Claire's Body Transformation Update!

Claire came  to see me at in January this year and has since gone on to reshape her body by making changes to her activity and exercise levels, her diet and her mindset and attitude. Today we reviewed her measurements and, I am extremely happy to say, she has continued to progress with her fat loss goals. Since January she has reduced her weight by 30lb!! Her torso has reduced by an average of 11cm and her body fat percentage is heading towards the healthier range. When I asked Claire what she thinks has been the biggest reason for these amazing results she said that making exercise part of her regular routine has been the most important factor in her achievements. She went on to say that her motivation to eat healthier is fuelled by doing more exercise. When I first met Claire she was not at all confident in being in the gym, now she is there, swinging her kettlebells with the best of them and inspiring others to change their exercise and eating habits. Being further inspired now by Jessica Ennis, Claire is on target for her 22% body fat measurement goal. Well done Claire, we are all supporting you!!

Please scroll down to see Claire's photos....

   

Claire Janaury 2012

  

Claire August 2102






Looking great!!

Please feel free to post a comment to support Claire....

Claire's Story June 2012

Should We Be Drinking Diet Drinks?

Over the last 10 years I have noticed that a lot of the people who come to me for help to lose weight have a few things in common and one of those things is drinking diet drinks. Of course, they are shocked when I suggest that diet drinks are not helping them in reaching their weight loss goals and struggle to believe that a fat free, sugar free, calorie free drink could possibly be doing them more harm than good.

As someone who promotes consuming foods and drinks  as"near to nature" as possible in order to maintain a healthy diet I believe that diet drinks are a long way from nature and so should be avoided. This would include all drinks with aspartame, a man made sweetener. (Now try finding orange squash or other fruit squash drinks without aspartame in them - it's not that easy!)

To convince me further on this subject (and encouraging me to spread the word further) is an article in Fitpro Network (The magazine for personal trainers) written by Luis Devera. He discusses this question and gives examples of studies and explanations that give evidence of possible ways that these diet drinks may be effecting us.

I have included a summary of the examples he gives here:

• Over 10 years a study showed that "the waistlines of diet soft-drinkers grew 70% more than non-drinkers".
• Another study proposed that "the artificial sweetener may have a triggering effect on the appetite but, unlike normal sugars, can't deliver the goods to satisfy, leaving the dieter hungry". 
• One theory is that "people unconsciously allow themselves to overeat believing they have saved calories by drinking diet options". 
• Another theory is that the "sweet stimulus produces an insulin response". 
• Or it could be that the brain's hard wiring for appetite control is disrupted by the lack of calories coming in when there is a taste that indicates there should be calories?
• It has also been found that kidney function can be reduced in some people who drink two or more servings of diet drinks daily.
• Then to add to all of this there is the knowledge that diet drinks contain phosphoric acid which, if there is too much in the body, can contribute to calcium being excreted more quickly than normal. Also increasing the risk of osteoporosis and other side effects.

With all of this in mind perhaps we should ask ourselves if these diet drinks are really supporting our health goals?
  Is the short term pleasure of the taste worth the long term pain they could be causing us?

My recommended health giving drink - you know it - WATER!!!



Sue x

Claire's Six Months Transformation - Her Story

I would like to introduce you to Claire who has kindly agreed to share her fat loss story. I hope that she can inspire you to believe that change is possible. You just have to decide to make the necessary changes that will make the difference! Well done Claire, you look amazing!! Read more below to find out how she has made this incredible transformation.....





 


 

My aunt very thoughtfully paid for training sessions with Sue for Christmas in 2011. After visiting Sue and understanding her methods, I was very excited to begin training. Yet with Sue the training also comes with a weekly dialogue about ways to approach health and how to envisage the results you are after. With me, it was very much about losing weight at the start as I thought this would be the only indicator of weightloss. However, Sue re-educated me to understand that there are many other factors which contribute to a healthier body. This includes a healthier mind and belief system. Before beginning, I would very much look at the negatives (too fat, big tummy etc) and this is counterproductive to success. Sue taught me to look at the bigger picture and to remain positive. At first it was very difficult to change my beliefs but truely this was the only way I was going to achieve success. Now, I think myself healthier and slim and this positive attitude has contributed to my continued weightloss and healthier body.

Sue helpfully showed me a number of exercises I can complete at home or at the gym. This has meant that I have been able to continue working out in a way which I know works. By doing circuit training, I have been strengthening my muscles AND not allowing myself to become bored by endless hours on the cardio machines.

My attitude to food has also changed. We discussed how your body is like an engine that needs fuelling in order to work properly. If you don't have enough fuel your engine won't work efficiently. Likewise, if you give the engine the wrong type of fuel it will not work in the way you wish it to work. So now, with that thought in mind, I try to combine a healthier way of eating with a more active lifestyle. This has worked!

