Inspiration is Internal, Motivation is External

 

 

To make a change to how you look and feel, takes inspiration.

 

Inspiration to think “I'm not happy with how I am and I want to be better”.  But having that inspiration and acting on it are two completely different things.

 

How many people do you know who have been on 10 or more diets with no success?  Taken up exercise after Christmas, only to stop a few weeks later?  How many people do you know who constantly seem to be on a diet but never loose weight?  How many people do you know who constantly go to the gym but never look any better?  Maybe I'm even describing you?  So we end up blaming ourselves, getting frustrated and eventually residing ourselves to the fact that “This is how it’s supposed to be” and blaming our genetics:

 

“I'm just supposed to be a bigger person.”

“I don't think I'm meant to be able to run far.”

“I'm just not built to hold muscle.”

 

When I hear this, all I hear people saying is “You can’t fix me Ben, I'm a wonder of science, eating well and exercising just doesn't work on me, it might on others but not me, don't waist your time!”

 

Have you ever thought that it wasn't your fault or your genetics fault at all?  That maybe you were expecting too much of yourself?

 

When we get a tooth ache, we see a dentist.  When we need an MOT done we ring the local garage. Need some flowers?  We call the florist.  But when we want to get in shape we try to do it ourselves….Why is this?  Because we all did PE at school do we think we know how to make ourselves fit and healthy?  Well excuse me whilst I make my mother a bouquet of flowers, I do own a garden you know!

 

Motivation is external.

 

If you want to get the best from your exercise and nutritional plan, it needs to be individual to you and it needs to be written by a qualified Health and Fitness Specialist.  Sure, you can get workouts from the internet that might get you to point A, but all the inspiration in the world won’t get you to point B if you don't have someone reading the map for you.

 

You could train with a cheap personal trainer, or a personal trainer with an  endless list of qualifications but no before and after pictures and no real life experience.  It’s like getting to base camp at Everest and choosing the guide who's very qualified and cheap (or expensive even) but he's never climbed to the summit.  So from base camp to halfway you have a coach and a mentor, but from half way to the top you’re just getting lost with a friend…..and paying for it.

 

 

This is our passion and profession.  We have been there, seen it, done it and got the T-Shirt.  Our results speak for themselves.  We believe we are Bristol’s most effective personal health and fitness company.  We provide knowledge, enthusiasm, accountability, and most important of all motivation.

 

 

But the inspiration to pick up the phone and start is totally up to you…BB 

 

Ben Winter, Personal Trainer: 07875 471952, email: ben@jwfitnesssolutions.co.uk 

 

 

 

 

 

Eat the fat? Don't eat the fat​?  

 

Take the skin off the chicken, take the fat off the steak, buy skimmed milk (Yuk) – we have been told for years that cutting fat out of our diets is the right thing to do.

 

But I'm not sold on the idea and here’s why.

 

Since the 1930's we have been taking our saturated fat intake down and down until the present date when we are consuming less saturated fat as a race than at any other time in our recorded history. Yet…there’s an obesity epidemic…hundreds and thousands of people are dying from heart related illnesses…..cancer is up, arthritis is up.  I could go on and on.  So it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that what we are doing is not working.

 

Now the issue of fat in our diets is not a new one and I could write a very lengthy blog post on the issue but I'll spare you this time.  Suffice to say that avoiding fat is not a recommended pastime by most clinical nutrition experts.  The list of advantages from the intake of fats is endless, from improved brain function, to the absorption of fat soluble vitamins.

 

Now something I feel I need to address in the blog post is this: a pound of fat eaten is not a pound of fat gained…..by any means!  It’s much more complicated than that; if that were the case tribes of old like the Inuit, the Masai and the old settlements in the Swiss mountains would be obese beyond measure; these guys used to consume almost totally Protein and saturated fat.  Yet these are some of the healthiest people on the planet with cardiovascular health that is second to none.

 

Now don't get me wrong; there are bad fats:

 

Trans fats – Almost impossible to seek out in the UK as we don't label the trans fat content of the food like they do over in the states, it’s safe to say this stuff is metabolic poison, commonly found in margarines, look for hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils.

 

Polyunsaturated fat:  “GASP! But the flora adverts say their good for me!”  Polyunsaturated fats are very unstable, when they enter the body they can often become oxidized which can lead to plaque build up in the arteries, stokes and heart attacks. They are especially unstable when they are heated, say, in a frying pan.

 

As I have said this is an issue I could discuss at length but I want to leave you with something practical that you can implement into your life to make you healthier and fitter.

 

·         If you buy organic meats/dairy – Eat the fat, it’s good for you!

