Fitter Faster Stronger

GOOD CARBS / BAD CARBS The truth about sugar

2011-07-27T16:22:00.007+12:00

Not all sugars are created equal. And sugar hides in some surprising places.

Processed and packaged foods contain the worst kind of sugar. Natural and fresh foods also contain sugar, but it is a better more healthy form.

{ each cube is a teaspoonful }

ACUPUNCTURE Can it help?

2011-06-08T08:43:00.005+12:00

In winter time, with the drop in temperature, it’s quite common for past injuries to come back and haunt us. Acupuncture can help with this. Following is some more information sent to me by Justin, an acupuncturist who I can sincerely recommend. And if you are interested in a consultation or treatment, he is also offering a discount for Fitter Faster Stronger / Team Training participants.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is an ancient form of Chinese healing which balances the body, mind and spirit. Very fine sterile stainless needles are inserted into the body at carefully selected points to stimulate the body’s own healing processes. These points lie on the pairs of channels that cover the body and through which “QI” (pronounced “chee”) flows. Traditional Chinese Medicine likens these channels to the rivers of China, which provide communication and nourishment system for the whole body.

When these channels are blocked then this creates a ‘dis –ease’ in the body, which may manifest itself as sharp pain, ache or general discomfort.

There is a large body of scientific data from animal and human studies that seeks to explain the mechanisms of acupuncture. Current reviews have shown that acupuncture promotes the production of “endorphins’ that relieve pain, improves the immune system, regulates the blood flow and hormones, is anti inflammatory and anti spasmodic and improves your own feeling of well being.

With the onset of the winter cold the channels which are blocked due to past injury will generally manifest themselves with a deep annoying and often debilitating ache. Acupuncture can help relieve and often rid you of this condition. This is but one of the many ailments that acupuncture can help with. If you wish to get some treatment I am offering to the Fitter Faster Stronger crew a fifty percent discount on the first consultation and treatment with a further twenty percent discount for continued treatments.

For more information please call Justin on 0221 629 935

Diploma in Acupuncture / Diploma in Tuina (Chinese Massage) / ACC Registered Acupuncturist

BATTLE OF THE BUTCHERS Was it the hot x buns or the Easter eggs?

2011-04-27T12:09:00.003+12:00

Was it the hot x buns or the Easter eggs?

You guessed it both the boys put on weight - only 700gms between them but a gain is a gain.

Time to harden up boys. We are hitting the half way mark - remember your goals and focus on what you have to do.

We can only do so much when we only see you for 2 hours a week. It's up to you two to lift your game and get out there and train.

I LIKE BIG BUTS (and I cannot lie)

2011-04-22T13:58:00.023+12:00

WINTER IS HERE. And during the Winter months, it can seem like pulling on your training shoes and getting out the door requires that much MORE EFFORT than it did in Summer time.

And lets face it, there are plenty of 'good' REASONS that we can find to justify NOT TRAINING during Winter.

Infact, I'm pretty sure I've heard all of them (and might have used the odd one myself).....

BUT I'm too busy
BUT it's raining
BUT it's cold
BUT I don't know where to start
BUT did I mention it's raining!!

And a personal favourite - courtesy of a friend's overweight teenager daughter:-

"BUT I need an iPod to start running"

If you DON'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING, then you will always find a "BUT..." to stop you. If you don't want a result bad enough, a BUT will help you to justify why you’re not willing to do WHAT IT TAKES to achieve that result.

And sadly, if we say "BUT" enough times, sooner or later we actually start to believe the stories we're trying to convince everyone else of.

BUT, as Tony Robins aptly put:-

"those people who say BUT a lot, often have a BIG ONE!..."

AND, it's time for a REALITY CHECK:-

In a few short months, come September, WINTER WILL BE FADING.

With Summer just around the corner again, where do you want to be? - a few months AHEAD or a few months BEHIND? Your BEST Summer yet or another spent playing 'catch up', avoiding beaches and bikinis till you've shed those Winter pounds?

Now is the time to choose. Will you let your REASONS stop you or will you suck it up, pull on your training shoes and get out the door?....

Trust me - and the regulars who come to Team Training year round - if it's RAINING, dress appropriately and once you're warmed up you won't even notice...

"There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing".

