Launch of Four Week Fat Attack

So much has been going on this past month.

I have launched my online fat-loss program aimed at busy women who want to shift fat and change their bodies for good!  Four Week Fat Attack is available to buy at the introductory price of just £29.99 and is available at www.4weekfatattack.com so head over to the site and take a peek.

I have also set up an online community which is free for anybody to join:  http://lovefit.ning.com  and I have started Blogging on there, so please head on over to the site and become a member if you'd like to continue reading my posts.

Also been producing and giving away some freebies:

My free report about the five biggest mistakes people make trying to lose weight:
http:top5.4weekfatattack.com

And my free video about how you can target fat loss on specific areas of your body by getting a handle on your hormones:
http://freevideo.4weekfatattack.com

So enjoy!  Don't forget, head on over to the Lovefit community to continue reading this Blog.

Amber

Exciting Times Ahead!

Hey everyone,

Apologies for the silence.  Just wanted to drop a quick note to reassure you that I haven't disappeared, just really busy working on some great new stuff!  So what's going on....?

- Launch of my new online fitness info product.  Full details are still under wraps but this is a complete at home exercise, nutrition and lifestyle product designed specifially for really busy people who want to shed body fat.  This will be launching in a couple of weeks and is a 28 day program - so watch this space and you could be a dress size smaller (or more) in time for the festive season.  What's even more exciting is that I'm producing this product under the watchful eye of Dax Moy (Uk's leading personal trainer and fitness coach).  He is coaching me and a small group of other FitPro's through the entire product development.  We're being worked VERY hard but it will be so worth it.

- Sign up for the Cambridge Half Marathon  is now open and places are going fast.  I am really proud that a huge number of my clients have already signed up, most of whom have never done more than 5k.  So this will really keep them focussed over Christmas and send them into 2012 with their goals already clearly mapped out.  If you're interested in partaking, the race is being held in Cambridge city centre on 11th March.  Individual places have now sold out apparently, but relay spots are still free.  More info at:
http://www.onestepbeyond.org.uk/cambridge-half-marathon.php

- Clean Food Delivery Service Trial Week.  Since her last trial in August, Jenny Cattier and her sister have pitched their business idea to a local dragon's den competiton and WON!  So Cambridge Superfood will officially be launching in Jan 2012, offering 5 day menus delivered to your door.  Jenny and her sister, Sophie, are doing another trial this week and I am very excited to be taking part.  It's only day one but I am already impressed, and really looking forward to my moroccan lamb and quinoa for dinner!

If you have any questions about any of the above then please leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

Stay happy and healthy :)

Amber

Client transformation - one person's 26 day journey, trialling the "Cleanse" principles

These are the words of one of my clients, describing her recent journey with me.  As a preface I ought to add that she came to me after losing 5 stone with Slimming World (over the same number of years), and then getting stuck at the same weight / dress size / shape for the past 12 months despite sticking to their food plan (most of the time) and taking up running.

Then she decided to take action, and that's where our incredible 4 week journey began....  The rest are her words 100%.  Have some tissues to hand because you are going to cry with laughter.  And, no, she's not a writer, but I think she should quit her day job and become one.  Over to you, Nim......

It started with the overwhelming feeling that, despite half hearted efforts, I wasn't making much impression on my ever spreading gut. It was beginning to spill out like pizza dough that had been left to prove too long. I decided to give khai-bo a go one Wednesday night and found that, despite not being able to do all of the exercises and there were some that left me sitting on the floor in despair, I really enjoyed what I could manage and I wanted to do more.  Every week I thought to myself how great it would be if I could do a similar exercise routine more often than once a week by myself instead of running. I hate running with a vehemence that's hard to express in words. Whilst others talk of the exhiliration of running and the 'natural' highs, I am filled only with dread beforehand and sheer rage during the whole terrible experience. It must be apparent to the onlooker as someone once stopped in their car and offered me a lift. I feel only mild relief at the end that it's over. I prefer to get my highs from a couple of swiftly downed glasses of wine on an empty stomach. The thought of exchanging a run for 'something else' was attractive. I checked the bank balance, worked out how many sessions I could afford and emailed Amber to see if it was possible to sign up for a limited number of sessions rather than to join up as a longterm client. I wasn't really after motivation - I needed some new routines, some inspiration and lots of advice.

