My 3 Week Weight / Fat Loss Results - I lost 6 lbs in weight & 2.1 % Body Fat

In my last newsletter I attached a word document which had on it what I was eating for breakfast and snacks for three weeks in a row along with a clean diet with no unhealthy snacks to get me ready and in excellent shape for the 8 mile cross country Grim challenge Sunday 2nd December that I'm taking part in.

I achieved the results using Herbalife nutrition products that I take myself and also highly recommend and supply to my friends, family and clients. Please find attached my results on the proper record sheet and also a word doc to illustrate the positive changes.

Bearing in mind that I was in the healthy green zone already the results are excellent and if someone who was in the dangerous high risk red zone would have followed what I had done exercise and diet wise for the last 3 weeks they would be well on the way to / or actually in the orange zone.

Then just 4-8 weeks more of discipline, self belief, commitment and motivation and people following my advise and getting on my super scales regularly to keep check will be feeling and looking in the best shape of their life and in the middle of the green healthy zone.

My scales cost £200 when I bought them from Amazon, now they're on there for £181:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tanita-Segmental-Body-Composition-Scales/dp/B008T4P9ZA/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1353678887&sr=8-2-fkmr0 

They are the most accurate portable scales in the world used by doctors: Tanita BC-545 Segmental Body Composition Analyser

It's coming up to a busy time of the year for me with people getting in shape for Christmas and their New Year's Resolutions so let me know ASAP if you would like to meet for a FREE weigh in and wellness evaluation.

Muscle Is Key

Muscle Is Key

Skeletal muscles are your body's natural fat burners, according to exercise physiologist William McArdle. They constantly use fat and carbohydrates to keep you warm and provide you with energy for movement.

Calories Burned

One pound of muscle burns about 6.5 calories per hour, according to McArdle. Muscles burn 5.5 times more calories than fat tissues, which burn about 1.2 calories per pound per hour.

Strength Training

You can increase your muscle mass by strength training, which stimulates your body to develop thicker muscle fibers. You can use various methods to increase muscle size, such as weight training, calisthenics (circuit training / boot camp), sprinting and jumping.

Basal Metabolic Rate

Basal metabolic rate, or BMR, estimates how much calories you burn when you are at rest, according to dietitian Ellen Coleman. The more muscles you have, the more calories you burn when you exercise and rest. A man with 100 lbs. of muscle would burn about 1,342 calories per day, while a man with 120 lbs. of muscle burn about 1,558 calories a day.

References

• "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance"; William McArdle; 2001 + "Ultimate Sports Nutrition"; Ellen Coleman; 2004

Unusual Phone Call Promoting Fat & No Exercise!

Private number came up on my phone and I thought OK I'll see who it is. Most private numbers are people trying to sell me advertising.!

It was a woman whose writing a new book and wanted a quick chat.

I didn't really have time to but thought I would help her out.

She basically said in her opinion and her research that exercise not only loses weight but also breaks down all parts of body composition and that it can actually be bad and cause death.

It's true that their is a condition called sudden death syndrome but that occurs for 1/1 million people that exercise (which is pretty damn low).

I said that it's better to exercise sensibly which the government and all the other health specialists also recommend as it decreases the chance of illness, improves lifestyle and helps people to live longer.

She gave an example of a cheetah chasing it's prey at full speed and if it doesn't succeed it gives up and rests and waits for the next opportunity.

I gave examples of other animals for example wolves that chase there preys at nearly full speed for hours if not days on end until their prey is too fatigued to run any further. But she didn't take that as a valid point.

She said that exercise takes glucose from the brain which is the largest and most important organ.

I said that exercise strengthens brain skills, concentration, helps people to sleep well and helps stop mental illness.

She said that it's been shown that larger, fatter people are actually healthier than people who exercise regularly. (I don't know where she's getting all this 'new' data from!)

I said if people didn't exercise they wouldn't be able to get out bed, walk up stairs, walk to walk or drive their cars etc.

She said that if people were designed to be light and skinny then God would have designed us that way.

I said that we were designed like that and in the old days obesity was very very rare, whereas now it is more prevalent and that is a clear sign that modern day fast food and lack of exercise is increasing obesity which costs the NHS billions of pounds.

