Thursday, 2nd December 2010

Eating seems to be continually over-complicated by many of you or not even implemented at all at times.

The basic recommended plan goes like this

Breakfast

Weetabix/shredded wheat or porridge

 or scrambled eggs on toast on dry wholemeal bread

 (egg whites are better but can take some getting used to)

Mid-morning

 would be one or two pieces of any fruit

Lunch

Would be chicken/turkey/any fish with wholemeal bread/pitta bread even better and vegetables included if possible, this would  be an ideal choice if working

or if you are not working and have time to make a meal, the same principles apply and you still need your protein source which is the chicken/turkey/fish or even cottage cheese (with pineapple or onion and chives often liven the taste up), again with vegetables you like if possible. You can also put some healthy carbs with this such as wholegrain/wholewheat pasta and brown rice which are excellent choices.

The reason why some people think carbs put weight on is simply because the average person eats too much at any one sitting. Think pasta and we think of a big plate full, in fact the portion size should really be the size of your fist, quite a culture shock for some but will stop you putting any unwanted body fat and give you  the energy you need to continue your day.

The simple rules are size of your fist when it comes to portion sizes for carbs AND protein, and vegetables can be the rest of the    plate and the more varied they are the better.

Have to slip it in here about water intake by this time of the day? Have you relied on coffee’s and tea’s, or have you done the right thing and drunk a steady supply of water since you got up from bed.

Most people don’t realise that water intake burns fat too and makes your body work far more efficiently, and importantly makes you feel fuller than if you just relied on caffeinated drinks such as the tea and coffee.

We move on to now snacks in the afternoon and we think of fruit again and a handful of nuts this time for essential fats, which are vital for just about everything in the body. Nuts may be calorific but it’s important to consume them and really try to keep them in very small handful’s. Brazil’s, cashew’s, almond’s, hazlenut’s are all great examples of essential fatty acids your body needs.

Evening meal’s should follow the same simple formula as lunch. We are talking once again the importance of protein to fill you up, the good carbs to give you energy but not put fat on, and the vegetables to make everything in your body work well and be healthy from the inside out.

So we’ll go over it again, we’re talking chicken/turkey/fish for protein, wholegrain pasta or brown rice for carbs, also new potatoes are very good, sweet potatoes are amazing because of their slow sugar release in the body too. Your vegetables coming into your body at this time of day will give a massive boost to your immune system and really repair the damage that has come and gone from the trials of your busy day.

Hopefully, you wouldnt have forgotten about drinking water throughout the day, it really will make the massive difference you may be missing in your life. It just makes things go a lot smoother with your day both internally and the way you look and feel full stop. Don’t wait until your thirsty either, this means you’re dehydrated already so you need small amounts from dawn till dusk, and beyond this time of year due to the dark nights of course!!

Another familiar problem as you know is eating late at night or after dinner, you really dont need it at this time of day and you will be consuming extra calories at the wrond time of day, ironically when you’re burning the LEAST amount of calories!

How’s that for a day or eating and drinking? If you stick to that, then you will be in serious shape and feeling as energetic as you’re ever going to feel. The long term effects of eating like this cannot be overstated so let’s try and get in to it gradually and watch the amazing results flood in every single week!

Wednesday, 1st December 2010

We are finally here!! 1st December 2010 is a sign that we are nearly at the end of the year and most people seem to be happier and emptying their bank accounts!!

Christmas lunches or evening meals are being served across the land and from a health perpective, its a good chance to see how much you’ve changed in the past year. For example, if you go out and have your first christmas meal and you feel great after it, then you’re probably used to eating all that rich food, which is a sign that you’re not really physically at your best unfortunately.

If you eat the same christmas meal and you feel stodgy and tired afterwards, then thats a good thing believe it or not!! If you eat mince pies and they go through you quickly and you have to go to the toilet sooner than normal, that shows that your body is really not used to rich food, sugary and fatty food and you’re very used to putting very good food into your system normally.

What about your training if you eat rich food throughout december? That will surely go down a couple of levels and your energy levels are likely to be on the floor. You will realise how much good, clean food has on your system and your energy levels, and how really incredible it makes you feel!

You will know this all to be true if you have changed the way you live your life for the better, at least in food and exercise terms anyway!! 2010 SHOULD have been a great year for you, and even if it hasn’t, then you would have started to learn a lot about yourself and how you can improve in 2011 and hopefully reach where you really want to be!

This is me not being a spoilsport either, but i have been through eating all the rubbish all of december in years gone by, and my asthma coming back, putting an extra stone on, feeling as if i don’t want to get up in the morning etc etc are usually at the bottom of my list of priorities these days!! It’s good to eat these foods on occasions throughout christmas, but making the whole month one big excuse is going to make your body into the opposite of what you really want to be.

Most people i train and people i don’t train would/do give a lot to look amazing again, and reclaim their youthful body that they thought was lost forever. The great news AND THE TRUTH IS that you CAN do it if you keep on applying the principles we talk about on here EVERY DAY. There’s heck of a lot of difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it as i keep saying!!

1st december, let’s make it a month when you really enjoy and still feel fantastic all the way through right up until 2011!!