 

Amber wanted to know if I would consider a strict eating plan for 4 weeks in addition to the personal training. I am expert at diets, really, I'm brilliant at them. I've done all kinds and so I agreed to try it out. At my first meeting to assess my needs Amber outlined the principles and it was, frankly, shocking. Almost as shocking as my alcohol units on a quiet night in which almost got mistakenly recorded as a weekly total but I wanted to be honest and so ensured I bared all (more of that later). My diet overall is quite healthy but cheese and distilled goods feature heavily with the essential bodem of coffee to recover. The eating plan was simple, no caffeine, wheat, dairy, alcohol, sugar or anything not in its natural form. Cold pressed oils like organic olive oil and coconut oil were in. Fry light was out,really out. Coconut milk was in. Redbush tea was in. Green tea was out. Meat and fish were in. Nak'd bars were ok but not more than 2-3 times a week. A conversation about what I would eat at 9pm when I normally had a plate of cheese and biscuits and a vat of red wine finished with Amber conceding that I could, if I liked, have a small handful of seeds. Humph.

It was Friday and I had until Monday to get to a health food shop, stock up on fresh food or attempt to leave the country. But she was relying on me and I don't like to disappoint. Something in the gentle but uncompromising way she had outlined the deal left me unable to back out. I couldn't pretend it would be fun. I'd only been in a health food shop once before at an airport terminal when I mistook 'World of Wellness' for 'World of Wellies' and stumbled in for some rubber based footwear. Amber warned about the headache from coming off caffeine. I wondered about counteracting it with a line of coke but where can you buy pure coke these days?

The first two weeks I enjoyed the novelty, the allotment provided all the fresh stuff I needed, the redbush tea was palatable (though it tastes good for you and I try to stick away from such things). The morning smoothy of mixed berries and fullfat greek yoghurt (this is allowed so you don't slit your own wrists within the first hour) and coconut milk was divine. Unusually it also really did serve me ok until lunchtime. Lunches were mainly salad and cold meat or tuna and a teaspoon of greek olive oil. Alternatively I had lentil and tomato soup (the bread dipping hand felt a bit redundant) or rice salad. It requires forethought to plan the meals for the next day and sometimes it was easier to cook the rest of the family something they liked and do my own ( a batch of chicken and coconut curry in the freezer was really useful). Mostly, however, we all ate the same.  Stir fries were really tasty, quick and suited all of us. Steak and salad with sweet potato chips also didn't taste like diet food. There was no restriction on quantities so I ate plenty at mealtimes and didn't feel hungry in between which is unusual for me. I slept well and woke early every morning feeling refreshed. I even began to irritate myself with  my reformation.

After the first week I felt great and had a sense of achievement, I had lost 6lb and proved my detractors wrong. The exercise was some of what I was already doing and some extras. I had more energy generally and, without a long evening of drinking ahead of me, quite frankly I was glad of something to pass the time. My obsatcles to this regime were that I work almost full time and have my son to look after.  He started secondary school on the day I began.  I would arrive home needing to clear up from breakfast, put washing in, cook tea and do all those things which bind us to the house. After one day of not getting out to run until dark I decided that for 4 weeks I would get home, go straight upstairs and change into running gear and go out of the house without 'seeing' any mess.  Otherwise it wouldn't have happened. Unbelievably we all still got fed, some hoovering got done and hygiene levels were sufficiently maintained that none of us succumbed to dysentry.  I did find this aspect needed self discipline to achieve. I was always tempted to 'just empty the dishwasher' or 'just put the washing out'.

