Lack of sleep can bump up stress levels and make it harder to make good choices. Poor sleep plays havoc with weight loss as it also affects our hormones.

Studies show that those who sleep less than six hours per night are more likely to be overweight and find it harder to lose weight. So how well are you sleeping?

Our hormones, which are chemical messengers, can help us to understand how sleep could be the missing part of your weight-loss puzzle.

Leptin and ghrelin

Ghrelin is a hormone that tells you when you need to eat. The less you sleep, the more ghrelin you produce. Leptin does the opposite of ghrelin; it sends a signal to the brain to let you know you have eaten enough.

The less you sleep, the less leptin you produce. Lack of sleep and these two hormones make you more susceptible to overeating and less likely to feel satisfied afterward.

Cortisol

This is a stress hormone that breaks protein down into glucose. If there is too much glucose, it gets stored as fat. Excess cortisol makes the body use soft tissue like muscle for its energy needs instead of fat.

Your cortisol levels increase the less you sleep at night. It also triggers a hunger response in the brain, causing you to think you are hungry. Sneaky.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant that manages our circadian rhythm or sleep-wake cycle. It is released at the onset of darkness to prepare your body for sleep. Studies have linked melatonin to increased metabolism.

Insulin

Insulin helps your body to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. Not enough sleep can lead to too much blood sugar, and that can lead to insulin resistance.

This means the body will produce more insulin in order to function and could eventually lead to diseases like diabetes. The dreaded D word.

Growth hormone

Your body creates more growth hormone while you are asleep. It stimulates cell reproduction, regeneration and growth. More growth hormone means a higher metabolism, meaning you burn energy more rapidly. This gives us the potential to lose weight faster.

Practical tips to prioritize your sleep

• Stick to a routine – go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
• Limit screens before bed – blue light from phones and TVs suppresses melatonin.
• Create a sleep-friendly environment – keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol late in the day – both can interfere with deep sleep.
• Wind down – reading, stretching or a short meditation session can signal your body it is time to sleep.

Track and optimize your sleep

Keeping a simple sleep diary or using a sleep tracker can help you understand how your sleep affects hunger, energy and weight management. Pairing this with your exercise and nutrition routine can help you identify patterns and make better choices.

Sleep is part of your recovery

Value your sleep as much as your diet and exercise. It gives your body time to rest, recover and rejuvenate. Better sleep improves energy for your training sessions, helps regulate hunger hormones and supports weight loss. Treat it as an essential part of your routine, not an optional extra.

Your body needs time to rest, recover and rejuvenate. Sleep well, and your body will reward you in more ways than one.

Prioritize Sleep, Maximize Results

Sleep is not optional. Treat it as seriously as your workouts and diet. By sticking to a routine, creating a sleep-friendly environment and tracking your patterns, you give your body the rest it needs to regulate hormones, boost energy and support weight loss. Every extra hour of quality sleep is a step towards your goals, so make your bedtime a priority and let your body work for you.

Feeling like you’ve got nothing left in the tank isn’t good. If you’re in a state of constant emotional, physical or mental exhaustion, could be ‘burnout’ caused by excessive, ongoing stress. Ouch.

Feeling drained, overwhelmed and unable to cope due to demands put on you at work or home is exhausting. Chronic stress can cause physical and emotional symptoms, including:

• Decreased productivity and concentration
• Low tolerance levels and questioning your purpose
• Anxiety and low mood
• Fatigue or a lack of energy
• Headaches
• Stomach issues like bloating or diarrhea
• Sleep issues

When you experience burnout, it can feel like you’ve run out of gas. This can lead to you making some poor diet decisions, not wanting to exercise and resorting to unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking, all of which can stall or stop our weight loss. Cars can’t run on empty and neither can you.

So, how can you fill up your tank and fuel your body?

Keep movin’

Though it’s hard to find the motivation, keeping active will help your body deal with stress hormones, regulate blood sugar levels, boost your mood and improve your sleep as well as helping with weight management. Listen to feedback your body gives you, sometimes a brisk walk is enough, other times a row, swim or weightlifting session feels good. Remember exercise gives you more energy so even a little can help a lot.

Get to bed

If work is all-consuming, it’s tempting to stay up later to have time to yourself. But, reduced quality or quantity of sleep can compound stress and cause imbalanced hunger hormones, which can lead to overeating and impact your ability to make decisions that align with your ambitions. Aim to sleep 7-9 hours per night.

