Webchat with Joe Wicks, The Body Coach - Thursday 9 June, midday to 1pm

[RachelMumsnet]

We’re inviting you to put your questions to The Body Coach, Joe Wicks who will be joining us for a webchat on Thursday 9 June, 12 - 1pm.

Joe Wicks’ first book of the Shift, Shape and Sustain series, Lean in 15 went straight to Number 1 where it held the top spot for 10 weeks and introduced thousands of readers to his method of shifting body fat by eating more and exercising less. In the second book in the series, Lean in 15: The Shape Plan Joe introduces new meals which are designed to speed up metabolism, making fat burning even faster. The book incorporates Joe's home work out exercise programme which is aimed at "building lean muscle and shaping a fit, lean and strong body".

Got a question for Joe? Join the webchat on Thursday at midday when he’ll be at Mumsnet HQ and ready to answer as many Qs as possible over an hour. See you there. As ever if you can’t join us at that time, post your questions to Joe in advance on this thread.

on key myths and FAQs about losing weight and getting lean

If I was going to buy one of your books Joe which one would you recommend?

@nearlyreadytopop

Hi Joe Love the book.

1. Are the before and after pics all 100% genuine?
2. You don't differentiate between calorie/portion sizes for men and women, why is that?
3. Is it true that getting fit is 90% food 10% exercise?

And finally- it's called broccoli

1. Yes- the transformation pics are all, to my knowledge, accurate. You'd like to think they're real!

1. There are no calorie counts in the book. In the introduction to the book it states there is no one portion size for everybody. We're not all the same, we don't have the same energy needs.

1. I don't really think there is a percentage. Nutrition is so important- you can do lots of exercise and be fit but if you don't have a good nutrition then you're body won't change. You need to understand your body and how to cook- nutrition is the most important.

@poorpaws

What can I do about my severe chocolate addiction? I've tried cutting down and going cold turkey but nothing works for long.

You have to replace chococate with other things. Chocolate is basically just sugars. It spikes your blood sugar levels, then drops them right down and leaves you craving more. Replace that with a high fat snack, like avocado, cheese, or nuts, and your body will retain energy for longer and the cravings will go away.

You also need will power! I used to be addicted to chocolate too but I reduced it gradually and now I don't at all!

@helenatroy

Dear Joe

I am s big devotee of your recipes and try to take regular exercise. I am over 40 and am currently 17 weeks pregnant. One of the risks for pregnant women over forty is the risk of developing gestational diabetes My question is, can you please give me some suggestions of meal plans and quick snacks to guard against putting in too much weight and most importantly heading the pesky G.D off at the pass?

P.s you are very beautiful and my ahem friend wants to know if you are single?

Thank you
Helena

I'd love to give you advice but I think you should really speak to your doctor about this

@yumyumpoppycat

Do you wash your hair everytime you workout and what conditioner do you use?

I wash my hair twice a week because when I do it doubles in size! I wash it with Aussie Miracle shampoo twice a week, and that's it!

@LtheWife

Hi Joe,

really enjoying the recipes in your first book (chicken pie tonight was so good!) and seeing great results. I'm definitely struggling with the quantity of food though. I find it really difficult to eat 3 meals a day at the portion sizes suggested in the recipes let alone add in 2 snacks. I'm hoping that once my fitness improves I can workout harder and will want to eat more. But in the meantime, am I better off reducing the portion sizes or eating fewer meals?

I would still stick to having 3 meals a day- just reduce the portion sizes until you feel comfortable.

@RJnomore1

Hi joe

I'm a big fan of the recipes in your book.

Can you tell us the difference between buying into your plan and buying the book? What additional support and tailoring is there?

For those of us less commuted or less able to be committed how would you best suggest we balance families etc with your way of eating and training?

The Lean in 15 book is a recipe book with generic recipe ideas, whereas the 90 Day Plan is fully tailored to your own body. Therefore you'll get much better results in a much quicker time. And you'll get an amazing support hero who's there to support you along the way whenever you need them.

@thereinmadnesslies

Hi Joe, The thing currently putting me off starting your plan is timing - my understanding is that carb meals follow a workout. But kids, life and work mean that the only time I can workout is after 9pm. How flexible is the plan for busy people? Also, what is the gluten-free vegetarian alternative to a build up bagel? Thanks :)

The plan was designed for busy people so that's why it works so well because you can train in the evening and have your build up bagel and pancake in the evening. As long as you re-fuel, its fine to do any time. It's worked for 110, 000 people because of the way it's designed- it's flexible. Train and eat when you can!

@MyFullHouse

Can you provide fitness suitable for people who need low impact exercise due to birth-related prolapses?

I've now started doing low impact hiit sessions on my Youtube channel and I'll be doing many more because they were really popular.

@KatieKaboom

Question for Joe : what are you qualifications?

Asked with an open mind. I couldn't find that information easily on your web site.

I have a degree in Sport Science, am a qualified PT and have helped 110, 000 people get lean and healthy with my online plan.

@ElsaMars

What do you think of slimming clubs like Weight watchers and Slimming World? The older I get the more gimmicky they seem but I struggle to get my head around other ways of thinking about food after years of doing this sort of 'diet'.

Also I'm a vegetarian and I really struggle not to eat lots of carbs and dairy, would you say this is a problem for lots of overweight veggies like myself?

My personal belief is that diets are flawed in the respect that they're not sustainable long term, so I believe in educating people about nutrition and stepping away from calorie counting and weekly weigh-ins and focus in the two things that I know keep you lean - which is eating healthily and exercising.

Is there a certain amount of time you should leave between your last meal and going to bed?

And should you eat immediately when you wake up, or leave it a few hours?

