How to Get Perfect Abs

If you are on a mission to get perfect abs you will need to start following some key strategies outside the box of conventional training methods. Millions are spent annually in marketing the latest gadgets for training abs and fat loss food supplements.

The objective is always the same; to tempt the vulnerable into thinking there is a quick fix to achieving six pack abs. The quick fix solutions for perfect abs are to stop relying on gimmicks and begin to look at your own lifestyle habits.

Believe it or not doing abdominal exercises isn’t the quickest way to get a six-pack. As you read on you will discover it isn’t as straightforward as tiring yourself out doing tons of crunches. It is also worth noting that anyone can transform a flabby tummy into a set of toned abs as long as they follow certain actions.

The first step is to get a reality check on your lifestyle. If you wake tired and drink coffee all day then the first thing you need to do is go to bed earlier. A good nights sleep is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health, it is often overlooked for achieving optimal physical condition and may be the missing link in getting the abs you desire. It is a necessity rather than an option to have a good night sleep; we release certain hormones for physical repair between 10pm and 2am and specific hormones for psychological repair between 2am and 6am. If you fail to refill your energy account every night with undisturbed sleep you greatly enhance the aging process and reduce your chances of being able to lose body fat.

Drinking adequate amounts of water ranks in number one position for nutritional importance for fat loss and perfect abs. Drink mineral water everyday, drinking water in-between meals and at room temperature is the best way.

The next step then is to stop eating processed foods. The next time you pick up food in a packet look at the ingredients and see if you can pronounce the ingredients, if you can’t don’t let it inside your body. Processed foods contain artificial ingredients and additives that can make you toxic and give your digestive system a hard time. The last thing you need if you want low body fat levels.

With the exception to bottled water the rule is this, the longer food lasts on the shelf the worse it is for your health and fat levels on your body.

Other foods to eliminate for perfect abs is sugar, wheat, alcohol and all caffeine. Once your diet if free from these kinds of foods then you can worry about exercise selection for your abs. The best exercises to get perfect abs are the ones that enable you to progress with levels of difficulty with either your own bodyweight as resistance or resistance from some kind of exercise equipment.

For best results it is best to concentrate on only a few abdominal exercises in any one workout. Don’t make the mistake of spreading yourself out too thinly by doing too many exercises and only putting in half the effort.

80/20 Principles to Get You Through Christmas
With Christmas only around the corner it is just about impossible to keep on track with eating strict and sticking to guidelines.

The 80/20 rule is simple, 80% of the time eat strict and stick to healthy guidelines. The other 20% is for when you let your hair down and find yourself in situations that are out of your control.

Tips about why habits included in your 20% could be holding you back can be found in Step 2 of my book ‘Fat Loss Every 10 Days’ "www.fatlossevery10days.com" remember to always keep it simple.

Thanks for reading
Anthony



 

How to Get Skinny in Time For Your Christmas Party

If you are trying to battle the bulge and not succeeding then you are not alone. Despite the diet industry turning over billions each year it still has a poor success rate for its many followers.

So what is going wrong and what can be done to achieve permanent fat loss?

Fat loss has to begin with your lifestyle. The only way to secure complete fat loss is to follow some basic guidelines to help build health within the body and apply some overlooked principles.

Some of these guidelines range from getting a good night sleep to managing stress levels. Both of which can contribute to an over production of fat storing hormones. The truth is you can go to the gym and eat a clean diet but if your hormones are working against what you are trying to achieve then you are fighting a losing battle with the bulge.

That is just one side to the fat loss phenomenon. The other side is nutrition. The secret to eating your way to fat loss is to eat foods with the greatest nutrient value available. That means you need to eat foods that offer the most bang for the buck and the best place to find these foods is organic whole foods. What I mean by this is anything that hasn’t been interfered with by man. Processed foods masked, as a health food needs to go from your diet straight away if you are serious about losing weight and inches.

Once your body begins to digest high amounts of nutrients from natural foods you will require less food to satisfy hunger.

That is just the beginning, once you get your lifestyle in check and introduce plenty of good foods in your diet you can then be concerned about what kind of exercise you choose to do.

The most effective way to exercise is to choose a type that is challenging but short in duration. There is a saying you can train long but you can’t train hard and vice versa. The best kind of exercise that will work best for fat loss are the kinds that will leave you sweating and increase your heart rate and breathing. There are different ways to skin a cat and experimenting with what suits you and what you respond best from is the way to go. From my experiences resistance exercises of any kind work the fastest for fat loss results.

Choosing exercises that doesn’t involve treadmills, bikes or rowers and opting for resistance type exercises that may only involve your own body weight at first will tone the body and work the heart at the same time if done properly.

Progression and commitment is the way forward with exercise when it comes to achieving fat loss, toning the body, building strength and improving overall health.

Visit www.fatlossevery10days.com and get FREE diet coaching from me. I update my blog every couple of days on the site with all kinds of exercise and nutrition tips. See you there!

Thanks for reading
Anthony

I have recently updated the free fat loss information over on my other site www.fatlossevery10days.com simply put you name and email address in the boxes under the heading “Achieve Fat Loss Faster than your Friends…” and receive your first email today. You will receive an email every day for 10 days. Each email gives you tips and advice about achieving fat loss.

This is what you will learn in 10 days:

• How to plan how much weight and fat to lose

• How to plan how long it will take you

• How to assess your progress

• How to write a simple fat loss blueprint

• How to avoid obstacles

• Why mainstream diets will never work for you

• What to look out for when food shopping

• Proper exercise selection for your goals

• Where to look for support and what to avoid if you want results

• How to use your food diary as a fat loss blueprint

• The difference between different eating habits and how they will affect your waistline

• Don’t waste anytime and get the first email today, I know you won’t be disappointed.

Meanwhile here is an article for you to get tips from
that I recently posted on my fat loss blog http://blog.fatlossevery10days.com

Foods To Avoid If You Want A Six Pack

Anything containing sugar needs to be avoided, it is highly addictive and highly detrimental to health and fat loss goals. It is important to teach yourself to become a sugar detective by knowing how to read food labels.

Some foods will have half a dozen different types of sugar in the ingredients to help disguise the content; look out for words listed on the label ending in “ose” this means it is sugar, examples are sucrose, maltose, dextrose, fructose, glucose and so on.