AND as a bonus, the thermogenic effect of exercising will keep your body temperature warmer throughout of the day.

If you're too busy to exercise, what else are you too busy to do?... too busy to take the stairs? too busy being warm and cozy in bed at 6am instead of joining us at Team Training ...

There are ALWAYS options - busy-ness is not an excuse.

And not knowing where to start is great reason to never start at all. BUT Getting off the couch and moving is a pretty good first step

.....For every 'BUT' there's always a DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW if you choose to look for it. 'BUTS' are not truth or fact - they are simply the stories we tell ourselves and others to make things 'right'.

And we can make a choice to tell ourselves different, more empowering stories.

My friend's teenage daughter DID eventually get her iPod, BUT she didn't start running AND she's still overweight.

So, the next time you catch yourself saying BUT, think about what you're really saying. Are you just being lazy? Are you maybe more committed to being warm and comfortable than getting FIT and HEALTHY?

Then think of what that BUT is really costing you - Your Health? - Your Happiness? - Your Best Summer Yet?

Then make a choice.

AND START.

BATTLE OF THE BUTCHERS Results after 5 weeks

2011-04-18T12:47:00.007+12:00

Well the first 5 weeks of training is done and dusted for the boys. Here's how it has panned out so far...

JOSH:

Josh has lost 16.3kg and he is now 60.5cm smaller with all his combined measurements.

TOTAL: 11.35% lost.

JEREMY:

Jeremy has lost 10.4 kg and he is now 45cm smaller with all his combined measurements.

TOTAL: 8.69% lost.

A fantastic effort by both the boys.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

KRAIG'S KITCHEN Chili Pork with Oyster Sauce

2011-04-11T12:38:00.003+12:00

As promised, here is another great recipe to sink your teeth into this week. And don't forget to head on down to the Aussie Butcher Birkenhead where you can get the meat you'll need for this recipe at a special price.

CHILI PORK WITH OYSTER SAUCE (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1tbsp peanut oil
450gm pork fillets sliced thinly
1 medium onion sliced thinly
1 glove garlic, crushed
1 large capsicum sliced thinly
1 small green zucchini sliced thinly
1 small yellow squash sliced thinly
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp chopped coriander

1) Heat oil. Stir-fry pork in batches, until browned. Put to one side.

2) Stir fry onion and garlic until onion is soft. Add capsicum and zucchini. Cook until tender.

3) Return pork to pan. Add sauces. Cook until hot. Serve with chopped coriander.

LOW carb, LOW fat, HIGH protein.

ENJOY!

WE WERE WARNED 35 Years Ago

2011-04-11T12:23:00.005+12:00

35 years ago a documentary was made warning Kiwis of an obesity epidemic coming their way if they didn't change their lifestyle.

Not a lot of people took the warning seriously, and we are now the 3rd most OBESE nation in the developed world.

One of the quotes which stood out from the show was 'it will effect well heeled white folk' highlighting that this isn't a colour or race thing. If you choose to eat the wrong food and do little or no exercise the fat monster will jump up and BITE you, no matter who you are.

Which leads on to another side effect - DIABETES. The cases of diabetes has DOUBLED in the last 10 years in New Zealand. Scary isn't it!

So if you wont get off your butt for yourself, at least do it for your children and set a good example for them. They see Mum and Dad training and exercising and they will then think it's part of every day life, which it should be. Train and educate your self so you can pass this knowledge on to your children.

And speaking of setting a good example, our Butcher boys have had their week 4 weigh in....

JOSH so far has lost 12.4 KGS - That's an average of 3.1kg a week. And JEREMY has lost 11.2 KGS so far- That's an average of 2.8kg a week.

AWESOME EFFORT BOYS.

BATTLE OF THE BUTCHERS Week Four

2011-04-09T11:37:00.007+12:00

Week four is almost over and it looks like the boys are back on track.

They had their 15 minutes of fame on Thursday with Campbell LIVE (link) filming them - you have never seen two grown men so afraid of doing this. But they both rose to the occasion - well done guys.

I'm going in to see them this afternoon for their first boxing session. Yet to decide whether I'll do it in the car park out the front of the shop, just to keep their STAR PROFILE shinning brightly haha.

This week we'll be posting more recipes and the AUSSIE BUTCHER BIRKENHEAD will discount all the meat cuts that you'll need. So keep posted - don't miss out on the great specials.