@Dollyxdaydreamer

Hi Joe, I have your book and the recipes are good. I have some questions for you, mainly regarding your 90 day SSS plan:

1. The before and after pictures you post of people following your plan - are these results "typical"? What % of people doing this plan see the great results you show?
2. What % of people repeat the 90 day plan? (I know one such person doing this because her shape didn't change!)
3. Why don't you state calories in your book? Obviously a 9 stone woman won't have the same dietary requirements as a 13 stone bloke...I understand that you measure/tailor calories for your paid plan but there is no mention of this in your book. Why?

Thank you!

1. The results do vary between people - it depends how committed and how hard they train, if they stay off the alcohol etc. The plan can transform your body and the weight will stay off if you commit and stay on the plan.

1. Some people do decide to restart their plan, if they want to be on it longer and didn't reach their goal and not all can do this in 90 days. There is also a 30 Day Plan with new recipes and new workouts- it's a new rolling plan for graduates of the 90 Day Plan.

@TeamCap

Hi Joe,

Love your recipes (overnight oats are amazing)

I've been training a lot recently, running at least 2/3 times a week, going to the gym on the other days doing weights and cardio for just over a month and cutting out things like refined sugar in my diet.

I weighed myself and took my body fat %, the thing is, my weight stayed pretty much the same but my body fat % went down by 3.5%, is this normal??

That's a positive thing but those body fat measurers are pretty inaccurate, so don't worry about the 'sad step', just concentrate on your exercise and nutrition. The best motivation to is to take progress pictures.

Have had a quick look through your book and was so happy to see that it contains ingredients that are readily available from most supermarkets. It'll be in my shopping basket next week!

What exercise would you recommend to someone who is a size 10, pretty fit but has a stomach that makes them look 4 months pregnant?!

@faffalotty

Have you thought of doing more vegetarian recipes?

I am going to start doing more vegetarian recipes now and one day I hope to do a Lean in 15 Vegetarian Book!

@WhereTheFuckIsMyCunt

Joe, following a bad accident where I broke my back and pelvis I have been banned by my physio for life from any sort of exercise apart from walking, cycling, swimming (I can't swim), yoga and weights. Any attempt at aerobics, step, running, etc knocks my pelvis out of line and takes over six months to sort it.

What exercise would you say is best? I love cycling and bike about 200 miles a month but I'm still really fat.

I know my diet is probably quite terrible. I'm a carb addict. It's all bread and potatoes.

I'd recommend HIIT training on a bike, and taking control of your nutrition. You might be eating too much or too little -find the middle point where you're fuelling your body for the exercise you're doing.

Cycling's good because it's low impact and you can still raise your heartbeat.

@jostewart

Hi Joe,

I started the plan this week and have pre –ordered your second book (can’t wait for it to arrive). I planned the entire week’s meals and workouts for how I thought they would fit in with my life. I am loving experimenting with new recipes and your online workouts have been a great motivator. I am really enjoying the meals but the portion sizes seem a little on the large size for me so I think I will cut back a little next week. However, I am struggling to eat after my evening workout. I normally arrive home just before 6pm and do my workout straightaway so that I am finished for 6:30, have the protein shake and spend some time with my daughter before she goes to bed at 7:30pm. At this time I am still feeling full from the protein shake and so it has been as late as 8:30/9pm when I am then sitting down to eat. I leave for work at 6:30am and so couldn’t fit in a workout in the morning on my 4 working days.

I am thinking of reducing the size of the protein shake. How long after the workout should I be eating my meal, is 2 hours afterwards too long?

Thank you,

Jo

Remove the protein shake from your diet and have a proper meal instead- it's much more important to have a meal with carbs and protein after you train. You could have the protein shake as a snack during the day. Eating 2 hours after you train is fine- just make sure you do have your dinner after you train.

@IFellInLoveAtTheSeaside

Joe, I leave the house for work at 6.15am and don't get back in until 9pm (very long commute and visit the gym/swim everyday for 30mins). I find it very difficult to stick to any kind of plan/diet as it's hard to prep/bring ALL the food I need for the day with me to work and so much easier to grab the closest thing available.

What's the solution for someone like me, who hasn't got access to a kitchen all day? I feel like I'm in a losing battle.

Lunch box, cool bag, ice block. Prepare your own lunch and make things that you don't mind eating cold - salads, stir fry etc. Keep it in a cool bag/lunch box.

Hi Joe,

we love your cookbook in this house! I would really like to know your top tips for staying motivated when starting a new exercise regime, thanks!

@Clazzer1

I travel abroad a lot with work - what can I do to try to stick to your plan?

Just stick to it as best as you can. If you do eat out, try and stick to the principles as best you can by choosing the healthy options on the menu.

@WhereTheFuckIsMyCunt

If I was going to buy one of your books Joe which one would you recommend?

It's best to start with book 1 if you're a beginner to fitness. If you're more advanced and want a challenge, start with book 2.

@IFellInLoveAtTheSeaside

Is there a certain amount of time you should leave between your last meal and going to bed?

And should you eat immediately when you wake up, or leave it a few hours?

It really depends on how you feel and how your energy levels are. I like to train in the morning and eat my breakfast after. You do need to see what works best for you.

@SheHasAWildHeart

Have had a quick look through your book and was so happy to see that it contains ingredients that are readily available from most supermarkets. It'll be in my shopping basket next week!

What exercise would you recommend to someone who is a size 10, pretty fit but has a stomach that makes them look 4 months pregnant?!

Any kind of HIIT training can be really effective - it could be sprints on a bike, cross trainer or rower. Work really hard for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat the whole thing for 20 minutes.

So If i stick to Fish/Chicken/Meat with veggies/salad and no carbs for the normal meals and add in a small amount of carb for the post workout meals I should be OK?