!

Ditch soy.

It may not be soy for you.  However there is likely an item in your day to day eating that will carry a lot of bang for your fat loss buck if you upgrade it to a better option.

Soy is definitely worth upgrading if it features in your regular eating regime.  It mimics the effect of estrogen in your body.  Now estrogen isn’t bad – however – toxics in the environment and stress are also at work sending your estrogen balance out of whack and when that happens it can lead to extra fat storage in estrogen sensitive areas, such as your hips and thighs.

Sound far fetched?

I’m a walking testament to this hormone imbalance.  I thought I was destined to be an out of proportion pear shape my whole life… until I read up on soy and also cruciferous super veg which help restore your estrogen balance. 

=> Ditch soy and amp up your cruciferous veg intake.  These slim hip and thigh friends are: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels, Cabbage, Kale.

=> I pleaded ignorance to the case against soy for years – because I loved it – I didn’t want to know that it was doing my body no favours.  What is the food you regularly consume that your know you’d benefit from upgrading?  Perhaps soft drink, dairy milk choc, cereal or my other old friend, beer.

Cut the sugar-free crap.

But there’s no calories in it – how can it make me fat?

I’m not even going to enter into the fake, toxic, chemical argument against everything ‘sugar-free’…even though that was actually the reason I decided to give it up.

The surprise benefit is that once you’re no longer consuming fake sugar-free crap-o-la everything else tastes so good AND you stop craving sugary stuff.

=> You crave what you eat and even though it’s not real sugar it makes you want real sugar.  I’ve seen this time and time again. I believe it feeds the sugar addiction. Once I gave up fake choc protein bars I stopped wanted fake choc protein bars… AND I stopped craving real choc bars too.

=> It numbs your taste-buds.  Again this was unexpected, however even vegetables taste sweet when you’re not continuously numbing your taste-buds. When quality food tastes better then it becomes easier to feed your body more of that quality food.

The cycle that was working against you fake-food-craves-fake-food is now in your favour real-food-craves-real-food.

Embrace body weight exercises.

Yes, I did say lifting heavy weights is an essential.  Well for starters, even at my leanest, my body is a fairly heavy weight, and I believe that’d be applicable to you to.

I think I avoided body weight exercises for years because they are hard!

Loading up a barbell or grabbing some dumbbells would comprise the majority of my work-out.  Now, I still love my barbell and dumbbell work, however I’ve realised the perfect pairing is to combine them with body weight exercises.  

=> This approach allows for the benefits of both lifting heavy weights and getting your heart rate racing…  with minimal recovery time needed… while minimising the chance of injury which can come from just lifting heavier and heavier and heavier.

Plus you feel strong being able to throw your own body weight around.

=> Also you get to take some of your favourite exercises on holidays with you – with zero equipment required.  Vital right??

Ok, over to you.  What are the best upgrades you’ve made to your exercise and nutrition in recent times?  Or perhaps the change you finally embraced that you wish you’d made so much earlier?