And while you are in the shop buying your meat from TEAM JEREMY & TEAM JOSH, make sure you put down your $5 vote to BACK A BUTCHER - all proceeds to Christchurch and you'll go into the draw for the meat pack.

Week 5 starts next week, then we will have our 2nd measurement at the end of that to see how many centimeters they have lost.

STAY TUNED.

BATTLE OF THE BUTCHERS Week Three

2011-04-01T08:58:00.005+13:00

As week three draws to a close, Jeremy and Josh are still going strong.

Both were disappointed with their weigh-in at the beginning of the week, each recording only small weight loses following the big loses of the week before.

But as we said to them, Life will get in the way if you let it. And that's the key. If you set up your life and lifestyle to support the results you are committed to achieving, then when things gets busy it will not effect your momentum or set you back.

Last week the boys had a lot of 'good' reasons to stray off track - from overtime at work to moving house in the weekend. And it showed on the scales earlier this week.

Setting up your lifestyle is about preparing meals in advance, ensuring the fridge is fully stocked, training in a mutually supportive environment (eg Team Training) AND having the people around you aware your commitment and willing to support you in your goals. But that's another blog post for a later time.

We are back on track now, the boys look fantastic - they have colour in their faces - and their energy levels are noticeably higher.

And get this! - they are planning to do the Mud Run with us FANTASTIC!

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK BOYS.

MUD MUD MUD Mud Runners Unite!!

2011-03-31T16:31:00.017+13:00

Winter is just around the corner and that means so is the 2011 DB Tough Guy and Gal.

Last year we were 40 strong - a blaze of bright orange Fitter Faster Stronger t-shirts. And so far for this year's event, we have 70 mad mud runners who have held up their hands and said count us in!....

SO WHAT'S ALL THE HYPE ABOUT?

The Tough Guy & Gal, or MUD RUN as we aptly refer to it, is ALOT of fun. This is the third year we've put in a team and every year the numbers have grown.

You will get WET. You will get MUDDY. You will get a bag of advertising along with a CRAPPY MUG. And you will be BACK FOR MORE next year.

If you want to find out more about the event go to www.toughguyandgal.co.nz and to see photos of last years event, check them out on the Fitter Faster Stronger Facebook page

(and while you're there, hit the LIKE button if you haven't already.)

IS IT HARD?

Well, it's as easy or hard as you make it. If you want to walk the whole distance that's fine. If you want to run hard, then the beer will be COLDER and the showers will be HOTTER when you get to the finish line.

DID SOMEONE SAY BEER?.. I'm in! How do I enter?

1) Fitter Faster Stronger team members all qualify for a $10 discount off their entry fee.

2) To be part of the team, you just have to buy a SPECIAL EDITION Team Training Mud Run t-shirt and wear it on the day (only costs $25 and it's better than the official been-there-done-that Tough Guy race tees)

3) You don't have to be doing Team Training to be part of the team - so bring a friend or unsuspecting family member - EVERYONE IS WELCOME.

4) You will need OLD SHOES and TAPE to - you guessed it - TAPE THEM ON

5) We will be doing the Auckland event on SUNDAY 3rd July

6) And, this is the important part...

ENTRIES OPEN APRIL 1ST. You need to get in early or you will MISS OUT! We have spoken to the event organisers and they expect it to sell out.

TO ENTER, go to www.toughguyandgal.co.nz and DOWNLOAD the entry form. Then fill it out, SCAN IT and SEND IT to kraig@fitterfasterstronger.co.nz

Then transfer your ENTRY FEE ($50) and T-SHIRT money ($25) to the Team Training Offshore Swiss Bank Account (email kraig@fitterfasterstronger.co.nz for details).

When we have received everyone's entry and payment we will send it all off. You will then receive your e-ticket 4 weeks later.

But wait, there's more...

THE T-SHIRT COMPETITION!!!

Each year we have a different coloured tee and a special design on the back. And usually there's a spelling mistake, but no prizes for being the first to tell us, sorry.

This year the tee will be LIME GREEN with RED ink - beautiful!

And we are opening up the design for you guys to come up with the 'MUD RUN CATCH PHRASE'

The WINNER will get their next 5 week Team Training block FREE!!!

