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The Best Way to achieve a Transformation

When it comes to transforming how you look : be it dropping bodyfat, losing weight or wanting to look good naked. A lot of people are looking for that magic formula : the best nutrition protocol, the best training program or the best type of exercise (they all have their benefits).

The unfortunate thing about achieving any transformation is :

It’s not about training and nutrition (although they do count for a lot).

It’s not about sleep and stress (same as above).

It’s not about doing a keto-diet

It’s not about fasting

It’s not about attaching yourself to a particular method or regime.

There’s one overriding factor behind every transformation or success.

Mindset The key to any successful transformation (in my opinion) all starts with our mindset. The ability to put yourself in the right frame of mind has a significant impact behind every decision that we make. Our mindset is arguably our most powerful tool, which can defy what we thought was ever possible and go beyond it. I truly believe that if you have a strong mindset from the outset, you will go further than those that do not. 

Telling yourself Yes when you want to say No is what separates the winners from the losers and then all the training, nutrition, stress management will fall into place like a good old game of Tetris! As simple as this may sound to get in the right mindset, it’s not always the case.

Putting yourself in a positive mindset is not always an easy task. 

There will be days where it’s easier/harder than others but you have to keep plugging away.

This might have to be a case of removing parts of your environment that have a negative influence on you (friends, work, relationships, alcohol, drugs). If you feel your environment is causing a destructive path, things will need to be adapted to achieve the sought-after transformation and build a strong body, mind and spirit.

Here are some simple take homes to achieve a transformation :

Build a strong mindset from the beginning

Set yourself up for success (meal prepping, training, quality sleep, stress management, positive thinking)

Remove any negative influences

Block out time in your calendar to prioritise these healthier decisions 

Make a set of daily and weekly tasks to achieve and tick them off

Be accountable to yourself (or hire a PT :-P).

Coming from a competitive sporting background, has certainly influenced how I view challenges, tasks and goals but if you’re wanting to take it to the next level, do as I’ve said above and you will go far.

Happy Monday,

Olie Moore

Fitness Professional (PT/Coach/Sadist!).

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The Truth Behind Carbohydrates

Long-term they’ve been victimised for causing “weight gain” or making people “fat” but is this actually true? Let’s delve a little deeper…

When we look at Carbohydrates on a basic level, they are an essential energy source (fuel) that our body requires to keep us active, energised and moving throughout the day. They are one of three macronutrients (alongside Protein and Fats).

On a long-term basis without them in our eating habits : it can cause negate health effects on how we perform day-to-day. For this reason, it’s not optimal for most people to go on a completely low-carb diet, although some will feel absolutely fine doing this.

So why do Carbs get a bad rap? One reason why I think there is a misconception behind Carbs, is that when people cut out Carbohydrates out of their diet, they start losing weight and thus blame Carbs for making them put on weight in this first place.

Let me explain the two reasons for why this may happen :

1.       From cutting out carbohydrates, they’ve significantly reduced the total amount of calorie intake on a day-to-day basis. ie they’ve stopped eating bread, pasta and rice (which can be heavy on the calorie front).

2.       On a short term basis, they’ve actually reduced the amount of water they produce, which is indicated via scale weight.

Did you know? That typically for every gram of carbohydrate we consume, our body can produce up to three grams of water. This therefore doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ve put on more weight, but we are indeed carrying more water and potentially more water retention. If you’ve ever had a high carb meal (like a pizza and ice cream) in the evening and then weighed yourself the next morning, you will know what I mean.

On the flipside, if you are to go low-carb, you may appear lighter on the scales and this may be down to the fact that our bodies are carrying less water, not necessarily meaning actual fat loss. Successful fat loss occurs over a number of weeks or months, not over a couple of days.

If you are putting on weight over a sustained period, it’s highly likely you’re overeating on the total amount of calories that your body requires to maintain or drop it’s current weight.

Ultimately it’s about our total calorie consumption over the course of a week, not down to a particular macronutrient.

