Kylie (SCHF Admin): Would An 8-Week Challenge By Any Other Name Smell As Sweet?

Just about every business in the health and fitness industry offers ‘challenges', be it 6, 8, 12 or more weeks. The businesses often have success stories plastered all over their advertising, like ‘Jesse lost 46 kg in 12 weeks’. The general idea of these programs seems to suggest that you, like Jesse, can achieve complete transformation in a few short months. This got me wondering… Did Jesse have a day job? Kids? Did they devote every waking moment to weight loss and only eat a quarter of a carrot every other day? Or where these results the norm with a bit of encouragement and guidance. As the ‘everyday’ person of the Sunny Coast Health and Fitness team, I made it my mission to find out!

Of course, experience is subjective and everyone will have different outcomes given the millions of variables that effect our lives and ability to reach our goals (or indeed, what the goals were to begin with). To understand my experience and outcome, I guess we need to travel back a few years to where my health and fitness journey began. About 5 years ago, I was ‘morbidly obese’. It makes me cringe to admit that, but if we are being honest that’s exactly what I was. I weighed in at 130kg, infertile and the extreme level of self-loathing drove me to get worse and worse. For me, the much needed catalyst for change I had been searching for came from my tertiary studies in psychology. From this point I learnt to ‘cut the crap’ so to speak, cut the crap food, cut the bad attitude and most importantly cut out the excuses and external blaming. And you know what, it worked. Without stepping foot in a gym or spending a cent on trainers I lost 55kg and unbelievably fell pregnant after 10 years of trying.

At this point I should add, I was dedicating 3-4 hours a day to exercise to achieve these results and was restricting my diet quite heavily (which I only recently learnt tracking calories and macros during this challenge). With my little miss turning one, and turning 30 myself in February, I decided it was time to get back on the bandwagon and try something new.

Having formed SCHF, I have had the amazing opportunity to network and meet a wide array of trainers on the Sunshine Coast. I believe picking a personal trainer is a highly personal choice, and not one to be made lightly. Mitchell Knight of Accelerate Health and Performance was the very first person to join me in my mission to create this community. The combination of experience, education and ability to bond over The Lion King was what sold me in the end. To be honest, I dragged my feet for a while about getting started at the gym, I'd never really used one and the idea made me somewhat uncomfortable. But it was definitely time to push myself out of my comfort zone and give myself a goal.

As luck would have it, not long after I'd made this decision the ‘Jetts 8 Week Challenge’ was due to kick off, and I figured it was kind of two birds, one stone situation. I can try training in a gym environment and give personal training a go all at the same time. So off I marched in with all the enthusiasm in the world for my first ever Rapid Bio-scan. This not only measured weight, but a ton of information about body composition. Suffice to say, after the scan I sat in the car and cried, ready to drive to McDonalds and eat all of the ice-cream I could manage. But after being talked off the ledge by Mitch, I was reminded that this was only my starting point. We only had that scan as a point of context for what was achieved over the next 8 weeks. My post baby body was a setback, but with enough effort a lot could be done about it.




On top of weight loss, I was aiming to get stronger and definitely work on definition. Seems I'd gained a nice little ‘pouch’ where my baby used to live (affectionately coined the ‘Baby Burrow’) that had to go. Of course, I expected to be some kind of lifting pro straight off the bat. Having never done ANY kind of strength training it seemed reasonable at the time... But most of all, I needed to get back on track and start the journey again after pregnancy.

Week 2: Gives you a pretty good view of the post-baby pouch

After a few deep breaths and a couple of days to settle down it was time for my very first session with a personal trainer. Walked in thinking ‘I'm in reasonable shape, I can squat, how hard can it be?’ WRONG. Turns out, despite my great intentions of exercising on my own, I was doing nearly everything wrong. As a complete gym rookie, we had to go back to the start and learn how to do things properly. I was well aware that Mitch was a stickler for technique, but I thought I'd probably not suck quite as hard as I did. My expectations of being an expert on day 1 were in tatters. The first few sessions ended similarly. Although I could feel it was working (every inch of me was aching), I still felt like I sucked at everything I tried despite Mitch’s encouragement, patience and persistence. I was sticking with my macros and eating fairly well at this point but we found out moving house urgently was on the cards. Dammit, there goes my limited spare time.  

In Week 3 I turned 30... Cue cocktails and cake... Whoops...    

But in Week 4, I dragged myself out of bed for our usual 5am session. I'm not sure what possessed me, but I decided to go and do my hour of cardio before PT. So I rocked up to Jetts Mooloolaba at stupid o’clock and plonked myself on the bike for a ride. When it came time for PT this amazing thing happened. I completed all my sets without falling over or screwing them up. I had actually learnt to do something properly! Yay! Finally, I was starting to relax and find my stride in the gym environment and from there I wasn’t upset when I couldn’t do something, just more determined to get it right. And guess what? I was getting muscles… For the first time in my life I had visible muscles in my arms and my quads were getting somewhat toned. Woohoo!   

