Keri McKibbin Personal Training

Looking at things in a different light can make the difference between doing positive things, or feeling your are collapsing under the strain of life.

Some of us have terrifying schedules to some, and some of us moan about our jobs, our lives, our responsibilities. If you look at these factors in a different way, and feel lucky that you have such a busy schedule, feel lucky that people make us responsible for others and take pride in that, and that our jobs are actually meaningful, we can soon feel pretty lucky indeed, and look at things in a different way.

I feel lucky that some of you communicate after i’ve shared my thoughts with you every day. This helps me learn and understand what’s really going on out there, and i learn more about the highs and lows of human emotions.

You will hopefully benefit from me sharing all the things i know, and its great to have some positive feedback on what we do on here.

I am on the verge of putting my house up for sale, having a young family makes you grow out of houses very quickly, and so im about to see things in a different light in a different address! I feel lucky i have the opportunity to move house and are able to finance it. Life’s about different experiences and im sure a ton of them are about to come!!

Seeing the light for many of you came through our recent 84 day challenge, you may have been on the verge of giving up, the verge of throwing in the towel many, many times, but some of you came through and actually demonstrated to yourselves that if you employed the right strategies, you could really improve yourself and make a major contribution to your wellbeing and health in general. You overcame feelings of hopelessness at times and were brave enough to get off the floor aqnd come back fighting.

Look at the way Cyril picks himself up every single day, good or bad and somehow manages to work it out for himself, and shares all those ups and downs.

I have said many times that one of the biggest secrets of success is simply showing up 80% of the time. if you expect good things to happen, and you take positive action each day in the hope they will, chances are that some good things will happen.

Gary Player, the famous golfer once said when asked by the media on how he was so “lucky” he replied, “the funny thing is, the more i practice, the luckier i get!

Hope your week is going well and keep practicing!

If something is worth doing, then its worth doing well.

If you’re planning a workout, make sure you put some effort into it, and you’re not guilty of going through the motions.

If you struggle to get going some days, then get going anyway. I find if i get a day like this, i feel a whole lot better 5-10 minutes into the workout. After the workout, i am really so glad i got going in the first place, and everything feels better after the event!

We all would like to act on some of the takeaway leaflets that come through the door sometimes, wondering in fact if we are really missing something? When we fall for it again, the reverse is true of how we feel after a workout. We feel all groggy, sluggish and generally terrible, exactly how we didn’t want to feel!

Doing things for a purpose works on a time basis too. We all have constraints on our time from time to time, and if we train with a purpose, we usually have to train LESS than most people do, because we have a purpose in mind and simply we want “to get the job done”!

Making changes in our body fat, and energy levels can be done with eating with a purpose too. I gave you the pizza example earlier, or just about any takeaway, when we feel terrible after junk. The opposite can be done with “good” and “clean” eating, we automatically feel better when we do this, but we have to shop with a purpose too, this means pre-written shopping lists with intent on being healthy and being well-nourished. This is easily done and you don’t have to think about it too much.

Good planning is often imperitive if we are aiming for some impressive results. When this planning becomes second nature, then good results and a good standard of health and fitness becomes natural, and almost like being no effort at all.

Most people are impatient and unwilling to give it time. This is a common reason for failure. If you give anything enough time, you will do well as long as you’re sure what you are doing contains common sense and has every chance of working.

One of the secrets of success is simply showing up time after time, remember the 80% rule about doing everything right. Then 20% of the time, do whatever you want and enjoy the treats in life on all sorts of levels.

Here we are, the last day, day 84 which means 12 weeks since the start and hasn’t it gone quickly for some, or very long for others!

We have all learned from this of course. I have discovered how hard it is for most of you, to create the foundations needed to be successful in the future and right now. Some of you have done very well, such as ever-present Cyril, who seems to be enjoying the programme much more now, and is starting to show confidence in his abilities.

 From cycling in the snow and ice, he is thoroughly enjoying his time cycling now that the weather is getting warmer and the track is not actually dangerous anymore!!

Whatever your progress over the last 12 weeks, its important to recognise how much you have improved and where exactly you are now.

If you pin-point the areas where you need to improve, then progress should automatically follow because you now know the areas where you can make gains on by making simple changes in your life. It’s easier when you have this kind of awareness. The hardest part is of course when you don’t have this kind of awareness. If you don’t know where you are going wrong, then how are you supposed to fix it?

This site is all about making progress, spotting how you can improve and spotting trouble sometimes before it happens. If trouble and struggle does come (most of the time it does), then not allowing it to get out of control is the difference between keeping your progress and programme on track, and the difference between going off the rails and not doing any exercise plan for years sometimes.

The confidence to carry on with a health and fitness programme can make all the difference to you. When we have little or no confidence in ourselves and our abilities, our likelyhood of carrying on doing something and doing it well are going to be greatly reduced.