Beware of so-called healthy drinks that are hyped up to make them look natural and good for you; they are still sugar. Natural sugar on a label means it is still sugar and doesn’t make it any better.

People typically start their day with store bought fruit juices that are high in sugar, they have very little health benefits linked to them because they have been pasteurised. Even if you drink freshly squeezed fruit it is still a high sugar drink, if you want to lose weight you could be making it very difficult for yourself because of the blood sugar response and the release of fat storing hormones associated with consuming sugar. All types of carbohydrate foods turn to sugar in the body. Carbohydrate rich foods are mainly plant foods or non-animal foods.

Excess sugar consumption will eventually affect every organ in the body; it creates an acidic environment within the body and minerals from teeth and bones are used to rectify the imbalance. Long-term abuse leads to decay and weakening of teeth and bones because of all the calcium being taken out of them; this is to protect the blood from the acid state.

If you want a six-pack and reduce fat avoid sugar especially artificial sweeteners found in processed foods and drinks. Always check the labels. Eating sugar creates a never-ending roller coaster ride for hormones such as insulin and cortisol both are fat storing hormones. To help wean off sugar try natural alternatives like stevia, a natural herb you can find in health food shops.

One type of food that people could greatly benefit from not eating is breakfast cereal, the run of the mill breakfast cereals are not health foods. When you take a closer look and see what they consist of a full picture emerges. Most cereals are processed junk food covered in nothing but sugar. If you want six pack abs avoid processed carbohydrates altogether. Eating non-animal foods you find in nature are best and will help reduce fat fast, but only if you include protein with them.

Thanks for reading
Anthony

 

Weight loss clubs can be intrusive for a lot of people or just plain boring. Below are two examples on how to start your own weight loss club; one is for discreet dieters and the other for more outgoing people.

Option #1 – If You Don’t Like Weight Loss Clubs Find A Support Partner

If you don’t want strangers to know you are on a diet then it is wise not to join a slimming club. It is also a good idea not to surround yourself with negative people that offer no support to you or your goals whether at work or socially. The most practical way to help you to commit to a diet is to go on a diet with a friend so you can give each other support. But if you can’t find anyone who wants to join you I would recommend seeking a support partner in either your closest friend or partner.

The support can be set at different levels depending on how much you require. For example, you could write down goals to give to your support partner for them to monitor your progress and make sure you achieve your goals. You could make it as formal as you like by arranging days and times to meet and review your food diary and plan the days or weeks ahead. This would make your diet serious but fun by making it feel like you have your own personal coach at hand to motivate you and help you with any problems you may be facing. Your support partner could also provide you with meal ideas and even take your body measurements to track your progress.

Option #2 – Your Very Own Weight Loss Club With Cash Prize Incentives

Here is a great way to make losing weight fun and competitive. The more people that join the more fun you will have. I will take you through each step on how to set up a biggest loser club and contest.


1. Set a membership fee of how much each member pays each week. This is for the prize money awarded to the biggest loser at the end of the contest.

2. Set the time frame.

Tip: This could be a yearly contest with the big cash prize at the end of the year. The winner is the person who has lost the most body weight and cm/millimetres from the hips, bum, waist, chest, thighs and arms. However you could also have a monthly prize for the biggest loser of the month. The club treasurer could buy grocery vouchers for each monthly prize to help the dieter stay on track rather than award cash.

3. Everyone gets a support partner.

Tip: Put everyone’s name in a hat for each person to pick out a name, whoever’s name they draw out is their support partner throughout the contest.

4. The role of a support partner is to motivate the other person and take measurements. Before and after photographs are optional, these could come in useful later on.

5. Have a recipe pool where everyone has to contribute at least one healthy recipe a month so others can benefit.

Tip: If you are doing this at work this could be on the notice board.

6. Arrange group meetings at least once a month.

Tip: You could arrange for a personal trainer or nutritionist to visit for a Q&A session.

7. When the contest closing date is in sight invite the local press to cover the story and publish a photograph of the winner.

Tip: This is where a before photograph comes in handy. Having the story in the press will give your workplace free publicity and the winner public recognition.

Don’t forget the more people that join your biggest loser contest the more prize money up for grabs.

I have updated the article link on my home page at www.proactivestudio.co.uk/ there are currently about 40 nutrition and training articles to get help and tips from.

For more information about Fat Loss visit www.fatlossevery10days.com/. Sign up for FREE TIPS everyday for 10 days and receive your first coaching email for rapid fat loss. You can also get tips from my blog that I update regularly over at blog.fatlossevery10days.com

Thanks for reading
Anthony

Prior to seeing me one of my new clients spent a week reading about the latest diet crazes where they all recommend cutting calories or fasting. So she decided to join a slimming club where she saw different people that seemed to be wasting their time and effort. They were allowed to continue to eat certain junk food. This sounded appealing at first but the members of the slimming club didn’t look the way she aspired so she was left confused and worried.

And that's really sad. After all, almost everyone goes on a diet to get a flat stomach, but almost everyone never achieves his or her goals!

In fact, most people make the same common mistakes.

Mistake #1 - Routinely getting weighed.

The biggest mistakes a dieter can make is setting their minds to reaching a number on the weighing scales every week or in some crazy cases every day! This repetitive behaviour is heavy on the mind making the participant feel incarcerated. It’s common for them to just focus on numbers without considering health & fitness or the quality of the food they are eating. This behaviour leads to frustration and unnecessary pressure.

Tip: The above system is nothing more than a marketing tool to help sell a diet; it has no benefit whatsoever. Getting weighed regularly doesn’t tell you if you are losing fat or which area of the body is changing shape. The best way to measure progress is using the mirror and/or to take tape measurements around the bum, hips, thigh, waist, chest and arms.

Mistake #2 - Counting calories

Ha! I wish it were as easy as just that. Eating X amount of calories will make you look like so and so. If this was true how come over 90% of dieters never achieve permanent results on calorie controlled diets? I will tell you why, it is because the quality of calories and which food groups these calories come from are missing from the picture. The most valuable piece of information a dieter needs always seems to be conveniently missing so not to upset the stream of recurring revenue.

