Fire Up Intensive

Happy New Year to you all

I love school holidays.  There’s lots more time to spend with my family and also to plan ‘stuff’ for FitterFaster.  I’ve spent a bit of time updating records and making sure everything is organised around here.  I also have a bit of extra time for training myself which is always a good thing!

I’m updating my injury register and starting a separate file for current and past conditions for all clients where all information is more readily accessible at the present time as well.  This is on top of keeping individual records and notes in each of your files.  I recently sent an email to all current clients requesting updated injury/condition status for this new file.  If you haven’t responded yet, or didn’t receive the email, please let me know asap as this is something I will be chasing and updating regularly.

It’s really important that you listen to you body and heed it’s warnings.   A slight pull, tightness, a ‘twinge’ or any other minor sign is your cue to back off and avoid any pain all together.  Always train to the ‘no pain’ threshold when it comes to your joints.  And if you think you’ve pulled a muscle or it feels ‘odd’ or different, please let me know straight away-NOT AT THE END OF THE SET OR THE SESSION!!

Almost all injuries are preceded by warning signs.  I can’t begin to count the number of times someone has suffered an apparently acute injury and then explained how it’s been playing up for some time.  It’s extremely frustrating if you have to lay off training all together, so let me know straight away and more often than not, we can modify what we are doing so you can continue to train while your injury or condition heals.  Ignore the signs though, and you will almost definitely end up out of action.  Its always best to be overcautious in these circumstances.

Dont end up like this, listen to your body

As you know, I’m all about getting results for my clients.  There’s no use training if you’re not seeing results.

I’m starting a new program in February called FitterFaster Fire Up Intensive.  

It’s a super intensive program that will boost your results by ensuring you’re not just training effectively, but you’re also looking after your nutrition, your recovery and your supplementation where necessary.

It’s a month long program where I will choose 2 clients each month to participate.  In order to take part, you will need to submit your name each month before the 20th in the red box in the FitterFaster gym.  Trial Clients are not eligible to enter.  I will choose and announce the participants before the start of each calendar month.  As a participant you will need to commit to the following:

• Keeping a full nutrition and training diary for the entire month
• Texting me your food intake throughout the day for one day per week
• Participating in your minimum 3 sessions per week (Bootcamp/PT) plus a bonus PT/Box Out/Private Training session per week (subject to our schedules coinciding)
• Completing 3 short Home Workouts per week
• An assessment before the start of the month and one at the end
• Following the FitterFaster Nutrition Plan (plus a few individual tweaks) 110% for the entire calendar month
• Teaming up with the other Fire Up participant where possible at Bootcamp/PT or with myself to ensure maximum intensity

If this sounds like something you’re interested in, place you name in the box before the 20th of each month.  I will contact the successful participants to book in bonus (free) training sessions, give you a copy of the nutrition plan and home workouts and book assessments before each month begins.

If you have any questions, please comment to this post or email me

Jo

 

I’m scared and other excuses…..

If you’re overweight, or your health is not where you’d like it to be, you’ve really only got yourself to blame.  Advertising, convenience of fast food outlets, long hours, tiredness and lack of energy-they’re all excuses that people use to justify why they’re carrying around extra fat and get sick so often as well as having no energy.

They’re not the real reason though.  The real reason is because basically they are eating shit, eating too much of it and they’re lazy.  There’s no way around this truth.  We all have the same number of hours in the day, we shop at the same supermarkets, we have kids, jobs and other commitments.  But some people just go day to day complaining about their situation and never doing anything to change it.

If you’re like this, there must be a reason you decide to stay this way.  It is possible to change your habits and to get the body you want-both in terms of how you look and how you feel.  It is possible to turn everything around.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve failed to do so on previous attempts.  YOU CAN DO IT NOW!

Often people are resistant to change because they don’t know what is expected of them.  Realistically, we all know what we need to do.  We may be in denial, or be waiting for the next magic bullet.  But truth being said, YOU ARE THE MAGIC BULLET.  You have the power to change.  No one else can make the decision for you and no one else can stop you.  It’s all up to you.

If you’ve been thinking about coming along to FitterFaster, but are not sure what to expect, here’s a few things I’m asked the most often:

No one has to keep the food journal.  Keeping one is something that most successful weight losers do.  And they keep doing it once they reach their ideal weight.  I do it myself approx every 4-6 weeks for a week or two.  It keeps me accountable and shows up bad habits that start creeping in.  So it is up to you to keep the journal or not.  I highly recommend it, even if it’s just till you get the hang of it and start developing better habits.

Have realisitic expectations You will not be cured of your bad habits in a single day or week.  These behaviours have been learned over a long period of time so you cannot expect to unlearn them overnight.  We have also had myths and untruths aimed at us from every direction over the past 20 years or so when it comes to nutrition. Most of it comes from the marketing companies whose job it is to convince you why you do or dont need a certain item.  These companies do not have your best interests at heart.