Entries will be judged by a special panel of ONE, who we like to call The Stig (more accurately 'The Stick' due to his enviable aerodynamic physique)

But wait, there's STILL MORE...

We have been given 5 FREE ENTRIES to the Auckland race. To make it fair we will draw them out of a hat and let the lucky people know.

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

www.toughguyandgal.co.nz

KRAIG'S KITCHEN The Difference a Good Diet Can Make

2011-03-22T09:41:00.004+13:00

The boys have just had work out number three. Both are still smiling and Josh is reporting an improvement in his skin, saying that he's noticed it's not as oily as before. He's also no longer having trouble staying awake on the drive home from work.

Isn't it amazing how a simple change in your diet can change so many things in such a short time.

To keep them on the right track, we are giving them a few more things they can do with their food....

First up is a spice rub which you can use on beef, chicken, lamb or even vegetables.

SPICE RUB

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cardamon
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons ground coriander
2 nutmegs freshly grated [or 6 teaspoons ground nutmeg]

Tips:

Buy the freshest spices you can. Combine all spices in a clean jar, seal and store in a cool, dark place.
Rub this spice mix into your meat or on vegetables before you cook them. Very simple but very tasty.
You can purchase all these spices at the Birkenhead Aussie Butcher.

And even though the colder months are approaching here is a great salad to try...

SALAD (Serves 4)

Dressing:

3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp warm water
2 birds eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger chopped finely
1 tsp fresh lemongrass [soft inner part only]
handful of coriander leaves,roughly chopped
Salad ingredients:
1-2 cos lettuce leaves inner leaves only
1 cucumber peeled then cut into ribbons use a potato peeler
2 carrots peeled then cut into ribbons with a potato peeler
hand full of fresh mint leaves
handful fresh baby rocket leaves
675g rump

1) Make Dressing by mixing all ingredients in a bowl.

2) Season rump with salt and pepper. Grill until medium rare. Rest 10 minutes, then slice across the grain thinly. Put into a bowl with the dressing and let it sit for 10 minutes.

3) Arrange the salad mix on large plate. Pour over dressing, then lay beef strips on top. Finish with fresh coriander leaves.

STAY ON YOUR GAME BOYS.

BATTLE OF THE BUTCHERS Week Two Begins

2011-03-21T14:39:00.002+13:00

Well that's the first week done and I have to say the boys have done a fantastic job.

They both have colour in their faces! - not the pale, washed-out look they used to have. And both are reporting a huge lift in energy levels.

One of them told me a head of broccoli used to last a week now it's gone in one night. Their veggie intake has more than doubled.

Following the first weigh-in, Josh has lost 6.3 kg (4%) and Jeremy has lost 3.7kg (3%) - after only one week!

WELL DONE BOYS.

KRAIG'S KITCHEN Ginger Beef Stir Fry

2011-03-16T12:09:00.002+13:00

With the BATTLE OF THE BUTCHERS underway, the contenders - Jeremy and Josh - are having to change what they eat in a big way.

Ginger Beef Stir Fry is a very easy meal to prepare which the boys will be having for this dinner one night this week.

Here's how to make it for yourself at home....

GINGER BEEF STIR FRY (serves 4)

Ingredients:

30gm fresh ginger
2 tbsp peatnut oil
600gm beef, rump - slice thinly
2 gloves crushed garlic
120gm green beans
2 spring onions sliced thinlet
2 bok choy sliced
2 carrots - peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated palm sugar
1/2 cup fresh thai basil leaves

1) Chop ginger into thin slices.

2) Heat 1/2 oil in pan. Stir fry beef in batches until brown all over.

3) Heat remaining oil. Stir fry ginger and garlic [do not over cook]. Add beans; stir fry until tender.

4) Return beef, spring onion, sauces and veg to pan. Heat well make sure the sugar has dissolved.

5) Remove from heat. Stir though basil.

6) Eat.

Nutritional Breakdown:

Per serving 4.7g Carbs / 35g Protein

ENJOY!

BATTLE OF THE BUTCHERS Day One

2011-03-15T10:27:00.018+13:00

Well the boys have just had their first Team Training workout with Cindy this morning.

It's 10am now and they are both still smiles and laughing. But lets wait and see how they feel tomorrow.