TIP: A basic understanding of food groups needs to be understood for best results, don’t worry because it is simple and quick to learn. There are 3 main food groups, Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat. Once you learn which type of foods comes from each food group it is easy to lose weight and fat. This is because you can begin to use ratios for your meals. The benefits of ratios are to monitor the amounts of carbohydrates you need versus protein to lose weight and fat. Calorie controlled diets fail to recognise this important step, that is why you see overweight people unable to lose weight and fat on low calorie diets.

For more information about fat loss visit www.fatlossevery10days.com and sign up for the FREE advice everyday for 10 days. Also get tips from my blog that I update regularly over at blog.fatlossevery10days.com. Watch out for upcoming blogs about Workout Tips For Fat Loss, What To Avoid At The Gym If You Want A Six Pack, Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Fat, Foods To Avoid If You Want A Six Pack, Fat Loss Myths, How To Work Out How Much Weight To Lose If You Want A Six Pack and many more topics to help you achieve your goals.

Thanks for reading
Anthony

My new website "www.fatlossevery10days.com" www.fatlossevery10days.com was launched in the middle of June. The response has been amazing; I had hits from 10 different countries in the first 48 hours and getting hits from as far as the USA and Australia every day. For those of you that are new to reading this monthly newsletter I have written a fat loss-coaching programme that can be digitally downloaded instantly.

There is a blog on the new site, once I get organised in the next week or so I will be posting updates frequently about fat loss related topics and a bit about my own eating habits. I’m passionate about eating for fat loss, I’ve been in a position myself with having too much body fat, this was at a time when I was doing loads of exercise every week and eating what I thought at the time a sound diet without any cheat meals.

Overweight people these days have more than just a fat belly to worry about, more and more people are finding it difficult to shift fat from around the backside and hips, love handles, chest and arms.

The number of overweight people is on the increase and many are suffering the embarrassing image that goes with it. There are many scenarios where this could be a problem ranging from the beach to taking the kids to the swimming pool and being out and about in other public places.

Diet and lifestyle habits are the root cause of unwanted fat on the body; everyone accumulates fat in different places and at different intervals throughout their lifetime. Steps need to be put in place and actions taken to clean up the diet and daily habits modified, the ones responsible for the way you look. It’s either that or a lifetime of frustration and failed attempts to reverse the unwanted body image.

Life passes by quickly for many of us and before we know it we are middle aged and stuck in a routine, the same routine we could have been in for years without ever noticing where the time went. During this time our bodies will have changed in response to the kind of lifestyle we have led. If you are like most of the population chances are you don’t eat properly or assume what you do eat is sound and healthy. If you have excess fat on the body you are doing something wrong or not doing enough.

I used to count calories and do marathon type exercise routines thinking it was the answer to looking your best. I would go a step further and only eat what was considered natural or healthy foods but still had excess fat in the places I didn’t want it to be.

My research and experience took me to a place I never dreamed of, I learned how to eat the right way that works for the body and discovered the foods that works against it. I quickly got the greatest results of my life following a few nutritional guidelines I had researched without ever feeling like I was dieting in any sense. If your body gets the right nutrients and you are able to assimilate them you need less food and you won’t feel hungry in between meals its as simple as that.

Working as a personal trainer I soon realised that people responded more to the changes in nutrition then they could ever achieve with exercise alone, regardless of the amount of exercise they could manage to squeeze into a week. You can’t out train a bad diet even when exercising up to 6 times a week like I used to many years ago, back then I was carrying at least 10% more body fat and 28 pounds heavier than I am today. Now I only do half the amount of exercise today as I used to but still eat the same amount of daily calories.

After years of working with people one-on-one I decided to write all the nutritional guidelines down in a step-by-step plan. My mission was to make it simple but very effective so people would be able to pick it up and follow an easy to understand fat loss blueprint and get the results they want. This I thought could be more convenient for people with time constraints and a great way to get the same advice as one-on-one coaching in a non-intrusive way. The 7 Steps to Fat Loss Every 10 Days is written in the identical way as the coaching I use for my clients. I have included the answers and methods needed for rapid fat loss that you could only get if you worked frequently over a long period of time with me.

Changing areas of your diet that are responsible for the way you look is the most reliable and successful solution available. It doesn’t take any more effort to eat healthy as it does to eat unhealthy. It is totally achievable to plan and follow a fat loss blueprint once you allow yourself to learn which foods to eat and how to implement it into your lifestyle.

Thanks for reading
Anthony

Things haven’t slowed down here since last month;
I have been putting together the final pieces to Fatlossevery10days.com the home of my book on the Internet. It’s more like a coaching programme then a book; it’s a step-by-step diet blueprint for fat loss. Keep your eyes open, the site will be launching sometime in the middle of June. Initially it is a digital download product and can only be purchased on the website. I will be announcing the launch date on twitter; you can follow me here www.twitter.com/proactivecoach" www.twitter.com/proactivecoach

Talking of websites, I have come up with a new way to coach people one-on-one with dieting. I have to keep the details close to my chest for now because it is a brand new concept. I am planning to create a new website for this idea sometime this year and will reveal everything about it as soon as I can. I have a strong feeling the diet industry will try something similar once they see my concept.

I get endless questions from people asking me what type of workout is the best and how much time needs to be spent exercising for the ultimate body. Lets face it, most gym members participate in unproductive exercise programmes that they do year after year without achieving any results, they hope of waking up one day with the body of their dreams. Let me tell you that half-hearted attempts never work.

The most common myth that never dies is that lengthy cardio training will shift unwanted body fat. I have years of experience witnessing the lack of results people achieve from such workouts. I also have dozens of opinions through research and personal experience to back it up. I should know I often get people turn to me for advice after wasting years doing similar workouts. If you go into any gym in the world you are guaranteed to see members beating themselves up on the cardio equipment, now if you were to go back a year later you would probably see the same members on the same machines doing the same workouts with the same body shape (that’s if they haven’t already quit through a lack of results), are you one of these people?

There isn’t any relationship between training duration and achieving fat loss. Training intensity will determine the success rate of exercising only when backed up with the correct nutrition and lifestyle choices. People don't understand that exercise is a stress to the body and doing more exercise than the body can cope with will break the body down along with health and the chance of reaching your goals. The body needs to be in a stress free state to build muscle or to lose body fat efficiently, which is why I devoted an entire section of my coaching programme on Fatlossevery10days.com to this topic. It is essential you control the amount of stress in your life in order to achieve fat loss, better aesthetics and a stronger body. Putting processed junk in your mouth is a stress to the body, doing marathon type repetitive exercises on top of this is even more stress and both causes hormonal changes that triggers the fat storing mechanism.
What type of exercise is best for fat loss? Resistance training wins hands down, below are a few of my favourite reasons why resistance training is better than traditional cardio training for fat loss.