Set boundaries

Take your life back. Doing this can help you separate your work and home life. E.g. Decide if you’ll check emails and other work communications during the weekend and set a boundary to do no emailing after a certain time each evening.

Step away from your workspace

Regular breaks give you a few moments to reset, breathe and refocus, don’t underestimate how important they are. Try to eat lunch in a separate space and aim to factor movement into your day if your job is sedentary. Office job? How about a standing desk, this can stop you feeling lethargic or sluggish.

Manage stress

Learn techniques to help you deal with stressful situations. Meditation, guided relaxation, breath work and journaling can all be helpful. So can a kick about with your mates, roll on club night!

Challenge yourself in your downtime

Find activities or subjects that interest you and get involved. It’s tempting to sink into the couch and watch another box set, but learning a new skill, taking a class or even challenging yourself with a brain teaser or crossword will help you feel more energized. Aim to find restorative experiences that you look forward to doing.

Make it easy. If you’re pressed for time during the week, try meal planning and batch cooking on your days off so you always have healthy options in the fridge or freezer. This frees up the headspace needed to decide what to eat and helps you swerve unplanned takeaways. Winning.

Ask for help. If you think you’re experiencing burnout, speak to your employer or HR department to see what they can do to alleviate pressure on you. Confide in a trusted friend or family member, talking about issues can help you gain perspective and make plans to move forward.

Dealing with burnout is tough. If you are concerned the symptoms you are experiencing could be due to an underlying health problem, get in touch with your Primary Care Physician to rule it out. Self-care in the form of a nutritious diet, good sleep, regular exercise, time out, relaxation and connection with others is the best way to fill up your tank.

Remember

You do not have to do it alone. As a MAN v FAT member, you have access to the JAAQ digital mental wellbeing platform. JAAQ offers tools, guided exercises and expert advice to help manage stress, improve sleep and cope with burnout. Combining these resources with your exercise, nutrition and sleep habits can help you regain energy, protect your mental wellbeing and stay on track with your weight loss goals. Take a few minutes each day to explore JAAQ and make it part of your routine. Even small steps can make a big difference.

You’ve probably heard all sorts about ‘boosting’ your metabolism. But is that something that’s actually possible, or just another case of misleading diet industry jargon?

Do you know anyone who has a truly awful diet but never puts on weight while your belt groans when you just look at a cake? It’s one of life’s cruel pranks, and it could all be down to our metabolism.

What even is metabolism?

Metabolism refers to the chemical processes that keep our bodies alive. We’ve got blood pumping, air flowing, food digesting and much much more going on inside our bodies 24/7, so it’s no surprise that these processes need energy. Our metabolism works to convert energy into fuel for our bodies.

Genetics play a large part in how fast or slowly we burn energy (commonly referred to whether we have a slow or fast metabolism). Other factors include age, percentage of lean muscle/body fat and sex, as men usually have a significantly higher metabolism than women.

Between 60 – 80% of our total daily energy expenditure is taken up by just being alive (breathing, circulation, cell renewal, etc.). This is known as our basal metabolic rate (BMR). A ‘slow metabolism’ is actually down to a low BMR.

The remaining 20-40% is where we can make a difference, as this includes physical activity and digesting food. This combines with the BMR to make our total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

Can we boost our metabolism?

Our metabolism isn’t an organ that can be flexed, but there are many theories as to how we can support it. It’s thought that the following factors can have a positive effect:

• A fiber-rich diet. Fiber is indigestible yet our bodies try to digest it anyway, which uses up energy.
• Strength training. This tears muscle tissue, which our bodies have to use energy to repair and restore.
• Having more muscle, as muscle is made of ‘metabolically active’ tissue. This needs energy to be built, used, and maintained whereas fat tissue just lazes around not burning energy at all.
• Eating protein. It takes the body considerable energy to digest protein, plus it’s filling, making us less likely to reach for snacks.
• Foods like coffee, chili and ginger are thought to speed up BMR. The bad news is the difference is very slight, and it’s not going to impact your jeans size.
• HIIT workouts. This type of exercise involves short, intense bursts of exercise followed by periods of active recovery or rest. It’s great for cardio fitness but studies suggest it can also increase the ‘afterburn’ effect where our bodies continue to burn more energy for up to 24 hours after the session.

