Cinema Snacks

It's probably most people's favourite place to go, it's the movies. I love it! Bet you didn't know I like action movies, I'm also a closet science fiction fan (I can't believe I just shared that). The problem with cinemas is the horrendously bad and expensive food.

By the time you've put away one of those buckets of popcorn and enough soft drink to fill the Wivenhoe dam, you've probably exceeded the calorie intake needed to drop kilos. Most of us don't even stop there we then inhale a sack of malteasers or gummi bears. All of this in a two hour window, and the big problem is you're so distracted about what's happening on the big screen, you don't even notice just how much you're putting away.

So what to do? Well I've found most cinemas are in shopping centres and inside these shopping centres have fruit shops and supermarkets. These shops have a wide selection of fruit, sometimes you can even get a good deal with really ripe stuff that's going to go to waste soon. If the cinemas you go to are not in shops your going to have to be a little proactive and bring something from home or stop by a free-standing fruit shop on your way.

I replaced a giant sized popcorn and fizzy drink with a punnet of strawaberries and a bottle of water a little while ago and felt great. 49 calories versus 1490 calories is a big difference, dont you think?

What's Your Go To Meal?

I'm a big fan of fresh fruit, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and healthy fats. I also like to find different ways to make those things taste good, therefore adding variety to my diet (I don't been diet in the starve yourself sense) and keeping my metabolism humming along. This morning I got asked 'What is your go to meal?' and it would have to be PROATMEAL!

No matter what, you can't skip breakfast.. you just can't. In fact if your changing your lifestyle to get a better body, look better and have more energy it is the very very first step. Don't ask about calorie counting, paleo, carb cycling, protein powder or anything else until your eating breakfast e-v-e-r-y day. So it makes sense that the one meal (or recipe) would be proatmeal.


Here's the recipe

3/4 cup of quick oats
1/2 cup of mixed berries (frozen is okay)
1 scoop protein powder
5-7g of crushed walnuts
1/4 cup rice milk, almond milk or low fat milk

Method: Boil a jug of water. Place oats and boiling water in a microwave safe bowl. Cook on high for 90 secs. Mix in walnuts, protein powder, berries and milk. Enjoy.

I have this often, it's quick and it keeps me full till morning tea.

Massive Fitness Gains For Doing Nothing

Yes it's true with this revolutionary new system you too can make incredible progress in regard to building muscle and increasing your energy levels by doing nothing at all.. It's called sleep and it's a vital part of your program.

Ever heard the expression 'sleep like a baby' there's a reason babies sleep so much and in a nutshell it's because they are making all kinds of gains. Their muscles are growing every minute.. they are growing. One of the key ingredients for this is sleep and it does not need to be taught it's one of the few instincts the human race utilise on a regular basis. Sadly some of us just are not getting enough.

When you exercise you are pretty much breaking your body, now the wonderfully magical thing about the human body is that it usually grows back stronger, faster and better in case something like, oh I don't know.. a really tough workout maybe, happens again. We've been told again as adults we need 7-9 hours a night sleep and it's not untrue. So if your going to reach your goals health and fitness wise your going to need to get to bed at a reasonable hour allowing for your 7-9 hours sleep. If your having trouble getting to sleep come along to Bootcamp.. I guarantee you sleep well that night.

Go After It!

Not Everything's A Party

If you want to have a seemingly endless supply of energy, look and feel your very best and be strong and fit. You're gonna have to get your head around one immutable law. Not Everything Is Supposed To Be A Party.

You might be one of the few lucky people on the planet that actually likes exercise and loves the taste of all vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean meats and healthy fats. If you want to be fit, strong and have an attractive body. Your going to have to eat somethings you don't like the taste of and do some exercise that is hard. In fact as a general rule the worst the taste and the harder the better. If you are looking for everything you put into your mouth to taste sensational, your gonna end up a few kilos heavier than you should be.

What you can do is try and reverse your thinking to actually look forward to the challenge that is getting fit and healthy and remember to keep your reason why at the front of your mind all the time.

