On Weight Loss.

I'm pretty tired right now! It's a happy tiredness, though. It has been a big day. Well, a big week to be truthful.


I had clients from 7am, and then it was time to train ME. It was such a beautiful day in the park, where I rode with Mark Jessup and then met for a goal setting session with coach Geoff Nash. I then came home and sent out a long email to my clients.


I'd been wanting to write it for a long time, but I'm glad I waited. I just spent Friday through Sunday as a room host at FILEX, Australia's annual national health and fitness convention and expo. This exposed me to incredible workshops and amazing presenters. On Saturday, for instance, I was fortunate enough to score a seat at the PT Breakfast, hosted by Michelle Bridges. 

Mish covered a range of interesting subject matter, including how far we need to go as PTs to make sure our clients get results. Their head needs to be in the game to make sure they get there and my role in that is critical. The full transcript is here, but I told my version of what I understood to be essential.

Here's what I sent out:

1) You have to take responsibility. YOU choose what goes in your mouth. YOU pick up the fork. YOU decide whether you workout or sit on an expanding posterior. You don't have to eat the things your partner or kids eat and IN FACT you are a part of the circle of influence that shapes their choices and their futures. Lay your cards on the table and communicate your goals to them. It will likely bring you closer together and open a support network you didn't think you'd have access to. I can equal my commitment to you with what you commit to yourself. That said - you need to take ownership FOR YOURSELF FIRST. YOU decide what you will eat, how you will eat and when you will eat. Day to day, week to week - you are the common factor, You will NOT play the blame game. There are NO excuses. We are all busy and we are all stressed. We are NOT all overweight. Here is Mish's link.  Let's move on.

2) Science before psychology. Yes, there is negative self talk and an underlying emotional issue (unhappiness) that causes people to be susceptible to weight gain and obesity. Something went wrong upstairs and landed you in this place. It might not have been something very bad, it might have been. It definitely resulted in self sabotage and lowered self esteem, but please just trust that weight loss is a science. The mathematics of it are calories in must be at least 500 a day less than your calories out. If we can cut it more - we will. You CAN lose weight fast safely and without fear - as long as you acknowledge that there is a psychological issue to deal with once you lose the weight. WINNING AT LOSING, however, is so GOOD for your self esteem, your sense of achievement that you will love the journey that got you there. My job is to make sure you understand that fitness is forever - you need exercise to be emotionally AND physically healthy, always. You need good diet too - one step at a time. Strict while we get the ball rolling because you need to lose and see results for your positive reinforcement. Once you hit your magic numbers though, we start really focusing on balance - examining the things you love in life so that, in moderation, you can enjoy them without ending up where you started, or spiraling out of control. 

3) HAVE A PLAN. STICK TO IT. I'm your PT. I can guide you in the right direction. Keep you on track and motivate you. Give you a food diary and some nutrition guidelines - but you NEED a plan. KZap lost 36kg with me AND weightwatchers. She combined our advice and support. It is CRITICAL to identify your strategy. You have to know how many calories (or points) you're allowed and plan your meals and your shopping list around that total. If you want to have half a bottle of red wine on a Friday night and a choctop every Sunday night at the movies - OK - you factor them into your weekly calorie total, you work for them and you stick to the plan. If you need help with this - I am available. I can also come and pull the CRAP food out of your cupboards if absolutely necessary. I can do your first one on one meal planning and goal setting session for $50 (1 hour). It really doesn't take long. I do mine in excel and after a few weeks its a question of cut and paste. The shopping list becomes clockwork. Go to http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/ to find your total requirements and see calorie values. Build exercise into your routine, make it routine. Motivation isn't essential - getting the work DONE is essential. Not every workout will be amazing. You don't always get to leave feeling like you own the planet - but sometimes you will. And every workout contributes to getting you better, one step at a time, for now and for always <3.

4) Interestingly enough, research shows that a person's perceived ability is a better predictor of success than their actual ability - so for the love of the big G, think positively and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. You in the past, for all your failures and shortcomings, have no prewritten destiny preventing you from making new choices and becoming exactly who you want to be. Choose differently. Start now. Be your own friend and see how helpful it is. The one thing they could find that all successful high achievers have in common? They focus on the GOOD. That's right - the glass has got to be half full and when you lose your wallet it's because you really needed to stop using that credit card anyway :) 

SURVIVING EASTER.

I thought some of you would appreciate a quick note on how to enjoy the Easter break without deprivation or derailing your efforts entirely. Here are some tips.

• If you are meeting up with friends for a social event, a big meal where you let yourself enjoy and have a few drinks, keep a day between this event and chocolate eating day. 
• Be SAINTLY around the planned/nominated meals and the chocolate eating. Have your meals planned as very light, low calorie, high nutrition.
• Be sure to do more exercise to earn these treats and balance them out!
• Modify your expectations accordingly. If you're having a blowout and eating some chocolates, you need to ramp up the exercise just to maintain. Don't expect to lose weight over Easter.

WE WILL SMASH IT HARD ALL MAY!!

Use this information to inspire you and invigorate you. Life might seem like a cycle of breakdowns, but if you use them wisely, they lead to the breakthroughs that get us where we need to go!

I ended my newsletter with this beautiful article on intimacy and food and I'm ending this blog post the same way :)

I hope you enjoyed it!