Archive for February, 2010

My Number 1 Nutrition Tip

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Today’s post is going to be short, sweet about my Number 1 tip for your body.

In saying that, it may be one of the most valuable piece of dietary advice that I EVER give you.

I am human like you, and last night around 10:00 PM while watching 40 year old virgin, my appetite decied that it was hungry and the cravings began to creep in.

man-in-fridge

Within a matter of minutes, without even thinking about it, I found myself in the kitchen looking through the fridge and pantry looking for something to end my food cravings (yes, I’m human and I deal with cravings, too).

After scoping out what was available, I ultimately ended up eating a hand full of almonds and some cottage cheese with vanilla protein mixed in to it(if you missed my recommendations for late night snacks, I will post something up soon, so stay tuned).

As most of you know my weakness is ice cream. Do you know what stopped me from having a bowl of ice cream (cause I certainly would have), or a piece or two of chocolate?eating-ice-cream

Besides the fact the fact that each serve of ice cream has around 295 calories (equivilent to around 30 mins of a spin class or a body pump class):

Simple.  I don’t keep these foods in my house!!

Do you want to end your struggle with late night snacking (with the wrong foods) and increase your chances of nutrition adherence ten-fold?  Then here it is, the best diet tip I could ever give you:

Keep your house free of the “off limit” foods.

Simply put, if it’s not in the house, it’s not a temptation, and usually at 10pm at night you won’t bother going to the shops (I hope).

Do you find that having “off-limits” foods lying around is messing with your nutritional intake? 

What is your favourite treat that usually brings you undone?

Respond in the comments section below!

Scott Williams

Australian Fitness Expert

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Posted in Nutrition | 78 Comments »

What Will you Give Up?

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

A post on the things I am giving up for the month for my Last Phase Fatloss Trial

Diet sneak is what happens to a great diet when you get a little too confident and a little too lazy. It happens to a LOT of  people who start off strong with our Succeed Boot Camps and then start sliding back into their old habits.

It doesn’t happen very often, but I’ve found I am even guilty , going from 90% perfect to 85% and down to 80%. Time to do something about it.

(I already have a few, but hey, if you want to give up a few things this month, just let me know in the comments section…we can support one another!)

Now I know that because of my workouts I’m still gaining muscle and not gaining fat, but as a role model to you and hundreds of other Succeed clients and readers, I’ve decided to get strict and lead the way this Month.

So for the next 30 days, I’m kicking these foods out of my diet:

  • Added sugar
  • Alcohol
  • “Processed foods”
  • Dairy
  • Most Fruits

Let’s take a look at why I’m removing each one of those…

1) Added Sugar

The main source of added sugar in my diet was the raw sugar in my coffee and the occasional ice cream, I am cutting it out.

And then there was also a little bit of diet sneak going on as well…last week I had a gatorade after a run + a few snakes…

But I know that’s not setting a good example for you, so let’s get back to square one and cut out all added sugar. I have others doing it so I need to lead by example.

2) Alcohol

I have let a few regular beverages creep in over the last few months. Not that I drink a lot, but can’t hurt to take it out either.

3) “Processed foods”

Alright, this is a tough one to define, but here’s my definition:

a) No added sugar

b) No refined flours

4) Dairy

This isn’t a big deal because 90% of my dairy intake consists of milk in my coffee, so I figured why not throw it on the list. Sometimes I add a small amount of cheese to my morning omelets, but I’ll give that up for now.

5) Most Fruits

Why am I giving up fruits you ask, aren’t they good for me?? Well yes and no, it depends on who you talk you really. A nutritionist might say you need at least 2 – 3 pieces of fruit a day, but I tend to disagree.

The reason why is that most people don’t understand and realise the amount of sugar they are already consuming in a day wihtout adding the sugar contect from fruit. I am not saying my way is the right way either, but I am going to try it for a month and see what happens, along with 15 other people.

So what’s staying in my diet?

– eggs, meats, fish, raw nuts, and dozens of different kinds of salad and vegetables.

Pretty simple, and of course, regardless of your dietary preferences, your food foundation should feature a lot of salads and vegetables – so your diet shouldn’t be much different from mine even if you eat dairy and meat.

Overall, a nice little “diet depletion” for the month.

What is your biggest weakness?

Is there at least ONE food or ingredient you could give up for an entire month?

Let me know what it is by commenting below…

Here’s to your dieting success,

Scott Williams

PS – C’mon, don’t be shy…

…commit to giving up one thing this month and tell me what it is below…

I will keep you posted each week with the results:

So far a I have had 8 of the people on the trial weigh in and ALL have lost at least 1.5kg (some have lost over 3kg in the first week).

Myself – I started at 88.2kg and and 86kg even (a loss of 2.2kg in one week…)

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Posted in Nutrition | 99 Comments »

How to Avoid Falling off the Wagon – Part II

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

As promised, here are the 8 reasons why you fall off the fitness wagon:

 1. No focus: you didn’t set goals, you didn’t put your goals in writing, and or you didn’t keep your goals in mind daily (by reading them, affirming them, looking at a vision board, etc.)

