Why do we torture ourselves with the scales??

602815230I keep asking clients, why are you weighing yourself in the first place? Think about it… honestly… Is it because you are going to let that little number on the scales determine whether or not you have a good day? Is the way you feel about yourself today honestly going to be determined by the number you see on the scales?  How exactly are you going to be positively motivated by feeling bad about yourself for the next day/week/whatever? In my experience I think I’ve met perhaps 10-20 people over the past 14 years who have been able to weigh themselves regularly (weekly, and no more aften than that) who are actually able to stay well balanced in their perspective about what that number on the sclaes says. For the rest of us (myself included) it seems to ruin our day and negatively reinforce how what we are doing is not working. When in fact this is not true, what you are doing is working. You are growing leaner, losing fat and growing stronger and it is not reflected on the scales! IT IS reflected in your measurements and your clothes!

Reasons NOT to weigh yourself:
  1. Muscles weighs more than fat when compared by volume – see pic below715043414
  2. At certain times of the month you are heavier (yes fluid weighs a lot) – you know what I mean girls, it happens, then the following week you weigh less, predictably every month so why make a big deal out of it, just like there will be a sunset today you will be less bloated and lighter next week. Get over it and focus on something else.
  3. Break the habit of getting on the scales – reduce the frequency that you weigh yourself. Eg. instead of doing it daily, do it every 2-3 days, then eventually every week. Then eventually every month. Try to do it at the same time of the day if you insist on doing it.

Eventually the goal should be to not own a set of scales, that’s right throw them out! You are worth so much more than the little number staring back at you and you have bigger things to worry about. Get on with getting lean by lifting your weights, regardless of what the scales say.

Other ways to measure if you are getting results:

And no your own opinion is not objective enough. 95% Of the time I can guarantee when I re-measure a client, they pre-warn me with the words ‘Oh don’t bother measuring me, I haven’t changed’ and they are wrong 95% of the time. They usually do change, for the better. My point here is your opinion about whether or not you are thinner is completely distorted, so get measured by someone other than yourself. I do.

Want to be obsessed with your body fat composition?

One incredibly accurate way to get your body fat measured is a dexa body scan, watch video.

 

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5 Fabulous excuses for NOT exercising… read on and add your own in the comments

113237309I’m the best at making them, or at least I’m up there with the top… So clients and everyone else who’s making excuses as to why you can’t exercise please don’t think you are being original with your excuses, I’ve spent years making excuses myself and listening to all kinds of excuses from clients… below are some of my favourites, and also some of the favourites to overcome them because really everyones got excuses and who needs to hear them… no one! Just get on with it and have fun, you’ll feel better afterwards.

[su_table]

Good Excuse?
No it ain’t!
1. I have a sore back, neck, legs muscles.. whatever 1. If people who are in wheelchairs or with one missing limb can exercise, so can you, train what is not sore.
2. I’m tired 2. You’ll sleep better if you do exercise, keep the session short and productive. Go to bed earlier.
3. I can’t be bothered to get out of bed when its cold / raining / dark outside in the morning 3. So you’d prefer to stay fat? Dont think about it when the alarm goes off, wait until you get into the gym before you think about if you can be bothered.
4. I’m too busy / stressed with work / life commitments 4. When is your life outside of exercise going to stop – ITS NOT! Exercise anyway, it will help you manage your stress better
5. I’m not seeing results, so what’s the point 5. Get assessed and get results

[/su_table]

175004655Tips to override any excuse:
  1. Don’t think about whether you ‘feel like doing it’ as the answer from your own mind will most often be ‘no’ – as will most peoples answer, instead get into the session and think about it later. Especially when getting out of bed first thing in the morning, and getting to the gym after work.
  2. Know that you are not original in any excuse, many people feel the same…. who are you going to be in life, someone who does things or someone who talks about ‘going to do’ them? Get some goals to work towards and get someone to help you be accountable to achieving them. This is how I lost weight after having my baby!

Please feel free to add your own excuses in the comments below 🙂 happy training

 

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10 Tips: Tip 8 Is stress making you fat?