Drawing towards the last couple of weeks of the challenge, I was concerned I wasn’t exercising nearly as much as I should. I loved my time in the gym, that little bit of time that was set aside just for me. But between the thousand unexpected curve balls I experienced during the 8 weeks, I was finding it virtually impossible to get away and dedicate myself to training. I contacted Mitch and shared my concerns. I told him I was disappointed in myself, because I knew I was capable of much more. Probably the most profound thing he said to me throughout the entire course of our 8 weeks, was that capability isn’t just about physical ability, but also time and emotional availability too. It was at this point that I knew my faith in Mitch was 110% justified, because he was absolutely right. This put an interesting new spin on my experiment, would 2 sessions a week and a fairly good diet be enough to make a difference? 

Week 8: Feeling stronger than ever...

At the end of the 8 weeks it was time for another Rapid Bio-scan, and to be honest I was more nervous with this one than the first. I knew I hadn’t lost huge numbers on the scales only training twice a week, but was still hopeful all my hard work hadn’t been for nothing. The results were in… I'd lost less than 2kg in scale weight but had lost 14cms, 6 of which were from the ‘Baby Burrow’ region. These may not seem like huge numbers to you, but to a time starved sleep deprived mum like me who had EVERYTHING possible go wrong, this was just the motivation I needed to kick-start the next phase of my health and fitness journey. After all, any progress is good progress.

Even with very little time to exercise... The 14cm difference is definitely visible

So the moral of the story, are these types of challenges worth it? I say heck yes! Each person will have different experiences and different goals. But I really couldn’t recommend challenging yourself to try something new, push yourself out of your comfort zone and aim for change. We may not all kick ass like Jesse in the promotional poster every time, but who cares? Weight management is a very personal journey and can’t always be measured by the physical results alone. The value of support and guidance of a great trainer, along with the mateship of other people in the challenge is immeasurable and can be the difference between sticking with it or giving up before you have even started. The next 8-week challenge kicks off at the end of May. I've got to say, I'm really excited to do this again as a part of the #acceleratefamily, with new goals and a new opportunity to try my best.

Kylie
Instagram: @alifestyleproject

Anna G Lifestyle: Why ‘Buddies’ Are BETTER!

It’s 5am. The alarm goes off, so you hit snooze and roll over hoping to grab another 10-20 minutes of shut-eye… As you are lying there slowly drifting off into dreamland something sparks your mind into its conscious state and you sit bolt upright in bed. Now you have to get up. Not just because you had planned to exercise, but because your buddy will be waiting for you! In fact, they are probably at the gym already so you really need to get moving.

Now, this may not ring true for everyone, I know there are people happy to workout alone, but for the vast majority of us, a workout buddy is not just better - it’s a necessity! Motivation can be hard to find from within all the time, but when you know your friend is waiting you pull yourself out of bed, put your runners on and get your butt moving…

Workout buddies don’t just provide motivation and companionship, they can also help to give you a sense of accomplishment. When you hit a personal best with your fitness, like running an extra kilometer or push yourself to do 10kg more on the press or even climb a mountain and reach the top when you normally would stop halfway, your buddy is always there to cheer you on and celebrate your success with you. Someone to push you when the word ‘can’t’ comes into your mind and also someone to laugh with you when you have a moment of near miss or embarrassment as we all know these are bound to happen at some point when we are working out!

When I get the chance to workout with my buddy - I always push myself harder and laugh a lot more. It’s so good to have an inspirational partner working by your side. Workout buddies are the best! When you can also feed off each other’s passion and drive for life and success - it makes it even more worthwhile. So when you are struggling to get moving, surround yourself with people who lift you up and make you want to jump higher!

For more wellbeing tips, motivation and even some inspiration follow me:
Instagram: @annag_lifestyle
Facebook: AnnaG Lifestyle.

Amso Fit and Healthy (Danica): Why ‘Clean-Eating’ Should be Considered a Swear Word

What is "clean-eating"? To this day, there is still no clear definition of what clean eating is. General consensus however suggests that clean-eating is following a diet that contains no or only minimally processed foods with no harmful chemicals. Sounds good? If the focus of the term "clean-eating" was just on eating healthy, then yes, it would be perfect and everyone could stick with it. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. What the term does however, is instil a sense of fear surrounding food and what’s being eaten. It develops a mentality of restrictive eating in its’ followers, delivering false hope by overlooking the inevitable "slip-ups" and lacking the ability to be sustained long-term. As a result, people develop a poor relationship with food, one that can see clean-eaters becoming consumed by eating clean, becoming "too healthy".

You’re sitting there, reading this, wondering how eating "too healthy" could be a problem, right? Sounds a little too strange to be true I’m sure. What has happened though is that with the rise of such trends as the clean eating movement, so too has the increased recognition of a condition known as "orthorexia".