1. Resistance training burns more calories overall.
2. Resistance training has more functional carry over.
3. Resistance training sculpts body shape.
4. Resistance training builds more ‘calorie burning’ lean muscle tissue.
5. Resistance training can help to correct posture.
6. There is less chance of developing over use injuries with resistance training.
7. With the right kind of programme resistance training creates a cardiovascular response and can save you heaps of time.

If you currently eat a nutritionally poor diet and don’t manage stress in your life then don’t expect exercise to be the answer to achieve your fat loss goals. Cleaning up your nutrition and lifestyle puts the body in the ultimate mode for getting out what you put in. Remember this way is easier and quicker than getting little results from a lot of time and effort exercising whilst having a freestyle diet and unhealthy lifestyle. Therefore training duration and training frequency won’t make much difference if the correct nutrition and lifestyle choices aren’t implemented from the outset.

Thanks for reading
Anthony

Things have been mega busy here especially over the past month or so. My new website which is going to sell my fat loss coaching book is under construction and should be ready by the end of May early June. Fat loss every ten days .com will be a living website, I will write regular updates on a blog that will feature on the site on the subject of nutrition and eating the right way.

I have meticulously put together the steps in an easy to understand process so anyone can pick it up and start losing body fat and building health as if I was there coaching in person. The seven steps to fat loss every ten days are broken down into seven e-books, each step systematically covers the quickest path to your goals.

Below is a brief outline of each step

STEP ONE ‘Knowing What You Want’
This is an introduction to successful fat loss and a gentle warm up to uncover the big picture of the fat loss phenomenon. This includes how to transform the mind and teaches you how to avoid potential pitfalls and why you need to avoid dieting myths.

I also explain why you need to set goals. I will show you how applying simple goal setting will help you succeed and quickly turn you into your own personal coach.

STEP TWO ‘Where Are You Now’
This step shows you how to identify your individual blueprint for fat loss. You will learn what information you need to gather about yourself in order to succeed. There is a questionnaire based on the most common obstacles I have found to prevent fat loss.

For those who like to see statistics with their progress I reveal the best ways to record body transformation. This is a sure fire way to monitor what is happening to your body shape. At the end of this step you will discover your individual blueprint for fat loss.

STEP THREE ‘The Right Fuel’
This is where I turn up the intensity and expose the misconceptions that can do more harm than good when it comes to losing body fat. It’s all about avoiding the wrong foods and staying clear from making poor choices.

The section ‘What you need to know about different food’ is essential reading and teaches you what types of food should be on your plate for achieving your goals. I finish step three by telling you about the foods you need to eliminate
for the best results. Discover which types of foods your fat cell attract and accumulates fat on the places on your body you hate to see.

STEP FOUR ‘Fuel Efficiency’
Knowing what fuel you need to eat for fat loss isn’t enough. In this step I will teach you the action steps you need to implement at each mealtime, don’t worry it doesn’t involve weighing food or calorie counting.

You will then learn how to fine-tune every meal to your individual needs and the immediate signs to look out for to see if you are on the right path or not.

STEP FIVE ‘Eliminating Your Weakest Link’
Too much stress is a close second to eating the wrong fuel when it comes to the main offenders with having excess body fat. Is stress making you fat? Becoming familiar with the fat storing mechanism could be the most important advice you ever learn and help you finally achieve your dream body shape.

I will help you with lifestyle management and help you get out of the fight or flight trap. The things you need to schedule into your lifestyle in order to chill out will be revealed, you will be amazed at the difference it makes!

STEP SIX ‘The Way Forward’
Fat loss is planned! Fail to plan and plan to fail simple as that. This step will show you how to get from A to B following your individual blueprint; the steps are broken down for easy consumption.

I offer tips for the busiest and most unorganised dieters. Beware! There are options for excuse makers too.

STEP SEVEN ‘Progression’
The final step is about reviewing progress every ten days and to confirm if you are responding or not. Step by step instructions are in place ready in case you are not losing body fat. You will learn what to change for quickest results if the past ten days isn’t working for you.

Finally I finish off by revealing my past mistakes and share my current eating plan with you.

I will post details as soon as the site is up and running.

In the meantime I have been getting some fantastic results with a new coaching method I’ve been using with my clients. I can’t reveal too much at the moment because I’m in the process of trademarks etc. My plan is to get a coaching website up using this new method in the next few months. A national fitness magazine has already interviewed me about it. I will keep you informed as soon as I can.

My body transformations are going very well, this 12-week plan is a must if you want the most out of your efforts. It works best if you do everything the exact way that I teach, its no good doing it your way using only some of the advice given and expecting the best results.

Thanks for reading
Anthony

I watched an amazing documentary last week about Alaskan Salmon and the journey they make during their lifetime. From the streams of Alaska to the Pacific Ocean and back, right back to the place they were born. Over six million years of evolution have created a fish that can find its way back from the vastness of the Pacific Ocean right back to the place it was born so it can spawn. They have to return to the waters they were born so their eggs can survive and their species can carry on the cycle of life. What makes this story more impressive is the journey the Salmon needs to take to get to the spawning ground; they have to swim up rugged rivers with miles of rapids and even waterfalls to leap. The problems doesn’t end there, natural predators are waiting to eat the salmon along the way. Even the predators have gone through their own period of evolution to develop successful hunting methods so they can eat and stay alive.

You may be thinking what has this got to do with personal training or reaching health and fitness goals. The reason I am telling you this is because we are all on a journey of evolution. Each of us is on the ladder of evolution in a personal sense and as part of the human race. In other words if you are trying to accomplish personal goals or thinking about it you may have to try different approaches before you get what you want. Look at the evolution of the Salmon and think about the different approaches they must have tried and failed at before they could reach their spawning ground. This can be related to any area of our lives. Whenever something doesn’t work out in the human world it is easy to give up and settle with what we have. This doesn’t happen in nature because if a living thing needs to change for its survival and fails it would cease to exist simple as that, it has no choice unlike humans have. Maybe the privilege of choice is the downfall of human health. Modern living has disconnected many of our survival abilities and the high level of perseverance that goes hand in hand with it. We no longer need to apply effort if we don’t want to; this gives us the option to opt out if we fall at many of life’s hurdles.

