Western society's enduring fascination with weight loss has spurred the discovery of numerous methods to achieve it. However, many individuals seeking to slim down continue to grapple with confusion regarding the most effective approaches, largely because there is no universal solution. This article explores the journeys of individuals, particularly British documentary presenters and fitness enthusiasts, who have successfully navigated the path to weight loss and muscle gain, highlighting the strategies they employed and the insights they gained.
The Power of Balance: Josh Goldman's Transformation
Londoner Josh Goldman serves as a compelling example of how striking a balance between cardio, strength training, and diet can yield impressive results over time. This approach enabled him to shed more than 1.5 stone within the 16 weeks leading up to his 30th birthday.
A Pivotal Moment
The fitness fanatic joined UP Fitness around his 30th birthday, viewing it as a pivotal moment to improve his health and fitness, entering a new decade of life. Josh set out to achieve his best, but he surpassed all his expectations within just 16 to 18 weeks.
Accountability and Sustainable Habits
The slimmer highlighted the crucial role of personal accountability in his success, emphasising the impact of having a trainer, Konstantinos, who pushed him beyond his limits to keep him on track. Avoiding crash diets, Josh opted for a sustainable approach which saw him learn about practical nutrition habits. This has allowed him to maintain a slender physique since ending the program.
Beyond the Physical
Beyond the physical benefits, however, Josh has experienced improved mental clarity, increased energy levels and enhanced performance in sports like tennis.
Read also: Weight Loss Programs in Britain
The Three Pillars: Calorie Tracking, Walking, and Strength Training
When asked about the different factors that contributed to his weight loss, Josh credits calorie tracking, walking and strength training. During a conversation with GB News, he shared: “One big thing about Ultimate Performance is they’re very keen for you to get a lot of steps in. So it was an intense start. That’s a big component of their model. When I finally got that as part of my regime, that’s when I started seeing incredible results. It was all three of these things together that made the good results. I think for me, the most challenging part was probably actually the bits outside the gym, like the diet and the steps.”
Josh set out to reach a daily target of 10,000 steps a day before increasing his goal to 15,000, claiming that this - rather than the gym workouts - was the biggest challenge.
The Importance of Strength Training
The slimmer firmly believes he needed his gym workouts to help make the weight loss possible, helping build lean muscle mass. His strength training regimen focussed on building the important muscle groups while making sure all cardio happened outside the gym.
“Ultimate Performance are very keen to make a workout that works for you because not one plan is going to work for everyone," he said. "I think a lot of people think what happens outside the gym doesn’t matter if they’re training hard. That’s really not the case.”
Diet and Flexibility
“I made protein overnight oats for breakfast, I had tuna, sweetcorn, cottage cheese and some crackers for lunch, and then for dinner, I could mix it up," he said. “I’d normally have one protein with some vegetables and some carbs like salmons, rice and some vegetables. But I had the flexibility to make something that was appealing to me based on what I wanted to eat that day, rather than having a very fixed meal every day.” He continued: “I think the biggest thing for me was trying to build habits."
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Joe Wicks: The Body Coach and His Impact on Fitness
Joseph Trevor Wicks (born 21 September 1985), also known as The Body Coach, is a British fitness coach, television presenter, social media personality and author. His fitness method uses High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts. Starting off by posting 15-second recipe videos on social media, Wicks grew his brand to become one of the most followed fitness accounts on Instagram and YouTube. His first published cookbook Lean in 15: 15-minute meals was a best-seller in 2015, having sold over 900,000 copies. He has created a "90 Day Plan" with workouts and meals with portions tailored to the individual.
Early Life and Career
Wicks was born in Epsom, Surrey to Gary Wicks, a roofer, and Raquel Mosquera, a social worker of Spanish and Italian descent. Wicks worked as a teaching assistant after completing his sports science degree. After realising it was not his ideal job, he became a personal trainer for the next five years. In 2012, he appeared as a contestant on the Channel 4 game show The Bank Job. He went out first after being the only player left in the vault when the time ran out. A segment on Channel 4 named Joe Wicks: The Body Coach aired in 2016 with Wicks as the presenter.