Cravings are worse when you are stressed You need to find time out for yourself.  Whether that is Bootcamp, a walk, playing sport, reading, gardening, a bath, a massage or whatever, give yourself time out to reduce stress.  Times when you feel overwhelmed will give you the perfect ‘excuse’ to have to have something.  Don’t let stress be the trigger, do something about it and deal with it in a more productive way.

Think positive  Have positive expectations about the program.  Dont think about what you cant have, but all the great benefits you are going to get-better health, more energy, a new body, longer life etc.  There’s no doubt you will have to give up certain things, especially in the short term.  But as they say, nothing tastes as good as a lean, fit and healthy body feels.  Once you experience this, you’ll understand what I mean.

How’s that working for you? As Dr Phil would say.  Has what you have been doing in the past been working for you?  No? Well stop dwelling on it then or ask yourself why you are so resistant to change.  Maybe the benefits of staying the same outway the benefits of making the changes for you. If some part of you keeps on making up excuses to not change, then maybe there is a reason for that.  Do you really want to have all those positive benefits or not?

Have a fair dinkum go if you decide that you really do want the postive benefits, then make the effort required to get them.  You will not look fit and healthy unless you ARE fit and healthy.  There is no way to fake it.  You will have to make the right food choices, you will have to turn up to training and you will have to push through the barriers.  I can provide information, I can provide encouragement, I can push you at Bootcamp, I can even provide extra incentive in the form of prizes but I cannot do it for you.  I am proof that this works.  Prove that you have what it takes too.

I’m scared, I’m too unfit, I’ve never done anything like this before Statements like these are the most common thing I hear first up.  Whether my initial contact with a new client is via text, email, phone or in person, almost everyone says that they’re scared and/or not fit enough.  This is perfectly natural and nothing to worry about.  I absolutely guarantee that once you turn up to train, you’ll feel right at home with other clients immediately.

Although the drills will be new to you and you may struggle with some components of the workout, we’ll be with you all the way to make sure that you’re doing everything right and not doing too much.  Every other client has been there before and most can vividly remember their first sessions and how they felt turning up. It’s the best bunch of people to train with and you don’t have to compare yourself to any of them.  Some have done over 500 sessions while there’s 19 that have done over 300.  So don’t compare yourselves to anyone else.  It’s where you’re at that is important to you and where you are going from there.

Over the past 3 years, my clients have lost 760kgs and 3842 cms.

This is huge and you can be part of it.  The best way to start is to commit fully to a 3 week trial package.  In your head it’s only 3 weeks.  Its doable and achievable.  But once you’ve done that and started to experience how different you feel, you’ll be hooked.

A FitterFaster 3 week Trial Package includes the following:

• 2 Personal Training or Box Out sessions-ideally you’d do these first, but that’s not compulsory.  These sessions will help me to see exactly where you’re at and also show you a lot of the drills and exercises you’ll be doing at bootcamp.  It’s also less intimidating for the ‘newbie’ in a small group of up to 4 participants at a time.
• Unlimited attendance at Bootcamp sessions-start off slowly with our modified beginners program and progress at your own pace.
• Assessments so you can see where you’re starting and how far you’ve come
• A full nutrition program that allows you to eat as much as you want but will have you feeling and looking better within just days.

The total investment for the full Trial Package is just $75-  Why not treat yourself to the gift on better health.  Come along with a friend or come on your own.  Take the first step today and email me now.  joanne@fitterfasteronline.com

There’s never a better time to start.

Pricing Structure Change

You know, a lot of days I just don’t feel like training.  I say things to myself like “I could do it this afternoon” or “I’ve just got too much on”  Some days I leave it at that and on those days, I almost always miss my training session.  On the other hand, some days, I say ‘What the heck-I’ve got so much on, I don’t have enough time to do it and I’m really, really busy, but I’m going to do it anyway”  On those days, I just head out the door or grab some handweights in the living room and get the workout done.  It might only be 15 minutes, but I’m always more productive and I get much more done and have much more energy on  the days that I stop making excuses and just do it.

We’ve all been there before, but it’s time to stop making excuses, stop putting it off and realise that it’s all in your head.  Stop planning and thinking about it and get out there and get it done.

Start today!!  Either start your fitness routine once and for all, or if you’ve already started, make today the day you end all excuses and do some training every day.

Be it a 10 minute core circuit, a 15 minute high intensity cardio session or a full on 60 minute Bootcamp, promise yourself-and follow through- that you’ll train 6 days per week at least every single week.  You’ll surprise yourself with the results you’ll achieve.

In an effort to make things easier for clients and also for administration purposes, I have restructured the way training sessions are paid for at FitterFaster.