The great news is that i will continue posting each day starting from tomorrow, and use this site as kind of a research and development site to health others. We are all learning and we are all here to learn off each other. We are all after the whole truth on how to get into shape, and live a better quality of life.

See you tomorrow and thanks for the last 12 weeks. Be interesting to know some of your results, even if they are up and down a bit, the rest of the year awaits!

Thanks for supporting the site and we still have at least 100 people here daily, more of you actually posting would be great!

We are nearly there! Day 83 sounds pretty incredible to me, and what a weekend to finish.

Great down burry port harbour today, and the best day of the year by some margin!

Another way of looking at this challenge is to say it has been 83 days since you had the opportunity to change your life, your body and your mind.

So what has it been? Has it been throw in the towel early, has it been meander along with up and down efforts? Or has it been one amazing effort all the way through and you have achieved an amazing result?

Whatever it is has been, you will have done enormously well just to last the 84 days, those of you who have, will appreciate now what you can achieve and what good health really means to you.

Anyone i know who has had great health doesn’t let it go in a hurry. If they did, then how do you explain 70 and 80 year old men swimming in burry port harbour every day, come rain or shine and even snow!! How does that motivation remain? I see the same in langland and caswell beaches each morning!

I think the motivation remains because the overall ambition of great health remains paramount. None of us get out of bed every morning super-charged, that simply wouldn’t be human! Some of us sometimes have problems even getting out of bed! But when we do, we are always glad we got out and did our stuff, be it swimming in the harbour, going for a run, going for a walk, doing an inside workout, whatever it is, its going to be highly valued and treasured by those of us who really desire great and vibrant health on a daily basis.

Once you start adopting these priniples that we have developed and looked at over the last 84 days, then you should and will be very successful at getting the kind of health and fitness plan that will see you nicely into your old age. There is a lot of science behind this, as well as old-school tried and tested methods that will work for you every time.

This is why i tend to get emotinal about all this, and i know a lot of you do too.

If you are doing well and making big changes in your life, then i get excited and proud too. If you slip back and the wheels come off the wagon, i want to correct that and do something big about it immediately. I know if we don’t try to fix it every time, the problem becomes bigger and biggger and harder to fix.

Being in the private world of business, things have to happen right now or you lose ground. That attitude works very well for your fitness plan and ambitions, if its working fine then great, if its not flying along, we need to talk about it and come up with a strategy that works big time!

24 hours left of the 84 days, make it your best workout!!

Okay day 82 and we are approaching the last weekend of your challenge! What a weeekend with all the nice weather hitting us too, so no excuses not to get out there and enjoy the sunshine!

People in new york i can imagine use more exercise equipment because there tends to be extremes of weather there, it can be freezing in the winter, and the humidity can be a killer in the summer! So whatever you are doing, you tend to do indoors, spring and autumn apart of course when it can be fantastic!

Then, you have the likes of california, when all year round tends to be fantastic to workout outdoors, and do things where you have plenty of fresh air. We in the UK tend have mediocre weather which makes us feel pretty low sometimes, and then we tend to get over-excited when its sunny, and nothing worse than the sight of people taking their tops off for no reason at times, especially when its not the prettiest of sights!!

The number one thing is doing things you enjoy, and if you do them quite often, you are likely to get better and better at them, which means getting fitter and healthier of course.

Saturday is usually my day off, but i’m always looking for balance to my week and this week will be no different. I haven’t run so much this week as i’d like (which is a rarity) so i’m throwing a run in there at 6am tomorrow morning. A bit early for some maybe but as most of you know by now, 4am is my normal wake up call every work day. I know i will feel amazing at 7am!!

Nothing better then getting out there and getting some fresh oxygen in your blood. This process will help you repair all the cell damage we all go through every week due to the environment, be it pollution from smoke, eating food with too many chemicals, drinking too much alcohol, passive smoking, direct smoking or just about anything.

The bottom line is that we need to treat our bodies very well if we want it to be in good shape for our old age. Your retirement is there to be enjoyed in great shape, not some kind of meaningless existance that’s a constant struggle, you can turn it around right now and prepare yourself for some amazing health into your golden years.

So tomorrow morning, when i go for my run, not only will i enjoy it with all the great scenery, my dogs will enjoy it because they will be on a great run which they love and they get to swim, not only all of that, but i will be flushing all the toxins out of my system and re-charge my system, re-charge my blood cells, re-charge my vital organs to new levels of health and vitality, and i’m revving myself up with boundless energy too!

This is a great way to feel better, and its all free of course!! The best workouts are usually free, not stuck in some gym waiting for some exercise machine, with lots of germs circulating the air. Your best venue’s are all inside so enjoy them while you have the great weather around us.

Use your inside workouts for the mediocre weather, so you have a nice mixture all year round.

