Random title? Yes! But it is a topic I have considered writing about for quite some time now as I have discovered over time that people are quick to comments judge when it comes to what is on your plate.
Those who have worked with me will know how much I HATE it when people comment on my food....Is someone who eats healthy really that fascinating? Is it so wrong?
I wanted to share some of the comments I sometimes receive re my food... and hopefully someone can shed some light on why people ask these? I have my answers and opinions but I would be interested to hear other peoples thoughts!
I think it is fair to say that when people see you eating from tuppaware boxes they are quick to judge. This week I have had comments re my food, what I eat (that's your breakfast?? Looks more like dinner!!!), about how much I eat (you're meant to be on a diet aren't you??), the fact I have meals prepped with labels on (how do you even have time to do that??).
Let me state one thing, all of these comments are annoying. :)
First up:
1. Who determines what constitutes a breakfast meal or lunch? So today for example I had 4 Ryvitas, some plum tomatoes and 3 egg whites - To me, this is normal breakfast food however it appeared a number of people thought different! How does something like this differ to a bacon butty? Is the norm a bowl or coco pops? My breakfast was 1. High in carbs (Post work out) 2. High in Protein 3. Relatively low in fat as I am cutting my fats at the moment. What is the norm? What is the social consensus on what you are not allowed to eat for breakfast? What's the cut off time?? (Serious question!!) I love food... I would pretty much eat anything at anytime, I definitely need someone to educate me on this one I think.
2. "She's on a diet" - I get this every time I say no to a chocolate, or to a cake. My response? No guys, I'm not on a diet I just choose not to eat that crap every day. I don't feel like I am on a diet at all, I eat well, I fuel my body, I eat nearly 2,000 calories a day of GOOD balanced food (I have a grenade bar a day, I have had a crunchie 3 days so far this week is that a diet?) It seems like someone who eats healthy must be on a diet, or must be trying to lose weight. I eat healthy to be healthy, there's quite the difference. What is a diet? Again, that is a serious question. Do people only say "she's on a diet" because they think I need to be? Awkward........
3. "I cannot believe how much you eat!!!" - I get this so so much. I remember once I was in the kitchen at work (my old job) and the woman next to me was buttering a couple of slices of thick Warburton's bread (yum yum), she was slapping loads of butter on. I was re-heating a vegetable omelette served with some asparagus. A massive plate of food.
Her comments to me "Wow!! You're really going to eat all of that for breakfast??? I hope you have a small lunch and dinner!".... just to clarify at this point, no I do not have a small lunch and dinner!
My point though - My breakfast was more than likely less calories than hers, it also kept me full for longer, it contained a hell of a lot more fibre than hers did and had a good balance of macro nutrients.
Volume of food doesn't mean you're a pig! Let's make that clear. I bulk up all my meals with foods like courgette, cauliflower etc to add some volume, fill me up and make sure my eyes see that I am having a good time!!
If volume was the best indicator then would it be fair to say that a mars bar which is relatively small will get you better results than a massive salad from subway? Have you seen the size of those? Volume is irrelevant even if we do wish a Mars bar would give us better results.
4. My final point for now.... MEAL PREP!
So let's be honest here, how many of you have looked at someone eating from a tuppaware box and rolled your eyes thinking "they're one of them!!".
How many of you look at someone like myself who preps 20 meals on a Sunday and thinks "she has too much time on her hands"? I'm guilty of it myself from a few years ago before I was "one of them".
Meal prep is the best way to get results in my opinion. It enables you to plan ahead, always have a back up plan and know what you are eating. I meal prep to save time, not because I have too much time.
To run you through my day briefly, my alarm goes off at 5am. I get up, pack my bags for work, have a crumpet and some BCAA then head off to the gym for a 90 min session! I work, get home around 6.30ish, then I study for my PT qualification. I get in bed by 9pm, asleep by 9.30pm. I sometimes try to fit an extra training session in at night too!!
If I didn't prep my food I would have to make some sacrifices to my day to day schedule... possibly sleep!! I love sleep and like to get a good 7hours minimum, so sacrificing this would be too painful! I prep my food on a Sunday so when I get home I can chuck something straight into the microwave and I have food within 10 mins of walking through the door.
I'm not a typical tuppaware box eater of "chicken and broccoli"... I opt for a whole range of food, I am a massive foodie after all. It is strange that we judge people based on them being organised with their food though don't you think?
It is fair to say I definitely experience more judgement / comments now than I used to when I would sit eating a McDonalds meal plus a sandwich, or a massive bag of crisps. The people I come across appear to comment more on the healthy person than the unhealthy, is this because it is rude to say something to someone unhealthy? or is it because unhealthy is the norm?
I would be interested to hear other peoples thoughts on this.
Also...as promised to many people, my next blog will be on MEAL PREP - how, why, what, the approach! I get messages asking for tips on meal prep all the time & since it is one of my fave things it is about time I covered it!
xx
Thursday 28 April 2016
Saturday 16 April 2016
Chocolate Protein Cheesecake
Last week for my birthday I had a Ferrero Roche Cheesecake so since then I have been trying to find a decent recipe to try and relive the amazing taste of the cake I had at Dearden Tea Rooms in Haslingdon (I highly recommend this place, it was absolutely amazing!! Great venue, amazing service, beautiful building and the cakes WOW WOW WOW)
So I thought why not give the LDN Chocolate Protein Cheesecake a try which is on the app! I like it! It is definitely not the same as the cheesecake I had last week (I don't think anything will come close to that!) but it was worth making, has good macros, hits the sweet spot and there is only one thing I would change (I will come onto that in a minute).
Ingredients:
300g Cottage Cheese
30g PhD Diet Whey Chocolate Protein
1 egg
50g Oats
30g Peanut butter
cinnamon
The recipe does state chocolate pieces too for the top but I didn't include this - I don't think it necessarily needs it, however, I do wish I had added some honey to sweeten it up a little more so I would add maybe 5-10g of honey next time!
Method
1. Place all ingredients (except cinnamon) in a blender and blitz until smooth - May need a splash of water to loosen! I didn't add too much as didn't want to affect the consistency too much.
2. Pre heat oven to 170degrees
3. Once mixture is blitzed add into an oven proof dish - as shown below. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top.
4. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until browned and a bouncy consistency, but not wet.
5. Cool and enjoy once refrigerated
Macros:
I have assumed this is 4 servings, however, it could be 6 - 8.
Calories: 198
Fat: 8.1g
Carbs: 12.4g
Protein: 18.1g
So I thought why not give the LDN Chocolate Protein Cheesecake a try which is on the app! I like it! It is definitely not the same as the cheesecake I had last week (I don't think anything will come close to that!) but it was worth making, has good macros, hits the sweet spot and there is only one thing I would change (I will come onto that in a minute).
Ingredients:
300g Cottage Cheese
30g PhD Diet Whey Chocolate Protein
1 egg
50g Oats
30g Peanut butter
cinnamon
The recipe does state chocolate pieces too for the top but I didn't include this - I don't think it necessarily needs it, however, I do wish I had added some honey to sweeten it up a little more so I would add maybe 5-10g of honey next time!
Method
1. Place all ingredients (except cinnamon) in a blender and blitz until smooth - May need a splash of water to loosen! I didn't add too much as didn't want to affect the consistency too much.
2. Pre heat oven to 170degrees
3. Once mixture is blitzed add into an oven proof dish - as shown below. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top.
4. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until browned and a bouncy consistency, but not wet.
5. Cool and enjoy once refrigerated
Macros:
I have assumed this is 4 servings, however, it could be 6 - 8.
Calories: 198
Fat: 8.1g
Carbs: 12.4g
Protein: 18.1g
Friday 8 April 2016
Tortilla Pizza... Guilt Free!
I am a massive pizza fan and constantly have cravings for it but I know it simply isn't worth the damage!!
So I thought I would give the Muscle food pizzas a break for the week and try out one of the tortilla pizzas I keep seeing on IG!
So here goes...
Ingredients:
Tortilla Wrap
10g Passatta
30g Onions finely chopped
105g tomatoes chopped
30g Grated Mozerella
Method:
1. Lightly fry the chopped onion and tomatoes to soften them slightly
2. Place the tortilla in the oven and cook for a few minutes until warm but not crispy
3. Remove from the oven and add the toppings, cook for a further 3 - 5 minutes until you have the tortilla texture you desire
I served with homemade coleslaw which was simply grated carrot, sliced onions and grated cabbage mixed with some natural yoghurt & seasoned to taste! I also had 100g spinach on the side.
Great light dinner but definitely didn't hit the pizza spot for me personally but may well work for others!
Macro wise for the whole meal? Based on my ingredients:
Calories: 289
Carbs: 39.6g
Fat: 7.6g
Protein: 16g
If anyone has any other good alternatives for pizzas then please let me know, I need to try a few others out!
So I thought I would give the Muscle food pizzas a break for the week and try out one of the tortilla pizzas I keep seeing on IG!
So here goes...
Ingredients:
Tortilla Wrap
10g Passatta
30g Onions finely chopped
105g tomatoes chopped
30g Grated Mozerella
Method:
1. Lightly fry the chopped onion and tomatoes to soften them slightly
2. Place the tortilla in the oven and cook for a few minutes until warm but not crispy
3. Remove from the oven and add the toppings, cook for a further 3 - 5 minutes until you have the tortilla texture you desire
I served with homemade coleslaw which was simply grated carrot, sliced onions and grated cabbage mixed with some natural yoghurt & seasoned to taste! I also had 100g spinach on the side.
Great light dinner but definitely didn't hit the pizza spot for me personally but may well work for others!
Macro wise for the whole meal? Based on my ingredients:
Calories: 289
Carbs: 39.6g
Fat: 7.6g
Protein: 16g
If anyone has any other good alternatives for pizzas then please let me know, I need to try a few others out!
