tough love

750 gym members this month peeps, and what have I learnt about human nature? Who will stick and who will twist?

NOTHING! Well – put another way – you can never tell. Some members say all the right things at Induction and they’ll go hell for leather – then fizzle out fast! Some feel they come because ‘they should’ and then adhere until they are gym furniture! But this I CAN tell you – most of us need support & structure, and information, mixed with some inner resolve. Let’s look at ‘Sue & Jen’ (fictional): Sue makes it regularly to the gym as she knows the ‘lose it or lose it’ is not a myth! Jen would like to attend more often but ‘time gets in the way’ (but somehow spends hours with games on Facebook every day!). Sue listens to advice given and prepares all her meals in advance so she won’t mess up, Jen prepares cakes for her family but hey – a proper meal takes too long and ‘she has better things to do’ the cake will hold her til tea time (she’ll lose that 3 stone from next month when the kids are back at school... Sue drinks lots of water as her body will not give up fat if it is dehydrated, Jen figures another cappuccino cannot harm her – hey, you only live once! You getting the drift?!?

Every decision you make will impact on your health – and we have to make MANY every day. We DO only live once, so let’s make it a vibrant, energised, and long lived existence!!

That time of year again!

Tis the month to exercise!

Every year the gym is quiet in November, it then picks up mid December and explodes in January. But do you know what – with repsect you’ve got it the wrong way round folks, sorry to say! NOW is the time to get the weight and alcohol consumption under control so you really CAN enjoy the indulgent times to come! Do you know the average person puts on 11 Ibs between now and Xmas day? That means that ON the day you’ll already be feeling clothes tight and uncomfortable, already planning the next set of New Years resolutions!! “More Turkey ho, ho, ho?”, “I can’t move so NO, NO, NO!!” Christmas is approaching fast, and you are running out of options!

Well you have 2 options…You do something fast, or you don’t!

I know it is cold, damp and miserable and the very thought of donning your gym/running/class gear is as appealing as a stir fry for breakfast but if you don’t get moving in some capacity soon YOU’LL be the one staring wistfully at the fit, toned and ready-for-the-season-girl who did make the effort! We DO sympathise with you – it IS tough to get motivated when your first thoughts when you get back from work are “when is Corrie on”, “where is my grub”, and “where is my cosy dressing gown babes?” BUT Corrie can be saved for later, the food will taste better after you’ve done your work-out and your robe might not fit for long if you don’t stave off the layers of fat that winter will surely bring with no effort!?! So: get fit in any way you can – this can be power walking, jogging, swimming, classes, or the gym. Start cutting way back on alcohol, place some goal setting in place to keep you on course,eat clean so you can splurge in peace in late December (but back on course in January right?!). And truly enjoy the season! Happiest and healthiest Christmas, to you all, from all at G&T’s.

(and I know the pickie is of a b'day but it is cute!)

MYTHS!

It is quite a revelation putting this together as it reminds me just how far and fast Sports and Fitness science moves! Again – I am going to make a smallish basic list – if you’d like any advice please feel free to call me for a no-obligation discussion on anything you like!! Please leave a message and I promise to get back to you (or e-mail).

• You cannot spot reduce areas of fat! I USED to say this – and in terms of ‘toning’ it still holds true. However, you CAN reduce tummy, butt, and muffin top fat IF you know the cause (you will, as you’re an avid Wye Local reader right!? – if you missed it – CALL!)
• Endless sit ups will get me that six pack?!

Nope!There are 3 perfect ideals for a 6 pack: nutrition, myotatic crunches and working transverse abdominals – oh, and fixing tight flexors will really help to tilt the pelvis back so giving the appearance of a flat tum!

• Running for hours is great for fat loss?

It ain’t bad – but there are better ways. Love it? Carry on, but if you’re after a better effect for fat loss, in just 15 minutes we can tell you how! Burning cals even after you stop!

• “If I am a woman I will bulk up with weights?”

NOT SO! We have less than a 10/th the testosterone of men (often a 40th). Even THEY need to work HARD to gain mass. With the right reps and weights you burn body fat and look good – you just need to know what this all means!! And lads – do weights if nothing else!

read your labels!

On the run up to Christmas we start to become aware of our wobbly bits! (and how they might increase!). I have marked up 8 food diaries this week, and one thing is striking: Much of the time ladies understandably THINK they are doing the right thing but don’t realise that food manufacturers are. 1. Clever, and 2.Taking us for a ride!

