Out with the New and in with the Old

Last week I was enjoying the final of The Apprentice, where Joseph Valente and Vana Koutsomitis  were battling it out to be Lord Sugar's new business partner.

During the board room scene, where each contestant explained to Lord Sugar why they thought they were the better choice, Vana told Lord Sugar that her on line dating agency was the best as it was at the cutting edge of science and everyone would be flocking to it and would make a fortune very quickly.   Whereby she thought Joseph's plumbing business was just that and wouldn't make that much money that quickly.

Joseph countered that his business was steady and over time would make Lord Sugar a hell of a lot of money in the end.

This got me thinking that this is very much like fitness and weight management and the fitness business in general.

Vana represents the all new all singing and dancing fitness treads what everyone flocks to in order to lose weight quicker and looks sexier.  This new tread may or may not help you to lose weight but because it's all new and shiny people will naturally flock to it.

Joseph represents the basic, science backed way of getting fitter, healthier and losing weight.  Smaller portions, eat breakfast, eat healthy foods more regularly and exercise more.  This maybe not that sexy but it works.

However people are easily influenced by the latest fads and treads and are tempted away from the fundamental basics by the new.

However if people stopped chasing the new that hasn't yet been proved works and stick to the basics they would get there in the end and arguably quicker it the long run.

Joseph's business may not make that much money quickly like the basics of fitness won't help you to lose weight quickly but over time the money will stack up just like the lbs will fall away over time.

Lord Sugar saw through the new shiny kid on the block and chose the one that had proved to work and kept to the basics.

So this New Year maybe choose the basics like eat less and move more.

This may not be the most exciting path but has been proved to work and maybe you will reach your fitness goals quicker than if you choose the newer more shinier path.

Enjoy the rest of Christmas and I will see you in the new year.

Exercise- Is it worth it?

I was conducting a 12 week review for my exercise on referral job this week with a lady who had been referred by her doctor to the gym as she was at an unhealthy weight.

When I asked about the benefits of her attending regularly to the gym she told me that before attending the gym she felt that she didn't have enough energy to play with her young daughter but now she has found that she has much more energy and she now plays with her regularly.

She is now a better role model to her daughter and she tells me she has a better relationship with her.

Is exercise worth it?  Hell yeah!!!!!

Steroids - Not Worth it!

Recently a drug charity said that they were seeing more steroid abuser numbers than they were with those suffering from heroin.  There were 3 x as many users seeking help for treatment for anabolic steroids than for those hooked on heroin.




Men are now under a lot of pressure to look more muscular and powerful and some young men are looking for a short cut to this kind of body.

Using these kind of drugs will help you to train more regularly and recover quicker so you can get back in the gym to do it all again, so results come faster. 

However these results come with a price to your health.  For short term gains there can be long term medical conditions, such as heart, liver and kidney failure.

Below is a link to an article that highlights the reasons why you should never touch these if you value your health and life.


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/health/health/6760113/Steroids-were-great-until-my-heart-exploded-at-34.html?CMP=spklr-_-S9SunSocial-_-FBPAGE-_-TheSun-thesun-_-20151124-_-Reallife-_-287194404-_-Imageandlink

How Much Sugar Is In Your Orange Juice?

For a lot of people having an orange juice for breakfast is a healthy option.  However a serving of juice is 150ml but a lot of people I know have been consuming way over this amount on a daily basis, thinking they're being healthy.

A pint of orange juice contains around 13 teaspoons of sugar and horrifyingly 1 litre contains around 365g of sugar!  That's a hell of a lot of sugar! Consuming this amount of sugar will cause a raise in your blood sugar levels, causing your body to counteract this with producing insulin and over working your body.  Can you imagine how much sugar you could consume if you have this amount of orange juice over the course of a year?

Let's think about it for a moment in order to get a glass full of juice, how many oranges had to be used in order to get a decent amount out of it, 4, 5, 6 or more oranges?  Would you eat that many in one go?  Also not eating it as a whole fruit your body isn't consuming the fibre which can help with digestion and keeping hunger at bay for longer.

Also it's good to remember that one 150ml serving of juice although contributes to your 5 a day, consuming any more will not and will only give you additional sugar and therefore calories.

So if you want to get the added fibre and the goodness from an orange or any other piece of fruit for that matter, it's better to consume it as a whole food rather than a drink, especially if you're looking to lose weight.

5 Ways to Help you Lose Weight before Christmas

It's just over one month to go before Christmas and if you'll looking to lose a few pounds from now to than here are my top 5 tips to help you squeeze into that 'little black dress' or dashing tuxedo for the party season:-

1.) Eat regular healthy meals and snacks:- Ensure you eat regularly in order to keep your metabolism and energy levels up.  This will also reduce the risk of overeating at meal times or grabbing a sugary snack, as energy levels will be more steady and you won't be looking for an energy boost.  Make sure that your foods are healthy, containing a good source of protein such as fish and chicken, carbohydrates, such as potatoes, rice and pasta and plenty of fruit and vegetables, which contain vital vitamins and minerals.

2.) Avoid Fizzy Drinks:- Cut out full sugar fizzy drinks as they are filled with loads of sugar and calories.  A 2 litre bottle of Coke contains 800 calories, so you can see how quickly you could rack up the calories by just having a few drinks during the day. Aim to drink 6-8 glasses of water instead to keep you hydrated and keep your metabolism up.

3.) Keep a Food Diary:- Write down everything that you eat and drink.  This will help you to focus and see where you are going wrong and fix it. 

4.) Control your Portion Sizes:- Ensure half of your dinner plate contains vegetables, a quarter of the plate with a protein source and a quarter containing a good source of carbohydrates.

5.) Be more Active:- Start moving your body more, ditch the car and walk instead.  Go for a jog or attend a fitness class.  Doing this will not only help you to burn calories but you will be more likely to choose the healthier types of food to eat as well.

5 Tips to Keep You Motivated

Cold days and long nights can lead to many of us at this time of year to get tempted to stay at home on the sofa, rather than go to the gym or a class.  It starts to get hard to keep yourself motivated when it's raining outside and the pull of the sofa and warmth of the living room is so strong.

Fear not, here's my top 5 tips to keep yourself motivated during the autumn/winter seasons:-

1.)  Get a gym buddy- Training with a friend will motivate you both and bring the best out of you.  You will be motivated to push yourself harder and further to try to better each other in friendly competition.  Having a gym buddy will reduce the temptation of deciding not to go as you don't want to let your buddy down.

2.) Go to gym/class straight from work/college:- Take out the temptation of staying on that sofa by packing your kit the night before and go straight there.  Have a snack, such as a Herbalife protein bar before hand to get you through it and have your dinner after.  If the class ends too late for dinner than have your dinner at lunch time and have a lighter meal such as a Herbalife meal replacement shake for dinner instead.

3.) Hire a Personal Trainer:- If you need motivation than a personal trainer could be the answer.  A personal trainer will ensure you are doing the exercises correctly, so they are as effective as they can be and will teach you new exercises to help challenge your body in order to gain the results that you want.

4.)  Try something new: - Try out a new exercise routine or class in order to challenge yourself and gain results.

5.) Set yourself a fitness goal:- Set yourself a realistic goal such as aiming to lose a stone in 3 months or being able to do 10 full push ups in 6 weeks. You can join the Herbalife Weight Loss or Level 10 challenges and be in with the chance of winning cash prizes.   Setting yourself a goal will help you to stay focused and maintain motivation.  You can even share your goals on social media in order to motivate you to stick to it and be successful.

I hope these tips have helped to keep you motivated at this time of year and if anyone is interested in either of the Herbalife challenges and products or personal training, please get in touch.

Herbalife F1 Breakfast Shake v McDonald's Breakfast

Experts say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day as this enables your body to be refuelled after a good night's sleep. In fact the very name literally means 'breaking your fast' as your body has had 6-8 hours of no nourishment and needs nutrients to replenish its stores, ready to face the day ahead.