Social Media Success and "PE with Joe"
Wicks began to gain traction for his fitness and nutrition related content on social media. He began posting fitness content to his YouTube channel, named 'The Body Coach TV', in 2014. His first video garnered over 6 million views. The channel has amassed over 2.7 million subscribers and more than 282 million views. Wicks also topped both the YouTube charts as the number one trending and breakout creator of the year. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he began "PE with Joe" on YouTube to try to help children stay active; this livestream had a wide impact and was viewed by over a million users worldwide. The first stream occurred on 23 March and ended almost one year later, on 5 March.
Cookbooks and Charity Work
In 2015, Wicks published a cookbook named Lean in 15: The Shift Plan which sold 77,000 copies in its opening week. He released a further two books in the Lean in 15 series, including Lean in 15: The Shape Plan, released 2016 and "Lean in 15: The Sustain Plan", also in 2016. Since the success of the Lean in 15 series, Wicks has published several more cookbooks. In November 2020, Wicks completed a 24-hour workout challenge which raised over £2 million for Children in Need. Blue Peter awarded him a Gold Blue Peter Badge as a thank you on behalf of Children in Need. In June 2021, Wicks became Patron of The Amber Foundation, a youth homeless charity. Surrey-born Wicks first became aware of The Amber Foundation after his mother, a social worker, started to work with some of the residents at their site near Dorking in Surrey.
Personal Life
Wicks married former glamour model Rosie Jones in June 2019. Together they have four children-a daughter born July 2018, a son born December 2019, a second daughter born September 2022 and a second son born June 2024.
Read also: Exploring British Food
Michael Mosley and the Controversy of Rapid Weight Loss
Michael Mosley, another prominent figure in British documentary presenting, has also explored weight loss strategies. However, his approach, particularly in the Channel 4 series "Lose a Stone in 21 Days," has drawn criticism.
Criticisms of "Lose a Stone in 21 Days"
There are two main problems with the new Channel 4 series Lose a Stone in 21 Days, presented by Michael Mosley. The first is that it is incredibly boring. There are so many of these programmes that even the subset presented by Mosley must surely number in the hundreds by now. The corona-twist of having this one take place in Mosley’s home does little to alleviate the grinding tedium. Last week, we did the science part, some tears and an introduction to portion control. The five participants were given the results of tests that showed how far they were along the road to death (I paraphrase, but not much) and put on a very low-calorie diet to slow their journey. Throwing an exercise element into the mix in this second episode did nothing to improve matters. Add to this a noxious whiff of opportunism coming off any programme that uses “lockdown belly” as the new justification for more of the same old, and it becomes an even less attractive way to spend an hour.
The second problem is less tangible, but no less real, and is why the programme drew a lot of ire before and after the first episode aired. The objections mostly centred on the emphasis on calorie restriction (particularly as this plays into many of the specific concerns and practices of people with eating disorders) and a narrow, unhelpful focus on weight loss rather than a holistic approach to eating and health.
With the introduction of exercise to the programme, the second episode may go some way to dissipating the more peripheral objections, but I suspect the central ones will remain. And, for my money, legitimately so. The general conversation around weight, overeating and obesity, and the understanding of the sociocultural influences around them that we swallow as unavoidably as we do the hidden sugars and fats in processed foods has evolved greatly in the last few years, but programming has not kept pace. Handing people a pamphlet and telling them to pull themselves together - which is what it really amounts to - won’t fly on screen now any more than it would in a GP’s surgery.
