Making a change!

The hardest thing about getting fit, putting on weight or even loosing it, is that you have to get out of your comfort zone to do so. It takes dedication to pull yourself out of bed at 6am when it’s pitch black, it requires discipline to throw your runners on when it is cold and wet, and you need to have a focused optimism and self trust that what you are doing will pay off! And the unfortunate truth is that we are not born with these traits, in fact for most of us the struggle in life is having the courage and self control, to concentrate on a goal for long enough that it might be achieved! But while we are not born with these traits, we can certainly train them up and make them stronger, so that when we are feeling off, out, or just not up to it, our fall back line is way higher than the couch, game of thrones and a bag of doritos. Instead it’s a light workout or a extra paragraph on your essay, maybe even as simple as cooking at home instead of ordering take out. This is raising the bar, and it’s our own personal bar, the one we hold ourselves accountable to when no one is looking. 

The linch pin is that we can’t achieve or expect big results by doing the same thing. It’s not enough just to want change, we have to be willing to sacrifice whatever it is we are holding on to, to move into the idea of what we want to be. Otherwise....Well we end up like records on repeat. When our desire to change or act, finally overwhelms the desire to take it easy, or just stay relaxed, then some thing all start happening. And that’s just the beginning because after you have made the decision, you have to sustain it! Bust through the frustration, disappointment, feelings of inadequacies or simple CBFs because they are all part of a previous version of yourself. Every-time you go the extra yard, jump a little higher, or study a little longer, you solidify yourself in your new version, until it’s finally automatic. Until you no longer have to set your alarm at 6 am because your body just wakes you up. And this is hard stuff to comprehend! I get caught out on the couch eating ice cream and watching family guy all the time, but as long as I can recognize a habit that is impeding on my development, I can decide not to do it and move forward. Magic.

But their is an ulterior motive to this post as you can no doubt tell by the photos at the bottom! It is not just some ideas on self evolvement, it is also a massive congratulations and tribute to a client that has successfully managed to evolve his habits and tick off some major goals. Over the last 12 weeks Matty has trained ridiculously hard, focusing on what he wanted, having the courage to put himself in uncomfortable situations, trusting in his efforts and possessing the discipline to see his training through. As a result, the boy wonder has lost close to 8 kg and is now blitzing through 5 km runs. To give you some context, when we first started, 2 minutes of jogging was a pretty tough gig, but his application and aptitude has turned him into a running machine! So over the next 6 weeks he’s going to test how fast he can get himself and then before you know it we will be sprinting up Arthurs seat in under thirty minutes! 

His efforts have been inspiring and it’s a great lesson and reminder that we can’t just expect change, we have to put it out their and go for it! The photos outline his phenomenal transformation, well done Matty! I look forward to our next run!
If you're looking to start training, want to get back on the band wagon, or need a kick start come get involved, get fantastic results and tick off some of those fitness goals! If you are undecided, take a good look at these photos and get inspired about possibilities!

Also here are some resources that have been shared with me and I used as inspiration to write this (and generally keep on top of things):
http://www.thewaywecame.com- a great personal evolvement reference book 

http://vimeo.com/65576562- This is water by David Foster Wallace. A timely reminder (and conveniently a video) of who decides

                                           WEEK ONE                            WEEK TWELVE

More often than not I get asked, "how do you get the motivation to train?...How do I get the motivation to train?". It's a simple question with an even simpler answer: "find people that want to train too". Get help, get a support group, find friends, train together. 

I rarely train by myself. I have a coach of my own and training partners, friends that like playing sports, running and lifting weights. It is a fitness network, which I rely on and use to facilitate my own training. 

An important factor in this network is that every person is aligned on the goal to improve their health, weight or wellbeing. So training doesn't fall through, or never eventuate. There is an unwritten understanding "You support me and I will support you", so it can become a pretty intimate relationship and they take time to build. I have been training with some people for over five years.

So if you are are looking for a sideways step into training and you need a support group, a professional group training session is the perfect answer because:

1)It Provides Motivation:

You have someone who is willing to support your intention to get healthy....even if you don't want to support it! Your trainer is your training buddy and will be there watching, monitoring and pushing you along to succeed! At the start of any long term health project, after the first two weeks your motivation can drop and you can fall off the band wagon. At group training sessions your trainer is the external pressure that helps keep you motivated long enough until your fired up yourself!  

2)Provides Routine: 

You have set days, you know when your training is...The only block between you achieving what you want is your participation. you can lock it in your diary and make sure your out of work on time, your gym bag is in the car and you are pumped to go! Routine is the key!

