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Is Obesity Caused By Processed Foods?

5/8/2025

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🍔Are processed foods responsible for obesity? 🍕

A relatively new study (2 years) was conducted by Hall and colleagues. It is extremely intensive on participants (locked in a lab for a month) and so provides quite sensitive results. 
⁣
Basically, to summarise, researchers found that diets higher in ultra-processed foods lead to increased energy intake weight gain, and increases in several other metabolic risk factors. 

But this finding wasn't because processed foods are poisonous or inherently fattening.

It was because they promote the excessive intake of energy. 

Why? 

Well, the study showed that on average, the ultra-processed diet had almost twice the energy density of the non-processed diet.

This meant that participants needed to eat almost double the quantity of food to get the same amount of calories when in the non-processed diet phase. 

Why does that matter? 

Well, the volume of food consumed is one of the primary factors responsible for your fullness and satiety levels.

​These, in turn, will impact your immediate and later food intake, and thus calories. 

Therefore, the more full a food or meal makes you, the less likely you'll be to over consume. 

.....
⁣
If you have any questions or want the link to the study, be sure to send me a message! 
3 Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via my Truecoach online platform.

Check it out here

2. Small group coaching sessions (max 4-5 people)

Small Group Coaching.

3. 1-1 Personal Training at my Studio in North Sydney.

My top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at my boutique studio in North Sydney.

Check out my Personal Training Options here:
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Do Higher Protein Diets Enhance Weight Loss?

5/1/2025

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I'm an advocate of following a high-protein diet especially during a fat loss phase. 

But let's look to the research, at this interesting study, that aimed to answer the question; 

"Do higher protein diets enhance weight loss?" - 

Farnsworth and colleagues were one of the first groups to examine this question in 2003. 

How did they do it? 🔍

👉66 overweight or obese participants (43 females; 14 males, 9 dropouts)

👉Randomized to either an High Protein (HP) or Standard Protein (SP) energy-restricted diet for 12 weeks, followed by a 4-week maintenance phase (16 weeks total)

👉Participants were mostly sedentary and instructed to maintain current activity levels (not controlled)

.....

The two diets

Both diets were matched for energy

💪High-Protein Diet 💪

-- Composed of 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fats. Low-fat cheese, and skim milk powder are provided to make up the difference in protein 

Standard-Protein Diet 

--Composed of 55% carbs, 15% protein, and 30% fats. Rice and rice noodles are provided to make up for the difference in carbohydrates. 

Significant weight loss occured in both groups (mean = 7.9kg) with no differences between diets

Fat loss (mean = 6.9 kg) was observed in both groups with no difference between diets

Females had little to no losses (-0.1 kg) of lean mass in the HP group vs. the SP group (-1.5 kg)
 
Glycemic response to a test meal as well as serum triglycerides were reduced in the HP diet more so than the SP diet.

.....

But, there were some things to consider... 🧐

🤷‍♂️ Was it really "High" Protein?

Because protein was calculated based on % of total energy intake, males consumed much less per kg of body weight than females (1.1 vs. 1.4 g/kg)

🤷‍♂️ The Test Meal

The test meal against which they measured insulin and glucose reponses were the same as the respective diets. 

🤷‍♂️ Should these have been the same for both groups, to truly assess the difference between the diets? 

.... 

Takeaways ✊

"Higher" protein diets improved the retention of lean mass in women during weight loss 

Protein intake should be calculated as grams per kg of body weight, not % of energy intake. 

Energy balance is KEY!

3 Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via my Truecoach online platform.

Check it out here

2. Small group coaching sessions (max 4-5 people)

Small Group Coaching.

3. 1-1 Personal Training at my Studio in North Sydney.

My top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at my boutique studio in North Sydney.
​
Check out my Personal Training Options here:

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How important is sleep for fat loss?

4/24/2025

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Sleep Deprivation: Effects on Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance

A comprehensive study conducted by Papatriantafyllou and colleagues investigated the connection between sleep deprivation and its effects on weight loss and maintenance.

In summary, the researchers found that lack of sleep negatively impacts weight loss efforts and can hinder weight loss maintenance.

Why?

The study revealed that sleep deprivation leads to hormonal imbalances that might increase hunger and cravings, thus affecting adherence to a weight loss regimen.

Additionally, lack of sleep can decrease resting metabolic rate, making weight loss more challenging.

Why does that matter?

Understanding the importance of adequate sleep in weight management emphasizes a holistic approach to health, incorporating not only diet and exercise but also proper sleep habits.

This study underscores the need for an integrated perspective, where sleep plays an essential role in both weight loss and maintaining weight loss over time.
.....
⁣
If you have any questions or require the link to the study, please don't hesitate to reach out to me!
3 Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via my Truecoach online platform.

Check it out here

2. Small group coaching sessions (max 4-5 people)

Small Group Coaching.

3. 1-1 Personal Training at my Studio in North Sydney.

My top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at my boutique studio in North Sydney.

Check out my Personal Training Options here:
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Fasted Vs Fed Cardio For Fat Loss? Which is better?

4/17/2025

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Does working out in a fasted state help you lose weight?