Pro tip : Don’t be fooled to think that carbs are causing the issue but look to address how much you putting in your mouths each day.

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My Latest Transformation : Walking the talk

Here is my own short transformation, detailed from the past 14-15 weeks where I was able to get in the best shape of my life.

Bodyfat Drop : 6% / Weight Loss : 30 lb

What was the goal? 

To drop bodyfat, lose weight and look in my best condition for a photo shoot booked with Simon Howard.

Why? To show clients, friends, family, what can be done to take myself to the next level of achieving of a transformation over a period of time. I also wanted to install some added focus and accountability to my own training and nutrition, which is why I hired my own coach James Sutton (who was fantastic throughout), who gave me his expertise and valid experience in how to achieve this and we made tweaks week by week. I believe it’s also important as a coach to prove that I can walk the talk, versus just talking it. It’s very easy to talk about something without having the experience of applying it. That in itself, is missing in large part from a lot of PT’s out there who preach a certain lifestyle to clients, but don’t actually ever practice it themselves, which I believe to be highly contradictory. The Process 

Throughout the course of 12 weeks , I weight trained 5 times a week on a progressive program set by James and alternated between lower and high calorie days on training and non-training days throughout the week. Was this a physically demanding task that pushed my body and mind? You bet! But one that was certainly rewarding and I feel good inside and out for it.

Details 

5 Weight Training sessions a week (hitting each main muscle group twice a week)

15-17,000 Steps per day

High Protein diet

Consistent Caloric Deficit (pivotal for fat loss)

One thing worth noting throughout the 12 weeks : Not one workout was missed.

Consistency trumps all

If you’re wanting to change how you look, one great day of training or one great day of eating won’t serve you, but consistently having good weeks of training and nutrition, along side better management of stress and sleep is what it takes to see change.

I also made a conscious effort to enjoy the process and not be fixated on the outcome, this was a huge barrier to overcome which has been a previous struggle in the past with other challenges I’ve set myself.

Mindset 

Another obstacle that will see the real winners vs the losers is getting yourself in the right frame of mind and having a positive mindset. From playing competitive sport from a young age, this has quite often spurred me on to relish the opportunity of a fresh challenge.

If you want to be successful with anything you do, having a forward-thinking growth mindset will do absolute wonders. Looking at the positives from a potentially negative situation and working on positive reaffirmation have really helped me with large aspects of my work and personal relationships.

Doing the Work 

Was this easy work? It certainly wasn’t. My work schedule can involve very early starts and late finishes, which can cause fatigue in multiple bouts and be especially taxing when depleting energy (fat loss) over several weeks. I did feel tired, energy had slumped and was having to dig deep at times, but this also made me reaffirm the focus and persistence with the goal in mind to get in great shape and keep at it.

How did I manage the demands of fat loss, alongside a busy work schedule?

This was managed through a real commitment and spending time/energy on my well-being. This meant spending more time stretching, breathing, meditating and getting to bed as early as I could every night. This meant 5-10 mins of stretching, deep breathing patterns and in bed by 21:15 (like an old boy!).

This made a HUGE difference to my stress levels, recovery, energy, mood, hunger and benefited the demands of this particular fat loss phase which can be mentally and physically exhausting. If you’re constantly fatigued or stressed, I would look to see if you’re implementing any of the methods I’ve listed above to help get out of that.

How has this helped me as a Personal Trainer?

Most definitely. It’s helped me become a much better coach as I have acquired a high level of empathy with clients. I am much better equipped to understand the psychological barriers that might arise, and I really know what it’s like to sympathise and give the right advise with clients going through their own struggles with their own health and fitness journeys, where times will get tough.

Take Home Points 

Be consistent

Have a positive mindset

Manage your stress

Go to bed early!

Be empathetic with others

Set yourself up for the win!

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Eating Out Whilst trying to get in shape or “dieting”.