Head Trash

We all have those two little voices in our heads. I'm reminded of the little devil and the little angel you see in so many cartoons and sitcoms. There's the voice spurring you on to make good decisions and the other one telling you to make bad ones.

I like to refer to the negative one as head trash. put simply head trash is the enemy, and it is an enemy that will never be truly vanquished. The little negative twerp can be overcome though if you recognise it. So next time you're lying in bed and don't want to go to bootcamp or you've had a bad day at the office and don't want to even see your PT yet alone train hard. Do yourself a favour, skip the head trash and do it anyway. because nothing beats the feeling of finishing a workout and thinking back and saying 'I didn't want to do that, but I did and I feel great!'

Go After It!

You Just Wouldn't

Having a bad week, month year? Stop it!


There I said it.. now I don't want you to think I am being cold or that I have no empathy. What I am trying to get across to you is that you can start (or continue to change things right now). If you have had a bad meal make the next one good. If you have missed a workout or two, show up the next day.

Look, bad things happen from time to time. Stuff trips you up, but look at it this way..

If you accidentally stabbed yourself with a knife would you just say 'Oh well I'm bleeding now' and continue to stab yourself over and over again?.. Of course you wouldn't. So why do we stay on the couch when we miss a workout or declare the day ruined and continue to jam crap food down our throats when we slip up and eat a service station pie?

Missed Monday and Wednesdays workouts? Get there on Thursday and Friday! Don't allow yourself to go "Oh well'' and start again on Monday. It doesn't work.


Go After It!

Party's Over

Okay Okay, You've partied hard and had a blast for a bit of December and most of January. Thing about parties is that contrary to popular belief sooner or later they have to end. But.. What If...

What if you felts so good everyday that it felt like you were buzzing like really excited to do things and see people?

What if you felt so good about your appearance that every time you put on your clothes they fit so well you felt like you were on your way to celebrate and every time you took them off was cause for celebration?

What if you were so strong and fit you felt like dancing without the aid of alcoholic beverages (or any other aids)

It is on your reach. It's call being Fit and Healthy and it's within your reach, all you have to do is show up and I can take care of the rest Click Here

Don't Blame It On The Rain

The alarm goes off and you tell yourself this is good sleep in weather and you should roll over and skip your workout today.. Don't Do It!

There are a variety of excuses for not showing up when it's raining and when you really take the time to stop and think about it. None are valid they are all just in your mind. Truth is once your shoes are a bit wet and your shirt is too, there is no real difference, if anything it's more comfortable training in the rain. So get out an older pair of shoes and wear a thick t-shirt if you have to but get out there and be true to your commitment to look after your health. The feeling you get from doing it anyway is priceless.. TRUST ME!

If you are working out right you end up saturated anyway.. right!?

Go After It! It's that simple.

Are You Down For The Count?

You here it all the time, 'don't waste time counting calories' and 'only obsessive people count calories' or even 'our program has no calorie counting in it'. The good old method of calorie counting is being vilified in an effort to sell you things you don't need... there I said it. In the early days of a body (and life) changing health and fitness journey, calorie counting can seem like the most tedious and confusing thing in the world. Truth is it's a stepping stone to being in true control of your shape and fitness levels.

A lot of the people I work with really have no idea when it comes to nutrition. I had one gentleman tell me that he thought a ham and cheese croissant was good because he was getting much needed fibre from the bread, protein from the ham and a much needed serve of dairy from the cheese and of course he was obeying the golden rule 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day'. So when they start looking after themselves, most people need to start with the basics. Brought down to its most simple level eating well starts with 'energy in energy out' or knowing how much food goes in versus how much gets burnt off.

I hear fitness professionals, athletes and of the like spout on about the evils of calorie counting, truth is they do it themselves it's just on a more sub-conscious level because they 'just know' when it comes to the energy in part of the equation. They go on about Macro's, Carb Cycling, Intermittent Fasting and other confusing nutrition speak hoping to educate you, when the truth is you got to crawl before you can walk. Calorie Counting is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to nutrition. It's like your baby child sitting up for the first time. It's the first stepping stone and it quite simply has to be stepped on if you're gonna make it across the pond.