A well-known study published by some of industry's best, and published in the journal Sports Medicine found that there is no significant difference in body composition changes between fasted and non-fasted aerobic exercise.

The study looked at 20 healthy young women who were randomly assigned to one of two groups:

-- Fasted group: Participants in this group exercised after an overnight fast.

-- Non-fasted group: Participants in this group ate a meal before exercise.

Both groups performed 1 hour of aerobic exercise 3 days per week for 4 weeks.

At the end of the study, there was no significant difference in weight loss, fat mass loss, or muscle mass gain between the two groups.

The authors of the study concluded that there is no evidence that fasted aerobic exercise is more effective for weight loss or body composition changes than non-fasted aerobic exercise.

Here are some of the things to consider when deciding whether to work out in a fasted state:

👉Your fitness goals: If your goal is to lose weight, it is important to create a calorie deficit.

Fat burning does not imply fat loss, and instead, the latter will depend on a consistent deficit.

This means that you need to burn more calories than you consume.

Whether you work out in a fasted state or not will not make a significant difference in your calorie deficit.

👉 Your personal preferences: Some people find that they have more energy when they work out in a fasted state.

Others find that they feel tired or lightheaded. (Me)

​Ultimately, the best way to find out what works for you is to experiment.

👉 Your performance: Are your workouts intense? If they are, you'll likely want to start your day off with some fuel intake.

Reflect on how your performance differs between fasted and fed training.

If overall Calories are the most important facet, won't more intense workouts be optimal for your goals?

3 Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. I now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via my Truecoach online platform.

Check it out here

2. Check out my small group coaching sessions (max 4-5 people)

Small Group Coaching.

3. 1-1 Personal Training at my Studio in North Sydney.

My top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at my boutique studio in North Sydney.

Check out my Personal Training Options here:
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5 Things to quit for better fat loss results.

12/29/2024

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I wanted to highlight 5 areas where quitting can be a powerful thing to accelerate your results.

Everyone knows that quitting alcohol, junk food, late nights etc will get results but sometimes that’s too much for people.

Instead, I wanted to focus on 5 common behaviours that really hold people back from getting results.

I hope this resonates and provides a little reframe for your approach to fat loss.

I’m not a fan of tough love coaching but I resonate with that last quote and I’ve had to learn to get better at that.

You can’t get upset with your lack of results if the effort is fleeting and inconsistent.

Move from interested to committed and go for the goal.
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Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is my youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. I now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via my Truecoach online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out my small group coaching sessions (max 4-5 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at my Studio in North Sydney.

My top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at my boutique studio in North Sydney.

Check out my Personal Training Options here:
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The chances of you being successful at this is slim....

12/22/2024

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If you are a busy professional who feels overwhelmed, what makes you think you'll be able to start a 5 day per week training schedule and a complicated diet to get fit and healthy?

The chances are pretty slim.

Your life is full of competing demands yet somehow you think you'll make the time and the energy to do a radical transformation.

Here's what to do instead.

1. Carve out realistic short blocks during the week to do some exercise.

It does not have to be an hour at the gym. 15-minute exercise snacks are a great place to start.

2. If you do have the time to exercise, start with 2-3 days per week.

Chances are, you're tired, slightly overweight and out of shape so it's better to separate exercise days with rest days to recover between sessions.

It is extremely demotivating to try to exercise when you feel like you've been run over by a truck. (stop chasing pain as a measure of workout success).

3. Look at your diet and find the low-hanging fruit areas to change.

You could probably reduce some alcohol, take-away meals, high-calorie work lunches and mindless snacks.

One of those changes would be enough to start seeing improvements on the scale and your energy.

In time, your fitness will improve and it will become more of a priority so you'll make more time for exercise.

You will also feel more in control of your nutrition when you can manage one change at a time.

This is how I'd approach it but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Is there anything I've missed?
​
Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is my youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. I now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via my Truecoach online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out my small group coaching sessions (max 4-5 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at my Studio in North Sydney.

My top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at my boutique studio in North Sydney.

Check out my Personal Training Options here:
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This may come as a shock to you....

12/15/2024

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This may come as a shock to you but you can eat chocolate while on a diet.

You can drink wine while on a diet.

You can have crisps while on a diet.

Some of my clients have struggled with my message of "Unconditional permission to eat".

I have never restricted a food or beverage from any client over 20 years of coaching.

People have messed up relationships with food that lead to all sorts of crazy diets and failed attempts at weight loss or healthier eating.

Labelling foods or patterns or eating as good or bad has clearly been shown to cause poor relationships with food.

Why would I want to do that to clients?

You can figure out the number of calories you need to eat to lose weight and happily include some chocolate, wine, crisps or, [insert favourite food here] and still get fantastic results.

Why are so many people missing this point?

Probably because of pseudo-science quackery and overly holistic (well -meaning) online influencers who have probably struggled with food their whole lives.

You can and will get great results without absolute restriction of any food or drink you enjoy.

When you realise this, you may approach this whole dieting thing with a more flexible mindset and get better results.
​

Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is my youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. I now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via my Truecoach online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out my small group coaching sessions (max 4-5 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at my Studio in North Sydney.