The FitterFaster 3 Week Trial Package is still available and will be unaffected by the changes.  The 3 Week Trial Package is just $75 and includes:

• Unlimited Bootcamp attendances
• 2 Personal Training or Box Out sessions
• Assessments
• Full Nutrition Plan

 From 16^th December 2011 Training Credits will be purchased instead of training sessions for all packages except the 3 week Trial Package.

(Current clients can renew under previous structure till 31^st December if they wish)

 There will still be blocks of 30, 50 or 100 Training Credits and prices are the same as the previous 3 Bootcamp per week prices.  All 300 Clubbers will still receive their 10% discount on all packages.

 How will it work?

For each session taken, Training Credits will be deducted from your current total in exactly the same way as Bootcamps are deducted from packages now.

 No matter whether you are a Bootcamp, PT or Box Out client (or combo) you’ll be able to see how many credits you have left each week on the attendance list.

Training sessions will use credits as per the following:

Bootcamp = 1 Training Credit

Personal Training = 2 Training Credits

Box Out = 1 Training Credit

 As with the current Bootcamp system, the more sessions you commit to up front, the cheaper each session will be.  This applies to PT and Box Out as well under the new system.  Everyone still needs to attend a minimum of 3 sessions each week under the new system.

 ALL PACKAGES MUST NOW BE PAID FOR UP FRONT.

I have had a number of PT clients paying packages off, but instead of doing that, now they will be able to purchase a smaller block of Training Credits instead.  This will eliminate weekly payments and a lot of cash handling which was very confusing and time consuming in the past.  I also have clients with more than one package running and the new system will eliminate this as well.

 I have changed the information on my website (please refresh you page if you can’t see it) and will be also posting the changes on my blog.

 As I mentioned above, I have used the existing prices for the new system.  Prices should change very little for most clients-they may vary slightly up or down.  I have not had a price change since July 2010.  Basic prices are listed below, but more details can be found at www.fitterfasteronline.com

 30 Training Credits = $375

50 Training Credits = $550

100 Training Credits = $950

8 Box Out only Training Credits = $100

(The Box Out package is for clients who do Box Out only. If you want more than 8 Box Out sessions, you can invest in one of the other longer term packages)

 This will also make it easier for ‘one off’ PT and Box Out sessions for Bootcampers.  Likewise, if a PT-only clients wishes to trial Bootcamp, they can do so without a cash investment.  Instead of paying cash, Training Credits will be simply deducted from your existing package.

 All current packages will continue till they run out or expire under the current system.  As mentioned above, existing clients can renew under the old system till 31st December if they wish.  If you have renewed in the past week and wish to change to the new system, please let me know and I will change it over.

 PT sessions will continue to be booked ahead as they are now.  One off sessions must be also booked on an availability basis as per the current system.  The same applies to Box Out.  If you’re booked in ‘permanently’ for PT or Box Out and don’t show up, Training Credits will be deducted in the same way as sessions are deemed as taken now.

24 hours notice must be given to cancel booked sessions in most cases (illness obviously doesn’t apply-you just need to text me before the session)

 If you have any questions at all, please let me know via email, phone or text, or current clients can ask at training.

 I will also be enforcing my ‘one discount or gift voucher per package’ policy from now on.

(300 club discount still applies after voucher is applied on any package)

Christmas Special

Invest in or renew any FitterFaster Training Credits Package before 25th December and receive a bonus 20% credits extra for free.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Foods you thought were healthy

If you want to be in the best shape possible, with minimal fat levels and lean strong muscles.  If you want to achieve and maintain great health, you must think about everything that you do to and with your body.  What exercise do you, or don’t you do?  What do you eat?  What do you drink?  Do you get enough sleep?

It’s all so confusing.  I have listed some common foods below that you probably thought were healthy.  Have a look.  How many do you consume regularly?