Nothing will magically make our metabolism turn into a ravenous beast that quickly consumes all the energy we eat. But small gains add up to big changes. If you work out and build muscle, you’ll be burning more energy. If you eat foods that require lots of energy to digest, you’ll be burning more energy, and so on, so don’t lose hope.

What slows it down?

• Rapid weight loss. Crash diets can cause our metabolism to slow more than would be expected from the overall weight loss. Our metabolism is hard to speed up but frustratingly easier to slow down.
• Chronic dehydration is associated with a lowered metabolic rate, so make sure you’re drinking enough.
• Getting older. It’s good to keep in mind here that the aim of good health is for us to get older and to thrive as we age. There’s an inevitable decline in metabolism as we age as we simply don’t need the same energy at 60 as we did at 21. We can help this by continuing to eat well and stay active.
• Even if your BMR is lower than average, you can still support it by building lean muscle tissue. Making sustainable, incremental changes to your lifestyle is the best way to lose weight — and keep it off.

Your MAN v FAT sessions are a great place to start supporting your metabolism. Every game, circuit, or gym session you do helps build lean muscle, which naturally increases your daily energy burn even at rest. Pair that with a protein-rich diet and staying hydrated, and you’ll make your metabolism work for you. Small, consistent habits like these are far more powerful than any “metabolism booster” on the market.

Make Your Metabolism Work for You

Understanding your metabolism is only the first step, putting it into practice is where the results happen. Use your club sessions to build strength and muscle, track your activity and progress, and get advice from your coach on balancing nutrition and exercise to keep your metabolism working efficiently. Share your wins and tips in your team chat or the MAN v FAT Facebook community to stay motivated. Every workout, every meal choice, and every good night’s sleep helps your body work smarter, not harder.

The short answer? Yes, but not in the way you might think.

If you have those days where you exercise but you’re really not feeling it, we get it. Sometimes it can feel like you’re just going through the motions, moving your body but not really getting stuck in. We say good on you for showing up. But does it matter how intense your exercise sessions are?

What is exercise intensity?

The intensity of exercise simply refers to how much energy your body is using during exercise. It’s not as technical as it sounds: think about the difference between going for a slow, ambling walk (low intensity) and running flat-out to win a race (high, or vigorous, intensity).

How is exercise intensity measured?

An easy way to measure your exercise intensity without the need for any equipment is the talk test. If you can talk but not sing while you’re exercising, it’s probably moderate intensity activity. If you can’t say more than a few words without stopping to take a breath, it’s a high-intensity activity. But if you’re giving Sideshow Bob a run for his money belting out songs from H.M.S. Pinafore, it’s fair to say what you’re doing isn’t very intense at all.

Heart rates

Another way of measuring your exercise intensity is to look at your heart rate. If you’ve got a smartwatch, this’ll be pretty easy to see.

Using your heart rate as a guide can help you get more out of your exercise sessions because it’ll tell you if you’re working hard enough or pushing yourself too far.

The first thing to do is to work out your max heart rate. You can estimate this by subtracting your age from 220. Our example, let’s call him Greg, is 38, so his rough max heart rate is 182. Now you’ll need to figure out what your target heart rate should be based on what you’re looking to achieve.

• 50-60% of your max heart rate is great for beginners and will help strengthen your circulatory system.
• 60-70% of your max heart rate will help boost your fitness levels, and is the ideal range for burning fat.
• 70-80% of your max heart rate will help improve your breathing and increase your endurance. Want to improve your soccer cardio? Try spending short bursts in this range.
• At the top end of the 80-90% range of your max heart rate, your body starts to struggle to meet its oxygen requirements. Pro players often train for short periods in this range to increase their top-end performance.
• You shouldn’t aim to spend long periods at over 90% of your max heart rate, as it will exhaust you much quicker. It can also lead to feeling dizzy, an increase in blood pressure and even fainting, so go easy and aim for a lower intensity that’ll see you burning fat effectively without the risks.

High intensity

Exercising at high intensity has plenty of benefits: it’s great for boosting your cardiovascular fitness and can help torch calories quicker, which let’s be honest is something we all want. But it’s not for everyone. High intensity exercise is more demanding and puts more stress on the heart, so run it by a doctor if you’ve got heart problems.