I think we can learn a great deal when observing the evolution of the Salmon and other creatures that share this planet with us. A human diet is one area we can learn a lot from when looking back over our own short evolution period. Consider how long we have had surplus calories readily available and the de-vitalised versions of these calories compared to the quality our ancestors were used to. Not forgetting the vast artificial concoctions in our modern day food chain that has only been with us at the blink of an eye. It isn’t surprising obesity is born out of this development in our evolution and a host of other diseases. It certainly gives you food for thought.

My book is now completed and will be available soon. Hopefully this time next month I will be able to tell you where you can get your hands on it. For those of you that don’t already know I have been writing a fat loss book for the past six months. I’ve created a seven-step plan to achieve fat loss every ten days; it instructs the reader to assess progress every ten days. If your body isn’t responding after every ten days there are instructions to follow for the next ten days and so on until results begin to show. It teaches the reader to change whatever isn’t working and acknowledge the areas that prevent fat loss from happening on your body. I’ve broken the steps down into seven e-books to make it easier to follow and read. This doesn’t mean it is complicated or lengthy; the average e-book is 25 pages and easy to implement. I recently appeared in Workout magazine regarding my book the article is below.

I am now back on track with researching different topics about health and fitness, I have had to put this on hold for the past six months. Learning new information and passing it on is one of my favourite areas of my job. Watch this space because I will be passing on all the valuable stuff that I think will help you with your goals. Only today I picked up a book for five minutes and re-discovered a great training tip. It involves manipulating rep tempos to perform different repetitions and achieve the same training effect. This is to add variety to your training that can be a major factor in reaching goals. For example if your typical set lasts 40 seconds with 10 reps your rep tempo might be 1 second to lift the weight and 3 seconds to lower the weight. To keep the time under tension the same i.e. 40 seconds you could increase the weight and do less reps (5), it could look like this: 2 seconds to lift the weight, 1-second contraction and 5 seconds to lower (depending which exercise you are doing). The same time under tension is achieved but with a different load and rep scheme. Playing around with rep tempo and adding or chopping reps to achieve the same time under tension is one of the safest ways to increase the intensity without jeopardising form.
Thanks for reading
Anthony

Last month whenever I had a minute I spent time working on my book. I am slightly behind with it as it was my busiest ever January. I have been editing and making it more accessible. It is currently being proof read then there is just the design and website to complete. It all takes time, I had no idea it would take all this effort but I am enjoying the challenge. I haven’t had any outside help and my aim still stands to do as much as I can by myself. It constantly reminds me of all the choices we can make in life and the freedom we have when making decisions about health and fitness. If you want something bad enough you have to be willing to pay the price, no quibbles about it. It comes down to you. It is surprising how many people go through life moaning about their lot without doing anything about it. It can always be guaranteed the people that do most of the moaning are moaning about trivial issues that can be resolved with a little planning and effort.

Recently I got to know a very inspirational person with a truly amazing story of determination and courage. Her story is too long for this newsletter but I will tell you there is some very brave people out there that make our lives look easy and privileged by comparison. My advice is to do anything you can to preserve your health whilst you still have it.

I always get asked what do I eat, assuming I must have some kind of restricted diet. I am going to be 100% transparent with you and list every single type of food I have eaten this week. Take note of the variety and compare this to your own shopping list. In other words do you eat more variety of foods than me? If you do, how much of it is processed? If you don’t, then maybe you need to increase the variety of foods in your diet. My book will tell you which types of foods are better than others for helping to keep the fat off permanently. It will also teach you why there isn’t any need to weigh foods or count calories.

My food list this week:

Mineral water
Herbal tea (dandelion) my favourite tea
Rye bread
Millet flakes
Puffed wholegrain rice cereals
Quinoa
Flax seed powder
Red apples
Pears
Walnuts
Houmous

Sweet potatoes
Parsnips
Spinach
Green beans
Peppers
Sugarsnap peas
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Asparagus
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Red onions
Salmon
Kipper
Sardines
Tuna
Rainbow trout
Cottage cheese
Natural yoghurt
Butter
Eggs
Chicken legs
Chicken leg fillets
Minced lamb
Beef

Rice cakes, I have these with my protein drink after a workout.
Whey protein. I use VP2 from AST.
Udos choice, ultimate blend oil, I use this oil with at least 3 meals a day.
Udos choice, beyond greens. This helps the digestive system assimilate nutrients. I mix it with water or yoghurt twice a day.

Other foods I have from time to time range from pork chops, lambs liver, duck liver pate, double cream, blueberries, almond butter and a selection of other vegetables. I also use no added salt seasonings for cooking. Most of the foods are organic or free range. You don’t need to be a chef or have tons of time to eat healthy. If I can do it with my work schedule then anyone that works 9 to 5 can easily do it, no excuses.

You can follow my updates on Twitter about the latest on my book and up to date advice about nutrition and exercise. www.twitter.com/ProActiveCoach

Thanks for reading
Anthony

I don't know about you but 2008 was a year to remember for me and I hope it was for you too, I hope you achieved everything you set out to achieve and reached your goals.   Now we are at the start of a brand new year with new challenges and new goals to accomplish, if you are a new starter there is no better time to begin your journey.

When people talk to me about what they would like to achieve the conversation eventually turns to the perception they have on me, they assume I live this perfect existence and everything falls into place for me, well I'm afraid this couldn't be further from the truth.   I am just like anyone else, the only difference between my lifestyle and someone who wants to achieve any sort of body transformation goal is that I make different decisions and choose to eat healthy and exercise regularly.   From the moment we wake up each morning to when its time to go bed at night we all have the freedom of choosing which kind of lifestyle to lead.   Some people call this willpower, I don't like the way this word gets used in the diet and fitness arena, I think most of the time this expression can be used as an excuse because we associate willpower with effort, sweat and sacrifice.   We all have willpower; if you get out of bed on a morning and go to work you have willpower, choices on the other hand are easier if you ask me, it doesn't take any more effort to eat something healthy as it does something unhealthy.     

