Men’s Health Month, Movember – whatever you want to call it, this month we want to take some time to talk about men’s health.
And in particular, we want to talk about Gutless, our men’s health and weight loss programme. We got together with Gutless Senior Nutritionist Josh to find out the answers to some of the biggest questions about men’s health.
Meet Josh, our Gutless Senior Nutritionist
Why was Gutless created?
There is a real lack of support for men’s health in the UK. More men are overweight than women, but only 15% of people engaging with traditional weight loss services are men. We created Gutless to overcome the barriers men face, and to create a space where they can engage easily and comfortably with their health and weight.
How would you sum up the Gutless programme in five words or less?
Simple, practical, supportive, effective and fun.
“Men often feel like they need to do it alone”
What do men struggle with the most when it comes to weight loss?
Men often feel like they need to – and should be able to – do it alone. In reality, we know the best way to move forward is with the support of professionals and other men going through similar challenges.
There’s a lot of confusion around what’s ‘right’ when it comes to health and diet. Misinformation online can often leave us feeling frustrated and helpless. Our AfN-registered Nutritionists simplify the science and cut through the noise. We help men understand exactly what they need to do to lose weight.
We don’t always learn from our mistakes. How many times have you dived headfirst into a diet, only to end up hungry, frustrated, and back at square one a few months later? Gutless focuses on helping men understand their behaviour, and provides an approach they can adopt for enjoyable and long-lasting change.
We don’t always learn from our mistakes. How many times have you dived headfirst into a diet, only to end up hungry, frustrated, and back at square one a few months later? Gutless focuses on helping men understand their behaviour. It’s all about enjoyable and sustainable change that leads to long-term results.
What should a man who doesn’t have much time to exercise or cook for a long time do to keep healthy?
It’s easy to feel like we need to make big changes to get big results. In reality, you don’t need to completely change your diet or spend two hours a day in the gym. It’s the small, consistent changes that lead to BIG results. Here are five easy changes you could make:
- Aim for one more piece of fruit and veg each day
- Watch and reduce your carbohydrates portion size
- Limit the amount of biscuits, chocolate or crisps you have
- Cut back on how much alcohol you drink
- Increase your daily steps – even if it’s just by a few hundred each day.
What would you recommend to a man who doesn’t feel motivated to exercise?
These are my top three tips to get started with exercise when you just don’t feel motivated:
- Reframe exercise – you don’t need to be an ultramarathon-running yogi to get the benefits of exercise. Small bouts of movement across the day are highly beneficial. Get off the bus or train a stop early, find 10 minutes to do some stretching, stand on one leg while brushing your teeth – it doesn’t need to be what you see on social media.
- Find something that appeals to you, and that you know you will enjoy. Try an old sport you used to play. Go for a walk in a place that means a lot to you, or put on an audio book or podcast you love.
- Find someone to get active with – a partner, a friend, a colleague, a neighbour, your child. Not only can this make it more fun, but they can provide the support and accountability to help you build it into a sustainable habit.
“I hear so many myths around exercise and healthy eating”
What is a common myth around exercise or healthy eating that you hear a lot?
I hear so many myths, it’s hard to know where to start!
Myth: Carbs make you fat.
Truth: Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for your body and brain. It’s the type of carbohydrate that matters, and the amount you eat. Moderate portion sizes of complex carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre and sustained energy.
Myth: When it comes to exercise – no pain, no gain.
Truth: To benefit from physical activity, it’s important to regularly engage in a wide range of different exercise intensities. Walking, stretching and other forms of gentle movement are important, and so is adding low-intensity exercise – like swimming or cycling – that get your heart rate up. You do not need to break yourself in the gym every day – in fact this can often do more harm than good.
How should men manage food cravings?
Here are my five top tips to help men manage food cravings:
- Consider the timing of your meals and make sure you’re not leaving too big of a gap between them
- Snack smartly – use healthy, pre-planned snacks to tide you over to your next meal
- Choose more filling, satiating meals, with a source of fibre, protein and complex carbohydrates
- Stay hydrated – our brains often confuse thirst with hunger
- Get a good night’s sleep! There is lots of evidence linking sleep deprivation with food cravings.
If you could give just one piece of advice to men looking to get healthy, what would it be?
Being consistently good is better than being inconsistently perfect. Start small, start slow.
Improving by just 1% every day will take you much further in a year than going all in for January, getting frustrated, then giving up for the next 11 months. This is pretty much a universal truth – it’s true for diet, exercise, managing stress, and personal development.
What is the best thing about Gutless, in your opinion?
The lightbulb moments. We’ve helped thousands of men have those lightbulb A-ha! moments where it all suddenly makes sense. These moments are different for each man, but they all involve a shift in perspective and motivation about their health in the past, and their direction for the future.
What would you say to someone who is unsure whether Gutless is right for them?
You’ve tried losing weight before, but it all came back on. If you’re frustrated, and you’re looking for something a little bit different. Gutless is a little bit different. It’s free, it’s fun, and it’s effective. Give it a go – what have you got to lose?
Curious about Gutless? Check out how footie-mad Duane got on when he joined Gutless to lose weight.
