My mega long trip of all things carbs, soda and lots of blisters. 

Welcome back me!! My husband (yes, husband now woohoo) have just gotten back from our Part 2 Honeymoon – travelling the USA, Cuba and Mexico for 2 months. Before I left I was a bit anxious about a few things, my business/clients, my fitness and health. I thought I would share my experience with you.

Before leaving for USA I heard a lot of stories about the enormous meal and drink sizes, and how all Americans are obese. This is so not true. Our first stop was San Francisco and we were spoiled for choice with small cafes offering organic produce. In fact we noticed a big push for organic and recycling. Of course there were the fast food joints, but it’s your decision to choose it or not.

In LA there was a mixture of perfectly bronzed thin toned bikini clad girls with their tiny short shorts and barely there tops. Muscle men and then the not so fit and healthy looking. At Muscle Beach Santa Monica we could have watched the athletic display all day. There were people on swings, bars, slack lines, and on a patch of grass, gymnasts, yogis, martial arts all crammed together. The activity was awesome!!

Not being able to cook for myself and have access to healthy snacks whenever I wanted was quite challenging.  During our road trips, we got pretty desperate and would eat whatever was on offer in a small town. All the airplane trips, waiting at airports, waiting for buses, travelling on buses, driving, driving and more driving – was quite challenging from a flexibility point of view too.

Having a fitness centre in a couple of our hotels helped. We found the best thing for us though was having a Fitbit. We were able to track our steps and activity so if we were having a lazy day we knew we had to go for a walk. This didn’t happen often though as we avergaed 15-20,000 steps a day doing our touristy thing!

A lot of things surprised me about our trip to USA.

• People were a lot friendlier than i’d been lead to believe. I like the fact that people just talked to each other wherever they were. We had some great conversations on the subway in New York.
• Yes some of the portions were mind blowing, the drink sizes were a bit over the top as well.
• There’s a lot of cheese…. in Subway I had 5 people ask me what type of cheese I wanted even though I kept saying no cheese.  It seemed funny that they couldn’t understand me NOT wanting cheese. Yes there’s a lot of cheese on the menu but hey it’s your choice whether you choose it or not. Not everything had cheese.
• You get over fried food VERY quickly.
• Dunkin Donuts aren’t very good.
• I am suuuuuper happy that we don’t have easy access to peanut butter M&Ms…. yes it was my downfall and i’ll admit it. I liked those things!!
• BUFFALO WINGS!!!!!!
• U.S.A is so diverse, we saw a lot of the county, it’s contrasts, it’s beauty and the differences between people and places.

Going from the ever so cool and vibey New Orleans with it’s flavoursome food to Cuba was a shock. Food is not a drawcard for Cuba, lonley planet will tell you it’s food is quite bland and they’re right. I have never craved fresh vegetables so much in my life. Lots of carbs, pastry, rice and whatever you could get your hands on as there were no grocery shops, not as we know them anyway. I think it would have helped a great deal if I knew Spanish. I will say however a big high five to their traditional beans and rice and I have already looked up on google how to make it.

Staying in a Mexican ecolodge in Tulum was interesting….. hahaha although we really appreciated the fresh fruit and eggs. If there hadn’t been terrential rain for the majority of our stay it would have been a wonderful place.

Going from these places where you had limited access to things to New York where you could have whatever you wanted at any time of day was like a dream. We explored so much, the blisters building on existing blisters on my toes were testament to that. Simply walking everywhere and exploring was a great way to stay on top of weight gain.

I’m not embarrassed to say I put on 2 kg from the trip, but I figured I came out pretty well considering I was away for 2 months. I ate, I enjoyed and now it’s time to shed that excess off.

Here are some things we did to avoid over indulging and blowing out whilst travelling. Hopefully they will help you too when travelling!

• Keep water bottles with you always. I made sure we drank a lot of water., we travelled and flew a lot, we were in countries where you couldn’t drink the water. Bottled water is your friend!
• Using the Fitbit to monitor our activity. We were able to get on top of lazy days by monitoring our steps and going for walks if necessary. So perhaps think about taking a long a pedometre or something similar to keep yourself in check.
• Using fitness centres whenever you have access. By week 3 of the trip I was really missing my weights and thankfully our hotel in New Orleans had a great fitness centre. Other centres usually just contained a treadmill and bike so we chose to get out and walk instead. Try and get into the habit of just doing something everyday, it doesn’t have to be a super circuit, just something.
• Being mindful of what we were eating. The novelty of naughty food got very boring very quickly and left us feeling bloated and sick. So get over it and think about what you’re putting in your body.
• You don’t have to eat it all! Stopping when I was full not when my plate was clean was important as some of the serving sizes were quite large.
• Say no to cheese! I made a decision that I would not waste my fat allowance on having cheese with everything. If I was going to blow out I wanted to do it with peanut butter M&Ms – yes I just admitted that! lol So choose your indulgences.
• Balancing our meals. We found that we averaged only 2 meals a day. We didn’t eat for the sake of it and if we had a big lunch and weren’t hungry for dinner, that was ok.
• Stock up on snacks. I was always really happy to find a grocery store wherever we were staying as I could access ‘normal’ foods. I became a fan of buying bags of carrots and using them for snacks, berries, fruit and muesli  bars. Snacks that could last a  few days and didn’t need a fridge were really helpful and kept us from overeating. Remember sometimes all it takes is having a snack to curb those cravings and stop you from overeating.
• If you need to rest, do it. Halfway through our New York stay my legs were constantly aching, we’d been away for over a month and the constant walking (and walking funny with blisters) was starting to aggravate an old hip injury too. So I took a nothing day. We slept and watched tv and just totally lazed around. It was the best thing for our legs and were able to tackle the rest of our stay with fresh legs. Listen to your body.