Sunday 3 April 2016
Cardio Choices: HIIT vs LISS
I think it is fair to say cardio is not my fave activity when it comes to fitness, however, I still do it as ultimately it does have its benefits.
I want to lose weight / body fat which is pretty much a result of calorie defecit + cardio, my weight training means I look how I want to look!!
When it comes to cardio there are so many different things we can be doing but most activities fall into either 1. HIIT 2. LISS and I wanted to share this blog to compare the 2 and give you some examples of how I incorporate both into my weekly training schedule.
1. HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training
I have to say that the thought of HIIT to me (a non lover of cardio) is much more appealing that the other forms of cardio as ultimately my HIIT sessions last from 12 - 20 mins so as soon as I have started, it is pretty much over!!
I do HIIT training twice a week, I used to do it more but now I do it just with my PT therefore our sessions are 12 minute in total and work as follows:
30 seconds on
30 seconds off
3 activities, 4 rounds
Some example circuits:
1. Burpees
2. Mountain Climbers
3. Box steps
OR
1. Squat Jumps
2. Hooks
3. Sprints
This form of cardio gets my heart rate up straight away, the rest periods seem to fly by but help me quickly get my breath back.
From a scientific point of view, HIIT training burns a high amount of calories during the training period so a thumbs up from me for that, it also has an EPOC of c.15% (EPOC in simple terms is basically the extra calories burnt after the training) therefore say you burn 250 calories during the 20mins HIIT Training, this would equate to more like 287 calories when taking into account the EPOC. Not bad for 20 mins exercise right?
So, benefits of HIIT so far? 1. Quick training so great for those who are rushed for time or who like me don't love cardio and therefore just want to get it over with 2. Great calorie burning in the short space of time 3. HIIT training also improves an individuals work capacity, which ultimately means you will be about to work hard for longer periods of time and still recover well. I personally have seen a massive improvement in this since incorporating HIIT into my routine.
However, HIIT does have some cons to it too... the main one being that it is much harder to recover from which is key especially for me as I am now training twice a day 4 days a week, once a day the other 2.
2. LISS - Low Intensity Steady State
This is the second form of cardio to consider!
This form of cardio is much more time consuming so I get pretty bored just thinking about this BUT it is effective. I incorporate LISS into my training schedule by training for my 10k run. I once tried a 45 min walk on the treadmill as I knew I needed to do some LISS but I simply couldn't face doing it again!! For me.... It is either running or stair master!
This is actually one of the reasons I signed up for a 10k in July as I thought it would motivate me to get out and do some longer cardio sessions! LISS could be swimming though if that's your thing, or cycling!
So the science first! LISS as I have said is over a longer period of time, so my typical run is around 40 minutes at the moment, LISS has an EPOC rate of 7% so much lower than HIIT.
This reduced EPOC rate results in many trainers automatically thinking HIIT is a much more effective form of cardio as 15% vs 7% is a no brainer right? However, let me get my geeky side out and show you the maths:
My 40 min run for example will result in me burning around 400calories (this is just for illustration purposes, I usually do burn more), then 7% EPOC results in my total calories being more like 428 for the session. The percentage may be lower, however, it is a lower percentage of a bigger number!
Not only does this form of cardio burn more calories in total, it is also much better for recovery. I am more likely able to train after running than I am after HIIT - recovery is essential to any athlete (I use the term athlete referring to anyone who is exercising!).
In addition to the benefits above, LISS can also seem more achievable for some people. Initially people do struggle with HIIT training as it is tough especially if you aren't used to doing any exercise, however, a 60 min steady paced walk (LISS) may seem more appealing to some!
So which is better?
From an EPOC argument as stated above many people would jump on HIIT as this offers double the post exercise calorie burn, however, when you look at the maths I think it is fair to say that LISS ultimately will burn more calories in the long run... if we are simply looking at it from an energy depletion point of view!
In an ideal world you want a mix of both forms of cardio in your routine.
I limit my HIIT to twice a week in order to not hinder my recovery so I save these sessions for when I see my PT as I know I will be pushed harder in my work periods than I would be on my own! I have been increasing my cardio lately to aid my fat loss and as I said I have signed up for a 10km run in July, therefore, I try to run 2 - 3 times a week depending on the weather (I refuse to run on a treadmill!). If the weather is poor I will either attend a spinning session or aim to do 20 - 30 mins on the stairmaster at the gym!
By combining both forms of cardio I am getting the benefits of both and limiting the cons.
I have got around my issue with LISS being boring by setting myself a challenge. I am incredibly self competitive therefore I have the time I want for my 10km race and I am doing everything I can to achieve it.
The most important thing to consider though? Is to do what you enjoy! I don't believe we should go running because it seems like the thing to do, if you hate it do something else. Don't go spinning because someone you know does! Do something YOU want to do.
In order to stick to any fitness programme you have to enjoy what you're doing! :-)
I want to lose weight / body fat which is pretty much a result of calorie defecit + cardio, my weight training means I look how I want to look!!
When it comes to cardio there are so many different things we can be doing but most activities fall into either 1. HIIT 2. LISS and I wanted to share this blog to compare the 2 and give you some examples of how I incorporate both into my weekly training schedule.
I have to say that the thought of HIIT to me (a non lover of cardio) is much more appealing that the other forms of cardio as ultimately my HIIT sessions last from 12 - 20 mins so as soon as I have started, it is pretty much over!!
I do HIIT training twice a week, I used to do it more but now I do it just with my PT therefore our sessions are 12 minute in total and work as follows:
30 seconds on
30 seconds off
3 activities, 4 rounds
Some example circuits:
1. Burpees
2. Mountain Climbers
3. Box steps
OR
1. Squat Jumps
2. Hooks
3. Sprints
This form of cardio gets my heart rate up straight away, the rest periods seem to fly by but help me quickly get my breath back.
From a scientific point of view, HIIT training burns a high amount of calories during the training period so a thumbs up from me for that, it also has an EPOC of c.15% (EPOC in simple terms is basically the extra calories burnt after the training) therefore say you burn 250 calories during the 20mins HIIT Training, this would equate to more like 287 calories when taking into account the EPOC. Not bad for 20 mins exercise right?
So, benefits of HIIT so far? 1. Quick training so great for those who are rushed for time or who like me don't love cardio and therefore just want to get it over with 2. Great calorie burning in the short space of time 3. HIIT training also improves an individuals work capacity, which ultimately means you will be about to work hard for longer periods of time and still recover well. I personally have seen a massive improvement in this since incorporating HIIT into my routine.
However, HIIT does have some cons to it too... the main one being that it is much harder to recover from which is key especially for me as I am now training twice a day 4 days a week, once a day the other 2.
2. LISS - Low Intensity Steady State
This is the second form of cardio to consider!
This form of cardio is much more time consuming so I get pretty bored just thinking about this BUT it is effective. I incorporate LISS into my training schedule by training for my 10k run. I once tried a 45 min walk on the treadmill as I knew I needed to do some LISS but I simply couldn't face doing it again!! For me.... It is either running or stair master!
This is actually one of the reasons I signed up for a 10k in July as I thought it would motivate me to get out and do some longer cardio sessions! LISS could be swimming though if that's your thing, or cycling!
So the science first! LISS as I have said is over a longer period of time, so my typical run is around 40 minutes at the moment, LISS has an EPOC rate of 7% so much lower than HIIT.
This reduced EPOC rate results in many trainers automatically thinking HIIT is a much more effective form of cardio as 15% vs 7% is a no brainer right? However, let me get my geeky side out and show you the maths:
My 40 min run for example will result in me burning around 400calories (this is just for illustration purposes, I usually do burn more), then 7% EPOC results in my total calories being more like 428 for the session. The percentage may be lower, however, it is a lower percentage of a bigger number!
Not only does this form of cardio burn more calories in total, it is also much better for recovery. I am more likely able to train after running than I am after HIIT - recovery is essential to any athlete (I use the term athlete referring to anyone who is exercising!).
In addition to the benefits above, LISS can also seem more achievable for some people. Initially people do struggle with HIIT training as it is tough especially if you aren't used to doing any exercise, however, a 60 min steady paced walk (LISS) may seem more appealing to some!
So which is better?
From an EPOC argument as stated above many people would jump on HIIT as this offers double the post exercise calorie burn, however, when you look at the maths I think it is fair to say that LISS ultimately will burn more calories in the long run... if we are simply looking at it from an energy depletion point of view!
In an ideal world you want a mix of both forms of cardio in your routine.
I limit my HIIT to twice a week in order to not hinder my recovery so I save these sessions for when I see my PT as I know I will be pushed harder in my work periods than I would be on my own! I have been increasing my cardio lately to aid my fat loss and as I said I have signed up for a 10km run in July, therefore, I try to run 2 - 3 times a week depending on the weather (I refuse to run on a treadmill!). If the weather is poor I will either attend a spinning session or aim to do 20 - 30 mins on the stairmaster at the gym!
By combining both forms of cardio I am getting the benefits of both and limiting the cons.
I have got around my issue with LISS being boring by setting myself a challenge. I am incredibly self competitive therefore I have the time I want for my 10km race and I am doing everything I can to achieve it.
The most important thing to consider though? Is to do what you enjoy! I don't believe we should go running because it seems like the thing to do, if you hate it do something else. Don't go spinning because someone you know does! Do something YOU want to do.
In order to stick to any fitness programme you have to enjoy what you're doing! :-)
Monday 28 March 2016
Time to get creative with chicken
How many of us start a diet and opt for plain chicken breast and broccoli? Sound familiar? I have done that myself, infact I was encouraged by my old personal trainer to eat plain food and plain chicken was the way forward!
Sadly I love food way too much to agree that this is the way forward so I thought I would share some of the new chicken recipes I have tried out this week! Still healthy, still fitting into my macros, still unprocessed and actually incredibly tasty!
Eating food like this means it will be easier for you to stick to the healthy lifestyle, who actually wants to spend the rest of their life feeling like they're on a diet? No thank you! So ditch the plain breast and give these a go!