The term literally translates to a "fixation on righteous eating". What starts off as a seemingly harm-free attempt at healthy eating quickly turns to an unhealthy fixation on the purity, quality and quantity of foods eaten and how to deal with inevitable ‘slip-ups’. This truly dedicated style of eating is difficult to persevere with, becoming incredibly restrictive in regards to the variety of foods eaten and calories consumed, too restrictive in a lot of instances. Ironically, the health of someone with orthorexia suffers, considering they were completely dedicated to healthy eating.

While this is an extreme example of what can, and does, happen when clean-eating goes wrong, it does further highlight that this dieting mentality is unrealistic, unsustainable and in some cases unhealthy.

So what’s AmSo Fit & Healthy’s answer to healthy eating? Following a more holistic approach, one that encompasses all things that lead to a healthy relationship with food.
ä Don’t fear food
Food is not something to be afraid of. It’s what we need to fuel our body to do all of the amazing things it does. Food anxiety and restrictive eating is not good for the body or the mind. Fad diets try to suck you in and make you scared to eat, check out our previous blog post "" for tips on how to avoid these scams.
ä Simple meal-prep
Do you find that you’re reaching for chocolate bar, cakes or biscuits when you’re hungry because you don’t have the time to make or sit down to eat something healthy? Meal-prep is a wonderful thing, not to just be used by gym junkies and body builders but something that us mere mortals can take up. Compile your favourite and some new recipes to try for the week, write yourself a grocery list, allowing yourself a treat, and get prepping. It may just mean that you chop up your vegies and have them ready to be used throughout the week, or you cook up some meals and put them in the freezer, ready to grab on the go. Whatever you can do to make your life a little easier and entice you to grab something healthier for lunch or the 3pm snack.
ä Maintain a healthy balance of food
Aim for your 5 serves of vegetables (1 serve = 1 cup of salad or ½ cup cooked) and 2 serves of fruit (1 serve = 1 medium piece). Enjoy these in a wide variety of colour – the more colour the better. Don’t be afraid of carbs – go for wholegrain options that fill you up and fuel your body for longer. Eat lean meats, the size of your palm. Have oily fish 2-3 times per week – salmon, mackerel or sardines. Try a meat-free night by swapping the steak for lentils – delicious in a curry. Go for reduced-fat dairy – stick with milk in your coffee, not butter. And have a piece of cake. Don’t punish yourself for having a "naughty" treat, but keep in mind that it is a treat – enjoy every mouthful.
ä Create a healthy eating environment
This doesn’t mean throwing out all of the treats in the house. It means to make your eating experiences positive ones by control the environment around you, incorporating ideas from mindful eating, as discussed below. Switch off the T.V, let some fresh air in and eat with friends or loved ones. Take time between mouthfuls to catch up, talk about you day, chat about the foods you are eating and the flavours of each dish. When cooking dinner, pay attention to all of the ingredients your putting in. Smell the herbs and spices, taste the veggies before you put them into the dish and see if you can find those flavours when you’re eating the finished dish.
ä Practice a bit of mindful eating
I know it may sound a little "wanky" but there is some pretty strong evidence that suggests that paying attention to the food that goes into your mouth has positive impacts on your physical and mental health. Mindfully eating requires you to focus on the colours, smells, textures, flavours, temperatures and sounds of the foods you eat, developing a true appreciation for the experience of eating food both inside and outside of the body. The opposite, "mindless eating", is shown to have connections with overeating, stress and increased anxiety according to growing research. You can practice a little mindful eating/drinking each day with your first cup of tea or coffee. Take time during your first 4 sips to really understand the flavours, the smells, the warmth and effects of caffeine. By being more aware you will come to understand and recognise physical hunger and fullness cues which will help you decide when you really need to begin and finish eating. For more information, check out: https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/docman/fact-sheets/234-fact-sheet-mindful-eating

Enjoy your food and enjoy the company of others and you will develop a happy and healthy relationship with your food. If you find that you’re struggling with your relationship with food, reach out for help. While orthorexia is not yet considered an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa or bulimia, it is still a health concern and one that needs to be addressed. If you would like to learn more about mindful eating or how to develop a healthy food relationship, I’m here to help, just send me a message or give me a call and we’ll have you and your food becoming best friends!
- Danica

AmSo Fit & Healthy
facebook.com/amsofitandhealthy
Instagram @amsofitandhealthy
www.amsofitandhealthy.com.au
ben@amsofitandhealthy.com.au | 0405 268 619
danica@amsofitandhealthy.com.au | 0458 001 848

Jamie Milne Training: Why Run A Marathon?

Why run a marathon? I mean why even run full stop? Isn't it for mature adults? Over 60's? Or People desperately trying to lose weight and tailor in their birthday suits?

The catalyst for me, besides the actual awesomeness of simply traveling under your own steam, is something commonly attempted, which I like to do uncommonly well.

Running is a very powerful fusion of an aerobic and anaerobic antidepressant, created purely by donning your favourite fluro rubber-clad runners. Scurrying, striding or running swiftly wherever the moment may take you.

