​This subject is often the hot potato of huge difficulty for so many people wishing to have more energy, lose body fat and feel better about themselves.      

Do  you ever feel so tired of the constant battle with weight reduction and maintenance ?
 
The yo yo effect of constantly battling through endless starvation diets can wreak havoc mentally and physically on anybody wishing to maintain a strict intake of fuel. If you are constantly feeling tired and burnt out all of the time then the chances are that your system is simply lacking in a great deal of nutrients and the right kind of quality sleep / active rest. The problem is many diets advertised commercially offer only short term results but the average person is unable to keep up novelty diets in the long-term and this results in the yo yo effect which is extremely harmful to the human system. These types of restrictive fad diets only result in losing essential muscle mass, they often cause damage to the internal organs and they reduce your metabilic rate therefore over the longterm cause weight GAIN!

Weight management is simple, ignore the fad diets and simply eat healthily and exercise. 
 
To change boring old habits and shake things up for the better, health wise, then never skip a good healthy energy fuelled breakfast consisting of balanced energy packed whole foods to set you up for the day.   It is absolutely crucial to make time for this meal at the start of the day because getting the right intake of fuel hugely aids in fat loss and general weight management and health.   Your brain concentration levels will be much sharper,   energy boosted and muscles ready to do their job.     Not only this your metabolism will be enhanced with much more in the tank to work with throughout the day keeping your metabolism much more stable. 
 
The other factor is to incorporate frequent healthy snacks like fresh fruit throughout the day.     Again, this will aid in fat loss and prevent your system from crashing and reaching for the usual high sugar fix of cakes and junk food. Keep drinking plenty of fresh water and greatly reduce the caffeine intake, this ensures really good hydration which plays a pivotal role in energy, and the excretion of toxins within the body.
 
All meals should be light and as wholesome as you can possibly consume with plenty of fresh vegetables to keep vitamins and minerals up to aid in tissue repair.      

Stay well away from processed foods, this type of food is utterly useless and will most definitely be a cause of fatigue and weight gain, and will not fight infections.  

The problem is many of the foods on our supermarket shelves that you believe to be healthy are simply processed junk. Think natural! fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and lean proteins - if its in a packet the chances are that someone somewhere has tampered with it and filled it with sugar, salt, bad fats and other fillers.

The key to success is to have a complete balance of wholesome natural foods of a wide variety which will promote good healing of your cells, muscle/joint repair, positive thinking, enegy levels, greater wellbeing healthier skin, the ability to fight off infections and a much leaner, stronger physique.

 Time and time again I am asked how can I make my workout so much better, not be bored, and get more out of my training.

Well the answer is simple...... Focus on YOU
A lot of people struggle because they are easily distracted by gadgets like phones,  electronic devices,  and even other people.  Valuable time is lost from the warm up phase right through to the cool down of a good workout.   I have seen so many people constantly break the rhythm of their workout by answering or making calls, and texts resulting in fiddling and fumbling with all kinds of electronic devices and raised stress levels when the workout could be so much more productive in every single component of the training cycle.

Remember your training regime is for you! for no one else, use this time to focus on yourself. We all work hard enough in this world and it is essential to take the time no matter how long it is, 15 minutes or an hour, for yourself.

Aren't you worth it?
Can't the outside world wait for just that small amount of time? 

A good focus on your training no matter how long you want to train for and a focus on what you really want from your session really helps before you start your warm up.  Go into your session with a plan, you don't have to do the same laborious exercises day in and day out, give yourself one or two aims from your session and really focus on them.

Ditching the gadgets and all interruptions will keep your heart rate up and your mind focused and you into a zone where you should be so that you burn so many more calories !  Now that is what I call a really great incentive.  
Whats the point of wasting time at the gym if you don't use that time effectively. 

Not only that,  a concentrated mind, a really clear head without any intrusions, enables you to really engage with the equipment you are using and adopt the correct technique (provided you have been coached correctly).  Again this focus will allow an extra calorie burn, and a much deeper muscular effect.  Focus on technique, not how many kg's you can lift. Carried out correctly you will not only see an increase in strength but a great cardiovascular response and in turn an increase in stamina. 

Being distracted by all electronic devices will most definitely affect your workout,  potentially raising stress levels to a degree that negates the good work you have put in.  Remember whether it is 30 minutes,  or an hour's training it should be fun and enjoyable looking after your health.   Make every minute count and you will find that you are so much closer to your training objectives and gaining those fantastic positive results you have been looking for.   

This in turn should serve to motivate you even more because you can see the benefits and feel a new you.

Remember if you need help putting the focus back into your training regime with a new specifically tailored plan, or perhaps need that added bit of motivation with a private or group training session , I am here to support you every step of the way. Give me a call to see what you can achieve!

An impromptu Saturday morning text from some friends resulted in Sarah and I dashing out of bed, scoffing down some breakfast, packing a day sac and off we went to the beautiful Peel Forest. 

Our mission for the day was to get to the summit come hell or high water, we went for it and to say we under estimated the challenge was an understatement! considering we may have had a couple too many wines the night before perhaps climbing a mountain was not the best idea. 

However we got there - dragging Sarah kicking and screaming to the top we can now say we have ticked that peak off our list and on to the next challenge. 

Hats off to my wife though - hung over and no training for the best part of the summer she made it! but that'll teach her!! Perhaps a lazy summer isn't all its cracked up to be, stair walking and walking in general were an issue for quite a few days after.