Red Thai Chicken Curry (serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
90ml Koko coconut milk
65g Red Thai Curry Paste
685g chicken breast
100g onions
185g Peppers
260g carrots
This is so easy to make!
1. Chop the garlic and vegetables and pop them in a pan add the cubed chicken and brown
2. Add a splash of water to prevent the vegetables from burning
3. In a measuring jug mix the red thai curry paste and coconut milk
4. Add the red thai mix to the pan and simmer for 20 mins until the chicken is cooked and vegetables are soft
Macros per serving:
Calories - 273
Fat 4g
Carbs 13.8g
Protein 41.2g
Vietnamese Chicken (serves 4)
Ingredients:
165g onions
630g Chicken breast
1 red chilli chopped
30g honey
1 lime juice
8 tsp sesame oil
12 tsp Fish sauce
Method:
1. Lightly fry the onion, red chilli and chicken in a pan until the chicken is cooked
2. Whilst the chicken is cooking mix the sesame oil, fish sauce, honey and juice of one lime in a mixing bowl, make sure this is all mixed together (season to taste)
3. Once the chicken is cooked remove from the heat and mix in the sauce
Macros (per serving):
Calories 393
Fat 11.7g
Carbs 18.8g
Protein 42.9g
Huevos Rancheros (serves 6)
Ingredients:
100g chorizo
800g tinned chopped tomatoes
10g tomato puree
80g light grated cheddar cheese
100g onion
165g peppers
700g Chicken breast
Paprika
Method:
1. Chop the chicken into chunks and fry in a casserole dish with 4 tsp of paprika (more / less to taste), once the chicken has been cooking for 10 mins pour onto a chopping board and shred.
2. Meanwhile, in the casserole dish add the chopped chorizo, onions and peppers and lightly fry.
3. Once the onion has softened add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato puree and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the shredded chicken and place the casserole dish (covered) in the oven for 15 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top (Can add eggs on top at this point too if desired) and bake in the oven for another 5 minutes
Macros (per serving):
Calories - 284
Fats 11g
Carbs 8.2g
Protein 36.1g
Gnocchi & Sausage Ragu (serves 3)
Ingredients:
300g gnocchi
150g onions
2 Garlic Cloves
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
15ml balsamic vinegar
7 Heck Chicken sausages
Method:
1. Drop the gnocchi in boiled water and cook as per instructions (approx. 5 mins simmer) and drain - leave to one side
2. Chop the chicken sausages into chunks and fry in the pan with the onions and garlic
3. Once softened, add the chopped tomatoes and balsamic vinegar
4. Once the sausages are cooked combine with the gnocchi and serve
Macros (per serving):
Calories - 289
Fats 2.5g
Carbs 43.8g
Protein 20.4g
Sadly I love food way too much to agree that this is the way forward so I thought I would share some of the new chicken recipes I have tried out this week! Still healthy, still fitting into my macros, still unprocessed and actually incredibly tasty!
Eating food like this means it will be easier for you to stick to the healthy lifestyle, who actually wants to spend the rest of their life feeling like they're on a diet? No thank you! So ditch the plain breast and give these a go!
Red Thai Chicken Curry (serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
90ml Koko coconut milk
65g Red Thai Curry Paste
685g chicken breast
100g onions
185g Peppers
260g carrots
This is so easy to make!
1. Chop the garlic and vegetables and pop them in a pan add the cubed chicken and brown
2. Add a splash of water to prevent the vegetables from burning
3. In a measuring jug mix the red thai curry paste and coconut milk
4. Add the red thai mix to the pan and simmer for 20 mins until the chicken is cooked and vegetables are soft
Macros per serving:
Calories - 273
Fat 4g
Carbs 13.8g
Protein 41.2g
Vietnamese Chicken (serves 4)
Ingredients:
165g onions
630g Chicken breast
1 red chilli chopped
30g honey
1 lime juice
8 tsp sesame oil
12 tsp Fish sauce
Method:
1. Lightly fry the onion, red chilli and chicken in a pan until the chicken is cooked
2. Whilst the chicken is cooking mix the sesame oil, fish sauce, honey and juice of one lime in a mixing bowl, make sure this is all mixed together (season to taste)
3. Once the chicken is cooked remove from the heat and mix in the sauce
Macros (per serving):
Calories 393
Fat 11.7g
Carbs 18.8g
Protein 42.9g
Huevos Rancheros (serves 6)
100g chorizo
800g tinned chopped tomatoes
10g tomato puree
80g light grated cheddar cheese
100g onion
165g peppers
700g Chicken breast
Paprika
Method:
1. Chop the chicken into chunks and fry in a casserole dish with 4 tsp of paprika (more / less to taste), once the chicken has been cooking for 10 mins pour onto a chopping board and shred.
2. Meanwhile, in the casserole dish add the chopped chorizo, onions and peppers and lightly fry.
3. Once the onion has softened add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato puree and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the shredded chicken and place the casserole dish (covered) in the oven for 15 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top (Can add eggs on top at this point too if desired) and bake in the oven for another 5 minutes
Calories - 284
Fats 11g
Carbs 8.2g
Protein 36.1g
Gnocchi & Sausage Ragu (serves 3)
300g gnocchi
150g onions
2 Garlic Cloves
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
15ml balsamic vinegar
7 Heck Chicken sausages
Method:
1. Drop the gnocchi in boiled water and cook as per instructions (approx. 5 mins simmer) and drain - leave to one side
2. Chop the chicken sausages into chunks and fry in the pan with the onions and garlic
3. Once softened, add the chopped tomatoes and balsamic vinegar
4. Once the sausages are cooked combine with the gnocchi and serve
Macros (per serving):
Calories - 289
Fats 2.5g
Carbs 43.8g
Protein 20.4g
Thursday 24 March 2016
When does it get easier?
I get told a lot that "it must be so much easier for you now" and get incredibly frustrated by this comment! People assume that because I am no longer a size 22, nearly 16st 5ft woman that I must find things easier because I exercise, i'm fitter, i'm slimmer... yet, I am still waiting for that easier time to come.
I wanted to share how it has not yet got easier for me... it is difficult still in different ways!
This is me say 4 years ago at the start of my journey, and this is me now, still on my journey!
So, what are the main difficulties you face when starting to lose weight?
1. Motivation
THEN: I started losing weight for a number of reasons..... I felt self conscious on nights out (I was the fat friend in a bunch of amazingly stunning women... yep my friends are hot!!), I was medically in a bad place I was suffering with my PCOS and was on numerous tablets a day constantly having hot flushes, feeling crap, being told I couldn't have children. I generally felt rubbish... tired, run down and hated how I looked BUT I was having so much fun, wasn't short of male attention (quite possibly because I lacked self respect!), I was out partying every weekend and had a laugh!
But my motivation was wanting to feel less self conscious and I actually wanted to look nice and be able to share clothes with my friends and feel normal!! I wanted to not be 25 and on 15 tablets a day!!
The beauty of being so big and embarking on a weight loss journey is the results start showing relatively fast, that keeps you motivated in itself! Nothing is more motivating than seeing the weight coming off when jumping on those scales... So.... once it had clicked in my mind that I was doing this the motivation was there!!
NOW: So now? I don't feel self conscious on nights out as I actually think I look pretty good (that isn't arrogance, but confidence), I am so much better on ZERO medication and don't suffer much with my PCOS, I do have hot flushes still though which is SO annoying and totally random! My self respect has sky rocketed, maybe too much to the extreme but hey i'm ok with that!! I have loads of energy and generally feel good! So, what's my motivation?
In some respects it was easier THEN as I had some quite obvious motivation, but now? I guess my motivation is fear. I fear going back to how I was...Fear isn't the nicest form of motivation, therefore, for me it is probably harder now than at the start as I know what I have to lose (or gain in this situation), I know if I don't drag my ass out of bed and get to the gym that I may end up turning into the girl I was back then and I don't want that!! I do have so much fun still with my life but now I have no say no to things.... no I can't go out drinking 3 nights on the run, why? because it will impact my food, training and general health. So the now probably is tougher than the then in terms of motivation as I'm doing it for health now and fear.... not the results I wanted at the start. It's also much harder as my results are no longer coming every week as they were... I constantly have to remind myself that this is a marathon not a sprint, when I was used to the sprint, not the marathon.
2. Temptation & Willpower
Then: Anyone who has lost weight or is trying to lose weight knows that temptations are always put infront of you! The temptation to go get a take out, to eat some chocolate, to order a pudding in a restaurant even though you know you're meant to be being good! This is possibly the hardest thing as you're so used to eating what you want you just wish you could continue to do so!!
So yes, it is tough!! You just have to remind yourself that the results are worth saying no for! It's also worth thinking about the fact that the time you actually eat the treat for isn't that long so is it really worth being disheartened with the results next week? Probably not. Admittedly though... temptation is a mind game and it's all about you and how much you want the results!
NOW: By far the hardest part of the journey still!! Every day I wake up with the same temptations... I want chocolate, pizza, a subway sandwich! Those thoughts are always still there but I still have that willpower to say no! What is probably a little easier these days is the fact that I have experienced that feeling of frustration and being disheartened when the results don't come... this in itself reminds me that sometimes having that donut just isn't worth it!
But...I have days where I crack! there are two types of treats for me 1. Controlled and 2. A binge. I try to limit my controlled treats to once a week or fortnight. I sometimes fit things into my macros to curb the cravings without feeling the guilt i.e. musclefood pizzas, a bag of M&Ms, but I occasionally will also have what I call a cheat meal and go grab a pick and mix without thinking about the calories, or go out for dinner and drinks with the girls and have a night off! The next day though I am straight back to it and feel no guilt...It happens and I controlled it and knew it was happening.