My top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at my boutique studio in North Sydney.

Check out my Personal Training Options here:
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5 Strategies to get back on track quickly if you've had a diet hiccup.

12/8/2024

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Five strategies to help you bounce back after a diet hiccup.

1️⃣ Resilience.

If habit change happened in one easy attempt, we’d all be ripped with amazing mindsets.

But change doesn’t work that way.

Change works by going great for a little while - then life kicks in and you forget your new habits and return to your old eating habits.

Then you pick yourself back up and eat healthy for a longer time period.

It might feel like you’re starting from scratch but you’re just building more familiarity with your new habit making it easier each time you do it - but only as long as you learn from slip ups and don’t treat them as a catastrophe.

2️⃣ Scheduling.

It's not the individual impact of a hiccup that holds you back from achieving your weight loss goals.

It’s the cumulative impact of not getting back on track and doing it quickly.

If you can’t perform your habit as planned, do the minimum you can to stay on schedule.

3️⃣ Consistency.

Do what you can as often as you can and just stick with the healthy eating plan.

4️⃣ Self-efficacy.

Having self-belief in your ability to achieve your goal gives you more freedom to make mistakes and allows you to cope with setbacks by seeing them for what they are - temporary hurdles.

5️⃣ Self-compassion.

When you have a diet hiccup, try to give yourself the advice you’d give a good friend in the same situation.

Self-compassion is about recognising in ourselves that we are human and naturally imperfect.

One biscuit 🍪 needn’t be a self-indulgence but a form or self care, but eating the whole packet stops you from reaching your goals.

Practise self-compassion rather than self-criticism when possible.

Save this post and come back to it when you feel like you’ve BLOWN your diet.

Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is my youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. I now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via my Truecoach online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out my small group coaching sessions (max 4-5 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at my Studio in North Sydney.

My top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at my boutique studio in North Sydney.

Check out my Personal Training Options here:

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What diet is the best to follow for weight loss?

12/1/2024

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Any of the above specific to the individual client.

Why?

In 2013 a study was published that called for an end of the pursuit of the ideal diet for weight loss and disease prevention.

The author notes that numerous high quality studies comparing the different macronutrient make up of many diets I.e. (low carb, low fat, Mediterranean) have demonstrated differences in weight loss and metabolic risk factors that are small and inconsistent.

The only consistent finding among all the trials is that adherence - the degree to which the participants continued in the program or met program goals for diet and exercise - was most strongly associated with weight loss and improvements in diet related outcomes.

🛑 searching and arguing over the best diet for weight loss. There isn’t one.

There’s no single, absolutely, positively, without a doubt best diet for every person to follow for weight loss.

To suggest that because a diet worked for you, at one point in your life, under a specific set of circumstances, and now everyone should follow the same diet is just ridiculous.

You are amazingly adaptable to a host of different nutrition conditions.

Find a method that you can enjoy.

Try to endure short periods of strict and leaner approaches mixed with maintenance periods and you’ll get amazing results for weight loss if that’s your goal.



Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is my youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. I now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via my Truecoach online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out my small group coaching sessions (max 4-5 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at my Studio in North Sydney.

My top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at my boutique studio in North Sydney.

Check out my Personal Training Options here:
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You are the Architect of your own fitness experience.

11/24/2024

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One of the most powerful realisations that you can make is that you are the architect of your own dietary and training experience.

There is no excuse for eating and training in a fashion that makes you dread each meal or workout.

Those times are long gone.

There’s no need for restrictive food principles or endless boring workouts.

We know from research that many dietary methods work.

​There is NO SUPERIOR diet for weight loss or health.

There’s NO BEST form of exercise for health or weight loss.

You get to chose. That should be empowering.

I never train or eat in a way that I don’t enjoy.

Adherence is the number one factor for dieting and exercise.

Why are you sticking with methods that you do not enjoy?

Design a plan that you like. That makes you want to exercise for the sheer joy of it. That makes you look forward to each meal.

When you realise this, you’ll be less stressed, more motivated, more likely to get results and less likely to follow fads and fear mongering influencers.

Here Are Four Ways I Can Help You Get Fit And Lose Weight And Actually Keep it Off.

1. Here is my youtube channel which has over 100 videos including 55 workouts and other educational videos.

2. I now offer ONLINE 1-1 Personal Coaching. 

Train with me from anywhere in the world at any time. I now offer fully bespoke 1-1 personal training via my Truecoach online platform.

Check it out here

3. Check out my small group coaching sessions (max 4-5 people)

Small Group Coaching.

4. 1-1 Personal Training at my Studio in North Sydney.

My top level service. In-depth personalised training programs, nutrition coaching and weekly sessions at my boutique studio in North Sydney.

Check out my Personal Training Options here:
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    John Donaghey
    ​
    My aim is to help busy people get fitter and have a lot of fun doing it. The ultimate goal is to show you how to fit fitness into your life while still having a life.

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  • About
  • SERVICES
    • Personal Training 1-1
    • Small Group Coaching
    • Online Personal Training 1-1
  • Real Results
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • FREE STUFF