The training with Amber was definitely the highlight of the week, I was completely staggered not only by the weight loss but also by the speed at which my fitness increased. I worked hard but it was always achievable and in any case Amber was always on hand to stop me dropping the bar weight through my forehead. That was reassuring. I thought that I would be basically doing the same things each week but I don't think I ever did the same thing twice and I thrived on the variety. I was allowed back on the rowing machine twice but only for good behaviour. The rowing machine was my friend, the sliding seat and the pleasing display panel, I tried to hide my enjoyment in case it got mistaken for 'easy' but it got harder. Oh yes. Amber was genuinely really encouraging both with the diet and the exercise and I could feel myself improving more than I have ever done before. Everything progressed to keep pushing me forward and Amber would think of new ways to torment me each week. I loved it.

By week three I was beginning to look forward to a cup of tea.  I had been very fortunate not to suffer the withdrawal headache despite previous high caffeine intake. An afternoon in the pub with my family was difficult but Amber was on text hand to keep me focussed. I never felt I was going to give up as I was getting too much from it.

Week four was easy, I was in the swing of it but had the end in sight.  I felt fit, was 10lb lighter and was really enjoying the unexpected benefit of truly great sleep (rather than unconciousness) and waking early to face the day.  Everything seemed more organised and I realised, whilst not alcoholic, how much my life was affected by drinking too much.

On the last day I went for my measurements to be taken to compare with the pre assessment. I think the results even surprised Amber. I had lost 4 inches from my waist alone and inches from thighs and arms. It was so much more than I expected, though I had already had to buy new jeans and a dress and so I knew quite a bit had shifted.

I wish I had known how easy it was to do for 4 weeks I should never have been concerned that it was too difficult. I think we are all prone to making these things so big in our heads that we fail to even start. I hate the slogan 'Just Do It' but I can't think of a better term. You can get your head around it and overcome the feeling of being deprived for the few hours that temptation is in the way. Yes, I felt deprived for a few hours in the pub but it was nothing to the great feeling that I got in the end. Now the 4 weeks is over and I can begin to introduce foods back I am even a bit sorry. The rules were so simple it was easy to shop and cook with some forethought. I envy those who have yet to discover this plan.

 

Would I do it again? Tomorrow (well, maybe not tomorrow) but soon.

4 week Fat-loss for FitPro's

So, although I haven't posted any Blog updates lately, I've spent most of September beavering away writing up notes and concocting plans ready for a series of posts which will be coming next month.

Those of you who have been keeping an eye on the Lovefit Facebook page will have heard mention of my "Cleanse" product, currently being trialled with a few willing subjects.  So far the results have been IMMENSE and I am hugely proud of my 3 "guinea pigs".  The first two finish their program this coming Friday and I cannot wait for the results.  All extremely exciting!

But before unleashing this product on the public, I needed a bit of accountability myself - I needed to be able to categorically say to clients that following this plan for 4 weeks is completely do-able, and no excuses will be accepted.  It just so happened that another fitness professional was running a 26 day "Fat Loss for Fitpro's" program.  This comprised of a rigid training regime (heavy lifting and metabolic conditioning daily),as well as a set nutritional plan (liver detox) and various lifestyle advice to follow (daily stretching, cold showers before bed, supplements, bed by 10.30pm... to mention a few bits)!  Nedless to say, the main goal behind all of these elements is to optimise hormones - very much in keeping with the "Cleanse" product I am developing. 

NB:  The program I followed, and the food diary entries below are NOT from "Cleanse".  This is a different program I was following, specifically for Fitness Professionals.

So, despite having weekends away planned for every weekend on the program dates, I opted in and chose to follow the plan.  Of the 26 days on the plan, 10 of them were away which involved eating out in restaurants and staying overnight in B&Bs / hotels / friends houses.  Yet with careful planning, I was able to stick to the plan.... and the results were amazing!

