What happens is the food companies meet the criteria, then purchase the Tick to use on their packaging. According to the Heart Foundation website, in order to qualify for a Tick, food products are tested in a lab, and Heart Foundation considers “serve size, saturated fat, trans fat, salt and vegetable/fibre content”. On paper this sounds pretty good, but food companies can manufacture lots of junk food that meets these requirements.

So it doesn’t consider artificial ingredients, which obviously aren’t good for your body. The Tick also isn’t on very single healthy item in the supermarket. Firstly, you know that vegetables, fruits, meats and other whole foods are good for you. Regarding packaged food – the food company must apply for and purchase the Tick. So it’s up to YOU to figure out if you’re making the healthy choices you want.

On today’s supermarket trip I had a look at the ingredients of some different items with the Heart Foundation Tick.

Take A Look For Yourself

Can you guess what the items are?

With the exception of the last one (which I think is funny! Do you know what it is?) the others really do look like great choices… until you read the ingredients.

How Do I Know If The Ingredients Are Healthy?

When you read the ingredients list, if the items are things you recognise and you think, If I had some instructions, this would easily be a healthy recipe I could make, then it’s probably a good choice. If you don’t recognise the ingredients, then it’s not a smart choice.

I should have taken photos of genuinely healthy Tick items, but the only one I could think of was a carton of eggs, and I don’t think you need a photo of that! I didn’t see any other Tick items that weren’t heavily processed, although there may be some out there.

The take home message for you today, is it’s so important to read the ingredients list on all items you purchase, even if they do have a Tick, or anything else on the packaging to indicate they are healthy. Don’t be fooled by marketing!

If you’ve missed my previous photo essay posts on breakfast cereals and healthy junk food then be sure to check them out too

The post Healthy Heart Foundation Ticked Foods – Are They Really Good For You? appeared first on Personal training : Doncaster East, Greensborough, Macleod, Eltham, Heidelberg, Watsonia, Diamond Creek, Doncaster, Lower Plenty, Rosanna, Viewbank, Briar Hill, St Helena, Montmorency & Yallambie..

Short answer: No
Long answer: Maybe

At the moment, most of my clients have been sick with a cold or felt very run down. It was only a matter of time before I caught something too – and I think I got everything all at once! So I thought it would be timely to write about training when you’re sick.

When the cooler months are upon us, so is Cold and Flu Season, so now is the time to make sure you are eating super nutritious food to do your best to avoid getting sick.

If you do get sick, you may still be able to exercise, depending on what you’ve got. The general rule out there is if it’s above the neck, then you can still exercise, possibly at a lower intensity. And if it’s below the neck (fever, nausea etc) then you shouldn’t exercise. Let’s take a look at the above the neck situations.

Firstly, you must always listen to your body. If you don’t feel well enough to train, then absolutely do not push it.

I have a lot of clients that like to push themselves hard, including when they’re not well. If you are like this, then you’re going to have to learn to back off. Remember that a period of rest is great for your body. This is when super-compensation kicks in, so when you get back to training, your muscles will be stronger than where you left off.

• If you are too sick to go to work (and I don’t mean, you have a few sick days up your sleeve, so you decide to take a sick day even if you feel fine enough to work) then you are too sick to exercise.
• If you have been sleeping all day, but want to get up to exercise, then you are too sick to exercise. Don’t feel guilty for not exercising, and don’t pressure yourself into getting your training done when you know you’ll be better off lying down.
• If you feel dizzy when you stand up, then you are too sick to exercise.
• If the thought of going for a 10 minute walk seems daunting, then you are too sick to exercise.

Get the idea? Basically, if you know that you are better off lying down than doing your regular daily activities, then you are too sick to exercise.

So when could you exercise?

• I have some clients that absolutely swear by a cardio session to help clear a cold. Not something too intense. Perhaps a short light run, or 20 minutes of bodyweight exercises, or a bike ride. This has occasionally helped me in the past, and if you just have the sniffles, it can sometimes help clear your nose a bit.
• If your cold is really mild then you can probably still exercise. You may need to modify things if your breathing is not as good as usual, or if you tire faster, or if you have a runny nose you won’t want to do anything with your head facing down.
• If you feel generally run down, then perhaps some light exercise will pick you up a bit. In this case, cancelling your training session might not be a good idea. Instead, modify it so you are doing some light activity to get the blood flowing a bit more, and to get your body feeling nice and mobile could be just what you need to feel better again.

Do you see a pattern here? Basically, if you are not feeling great, but not bad enough to stop your general daily activities, then you can probably still exercise.