The whole of Lose a Stone feels off. Partly, it is the laziness of the aforementioned format. Partly, it is Mosley himself, who - perhaps with less directorial and other softening input under Covid conditions - is a crucial few degrees less personable than usual here. The presence of his family - GP wife, Clare, son Dan and daughter Kate - might have leavened things, but, in fact, the overall effect is to create an air of smugness around the endeavour. The - I am absolutely sure unintended - message, with Clare and Michael so slim and clearly disciplined and Dan a fitness fanatic, is that all these people have to do is Be More Mosley! And with no acknowledgement of the kind of lives and capital - social and otherwise - that are needed to devise and follow a healthy existence (or which at least make it a hell of a lot easier), it seems as if moral judgment is being made at every turn.
Again, I’m sure it is not: but that is the effect. That is what makes the viewing, when not merely boring, uncomfortable.
The Diet vs. Exercise Debate: Finding the Right Balance
When trying to lose weight, which is more important: diet or exercise? A national survey found that a “vast majority” of Americans trying to control their weight believed that food and beverage consumption and physical activity were equally important. Seven out of ten went with equally important, about two out of ten thought exercise was more important, and only about one out of ten chose diet.
The Power of Calorie Control
It’s easy to understand how people might think diet and exercise play equal roles. After all, our weight is determined by the balance between calories in and calories out. What people may not understand about this energy balance equation is we have much more power over the “calories in” side. In fact, on a day-to-day basis, we have full control-we could choose to eat zero calories or 10,000 calories.
Basal Metabolic Rate vs. Exercise
Unlike wild animals who tend to burn most of their calories on activity, about 60 percent of our daily calories are used up just to keep us alive--what’s called our resting, or basal metabolic rate, thanks in part to our energy-intensive brains. Even if you stayed in bed all day, you’d still burn more than 1,000 calories just to fuel the basics like thinking, breathing, and keeping your heart pumping. In contrast, even most “active” people accrue less than two hours of exercise a week, which may average out to be less than 100 calories burned off each day. That’s only about 5 percent of the total daily energy expenditure, the “calories out” side of the equation.
The Myth of Exercise for Weight Loss
Most people believe that exercise is “very effective” as a way to lose weight, but this has been referred to as a myth in the scientific literature. In fact, it’s been labeled one of the most common misconceptions in the field of obesity. Yet virtually all formal weight-loss guidelines include some sort of physical activity recommendation.
The Role of Exercise in Preventing Weight Regain
Maybe exercise is just better at preventing people from regaining weight. No. Part of the problem is compliance. It’s one thing to tell people to adhere to an exercise regimen; it’s another thing for them to actually do it. When the same randomized controlled trials were re-analyzed to exclude people who flouted the instructions, and analysis was limited to just those who actually put in the time and sweat, a clear advantage to exercise emerged.
The Calorie Equation: Pizza vs. Exercise
A slice of pizza has about 300 calories. That converts into an hour of brisk walking per slice-an hour a slice! How many kids are jogging two hours a day to burn off their Happy Meals? That’s one of the reasons that what we put in our mouths is most important. Public health researchers have been experimenting with including labeling on junk food. Which label is more informative? This one or these? Still want that Toblerone if it means you have to walk two hours? Or cookies you’d have to skip rope for 81 minutes for? Labeling fast food menus with little pictograms of exercising stick figures was found to help nudge people towards lower-calorie options.
The Documentary Lens: Exploring Health and Fitness Narratives
Documentaries offer a powerful medium for exploring diverse perspectives on health, fitness, and nutrition. Several films have sparked debate and provided valuable insights into these topics.
Featured Documentaries
Pumping Iron: The original intention and ambition of this independent documentary was to portray the lives of bodybuilders. It is worth mentioning that Pumping Iron gained its iconicity mainly thanks to its natural approach, and due to the fact that it is not just pure storytelling and a partial biography of a successful man. The film also shows Arnold’s biggest competitors, such as Lou Ferrigno and Frank Zane. The end of the eighties was the “golden age” of bodybuilding. The above-mentioned fighters had a perfect symmetry of the figure, narrow hips, and waist, and also perfectly ripped body. The quality and impact of this sports documentary were also verified by time.