However in our ever increasing busy world, many people either skip breakfast, which will encourage people to grab a sugary snack later on as their body crashes and over eat during their next meal, encouraging weight gain. Or they grab a breakfast on the go such as a McDonald's.

There is an alternative to getting the best nutrients into your body which is quick and easy.

 The Herbalife Formula One protein shake is a meal replacement drink that has all the nutrients your body needs but is well balanced and low in calories and fat and high in protein, which will keep you fuller for longer.  It comes in 8 tasty flavours such as chocolate, tropical fruit, cookies and cream,  strawberry and cappuccino.

Below I have compared Herbalife F1's nutritional content with a few examples from McDonald's official UK breakfast menu.  

Herbalife F1                                                   V            McDonalds Sausage and Egg McMuffin

Cals  (depending on flavour):- 220-225                       458

Fat:- 6.3g                                                                      20g

Protein:- 17.4g                                                              Not shown

Herbalife F1                                                   V            McDonalds Bacon and Egg McMuffin

Cals  (depending on flavour):- 220-225                       348

Fat:- 6.3g                                                                      17g

Protein:- 17.4g                                                              Not shown

Herbalife F1                                                   V   McDonalds Sausage, Egg and Cheese Bagel

Cals  (depending on flavour):- 220-225                       562

Fat:- 6.3g                                                                      28g

Protein:- 17.4g                                                              Not shown

Herbalife F1                                                   V            McDonald's Big Breakfast

Cals  (depending on flavour):- 220-225                       611

Fat:- 6.3g                                                                      35g

Protein:- 17.4g                                                              Not shown


The McDonald's items are singular but if you add a harsh brown (136 cals/8.2 fat) and a Mocha (318 cals/11g) and add these to a McDonalds Sausage, egg and Cheese Bagel, than total calorie intake would be 1016 and fat intake 47.2g!

Total daily calorie intake for a woman is around 2,000 calories and for a man it is 2,500.

Total daily fat intake is recommended to be 70g.

So if you choose the McDonald's version of a breakfast you have consumed a large part of your total calorie intake for the day and nearly all of your total fat intake for that day as well!

If you want to lose weight and you are finding that you are skipping breakfast or having a McDonald's regularly than maybe it's time to try Herbalife.

Contact me if you're interested in trying out our 6 day breakfast trial pack for only £10!

Intensity is Key

I was covering my usual Swimfit session today and noticed one of my girls swimming leisurely on her front and back using her legs but not much her arms.  From where I was standing  I couldn't see her being slightly out of breath, which she should have been if she wanted to get the health benefits of exercise.

When she was at my end of the pool I asked her what her fitness goals were?   She told me that it was to lose body fat and improve her stamina.  I informed her in order to achieve her fitness goals she needed to be upping her intensity by using her arms fully, thereby increasing her heart rate as she would be using all her limbs and therefore needing to burn more body fat for energy.

Once she started to implement my advice she started to get more out of breath and had to rest after each length.  I told her that this is what she should be aiming for each time in order to achieve her goals.

A lot of people think that if they just turn up to a pool, gym or class that they will have the fat burning off their bodies in next to no time but like life you only get out what you put in and if you want to lose weight, build muscle or increase stamina or flexibility you have to work for it.

Until science comes up with a pill to get you fit or a fitness surrogate who will do the work for you people will have to put the effort in to get the fitness results that they want and desire.

10 Minutes to Change Your Life

Coronary heart disease is the UK's number one killer and The British Heart Foundation for over 50 years has through their pioneering research helped transform the lives of those people and family members affected by coronary heart disease. 

Their work has been central to the discoveries of vital treatments that are helping with the fight against heart disease.

The heart is a muscle and it needs oxygen in order to work properly.  If the tubes that supply the heart with oxygen are partially blocked than the heart has to work harder to push the blood through and this can cause pain in the chest area, which is called 'angina.'  If there is a full blockage than that part of the heart that isn't getting any oxygen will start to die and this is known as a heart attack.

The British Heart Foundation have set up a 10 minute a day challenge in order to make changes for the better, to help reduce the risk of getting heart disease. 

Take 10 minutes out a day for a week to track how many portions of fruit and vegetables you consume, how much food you ate that contained too much salt and saturated fat.  To start to make small changes towards a healthier heart.

Here are 5 health tips on helping to keep your heart healthy and reducing the risk of getting coronary heart disease.

1.) Cut back on saturated fat:- this is the fat that comes from animal and diary products and is solid at room temperature. Eating too much of this fat can increase the levels of cholesterol in your blood and increasing the risk of your arteries clogging up.

 Reduce the amount of cheese, butter, lard, fatty red meats, sausages, pies and cakes.  Replace with chicken, leaner red meat and fish.  Avoid or reduce the amount of oil you use during cooking.

2.) Eat your 5 a day:- If you consume 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day you will not only get vital vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function and stay healthy but will help maintain a healthy weight, as these foods tend to be high in water and fibre and low in calories.  Therefore you will feel fuller for longer and are less likely to snack on unhealthy foods during the day and help maintain your energy levels.

Portions for example are 1 piece of fruit such as an apple, orange, banana or pear.  Smaller fruits will be 2 plums or 2  tangerines or 2 kiwi fruit. 3 heaped tablespoons of carrots or peas, 4 broccoli florets, 1 bowl of salad, 1 handful of grapes, 7-8 strawberries or 3 whole dried apricots.

3.) Eat less salt:- reducing your salt in your diet can help reduce your blood pressure and in turn puts less stress on the arteries and therefore reduces the risk of them getting clogged up.  Reduce the amount of take away foods you're consuming as they tend to be high in salt, saturated fats and sugar.  Avoid adding salt when cooking and when you're eating.

4.) Maintain a healthy weight:- maintaining a healthy weight which is a BMI (Body Mass Index) of between 18.5-24 and to have a waist less than 80cm (32 inches) for women and 94cm (37 inches) for men. In doing this the heart doesn't have to work so hard and therefore puts it under less strain.  Therefore it will help reduce  the risk of getting heart disease and other medical conditions such as diabetes type 2, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and certain cancers.

5.) Be more active:- Get the heart pumping in order to strengthen it.  A strong heart is a healthy one. In order to get the health benefits of being more active you need to do it for 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week.  However this can be broken down into 10 minute slots.  Try getting off the bus or train a couple of stops earlier and walk, cycle to work or ditch the car and walk instead. Go for a swim or visit the gym.

If you want to down load a food diary or learn more regarding the 10 minutes to change your life challenge please go to www.bhf.org.uk/ten

For any more information on eating healthier, Herbalife nutritional products or Personal/small group training please get in touch or go to my website at www.titanfreestyle.com

Exciting New Energy Drink By Cristiano Ronaldo

Herbalife one of the world's leading nutritional companies has teamed up with the world's top footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo.

I'm really excited about this great new product as it's been formulated for the professional and  serious sports people, to help drive them to become the best that they can be.

Originally engineered for Cristiano Ronaldo, CR7 Drive rapidly fuels your workouts and enhances hydration with natural flavours and colours.

It comes in berry flavour and at only 100 cals per 500ml serving, it will give you the energy to power through any demanding workouts without the extra calories found in many of the other energy drinks on the market.







Herbalife's 24 range, which includes this fantastic new product, is now registered on Informed Sport (check out link below) so you know you can trust this product and are reassured that every batch has been tested for any banned or illegal substances.

Prices are great value too at only £10 for a box of 10 sachets or a tub containing 20 servings for £18!
Please see link below for further details on this great new product.