The second type of treat though....The binge! Sometimes this happens to me, infact it happened today!! I get this overwhelming feeling of needing something! it isn't planned, and I still cannot control it! Tonight I ate half a jar of nutella (around 100g, 500 calories!) I needed something sweet, I knew it was wrong, I feel some guilt now, actually I feel annoyed with myself, but it happens!! I have no idea what causes these binges and I HATE that they still happen....surely you'd think after so much time I would lose this part of me that can't control myself but no!
So... i'm sorry to say but the temptation side of thing doesn't get easier. The only difference between now and then is that I now know the impact of the temptation and can use this to control it a little, but the thoughts are still there!!
3. Finally....The Goal
I don't need to split this into then and now as this one is very simple. The end game never gets closer as your goals change! When I first started my goal was to be a size 10 pair of jeans.... I have never got into a size 10 and now that isn't my goal. When are we really happy? What is the ultimate goal?
Our minds change all the time whether it be due to the media, due to health, due to personal experiences they do change! When I was losing weight all I cared about was the dress size but now I don't really consider dress size! I only consider the fact I do not want to be going up a dress size but whether i'm a 10 or 12 or 14 doesn't mean anything to me really! What matters now is 1. Am I fit / healthy? Yes...I am relatively fit but I want to be fitter! I want to be able to run my 10k in 1 hour, I want to be physically very active! 2. Am I strong? Yes...but I want more! I want to deadlift 100kg, I want to squat 100kg, I want to do pull ups....
These goals were not my goals before! My appearance? I wanted to be confident and no longer feel self conscious! Yes...I'm confident and definitely not self conscious (when clothed!), however, I still have massive issues with how I look naked, but I have learnt to accept that most women do whereas before I thought it was just me!
Do I want to be better than I am now? YES! who doesn't?
I guess what I'm trying to say is it is so hard to say whether the end game becomes easier as right now I feel like my goal is a lifetime away, but back then I felt that too! As you change and become fitter, thinner, healthier.... the goals become more about strength, fitness etc... you constantly evolve and constantly want more.
I guess the main purpose of this article is to show those people who constantly say "it's so much easier for you now though" that...well, it isn't! I personally think it is harder now than it was then but for different reasons. Sometimes a lack of education and some ignorance is actually not a bad thing and that's what I had when I was bigger! I didn't know the impact of certain foods on my body, I didn't care what no exercising would do to me, I just enjoyed my party lifestyle!
Now though? I educated myself on it all and I am now so much stricter and had to sacrifice some of that party lifestyle for it....
I wouldn't change my journey for anything, but I would like people to acknowledge that actually it never is as easy as you may think and we still all experience challenges regardless of where we are in the journey! xxx
I wanted to share how it has not yet got easier for me... it is difficult still in different ways!
This is me say 4 years ago at the start of my journey, and this is me now, still on my journey!
So, what are the main difficulties you face when starting to lose weight?
1. Motivation
THEN: I started losing weight for a number of reasons..... I felt self conscious on nights out (I was the fat friend in a bunch of amazingly stunning women... yep my friends are hot!!), I was medically in a bad place I was suffering with my PCOS and was on numerous tablets a day constantly having hot flushes, feeling crap, being told I couldn't have children. I generally felt rubbish... tired, run down and hated how I looked BUT I was having so much fun, wasn't short of male attention (quite possibly because I lacked self respect!), I was out partying every weekend and had a laugh!
But my motivation was wanting to feel less self conscious and I actually wanted to look nice and be able to share clothes with my friends and feel normal!! I wanted to not be 25 and on 15 tablets a day!!
The beauty of being so big and embarking on a weight loss journey is the results start showing relatively fast, that keeps you motivated in itself! Nothing is more motivating than seeing the weight coming off when jumping on those scales... So.... once it had clicked in my mind that I was doing this the motivation was there!!
NOW: So now? I don't feel self conscious on nights out as I actually think I look pretty good (that isn't arrogance, but confidence), I am so much better on ZERO medication and don't suffer much with my PCOS, I do have hot flushes still though which is SO annoying and totally random! My self respect has sky rocketed, maybe too much to the extreme but hey i'm ok with that!! I have loads of energy and generally feel good! So, what's my motivation?
In some respects it was easier THEN as I had some quite obvious motivation, but now? I guess my motivation is fear. I fear going back to how I was...Fear isn't the nicest form of motivation, therefore, for me it is probably harder now than at the start as I know what I have to lose (or gain in this situation), I know if I don't drag my ass out of bed and get to the gym that I may end up turning into the girl I was back then and I don't want that!! I do have so much fun still with my life but now I have no say no to things.... no I can't go out drinking 3 nights on the run, why? because it will impact my food, training and general health. So the now probably is tougher than the then in terms of motivation as I'm doing it for health now and fear.... not the results I wanted at the start. It's also much harder as my results are no longer coming every week as they were... I constantly have to remind myself that this is a marathon not a sprint, when I was used to the sprint, not the marathon.
2. Temptation & Willpower
Then: Anyone who has lost weight or is trying to lose weight knows that temptations are always put infront of you! The temptation to go get a take out, to eat some chocolate, to order a pudding in a restaurant even though you know you're meant to be being good! This is possibly the hardest thing as you're so used to eating what you want you just wish you could continue to do so!!
So yes, it is tough!! You just have to remind yourself that the results are worth saying no for! It's also worth thinking about the fact that the time you actually eat the treat for isn't that long so is it really worth being disheartened with the results next week? Probably not. Admittedly though... temptation is a mind game and it's all about you and how much you want the results!
NOW: By far the hardest part of the journey still!! Every day I wake up with the same temptations... I want chocolate, pizza, a subway sandwich! Those thoughts are always still there but I still have that willpower to say no! What is probably a little easier these days is the fact that I have experienced that feeling of frustration and being disheartened when the results don't come... this in itself reminds me that sometimes having that donut just isn't worth it!
But...I have days where I crack! there are two types of treats for me 1. Controlled and 2. A binge. I try to limit my controlled treats to once a week or fortnight. I sometimes fit things into my macros to curb the cravings without feeling the guilt i.e. musclefood pizzas, a bag of M&Ms, but I occasionally will also have what I call a cheat meal and go grab a pick and mix without thinking about the calories, or go out for dinner and drinks with the girls and have a night off! The next day though I am straight back to it and feel no guilt...It happens and I controlled it and knew it was happening.
The second type of treat though....The binge! Sometimes this happens to me, infact it happened today!! I get this overwhelming feeling of needing something! it isn't planned, and I still cannot control it! Tonight I ate half a jar of nutella (around 100g, 500 calories!) I needed something sweet, I knew it was wrong, I feel some guilt now, actually I feel annoyed with myself, but it happens!! I have no idea what causes these binges and I HATE that they still happen....surely you'd think after so much time I would lose this part of me that can't control myself but no!
So... i'm sorry to say but the temptation side of thing doesn't get easier. The only difference between now and then is that I now know the impact of the temptation and can use this to control it a little, but the thoughts are still there!!
3. Finally....The Goal
I don't need to split this into then and now as this one is very simple. The end game never gets closer as your goals change! When I first started my goal was to be a size 10 pair of jeans.... I have never got into a size 10 and now that isn't my goal. When are we really happy? What is the ultimate goal?
Our minds change all the time whether it be due to the media, due to health, due to personal experiences they do change! When I was losing weight all I cared about was the dress size but now I don't really consider dress size! I only consider the fact I do not want to be going up a dress size but whether i'm a 10 or 12 or 14 doesn't mean anything to me really! What matters now is 1. Am I fit / healthy? Yes...I am relatively fit but I want to be fitter! I want to be able to run my 10k in 1 hour, I want to be physically very active! 2. Am I strong? Yes...but I want more! I want to deadlift 100kg, I want to squat 100kg, I want to do pull ups....
These goals were not my goals before! My appearance? I wanted to be confident and no longer feel self conscious! Yes...I'm confident and definitely not self conscious (when clothed!), however, I still have massive issues with how I look naked, but I have learnt to accept that most women do whereas before I thought it was just me!
Do I want to be better than I am now? YES! who doesn't?
I guess what I'm trying to say is it is so hard to say whether the end game becomes easier as right now I feel like my goal is a lifetime away, but back then I felt that too! As you change and become fitter, thinner, healthier.... the goals become more about strength, fitness etc... you constantly evolve and constantly want more.
I guess the main purpose of this article is to show those people who constantly say "it's so much easier for you now though" that...well, it isn't! I personally think it is harder now than it was then but for different reasons. Sometimes a lack of education and some ignorance is actually not a bad thing and that's what I had when I was bigger! I didn't know the impact of certain foods on my body, I didn't care what no exercising would do to me, I just enjoyed my party lifestyle!
Now though? I educated myself on it all and I am now so much stricter and had to sacrifice some of that party lifestyle for it....
I wouldn't change my journey for anything, but I would like people to acknowledge that actually it never is as easy as you may think and we still all experience challenges regardless of where we are in the journey! xxx
Saturday 19 March 2016
Enjoy the food you eat..... Breakfast Ideas!
People message me all the time for recipes / food ideas as they are bored of eating plain porridge or eggs for breakfast!
So....I wanted to share some of my favourite breakfast ideas! Some of these are not your standard breakfast dishes so bear with me and give them a go! They might surprise you!!
1. Zoats!
My fave at the moment! So before I share the recipe let me tell you my reaction when I first saw this idea! I thought.... urgh!! Courgette & porridge in one dish?! WHY??? Why would you ever have courgette as a sweet dish??
But now I have tried it I am well and truly obsessed!!
Ingredients
These can vary in terms of the mix - I have been slowly increasing the courgette to bulk it out but it depends on personal taste!!
40g porridge oats
150g courgette grated
100ml Koko Coconut milk
Water - this is to get the consistency how you would like it!
25g PhD Diet Whey Protein - Belgian Chocolate
Method
Add the courgette / oats into a pan and pour in the coconut milk, simmer and slowly add the water.