3)Provides Support

You train in a unique and supportive environment, which is always invigorating because you are surrounded by people who want to do the same thing! Having other people around you is powerful because it bridges the physical and the social boundaries which stop us training. Suddenly, after a long day in the office, when all you feel like doing is eating ice cream and watching T.V, Sally, Rob and Mike have texted you "see you at group training?". No excuses, better  get the gym bag!

We need to challenge what we believe as conventional and look to create new opportunities that evolve people’s beliefs and mindsets toward positive lifestyles. The fitness education programs will help put you back in control of your wellbeing, because I believe healthy people are happy people. 

This is a pre-announcement to a new online training initiative that i need to pilot. I am looking for two volunteers to take part in an 8-16 week program. If you are interested, follow the link, fill out the qualifying survey and i will be in touch

Warm Regards

Stephen

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dDVra0s5b2VnemNtSjE5RGFOOWZWemc6MQ

Eating for Success !

I was recently asked by a few people about what behaviors and foods they might want to utilize to keep weight off. Here are a few quick tips that will help you on your way. 

1. Eat Chocolate

I was terrible at saving money. I would put all of it away and end up blowing the whole amount because i never gave myself anything to live by. The same can be said for sweet foods, have a little deliberately rather than totally restricting yourself! Satisfy your sweet craving with a small portion of dessert after a meal and hopefully it should stop you snacking throughout the day!

2.Calcium 

Consuming 1,800 milligrams of calcium a day could block the absorption of about 336 kJ. High amounts of calcium can be found in Kale and spinach so try and get these leafy veg into your lunch time salad. Flaxseed, sesame seeds, brazil nuts and    Almonds also contain high levels of calcium so snack on these throughout the day. Milk, Cheese and Yogurt all have high levels of calcium but the fat content would make you weak at the knees! So abstain a little...!

3.Heat it up a bit...

Capsaicin is the substance that puts the hot in hot chilli. It can temporarily boosts your metabolism. Put a bit in your lunch or dinner and you’ll be working while you sleep!

4. Find yourself some fibre

Fibre will fill us up and keep our digestion working. Complex fibre is the best and is hard to decompose, so it will not only fill you up but get your jaw working overtime meaning we don’t crave chewing straight after a meal. Oats and weetbix and brown breads have stacks of complex fibre and don’t forget organic is better because it is less processed and try and have these in your first meal of the day.  

5. Buy Pre-cut Vegetables

It is an easy way to cut the leg work out of taking veggies to work ad ensure that you snack on carrots and celery. Make it accessible and inexcusable

6. Water Your Body...

A dry body means we crave sweat things. Every time you reach for the sugar grab a glass of water. Remember that you want to be drinking around 1 L per 25kg of body weight. The sooner you start the more likely you are going to notice those sugar cravings drop off

7. Go Public

Make sure everyone knows that you are trying to loose weight or get healthy. Post photos, status’, send message and enlist the support of your friends. It works as an acknowledgement method and can help battle the early on discouragement that many people face when trying to loose weight by themselves

8.Make your meal colourful

greens, oranges and purples are all great colors to have on your plate. The more the better! Stay away from yellows- i.e pastas, potatoes, starches and general carbohydrates! Filling but also unnecessary in high quantities when trying to loose weight. The more colorful the plate the more veggies you usually have!

9. Detox

It is never a bad thing to juice fast or do a cleanse. You would be surprised at how much weight can be lost from getting rid of all the stored toxins in your body. Make sure you research your detox though and consult a health expert before you start. 

10.Train with me

Or someone! Training is the 50% percent of the weight-loss game. Get your food balance right and you’ll be on the right path. Working with a professional is great because it gives you a direction to follow. I have always been a big believer in a plan. Our training is planned in eight week blocks so that you have less unknowns and more expected results. Call today and we can work on a nutrition plan together as well.

Health and Animals

At a surface level health starts with doing the right things for your body...But for all who have trained we know that it's much more than that. It includes mental health and spiritual wellbeing. For lack of a better term it is a holy trinity. Look for opportunities to evolve, keep your body healthy, your mind clear and you/we should be happy.

When we are happy we achieve a lot more....There is a sense of deliberateness to our actions. Less dragging of feet and more willingness to try. I think this is the key to creating a successful training program and when i set up a training program with a client, the introduction revolves around these principles.

However, this is not the point i wanted to make. For me part of being mentally healthy is feeling like i am progressing or contributing to change for the better, on whatever scale I can. It's like Ralph Emerson once said, "make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you". We can do this in our daily choices and one decision that I make is to not eat meat. Now I am not one tell another that there actions are right or wrong, but for me not eating meat helps me feel like i am keeping my mind healthy (along with other things), it keeps my conscious clear.