Always exercise caution, and listen to your body. Stop if something makes you feel worse. And consider a totally different workout to what you had planned to help you feel better. If you have a personal trainer, ask them to modify the session for you so you feel rejuvenated instead of exhausted.

What do you think? Do you exercise when you’re sick? Or do you take time off? What works best for you?

The post Should I Exercise When I’m Sick? appeared first on Personal training : Doncaster East, Greensborough, Macleod, Eltham, Heidelberg, Watsonia, Diamond Creek, Doncaster, Lower Plenty, Rosanna, Viewbank, Briar Hill, St Helena, Montmorency & Yallambie..

Now don’t get me wrong, you certainly don’t need the gym. I’m a big advocate of bodyweight exercises and there are an infinite number of things you can do to train at home, so not going to a gym is not an excuse to miss out on exercise! You can also get ridiculously strong with bodyweight exercises alone. But if you want to get even stronger, then you’ll need to pick up a barbell. And unless you have your own at home, that means braving the weights area of the gym.

The best way to go about it, is to simply get in there, act like you own the place and do your training.

Yeah, I know, there are so many thoughts that run through your head…

What are all the guys actually doing in the weights area? How did they become so knowledgeable? Will they snicker and giggle at your pathetic attempts? Will they stare at you for being the only girl? Will they tell you that you shouldn’t be there when you do it all wrong? Why are they always being noisy and taking up so much space? And will they squeeze you out of there?

Well here are the answers to all those things:

• What are all the guys actually doing in the weights area? – Exactly the same as you. They are training to get fitter and stronger. Probably grow some muscle. Maybe improve their sports performance. Most likely to impress the girls.
• How did they become so knowledgeable? – They’re probably not that knowledgeable. I’ve seen guys do ridiculous exercises that serve no purpose. I’ve seen guys perform exercises with incorrect technique. I’ve seen them talk about the latest fat burning pill they bought. So really, they just look like they’re knowledgeable, when in fact you probably know more.
• Will they snicker and giggle at your pathetic attempts? – Absolutely not. They’re probably not even looking at you. They’re usually looking at themselves in the mirror, checking out their muscles. If they’re giggling, it’s because they’re just joking around with each other. I guarantee it has nothing to do with you. They probably don’t even know you’re there.
• Will they stare at you for being the only girl? – Like I said, they probably don’t even notice you. Once I had a guy come up to me mid-set and say, “You’re strong, do you lift weights?” Uhhh not sure what else I was doing there. But I can tell you they will not even see you unless you can outlift them!
• Will they tell you that you shouldn’t be there when you do it all wrong? – No. They probably won’t say anything to you because they haven’t even seen you. They certainly aren’t looking at your technique.
• Why are they always being noisy and taking up so much space? – That’s what guys do. They’re loud, they sweat, they bump into things. When they get into the gym, they turn into oafs. It doesn’t mean anything. If they’re in your way, you just say, “Excuse me, I need this space,” and they’ll get out of your way. They say that to each other, but usually in a gruff, guy kind of way. When they finally notice you, because you’ve asked them to give you some space, they’ll be quite gentlemanly towards you.
• And will they squeeze you out of there? – No way! They honestly couldn’t care less if you were there or not. If you say anything to them (like, Excuse me, I was using that bench) then they’ll be more aware of you, and they’ll most likely be more accommodating. They’ll offer to pass you a dumbbell. They’ll help you reach things that are up high. They’ll make you feel welcome and happy to return.

These guys are usually the friendliest. They remember what it’s like just starting out, and they know what it’s like to train hard.

I’ve trained in a few gyms – Large commercial gyms, small council run gyms and YMCAs, and hardcore powerlifting/strongman gyms.

Most girls find the large commercial gyms less intimidating, but I don’t find them that great. The guys generally have a lack of respect for personal space, and will bump into you like you’re a piece of furniture.

The smaller council run gyms and YMCAs are usually quite friendly. The guys can be in your way at times, but polite most of the time. If you make yourself a regular in the weights area, the guys will simply see you as one of them, so it’s actually quite comfortable.

The more hardcore gyms may seem more intimidating at first, but I would say they are definitely the most friendly towards women. The guys are usually more than happy to share space with you. They want to see more women training hard, and they want to promote healthy strong people – including us girls! I’ve found that even if tough guys are taking up space boxing, they are quite conscious of their surroundings and won’t bump into you. If they’re lifting heavy weights and yelling and screaming, they’ll also curb their language if they think you’ll be offended. They’ll offer to pass you a dumbbell if you need it. They’ll help you reach things that are a bit high. They’ll say Well done if they’ve seen you push yourself to achieve something. They know they’re not the same as you, and they don’t judge you for being weaker/quiet/girly/apprehensive/not-as-hardcore-as-them or whatever standards you think you’re not living up to in the gym. They’re actually very supportive.