Probably the hardest aspect of dieting is eating out 🍔🍟 It creates uncertainty with hidden ingredients and it’s difficult to control portion size. If you can’t avoid it, check out our top tips for keeping on track while eating out 👇🏼 . Plan in advance: Choose your restaurant and scout out the menu 👀 Safe options include sushi restaurants 🍣🍱 (if sashimi is offered) or anywhere that will serve lean steak cuts (they nearly always list the portion size) or grilled chicken 🍗 (a certain grilled chicken chain has a variety of high- and low carb options and choices of cut). . Avoid extras: Those additional calories add up! Ask to leave the sauce and any butters, oils, etc. At 9 calories per gram, additional fats can easily add 100-200 calories to a meal 🚫 . Practice portion control: Use your hands to estimate! 👋 For men, aim for a protein source that covers two palms ✋🏼✋🏼🥩, two fists of green vegetables 👊🏻👊🏻 🥦 and two thumbs of fat 👍🏼👍🏼 🥑. For women, go for one palm-sized portion of protein ✋🏼🥩, two fists of vegetables 👊🏻👊🏻🥦 and one thumb-sized portion of fat 👍🏼🥑. . Don’t trust the menu: 📖 Many restaurants give calories and macros on menus. While this gives you an idea of what you’re eating, companies are not legally required to provide 💯 accurate data, which can vary by 100 calories in either direction. Use it as a guide but don’t take it as gospel! . Over-estimate: As eating out is unpredictable, always over-estimate your intake while eating out. As a general rule, count one meal out as two home-cooked meals. If you eat out a lot, you’re likely to miss precious micronutrients and highly satiating volumous food so keep eating out to unavoidable occasions 👍🏼 . Find other activities: 🚶🏻‍♀️🧗🏽‍♀️🏄🏼‍♀️For many, eating out is a way of spending time with the family or socialising. Use this as an opportunity to find new ways of interacting with friends and family. Host a dinner party where you can cook a diet-friendly meal and they’ll be none the wiser 👩🏼‍🍳. If you always eat out with your partner, why not try a new fitness class together or get them on board with your steps? Let me know your thoughts.

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Understanding Habits & Behaviours

When it comes to changing how you look and feel, it's typical that people will often say "I want to do this" or "I want to drop that".

Now there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to do this sort of thing, but what I think is important is understanding behaviours on a conscious and sub-subconscious level. Here I list  three main fundamentals 

Why, Where and How. 

This I hope, will give you a better understanding of how to transform your body, mind and lifestyle and also how to maintain it.

1. WHY. What is your WHY?

Implementing a big reason as to why it is you want to change is imperative. Why is it that you want to change? Is it for health reasons? It is to play around with your kids? Is it to feel more confident in yourself? It is to good look naked? All valid whys and putting together a strong case for why it is you want to embark on your journey will make a lot of difference and something you can refer back to if you're lacking in motivation.

2. WHERE.  Where did it go wrong?

If you look back over the years and see old photo's and think "I wish I looked like that" or "those were the days", it's not a case of those days will never return, but it's important to understand what you have done previously to get to the point where you are now. Was it being too lazy? Letting work get the better of you? Slacking off the gym? No structure or planning? Bad relationships? Bad environment through family, friends, work? Hated your boyfriend? All these things can culminate in behaviours that might have a negative impact on the environment you surround yourself in. Think about what has happened in the past that might have played an influence on where you are today and how you can move forward.

3. HOW HOW are you going to go about transformation how you look?

One thing I would recommend is setting out a plan of what is you can do currently and it is sustainable. This could be as simple as :

prepping your lunches for work

training three times 

hitting 70k steps each week. 

If you set out a plan of how you're going to do it, it's more likely you'll be able to actually achieve goals/targets.

Going in with a no plan, no structure and not monitoring progress is where I believe a lot of people give up and revert to destructive habits, especially this time of year.

If you apply all three of these pointers, I can guarantee you'll be setting yourself for success in the formidable future. One more thing : do the things you enjoy, work hard and be happy. 