In short learn how to count calories first and the rest will come as you start to make progress, then you can worry about organic, paleo, vegan and all the other weird and wonderful ways to get the most out of your fitness training.

Oh No.. Shin Splints

You've just gotten back into regular exercise and then they strike, the dreaded shin splints. I get asked this a lot 'What can I do about shin splints'. My first answer is always always going to be, go and see a podiatrist or other relevant health specialist. First let me explain a little what your looking at.

Shin Splints is a more common term for tibial stress syndrome it's pretty much pain anywhere between the knee and ankle. It has a number of possible causes I am going to cover the three of the most common.

Incorrect or older shoes can tend to cause shin splints because they may be causing your running technique to be off. If you have flat feet or a poor running style, you may just find shin splints are a problem for you. Short answer get new shoes, Longer answer go see a podiatrist and see if you need inserts or if they recommend a certain type of shoe for your foot arch situation and the activity you are doing.

Overuse is another big one. If you run a lot for sport or you just like running you may have problems with this. You can always rest for 6-8 weeks and see how you go, and by rest I don't mean lying on the couch eating pies. Change to low or no impact exercise such as swimming, cycling or deep water running.

Tight muscles in the legs and hips can also throw everything out and cause shin pain. This is one you will definitely need to go see a health specialist about. You can start by making sure you are stretching everything effectively such as hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings, groin, calves.

When I have had them in the past I switch my shoes and ice the area and generally it goes away but this may not work for you so as they say in the paracetamol ads 'If Pain Persists See Your Doctor'. I have been accused of being a little 'tight'when it comes to money, but good shoes are something I don't mind dropping a lot of cash on and neither should you.

The Greatest Gift Ever!

It is the most precious gift you have ever been given. No matter what you believe in God, Evolution etc. fact is you have been given a life and a human body (possibly the most complex and grand design ever) to live it in. You will experience many things come and go in your life.. houses, cars and even other people. The one thing that will never leave you is your body.

We all have a choice on how we look after it, and the sad fact is that most people in this country don't, can't or won't look after there body. There are a variety of excuses, I am going to simplify and eradicate some right now...

Injured.. Work other body parts
Children.. Get them involved
Time.. Do 10 minutes
Work.. You'll be better at it if you exercise

I could go on an on and I could write a whole other post if not a book on each point, I'm just hoping you get the idea in the short amount of time I have to type today (I have to go workout). What I want you take away from this is. No matter what cards you've been dealt you have the choice to be the best possible version
of yourself, in fact I'd go as far as to say you owe it to yourself and to the marvelous machine you have been given as a very special gift.

I am confident I have a program that will help you be the best you can be despite any and more of the obstacles above Click Here For a free consultation ($87 Value).





yourself

Worried..?

You can't beat a classic and 'legend' is forever. Jack LaLanne is known to a lot of people as the Godfather Of Fitness. He died at the ripe old age of 96 almost 2 years ago. I truly believe his teachings will go on for a long time to come. Today I want to share with you a short video of his from long before my time, but it's still relevant (perhaps more than ever) today.


I believe that everybody needs heroes in their lives people that stand up for what is right and true. Please take the time to listen to the words of one of mine.. you won't regret it .. I promise.

Avoid At All Cost!

I've seen it a lot and heard about it more, It's the Seven Day Diet Cycle and it is vicious! Why because it will literally have you chasing your tail for the rest of your life. I know because I have been stuck in it myself and it really stings when you look back on all the wasted time. Here's a look at the cycle.

 

Weekend Before
Your starting your diet on Monday because it's the start of the week and it seems like the logical time to start well anything. Wrong! I'll talk more on the later. So yo have ''one last hoorah'', you eat and drink to excess because come Monday it's all going to change I wont be drinking or eating anything 'Bad' until I reach my goal. You put on 1-2 kg in 48 hours.