·         If you don't – cut the fat off, all animals store toxins in fatty tissue, so all the medicines that the animal may have been injected with will spill out as you digest them.

·         Try to avoid vegetable oils, although they contain omega 6 which is good in moderation, we already consume mountains of the stuff and our omega 3 to omega 6 ratio is way off, and it’s causing lots of health problems.

·         Saturated fat will not kill you or make you fat, your brain is made out of the stuff, you would not exist without it

 

Now you’re bound to have questions on this as I'm going totally against the grain! So I welcome all comments and questions, for example “what cooking oil should I use?”, “What about fat and cholesterol?” For more information on this very complex and long story please contact me at:

 

 

Ben Winter, Personal Trainer: 07875 471952, email: ben@jwfitnesssolutions.co.uk 

 

 

 

 

You’re not ill……you’re thirsty!

 

Dehydration of the body can cause a wave of adverse side effects that will often leave people reaching for the paracetamol instead of the water bottle. Some studies suggest that up to 90% of the population are not adequately hydrated.

 

Below are a few of the effects of dehydration:

 

-Increased heart rate

-Decreased sweating

-Dry skin

-Impaired digestion & metabolism

-Chills

-Loss of libido

-Head rushes

-Fatigue & weakness

-Headaches

-Nausea

-Dark urine

 

Hydration is also the starting point of Osteoporosis and a major factor in Arthritis. When the body is lacking water, it diverts what water it does have to vital organs and the blood stream to maintain immediate life.  As this process continues and the body begins to age, osteoporosis and Arthritis almost certainly will start to play a part in a dehydrated individual’s life.

 

Water plays a part in every chemical reaction in the body; put simply if you want to lose weight, run faster, get stronger etc, you need to be drinking ample amounts of water.

 

JW Fitness Solutions pride ourselves in taking all aspects of our clients’ health and wellness into account; we don't just write workouts.

 

To find out more on the benefits of water and also to receive a free personalised water intake calculation please contact me on:

 

Ben Winter, Personal Trainer: 07875 471952, email: ben@jwfitnesssolutions.co.uk 

 

 

 

A Healthy 5-Tip Weight Loss Plan for Obese Teenagers

Ben Winter, Personal Trainer: 07875 471952, email: ben@jwfitnesssolutions.co.uk 

 

 

  

Food – the Choice is Yours

For those who missed the documentary entitled ‘Super Size Me’ I would highly recommend hiring the film from your local video store.  Director Morgan Spurlock’s account of his self-imposed month-long MacDonald’s diet was simultaneously startling and informative and it was the extent of the physical harm that he inflicted upon himself that viewers will have found most disturbing.

Prior to Spurlock’s graphic revelations, I am sure that most of us were aware that what we eat and drink can have a direct bearing on our physical well-being.  However, few could have known how much damage can be caused by a diet that is high in sugar and saturated fats.  This was highlighted by the director’s health checks prior to his MacDonald’s-only diet, during which three doctors independently predicted that whilst his body fat and cholesterol levels were likely to rise slightly from gorging on burgers, fries and coke, he was unlikely to see any significant changes or cause lasting damage in the space of a month.  Twenty days into his binge, the same doctors were warning Spurlock that his body fat had risen alarmingly, as had his previously healthy cholesterol level, and that his liver was turning into a substance resembling pate.  Indeed, one of the doctors went on to say that had his patient been inflicting similar damage on himself through alcohol misuse, he would have had no hesitation in referring him to an alcohol rehabilitation clinic.

Such dramatic physical changes in the space of only one month took everyone by surprise.  Whilst it would seem reasonable to assume that nearly all of us, excluding perhaps the youngest of children, are aware that fast food is on the whole detrimental to well-being, many choose to ignore the warnings.  A healthy diet, together with exercise, significantly improves our chances of leading a long and illness-free life and in this regard our destiny is largely determined by the choices that we make every day.  Government initiatives, such as the recent overhaul in school dinner menus, are no doubt helping people to be aware of the need for nutritional balance, but we will continue to be challenged by less healthy options for the foreseeable future.

Ultimately, we are what we eat (and drink) and it is very much our own personal responsibility to ensure that our dietary requirements are adequately catered for.

Jim Williams, Personal Trainer: 07876 684602, jim@jwfitnesssolutions.co.uk

 

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Small Steps to Success

For most parts of the world, the changing seasons remind us of the fact that time never stands still, and they often mark the beginning or end of holidays for many of us -giving us time to reflect on what our priorities are in life.