It’s like regularly going on a far out exploratory adventure; new horizons, new adventures experiences and emotions. You will often find numerous perspectives　and historically certain individuals may allegedly take alcohol or drugs for this self-centered journey, now a days you can just run.

Running brings challenges of various difficulties and degrees, this stands to be a large draw card for many and the cornerstone of my personal intrigue.

The peculiar thing about running, or journey running as I like to call it, is that longer distances and cumulative mileage creates an ever changing and ever evolving amazing journey.

It almost ALWAYS happens. In your own body, and within your very own mind.

Could there really be anything else more breath-taking and life changing?

You get to embark on a voyage to places where many others have never ever been, in which people fantasize about it but will never know how.

The cost? Nothing! A little discomfort, matched with a little of your time, in beautiful exchange for physiological unease and a potent injection of spiritual ecstasy.

Training for Ultra Marathons, or even just running with no purpose at all, reminds me the good days and the good times are always coming.

Natures natural anti-anxiety and antidepressant pill, prescribed in sweat and time.

Follow the link to check out our next adventure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbEQxHM7ovM


Jamie
Jamie Milne Training
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamiemilnetraining/
Instagram: JamieMilneTraining
Website: www.jamiemilnetraining.com
Email: jamiemilnetrainng@gmail.com


JMT RUNNING MODULE SPECIAL FOR SCHF READERS:
Your choice of 5km, 10km, Half Marathon, Marathon, 60km, 100km, 100 Mile, and The Journey Runners Program 250km + Affordable elimination of all the trial and error of event preparation.
We have cleverly eliminated the "Junk Miles" i.e. all the unnecessary volumes of running, with a periodised biased module favoring quality over quantity, decreasing the chances of injury and overuse.
For every Running module purchased @ $30.00 we will gift the added value of '12 Weeks to an Ultra Marathon' EBOOK authored by Jamie Milne.　
Contact JMT and mention this deal

Lift Academy/Glamafit: Macros Made Easy

There is a pretty good chance you have heard of "macros" or the term IIFYM (if it fits your macros). But most people are left wondering "what on earth is a macro"?

Macro's or macronutrients are those that we need in large amounts. The three macronutrients that humans need are fats, protein & carbohydrates. Each of these provide energy to the body in the form of calories. The calorie break-down for these macronutrients are not all the same.

1gm of carbohydrate equals 4 calories. 1gm of Protein equals 4 calories & 1gm of fat equals 9 calories. (Ohhh and for those who don't mind a drop, alcohol is 7 calories per gram).

Calculating macronutrients will vary greatly from person to person & what their goals are. For example a person consuming 2000 calories per day & has a macronutrient breakdown of 45% carbs 30% protein & 25% fat. This would mean they would consume 225gm carbs for the day, 150gm protein & 55gm of fat.

So why do we need carbohydrates, protein and fats?

Carbohydrates are the bodies main source of fuel as they are easily used by the body for energy. All of the tissues & cells in our body can use glucose for energy. Carbohydrates are needed for the central nervous system, the kidneys, the brain & muscles (including the heart) to function properly. They can be stored in the muscles & liver & later used for energy. Carbs are mainly found in starchy foods like grains & potatoes, fruit, milk & yoghurt. Other foods like vegetables, nuts, seeds & cottage cheese contain carbs but in lesser amounts.

Fibre are a certain type of carbohydrates that our body can not digest. These carbohydrates pass through the intestinal tract intact & help to remove the waste out of the body. Foods high in fibre include fruit, vegetables & whole grain products.

Protein is found in meats, poultry, fish, meat substitutes, cheese, milk, nuts, legumes & in smaller quantities in starchy foods & vegetables. We need protein for growth - especially important for children, teens & pregnant women. For tissue repair, immune function, making essential hormones & enzymes, energy when carbs aren't available & for preserving lean muscle mass.

And finally fat! Fats have had a bad rap over the years for causing weight gain, but some fat is actually essential for survival! Generally speaking 20-35% of calories should come from fats. But good fats like coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, salmon, nuts, organic butter, poultry & milk products. We need fats for normal growth & development, energy, absorbing certain vitamins, provide cushioning for the organs & maintaining cell membranes.

Sound nutritional planning involves a mix of all three of these macronutrients. This method of can prove to be a really effective way of measuring food intake to reach health and fitness goals. For custom guidance with calculating macros in order to lose weight contact Nicole on 0431421202

AWA Sunshine Coast: The 2nd AWA 13 Week Challenge is coming!

At Athletes with Attitude, we pride ourselves on educating the community about the importance of physical activity. Our mission is to reach out to the local community and teach people why physical activity is really worth the time and effort.

Increasing your physical activity is a great way to have fun, and an awesome way to make like minded friends. Not to mention the positive effects on your body and mind. Physical activity affects your mood and how good you feel.