Two and a half days to go, finish them off strong!

Day 81

Four days to go and I have never felt 80 days of posting would be so much of a learning process. We all learn every day and if we don’t, we get left behind soon enough and what we do doesn’t remain relevant any more.

The trick of remaining relevant and staying ahead of what’s happening is finding out what really works, how people’s emotions affect everything they do, giving people time to work things out, and achieving the fine balance needed between being tolerant and having patience, versus telling people to pull themselves together and do things the right way.

The “right” way is not always easy because there are always hard choices to make along the way. If you see this 84 days as a trip from London to Los Angeles, you will know that both of these routes don’t take the straight forward path.

For example, if you left London to go to Los Angeles, you would assume the plane goes in a straight line to the USA, not only saving fuel but getting there a whole lot quicker.

The reality is that you have to fly over Canada and above (Greenland) which is well above where the straight line is. The reason is due to winds and the best path for the aircraft to take time after time. This route was arrived at of course due to the science of flying and making things as efficient as possible. It may seem as if the plane goes the roundabout route, but everything is done for a scientifically proven reason.

The 84 day challenge is done in a certain way because science and experience dictates it should be done this way for the best possible result. Our overall goal is massive change over 12 weeks, and if the right steps and twists and turns are taken, you can achieve a total transformation. We never lose sight of the end goal, the end product which is the “new you” and the best version of you.

If we changed our minds all the time during the programme on the best course (do we change to a faddy diet for example?), we would never achieve great things, by that I mean a lifetime of change for the better, instead of the misery that faddy dieting brings into people’s lives.

So although the course may seem tough at times, it does get easier and as we approach your very own personal destination, the path should get a lot clearer and smoother.

The best bit about this challenge is that its not the destination is the most important thing, the most empowering thing is the journey you have undertaken, developing great mental strength and finding out brand new things about yourself, as well as developing powerful and impressive physical prowess of course.

Keep it going and 4 days of sun coming up right until Sunday!!

Day 80 is quite something don’t you think, 80 days of straight flat-out effort, that is some achievement even if you haven’t been able to do your best this time. As i keep telling you, its really impossible to be perfect all the time, it is important though not to knock yourself too much when you do blow it for the day or the week, getting back on the programme is all that matters at that particular stage.

So the big question is, are you going to keep on doing this thing after day 84? Hopefully you are and you will keep on doing it in such numbers. Around 120-150 unique visitors from around 15 different countries view this site according to the latest data, so i have every incentive to keep on writing and trying to help everyone out.

One of the most important changes i have heard from people taking this challenge is their taste buds changing. Those of you who used to eat a lot of packaged food, and have tried around 5000 diets, have noticed since you don’t eat the processed food so much any more, so much processed sugar, so much salt in your food and in the cooking process even, you are now noticing the TRUE disgusting sickly taste of processed food that ultimately wrecks your body for long term success.

Salt, sugar and saturated fat are the evil triplets of what we are really trying to achieve, and these triplets are happy to send us into a black hole where we feel helpless about our weight, that we feel depressed about our weight, that makes our performances go to pot, etc etc. If you want to avoid this black hole, you need to stop falling for marketing madness, or “genius” on the marketers point of view. They want you to keep falling it for every time, and it does seem a lot of people still do.

I really can’t believe these scams are still in existance, as well as all the products linked to them. These WILL send you into the black hole of hopelessness.

Good natural foods will send you into a world full of hope and achievement, and send your body and mind into a world where everything works better inside and out, and your view of the world improves drastically without even trying too hard. If you think that is overdoing it a bit, try lasting the 12 weeks in its entirety, and then see what your view of the world is?

I don’t buy this idea that people have low expectations so you are willing to accept any old rubbish. That you are willing to believe such processed foods are actually good for you just because they are “low in calories”. I don’t believe most of you will fall for any of those lies.

So you have a clear choice right now. Either you believe and actually carry out what’s on here every day, and make it work for you and your family. Try asking anyone if it sounds like common sense, or try asking a doctor to see if its likely to work? I’m pretty sure they will say its the right thing to do for the short-term and a lifetime!

Or

You go into the infamous “black hole” of processed foods/weight loss clubs, faddy exercise videos and equipment. That neverending world of short term glory, and ultimately the depression of putting it all back on and more. The nasty feeling of spending all that money on plastic exercise equipment, only to see it in langushing in some dark cupboard three months later.

The good news is that i’m here to back you EVERY day in your ambitions and goals. Some of you may even find the idea of being fit and healthy fanciful, i can tell you now its perfectly achievable and there is indeed, a new and better life out there for you!

Your amazing food shopping list!

All of these foods will serve you well, and leave no shortage of ingredients for you to cook healthy meals. As long as you eat well 80% of the time, then you will be in great shape, and keep your sanity! A treat here and there is no problem when you use this philosophy.

