How to lose weight fast? Personal trainer Rachael Attard answers top questions from clients

A top personal trainer known for her female leg-slimming workouts and body type-specific programs has answered the questions she’s often asked by clients.

Rachael Attard, from Queensland, regularly preaches the benefits of walking for fat loss and urges clients to learn their body type – ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph – before embarking on a workout plan.

Rachael, a sports nutritionist and scientist, also prides herself in helping women lose extra body fat in the most efficient way through knowledge of ‘fat burning zones’. 

The mum recently answered a number of questions from her fans on Instagram – from how to avoid bulking up when working out to her favourite workout equipment  and her top tips for burning extra fat.

1. WHY DO YOU RECOMMEND RUNNING NO MORE THAN TWO TO THREE TIMES PER WEEK?

‘Running too much can cause bulkiness, overwork your muscles and cause stress on your body leading to high cortisol and trouble losing weight,’ Rachael said.

‘Any more than two to three times and there’s not much more time in the week to do walking or resistance training – otherwise you’ll be over-training.’

She gives the same advice when it comes cycling, sprinting or running on an incline, as these can make your thigh muscles bigger long term. 

What does your body type say about how you should train? 

ECTOMORPH

Ectomorphs are usually naturally slim (like Victoria’s Secret models) and they find it difficult to build muscle.

If you are an ectomorph body type, you probably already have naturally thinner legs. So, your goal here is to maintain (or perhaps lose a bit of stubborn lower body fat) while building lean muscle. 

This way your legs will get tone and definition and you’ll avoid the skinny fat look. 

What is the best diet for an ectomorph? 

Rachael recommends you focus on the healthy, slow-release ones like wholegrain bread, brown rice, wholegrain pasta, quinoa and vegetables.

‘An ideal macronutrient ratio is 40-50 per cent carbohydrates, 30-35 per cent protein and 20-25 per cent fat,’ Rachael said. 

‘For your ectomorph body type, add in healthy fats and protein with every meal. This will also help you to recover from your workouts faster.’ 

MESOMORPH 

Mesomorphs can be quite athletic and respond quickly to exercise, which means they build muscle easily.

They can lose weight very fast, but can also gain weight quickly too. Usually, they are of average size.

If you are a mesomorph, overdoing workouts like squats and lunges can easily result in bulky legs. So, your goal here is to reduce body fat percentage and avoid exercises that will bulk up your legs in the process. 

What is the best diet for a mesomorph?

From a diet perspective, mesomorphs look their best when they eat balanced macros – filled with a 30-35 per cent carbs, 35-40 per cent protein and 30 per cent fat.

Mesomorphs should also keep an eye on their calorie intake, as they can easily gain weight if they eat too much sugar. 

‘I’m a mesomorph. I am naturally a slim build but I can gain weight and muscle really quickly,’ Rachael said 

ENDOMORPH 

Endomorphs naturally have a strong build and larger frame. They can build muscle very quickly and it’s slightly harder for them to lose weight. But, it’s not impossible!

If you are an endomorph body type, your goal is to really focus on reducing overall body fat and to completely avoid any workouts that may cause you to bulk up. 

What is the best diet for an endomorph?

Endomorphs should follow a low-carb diet, as their bodies are not very good at processing carbohydrates.

‘Make sure most of your carbs are coming from fruit and veggies, and skip the starches such as pasta, bread and rice,’ Rachael said.

You also need to keep your fat and protein intake high. Think lean meats, oily fish, nuts, seeds and avocado. 

2. HOW DO YOU LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT GETTING BULKY?

Rachael said diet is the most important thing when it comes to losing weight.

‘If you focus on that you’ll get results and won’t get bulky – I would make that the number one priority,’ she said.

‘Exercise wise keep your resistance workouts low impact and avoid heavy weights or heavy leg exercises like squats and lunges.

‘For cardio, walking on a flat surface will help slim legs and shouldn’t cause bulkiness.’ 

Rachael recently showcased what she eats everyday to encourage others to stick to their health goals during the winter period

She starts the day with avocado and feta on toast before completing a workout, and then supplements her protein needs with a smoothie

Rachael is adamant it’s possible to achieve a leaner and longer body without changing the number on the scale or ‘bulking’ any of your pre-existing muscle.

‘For me personally, when I do lots of walking my legs slim down a lot but my weight doesn’t change,’ she said previously.

She aims for 10,000 steps each day and recommends walking five days a week.

‘You can definitely gain muscle with body weight exercises only, you don’t need the gym or weights,’ Rachael said 

3. THEY SAY WEIGHT LIFTING IS IMPORTANT AS WOMEN AGE. IS THIS TRUE? 

Weight lifting is important when it comes to ageing.

‘Women are more prone to osteoporosis and having more muscle means you have a higher metabolism which decreases as we age,’ she said.

‘Having more muscle and strength also means you can move around easier. It doesn’t mean you have to lift super heavy though – any form of resistance training will give you these benefits.’ 

4. IS WALKING OR RESISTANCE TRAINING MORE IMPORTANT FOR FAT LOSS?

‘Resistance training,’ Rachael said.

‘Walking is amazing for slimming down your legs but for overall fat loss resistance training is the most important.’ 

Bodyweight workouts that work your full body will help you to maintain a strong yet functional body and ‘lean physique’, Rachael says.

The PT suggests light resistance moves like resistance band leg lifts and light squats, which are much more likely to burn excess fat.

That said, the only workout she recommends doing every day is power walking on a flat surface.

5. IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE TO BUILD MUSCLE THROUGH BODY WEIGHT EXERCISE?

‘You can definitely gain muscle with body weight exercises only, you don’t need the gym or weights,’ Rachael said.

‘I haven’t been to the gym in about eight years now.’ 

Why you don’t need to give up sugar to stay in shape  

While you’d be forgiven for thinking Rachael doesn’t treat herself, this isn’t the case.

She eats sugar every day but ‘in moderation’ and tries to eat ‘healthy’ foods 80 per cent of the time while allowing 20 per cent of the day for indulgence.

‘I found out that I don’t do well on restrictive diets so nothing is off limits. It is hard to eat in moderation and not binge on chocolate (admittedly I still do sometimes!) and it takes practice and control but it’s sustainable long term and I never have to be on a diet,’ she said.

 

While it’s perfectly fine to incorporate sugar into your diet, there is a limit.

‘I guess it depends on the food. So for example if it’s chocolate (my sugar of choice) maybe just a small bar or two rows of a block,’ she said.

‘But if you have sugar cravings there will be a reason why. It could be something to do with hormones, nutrient deficiencies, stress or mental reasons just to name a few. So it’s good to get to the bottom of it so you can treat the problem.’

6. WHAT IS YOUR RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT FOR HOME WORKOUTS?

Rachael recommends yoga mats, light dumbbells (from one to three kilos) and a resistance band (light and medium).

‘Ankle weights and discs are optional but make things more fun and challenging,’ she added.

7. WILL WALKING INCLINE BULK MY LEGS?

Rachael said this depends on the level of incline.

‘If it’s a steep incline, then it could. This is because you use your quad muscles more when you are walking uphill/incline or up stairs,’ she said.

‘If it’s a very slight incline then it probably won’t.’

8. WHAT IS YOUR BODY TYPE AND HOW DOES IT CHANGE YOUR WORKOUTS?

‘I’m a mesomorph. I am naturally a slim build but I can gain weight and muscle really quickly,’ she said.

‘Body type is not just about what you look like but your ability to gain/lose weight and muscle as well.’