No one is responsible for the way you look but yourself, you can forget pushing the blame on someone else because it all comes back to you at the end of the day, you have a choice of which actions to take, that's what makes us human and different to other species on this planet.   Looking at the general population as it is right now I think it's a good job we don't have to rely on anyone else for the way we look, how many role models do we have in society?   Do you want to look like your politician, doctor, teacher or boss? Are these people specimens of good health and look like they could give you good advice?   It is up to you to look after yourself and take action to seek out the best advice and then apply it so you can look and feel your best.  

I will be launching my book soon; it is going to be available as a digital download.   Its not just another diet book with chunks of information, it's a 7-stage fat loss programme delivered in 7 different ebooks.   All the content is finished now, I am currently working on the designs followed by the website, watch this space its going to be awesome and I have a feeling it's going to be huge.   

Thanks for reading

Anthony

Last months newsletter about rest time in between sets has raised quite a few questions, top of the list was the query of why the rest was necessary especially if you didn't feel tired, you have to work up to a level so the intensity is high enough to warrant a rest, your heart rate and breathing should be racing, the rest period of 30 to 90 seconds should fly, as a matter of fact if you are training intense enough you will be cursing when you see the second hand approach the end of your rest time.  

Towards the end of your set your muscles should fail to move the resistance any further, if you are an inexperienced trainer it should be a rep or two short of failure for safety reasons, this will create intensity and a response to the work you are performing.   On the other hand stopping your set and being able to repeat it immediately would be a sign you are not training intense enough, this kind of training is a waste of time and is going to get you nowhere fast.   If you're not reaching failure or close to maximum failure then you need to increase the resistance or in some cases increase the time under tension and concentrate on the technique and tempo of each rep.   Multi joint exercises are more demanding and therefore the preferred choice when training like this.   Over the years and from the many hours training people with different goals, one thing sticks out above everything else in terms of achieving results in the quickest possible time, I have witnessed those who got gradually stronger dropped more body fat on average and were more likely not to quit and become frustrated with a lack of progress.  

Strength training has a stigma attached to it especially for women that it will bulk them up and make them lose their femininity, well this is just a myth, there are different approaches to strength training and they all create a massive metabolic response and burn more calories than your run of the mill gym routines if practised in a systematic way, bottom line is this, if you want to have low body fat levels aim to do some sort of progressive strength training with timed rest intervals and make sure you feed the workout with a clean balanced diet afterwards.

My new book or ebook for now at least is just about finished and is being launched online in January, in the meantime I thought I would answer a few questions that are being thrown my way.

What is the name of the book and briefly what is it about?

The name of the book is now going to be called '7 Habits for Fat Loss Every 10 Days'.   The clue is in the title, I take the reader step by step through each of the 7 habits that are necessary to achieve fat loss.   This is solely through nutrition and lifestyle means, there are no exercise programmes, the book is an exercise free zone.  

Each habit has got different chapters and instructions to follow, it is very hands on and all the information is easy to read and straightforward.   The habits equip the reader with the correct information and directions needed for fat loss in the shortest possible time and a review system every 10 days makes sure progression is being achieved, if the reader isn't achieving results every 10 days the book clearly outlines the procedures to follow for the next 10 days before the next review date.   I have done my best to make it feel like the reader has got a personal coach telling them what to do and give solutions.

Who is it for?

When I first started writing the book I wanted to write a fat loss book for anyone who had tried many approaches and failed to lose body fat and market it as 'the last diet to try before you quit', this still holds true but as time went on I wanted to make it more universal, in a nutshell it is a speedy way to lose fat so commitment is required until results are stable then a more relaxed approach can be adopted.   The populations that will get the most out of this book are the overweight, anyone who wants quick results with body transformation goals and anyone who wants better health.  

To break this down even more you will get results from this book if you are one of the following:

•  A yoyo dieter unable to achieve permanent weight loss

•  If you want to reach your ideal body weight

•  If you want to look your best

•  This book is the missing piece if you regularly workout and wondering why you still have too much fat in the wrong places

•  Looking for a convenient plan to follow if you lead a busy lifestyle and looking for advice and answers for fat loss

•  If you want to read a book written in an easy to digest language and bypass the build up of boring scientific jargon without missing the important take home message  

What is different about this diet book to the millions of others out there?

Hence the structure of the habits and chapters this is truly an implementation ebook with instructions of how to participate and take responsibility of all nutrition and lifestyle choices to get you to where you want to be.   The book starts off with mental preparation and scenarios with comparisons to common dieting problems, goal setting is then recommended so a road can be laid out for the journey ahead, many diet book overlook this, they usually just provide a plan to follow without considering personal circumstances.    

The best and most convenient ways of recording body composition is outlined from the start and a seven-day food diary is provided for the reader to complete in order to progress through the book, this will provide answers to the questionnaire so the tips and instructions to progress can be taken advantage of through each ten-day cycle of fat loss.   The book then explains which foods to eliminate and how to modify the diet by using easy and consistent methods that can be used even when you are not in control of your food preparation.   This is opposite to what the diet industry preaches because there are no calorie counting required with my book, and to go a step further I explain the secrets of fat loss and how to transform each meal so blood sugar levels stay balanced and help prevent fat storing hormones being released.                    

Different stressors that can lead to more fat are then discussed with lifestyle management advice.   The book winds up with details of how to plan each ten-day cycle of fat loss and review the 7 habits principles and the procedures required beyond and during every ten days thereafter to ensure continuous results.         

So you could say this book is different because it is a personal blueprint for fat loss that is unique for each individual case.   It's the next best thing to having a coach telling you what to do and is designed to offer continual results until goals are achieved.  

What results can be expected?  

The more you implement the diet the more results you will achieve and if you include regular exercise with it then you will obviously see even more of a return for your efforts.   It's not impossible to achieve the following:

Lose a dress size in less than 30 days

Reduce love handles, man boobs and belly fat in less than 30 days

Reach realistic goals in less than 90 days

Completely transform the way you look in less than 180 days

Not to mention more energy, better skin, better overall health and lower stress within days  

Thanks for reading and a healthy & merry Christmas to everyone!