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet: David Attenborough is a charismatic presenter, screenwriter, and producer who has worked with the British public-service television - BBC for decades and has already made several documentaries about our planet. After the age of 90, he decided to release a film in which he evaluates and compares the state of our nature. Thanks to the comparison and intertwining of period scenes a few decades ago with the present, but also with the engaging narration of the author, you will remain in silent amazement for less than an hour and a half. Attenborough will take you to places you either haven’t visited or won’t have the chance to visit anymore. He negatively evaluates the loss of some places on the planet, but at the same time offers a vision for the future, the unflattering state of which, according to him, can still be reversed.
Ronnie Coleman: The King: He reached the absolute maximum in his sport and never achieved fame. He has a pleasant charisma and has millions of bodybuilding fans around the world. The eight-times Mr. Ronnie Coleman is considered by many to be not only the best but also the greatest bodybuilder of all time. His volume training is still the focus of millions of people because at a height of 180 cm he weighed up to about 140 kg, out of the competition even more, and he usually lifted 360 kg with squats. In the documentary, his doctor describes what unimaginable loads his body was regularly exposed to and why he had to undergo several back surgeries, along with a double hip replacement. His desire to reach the absolute peak will leave you with admiration and sympathy at the same time.
The Game Changers: The athletes themselves talk about how to live and achieve top sports results even without meat and eggs. In The Game Changers, we can boldly state that it changes part of the public discourse to some extent. In the documentary, you will see and hear the testimonies of several top athletes. Especially a wrestler in mixed martial arts, who compares top athletes to gladiators who, according to him, ate mainly vegetarian food.
The Last Dance: The Last Dance is a series of ten episodes that mainly reflect the life of Michael Jordan. For many, the best basketball player of all time talks about his life and career in the iconic team of the nineties - Chicago Bulls. The great contribution of this documentary is also the fact that it opens us a door to the privacy of his teammates, which allows us to better understand how the chemistry of the “dream team” worked.
Awake: The Life of Yogananda: The Indian philosopher and yogi Paramahansa Yogananda played a significant role in the spread of yoga not only to the United States but also to the whole world. Even if you are not a fan of yoga and your morning rituals do not include repeated regular inhales and exhales, this documentary will impress you with authentic scenes and partly with controversy. Several famous faces appear there, such as George Harrison and Steve Jobs, who talk with a certain amount of passion about the impact of yoga on their lives.
Diego Maradona: The Diego Maradona film is, without unnecessary pathos, the story of one man with two faces. It depicts the life of Diego, one of the most talented footballers of all time, who made it from a poor favela in the city of Lanús to a world-class player. On the other hand, we also get to know the shady and averted side of his life full of drugs, alcohol, and lavish parties. The film also gives us an insight into the world of the Camorra mafia, with which Maradona maintained close connections.
Athlete A: The documentary Athlete A was released this summer and points to scandalous practices in American women’s gymnastics, where local young representatives have been sexually harassed and raped for many years by a team doctor Larry Nassar. Even more shocking is the finding that for many years Nassar was covered by a system that put the fame and success of American sport above the protection of its representatives. Several of the abused girls even held Olympic medals.
The Program: The Program explores the most important moments of Lance Armstrong‘s career. From his beginnings in triathlon, through his heyday in cycling, to court trials connected with life imprisonment. Although there is nothing factually exceptional in the film that an expert on Armstrong’s career would not have known, it quite vividly reveals the most competitive nature of the Texas native, the background of doping fraud, and how the whole team around Armstrong has managed to disguise the operation of the “program” for years.
H.O.P.E. What You Eat Matters: The film documentary H.O.P.E brings testimonies from several people who talk about the health and environmental consequences of consuming excessive amounts of animal-derived products. It also contains authentic scenes from slaughterhouses and wholesales and interviews with employees in this industry. Thanks to the film production, but also a clear and factual way of argumentation, we consider it one of the most valuable films on the issue of contemporary eating habits. It will make you think for a moment about whether it is alright for up to 65 billion cattle to die in slaughterhouses each year, while meat consumption multiplied almost four times in half a century.
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