Meat and fish

Anchovy fillets

Chicken breast

Haddock

Mackerel

Prawns

Salmon, fresh fillets and cans

Smoked salmon

Scallops

Squid

Swordfish

Tuna, fresh and canned

White fish fillets

Dairy

Free range eggs

Goat’s cheese (soft and hard)

Milk

Parmesan cheese

Tofu

Live natural yoghurt

Vegetables

Aubergines

Avocados

Beansprouts

Baby beetroot

Broccoli

Green cabbage, green red and white

Carrots

Celeriac

Celery

Chinese leaves

Corn, baby cobs

Courgettes

Cucumbers

Fennel

Garlic

Green beans

Leeks

Lettuce

Mangetout

Mixed salad leaves

Mushrooms

Red and yellow onions

Parsnips

Frozen peas

 Red yellow and green peppers

Red chillies

Rocket

Shallots

Spinach

Sprint onions

Sprouted seeds

Butternut squash

Swedes

Sweet potatoes

Tomatoes

Watercress

Fruit

Apples

Apricots

Blackberries

Blueberries

Grapefruit

Kiwi fruit

Lemons

Limes

Oranges

Pears

Raspberries

Nuts and seeds

Cashew nuts

Hazelnuts

Linseeds

Pine nuts

Pumpkin seeds

Sesame seeds

Sunflower seeds

Walnuts

Pulses

All canned

Butter beans

Cannellini beans

Chick peas

 Flageolet beans

Lentils

Mixed beans

Mung beans (dried)

Red kidney beans

Spilt yellow lentils (dried)

Split yellow peas (dried)

Grains and wheat

Brown rice

Buckwheat flour

Buckwheat noodles

Couscous

Millet flakes

Oats

Quinoa

Rye/wholegrain, wholemeal bread

Herbs

Basil

Bay leaves

Chives

Coriander

Dill

Fennel

Lemon grass

Marjoram

Mint

Mixed herbs, dried

Oregano, dried

Parsely

Rosemary

Sage

Thyme

Spices

Black pepper

Caraway seeds

Cardamom pads

Cayenne

Chilli paste

Chilli powder

Cinnamon, ground

Cloves

Coriander seeds

Cumin seeds

Curry leaves

Curry paste

Curry powder

Fennel seeds

Fresh ginger

Ginger powder

Mango powder

Mustard seed

Nutmeg

Onion powder

Paprika

Poppu seeds

Star anise

Turmeric

Oils

Avocado oil

Olive oil

Sesame oil

Walnut oil

 

As previously discussed, handy and essentials for your storecupboard

Anchovy essence

Black olives

Carrot juice

Coconut, creamed

Coconut, milk

Honey

Horseradish sauce

Mixed vegetable juice

Mustard, Dijon

Mustard, wholegrain

Peppers in olive oil

Ratatouille, canned

Soy sauce

Stock, fish

Stock, vegetable

Stock powder

Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil

Hopefully, you will find all of this useful!

“You can avoid reality, but you can’t avoid the consequences of avoiding reality”-Ayn Rand

Bank holiday monday already, the bank holiday almost over! I have had my early morning run, and i will be shortly off to Carmarthen for the kids steam engine ride with Thomas and friends!! It’s a bit rough out there but the boy is 2 with me today, so we have to give it our best shot!!

I suddenly realise we are in the last week of the challenge, and its been a long road for most of you. Some have started so well, then threw in the towel. Some have done amazingly well, then panicked and forgotten what’s worked for them and changed eating systems, going back to faddy ways of doing things.

Some of you never actually got going, just watched along the way, and nothing wrong with that, but your participation next time would be most appreciated.

Those of you that are still here are to be highly commended! You can see how hard it is now just to last 12 weeks!! That’s pretty tough going and you managed to do it!! You kept your head when all those around you were losing theirs!! You have accomplished great things and the biggest thing you managed to do is keep going and showing up here on this blog a lot, you can see that this a major achievement that some cannot finish, or most cannot finish it seems!

Okay, we have 6 days left and those of you who are left, try and make them big ones if you can. All the hard work is done, all the eating good fresh natural foods is done and your body has appreciated all of that, that is great news now for your body and for the future!

What’s your future going to be after this, are you talked into doing the right thing yet, or are you tempted to do things the wrong way which means all the faddy eating again?

I try to post each day because i believe what i am saying is the truth, and really the tried and tested way to do things. It’s a free country so if you want to trust my words, then that is appreciated, if you don’t then that’s up to you.

What i do know is that i don’t make a penny on this site to preach all this stuff every day, the faddy diet inventor’s however want your money, your longer term financial commitment and will literally tell you anything to get you onboard.

These are the facts so make your choice. All i know is that when i pay for something, i want that product to work and not to let me down.

Have a great bank holiday and see you on here tomorrow!

Keri