Hit me back if you've got any further questions. Happy Wednesday!

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A NEAT WAY TO GET LEANER, ESPECIALLY OVER XMAS

When it comes to fat loss, one fundamental part of the process is to increase your energy expenditure.  While exercise (both cardio and weight lifting) is essential for fat loss, there is one other less known, albeit important, component of total daily energy expenditure that could be the missing link in your fat loss endeavor.  Enter NEAT… NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis (or non-exercise activity energy expenditure). NEAT is the energy expenditure induced by non-exercise bodily movements in daily life ie. daily steps, movement, fidgeting. Why this is essential? Because it gets you to burn a load of additional calories on top of your normal routine.

Exercise alone roughly accounts for 15% of your daily activity, whereas with NEAT you’re looking at 60-65%. Take home point : the more NEAT you do, the more you'll burn and this is why it'll aid massively in the pursuit of fat loss and getting lean. 

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How to Survive the Xmas Binge

If you’re one that’s slightly concerned about the amount you’ll be eating over the Christmas period, this post should help you out to stay on track and not fall too far behind with the expected over indulgences with friends and family. It’s important to spend times with loved ones, however you can still stay on top of your eating/drinking habits and be social at the same time.

If you’re one that is not too bothered, this will still come in handy with the methods that can be applied all year round to use as and when.

Here are six pointers to help you survive the Xmas Binge : 1. Eat healthily most of the time - this can be as simple as employing a 80/20 rule where for 80% of your eating habits are focused on what you would normally eat and the other 20, is devour whatever you see fit. This will help a decent balance and maintain what you have going forward. 2 . Mind your portion sizes - Where a lot of people go wrong over Christmas, is absolutely ramming their plates full of food which can put them in a position where they feel uncomfortable/sick. One way to combat this is to eat until you’re satisfied, not stuffed. That way you might have only eaten a couple of hundred calories over, rather than a thousand. 3. Eat what you love - This may sound strange to some but with food and drink, it’s an occasion where it’s good for us to enjoy what we’re consuming and enjoy the company you surround yourself with. If you love having Christmas Pudding, have Christmas Pudding - just don’t have an absurd amount of it. 4. Limit your liquid calories - A lot of people are unaware of how many calories are in beverages (mainly alcohol) and how that can sneak up on you with the amount of calories that you can consume in a day. Did you know that three large glasses of red wine could be 660 calories? Another factor is that if you have consumed far too much alcohol, this will usually proceed with a binge in takeaways, fast food and pigging out on food that you wished you hadn’t and before you know it you’ve smashed out 3000 calories.

5. Keep your exercise routine - It’s common for people to slack off their exercise completely over the festive period. One thing I would suggest is don’t do this for two reasons : 1. You’ll compensate more of the over indulgence by factoring in the exercise and 2. You’ll feel much better for it 6. Drop the guilt - This is arguably the most important part of the whole post as it’s guilt and resentment that leads to unhealthy relationships/behaviours with food and drink. If after reading all of the previous pointers you’ve still over done it. don’t worry. Get back on the band-wagon, eat a little less the next day and add in some extra exercise. One day of overeating isn’t going to make a big difference in the grand scheme of things, however 7-10 days of it will. Remember that.

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5 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me : A Light Read

Thought I’d share some things with you that has nothing to do with health and fitness, just for shits and giggles. And some things may surprise some of you, who knows! 1. I played Badminton at a highly competitive level in my younger years - a big regret of mine was quitting the sport (at age 12) that I took up from the age of 7 and I later found out my coach informed my Dad I had prospects of becoming a Team GB Athlete (gutted). 

2. Whilst backpacking the globe, I scuba dived the Great Barrier Reef and saw a 2 metre in length Turtle called Brian, he was 116 years old! - I also swam with reef sharks, sting rays and saw nemo - incredible experience.