Those of you who know me will know that I don't need to "lose weight" as such.  I train regularly, eat well and look after myself.  But I am no saint and I certainly enjoy treats.  I'm a Taurus and I LOVE my food.  So my goal over the 4 weeks wasn't to lose weight (in fact I never weigh myself - this program was an exception), rather it was to see if I could get some real definition in my abs, and see if my bodyfat % would reduce.  But mostly is was about proving it's posible to forego all those "treats" even with a very hectic social life going on.  So I was massively surprised and pleasantly so, when I got my final results.

From start to finish I lost 9lb of pure fat, my bodyfat dropped 2.3% and I shed a total of 8" (including just under 2" round my natural waist).  The best bit is, I didn't finish this looking skinny or thin.  Far from it - my muscles are much more defined, my backside is as rounded as it ever was(!), so I still have shape, I'm just much leaner than I was.  I have also had loads of comments about how good my skin looks, and I feel really good!  Positive and energetic and raring to go!  Sorry, I'm not bigging myself up (you can look at the before / after pics below and judge for yourself), but I am pretty pleased with how this all panned out.

I have included a few excerpts from my food diary so you can see what a great variety or tasty things I was eating during this protocol.  Restrictive my a**e!  I just enjoyed good, clean food for 26 days with no sneaky treats thrown in.


Day 1:
scrambled egg & asparagus
chicken and tons of veg stir fry
flash steak with rocket salad and courgettes in chilli (@ Jamie's Italian)
3L water
Tulsi tea

Day 3:
Fast til 1pm
Break with greens drink (homemade)
Veggie omelette with rocket salad
Quinoa with tons of veg and griddled pork.
Berries.
3.5L water.
2 x ppt tea.

Day 9:
scrambled egg & leeks
turkey stir fry (pepper, green beans, onion, cabbage, carrot) + brown rice
venison burger and salad
3L water.
tulsi tea.


Day 13:
bacon, mushroom, tomato + fresh smoothie
Pizza Express Bosco salad, minus the dough sticks and dressing + chicken

Fillet steak + sweet pots + spinach

Ppt tea.
2.5L water

Day 15:
LIQUID day =
2 x greens drink (spinach, avocado, celery, cucumber, coconut, mint)
2 x protein drink (2 egg yolks, raw cacao, agave, cinammon, ice, coconut milk)
1 x juice drink (apple, blueberries, ginger and carrot)

2L water

Day 23:
Greens drink,
Scrambled egg & leek.
Liquorice and cinammon tea.
chicken and greens with chilli and ginger.
tom kha guy (homemade thai soup)
tulsi tea
3L water

Before and after pics (Mon 29 Aug / Fri 23 Sep):

I've had a lot of people already express an interest in "Cleanse", so watch this space!

Good night all.

Excercise myths - the truth is out!

I wrote the below for a piece in a local magazine, but for those who missed the article - here are the facts you need to know.  As always, any comments or feedback is welcome :-)

“I joined a gym, but I just wasn’t getting the results”.  Sound familiar?  That’s the answer I hear time and time again when I ask a prospective new client why they’ve sought out a Personal Trainer.  Up and down the country there are people dutifully making the most of their gym membership, turning up three times a week and slogging it out for an hour.  Typically they persevere for a few months and then give up because they’re not losing weight nor changing shape as they’d hoped.

There are 3 main mistakes people make when training solo:  1) Too much steady state cardio; 2) Over-training (yes, really!); 3) Lack of variety, which leads to boredom.  A lot of people quite simply don’t know what they should be doing when it comes to exercising.  Ask your average recreational exerciser what their regime consists of and they’ll probably say jogging or, if they’re a gym-goer, they’ll go from cardio machine to cardio machine and then do a few crunches at the end of their session.  Whilst doing steady state cardio is by no means bad for you, it’s certainly not an effective way of training.  A common misconception is that “cardio” burns fat when, in fact, plodding along steadily for 30 minutes will be of little benefit.  Below I shall dispel a few exercise myths whilst giving you my personal tips for an effective, time-efficient workout.

Exercise Myth 1: Steady paced, aerobic exercise = training in the “fat burning” zone.

Fact:  To burn fat you need to work anaerobically, so...