 2. No priorities:  you may have set a goal, but you didn’t put it on or near the top of your priorities list. For example, your goal is six pack abs, but drinking beer and eating fast food on the weekend is higher on your priorities list than having a flat stomach.

 3. No support system: you tried to go at it alone; no buddy system, training partners, family, spouse, friends, mentors or coaches to turn to for information and emotional support when the going got tough.

 4. No Accountability: you didn’t keep score for your own accountability – with a progress chart, weight record, measurements, food journal, training journal, and you didn’t set up external accountability (ie, report to someone else or show your results to someone else)

 5. No patience: you were only thinking short term and had unrealistic expectations.  You expected 5 kg a week  or 2 kg a week, so the first week you lost “only” 1/2kg or hit a plateau, and you gave up.

 6. No planning: you winged it.  You walked into the gym without having a workout in hand, on paper, you didn’t plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you didn’t have a menu on paper, you didn’t make time (so instead you made excuses, like “I’m too busy”)

 7. No balance: your diet or training program was too extreme. You went the all or nothing, “I want it now” route instead of the moderate, slow-and-steady wins the race route.

 8. No personalization: your nutrition or training program was the wrong one for you. It might have worked for someone else, but it didn’t suit your schedule, personality, lifestyle, disposition or body type.

 So there you have it – 8 mistakes that cause most people to fall off the wagon. Are you guilty of any of these? If so, the solutions are clear and simple:

 Focus on what you really want, prioritize the order, get support, don’t try to do it all on your own, be accountable, be patient, plan, balance and personalize.

Do you agree? Disagree? Do you have anything else you might like to add that causes you problems?

Scott Williams

CEO, Succeed Personal Development

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Posted in Fitness Articles | 79 Comments »

How to Avoid Falling off the Wagon Part 1

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

A post about why it is so hard to stick to a diet

falling-off-the-diet-wagon

 Why sticking with your diet is so hard

 It is becoming quite evident, we have an obesity problem in Australia and many other countries around the world. Yet, I propose that we do not have a weight loss problem today.

  In case you’re confused at this apparent contradiction, consider these statistics:

 According to a study from Oxford University published in the International Journal of Obesity, within 3 to 5 ars, about 80 percent of all ‘losers’ have regained the kgs, and often gained back a little more than they started with.

According to research by the National Weight Control Registry, that relapse rate may be as high as 95 percent.

For comparison, relapse rates for drug, alcohol and tobacco dependency have been reported in the range of 50-90%!

Basically this means that many people have lost weight, but not many have managed to keep it off.

Therefore, we don’t have a weight loss problem, we have a “not sticking with it” problem.

Wouldn’t you agree?

In fact, the fall and subsequent regain usually doesn’t take years. Many people have abandoned their new year’s resolutions within weeks. By the time Easter rolls around, the diet is old news and forgotten!

If this is true, then shouldn’t we put more of our attention onto figuring out why you haven’t been sticking with your program, and what you should do about it? 

This is exactly what I focus on with my clients. I have also put together this new list of the top 8 reasons why many of you seem to fall off the wagon.

Having a better understanding of the problem, better helps lead you to solutions.

Rather than worrying about all the varied diet plans, like whether you should be on low carb or high carb,  vegetarian or meat eater, I propose that if you focus on these 8 tips in the next blog, you’ll start getting more lasting results on your new easy to follow food program.

 By the way I hate the word ‘diet’, you should never call it a ‘diet’. If you have to then is it not the right meal plan for you. It should be easy and something you can stick to for years to come.

How? By being able to stick with whichever plan you decided was best for you! After all, even if you have one of the best nutrition programs in the world (such as the Last Phase Fat Loss Program), it doesn’t do you much good if you can’t stick with it!

Stay tuned for part II and ways to avoid falling off the wagon.

 Scott Williams

Author of Last Phase Fat Loss

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Posted in Awards | 76 Comments »

How to Evaluate Personal Trainers

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

A post on evaluating Personal Trainers

australian-PT-business-of-the-year-Succeed

When seeking a personal trainer, it is necessary for the public to educate themselves on how to interview the right person for the job. While there are many certified personal trainers out there, only a select few of them are truly competent. You should always ask and verify where their certification is from and what their credentials are. There are different types and levels of training certifications, only a handful of them are good. Most tests are multiple choice questions that are moderately difficult and some others require some essay or program design but are usually easy. What you need to look for is the continuing education courses the trainers have taken. It is the seminars and practical workshops that make a trainer better.

It is difficult for the public to decipher a good trainer from a bad one. In many cases, even the worst trainer knows more about physical fitness than the average person. Below are some fundamental questions that should be asked before making your choice. They are designed to save you from choosing a bad apple.

