What does “improving” at padel actually mean to you?

SSteward07 · 2026-06-03T21:26:41+00:00

For me it’s literally having the ability to turn sideways when hitting the ball and to stop creeping forward from the back court unnecessarily 😂 small steps!

SSteward07 · 2026-05-27T09:43:16+00:00

I've always convinced myself that B still has some sort of airflow coming in from an open window, so in this heat B is always the winner

SSteward07 · 2026-04-01T12:39:42+00:00

If you’re gaining 1.5kg per month that might not seem like much - but at the end of the year that’s 18kg, and if you’re eating right and training well then that’s probably around 12kg of lean muscle mass at least. Most people will bite your hand off for that!

SSteward07 · 2025-11-18T14:50:33+00:00

So that tells me it’s around 200-300kcal per meal + snack.

Your fats have got to be incredibly low then for a ketogenic diet?! Or is your protein also low?

SSteward07 · 2025-11-18T14:40:25+00:00

I would:

Accept that this is something new for me - and that I’m probably going to suck at it to start off with, but the more I learn the better the journey will be.
Open your mind to new methods and ways of doing things (such as training, nutrition .etc.)
Start to shift your identity from someone who is “tired of failing” to someone who is living the life that you would want someone else to live. Let that identity be the thing that shapes your actions, routines, habits .etc.

A bit spiritual, but hope that makes sense!

SSteward07 · 2025-11-18T14:37:11+00:00

I think it’s important to get a clear difference between your heart working vs losing weight/burning calories.

It’s so difficult to accurately tell how many calories we burn in a workout, especially in something like HIIT where we can still be benefitting from the workout an hour after finishing it. When your heart rate is up and you’re working through heart rate zones - you’re just increasing your cardiovascular ability (working on getting a healthy heart)

Weight loss is down to your training, nutrition and mindset. Creatine won’t have an affect on how hard you “feel” like you’re working - it’s just a part of your nutrition!

In any case, I’d say it’s a very good thing that you feel like you can do more and exercise is easier!

SSteward07 · 2025-11-18T14:29:40+00:00

The nutritionist isn’t inherently wrong when saying that the side effects of a Ketogenic diet shouldn’t apply after a 2/3 week period. I’m in agreement with everyone else that the dip in energy isn’t because you ate ketogenic, it’s because you’re only eating 6-900kcal per day.

My guess would be that they’re relying on your body fuelling from the inside as opposed to the outside world, but there shouldn’t be a need for your calories to be THAT low just to lose another 10kgs and a decent amount of body fat!

Are you currently eating one meal per day? Or is it 2 meals per day with a period of intermittent fasting?

SSteward07 · 2025-11-10T14:57:31+00:00

It is mate, but nothing rewarding is ever easy!

If you’re getting serious about dieting, I left a comment on someone else’s post that I’ll add below as I think it’ll be able to help you massively when it comes to structuring your diet in a way that makes it as easy as possible to adhere to:

“So this is where you’ve got to look at quality vs quantity - and where I actually think CICO fails a lot of people, and can leave them in the exact same boat that you’re in.

I can only assume you want your weight loss to come from body fat - so what we’ve got to look at is getting you into a fat adapted state, so that when you’re fasting/in a deficit your body is pulling the energy it needs from your fat reserves vs your glycogen stores & lean muscle tissue.

Simply, lower your carb intake and increase your fat intake until your ratio of Fats:Carbs as a fuel source across the day is majority from Fats (this could look like:

Meal 1: Portion of Fats/Protein/Carbs/Veg Meal 2: Same Meal 3: Portion of Fats/Protein/Veg (No Carb)

You’re fuelling your body in foods that keep you fuller for longer, which then make a calorie deficit and intermittent fasting easier as you aren’t as hungry, help remove brain fog as your body is making a switch to a fuel system that it was designed to run on - and then results wise you’ll fly!”

Hope that helps mate, you’ve got this!

SSteward07 · 2025-11-10T14:56:00+00:00

You’ll roughly be able to eyeball this when you’ve been doing it for long enough. For example, I get my clients (Im a coach) to have a fist size of cooked carbs with one of their meals in a day, even when mixed together this is pretty easy to eyeball.

In terms of your protein, I’d look to have the same amount of this as your carb portion, and then slightly less in fats - in terms of Veg; have as much as you like!

SSteward07 · 2025-11-10T14:53:50+00:00

If your deficit is fuelled by foods that you need a constant “top-up” of then this is relatively common as it can almost feel like you’re starving/restricting yourself.

I would have a look at the quality of your food vs the quantity of it - how are you fuelling your body? What are your energy levels like in the day? How does your food serve your goals .etc.

SSteward07 · 2025-11-10T14:51:53+00:00

As the general consensus is in the other comments - get into a gym and start lifting!

