fitnessrevolution

This question might make you squirm, but let’s ask it anyway…

Are you wasting time in the gym?

Do you regularly push yourself to the limit? Do you feel the burn with each rep? Do you have nothing left to give when it’s over?

Or would you describe your routine more like a comfortable trot? Do you coast along, breaking a respectable sweat while doing the same old thing?

Since you are spending a portion of your valuable time exercising, I assume that you have goals and aspirations for your body. And I also assume that if you had the option to achieve that leaner, more toned body even faster you’d jump at it!

The following tips are going to show you how to spend less time exercising, while achieving quicker, more noticeable results. Sound good?

Be Focused. It sounds obvious, but this crucial requirement for an effective workout is often overlooked. Don’t be one of those people who exercise their jaw muscles (from chit chatting) more than any other muscles. When you’re lifting weights, focus on that specific muscle group. Researchers have proven significant increase in muscle activity when people focused on what they were doing, compared to thinking about unrelated topics.

Be Confused. Err, more specifically your muscles should be confused. Do this by changing up your routine often. This helps to avoid plateaus and to continuously challenge your body. Try new exercises at new intensities and new weights.

Be Nourished and Hydrated. Stay on top of your food and your hydration levels. The best results are achieved when you’re drinking enough water and eating real, wholesome foods.

Be Strategic. The time of day that you exercise makes a huge difference in your results. And no, I’m not going to say that there’s a universal ‘right time’ to workout. Your job is to figure out when your body is at its best and to make that the time that you consistently exercise. If you’re not a morning person, then don’t force yourself to wake up at 5am, try working out after work instead.

Be Watched. There’s a benefit to working out in a group setting. Researchers saw a significant increase in strength and endurance in the people who had an audience versus those training on their own.

Be Caffeinated. Caffeine has been shown to help burn fat and to increase endurance. If you don’t have any medical conditions that would otherwise make moderate caffeine intake unsafe, then drink a caffeinated beverage one hour prior to working out.

Be Pumped Up. Cheque this out: researchers found that music motivated weightlifters to complete two more repetitions on average than those who were not listening to music. That’s a great reason to listen to upbeat music while you exercise.

Be Comfortable. Not only will you be happy to put comfortable workout clothes on, but you will also be able to focus better on your workout, rather than wondering if your pants will split when you squat.

Be Smart. If you’re not already one of my valued clients, then now is the time to become one. Working with a professional ensures that you’re being challenged and are seeing results. And that’s just smart, right?

Want faster weight loss?

Then do a self-guided kitchen raid.

If your kitchen is stocked with the makings for healthy meals and snacks you’ll easily stay on track, even when those late-night cravings strike.

So what should you keep on hand and what should be banned?

Use this self-guided kitchen raid to help you sort out the good from the fattening.

Go ahead, grab a big box, print out the list below, and then head to the kitchen. When you’re done, take that box straight to the nearest food bank.

Your Refrigerator
Let’s start with the fridge, which is essentially the heart of your kitchen. If you find something in your fridge that is on the “Donate this” list, then you know what you have to do. Get that box ready.

• Donate this: Beverages with high fructose corn syrup or sugar. Drinking calories is one of the quickest ways to gain weight, so quickly rid your fridge of any beverage that lists HFCS or sugar on the ingredient list.

  Replace with: Water. It is a well-known fact that most people are partially dehydrated, a condition that is harmful to your health and wreaks havoc on your weight loss efforts. Keep plenty of cold water on hand for proper hydration.

• Donate this: Fatty meats. It is important that you be selective about the meats that you eat. I may tell you that chicken is a great source of protein, but if you take that as a license to eat fried chicken everyday then the benefit of the protein will be lost in all the extra fat calories.

  Replace with: Lean meats. Skinless chicken breast, lean ground turkey, white fish – there are numerous choices when it comes to lean meats.

• Donate this: Fruit-flavored yogurt. I hate to break this to you, but that cute individually packaged yogurt is going to do more harm to your waistline than you think. More than 50% of the calories in fruit-flavored yogurt come from sugar. Check out the ingredient list and you likely find both high fructose corn syrup AND sugar.

  Replace with: Plain low-fat yogurt, Greek yogurt, or low-fat cottage cheese. If you love yogurt, then get the low-fat plain version. You can even chop up some fresh fruit and stir it in. Another option is to have a scoop of low-fat cottage cheese with chopped fruit on top.

