Category: Motivation

January 25, 2012 Suzie

It is my great pleasure to introduce you to Michelle, who has volunteered to share with us her journey as she embarks upon Empower – Lifestyle Upgrade. I have worked with Michelle before and when she is determined to do something, she goes above and beyond to get it done. I am excited to see how she goes following the program. I have asked Michelle to be brutally honest with her findings and I thank her for doing so. We will be hearing from Michelle once a week to see how she is progressing. Goodluck Michelle!

 

Hello,

My name is Michelle. I’m 33 years old this coming April, I’ve been married for almost 8 years and am a mother of two (my eldest is 4 & 1/2 years and youngest has just turned 2). I work full time (3 days in the office and 2 days at home).

I am doing the Empower 5 week program to re-focus my goals and energy on to my health and fitness. Why you may ask? Let me start from the beginning……………

During my first pregnancy I had a lot of back trouble – mainly sciatica issues and was in a fair bit of pain most of the time, I also had terrible morning sickness and so exercise wasn’t high on my list of things to do. I put on more weight than I would have liked (20kgs) and I had trouble losing it. I really only lost all my pregnancy weight just prior to getting pregnant with my second child.

I still had horrible morning sickness during my second pregnancy but didn’t have the back issues this time around so managed to get in more exercise and plus being a mother of a two year old at the time – you don’t get a chance to sit down and feel sorry for yourself anyway! So I was a lot more mobile this time around and generally happier!

After giving birth I vowed to myself that I would not let the baby weight hang around this time, but that I wanted to lose the weight sensibly and in a way that was sustainable. I wanted to change my outlook on exercise and eating for life not just in the short term.

I really really love good food – so I wanted to lose weight and not be suffering because I couldn’t eat….. that would just depress me!! I managed to lose all the weight (total pregnancy weight gain was 18kgs) over a period of 12 months. I utilised the help of PT Suzie from Reve Womens Health and Fitness and began exercising more regularly and eating better – cutting out the snacks and treating myself occasionally as opposed to every day.

It can be hard and overwhelming to try and figure out how to fit in exercise with 2 young children but I did it by incorporating all my every day daily activities as part of my exercise…… going up and down the stairs a few more times, doing squats when picking up the kids toys, walking up to the park with the kids more frequently, playing chasing games and doing silly dances to music with the kids….. It was all exercise!!! Also, once I broke out of the habit of treating myself (because that’s what it was – a habit) then it became easy and routine.

I set myself a goal which was to enter the body and soul 9km Sydney Harbour Bridge run in September 2011 and with Suzie I trained to increase my fitness levels to reach my goal! It wasn’t easy at the time with sick kids, work and basically just a hectic life, but I had set my goal and I was determined to stick with it and I achieved it! My aim was to just finish the run – but I was ecstatic when I actually finished the run before the cut off time!

Then things went a little down hill. I had achieved my goal so I started to slack off a bit, my youngest had been quite sick and would continue to be sick on and off for what ended up being close to 8 months! Both my children are pretty terrible sleepers and they were also mucking up at night during this time, my hubby and I got sick a few times, work was crazy….. a combination of lack of sleep and just pure exhaustion led to some bad habits starting up again.

I started treating myself again!

You know, on the odd occasion that I did ever get to watch the Oprah show and they were airing a show about people who have problems with food e.g. emotional eating etc I always thought to myself – I am so lucky I don’t have issues with food! Yeah sure I love my food, but I never ate when I was upset or angry or happy – I didn’t eat to fulfil an emotional need……. Or so I thought…..

I came to the realisation that all my little treats were to reward myself for a hard days work and it was how I relaxed. Finally once the kids had gone to bed and hubby and I had an hour or two by ourselves I would sit down to watch a show on TV and relax and unwind…..and get myself a treat (a packet of chips or bowl of popcorn or a chocolate) to reward myself!

And while this probably isn’t a problem once a week…..lets face it – every day is a hard/busy day so I was rewarding myself every day! To top it off it was then Christmas and New Years which meant lots of dinners and lunches etc etc and I have put back on a couple of the kgs that I had lost.