Neither of them can believe how much they get to eat. The difference between what they were eating and what they are eating now is huge. Fresh salads, lean meats and keeping their metabolism fired by eating every 2 to 3 hours.

Remember you can Back a Butcher to support Christchurch. Simply visit The Aussie Butcher Birkenhead and vote for who you think will lose the most weight, and how much he will lose. Each vote costs $5. All proceeds will go to the Red Cross Christchurch Earthquake appeal. The closest guess will WIN a Meat Pack to die for.

GO BOYS

BATTLE OF THE BUTCHERS Kraig's Kitchen

2011-03-13T13:29:00.002+13:00

Today we gave the boys their first cooking lesson.

Nothing to hard - just an omlette for breakfast. And even though it was 3pm by the time I showed them how to make it, it didn't last long on the plate. Disappeared is seconds, accommpanied by lots of "uummmmmm" and "this is great, yum!"

They both had lots of questions concerning what they can have in the omlettle and how often they can have them.

I explained that they can have as many veges in it as they want, minus the three which they aren't allowed - potato, pumpkin and kumera.

Both the boys are highly motivated and ready to start their journey to leaner meaner healthier butchers.

WHO'S GOING TO WIN?

BATTLE OF THE BUTCHERS The Eating

2011-03-09T22:31:00.007+13:00

For the past 3 weeks, leading up to the challenge, the boys have been keeping a food diary for us. Turns out they both have to make major changes to their food and to the way they eat.

Here's an example of a typical day for one of them....

10.15am First food of the day: 6 pieces sushi, banana, 2 teriyaki kebabs, muesli bar
4.30pm (they call this 'Lunch') Ham, cucumber, cheese, sandwich. Yogurt, banana
7.00pm Dinner: Roast chicken, corned beef, coleslaw, potato salad
Snacks: Roast chicken sandwich
Drinks: 1.5tr water, 10 beers, 10 330ml bourbon ,600ml coke zero

Here's an example of what they will be eating...

Breakfast: 3 poached eggs 1 piece wholemeal toast
Morning tea: 1 small tub of yogurt, 1 piece of fruit
Lunch: 150gms lean beef/chicken large coleslaw with added tomato, capsicum, cucumber, olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing
Afternoon tea: Protein shake, 1 piece of fruit
Dinner: 150gm lean beef/chicken/fish, unlimited veg or salad
30min before bed: Protein shake with water

The boys are avoiding ALL alcohol and energy drinks. Plus they will have to drink at least 3lts of water a day.

They are in for a big shock when we show them what they have to eat.

BON APPETIT.

BATTLE OF THE BUTCHERS Now meet the Beauty

2011-03-08T20:59:00.010+13:00

So you have met the boys {the Beasts} now meet the Beauty - The Lovely Cindy.

Cindy will be looking after the boys while they are training with TEAMTRAINING.

She has been a personal trainer for 7 years now, but has had a life time commitment to healthy living an staying fit. She is also a mother to 5 children, so keeping these two in line won't be a problem for her.

STAY TUNED.

BATTLE OF THE BUTCHERS Meet the Contenders!

2011-03-07T19:33:00.012+13:00

Two heavy-weights of the Butcher industry, going toe-to-toe to raise funds for Christchurch and to get themselves fit and healthy.

JEREMY 'the Boss'

30 years old and a butcher for 8 years, Jeremy tells me he used to be a very active person involving himself in diving, hunting and fishing. But having bought the butchery 3 years ago, he hasn't had much time for anything except working long hours. He loves to cook and likes to eat it more. He hopes the battle will help him get his fitness back and lose the kilos he has packed on over the last few years.

JOSH 'the Challenger'

Josh is 22 years old and has been a butcher for 6 years. He has 2 children. He gave up smoking in May last year, started to taste his food again and as a result has piled on the kilos. He has rising to the challenge at getting the chance to beat the boss.

Both boys have familys and this is the most important reason they are doing the Battle of the Butchers challange to lose weight and get fit so they can enjoy there children growing up.All chilren need there dads.

THE STATS

Jeremy: 30 years old / 119.6kg

Josh: 22 years old / 143.5 kg

HOW THE BATLLE WILL BE FOUGHT AND WON

The boys will join Cindy at TEAM TRAINING for 15 weeks. We will be weighing them each week and posting the results here. The winner will be the highest percentage of weight lost. We will have a winner at week 5, week 10 and week 15.