In the old days people used to farm, hunter gather, fish, climb mountains to find new pastures, walk to school, work in mines all physically demanding.

This went on until I couldn't waste anymore time and the conversation came to a quiet end.

That's the last time I'll be answering a private number when it's my lunchtime!

Are You Pushing Yourself Hard Enough?

In the Royal Marines the final commando test is the infamous 30 miler across Dartmoor.

Wearing basic boots, webbing, rucksack and carrying a rifle totalling 45lbs in weight - recruits have to go up and down hills, cross streams, swamps and moors in under 8 hours to earn their coveted green beret.

Blisters! Because it's such hard terrain carrying over 3 stones on your back it's the equivalent to running two normal flat marathons back to back.

Throughout the 32 weeks of the longest and hardest infantry training in the world the furthest that any recruit will run is 12 miles.

The rest is made up of 40 minute intense circuit training sessions that work the whole body and increase your VO2 max / endurance and also some fast short runs (1.5 miles flat out).

It sounds far fetched but it's a tried and tested winning formula designed by sport professors at Loughborough University.

So that goes to show that you don't need to spend hours and hours long slow boring jogging on the roads to increase your fitness, if you work hard and push yourself really hard every now and again at boot camp then that will do the job too!

Detox Is Nearly Over - How Much Have You Lost?

Tuesday 24th January today and one week left of the dreaded New Years detox. I started mine January 1st and will finish Sunday 29th January when I'm in Italy. Mine has been pretty simple. Eat only nutritional food and drink lots of water. I've cut out all crisps, chips, pies, microwave meals, chocolate, ice cream, sweets and alcohol and I've never felt better.

I started off just under 15 stones and now weigh just under 14 stones and have lost about 15lbs. I should have taken some before and after photos to send to some health and fitness magazines. I've lost a bit on my face but mostly on my waist which is where all my treats laid and have lost about 2 inches / 2 notches on my belt.

In the weekdays I normally finish work quite late, then go home for a shower and have a little nutritional snack. Then I made the mistake of having a tasty but calorie deficient snack like chocolate digestive biscuits, doritos, Haagen Dazs, wine gums etc at 9pm or later only an hour or so before going to bed.

It doesn't matter how much exercise you do. If you eat an unhealthy snack or drink alcohol (liquid calories) right before bed you don't have time to break it down / burn it off and it will sit on your stomach all night and increase your fat content. I've got some body fat scales at home and have lost 5% body fat this month.

It's all about self discipline and seeing what works for you. I've cut out all my favourite snacks and don't have any cravings for them at all and in the future I'll have a sensible small portion of treats every now and again and will make sure they're no later than 7.30pm in the evening.

Try what I've done and see how you get on and let me know, good luck.

New Year, New You? Your Body Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas

It's great to have a big kick start to the new year and a healthy detox and a few small changes to your diet to make it have more nutritional value and increase your fitness training but it's also important to keep it going through the whole year so that you can reach your goals quickly then maintain your high level of health and fitness.

When you take any breaks off during the year you soon lose fitness and it's harder to get back into it so it's better and easier to do a steady amount throughout the whole year. Anymore then 2 weeks off exercise is too long. The government recommend training at least 3 times a week every single week. If you go on holiday for 2 weeks still try to do some exercise whilst your away.

'Health is wealth, movement is medicine'.

Holiday season - tips for keeping the weight off!

A few of my one to one personal training clients and boot camp members who have been on holiday lately and have come back saying they've put on 3-7lbs. Here's are a few tips on how to keep the weight off when you go on holiday and how to get rid of it as soon as you come back:

• Try to do at least 20 minutes of exercise a day. Some people go to all inclusive resorts and eat lot more food than they normally do and consume more alcohol than normal and spend all the time by the pool or on the beach laying down sunbathing so all those extra calories are just going to be stored as fat and extra weight :(

• Cycle, brisk walk, hill walk to a view point, rock climb, jog, snorkel, swim, golf, tennis, squash, badminton, use the hotel gym, attend some exercise classes etc to keep your metabolism up and burning calories rather than storing calories. If you're on holiday with your children it's a good example for them too. If your baby is in a pram go out for a brisk walk before it gets too hot and try a few hundred metres of jogging every now again whilst pushing the pram etc.