I have come to the conclusion that I have lost my focus and with the help of Suzie and this program I want to get my focus back on the right track!! My aim is to lose the kgs I have put back on, and more as while I have lost my pregnancy weight, I still have more weight to lose. I want to get back into my healthy eating for life groove and incorporate more exercise back in to my daily routines.

I will be sharing my progress with you over the next 5 weeks and I hope you will enjoy sharing the journey with me.

 

(photo – “I think that I chose this photo as if reminds me of the goal I have already achieved & inspires me to want to achieve more. When I look at it it makes me feel proud & excited of what I achieved!”)

January 4, 2012 Suzie

Want to get fit and healthy this year?

Want to finally reach those goals and feel the best you ever have?

If you are serious about wanting to change your life this year I have an offer for you.

I am putting out the offer for someone to receive my Empower – Lifestyle Upgrade program for FREE. As well as receiving your free book valued at $29.95 you will also receive extra help and motivation from myself to help you succeed.

I am looking for someone who is serious about getting awesome results and improving their life for the better. I am also asking that the person who is following the program share their experience with us. Think of it as a way of being held accountable and inspiring others to change their lives for the better too.

If you are interested please use the contact page to express your interest and tell me why you want to improve. I will fill you in on the details of how we can change your life! The chosen person will be announced at the end of next week.

Happy New Year – let the fun begin!

 

 

December 30, 2011 Suzie

It’s a funny time of year, this time in between  Christmas and New Year. Some people are off work, some people are not, It always feels to me like a waiting period. I get so hyped and excited for Christmas then it’s over, then it’s time for New Years the hype begins again and then it’s time to face getting back to work and reality.

I have to say even though admittedly I get sad when Christmas is over (i know, i’m lame) I really look forward to this in between time zone. It makes me, and i’m sure for a lot of you too, reflect on the year that was. We’re getting busier and time seems to move faster, but lets have a think of all we’ve done this year….  What does your year look like? Think of all the things you achieved. Or is there anything you wish you had done but never got the time to do?

I know it’s anal but I love lists, yes i’m lame but I love goals and to do lists. Some people laugh at me but you know what it’s the best way to get exactly what you want. If  I have a big goal I take that sucker and write it down, I look at it and think ok this is what I want, how am I going to get there. In a previous article on Effective Goal Setting I take you through how to make your goals a reality. I won’t further my lameness by saying something like “you can achieve anything you believe or set your mind to” but you get the picture, if you want something make it happen for yourself.

I got a Christmas card from the Salvation Army as a thank you for our donation and I just wanted to share with you some facts included in that card. The Salvation Army helps over 1 million people every year year. That’s 1 person every 30 seconds. Our support has assisted with the following

  • 150,000 meals for the hungry
  • 2,600 beds for the homeless
  • 9,000 food vouchers
  • 8,000 people with counselling
  • 4,000 elderly people with aged care services
  • $3.75 million of goods to welfare

I really liked reading those facts as it gave me some perspective. I am so lucky. There are so many people in need, I don’t want to get preachy here but I think it’s good to sometimes take a step back and realise how lucky we are and see if we can help in some way.

I would like to thank all of you for following my blog. It means so much that people are out there reading my articles and that I hopefully help in some way. I wish you all a very safe and exciting New Years. I look forward to 2012, I predict it will be a year of adventure, good health, fitness and fun… If we make it so 🙂

 

 

December 6, 2011 Suzie

I was talking with a friend the other day about weight loss  and new challenges. This friend has just recently had a baby and she is determined to get her pre-baby body back. Unfortunately her exercise has to wait a little bit longer as she had a c-section, but she has already slowly started the ball rolling by increasing her physical activity and concentrating on her nutrition.

I shared with her that  for me personally I havent weighed myself in quite a while, sure I would like to lose a few kilos but I think most women do. The most important thing for me at the moment is getting my fitness levels in peak condition and enjoying being able to whatever I want to with ease and without flaring my old injury.

“No no I plan to use the scales a lot” my friend said.”When so and so lost all her weight I liked what she did, she weighed herself everyday and she used this to monitor herself. If she was heavier then she would cut back on what foods she was eating”

I trained a common friend of ours and she lost quite a bit of weight, she did it slowly and made a way for it to fit into her lifestyle (aka two young children).