Want to give it a try? Go for high-intensity interval training (HIIT), where you alternate short bursts of very high-intensity exercise with recovery periods of low-intensity movement.

Spending short bursts of time in a high-intensity state can be great for your weight loss efforts. If you’re new to HIIT, we recommend having shorter periods of high intensity paired with longer periods of rest. For example, 20 seconds of high intensity followed by 40 seconds of rest for 5 minutes.

Medium intensity

This is the sweet spot. To improve your cardiovascular fitness, aim to work towards keeping your heart rate in the mid-range, e.g. 60-80% of your max heart rate. Anything that gets you out of breath but still able to string a sentence or two together is what you’re looking for, so lifting weights, running and fast walking are ideal.

Low intensity

A lot of good can come from incorporating low-intensity exercise into your routine. Simple exercises like walking, gentle swimming and slow bike rides are great ways of getting active without putting too much stress on your body. You can start slow and gradually increase intensity, or use low-intensity exercise as a way of helping your body recover after more intense exercise sessions.

Putting it into practice

Learning how to make your heart rate work for you will greatly benefit your fitness levels. Government guidelines state that we should be getting 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. What could that look like in real life?

Monday: MAN v FAT session
Tuesday: Lift weights at the gym
Wednesday: Rest day. Go for a light walk.
Thursday: 30-minute run, cycle or swim, aiming for mid intensity.
Friday: A high-intensity circuit or spin class
Saturday: Rest day. Go for a walk with family or friends.
Sunday: Short weights session.

Above all, listen to your body when exercising. If what you’re doing feels like it’s not challenging you enough, ramp up the intensity. Similarly, if you feel like you’re working too hard, it’s ok to lower the intensity until you find a pace that suits you better.

You want to see progress, we get it, but there’s really no point weighing yourself 3 times a day.

Humans are impatient, and nowhere is that more apparent than when we’re trying to lose weight. We all do that thing where we step on the scales after just a day of eating better, hoping to see some kind of miraculous progress, right?

But weight loss takes time. So with that in mind, how often should you weigh yourself?

Make a date

We recommend weighing yourself once a week and keeping the conditions the same. It’s all about consistency. That means:

• Weigh yourself at the same time of day. Your weight naturally fluctuates throughout the day, so this gives you a more reliable idea of your progress without having to worry about being a few pounds heavier later in the day.
• Wear the same sort of clothes. Don’t weigh in wearing your birthday suit one week and completely layered up the next.
• You’ll weigh in at your MAN v FAT session, which is a good routine to get into and is a regular check-in you can use to track your progress. Remember, it’s not just about the number on the scales. Club weigh-ins are about accountability, celebrating progress, and getting support from your team.
• If you’re weighing in at home, make sure your scales are on the same hard surface each time, and that you’re distributing your weight evenly across both feet.
• Weighing yourself in the morning is probably the best time to do it: after having a wee but before eating or drinking anything.

Weight fluctuations

As we mentioned, your weight naturally fluctuates throughout the day based on what you’ve eaten, how many times you’ve been to the toilet, how hydrated you are and even whether you’ve had a good night’s sleep or not.

These fluctuations are completely normal. For example, you might gain 2lbs after a weekend of social meals or notice a small drop after a day of lighter eating. It’s all part of the process and doesn’t erase the progress you’re making over time.

That’s why it’s often pointless to weigh yourself more than once a week: 7 days is enough time for fluctuations to settle down and for your ‘true’ weight to be reflected on the scales.

Some people prefer to weigh themselves more often, and that’s fine if it keeps you feeling motivated. Just remember that the number on the scales tends to vary wildly from day to day, and it’s not necessarily a true representation of what you’ve done (or not done) the day before.

Don’t forget to make use of the graphs available in your MAN v FAT player portal. These let you track your season and career journey over time, showing the bigger picture beyond single weigh-ins. Seeing trends on a graph can be much more motivating than fixating on day-to-day fluctuations.

Weighing yourself can easily become an obsession, and that’s something you want to avoid. If you feel like you’re getting too worried about the number on the scales, you can ask your coach to hide your weigh-in result from you at the session.

There’s also nothing wrong with putting the scales away at home – there are plenty of other ways to measure your weight loss progress. Think about how your clothes fit, how much more energy you have, and your fitness levels to get a good picture of how you’re doing without relying on the numbers.

