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You can have your cake and eat it!!

personal trainer near me

Over the years my approach to weight loss has changed, having competed in physique comps for 5 years my dieting approach was quite rigid and I only gave advice based off my own experience.

What I have learned these past few years is that the bar I set for members was to high. My focus and drive was too much and they needed a more relaxed approach to healthy eating and training so that they could achieve results and stay the path.

I realized that you don’t have to be super strict and cut out everything you love in order to get results.

In saying that if you want great results then the sacrifice has to reflect that, you can’t put in minimal effort with training and a lousy diet and expect a massive transformation.

This year alone many of our members have achieved a balance between training hard, healthy eating and enjoying meals out. They have lost weight, increased their fitness and regained their health without having to go cut out everything they enjoy – in other words they have found a way to have their cake and eat it.

We encourage hard work and we encourage a relaxed approach to diet, but the more you train the more you can eat/drink. It’s not the normal approach but it’s one we have found works in giving members freedom to choose and to enjoy life.

It’s about finding a balance that works for you, that ultimately leads to you getting the results your after without having to go down the restrictive/fad diet road.

Weight loss isn’t complicated

Just do the basics well (link to doing the basics right)

You don’t have to go on a severely restricted diet

You don’t have to become a recluse – afraid to go out in case that one meal makes you put all the weight on again.

You can have a social life – you just have to make sure you put in the hours of training and healthy eating in and around those areas of your life.

You can eat ice cream and still lose weight – if its balanced and adjusted for in your meals.

For more information on our 30 day Kick Start  or contact us on hello@fitnesshub21.com

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EATING OUT WHILE LOSING WEIGHT

clean eating, healthy living, health and wellbeing

Being on a diet doesn’t have to mean that you can’t have a social life and have fun.

Actually I hate putting people on diets as they just imply misery and restriction.

 

Balance is key for long term results and yes you will have to make some changes, maybe eat less, maybe eat more vegetables, maybe eat less take away, maybe drink less alcohol – BUT you don’t have to give up everything you love to get results. You just have to be mindful, think ahead and be prepared.

 

Some tips on how to eat out while losing weight (I don’t want to call it a diet)

 

CHECK OUT THE MENU IN ADVANCE

If you know where you are eating download the menu

Look at what is available

Identify the leanest options

Look at the meal breakdown

Decide what you will eat ahead of time

Eg Salmon and greens, or steak and veg

 

FAST FOR A PORTION OF YOUR DAY

Doing this will allow you to eat more calories when your out.

You can also eat less on other days in the week so cater for your night out.

I often give clients a weekly calorie goal and after the weekend whatever is left is their quota for the week. This is quite extreme for some

 

DON’T WORRY ABOUT TRACKING PERFECTLY

Don’t over think tracking your food. When you’re out you won’t be able to be 100% accurate and tracking is never perfect. What you will learn over time is the portion sizes, what is in them. Just don’t over indulge too much as more often than not you end up regretting it.

 

FIND BALANCE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK

One rule you can use is to be on it with your eating 85% of the time so that you can enjoy social occasions.

Don’t go crazy and eat everything in sight as it may undo your results and normally that’s a sign that your diet is too restrictive and hard to sustain.

I normally opt for a main with wine, or if I fancy a starter I split it with my husband as I don’t really need all of it.

If the meal comes with chips or sauces I just ask for more veg and the sauce/dressing on the side as they can be calorific.

If I want a dessert again I normally split it with my husband or decide do I really want this or am I ok.

 

 

DON’T WORRY AND APPRECIATE IT

Eating out with family and friends should be a fun social activity, don’t be so worried that it will ruin everything. If your prepared, you have planned ahead and know what you want then there is really nothing to worry about. If you don’t go crazy and be mindful of the choices you make throughout the week to allow you to go out guilt free.

Enjoy the night out, enjoy the experience.

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INVEST IN YOUR HEALTH

The most common reason I hear for why someone can’t start training is that they can’t afford it, and I understand that sometimes that is the case but more often than not they aren’t ready to make a change or they don’t see the value in exercise at the time.