Now i’m quite torn on the topic of whether you should weigh yourself everyday or not. My Personal Trainer hat knows that body weight fluctuates daily and this is natural. It has also seen the detrimental affects of clients who get fenatical about numbers on the scale to the point of disappointment and despair when really they could just be retaining fluid.

Changes in weight can be based on numerous factors including hydration (loss or gain of water weight) and contents of your digestive system (how recent the last meal and bowel movements were).

To get accurate weigh-ins, consistency is key. Always do your best to duplicate the weigh in conditions every time: Fed or fasted, clothed or not clothed, bladder empty or full, pre or post workout, morning or evening, high carb or low carb day, amount of fluids ingested, diuretic substances consumed, etc. If you control for all these factors, you’ll get more accurate weight and body composition data.

I think it is quite possible to get obsessed with the scales and focusing solely on those pesky numbers that sometimes never seem to budge.  The thing is sometimes you work so hard, yet you don’t see any difference on the scales, you get so depressed that you go eat some junk food and give up. However when you see a difference you get so happy and motivated that you continue.

On the other hand, I do believe that checking your weight is a form of self monitoring and maintenance. Whenever I want to lose weight I make sure I not only go by my clothes but I weight myself weekly as a check in. In these circumstances where you are in the right head space it can be quite useful for weight control.

It reminds me of a superbly interesting yet quite out there book called the 4 hour body (Tim Ferriss author of the 4 hour work week, I will go into more detail about 4 hour body in another post). One of his case studies included a man who monitored his weight every day, he altered his diet if he had put on weight and each day he set himself a target of what weight he wanted to be. For scientific purposes (or so he said) he did not include one bit of exercise. Now I don’t actually think that’s healthy at all and I can only imagine what his body composition would have been like, but for him it worked. He graphed all his results and documented everything, you could see on his graph the weight going down. I told you, out there.

So from a self-monitoring and discipline  for weight control point of view I think scales are useful. However if you are the type to get obsessive and let the numbers control you, then I suggest you stay away, use measurements or a tight fitting outfit as an alternative.

November 17, 2011 Suzie

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnGCyeZQ_OY

Ok this isn’t an advertorial, i’m not posting the above video supporting the insurance company. However I do like the ad and it struck a chord with me. It got me thinking, not just about myself but those important people in my life.

Have you ever felt so detached from healthy that you don’t remember what it looked or felt like?

I’ve had clients come to me in tears ashamed of the way they have ‘let themselves go’. They tell me stories of their glory days when they wore that amazing outfit or competed in that sports event or could climb the stairs with ease. How do we allow ourselves to slip so far from good health?

On the other hand some clients don’t know what the best version of themselves is, they’ve never had it. Maybe they have always had a bad diet, never exercised and are  just used to being unhealthy. They truly have no idea what they are missing out on.

Some people are unfortunate to have illness struck upon them. When you are seriously ill health quickly becomes the number one priority in your life. You would give anything to be healthy again. You truly appreciate what good health is.

If we can stop and have a think about where health sits on our priority list we can alter our future. Like the ad suggests you can find the healthier version of you and enjoy it.

 

November 11, 2011 Suzie

This is just a quick post to increase awareness of the dangers of shopping whilst hungry.

This is shameful but I am going to share my story…

On Wednesday I had  a big day. Full on, outside running around instructing and just generally being stinking hot and sweaty thanks to the hot humid weather. I had prepared myself for the day, or so I thought.

Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen – check

Lots of water – check

Food – check… sort of. I had my food prepared but wasn’t counting on my eggs failing. The night before I boiled some eggs to keep me going for the day. I was on a break getting ready to instruct my back to back ABT classes and was looking forward to eating my eggs. I was wondering why I couldn’t break the shell by rolling, I added some more pressure and SPLAT!!! apparently I didn’t cook my eggs for long enough…

At the very least I have to say I was devastated at the loss of my eggs.  I knew my carrot wouldn’t quite cut it, I needed protein.