Make Your Progress Count

Club weigh-ins aren’t just about the number on the scales – they’re about accountability, support, and celebrating every bit of progress along the way. Use them as a weekly check-in to see how far you’ve come, and combine them with the graphs available in your player portal to track your season and career journey over time.

Remember, progress isn’t always linear. Weight naturally fluctuates, and the bigger picture is what counts. Share your milestones, ask for tips, or celebrate small wins with your fellow members in your local team chats or the wider MAN v FAT community. Start using your weigh-ins, graphs, and community connections today to stay motivated, focused, and on track toward your goals. Every step and every check-in matters.

Despite our best intentions, sometimes we just can’t be bothered to cook. When we’ve had a long busy day, we need healthy food and fast. Enter: meal prepping.

Preparing your meals for the week in one go is a great way of helping you reach your weight-loss goals. If you’ve got your food ready and waiting for you, it’s much less likely that you’ll opt to eat something unhealthy because you’re too tired or busy to make something. Here are some easy ways to make meal prep work for you.

Pick and choose what to prep

You can prep as many meals and snacks – or as few – as you like.

• Struggle to get up in the morning? Prep some breakfasts in advance.
• Meal deals seem appealing on your lunch break? Prep some lunches you can grab on your way out.
• Got a busy week coming up? Prep breakfast, snacks and dinners to help you get ahead.

It’s all about making your life easier, so you choose what works for you.

Prepare food you’ll actually eat

It’s all well and good making a week’s worth of meals in one go but there’s no point if you don’t want to eat what you’ve made. Meal prep doesn’t have to mean boring food. Want burgers one night? Prepare the patties ahead of time, store them in the fridge and whack them on the grill for a few minutes when you need them.

You don’t have to meal prep everything

If you’re thinking that meal prep means eating cold food straight from plastic containers, think again!

• You could chop salad ingredients ready for lunch
• Grill some chicken breasts to store in the fridge for an easy sandwich filling or to eat with pasta.
• Whip up a tomato sauce that you can reheat while you’re cooking pasta.

These helpful steps can play a crucial part when you come home from work and are tempted to call up your old friend Papa John.

Prepare to succeed

A little planning before your food shop can make meal prepping easier.

• Figure out what you’re going to eat during the week.
• Make an ingredients list.
• See what ingredients could multitask and change any meals as appropriate, e.g. ground beef could make Bolognese sauce, chili and lasagna.

This is the best way of making sure your meal prepping is simple, effective and as easy to do as possible. As our English teacher used to say, fail to prepare and prepare to fail.

How’s your Tupperware?

Getting excited about plastic containers could be a sign of impending middle-age but trust us – making sure you’ve got decent food storage options is crucial to meal prep success.

Make one day a meal prep day

Meal prepping can seem like a daunting task if you’re trying to do it for the entire week, but it’s not too bad if you get it over and done with in one session. Try it on a Sunday so that you’re ready for the week ahead. Set yourself up in the kitchen with some good music, a fully stocked fridge and your meal plan and get to work. Top tip: wash up as you go along so you’re not left with the daunting clear up at the end.

When you’re feeling down or stressed, sometimes letting it all out and talking about your problems can feel like a load off. Here’s why something as simple as talking can improve your wellbeing.

Humans are social creatures, and whether you’re an introvert or the life and soul of the party, we all need someone to talk to sometimes. Communication is crucial for building strong relationships but it’s also essential for your mental wellbeing. Here’s why.

Getting support

One of the best benefits of talking to people is the support they give us in return. Talking through a problem with someone else can give you new ways of looking at things, put things into perspective and make you feel validated.

Even if you talk to your friend about something that goes way over their head and they don’t have any practical advice to give, just letting it out can feel great if you’ve been bottling it up. Feeling heard is important, and knowing you’ve got someone to turn to can make all the difference.

Having a support network around you has many benefits. Studies have found that those with people they can turn to are more likely to recover from illness, experience less stress and live longer than those who don’t.

Understanding your feelings

Talking is a great way to release emotions you may have been holding onto, giving you the space to process them and begin working through them. Sometimes it’s hard to know exactly how you feel until you start talking, and if you’ve been holding it all in for a while, they might all tumble out as soon as you start.

