Aligned with these two factors, this blog examines our food in a bit more detail. Why and what we should be eating to stay in calorie deficit!

As previously highlighted, eating quality food is the key to success. We need to eat to exist and ultimately survive.

“What some of us tend to do is eat for the sake of eating and regard eating as a pleasure rather than a biological need” – Ari Whitten.

How to feel fuller for longer

Firstly we need to keep our meals simple. The harder we make our food plans, the more likely we’ll revert back to making poor food choices – cutting out or at least reducing the amount of processed, refined food we eat. 

By making better food choices; eating more fruit and vegetables, leaner cuts of meat,  water and selecting the wholemeal varieties, we stand a much better chance of feeling fuller. 

My personal favourites include 

·      Bacon and eggs for breakfast

·      A couple of boiled eggs at 11am along with an orange

·      Some raspberries, strawberries and a banana for lunch

·      Drinking plenty of water throughout the day and an apple or two

It’s also important to point out that when we eat quality food on a consistent basis over the long term, the weight drops off. I am living proof of this. 

The route to fat loss

By making changes to our diet, we become what we want now.

As hard as it is mentally to make such big changes; changing our desires and habits of a lifetime, we can never giving up.

Winston Churchill once said, if you’re going through hell, keep going! I love this quote.

The more rubbish we eat, calorie deficit becomes an impossibility. We end up letting our minds run wild, defeating our dreams to become leaner and happier about ourselves and body.

Please consider this. You cannot cheat biology. Fat loss is there for the taking and you can do this over the long term with a superb diet, growth mindset and exercise plan. The question you need to ask yourself this – can I be bothered and am I prepared to change for good?

Some other healthy food ideas

·      Eat sweet potatoes rather than chips

·      Plenty of fruit rather than sweets

·      Drink water rather than fizzy drinks and caffeine

·      Walk rather than nap

“Ensure you’re hitting a 85%-90% high quality diet on a daily basis” – Nate Miyaki. 

My weight loss story

My weight has gone up and down throughout my life (more so after I gave up smoking in 2003) but the past couple of years have seen a big change in my approach to eating. We never stop learning.

From what I learned, many of us try to find the perfect, balanced diet. Despite our best efforts, we find snacking or eating bigger portions can get in the way. 

Protein has been the main difference for me. Coupled with watching what I eat daily and taking plenty of exercise, protein has replaced the snacks and refine sugar I would usually have turned to. Also, because I am eating better, I feel fuller for longer so this again puts cravings at bay. 

Toning and your shape

Protein helps muscle mass and aids recovery. Weight loss and a defined body have always featured strongly as part of my health and fitness goals. 

I cannot begin to tell you how I feel since I took on my protein challenge.

With me calorie counting each day, working out most days and eating as much protein as I can (not silly amounts of protein), I have changed shape and the muscle definition is clear to see. I want to continue on this path and can’t wait for more improvement. 

Muscles crave protein. As my mission is to have a flat, toned stomach, my body will always demand protein to help rebuild and develop my muscles further. What makes protein such a special nutrient is it makes you fill full. It may not be the greatest energy source in the world but boy does it make up for it by filling you up. It’s a good thing I like eggs, chicken and yoghurt.

The article comes in the form of a pdf which you can print out and read at your leisure. It talks about about the power of the mind which should help you achieve calorie deficit.

As I start to write the next part of this series, please email me if you have any comments on this article of any other articles of mind you read.

This way it will be easier to read my thoughts by printing it out and making notes if you like. This is the first of my body transformation plan and how I turned things around following a terrible and chronic back injury.

In April I will continue telling you what else I have had to do to change the way I think, feel and behave to keep the momentum up and how I achieved my goals of being leaner, meaner (more disciplined) and happier.

Body Transformation – Parts one and two

The reason it has been a while since I last posted is partly due to a very bad injury I picked-up in November 2017. Personal Trainers do get them. We’re human after all!

Whilst I am on the road to recovery it has been a very tough 15 months. A bulging disc is a long-term injury and needs careful monitoring and the right therapy to put right.

The issue arose in the gym whilst carrying out an elevated crunch during a HITTS (High Intensity Training Session) workout. I felt it go. I will recover but need to be very careful moving forward.

Whilst I am getting older, I expect to make a full recovery. I am no longer 19 years old either! Already I have made some big changes to my lifestyle and they are working a treat. My GP and Physio have given me sound advice too.

Exercise and Weight training

Walking, swimming, weight training and changes to my diet are helping to keep the weight off meaning less pressure on the L5-S1 disc (Lumbar 5 – Sacrum). Not being able to train (or move at one point) led to me putting on weight. My recovery has seen a 30lb weight (over two stones) loss and reduction in body fat too, a very important measure as well.