 

You don’t need to have a gym membership or train with a personal trainer to exercise. You don’t even need to leave the house.

So regardless of whether you can afford it or not; we all need to look after our health and wellbeing as we age.

 

Not everyone wants to exercise, laying around doing nothing is far easier than a 60 min training session (I get it).

But the benefits of exercise are huge and they spill out into every area of our lives and go above and beyond just losing weight.

 

Find the value in investing in your health and fitness – not just on material things.

 

How much do you spend to look after yourself?

 

We spend thousands each year on things that make our lives more fun, make us more fashionable, we always have money to go shopping and to restaurants

BUT

turn our nose up at the price of a training membership, or the cost of switching to a healthier diet.

Which I might add will provide your life with more quality years to enjoy the things we love.

 

Our priorities are mixed up and our own health is sometimes at the bottom of the list until you get sick or get some results back from the doctor.

 

I am not saying you can’t enjoy life and have nice things; but if it comes at the expense of your health was it a wise investment??

 

Those things can be replaced, but your body can’t.

 

Maybe look at your spend each month and see how you can cut back in some areas so you have more to invest in a great coach who can help you become healthier and fitter.

 

Having your health is more rewarding and will do more for the quality of your life than any material thing you can buy.

Without your health, you won’t enjoy it as much or not at all.

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CHERRY RIPE POPCORN BARS – FAT LOSS DOESN’T HAVE TO BE BORING

healthy recipes, clean eating, fat loss

In Australia my favourite chocolate bar is a cherry ripe. They don’t sell them in the UK so have tried my best to recreate a healthier lower calorie version which worked really well.

INGREDIENTS
200g dark choc 70%
50g Rice cereal
40g Salted popcorn
30g Desiccated coconut
100g Dark choc dried cherry mix


METHOD
Line a square or rectangle cake tin or Pyrex dish with baking paper
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water
Bottom of bowl not touching the water
In another bowl put the rice crispies, popcorn, coconut and cherry choc mix and stir until combined
Add the melted chocolate to the mix and stir until everything is coated
Put the mix in the lines tray
Cover with cling film and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours
Turn it out onto a board and cut into 20 pieces


Calories total 2064kcals (myfitnesspal)
Carbs 200g
Sugar 122g
Fat 119g
Protein 29g


Per piece 103kcals
Carbs 20g
Sugar 6.1g
Fats 5.95g
Protein 1.45g

healthy recipes, Clean eating, fat losshealthy recipes, clean eating, fat loss

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HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR TRAINING MINDSET

Never under estimate the power of the mind when it comes to getting the most out of your training. So often it’s our mindset that can make the difference and accelerate your results.

 

When you first start training just the fact that your moving more can lead to quick results, you feel fitter and stronger and you’re always improving.

 

As you progress and get better you have to learn how to maximise each session to get the most out of it so you can keep moving forward and stay motivated.

 

Here are 3 ways to ensure you stay focused and develop a training mindset to see you through the months and years ahead.

 

  1. Be dedicated, not obsessed

Know your goal and stay dedicated to staying the path towards achieving it. If you have reached your initial weight loss goal then set new goals that keep you excited and give you a reason to keep going.

 

Don’t become so obsessed with exercise that it takes over your life, balance is key and having a realistic outlook on what you can achieve in a set period of time.

 

Performance goals are the best type – such as doing 1 chin up, running 5km or simply training a set number of times a week.

 

Obsessing over your weight and training only to see the scales go down can be tiring and make exercise unenjoyable as your chasing numbers that are varied and fluctuate all the time.

 

Commit to being dedicated to the training process, seeing small changes over time in your fitness and strength will keep you going longer regardless of what the scales say.

 

  1. Don’t just go through the motions

It’s very easy to exercise without much thought or effort, after a while you can start just going the motions and stop trying and hope that you do just enough to improve.