Here is a video of me in action recently in my gym’s carpark. I’m not very strong, and regularly make a fool of myself, but no one cares, and everyone is supportive:

So while I consider myself lucky to have found some great hardcore gyms to train in, I know it’s not possible for everyone.

The best thing you can do is just get in there to give it a go. Get a trainer to help you with technique if you need it. Get a trainer to put a program together for you. This will help you feel like you know what you’re doing better, and you’ll feel more in control. Then simply get in there and get busy doing your thing. No one is staring at you, no one is thinking anything negative about you, no one even cares that you’re there. Become a regular in the weights area, and you will feel confident and like you own the place too!

I am currently training myself and clients in a hardcore gym. If you want to join, or even if you simply want me to show you the ropes so you feel more confident in your own gym, get in touch. I’m more than happy to help

The post For Girls Who Find The Gym Intimidating appeared first on Personal training : Doncaster East, Greensborough, Macleod, Eltham, Heidelberg, Watsonia, Diamond Creek, Doncaster, Lower Plenty, Rosanna, Viewbank, Briar Hill, St Helena, Montmorency & Yallambie..

You might be an all-or-nothing sort of person. And if you are, then this is a great opportunity to cut ties with your old life, wipe the slate clean, and do everything for your new life right now.

If you can’t drop all your old habits and take up new habits in one day, then you’ll need to introduce new habits gradually.

This is a common technique used in life coaching, cognitive behavioural therapy and many nutritional programs. This is also the technique I use in mindset coaching. I have also started using it on myself, as I am finding my previous all-or-nothing approach is more than what I’m prepared to do at this point in time.

As a personal trainer and mindset coach, I should probably just tell you to pay me to coach you! But I also know it’s possible to coach yourself with this method. It’s that simple. Not just simple, but easy.

Baby Steps

Each week (let’s say on a Sunday afternoon or Monday morning) you need to set aside some time to make a list of goals you will achieve during the week. I personally like to set 2 or 3 weekly goals, but you may prefer to meet more goals, or even just one for the week. These goals need to be baby steps to your end goal or goals, which might be something like 10kg fat loss, a full blood examination with everything in the normal range, to run a marathon etc…

These baby steps goals need to be super easy to achieve. To know if they are easy enough you need to ask yourself this question with each of them: On a scale of 1-10, how confident am I at meeting this goal?

If your answer is 7 or above, then it’s an achievable goal. If it’s 6 or less, you really aren’t that confident at meeting this goal, so you’ll need to break it down to make it even easier.

It’s important to be as specific as you can with these goals. You don’t want to give yourself any leeway or leave any loopholes for you to get out of your goal.

It’s also very important to write down your baby steps goals. This helps solidify their importance in your mind. It will also help you remember to do them, if you have never tried this before. Personally, I keep my goals on my Sticky Notes on my computer desktop. I list lots of things here (such as bills and when they’re due, as well as ideas for future blog posts) so I always look here to see what I should be doing. You might like to write it in your diary, keep it on your phone (and perhaps set alarms) or stick it on the fridge.

Examples Of Baby Steps

It can be hard to come up with ideas for baby steps, especially if your main big goal is something you’ve never achieved before.

I don’t know what your goal is, but here are some random examples that may apply to you:

• Look up gyms near you and visit 3 of them to see what they are like
• Hire a trainer
• Talk to friends and find someone to be your running partner
• Try 2 new vegetables
• Do your grocery shopping at the market
• Cook a large dinner 1 night so you have left overs for a healthy lunch
• Include a fruit or vegetable with each meal
• Include a source of protein with each meal
• Drink 2 litres of water per day, measuring it to be sure, for 5 days
• Only check and reply to emails twice per day
• Turn your phone completely off when you are out with friends
• Set a timer and allow a maximum of 20 minutes on social media, 5 days per week
• Sunday afternoon write up new list of goals for following week

As you can see, there are an infinite number of baby steps you can do. The important thing is to make sure they really are baby steps and that you ask yourself what your confidence level is. Be sure to give it a number, rather than say “fairly confident”. This ensures you know whether it is a suitable goal for you. Remember, your confidence level must be 7 out of 10 or higher for each goal.