Identifying what you’re feeling can help you begin to act to resolve what’s bothering you. If you’re not sure what you’re feeling, that’s ok too – just keep talking and you may find that through the course of the conversation you’ll chance upon something that makes sense.

Knowing you’re not alone

All too often when you’ve got something weighing on your mind it’s easy to think you’re the only one going through it. That can make us feel isolated, and make the problem feel huge and difficult to deal with.

Opening up can help you see that what you’re feeling isn’t rare. It’s thought that 1 in 4 of us suffer with mental health problems, so you can see how likely it is that the friend you confide in will have some experience of what you’re going through if that’s what’s going on.

We all know that stereotype of men not talking to one another about anything deeper than soccer or booze, but we’re not Neanderthals. Chatting about whatever’s on your mind will encourage others to share too, and it’ll bring you closer.

Improved mental health

Talking is so good for your head. Airing out your problems, thoughts and feelings releases tension and improves your mental health, even if your problems aren’t solved immediately.

Getting support from friends and family is a fantastic idea that can give you a much-needed outsider’s perspective, but sometimes you might find talking to a professional more helpful.

Talking therapy is extremely effective for things like depression and anxiety. It’s so effective because as well as releasing all that’s pent up in your head, a good therapist can give you tools and guidance that’ll help you break free from negative thinking and help you handle stress in a healthier way.

Don’t feel able to talk to a therapist or a friend? You can call, text or chat via the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. They’ll talk through whatever you’re going through with you, in a safe and judgement-free zone. Visit 988lifeline.org for more info.

Not ready to talk? That’s ok. Talking about things you don’t usually talk about can feel awkward or overwhelming. If you’re not ready, try journaling instead – grab a notebook and a pen, or even the notes app on your phone, and write down thoughts, feelings, or anything you want to get out of your head. This is more one sided than talking to someone, but sometimes writing can also help you make sense of what’s going on in your head, so it’s worth a shot.

If you’re not sure how to start a conversation about what’s on your mind, try using simple prompts like “I’ve been feeling stressed about…” or “Can I talk through something with you?” You don’t have to share everything at once. Even small steps count. If talking feels intimidating, try calming yourself first with a few deep breaths or a quick grounding exercise. And remember, opening up doesn’t always have to be to a person in front of you. Journaling, voice notes, or using the JAAQ digital mental wellbeing platform available to MAN v FAT members can help you process your thoughts and feel supported. You can also share experiences and get advice in the MAN v FAT Facebook community. Taking small, consistent steps toward sharing your feelings can make a big difference for your mental wellbeing.

Get Support and Connect with the wider MAN v FAT Community

Being part of MAN v FAT means you don’t have to face your challenges alone. Join the MAN v FAT Facebook community to share experiences, celebrate small wins, and get advice from members all around the world. For more personalized support, you can also engage in team chats with your local clubmates, connecting with people nearby who understand your journey. If you prefer a private or structured space, the JAAQ digital mental wellbeing platform is available to members, offering tools and support to manage your mental health. Start today by joining the Facebook group, getting involved in your local team chats, or exploring JAAQ. Every small step toward sharing and connecting improves your mental wellbeing and keeps you on track with your goals

It’s obvious that moving more is good for you, and you can’t get more basic than going for a good old-fashioned walk.

But why is it good for you? How does it contribute to your weight loss goals? What’s the best way to do it for maximum efficiency? And how do you stop it from being so boring? Put your walking shoes on and let’s find out…

Why is walking good for you?

Walking is an underrated way of staying fit as it can be easy going. It’s a fantastic way of getting active though, improving your fitness, along with bringing you these benefits:

• Regular walking is good for your heart
• Prevents heart disease and high blood pressure
• Strengths bones
• Improves balance
• Boosts your mood
• It’s low-impact exercise that doesn’t put much stress on your joints.

Walking for weight loss

If you’re walking to help you achieve your weight loss goals, a gentle stroll won’t have much of an impact. Instead, you need to make sure that you walk fast enough and long enough to have an effect.

• Aim for a brisk walk at a moderate intensity. This means walking fast enough that your heart rate goes up. You should struggle to sing at this level, although you should still be able to talk.
• Target 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week. Brisk walking counts and it also helps to reduce the time you spend sitting or lying down.
• As your fitness improves, you might find that this isn’t enough for you. If this is you, you can work on increasing intensity, duration or distance.
• A 30-minute walk can burn up to 200 calories. But this depends on many factors, including your weight and the intensity of your walk.