• Try to eat sensible size portions! For some reason when it's a buffet peoples eyes become larger than their stomachs and people can easily over eat. Try to eat fresh healthy options and not to the point where you have to lay down afterwards. Try a 5-10 minute walk after a main meal.

• Drink lots of water which is important for hydration and helping clean your body out of toxins. When you become dehydrated your body finds it harder to function and your metabolism slows down which increases fat storage. It's also important if it's hot or your drinking more alcohol than normal.

• When you return from holiday get straight back into your regular exercise routine or if anything increase it! Some. people get into a bit of a lazy routine when they're on holiday and put off getting back into the training. The longer you leave it the harder it will be to shift the extra few pounds you have put on. The longer your body is carrying the extra weight it will get more used to it, you need to get right back into it and work hard for a couple of weeks to burn lots of calories and increase your metabolism and your body weight will go back to normal, try a longer half day or 1.5 hour boot camp which will help.

No Pain No Gain?!

Some people say 'no pain no gain' when it comes to their training regime which is what they're probably heard on some war films when the drill seargents are shouting at the new recruits. For most people though it is a step too far.

When your body throws up it is a defence mechanism to get out all the harmful toxins and waste products (mainly lactic acid) which has accumulated from a training session gone horribly wrong. Even if you feel like you might throw up then you might have pushed it just that little bit too far.

The whole aim of a training session is to progressively train your body so it makes small adaptations along the way helping you to reach your goals.

If you throw up you'll be depleting your body of much needed water and nutrients which means it will take your body longer to recover and the whole session would have been a waste of time.

If you're training for 45 minutes but feel sick for 10 minutes off it then you'll automatically have to take it easier during those 10 minutes or even sit down to rest which cuts down the amount of calories you'll be burning etc.

Top athletes train hard every day of their lives with sport psychologists, top coaches and nutritionists etc and they never deliberately take themselves to the point of throwing up so neither should you :) Work in your own limits even at 90-95% of your max that's still an intense workout!

Summertime Is On It's Way!!!

Hi, hope you're OK and that your training and diet has been going well so far this year.

It's not too far away now from summertime and trips to the outdoor swimming pools or the beach and putting on your swimsuits that you might not have worn for a while! I always find that quite a few people contact me for one to one personal training and join the boot camps 6 weeks before they're due to go on a beach holiday which for someone who hasn't trained for a long time isn't a long enough period for them to get in shape.

It takes the body 4-6 weeks to notice a change in exercise before it will start making adaptations like increasing your metabolism to burn more calories, toning your muscles and improving your stamina. The stomach area is generally the first place that people put excess weight on and is unfortunately the last place to lose it after training hard and eating well for a few months. Once you have toned up your legs, arms, back, shoulders and chest your body will then start to burn of any excess fat around the stomach area.

That's why March is a great time to start ramping up your training for the summertime!

Happy New Year / Detox

I hope you had a great Christmas and that you have a good New Years Eve too. There can be quite a lot of extra drinking and eating over Xmas and New Years and most people drop of their training a little bit too. Experts have said that most people can 1lb over the festive period and that they can never lose that weight again. After ten Christmas holidays that could be an extra 10lb - after fourteen that's a whole extra stone!

Most people make New Year Resolutions but only stick to them for a couple of weeks. Try to have a bit of a detox in January by cutting out unnecessary sugary snacks which are empty calories and try to eat and drink healthily for a month. I did that last year and lost 5lb.

Cut down on take aways and microwaves meals. Cut down on your alcohol intake. Try to increase the amount of water you drink. Try to increase the amount of fruit and veg you eat. Try to cook a new healthy meal from scratch.

People often consume snacks because they're bored (especially at work). Anytime you feel the temptation to eat a packet of crisps, biscuits or have a chocolate bar, stop and take a deep breath. Eat a piece of fruit instead or nuts or drink a healthy smoothie.