For example, if your weekly baby steps goal is to have 5 out of 7 alcohol free days, and your confidence level is 6 out of 10, then that goal will probably not be met this week. If you don’t meet the goal, your confidence level in general will drop, and you may not improve at all. To make this goal easier for yourself, you could modify your goal so that you have 3 alcohol free days. If that bumps up your confidence level to 7 or more out of 10, then you have a much better chance of meeting this particular goal. This will mean you have a much better chance of making this a habit, therefore a much better chance at meeting future goals and the life that you want.

Another example of could be that you will bring your own home made lunch to work every day. If you work 5 days per week, that’s 5 days of lunches you need to prepare for yourself. If your confidence level is 6/10 or lower, then you could modify this goal to 4 days a week, which might allow you to go out with your workmates for lunch 1 day per week. If this is something you are confident of doing (7/10 or more), then you will not only have a good chance of meeting your goal, but will probably enjoy it too as you may plan a special treat at a nice pub or café.

How Many Goals Should I Have Each Week?

This is up to you. I like 2 or 3. More than that can be overwhelming. If you have 5 goals to meet for the week and they are all at a confidence level of 7/10, then your confidence level may drop if you have too many things to do. If you have 3 goals that are all 10/10 then maybe you’d like to add another one in. If you have a history of not meeting goals you’ve set in the past, and one of your goals is 7/10 then maybe it’s better to have just the one goal for the week. There are no rules. It’s entirely up to you.

Why Have Weekly Baby Steps Goals?

Do you ever make lists of things you need to do each day? Do you get satisfaction and a sense of achieving things as you cross off each item? That’s why!

If you are used to failing in your plans or not being able to stick to a health program, then you must be used to feeling rather poor about yourself. If you can make some simple goals that are so easy that you can actually achieve them, imagine how much better you will be feeling about yourself when you’ve ticked off your weekly goals!

If you need to make some big changes in your life, then setting baby steps is a way to tackle it to make it more manageable and achievable. This helps you in your life on a long term basis. And I presume you want to change your life long term, so this is a great way to go about it.

What will your first baby steps be? Try it, and let me know how it works for you

The post Coaching Yourself – Using Baby Steps To Meet Your Bigger Goals appeared first on Personal training : Doncaster East, Greensborough, Macleod, Eltham, Heidelberg, Watsonia, Diamond Creek, Doncaster, Lower Plenty, Rosanna, Viewbank, Briar Hill, St Helena, Montmorency & Yallambie..

This is normal!

We have a finite amount of motivation. That is, we can only stay on track for so long before it becomes all too much and we fall off plan. If you have trouble remembering WHY you are meant to be eating healthy food and exercising daily, and if you have trouble doing what you know you need to be doing, then I’ve got a GREAT task for you today!

Get a pen and paper handy, and I’ll talk you through it on the video:

So now you should have your reasons WHY you are suffering through the discomfort of hard exercise. You know WHY you are saying no to fish and chips and yes to fish and salad. You know WHY you are getting out of your comfort zone and WHY a little bit of struggle now will be WORTH IT in the end.

And you also know now that it’s not just about losing weight or eating healthily. It’s so much more than that.

Look at your list of WHYs daily. Use it to help make the right decisions. Use it to help you get back on track faster. Use it to reach your goals faster. Use it to make your life better.

So tell me what you think of this task, and let me know how you go with it, and if you’ve found it helpful. Comment below or send me an email. I can help you with mindset coaching and personal training. If you want specific help on nutrition, then sign up to the newsletter for your free copy of The Definitive Diet.

And don’t forget to share this on Facebook so that your friends can also benefit from this task

The post How To Stay Motivated – Find Your Reasons WHY appeared first on Personal training : Doncaster East, Greensborough, Macleod, Eltham, Heidelberg, Watsonia, Diamond Creek, Doncaster, Lower Plenty, Rosanna, Viewbank, Briar Hill, St Helena, Montmorency & Yallambie..

But that’s not all I am! Here are 25 random things you didn’t know about me:

1. I have a bachelor degree in music performance. I went to 3 different universities in 2 different states before I finished my degree. It doesn’t qualify me to do anything! I’ve been teaching music for over a decade and continue to do so on a small scale.
2. My surname – Papij – is pronounced pappy. Rhymes with happy. Do not pronounce the J as an English speaking person would. If you read Cyrillic, it makes more sense like this: ПАПИЙ
3. I grew up in Tasmania, and spent most of my school holidays in Victoria. I then moved here when I was 18.
4. I’ve seen Tasmanian devils in the wild. They are quite rare.
5. I learnt to drive when I was 13.
6. I’ve always been interested in writing, and published my own zine when I was in high school. It was very popular in Tasmania. I still like writing, which is why I have several blogs (this one of course, and this one).
   