3. I’ve sky dived three times in my life - I’m a bit of an extreme sport enthusiast and love doing things that make me feel uncomfortable. My first skydive was in New Zealand and it was the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done! I plan to do lots more in the future.

4. Whilst living in student accommodation, I water-bombed an innocent Traffic Warden walking by and absolutely soaked him, I’m sure to this day he’ll never know who did it and why. It was a hot day and would have cooled him down though!

5. I served Paul McCartney - it’s not very often I get excited when seeing celebrities, but while working part-time at a Tesco in Hove, Paul strolled up to my till and purchased his shopping, I was in complete awe as I’m a huge Beatles fan and respect him as an artist and see him as a proper legend in the music industry. 

There you go!  @kickstartultimatetraining

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A Quick Word On Balance : Kickstart Ultimate Training

Looking back to when I first started as a Personal Trainer (4 years ago), there is NO WAY I would have posted an image like the one shown above, as I would have feared being looked down upon by peers, clients, friends and family. And this would yield negative opinions towards myself as a Fitness Professional and perhaps even diminish my integrity as a trainer (as sad as it sounds).

I believe there is a stereotype with Personal Trainers where some feel they need to project a certain lifestyle and almost be seen as an “elite” where eating healthily, not socialising and virtually living a life as a monk is apparent to the public eye just to be seen in “great shape”. The reality is a lot of PT’s will be lying and portraying a certain lifestyle which isn’t them. Now if you do live that way all year round (fair play to you), but the likelihood is you’ll be putting yourself in a position where choices become very much restricted, unsocial and generally living a lifestyle which is unsustainable, and ultimately you won’t be happy with yourself. With regards to my own lifestyle, if I did live this way my physique would resemble a Greek God! However I know that deep down I would be unhappy and I have a training and nutrition set-up I am pleased with.

Now where I may differ to some is I like to do all the things we enjoy as social beings (alcohol, takeaways, nights out, chocolate), but I don’t do this to excess and limit these occasions to moderation and I won’t feel guilty if I do overindulge (key to the people all smash their bodies at the weekend).

Take home point : 

Do the things you enjoy (if it’s something you know is bad for your health, don’t do too much of it)

Generally live an active and healthy lifestyle -  80/20 split

Eat/drink in moderation

Spend time with loved ones

FYI I’m drinking a Gin Cocktail at Brighton Pride and it was lovely!  @kickstartultimatetraining

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Are you Crushing or Cruising through your Day?

I was having an interesting conversation with my client recently and we were discussing the effort that people put in when they're training in the gym. From observing how people train, there’s certainly a divide between how hard people are willing to work and what some will see as “comfortable” or “hard work” when they exercise. Now this isn’t to blast some of you and say you should be going out, full guns blazing every time you enter your workout, however it’s certainly evident from what I’ve experienced that people could be doing a little bit more, or stepping it up a notch with their workouts (at least for 70/80% of the time throughout a week).

I certainly believe that pushing your body to it’s limits, getting a good sweat on and knowing you gave your best go for that day, will go a long way in self-satisfaction and having the empowerment of getting stronger, fitter and healthier each day.  With this way of pushing yourself, I certainly think this can transition into all forms of our lives - whether that be through business, friendships, nutrition and this has a knock-on effect to a positive mindset towards all that consume our lives on a daily basis (This is something I try to coach with my clients).

Ask yourself this question. 

Are you Crushing or Cruising throughout your Day?  Hit me back with any response if you feel this has helped at all, or if you disagree.  Olie,

@kickstartultimatetraining

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Fat Loss Vs Muscle Gain. - - Manipulating your body composition. - - - I used to be that guy that could never put weight on, no matter what I ate and would come back from holiday having lost 3/4 kilos, despite eating utter rubbish and performing minimal exercise. - - - I now realise years later that I was under-consuming the amount of calories that my body requires for packing on muscle and size. - - The beauty of this is once you can figure out how much your body needs, it's a simple task of manipulating your calorie intake and energy expenditure to align with set body composition goals. It's also a case of tracking your intake to make sure you're eating the amount you should be (key). - - Here I demonstrate how I put myself in a deficit to get leaner (78 kilos) and then upped my calorie intake (calorie surplus) to gain muscle (88). - - PS @matthewbept loves being cut out of this shot hahaha - @kickstartultimatetraining (at Fitnessfirst Brighton)