Please get in touch if you're interested in this or any of the many other Herbalife products.


http://www.bestsportdrinks.com/

http://informed-sport.com/en/registered-products

How to Stay Younger for Longer

What is the secret of youth?  As in my job I come in contact with a lot of older people many of them still going strong in their 70's and 80's!  This week the subject of keeping one self as young as possible for as long as possible came up a far bit.

A couple who are in their late 70's recently came back from a cruise and told me that they were dancing all night and other people were saying to them "I wish I could do that, but I'm too old!"  The irony was that they were much younger in age but both physically and mentally they were much older. 

This couple jokingly say that they were going on holiday with the 'oldies'.  Despite their age they didn't consider themselves as 'old'.  That is the key I think to staying as 'young' as you can be.

I see a lot of people who just because they've turned 50 or 60 have decided in their own minds that they are 'old' and should start acting and being like that.

If you start thinking you're getting old than you will become just that- a self-fulfilling prophecy.

My Mum is now 76 and she is still doing loads of running, entering a 10K or half marathon nearly every week, wearing trainers and jump suits, there seems no stopping her despite a lot of her so called elderly 'friends' telling her that she 'shouldn't be doing all this at her age'.  These are the same people who are 10 years or so younger than her but look older and act older than her, all over weight with health problems because they've just been sitting on their arses since retiring, drinking and eating far too much.

Scientists in search of the Fountain of Youth have found in their research the 'superaged'.
These are people who despite their true age act and look a lot younger.

"With aging, we've always studied things that decline," says Changiz Geula, PhD, research professor of neurology at the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine. But now she and other experts are looking instead to unlock the secrets of the "superaged," those lucky individuals who seem to stay vital well into their 80s and beyond.

 Here's some of their latest research, with advice on how you can add years to your life.

Stop Eating So Much

In Okinawa, Japan—home to some of the world's oldest people—centenarians stop eating when they're 80 percent full, says The Blue Zones author Dan Buettner, who studies longevity all over the planet.

 Scientists at St. Louis University found that, while both exercising and eating less led to weight loss in the study's volunteers, cutting calories also lowered production of T3, a thyroid hormone that slows metabolism. The researchers believe that lower T3 levels may also slow down the aging process.

Use your brain

Dr. Geula, who has studied 80-year-olds who perform at the same level as people in their 50s on neuro­psychological tests, has found that the superaged have fewer brain tangles—deposits of protein linked to Alzheimer's—suggesting that their brains have some sort of protection that normal brains don't. While scientists puzzle this out, there's a lot you can do to keep your own synapses firing. Learn Italian, take up the cello—even driving a new route to work can wake up sleepy brain cells.

Eat more Plants

In a study of centenarians, researchers found the longest-living people tend to eat less meat and more plant based foods, such as beans, soy and nuts.

Lose the Belly

In one large study published in 2009, researchers who tracked 6,583 people for more than 30 years found that having significant belly fat in midlife can nearly triple your risk of dementia.

Now you know in order to stay 'youthful' it's best to don't act and think 'old',  eat less calories, lose the belly, eat more plant based foods and use your brain more.

Count Down To Christmas

There are now 3 months left until Christmas is upon us and so if you seriously want to look your best during this seasonal period, than you need to act now rather than a month before, otherwise it will be too late!

Here are my top 5 tips to get you into the best shape you can be.

1.) Mix up your fitness routine- your body adapts very quickly and if you've been doing the same programme for a long time you are no longer getting the benefits that you did when you first started doing it. Try something completely different to shock your body into responding and improving.  Try new exercises, classes, increase reps/sets, decrease rest times etc.

2.) Train with a buddy- If you train with a buddy you are less likely to skip work outs and you can help push each other further.

3.) Include resistance training- in your fitness programme ensure you include some form of resistance training, either weights or body weight.   Use compound movements (exercises that include a lot of muscles at the same time-squats, push ups, shoulder press, rows and dead lifts etc).  This will help give you a lean, strong and toned body.  Adding a bit of muscle will help you burn fat at rest as your metabolism speeds up.

4.) Drink plenty of water- lack of water will make you feel sluggish and may cause weight gain, migraines and constipation.  Topping up throughout the day with water will ensure you keep yourself hydrated and you will have the energy and motivation to exercise.

5.) Eat right- 80% of weight management is nutrition.  So if you don't get this right than forget it.  Ensure you eat every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism sped up.  This breaks down into 3 main meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner and 2-3 healthy snacks in between.  Try a Herbalife Formula 1 protein shake for breakfast or lunch and a Formula 1 24 Sport shake for a recovery drink after your work out.  Have a piece of fruit or Herbalife protein bar for a healthy snack.

Start your routine now and you will be ready to look your best this Christmas.  If you're interested in any of the Herbalife products or want a FREE Wellness Assessment to see where you are and what needs improving then get in touch.

All the best and see you next week.

Go Hard or Go Home!

I was covering a circuit class this week and was astounded by how many thought they could just turn up and put minimal effort into it and would still miraculously achieve their fitness goals somehow.

I come from a martial arts background and maybe I'm a bit unusual that I love to push myself to my limits and feel a sense of achievement when I have come out the other side fitter and stronger, both physically and mentally for it.

My attitude is what's the point of turning up if you don't work hard enough to gain the results that you've come there to achieve?  You might as well stay at home and save your money!

During the hour I did get them to work hard and a couple did appreciate the extra push I gave them, minus a couple of silly girls who found it too hard and sneaked out.

They do say people gravitate to those people that are similar to themselves and hold the same views and beliefs.  That's maybe why many of my regulars come from a martial art or army background or those not scared of putting themselves into the forge of fitness and becoming a better, stronger person for it and the gym bunnies who can do 5 classes in a row and not produce a drop of sweat (because they're only playing at it) tend not to like my classes.

Well give me 5 people who are willing to go hard in a class than 30 who are just there fooling themselves and should just go home.


  

Doggie Fitness

This week I've done something that I haven't done before which is to run a exercise class for both dog and their owner.

This came about when during my time as a fitness professional I've spoken to various dog owners who say they've walked their dogs for exercise but have still struggled with their weight.

After asking some open questions I normally find out that they just walk the dog and they're not pushing themselves enough to get the health benefits of exercising.

The health benefits for both human and dog are helping to prevent or reduce obesity, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, mental conditions such as depression, anxiety and stress and for humans, diabetes type 2 and certain cancers.  It also helps increase stamina, muscular strength, flexibility, bone density and motor skills such as agility and balance.

In order to do enough to get the full benefits you have to use moderate intensity which is feeling slightly out of breath, slightly uncomfortable and slightly perspiring and ensuring you keep active for a large part of the day rather than being sedentary and eating healthily.

I approached my good friend Tony Cruse, who is a dog trainer situated in Galleywood, Chelmsford and ran it by him and he thought it a good idea to use it as a one off at his regular Tuesday Club, where I'd be guest instructor.

Before we started I asked the group if they felt that when they took their dogs out that they were doing it at a moderate intensity and most of them thought that they were.

 During the class I was encouraging them to reach their moderate intensity levels and afterwards they could see the difference of what they had thought was 'moderate' intensity and what they had really been doing, which had been exercising at a much lower intensity and would therefore grant them at best little health gains and at worst no health gains at all! 

In the future they will adopt a slightly more vigorous approach where they will be performing at a higher rate and start to gain the health benefits of exercising.

Exercising with your dog can help increase the bond between owner and dog, communication,  reduce a dog's destructive behaviour, reduce boredom and increase feelings of wellbeing for both.

Dogs and owners alike enjoyed the morning class and I look forward to returning to do something similar again.

Thanks to Tony for letting me hi-jack his class for the morning and if anyone wants to contact him for dog training or buy his best selling book, 101 Doggie Dilemmas can contact him at:-

http://www.tc-dog-training.co.uk/

Another Great Article by James Clear

This is a great article by James Clear with an emphasis on what my blog was about last week, regarding how small things can build up to big things over a period of time .