7. I released a cassette (yes, a tape) of experimental music many years ago. I later heard that someone in South Australia had their first car accident while listening to it.
8. Raspberries are my favourite food, and have been since I was a kid. I don’t eat them often though, as I don’t have any in my backyard, and I can’t bring myself to pay for them in the shops.
9. My second favourite food is chocolate. And I have been known to spend over $50 in one go on single origin chocolates.
10. Although I’m too sensitive to caffeine to drink it on a regular basis, I love coffee. I have worked several jobs as a barista in order to learn how to pour a god shot and do latte art.
11. I like to be creative. I used to draw, paint and write fiction, and currently I make jewellery. In a few years it will probably be something else.
12. I don’t like the cold, but I’ve always loved the snow. I was always disappointed that I was born in May, and missed out on a winter birthday by a month, so I’d never get to go skiing on my birthday.
13. I’ve skied in Lapland in the middle of winter.
14. I am very competitive. As a child I competed to win music eisteddfods. I usually placed first or second. Now I compete in various sports and I’m not very good so I only compete against myself.
15. Due to my competitive nature, I am quite driven. Some clients mistake me for being naturally strong or fit, but the reality is I’ve had to be very dedicated and work hard for it.
16. I usually come across as a quiet person. The truth is, I just don’t do small talk. This might seem weird for a personal trainer not to be ranting and raving in your face all the time, but I’d rather talk about real things of substance.
17. If I wasn’t working as a personal trainer, I’d do more volunteer work and I’d join the CFA (Country Fire Authority). I’m already a volunteer for Bush Search And Rescue.
18. I completely and utterly love my job and my clients. Because I work for myself, and not for a gym or another company, I do not have to abide by any rules or stick to out-dated training and nutrition methods.  As an independent, I can stay up to date with everything and implement the good stuff straight away
19. I’ve only ever been employed by a gym once. After a month I got the sack because I stood up for myself and the other staff.
20. I have 2 cats. One is called Bobo, and he is quite silly. The other is called Cleo and she’s a bit of a princess.
21. I like reading fiction. I usually buy 3 or 4 books at a time so I don’t have to go to the bookshop too frequently.
22. I am not good at watching movies. I tend to forget them. Even if I know by the title that I loved the movie, I can’t remember a single thing about it.
23. Although I’m a pretty good cook, I actually dislike cooking. I hate washing up the most, so most of my meals are ridiculously boring. I can’t follow a recipe without making alterations, and prefer to make it up as I go along. Some of my recipes are found here.
    
24. I’m not religious, but believe in the supernatural. I’ve hired a psychic to talk to my cats, and I’ve had someone pray to Jesus to fix my sports injuries.
25. People often say I’m a little crazy or kooky because of all the things I like to do. From running 100km, to powerlifting, to telling others they can do it too. Some people think this is weird, but I think they don’t believe in themselves as much as I do

So that’s me! What about you? Are there some weird and wonderful facts that most people don’t know about you? Share!

The post 25 Random Things You Didn’t Know About Me appeared first on Personal training : Doncaster East, Greensborough, Macleod, Eltham, Heidelberg, Watsonia, Diamond Creek, Doncaster, Lower Plenty, Rosanna, Viewbank, Briar Hill, St Helena, Montmorency & Yallambie..

When I meet a client for the first time, I usually ask a lot of questions. Most of my clients want to lose fat. Some want to stay the same weight, but tone up and get nicely shaped arms and legs. Some want to improve sports performance – eg running, basketball, football etc. Some want to improve general well-being so they feel healthy again.

I conduct a short fitness test on our first meeting. No, it’s not some intimidating gruelling exercise – It only takes 5 minutes. This helps me see how you move, what your body awareness is like, what imbalances you may have and gives me a small indicator as to your current fitness and strength levels.

I’ll offer dietary advice as required, and also mindset coaching if that is something you need specific help with. If not, I tend to use mindset coaching techniques as required in sessions anyway, as it can help you turn health into a lifestyle. Some of my clients will say I have Jedi mind trick abilities, but really, I think they realise that exercise can be a great part of life and that’s why they want to increase their weights, try new challenges, or crave vegetables and end up turning their garage or spare room into a home gym!

Your training is tailored specifically to you. That means I take into account any injuries and imbalances, while helping you reach your goal. It doesn’t mean we only do fun stuff that you like, because I have found that it’s the basics that work the best. I like to keep it simple. I could wow you with crazy exercises and circuits, but I have found that the most effective training doesn’t look like that.

