Health
I had an interesting chat with a client yesterday about the endless journey of looking like a cover model. She was telling me of friends who had done various forms of training to drop lots of weight in short periods of time. Then put the weight back on very quickly.
Shouldn’t we as people with normal, regular lives look to stay healthy, rather than appear healthy. Being at your perceived “ideal” weight can come at a cost to your health and potentially shorten your life.
Always remember that what we do while we are young can impact our bodies later in life.
Just a quick thought..
Tags: health
The Biggest Loser?
Currently the Australian Biggest Loser(BL) series is showing and it got me thinking, who is the real winner???
The BL contestants are obviously gaining from the show in exposure to the public and lessons in health. Many previous contestants are now the face of various weight loss products and for the most part have improved their lives. It is this second point where I start to wonder whether the contestants are gaining valuable experiences or are just being used to line the pockets of the shows producers and sponsors.
My first gripe with the show is the format, anyone taken out of their normal routine and blasted by personal trainers for hours a day, will lose weight. What happens when the contestants return home to the same life choices which caused the weight gain. Self discipline isn’t tested when you are being watched 24/7.
My second gripe is the game style of play, I know that this is to get people watching however what is the benefit of sending a contestant away after a week (benefit to the contestant is all I’m concerned about). One idea would be to send contestants away to a wild card camp to continue their training and play for a spot in the main group towards the end. That way they are going to experience the kick start needed to drop the weight. Perhaps even filming a portion of the show from the contestant’s homes and teach them how to balance exercise around “normal” life.
Thirdly, the merchandise is terrible. The shake system of dieting is proven to work over a short period of time but who can really maintain drinking one of these sugar filled protein based meal replacements for any longer than a couple of months!! Whilst on a shake diet what are you learning about food?? What are you going to do once you’ve had enough of the not eating food? Shakes are proven to help drop weight and are great for Yo-yo dieters. I think a show of this popularity should make a stronger stance on healthy eating for life rather than loseing weight for 6 months of every year. I am aware that the BL website does offer calorie calculators and food ideas, however the shakes are the most prominant aspect of their campaign.
For all the exercise purists I guess a TV show isn’t going to satisfy everybody. I would like to see a show which is actually showing you the workouts and meals that the contestants are using. Ideally a concept which follows the current government’s ad campaign about not crossing the line to make a positive change. After all isn’t that what everyone in the fitness industry and government should be working towards ??
Accountability
I am always asked for food/diet plans from clients. Basically they want me to do the work for them I tell them when and what to eat. I stopped writing up these plans for 2 reasons, firstly I generally found that the majority of my clients didn’t stick to it and secondly, if a client does their own research into what/when to eat the client is a step closer to success.
Holding yourself accountable to your personal success gives you the extra drive to stick to whatever lifestyle choice you make.
I am here to offer advice, not to hold you’re hand.
Of all of my clients the ones with the greatest success are the ones who have taken control of their lives.
Keep this in mind when trying to place the blame for any failure.
Tags: diet plans, Weight Loss
Common Diet Mistakes Part 1
There is so much information out there on the web and in books about dieting. I thought I would try and point out some of the common mistakes people make when dieting and to simplify it as much as possible to help make the world of dieting a little [...] Continue Reading…
Getting Started With Your Fitness Goals
Given the recent success of programs like ‘The Biggest Loser’, many people have been inspired to pursue a new fitness regime. Anything that inspires someone to improve their own fitness can only be a good thing, but the reality is, this burst of action can be short-lived.Â
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Firstly, let’s make [...] Continue Reading…
Tags: fitness goals, setting fitness goals
The Lunge Exercise Advice and Tips
The Lunge
The lunge is one of the most commonly prescribe exercises in gyms, it is also more often than not performed incorrectly. As a base I shall explain the lunge and more exercises as time goes by adding a new exercise monthly.
What Is It?
The basic lunge is [...] Continue Reading…
Tags: leg exercises, leg strength, lunge