Monday
Awesome breakfast with oats and fruit and unsweetened tea. Your feeling good and you hit your workout like a champion athlete. Your killing it today and riding a wave of smugness you look at 'Jan From Accounts Payable' with pity as she guzzles white coffee and inhales choc chip cookies. Your on your way, perfect days eating great workout and you just can't help but get back on the scales to see how well you've done because you 'just feel lighter' you lost a kilo (half of the weekend's gain)

Tuesday
You wake up and put your feet on the floor only to feel the muscle soreness kick in. Your body is sore because it's not used to this all and it's letting you know in a big way. It's okay though because your on your way and still very positive about the whole process. Besides, soreness is a badge of honour only bestowed upon the most disciplined and healthy individuals. You shuffle past Jan with the same smug thoughts as she takes the edge of with a glazed doughnut.


Wednesday
Why has the soreness yet to subside?! You eat your breakfast while thinking about pancakes and craving a caramel latte. You turn up to your workout but really struggle with motivation throughout and are full of regret on the way home for not making every rep count. Your only solace is that you are still a 'better person'' than Jan, who seems to be using a freddo frog as a spoon for a slice of chocolate mud cake.

Thursday
You miss your workout due to an early meeting at work, which also makes you miss preparing breakfast at home. In your haste to get to work you grab drive thru brekky. Throughout the whole meeting you feel bad for your lack of attendance and poor breakfast choice. You see Jan eating her double beef burger and chips lunch and you 'pinch a chip' to make yourself feel better. An opportunity arises to get in a workout on the way home but you have a headache from the questionable food you ate earlier. After all tomorrow is a new day..right?

Friday
Your back on track, great breakfast, renewed vigour at step class and the smugness is back with a vengeance you feel like you have this whole exercise thing licked and it's time to start spreading the word. You have a 'little chat' with Jan. She ends up in tears and you feeling like the horrible person that, let's face it.. you are, take her out after work for beer and wedges. An afternoon treat turns into an early evening small binge, before you pull yourself away and realise your 'better' than this.

Saturday
Starts off with good intentions but you can't perform at the gym and you are craving everything that made Jan a horrible person on Monday and Tuesday to eat. You make it lunch before declaring to yourself and anyone else you know won't lecture you, that 'I've been good all week and I deserve a night out!' It turns into a massive binge drinking session with a kebab at the end of it and you finally get to bed at 1am.

Sunday
You wake up hungover and craving deep fried potato and bacon. In an effort to make yourself feel better you indulge only to find yourself feeling worse. You have an afternoon nap and weigh yourself only to find you are half a kilo heavier than you were on Monday morning. You vow to start again tomorrow and have one last hoorah at dinner time.











Repeat that for the rest of your life.. or change the way you do things. If you would like a free consultation to sit down with me and discuss how I can help you break this vicious cycle Click Here

Food Stress

Today I want to bring your attention to a concept call 'Food Stress'. Your body is a marvelous machine that can deal with a lot. Our breathing an circulatory system's alone rival any man-made structures plumbing and air conditioning set ups. However, sooner or later if you put something under enough stress it's going to buckle. There are certain foods let's call them alcohol and junk food, that will put your body under stress.


Our bodies were designed to accept the good stuff and reject or 'pass' the things we don't need. If you put in good stuff your body will work better, you'll have more energy, your brain will function well and when your with that special someone and one thing has led to another (wink) you'll flat out perform well.

Now you only have to look around to see that the body can take a hideous amount of bad food without shutting down, so you can get away with a bit here and there with minimal damage. You have to ask yourself though, do I want to survive or do I want to live.. I've made my choice, whats yours??

Balance = Success... Real Success

Are you a well balanced individual? It's something we should all strive for, because it's those people that are truly happy. DISCLAIMER; I struggle with this one myself!

When I say balance I mean are all aspects of your life working in harmony or are some areas taking your attention away from others? An example would be somebody who works 12 hours a day, comes home and has no time or energy left for family. Another one might be a person who spends every spare moment in the gym but has no time for relationships. Let's not forget the gamer who spends hours on their game console and eats rubbish and drinks energy drinks all day and is overweight and socially awkward because of it.