At the completion of the classes I drove home and needed to get milk on the way. Bad idea. I should not have stopped I should have driven all the way home and made myself something to eat. Anyway inside the supermarket I went, I got the vegetables I needed for dinner, the milk and then it hit me. I saw the two for one special on tim tams and mint slices. I had to have them, I never buy biscuits but I had to have them. Next up I walked past the chips aisle and bought a packet of chips, the thought of munching down on a handful of potato crisps seemed like the best idea i’ve ever had. As my stomach growled some more I walked past the  drinking chocolate and remembered I’d had one once and liked the brand, into my basket it went.

I felt pretty embarrassed going through the check out, especially since I was wearing my Reve tshirt… yep women’s health was all me right at that point! As soon as I got into the car I ripped into one of the bananas I had bought. It was the most beautiful banana I had ever had, It tasted perfect and completely hit my hunger spot. At a red light I looked at my shopping bags and was wondering why I went crazy when all I had to do was eat a banana. Well when your hungry these things don’t really make sense to you.

I got home made a protein based salad and was fine. I felt silly, I broke the most common rule when it comes to grocery shopping – never go when you’re hungry. ALWAYS stick to the list, I got everything on my list and then some.

I can only describe the feeling I had at the shops as crazed. I put things into my basket without any hesitation, if it was salty or sweet I wanted it.

I’ve come to the conclusion that it was all the eggs fault.

 

 

(image courtesy of frugal & thriving)

November 7, 2011 Suzie

I’m not one to get preachy but at this time of year it’s time to think about others.

I know it’s not Christmas time yet, but it is fast approaching and will done and dusted before we know it! It’s a time of year to show others you care and lend a helping hand.

Recently I organised a charity drive at the gym for The Salvation Army. The Salvos work on numerous projects, supporting not only our local community by also nation wide.

The charity drive offered a free personal training session in exchange for a donation of good quality second hand clothing. I was so pleased by the generosity of people. Over a few weeks we collected over 60 bags (to be quite honest there was more but as you can see in the photo counting proved tricky!) I would like to thank those who donated, thank you so much for getting involved.

I ask that before we get all caught up in the silly season and get involved in ourselves and our busy festivities that we take a moment to think of others. There are so many ways you can get involved.

Donations – both monetary and material i.e clothes, food, furniture. Your unwanted items may help someone else out majorily. Go take a look in your closet… do you REALLY need everything that’s in there?

Volunteer –  If you have the time and ability find out where you can help out.

Sometimes helping others can require effort and time. But just imagine how a bit of inconvenience on your part can bring a whole lot of joy to someone else.

For some inspiration I have posted a few links below to get you thinking.

The Smith Family – The Christmas appeal has begun. Children are in need of clothes and books.

MS Australia  – are you any good at gift wrapping? Then why not lend a hand 🙂

Mission Australia – why not celebrate christmas in the park?!

Wesley Mission – There are LOADS of opportunities to volunter whatever your skillset 🙂

Starlight Foundation – Bring some cheer to seriously ill children and their families

 

There are so many well deserving charities and foundations out there who do tremendous work. Get researching!  It doesn’t take much to get involved, you will be helping others and feel brilliant in return. Share the love!

 

Pass on the good vibes and share this article using the buttons below. Awareness is at the touch of a button!

October 27, 2011 Suzie

A lovely client of mine sent me this article the other day about excuses for not exercising. On a rainy cold day such as today, which is prone to last minute cancellations, I thought it was the perfect time to share my own cancellation excuses with you.

I’ve heard some pretty interesting excuses from clients in my time as a personal trainer. When it comes to cancellations some clients get quite inventive. You can usually tell when a client is lying, do I ever call their bluff? No, there’s no point I don’t think, after all they’re the ones who are lying to themselves. Do I punish them in our next session? Quite honestly – sometimes I do, if the excuse is bad enough!

 

I did a little experiment at my gym, I asked my fellow Personal Trainers what was the best cancellation excuses they had received. I wasn’t suprised how similar some of the excuses were. I put together a list of the best and most common excuses we got. Have you ever used one of these?

