Has the same old number been staring back up at you from between your big toes every time you jump on the scales? Do you feel like it’s almost impossible to budge the bulge? Here are some awesome tips from our nutritionist buddy Matt O’Neill - founder of Metabolic Jumpstart.

Today’s Monday Motivator is by Matt O’Neill - Active Aussies’ partner nutritionist. You can find out more about Matt’s awesome nutrition program, and the only nutrition program Active Aussies recommends, at www.metabolicjumpstart.com.

Read More

So your thirst buds are tingling and you feel inclined to sip a beverage or two.  Check out this video from Matt O’neill about drinking alcohol and softdrinks.

As the month wears on, Christmas and the New Year draw closer.  Bubbly is poured in oftimes copious amounts.  Soft drink is oft the substitute for non-drinkers like myself.  What are we really putting into our bodies?  Alcohol and soft drinks are pretty much empty kilojoules, they go straight through the lips and onto the hips.

No one is asking you to become a monk and a party martyr over the next few weeks - least of all me.  But I am encouraging everyone I meet to be responsible over the next fortnight.  Be smart too.  Watch Matt’s videos, he puts it really well.  If you want to lose weight and burn the fat off your belly and bum, then don’t let yourself go completely.  As my Grandad always says, “Be good.  Be happy”.

P.S.

Have you exercised today?

…if you let yourself go!

It’s December!  Now…how does a personal trainer encourage his bunch of happy followers to be good over the Christmas holidays?  Try to follow these little tips over the next month:

• Eat responsibly
• Drink alcohol in moderation
• Don’t forget to exercise!

You may be on holidays.  You may be living out of a tent, hotel room or caravan.  You may be having a party.  You may be with friends and family.  Whatever you are doing over the next month, I want you guys to have fun!  Why else would you have chosen to train with a personal trainer if you didn’t want to enjoy life a little bit?

Have fun - but be smart.

I really love helping people become fitter and healthier and happier.  I really want you guys to know that a lot can happen physically too you if you drop your guard over Christmas.  Not to mention psychologically! 

Eat responsibly

Do you really need that bit of sponge cake from Woolies?  Do you even like that sponge cake from Woolies?  Why not be a bit picky this Christmas?  Why not only eat the stuff you actually like?  Why just eat whatever is plonked in front of your face with little or no thought but to eat it without objection?  But isn’t it bad manners to say no when someone offers you food?  How about this for a thought - it’s bad manners to offer someone fatty, unhealthy food.  If you’re the caterer, or the cook, or the chef, or the bbq’er, how about serving up some actual healthy Christmas food.  Just a thought…you’re doing so well with eating and exercising now, why ruin all your hard work with a month of splurging.

If you would really like to keep tabs on your diet over Christmas, email me now for a free diet report. 

Drink alcohol in moderation

Have a look at the back of each bottle/can of drink you consume this festive season.  Wowzers!  Holy kilojoules Batman! Plus, everyone knows exercise is tough to do with a hangover.  Be good - don’t get plastered.

Don’t forget to exercise

Have you exercised today?  If not, get off the computer right now and go do something active.  Ask yourself that question daily.  Don’t let yourself go completely. 

Have fun guys and girls - but responsibly!

Today I wanted to do a little nutrition check with you, just to see how well you’re going.  I want you to read these recommendations and do a little self-analysis to see where you need to improve.

I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner

Breakfast kick starts the metabolism and gives you much needed energy for the day.  Don’t miss it!

I eat plenty of plant foods

Bread, cereal, rice, pasta, noodles, vegetables, legumes and fruit

I eat moderate amounts of animal foods

Milk, yoghurt, cheese, meat, fish, poultry, eggs

I drink plenty of water

At least 1-3 litres depending on the environment (heat and humidity)

I eat good fats

Eat unsaturated fats - look at the back of the package/bottle.  Does it have more unsaturated (polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats) or saturated fats?  Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats lower blood cholesterol.  This means less chance of developing cancer, heart attack and arteriosclerosis. Stay clear of trans fats.  These are oils and fats created through digestive process in animals and can be in foods like milk, cheese, beef and lamb.  Stay clear of full-fat dairy stuff and don’t eat the skin on the roast chicken, and if you’re crazy like my mum, don’t eat the crackling on the pork.  Stay clear of saturated fats - derived from either palm or coconut oil.  They are the biggest dietary cause of high LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and therefore cause strokes and heart attacks

I eat lots of low Glycemic Index (GI) foods

The Glycemic Index is a scale - 100 is pure glucose and that is bad, the closer you get to 1 the longer the body takes to break down the food.  Eating consistently high GI foods is a major cause of diabetes. High GI is 70 or more, medium GI is 56-69, low GI is 55 or less. Processed foods are generally high GI (white rice, white bread, cornflakes). Unprocessed foods are generally low GI (brown rice, brown bread, oatmeal).