The benefits of regular exercise include:

Reducing stress

Improving sleep

Boosting your energy

Reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression

Increasing your self-esteem

Not to mention it is great for your muscles, heart and lungs. Builds strong bones , prevent high blood pressure. Just a few of the benefits from a long long list.

Last year, we decided to run a 13 week challenge, free of charge. This was designed to give the community a taste of what we are trying to achieve, and the outcome was extremely successful. Athletes with Attitude is about to hold our 2nd challenge starting 10th February 2016. The Challenge runs for 13 weeks, and you have access to many boot camps, one on one’s with the Personal Trainers, events held throughout the challenge and lots more.

During the AWA 13 Week Challenge we promote a friendly atmosphere and provide an opportunity for the group to all 'get sweaty' together, making it easier to stay motivated. We create a warm family feel, where people can (and do) make new lasting friendships. As always, you can pop into the shop for the warm and fuzzy or the hard love (as required), these are the things that make the AWA Family unique. Our boot camp workouts are all about group camaraderie, not being shy about shouting encouragement and of course, having fun!

These group sessions focus on functional movements like push-ups, squats, sprints, and sit ups, providing killer workouts outside of the gym environment. Boot Camps provide a whole-body workout that builds strength, endurance and creates a sense of camaraderie among the participants. These high intensity workouts deliver results in a total body approach combining sprint intervals, bodyweight exercises, and high- intensity moves like kicking and punching. The key is limiting rest time in between each move to get the heart rate up and burning calories fast. A typical class last one hour and can burn around 600 calories, building strength and aerobic capacity all at the same time.

Athletes With Attitude’s aim is to have people from our community learning to love physical fitness and actively changing your lifestyle. We will support you all the way to achieve what goals you set yourselves.

You have everything to Gain and Nothing to lose (EXCEPT unwanted Kilos!)

Metafit Sunshine Coast: Christmas With Metafit

Christmas is getting closer and the weather is warming up, we can't hep but get excited! Bikini weather, laying by the pool or heading to the beach. That also means its the season of fruit, salads, cold drinks... All the good stuff. So how can we possibly manage to keep ourselves on track with christmas treats and parties left, right and centre? It's not easy, but it is absolutely do-able. We've come up with a list of 'to-do's' to keep you on track during the festive season.

Fresh Produce: There is an abundance of fresh, delicious produce in stores at this time of year. That means there is no excuses for not capitalising on a huge range of fresh 'wholefoods'. If you arent familiar with the term, 'wholefoods' are meals and snacks that arent processed and pre-packed.

Fun: Dont forget that the silly season is all about having FUN! Make the most of the beautiful weather here on the coast and workout outdoors. Soak up some Vitamin D. Take a hike up Mt Coolum. Go for a walk along the beach. Enjoy spending time with your friends and family in the fantastic environment around us.

Alcohol: it can be hard to say no to alcohol at this time of year, especially because its such a social activity to 'wine and dine'. If you feel compelled to enjoy a few drinks. Mix your spirits with soda water or still water with some fresh lemon or lime rather than soft drink. Or squeeze your own fresh juice, rather than buying concentrate juice.

Salads: Instead of having bread or rice with your protein (be it steak, chicken, prawns, tofu or whatever else floats your boat), opt for a generous serving of salad. By mixing through something like cooked quinoa, you can add texutre and make your salad much more filling.

Exercise: Just because its the holidays, doesnt mean you take a break from exercise too. When you chose to make daily exercise a part of your lifestyle, taking time off shouldnt be an option. Neglecting exercise for a long period over the holidays can set you back and make it difficult to get back on track. Exercise is great for physical and mental health all year round and really shouldnt fall by the wayside just becuase its Christmas.

 

To give you a little inspiration in the kitchen, check out this recipe below:

Salmon with Avocado, Lime and Mango Salsa
 4 (3 oz) Salmon Fillets

2 tablespoons fresh Corriander, chopped

Sprinkle of sea salt

1 teaspoon Chilli Powder

Sea salt

Squeeze of fresh Lime


Salsa:
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

2 mango, pitted, peeled and diced

1 jalapeño, seeds and membranes removed, diced finely

2 teaspoons honey...

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice


To Make The Salsa:
In a medium bowl, mix together diced mango, avocado, and jalapeño. Drizzle honey and lime juice over the mixture and toss in fresh corriander. Season with salt according to taste. Set aside until salmon is ready.

In a large pan, melt butter 1 tbsp over medium high heat. Sprinkle chili powder and sea salt on both sides of the salmon filets. Place filets in the pan, and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until the salmon has a slightly flaky texture (exact time will depend on the thickness). Plate the salmon and squeeze lime juice over each fillet, and then top with the mango salsa.

　

Don't forget we will be still running classes of the Holidays. We are totally kid friendly so bring them along. Check us out on our Facebook page for loads of information on what we offer. Classes are run from Creekwood and Mudjimba Monday to Friday.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Metafit-Sunshine-Coast-IndoorOutdoor-Fitness-734733013242034/?fref=ts
Instagram: @metafitsunshinecoast

JaycasFit Activewear: New Years Resolution – How long does yours last?

