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Simon Graham Coach & Personal Trainer, Trunk Road, Farnborough (2026)

03/05/2026

Banking calories is one of the simplest ways to make weight loss feel more realistic.

Instead of trying to eat perfectly every day, you focus on the week as a whole.

Eat slightly less on quieter days. Build a small buffer. Then when you’ve got a meal out, drinks, or a social event, you’ve already made room for it.

Nothing is off limits. You are not “cheating”. You are just planning ahead.

The key is control.

Small adjustments during the week, not extremes. If you heavily restrict Monday to Friday and then go all in at the weekend, that is not calorie banking. That is just swinging between under-eating and overeating.

Done properly, it should feel steady. No punishment, no guilt, just consistency across the week.

It is also not the only approach.

Some people prefer the same calories every day. Others prefer small daily treats instead of saving everything for the weekend.

The best approach is the one you can stick to without it feeling like a constant battle.

For a deeper dive, visit my detailed blog:
https://www.simongpt.co.uk/banking-calories-for-weight-loss/

What is banking calories for weight loss? Learn how calorie banking and flexible dieting can help you diet without feeling restricted.

28/04/2026

What Is Fibremaxxing and Does It Actually Help with Weight Loss?

Fibremaxxing is a nutrition trend that has picked up a lot of traction online, particularly on TikTok. The basic idea is simple. You deliberately increase your fibre intake, often quite aggressively, with the goal of improving digestion, reducing hunger and helping with weight loss.

On the surface, it sounds sensible. Fibre is something most people do not eat enough of, and it is widely linked to better health. But like most trends that get popular quickly, the way it is being applied is not always quite as straightforward as it looks.

In my work as a weight loss coach, I see a lot of people latch onto one idea and try to push it as far as possible. Sometimes that works but quite often it just creates a different set of problems. Fibremaxxing sits somewhere in the middle. There is definitely something useful in it, but it needs a bit of context to actually work properly.

Check out my in-depth dive in my blog. Go to:
https://www.simongpt.co.uk/fibremaxxing

What is fibremaxxing and does it help with weight loss? A practical guide to fibre, appetite, digestion and how to avoid overdoing it.

27/04/2026

A new report from the Health Foundation made for uncomfortable reading today. It found healthy life expectancy in the UK has fallen by around two years over the past decade, with men now spending around 60.7 years in good health and women 60.9 years. In more than 90 percent of local areas, healthy life expectancy is now below state pension age, and in some of the most deprived places it is below 55. In Blackpool, healthy life expectancy for men is around 51. I turned 51 last week, so that really made me pay attention!

There is also around a twenty year gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest communities. That is extraordinary, and it says this is not just a personal health story, but a conversation about inequality, prevention and ageing well.

Healthy life expectancy is not how long we live, but how long we can expect to live in reasonably good health before illness or disability starts to significantly affect daily life.

One thing it made me reflect on is how often strength training is still seen as something for younger people, when arguably it matters even more as we get older. Preserving muscle, strength and movement quality is not just about fitness, it can be about staying capable, mobile and independent for longer.

I was in a commercial gym on holiday recently and realised I was probably the oldest person there by fifteen years. That really stayed with me. If healthy ageing matters, maybe we still have some catching up to do in how we think about strength and fitness as we get older.

The report also points to obesity as part of the picture, but what interested me just as much was inequality, because environment, stress, food quality, healthcare access and opportunity all shape long term health.

For a more in-depth breakdown, visit my blog at:
https://www.simongpt.co.uk/uk-healthy-life-expectancy-falls-by-two-years/

In the blog, I also touch upon where weight loss injections may fit into this conversation, and whether they risk widening inequality if access remains uneven.

New figures show UK healthy life expectancy has fallen by two years. A coach’s take on strength training, obesity, ageing and prevention.

15/04/2026

You can lose weight and still end up with less muscle and more body fat over time.

That’s where a lot of people get stuck. They feel like they are doing everything right, but progress slows, strength drops, and energy isn’t what it used to be.