Anthony

A new physiotherapist has moved into one of my treatment rooms next door to me and taken over from the previous one. His name is Mike Davis and his business is called Fitlife. To read more about what Fitlife can offer see the newspaper ad I’ve pasted below. (Courtesy of Barnsley Chronicle)

I mentioned last month I would reveal a great training tip I’ve started using myself, I keep my rest period between sets consistent and precise every workout, I don’t allow any leeway with the time I take. Using the clock to time and limit rest between sets and to time the workout is a highly effective way to help keep you on your toes, it is an excellent way to make you work harder and stay more focused during the workout because you don’t get time to think about anything else other than what’s coming next. How many of you who train alone can honestly say you train consistently every workout using the same variables as the last time? By using the clock every workout and making it your personal trainer or your third training partner you can be guaranteed what you do today can be compared to what you did previously.

It’s easy to implement this method into any training programme, anyone that does will soon discover new ground with intensity and see the difference it makes to overall results. For starters it makes the workout more challenging and throws in a cardio effect into the workout, the more intense and out of breath you are during a workout the more of a metabolic response you achieve. This is good news because this will produce more growth hormone resulting in potentially more fat loss and muscle gain.

It is also a great way to measure progress, have you ever wondered why some weeks you are stronger than others or less tired than the last time you did the same workout? There is a good chance that you had a longer rest between sets or circuits without even realising, even an extra 15 to 30 seconds can make a world of difference. Keeping the rest time consistent from workout to workout is one of the most accurate principles to use to measure true progress.

How long between sets or circuits should you rest? This depends what you are training for and what type of workout you are doing. I use 30 to 90 seconds depending on which muscle group I am working, I use non-competing supersets in all my workouts, and I sometimes have zero rest between supersets and a 90 second rest at the end of this type of superset before repeating. 90 seconds is my limit, even if I’m doing volume training and doing the same exercise for at least 6 sets, by the way I would only recommend using big multi joint exercises for volume training. For circuits I would recommend a limit of 120 seconds rest at the end of each circuit of 5-6 exercises. Experimenting with different times will help keep the workout fresh and stop your body from adapting to the same protocol.

A good way to ease yourself into this kind of training is to start with the maximum amount of rest between sets or circuits i.e. 120 seconds and knock 10 seconds off the rest time every workout until you are down to a 30 seconds rest. By the same token you can also time the duration of the workout and compare to see if it takes you longer or less time to do the same amount of volume as last time. If it takes you longer chances are you were taking a longer rest between each block of supersets or circuits.

The name for my ebook will be called ‘7 Habits for Fat Loss in 10 Days’ I’m working my socks off to get it done by the end of the year and putting everything else on hold until its completed, I have a long list of business ventures I can’t wait to get stuck into at the other side of this ebook. Writing this ebook is reminding me what I tell clients when they need to change their eating habits, I tell them to work on one thing at a time and not to worry about changing everything and doing everything at once, I advise against the all or nothing philosophy. Its all good and well saying you are doing loads of things but if you never achieve one thing you set out to change then you’re not progressing and getting any closer to your goal. This is in the same vein of what I was discussing in last months newsletter, setting goals and working on each one at a time and ticking them off as you go along, progression is the only way forward.

I will announce the name of the website you can find my ebook on as soon as it is confirmed, it will be for sale in US Dollars because that is the international currency of the internet and from the research I’ve done 80% of the sales will probably be from the American market anyway.

Thanks for reading
Anthony

MIKE Davis taught P.E. at Darton High School for 5 years, before re-training as a Physiotherapist.
After working at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, he moved to Lincolnshire where he worked at Spalding Utd. F.C.
Mike has also worked in private practice for a couple of years and has opened his own clinic at Maple House, Stocks Lane Ind. Estate; in a premises formerly known as Physiofit. His professional expertise is based in treatment, rehabilitation and prevention techniques, both with musculoskeletal conditions and sports injuries.

Pictured outside his new premises with (left to right)
Anthony Chapman of Pro Active Studio, Claire Ellis-
Trott of Eve’s Place of Beauty
and Mike Davis of Fitlife.

All businesses located within Maple House


Could Physiotherapy
Help You?
• Back/Neck Pain?
• Sports Injuries?
• Post Op Rehabilitation?
• Arthritis?
• Overuse Injuries?
• Niggles that won’t go away?

… FITLIFE Physiotherapy will get you back on track!
Clinic is now open for appointments
Book your appointment today…
For further information contact: Mike
M: 07828580214 or
E: mike@fit-life.co.uk
Maple House, Stocks Lane Ind. Est. Barnsley S75 2BL

Only 3 months to go of 2008 and what a year it has been, what kind of year has it been for you?   Have you reached your goals?   Did you set any?   If you haven't followed any kind of plan then you will probably have to guess what improvements you have made if any at all.   This is the difference between having a goal and following the steps necessary to achieve it versus just turning up at the gym and randomly hitting different machines for a certain amount of time until you feel like you've had a good workout.    

Record keeping is the secret to achieving results, how else can you tell if you are making true progress?   I'm not just talking exercise, I mean keeping a journal of everything you eat and drink too.   Have you ever written down everything you have eaten over seven days?   If you have never thought of keeping a food diary then I urge you to try it and you will probably be shocked by what you see, also do the same with the kind of exercises you do and the volume of your workouts, not forgetting body measurements.   What's the point of this I hear some of you say?   It tells you a story about yourself and builds a picture of what you may be doing wrong and most importantly if it is working or not.   It's a successful system to use to set new goals to the areas that need attention.     

If your results have stalled then its time to change something, this could be something in your diet or something in your exercise programme.   How many people do this?   Not many, people are happy to continue doing the same thing over and over again in the hope of one day it will work for them and they will be suddenly transformed.   I'm afraid this doesn't work and never has done for anyone so why should it for you?  

Record keeping allows you to monitor what works and what doesn't work for you simple as that.   You can eliminate and add foods and exercises; one at a time if preferred and see what impact it has on you.   Record keeping isn't just about writing down everything you do- it should also be a diary of comments too about reactions you experience to different foods and exercise.   This kind of behaviour will set you up for success and allow you to constantly move forward towards your goals.  

If you are reading this and saying I haven't got any goals, 'I just workout because I enjoy it', then I don't believe you.   Everyone exercises or goes to the gym for a reason.   Even if you are training to cling on to youthfulness or maintain the shape and size of your current look, they are all goals and need careful monitoring to make sure you stay on track.