I have my own personal reasons not to eat meat, as many of you will have your personal reasons to eat it, and that is fine. However it is important to consider how our food is farmed. The conditions of the animals life and slaughter. Has the pig/cow/chicken/calf/fish been happy in life? Or where they raised in a farm cage the size of your wardrobe for three to four years? Simply put, (for me) as long as we can inflict cruelty on such large scales with such disregard for life to animals we can still do it to each other. To consider this just think back to the Jewish war camps of Nazi Germany. You have to wonder, did that inspire western farming or did western farming inspire the war camps?

So this piece of writing is a bit all over the place. I start of talking about health and then talk about vegetarianism and some how throw in the Nazi's. How does it all relate? To be honest it doesn't. I just want to plug two things that I am passionate about. Health and animal welfare. I ate a bit of pig the other day so I am cleaning my conscious.

Here are some of my resources. Enjoy.

This is the vid that inspired me to finally stop eating meat

A good scientific back ground to protein

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/get-enough-protein-veg-diet.php

more good resources on education, animal welfare etc

http://www.peta.org/index_landing.asp

http://www.avatarepc.com/

http://ten-pounds-down.fitsugar.com/50-Ways-Stay-Motivated-Weight-Loss-13289463

Team Rabbit

Success Story – Jake Phin

A success story is a celebration of ones will power, determination and ability to achieve their goals. It can take a lot of effort to change behavior habits and a bucket load more to make them long term but Jake is an example of someone who has successfully achieved their goals and deserves every high five or well done he gets

Jake started training around sixteen weeks ago on the sixth of November 2011 following a successful consultation where we outlined his goals, desires and current habits. The consultation was a crucial part of the program because it gave us a clear understanding and alliance, which meant we new exactly what we wanted to achieve and how we where going to do it.

Over the sixteen weeks we worked on his core fitness, strength and cardio with the intention of facilitating weight loss. The end result was phenomenal and is a real credit to Jakes resolve. He kindly lent me so photos, which highlight his transformation and you, can see it is a fantastic testament to his determination

In conjunction with his weight loss his speed, stamina and strength improved phenomenally. Jake measured this and just as an example he cut over a minute off his average Km pace and is getting faster every run. Not only that but his core strength has improved three fold.

So now Jake is training by himself. He wrote a program last week and emailed it to me and let me tell you it is an incredible one that would test most of us.  Jake has successfully completed his goal and I am  incredibly proud of him and so happy that I was allowed to be part of his progression. Well done mate you have done fantastically 

Jake was consistent and decided; two key elements to successful training. He started off on the tailored program and moved into the rehabilitation program. What do you want to achieve? Where do you want to take physical health? The sky is the limit and our training programs work, You just have to decide. Contact us today and we will do the consultation free of charge. 

Week One

Week Sixteen

Detox Retreat Information

Between the 18^th and the 20^th of May we have organized a Detox Retreat. The Detox Retreat is a health retreat with an educational twist to it. This means we don’t just flush our systems of toxins rather we become aware of how to do it ourselves. Over the weekend we will focus on several principles of health that we believe are key to having long-term health and fitness. However, here are some practicalities that we would like you to be aware of:

                       

1)    The activities have been designed to accommodate everyone. This is available to all fitness and health levels. There is no pressure for you too participate in any event and what’s more you can choose what you want to do. There are some low intensity, moderate intensity and high intensity exercises on the retreat. All the activities are available for viewing on the itinerary

2)    The event is being held at Wilsons Promontory. I have provided some photos. The Prom is about 2 ½ hours away from mornibgton by car and you will have to organize your own transportation to and from the event

3)    The cost of the event is $150. This includes your food, your accommodation and participation fee. Payment is taken on the day of arrival, however upon registering for the event you do have to         leave or pay a $50 deposit within 48 hours of registering to hold your bed.

4)    The food is totally organic and has been sourced locally. The diet has been specially designed to promote a physical cleanse. For most parts of the weekends you will drinking broths, soups, juices or blends. However we will provide some solid food as well. You are not expected to bring any food for the weekend, you are not expected to prepare the food. This will all be done for you

5)    The accommodation is a 24 bed shared lodge. You will have private rooms, which contain about six beds and you can request sharing preferences. Blankets, pillows and pillow slips provided, but guests are to provide their own sheets or sleeping bags/duvets

6)    The lodge is a fully connected to the grid so you will have electricity, however phone internet reception is poor. This retreat is designed to get you away from normal life so these things should not be necessary.

7)    Toilets and showers are available in the lodge and are located next to the rooms.