 

  • It’s raining – that’s ok it’s not raining inside the gym you’ll stay dry
  • Swine flu – this is not a joke, a trainer received a formal text about it, turns out we were all ok at the gym though pheww
  • Car won’t start – this is a hard one,  sometimes its true sometimes its not
  • Period pain – remember in high school when you wanted to get out of the swimming carnival?  Exercise can actually help with your period pain, especially the day before it is due.
  • Kids are sick – this is a fact of life, they’re germy little creatures and they like to share
  • I’m busy – if you are too busy to train then please don’t book a time with me when I could have booked someone else in. Busy people need to be in good health too.
  • I’m sick – depending on the illness exercise can actually help you. If you have a virus though listen to your body and rest.
  • I’m tired – exercise will actually give you more energy, the hardest part is just starting
  • Car broke down on way to gym – again another hard one, sometimes it’s true and sometimes it’s an overused excuse
  • I have to help my ____ move – ok, that is usually something that is planned prior to the actual day. How do you rank your health as a priority?
  • My alarm didn’t go off – then set a second one. I set 2 alarms to make sure i’m there for you, do you really want to spend money on a sleepin?
  • I forgot – nice to know how important your training is to you.
  • Just not feeling it today – sometimes I don’t feel it either, its natural, but then I do it anyway and get over it. Usually feel awesome after.
  • It’s too cold – trust me once we start training you won’t be cold anymore!
  • Sore throat – again, some exercise may help, depending on your level of sickness
  • Sore arm – that’s ok you have the rest of your body we can work with
  • Sis/cousin may go into labour – are you going to be in the delivery room? It’s ok labour usually goes for more than your hourly training session
  • I can’t make it – personally this is the worst. No excuse and it’s usually last minute too
  • I was up last night arguing with my spouse – wow I don’t know what to say about that one
  • I have a __________ appointment – you usually know about appointments prior to the day or the day before.
  • Stuck in traffic – sometimes this is beyond anyone’s control. However we become suspicious when it happens too often (leave your house earlier!)
  • Nothing – enough said.

 

There are of course genuine excuses, life gets in the way I understand.  Most clients generally do their best. However it is those clients who you identify as not really giving it much effort that you feel sorry for. They are the ones who most often give up and never achieve their goals. Its the clients who truly give it their all that get the best results.

 

Everyone has excuses, but ask yourself  “am I going to let this get in the way of achieving my goal?”

 

(photo was taken at a buddhist temple, very zen like day! You are in control of your life, make it happen!)

September 20, 2011 Suzie

Beware of vampires. No not those vampires with the good looks, charisma and pointy teeth (thank you Robert Pattinson) i’m talking about those people who suck something else that is vital to you; energy.

How to define an energy vampire? Urban Dictionary defines Energy Vampire as “ A person who boosts his own energy by taking energy from others by means of an argument, belittlement, criticism or other one-sided conversation”. I like to think of them as those people who are emotionally draining and leave you feeling down.

We all have that person in our lives, maybe more than one. Perhaps all they do around you is whinge, complain with a pessimistic attitude. Perhaps the person is emotionally dependent on you; offloading all their problems to you and rely on you to solve them. Energy vampires take many forms. They are quite a negative force to be around and can have a detrimental effect on you and your wellbeing.

I once attended an interesting workshop and was listening to one of my business idols and he told us ‘show me what you’re reading and who you’re hanging around and i’ll show you where you’ll be in 5 years”. It’s a statement which resonated with me.

Have a think about the people in your life, what are they like? And most importantly how do they make you feel? Are they positive and leave you feeling energised?

I have seen first -hand the negative effect of energy vampires. Over the years there have been a few clients which stand out as the most effected by energy vampires. Their kind and caring natures were taken advantage off. I witnessed their stress levels increase and take its toll on their health. Stress manifests itself in many ways i.e increased blood pressure, weight gain/loss, loss of hair, acne, digestion problems, illness, fatigue, depression etc.

Some clients were able to cut the ties with their energy vampires whilst others were not. For some it was too late and it turned them into a negative person also.

Everyone’s situation is different, some people are tied to their energy vampires and can’t do much about it. They can however work on stress management and perhaps new ways of dealing with their vampires.

Personally I am becoming less tolerant of energy vampires, life is too short to waste being negative. I’ve noticed it’s something I am losing patience for. I will always be there for genuine problems and to be supportive, but if all I hear is negativity and pessimism I will either try my hardest to change your perspective or cut you off mid negative sentence.

How do you deal with energy vampires?