The porridge should start going creamy and become quite a bulky dish
Stir in some more water and simmer for 5mins until the porridge is cooked and has the texture you want
Remove from the heat and add the protein powder, stir in and return to the heat for 1 min (you may need some more water at this point)
This is then ready to eat!!
I have tried a few variations for toppings but it is all to personal tastes!
The picture above is 100g strawberries and 15g nutella!!
The picture below is 80g raspberries, 15g peanut butter, 20g peanuts!
Give it a try and let me know what you think - don't hold off trying it like I did because it sounds too weird!!
2. Chorizo & Tomato Bake
So the sweet breakfast fave is above, this is my favourite savoury breakfast at the moment!
Ingredients (serves 4):
800g Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
105g Chorizo - chopped into chunks
90g Spring Onion
Method:
Slice the onion and add to a frying pan with the cubed chorizo, slowly fry for 5 minutes until the onion softens.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes, add salt and pepper and simmer for 10-15minutes so all the chorizo flavours can be mixed into the tomatoes.
This is such a quick and easy breakfast & one I definitely recommend if you fancy something a little different!
Serving suggestions:
I usually have this on 2 Dark Rye Ryvitas or on a toasted bagel, sometimes with a sprinkle of cheese!
3. The Bacon Butty!!
Yes!! That is a PROPER bacon butty!! and YES I do eat bread!! (how many people give up bread to get fit??... I am not one of them) If bread fits into my macros why wouldn't I have it?!
I have discovered from macro counting that brown sauce really is not that bad so I have this ALOT too! Sadly though bacon isn't so friendly to my macros so I can only have this every now and then and when I have some protein / fats spare!!
So this is as simple as it looks.... 2 slices of bread (this is the Dr Zak high protein bread but you don't need to have that! I just bought some to give it a try!)
I have 3 slices of bacon here and loads of brown sauce!
I know everyone knows how to make a decent bacon butty but the purpose of sharing this one? To show you that you really should not be depriving yourself of the things you enjoy just to get healthy or lose weight! Life is for living and I really am a fat kid in a smaller body... Food is my thing!! I refuse to not eat the things I love!!
I am going to keep sharing loads of recipes as this is what I get asked for a lot!
As I said... there is no need to eat plain boring food! mix it up and enjoy it! AND....experiment!
I have shared breakfast ideas first as I really do believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and we should all be getting some decent food down us at this time!
If anyone has any great breakfast ideas they want to share please let me know... I am always up for trying new things!! x
So....I wanted to share some of my favourite breakfast ideas! Some of these are not your standard breakfast dishes so bear with me and give them a go! They might surprise you!!
1. Zoats!
My fave at the moment! So before I share the recipe let me tell you my reaction when I first saw this idea! I thought.... urgh!! Courgette & porridge in one dish?! WHY??? Why would you ever have courgette as a sweet dish??
But now I have tried it I am well and truly obsessed!!
Ingredients
These can vary in terms of the mix - I have been slowly increasing the courgette to bulk it out but it depends on personal taste!!
40g porridge oats
150g courgette grated
100ml Koko Coconut milk
Water - this is to get the consistency how you would like it!
25g PhD Diet Whey Protein - Belgian Chocolate
Method
Add the courgette / oats into a pan and pour in the coconut milk, simmer and slowly add the water.
The porridge should start going creamy and become quite a bulky dish
Stir in some more water and simmer for 5mins until the porridge is cooked and has the texture you want
Remove from the heat and add the protein powder, stir in and return to the heat for 1 min (you may need some more water at this point)
This is then ready to eat!!
I have tried a few variations for toppings but it is all to personal tastes!
The picture above is 100g strawberries and 15g nutella!!
The picture below is 80g raspberries, 15g peanut butter, 20g peanuts!
Give it a try and let me know what you think - don't hold off trying it like I did because it sounds too weird!!
2. Chorizo & Tomato Bake
So the sweet breakfast fave is above, this is my favourite savoury breakfast at the moment!
Ingredients (serves 4):
800g Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
105g Chorizo - chopped into chunks
90g Spring Onion
Method:
Slice the onion and add to a frying pan with the cubed chorizo, slowly fry for 5 minutes until the onion softens.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes, add salt and pepper and simmer for 10-15minutes so all the chorizo flavours can be mixed into the tomatoes.
This is such a quick and easy breakfast & one I definitely recommend if you fancy something a little different!
Serving suggestions:
I usually have this on 2 Dark Rye Ryvitas or on a toasted bagel, sometimes with a sprinkle of cheese!
3. The Bacon Butty!!
Yes!! That is a PROPER bacon butty!! and YES I do eat bread!! (how many people give up bread to get fit??... I am not one of them) If bread fits into my macros why wouldn't I have it?!
I have discovered from macro counting that brown sauce really is not that bad so I have this ALOT too! Sadly though bacon isn't so friendly to my macros so I can only have this every now and then and when I have some protein / fats spare!!
So this is as simple as it looks.... 2 slices of bread (this is the Dr Zak high protein bread but you don't need to have that! I just bought some to give it a try!)
I have 3 slices of bacon here and loads of brown sauce!
I know everyone knows how to make a decent bacon butty but the purpose of sharing this one? To show you that you really should not be depriving yourself of the things you enjoy just to get healthy or lose weight! Life is for living and I really am a fat kid in a smaller body... Food is my thing!! I refuse to not eat the things I love!!
I am going to keep sharing loads of recipes as this is what I get asked for a lot!
As I said... there is no need to eat plain boring food! mix it up and enjoy it! AND....experiment!
I have shared breakfast ideas first as I really do believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and we should all be getting some decent food down us at this time!
If anyone has any great breakfast ideas they want to share please let me know... I am always up for trying new things!! x
Sunday 6 March 2016
Macros made easy!
I keep receiving so many messages on facebook, Instagram etc to help people understand macros more and help them track them! I unfortunately don't have time to reply to everyone & calculate them so I thought instead I would post a blog to share how I calculate mine, what I have learnt from macros tracking and the ways to go about it!
Firstly let me start by saying... macro tracking is not for everyone and actually I wouldn't recommend it if you are just starting out on a weight loss journey! Why? Simply because it can be quite time consuming to start and a little overwhelming. Anyone who is starting on a weight loss journey simply needs to make small changes i.e. increasing the protein in your diet so eat more chicken / turkey, increasing the amount of vegetables you eat with each meal, cutting out the processed foods and eating clean... This will be the best way to start your journey and won't be so daunting that it puts you off!
For those who are training & looking to improve your results / strength etc - macro tracking may well be for you! It massively opened my eyes to what I was eating, what foods are super high in fats / carbs / proteins, what I should eat more of...!
So let me try to simplify things!
The starting point for any macro tracker has to be calories as these are ultimately what will impact your weight gain / maintenance or loss.
I personally use the Harris Benedict Equation to calculate my calorie requirement (there are so many formulae available however a number of people recommended this one to me and this is the one my nutrition course recommends too so I'm happy with this one!) So for anyone looking to get started - google this!! Calculate your calorie requirement!
One of the questions is regarding your activity levels - be honest now!! I put myself in low / moderate activity and I DO exercise.... really think about how much of your day you spend active. You may be like me and exercise but then sit at a desk all day!
So... you now have your ideal calories calculated! This is simply a starting point and must be manipulated in order to gain or lose weight.
I personally applied a 15% deficit to my recommend calories to aid weightloss - no one should really need to have a higher than 15% deficit unless extremely obese, however, we are all so different! The thing with macro tracking / calories is it depends on the individual and how they feel!
So maybe as a starting point make a 5-10% increase or decrease and continue to monitor your progress over a couple of weeks, then make changes if you want!
So now you have your calories.... let me explain macros as simply as I possibly can! Macros (macro nutrients) are simply 1. Alcohol 2. Carbs 3. Protein 4. Fats. Macros are the building blocks to calories!
If you have 2,000 calories to use in a day... you build up to that by hitting your macros! I'm excluding alcohol from this as I don't think it is necessary to be included in this blog post!
Fats - 9calories per 1g
Carbs - 4 calories per 1g
Protein - 4 calories per 1g
As you can see.... by adding fats, proteins and carbs together you can hit that calorie target!! (it's all basic mathematics.... Can you see why I look it now? The accountant in me enjoys the geekiness that comes with macro tracking!)
What's the ideal split?
I have played around with my macros over the past 6 months - high carbs, high protein, low fats. Low carbs, high protein, moderate fats. You get the point.
Carbs are NOT the enemy and therefore should form a substantial part of your calorie intake per day, especially if you are training. As I said above, macro tracking I personally think should only be used by people who are training too!
Again, as with calories, the macro split is dependent on the individual and there is a lot to consider! How you feel is key! I reduced my carbs and felt shattered all the time so I have now increased them! There is also only so much protein your body needs... so no need to go crazy and overload it with protein! To get the ideal split it is a matter of playing around for a few weeks and see what works for you.... but as a starting point and to get going I would recommend 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat!
So let me show you my own macros from today:
Calories - 1,650 - 1700 per day
Fats - 59g - 531 calories (31%)
Protein - 140g - 560 calories (33%)
Carbs - 150g - 600 calories (35%)
Firstly, I do not say to myself my calories are 1,691 per day or whatever it calculates at! I am not going to be so anal about it! So long as I fall between 1,650 - 1,700 per day that's all that matters, even this is quite strict, you could say between 1,600 - 1,700!
Then my actual split - I aim for 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fats however as you can see I'm not always hitting this!! I make sure I have 30% protein per day then I make the rest up with my fats / carbs and try to get as close to 40% carbs as possible! I'm not going to be so strict that I hit 40/30/30 every single day! Life is for living right? Not being so strict and hard on yourself!! Yes I want results and to be healthy but I also want to enjoy myself, this is my balance!
So now I have my splits.... how do I track it? My fitness pal is the best app in my opinion! Download it if you haven't got it already and track your food which you are having each day (ignore the exercise section!) - I use the bar code facility on this app to make it easier to find what I am eating!