 

You need to start turning up to training with a clear focus on what you want to achieve that day. Be ready and give it all your attention and energy.

 

Never leave feeling like you could have done more – seek to maximise your time but giving 100% of all you have that day.

 

Being focused for each session will help you to reach your full potential – leading to better results for years to come.

 

  1. Focus on the power of now

There is nothing better than seeing our members progress and reach their goals, it’s why we exist and what we are all about.

 

Celebrate the achievements but keep moving forward and focus on where you are now.

 

Come into the gym focused on what you are trying to achieve that day, in that session.

Make it count so that you can keep going and improve on what you have already achieved.

 

Aim to stay the course, make exercise part of your life, set performance goals and only focus on the now and where you want to go in the future.

Next blog – healthy cherry ripe popcorn recipe

Click here to sign up to our 30 day trial

Click here to learn more about us and how we can help you

 

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LOSING WEIGHT WHILE RAISING A FAMILY

Losing weight can be hard enough on it’s own, but with a family around you that aren’t willing to follow you on your journey it can be frustrating and they may aid in sabotaging your efforts.
However all is not lost and there are things you can do to help you succeed in sticking to your healthy eating even if your family aren’t behind you yet.

 

GET THE KIDS INVOLVED IN COOKING
This can go along way in showing them what is in their food and if they are involved in the cooking process they might be more likely to eat it.

 

KEEP FAMILY MEALS SACRED
Eating together as a family is important.
Life is so busy we never get to sit down together and communicate.
If your trying to lose weight then adjust your eating throughout the day so you can enjoy the meal together.
You don’t have to indulge in loads of pasta or chips, you can still eat healthy options even if your partner wants to have a carb feast.

 

KEEP THE JUNK FOOD SEPARATE
You may not be able to eliminate all the junk food from the house but by keeping it separate and out of sight it will help you stay on track – out of sight out of mind.

 

LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Like anything actions speak louder than words.
If your partner is unwilling to go healthy then just leave it at that and go about your new regime of eating.
When they are ready they will start to make healthy changes. Once they see how much you are changing and benefiting from the choices you make they may see the light and make some of their own.

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BENEFITS OF DECLUTTERING FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING

BENEFITS OF DECLUTTERING FOR HEALTH

 

I am sure we are all guilty of keeping and storing stuff that we just don’t need. Over time things just pile up and you wake up one day stressed out at your lack of organization over the years and you realise you have far too much stuff that your hanging on to.

Living in a cluttered house or workspace can actually hold you back from getting things done and from moving forward from the past.

While it’s not an easy thing to do, breaking each room down and going through it one by one over time will make it easier. It can also have quite a few health benefits for you and your family.

 

IT GIVES YOU ENERGY
The overflow from making quick decisions as to what you keep or get rid of changes your mindset and gives you small wins. This in turn will give you more energy to get other things done that need doing.

 

YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CONCENTRATE MORE
This is especially true for your workspace, excess clutter can “have a negative impact of your ability to focus and process information.” – according to Mikael Cho. Neuroscientists at Princeton found being surrounded by clutter results in decreased performance and increased stress as all these items compete for your attention. Thus removing the clutter and tidying up your desk or home can help you to concentrate more. You need to find a system that works for you, that you can maintain that allows you to be creative and concentrate more.

 

IT CAN IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP
The chaos around you can impact sleep quality and quantity. Going to bed stressed out by the mess in your bedroom can make it harder to unwind and get restful and restorative sleep. Aim to get rid of anything that can impact on this such as clothes that need to be put away, computers and even phones.

 

IT REDUCES ANXIETY
Creating order in our lives can relieve anxiety. Being able to organise and declutter your workspace or home can calm you down and make you feel more organized. Too much chaos can cause you to become overwhelmed and irritable.

The same can be said for decluttering your thoughts when it comes to daily tasks. Keeping a to do list and prioritizing it in order of importance and urgency can help reduce feelings of being overwhelmed by how much you have to do.