Use the snack time to do some light exercise like walking up a flight of stairs or go outside and walk around the block once to get some fresh air. That way you'll be burning extra calories rather than consuming them!

What the human body can achieve in the cold...

The human body is amazing and can adapt to any conditions:

People climb Mount Everest with the aid of oxygen.

People can scuba dive to cold and dark depths of 150 metres plus.

People trek to the north and south poles for fun.

People can ski or board in the snow for up to 10 hours a day.

People swim for up to an hour in the Antarctic ocean which is the coldest in the world wearing no wet suit (just their heads covered).

45-50 minutes jogging, boxing, skipping and circuit training in your local park is a doddle compared to the above!

Crank Up Your Training Before The Christmas Break

The next 4 week period runs from Monday 22nd November - Saturday 18th December before having a two week break for the Xmas festivities!

Get Fit Boot Camp very rarely has any time off but I know it's a busy time with trips abroad or in the UK, seeing family, buying and wrapping presents etc.

That's why you might want to increase your training for that 4 week period so you can work extra hard before indulging in mulled wine, mince pies, Terry's chocolate oranges, roast turkey and Christmas pudding! E.g:

If you normally do 4 sessions in the 4 week period maybe try to rearrange your diary to fit 6 in.

If you normally do 10 sessions in the 4 week period maybe try to rearrange your diary to fit 12 in.

All sessions need to be used by Saturday 18th December - or you can purchase 10 flexible 'anytime' sessions for £95. Please pay in advance if possible either direct into my bank a few days before the new 4 week period or bring payment along to your last session of the current period.

Improve Your Football, Horseriding, Tennis, Golf, Swimming, Rugby, Dancing etc

All top athletes and sportsmen / sportswomen will do some element of circuit training to improve their speed, stamina, strength, power, agility, flexibility etc. From circuit training at least once a week over a 4-6 week period you should feel an improvement in your performance and confidence and your clothes should feel looser. The more you train the fitter you'll get and the least susceptible to injuries you will become so you can play longer during a football match / season etc = 'ultimate performance'.Gift VouchersStuck for a Christmas present? You can buy one to one personal training or boot camp sessions for a unique gift. Contact me for further details.

Boot Camp 'Retreat'

Some people go away on week long boot camp retreats either in the UK or abroad. They consist of 6am starts and late finishes doing 6-8 hours of exercise everyday for 6-7 days in a row. You could do a less hardcore and cheaper version with my weekly 45 minute circuit training sessions e.g.

Monday 9.45am Claygate

Tuesday 9.30am Burpham

Wednesday 9.45am Claygate

Thursday 9.30am Burpham

That's 4 sessions in 4 days!

Or you could do Tuesday and Thursday at 6.45am and 6.15pm at Burpham. That's 2 sessions spread out over the day = 4 sessions in 3 days!

Tuesday 7.30pm Burpham has a late session that anyone can turn up to after work.

Contact me for discounted prices of more than 12 sessions in the 4 week period.

Plus the once a month Sunday half day (4 hour) boot camp for all ages and abilities (spaces are limited).

You could do a similar thing too for your New Year Resolutions!

Leg Injury?

If you have a leg injury but can still walk around you can still turn up for boot camp and have an 'extreme' workout for your upper body, arms, shoulders, chest, back, abs and lower back. Get the blood pumping around and burn some calories.

Upper Body Injury?

You can still turn up to get some fresh air and 'beast' your legs and have a good workout for your core muscles. Much more fun than running around the roads by yourself.

Do You Arrive To The Park Early?

If you get to the park 10 minutes early you could go for a jog or brisk walk as an extra warm up. If you get there 5 minutes early you can pass me your keys and give me a hand with carrying the gear over.“

The greatest wealth is health.” - Virgil

Injured or a niggle? Use RICES to get you back and training quicker!

R = Rest

I = Ice

C = Compression

E = Elevation

S = Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug (NSAID)

Try to rest as much as possible and sit or lay in a comfortable position.

Wrap the injured part in a compression bandage.

Apply ice to the injured part (use a bag of crushed ice or a bag of frozen vegetables) for 10-15 minutes. Let the area warm completely before applying ice again.