After a holiday clients always ask me did I eat naughty and get excited when I say yes. Yes I indulged on our holiday. I drank soda (yep, calling soft drink soda now) without thinking, would magically make peanut butter M&Ms disappear and ate way more bread than I care to admit. It also made me really think about my health though. These patterns of eating didn’t feel normal, like it should be the way you eat all the time. They made me feel bloated and sluggish and then hyper and then sluggish again and then yuck. Sure these things can be great every now and again, life’s too short to be too restricted or boring. You really don’t appreciate good healthy food though until you eat crap all the time. Two examples of this was being given a fresh banana in Cuba and a big bowl of yummy crisp garlic veggies in Las Vegas. They tasted so good I wanted to cry, anyone would have thought i’d been starved hahaha

Bring on the veggies!! (p.s don’t say veggies to waitors in America, they don’t understand and may look at you funny!)

When I first started as a personal trainer it was kind of ingrained into me that personal training and weights programs were the best and only way to train. Group classes were a bit of a waste of time and didn’t push you or benefit you greatly. Well like all things in the health industry…it depends.

Before I became a pt I joined a gym, I fluffed around on the cardio equipment and it took me 6 months to build the

confidence to enter the class studio. Yep 6 months for a group class and I never even thought i’d ever venture into the weights area. It started with a spin class and I tell you I could not sit down the next day! I tried all your typical classes, Body Pump, Body Combat, pilates, dance, even step class. Sometimes I admit I was not working out very hard but gee I had a lot of fun, I became addicted to classes, I even lost weight too.  When I did do my personal training course it opened up another world to me, my knowledge  about the body and how to train it properly. Here’s where I climb the fence and sit on it. There is room in your training life for both classes and weights/pt/individual programs.

Six months after becoming a personal trainer I wanted to teach some classes as well. I branched off and taught ABT (abs butts and thighs) and I have not stopped since! I love teaching group classes, the social dynamic of class is awesome, we’re all there to work out and have a bit of fun too. You make friends in class and are not relying on yourself for all your motivation, all you have to do is get to class and your instructor will push you through.

Let’s get my concerns over group training out of the way first.

• In certain weight classes (lets keep it nameless) lies my greatest concern. Very high reps with usually unsuitable weights being used I.e too heavy!
• I’ve seen a lot of instructors injured from this class..yep instructors.
• I think it’s a great way for beginners to be introduced to weights but make sure you let your instructor know you’re new. With popular classes it’s hard for the instructor to watch and correct everyone, i’ve seen some awful postures and technique from this class. 
• In my experience people who only do classes will eventually reach a plateau, so keep things new and keep challenging yourself.

Ok here are the mega positives to classes!

• It’s motivational. Just get yourself to class and feel the good vibes of other people wanting to improve their fitness levels
• Classes can compliment your own training program. I am a massive fan of yoga/pilates and spin. Yoga/pilates offers a way to stretch out your entire body, improve your core strength, balance, overall body tone, posture and has a meditative affect to calm the mind. Spin class offers you that external push from someone else to reach your maximum, improve your cardio and burn lots of calories. Choosing classes that are in line with your goals will get you there a lot quicker 😉
• It’s social. It can get quite boring doing your same old routine, why not throw in a class every now and again. You will meet new people, get motivated and pushed.
• You don’t have to think. Unless you’ve been given a training program would you know exactly what you should be doing for your body and create good workouts regularly? By going to a class you will receive a good workout that you don’t have to even think about, someone has created it for you. Just follow instructions, push yourself and get great results.
• You’re accountable. Class timetables are quite regular and don’t change that often. You can count on them being there. Mark it in your diary and treat it like a doctors appointment, it’s important so you should go.
• Value for money. Depending on whether you do classes at an independent studio, out in the park or as part of your gym membership you will be able to save. Most classes offer discounts for multiple purchases, term bookings or class passes. You will be getting a great workout for about the price of a takeaway meal!