Positivity breeds positivity. 🙂

 

(The above image is courtesy of guardian.co.uk)

 

Want to kick start your health and fitness? If you want to look great for summer you have to act now. click here for more details!! 🙂

September 14, 2011 Suzie

Throughout my Personal Training experience, I have seen many cases of weight loss plateaus.

After altering the client’s diet, giving them a tailored exercise program, there is usually an initial success. Clients adapt to their new healthy eating habits and follow their exercise program and enjoy the benefits. Benefits include increased energy, better quality sleep, increased strength and fitness levels. For most it also includes an initial weight loss. The client gets so excited with their initial loss, it motivates them to stick to their eating habits and exercise plan convinced it will keep producing the same results.

A plateau occurs when you are in energy balance. At this time the calories you consume from food and drink equal the calories you expend as part of your resting metabolic rate and during physical activity. The human body is incredibly adaptive and will do its best to reach equilibrium (homeostatis). Many overweight people are at a plateau. They will say, “I’ve been 10kg overweight for years.” They start a fitness program where they eat less and exercise more which causes an energy imbalance and breaks their initial plateau. They start and will keep losing weight while there is a negative energy balance. But at some stage the energy balance equation balances again and causes another plateau. For example when you are 10kg lighter the energy cost of moving your body during everyday tasks and during exercise sessions is much less. So your total daily metabolic rate can drop, even when you are exercising regularly. When it falls to match your lower energy intake level, another plateau occurs. This can be extremely frustrating for the client. They have changed nothing but suddenly the weight simply doesn’t want to budge. For some, they think ‘what is the point?’ and start reverting back to their old ways, creating a vicious cycle.

It is difficult as a trainer to see your client put in the work, stick to their eating plan and not reap the rewards. There are tears, there is anger, there is desperation all over the clients face. As the trainer you try to explain the reasoning behind the plateau and that it is a normal part of weight loss. It is often hard for them to believe and understand. When weight loss plateau hits it is time to implement change. As their trainer I try to constantly add stimulus to the client’s program to keep ‘shocking’ the body, forcing it to keep adapting and thus hopefully breaking the plateau.

Some changes you can try if you encounter a plateau are as follows:

Change Your Exercise Routine

If you go walking a lot then try jogging, or swimming, or cycling — anything that will change the way your body is working. If you are doing low intensity cardio work, then try some high intensity exercise. You may need to also increase the duration and frequency of your workouts.

Change Meal Frequency

If you are eating three  meals a day – start adding snacks in between (which may mean reducing the portion size of the main meals). Eating often is aimed to boost your metabolic rate.

Alter Macro-nutrient Intake

Although it sounds complicated, the idea is to change what you are eating. For example if you are eating a moderate diet that is higher in carbs – try eating less carbs and more protein. If you have a carbohydrate snack every day at morning tea time – change it to a protein snack. Whatever you are doing consistently – try mixing it up a bit.

Eat less sugar

You may have cut back on fat, but still be consuming too much sugar. Low-fat sweet snacks such as breakfast bars and fruit twists may seem a perfectly healthy option, but they are often are high in sugar. Swapping to fruit can offer calorie savings. Low-fat milkshakes, smoothies and fruit juices also have a healthy image, but are where calories can add up.

Drink less alcohol

Alcoholic drinks may be difficult to cut back on or give up, but may be necessary when you hit a plateau. A reality check on volume is important as alcohol is often underreported. You may have a couple of glasses of wine at dinner each night, but are you having two small (125mL) glasses of wine providing a total of 160 calories or four large (175mL) glasses giving around 450 calories.

Eat smaller portions

Are you eating too much of perceived healthy foods like bread, potatoes or pasta. You may need to downsize your dinner plate and cut out second serves. Keeping a food diary for a short time, is a great way to identify opportunities for change  and is one of the best ways to be accountable for food intake. It may be just these small things that are causing the sticking point.

(please note the above suggestionsare simply that, suggestions. If you are concerned about your results or lack there of please consult a health professional)

The most important thing to do if a plateau occurs is to stay positive. Keep in mind and be proud of the changes you have made and focus on the benefits you have such as increased energy, strength, fitness etc. Don’t give up. The human body is an amazing (sometimes frustrating) thing. It is the only one you have so look after it.