BACK A BUTCHER TO HELP CHRISTCHURCH

Visit the Aussie Butcher Birkenhead and put a $5 vote on who you reckon will lose the most weight. All money goes to Christchurch and the winner will get the hell meat pack.

GOOD LUCK BOYS!!

HONEY VERSUS SUGAR

2010-12-18T22:30:00.003+13:00

**Artificial sweeteners are pretty much one of the most evil things you can put in your body.

This leaves many people confused about what to use to sweeten their tea and other food and drink.

First of all, the less of any sweetener you can use, the better... if you can slowly over time adjust your taste buds to enjoy the natural taste of foods and drink without the need for heavily sweetening them, you'll see many benefits for your body. However, this leaves the question... If I really want to at least use a little sweetener, should I use sugar or honey?

The easy answer is that honey is better for you than refined sugar. Keep in mind that they are both calorie dense and eating large amounts of honey will still make you deposit body fat.

However, refined sugar is a "negative" nutrient...it's literally devoid of nutrition and using it actually makes your body use up stored nutrients toprocess it.

Honey on the other hand has many beneficial nutrients, enzymes, and antioxidants... raw honey is best as typical honey processing destroys many of the enzymes and antioxidants that give the benefits.

I won't use any honey other than raw honey. Also, honey has been shown in several studies to improve the body's ability to process glucose, whereas refined sugar negatively affects your body's ability to process glucose over time. In fact, I don't use refined sugar for anything at all.

It's either raw honey, pure maple syrup (not fake corn syrup), or stevia for all of my sweetening needs. Those are better choices than processed sugar or artificial sweeteners.

PLAN TO CHEAT

2010-12-18T22:26:00.002+13:00

Xmas Tip #4 is this....

Are You Ready?

PLAN TO CHEAT!!

That's right. Plan To Cheat.

Pick the days...

Hell, you know what they are.

Christmas
The Office Holiday Party
New Years Eve

You already know them, Those are it or some form of that list. Know that you are going to cheat on those days, but don't go OVERBOARD. Go Overboard ON THE DAYS IN BETWEEN THOSE DAYS in terms of eating right and exercising.

The key is what you do in between those days not on those days!

WHO'S GOING TO WIN?

2010-12-15T09:23:00.002+13:00

Tip #3 - MAKE A BET!

That's right.

Make a nice friendly wager with one of your friends.

Each of you put $40 to $50 up and make a friendly wager of who can get rid of the most extra baggage during the holidays.

The winner collects the cash.

Start now and have the wager end on January 2nd!

:-)

That way you will have to be accountable through New Year's Eve.

This is a trick that I've used often with some of my clients.

I'm not a fan of betting but I try to create as much social pressure as possible and try to put in as many accountability measures as possible.

Take care and remember to have a great day.

2ND XMAS TIP

2010-12-15T09:10:00.004+13:00

Yesterday I told you how to START and INCREASE in order
to decrease and subtract from your waist during the holidays.

As we gear up for this year's holiday season you have to be
vigiliant. Look at EVERYBODY, every party, every drink, every
piece of candy and every piece of cake as THE ENEMY.

Do NOT allow the ENEMY to make his way into your home.

So with that being said.

If you want to eat a traditional dinner fine.

But...... Here's what YOU should do

======================
THE TEAMTRAINING SOLUTION
======================

So here's the secret.

We go to the family xmas dinner and we eat and we eat.

We get FULL and then we leave.

AND MOST OF YOU WONT DO ANYTHING ELSE THAT DAY EXCEPT FOR THAT
BIG MEAL.

NOTHING!!.

You enjoy yourself and then you take your arse home!

PERIOD.
SO DONT HAVE 6 POTATOES, DONT PILE YOUR PLATE SO HIGH THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THE SKY TOWER .AND DONT GO BACK FOR 2NDS ITS JUST STUFFING YOUR FACE AND OVER EATING WHICH PUTS A HUGE STRAIN ON YOUR HEART.

Are you strong enough to do this???

If you chose to stuff yourself you will put away 6000-10,000 calories thats enough for 3 to 4 days

That's unacceptable.

