It's half way through the year, it's cold, you're busy and it is the time of year that all new years resolutions have been forgotten!!  How can you break that RUT and get back into a positive mindset, feel healthy from the inside out and start to condition your muscles to look lean and toned before SUMMER hits???  See below for our TOP TIPS on getting back into shape for summer. 

How many of you think you are doing the right thing, by not adding salt to your foods or cooking?  You might think that your salt (sodium) intake is ok....?  But is it really?  

Most people are unaware of hidden sodium in foods.  If you eat crackers, biscuits, chips, pastries, bread, pickled foods, processed meats, condiments, sauces, pasta packets, convenience meals, basically anything that has been pre-packaged or processed chances are your sodium intake is still too high!!

What can happen to your weight and health if you have a diet consistently high in sodium over a long period of time??


Excessive sodium intakes can cause one or many of the following:

• Excess weight gain as excess sodium intake can store as fat
• Increase blood pressure / hypertension
• Increase risk of heart disease
• Can increase calcium excretion potentially increasing the risk of osteoporosis

What can you do to make a healthy lifestyle change, maintain a healthy weight and improve your long term health??

• A diet consisting of 2 pieces fruit and 5 serves of vegetables each day will ensure you have a diet rich in potassium.  A nutrient that can help prevent calcium excretion caused by high sodium diets
• Try to cook more foods from scratch like a stir fry loaded with vegetables or add 2-3 cups of vege to your dinner time meal 
• Use herbs and spices!!  They are not only sodium free but they are loaded with nutrients such as vitamin A, C, K, calcium, fibre, and antioxidants with minimal calories!!

Want to know more about how you can change your diet and lifestyle for the better?  Contact us to book in for your free initial consultation and we can discuss further how we can get you results :)

I meet so many people that tell me they are going on a holiday and when I ask them if they plan on doing any exercise whilst they are away they look at me like I'm crazy and say "It's a holiday!  I'm going to relax!"

Sleeping in is bliss...a lot of people enjoy a nice sleep in.  There are so many other things in this world for us to enjoy too...what about the beautiful sunrises we have almost everyday here in Australia.  Some of the best in the world!  An early morning jog can be the perfect start to your day and put a smile on your face.  I can tell you it definitely feels worthwhile getting out of that nice warm bed when you get to see the pretty colours in the sky above.   

Here is a suggestion for all those holiday takers who think exercise is not an option;

• A 6.30am start to the day will allow you to experience a beautiful sunrise and give you a few moments of peaceful bliss.
• Getting up early doesn't mean that you need to miss out on your beauty sleep.  There is plenty of time mid afternoon to take a wee nap to combat that early morning start and keep you going til bed time.  I love my afternoon naps and look forward to them everyday!
• Exercising in the morning means that it is done and dusted for the day.  You have done your bit and then the fun can begin.  You can chill out, go out and eat nice food guilt free.  That is the best part!
  
• When I talk about exercising on holiday I am not talking about busting your gut...I am talking about doing a small amount to keep your metabolism going whilst you enjoy the treats that come with a holiday.  I usually do about 20 minutes everyday.  If you think about the 24 hours there are in a day, 20 minutes really isn't a lot.  
• We can't forget the proven benefits that result from regular exercise; reduce depression, improve self body image, stabilise moods, improved memory, maintain a healthy body weight and reduce weight gain....YOU WILL FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF.......woooohooooo!!!!

Check out these great shots that I took from this mornings sunrise :)  Got back feeling pumped and got straight into some kettlebell work!

Knowing that I have an uphill battle on my hands against the steady stream of fad diets, high protein low carb crazes, shakes and supplements that promise rapid weight loss, it was going to take more than just me verbalising my views on the topic.  People respond well to real life results.  How do you know all the products on the market work?  Can you really believe their clever marketing and testimonials?  

As a general rule, if something sounds too good to be true it really is.  I have met so many people that have tried all of the above, lost some weight and then put it all back on.  Where is the long term healthy weight maintenance?  There is none if we are talking about all of the fads mentioned above.  

So I thought the best way to show people what I believe is one of the best methods for weight loss was to follow my own plan to show what it really takes to lose weight and change your body composition.  Below are the videos that I took along the way to mark my progress throughout the challenge.  As a reward for my hard work, I had some professional photos taken from a fantastic photographer Tom Kirk at hypercaptures.zenfolio.com.  Which you will see on some of my pages within this site.  I hope you get something out of these videos.  Any questions feel free to send me an email :)