Britain is the second most obese nation on the planet and 31,000 deaths a year are obesity related.How has this happened?The reasons are multi dimensional, but one thing is clear: Food manufacturers are not in the business of helping to reverse the trend; they are in the game, solely, to make money. With their sugar laden/ lite rubbish you will gain body fat, not lose it I promise you. Look at some of the stuff the diaries revealed: Quorn battered fillet, ‘Skinny’ muffin, ‘Smart’ banoffee cereal bar, ‘Go ahead’ yoghurt bars, Activia yoghurts... the names imply health, the ingredients (scrutinise the labels guys & gals), tell a totally different story. It’s up to us to educate ourselves, get cynical and get a clean nutritional plan together. Alien ingredients (e-numbers, preservatives, colourings), are protectively stored in the body in adipose tissue (fat!). If you lose the chemicals, the body has less need to protect itself and you’ll start to lose the fat. Want to lose adress size (or more)? Abandon these foods and go clean and wholesome!

cross training

ALL exercise is good for us and we believe there is a sport for everyone – but you might not have found it yet! CROSS TRAINING means not sticking to just one sport as this can create muscle imbalances or weaknesses leading to injuries. A gym IS cross training as you work across a variety of machines and, best of all, you can weight train. STRENGTH is the must-have foundation for any other sport you might be doing. If you are a regularWye Local reader you’ll have seen Cat imploring everyone to get into weights – including women, and yes, even the elderly and kids – IF they are given a specialised programme to follow. AT Gym and Tonic we believe in functionality – we prepare work outs to address your individual imbalances using free weights, (more so than ‘fixed path’ machines).Another reason to attend a good gym is motivation! This is why so many cardio machines at home end up as GREAT clothes horses – there are too many other things to do at home - we need a dedicated space to exercise properly with expert tuition, and a varied programme. You are never too old, or young to exercise, and at Gym and Tonic we aim to cater for absolutely everyone, with new payment packages to help accommodate for this blasted recession. Call me any time for advise on lifetime fitness and get ready for the summer NOW! (you still have time!) 01497 822995.

goals!

This only works IF you take action, and the first thing to do is to grab a pen, sit down in a quiet place and ‘enter the zone!’ – you need to think, be honest with yourself and have no interruptions! No cheating now – get that pen! Now, write down a list of everything you are doing that is preventing you from reaching your wellness goals. I say ‘wellness’ because it is all encompassing; include everything related to your health that is holding you back, spoiling your chances, in creating the best you’ve always wanted to be in terms of health, energy, and vitality. Deep down you know exactly what these are, and how you may be jeopardising your potential. Now tell the truth! Truths exposed are powerful. Now make a new list of all the changes you will make, point by point, urgently into your life to bring about the body, health and energy you really want. Be very specific. Slot these into your days and weeks. It requires new behaviour and proaction. Seek help from the experts you need to achieve your aims; you want to stop smoking – seek out a hypnotherapist / see your Doctor / buy nicotine patches. Educate yourself with books and courses to get where you want to go. Take this list everywhere, look at it every day. Live by it and allocate time to devote to the goals you’ve set.

Writing thins down is like creating a contract with your self!As you achieve, it gets easier. Promise.

do you want more on weight loss?

Is a shrimp waterproof?

One of the curses of our losing body fat is the return of cravings – especially after a few ‘good weeks’. The dreaded dime bars and booze raise their ugly heads! And nothing will make you gain weight faster than sugar and alcohol - both of these will shunt fat onto your love handle area, hence the muffin top phenomenon gripping the UK. Two big tips you may not have heard of before - listen up:

1. Cook with Coconut oil. Forget Olive Oil – it does not bode well in high temperatures. Briefly – forget all you may think you know about this oil – (Saturated fat=bad), it is fantastic for a sluggish metabolism and protects against Candida (no room for more here). If you have Candida weight loss can be really hard to achieve. I have tested many (women) for Candida and it is common, causing fatigue, muzzy heads and lots of other symptoms, including CRAVINGS It ‘feeds’ off sugar and alcohol! Coconut oil is also a great blood sugar stabiliser, and can lower the glycaemic index of your meals! All good stuff! More?

2. Sunlight. Noticed how we feel in winter, compared to summer? We want stodge! Sunlight stimulates the ‘feel good’ hormone serotonin, our natural anti -‘S.A.D’. Without enough of it, we also reach for the ‘carbs’, as they artificially duplicate positive setatonin levels. Bad news? – we then suffer from a big insulin spike - resulting in weight gain! Grrr. So get out in the fresh air! 20 minutes is all you need a day, preferably mid day when the sun is at it’s highest. Remember – it is the LIGHT we need so even in winter get out and enjoy even if no apparent sun is evident.