Here' the Plan and the Solution:

1. Wake up in the morning
2. Hit a nice cardio workout.
3. Eat and enjoy the day, dont overeat
4. Relax and feel great not like the beached whale you were the year before
5. Sleep.
6. Wake up - and you'll be the same weight as you were yesterday.
8. DONE!!!

Sub-Tips:

1. one meal not 4
2. more meat than carbs
3. no calories via liquid.

Done.

Done!

Got it?

Good!!!

OVER THE XMAS BREAK

2010-12-13T10:41:00.002+13:00

We have had 5 tips sent to us and we think they all make sense. So here's the 1st one - we will post one each day...

=====================
TIP NUMBER ONE
=====================

1. START OR INCREASE

That's it.
START.....
OR
INCREASE.

You know how if you are driving and you are getting
ready to go up a hill, you give the car a little more "gas"
so you can "attack" the hill.

Well, this is no different.

If you drive at the same speed when you get on the hill, the
car is likely to stall.

You MUST attack the hill and you also must ATTACK the
holiday season.

If you are exercising or working out now. Do 2 to 3 more reps
per exercise.

Push a little faster on your cardio training, go a little bit longer,
just 3 to 7 minutes.

Just do a little bit more than normal.

Attack the hill.

If you aren't exercising now.. START.

NO GYM MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED.
JUST START WALKING.
PLEASE.

You CAN walk. It doesn't cost anything.

And this is something that you can do TODAY!!!!
So that's the tip.

INCREASE OR START.

Ten Golden Rules

2010-08-13T11:22:00.002+12:00

The 10 Golden Rules of Sports Nutrition

The task of framing the perfect nutrition plan can be a daunting task even for experienced athletes. However, as Amanda Carlson explains, if you break it down into different pieces and understand those individual parts that make the whole, you will discover that creating the perfect nutrition plan to meet your needs is just a series of simple steps.

Foundation nutrition:

In my work with athletes, I break down foundation nutrition into ‘10 rules to live by’. If you can ensure that you are following these rules day in, day out, you will build a solid nutrition foundation. Without that foundation, any nutritional fine-tuning simply won’t make that much of a difference. These rules are as follows:

1. Come back to earth. This simply means choosing the least processed forms of foods (specifically carbohydrates) when building the majority of your meals. Typically, the less processed the foods and the closer the food that you are eating is to its natural state, the better it will be for your body.

2. Eat a rainbow often. The vitamins and minerals that our bodies need come naturally from the foods that we eat, and especially from fruits and vegetables. Eating a variety of fruit and veg in a multitude of colours will help to ensure that you are getting the variety of nutrients that you need, resulting in enhanced recovery, improved energy production and immunity.
The following fruits rank in the ‘top 20 list’ of the American Cancer Society: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, Granny Smith apples, sweet cherries and black plums.

3. The fewer legs the better. Protein is a critical part of the diet for athletes, specifically the type and the amount. When focusing in on the type of protein, typically the fewer legs the animal has before you actually consume the protein it produces, the better the source. Fish, turkey, and chicken rank high. You need to be more selective with dairy, red meat and pork products. Low-fat dairy, lean cuts of pork and beef, and grass-fed four-legged animals are best!
"In order to optimise the benefits of a training session and jump-start recovery for maximal gains, it is critical to consume a post-workout recovery meal that blends both carbohydrate and protein."

4. Eat fats that give something back. It is recommended that 20-30% of the total calories come from fat. The best types of fats to include are raw nuts, seeds, olive oil, nut butters, and fatty fish. The forgotten fats are the essential fatty acids. These fats decrease inflammation but, due to their essential nature, must come from the diet.

5. Three for three. Eating consistently maintains energy levels (blood glucose), keeps the body in a fed state, and prevents mood swings and bingeing. Combining the three main nutrients (carbs, protein, fat) every three hours (hence the ‘three for three’) will prevent extreme hunger, which will make healthier food selection easier.

6. Eat breakfast every day. Eating breakfast every day is critical, yet it’s an absent habit for many. Breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Eating breakfast gives the body the fuel it needs and sets your metabolism up to function correctly throughout the day.

7. Hydrate. Dehydration equals decreased performance. You need to ensure that you’re hydrated before you even start activity! You need to think of hydration in terms of all day and during training. We recommend drinking ½oz to 1oz of fluid per pound of body weight (30-60mls per kilo) per day. Fluids should consist primarily of water and other naturally low- or non-caloric beverages, followed by 100% fruit juices, depending upon calorie requirements.