1. Breakfast Cereals – all cereals are processed foods.  End of story.  ’Whole grain’ ‘wholemeal’ ‘contains whole grains’ ‘full of whole grain goodness’  blah blah blah.  These are not whole foods, they are processed.  Have you seen a grain of wheat, barley or corn lately.  Do they even slightly resemeble the breakfast cereals.   Even if they were whole grain, we don’t need whole grains to be healthy anyway.  In fact, most modern research (that is those studies not funded by the grain boards etc) are showing that most of our modern diseases can be related back to our huge consumption of grain foods.  Stop eating them!!  Don’t kid yourself
2. Bread and pasta – see number one.  How many times do you see recommendations to eat non-processed foods with the very next sentence recommending wholegrain bread or pasta???  What is that?  Bread and pasta do not grow on trees, they are  manufactored, processed foods.  And no making them yourself is no different.  Flour is a processed food.  Think about it.
3. Museli and Breakfast type bars – see above.  Need I say more.  These are not healthy in any way, shape or formLow Fat Yoghurt, heck low fat anything for that matter.  Studies have proved that most artificial sweeteners cause diseases such as cancer.  They even cause you to gain weight!  Yes you read correctly, they cause you to gain weight!
4. Fruit Juice – not even 100% fruit juice.  If you really have to, make you own, but I still would not recommend this.  How many oranges or whatever fruit you use, do you need to  make enough juice?  Think of the calorie level!!  Eat the fruit!  Do not give this to your kids either.  Give them water.  Juice is not a healthy choice.  Stop kidding yourself on this too.
5. Rice cakes and other so called healthy biscuits, crackers and crisp breads – see number one, two and three for this one.  No wholegrains here either, despite what the label says.  Just a short pass ticket to diabetes, weight gain etc
6. Low fat or high protein muffins, cakes and biscuits – really do I need to explain this one.  For a start, low fat does not equal healthy!!  Repeat – low fat does not equal healthy!!  I’d say it again, but …….  These foods are high in either sugar or artificial sweeteners (sugar would be the better choice, but is still a bad one)  They will not help you lose weight, they are not healthier than ordinary cakes and muffins.  Do not kid yourself here either.  You are not kidding anyone else by buying them.  And dont feed these to your kids either
7. Packets of just about anything – Don’t believe the labels.  Whole grain, full of natural goodness, healthy, low fat, diet, lite, 25% real fruit, the healthy alternative………It goes on and on.  These foods are not healthy.  A list of ingredients and exaggerated claims to fame practically scream that the food is not good for you!!  If it comes in  a packet, leave it alone.  (exceptions include frozen vegies, nuts and some other items but I am sure you get the picture)
8. Milk – is for baby cows.  It is one of the highest causes of allergic reactions.  You may even be intolerant of lactose without even knowing it.  This can have a huge impact on your immune system which in turn effects your entire body and general health.  It is also linked to many common conditions like excema, acne, sinus problems, heart disease, high cholesterol etc etc.  Give it a miss and feel the difference

 

So how did you go?  Eat many of these things?  Try cutting them down to once or twice per week.  You will notice a difference in how you feel within days.

Let me know how you go with this or comment on this blog

Jo

Have you been stooged?

 

The health and fitness industry is so full of hype it’s not funny.  Promises of extreme and easy success, gimmicks and basically out and out lies and trickery to get you to spend you money.

Most fitness product or service providers are not interested in your results.  Once you’ve spent your money, that’s the end of the relationship.  Making you a ‘member’ can seem like they’re on your side, but deep down, they only care about the next sale.

I want to share with you what a lot of ‘experts’ don’t want to tell you.

It takes hard work and a long term commitment to get the body of your dreams.

Whether that body is lean and strong, fast or ripped.

Whether it’s just normal function after years of suffering.

Whether you want to be able to run, ride, play sport or chase your kids.

Whether you want to be able to see your abs and muscle definition in your body.

Whether you want to like what you see in the mirror or in the window reflection as you walk past.

Whether you just want to feel good about yourself.

I want to share something else.

You can have all that if you want it.

This is all possible.  YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL.

Lowering your bodyfat and regaining function in your body is possible for everyone.

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t played sport for years (or ever like me.)

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been overweight for a long, long time.

It doesn’t matter if you work long hours or have kids.

It doesn’t matter if you’re on a tight budget or have money to spare.

These things are irrelevant.

YOU CAN HAVE THE BODY YOU WANT!!!!

I know you’re thinking, “I’ve tried everything!  It doesn’t work for me-I’m different.”

I’m here to tell you how to build a body that you’re proud of.  That can function properly and do whatever you want it to.  That looks good and feels good.  I want you to have it all.  I want to show you how it’s done.

Through a carefully planned training program, proper nutrition (without shakes, pills and other useless supplements) and good recovery systems, you can look and feel your best.  And by your best, I mean lean, strong, ripped, toned, muscular or however you want to describe it.  Don’t settle for less.  If you want to wear size 10 clothes, then find out what it takes to get there.

So stop using excuses like your kids, your job, your financial situation, you lack of time or your husband/wife.  It’s up to you.  If you want it bad enough, you can have it.

So what to do now?

1. Get out a piece of paper and write down what you want to achieve.  You don’t have to show anyone if you don’t want to.  This is what you want, not what others think you can achieve.  Dream big.  I know you’ve thought about this before, but have always pushed the dreams aside in favour of ‘more achievable’ things.
2. Contact someone to mentor you through the process.  Make sure they are walking the walk and that you can see proof that they know how to get you there.  For instance, you wouldn’t contact me if you want to win a power lifting contest.  But if you want fat loss, that’s my specialty.  Look at the trainer and see if they are achieving in their own lives, what it is you want to achieve in yours
3. Start the process now.  Don’t put it off any longer.  Waiting till the ‘New Year or ‘after Christmas’ or ‘on Monday’ or ‘after my holiday,’ just wont cut it.  Don’t put it off or you will never start.  Just make the decision and DO IT NOW.
4. Budget your plan into your weekly/fortnightly salary.  It may mean cutting out that daily coffee down the street (too many calories anyway) or cutting back on alcohol (that isn’t good for the process either.)  It may mean buying a couple less magazines or newspapers each month/week or buying less ‘snacks’ (which funnily enough are also bad for you)  You’d be surprised how healthy food actually doesn’t end up costing more.  In fact over the long run, it can actually work out less expensive.  Less doctors visits, over the counter medications and prescription drugs will also mean more funds to go towards your healthy body.