I am a great fan of this guy and he publishes 2 blogs a week with great advice like this.  Why don't you sign up for them like I have and get some sound tips to help organise and improve your life for the better.

Enjoy- and tell me what you think.

http://jamesclear.com/marginal-gains?__s=xusjsdsuuf4sgmgsmqbb

Little Things Add Up To Big Things

During our busy lives we are often looking for the big payoff, dismissing things that seem of smaller value.  However it's these little things that can build up over time to make a huge difference.

 This way of thinking reminds me of the question 'would you take £5 million right away or be given 1p that would double in value every day for one month and at the end of this time you would keep the amount.' 

Most people would take the £5 million and run thinking the 1p a day doubling in value every day couldn't add up to very much.  However they would be greatly wrong because if they chose the 1p  doubling in value each day (day 2- 1 + 1 = 2p, day 3, 2 + 2 = 4p) at the end of the month you would have accumulated over £10 million!

So the small things that we consider of no real value, in this case 1p, over a relatively short time has become worth more than the £5 million that was originally offered.

We can use this concept in our daily lives and make our lives 'richer' for it.  Here are 5 examples of how seemingly small things can add up to big things to help you get fitter and healthier.

1.) Swap full fat milk for semi skimmed:- you would save 42 calories and 4.4g of fat per serving.   Over 1 year  swapping 1 serving per day would add up to saving you over 15,000 calories and 1.6kg of fat!  If you went from full fat to skimmed you would save over 24,000 calories and 2.7 kgs of fat! That's about as much fat that's in 270 mars bars!

2.) Swap regular crisps with low-fat- eating a bag a day over 1 year you would save yourself 24,966 calories and lose 3.2kg of fat if you made the swap.

3.) Swap 1 meal a day with a Herbalife nutritional shake:- over 1 year instead of having your chicken salad sandwich, full fat crisps and bottle of Coke and have a shake instead, you would save 205,495 calories (equivalent of 366 hours on the treadmill) and between 10-14lbs of fat loss!  You'd also save yourself the best part of £600!

4.) Swap 1 tablespoon  to 1 teaspoon of oil per person in a dish:- doing this and you'd save yourself 32,850 calories and lose 4.3kg fat (savings based on 1 serving per day over 1 year).

5.) Swap deep- fried chips with home made chunky chips with spray oil:- Do this with your 2 servings per week and you'd save 18,475 calories and lose over 2.3kg fat over 1 year.

For more information on Herbalife products, business opportunities or personal training please get in touch.

Enjoy a Healthy Barbecue

It's summer and now is the perfect time to fire up the barbecue, invite some friends and family round and have a catch up.

Cooking outside is a great experience when it's hot rather than being stuck in a stuffy kitchen.

Barbeques don't have to be unhealthy if you choose healthier options, so you can enjoy great healthy food and your waistline will thank you for it.

Here are my top 5 tips in keeping your barbecue healthy and guilt free:-

1.) Choose healthier protein:- Buy better quality burgers and sausages, which have a higher percentage of meat in them rather than the cheaper variety which is often bulked out with inferior ingredients such as breadcrumbs and rusk and will contain more saturated fats.  If possible treat yourself to some steak this is pure meat with nothing added to it and is a great source of iron and protein. 

2.) Eat more white meat:- chicken and fish are an excellent source of protein and contains less saturated fat than red meat, such as beef, pork and lamb.  However ensure that these are cooked all the way through to make sure all the bacteria has been killed and avoid any food poisoning.

3.) Have loads of salad:- Pile up your plate with fresh salad.  Vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly. It also contains fibre and water which not only is low calories (fibre is a carbohydrate so does have some calories-water has none) but will help fill you up!  Doing this will help to stop you over eating on the meats.  However be careful not to over indulge with dressings, salad cream, coleslaw and potato salad which is high in saturated fats and are loaded with calories.

4.) Have a snack before going:- Have a snack or light meal before going, so you won't arrive starving hungry and run the risk of wolfing down the food and overeating.

5.) Be more active:- If you know you're going out and maybe consuming more calories than you normally would, than try having a work out beforehand, to burn a few extra calories.  Remember more calories in than out will cause weight gain and more calories expended than consumed will result in weight loss!

So as you can see you can have a healthy barbecue by just making a few adjustments here and there.  Enjoy some outdoor activities while you can and I'll see you next week.

If at First You Don't Succeed, Try Try Again

If something is of value and is worth doing than you have to invest your time and effort into it or you won't appreciate it at all.

Often you won't get it right first, second maybe even the third time but if you stick at it and have a goal in mind you will get there in the end.

If you give up because the journey to fitness seems too hard and it seems you're the only one whose trying to make an effect when everyone else is stuffing their faces with Big Macs and going to the pub and getting drunk every weekend than you will never discover your true potential.

A beautiful view from the mountain top can only happen if you make the effect to start that long, hard journey and start to walk up that mountain.  Nobody is going to do it for you.

We live in such an immediate society that we want results right now!  That's why the celebrity crash diets are so popular because they promise you the results you desire in a matter of weeks not years.

However the sad truth is that if it has taken you years to put on weight, do you really think that it's going to be quick to take it all back off?  Of course not, because you won't sell as many products if you say, 'you too can have a body like this in 5 years time!'

However think about it for a moment.  Everyone has a certain amount of years on this earth and it's down to you how you choose to spend it.  So if you could get to the perfect shape but it would take you 5 years to get there why don't you?  5 years doing it the right way and than you just have to maintain, compared with taking 5 years worth of short cuts and after 5 years being bigger and more unhappy than when you first started.

So why don't you make those first steps, if you relapse don't worry, it's all part of life, just dust yourself down and carry on and NEVER EVER give up.

 That mountain view is waiting and its down to you and you alone to decide to get to the top or not.

If you want me to help you to get to the top of that mountain than please get in touch.

60% more people Living with Diabetes

According to a new report by Diabetes UK there are 60% more people living with diabetes in the UK compared with 10 years ago, which is an increase of more than 1.2 million.

Diabetes is a condition that stops the body being able to control its blood sugar levels effectively and  leading in worst cases to blindness and amputation.

Diabetes UK are warning that this huge growth in numbers over the last decade reflects an urgent need for effective care for people already living with the disease as well as highlighting the importance of prevention.

The 1.2 million increase of new sufferers is the equivalent of the population of a small country such as Cyprus!

Diabetes already costs the NHS nearly £10 billion a year and 80% of this is spent on managing avoidable complications.

About 90% of cases are type 2 which is closely associated with obesity and poor lifestyle choices such as a bad diet and leading a sedentary lifestyle.

If your BMI is 30 or more and you already have diabetes in the family you are at a much higher risk developing the type 2 version compared with those who are a healthy weight and don't have a family history of diabetes.

 The best way to reduce the risk is to get a handle on your nutritional habits and start to get more active, more often.  Below are my top 5 tips to get you started:-

1.) Start off slowly:- If you're new to exercise start off slowly, try doing an activity that lasts about 30 minutes, 3 times a week, using moderate intensity levels (slightly out of breath and slightly uncomfortable and makes you perspire) and gradually build it up to 60 minutes 2-3 times per week.

2.) Be Active more often:- It's no good going to the gym or an exercise class 2 - 3 times per week but for the rest of the time you're chained to a desk at work and at home glued to the sofa, watching T.V. Try cycling or jogging to work, get off the bus/train a stop earlier and walk, go for a walk at lunch time,  wash the car or do some gardening at home to burn off some extra calories.

3.) Stay hydrated:- Our body is made up of 70% water and so it's important to stay hydrated. This will help keep your energy levels up as dehydration has been known to cause fatigue, kidney problems, migraines, constipation and even weight gain.  Aim to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, more if you're exercising or it's hot.  If you want to add flavour to your water why not try Herbalife's Lift Off which comes in orange or lemon and lime and has the added bonus of providing you with an energy boost without the excess sugar of other energy drinks or Herbalife's Thermojetics tea which even helps to boost energy and help burn calories and comes in 4 great flavours of peach, lemon, raspberry and original.