The New Year is rapidly approaching and its time to dust off the old New Years Resolutions.

You know, the ones that are usually made on the night, after several too many glasses of wine, as you countdown to midnight. You know the kind, give up something or start something new.   This year, why not try something new?

Rather than one giant plan, that we often don’t stick with... Why not try something new and plan to make a small change in your life every month? (Yes I can hear you groaning now, every month!).

Just make one small change every month, do something that is challenging to you and that you can see yourself wanting to complete. Be it at home, in business, fitness or whatever you strive towards.  

The change could be something simple, like changing your morning routine. Doing it for one month, after that time it has become a habit and it soon feels like a normal part of your life. The next month, pick something else. By the end of the year you will have made 12 changes to your life and will have had some wonderful experiences.  

I once read how a guy did this for a year and was amazed how much he had seen, done and experienced in that year. One of the things he did in the month was to take a photo of something in his area everyday, when he looked back at all those photos from the year he was able to bring back every feeling and experience he had when taking each photo. He had recorded his life and enjoyed the process on the way.  

We took this idea and tried it with our family. One of the great things we have done is starting a 'year jar' where we put experiences, wins, places we went, anything that we feel like putting in the jar (kids included) and at the end of the year we go for a picnic somewhere and open the jar and read all the notes in there for the year. We have found that this can also show us some of the great things we have achieved in the year.  

Another idea we love is our 'grateful for' at the end of the day. Before we go to bed we all take it in turns to say what we are grateful for, learnt for the day, what made us smile and what we are most proud of ourselves for. As parents we found this was a great way of catching up with some of the things our boys are feeling and doing during their day, but also allowing us to see the greatness we have in our lives.  

So don’t just make a New Years Resolution, just make a commitment to change one simple thing in your life each day for a month, learn how to experience and appreciate more of the your own lives every day.   

Remember it is your Fun Active Life.

Ben & Kathryn

Jaycasfit Activewear

www.JaycasFit.com.au

Accelerate Health and Performance: Re-Evaluating The Cost of a Personal Trainer

I've been a Personal Trainer for six years now and there is one thing that definitely hasn't changed in that time. "I can't afford it" is still by far the most common reason people give as to why they cannot have a PT. Sometimes this is absolutely the case. Sometimes this is just an excuse or a misunderstanding of the truth. I don't mean that as a sarcastic way of saying it's a lie. I mean it is a misunderstanding of the truth. Keep reading...you'll see!

Personal Trainer's can be expensive, especially if you only look at the cost. But if you look at everything you stand to gain it starts to become quite cheap and extremely good value! It's almost like shares....but better! Keep reading....you'll see!

A couple of months ago I posted a question on my Facebook page just to gauge the thoughts and feelings of people about what is holding them back from their health and fitness goals...the response was FAR more than I expected. I learned HEAPS and it has given me a multitude of ideas that I hope to put into action soon.

So throughout the discussions we were having a girl said the following...
"Every gym is intimidating, no trainer wants to help if you aren't paying them to specifically train you, it's awful, I thought men and women worked at gyms to help people like us who don't know what to do, instead we have to pay even more money to get that.. It's kind of ironic."

In part this pissed me off and in part this just made me sad and frustrated with the Fitness Industry. Gyms can be intimidating. I completely admit that. I don't always feel comfortable in gyms myself. Even the one I work in. To say that absolutely all gyms are intimidating and that gyms are intimidating at all times is just not the case. Not only is it subjective but to a certain extent you've got to cop it on the chin a bit and accept that the gym isn't always going to be your favourite place to be but it's where you want to be or may need to be. I'm not the biggest or the strongest but I have shit I want to do...complaining isn't going to get it done. I suck it up, work hard and move forward. For me, it's worth it.

That comment was posted at about 3:00pm...at 3:30pm I was helping a gym member through a leg session. He is an apprentice electrician. He can't afford Personal Training but he is in the gym most days working hard and trying to reach his goals. He is a good guy who wants to work hard. I offered to help him. He didn't ask. At the end of the session he shook my hand and said thanks and that was it. Three months later we still train legs together every Wednesday...

"no trainer wants to help if you aren't paying them to specifically train you, it's awful, I thought men and woman worked at gyms to help people like us who don't know what to do" - BULLSHIT. This bit just pissed me off. I am not the exception to the rule. I am one of many. Yes there are arseholes in the industry. There are arseholes in every industry. No, we aren't all arseholes. Please don't paint us all with one brush.
"instead we have to pay even more money to get that.. It's kind of ironic." ...This bit pissed me off too.
Gyms actually don't make a huge amount of money once all the overheads are covered. How much do you think a gym membership would cost if gyms started paying their PT's a wage? Some gym do run this way. Those gyms are small and few and far between and for good reason.

