A celebrity trainer shares his 4 tips to slim down after isolation

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Couple resistance training

Ben Lucas shares his 4 tips to slim down after isolation

While we all had good intentions to keep fit during iso (and some of us may have even succeeded) now that we have more freedom to get out and about it is a great time to try to get back to where you were before we were all encouraged to stay indoors.

Here are some of my top tips for getting back into post iso shape.

Resistance Training

The one thing that many of us would have missed out on when the gyms were closed was resistance training because frankly, gym equipment was one of the smarter items that people chose to stockpile (in my humble opinion :P)

Research has shown that resistance training can help you burn fat for up to 38 hours post-workout. This means you can even burn fat at rest so if you want to get results, make sure you lift some weight. If you have missed out on this type of training for the past few months, this sounds help you get back into shape.

Your diet

Bering stuck at home paired with cooler weather is often a recipe for comfort eating disaster, but we know better than that and will aim to eat healthy at home most of the time. Am I right?

If you are someone who eats out a lot, your at-home eating should be extra healthy. If you are someone who often eats at home, try to still eat well most days. Of course now and then we all want to have some pizza

Aim to have half of your plate be full of green veggies. Try to stick to around 1 tablespoon of fat ie. avocado, oil, butter. Switch your starchy carbs out for healthier ones such as sweet potato and pumpkin, however, if you are not super active, you can probably stick to greens and proteins for one of your meals as you won’t need carbs in all of them.

Also, make sure you are having protein. Protein is essential for so many processes in your body. It also helps you build muscle and stay satiated for longer.

Sleep

Now that we are allowed out, don’t let that freedom compromise your sleep. While I’m sure many of us want to get out and stay up late, you may find that if you are not getting enough sleep your hunger hormone gets active and haves you craving heavier foods. Additionally, a lack of sleep is a recipe for a lack of motivation when it comes to working out too.

Be aware of what you are drinking

Alcohol is the obvious one, we all know it has calories and can slow your metabolism. Try to limit alcohol if you are trying to lose weight. While vodka soda does have less calories than most drinks, it still can affect your sleep, which can affect your hunger hormone and the above cycle is likely to begin.

The other thing to keep in mind is that juices, chocolate milk etc. are also often full of sugar and you need to take these calories into account too. If you want to lose weight stick to water and tea. Coffee is fine too but be mindful of how much milk you are including.

Ben Lucas profileBen Lucas is Owner and Director of Flow Athletic Paddington.

Ben grew up in the southern Sydney suburb of Cronulla, where he excelled in athletics, basketball and rugby league during his formative years. Post schooling he went on with his rugby league to play professionally for the Cronulla Sharks, in Brisbane and in Auckland.

Retiring early from football Ben focused his energy on a career in the fitness industry. Opening his first facility in 2005 in Mosman. For 9 years Ben’s Mosman studio was one of the busiest in Sydney, performing over 750 high-quality personal training sessions a week. On the back of this studio’s success, Ben also opened gyms in the neighbouring areas of Neutral Bay and North Sydney.

Whilst training for an Ultra-marathon in 2010 Ben made the acquaintance of one of Sydney’s leading Yoga teachers Kate Kendall. It was this meeting that influenced Ben’s career to change trajectory. He sold his 3 personal training/ fitness businesses in 2012 to commit to a new concept in health.

In March 2013 Flow Athletic opened, bringing a unique mix of strength, fitness and Yoga to the marketplace. Ben now spends the majority of his time on the growth of Flow.