Mikey Moon's fitness column: Food for thought on playing the numbers game

Fortitude Fitness personal trainer MIKEY MOON continues his series of health and fitness tips. This week’s advice from Mikey is that the right food is key to getting the right results ....

So you have got yourself active but there is still a missing piece, isn’t there?

You need to get your nutrition in check to start seeing some real results. So where do you start?

First of all, you have to know your numbers.

Your food and drink are made up of calories, and calories are energy.

Getting the balance of energy is paramount in order to achieve the results you want.

Consuming more calories than you burn in a day will cause you to gain weight.

Consuming fewer calories than you burn in a day will cause you to lose weight. Yes, it really is that simple.

Using an online calculator can help you to set up your calories for the amount you need per day in order to hit your goals.

From there, the rest is up to you. I personally stay away from diet plans with my clients and focus on setting them targets based on calories.

This is because everyone’s life is different and, so, for me to set people a plan for their own day can sometimes be counter-productive.

As great as plans are for some people, they all end eventually and at that point it is important to know what you are doing with regard to your nutrition going forward for the rest of your life.

This is why you need to know your numbers and learn what foods fit with those numbers.

When choosing your foods, you want to pick the ones which offer the best bang for your buck.

Sure, you can go with pretty much any food as long as you stay within your numbers but certain foods are better than others.

Lean meats, vegetables, fruit and wholegrains are great choices because the macronutrients they contain can be used by the body.

I recommend basing 80 per cent of your nutrition around those foods, while allowing yourself 20 per cent of whatever you fancy.

This will keep you focused and on track, while having fun as well.

Fortitude Fitness is on the Poulton Industrial Estate, Beacon Road. Visit www.fortitudefit.co.uk for more details.