Do snacks come complimentary with your movie ticket? Didn't think so. Yes, you do have to pay extra for a Personal Trainer. I've known this girl for a while and I trained two of her Aunties and her cousin for years. She's a very nice girl and I have a lot of time for her. Her opinion is valid, as everyone's is, but I think it's a little misguided. Like I said...it kind of pissed me off at first...but then it got me thinking further which was the whole point of the exercise in the first place...

Why do people think that Personal Training is just a cost and not an investment?

Most PT marketing and sales articles will tell you that Personal Training is a "numbers game" and that you have to talk to everyone and try to sell to everyone...I HATE THAT SHIT and I hate that people have the perception that all Personal Trainers are like that. Some are...I can't deny that...but I am not.

Money is without a doubt the number one reason people give when asked why they would not be able to engage in Personal Training. And it is often a valid reason. Money doesn't grow on trees...trust me...I've tried!

But is it really not worth the sacrifices? If there was some way that you could make it work wouldn't you want to give it a red hot go?

* Only old people will get this Phil Collins/Sacrifice reference. #sacarafice

Standard dialogue with a Personal Training enquiry...
Enquirer: "I really want to lose some weight because I'm not happy with my body and I want to get a bit fitter and healthier because I'm always really tired and I get sick all the time and I'd like to get a bit stronger because I'd like to be able to do a push up and one day a chin up. Do you think that's possible?"
Personal Trainer: "Absolutely. They're really good goals. If you train hard and smart you will be able to get there. I'd be happy to help you!"
E: "Ok, cool! I was thinking of doing two sessions per week to start and then maybe adding a third session when I'm fitter. How much would that cost?"
PT: "Two sessions per week will cost you 'x' dollars."
E: "Oh...I can only afford 'y' dollars. I'll have to think about it and get back to you."

They don't get back to you unless you follow it up. I've had that conversation 4,000,000 times.
Let's break it down...Let's jam!

* Having a jam with my sister circa 1989 - Rain hat & truck PJ's #fashionable *

The client wants to lose weight, be healthier, be fitter and be stronger...
Short list, right? Not quite...
What comes with achieving all those goals listed?

Losing weight will breed self-confidence which will flow through the rest of your world and lead to huge gains in the work place, in your home life and even in your love life. More confidence means you're more outgoing at work and more likely to gain more shifts or even gain promotion. All of a sudden you could be financially better off quite directly from engaging in Personal Training!
Being happier in your work life will make you happier at home...more money, less stress will always make for a better home and social life. That needs no explanation. And as for romance...bom chicka wow wow! If you're looking better and feeling better about yourself and how you look you're more likely to attract a lady/man friend. Again...I don't need to explain how that works out well for you...bom chicka wow wow!

So all of a sudden you're making more money, having more fun and getting more sex?

 

But what about the health benefits?
This one is EASY...
Being healthier means less days off work, less days wasted in bed, less trips to the doctor, less trips to the chemist.
"But Mitch...being healthier is only giving me less of stuff!?"
With all of the above comes more time at work which means making more money which means more money to do fun stuff and because you're less sick you can indeed do more fun stuff!
#signmeup
"But Mitch...will I be fitter and stronger?"
BLOODY OATH!...AND that will make all the cool stuff above even more fun because you will be able to do funner stuff and more of it!

Rather than looking at how much a trainer will cost you, look at what you can get out of it. Look at the things that you will cut out of your life in order to maximise the positive effect of your training. Look at how happy and satisfied you will be when you reach your goals. Look at how much that will improve your life. Now put a price tag on how good all that good stuff will feel...How much is it worth now???

And that's just one simple example off the top of my head...give me any scenario and I am confident that I can explain how and why investing in your health with a good Personal Trainer can help. Not just me either...if you're anywhere in Australia I can refer to someone I would trust to train you in about ten minutes flat.

Yes, Personal Training can be (I prefer "seem to be") expensive. It can be a luxury that you simply can't afford. I can't deny that. Personal Training can also be PRICELESS. With a good trainer Personal Training can be far more than just coughing up dough at the end of a session and sore legs the next day. It can be a new lease of life, new friendships and new perspectives on the world that you simply cannot buy.

Talk to a trainer and talk about their product and how it can help you. You might find it's far less costly than you think...you might also find that it's the other stuff in your life that you can no longer afford.

Leave a comment...share it...like it...whatever you need to do. As always please refer all complaints and hate mail to the admin of this page.