What do I need to start walking?

Good news: there are not many things you’ll need. A comfortable pair of sneakers, maybe a bottle of water if it’s warm outside, and some sun screen at the height of summer. If you want to track your walks, the app Strava is a good ‘un that’s available on iOS and Android.

You mean you want me to walk when I’m not even going anywhere?!

If you think aimless walking to get your steps in sounds like no fun, we hear you. For all its virtues, walking as a form of exercise can be a bit dull, unless you’re lucky enough to live near a particularly scenic route. Luckily there are ways of making it a bit more fun:

Geocaching

All you need to geocache is a GPS-enabled device (your phone) and a free account. Find coordinates and put them into Google Maps, or check out the Geocaching website here.

• It’s perfect for a weekend walk
• It’s a real-life treasure hunt!
• It can be exciting for kids and gets them off the Xbox for a few hours

If you find anything in a container, it’s good etiquette to only take it if you can leave something of equal or greater value.

Audiobooks 

Stephen Fry credits walking with audiobooks helped him to lose six stone in 2019, walking EIGHT MILES every morning. If it’s good enough for Mr Fry, it’s good enough for us.

Have a look online for free audiobooks. Project Gutenberg has loads of classic books here. You might be lucky and find some good free ones on YouTube too.

If you don’t mind paying, there’s Audible (Google ‘Audible promo’ to find offers to keep the cost down – at the time of writing there’s a 3 months for $0.99/month offer on). Spotify has recently added audiobooks to its service, and if you’ve got a pro account you get 15 hours of audiobooks free a month.

Podcasts

Speaking of Spotify, you’ll find plenty of podcasts there too. Search for MAN v FAT under podcasts and you’ll find a few created by MAN v FAT players, which is super cool.

Finding a good route

One of the reasons walking is a good option is because you can do it anywhere, although a walk through the industrial part of town is not quite as appealing as a hike through a lush greenway.

Luckily, there are many free tools online that will help you find a nice route near you.

Google details of local trails or hikes. Even if you think walking is too gentle for you (check you out!), every little helps when it comes to upping your activity.

Step Up Your Game with MAN v FAT 

If you’re serious about losing weight and keeping it off, walking alone is great but combining it with the MAN v FAT community takes it to the next level. Track your walks, set goals, and compete in weekly challenges with fellow members who get exactly what you’re going through. You’ll get accountability, motivation, and tips from people who have been there, plus the chance to celebrate every milestone together.

Put your sneakers on, log your walks, and join the challenge today because every step counts and in MAN v FAT, no step is ever taken alone.

Finding it hard to stay on track with your weight loss? Here’s a secret: bribery works. Yep, paying yourself in small rewards is scientifically proven to keep motivation high. Losing weight isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon, and let’s be honest, staying fired up for months on end is tough. That’s where a little self-incentive comes in.

Why Rewards Work (Science, but Fun)

A study with the gloriously named Game of Stones found men actually lost more weight when cash rewards were on the table. Don’t worry if your wallet isn’t fat, small treats work just as well.

Here’s why it works: your brain loves rewards. Hit a goal, and dopamine, the “feel-good” chemical, gets released. You feel awesome, your brain wants more, and suddenly that healthy habit is sticking. Positive reinforcement is basically tricking your brain into doing the right thing.

How to Bribe Yourself (The MAN v FAT Way)

Step 1: Set goals you can actually hit
Don’t try to run a marathon tomorrow, you’ll just sulk on the sofa. Keep it realistic and measurable. SMART goals are your friend: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. Want to learn more? Read up on them here.

Step 2: Pick your rewards
Food is tempting, we get it. But it’s safer to skip the pizza bribe until you’re confident. Think small, non-food treats:

• A new book or game
• A night at the cinema
• Tickets to the big game
• Money in the bank (save $10 for every goal and treat yourself to new clothes later)

Step 3: Track your wins
Nothing motivates like seeing progress. Notebook, phone notes, or an app, whatever works. Track exercise, steps, or meals. Then, when you smash that goal, you can reward yourself without guilt.