Your Pantry

This may be the most painful part of your kitchen raid, since most junk food ends up here. So take a moment to give yourself a pep talk before grabbing that garbage bag and opening your pantry.

• Donate this: Sugar-filled cereal. If sugar or high fructose corn syrup are listed as ingredients on your cereal box, it’s got to go. Sugar-filled cereal is basically another form of junk food, and will only add inches to your waist.

  Replace with: Whole Grain Oatmeal. There is a huge difference between instant, sugar-filled oatmeal and whole grain oatmeal.

• Donate this: Chips/Crackers. While refined chips and crackers are fun to munch on, the extra calories will quickly add up. Do yourself a favor by not allowing these into your pantry.

  Replace with: Almonds. The key to making this snack a winner is to practice portion control. Place a handful of almonds into individual bags for pre-portioned snacks.

• Donate this: Packaged Sweets. I don’t really have to explain this one, do I? Cookies and cakes and candies shouldn’t be a regular part of your diet, so keep them out of your house. It’s one thing to enjoy a dessert once in a while, it is quite another to routinely eat processed sweets at home.

  Replace with: Dried Fruit. When you want to munch on something sweet, turn to a bag of dried fruit. Make sure that you purchase dried fruit that does not contained added sugars.

Want faster weight loss?

Then do a self-guided kitchen raid.

If your kitchen is stocked with the makings for healthy meals and snacks you’ll easily stay on track, even when those late-night cravings strike.

So what should you keep on hand and what should be banned?

Use this self-guided kitchen raid to help you sort out the good from the fattening.

Go ahead, grab a big box, print out the list below, and then head to the kitchen. When you’re done, take that box straight to the nearest food bank.

Your Refrigerator
Let’s start with the fridge, which is essentially the heart of your kitchen. If you find something in your fridge that is on the “Donate this” list, then you know what you have to do. Get that box ready.

• Donate this: Beverages with high fructose corn syrup or sugar. Drinking calories is one of the quickest ways to gain weight, so quickly rid your fridge of any beverage that lists HFCS or sugar on the ingredient list.

  Replace with: Water. It is a well-known fact that most people are partially dehydrated, a condition that is harmful to your health and wreaks havoc on your weight loss efforts. Keep plenty of cold water on hand for proper hydration.

• Donate this: Fatty meats. It is important that you be selective about the meats that you eat. I may tell you that chicken is a great source of protein, but if you take that as a license to eat fried chicken everyday then the benefit of the protein will be lost in all the extra fat calories.

  Replace with: Lean meats. Skinless chicken breast, lean ground turkey, white fish – there are numerous choices when it comes to lean meats.

• Donate this: Fruit-flavored yogurt. I hate to break this to you, but that cute individually packaged yogurt is going to do more harm to your waistline than you think. More than 50% of the calories in fruit-flavored yogurt come from sugar. Check out the ingredient list and you likely find both high fructose corn syrup AND sugar.

  Replace with: Plain low-fat yogurt, Greek yogurt, or low-fat cottage cheese. If you love yogurt, then get the low-fat plain version. You can even chop up some fresh fruit and stir it in. Another option is to have a scoop of low-fat cottage cheese with chopped fruit on top.

Your Pantry
This may be the most painful part of your kitchen raid, since most junk food ends up here. So take a moment to give yourself a pep talk before grabbing that garbage bag and opening your pantry.

• Donate this: Sugar-filled cereal. If sugar or high fructose corn syrup are listed as ingredients on your cereal box, it’s got to go. Sugar-filled cereal is basically another form of junk food, and will only add inches to your waist.

  Replace with: Whole Grain Oatmeal. There is a huge difference between instant, sugar-filled oatmeal and whole grain oatmeal.

• Donate this: Chips/Crackers. While refined chips and crackers are fun to munch on, the extra calories will quickly add up. Do yourself a favor by not allowing these into your pantry.

  Replace with: Almonds. The key to making this snack a winner is to practice portion control. Place a handful of almonds into individual bags for pre-portioned snacks.

• Donate this: Packaged Sweets. I don’t really have to explain this one, do I? Cookies and cakes and candies shouldn’t be a regular part of your diet, so keep them out of your house. It’s one thing to enjoy a dessert once in a while, it is quite another to routinely eat processed sweets at home.