I also give you unlimited support. You can email, call or text me any time. I want you to be your best. I want you to do well. I want you to be the best you can, so I will help you as much as I can.

I have the coaching tools, and you have to do the work. My system is very simple. But it’s not always easy. If you’re ready to commit, send me an email. I’d love to chat with you.

The post The System For Losing Weight, Improving Fitness, And Feeling GREAT appeared first on Personal training : Doncaster East, Greensborough, Macleod, Eltham, Heidelberg, Watsonia, Diamond Creek, Doncaster, Lower Plenty, Rosanna, Viewbank, Briar Hill, St Helena, Montmorency & Yallambie..

I find it funny when some people ask me about my own training and the competitions I enter. Currently my focus is on powerlifting, while I also dabble in kettlebell sport, and still plan to get back into running ultras.

Maybe it’s because I have a fairly relaxed approach to life that others think my general disposition means I have no drive or focus or intensity. When a client who doesn’t know me well yet, or a general member of the public meets me and finds out I am competing, they often ask, “So do you train for it? Do you lift weights and stuff? How often do you have to do it?”

Well here is my answer: Yes, I train. I have a program, usually written out weeks, sometimes months in advance that involves doing specific exercises and lifting specific amounts of weight to get stronger. I do this week in, week out, even if it’s cold or hot or I’m tired or I’m on holidays or I’m busy. If I miss a session, then my training is messed up, which means I won’t perform as well as I could.

No one forces me to do this. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes I don’t feel like it. Often I have to plan my week in advance to make sure I get it done.

So why do it then? Well I guess it makes me a better person. It’s good to have something to work towards in life. It’s good to have goals and it’s satisfying to achieve them.

Sure, I could exercise less. But that would mean I wouldn’t be as strong, I wouldn’t be as fit, and I wouldn’t qualify to enter all the competitions I do. It would also mean I could get complacent, I could settle for being average, and with no drive I could even settle for being below average. I don’t want that.

Kettlebell Competition

Now I realise this has been all about me so far. So how does this apply to you and your training? How hard do you need to exercise?

You need to exercise as hard as you have to so that you get your desired outcome.

Do you want to be really fit and strong? Then you have to work really hard to get there. And once you get there, you have to keep working hard because if you stop doing really fit and strong things, then you won’t be fit and strong anymore.

Do you want to lose 5 or 10kg? Then you have to work really hard to step out of your comfort zone. You have to work up a sweat and do hard things such as planning your nutrition and exercise in advance to make sure you do it without excuses. And once a week doesn’t cut it either. It needs to be a regular occurrence in your week. And once you lose that weight you can’t go back to your old habits because then you’ll go back to looking like your old self. You have to keep working hard.

Do you want to build some muscle to improve your body shape? Then you have to work really hard, lifting heavy weights and eating plenty of healthy food so that you can grow that good muscle. You have to keep lifting weights even when you’re tired or you’re on holidays or you don’t feel like it. And when you get that muscle that you’ve worked so hard for, you have to keep working hard, because you know that you have to use it or lose it.

Do you want to get over some old injuries? Then yes, you have to work hard too. It might not work up a sweat, but it will be mentally hard. You will have to do your rehab exercises every day, sometimes multiple times a day, without fail. You may have to teach your body new motor patterns. It might not feel natural, and it might take weeks or months or even years. And if you stop your rehab exercises then you know you will never improve, so you have to keep working hard day in day out.

I have said before that having the mindset of a competitor can help you have a good mindset for life. You need this determination to reach your goals – whether it’s to drop 5kg or to compete at an elite level. It’s all the same to me.

What are you training for? And do you have that determination and drive? If not, what’s holding you back? Get in touch with me if you need help finding your drive.

The post How Hard Do You Have To Exercise? appeared first on Personal training : Doncaster East, Greensborough, Macleod, Eltham, Heidelberg, Watsonia, Diamond Creek, Doncaster, Lower Plenty, Rosanna, Viewbank, Briar Hill, St Helena, Montmorency & Yallambie..

You can’t believe how simple this healthy chocolate mango pudding is!

This pudding is low in fat and high in carbs, which makes it the perfect post-workout meal and fits in well if you’re having a carb refeed.

Ingredients:

• 1 Large mango
• 2 Tbs cacao powder
• 1 Small pinch sea salt (optional)
• Topping (optional)

Cut up a large mango and put it in the bowl you intend to eat out of.

