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New Year’s Eve 2010

The number one resolution made around the world every year at this exact time, well 12 o’clock tonight anyway, is the one to adopt a healthier lifestyle and lose weight.

Despite these good intentions, it turns out 60 something per cent of our population is classed as overweight. 30 something per cent of them are classed as obese and in extremely poor condition.

Most people who make these resolutions only use words. They often forget that results that mean something require action on a regular basis, for the rest of your life in all cases and this seems like the speed bump in most people’s lives.

It’s really no good temporarily putting quick fixes in your life with faddy diets come January. Sustained commitment and sustained action are the keys to you being super successful or going around in circles again. Most people I know who have finally “got it” don’t really have to make “resolutions” again, because their habits are so engrained in their life now.

When exercising is important to you, you realise it’s the thing that usually makes you tick. When eating properly is part of your life, you notice quickly when you fall off the rails a bit, because your energy levels disappear and you become this hugely irritable person that’s not that nice to be around anymore!

Einstein said that its madness to do the same old thing every time and expect a different result.

This is what new year’s resolutions are all about, doing the same thing every year and expecting a different result, it doesn’t happen!! Weight loss clubs are expecting you to join them YET again and pay for the privilege of losing the weight and putting it ALL back on again AND MORE. Is this an annual experience for you or have you really had enough this time?!!!!

Perhaps the most important thing you can do this year is not only make your resolution, but promise to take sustained action at the same time, this way you are far more likely to succeed. Commit yourself for the whole of 2011, you will have some ups and downs but if you finish 2011 in better shape than now, then you will have been very successful, how many people can say that after all?

Have a good one!!!

Twitt
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Wednesday 29th December

The great news should be that you are back into your workouts, a lot better food is going into your body and y0u’re not having a drink every day anymore. If you can say yes to all of this, then you should be feeling heck of a lot better than on the 25th and 26th of december. There is nothing worse than that feeling of overdoing it and having to lay down because you feel so full!

If we’re honest we have all had that feeling more than once and most of us don’t learn from year to year! What we can learn from though is the length of time we do it for, that is when we restrict the damge the rich living does to out liver, our heart and our general health and wellbeing.

It’s said by many people at this time of year that they don’t know how all these people who drink every day do it! It must be terrible to feel that bad every day of your life!! Unimaginable to some of us but people do live like this and all towns have a hardcore of drinkers who hit the pubs every day. That hardcore group is becoming less and less though due to the effects of the alcohol and lack of proper nutrition. Problems associated with drinking every day in excess include high blood pressure, weak heart functtion, diabetes, depression, sleeping problems, behavioural problems, extremely low energy levels, domestic violence to name just a few!!!

It makes perfect sense then to live your life as far away from that type of lifestyle as possible. Nothing wrong at all with drink in moderation, but when its something you have to do every day or most days, its time to recognise it as a problem that can destroy your life in all areas. You will always find someone to drink with in the pub and as the old saying goes, misery loves company!!!

The next couple of days is the perfect time to get out there in the fresh air and do something worthwhile again in training terms. The ice and snow has finally gone, and the temperatures are not so bad either allowing you a full range of options to get yourself back feeling your best again. How long that takes will depend on how far you’ve gone off the rails. Your body has to re-balance after all. The general rule is that for every week you have off, it takes 1-2 weeks to get back to normal so work it out like that. Two weeks off may mean up to four weeks to get back to your best.

However long it takes, its time to take the first steps now and make it happen again!!!

Twitt
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Thursday, 23rd December

Exercising is the best way to keep your brain sharp well into old age according to a study released today in the daily telegraph. We sort of secretly knew that but its always nice to have it confirmed by the doctor’s and researchers finally.

Your brain’s ability to function properly can decline up to 40% if your lifestyle is not that great. For instance, if you smoke and drink a lot, your chances of declining sooner are much increased. Your choice all the way and after all, we live in a democratic society and it’s a free country!

Your brain is your most important thing when you think about it pardon the pun. Being aware of what’s going on around you keeps you in control and allows you to make decisions independently every day. Most of us take this for granted but probably most of us again know people who cannot think independently any more unfortunately.

One of the most important decisions your body will make is the decision to move/exercise. Moving around is vital if you want to stay healthy. If you don’t stay healthy, your brain will become less and less of a factor so they both feed off each other. Exercising is often considered a choice for most people, but when you really analyse its importance, it should really be considered vital!!!

So we have been talking all week about not wanting to put weight on over Christmas, the thought of not being able to function at 100% is pretty scary I’m sure.

This is another reason to do some workouts over Christmas, losing weight is not always the number one reason to train, the ability to live a normal healthy and active life should never be underestimated!

Twitt
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Wednesday 22nd December

So what’s happening today? Maintenance workouts going in? Given up the ghost or is health still pretty important to you?

Got to admit for the first time in ages, given my schedule and the snow and ice, didnt get a workout in myself today which is highly unusual!

I see it as a big positive though. I have a weights session for 4pm tomorrow and aim for one of my best performances of the year. Today’s rest will be a bonus for me and enough motivation to get a massive performance out of me. I will feel hugely energised afterwards now and im very excited about my last weight training workout before christmas!!!

To get going on this, im back to basics tomorrow morning, a good breakfast and plenty of fruit mid-morning and afternoon, with a sizeable lunch too. If i have a good amount of calories throughout the day and make sure they are good quality, then im 99% sure of having a great workout! Nothing’s for sure but im pretty fired up about the whole day tomorrow, and believe it or not, its still busy with most people still very keen to train right up to christmas eve morning!

The party food rubbish is something i definitely havent fallen for this year, i want to feel amazing all the time and my nutrition is absolute key, along with my workouts of course!

Will let you know how it goes tomorrow and hope you have a special performance lined up too!! Let me know about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Twitt
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Friday 17th December

A huge day for snow today and last night that has kept many off work today. Also, you had the usual suspects out on the road today, the 4×4’s who think they can speed past everyone just because they have a 4×4. A familiar sight this morning unfortunately again was a 4×4 going straight into the wall in front of me, then refusing help and reversing his battered car and going into the wall opposite, when will these people learn that they really are not better than everyone else and have no automatic right to stick to the road in such conditions!!! We even have a guy at the top of our road who acts like a policeman waving traffic along on the main road, just because he has a 4×4 and somehow thinks he is a combination of the AA, the Police and the Ambulance service. The radio was making such a point earlier that such individuals should stay indoors and not be causing chaos!!

 These chelsea tractors should carry a government health warning for idiot drivers in the snow! I hasten to add that not ALL 4×4 drivers are idiots and not all are mad enough to go out on days like this. I used to go out on days like this and £1000 of damage later over the last 2 years has finally pursuaded me not to!!!

Anyway, back to the question of working out and eating right! Today is the perfect day to stay in and put lots of weight on!! Or not?

I find a valid strategy is to concentrate on eating proteins, such a chicken, turkey, lean beef, ham even. The problem with eating bread for most people is that you can eat way too much of it on days like this. You are constantly within a few feet of the kitchen and always tempted, usually eating once an hour!!! Or more for some of us!!

This should be the strategy for christmas week too, concentrating on the proteins will mean you get fuller quicker, stay fuller for longer and be less prone to make some serious errors of judgement or going on a binge even!!!

Also, a perfect time to do inside workouts, as your living room floor is unlikely to have snow or ice on it and the temperature is likely to be very warm!!! No excuses as usual, relax a lot because its nearly christmas but keeping some fundamentals in there can be very valuable!!

Have a fun day in the snow!

Twitt