4.) Get your nutrition right:- To keep your blood sugar levels steady its important to eat regularly and the right types of food to keep your energy levels up and give you all the nutrition your body needs.  It's also important to choose foods that don't contain excess fats and sugar that can often be found in high energy foods such as  biscuits, cakes and chocolate.
 Try a Herbalife protein shake instead for breakfast or lunch, its a perfect and well balanced nutritional meal and will give you a steady flow of energy throughout the day and keep your blood sugar levels steady.

5.) Ensure you eat regularly:- You should aim to eat 3 main meals a day with 2-3 snacks in between.  Try  yogurt with berries, a Herbalife protein bar, a piece of fruit or a packet of Herbalife  roasted soya beans as a healthy snack to help speed up your basal metabolic rate, keep blood sugar levels topped up and avoid your body going  into a starvation mode and storing fat.

I hope this post has been helpful and if you're interested in any Herbalife products, want to try out a free sample or make some extra money working as a Herbalife distributer than
I 'd love to hear from you.

How to keep your Kids Active this Summer

Change 4 Life this summer is encouraging children to get active and do a '10 Minute Shake Up'
game 2 x per day to keep active and healthy.

First they need to join a Disney character team either the characters from the movies, Frozen, Toy Story or Monsters Inc University (Big Hero 6, is already sold out)!

Contact the website below and they'll send you a starter pack containing playing cards with instructions on how to play the games, a wrist band with your Disney Team Captain on it, a poster and stickers.

Do each game for 10 minutes and once completed add a sticker to your poster to begin to create a fantastic picture of your Disney character team.

Games are suitable for 1 or more players, so the whole family can join in to such games as, doing your best Monster University cheer leader moves , do your best Big Hero 6 super moves or test your agility skills with Buzz Light Year's Flying Skills game.

Whatever game your child chooses they will have loads of fun and because there's lots of different games it will keep them both active and amused for hours this summer. 

http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/change-for-life.aspx

Fast Food Cheats

There are times when no matter what, you really fancy a bit of fast food and nothing else will do.  If you're not careful this could be the beginning of the end of your good eating habits and once you feel like you've 'fallen off the wagon' you may just throw in the towel and fall back into your former bad habits.

Some experts say that you should not give into your cravings and stick to your healthy eating regime no matter what but back in the real world I think if you deny your body's cravings they will just get worse and your obsession with this type of food will build up until you can't take it anymore and you go on a binge which won't be any good for you and could scupper your healthy eating regime for good.

So my advice is, if you really fancy a bit of fast food than that's ok in moderation but the damage to your body can be reduced with a little tweaking.  Here are my top 5 tips:-

1.) Swap a donna kebab with a shish:- a donna is loaded with fat and contains all the off cuts of the lamb.  Also lamb is a very fattening meat so will give you extra unwanted calories.  Choose a chicken shish, which is high in protein and lower in fat and is grilled, further reducing the calorie content.  Add plenty of salad and a pita bread and you have a well balanced meal which won't bust your gut.  However hold the chips and don't be too heavy handed with the sauces if you want to keep this fast food healthier.

2.) Pizza- Although this tends to be high in saturated fat and tends to contain low protein you can reduce this by choosing a thin rather than thick crust and cutting out the fatty meats such as pepperoni and pork and choose ham, fish or prawns and vegetables. Stick to a small pizza and serve it with plenty of salad.  Doing this will help reduce the damage and not overload your body with unwanted calories and fat.

3.) Having a Indian curry:- Avoid creamy sauces such as Korma or anything deep fried.  To reduce the fat and calories, choose tomato-based sauces such as tandoori and madras with chicken, prawns or vegetables.  Opt for plain rice rather than pilau, choose a chapatti over a naan and hold the popadoms.  Add plenty of vegetables including lentil side dishes such as a dhal.

4.) Fish & Chips:- Avoid pies and sausages that are high in fat and choose fish coated in breadcrumbs rather in batter as less fat is absorbed.  Thick cut chips soak up less fat compared to thin cut and choose a smaller portion or share.  Add mushy peas or baked beans to add extra vitamins and minerals.   If you have battered fish avoid eating all the batter as this can soak up a lot of the fat during cooking.

5.) Chinese/Thai:- Avoid any deep fried foods such as prawn crackers and toast, spring rolls, fish cakes and sweet and sour pork (due to meat being battered and deep fried).  Avoid Tai red and green curries that use coconut milk, which is high in saturated fat and stick to stir-fried or steamed dishes containing chicken, fish or vegetables instead.   Choose crab and corn soup or tom yum and choose boiled rice over egg fried.

My New Scales

This week my new Tanita scales came that I'd ordered.  My old version could give me total body weight readings (just like normal scales) and body fat %. However this version is state of the art and has 10 different features. 

In this week's blog I'm going to explain each one to give you an understanding of what each feature does and what it means to your health.

1. Total Body Weight:- This does what it says, the reading shows how much your body weighs which includes, body fat, skeleton and muscle.
2. Total Body Water %:- This reading checks that your body is fully hydrated or not.  The body is 70% water and so if it's dehydrated it can't perform at its best and you will feel more tried.
3. Visceral Fat Rating:- This is the amount of internal fat you store in the abdominal cavity and around your vital organs.  A person may look a healthy weight on the outside but this reading will show if they are storing too much body fat inside their body or not.  Ensuring you have healthy levels of visceral fat may help reduce the risk of developing certain diseases such as heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
4. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR):- This is the minimum level of energy your body needs at rest to function effectively including your respiratory and circulatory organs, neural system, liver, kidneys and other organs.  About 70% of your daily consumed calories is used for your basal metabolism.  Your BMR is greatly affected by the amount of muscle you have, therefore by increasing your muscle mass will help increase your BMR and in turn increase the amount of calories burned, resulting in a reduction of total body fat you have. 
5. Daily Calorie Intake (DCI):- This reading shows how many calories your body needs to function effectively and maintain current weight.
6. Metabolic Age:- This calculates your BMR and indicates the average age associated with that type of metabolism.  It you aren't looking after yourself this age will be much higher than your true age.  The good news is this age can be reversed through choosing a healthier life style.
7. Total Muscle Mass:- This shows how much muscle you have.  The more muscle your body has the more fat your body can burn at rest.
8. Bone Mass:- This reading shows how dense your bones are and if you are at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.  
9. Body Mass Index (BMI):- This calculates your height and total body weight and tells you if you are underweight, normal weight, over weight, obese or morbidly obese.
10. Muscle Mass and Body Fat % on 5 different sections of the body:- Using this devise you can see where a person needs to lose more fat from or put muscle on.

So if you want to know what your metabolic age is, how much body fat you need to burn or how much muscle you have than why don't you contact me today for a FREE Wellness Evaluation.

Top Tips on getting Fit this Summer

Recently I came across this from Emily Skye's, an Australian fitness model who when she was a normal model felt under pressure to stay at an unstainable thinness and now is far happier having an athletic build that mixes strength with femininity.

A lot of what she says I totally agree with and in the past have passed on the very same information to my clients.  I thought it would be a good idea to share her tips below to help you be the fittest you can be this summer.

Here are her top health and fitness tips for summer:

FIB # 1: EATING CARBS AT NIGHT WILL MAKE YOU FAT
FACT: Many people believe that eating carbs at night is a real ‘no, no’. Eating carbs at night won't make you fat, nor will it stop you losing fat. It all comes down to what you eat and how much you eat each day.