However, a number of people will have made a conscious decision to use this seasonal break to embark upon leading a healthier lifestyle, which may well involve undergoing a programme of physical training.  It may not be for the first time as health drives tend to be cyclical, usually starting in January and September, but we embark upon the new regime with enthusiasm together with a fear of failure, as this path may be a well trodden one and evoke memories of pain, frustration and disappointment.

So how can we make our goals more achievable and sustain a regime that ultimately will dramatically improve the quality of our lives?  To begin, it is crucial to make an honest assessment of our physical condition and from there we’ll be able to lay out realistic and attainable targets.  Well-being incorporates a whole range of issues, such as diet, exercise, lifestyle and stress levels to name but a few, and it is necessary to attempt to make improvements in all these areas.

Dramatic changes often lead to failure and it is perhaps worth considering initially making relatively minor adjustments that you will be able to sustain.  For example, if you haven’t undertaken any formal exercise recently it is probably not wise to join a gym with the aim of attending 5 times a week as your inability to maintain this level of attendance will lead to feelings of failure and disillusionment.  Similarly, try to make a small number of beneficial dietary adjustments, replacing fatty foods with more nutritious options, rather than undergoing a complete dietary overhaul in one swoop.  In time, relatively small changes will produce pleasing results and you can then look to develop your healthier living further as you begin to fully appreciate the benefits you are receiving.

The British Medical Association recently revealed that 1 in 5 children under the age of 11 in Britain have the symptoms of coronary heart disease. Whilst this is obviously a desperate statistic, we should be encouraged by the knowledge that many of the so-called lifestyle diseases are reversible and that our well-being is to a certain extent in our own hands. Positive action towards a healthier future needs to incorporate patience and perseverance, as we must remember that these changes are part of a long-term commitment rather than a passing fad.

Jim Williams, Personal Trainer: 07876 684602, jim@jwfitnesssolutions.co.uk

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Changing Motivation

A quick glance through the field of runners at the Bristol Half Marathon would reveal a wide range of participants, both in terms of age and athletic ability.   The runners will have numerous and varied reasons for taking part: some will be raising money for charity, others may be running as part of their fitness programme, there will be serious club runners and there will also be a handful of professional athletes (quite possibly Kenyan and moving very briskly) who will be running to win and attempting to break the course record in the process.  What you will not see a great deal of in relative terms, and this is also true of gyms and fitness clubs up and down the country, is 20-somethings and their absence has prompted me to look at why we exercise and what motivates age groups to participate.  How does the attitude to exercise (or ‘activity’ as the government now likes to refer to it as) change between the ages of 20 and 30?  Are 30 year olds really more physically aware than their younger counterparts or have the excesses of their late teens and 20s caught up with them and prompted remedial work?

Participation in some form of physical activity is compulsory for most school children with the hope that this involvement will continue in some shape or form upon leaving secondary education.  For many though, the option to ‘opt out’ is readily grasped with little attention paid to the numerous physical, psychological and social benefits that can be gained from a physically active lifestyle.

So what do most people in their early 20s want?  In no particular order, their wish list would probably include a solid job with career prospects, a home of their own, a good group of friends and a fulfilling relationship.  If we fast forward 10 years, and assume that that their wish list has been granted over the previous decade, for many it will now also include good health as their responsibilities, commitments and attitudes will have changed and developed.

Physical and mental well-being are things that we undoubtedly take for granted in our early years. The change in attitude that occurs for many in their mid to late 20s may be brought on by a physical event or illness but more commonly a gradual change in attitude and awareness takes place over a period of time.  For many of us working life will involve being sat at a desk for long periods of time with little physical activity.  This sedentary working environment will contribute to a slowing down of the metabolism resulting in an increase in weight.  It is this unwanted weight gain that is the main factor in prizing many of us off the sofa and into our gym kit (hoping that it still fits).  But we are also drawn by the realisation that we need to be fit for others and not just ourselves: husbands, wives, partners and of course children.

Longevity and quality of life obviously cannot be guaranteed, but it is clear that as mid life approaches our awareness increases that regular physical activity can enhance our prospects of well-being.

As a society we are well aware of the benefits to be gained from exercise but often choose to ignore or postpone them.  Government figures released recently have reported increases in infant and adolescent obesity in the UK but also a rise in the levels of adults participating in regular physical activity.The government, in partnership with the health and fitness industry, has a duty of care to address this vacuum: to promote the value of exercise in our lives; that more is generally better than less but that less is better than none whatsoever; and that exercise can be achieved via a whole range of activities and not just marathon running or bench pressing twice your body weight.

Jim Williams, Personal Trainer: 07876 684602, jim@jwfitnesssolutions.co.uk

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