The biggest shock to the system was taking Valium (Diazepam) to help me sleep at night. I had never been prescribed Diazepam before. Whilst it helped with relaxing my muscles, its side effects were terrible. My GP did not properly explain this to me. It turns out he prescribed far too much of them too.

I am slowly getting over the side effects but will never be taking Diazepam again.

Health advice and back injuries

The best advice I can offer following my disc injury is to be very careful. Always ensure you’re fully warmed up too. Practice the exercise slowly first before you plan to perform it at a faster rate. In my case whilst I did all of this, it was just an unfortunate turn of events. There were signs of mild spongylitus on my x-ray. A warying, tearing or flaking of the intervertebral discs.

If pain killers are required, do your research on them first and ask your doctor what the side effects are. Your GP should explain this (in my case he did not) regardless.

I’ve had steroid injections to help with recovery, but had a low dosage to avoid any further side effects.

If you are in chronic pain and experiencing shooting pains down the leg (sciatica), it is likely you have a serious disc issue. My tips on getting a diagnosis quickly.

1. Go and see a Physio – they will ask you to perform a number of exercises in order to diagnose the issue. My recommendation is go private, you’ll be seen quicker
2. Ask your GP to refer you to a NHS Physio, taking the private physio’s letter with you. If money is tight and you have no choice, then an NHS Physio will do. You will receive much better after care if you go private however
3. Insist your doctor refers you for an MRI scan. You need closure and this will help with the type of physio needed and what the underlining issue is
4. Take pain-killers but do you research first. Take the minimum dosage and build from there until you are almost pain free. Always seek advice from your GP or the Pharmacist

Good luck with the recovery and things do improve. In my case it took over 12 months to get a lot better.

When putting a client through his paces recently, in this extremely cold weather we’ve been having, he experienced a stitch. A stitch! Yes a stitch. I thought these things only happened in the 1980’s, when we were young and out running at a good pace? I’ve not had a stitch since I was 14 years old and I’m nearly 43.

We had warmed up and he explained to me he had been having major cramping issues too. I explained that as he is not exercising regularly enough, pushing himself and working on his endurance, his cramps will continue. I explained he needed to stretch a lot more often too. Getting cramping tablets from his doctor was not the long-term answer. He needs to improve his lifestyle in general before the cramping and the stitch stop.

Digressing slightly from why we get a stitch, cramping is a common issues for some of us and stops us in our tracks too. Without getting too technical, this why we need to increase our lactate threshold.

Cramping happens as result of no oxygen left in our muscles which allows lactic acid to build up. As I mentioned above if we exercise regularly, stretch after a work out and build up our endurance and stamina, we delay the onset of lactic acid and in some cases notice it happens a lot less often. Where there’s oxygen, lactic acid is nowhere to be seen. I may experience some mild to extreme cramping every so often.

Back to the stitch. I was not sure of the medical reasons behind a stitch. It seems there are two theories. Only theories as doctors are not even sure themselves.

Medical theories for why a stitch happens?

1. Doctors say that as blood is pumped around the body as we warm up or exercise, the diaphragm becomes weaker. This weakness is due to a reduction in blood supply to the diaphragm. With a reduction in blood supply, a stitch occurs

2. The other theory is a stitch is caused due to ‘fluids that the body finds difficult to breakdown’. As the gut needs to work harder to digest the food, this causes the gut to pull on the ligaments that connect to the diaphragm. This pulling leads to a stitch

What to do if you get a stitch?

To nullify a stitch, warming up slowly and starting off slowly if you plan on going for a long run, swim or bike ride.

I explained to my client he needed to stop. He was in pain after all and his only option was to stop. Every time he restarted, the pain came back. I remember this when I was 14!

Apart from working on your fitness and improving your diet, (this is why I don’t have stitches any more I’m sure of it. This is my theory.), applying pressure to the affected area (usually a lateral pain between your pelvis and latissimus dorsi) is what is recommended. Using your fingers, apply sufficient pressure and the pain should disappear.

You could always try and run it off but I tended to find this did not work and was a painful way to get through it all.

End your stitch for good

The more you work at your fitness by exercising more regularly, increasing its intensity and following exercise prescription best practice, a stitch is one of many things that you’ll be able to kick into touch. Fat loss, better muscle definition, change in mood swings and feeling more positive about things are some of the things a lifestyle change can lead too.

