Keto, Fasting, Macros.... Oh My!
Nova Health Club • August 30, 2019
Keto, Paleo, The Zone, fasting ...which of the latest fad diets have you heard of, or even tried? When it comes to body composition changes associated with many fad diets there are two main components that determine its success:
1) Its ability to put you in a caloric deficit
20 Your adherence and ability to stick to the “diet”
These two factors determine if you see fat loss when on any diet. I’m not making an argument for or against any particular way of eating, nor commenting on their potential benefits or side effects. What I want to discuss is the fact that any diet out there aims to put you in a caloric deficit. The real question is can you stick to it.
Overall, restricting yourself so much that you cannot enjoy yourself or go out with friends means that eventually an event or birthday will come up and you will either decide to miss out on the fun or blow your nutrition plan.
On the other hand, if the way of eating has more flexibility it allows you to both hit your goals and enjoy social outings. In the past, diet culture really has been an “all or nothing” environment. A failure of one cookie meant you may as well eat the whole box because the day was ruined, and if a day is ruined why not throw in the towel for the week and restart Monday?
Whichever way you go it’s all about finding a nutrition plan that suits your lifestyle. One that can be repeated day in and day out, that doesn’t make you feel so restricted that you throw in the towel over and over again. The biggest predictor of success is your adherence.
Do you want to start tackling your body composition goals? My favourite place to start is with mindset. Try this: catch yourself each time you label a food good or bad. No food is inherently good or bad. Even too much water is bad for us. Each food simply should be enjoyed in moderation. We should have more of the foods that are nutritious and give our body things it needs and less of the foods that contain less nutrients and have a higher calorie density. Avocados would typically be labeled a “good food” but they are really high in calories and should be consumed in moderation when body composition is your goal.
Secondly, change your wording. Instead of “I cannot have a piece of cake” switch to “I don’t want a piece of cake as it doesn’t get me closer to my goals.” When you use the word can’t it becomes a forbidden food and you are more likely to have an all or nothing attitude towards it.
My aim with clients is for them to understand it isn’t all or nothing. Finding a balance where you can stay in a caloric deficit and not feel so restricted that it leads to binging is the ideal.
What “diet” are you interested in learning more about?? Let us know and we will dive deeper into that plan in the coming months!
As well, keep your eyes open for information on our upcoming nutrition challenge!
Andrew has been a Nova member for 9 years. One of his long standing goals was to do his first triathlon. He has been working towards this for years and just at the end of August he did it!
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Do Hard Things Now, So Life Becomes Easier Later Modern humans default to the easy way but it's not our fault... Throughout human history, we were wired to survive constant hardship - scarcity of food, threats from predators, harsh environments and manual labor for everything. Our DNA evolved for survival in these conditions, not for modern living. Imagine an early human stumbling across a fruit tree. It made sense to gorge - there was no telling when the next meal would come. The human who gorged had a higher chance of survival than the human who only ate a few pieces of fruit. Practicing self-control in an environment of scarcity would have been a death sentence. Likewise, if given a chance to rest instead of walking miles or hunting, rest was the obvious choice. The problem? Our genes haven’t caught up with modern life. Today, food is everywhere. We don’t have to fight to meet our basic needs. Technology does the heavy lifting, cars replace walking, entertainment is on-demand and calorie-dense foods are always within reach. Left unchecked, our instincts will always lean toward easy options like overeating unhealthy foods (that are so easily accessible) or driving to the store instead of walking. In other words, we’re still hardwired to take the path of least resistance. But here’s the catch: Choosing easy now often means a harder life later and choosing hard now often means an easier life later. Most modern humans are overweight, stressed, tired and dealing with chronic health problems because we’re following outdated survival programming that no longer serves us. It’s time to become aware of these defaults. To override them. To consciously choose the hard thing - because doing hard things is what actually makes life easier in the long run. Hard things like: Going to bed on time instead of watching another episode Preparing a healthy meal instead of grabbing fast food Moving your body instead of sitting all day Walking or biking to the store instead of driving Managing stress with deep breaths and fresh air instead of pouring a drink Looking at your habits instead of masking symptoms with medication It might feel uncomfortable because it goes against everything your biological programming is urging you to do. But that’s exactly why it matters. Don’t think of it as punishment or sacrifice. Think of it as an investment. Every time you take the stairs instead of the elevator, cook instead of order out, or put your phone down to truly rest, you’re building a life that’s easier, richer, and more fulfilling down the road. And remember: Do easy things, and you’ll have a hard life. Do hard things, and you’ll have an easy life. Most of the above information is probably not new to you. That’s because we live in the information age with the internet and now AI - we already know what it is we need to do. The problem however is implementation. This is where having a customized plan and accountability comes in. If you know the hard things you need to do more of but struggle with breaking past your ‘default mode’ then contact us for a complimentary consultation HERE .
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Congratulations to Liz Belford, Our June SuperNova!
We are back with our second series of 'Pod Calls' available exclusively to our Nova Health Club members. Don't miss these unique sessions to help you level up your health and wellness game! What is a Pod Call? A Pod Call is a live online (webinar like)_ session with a Nova coach, offering support and insights on key health topics like fitness, nutrition, recovery and overall wellness. Why did we create Pod Calls? Our goal is your success and your health goals can not be built on fitness alone. After delivering thousands of personal training sessions, we noticed a disconnect between fitness sessions we were delivering and the other pillars of health (and lifestyle habits that happen outside of the gym). To get the most out of your health and your fitness sessions at Nova we need to link other pillars such as mindset, nutrition, stress and recovery. Training coaches who care about your results will agree that a couple hours of personal training each week is not enough time to workout AND learn everything you need to know about maximizing those workouts... Things like how to eat before or after workouts, what recovery habits should be practiced or the link between stress and working out are all subjects that you need to know on your health and fitness journey. Pod Calls are dedicated sessions where we teach you essential health and fitness insights that we can't often cover during your gym workouts. We hope you take advantage of these expert-led sessions that will enhance your workouts, teach you new concepts about health and bridge the gap between fitness and overall wellness. Upcoming Pod Calls (all times in EST) Mon Jun 2, 2025 (6:00pm) Topic: How To Eat Carbs For Better Energy, Muscle & Fat Loss Coach: Josh Allen Wed Jun 4, 2025 (2:00pm) Topic: Hip Mobility Using the 'CARS' (active session) Coach: Kim Vo Sat Jun 7, 2025 (12:00pm) Topic: Benefits of Single Leg & Arm Training for Overall Strength Coach: Matthew Nadler Tues Jun 10, 2025 (6pm) Topic: Releasing Neck Tension Coach: Zack Fernandez Wed Jun 18, 2025 (1:00pm) Topic: Training The Backside of The Core Coach: Colin Soltesz Thu June 19, 2025 (7:00pm): Topic: Ayurveda for Healthy Ageing Coach: Kayla Hutchinson These calls are free for Nova members and Zoom links for each call can be found in the Nova Mighty Networks platform. If you are not a Nova member and would like to attend any of these please email Info@NovaHealthClub.com for a seat. We look forward to seeing you then!
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