Add cacao powder – you can use more or less to taste. Do yourself a favour and make sure it’s raw cacao powder. Regular cocoa powder loses nutrients due to the extra processing, but more importantly, normal cocoa powder tastes like dirt in  comparison to cacao.

Add sea salt if you like it – this highlights the awesomeness of the cacao powder.

Use a stick blender to blend it up. I like to leave it a little lumpy so you get a few chunks of mango in there, but you can make it all smooth if that’s your preference.

That’s it – It’s done!

Delisherama!

I recommend keeping your mango in the fridge for a bit beforehand, so it’s chilled before you eat it. You could also make the pudding and stick it in the fridge for a bit. Or if you can’t wait, there’s nothing wrong with room temperature.

I topped mine with a sprinkle of cinnamon. You could also top yours with chilli, extra cacao powder, grated 100% cacao, crushed nuts, a dollop of coconut cream or all of those!

I find this is such a simple and refreshing way to enjoy a piece of fruit, and some chocolatey goodness on a summer evening.

If you come up with any other awesome toppings or additions, comment below

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Even for fitness professionals, it can be confusing and overwhelming at times. It can be difficult to separate the crap from the real info.

I have been there and done that with almost every form of diet. I have lead a typical musician’s lifestyle and thought that coffee and beer were food groups. I have competed in sports at extreme opposite ends of the spectrum from ultramarathons to strongman sport.

I want to share with you The Final Solution. That is – what I guarantee will work time after time.

I will tell you what works (and you can skip to that if you like) but I think you will be interested to see what I tried first. That is, the things that haven’t worked:

No results here

1. Easy forms of exercise

During one of my early attempts at getting fit and healthy and losing weight, I tried a form of exercise that I already knew I could do – swimming. I already found it easy – that’s why I knew I could do it. But the exercise didn’t challenge me – swimming or walking at an easy pace was not going to make a difference to my fitness or my health, and especially not my hips and thighs. It took me a long time to figure this out on my own – I needed to challenge myself.

Of course, once I did my personal training course, this had a label – the rule of progressive overload – you actually need to over-load your system to get results. As you know, the human body adapts to situations very well. You need to push yourself because your body is already adapted to your current lifestyle.

The exercise you do doesn’t have to be overly complicated or even unpleasant. You simply have to exert effort.

No overload = no results.

2. Hard forms of exercise

When I first tried running, it was beyond me. I simply wasn’t fit enough to run more than a couple of hundred metres and because of this, I wasn’t able to give it the good go it deserved. It was simply too hard. You need a certain level of fitness to run and I just didn’t have it. I needed to build up my fitness gradually by walking very fast before I could start running.

Of course, now I know this, and I get quite a few clients wanting to improve their running form or who need a program to follow for a race. I know – not just from literature, but from personal experience – that you need to exercise at the appropriate level for you.

When you think about it, it is logical that you should not go from couch potato to super sprinter, or from skinny weakling to Olympic lifter. You need the beginning and intermediate steps to get there first. It’s the whole you can’t walk before you can crawl thing.

3. Calorie counting

Much later on into my journey towards a healthy lifestyle, I was running quite a lot. Before I ran ultramarathons, I ran half marathons. I still wanted to drop a few kilos. So I tried calorie counting. With the program I used, I had to eat up the calories I exercised. The problem was, after running 25 kilometres in the morning, I’d be scoffing chocolate and drinking wine to try and make up the calories. I was strictly following the rules, but strangely I didn’t lose any weight.

Aside from that, I have more recently learnt that you really need your hormones to be at optimal levels to promote fat loss. This is stuff that is NOT covered in the personal training certificates, and still isn’t covered in any of the continuing education courses that we have to do to maintain our personal training registration. It is so complicated that even most doctors don’t get it.

Healthy hormones = healthy body. You probably already know that if your thyroid is out of whack you might have weight problems, or if your iron is out you might be fatigued, or if your adrenaline is out you might have trouble sleeping.

Healthy food = healthy hormones. For these reasons I do not promote calorie or points counting. I promote a diet of natural food. Actually, if you sign up to my newsletter, you get my free comprehensive ebook The Definitive Diet which spells it out in detail.

What Really Works

I’ve tried a bunch of things that don’t work. I’ve also tried a bunch of things that do work. In fact, to this day I am constantly experimenting on myself – not only to find out what does and doesn’t work, but also to find out what it feels like to try different methods.

When I first got into strength training, my running improved out of sight. I realised there was more to exercise than cardio, and my love of getting stronger grew to the point where now I am a regular competing powerlifter.