You may be thinking we are only 16 days into the New Year, why would I assess my health and fitness goals now? Well there is good reason to. Blue Monday, so it seems, can trigger this feeling of hopelessness leading to all of those health and fitness goals you’ve set for 2017 falling by the way side, in the blink of an eye.

New Year’s resolutions are so hard to keep

I have failed on countless occasions to keep a health and fitness goal going long-term. Eating well, drinking less alcohol and exercising more, all end up in the bin so to speak within a matter of weeks.

Over the years I have fine-tuned my goals and the main reason for why I tend to keep them now is ‘the desire to achieve something’. Nothing beats a powerful feeling like a desire. Not even Blue Monday.

Think – Jessica Ennis winning gold at the London Olympics.

Think – Chelsea winning the English Premiership.

Think – The British Lions will beat the All Blacks.

You get my drift? Jessica, Chelsea and the British Lions all have a desire to win. Nothing will stop them.

A powerful feeling is unbeatable. Ask yourself now are you determined to achieve a particular goal? Are you passionate? Do you dream about this goal? Has it been on your mind for a number of years? If so, you are likely to keep going. If you achieve your goal at 25, 41, 52 or 77 years old then so be it.

We all have health and fitness dreams

I often find those dreams and goals that keep coming back are trying to tell me something. I believe people with those thoughts are the ones who have ‘that fire in their belly’. Such feelings cannot be ignored. You’re lucky if you have them.

Desire is at the heart of what we choose to eat, the intensity of exercise we chose and our general attitude towards improving our lifestyle.

I remember if it was not for the desire, I would never have given up smoking, learning and becoming a black belt or planning, preparing and running the London Marathon. That fire in the belly continues now. I have other challenges I want to achieve and currently my six-pack training is going well (my current cold and sore throat will not stop me). If it does not work this time however, I’ll keep going until it does work out.

Prepare to fall over but pick yourself up quickly

You owe it to yourself. Life can be a serious rotten apple. The saying ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’ sums it up beautifully for me.

We simply have to keep going. Whatever obstacle life throws at you, we have to keep going.

Death, job pressures, anxiety are serious challenges we face. I am a firm believer having experienced all three of these challenges, I’ve come out the other end fighting with many more dreams still to live through.

Dreams are good. The more we dream, the more likely we will succeed.

As we approach 2017, I tend to focus my mind on what new challenges I want to take on and what new challenges my clients may want to consider for the New Year.

It is not about setting new personal bests (PBs) or running a marathon. Marathons and six-pack training (my target for 2017) are great targets to have but it is more the mental side of how we prepare for the next twelve months.

The mental game I find is the hardest challenge of them all. Resisting tasty food, going swimming and doing 30 lengths or getting up at 6am in the winter to go training are all possible but they take a great deal of mental strength.

Is 2017 the year you will win over your brain and achieve something you’ve been meaning to do for the past 20 years or so?

Goals don’t work?

Before we know it, New Years resolutions would have started and stopped, the diet books for 2017 would have been downloaded but not read and the usual excuses are being made as to why we have not headed down the gym.

I have always said to my clients eat what you want during the festive period. You have to live and enjoy yourself. It goes without saying, however, the better food choices you make over the festive period and the harder work you put in at the gym, swimming pool or out on the bike will be rewarded.

Eating treats is great, eating smarter is better.

We may say goals don’t work and what a waste of time it was writing them down. In fact goals do work. You may not have achieved yours. Have a goal and work towards it. If you don’t succeed at first try again.

How to set a goal and achieve it

This blog focuses on ‘food eating’ goals predominantly. A huge mental challenge for many of us.

Helping clients to make better food choices is a service I provide. It is the one-thing clients come to me for. In many ways this does surprise me, as there is greater awareness around the food we eat, the types of meals we eat and the portion sizes we should be eating.

The purpose of this blog is to put the key seven nutrients firmly on the map and possibly help you when you are considering what to eat. The more we know about our food, the more likely we are to make the right food choices and win the mental battle.

I’ve purposely kept it simple, using pictures and a brief description on what the seven nutrients are all about. 75% of weight loss (fat loss to be precise) is down to the food we eat; the amount of food and when we eat our food.

Eat well, feel amazing. Eat badly, you lose the mental challenge.

Carbohydrate – our energy fuel

CHO or carbohydrates gets a bit of a rough ride as they contain sugar. This blog is not meant to inform you about everything to do with CHO but give you a snapshot of what it is, what we can eat and why we need to be careful when eating carbohydrates.

Exercise is crucial too when eating carbohydrates. After all this is why we eat carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide us with a good amount of energy to help us get through a workout or even through a normal working day.