516511834Do you stress about how you shouldn’t have eaten that chocolate/cake/cheese/whatever…???
Well stop stressing!

Yes its true, what you’ve heard about stress making you fat, is in fact true to a point. Excessive levels of the hormone cortisol, (produced by your adrenal glands), circulating for more than a few hours each day through your blood stream will in a lot of cases cause you to fill up the fat cells on your stomach. However I’m here to tell you to eat your bad food and don’t stress about it (obviously within reason). Stressing over what you have eaten causes these hormones to circulate throughout your body and to state the obvious ruins any benefit you got from enjoying the food you have just eaten. I’m not saying you can eat what you want when you want and throw all the rules out the window, but what I do want to make clear is that if you are going to eat a bad meal, you are only doing yourself harm by thinking about how bad it was and punishing yourself for having eaten it for the hours and days that follow.

~ Trust me I spent years after having a baby punishing myself for being fat and eating wrongly sometimes, and it certainly did not contribute to me losing any weight, it just stressed me more.

A good rule to follow when you are trying to lose weight, (I’m saying weight but I mean body fat girls, get off the scales, they are not your friend!), is to have a bad (cheat) meal 2 times each week. Whenever you like.. Thats right, whatever you like, whenever you like. (If you go gluten free your stomach will of course love you, not to mention you will get thinner faster, as gluten is hard to digest and upsets your digestion even if you have not been diagnosed as celiac).

I like my cheat meal to be dinner time or deserts as I have more time and effort to put into preparing these, but you choose whatever time of the week and day suits you best.

So enjoy your food, there’s enough to stress about in life already, stop counting calories, eat plenty of natural foods (meat and veges) and nourish your body 🙂

 

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Meatball Recipe

484035890This simple recipe is to help those with ideas for no fuss meals you can make with very little preparation and cooking time and still have left overs provided you cook enough.

Use any meat – I used Venison (before you think gross, they are absolutely delicious)

Ingredients:

  • 500g of mince meat (remember not to refreeze mince once thawed out, it has to be used immediately)
  • 1 egg
  • Sea Salt and White Pepper

Below the ingredients are optional, to give them more taste, if you have the time when preparing:

  • 1/2 cup Almond meal (flour made from almonds)
  • 1 tbsp powdered organic vegetable stock
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 carrot (grated)
  • 1 zucchini (grated)

Method:

I use a food processor to mince the garlic, onion, carrot and zucchini (adding the egg for the last few seconds) then mix this with the mince with your hands and roll into balls of roughly the same size, for equal cooking time.

Cook on a med-high heat in coconut oil in a frying pan. Turn when you notice juice starting to pool on top of the uncooked side. Approx 4-5 minutes each side, depending upon size of course. If in doubt use a lower heat.

Enjoy.

 

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Sample Upper Body sweat session

What you will get from the workout – A cardio response and elevated heart rate, maybe even a little bit of sweat. A lactic acid (burning) type of feeling in the arms and soreness the next day if this kind of training is different to what you are used to. Remember to change what you do… even though you will get results of a little strength and fat loss from this workout you will also adapt to it very fast, so change routine at a minimum every 4 weeks.

Perform 4 sets in a row (A1, A2, then repeat A1, A2, 8-12 reps of each) before resting for 2 minutes then moving to the ‘B’ set.

  • A1. Close grip Barbell bench press
  • A2. Negative chin ups (lowering yourself for 4 seconds) – or close grip lat pull down
  • rpt A1, A2, then rest 2 min. Repeat 2-3 times
  • B1. Dumbbell 20 degree incline press
  • B2. Single arm cable pull
  • rpt B1, B2, then rest 2 min. Repeat 2-3 times

(perform all four exercises below one set of each, then rest 2 min)

  • C1. Straight arm overhead tricep extension
  • C2. V Bar Bicep curls standing (pronated, palms down grip)
  • C3. Tricep cable pushdown
  • C4. Seated dumbbell bicep hammer curls
  • then rest 2 min. Repeat 2-3 times.

Keep the workout less than 60 minutes.

Have fun..

 

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