Remember that progression is the key and having the luxury of knowing all the details about your diet, body composition, lifestyle and exercise routine in front of you is the first thing you should look at when things aren't happening for you.   Your individual blueprint holds the answer to your lack of progress.   Obviously most of you that reach this point may not have the knowledge to advance beyond the stumbling block that is holding you back.   This is where a personal trainer can come in useful and assist you in the direction of where you want to be, and if you have kept records this will make it a quicker and easier process because your individual blueprint is available for inspection.    

This has been the quickest newsletter I've ever written but also one of the most important, it's been a nice break from writing my book; I'm currently slaving away on a chapter called " Don't let material possessions or your friends hold you back".   By the time you are reading this I should be half way through it and hoping to get it finished by the end of this year.  

Next month I will talk about the one thing I changed in my workouts this year that has transformed my workouts, this one variable has had the most impact on my training and the way I look than anything else I have ever tried (exercise wise), and it can be related to the record-keeping concept I've discussed above.   Look out for part 2 of 'what you should know about protein' coming soon.   I will be writing about evolutionary eating habits and uncovering some important information about soy, I will also attempt to weigh up the pros and cons of a vegetarian diet versus a non-vegetarian diet.             

Thanks for reading

Anthony  

Just like the majority of the population I used to eat processed foods and sometimes substitute real food for convenience foods.   More crucially, I wasn't fully aware what I was eating and paid little attention to the ingredient list on the back of packets.   I would turn a blind eye to the different additives and artificial ingredients I was eating, not to mention the bad fats that I didn't even know existed.   I would gravitate towards low fat varieties of food not knowing that these foods had little nutritional benefit.   Years of trial and error and information searching has led me to a place I never thought I would be in or need to be in for that matter.   Like other exercise enthusiasts I thought exercise would wave its magic wand and enable me to reach my goals whilst feasting on whatever I wanted.    I wasted years eating a certain way thinking I was in the zone and on the right path to reach my goals.   I didn't know then what I know now about nutrition and the role it plays controlling hormones and the influence it has on health and the way we look.    Nutrition was definitely the final hurdle I crossed after realising I had to clean it up or accept limited results at best, it doesn't matter if you train harder than the next person or have been training longer, the type of food you eat has a quicker impact on your waistline and your results than exercise does.   Our biochemistry always acts accordingly to the food and drink we consume.   If you don't believe me just look in any gym and see the members on treadmills trying to lose weight trying to reverse the effects of eating the wrong calories.   Go back a year later and see how much weight they have lost, some will have probably put weight on, the wrong type of calories and the wrong type of exercise programmes are the most common reasons why people fail to achieve results.  

It takes time to change eating habits and it is rarely done rapidly and smoothly, especially if it's long lived results you are after.   To change from eating processed foods to at least 80% natural whole food takes commitment and a desire to change.   If you want something bad enough something inside you will force you to change.   This is when a structured plan needs to be in place to make sure the goal is achieved.   These two issues are paramount to success, a will to change and a plan to follow.                  

I cringe whenever I see the recommendations of popular diets and the eating guidelines diet clubs get their members following.   The difference between my guidelines and the ones offered with commercial diets are that I advocate building health at the same time as losing what you shouldn't have and building what you should have.   With my way it is easier to maintain a balance once you reach your goal, in other words the fat stays off.   All you have to do is apply what you are told to do and it works, simple as that.      

My next goal I am planning to achieve after I finish my ebook is to set up a fat loss and exercise club that is different to the rest.   Not only will it be better value than the other weight loss clubs but will also devote equal amount of attention to exercise and be designed to suit different lifestyles.   Watch this space.

If you remind yourself that convenience food is likely to be junk food and begin to change your mindset overtime and ignore the hype you will take giant leaps forward; the marketing teams behind everyday brands do a great job of making processed foods appear healthy even though they are laden with sugar, preservatives and additives.   There is currently an advertisement on the telly with a famous Olympic gold medal winner endorsing a particular brand of high sugar breakfast cereals and making it appear that they are a good choice for breakfast.   We have been brainwashed and fed nonsense by advertisers for years and there is no wonder obesity numbers are skyrocketing.          

There's no surprise people are confused and haven't got a clue what is healthy anymore, healthy heart logos and slogans plastered over processed food and a world-class athlete telling you its ok to eat is bound to fool anyone.   Most of the population is carbohydrate resistant and prone to gain weight when consuming high carbohydrate diets, especially high-refined carbohydrates you find in breakfast cereals.   This kind of diet with little protein is common and the main reason why there are a lot of overweight people about, just by eating a low amount of calories from certain carbohydrate foods can reak havoc with weight loss goals and make it harder to shift stubborn body fat.   My advice is this, be aware of what you are eating and check the labels if unsure.   The quickest way to weight loss and looking lean for most people is to drop the traditional breakfast cereals and swap them for a protein rich breakfast instead.   I find it interesting that the grains used in traditional breakfast cereals 'the ones that are supposed to be healthy' and make up a large part of the government's recommended daily intake of foods are the same grains that are fed to cattle to fatten them up ready for market.   It's absurd but absolutely true.         

I may sound obsessed to some people about the importance of food but the health benefits are considerable when certain types of foods are eliminated from the diet.   People often forget that exercise alone isn't enough to look your best; I should know I've witnessed it many times.   Exercise cannot reverse the effects of eating the wrong types of calories that lead to fat storage whilst you continue to eat them.   If you are overweight you need to learn what you need to eat to prevent storing calories into fat cells every time you eat.   I can coach you how to prevent this from happening.   At minimum you should be eating healthy and the right way 80% of the time especially if you are serious about changing the way you want to look.   It is always down to the individual to make his or her mind up of how much dedication they are willing to give to their goal.   A couple of reasons personal training appointments are so crucial is because they not only direct you on the right path with the right exercise and eating selection but they also ensure commitment stays flowing, this is because booking regular appointments means less chance of missing workouts and less chance of results grinding to a halt because of continual support.              

My ebook is going to outline how to get the body shape you want by using proven coaching techniques for eating the right food for your body and how to exercise properly to get results.   The more I get done with the book the more enthusiastic I am about spreading the word and helping people save years of trial and error.   I'm filling the pages with loads of advice and already getting interest about it from emails from people.   If there is anything you would like to see answered in the book drop me an email and I will do my best to cover it in the book.

Don't forget to check out this months article about what you should know about protein, limited time has meant I've had to write it in two parts.         

Thanks for reading

Anthony