When one of my first clients showed up to a session and said, “I’ve given up carbs, and am only eating chicken for 3 days,” I had NO IDEA how she was feeling. Of course, during training she nearly passed out. And to be honest, that day sparked my interest in serious diet experimentation on myself.

When it comes down to it, I have found there are 3 things that work. EVERY TIME.

1. Nutrition

To improve body composition and to improve sports performance you MUST eat for optimal health. My philosophy on nutrition revolves around natural whole foods. Ideally this would be all you eat, but I know you like to treat yourself – Hey, I do too! But treats should be a rarity. 95% of your food should be all natural and not from a packet. It might not feel normal for you. It might not be the most convenient for you. You might not have discovered natural foods that you like yet. But I absolutely 100% guarantee that natural foods with help regulate your hormones, promote fat loss, increase physical performance and improve your mental state of being. You’d like all those things, wouldn’t you?

Forget low fat, high carb, low carb, high protein, meal replacements, ketosis, carb cycling, calorie counting, calorie cycling, intermittent fasting, carb backloading, carb free, vegan. Forget it all. I have done all of those, and will save you the effort. Before you implement the next best thing or advanced nutritional tactics, all you have to do is get the basics right. That is – eat plenty of natural whole foods. This is ridiculously simple.

And I cannot believe it took nearly a decade for me to get this right. In fact, I am still tempted by some of the diets that promise you can have your cake and eat it too (aren’t you?), but when THEY ALL FAIL (and you know they do, right?), I go back to reading my  Definitive Diet to set my head straight. Yep, that’s right. I read my own book to remind myself of what really works. Not kidding.

2. Exercise

It’s no secret that exercise decreases risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, depression, cancer, and pretty much anything else that will harm or kill you etc. You know this. The thing is choosing the right exercise.

If you have never seriously exercised in your life, you might not know what you enjoy and what you might find will fit in with your lifestyle. It could take some time to figure this out, but for the sake of your own health, you owe it to yourself to keep trying until you get it right.

I am a big believer in competition to spur you on to do better. You do not have to formally compete in anything, and I will never tell you that you have to compete with anyone else, but you should compete with yourself.

Your exercise needs to challenge you in a progressive manner so that you are constantly improving.

I am a big fan of a combination of resistance exercise and cardiovascular exercise because when done correctly, they cover all bases of fitness.

I am also a big believer of doing exercise that suits your lifestyle. If that means only 20 minutes a day – GREAT – that can be VERY effective. I know because I’ve done experiments on myself and others where we’ve done daily exercise for short periods of time, and we’ve become very fit and managed to shrink our waistlines.

So you need to aim for constant improvement, and to find something that fits into your lifestyle. Simple, right?

3. Mindset

Have you tried everything and found it doesn’t work? Well, I bet it does work, and the only thing you haven’t tried is exercising your mind. And I don’t mean doing crossword puzzles – although that is great for decreasing risk of Alzheimer’s

I am sure you have tried a diet, saw some success, then stopped and went backwards. Is it that the diet didn’t work? Or that you simply didn’t stick to the program? I am sure that at some point you have tried to get fit, saw some improvement, then stopped exercising and then lost your improvement. Did the program fail you? Or did you fail the program?

You know how a drug addict or a smoker needs to be in the right mindset in order to give up? You can’t simply tell an alcoholic to quit drinking – they need to hit rock bottom and find their own inner desire and drive to get better.

The same is true for gaining lasting health and fitness. You may have to try multiple times to be successful. You may take 2 steps forward and 1 step backwards. You may give up on yourself for several years before finding your inner drive to keep going no matter what.

Finding your inner drive requires finding your true reasons for wanting to eat well, exercise regularly and get healthy. Without knowing WHY you want this so badly, you will continue to struggle.

So why do you want it? It might take a while to work this out. But once you’ve got it, sticking to points #1 and #2 really are super simple.

As you can probably tell, I believe in looking at health and fitness from a holistic point of view. I believe healthy body = healthy mind and vice versa. I believe that health should be simple. It should be enjoyable and fit into your life.

Why does nobody else promote health this way? Maybe it is because it is too simple to be true. But when you think about it, it really shouldn’t be any other way.

What is holding you back most from reaching your final solution to health and fitness? Is it diet, exercise or mindset?

Comment below or send me an email.

The post The Final Solution To Health And Fitness… Forever! appeared first on Personal training : Doncaster East, Greensborough, Macleod, Eltham, Heidelberg, Watsonia, Diamond Creek, Doncaster, Lower Plenty, Rosanna, Viewbank, Briar Hill, St Helena, Montmorency & Yallambie..