This is often down to something called sarcopenic obesity. Low muscle mass and higher body fat existing at the same time. It’s more common than people realise and it’s not always obvious.

You can be a normal weight and still have it. Two people can weigh the same, but one has more muscle and less fat, while the other has less muscle and more fat. That difference matters for how your body looks, feels, and performs.

A big part of the issue comes from patterns over time. Repeated dieting, low protein intake, and a lack of strength training can slowly shift your body composition in the wrong direction. Ageing also plays a role, as the body becomes less efficient at maintaining muscle.

Your goal may not sometimes just be to weigh less. Weight loss on its own is not always the solution. The focus may need to be on improving body composition by reducing body fat while maintaining or building muscle.

That means prioritising strength training, improving protein intake, and avoiding aggressive dieting that leads to muscle loss.
�This depends where you are in your “journey” though.

For a deep dive on this, visit my blog:�https://www.simongpt.co.uk/what-is-sarcopenic-obesity/

Sarcopenic obesity is low muscle and higher body fat. Learn what it is and how dieting or weight loss injections may make it worse.

06/04/2026

There’s a lot going on in the world right now.

When it feels like that, I always come back to something simple:

Focus on what you can control, and let go of what you can’t.

Some things are always outside your control.
- The news
- Other people
- What happens next

But some things are always within it:
- Your effort
- Your habits
- Your daily decisions

That’s where your attention needs to go.

It doesn’t mean life suddenly becomes easy. We’re not robots. You don’t just switch off worry.

But when you focus on what you can do, things start to feel more manageable.

Go for the run.
Do the workout.
Prepare a decent meal.
Stick to your plan for the day.

Those small wins don’t change the world, but they change how your day feels.

Over time, they build momentum. You feel more grounded, more capable, less overwhelmed.

That’s how progress actually happens.

For an in-depth blog on this topic and a bit more info about how I structure my day, go to:
https://www.simongpt.co.uk/focus-on-what-you-can-control-and-let-go-of-what-you-cant/

Feeling overwhelmed? Stop worrying about what you can’t change. Learn how to focus on what you can control to build daily wins.

05/04/2026

Carb cycling sounds more complicated than it actually is. At its core, it’s just this:
- Eat more carbs when training is harder
- Eat less when training is easier

That’s it.

Carbs fuel intensity. They’re what allow you to run faster, push harder on the bike, and get quality out of sessions. So when people under-fuel hard sessions, performance drops, recovery slows, and the whole week ends up feeling harder than it should.

But here’s the bit most people miss…

Carb cycling isn’t required.

If you’re training a few times a week at a steady pace, you’ll get great results just eating balanced meals. It only really becomes useful when training gets more structured or more intense.

If you do use it, keep it simple:
- Higher carb days = intervals, tempo, long runs, long rides
- Moderate days = steady sessions or strength work
- Lower carb days = rest or very easy sessions

You’re fuelling the work you’re about to do, not rewarding what you’ve already done.

Timing matters as well:
- Hard morning session = carbs the night before + breakfast
- Hard evening session = carbs across the day
- Longer sessions = consider slightly higher carbs the day before

Then carbs during longer sessions as well of course when appropriate.

And for weight loss? It’s not magic. Fat loss still comes down to your overall calorie intake across the week. Carb cycling can help by giving you a bit more structure, eating slightly less on easier days and fuelling properly on harder ones, but it doesn’t replace the basics.

Personally, I don’t follow a strict carb cycling plan. I’ve tried it in a more structured way, but I now take a more flexible approach. If I’ve got a hard session or a long ride coming up, I’ll increase carbs the evening before and include them before and during the session as needed. On easier days, I just reduce portions slightly, which naturally brings carbs down without overthinking it.

It’s the same principle, just without turning nutrition for my training into a job!

This is exactly what I help people do with their training and nutrition. Whether the goal is weight loss, getting fitter, or improving performance for running or cycling, the focus is always on simple, realistic structure that fits around your life.

