summer approaches

As of today, there are only fifty-seven days remaining in 2014. Have you achieved, or have you made progress towards meeting any of the goals you set for yourself at the years beginning? If you have, a HUGE congratulations and keep it up! If not, why not? What’s left on your “to do” list?  What are your plans to reach them as we head into summer?

We are usually our own worst enemies when it comes to creating changes for ourselves. The start of each new year brings with it a renewed sense of optimism and endless new possibilities but as the year passes by, and this year’s certainly passed quickly, we can often lose focus of the objectives we set for ourselves. Self imposed mind games are a real trip when it comes to things like excuses or procrastination.

willpower?

Often you will hear people say “I don’t have the willpower to lose weight.” They talk about willpower as if it’s a personal trait that some are born with but not them - some people have it, they don’t, and it’s something that comes and goes of its own accord. It’s as if willpower is something magical - just wait for it to come and don’t bother with the planning, organising and practicing of habits that are needed in order to achieve change.

Willpower isn’t something you are born with or without, nor is it magical - it’s simply a skill. Self control, that can be learned. You’ve got to understand that your body is the way it is right now because that’s how it has adapted to the lifestyle you’re living. If you want to change your body, you’ve also got to change that lifestyle by finding more constructive ways to adapt to your circumstances. By thinking ahead, setting achievable targets and planning healthy eating and consistent exercise into your routine and lifestyle, your confidence in your ability to change will grow and grow.

"You won’t lose weight by exercising more if you’re ignoring nutrition. You won’t get fit by dieting if you’re skipping workouts. Everything works in unison."

creating action for 2014

How quickly the year has flown. Santa is already ho ho ho’ing wherever we go and everyone is frantically shopping, with Christmas and the New Year upon us.

It’s already that time where we subconsciously start setting a few fitness or health goals for 2014. But how did you do throughout 2013? Did you achieve what you set out to do at the years beginning? Are you smarter, fitter, healthier, stronger? Yes - then congratulations! If not, what stopped you? Facing your fears? Laziness? Lack of motivation and determination?

Health and fitness are tomorrow problems - people notoriously put them off unless sickness knocks directly on their door with a wake up and they have to face the consequences of their unhealthy choices.

commitment, perseverance, determination

I started writing the Lighten the Load column in the Whitsunday Coast Guardian nearly two years ago, aiming it at those who were sedentary, hopefully encouraging them to become active and those who were overweight, hopefully encouraging them to become healthy.
Summer is once again knocking on the door. The layers of clothing that have been protecting us throughout the winter are starting to be peeled off. Do we like what we see? Are we enjoying how we feel?

slave to the scale

Up until a couple of years ago I was held captive to an unhealthy and unrealistic obsession, my life totally consumed with my captor... my bathroom scales.

I stood on them the moment I got up. Of course! Isn’t that everyones first priority on awakening? Then I would weigh myself after I had emptied my bladder. After I showered. After I ate my breakfast. After I brushed my teeth. After I had a glass of water. Before I exercised. After I exercised. Lunch. Dinner. More water! Haircut! Cutting my fingernails! I kid you not. A never ending ritual. Unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins. For I would then allow the figure they reported to me hundreds of times a day to control exactly how I would then feel about myself in that moment. I would be excited beyond belief if the figure glaring at me had dropped. I would float - light and happy. Or I would be crushed - disappointed and frustrated, if I so much as gained a gram. Eat if the number was down. Starve myself if up. Reward. Punish. Love. Hate. Certainly not a healthy relationship. Nor, a smart lifestyle, is it? Can you imagine how exhausting that rollercoaster ride is? I had such an emotional attachment to the number on the scale. However I was in denial of that obsession. To be very honest I actually thought everyone had that same ‘passion and focus’ that I had, to be a particular, and concrete, ‘number on a machine’.

changing your lifestyle

How valuable is change to you? How confident are you that you can achieve the changes you are after? The personal benefits of losing weight or greater healthier are high but unfortunately to some, the ‘costs’ of achieving change can also be high.

So on one hand it may be really important to have a lower weight but on the other you also want to eat your favourite food or chocolate bar whenever you feel like it. It’s a conflict between competing desires and the accompanying frustration will often lead you to seek out solutions that falsely promise both - lose weight and eat what you want. Snake oils. I was prey to those deceptive messages myself for many years. Unfortunately. It isn’t that easy. There is no miracle cure, quick fix or gimmick. Don’t be fooled by the hype!

