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Day 38 Let’s go down the supermarket!

Day 38

Okay, here it is! This is for all of you who don’t know what to do, or know what to do and haven’t quite “done it” yet!!

Food? Is this a problem for you? Is it a conundrum that would rival the crystal maze, the krypton factor, the worst kind of puzzle imaginable?

Okay, maybe it is to some of you but it needn’t be I can assure you!

Imagine we are going shopping in a supermarket, because it all starts here, and ends here if you get it wrong! Let’s clear the uncertainties out the way right now.

We are walking into the supermarket and the first thing I come to is the fruit. This is an excellent energy source, and the type of food that can protect you from illness and tiredness, this is where it’s at!! Also, full of nutrients that do us no end of food and a natural way of looking after everything in the body.

I always like strawberries, blueberries, apples, oranges, tangerines, mangos, pears, bananas, plums, kiwis, just about any fruit so take your pick! I mean straight fruit now and no “VERSIONS” of fruit, that’s no good! Are you with me and do you understand me, are we staying simple here? Good!

Same with vegetables too, eat a variety of these, keep them colourful and keep it a good selection, these are vital for your internal workings, keeping your cells and vital organs healthy, and generally creating a better you over the next few months. Make the change right now and aim to include as many veggies as possible, then try another selection next week, and change it again the week after! Endless possibilities when you have your health and wellbeing as your number one concern!!

Next I move on to nuts, and none of that salted rubbish, I like PLAIN almonds, brazils, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts etc. No salt rubbish I repeat or “versions” of nuts, keep it simple and plain!! Is that clear?

Okay next I go to white meats and I always like chicken, turkey now and again, a little lean beef also (red meat) and lean mince now and again, is that simple? Okay I thought so and no “versions” of chicken again or turkey, keep it simple and the plain stuff please!

Next I go to fish and I love tuna, salmon, mackerel, trout now and again, cod now and again, and will try haddock sometimes, again I keep it simple and don’t go for fish in the high fat/high sugar sauce, I care what goes into my body and so should you!

Next I hit the pasta and rice section, I go for wholewheat and wholegrain pasta, no versions again, its plain and simple pasta, the same with brown rice if possible.

You can make the sauce yourself out of tomatoes etc, so no need to put foreign chemicals in your body and loads of sugar, YOU DON’T NEED TO DO IT!

Next up is cereals for me, most cereal boxes belong in the rubbish bin, but porridge, oats of any brand as long there are NO ADDED SUGARS or rubbish like apple sauce flavor etc, it doesn’t wash with me and will get your day off to a REALLY bad start! Are you still with me so far? So straight porridge it is!

Some good stuff sometimes to go with your porridge is dried fruit, and in any supermarket, you have a good selection so take your pick, these are really your flavourings for usually plain food so use them wisely. I don’t eat them so much anymore as my food tastes are probably more bland than most people on here. It did take a long time though to get to that stage!

Where else do we need to go? Orange juice, if I am using apple of orange juice, I always dilute it like I would squash, it keeps my simple sugars under control as well as my calories, you will get used to it and you don’t need all that simple sugar.

I think that’s it off the top of my head! If you are hitting every aisle in the supermarket, chances are that you are bumping into lots of temptation and are likely to fill your trolley up with needless snacks that eventually you are going to consume, don’t kid yourself on that one!

The one main message about shopping, keep it simple and stick to the main food groups, but the natural versions of those food groups. These suggestions will do wonders for the way you look and feel trust me!

Twitt
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Day 37 Your key 5 days-sun to thursday

Day 37-work, rest and play       

Most people will concentrate on one or another, some will train hard but eat what they like, some people will eat very well but not want to put much effort into their training, some will eat well and train hard, but never hit the sack much before 12.

Any of these combinations makes your progress not so good as it could have been. Sometimes you can’t get all three in of course, but that’s life and you should try and still do the best with what you can.

If you look at it like this, you should aim for Sunday to Thursday as solid, no nonsense types of days when you nail it every day, you eat good fresh food, you train with real energy and drive and you make a point of getting to bed on time every night. This should be within most of your abilities.

Obvious exceptions will include those with young children, but I have to be honest and say that many with young children I train are actually some of the very best performers!

Other obstacles to having very good Sunday to Thursday include drinking wine or beer in the week. I love a beer as much as the next man, but you really don’t need it in the week as it will put a big dent in your progress.

Your training drive will be diminished, you simply won’t feel “up for it” all the time. Alcohol will also encourage you to eat higher fat foods on the same night, and the morning after. Alcohol drives blood sugar levels up, then they come crashing back down which in turn creates a savage hunger at times. Then, when you wake up, you crave anything fired to satisfy your hunger upon rising, anyone know what I’m talking about??!!!

One more thing about alcohol, there are over 120 sleep disorders out there, and around 80 of them are linked to alcohol. So you may think that the extra glass of wine will make you sleep well, but the opposite is true. When you don’t have good sleep, you become irritable, your performance goes down, you crave fatty and sugary food etc etc.

You can see now that it’s a great idea to really concentrate on Sunday to Thursday and really get it almost perfect. Most people aren’t invited to social functions in the week, so it’s ideal to get foundations firmly laid around this time every week.

Everyone loosens up the weekend a bit, and when you do, you will be comforted in the fact that you have had a great week, your performances will be at the upper levels, your cravings for fatty foods will be at their lowest and your sleep should improve greatly.