 

I bring this up because in my 10 years of training all types of people I have noticed that the people who stick with their program and are ultimately better off for it are the ones that get results and keep them. They are not the ones that do morning and evening sessions 6-7 times a week. The ones that are 'happy' have a breakdown of their time similar to this...

8 hours sleep

45-60 mins workout

8 hours work

4 hours family/loved ones

3 - 3.25 hours travel/eating/ me time

Working out is very important but when it overshadows other areas in your life it may just be time to back off a little. This is why working out with a trainer may just be the answer your looking for, I know it was for me. Yes that's right, I have a trainer of my own. As a business owner, a husband and a father of two. It's easier (and therefore more likely to happen) when I have an appointment and all I have to do is show up. It also allows you to get more exercise in a lot shorter amount of time. You should try it! To discuss how I can help you bring balance to your life in a Free Consultation (usually $87) CLICK HERE.

Go After It!

 

Let's Go Shopping

It's no well-kept-secret that flat bellies are made in the kitchen. If you really want a lean, fit, strong, attractive and energetic body your going to have to learn (if you don't already know) how to shop for, store and prepare good nutritious meals that will bring you closer to your goals. Today I'm going to share with you my top 3 tips for going grocery shopping, a few guidelines you can follow to ensure you bring home healthy food.

Before I get into the tips, I want you to share with you the biggest (yet simplest) change you will need to make... GO SHOPPING. Sounds simple right... wrong. Too many people get so caught up in career, social life and other hobbies that neglect to actually schedule in time to go to the shops and stock up on food like all 'grown ups' should. They literally play it on a meal-by-meal basis and this is a recipe for disaster. So if you take nothing else away from this post please please please get it into your head that a regular time (weekly, fortnightly) to go grocery shopping is not just a good idea but a MUST in your life.

Tip 1 - Make A List

A little bit of planning goes a long long way. If you know what you want to prepare for yourself in advance you'll not only save time but you will save money. Shopping with a thought out list also eliminates impulse buying. Supermarkets are set up to sell you stuff (its what they do) and just like any other shop it's not always stuff you need. When you have a list to work off you go from one item to the next and your focus remains on the next item not on the 2 for $4 cakes in aisle 4. You buy what you need not what will hinder your health efforts. My clients that shop with a list often report on how since they made this change they have save more than enough to pay for their personal training sessions with me.


Tip 2 - You Don't Have To Go Down Every Aisle

As a general rule, all the items you need to put together a healthy week's (or fortnight's) eating is along the perimeter of the store. Fruits, Deli, Milk, Meats Frozen Veg etc. Although there are 'good' foods in the aisles there  are even more not-so-good ones. This brings me back to the 'Make A List' tip, When you know what you want you go straight for it and temptation doesn't even play into it.

Tip 3 - Never Go Shopping Hungry

As I mentioned before supermarkets are exceptionally good at selling you stuff you do not need. These companies spend millions of dollars in research, testing and trialling new and inventive ways to make you not only fill your trolley with rubbish but be happy about your decisions. Eye level products, two-for-one deals and displays are all set up to make you cough up (money). When you are already hungry you quite simply do not stand a chance against these tactics. So fill up before you stock up.

I really hope you had some light bulb moments whilst reading this post. If you want to know more you can Click Here and request your free consultation with me ($87 Value) where we will sit down and I will show you not only how to get the best food but how to make it work for you so your wallet is thicker and your waistline is thinner. There is also a cool recipe book there, so get on that!

Got A Goal?

Go After It!


 

Fallen Off The Horse?

We all have bad days as far as our health and fitness goals are concerned.

If you have a health and fitness goal you have to fight to keep it alive! You have to take every set back as a learning curve not an excuse to stop!

If you eat something you shouldn't or go out and write yourself off and finish the night with a dodgey burger from a shop that you wouldn't normally go to, There is always tomorrow.

If you hurt your knee and can't run there is always boxing.

If you are doing your 'Plan' and it's not working it can always be tweaked!

We have had two clients in wheelchairs in addition to their other 'set backs' we had a huge set of stairs at the old studio! They come anyway and they are BOTH acheiving their respective health and fitness goals!