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When it comes to Nutrition, I completely understand that it can be a confusing topic for most, with an array of conflicting and usually incorrect information being pumped out to consumers through the media. - - To try and make this as simple as possible, I think it's useful to separate foods into two categories : - - 1. Nutrient dense foods - ie foods that have a vast amount of nutrition within in them and fill you up. - and - - 2. Calorie dense foods with little satiety : ie foods that are higher in calories, which won't fill you up and tend to have a limited amount of macronutrients, vitamins, minerals (alcohol, chocolates, pastries for example). - - Now I imagine that everyone will know what's good and what is bad for them when it comes to eating, however it's what we choose to stick in our mouths on a regular basis that determines our weight, bodyfat and how we look and perform each day. - - One approach I like to employ is an 80/20 split of nutrient dense, "real foods" and the remaining 20% will be things I enjoy, ie chocolates, sweets etc. - - For me, this gives a perfect balance between eating the real stuff which keeps me full, energised and helps me perform in the gym and maintain my current physique. And the treats are an added bonus for the things I enjoy and for sanity. - - Unless you're a robot, eating supposed "clean foods" all day, every day will not last long-term so providing yourself with treats in MODERATION is key, especially if you have a body composition goal, whether that be getting leaner for a summer holiday or dropping weight for an upcoming event. - - The take home point is anything can be bad for you if you have too much of it, so employ what I've stated above, eat to moderation and enjoy a good work/life balance. (at Kickstart Ultimate Training)

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Every coach should have a coach. - - I have to give a big shout out to @bmpersonaltraining for the nine weeks of dieting I successfully endured. The guidance, accountability, patience and self belief he has installed in me have all been second to none.  - - It was at times a real test of willpower, strength and full empathy goes out to clients who go through this on a daily basis. Going through a fat loss or weight loss journey is putting your body in a position it doesn't really want to be in, so you really have to dig deep and push past those initial barriers. - - One thing I will say is it's my aim as a fitness professional and person to continually improve how operate as a human and never be one to put myself on a pedestal and assume I know more than I do. I believe we're all here to learn more and do better. - - I also think there are too many Personal Trainers who don't really understand what it's like to push yourself to that next level, be in an comfortable place and challenge your beliefs. - - To all trainers, ask yourself this >> If you're going to get someone to restrict their calories and work harder than they ever have before, how can you empathise with them and offer real guidance if you've never done it yourself?   @kickstartultimatetraining @ffbrighton 📷 @emilyjvisuals (at Kickstart Ultimate Training)

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Four Simple Steps to get Results with @kickstartultimatetraining

Want Results? Here is a trusted four-step formula I’ve put together to help you along your journeys, whatever they may be. #KSUT

First up

1. Intensity  Are you putting in enough each session to say you've gave it your all when you worked out today? I see many people doing mediocre workouts, which quite frankly transitions into mediocre performance and results. This doesn't mean obliterating yourself to a point where you can't walk for five days (counter productive for NEAT), but upping the quality and intensifying your sessions week in, week out to ultimately seek results (which deep down is what we all want).

Second up

2. Planning Ahead Are you putting in enough preparation for the week ahead in terms of meals prepped, getting your training in, 7-8 hours of good sleep and hitting those all important daily steps. If changing how you look is important to you, forward planning is absolutely crucial for achieving results.  If you're an especially busy person, make the time to allocate preparation and good planning for health, training and your business. Leaving things until the last minute will not do you any favours. Prioritise time for health and well-being.