FIB # 2: LONG, SLOW CARDIO SESSIONS ARE THE BEST FOR BURNING FAT
FACT: Contrary to popular belief, embarking on a long slow cardio session is not the best way to lose fat. High Intensity Interval Training and weights are the way to go. Weights and high intensity training for a shorter period of time is definitely the most effective way to burn fat. You’ll burn fat for up to 24 hours after you finish training compared to only around an hour or two after slow cardio.

FIB # 3: IF YOU WANT TO LOSE FAT THEN EAT LESS
FACT: When it comes to getting your fat percentage down, you don't necessarily need to eat less, sometimes you may even need to eat more! What you eat is so much more important than how much you eat. Giving your body a good balance of nutrients is far more important than the size of your meals.

FIB # 4: EATING FAT WILL MAKE YOU FAT
FACT: Fat will not make you fat - good fats give you energy, help rebuild cells and produce hormones. I avoid trans fats and some saturated fats (coconut oil is good). Also avoid low fat foods as they are usually choc-full of sugar and chemicals.

FIB # 5: WOMEN BULK UP IF THEY LIFT WEIGHTS
FACT: Weights shape and sculpt your body, whilst also burning fat and unless you’re taking some serious supplements, they will never make you look masculine or bulky. It takes a lot of deliberate effort with your training and diet to get even close to bulking up.

FIB # 6: YOU NEED TO CRUNCH YOUR WAY TO ROCK HARD ABS
FACT: You can do all the abdominal work you like, but if you don't eat clean and do full body exercises to remove the layer of fat covering your abs, then you’ll never achieve the desired definition.

FIB # 7: STRENGTH TRAINING IS DANGEROUS
FACT: Whether you’re strength training or doing cardio all exercises are dangerous if they’re not done correctly. As long as you learn proper technique strength training, it is completely safe and important to any fitness plan.

FIB # 8: THE SCALES TELL ALL
FACT: The scales only tell you how much your total weight is, not how lean you are so don't panic if you see a few extra pounds! So the best way to track progress is by how you look, how your clothes fit and by taking a measure of your total body fat.

FIB# 9: THE LONGER YOU SWEAT, THE BETTER YOU’LL GET
FACT: When it comes to exercise it’s all about quality, not quantity. Overtraining can actually cause your body stress which can cause it to store fat. Focusing on efficient workouts, good nutrition, adequate sleep and rest will give you the best shot at getting the best results.

FIB #10: YOU BURN MORE FAT ON AN EMPTY STOMACH
FACT: Fuelling your body a few hours before exercising with nutritious food will have a much greater impact on your fat burning potential as you have more energy to push through your workout. People who train on an empty stomach don't tend to train as vigorously and tend will most often binge after training

Tell Your Body-You're the Boss!

When you do any exercise at an intensity level that will gain benefits ie- at a moderate rate or higher you will get a little voice inside your head telling you to give up.

The easy thing to do is just give up and throw in the towel.  But remember to gain any benefits associated with exercise, such as reduced body fat, increased lean muscle, stamina and flexibility, reduced blood pressure, bad cholesterol and an increased muscular uptake of glucose, you will have to push the body a little to obtain the said benefits.

Remember the body is LAZY  it wants the easy life, it will complain when you start to do tasks it considers harder than usual.

Increased fitness is not developed in the comfort zone it has to be created in the non-comfort zone in order to force the body to become stronger and fitter.

Next time you're exercising and it starts to feel easier, this is when you need to start to pick it up, to force the body to become fitter.  As you step it up by increasing the intensity either by increasing the level, weight, time, speed, frequency or choosing a harder movement/exercise than you're used to the body will complain by giving you a burning sensation in the muscles being used, 'the burn.'

 See my previous blog on this subject for more details:- http://titanfreestyle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/no-pain-no-gain.html

A little voice inside your head will start telling you to give up because it's too hard, it's hurting too much and the like. 

DON'T LISTEN! grit your teeth, knowing doing this you are getting stronger and are forcing your body to change on a cellular level by increasing your lung capacity to take up more oxygen, strip down muscle fibres in order to rebuild them stronger and better and stripping away body fat in order to burn energy.

You must be The Boss of your body not your body being The Boss.

In doing this not only will you be a stronger person in body but also in mind. 

Be The Boss over your own body and watch you archive all your fitness goals.  Let your body be The Boss and forever you will be disappointed and your fitness goals forever out of your reach.

Exercise done, now for a treat!

I was at Abs Cross Leisure Centre last Tuesday promoting Herbalife products and handing out free samples and nutritional advice to the local runners at the running club there.

That night they were running either a 3 or 5 mile run and at the end of the run they were offered from me a post run protein shake with all the right nutrients present and balanced to help the body recover quicker or from another table, slices of different types of cakes that were filled with high amounts of saturated fat and sugar with zero amounts of nutrients.

A lot of runners did take up my offer of a free protein shake I am pleased to announce but a hell of a lot walked right past my table and went straight for the cakes!

This got me thinking that probably a lot of people overestimate how many calories they've burned during an exercise session and underestimate how many calories are in certain foods such as cake.

For a more in-depth view on this please feel free to check out my previous blog on this subject:

http://titanfreestyle.blogspot.co.uk/2014_10_01_archive.html

If an 8 stone 9 lbs woman ran 3 miles at 6 miles per hour than she would burn about 300 calories in the 30 minutes it would take to cover this distance at that speed.  If she was heavier she would burn more calories.

After congratulating herself and believing she should have a reward, she heads straight for the cakes and gobbles up a Mr Kiplings Bakewell cherry tart (186 cals) and a slice of Victoria Sponge cake (53g/243 cals).

So after burning off 300 calories on the run she has just consumed in a space of mere moments a total of 429 calories, which leaves her with 129 calories extra.  This food will not fill her up and she'll go home and have her dinner on top of all those calories she's just eaten.

As you can see if you are looking to lose weight and make the wrong food choices after a work out you can easily derail your good intentions in next to no time. 

To put things into perspective a Herbalife Formula 1 meal replacement 250ml serving is around 220 calories or jacket potato with baked beans and salad is only 400 calories!

 What meals will keep you fuller for longer do you think?

In order to successfully lose weight you should be looking to have a daily deficit of 500 calories. This can be done by exercising (energy out) and eating less (energy in).  So if your snacks have more calories in them than your main meals and your daily food intake is higher than your energy out you will gain weight rather than lose it.

So next time you've done your exercise ensure you make the right snack and meal choices in order to stay on track to achieve your weight management goals. 

The Great Outdoors

Summer's finally here, so why don't you try these outside activities as an alternative to exercising indoors.

1.) Jog outside- Swap the treadmill for a run in the local park, not only will you burn calories you will get the benefits that is associated with exercising outdoors, such as increased levels of happiness,  well being and reducing levels of anxiety.

2.) Cycling - Why don't you take your bike out to the local park, many areas have country parks that have bike lanes and trails suitable for both road and mountain bikes. 

3.)   Outdoor gyms- There are plenty of outdoor gyms that have popped up in our local parks in the past few years to help locals to keep fit.  Many have equipment that will work all the muscles of the body including chest, shoulder and leg presses to name but a few.

Check out this website to find your nearest outdoor gym:- http://www.tgogc.com/

4.) Walk the dog- amazingly there are 40% of dog owners in this country who never walk their dogs!

http://titanfreestyle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/how-investing-in-facilities-for-dog.html

If you've got a dog than walk it regularly to keep both you and your dog fit.  If you haven't got a dog you can always borrow one.

5.) Swim- London still has a large number of ponds and lidos open where you can swim outdoors.  A lot of these date back to the 1930's.  Swimming is a great form of exercise that works all the muscles of the body and heart and lungs.

Check out the link below for a list of the best in London:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/london/9357593/Londons-best-outdoor-swimming-pools.html

No Pain No Gain

The other night I bumped into a lady who used to come to my Boxercise Kick class but had since stopped coming.