I hope I’ve inspired you to reach higher than you once thought you could.  There’s no reason why you can’t lower your body fat drastically and become lean with nice muscle tone.  There’s no reason why you can’t smile when you look in the mirror and be proud of yourself.  A good training program that focuses on performance and function will empower you like you never thought possible.

If you feel like sharing your goals, let me know.

Jo

The Bathroom Scales and Fat Loss

Why is it taking so long for the weight to come off?  Why has my weight lost stopped?

These are very common questions that I hear a lot. If you have been following your program on and off and only making half an effort, the answer is clear.

But what about if you have been doing all your workouts and watching what you eat?

What if you do keep a food journal and measure all your food.

You do get enough rest and take your supplements.

How come the scales are not reflecting the effort you are making? Fitterfaster clients are losing cm’s big time, but the scale is sometimes slower to show results.

There are several reasons for this. Let me explain some of them. I am going to keep this basic by the way. I can refer you to many great physiology books if you want further info.

1. First of all, if you begin a program of resistance training like lifting weights or participating in FitterFaster Bootcamps, you will be gaining muscle straight away. Muscle gains come rapidly at first especially if you have come from doing very little or no exercise to suddenly training hard and often. So the muscle weight causes your overall body weight to actually go up. Muscles also store glycogen (for use as energy) and with every gram of glycogen stored, there are several grams of water stored as well with it. So more muscle equals more glycogen and more water. There is more weight on the scales, but don’t worry, it is fat-free weight that you are gaining.

2. Regular cardiovascular exercise also causes your blood volume to rise. And guess what, that also equals more weight. (Intense cardio exercise like we do at Bootcamp causes your blood volume to rise much more quickly than so-called ‘fat-burning zone’ cardio)  It also thins your blood by the way, reducing the future risk of stroke and heart attack.  More about that benefit in a future post.

3. There is so much good stuff going on inside your body as you increase your fitness level. Your good enzymes increase, your mitochondria (energy makers) multiply, your cholesterol falls, your arteries clear and your blood vessels become more elastic. Your bone density also increases (more weight again) and all these things distort the progress you are making and show that the scale really is an ineffective way to measure your progress.

4. Lastly, if you have been sedentary for a long time, your fat has probably not seen any circulation for just as long. It will be blubbery and possibly hard, so it will take some effort to get the blood circulating properly again. Increased activity especially intense activity like FitterFaster Bootcamps forces changes in your bodies circulation including an increase in capilliaries to get oxygen and fuel to your muscles more efficiently. Have you wondered why you have that pink look for ages after a good training session? Once your circulation gets sorted out properly, the extra blood near the surface (for cooling) will also disapate more quickly.

5. So what is going on in regards to fat loss? Fat is stored in lots of places in your body-some more obvious than others! Fat is stored within your muscles and around your organs as well as under your skin which is where you can see and feel it. Exercise tends to draw from the intramuscular fat first which is why your muscles start to feel firmer and less squidgy even before the scales show anything. Next comes the fat from around your organs and this is a good thing as it is this fat that is the most dangerous to your health.

6. Last but not least, comes the subcutaneous fat. That’s the fat we hate, the fat we can feel and see. After a while, even on a good training program the muscle gains will slow down. Ask anyone who has been training for some time how hard it is to gain some muscle. Without taking hormones or steroids, extra muscle becomes hard to come by, so when the muscle weight increase slow down, the scales will begin to move downward more quickly reflecting your fat loss more accurately.

For most people, the initial weight loss shown on the scales will underestimate their fat loss. There is lots going on inside you body as you increase not only your health, but your metabolism as well.

(For very overweight or obese people the initial drop of weight by the scales will probably overestimate their fat loss.  This can be due to a large water weight loss.)

So don’t be disheartened if the scales don’t seem to reflect all the effort you are putting in. Just concentrate on what YOU CAN DO TODAY  to produce great results and that is eat the correct foods in the correct quantities and continue with not only your Bootcamp training sessions, but supplement them with the FitterFaster Home Workouts as well.
Think also about the improvements you are making to your fitness levels. Think about how much more energy you have now than before.  Think about how much easier exercises like pushup and squat thrusts are becoming.

Concentrate on improving your bodies’ performance and the rest will come on it’s own. Try to go for longer, to go further, go faster, do more repetitions and lift more and all of the above changes happening inside your body will work towards improving your appearance in time.