If you want a deeper dive, read my full blog. Go to:
https://www.simongpt.co.uk/carb-cycling-for-runners-cyclists-weight-loss/

A simple guide to carb cycling for runners and cyclists. Learn how to fuel training, improve performance and support weight loss.

01/04/2026

How I Lost 30kg and Kept It Off Without Extreme Dieting

About 12–13 years ago I was around 4–5 stone heavier than I am now.

Not because I was lazy.
Not because I didn’t know what to do.
It was stress, burnout and comfort eating.
I was eating to deal with how I felt… and it didn’t work.

What did work wasn’t extreme dieting, cutting out foods, or trying to be perfect.

It was much simpler than that:
- Moving more and building momentum first
- Adding structure when progress slowed
- Keeping meals simple and repeatable
- Eating enough protein
- Not cutting out foods I enjoy
- Adjusting food around training and life
- And actually addressing the behaviours behind overeating

That’s the bit most people skip.
I still have to manage this now.
I still have moments where I slip back into old habits.
The difference is I catch it earlier, and I don’t let it spiral. I am human though, so I am not "perfect" all the time by any stretch!

But that’s how you actually keep weight off and keep in shape long term.

If you’re stuck in that cycle of starting well, falling off, and going again… it’s probably not a knowledge problem. It’s a structure and behaviour problem.

If you want the full breakdown of exactly how I did it and how I still approach things now, read the full blog. Go to:
https://www.simongpt.co.uk/how-i-lost-30kg-and-kept-it-off/

I lost 30kg without extreme dieting or cutting out foods. Here’s exactly how I did it and how I’ve kept it off for years.

31/03/2026

If you’re struggling right now and you are working with a coach, the best thing you can do is be open with your coach about it.

Not because you’ve done anything wrong, but because your coach can only help you properly if they know what’s actually going on.

What I sometimes see is people going a bit quiet instead. Logging becomes less consistent, sessions get missed, updates get shorter, or it’s just “all good” when it isn’t. Usually because life’s busy, stress is high, or it just hasn’t gone to plan.

That’s completely normal.

But it’s also the point where coaching becomes most important.

Your coach has likely been there themselves, or seen it many times with other clients. So lean into that experience, because it’s exactly what helps you move through these periods and come out the other side.

When you are honest, even something simple like “the last few days haven’t gone well”, everything becomes easier to manage. The pressure drops, plans get adjusted, and you can move forward again without it feeling like a big reset.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be open.

For a more in-depth breakdown, go to:
https://www.simongpt.co.uk/always-tell-your-coach-when-youre-struggling/

Struggling with your diet or training? Learn why hiding it from your coach holds you back and how being honest helps you get better results.

21/03/2026

Weight loss injections can have a big impact on appetite.

Most people feel fuller sooner. Food noise often drops. For a lot of people, cravings reduce as well. But cravings are a different thing to appetite.

Hunger is a physical signal. It builds over time and is satisfied with food. Cravings are often tied to habit, emotion, routine, or reward. That is why they can still show up for some people, even when on the jabs.

Some people notice sugar cravings fade. Others still get them, especially when routines or energy levels are off. Alcohol is similar. Some people notice their interest drops. Others still want it.

I’ve also seen cases where deeper factors are involved. Things like chronic stress, trauma, or PTSD. In those situations, I’ve seen the urges from these override the effects of the medication in some cases.

The medication can change what is happening inside your body. But what you do around this still matters, especially if you plan to come off them and not use them forever.

Most of my clients aren’t on weight loss injections, but some are. Regardless, this is where I spend most of my time. Helping people build routines that actually last, so results don’t disappear when things change, whether they are on weight loss medication or not.

If you want a deeper breakdown, I’ve written a full blog on this here:
👉 https://www.simongpt.co.uk/weight-loss-injections-cravings/

Do weight loss injections stop cravings completely? Learn why sugar and alcohol cravings can still happen on GLP-1 medications.