Tuesday, 30th November 2010

Putting off your health and weight problems is the biggest mistake you can ever make. Throwing in the towel right now for christmas is one of my pet hates, and fortunately i help a lot of people who are really commited to working out right up until christmas, through christmas and straight after christmas. This is a great strategy because you really want to be flying into 2011 in the best possible shape.

So assuming you’re commited to being the best you can be, and maybe you’re having a few problems with getting into the kind of shape you want to be, maybe 10-15 pounds short of your best weight?

The first thing to do is be honest with yourself and tell yourself the truth. What would you give to lose that extra weight and everyone tell you how great you look? Could you put up with eating food a lot plainer without the additives?

Assuming you have the odd treat anyway, these are the things i would get rid of without hesitation! 

These are the things i have got rid of when i’ve raided fridges and cupboards in a lot of houses. Get a black bag and get rid of the following right now, no messing around so lets make it happen please!

Ketchup-when i eat it, it makes me wheeze and brings my asthma back and i hear this a lot from other people, this has no place in your cupboard if you want to be in great shape full stop and no but’s!!!

Salt-the best way to get your blood pressure up! Which is really bad of course and very bad for making your body hold water, another pet hate of many of you, looking and feeling bloated is not the most attractive look in the world!!!

Mayonnaise-full fat or half fat or very low fat, this stuff is rubbish and will do absolutely nothing to help you get into shape, in fact it will make things extremely hard!!! Whatever the marketer’s tell you, its very harmful for the body!

Salad cream-same as mayo, a nightmare for getting into shape, if you want to be at your best, then why are you buying this rubbish!!!!

Flora margarine or any margarine-DESPITE what they say again, its not good for you, in fact butter is much better. Another example i was told of today, if you put butter in the garden all day, the animals will eat it, you put margarine out all day and the animals won’t go near it!! True story so be careful on what you put into your body!! Flora won’t get you healthy, honestly!!

White bread-full of bleaching agents and shocking ingredients, this stuff should be banned from your house full stop, its making your get in shape plans go up in smoke, get it out and get it out now please!

These are examples of things that will destroy all your great training efforts, get them out of your life and start seeing amazing results with your health, your body and the way you’re going to feel!!!

Monday 29th November

Belief in what you’re doing is the single most important thing that can happen in your life.

If you ask any multi-millionnaire who has made that money out of nothing, they will say that.

Anyone who has changed people’s lives or even countries lives such as Ghandi would not have achieved so much had the initial belief not existed.

If you don’t believe in what you are doing, you will eventually fail to bring the desired result into your life.

When you have complete belief, anything is possible.

For example, if you wanted to try and drive to london, you would know to travel pretty much on the M4 all the way. You may take the odd wrong turning or get off at the wrong exit maybe, but you will know how to re-position yourself and get on the right track again all the way to london. This is due to the fact that you may have done it a few times and you have total belief in your ability to get there.

Those of you who have been in good shape before, will know the way you need to go to get into great condition. The problem becomes when you take “the wrong turnings” at times and instead of “getting back on track”, you tend to lose heart and lose your direction.

It’s at this exact time that total belief in what you’re doing has to be the number one priority. This will get you through every time as long as you remember a few simple principles. You will know it when you eat right most of the time, you will feel much better and keeping a good water intake coming remains vital to your health and progress. You will know it when you’re having great workouts, fantastic energy levels will become the norm. This all adds up to very good sleep which is hugely important and makes your body recover better than ever.

We maybe only 3 weeks to christmas, but this is the time to really believe in yourself and your abilities. Don’t let ANYONE put you off because you have the ability to do these simple things to be in the best shape you’ve ever been.

Belief starts here, let’s do it!!

Friday, 26th november

Whether the snow has reached you or not, your workouts should absolutely not be affected!!

Unlike a tennis coach who relies on outside work only (unless he/she is involved with inside courts), i never lose work to the weather. I realise that inside workouts are just as important as outside work. Accept the fact that in this country it rains around 9 months a year and you will be adequately prepared!! Your workouts are only limited by your imagination so let’s take the excuses right out of the equation right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, you should be adequately prepared to switch workouts when you have to. For example, if you were supposed to cycling today and the cyle path is snowed over, then it doesn’t take a genius to work out that you could skip the cycling and workout tremendously hard inside?!!! There’s a million things to do inside so lets pick up the pace, pick your attitude up off the floor and aggressively attack your strength work just because of the amazing results its capable of bringing you!!

See this situation as a positive too! Have you noticed if you exclusively run or cycle and thats all you do, when you do an inside workout or do any other activity out of the ordinary, sometimes you are stiff for days!!

This will be telling your body that you need to be more diverse in your approach if you are serious about being a well-rounded athlete. Your muscles need to be worked from different angles if you want to feel and look your best. Variety is the spice of life so lets make it your priority and start thinking about the many ways you can be fit and healthy!!

Four weeks tomorrow is christmas day and hopefully you have and are making the big push to a tremendous christmas body. Quitting now before christmas is the easy way out and nobody ever achieved ANYTHING like that. Let’s think and grow your mindset into something very strong thats going to support your physical efforts very well!!!