Finally....such a common question (and not a stupid question at all as I think a lot of people think this!)
"If you have 140g protein a day does that mean 140g chicken and that's it?" No. The macro is the amount of protein within that chicken i.e. 100g chicken breast contains 26.1g protein.
You hit your macros by eating a variety of food.... My biggest tip is to still eat healthy unprocessed food!! A lot of people work on the "IIFYM" - if it fits your macros principle i.e. eat crap but it fits. I personally think your food is your fuel and you want to get the most out of it! The beauty of macro tracking however is that it does allow you the flexibility! I love a piece of chocolate every now and then, or some sweets & I can fit it into my day without over indulging or feeling guilty!!
I hope this very simple guide has helped those who have been asking me... I am by no means saying I am an expert, and as I advised above, everyone is different it is all a game of trial and error firstly with your calories calculation and then your split of macros but remember one thing we all have in common? We all needs CARBS to function / feel normal, so do not cut these right down!
Enjoy!! Let me know how you all get on and if macro tracking is for you! xx
Firstly let me start by saying... macro tracking is not for everyone and actually I wouldn't recommend it if you are just starting out on a weight loss journey! Why? Simply because it can be quite time consuming to start and a little overwhelming. Anyone who is starting on a weight loss journey simply needs to make small changes i.e. increasing the protein in your diet so eat more chicken / turkey, increasing the amount of vegetables you eat with each meal, cutting out the processed foods and eating clean... This will be the best way to start your journey and won't be so daunting that it puts you off!
For those who are training & looking to improve your results / strength etc - macro tracking may well be for you! It massively opened my eyes to what I was eating, what foods are super high in fats / carbs / proteins, what I should eat more of...!
So let me try to simplify things!
The starting point for any macro tracker has to be calories as these are ultimately what will impact your weight gain / maintenance or loss.
I personally use the Harris Benedict Equation to calculate my calorie requirement (there are so many formulae available however a number of people recommended this one to me and this is the one my nutrition course recommends too so I'm happy with this one!) So for anyone looking to get started - google this!! Calculate your calorie requirement!
One of the questions is regarding your activity levels - be honest now!! I put myself in low / moderate activity and I DO exercise.... really think about how much of your day you spend active. You may be like me and exercise but then sit at a desk all day!
So... you now have your ideal calories calculated! This is simply a starting point and must be manipulated in order to gain or lose weight.
I personally applied a 15% deficit to my recommend calories to aid weightloss - no one should really need to have a higher than 15% deficit unless extremely obese, however, we are all so different! The thing with macro tracking / calories is it depends on the individual and how they feel!
So maybe as a starting point make a 5-10% increase or decrease and continue to monitor your progress over a couple of weeks, then make changes if you want!
So now you have your calories.... let me explain macros as simply as I possibly can! Macros (macro nutrients) are simply 1. Alcohol 2. Carbs 3. Protein 4. Fats. Macros are the building blocks to calories!
If you have 2,000 calories to use in a day... you build up to that by hitting your macros! I'm excluding alcohol from this as I don't think it is necessary to be included in this blog post!
Fats - 9calories per 1g
Carbs - 4 calories per 1g
Protein - 4 calories per 1g
As you can see.... by adding fats, proteins and carbs together you can hit that calorie target!! (it's all basic mathematics.... Can you see why I look it now? The accountant in me enjoys the geekiness that comes with macro tracking!)
What's the ideal split?
I have played around with my macros over the past 6 months - high carbs, high protein, low fats. Low carbs, high protein, moderate fats. You get the point.
Carbs are NOT the enemy and therefore should form a substantial part of your calorie intake per day, especially if you are training. As I said above, macro tracking I personally think should only be used by people who are training too!
Again, as with calories, the macro split is dependent on the individual and there is a lot to consider! How you feel is key! I reduced my carbs and felt shattered all the time so I have now increased them! There is also only so much protein your body needs... so no need to go crazy and overload it with protein! To get the ideal split it is a matter of playing around for a few weeks and see what works for you.... but as a starting point and to get going I would recommend 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat!
So let me show you my own macros from today:
Calories - 1,650 - 1700 per day
Fats - 59g - 531 calories (31%)
Protein - 140g - 560 calories (33%)
Carbs - 150g - 600 calories (35%)
Firstly, I do not say to myself my calories are 1,691 per day or whatever it calculates at! I am not going to be so anal about it! So long as I fall between 1,650 - 1,700 per day that's all that matters, even this is quite strict, you could say between 1,600 - 1,700!
Then my actual split - I aim for 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fats however as you can see I'm not always hitting this!! I make sure I have 30% protein per day then I make the rest up with my fats / carbs and try to get as close to 40% carbs as possible! I'm not going to be so strict that I hit 40/30/30 every single day! Life is for living right? Not being so strict and hard on yourself!! Yes I want results and to be healthy but I also want to enjoy myself, this is my balance!
So now I have my splits.... how do I track it? My fitness pal is the best app in my opinion! Download it if you haven't got it already and track your food which you are having each day (ignore the exercise section!) - I use the bar code facility on this app to make it easier to find what I am eating!
Finally....such a common question (and not a stupid question at all as I think a lot of people think this!)
"If you have 140g protein a day does that mean 140g chicken and that's it?" No. The macro is the amount of protein within that chicken i.e. 100g chicken breast contains 26.1g protein.
You hit your macros by eating a variety of food.... My biggest tip is to still eat healthy unprocessed food!! A lot of people work on the "IIFYM" - if it fits your macros principle i.e. eat crap but it fits. I personally think your food is your fuel and you want to get the most out of it! The beauty of macro tracking however is that it does allow you the flexibility! I love a piece of chocolate every now and then, or some sweets & I can fit it into my day without over indulging or feeling guilty!!
I hope this very simple guide has helped those who have been asking me... I am by no means saying I am an expert, and as I advised above, everyone is different it is all a game of trial and error firstly with your calories calculation and then your split of macros but remember one thing we all have in common? We all needs CARBS to function / feel normal, so do not cut these right down!
Enjoy!! Let me know how you all get on and if macro tracking is for you! xx
Saturday 5 March 2016
Why weight is irrelevant.....For me!
How many people get frustrated with that number on the scales? How many people allow it to dictate everything?
YUP. I'm actually one of them... or used to be. Not so much anymore! I very rarely weigh myself these days but I must admit when I do weigh myself it can totally change my mood!
Working hard day in day out and making sacrifices each day with my food means I expect to see results! It upsets me when I don't. Sadly...I do sometimes look to the scales for those results.
So, Are the scales actually relevant?
When I first weighed myself I was 15st 5lbs (at 5ft that's massively overweight I know!) but my weight was relevant here because I needed to realise that I was so overweight and something needed to change! Every week I weighed myself to track my progress, back then I wasn't really doing any exercise or knew the power of pictures so weight was my key measure! The number on the scales gave me massive highs (when I lost a considerably amount of weight per week) and it gave me massive lows (if I didn't lose weight or lost 1/2lb! I cried so many times over the number on those scales!)
I don't know what happened to change my mind-set on how I perceive weight, I guess it was the realisation that it doesn't always mean you aren't making progress! The lighter I got the less weight I was losing, infact the fitter I got the more weight I gained! I started training, running to start, spinning and some weights! I had a PT for a while so played around with weights! I felt fitter, healthier and less wobbly, but I was starting to weigh quite a bit more than my lowest weight I had been!
The more I have weight trained the more I have realised that weight cannot be the be all and end all! Yes it is a good indicator for some people but take this picture for example! The first picture I weigh 15st 5lbs.
The second picture and third picture I weigh the same weight (give or take 1 or 2lbs)...how much do you think I weigh in these? Or how much less than the first picture should I say?
Firstly let me point out.... the second and third picture I weigh the same but I personally think I look totally different! I have lost inches, "Toned up" (I don't particularly like this phrase) but I am so much fitter, stronger and much happier with my body! SO....if my weight was anything to go by I would be so unhappy with my progress, 9 months passed and NO weight lost!! But doesn't this picture show how important measurements are? Dress sizes? pictures? YES!!
Again to my point of weight difference. If you look at the first picture to the third picture you would assume I had lost quite a lot of weight! When people find out the weight difference in these pictures they are always so surprised!! 3stone 5lbs. THAT'S IT!! So...I went from a size 22 - 12/14 and lost 5stone exactly. I then gained some weight to make my weight loss 3st 5lbs but I am now a comfortable size 12. Now do you see again why weight can be irrelevant especially when training?
Now to this picture....I love this progress picture as I think my back looks totally different. Again, NO weight loss.
So how do I track my progress? If you haven't realised already I think photos say more than anything! We never notice our own changes in the mirror, however, if we take photos consecutively at set times in your journey then you will see your own progress (I usually take pictures every 6 weeks as I think this is a reasonable amount of time!)
Measurements - 100% important! Sometimes losing the odd inch off your waist, or a couple of inches off your hips can be some of the best motivation you need! I have been whining for weeks about no progress and that I am so fed up of making sacrifices and training so hard for no reason! Why did I feel so whiny? Because I weighed myself and the scales didn't change!! So today my PT took all my measurements and it is safe to say we were both surprised by my progress! I've been feeling incredible all day!
Finally... How you feel / look! I don't think I will EVER be 100% happy with my body (that's me being very honest) however, I do think I am slowly becoming happier with it.... I think this is key!!
So on that note, I really hope I can inspire some people to stop giving in to them scales and stop letting them dictate how you feel! When someone looks at you they don't know what you weigh... they see how you look and how you feel (confidence!) so it's time to focus on those factors instead!
xx
Saturday 20 February 2016
Personal Trainer Diaries!
Anyone who knows me know I have very strong opinions about personal trainers.... the range of good and bad is crazy! I have seen, and experienced, bad PT's. By bad I mean those who don't listen to your goals and just train you like they train themselves, they don't communicate with you outside of your sessions so you could be eating shit (As I was) but going to your session and seeing no results (admittedly that is my fault but I think a PT should be looking at your diet too!), and my biggest pet hate with PTs... CHIT CHAT! I think i'm paying them a pretty hefty price to get me results, not to chit chat with me outside of a standard rest period.