I could have called this business ‘Jo’s Weight Loss Centre’ or something, but I called it ‘FitterFaster’ for good reason. I want you to all get Fitter and Faster and Stronger and the rest will take care of itself. So be proud of yourselves for the great effort you are putting in. I am! I am finding this so rewarding as I see not only your fitness improving, but your confidence as well. But that’s another story, so remember:

NO EXCUSES-JUST RESULTS

As you know I use a Maltron Body Compositon Analyser which shows not only your body fat and lean levels, but also your hydration status.  Those who have been tested know how important your hydration levels are to show accurate results.

The results of this testing have been amazing.  Clients who may have only lost a small amount on the scales are showing ‘fat’ losses twice as much or more.  This is reflected in their shrinking girth measurements, but not showing on the scales.

So come along to Bootcamp and start shifting your bodyfat, improving your health and increasing your fitness levels.

Jo

Overcoming a bad diet with training-is it possible?

If you’ve been following my posts for any length of time, you know what I’m going to say.

You cannot out-train a bad diet.

Too much sugar, bad fats, junk, processed foods and alcohol cannot be overcome by exercising. Cruel I know, but best results will come to those who change the way they think about what they are consuming on a daily basis. Here are some of my basic tips for improving your nutrition. These are the first and vital steps you must take to get results. I will expand the list in future blogs, but get these things under control first.

1. Cut down on breads, pastas, pastries, cakes, biscuits, wraps, rice, cereals, museli or breakfast/health bars, etc. This includes multi grain and wholemeal varieties. These foods are processed!!! Since when did a loaf of bread grow on a tree? Try to limit these foods to one serve of wholemeal or multigrain per day. Once serve is a slice of bread or 1 cup of cooked pasta. Remember Grains are not my friends.

2. Eat protein everytime that you eat. This will help to stabilise the blood sugar/insulin response and also supply quality nutrients that you body needs for complete health. Protein is found in meats, fish, eggs, whey powder and also yoghurt in smaller quantities. Nuts and seeds also contain small amounts of protein. Limit yoghurt to 1 serve a day of full cream (do not choose diet or low fat)

3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables at every meal or snack. Most of every meal and snack should be made up of fruits and vegetables. There is no limit to the amount of fibrous vegetables that you can eat.  I’d recommend a maximum of 2 serves of fruit per day though if you’re looking for fat loss. Remember rule 2 and combine with protein.

4. Drink only water or tea or coffee. This includes cutting down or completely cutting out alcohol. There are a million reasons to stop drinking alcohol regularly. Even one drink begins a cascade of bad reactions in your body. Many of which also slow or reverse your fat loss efforts as well as effecting your health and ageing you. Limit yourself to 1 or 2 days per week where you consume alcohol. By the way, cut out soft drinks, cordials and fruit juices as well. And skip those lattes and flat whites from the cafe. They are both almost all milk-refer no. 5

5. Cut out milk and if you can cheese too. Limit milk to a tiny amount in coffee or tea. It is for baby cows, not humans. We are the only animal that drinks milk beyond infancy and look at our state of health compared to other species. They may be onto something.

6. Eat every 2-3 hours. Yes don’t go more than 3 hours without eating.

7. Include small serves of nuts and seeds in your diet every day. Also supplement with fish oils daily.

8. Stop having take away. Cooking a meal from scratch really doesn’t take long.

9. If it came in a packet, or has a list of ingredients, stop eating it!!

10. Once per week, eat something you love and disregard all the rules.  The only caveat here, is limit the portion to something reasonable.  Don’t eat the entire block of chocolate!

11. Exercise every day or at least 4-5 times per week.

You can find plenty of info about all of these points in past blog posts and at www.fitterfasteronline.com

Sticking to these rules will get you well on the way to a healthy and lean body. Every rule is important and although sticking to one or two of them will help, you will never reach your full potential without improving your whole diet and lifestyle.

Until you follow these rules every day, you do not need to worry about serving sizes or quantities of carbs or protein etc.  Once you’re making good food choices on a daily basis, then you can worry about how much to eat.  I can help you with this if you’re stuck.

Stick to eating real, non-processed foods and it will make a huge difference. Stop worrying about calories and carbs and get healthy food into you.

Don’t worry about the latest supplement of weight loss pill or drink. The basic rules above will increase your fat loss much more than any of these ever will despite the advertising promises.  Basically they just don’t work without everything else being in place first.  If you read the fine print, they all say they work combined with the proper diet and exercise routine–dah!!  What is really working??

Jo

How Dangerous Is Belly Fat?

http://www.fitnessawards.com.au/vote.php

Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess abdominal fat? The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body.

However, what most people don’t realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly demonstrated that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

Did you know that the vast majority of people in Australia have excess abdominal fat? The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body.

However, what most people don’t realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly demonstrated that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area. The first type that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.