Elevate the injured part to reduce swelling (using pillows / cushions etc).

Follow instructions on the packaging and take ibuprofen or aspirin to help reduce the inflammation.

When exercising wear comfortable exercise trainers (with a thick, bouncy sole, preferably not flat) and make sure the laces are secured tightly around the ankle joints.

Wear knee, ankle, elbow, wrist exercise supports if neccessary.

Scared Of The Cold? Don't Be!

Winter time is coming up, are you thinking that it might be too cold for you train outdoors till March? The answer is NO it's never too cold. Millions of people all over the UK exercise outdoors every day and reap the benefits from it, every day I drive around Surrey I see countless people jogging down the road or around parks, some wearing very little! My boot camp along with all other boot camps / outdoor circuit training companies run all year around.

There's no need to stop or head indoors, indoor gym workouts / exercise classes are pretty much the same every time which will lead to you getting mentally and physically bored. Training outdoors in the fresh air will help you get some sunlight through the winter months and also boost your immune system, people who stay indoors all day long catch colds a lot easier then people who exercise outdoors 1-4 times a week.

The main result of exercise is an increase in blood circulation, increase in breathing rate, increased heart rate, increase in body temperature and increased sweat rate (yes you will still sweat!).

There's no standing around getting cold! 45-50 minutes outdoors working hard, getting hot, burning calories and getting fit and healthy. Keep jogging or walking on the spot whilst I quickly explain circuits then go straight into it - the 45 minutes will soon fly by.

Coldest ever session I have done in the UK was back in January this year, snow on the ground, 6.45am Burpham boot camp, pitch black, minus 8 degrees (-8!), no wind at all, I stand around whilst everyone does the hard work and even I wasn't cold, some members still took off layers after 5 minutes.

Gloves and hats will keep those areas warm and sometimes too warm but you can always take off layers when you get too hot.

Artic Warfare Training

A few years ago when I was in the Royal Marine Reserves I went to Norway for 2 weeks artic warfare training. We were 150km into the artic circle and used cross country skiing to get everywhere carrying all our gear on our backs.

For 6 days we camped outdoors skiing from one location to another location gaining altitude until we went above the tree line. The last 2 nights it went down to minus 25 degrees (-25!) even having things in our pockets like toothpaste etc froze. One night we dug a snow hole into a snow bank and slept the night in there just on some thin roll mats and our sleeping bags (just like in the current TV programme '71 Degrees North').

We finished off the exercise with 'ice breaking drills' minus 6 degrees (-6) ice 2 foot thick on a big lake was cut open and we had to go for a little swim hehe!

I was outdoors for 6 days in a row in sub zero temperatures with artic winds and never got frost bite or hypothermia etc so 50 minutes outdoors in our country is a walk in the park!

Some photos of me in Norway are here: http://www.getfitbootcamp.co.uk/client-marines.html

6 Weeks to Become a Habit

It takes 6 weeks for anything new to become a habit.

If you are new to exercise it will take your body about 4-6 weeks of regular training to notice a change before it starts making positive adaptations. It will take a while for your metabolism to increase so you burn more calories (even during rest) and for your muscles to get a bit more flexible, toned, stronger and fitter.

If you have done lots of running in the past for example (which is one type of training - cardiovascular / aerobic) it will take you about 4-6 weeks of regular attendance to get used to circuit training (which is three types of training combined - cardiovascular / aerobic - muscular / skeletal / core training - anaerobic / interval training).

Set yourself short term achievable goals:

For women you can't expect to eat healthy and train hard for 1-2 weeks and turn yourself into a supermodel that fast, likewise for men you can't suddenly lift a few weights and do a few pressups for 1-2 weeks and expect to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger!

Look at healthy eating, a healthy lifestyle and a regular exercise routine as a long term career and not a short term fad and you'll soon look and feel better for it!

Are You Fitter Than A Pensioner?

Interesting programme on BBC3 and you can also watch the repeats on the BBC iPlayer too.

2 young women and 2 young men from Great Britain head over to different parts of America to compete against some 'Golden Oldies'!