Train hard. Eat clean. Stay consistent and focused. Repeat. That’s how you create shipshape health.
So in considering that, what holds you back? It depends how much you really want the weight loss - how motivated you are. No matter how positive you are, how many goals you set or how much you visualise your success - if your reason for wanting to change does not inspire or motivate you strongly enough, it will more than likely be a short lived pursuit. This is the reason many people do not achieve their long term goals or successfully make long term changes to their lifestyles. So what are some perceived advantages and disadvantages for weight loss?

hitting a plateau

At some stage on a weight loss journey many of us are likely to experience what is known as a ‘plateau’. Essentially, this is a term used when a weight-loss program suddenly stops functioning, even though the person using the program hasn’t really changed anything.
It is hit when the body develops a tolerance for the program and so allows the body to process the nutrients from the food intake, but with a metabolism that has adjusted to retain the excess rather than burn it outright.
Whilst plateaus do occur without anything else changing, there can be other factors that cause the plateau or that may contribute to it.
• Not sticking 100% to the weight loss program
• Slow metabolism due to reduced muscle mass, inactivity or age
• Skipping meals and snacking

mindful eating

A few conversations over this past week have once again revolved around how inattentive we can often be with the food we consume.
We are all guilty at times for making naive and mindless choices. We can eat gratuitously, for the wrong purposes, and without a sense of power or control. How often do you think you haven’t eaten much for the day - only to discover - that you consumed a WHOLE packet of chips while watching TV, or a packet of biscuits as you were driving to or from work? Thoughtless. Unware.

You’ve been working hard on a project on the computer, and it’s time for a treat. You’ve been holding off, waiting for the delicious taste of - here, please fill in the blank. Ice cream? Chocolate? A donut? A fresh slice of toast laden with butter? Chips?
You take the first bite. Very yummy!

depression and exercise

Depression is an insidious illness, a quiet erosion of the soul that affects one in four women and one in eight men. The chances are high that you know someone that has depression or you may even suffer with it yourself, yet the illness still has a serious  stigma attached to it which magnifies the impact even more.

In the past we lived within communities that used to look out for each other, neighbours communicated, giving each other a voice. Life, was temperate. Those days are long gone. It’s a fast paced, self driven society we’ve created now - tasks are ongoing, people are continually busy, rushing from one appointment to another and everywhere we turn we are hit with an onslaught of technology battling for our attention. The result is - a LOT of anxious people out there, helpless and unable to cope as they are expected to, and feeling alone, like they are the ‘only ones’ unable to grapple this overwhelming lifestyle. They smile, hiding their depression behind a mask - because they feel they don’t live up to what society expects them to be and fear being judged. Feelings, aren’t always rational in the mind of a depressive.

obesity in children

Childhood obesity is an increasing problem within Australia, growing at an alarming rate.
There is not one single cause for a child to be overweight, rather it is a complex interaction of many variables. Contributing factors include genetics, behaviour (nutrition, physical activity, sedentary activities) and environment. Many kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video-game console. And today’s busy families have fewer free moments to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy is the reality for many families.

However, overweight kids are at increased risk for several health complications. Despite being young they are still likely to exhibit risk factors for adult medical conditions: cardiovascular disease including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. In the very near future, 1 in 3 people will be diabetic - and that, is scary.
Additional health complications include sleep apnea, asthma, and liver damage.

saboteurs

Most people don’t like change. Their own, or others. It makes them feel uncomfortable and many go to great lengths to avoid change in their lives - good or bad.
Getting fit through diet and exercise creates big changes - adjustments you welcome. But for some, family and friends who aren’t in the same mindset can become jealous and uncomfortable with the transformation - they can become your greatest obstacle. Saboteurs.
Family, friends and colleagues have gotten used to you acting a certain way. They think they know you. So when you start to change... it makes them feel uncomfortable.
This happens because they fear change; it’s not that they don’t  necessarily want you to achieve your goals, but they may be unsure of how your changes will affect them:

making change

Upon making a definitive decision to lose weight and become healthier there are usually many changes we all need to consider.
For most of us it becomes a roller coaster journey and the challenges faced can either leave us exhilarated when we feel we are succeeding or simply floored when we feel we have veered off the path.
What are you going to do when it’s tougher - quit because it’s hard? Quit because success hasn’t occured overnight? Quit because someone said you can’t do it? No, you’re better than that. You’re going to keep on pushing, learning, and growing.
For those on the cusp of that decision - whether you’re thinking of cleaning out the kitchen cupboards to begin eating more healthy or to finally start exercising, STOP procrastinating and do it - now!

be an active participant

If you’re unhappy or overweight, what are you getting out of remaining where you are? Nothing? The ultimate goal for most people is happiness and great health so they can live their life to its fullest. Yet we all become so content in our set ways that few of us are willing to make the changes necessary to create what we wish for ourselves. We plod along in blind acceptance with brick walls built up around us. If you really want change for yourself, you have two choices. Make progress, or make excuses.

People are scared of change. Some will walk through their whole life and never do an iota of introspection. They will never truly question why their life is not going the way they want or question what they can do to improve their situation. If you want to be fitter, if you want a healthier body, there is no solution other than making smarter food choices and becoming active. Change, DOES require change. It does require, stepping out of your comfort zone.

satisfaction is

I am continually amazed that every day I am in a most fortunate position to assist people in creating positive, life changing habits for themselves. In turn however, the people I get to train also affect me in a most positive way. I am regularly uplifted, inspired and motivated by the journey’s of many individuals and the life altering changes people choose to do, to create a transformation for themselves.