There is still a long way to go for me. However, I now have the skills and tools to help me continue.

Thank you Sue! X

Unmasking black pepper's secrets as a fat fighter

Unmasking black pepper's secrets as a fat fighter - click here for latest scientific research!

I love it when I come across information like this that suggests how eating certain foods can help us become healthier. For someone like myself, who enjoys eating, knowing more of the healthy benefits of these foods gives me even more pleasure when I eat them!

We know that our tongue is designed to experience the main flavours of sweet, sour, salty and bitter and many cultures go to great lengths to make sure that these tastes are satisfied within a meal. I usually notice how satisfied I feel after eating meals that contain a variety of added flavours from herbs and spices and how unsatisfied I feel after eating a bland and uninteresting meal.

I wonder if we are becoming more and more unbalanced (over-heavy) in our bodies as we become unbalanced (under-light) in our minds. As the scales tip towards more work and away from rest and play in our lives do we turn to food to "spice up our lives". Is it the food we are craving for when we order our Indian takeaway or is it the spice?

What if, adding black pepper, chilli or spices to our meals we would be more satisfied by the taste of the food and in turn not feel the need to eat more?

What if, adding these condiments to our meals could strengthen our metabolism and help us to burn fat more easily?

What if ,we thought about where we could find more balance in our lives to create a more comfortable balance in ourselves?

Would we be more satisfied if we enhanced our lives by adding a bit more spice to it?

Sue x

Never, Ever Give Up. Arthur's Inspirational Transformation!

Sleep Well To Lose Weight

 

I am sure you are aware that there have been numerous studies and articles produced about the link with being overweight and sleep. Scientist have proven that sleep and our appetite hormones are connected in some way and one study has shown that those who slept less than eight hours a night not only had lower levels of leptin (a hormone produced in fat cells which sends a signal to the brain when you are full) and higher levels of ghrelin (a hormone which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract and stimulates appetite) but they also had a higher level of body fat.

Today I read a about another study which also indicates the importance of sleep in relation to maintaining a healthy weight. (Click here to read more about this study). The study says:

“French scientists show that impairments to a gene known to be responsible for our internal body clocks, called "Rev-Erb alpha," leads to excessive weight gain and related health problems.....

"It is now clear that impairment of daily rhythms such as shift-work, exposure to artificial lighting, or jet-lag has multiple adverse effects on human health, every effort should be made to maintain or restore normal temporal organization and to avoid potentially disruptive behaviours such as nocturnal meals or light exposure at night."It seems possible then that waking in the night, turning on the light, and eating, could all play a part in what is making us fatter.

So, the question is what can you do about it?

Of course, the obvious answer is to not wake up in the first place so perhaps the first place to start is to discover why you are waking up and what you could do differently to either remain asleep or go straight back to sleep.

When I struggle to go back to sleep it is usually when I am worried or have something on my mind. One way to deal with distracting yourself from these thoughts might be to turn on the light and read or watch television but if you want to avoid the light exposure since it may impair our internal body clock and lead to weight gain, you might have to find some other distraction.

Another typical distraction might be to have something to eat but again, this could be a potentially disruptive behaviour, and combined with the probability of having to turn on lights to get something to eat, could provide the perfect environment for weight gain....and an even more perfect one with the addition of the extra calories you are eating!

Perhaps the solution to helping yourself sleep well is to finding a more positive way of dealing with what it is that is making you anxious or stressed so that you can feel differently about it. Can you imagine that by changing how you think and feel about your problem might help you feel less stressed, less worried and more relaxed. Your mind becomes clearer, you breath more evenly, your heart beats more regularly, your muscles relax.....you are in a more perfect environment for sleep and all the health benefits that perfect sleep brings you!

Coming soon...Changing how you think and feel

Happy Exercise vs. Stressed Exercise – There’s a Big Metabolic Difference

Happy Exercise vs. Stressed Exercise – There’s a Big Metabolic Difference

Marc David writes in his article (clink on link above) how important it is to exercise with the right attitude.  He explains how, in the wrong context exercise can "wear us down, elevate cortisol and insulin levels, generate inflammatory chemicals, and lock us into a survival metabolism in which we vigorously store fat and arrest the building of muscle. When we exercise and move from a place of inspiration, freedom, and joy our body will love us right back by rewarding us with a hotter calorie burning metabolism."

This supports my beliefs that to reach our exercise goals, whether they may be to become slimmer, fitter or healthier, we should first find some form of exercise that we can enjoy so that we are motivated to exercise for pleasure. When we exercise from a pleasure perspective we are more likely to feel happy and breath rhythmically. Exercise from a pain perspective and we are more likely to feel stressed and unhappy.