Bonus: Mental Health Boost

Rewarding yourself isn’t just about hitting numbers, it’s about celebrating progress. Losing weight is tough. Give yourself a high five. Tell yourself you’re a legend. Positive reinforcement fights off the negative self-talk that loves to creep in when things get hard.

Your Mission

Pick one small goal today. Choose your reward. Track it. Do this consistently, and suddenly losing weight isn’t a grind, it’s a game you’re winning. Treat yourself like a legend, you’re worth it, and your future self will thank you.

It can be overwhelming to know where to start with making healthy changes to your diet. It’s easy to be swayed by the dieters who share their Instagram-perfect low-fat, low-sugar, low-calorie, low-taste meals, but in reality, it’s the small swaps that add up to big changes. Here are a few small swaps you can make to your diet.

Swap fizzy drinks for their zero-sugar counterparts

If you’re partial to a can of soda, try and switch to the zero-sugar, zero-calorie alternatives. They may taste odd at first, but you’ll soon get used to it and will save calories. For example, if you’re fond of a can of Coke, you’ll save 139 calories per 330ml can when you switch to Coke Zero.

Cut down on sugar in hot drinks

Similarly, if you have sugar in your tea or coffee, try cutting down to save on calories. A teaspoon of sugar is only 16 calories, but that soon adds up over multiple cups a day. Let’s say you have 2 teaspoons of sugar in your coffee and have 4 cups of coffee a day – that’s 8 teaspoons of sugar and an extra 128 calories.

If you have more than one sugar in your drink, start by cutting the number of teaspoons you have until you can drink it with no sugar, or aim to replace the sugar with sweetener. It’s easier than it sounds, and coffee or tea with no sugar isn’t as bad as you’re probably thinking it’ll be.

Swap butter for spreads

Sometimes you just can’t beat real butter on toast or a bagel, but for everyday use you could save yourself some calories by switching to a spread. Real butter is high in calcium, but it’s also high in saturated fat which you should be aiming to cut down on.

Depending on what kind of spread you switch to, you could save up to 30 calories per 2 teaspoons (10g).

Swap cereal for oats

Cereal is a breakfast favorite because it’s quick and delicious, but it can leave you feeling hungry and raiding the kitchen for food by 11am. Try swapping your usual cereal for a bowl of porridge. Oats are high in fiber, which will help you to feel satisfied for longer, so you’ll be less likely to snack before lunch.

Swap frying for healthier cooking methods

Frying foods typically uses a lot of oil, so try using other methods to cut down on the amount of oil you use. Meat comes out particularly well when grilled, and steaming is a great way of cooking fish and vegetables.

Swap oil for spray oil

You shouldn’t be shy about frying your food, just be aware of how much oil you use. One tablespoon of most oils (sunflower, olive, vegetable) comes in at around 120 calories and it’s all too easy to pour freely from the bottle.

Instead, swap your usual oil for a spray oil, which has 1 calorie per spray. Alternatively, buy a cheap oil sprayer online and decant your oil into it to vastly cut down on how much oil you use.

Swap white for whole grain

White and brown versions of foods tend to have the same number of calories, so you might be wondering what the point of switching is.

Whole wheat or whole grain foods like whole grain bread, brown rice and pasta and whole grain cereals (like Shredded Wheat and Bran Flakes) are higher in fiber, which helps to maintain bowel health and control blood sugar levels. What’s more, regularly eating whole grain is thought to decrease your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes by up to 30%.

You might find a more immediate benefit too, as whole grain foods release energy slowly which should help you feel fuller for longer.

Small Swaps, Big Wins

You don’t need a complete diet overhaul to start seeing results. The key is small, consistent swaps that save calories, cut sugar, and keep you full longer. Each tiny change might seem insignificant on its own, but add them up over a week, and you’re looking at noticeable fat loss without starving or giving up foods you enjoy.

Pick just one swap today. Swap fizzy drinks for zero-sugar versions, cut the sugar in your tea or coffee, or replace white bread with whole grain. Track it, stick to it, and feel the difference in energy, hunger, and the scale.

Remember: every calorie saved counts toward fat loss. Start small, stay consistent, and use your MAN v FAT community for accountability. Before long, these tiny changes will add up to real, measurable progress.

Choose one swap from this list and commit to it for a week. Log your results and see how these small changes start to move the needle on your weight-loss journey.