Questions you should ask:

* What certifications do they hold?
* Do they attend workshops and seminars? Which ones?
* How long have they been a trainer?
* How thorough was your evaluation? Did they do a medical history and test flexibility, core strength, muscle strength and endurance?
* Are they familiar with functional training (training according to daily activities or a specific goal)?
* Have they explained the importance of flexibility?
* Do they stress how important it is to properly brace the core and preserve the lumbar spine?
* Do they know what P.N.F(Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) stretching is?
* Have they explained that function is more important than vanity?
* Can they explain what they are going to do in the routine and how it benefits you?
* Did they explain that cardio alone is an inefficient workout?
* Do they have a basic understanding of nutrition?

If you already have a trainer you can evaluate them:

* Does your trainer understand that a core routine is not a series of floor exercises?
* Are you doing more free weights and medicine balls than machines?
* Do they ever take notes?
* Are you being properly warmed up at the beginning and being stretched at the end?
* Does your trainer change the routine regularly?
* Does you trainer incorporate balance boards, swiss balls, single leg exercises and other challenged environments?
* When training the core (midsection) does your trainer explain how important it is to do dynamic movements as well as isometric exercises and the importance of low back exercises?
* Does your trainer target weak areas?
* If you feel pain in places that you should not like your knees, low back and neck does your trainer change or modify the exercise to a pain free range?
* Do you truly understand what you are doing while you train?
* Are you really getting results?
* Do you do more back exercises than chest and abs?
* Are you setting goals?
* Are you talking about you and your needs?
* Are you getting undivided attention?

If you answered no to any of these questions, then your trainer may be lacking key knowledge that is necessary for you to reach your fitness goals. More importantly, your trainer may be doing you more harm than good. It is simple for a trainer to deceive an unsuspecting client into believing they are knowledgeable. This is due to the general public not being educated about the fitness industry and trusting a gym will provide them with a competent trainer. In most cases, gyms are not always concerned with the quality of the people they are hiring. If a gym thinks a trainer possesses strong sales skills, they will hire them as long as they have some type of certification. A qualified fitness professional will understand at the very least everything listed above. Remember when hiring a trainer to make sure they are a full time professional. Part time does not cut it when it comes to your health. Would you go to a part time Medical Doctor?

Be aware of trainers that are charging low rates. The going rate for a high level trainer is around $70-$90/hr even their entry level trainers are $40-60/hr. There are other trainers that charge way more than the rates just mentioned. In-homes for a high level professional trainer are around $125 and can be more. You may be able to get a really good trainer for $90-$100 depending on travel time, trainers charging much less are either just starting out, not that good or a close friend. You get what you pay for. It is important you research the trainers’ certification and check to make sure they are currently certified by Fitness Australia.

It is important to understand that certifications and degrees certainly help but do not mean everything. You want to know about their clinical experience and the workshops they attend. Ask who they work with and get at least three references to call from current clients. See if they work with any local doctors, all the good trainers work with at least one doctor.

A bad trainer can hurt you – do your research and make sure they are good.

 Scott Williams

CEO, Managing Director

Succeed Personal Development

2 x Time Australian PT Business of the Year

Basic CMYK

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Posted in Personal Training Areas | 101 Comments »

A Question of Balance

Monday, February 1st, 2010

A post about your balance in life, family, fitness, business 

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At times, everyone’s life will be out of balance.

In order to realise our goals some sacrifice will be necessary. To me, balance is best explained as a centre point to which we keep returning from bouts of relaxation or pressure. It’s like the grey area from which we deliberately choose to step away or step back into.

When we play tennis we react to the ball best when we’re at centre court. Sometimes we throw ourselves at the net, sometimes we chase the ball to the side, but at all times we’re aware of how exposed we are and our need to get back to centre court – our balance point.

Perfect balance is a state of non-movement. Life’s too fluid and dynamic for this state to be maintained for long periods. If we want to get ahead in life, then in almost anything, it requires work, effort and a personal stretch.

The answer lies in knowing how to relax, and how to push when required. We also need to recognise the state we’re in at any given moment, and then make a conscious decision to maintain or alter that state. Is it time to relax or, go for it?

If you choose to push it then, support your decision by:

  1. Not missing an exercise workout. A workout will burn off excess stress and leave you calm and rational.
  2. Always eat breakfast. This sends a message to your body that all is OK and prevents the body from wanting to store bodyfat.
  3. Discuss with your family the period of time you’ll be out of balance and the reason you’ve made this choice.

If you choose to relax then, support this decision by:

  1. Leaving your briefcase at work – don’t take it home the night you intend to relax.
  2. Take your watch off …you’ll soon get out of time.
  3. Eat lunch away from work stimulants such as the computer screen.

Know the cost of deciding to go for it, or to back off. And, take responsibility for that decision.

 Balance is a destination never arrived at. Its knowing that its your choice to maintain or reject your current state that’s important.

Scott Willams

Succeed Personal Training, Canberra

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Posted in Personal Development | 50 Comments »