So when one of my besties told me about some PT she signed up to I kind of totally dismissed the idea straight away as I cannot see what benefit they will bring me... I train, my diet is good, I am very self motivated!
HOWEVER.... she went on to tell me that he was offering a free consultation to find out about me, 3 FREE 1 hour PT sessions, then if I wanted 3 additional sessions for £50. So I actually thought why not? £50 for 6 PT sessions is nothing really especially when the average cost of a session is £25 - £45 for most PT's.
So.... here goes!! Could this PT actually have any chance of changing my mind?
Session 1: Consultation
So upon speaking to Dan he asked me to pop in for a consultation to discuss my goals and current lifestyle!
He was extremely friendly and polite when I first met him and VERY professional which is important to me as I find some PTs can be quite unprofessional (15 mins late to sessions, texting, having cups of coffee whilst you're slogging away!) Dans only down side so far... no Green Tea!! (Had to mention this as I am admittedly the only person who would ever ask for a Green Tea in such a situation).
We chatted for a long time (I am quite the gabber as most of you know) about what I am hoping to achieve. I took my current training plan with me and he spent some time looking over this which I thought was good as he didn't just brush it off and say "no I can do this with you". He was honest, I think he realised pretty quickly that I knew what I wanted, was very motivated and didn't necessarily want a PT... so maybe he had his work cut out!!
He asked about my diet (wahoooo.......finally a Personal Trainer who wants to know what you're eating!!!!). My diet is consistent and bang on to be fair so he couldn't really comment too much on it as when it comes to food I have learnt that you simply cannot out train a bad diet... get your nutrition right and the rest will come. BUT... I have to praise him for simply asking and spending some time scanning through my log of food for the past month (Again... I think he was a bit shocked by how bang on with it I was...or maybe how geeky I was! who knows).
After about 60mins of chat I left feeling ready to see what he could do for me. I knew something wasn't working in my current lifestyle as I wasn't seeing the results I wanted, so I knew he could offer me something.
1st Session.... The Fitness Test!
I shot myself in the foot didn't I? When I arrived he told me he has tweaked his standard fitness test as after our chat he realised I was probably fitter than quite a few of his clients he saw! So I ended up doing some HIIT session (12 mins of exercise) but what a killer!! He taught me something straight away.... Measure your cardio! not through time but by how many of each exercise you do! i.e. how many mountain climbers are you doing in 30seconds. He also showed me that my cardio i.e. hiit training on a bike or stepper is no where near as effective as the burpees, mountain climbers, steppers etc!! He gave me some food for thought straight away!
We then took measurements, pictures and heart rate etc. I realised quite quickly that Dan was equally as geeky as I was.... with a spreadsheet set up for me already, a little book with my name on to track my work outs and progress, a massive data geek. This was my type of PT. My past experience of PT's is writing things on their phones, not logging your week on week progress with activities you were doing, or scribbling things on scraps of paper.
We then spent the last 20 mins of the session looking at deadlifts.... I will get onto our weight training in the following sessions as this was just a taster!
Sessions 2 - 6.... the real taster sessions
So I am combining these sessions as all have a similar format...
Each session starts with another 12 mins of HIIT training! WOW!!! I have never had a PT who makes you do cardio! and this was always my biggest issue. I AM carrying some extra weight, I am wanting to lose some body fat so why would I NOT be doing cardio? I hate cardio. BUT when a PT makes you do hiit training you do it! I personally think all PT's should incorporate some cardio into their sessions but non of mine ever have... just simply stated it's all weights weights weights.
So... I got my cardio out of the way! This is a relief for me as I wouldn't do that type of cardio on my own, nor would I push myself so much so I love this part of the sessions (even though at the time I am cursing him , out loud). He has 4 different hiit sessions planned and his plan of action for future sessions is for you to beat the last session you did.... I am EXTREMELY self competitive so this works for me.
Weights wise... So we cover:
1. Deadlifts.... obviously!
2. Squats
3. Bench Press
4. Single Arm Rows
5. Lat Pull Down
6. Shoulder Press
Of these I do all already but bench press and shoulder press!
I quickly learnt that my form had slipped on most of these, I was having trouble with my knees in squatting and struggled to progress my weight... Dan saw the issue straight away and fixed it for me. Deadlifts, I was constantly doing Romanian deadlifts we switched the style and my god does it make a difference! I get an all over work out from these instead of just my hammys!!
Lat pull down and Single arm rows.... I had increased my weight quite a lot on these but Dan made me go right back down and master my form! I felt weak and frustrated with this but cannot believe how much difference I felt from them! Slowly but surely the weight is increasing again!
So some Pro's of the sessions so far?
- Form is so much better, he is a perfectionist
- I have incorporated all 6 of the exercises into my normal day to day training at the gym so getting a better overall work out instead of focussing on exercises to pad the sessions out
- HIIT training every time.... Cardio has now become a big part of my training with me trying to do it 5 times a week thanks to Dan encouraging me to do this!
- Having a PT session booked in on a Tuesday night at 7pm and Saturday morning at 10am makes me train... I never train in an evening and have Saturdays off so this is making me do it on days when I wouldn't normally!
Some kind of cons of the session so far? (I say kind of cons as they aren't really that bad... I am trying to keep this blog as balanced as possible!)
- Dan is a mahoooosive baby....sore fingers, sore legs...he will tell you about them even when you're struggling to breath after the hiit sessions so you feel like slapping him.....although admittedly this makes me laugh but had to give it a mention!
- Self motivated... the bestie I mentioned above is going to this PT for motivation, I don't need that. Is motivation what you pay a PT for? I think quite a lot of the time it is but I'm ok as I am so I started to question whether I needed him.
- I felt like some of our sessions were quite slow to start with sometimes although I think this is partly my fault as I ask a lot of questions (the geek in me likes to know what is going on!) but up to session 5 I was thinking I could be pushed harder, we could fit more into our sessions! He can get quite distracted easily, however....keep reading and you'll see my opinion has slightly changed on this!
To buy or not to buy? That is the question!
So I came to the end of my 6 sessions and now had to decide whether to buy the sessions at his normal price! So it is £300 for 15 sessions (£20 a session) or you can do shorter blocks and the price increases!
I am quite flippant with my money however having booked some amazing holidays, changing jobs, studying, building my kit up for my make up work I knew I needed to really think about this and consider whether I thought it was worth it or not.
So.....I started thinking. What have I got from the sessions? I've not lost that 1 stone I want to lose (god damn it... haha!!) but I also know that would be impossible! I have improved my technique especially on my deadlifts and squats but could I go away and do this myself and keep practicing? Yes probably. Could I motivate myself to keep doing the cardio I am doing? Yes I could. Do I need the motivation? No as I am focussed.
BUT.... something in my mind and i honestly don't know what was telling me to stick with it and see how it goes. I think subconsciously I felt like it must be benefitting me as I wanted to keep training with him.. So, I paid for 5 sessions instead of 15 to continue to monitor how I was getting on.
The strange thing was as well I was recommending him to people I knew...So this could only mean that I rated him right?
The geek within...
So!! How was I going to track how I was doing?? As I mentioned above in session 6 things changed a little! I left feeling WEAK, feeling like we had really achieved something, feeling SO frustrated at myself.... That is GOOD for me. I need to feel like I am failing in order to push myself more and more!!
This has continued to happen... I am now 2 sessions in to our paid sessions and I feel like 1. my fitness has improved (smashing a hiit session this morning and beating the previous time I did it!) 2. Form has improved dramatically, really happy with the progress i am making! 3. Our sessions are harder, faster and more about DOING! 4. Even though Dan is, and always will be, easily distracted I now feel more comfortable just cracking on and we chat just in my reasonable rest periods which is good! not 5 min rests like some PTs have you doing so you can have that chit chat!!
So... these are how I feel and think but now I have my fitbit I thought right, lets see what my body is doing!! Admittedly calorie burning on a FITBIT is not precise, nor is it the right thing to look at however it enabled me to track our sessions consistently against my own!
So on average my own sessions I was burning between 220-240 calories in an hour, this includes some form of hiit training and weights with my heart rate ranging from 80 - 110 never going over 120!
In my sessions with Dan I am burning on average 340 calories in an hour with my average heart rate at 114. AVERAGE, not range!! My average in my own sessions is more like 95!!
So... the geek is satisfied. He is obviously doing something that I am not... whether that is pushing me more, enabling me to go heavier, making me do HIIT pre weights whereas I do it post (we have discussed this!), I honestly don't know what it is but this data has kind of sold him to me. I DO need him to train me as until I get my own training up to a similar standard he IS doing something for me.
So it is safe to say I am now 2 sessions into my paid sessions so 8 in total and I am now keen to keep training with him, but going to continue to monitor my progress in my own little way as I do & see how I get on!! Having a PT can be extremely expensive and I believe you have to be seeing some results from it because ultimately what's the point otherwise especially when you aren't doing it for motivation?
Has he changed my mind on PTs? NO, but he certainly stands out from the crowd in terms of his approach & his focus on cardio / weights in equal balance.
Has he helped me change things outside of our sessions? YUP! he massively opened my eyes to the fact that I am kidding myself when I think I'm active. Yes, I am more active than quite a lot of people as I do train 6 days a week but I train for 1 hour - 1hr 20mins a day from 24 hours.... That isn't ACTIVE! I do hardly any other exercise around that (even walking) so he has made me realise I need to be more active in general... walk more, start running, do some gym classes... hey i am even considering joining my friends netball team which is NOT me at all!!
So for me...I think if you are looking for a PT who is very honest (he will tell me straight when I am failing!!), who is good value for money (especially as he gives you some free sessions / discounted sessions to get you into it!) and who has his own studio so no gym full of people a massive benefit for so many people then I would definitely give him a go!