3. Nailing the Basics  A lot of people stroll through their workouts, shifting every few weeks from one programme to another, just because they fancy a "change".  When it comes to body composition, I believe it’s important to have a blend of the staple strength movements such as a press, pull, hip-hinge and some form of metabolic conditioning thrown in for good measure. This will get your body to respond well metabolically, get you and strong and move in a variety of different ways. Work to get strong at these, ruthlessly work on engaging your muscles to the best you can and STICK with them. No one has ever got in an amazing shape, doing a random workout each week, remember that. 4. No Excuses From going the best part of 9 weeks of aggressive dieting, when it comes to achievements and success, I truly believe if you want something enough, you will work hard enough to achieve it. You need to ask yourself how much are you willing to do and how hard are you willing to work for it. When it comes to seeking change, you HAVE to be honest and upfront with where you are, where you want to be and putting excuses aside. Make yourself accountable and implement a good support network of friends and family. This doesn't necessarily mean living life as a monk, but there will be an element of sacrifice if you're looking to get leaner, build muscle or drop weight. If going out and getting trashed every weekend is more your thing, no worries. But don’t expect to get the results you want and feel more confident inside and out. 

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My 63 Day Challenge to getting Lean

  So here it is - my 63 day, 9 week or 1512 hours (sounds torturous does’t it?) journey compiled into a few before and after photographs. The reason I wanted to share this with you all is to express my experiences with how I coped with the highs and lows of aggressive dieting. 

Before embarking on this process, I made myself a clear goal which was to get as lean as I could in a specific time-frame. In this particular case 8-9 weeks. What was the reason for this? A few to mention, one mainly being so I could empathise with clients going through the struggles of restricting calorie intake, saying no when you want to say yes and taking myself into an uncomfortable position. I actually believe it's good for us to get comfortable being uncomfortable... occasionally of course!

I feel as a coach, many people would be comfortable to settle (or easy) and not challenge their beliefs, willpower and test of character, and I feel I in hindsight I definitely have managed to challenge all three. The second was to also set myself a fairly big challenge and being my sporty and competitive self, I wanted to push my boundaries into getting in my best ever shape. How did I do this? Firstly I did my research on hiring my own coach to keep me accountable and progressively challenge me. I found a great online one in Ben Mulamehic. Ive followed Ben for a while and we share similar training philosophies, ideals and I was certainly impressed by his previous results, so couldn't wait to get started with him. One added benefit of being a PT and being coached is I've learnt a lot from Ben through his methodologies which I have taken onboard with my own clients. Where I think I also succeeded was I wanted to make the most out of the investment in his services to get the best return and this made it a lot more serious to hone in on my goals and achieve them. Ben was superb throughout and I thank him for his diligent, calm and collective manner. I certainly hold him in high regard as a fitness professional and class him as friend too. After hiring Ben, I also set a clear structure and prioritsed how I was going to fit in the transformation around a busy work schedule with early starts and late finishes. This was not by any means a walk in the park and there were times where I was up at 04:45 in the morning, finishing work at 8pm on little energy and virtually hitting a 50/55 hour working week -  A true test of ones willpower and self-belief for sure! Now some of you may be thinking "yeah sure, easy for you as a PT. I just don't have to time or effort to complete something like that and you must have been super restrictive and had no life". What I will tell you is that throughout the 63 days I ate and drank the following : - 

Easter egg

Chocolate cake

Takeaway Curry

Bread 

Fry Ups

Alcohol

Sweets

What is absolutely crucial here is all of the things mentioned above were eaten in moderation, ie I didn't stuff my face or binge out with them and had them as treats when I saw fit. Too often people are uber restrictive when it comes to dieting and by rewarding myself with small treats, this helped keep me sane and enjoy the luxuries we get from having the foods and drinks we enjoy. This doesn't necessarily mean things were easy by any means (felt awful at times) and I was certainly finishing meals thinking I could have eaten triple there, but it also made me realise how easy it is to over-eat and how the simple task of portion control can leave you satisfied and not in a food coma, which we know a lot of us do too often. This also makes me see understand how we have an obesity epidermic world-wide with the vast amount of processed crap readily available at our disposal. With my sole goal to get lean on my agenda, it was also a balancing act between managing my work load, socialising with friends and living with my girlfriend - Hannah I owe you a debt of gratitude for putting up with my dieting ways, my hat goes off to you! Hopefully I wasn't too much of a pain in the arse!

