The Power of having a specific Weight Loss goal.

So it's the last week of the year, most of us are not quite there in terms of healthy lifestyle motivation.

My nutrition is better than the last few days, but it hasn't quite returned to normal!

If you were just starting an exercise programme or updating your programme at the beginning of the new year, how would you describe your goals to a trainer?

The likelihood of you achieving your goals hugely increases when you know exactly what you would like your outcome to be.

If you say to your self " I want to lose a bit of weight" or I want to get fitter" these goals are very broad.

Try and be as exact as you can.

If your goal is to lose, to lose how much exactly? Is it to be lighter on the weighing scales, has a Doctor advised you to lower your BMI? Is it to change visually? How? What will the new you look like? Is it to fit into different clothes, or change clothes size? Is it to be healthier? To decrease the load on the body to move without joint pain, to increase life expectancy to see your children/ grand children grow up?

When you define and give clarity to your goal, I bet you found your motivation increasing a little?

Avoid the weight gain at Christmas!

Probably the time I'm the least popular with my advise is right about now!

And it's incredibly hard to write any advise, without me thinking of you out there exclaiming "oh just let us enjoy Xmas!" "Here he is, the fun police again". 

Thought I would put together a few tips for having your cake and eating it, so to speak, as I would explain to my mother when she used that phrase on me " It's cake what else are you supposed to do with it?"

2kg gain- that's the average weight gain during the festive season apparently.

Easily done, so to avoid for those still reading here we go with my top tips!

1). Portion Size: too much of any food and drink source that the body can't process in one go, gets stored. So try and graze, good for those busily preparing Christmas dinner, nibble on the go, so even if it's not healthy if you only have a small amount at once, less chance of storing.

2). Don't go to parties or wait to eat until you are very hungry, try and have something every so often.

3) watch the alcohol, yes an obvious one because it's empty calories, but consume lots of alcohol and you will probably consume more food also.

4). Try and have higher Protein foods first, they need more processing, so fill you quicker, so it's hard to eat lots and lots of food after.

How to lose fat from stomach, bottom, thighs, hips, back of arms...

I don't spend that much time on Facebook I promise (do we all say that?:)) but occasionally I see something I like.  

Obviously I'm friends with a lot of other fitness people on there.

Whilst I'm not that interested in a video of someone Dead lifting, I did quite like the picture poster of an in-shape stomach with the words "want this then do 3 sets of eat less bad food!"

Working in a gym it's a question you get all the time from everyone; "can I have an exercise for my stomach, my backside, hips, legs, back of my arms..."

Resistance training does improve metabolism, but you can't turn fat into muscle, two very different things. 

To get any kind of shaping or weight loss result, it all starts in the kitchen!

There is always a look on someone's face when you have to explain it (could be the look you have right now!) but believe me I take people through exercise routines if it was all down to the exercises I prescribe I would be very happy!

But it isn't, it's mostly down to nutrition habits, I wish it wasn't the case, if any information comes out to say different with scientific rationale, then you will be the first to know!

Have a question? Leave me a comment.

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Weight Loss, the power of convenience!

When it comes to my lifestyle habits and those that I work with, it seems the ones that are the easiest to implement and to stick to are always the ones that are the most convenient.

We all lead such busy lives, looking after children's needs, working longer hours.

The reason fast food and coffee shops are so successful is that it's fast.

But what we need to do is combine healthy with fast if weight loss is our goal.

My other half loves watching cookery programmes and a lot of the time the chef says the meal is quick and easy to prepare, in reality it's not!

If you are having to resort to buying food out and on the go, there aren't many healthy options to choose.

If this is the case for you, When you next do your food shopping, try finding foods that are healthy and fast.
For instance stir fries are quick, it can all go in the pan, just go easy on the sauce. 
Nuts and dried fruit to snack on, or Hummus with vegetable dip.
Even children like this one!

I don't like vegetables myself, I try and eat them because I know how good they are, getting me to eat them as a child was always a challenge for my parents, but if there was Hummus then it would have been easier, it contains healthy fat and very low carb too.

When it came to supplements before, I would get on my high horse "we should be eating real food" I would say, but now if you have time and access to whole food then that's the best option, however if a protein bar or balanced shake is better than what you would normally have and you rely on it for the convenience, then it's the best option!