We need to ensure we burn off such foods as a lot of simple carbohydrates raise our blood sugar levels quickly and in the longer term leads to diabetes. Complex carbohydrates are the better type of carbs to eat. They make you fill fuller for longer and take more effort to breakdown. Read my handouts on breakfast ideas that includes information on carbohydrates.

Our main carbohydrates come from breads, pastas, rices and potatoes. Remember to try and select the wholegrain varieties if you can.

55% of our diet should contain carbohydrate. Many people avoid carbohydrate as they believe it contributes to weight gain. That’s because if we are not exercising the sugar in CHO will breakdown into fat and store itself throughout your body. Exercise, exercise hard and regularly, you will burn fat.

Protein – the recovery and muscle food

If we want to grow big muscles and aid recovery after a workout, protein will do just the job. Whilst not a great energy source, protein helps to promote muscle development and aids injury prevention.

15% of our diet should consist of protein. Good sources of protein include milk (semi skimmed or skimmed), low fat yoghurt, lean meats (chicken, beef and pork) and eggs.

Body builders eat a lot of protein, more than they should, which explains why so many of them have little energy. They eat little or no carbohydrate, however, everything they do eat is incredibly lean.

It may sound like mental torture but eating the right foods and weight training almost every day does bring its rewards especially if your goal is to tone up and improve that waist line.

My lunch handouts provide further ideas on good sources of protein.

Fat – good fats and bad fats

Like carbohydrates, fats gets a bit of rough ride too. Not all fat is bad. There is such a thing as a ‘good’ fat. For a start without fat, we would not be able to survive! Fats keep us warm and insulates our body. It plays an important role in protecting some of our vital organs too.

30-35% of our diet should contain fat. The simple rule of thumb is to avoid Trans and Saturated fats and eat more Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats.

Nuts, spreads and oils all contain good fats. Read our dinner and healthy snack handouts which contains more information on good quality fats.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and Minerals are found in the animal and plant foods we eat. Whilst not the greatest sources of energy, it is vital we eat them as they perform specific roles. These roles are explained in my handouts below.

Vitamins

There are two types. Water and fat-soluble vitamins. Water-based vitamins, means any excess is lost through waste (our urine) whereas fat-soluble vitamins are stored in our liver for future use.

There are ten key vitamins we need to consume. In the following handouts, I provide some narrative and food ideas to ensure we eat plenty of them.

• Vitamin A

• Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

• Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

• Vitamin B6

• Vitamin B12

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin D

• Vitamin E

• Vitamin K

Minerals

Minerals are not the same as vitamins. They are inorganic for a start. This means they are not affected by heat exposure or light. However, like vitamins, they play a vital role in our existence and nutrition.

Good skin, white, healthy teeth and strong bones that name but a few.

• Phosphorous

• Calcium

• Sulphur

• Iron

• Copper

Water

Water is a nutrient. We can live without food for a week or so as long as we drink plenty of water each day. We may go to the loo a lot more but water keeps us fuller for long and keeps us hydrated.

Being hydrated keeps our temperature in check but also helps with keeping our energy levels high. It also plays a vital role in transporting oxygen from the blood cells and lubricating our joints and organs too.

Try and reduce your cups of tea or coffee (less caffeine) and replace it with water. 6-8 cups of water each days or two litres.

As a coffee monster myself, I try to carry a water bottle around with me. That way, I always have water with me and there are no excuses if I am not filling it up regularly.

Fibre

The final nutrient is fibre. We find fibre in plant food only and there are two types. Soluble and Insoluble.

Soluble fibres help to reduce cholesterol and stop constipation. Eating plenty of cereals, fruit and vegetables will ensure you are consuming plenty of fibre. Bananas, apples, carrots and potatoes all contain this type of fibre.

Insoluble fibres do not dissolve in water unlike soluble fibres. This type of fibre keeps your bowel healthy and helps prevent digestive problems. Wholemeal bread, nuts and cereals all contain this type of fibre.

Fibre keeps you fuller for long but remember don’t go overboard on the potatoes or bread. They are carbohydrates after all and if you’re not exercising regularly you could put on weight.

Autumn 2016 officially starts on Thursday 22nd September. With it still remaining light after 6pm, you should expect to achieve many of the things you did during the summer. Equally, as long as you prepare for the darker evenings by training earlier, if you can, you should be ok.

This blog has been written to help you adjust for Autumn in Berkshire, keeping you on track until the end of year.

Autumn fitness plans 2016

I tend to find training in the Autumn not too bad. Yes it rains a lot more than the summer but this must not put you off your health and fitness goals for 2016.