I get enough fibre each day

Aim for 30 grams a day (but to be exact, 25g/day for guys and 20g/day for girls) at least is recommended. Dietary fibre is good for protection against coronary heart disease (CHD), some cancers and diabetes. Good sources of soluble fibre includes wheat/corn/rice bran, wholegrain bread/cereals, wholemeal bread/cereals/pasta, whole-wheat flour, nuts, seeds, dried beans, brown rice, and the skins of fruit and vegetables.

I get enough protein each day

Aim for 1 gram of protein per day per kilogram of bodyweight.  For example, if you are 68kg’s, you should eat 68g of protein per day.  Guess where excess the energy from excess protein is stored?  That’s right, it’s stored as body fat in all the places you wish it wasn’t.  So don’t over eat!  Lean meat is the best source of protein (beef, lamb, chicken, fish) but you can get it from chick peas, baked beans, tofu and eggs.

Most importantly, I consume less energy than I burn exercising

In other words, the stuff you put in should be less than what you put out.  All food is converted to energy (to cut a long story short).  This energy is used to fuel daily activities and exercise.  You should eat about 200kJ (15-20%) less energy than you burn off exercising. If you do this, then it equates to fat loss to the tune of about 0.5kg per week.  That’s healthy, and that’s good.  Here is a quick health check.  If you are meeting this last criteria, you should be losing approximately 0.5kg per week.

This is just a quick self check.  To find out more information contact your Active Aussies personal trainer.  They can conjure up a concoction of dietary happiness that will have your waistline shrinking and your appetite quenched.  Is that even possible?  Of course it is.  You don’t need to starve yourself, that is counterproductive.  Eating less slows down your metabolism and when you finally eat properly again, your body won’t be able to burn the fuel you shovel into your mouth quick enough.  It’s called yo-yo dieting.  It’s bad.  Body fat storage and flubber is a symptom of something that isn’t right in your life! If you’re struggling to lose the kilo’s around your waist, maybe you might need to bring your nutrition under tighter control while increasing the amount of physical activity.

Food for thought?

There has been a lot of talk in the media about dieting this past week.  Naturally, being in the fitness industry, my friends, family and clients have asked my opinion about fad dieting.

Well, I replied, I’m a big fan of lifestyle change.  These changes not only apply to dieting but also to exercise too.  I invite you all to breathe a breath of relief when I say that your packet of Tim Tams tucked away in the top shelf are safe.  If you are eating a packet a day, then I invite you to ignore that last statement and perhaps seek help!

Lifestyle change is about moderation in everything.  Moderate eating and exercise habits lead to a healthy life.  Finding the happy medium is sometimes difficult and that’s where hiring a personal trainer or a qualified nutritionist can help.

Have you ever noticed that ladders come with rungs?  Have you ever noticed those steps leading from your ground floor to the first floor are spaced so you can walk comfortably up them?

If someone invented a ladder with only a bottom rung and a top rung and expected you to climb up using the sides I don’t think sales would be very high for that company.

No one expects anyone to achieve instant results, but everybody still wants them.  I guess that is why the Lotto is so popular.

Losing weight is just like that.  You need to take things step by step, day by day and you will soon find that the habits you gain will supersede the negative habits that you used to have.  You will find that you will achieve greater results in the long term, you will have avoided a yo-yo lifestyle, and you will have saved a lot of money and time in the process.

This method is proven, and it is solid.  This way will get you the results you crave.  Step by step is the definite way to go.  Soon the government is going to clamp down on shonky diet and exercise providers that make bold and outrageous claims.  Stick with what is tried and tested, healthy and safe.  If you truly want the best for your wonderful body, then give it the best that the world has to offer.

The best thing for you is to eat in moderation.  The best thing for you is daily exercise of some sort.

Have you exercised today?