The Brits are aged between 18 and 22 years old and at the beginning of the week perform some physical tests to get their 'fitness age' which in most cases is pretty shocking. The youngsters spend most of their time at home smoking, drinking, clubbing, sleeping through the day, eating rubbish and not exercising.

Worst one we've seen so far is an 18 year old girl with a fitness age of 75!!!

They spend a week with some fit old Americans who get them up early every day to walk, jog, cycle, swim, kayak, go to the gym and eat healthy etc then at the end of the week they compete against 2 American women and 2 American men aged between 65 and 80 years old!

We've seen 4/6 episodes so far and it's 3-1 to the Americans which is pretty embarrassing :(

It's a good eye opener and shows that for most people who don't exercise at least 3 times a week that their 'fitness age' will in most cases be higher then their real age which could cause them problems in the future.

One American guy (66 years old) said a good quote and a rule that he lives by every day "Winners Never Quit, Quitters Never Win!".

Wintertime Approaches... Boot Camp Marches On!

The clocks will be changing soon and you might have to wake up and go to work in the dark and come home in the dark too. Some people train very hard during the summertime then either cut back on their training or stop altogether over wintertime which isn't a good idea to do. People normally train for 45-60 minutes 2-4 times a week and if you're working hard enough you should be hot and sweating whilst moving around staying warm and not noticing the cold or damp conditions if you're training outside. I train people outdoors 7 days a week all year through and have only been caught out by heavy rain 5 times this year which isn't bad going!

I've brought some goretex Asics trainers from Sports Direct that keep my feet warm and dry for £50.
I've brought a light, breathable, windproof goretex jacket from TK Max (which comes with a hood which keeps my head and ears warm and dry) for £20.
I've brought a couple of pairs of breathable and waterproof exercise trousers from TK Max £15-£20 each.
I've brought some waterproof gloves from a BP petrol station on the A3 (big basket in front of the till) for £5.

So I'm fully waterproof and toasty all year long for approximately £100.

Training in the winter is beneficial for the following reasons:

You don't have a break in your training so you can maintain or improve on your fitness.
You won't have any loss of health or fitness or weight gain which can be accompanied by a negative mood change.
Training during the winter time is physically and mentally more difficult so you'll reap more rewards.
Training outdoors can strengthen your immune system so you'll be less susceptible to common colds.
The other Get Fit Boot Camp members will be there making it a fun and sociable group environment.

Burpham Floodlit Sessions

Burpham Tuesday and Thursday 6.45am sessions, Tuesday and Thursday 6.15pm sessions and Tuesday 7.30pm session benefit from taking place right next to the car park which gets plenty of light from the car park lights, road lights and also the floodlit tennis courts 50 metres away. The park is empty at those times and if the grass is wet we can use the car park etc for a drier surface.

Nutrition Boot Camps

Get Fit Boot Camps meets Enhance Your Nutrition

Get Fit Boot Camp joins Enhance Your Nutrition to become the only one-day Bootcamp to incorporate Military Physical training and Marisa Peer’s world renowned lecture!

Marisa Peer, famous psychotherapist and hypnotist has trained Kate to deliver this lecture from her best selling book:

You Can be Thin.

Train with Rob in the morning and achieve:

Fat loss, weight loss and body toning, Improved heart and lung function, Increased speed and stamina, Increased muscle strength, Improved energy levels, Improved posture, Improved flexibility, Lower blood pressure

Circuit training in a group environment is also great fun and psychologically rewarding. No matter what your fitness level you can really push yourself and achieve your goals.

Enjoy a delicious and healthy lunch followed by Kate’s nutritional talk and Marisa Peer’s lecture. You will understand why so many of the foods we eat are making you so ill, unable to exercise and stopping you from losing weight! Learn how to stop cravings. Stop thinking about diets and learn strategies that change attitudes and beliefs surrounding foods.

One day Nutrition Boot Camps are currently Burpham Park, Guildford Sutherland Memorial Park, Clay Lane, Burpham, Guildford, Surrey

Future dates coming soon, please contact Rob or Kate to register your interest:

Rob - www.getfitbootcamp.co.uk
Kate - www.enhanceyournutrition.co.uk