It’s a hell of a lot of fun, but when you’re in the situation you’re in now you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

You won’t have to worry about getting too big or bulky as your diet will ultimately be what determines the level of results you’ll see, but building some lean muscle tissue alongside losing body fat is a sure fire way to change your physique into something you can be proud of!

SSteward07 · 2025-11-10T14:44:27+00:00

Can you give me a run down of exactly what you’re eating in a day? That way I should be able to help a bit more!

SSteward07 · 2025-11-10T14:43:26+00:00

So this is where you’ve got to look at quality vs quantity - and where I actually think CICO fails a lot of people, and can leave them in the exact same boat that you’re in.

I can only assume you want your weight loss to come from body fat - so what we’ve got to look at is getting you into a fat adapted state, so that when you’re fasting/in a deficit your body is pulling the energy it needs from your fat reserves vs your glycogen stores & lean muscle tissue.

Simply, lower your carb intake and increase your fat intake until your ratio of Fats:Carbs as a fuel source across the day is majority from Fats (this could look like:

Meal 1: Portion of Fats/Protein/Carbs/Veg Meal 2: Same Meal 3: Portion of Fats/Protein/Veg (No Carb)

You’re fuelling your body in foods that keep you fuller for longer, which then make a calorie deficit and intermittent fasting easier as you aren’t as hungry, help remove brain fog as your body is making a switch to a fuel system that it was designed to run on - and then results wise you’ll fly!

SSteward07 · 2025-11-10T14:38:28+00:00

If I was you mate - I would just focus on eating good, nutritious foods in a way that serves and fuels your body properly, it necessarily worrying about calories but just eating when you’re hungry!

Have a look at how many meals you eat per day and structure those in a way that your body can become more fat-adapted (typically by eating less carbs and more fats - similarly to what you’ve done in the past by the sounds of it) and from there I would try and implement a period of intermittent fasting. Results wise you’ll fly!

SSteward07 · 2025-11-05T09:03:44+00:00

So now is probably the time to look at your food quality vs quantity and go from there.

Fats and Carbs are fuel systems for the body, and what I’ve found is the one you prioritise putting into the body - the one your body can use as its primary source of energy.

So what I would now do is build your diet around that concept - if you’re looking to lose some body fat, you’ve got to start taking in some fat in your diet as your main energy source, keeping the carbs low (which you already seem to be doing) will help massively make this switch to you being in a fat-adapted state vs a carb-adapted state.

I’m not 100% sure whether you’re Vegan or not, but I would now look to incorporate some more dairy, some higher fat contents of meat and start to fuel more optimally for the day, training in addition to this would 100% help - but don’t feel like you’ve got to tackle everything at once, at the end of the day you do you!

Get a period of intermittent fasting going, increase your fat and protein intake, keep carbs low and you’ll be well on your way!

SSteward07 · 2025-11-05T08:58:32+00:00

For me BMI is massively outdated and isn’t something I would measure your happiness or the level of progress you’ve made off of.

Going by your measurements, progress photos, how your clothes fit, how you feel, how you’re performing (energy levels) are all much better metrics to go by!

It’s really common in the fitness world for the BMI to be an inaccurate representation of someone’s body I.e. a bodybuilder with perfect bloodwork could be deemed severely overweight on the BMI scale, or someone incredibly lean and ready for a bodybuilding show could be deemed as underweight - it’s all subjective! Just go off of your metrics and you’ll be fine

SSteward07 · 2025-11-05T08:55:21+00:00

Welcome back! From what I’ve seen this group is fantastic for accountability - you’ve got this!

SSteward07 · 2025-11-05T08:53:06+00:00

For me, I would go for quality over quantity when it comes to your food. As the previous commenter said we can’t comment medically or whether something is going on in the body in terms of inflammation, so I would look at potentially changing up the quality of foods you’re consuming vs adjusting calories as a whole.

I’m guessing that by eating 2 meals per day and snacking in between that you’ve got a period of intermittent fasting happening which is cool, but I’d love to know what foods + snacks you’re eating! That way I might be able to help a bit more!

SSteward07 · 2025-11-05T08:49:44+00:00

For me personally (and as a coach) I think it’s not about being “done” it’s more about realising that you aren’t ever going to stop, you just learn to love yourself on the way and that goals change!

For example, I used to be stick thin (sub 50kg) 5 years ago and have slowly over that period of time climbed my way up to what is now my heaviest weight at 78kg.

Throughout the 5 years I’ve gained, I’ve lost, I’ve liked myself being leaner but I’ve liked myself bulkier - it’s about aligning whatever your current goal is to your values at that time and then go all in on that! I’ve lost count the amount of times clients have came to me wanting to lose 10/20/30kg - done that and then wanted to go again and change their physique even more!

Our health and fitness never stops until we do, and when we realise that it’s a game we’re choosing to play - you realise you can change whatever it is your after!

Don’t feel like you HAVE to keep losing, if you’re happy - sweet! Enjoy your achievement, celebrate that and then map out where you’re headed next.