19/03/2026

Why Weight Loss Is Faster at First and Then Slows Down

One of the biggest parts of my job as a weight loss coach is helping people not give up too early.

Weight loss often starts fast, then slows down, and that’s where most people lose confidence.

Here’s what’s actually going on:

In the first 1-2 weeks, a lot of the drop is water weight, glycogen, and less food in your system. It feels great, but it’s not all body fat.

After that, fat loss becomes the main driver, which is naturally slower. That doesn’t mean it’s stopped working, it just means you’ve moved past the early phase.

On top of that, as you lose weight your body needs fewer calories. So the same diet that worked at the start can create a smaller deficit over time.

And the scale won’t move in a straight line. Water retention, sleep, stress, salt, training, all of these can cause short-term fluctuations. That’s why you’ll sometimes see a stall and then a drop.

There’s also a difference between a slowdown and a plateau. A slowdown is normal. A plateau usually just means something needs adjusting.

The key thing is this:
Weight loss doesn’t fail because it slows down. It fails because people assume something is wrong and stop.

If you expect the slowdown and stay consistent, you’re far more likely to keep going and get results.

If you want to read more on this, I’ve got an in-depth blog, link in bio or go to:
https://www.simongpt.co.uk/why-weight-loss-slows-down/

Why does weight loss slow after the first few weeks or months of dieting? Learn why early weight loss is fast and what to do if you stall.

16/03/2026

Many people genuinely believe they are eating far fewer calories than they actually are. It’s not usually dishonesty, it’s simply how difficult it is for humans to estimate food intake accurately.

Research has shown that people can underestimate their calorie intake by a surprisingly large margin. In one well known study, participants believed they were eating around 1028 calories per day, but their actual intake was estimated to be closer to 2081 calories. Their metabolism was normal. The gap came from inaccurate reporting rather than a “broken metabolism”.

In everyday life this often happens because the small things slip through the net. A handful of nuts, a biscuit with coffee, tasting food while cooking, extra oil in the pan, a latte, alcohol poured more generously than expected, or finishing food left on someone else’s plate. None of these feel like a proper meal, but they all contain calories and can add up quickly.

Portion sizes are also much easier to misjudge than people realise, and food eaten while distracted is surprisingly easy to forget later in the day.

Understanding this can actually be reassuring. If weight loss feels slower than expected, it doesn’t automatically mean your metabolism is broken. Often there is simply a gap between what we think we are eating and what we are actually consuming.

For full details and a more in depth look at this topic, visit my blog at:
https://www.simongpt.co.uk/why-people-underreport-calories/

Why do people underreport how much they eat? Research shows many people underestimate calorie intake by a large margin. Here’s why.

09/03/2026

As a weight loss coach, I often have one or two clients at any given time who are following the keto diet or a similar low carb approach.

I don’t put people on keto myself though. The best diet for weight loss is the one a person can realistically stick to over time.

Most of the people I work with eat a fairly normal balanced diet that includes carbohydrates, protein and fats. Every now and then though, someone finds that keto works well for them. When that happens, we simply make sure they are doing it sensibly and that the diet actually supports their weight loss rather than creating new problems.

In simple terms, people often lose weight on keto because meals higher in fat and protein can make them feel fuller, while removing many processed foods naturally reduces overall calorie intake.

One thing that often surprises people is how quickly the scales move in the first week. A lot of that early drop is actually water weight because when carbohydrate intake falls, the body uses up stored glycogen and releases the water stored with it.

After that initial phase, fat loss on keto tends to happen at a similar rate to other diets that create a calorie deficit.

The key question is not simply whether keto works, but whether it is sustainable for you in the long term.

For an in-depth breakdown, you can read the full blog.
Visit: https://www.simongpt.co.uk/keto-diet-for-weight-loss/

Does the ketogenic diet work for weight loss? Learn how keto causes weight loss, why results are fast at first, and it is a healthy option.

Simon Graham Coach & Personal Trainer

03/05/2026

28/04/2026

27/04/2026

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06/04/2026

05/04/2026

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31/03/2026

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