How To Stay Motivated

A warm welcome to my new base! Where the hard work starts and results are achieved! We have recently relocated to the wonderful SPT Fitness ( http://sptfitness.com ) in Southend. Ideally located just off the A127 it is easily accessible from all directions and has private parking just outside. The gym is one of the friendliest gyms I have ever set foot in, priding themselves on the family style atmosphere where everyone is welcome and encouraged. SPT Fitness boasts great equipment, a fantastic well kitted out studio, and outside space. There is also a physio, sports rehab and two sunbeds all on site. What more could we want?! I know the gym can be an intimidating environment, which is why SPT Fitness is so great. With the welcoming staff, and friendly environment, even the less seasoned gym goer can learn the ropes here, without feeling nervous. If you would like to take a look around or book a trial session to test out the equipment and services we offer, drop me a message and we can get this arranged :) #inpursuitofdreams

In a society which values instant outcomes, changing your body composition can be a frustrating and slow process. We all want results fast, be that fat loss or muscle gain, and looking for that quick fix is common - but the fact of the matter is that the best results come with time, consistency and effort. We have all done it - started our diet or new exercise plan on a Monday morning, full of positivity, and then when you don’t see a huge change within the first days or weeks, we lose faith in the process and find ourselves falling straight back into old habits. So how can we break this cycle? Small changes can lead to huge results, and without having to put your life on hold to achieve them. Yes of course, if you press the pause button and spend hours in the gym every day like the movie stars do for a role, you can get amazing results fast - but is that sustainable? What happens when life catches up with you and you cannot maintain those hours every day? Instead, by implementing small changes to your daily routine, and without sacrificing every other aspect of your life, you can get results whilst continuing to live! Take fat loss for example - 99.9% of people do not need a super low calorie diet in order to drop fat. Instead, changing your nutrition to include a small deficit of calories, still allowing room for nights out and treats for example, means you are far more likely to yield everlasting results, as these habits become sustainable over the long term. Remember, a loss of just half a pound a week is 2 stone over a year - and is more than achievable with just small changes to your lifestyle. Fitness wise, whilst some enjoy hitting the gym every day, many people will start like this for a week or two before the initial rush wears off and takes with it the inclination to attend at all. Instead, forming a positive routine of 3 sessions a week for example, that can be maintained over a longer period of time will produce far better results. Not to mention, finding something you enjoy doing, so that exercise isn’t such a chore! It is tempting to throw ourselves into something new whole heartedly - and thats a great thing! But recognising that changing your body is as much of a mind game as it is about the food and exercise is a huge first step. Being prepared to make small long term changes to your lifestyle as opposed to ‘jumping head first’ into the latest greatest fad diet or class will ultimately allow your mind time to keep up with your body, and the changes you will see over the weeks and months will be nothing short of amazing! If you want to find out a bit more about how I can help you make these sustainable changes that will lead to fantastic results, feel free to drop me a message and lets have a chat. x

1 - To Lose Weight You Must Eat Less Than 1200 Calories. No! There is no hard fast rule for how many calories you need to eat to lose weight. Ideally, for consistent sustainable fat loss, you want to be losing around 1lb per week...this is, roughly, being in a calorie deficit by around 500kcals per day, or 3500kcals per week. So in order to work out how many calories you should be eating, we need to work out your unique calories needed vs calories burned, then create a small deficit. By eating very low calorie, you open yourself up to many more problems such as slowing of your metabolism, illness, fatigue and muscle loss. 2 - To Lose Weight You Must Run. No! Cardio training is brilliant for your heart, but spending hours on a treadmill or cross trainer is not the only (or necessarily the best) way to lose weight. There are many other options, including weight lifting, that will burn calories just as well, if not better. So if running isn't your thing, fear not- it's not necessary for fat loss! 3 - Fat makes you fat. No! Fat does not make you fat! Excess calories makes you gain weight - and as fat has 9kcals per gram (as opposed to 4kcals for carbohydrates and protein), you get a lot less food for your calories when eating high fat food. However, fat is needed for good health and well being - so don't fear the fat! 4 - Weight Training Will Make You Bulkier, not Smaller. No! No! And again, No! Weight training will not make you look bulky, not without a very specific set of conditions, including an excess of food and specific training, over a number of years. Weight training can help gain that toned and svelte look that many desire - so don't fear the weight room! 5 - No Carbs Before Marbs... No! And we can add to this, no carbs after 6pm. Also rubbish. The reason people lose weight on these plans is that they drop their calories by default - that is all. Carbohydrates are an essential part of our diet and not to be feared - they give us energy for the day and for our workouts, and when from sources such as vegetables, a whole host of micro-nutrients too. Go easy on those refined carbs, but don't fear carbohydrates as a whole! If you have any questions on this, or want to know the best ways to lose those extra few pounds, don't hesitate to get in touch. x

Remember that kid at school that hated PE class so much that they forgot their kit, feigned illness, walked when everyone else was running or just straight up refused to participate? Well, that was pretty much me. Don't get me wrong...I wasn't adverse to ALL exercise, but I wasn't good at PE (or so I thought), and my response to that was simply not to do it. I rode horses from a young age, I thought that was enough and little could convince me otherwise. Fast forward a number of years and I had dabbled with fitness on and off, never with much success. Zumba? Tick. Running? Tick. Multiple gym memberships? Tick. However, my weight was an issue, my eating was terrible and it was impacting my health overall. I had tried extreme low calorie diets, calorie counting, Weight Watchers and the like, all with varying degrees of success, but never learning to control what I was putting in my mouth, or increase my activity levels accordingly. Upon returning from a stint working abroad, my confidence was at an all time low and my weight at an all time high - I knew it was time to take action. A new year signaled a new start, and a chance meeting with a Personal Trainer at my recently (re)joined gym led me to signing up for a few weeks of one to one training - I did wonder what had I signed myself up for! It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made - and the few weeks soon extended. Suddenly, it seemed so simple...and it became enjoyable! No longer did I have to 'keep up' with a class or with friends, instead I was pushed at a rate suitable for me, and we found things I was good at and that I enjoyed - it was a revelation! Next up was to sort my diet - no fad diets here. Some simple instructions and tapping into the psychology that I had spent years learning and had filed away in the back of my brain, my health improved and the weight started dropping off. Why had I not done this sooner?! I loved the variety in my sessions, from cardio training, circuits, weights, boxing...every week was different and I loved it. I hit some fantastic fitness goals - even completing my first 10km run - an unbelievable achievement for me! When my trainer left the gym, I was at a loss...that was until I found my next trainer. My first session with my new trainer we stepped into the weight room, onto the deadlift platform and into the squat rack, and I haven't looked back. I discovered a whole new world - that of weight training and powerlifting in particular, and fell head over heels in love with it. Once upon a time I was the girl in the gym on the cross trainer refusing to make eye contact with anyone-or even myself in the mirror. Hating myself and hating life. Now, I'm at my happiest stood on the platform or in the squat rack, smiling, picking up some heavy weights and feeling totally badass about doing it. My body has changed completely, and with it my mindset - I couldn't be more grateful to being introduced to this new world! During this whole time, I have read every article and book I could, watched hundreds of YouTube instruction videos, and basically immersed myself in the sport...to the point where I decided that wasn't enough and I wanted to get my trainer qualifications so that I could help other people feel totally badass too! So, that brings us to today. You, here, reading about me -a brief rundown of where I have been and where I am...I'll do another post soon about where i'm going! If any of the above resonates...don't hesitate to get in touch for an informal chat about how we might be able to work together, and check back soon for more blog articles and updates! xx