What tips could I suggest?

Eating plenty of vegetables in volume helped keep me full, swapping out lattes for black americanos, salmon for turkey and sweetener for sugar were ideal diets which worked a treat and helped maintain my caloric deficit and keep hunger at bay as much as possible.

No doubt this particular process tested my limits both physically and mentally. Hunger and energy depletion were certainly prevalent, however I believe I managed to come out on the other side with a big smile on my face and I hope this can inspire some of you to do that little bit more, put the graft in and transform your body, mind and soul like I did.

[kickstartultimatetraining]

Nutrition Principles with #KSUT

When it comes to Nutrition, I completely understand that it can be a confusing topic for most, with an array of conflicting and usually incorrect information being pumped out to consumers through the media. To try and make this as simple as possible, I think it's useful to separate foods into two categories : 1. Nutrient dense foods - ie foods that have a vast amount of nutrition within in them and fill you up. and..... 2. Calorie dense foods with little satiety : ie foods that are higher in calories, which won't fill you up and tend to have a limited amount of macronutrients, vitamins and minerals (alcohol, chocolates, pastries for example). Now I imagine that everyone will know what's good and what is bad for them when it comes to eating, however it's what we choose to stick in our mouths on a regular basis that determines our weight, bodyfat and how we look and perform each day. One approach I like to adopt is an 80/20 split of nutrient dense, "real foods" and the remaining 20% will be the things I typically enjoy, ie chocolates, sweets etc. For me, this gives a perfect balance between eating the real stuff which keeps me full, energised and helps me perform in the gym and maintain my current physique. And the treats are an added bonus for the things I enjoy and for sanity. Unless you're a robot, eating supposed "clean foods" all day, every day will not last long-term so providing yourself with treats in MODERATION is key, especially if you have a body composition goal, whether that be getting leaner for a summer holiday or dropping weight for a upcoming event. The take home point is anything can be bad for you if you have too much of it, so employ what I've stated above, eat to moderation and enjoy a good work/life balance and don’t be drastic with your decisions when it comes to food and drink.

[kickstartultimatetraining]

When it comes to Nutrition, I completely understand that it can be a confusing topic for most, with an array of conflicting and usually incorrect information being pumped out to consumers through the media. - - To try and make this as simple as possible, I think it's useful to separate foods into two categories : - - 1. Nutrient dense foods - ie foods that have a vast amount of nutrition within in them and fill you up. - and - - 2. Calorie dense foods with little satiety : ie foods that are higher in calories, which won't fill you up and tend to have a limited amount of macronutrients, vitamins, minerals (alcohol, chocolates, pastries for example). - - Now I imagine that everyone will know what's good and what is bad for them when it comes to eating, however it's what we choose to stick in our mouths on a regular basis that determines our weight, bodyfat and how we look and perform each day. - - One approach I like to employ is an 80/20 split of nutrient dense, "real foods" and the remaining 20% will be things I enjoy, ie chocolates, sweets etc. - - For me, this gives a perfect balance between eating the real stuff which keeps me full, energised and helps me perform in the gym and maintain my current physique. And the treats are an added bonus for the things I enjoy and for sanity. - - Unless you're a robot, eating supposed "clean foods" all day, every day will not last long-term so providing yourself with treats in MODERATION is key, especially if you have a body composition goal, whether that be getting leaner for a summer holiday or dropping weight for a upcoming event. - - The take home point is anything can be bad for you if you have too much of it, so employ what I've stated above, eat to moderation and enjoy a good work/life balance. (at Brighton)