She said that she had lost weight coming to my class but since giving up she'd put on 7lbs!

When I asked her why she had left my class she complained that my class had made her out of breath and sweaty!

I explained to her that in order to get results and receive the health benefits of fitness you need to train in the fitness zone which means you are slightly out of breath, sweating and feel slightly uncomfortable.

If the exercise is too easy why would the body need to improve?  Answer:- It won't because it doesn't need to.

Only when we push the body will we get the results we want by putting in the time and effort.

On the other hand if you push yourself too hard and feel sick and dizzy than this is too much and you run the risk of injury.

As the old saying goes 'no pain, no gain', you need to exercise outside that comfort zone, results aren't made there, only laziness and backsliding awaits you.

However the pain this saying is referring to is the muscular pain, 'the burn,' as it were.  If you feel any SHARP pain than STOP as this is your body's warning system telling you that you are damaging it in some way and gives you pain to stop you causing further damage.

I'll add to this old saying with two of my own, which I often use, 'If it's not hurting, it's not working' and 'If it hurts it works.'

I hope to see you outside the comfort zone very soon.

Fitness not Fatness

We hear all the time about the obesity epidemic and how our children are getting bigger.  However the figures from the National Child Measurement Programme, suggests 9% of 5-6 year olds were obese and this equates to 2.7 children in a class of 30.  Back in 1990 this was 1.5. 

So in 20 years there has been an increase of only one extra obese child per class.  In fact overweight and obesity levels among 2-5 year olds have stayed relatively stable at 25% for boys and 23% for girls between 2003-2013.

Does this look like an epidemic?

Among the adult population obesity and overweight levels have increased steadily over recent years but as you can see this isn't the case among our children.

However Public Health's focus on food and weight, overlooking the far more dangerous effects of inactivity and ignoring the benefits of moving more may be creating a health time bomb for the next generation . 

http://titanfreestyle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/sitting-is-new-smoking.html

Arguably, inactivity can be a better indicator of ill health in the population rather than obesity.

Figures from the Physical Activity Statistics 2015 conducted by the British Heart Foundation show less than a fifth of children move enough for health and this figure is still falling.

The British Heart Foundation found that when they got children to use accelerometers, it shockingly showed that none of the 11-15 year old girls and only 7% of boys that were measured actually did enough moderate exercise of at least 1 hour daily. 

Increases in activity often fails to make a big impact on Body Mass Index (BMI) but rarely does a person feel less fit and healthy if they start to increase their activity levels.

Therefore a better indicator of the health and fitness for our children would be to measure activity rather than levels of obesity to gain a truer picture, as recommended  by the chief medical officer as far back as 2009!

So ensure your child is getting enough exercise, start walking to school instead of taking the car.  I walk my daughter to school and back on most days and this takes the best part of an hour in total and I get much more quality time with her chatting and finding out how she got on in school that day.

http://titanfreestyle.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/how-to-get-your-kids-more-active.html

Whatever you choose to do ensure your child moves around enough to gain the health benefits and lay down the foundations of becoming more active and healthier adults.

5 Ways to Get a Beach Body This Summer

Summer's officially here and the sun is making an appearance more often and staying longer, so here are my 5 top tips for getting a killer beach body for this season.

1.) Work Smart:- Make sure the work out you do works the whole body and cardiovascular system (heart), in order to burn the most fat and work all your muscles effectively.  Ensure you use compound movements that use more than one muscle at a time such as squats, presses and rows.

2.)  Mix Up Your Routine:- If you have followed the same routine for ages it's no longer fresh and your body has already gotten used to it and the programme has gone stale.  Mix it up in order to challenge the body again and start to see results. Introduce new exercises into the programme, change up the amount of reps, sets and weights you use or the time, intensity or the frequency of the work out.

3.) Don't Over Train:- So many people I see think that they're get the results they want by exercising all the time.  No, this is the best way to scupper your plans to get the body you want as you run the risk of overtraining and causing an injury.  Your body only has enough energy for 1 - 1.5 hours stored in it's muscles and liver, after this it starts to burn muscle rather than fat!  Muscle helps to burn fat while you rest, so this is not a good idea.  Also there's more chance of getting an injury as your body tires and you start making mistakes.

4.) Allow Time to Rest:- This is often neglected the body needs as much time to rest as it does training.  It needs time to rebuild the muscles that has been broken down during training and needs the time for it to rebuild in order to make it stronger.  If you start to exercise again before the body has rested fully you won't get the results you want.

5.) Get the Right Nutrition:- 80% of getting the best results is down to nutrition.  The body needs the right nutrition in order to repair itself during rest.  It needs macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrates and fats and micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals in order to make the body leaner, stronger and fitter.  Try Herbalife's 24 endurance rebuild or Formula 1 protein shake in order to get the best possible results that your hard work of training deserves. 
Contact me for more details if you want to get in the best shape you have ever been.

Anyone who wishes to contact me for advice on exercise or nutrition please feel free to contact me via phone, e-mail or blog etc it would be great to hear from you.

Top 5 Ways to Sneak In Your Daily Exercise

Government health guidelines advise us to do 30 minutes of exercise or activity a day for at least 5 days per week to maintain health and wellbeing.  You don't even have to do all the 30 minutes at once but break it up into smaller bites, in order for them to be more manageable.

Here is my top 5 tips in getting your 30 minutes of daily exercise in the sneaky way.

1) - The advert challenge- the average advert lasts for 30 seconds and the commercial breaks between programmes is on average lasts around 3 minutes in total.  So why don't you do a mini circuit during this time.  Choose a different exercise for each advert such as push ups, squats and jogging on the spot.

2)- Walk to work- ditch the car or jump off the bus/train one or two stops earlier to get a bit more exercise in.

3)- Use the stairs- use stairs instead of the lift, you'll be amazed how much more exercise you could get done.

4)- Park the car the furthest way from the shops- when shopping park your car the furthest away so it will force you to walk further and get a weight lifting session in as well when carrying all those shopping bags back to the car after a full day of shopping!

5) Take a walk after lunch-to help aid digestion and burn off some of those calories!

Get a Hot ' 50 Shades of Grey' Body Now!

Dakota Johnson wowed audiences with her toned and lean body in the steamy Hollywood blockbuster, 50 Shades of Grey.

In order to feel comfortable playing the role of Anastasia in the movie, Dakota felt she needed a fitness routine to help elongate her figure, strengthen and tone her waist and legs.

She turned to trainer to the stars, Mari Winsor of Winsor Pilates, who used her many years as a Pilates teacher to help hone and sculpt a toned and lean body.

Her fitness routine consisted of Pilates moves, such as the 'One Hundred,' 'Criss Cross' and 'Scissor Kicks' and cardio exercises such as running and spinning to help burn body fat and tone. 

Pilates workouts are specifically designed to tone the waist and legs and a class can burn 400-500 calories per session, says Mari.

Dakota's routine consisted of 30 minutes of Pilates and 30 minutes of cardio, either running on a treadmill or using a spinning bike.

Doing this helped Dakota Johnson achieve the lean, toned waist and legs that she needed for her role in the movie.

Below is a link that shows some of the Pilates moves that helped Dakota and many other Hollywood stars get the body they wanted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGq_H-Q-x5Y

How To Get Your Kids More Active

Kids are naturally active and are filled with bags of energy that they need to expend during the day but increasingly kids activity levels have declined, leading to an increase in childhood obesity.  In fact childhood obesity has tripled in England over the past 25 years.

Here are a few ideas to keep your kids active and fit:-

1.) Be a good role model yourself:- monkey see, monkey do, ensure your little monkeys see you being active and they will copy you.  If they see you sitting on the sofa all day what do you think they're going to do?

2.) Walk to school:- ditch the car or bus and walk to school. 

3.)  Limit T.V and computer time:- T.V and computers have their place but too much time spent in front of them can lead to problems.