I’ve been running a class with a company for nearly 5 years, the majority of the participants are regulars and have been coming the whole time. Why has it lasted and why have they stuck to it for 5 years? Because they know they will be receiving a good full body workout. For some of those people it’s the only opportunity they get to exercise. The class feels like a group of friends all exercising together and we embrace newbies. In a group class you don’t have to be perfect or compete with anyone else. Just do your best, push yourself and most of all have fun!

Did you know there are new classes coming to the Hills District? BodyTone is coming to you!! For more information click here. If you are interested in personal training or perhaps forming your own group please contact me 🙂

I’d like you to meet a former client of mine, Shane. His determination has opened up a whole new world. Inspiring stuff 🙂

I first met Shane years ago whilst working at a gym. He was new to the gym and training and told me that getting sessions with a personal trainer was a birthday present to himself.  I was won over from the start, who gets themselves torture sessions for their birthday? As I got to know Shane I soon realised that he had a game plan. It wasn’t just about getting fit or dropping a bit of weight, Shane was thinking big. Big adventures. Our sessions developed into monster workouts, we would add his hiking backpack and I pushed him to his limits and then a bit further than that line. Through it all Shane gave his mischievous smile and cheekily assured me he could always be pushed a little harder. Unfortunately we parted ways as Shane moved away and we lost contact.

I was so thrilled to have recently heard from him. He told me of his massive achievements and adventures in cycling. In September he will be riding over the French Alps on the trail of the Tour De France. All in training for Paris Brest Paris in 2015 – 1,200km in 90 hours. This Friday he is off on a 6 day 800km off road mountain ride. He said “see what a little guidance can do..” which made me extremely proud. What started off as a birthday present turned into a life filled with growth and adventure. 

I asked Shane to share his story….

How did you get into cycling?
Some people run and some people swim to keep fit but if you get tired and have to stop running or swimming what happens? Well I can tell you – if you stop running you get nowhere and if you stop swimming you drown. On a bike you can just roll and there have been times when I have pushed myself to the limit and hit that wall and had to roll home. Why do I cycle – well it is for me the social aspect, enjoying a chat as you ride with a friend or at the coffee shop. I enjoy the opportunity to see the world differently. The world from a bike is different to the world in a car or when you are running. In a car, a driver will not give a hill a second thought. On a bike the smallest of hills can hurt. A runner would cover as a normal training run 5km-10km. I ride 40km as a training ride and weekend rides can be 100km or more. I avoid the urban areas when possible and prefer the sights, sounds and smells of the Australian bush, as it is special. Ride from Berry into Kangaroo Valley and back again you’ll understand – may only be 45kms but it is spiritual especially during spring, with 2 decent climbs.

What is the most challenging aspect of cycling
I see the challenge as both physical and mental. When you are 80km into a 120km ride and you’re riding into a head wind, your back hurts, your rump is raw, legs are starting to feel drained and that voice in your head said “stop” – what can you do? You just keep going and in the process grow within yourself: this especially when you are riding in a fast group of die-hard riders and you don’t want to be dropped out the end. But even riding in a social group you don’t want to slow them down so you push on. However, don’t take it as a failure if you start to drop off the end. It happens to all of us – the important thing is that you are out there doing it, plus we all have flat days.

What is the most rewarding part?
The rewarding thing for me in cycling is personal growth. Every distance and every hill poses a challenge and overcoming these challenges area rewarding, plus the sights you see on the way.

Where did this love/ambition for cycling massive adventures come from?
I have cycled through the Canadian Rockies, Sydney to Dubbo in 3 days, Sydney to Kosciusko in 5 days, 800km across northern Queensland in 6 days. The simple truth is – once you start riding, the distances you ride can get longer and the time in the saddle greater. I have always had an adventurous spirit and enjoy cycling so why not combine the 2.

What has been your most memorable experience with cycling to date?
So many experiences to remember like cycling past bears in Canadian, meeting new friends, sharing experiences with friends, riding into a thunder storm, trying to find cover from a thunderstorm and climbing Mt Wellington in Tasmania. The most memorable is yet to happen – on the next ride.

What role does training and nutrition play in your life? 
Simple truth – reduce carbs (during the week) in your diet and cut out sugar (totally). Weekends I can eat what I want but within reason. On the height of my training I would ride 35-45km 3 x during the week and on weekend ride 150-200km. (Shane has informed me that this coming 800km trek will see him lose over 5kg, as the speed and distance travelled it makes it impossible to eat enough food to hold onto or gain any weight – not the easiest way to lose weight! )

What advice would you give to anyone interested in taking up cycling or doing the trails you do??
Just do it – you can. It may take 4-6 weeks to get use to everything but once you realise that you can do it a new world will open for you

Be inspired and never be afraid to try something new, you can achieve anything with a bit of self believe and courage….