  Replace with: Dried Fruit. When you want to munch on something sweet, turn to a bag of dried fruit. Make sure that you purchase dried fruit that does not contained added sugars.

Now march that box of off-limit foods to your nearest food bank and don’t look back.

It’s a great idea to raid your kitchen every couple of months as a way of keeping yourself on track.

Open up dialogue with your family members about the healthy changes that you’re making, and get everyone in on it.

The quickest and most permanent weight loss comes as a result of healthy eating and consistent, challenging workouts.

I’m here to help you meet your fitness and weight loss goals.

If you don’t feel motivated to achieve your goals, it is likely due to mental roadblocks that hold you hostage. Read the following 21 Mindset Tips and prepare your mind for success Says Imran St Johns Wood Personal Trainer

1. Success comes first in the mind, so visualize yourself accomplishing your goals.
2. Remember, you are the only person who can hold you back.
3. Forgive yourself and love yourself despite past failures.
4. Decide what is important in your life, and focus on that.
5. Conquer each negative thought the moment it enters your mind, when it is weakest.
6. Give up the idea that things won’t go right unless you worry about them.
7. If you bring the body of your dreams to the point of resolve, then you’ll soon be living in it.
8. Look towards your future, if you believe the best is yet to come then it will be.
9. You become what you think about most.
10. The margin between success and failure is very small and easily bridged by determination.
11. Start your day by accomplishing your hardest task first.
12. Set small attainable goals, rather than one monumental goal.
13. Convince yourself that exercise is fun, and it will be.
14. Know your big reason why.
15. Create a motivating play list of songs to use as the sound track to your workout sessions.
16. Every decision you make leads you either closer toward achieving your goal, or farther from it.
17. If you think you’re a fat person, then you’ll stay fat. If you think you’re fit, then you soon will be.
18. Once you’ve set your goal, your attitude either pushes you toward accomplishment or failure.
19. If you don’t know exactly where you want to go, you will likely end up someplace else.
20. You can have the body of your dreams, but first you must give up the belief that you can’t.
21. You can only have two things in life: excuses or results.

By now you are probably aware that the term, eat clean, has nothing to do with washing your food and has everything to do with eating in a way that promotes fat loss Says St johns Wood Personal Trainer

While it may sound simple enough, it’s pretty challenging to stick with a clean eating plan. I suppose if it were easy then everyone would be lean and confident about their body.

So what’s the secret to long-term, clean eating success? Here it is…

Eat-For-Fat-Loss Secret #1: Keep It Balanced
Many fat loss strategies encourage eating only from one category of food: soup, grapefruit, salad, chicken breast…While these foods may promote fat loss and reduce overall calorie intake, this way of eating sets you up for a fall.

No one sticks with highly restrictive, one-food-only diets for very long, and you’re no exception. To make your clean eating plan last, keep your diet balanced with a range of healthy, real foods.

Eat-For-Fat-Loss #2: Don’t Put a Label On It
How many times have you uttered the words I’m on a diet? Ugh, just saying that puts one in the mood to cheat on said diet.

If eating clean means you’re on a diet, then you’re not committed enough to make this a way of life. True fat loss success comes when clean eating is second nature, and not a temporarily imposed sentence.

Eat-For-Fat-Loss #3: Have Patience
Wouldn’t it be great if a week of clean eating could erase a decade worth of indulgences? But, alas, you didn’t gain that fat in a week, and you won’t lose it in a week either.

Look for, and acknowledge, each and every small victory along the way to your long-term goal. Notice each pound, each inch and each pant size. These accomplishments build on one another until you reach your ultimate goal. Just remember that big changes take consistent, long-term effort. Be patient.

Eat-For-Fat-Loss #4: Have a Plan
This is the most important step in your clean eating quest, without it you’ll flounder around without direction and will likely find yourself starting into the bottom of a bowl of ice cream. Spend time writing out your do’s and don’t’s for your clean eating plan—and please feel free to reach out to me to help you with this step. See below for a list of foods that your diet should mainly consist of and then make another list of completely off-limits foods.

Use these 4 steps as a guide to make clean eating a way of life. Click reply or call to get started on one of my fitness programmes that will transform your body – once and for all.