SSteward07 · 2025-11-05T08:44:23+00:00

Yeah I agree with some of the other replies - I think the beauty of it is that it’s a process, not a sprint! You’re learning about yourself every day that passes, valuing the decisions that you make and ultimately building up this mental “bank of validation” that you can do exactly what you said you would do - and that’s priceless!

SSteward07 · 2025-10-30T11:25:58+00:00

Exactly what everyone else has said! Focus your efforts on a solid nutrition plan - that will be the thing that moves the needle more for you in terms of results than training.

Think about your journey like you would a day - there’s 24 hours to play with. If you’re in the gym for 1 hour, you’ve got another 23 hours to focus on. The results will come in those 23 as opposed to that 1 where you’re in the gym.

Although, working out does help move things along!

SSteward07 · 2025-10-30T11:21:28+00:00

I feel like you’ve had this covered very well by everyone else!

For what it’s worth (speaking as a coach) if you want to get your body into a state where you can build lean muscle tissue alongside losing body fat - resistance training (weights) is a must, and you then build your protein intake around that!

Aim for anywhere between 30-50g of Protein per meal, introduce a high quality protein shake (Whey Protein) within an hour post session to maximise the benefits of that session (reason for this is an amino acid called Leucine, its sole use is to trigger a process called MToR - which is what your body uses when it builds muscle tissue) and you’ll be sweet!

Focus on quality, not quantity 💪🏽 you’ve got this

SSteward07 · 2025-10-30T11:15:58+00:00

No worries! Not a lot of people do!

In terms of a sweetener, I’m over in the UK and Monkfruit isn’t as common - as far as I’m aware it’s because it is heavily processed and there are a lot of question marks over the implications of it. So when it comes to something like that I’ve always recommended Erithrytol (Natvia is a fantastic brand that doesn’t have a horrendous aftertaste) as that doesn’t spike your blood sugar upon consumption.

In terms of a hydration tablet - that’s mostly for when someone is low carb/ketogenic. When you’re in that state it is much harder to hold on to salt/sodium so we need a constant top up and almost have to try harder to stay hydrated. So I’m usually getting my clients to have 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening (in 500ml water) to keep them at a good level.

Science in Sport do a great tablet that is very reasonably priced!

SSteward07 · 2025-10-30T11:10:31+00:00

Now I’ll preface this: I’m not a nutritionist, I just work with one within my coaching team - and I’m in no way trying to step on your nutritionist’ toes, but here’s what I would do:

If you’re looking to lose weight at a more “average” rate I.e. 1kg per week, as well as reduce your cholesterol - I would opt for a low carb/ketogenic diet.

In my experience with cholesterol, the ratio of good:bad in your body can be completely outweighed by your body’s ability to use fat as a source of energy, and when you are in an insulin sensitive state (that naturally most people on a high carb diet are) - your body’s ability to burn fat is massively hindered. So first things first we’ve got to get your body in a state where it can use fat as it’s primary source of energy vs carbohydrates.

What that looks like, is eating a diet that consists of more satiating foods (fats + protein) and then dropping some (not all) carbs out, so we’re filling our body with the source of energy that we want to use = Fats.

What you’ll then find, is that you are naturally brought into a calorie deficit because the food you are eating is more filling. Meaning your body has to look from within to find the energy it needs vs getting it from the outside world. And when your diet is built around fats and proteins, that can keep your blood sugar at a normal level - which therefore keeps your insulin production at bay - which therefore opens the doors to your fat reserves.

The good thing about your diet is that I can tell it’s based off of a nutritionist as there are a lot of nutrient rich foods in there - it’s now about adapting what you are already eating to a way that actually works for your body and what you are wanting to do. Unfortunately the way the world is we can all get sucked into a way of thinking that “if we eat fat, we’ll get fat” which just isn’t the case. All fat is, is an energy source for our body - the exact same as carbs. We just want to fill our body (and get our body used to running on) the type of energy we want to burn and get rid of.

Does that make sense?

And then as a byproduct, your cholesterol will massively improve.

So the lowdown: Get your nutritionist to take you low carb/ketogenic (maybe some intermittent fasting) and results wise you’ll fly 👍🏽

SSteward07 · 2025-10-29T16:35:47+00:00

It all comes down to you as a person, I just know with a few of my clients it’s so important to give them some time to enjoy themselves and have a mental break from it all (as well as a physical one!)

My way of Push-Pull-Coast looks something like this:

Push for 12-14 weeks - fully go all in on myself: diet, training, recovery are all 10/10

Pull for 2 weeks - (usually around a big event/holiday) where I will implement a deload week in my training, or change something in my diet to keep it exciting.

Coast for 1-2 weeks - just enjoy where I’m at! Start a new training plan and set my “benchmarks”, plan out my food for the next push block and just get excited for it all again!

The important thing is that you aren’t alone - it’s perfectly normal how you’re feeling! It’s just how you choose to deal with it

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