 

YOU WILL LET GO OF THE PAST
Sometimes we need to just let go of the past and move forward. Some of the stuff we hang onto can send you into a shame spiral, hanging on to old stuff can make it harder to let go, even if you think you are over it. Get rid of things that bring back bad memories and aim to stop living in the past so that you can walk into a better future. Get rid of the old to make way for the new.

 

YOU WILL SEE YOURSELF AS MORE COMPETENT
In your ability to decide what things you need to keep and what you need to get rid of. It utilises your decision making and problem solving skills according to psychology today.

 

YOU WILL FOCUS MORE CLEARLY ON YOUR GOALS
Sometimes we hang onto things that remind us of our failures, which end up bringing us down instead of motivating us.
The exercise bike you bought to lose weight, the old size 8 clothes you hang onto in the hope that you will lose the weight to fit into them again.
Now for some having a goal to fit into a dress might be a motivator if you’re actually exercising and moving towards it.

However if you are doing nothing but staring at your old clothes, not exercising and eating junk then you will be seriously upset at yourself for not following through.
Get rid of all the clothes you don’t wear, all the ones you don’t fit in and and rid yourself of the emotional baggage.
Set new goals, find a great coach and start again.
This will boost your mood and give you freedom from the past promises you made so you can make new ones and achieve them.

 

IT CAN REDUCE RELATIONSHIP AND FAMILY TENSION
Having clutter in your house that disrupts day to day life can cause stress and family tension.
Having a level of order and less stuff may led to the avoidance of arguments with family members over the smallest of things like looking for lost keys or important documents.

 

IT MAKES WAY FOR THE NEW
Living in the past or hanging onto the physical stuff that belongs to our past selves can hinder our growth moving forward if you’re attached to the past and won’t move forward.
For health and fitness the implications are massive – to move toward a fat loss or health goal while still hanging on to the past or glory days can make it difficult
You need to cut ties and start fresh

 

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT TODAY
Start small – 1 room at a time
Divide it into daily steps
Work out what you want to get rid of from the mail to clothes and other paper that can mount up.
Set aside more time for bigger tasks such as your wardrobe or the kitchen
Commit to finishing what you start

 

Committing to getting clutter cleared out is a life long journey that requires daily and weekly attention. As you get on top of things you will need to find a way to maintain it, adapt the new approaches to what you bring into your house so stop clutter before it can begin.
The benefit to being committed to doing this is a home environment that’s calming and helps make positive changes to your productivity, stress levels and mental health.

 

Or contact us to find someone to help, one of

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SIMPLE WAYS TO GET BETTER RESULTS

So often we are looking for the next big thing that will finally help you lose weight.

We hold on to the latest fad and say this time it will work for me.

I will stick to it – no matter how extreme it is.

I talk a lot about basics and keeping things simple – in my experience we need to simplify things and get good at them first.

Below are some basics to follow as you start your journey. Some tips to help you lose weight, stay focused and get back on track.

Do these consistently and do them well – your results will follow.

 

1.Don’t focus on what the scales say

 

Letting the scales be your guide is a very risky choice when tracking weight loss. Your body can fluctuate in weight daily depending on fluid, what you have eaten and the time of day. You may be losing weight but holding onto water.

Why not try taking pictures and body measurements such as waist and hip as well as weight to track progress.

Do it monthly at the same day and time to avoid any unwanted changes.

Try not to focus on the weight loss but the process needed to get the result you are after; such as prepping your meals, training 3-4 times a week, getting good sleep etc.

Being obsessed by the scales only leads to confusion and stress and knowing what you weigh on a daily basis will not make you get there any quicker.

It will end up ruining your day and tacking you off track

 

2.Make sure your eating the right amount of calories

 

While eating in a calorie deficit will lead to weight loss be mindful that too big a deficit may lead to greater hunger, fatigue and weakness when training.

Trying to eat too low could also lead to a drop in nutrients required to maintain optimal health.

You may also have a bigger urge to eat and if you aren’t completely focused this can lead you to binging on other foods that are counterproductive to fat loss.