Now which would you rather be?

92 year-old Yoga Master

Elizabeth Gilbert: A new way to think about creativity

Be More Sugar Aware!

If you need any further evidence to suggest that you should reduce your sugar intake, read these clips below.... the more you can associate the pain in sugary foods rather than the pleasure, the easier it is to say no thank you, I don't want to eat that!

From Dr Marilyn Glenville
http://www.naturalhealthpractice.com/_5_00_OFF_PM_SUPPORT_P2012.cfm?utm_source=NHPe1.8feb12OTM15OFFPMS8thA&utm_content=NHP&utm_term=LG&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=OTM15OFFPMS0212LG&dm_i=VON,OTRO,4E8J96,204GV,1
Cut Out Sugar

In the last of our health tips about pre-menstrual syndrome, we’re going to look at balancing blood sugar and why it’s important.  It has been found that the higher the sugar content of your diet, the more severe your pre-menstrual symptoms.  I would recommend that you cut out sugar entirely – and that includes added sugar in drinks and cereal, and avoiding the sugar in alcohol.  It is also important to eat little and often to keep your blood sugar levels stable.  Choose foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates, which not only keep your blood sugar in balance but also help to increase blood levels of serotonin, the calming brain chemical that lifts mood and curbs appetite.

From Dr Mark Hymen
http://psychologyofeating.com/diabesity-a-reversible-epidemic-by-dr-mark-hyman/

When your diet is full of empty calories and an abundance of quickly absorbed sugars, liquid calories,^[i] and carbohydrates (like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes), your cells slowly become resistant to the effects of insulin and needs more and more to do the same job of keeping your blood sugar even. Thus you develop insulin resistance. A high insulin level is the first sign of a problem. The higher your insulin levels are, the worse your insulin resistance. Your body starts to age and deteriorate. In fact, insulin resistance is the single most important phenomenon that leads to rapid and premature ageing and all its resultant diseases, including heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cancer.^[ii],[iii]

As your insulin levels increase it leads to an appetite that is out of control, increasing weight gain around the belly, more inflammation and oxidative stress, and myriad downstream effects including high blood pressure; high cholesterol; low HDL, high triglycerides;^[iv] weight gain around the middle; thickening of the blood; and increased risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s, and depression. These are all a result of insulin resistance and too much insulin. Elevated blood sugar is not the source of the problem.

From Science Daily

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120227152723.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fhealth_medicine%2Fobesity+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Health+%26+Medicine+News+--+Obesity%29

"These studies provide new insights into how fructose may contribute to the development of obesity and diabetes. In particular, the identification of contrasting roles for two enzymes that are involved in fructose metabolism was surprising and could be important in understanding why some individuals may be more sensitive to the metabolic effects of fructose than others."

Previous research has shown that fructose intake in added sugars such as sucrose and high fructose corn syrup is strongly linked to the epidemic rise in obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Fructose intake also causes features of metabolic syndrome in laboratory animals and humans. It is known to cause visceral (organ) fat accumulation and insulin resistance compared to starch based diets even when calories are kept even.

FatScrap Chat Room January 2012

Hi and welcome back!

So, it's been a few months since we had any activity here but I'm pleased to welcome you back to share your questions, experiences and support.

I'd like to also welcome, Claire, Sarah and Clare to this Chat Room and hope you find this tool useful in helping you to achieve your health and fitness goals.

As it is the New Year and the talk of New Years Resolutions is in the air, this is a good time to review your goals. Create goals that are exciting and inspiring and will create the life you dream of. When you have a goal that you really want, you will go out of your way to get it!! Make sure you have a clear vision of your goal; see yourself being the healthier and fitter person you want to be, doing the things you want to do and feeling all those positive feelings that come with a healthier and fitter lifestyle.

Now, if you have that vision, can you commit to it? Can you make a promise yourself that you intend to achieve it? Can you go a step further and write down your promise? Even a step further and share it with us here?!!!

All the goal achievers in the world recommend that once you have your vision, writing your goal is the next step to achieving it. Other steps are, keeping your written goal with you at all times, having your goal somewhere where you can see it each day, listing as many reasons why you want to achieve your goal, working out the steps you will need to take to reach it, and planning for any hurdles or obstacles that might come along.

I have a vision that next January I will be taking you to Centre Parcs because you will have achieved your goal! I am already seeing us exercising, swimming, relaxing, cooking etc there, hearing the laughter and fun we are going to have, feeling happy and excited that we are doing all these things and pleased to be sharing and celebrating your success! I am even now imaging having to book two chalets as so many of you have achieved your goals.....WOW!! What a vision!!!

Next year I will be writing this January Chat Room in Centre Parcs and will be including a picture of us all there!!! Including YOU!!!

Sue x