DO interval training:  Intervals are short bursts of intense exercise, followed by a recovery period.  For example, sprinting for 20 seconds then walking for 60 seconds, and repeating several times.  When you alternate between high and low intensity you reduce the build-up of lactic acid which enables you to burn fat faster by using the body’s short term energy stores (in the form of glycogen).  You will continue to burn calories and fat for longer after an intense workout in comparison with steady aerobic exercise, as your body has greater oxygen and calorie demands in order to bring you back to resting levels.

Exercise Myth 2:  Fat turns into muscle and vice versa

Fact:  You need to reduce fat and gain muscle (which is denser than fat), so...

DO use weights:  Lifting weights conjures up images of body builders and this can be off-putting, especially for women who fear they might “bulk up”.  The truth is that women do not have sufficient testosterone to gain manly muscles without a serious weight-lifting regime – so fear not!  Doing some moderate resistance work (2-3 sets of 15 reps) three times a week will not only give you a more toned physique, but it will also increase your metabolism.  Muscles are calorie hungry i.e. they need calories to function, even when you’re resting.  So the more muscle you have, the higher your basal metabolic rate.  Muscle is much denser than fat, so your weight might not change that much initially, but you will lose inches and appear slimmer.

Exercise Myth 3:  Doing crunches and sit-ups will give you a flat stomach

Fact:  Reducing overall body fat will reveal your stomach muscles, so...

DO total body workouts:  Exercises which recruit multiple muscles are functional and will work your core, even if you can’t feel it.  All the old favourites such as squats, press ups and burpees can be done anywhere without the use of equipment.  Machine based exercises which work isolated muscles do not engage your core and are not effective for weight loss.  The best way to reduce body fat is to combine weight- and interval-training (as above) with a clean diet that eliminates processed food, caffeine, alcohol and sugar.

Exercise Myth 4:  The longer I train the better my results

Fact: Your body needs rest to reap the rewards of your workout, so...

DON’T work out every single day:  Rest is just as important as exercise and nutrition when it comes to losing weight.  A day off gives your body a chance to recuperate, as well as reducing the risk of injury and over-training.  If you train too much you’ll either end up with an injury and put yourself out of action, or you’ll end up feeling disillusioned with exercise and give up on your efforts.  Sleep is also hugely under-rated.  Sleep deprivation leads to hormonal imbalances which will in turn impair your chances of losing weight.  A lack of sleep increases cortisol levels and reduces leptin.  Cortisol is associated with increased belly fat, and leptin triggers the “I’m full” signal in your brain.  So when leptin is low your body doesn’t know when to stop eating.  As such, sleep plays a huge role in weight loss. 

Exercise Myth 5:  The most important thing is to establish an exercise routine

Fact:  Variation is the key to getting results, so.... 

DON’T stick with what you know:  The human body is very good at adapting.  As soon as it gets used to something it becomes more efficient at doing it, and hence no longer needs to work hard to produce the same results.  That’s why you can only progress by working harder than you’re used to.  A gradual increase in workload will bring about fitness gains, but be careful not to increase the workload too quickly!  Try a few different classes such as circuit training or spinning, throw in some interval training and – if you’re a gym member – deviate from the program they write for you when you join!  Hiring a personal trainer, even just for a few sessions, is a great way to bring fresh ideas to your workout.

Follow these tips you’ll soon see results!

5 day clean food trial

First things first people.  This 5-day food trial was NOT a diet!  I hate that word.  Now that's cleared up, let me explain what's been going on.

A local lady is hoping to set up her own "Clean" food delivery service in Cambridge, and she is currently running 5 day trials to see what works and what doesn't, what people like and what they don't, and figuring out how to iron out any creases in the process.  For August's trial she had planned a veggie menu and, although I'm not vegetarian myself, I wanted to subscribe because I felt this service could be of real value to my clients.  But of course I'd only recommend something to my clients if it had been tried and tested (and approved!) by me first.