If you do this often enough it will ruin your efforts.

A way around this may be eating in a smaller deficit, you will still lose weight but you will also be able to stick to it better and get better results.

 

3.Being accurate in reporting what you eat

 

So often we under estimate how much we eat or completely forget what we have eaten in a day, then get upset when we don’t lose weight.

We need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight and sometimes we can over eat without realising it even if the food is healthy.

Monitor your portion sizes especially with fats and carbs as they are easy to over eat.

If need be keep an accurate food diary for a few weeks to see if you are over eating without realising.

 

4.Start training

 

Diet alone can lead to weight loss but the combination of right eating and right training will always lead to better and faster results and it will go a long way to making your fitter, stronger and healthier.

 

5.Lift weights

 

Lifting weights doesn’t have to be all heavy weights that you associate with body building.

Weight training is key to developing strength, retaining and building muscle mass, increasing bone density and providing the body with shape.

Adding weight training to your exercise 2-4 times a week will also help you lose more weight when combined with a healthy diet.

 

6.Be realistic in how many calories you burn through exercise

 

Too many times I have heard the words ‘I trained today so I can eat what I want’.

Unfortunately this is rarely the case.

You cannot out train a bad diet, as much as you think you are exempt from this statement; for most it simply isn’t true.

Yes training more allows you to eat more but you have to realistic in how much extra you can eat and still lose weight.

If you want to lose weight being in a calorie deficit is your goal.

Training allows this to happen but so does moving more and increasing your NEAT.

Try to avoid rewarding yourself with food for the simple act of going to the gym.

It will hinder your results and pave the way for some really bad habits that in the long term will only hold you back from achieving your goal.

 

7.Eat more protein

 

Increasing protein intake has many benefits for health and weight loss.

It makes you feel fuller; therefore you eat less overall.

You burn more calories just to digest it (thermic effect).

Helps maintain muscle mass

Boosts your immune system

Try reducing your consumption of processed and refined carbs and replacing them with higher protein meals.

Rule of thumb if you increase something in your eating you need to take something away to balance it out.

 

8.Be mindful of fat intake when on a low carb diet

 

While low carb diets do work for fat loss (alongside many other diets) you must be mindful of how much fat you eat.

Just because you cut carbs down and you have been told to increase fats doesn’t mean you eat them in abundance.

They have more calories per gram than carbs (9kcal compared to 4kcal) so they need to be eaten in moderation to ensure your still in a calorie deficit.

Rather than upping the fats too much, aim to increase your protein in the absence of carbs.

 

9.Eat more fibre

 

Fibre is often not considered when losing weight but its key to optimal health and fat loss.

It helps with your digestive health, makes you feel fuller and therefore eat less overall.

Be sure to include high fibre foods in your day-to-day eating plan.

 

10.Are you really hungry?

 

An easy way to over eat is through boredom or bad habits you have gotten yourself into.

This mainly occurs mid afternoon and late evening; but can happen anytime really.

9 times out of 10 you’re not even hungry; you’re bored.

You reach for the cupboard almost in a trance like state and stuff your face with the first thing you see.

You don’t even register that you have eaten anything.

 

Sound familiar?

 

A good way to combat this is –

  • Have a pre-planned snack that you can have if you feel the need.
  • Hide all the tempting things in a cupboard that makes it that little bit more difficult to get to.
  • Have a hot drink like tea and some fruit

 

11.Have realistic expectations

 

You must be realistic about what you need to do in order to reach your goal.

You must be realistic about your current life situation, stress levels, availability to train, prepare food, family obligations or anything that may distract, slow down or prevent you from reaching your goals.

You have to take the other areas of life and put them into context and determine if you have to adjust your expectations in reaching your goal at this point in time.

 

If you want a beach body in 3 months and have to lose 2 stone – but can only train 1-2 x a week, have 3 kids and a fulltime job then reaching that goal is going to be more challenging and maybe not realistic –

 

On the other hand

 

If you can train 4-5 times a week, have no kids, work full time but have time to invest in food prep then yes its very realistic.