This site is all about performing at your best, feeling your best and trying to live the quality of life that you always promised yourself.

To do this, life is full of challenges and obstacles, this is just one more but you have every ability to get over it again. There’s heck of a difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it, so let’s make it happen!!

Twitt
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DAY 36 F.E.A.R (false evidence that appears real)

If you have come this far, its fair to say that you have done incredibly well and realise that it takes courage and determination to get through this, and make a worthy attempt at getting in the best shape of your life.

Another thing that stops us in our tracks is fear. The good news is though you can begin to use it FOR you instead of against you. Most of us when we fear something don’t behave very well. We panic when we hear a police car, a fire engine, an ambulance, when we hear a bump in the night, and many of us have feared things because we really don’t believe we can achieve the end result from a particular challenge or situation.

Throughout the challenge, I have heard people comment that they can’t eat this well for any length of time, yet they have!

I have heard people say that they cannot train regularly because of various commitments and ailments, yet they have found a way.

I get told by people that because they cannot sleep, they don’t have the energy or drive, yet they have found the get up and go to do it!

All these people have been fearful of training and eating well because they were fearful that their circumstances wouldn’t allow them to take part in this challenge.

I think what they really feared was the fact that they wouldn’t be able to last this long, and finally have a body they could be proud of again. I think deep down that was the biggest fear they had and stopped them doing many other things in life, which is ridiculous if you examine the evidence.

I try to tell you all every day if you do some strength work, workout outside, eat well, sleep well, drink enough water, you are going to improve and keep on improving.

Whoever tells you otherwise is telling you plain lies!

There’s an old saying for what fear really means and it goes like this. False Evidence that Appears Real (F.E.A.R). How many of us have never tried things because we have been secretly scared of failure and doing it in the first place?

I know I have and most of you have, but haven’t we had examples of when we actually had a go eventually, we have actually had success beyond what we thought.

Next time you come to a situation when you know what to do, know how to overcome the challenge, yet still don’t try, have a bit of confidence in yourself and give it a go. Overcoming this challenge will mean that you will do it without even thinking about it next time, and taking on challenges and difficult situations will soon become a part of daily life for you.

Life as you know is no plain sailing at times, and if you are prepared for the bumps in the road in advance, then you are likely to take on and overcome any challenge that comes your way.

Remember that word FEAR, false evidence that appears real. When you think about it like this, then the range of situations and challenges that are suddenly capable of goes up dramatically.

This allows your self-esteem and self-confidence to go up dramatically and automatically you become more successful! Don’t fear the next 48 days, see them as opportunity to look and feel your best, another level in best that you will feel totally at home at!

Keri

Twitt
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Day 35

Just got home from a great run in sandy water park. Despite the snowy predictions,  we managed to have two of the sunniest and clearest days of the year. This makes the running experience even more enjoyable of course, and seems to bring a smile out in everyone.

The person i was running with hopefully really enjoyed too, and she commentated that the environment down there was always an inspiration to her. She went on to say that you never found that inspiration in the gym, or the freshness if the air that was all around. Having a fresh start on sunday morning was the perfect solution to a late night out!

When talking about nights out, one of the most common questions i get is about what drink should be consumed. Most ladies seem to go to vodka because of the relative low amount of calories. I have said it many times before on here that wine would be the best solution.

Although wine is double the calories, it will be kinder to your body inside and pass through it without incident. The vodka on the other hand is a much rougher product for your body, and is well documented for causing longer term problems for your body, when consumed in excess.

The sooner everyone stops looking at the “less calorie is good” way, the better. The sooner everyone thinks about the food they consume on each meal/snack, that’s exactly the moment you’re going to start winning the war with your body and giving it the nutrients it deserves, more natural foods are the way to go.

Don’t fall for all these “low-fat” versions of higher fat/higher sugar foods. There is no “free lunch” if you pardon the pun!

Why is it a battle with your body anyway, is it because there is so much “mis-information” out there in the first place, destined to confuse you even more, and ultimately  take some more hard-earned money out of your bank account? Surely you can’t still be falling for that any more?

Doesn’t it all come down to the basics every day? And not some diet based entirely on shakes and freaky eating habits?

You know the basics by now too, and your all natural shopping list doesn’t really have to change that much over time. Of course, your choices will vary from week to week, but those people who say that natural food is somehow “boring” surely have never bought a cooking book for fresh ideas, or it’s all free on the internet? Cooking fresh and healthy can be highly inventive, as well as highly rewarding. You will be feeding yourself and family foods that are going to look after their insides for the rest of their lives! Surely that must be exciting?!!

So how does this sound for simplicity and an achievable lifestyle?

Make your shopping list minimum 80% natural products, have some treats here and there and a bit of what you fancy, have a drink when you want to, but not more than once a week, do your strength training 2-3 times per week, get outside at least twice a week, sleep well most nights and drink water throughout the day. Does that sound too difficult?

Either do that and achieve ultimate long term success that will last a lifetime, or fall for the lastest “new faddy diet” that will always come over the horizon with a huge marketing campaign, promising you the world?!! What’s it going to be?

Strong principles and desire to always do the right thing will always serve you well, people will always try to put you off and that’s why this road is always the road that fewer people travel on. Remember it’s always in your times of indecision that your destiny is shaped!

Twitt