4.) Take your kids out to the park:- kids love running around so take your kids to the park and have a game of football or ride a bike/scooter.

5.) Take a walk in the forest:- Take a walk in the forest, enjoying some of the surrounding nature and wildlife. 

6.) Go swimming:- make a splash and try swimming.

7.) Try rollerblading or skateboarding:- this is great exercise for the legs, improving balance and stamina.

8.) Join a sports club:- Cricket, football, karate, basketball, dancing, whatever the sport or activity choose something your kid loves and they've got more chance of sticking to it.

9.) Take them to the playground:- kids love to play on the roundabout, monkey bars, swing or climbing frame, all these will help to improve their core stability, balance, fat burning, toning and muscular strength.

10.) Play games- try a game of 'IT', 'British Bulldog' or 'leapfrog' to improve, stamina, agility and toning.

Kids need 1.5 hours a day to keep active, try some or all these tips to help your kids to keep healthy and active.

Check out this website

James Clear is an extremely influential and insightful person whose website and bi weekly news letters can help you manage your time better and increase productivity in both your business,  job and life.

His ideas and learning from influential and ground breaking people from history who have made a difference in our society is both thought provoking and inspiring.

My favourite story was Richard Branson needing to get a connecting flight to the Virgin Islands for a hot date but after the flight was cancelled, decided to charter his own plane, which he couldn't afford himself and offered $29 tickets to some of the other stranded passengers, so they could pay for his flight and Virgin Airlines was born!

Check out this link below to view the his back issues.

See you next week.


http://jamesclear.com/archives?__s=xusjsdsuuf4sgmgsmqbb

How to lose the lbs and Gain the £'s

In 1997 The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised obesity as a disease rather than just a condition.

Often other medical conditions seem to be linked with obesity and people have an increased risk of developing these conditions if their body weight is considered too high.  These include coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and certain types of cancer, Type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, gout, and pulmonary diseases, including sleep apnoea.

According to the Health Survey for England (HSE) 2009, shows that 22% of males and 24% of females were classed as obese according to their Body Mass Index (BMI) measurements (>30 kg/m2). 

44% of males and 33% females were classed as overweight (>25-29 kg/m2).  Combining both figures of those who are obese and overweight makes a total of 66% of adult males and 57% of adult females across the population that are classed as either obese or overweight. 

These are terrifying figures and the increased amount of those with these conditions place unnecessarily strain on the already over worked NHS.

Herbalife is a multi-billion pound global nutritional company which sells in over 80 countries around the world.  It has helped people pursue a healthy, active life style over the past 35 years and has become one of the world’s leading nutritional brands.  

 Over 200 athletes and sports people, many of them top internationals are sponsored and use Herbalife to help achieve their sporting goals.  Those sponsored by Herbalife include top Spanish football team, FC Barcelona and American soccer Team, LA Galaxy.  Top footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo is among many professional sports men and women sponsored by Herbalife.  The company has also been chosen to be the official supplier of nutritional products at the special Olympics in Los Angeles this year and so is fast becoming recognised as a leading nutritional supplement in the world for elite athletes and the general public alike.

At the heart of all Herbalife products is cutting edge research and advanced nutritional science developed by leading nutritional scientists such as Professor Louis Ignarro, a Nobel Laureate in medicine, who is a distinguished professor of Pharmacology at Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans.  He has published many articles and received The Basic Research Prize of The American Heart Association for outstanding contributions to the advancement of cardiovascular science. 

The importance of good nutrition is paramount in leading a healthy life-style.  Our bodies need a combination of Macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) and Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), in order to provide energy and be able to function properly and keep our bodies in perfect balance.

80% of weight loss and weight management is diet and 20% is exercise/activity.  A combination of both is considered the best as it covers both weight loss and strengthening the muscles of the body and the cardiovascular system.  But as you can see the higher percentage is diet. 

Herbalife products are nutritionally balanced and so provides all the nutrients the body needs to perform at its very best.  The Formula 1 protein shake for instance provides all the nutrients that are found in a well-balanced meal such as protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals but in a tasty, easy to make shake instead. 

The Formula 1 shakes have a higher ratio of protein to carbohydrates in order to keep the body fuller for longer and rebuild muscle after exercising.  Studies have shown that fullness is achieved for longer if you consume foods which are high in protein and fat compared to those high in carbohydrates.  Although we need this macronutrient for energy, obese people tend to consume more than their body needs and therefore the body will store it as fat and this will only lead to further weight gain.  

Not only can Herbalife help you to lose those unwanted Ibs off your waistline but it can also help you gain pounds in your pocket!  The company's business opportunity offers anyone the chance to own their very own business and start to earn money for their selves straight away, as they start to help others lose weight and become healthier.

I'm actively looking for people with passion and drive who want to make a difference, to join my team. 

To start up your own business you normally need thousands of pounds as you have to pay for rent, products and advertising.  With Herbalife you only pay for a business start up pack and than you own your own business and you're good to go!  You get all the support you need from myself to help you on your journey as an agent of Herbalife.

There's no huge start up costs and all the advertising has already been done for you, all you need to do is go out and chat to people and tell them about your experiences of the products and begin selling.  As soon as you join up as a Herbalife member you get 25% off all products, so even if you only buy it for yourself you are already saving money!

In this unstable economic environment with high unemployment there never has been a better time to start up your own business for minimal costs and begin to reap the benefits of being a member of this influential and trail blazing company. 

These are exciting times, why don't you become apart of it.

If you are interested in buying the products, would like further information on the business opportunity or the full range of products or want to join my team than just get in touch, I'll love to hear from you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want to Change? Than Change Your Habits First

In life many people have dreams and goals that they want to achieve but many never reach them, so why is this?

In order to truly reach your goals, whether it is to get that 'summer beach body' or that dream job, you need to change your habits in your life that are holding you back, in order to start moving towards your goal.

Planning is everything.  You need to start breaking old habits and make new ones, that will help you to get where you need to be.  If you do the same old thing, nothing will change and you will just plod along in life and your goals will forever be a distant dream.  Why should your life change for the better if you aren't prepared to change yourself.

Change is hard, we are all creatures of habit and enjoy being in our comfort zone and don't like being out of it but in order to improve we must venture out of our comfort zone, that's when the opportunities come and things can start to change.

12 years ago I was stuck in an office job which I didn't like and so I actively decided to change it. I was already a Karate instructor and liked the idea of becoming a fitness professional and helping people to get fit.   I approached the YMCA and got my Gym Instructor Level 2 and got a part time job, while I was still doing my office job and after a year left my jobs and took a 3 month break touring America with my girlfriend (another dream) and than when we got back found a job as a door supervisor (outside my comfort zone) to get some money than got a full time gym instructor job in London.

So I didn't just sit there moaning about my job and dreaming about becoming an instructor I took responsibility, took charge and did something about it.  It was scary, I had been in that job for 12 years but it was more scary thinking that I could be sitting there for another 30 odd, watching my dreams fade away, so I decided to take a chance and take that leap of faith into the unknown.

It worked for me, when I was a gym instructor I pushed myself forward, gaining my qualifications in GP Referral and classes such as Boxercise and Body Combat, so I was always developing and improving as an instructor and as a person.

Along with my wife Tonya, we opened up Titan Freestyle Martial Arts, first in Woodford then in Walthamstow and we had a fantastic time teaching both children and adults and met a lot of great people during those years and gained some trophies for the club from martial arts tournaments that our students attended.

So if you want to achieve your dreams, take charge and start to break those habits that are holding you back and start making the changes needed to make the difference.

Work outside your comfort zone as much as possible because that's where the magic happens and things start to change.

Don't care what other people think, do what you feel is right and just do it.

Fear is only an emotion use it, control it, don't let it control you and your dreams and goals can come true.