If you’re the mum of 3 then maybe the goal is to train 2 x a week, move more, eat healthy, eat less junk and get the kids and husband involved in the process.

You may not lose it all, but you will still lose weight, your family will be healthier and you will be much happier as you achieved a result but didn’t burden yourself with the pressure to hit a target that wasn’t really achievable in the first place considering your current situation.

 

12.Hit and Hope – failing to track anything you eat and hoping it will achieve a result.

 

I am not saying you need to weigh and record everything you eat, but you do need to have some idea of what your eating in order to see if it works or not.

You can still overeat healthy food and take yourself out of a calorie deficit.

You can track how much protein you eat, how many carbs you eat, how much bread you eat, how much junk food you eat and make changes according to the results your getting.

The more information you have about what works and doesn’t work for you will help you in the long term.

 

13.Drink less calories

 

Another slippery slope I see is making the mistake of drinking too many calories in the form of juices, soft drinks, lattes, frappes etc

These are usually full of calories that you could be eating rather than drinking.

Be mindful of what you drink – most coffee shops have the calorie content of their beverages on display so check the board and add these into your calories for the day.

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IT’S TIME TO GROW UP

IT’S TIME TO GROW UP – TAKE RESPONSIBILITY – TAKE CHARGE AND MOVE FORWARD

 

This may be hard to hear for some, but at some point when it comes to really needing or wanting to lose weight we have to grow up and take responsibility in order to move forward.

 

We need to be accountable for our own journey.

 

Whether that journey has led you to gain weight and become unfit or if it’s led you to taking control and losing weight and improving your health – your responsible.

 

We have to stop making excuses for why we can’t lose weight and be healthy.

And look for reasons why we can’t afford not to!!

 

We need to accept responsibility for gaining weight and stop playing the blame game as it doesn’t actually help us lose weight – blaming everyone and everything for our current situation offers no solutions and makes everyone miserable.

We have to start finding solutions – reasons to change, and act on it.

 

Search your soul and start writing down reasons to lose weight and get fit

If nothing changes and you didn’t lose weight or become stronger or fitter what is good about that? and what is bad staying as you are and not changing?

 

If the reasons to stay the same are greater than the reason to change – we won’t change.

No amount of complaining will make us lose weight – we need to get to the point where staying the same is more painful than changing.

Then we are ready to grow and move forward – lose weight, get fit and change our whole life for the better

 

Think about what you want to do to lose weight and be healthy?

Come up with your own solutions to your problems – why hasn’t it worked in the past, what can I do different – think of an alternative solution that will work, instead of resigning yourself to the excuse that nothing works, I can’t lose weight.

 

We do monthly reviews with our members to keep them on track and provide support constantly.

 

They learn to own their own journey but share it with others.

We offer solutions to their problems – provide the tools needed when it comes to meal prep, what they should eat more of or less of, how they should train, whatever they need to be successful but we can’t do it for them.

 

Its time to be a grown up and take responsibility for where your going and where you are now.

It’s the first step towards being successful in your health and fitness goals.

 

Contact us if you want to chat about planning for your success so this time you actually stick to it.

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Fats – Why we need them and What types we need to eat

Fat gets a bad wrap when it comes to weight loss and health.

It is quickly passed off as bad for you and the reason you have high cholesterol or are overweight.

Fat is actually essential to the diet
We need it to function
We need it to lose weight
We need it for optimal health

 

Now we know the benefits of fat and how much you need
Here are the main types of fats you eat on a daily basis.

Although saturated fat gets slated as bad you can actually eat it and still be healthy.
It all comes down to balance.
You need polyunsaturated fats as they are essential to the body and need to come from the food we eat.

Eat a variety of different fats
Avoid Trans fats as no good can come from eating them
Increase your intake of Omega 3
Make sure you eat at least 15% of your calories from fat for optimal health.