You’re only four months away from 2017 and the chances are there is still a lot of work to do to complete your 2016 health and fitness plan.

Wrap up that bit more if you’re training outside and take care. With rain about and more water on the path or roads if you are cycling please take extra care. A warm, dry gym really does come into its own, if the gym is more your bag.

Running around the racecourse in Ascot, jogging around Greater Windsor Park and Virginia Water or biking around the Lookout and Swinley Forest that serves Bracknell, Crowthorne and Windlesham residence are all great options for the next few weeks.

Swim fit 2016

Sometimes we cannot escape the rain and getting drenched. I will always remember RideLondon 2014! However if you love a bit of water, then what are you waiting for?

The benefits to swimming cannot be overstated. Strong, chiselled core, improved aerobic fitness and stronger, bigger upper and lower body muscles. The Adonis of Berkshire!

Aqua fitness maybe more your style rather than lane swimming. Give it a go and maybe take up one of the challenge’s your local leisure centre ‘Swim Fit’ offers. There are leisure centres in Bracknell, Maidenhead, Staines, Windsor and Wokingham.

Home fitness workouts

Have you tried working out at home? If not give it go. It is surprising how little space you need. Admittedly, space can be an issue which is why we are forced to train outdoors, in the garden or at the local gym.

The front room, the conservatory or even the garage are options. There are an abundance of exercises you can choose from if you choose to workout from home. Running on the spot, skipping, some press-ups or even the plank.

New Year Resolutions for 2017

You don’t need to worry too much about your New Year Resolutions for 2017 just yet but you may want to think a little differently about your diet and the goals you have set yourself.

As it gets a little colder and rains a lot more, ‘mojo’ foods can help you with motivation through the next quarter. The British weather can really take the wind out of your sails especially when it goes from plenty of sun to plenty of rain. Don’t despair.

I reviewed a couple’s food diaries recently after a power walk around the Lookout in Bracknell. They are eating more soups. A perfect mojo food. Nothing like a warm, nutritional soup on a wet, miserable day.

Typically, hearty soups are not eaten during the summer. That is not to say you cannot eat a soup on a hot day but I tend to find soups work a treat during the cold seasons and are packed full of vegetables, providing a wonderful source of key nutrients after a workout.

Bring on Autumn, I say. Part of the challenge of discovering the new you is not the exercise itself but the challenges our seasons throw at us. The rain, the hail and the wind. Now there’s a challenge.

On the other hand it could be a great investment whether you have paid for it yourself or someone has bought you a personal training gift voucher to help you on your way.

Working hard during each session, topping up your training in your free time and following all the advice you are given on healthy eating will reap its rewards. If you achieve your health and fitness goals and can genuinely say you feel so much better for it, the money you have paid becomes irrelevant.

Value for money

A personal trainer may offer a lot of services. From weight training through to nutrition and weight management. They may even go shopping with you, saving you money in the process and only selecting the very best in balanced and nutritional meals.

If a PT does not offer you the basics – help in getting fitter, muscle strengthening and dietary advice, make sure you find a personal trainer who can offer you the services that will help you achieve your goals.

Swimming, cycling, biceps curls, the plank and introducing you to a food diary cannot be overstated enough. The complete health and fitness workout if you like. Expect nothing less.

Employing a PT is expensive

A personal trainer in Bracknell, Ascot, Windsor and Slough can charge as much as £50 an hour. Whilst some trainers will visit you in the comfort of your home, £50 is still £50. This is why it is so important you do your research beforehand to understand what you will get in return.

It goes both ways too. If you practiced last week’s programme card, ate healthily all week and your PT turns up on time, is always professional, organised and focusses on progression, then employing a PT will have been a resounding success.

Some PTs have clear pricing plans to help you manage your costs too. Some may offer a PAYE plan, where you pay a premium for each individual lesson you book. This tends to help those whose diaries change from week to week and cannot commit to a regular slot.

However, to get really fit and focussed, buying a set of four, six or maybe twelve lessons has it benefits. PTs recognise as you are making a commitment, they charge less per session for purchasing lessons in bulk.

Personal training gift vouchers

A perfect gift. More and more PTs are offering gift vouchers so the clients aren’t always the ones paying for their lessons. Let everyone know that personal training gift vouchers is what you want and that should make things a little easier.

Personal trainers offer a variety of gift vouchers. A great gift to offer especially if this is what you are asking for. Why should Homebase, M&S and Apple get the lions share of the gift voucher market?

It could be £50 towards a few lessons or paying for 12 lessons outright, as you work towards your wedding day, first half marathon or generally looking to become healthier and fitter.