Every aspect of being a trainer is incredibly rewarding. To see someone’s life improve as they make and embrace positive change is very satisfying. And not just because they drop a few kgs or look better in their clothes.

reversible illness

One in four Australians aged 18 years and over is classed as obese and unfortunately this number is on a fast increase. Obesity has long surpassed smoking as the biggest killer of Aussies. Are you a part of the statistic?

Overcoming deadly factors such as poor diet, smoking and a lack of exercise should take top priority in the fight against a growing epidemic of chronic disease. Obesity and being overweight has been associated with depression, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, high cholesterol, asthma, injuries (back, neck, hip, knee, ankle), certain cancers, arthritis, chronic inflammation, heartburn, kidney stones, gout, and high blood pressure. Does anyone really want to live with illnesses that are preventable? Do we REALLY need to wait until we are so unwell, at the doctors, reeling back in great horror at what we have become and wondering how to fight off the illnesses we have created, before we start making a positive difference for ourselves?

lighten the load program

Introductory session this Saturday 7am (13 July) at Fitness Venue Proserpine :) Then it all begins ... from Saturday 20 July
The 12 week program will consist of two team sessions each week and one personal training session. Plus ‘homework’. Ongoing regular support each week. Starting July 20 it will run until the October 11 with a ‘celebration’ on the October 12.
Saturday morning 7.00 to 8.30am - this is an hour of team consultation followed by a training session.
Wednesday morning 6 to 7am - A mid week catchup plus a training session.
Weekly PT session - One on one personal training times are made individually.

step away from complacency

 

The second month of winter already! It’s freezing in the morning as you snuggle up in your cosy bed, then it’s cold and dark early in the evening. It’s easy to come up with excuses rather than get yourself out of bed or off the couch and into motion and, easy to fill yourself up on stodgy food.
Every day we can all come up with an excuse as to why, instead of right now, we will start exercising and eating healthy - tomorrow... on Monday... next week, when it’s warmer again! Why? Because we have to step outside our comfort zone to get the results we are wanting, whether it be weight loss, or to be fitter and healthier. We all have comfort zones a little too small. We know what we like and what works for us, we know what we believe in, so why do we have to venture out to the unknown? Because the rewards are worth it!
What is it you’re after - comfort or transformation?  Make room for change and you’re making room for excitement and adventure!

change is worth it

Experiencing my own weight loss journey I personally understand what it feels like to be  overweight (read obese!) tired, lethargic, unhealthy and overall not happy with myself.
It’s easy to look at someone else who is overweight and wonder how they ‘let that happen’, vowing we would never allow it to happen to us - or, we subconsciously judge them. At the end of the day we can all often neglect our own health while putting our kids, family, career or other people and ‘things’ ahead of ourselves. However, if you want to take care of others, you have to take care of yourself - first!
If you know you’re not happy with something in your life, then you need to decide what changes you wish to make - if it’s to lose weight then how much? Is it to exercise more frequently? How often? Improve the health of your lifestyle - then in what way? Become fitter? Stronger? Have you preventable illnesses?
When you're sick because of a weight related illness it’s totally in your grasp to change it.

categories of diet

Eating a healthy diet is of key importance to your weight-loss but we are currently saturated with so much information many people have no idea where to start. There is a substantial market for products which promise to make weight loss easier, quicker, cheaper, more reliable, or less painful. These include books, DVDs, CDs, exercise contraptions, creams, lotions, pills, body wraps, food products and supplements. While some are classified as unhealthy and potentially harmful to general health, others are recommended by specialists. There are endless diet plans and recipes that can be helpful for weight loss, and equally unhelpful.

Head onto Amazon (or any other online book store) and search for ‘diet’ books. The list is endless. Amazon returned 72,748 results. If there is a diet out there, there is a book about it. We certainly don’t have a lack of reading material. But little of it is of value.
Doctor designed! Ultimate diet! Eat more food and lose kgs! Two steps! Boost metabolism! Rapid results! Blast fat! All of them have built in promises that make you think - yes, this one is IT! It’s the answer. We fall for them all but...

23 hours

Last weekend I headed down to Brisbane for a weight loss conference and found myself amidst an eclectic group of informed  and savvy speakers - psychologists, nutritionists, fitness specialists, doctors - abreast with up to date information regarding obesity in Australia. Globally, there are approximately 350 million obese people and over one billion overweight people.
Those figures are predicted to increase by a staggering 50% by 2015 and according to the International Obesity Taskforce, by 2025 one in every three adults will be obese if current trends continue.
The growing prevalence of obesity in Australia is really scary with 67% of all adults considered overweight or obese, the percentage continuing to rise - rapidly. If the statistics don’t scare you, they should. It’s easy for us to sit back and think it doesn’t affect us if we aren’t overweight, but the fact is, it does. With a huge cost factor to the nation, obesity will continue to affect us all.
The saddest part is that so many people are dying from obesity related illnesses that could be prevented. That’s really hard to hear first hand! Overall about 2.5 millions deaths are attributed to overweight/obesity worldwide. People are dying - when by simply making changes to the way they eat and move, they have the opportunity to live!? WHAT does it take before someone will take action for themselves?