The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral fat, and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscle and surrounding your organs.

Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase the risk your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.

If you care about the quality of your life and your loved ones, reducing your abdominal fat should be one of your TOP priorities! There’s just no way around it. Besides, a side-effect of finally getting rid of all of that excessive ugly abdominal fat is that your stomach will flatten out, and if you lose enough stomach fat, you will be able to visibly see those sexy six pack abs that everyone wants.

So it’s not just about those 6 pack abs.  This is your health I am talking about.

 

So how do you reduce that belly fat?

Well it’s not by doing sit ups or crunches.  You need to change what you’re eating and get off processed foods.

Start eating real food that once lived such as:

• lean meats (think chicken, fish, lamb, beef, port, seafood and game)
• eggs (free range are best)
• nuts and seeds (not roasted or salted please)
• fruits(tinned, fresh, frozen, doesn’t matter-get them in) and
• vegetables (again, frozen or fresh are best)
• Lastly add small serves of yoghurt and cottage cheese each day for variety

Secondly, you need to move your body.  You can start with something as simple as walking, but you’ll have to up the intensity if you want to see better results.

Intervals and body weight exercises are best.  You can use weights if you like, but remember to keep up the intensity.  No sitting around for a few minutes between each set!  You have to huff and puff a bit and you should work up a sweat.  Go at a high intensity for your current fitness level.  Sample workouts can be found at my website www.fitterfasteronline.com

You could also try FitterFaster by investing just $75 for a 3 week trial package.  Includes:

• Unlimited Bootcamp attendance
• 2 Box Out or Personal Training sessions (subject to availability)
• Nutrition plan-see what to eat exactly for best results
• Assessments-so you can see for yourself how effective this is
• Results are guaranteed!!

Contact me today to find out how you can reduce that dangerous belly fat, get more energy, sleep better, look better and feel better.  Email: joanne@fitterfasteronline.com

Jo

How to keep the weight off

After the 4th and final week of the Fat Loss Boost program (results to be confirmed soon) I’ve had lots of questions about how to maintain your new weight, or how to continue losing some more.  There’s two answers really and it all comes down to how close to your healthy, lean weight you are.

Let’s address the person who has 5kg or less left of excess body fat

A program like the 4 week Fat Loss Boost program is a really strict program which followed for too long by someone with little weight left to lose, will most likely result in a backfire.  You not only will probably end up bingeing, but also, if you’re down to the last 5kgs or less, your body will be doing all it can to hang onto that little bit of excess fat that you have left.

The way around this is to ‘refeed’ quite regularly.  Hence the higher calorie days that were involved throughout the program.  For this person, I’d suggest two days per week of not measuring your protein and dairy foods.  You can also eat some extra fruit on these days and add an extra fat serve or two in the form of nuts, avocado etc.  Note:  these are not a binge days. Still stay under control and only eat foods on the FitterFaster Food Lists.

Also have 1 or 2 protein days as per the plan every week and the rest of the days are normal FitterFaster Nutrition plan days.  Keep fruit servings to maximum of one or two per day as well on the ‘normal’ days.

You should also do the protein and vegie only days one or two days per week too if you like.  This is optional but would help this category of fat loss client.  Make sure you measure all protein, dairy and fruit serves on every day except the higher calorie day.

Overall, you want your weekly calorie intake to be lower than maintenance level without just being short every day.  So some lower and some higher-it’s the overall balance that’s important.  Measuring your food can be tedious, but it’s just so easy to eat too much and if you’re this close to your goal, you want to do everything you can to make it happen.  I always say- fat loss is simple, but not easy.

Now let’s look at the person who is still some way off from their ideal or goal weight

This person still needs to be strict with their plan.  Their body is less likely to backfire and they also can stay more motivated as fat loss will be a bit easier and seeing those scales or body fat measurements move really keeps you on track.

You’re still likely to keep losing body fat by following the FitterFaster Nutrition Plan to the ‘T’.

This means measuring and weighing food and sticking 100% at all times to the program.  If you find that it’s not working after a few weeks of honestly following it 100%, try to limit your serves of fruit to 1 per day (replace with vegetables) and drop your starchy carb serve.  You still needs carbs for energy, though you’ll get more than enough from nutrient rich vegetables and a little fruit.

For both groups of people, keeping a food diary is a fool proof way to make sure you’re on track.  Writing it down at the time of consumption is key to making the most of this simple tool.  Carry a small spiral notebook with you at all times and write it down straight away.  Don’t wait till you get home from work or whatever.  It won’t work this way.  If you then put everything onto the forum for me to check, I can make sure you’re right on track.

Having a regular assessment will also help you to stay on track.  How do you know if it’s working if you’re not measuring it?  A diary and assessments are the ultimate tool to track what’s working and what isn’t.  So get recording today and book your assessment now.  You can then look back on weeks when results were poor and compare them to ones where it all seemed to come together.  This helps both in terms of nutritional intake and training frequency and consistency.