I will update you again after my next block has expired & we see how I am getting on!
So when one of my besties told me about some PT she signed up to I kind of totally dismissed the idea straight away as I cannot see what benefit they will bring me... I train, my diet is good, I am very self motivated!
HOWEVER.... she went on to tell me that he was offering a free consultation to find out about me, 3 FREE 1 hour PT sessions, then if I wanted 3 additional sessions for £50. So I actually thought why not? £50 for 6 PT sessions is nothing really especially when the average cost of a session is £25 - £45 for most PT's.
So.... here goes!! Could this PT actually have any chance of changing my mind?
Session 1: Consultation
So upon speaking to Dan he asked me to pop in for a consultation to discuss my goals and current lifestyle!
He was extremely friendly and polite when I first met him and VERY professional which is important to me as I find some PTs can be quite unprofessional (15 mins late to sessions, texting, having cups of coffee whilst you're slogging away!) Dans only down side so far... no Green Tea!! (Had to mention this as I am admittedly the only person who would ever ask for a Green Tea in such a situation).
We chatted for a long time (I am quite the gabber as most of you know) about what I am hoping to achieve. I took my current training plan with me and he spent some time looking over this which I thought was good as he didn't just brush it off and say "no I can do this with you". He was honest, I think he realised pretty quickly that I knew what I wanted, was very motivated and didn't necessarily want a PT... so maybe he had his work cut out!!
He asked about my diet (wahoooo.......finally a Personal Trainer who wants to know what you're eating!!!!). My diet is consistent and bang on to be fair so he couldn't really comment too much on it as when it comes to food I have learnt that you simply cannot out train a bad diet... get your nutrition right and the rest will come. BUT... I have to praise him for simply asking and spending some time scanning through my log of food for the past month (Again... I think he was a bit shocked by how bang on with it I was...or maybe how geeky I was! who knows).
After about 60mins of chat I left feeling ready to see what he could do for me. I knew something wasn't working in my current lifestyle as I wasn't seeing the results I wanted, so I knew he could offer me something.
1st Session.... The Fitness Test!
I shot myself in the foot didn't I? When I arrived he told me he has tweaked his standard fitness test as after our chat he realised I was probably fitter than quite a few of his clients he saw! So I ended up doing some HIIT session (12 mins of exercise) but what a killer!! He taught me something straight away.... Measure your cardio! not through time but by how many of each exercise you do! i.e. how many mountain climbers are you doing in 30seconds. He also showed me that my cardio i.e. hiit training on a bike or stepper is no where near as effective as the burpees, mountain climbers, steppers etc!! He gave me some food for thought straight away!
We then took measurements, pictures and heart rate etc. I realised quite quickly that Dan was equally as geeky as I was.... with a spreadsheet set up for me already, a little book with my name on to track my work outs and progress, a massive data geek. This was my type of PT. My past experience of PT's is writing things on their phones, not logging your week on week progress with activities you were doing, or scribbling things on scraps of paper.
We then spent the last 20 mins of the session looking at deadlifts.... I will get onto our weight training in the following sessions as this was just a taster!
Sessions 2 - 6.... the real taster sessions
So I am combining these sessions as all have a similar format...
Each session starts with another 12 mins of HIIT training! WOW!!! I have never had a PT who makes you do cardio! and this was always my biggest issue. I AM carrying some extra weight, I am wanting to lose some body fat so why would I NOT be doing cardio? I hate cardio. BUT when a PT makes you do hiit training you do it! I personally think all PT's should incorporate some cardio into their sessions but non of mine ever have... just simply stated it's all weights weights weights.
So... I got my cardio out of the way! This is a relief for me as I wouldn't do that type of cardio on my own, nor would I push myself so much so I love this part of the sessions (even though at the time I am cursing him , out loud). He has 4 different hiit sessions planned and his plan of action for future sessions is for you to beat the last session you did.... I am EXTREMELY self competitive so this works for me.
Weights wise... So we cover:
1. Deadlifts.... obviously!
2. Squats
3. Bench Press
4. Single Arm Rows
5. Lat Pull Down
6. Shoulder Press
Of these I do all already but bench press and shoulder press!
I quickly learnt that my form had slipped on most of these, I was having trouble with my knees in squatting and struggled to progress my weight... Dan saw the issue straight away and fixed it for me. Deadlifts, I was constantly doing Romanian deadlifts we switched the style and my god does it make a difference! I get an all over work out from these instead of just my hammys!!
Lat pull down and Single arm rows.... I had increased my weight quite a lot on these but Dan made me go right back down and master my form! I felt weak and frustrated with this but cannot believe how much difference I felt from them! Slowly but surely the weight is increasing again!
So some Pro's of the sessions so far?
- Form is so much better, he is a perfectionist
- I have incorporated all 6 of the exercises into my normal day to day training at the gym so getting a better overall work out instead of focussing on exercises to pad the sessions out
- HIIT training every time.... Cardio has now become a big part of my training with me trying to do it 5 times a week thanks to Dan encouraging me to do this!
- Having a PT session booked in on a Tuesday night at 7pm and Saturday morning at 10am makes me train... I never train in an evening and have Saturdays off so this is making me do it on days when I wouldn't normally!
Some kind of cons of the session so far? (I say kind of cons as they aren't really that bad... I am trying to keep this blog as balanced as possible!)
- Dan is a mahoooosive baby....sore fingers, sore legs...he will tell you about them even when you're struggling to breath after the hiit sessions so you feel like slapping him.....although admittedly this makes me laugh but had to give it a mention!
- Self motivated... the bestie I mentioned above is going to this PT for motivation, I don't need that. Is motivation what you pay a PT for? I think quite a lot of the time it is but I'm ok as I am so I started to question whether I needed him.
- I felt like some of our sessions were quite slow to start with sometimes although I think this is partly my fault as I ask a lot of questions (the geek in me likes to know what is going on!) but up to session 5 I was thinking I could be pushed harder, we could fit more into our sessions! He can get quite distracted easily, however....keep reading and you'll see my opinion has slightly changed on this!
To buy or not to buy? That is the question!
So I came to the end of my 6 sessions and now had to decide whether to buy the sessions at his normal price! So it is £300 for 15 sessions (£20 a session) or you can do shorter blocks and the price increases!
I am quite flippant with my money however having booked some amazing holidays, changing jobs, studying, building my kit up for my make up work I knew I needed to really think about this and consider whether I thought it was worth it or not.
So.....I started thinking. What have I got from the sessions? I've not lost that 1 stone I want to lose (god damn it... haha!!) but I also know that would be impossible! I have improved my technique especially on my deadlifts and squats but could I go away and do this myself and keep practicing? Yes probably. Could I motivate myself to keep doing the cardio I am doing? Yes I could. Do I need the motivation? No as I am focussed.
BUT.... something in my mind and i honestly don't know what was telling me to stick with it and see how it goes. I think subconsciously I felt like it must be benefitting me as I wanted to keep training with him.. So, I paid for 5 sessions instead of 15 to continue to monitor how I was getting on.
The strange thing was as well I was recommending him to people I knew...So this could only mean that I rated him right?
The geek within...
So!! How was I going to track how I was doing?? As I mentioned above in session 6 things changed a little! I left feeling WEAK, feeling like we had really achieved something, feeling SO frustrated at myself.... That is GOOD for me. I need to feel like I am failing in order to push myself more and more!!
This has continued to happen... I am now 2 sessions in to our paid sessions and I feel like 1. my fitness has improved (smashing a hiit session this morning and beating the previous time I did it!) 2. Form has improved dramatically, really happy with the progress i am making! 3. Our sessions are harder, faster and more about DOING! 4. Even though Dan is, and always will be, easily distracted I now feel more comfortable just cracking on and we chat just in my reasonable rest periods which is good! not 5 min rests like some PTs have you doing so you can have that chit chat!!
So... these are how I feel and think but now I have my fitbit I thought right, lets see what my body is doing!! Admittedly calorie burning on a FITBIT is not precise, nor is it the right thing to look at however it enabled me to track our sessions consistently against my own!
So on average my own sessions I was burning between 220-240 calories in an hour, this includes some form of hiit training and weights with my heart rate ranging from 80 - 110 never going over 120!
In my sessions with Dan I am burning on average 340 calories in an hour with my average heart rate at 114. AVERAGE, not range!! My average in my own sessions is more like 95!!
So... the geek is satisfied. He is obviously doing something that I am not... whether that is pushing me more, enabling me to go heavier, making me do HIIT pre weights whereas I do it post (we have discussed this!), I honestly don't know what it is but this data has kind of sold him to me. I DO need him to train me as until I get my own training up to a similar standard he IS doing something for me.
So it is safe to say I am now 2 sessions into my paid sessions so 8 in total and I am now keen to keep training with him, but going to continue to monitor my progress in my own little way as I do & see how I get on!! Having a PT can be extremely expensive and I believe you have to be seeing some results from it because ultimately what's the point otherwise especially when you aren't doing it for motivation?
Has he changed my mind on PTs? NO, but he certainly stands out from the crowd in terms of his approach & his focus on cardio / weights in equal balance.
Has he helped me change things outside of our sessions? YUP! he massively opened my eyes to the fact that I am kidding myself when I think I'm active. Yes, I am more active than quite a lot of people as I do train 6 days a week but I train for 1 hour - 1hr 20mins a day from 24 hours.... That isn't ACTIVE! I do hardly any other exercise around that (even walking) so he has made me realise I need to be more active in general... walk more, start running, do some gym classes... hey i am even considering joining my friends netball team which is NOT me at all!!
So for me...I think if you are looking for a PT who is very honest (he will tell me straight when I am failing!!), who is good value for money (especially as he gives you some free sessions / discounted sessions to get you into it!) and who has his own studio so no gym full of people a massive benefit for so many people then I would definitely give him a go!
I will update you again after my next block has expired & we see how I am getting on!
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