Mitch
Accelerate Health and Performance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acceleratehealthandperformance/
Instagram: @mitchellknightpt

Meet The SCH&F Team: Amso Fit & Healthy

 

Name: Ben Amson & Danica Warren
Business: AmSo Fit & Healthy
Ages: 26 and 22
Experience: 8 years

Qualifications:
Certificates 3 and 4 in Fitness, Level 1 Boxing for Fitness Instructor, Advanced Kick Boxing for Fitness, Strength and Conditioning, Child Trainer, Older Adult Trainer, Postural Analysis, Functional Anatomy, Fascia and Foam Roller Certificate, Program Periodisation Certificate, Strength Training Certificate, Performance Circuits Certificate, First Aid & CPR, FFA Senior Coaching License
Current Study:
4^th Year Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics
FFA Senior C License
Advanced Strength Training & Explosive Lifting

AmSo Fit & Healthy is the dream Husband and Wife team. Ben is a Fitness Coach and has been in the industry since 2007, and Danica is a studying 4th year Dietitian in a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Ben:
 "Having been in the industry since I was 18 years old I have learnt and tailored my training techniques to work with my clients to achieve their goals. I understand that no two people are the same, therefore no two people will ever be treated the same. I work with you to determine YOUR goals and together we set a goal date to be achieved by. We will then plan every step of your journey.
By having myself to focus on your fitness, and Danica to focus on your nutrition, dietary assessment and requirements, you are giving yourself the best chance at success. There will never be a generic diet plan or exercise program! Your whole journey is tailored to YOUR GOALS!"

Danica:
 "Our food philosophy is all about enjoying a healthy balanced diet, without jumping on the "Fad Diet" bandwagon.
We educate our clients on making healthy choices and not falling into the trap of being afraid to eat real food.
"Quick fix" powders and shakes will give you nothing more than expensive wee. Food is the key for all your nutrient needs."
 
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses. Behind the lines, in the gym and our there on the road, long before i dance under those lights" - Muhammed Ali
Our passion for you and your goals comes from our competitiveness! We both Hate to Lose! Set the date to "Dance under those lights" and together we will give you the tools to win your fight!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/amsofitandhealthy
Instagram: @amsofitandhealthy
Email: info@amsofitandhealthy.com.au



Kylie (TEAM SCH&F Admin): How To Get Motivated and Stay Motivated.

 

Weight gain can be attributed to a bunch of factors; genetics, hormones, behavioural tendencies, disorders or lifestyle choices. A tonne of research has been conducted looking at the difference between individuals who are successful and unsuccessful in weight loss attempts. The most common trait between those individuals who lose weight and sustain the weight loss over time, is commitment. Making a mental commitment to genuine lifestyle change is the single most effective way to produce sustainable results. Attitude is everything!

Take a classic new years resolution. We all start off excited. Stoked because we've made the leap to join the gym (No joining fee in January... Tis the season). Stock up on active wear with inspirational quotes using those Christmas gift vouchers and a shiny new pair of kicks. I'm ready to become the next Wonder Woman (cue theme song)! For the first six weeks, the shine slowly wears off. Gym visits are less frequent. The active wear gets shoved up the back of the drawer. Those new runners still have all their tread in tact... By Valentines Day its all but over... Oh well. Try again next year. Right?

In the world of psychology, we view motivation as a process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviour. Im particularly interested in the reasoning behind initiating lifestyle change and appropriate goal setting. In developing my business, I have been talking to heaps of people about their health. Are you happy with your body? What would you change? What have you tried? What are you willing to do? What are your main barriers?

The resounding feedback was that most just lacked motivation. Anyone can join a gym or go to a trainer. But the reasons WHY you choose to change your lifestyle is just as important of a variable in developing strong, sustainable motivation over time. Let me explain. There are two kinds of motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic. In a nutshell, extrinsic motivation is produced by an external source, like buying smaller clothes or people noticing you've lost weight. These are great initially, but doing things for recognition or for external validation is only satisfying for a finite period of time. Intrinsic motivation on the other hand is more about personal reward and gratification from an activity, such as exercise. By aiming to improve fitness and starting to see yourself achieve those goals you are rewarding yourself, creating a cycle of positive reinforcement and more importantly a desire to continue to grow and improve.

Setting practical and realistic goals is also a huge factor in keeping us motivated. I may want to be a bikini model, with super low body fat and great muscle tone after doing a six week weight loss program, but it just isn't going to happen like that. What's worse, if i don't achieve that goal, im likely to feel guilty, discouraged and am significantly more likely to give up. By setting healthy, realistic and attainable goals I can work hard, achieve some results and start a cycle of internally rewarding behaviour, in which my efforts are rewarded by increased strength, loss of body fat or whatever the goal may be . This doesn't mean I shouldn't push myself to get faster or stronger. But having realistic short and medium term goals allows room for developing competency, forming habits and learning to accept that exercise and good nutrition are not only important, but essential in both physical and mental health.

So, if you are struggling to get motivated here's a couple of things to consider:

• Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. External motivation only works short-term. Remember the benefits of living a healthier lifestyle, how good you feel from all the pleasure chemicals post exercise and the impact it has on your physical and mental health.
• Aim to find ways of keeping active that you enjoy and that have some way of measuring your competency. If you feel like you are getting better, you increase motivation levels even more!
• Set realistic, attainable short and medium term goals (The long term goals can be as big as you want!). If you happen to reach them, set new ones. But dont let the goal be so huge that you end up discouraged.

Kylie (SCH&F Admin)
Follow my personal and professional development of this community on @alifestyleproject