The FitterFaster forum can be found at fitterfaster.ning.com

I’m also finalising the new Box Out training session times which commence on November 1st.  All sessions are just about booked up, so if you would like to join in but haven’t let me know yet, please do so asap.  I can’t believe how quickly all the new sessions have filled!!

Check out these pictures of Mandy who recently completed the 12 week Evolution program.  Mandy has continued her FitterFaster journey and looks different again already!  Well done Mandy, you’re doing a great job.

Jo

Mandy after 12 weeks

Major Fat Loss in only 12 weeks

The final assessments were completed for the Evolution Program this weekend.  The results were absolutely amazing to say the least.

In 12 weeks the 9 participants lost a total of 109.5 kg and 554.5cm.

The measurements taken were:

Chest

Narrow Waist

Umbilical Waist

Hips

Right Leg

Right Arm

So no making the numbers look good with multiple measurement sites, double leg and arm measurements etc.

From the very start to the end, all participants were so committed.  They were a great bunch to work with and took everything on board.  No excuses were made, but instead, real efforts were put forth to get the great results that they achieved.

Below are some of the things they said about the FitterFaster program:

I really enjoy the “bootcamp community spirit”, there is such positive energy at each and every session.  Everyone is so welcoming and encouraging and you have a gift for inspiring everyone.  I love the proud of myself feeling I have when I’m driving home.  I feel better than I have in over 10 years and I’m so much stronger and better at balancing.  Nearly everyone I’ve seen in the last couple of weeks have been saying “you’re fading away” –  Trish

This program is different to other things I’ve tried because of the constant support and advice, and the interaction on the forum, where I can get other ideas for food etc.  The constant communication from Jo is great, we always know what’s going on, and she is always there to help us.
The best change I’ve noticed is that I’m starting to feel much more confident in myself again, and my cardio fitness and agility has improved heaps!  - Mandy

The first Bootcamp session was a real eye opener. I found it very difficult to dig deep and bring myself back for another try. It is true how the first step is always the hardest – but on the other hand it’s the most rewarding to achieve.
Knowing that the welcoming catchup with the other participants was always waiting for you on arrival has made sticking to this program very easy. Having constant support from Jo through the good and bad times has made such a huge difference to anything I’ve done before.
It’s very exciting to put on an item of clothing that was rather tight, only to find there is now so much extra material ! I now feel alot stronger, have more energy, and have come through winter without being sick – Christine

The eating plan has become habit now and I’m finding it heaps easier than the first month.  I don’t fit into any of my clothes anymore, they look like clown pants on me now. Thats pretty cool! My everyday life is more manageable than before as I just seem to be able to do more in the mornings, previously I really struggled to motivate myself before midday.  In our social ladies game of basketball I’ve noticed I can run more and I shot a three pointer the other week which previously I struggled to make the distance.  I reckon that I’ve gained some years on my life (and that’s big!).  I can’t thank you enough.  I am so impressed with you and your setup and the whole programme in general and I’m rapt with my results and I look forward to one day being a 300 clubber! – Trish

What surprised me with this program was the amount of support during the whole program all the way through – the constant text messages and emails from Jo meant that we never missed a beat and were kept in the loop with things.  Almost every other weight loss program I have tried I felt like I was on my own, but this program was really good for me, because we were all in it together, and Jo was there every step of the way to help us with any queries or concerns. – Mandy

I have to brutally honest and say that I do not enjoy the “pain” during a workout but the second that it is finished I am euphoric and have an endless supply of energy for the entire day. Given that my days  can start at 4.45 with boot camp at 5.45 and can go until 2200hrs – this is a major increase in my energy levels.  Surprisingly the easiest thing for me has been getting out of bed so early to go to boot camp. I have found the eating plan to be abundant in quantities of food, although sometimes being organized to have the “correct” food can be onerous on top of my already busy days. The networking and support by fellow “boot campers” has been nothing short of amazing. They are an endless source of encouragement. – Heather

I feel really good and am highly motivated thanks to Jo at all times.  It’s been hard making regular time slots in everyday life around kids, school and work commitments, but surprisingly easy going ‘cold turkey’ on the nutrition plan and not wavering at all-I’m really enjoying it.  My general fitness and energy have improved and I feel healthier.  I have more energy to utilise throughout the day and am much happier.  I enjoy walking out the gate after a completed session and feeling stuffed but in a really good way – Sarah

Although the physical changes in how the Evolutioners look are amazing and obvious to everyone, I think you’ll agree that there’s a lot more to gain from being fit and healthy than just fatloss.  More energy and a better outlook on life also come as you get fitter.  These things are hard to measure, but rest assured, everyone gains these benefits from a good health and fitness program.

Well done to everyone.  I’ll share some individual results soon and hopefully some photos as well

Jo