What's your excuse?


What will you be doing tommorow?





Take care of yourself!

Why Are You Doing This?

If your going to embark (or continue) on your fitness journey and get long lasting results. Not just short term cahnges to your body, but lifelong health and fitness that has you jumping out of bed every morning ready to attack the day and looking in the mirror and getting excited about the exceptionally fit person staring back at you. You are going to need one thing, A Strong Reason Why?

 

Getting in and staying in shape is one of the hardest things in the world to do because it takes persisitance, hard work and discipline. So when it's 5am and the alarm goes off or its 5pm and that rough days at work ends, you better have a good reason why if your going to not only make it to your workout but bring the level of intensity required to get fitter, stronger an/or leaner. Too many people are doing it for the wrong reasons and the weaker your reason the more chance you will quit when times get tough and they will get tough.. its called L-I-F-E.

Looking good because you have a wedding you have to attend in a couple of months will not do it, appearing skinny at the family reunion at the end of the year is not a strong reason. Basically your doing it to look good in front of a bunch of people who couldn't care less. If you do go with these reasons you better fill your calendar up with family reunions and weddings.

When you decide to get in shape because you want to live longer, have more energy and stop yourself being in a depressive state, then youare starting to build a strong reason why and only good things can come from that. 

Bottom line, ask yourself why you workout, Really. If you find yourself lacking in the strong 'Reason Why' department, it may just be time to re-evaluate things.

Go After It!

Being or getting in shape is one of the hardest things you will ever do

Feeling Tired?

Ever gotten up and felt so tired you had no idea how you were going to workout that day?..

I HAVE TOO!

It's often not that your actually tired sometimes its a pure motivation issue. Quite often I hear people say that they are 'Over-Training', I am skeptical 99% of the time. It's really hard to over-train, let me tell you. The things you have to put your body through and the duration of those things is quite frankly beyond most people.

If you're feeling too tired to work out my suggestion is to simply, carry on anyway. Chances are after a little warm up or even a bit further in you will start to feel better and maybe even good. When we exercise all sorts of good 'Happy' chemicals are released in the brain. If after five to ten minutes you still feel really bad and sluggish or even light headed, then (and only then) it might be a good idea to stop and rest up.

Just try feeling the fatigue and doing it anyway you may surprise yourself during the workout and the feeling of accomplishment when you're done is far better than any nap.

Go After It!

Feel the Failure And Do It Anyway!

Did you struggle through your workout today?

We all do at times (yep even me) the important thing is that you keep showing up! Not every Push up is going to be a perfect deep, powerful repitition. Not every squat is going to be an outstanding picture of good form. The thing is to keep coming!

 

It's okay if you have to take a dozen or so breaks through the workout, next time take 11. If you can't squat jump right now keep doing the low-impact version with good form and those knees and lower back will strengthen and your day will come. Had a drink or seventeen and followed it up with a dodgy kebab and a few slices of pizza? Get up in the morning have a bowl of oats with rice milk and some fresh fruit mixed in and start your healthy eating plan again.

Everybody falls down, its the ones that get up that succeed!

When does it get easier??

I hear It all the time, 'this is hard when does it get easier?'. For some reason most humans grow up looking for the easy options in just about everything they do, but what if we could condition ourselves to enjoy the struggles in life, to embrace them so when they do pop up (and they will, nobody is safe!) we are almost excited?

 

Cultivating this mindset is key to succes at anything and fitness is no different. A good place to start is by getting rid of poor self-talk such as 'I can't do push ups on my toes' and replacing it with 'I presently struggle with push ups on my toes'. When you say Can't it's pretty final, that's it things arent going to change, but when you say 'presently struggle with' it leaves room for improvement and therefore a hope, a faith a good chance that things are going to get better.

So next time your doing a workout and you feel like you can't do an exercise, a drill or a move just say to yourself. This is hard but it's good, I am struggling but I will get there, and over time (and all the good things take time). You'll get better and look back and laugh at the time you thought you may never get there.. try it out.

Go After It!