So, for those of you not already in the know, eating clean is as simple as that.  You eat CLEAN i.e. no alcohol, no caffeine, no dairy (a few products are acceptable - feta / greek yoghurt), no wheat, no sugar and basically no processed foods.  I know that there'll be a bunch of people reading this thinking "Woah!  That sounds restrictive!"  But it's really not.  There's no calorie counting, no weighing things out, no zero carbs after 6pm, no red foods one day green foods next.  You can actually eat A LOT, and it's all good for your body and delicious at the same time.  Bonus!

To give an idea of how non-restrictive the clean eating plan is, I'll share the 5 day menu with you at the end of this Blog post, if you're interested.

The food trial came at a perfect time for me - my partner was away for the week so having all my meals delivered saved me cooking for one, and I'd also just had a VERY naughty, un-clean 9 days  (I was going to say "dirty" but that would give the wrong impression)!  I'd had my 30th birthday party the previous weekend and was left on my own for a week afterwards with all the leftover cake, puddings, cheese and cream.  Then last weekend I was away in Sweden for a wedding, which also involved lots of cheese and yet more cake.  Yup, bad bad personal trainer.  I knew it was time to start practising what I preach and I really needed to get rid of the horrible bloated feeling I'd been living with for a fortnight.  So on Monday 15th August my first delivery arrived.  The food was great, beautifully presented and really varied.  I took photos on Monday morning before starting - I also weighed myself (something I rarely do), took measurements around my middle, and measured my bodyfat.  Five days later I did the same and was amazed that I was actually 2.1kg (about 4.5lbs) lighter, had reduced bodyfat by 1%, and had lost 3/4" off my waist and 1/2" round my belly button.  As I said,  I was starting from a pretty bad place and quite major bloating going on, but it just goes to show how quick and achievable results are.  The food trial has given me loads of ideas for my meals, so I shall be keeping up with this goodness long term.  Why not share your results with me?  Below are the photos - and I promise I'm not holding my tummy in in the second side photo - just got rid of the bloating!

Menu after the photos if you're interested.

Day 1 (left) vs Day 5 (right). Abs from the front:

Day 1 vs Day 5. Abs from the side:

Day 3 dinner:

Day 5 dinner:

Day 1 delivery:

Day 1
Breakfast:  Strawberry smoothie with camu camu and almond milk
Mid-morning snack:  Brazil nuts
Lunch:  Veggie chilli and brown rice
Mid-afternoon snack:  Raw chocs
Dinner:  Avocado sweet potato and pine-nut salad

Day 2

Breakfast:  Fruit salad with greek yoghurt
Mid-morning snack:  Mixed dried fruit and nuts
Lunch:  Chickpea, spinach and sweet potato curry
Mid-afternoon snack:  Pear
Dinner:  Feta and walnut salad

Day 3

Breakfast:  Green juice and super food shot!
Mid-morning snack:  Apple & cashews
Lunch:  Vegetable stir fry
Mid-afternoon snack:  Strawberries dipped in raw chocolate
Dinner:  Sugar snaps and egg salad with mint dressing

Day 4
Breakfast:  Raw bircher muesli with blueberries
Mid-morning snack:  Cashew nuts
Lunch:  New potato, asparagus and feta salad
Mid-afternoon snack:  Banana
Dinner:  Ratatouille with sweet potato mash and leeks

Day 5
Breakfast:  Energy booster smoothie (banana, blueberries and peanut butter)
Mid-morning snack:  Home-made humous and celery
Lunch:  Beetroot, egg & yellow pepper salad
Mid-afternoon snack:  Raw chocolates
Dinner:  Quinoa salad of roasted peppers, goats cheese and asparagus with salsa

If you're interested in participating in the next food trial, let me know and I can pass your details on to the lady in charge.

You Tube Channel for Lovefit

So I finally joined the 21st century and got myself a You Tube channel.  I decided to upload a lovely video testimonial as the first clip to set the ball rolling. 
I'll be adding more over the coming weeks but for now check out the gorgeous Allyson as she talks about her journey with Lovefit Training:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXpo_W1fHEY