8. Don’t waste your workout. Even with the abundance of research on the importance of post-workout nutrition, I still see athletes skipping the recovery meal or snack. Unfortunately, many are still reluctant to consume calories after just burning them. However, in order to optimise the benefits of a training session and jump-start recovery for maximal gains, it is critical to consume a post-workout recovery meal that blends both carbohydrate and protein, within 45 minutes after training.

9. Supplement wisely. Supplements should ‘complement’ the diet and a mentality of ‘food first, supplement second’ should be employed.

However, there are a number of situations that warrant a basic supplementation protocol. Those of us who are not eating the fruits and vegetables we need on a regular basis and are restricting calories should consider taking a multi-vitamin. Those who do not get the recommended two to three servings of fatty fish per week should consider supplementing with an essential fatty acid supplement. Those who do not get the calcium they need, especially female athletes, should consider a calcium supplement.

10. Get back in the kitchen. In a world of convenience, travel and life on the go, we often turn to restaurants, fast food, and ‘quick’ food for our nourishment. Restaurants, regardless of type, do not take into consideration your calorie needs or your health when deciding upon their menu. At the end of the day, if you really want to optimise your body composition, hit your nutrient and calorie goals, and just eat cleaner, you are your best ally. The more you can prepare your own food, the more control you will have in the nourishment of your body.

Abdominal Fat - It's a Killer

2010-07-31T09:38:00.000+12:00

Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess abdominal fat?

The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body.

However, what most people don't realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health.

Scientific research has clearly determined that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area.

The first type that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.

The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral fat, and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscle and surrounding your organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that "beer belly" appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it.

Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases. Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it apparently releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.

If you care about the quality of your life and your loved ones, reducing your abdominal fat should be one of your TOP priorities! There's just no way around it. Besides, a side effect of finally getting rid of all of that excessive ugly abdominal fat is that your stomach will flatten out, and if you lose enough stomach fat, you will be able to visibly see those sexy six pack abs that everyone wants.

So what gets rid of extra abdominal fat?

The first thing you must understand is that there is absolutely NO quick fix solution. There are no pills or supplements of any sort that will help you lose your abdominal fat faster.

Also, none of the gimmicky ab rockers, rollers, or ab belts will help get rid of abdominal fat either. You can't spot reduce your stomach fat by using any of these worthless contraptions. It simply doesn't work that way.

The only solution to consistently lose your abdominal fat and keep it off for good is to combine a sound strategic nutritious diet full of unprocessed natural foods with a properly designed exercise program that stimulates the necessary hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake as well as your training program are important if you are to get this right.

I've actually even seen a particular study that divided thousands of participants into a diet-only group and an exercise/diet group. While both groups in this study made good progress, the diet-only group lost significantly LESS abdominal fat than the diet & exercise combined group.

Now the important thing to realize is that just any old exercise program will not necessarily do the trick. The majority of people that attempt getting into a good exercise routine are NOT working out effectively enough to really stimulate the loss of stubborn abdominal fat. I see this everyday at the gym.

Most people will do your typical boring cardio routines, throw in a little outdated body-part style weight training, and pump away with some crunches and side bends, and think that they are doing something useful for reducing their abdominal fat. Then they become frustrated after weeks or months of no results and wonder where they went wrong.

Eggs - The Real Deal

2010-07-31T09:24:00.000+12:00

I had this sent to me. It all makes sense and is worth the read...

I was on a weekend trip with some friends recently and one of my friends was cooking breakfast for the whole group. I went over to see what he was cooking and saw he was getting ready to make a big batch of eggs.

Well, to my shock and horror, I noticed that he was cracking the eggs open and screening the egg whites into a bowl and throwing out the egg yolks. I asked him why the heck he was throwing out the egg yolks, and he replied something like this...

"because I thought the egg yolks were terrible for you...that's where all the nasty fat and cholesterol is".

And I replied, "you mean that's where all of the nutrition is!"

This is a perfect example of how confused most people are about nutrition. In a world full of misinformation about nutrition, somehow most people now mistakenly think that the egg yolk is the worst part of the egg, when in fact, the YOLK IS THE HEALTHIEST PART OF THE EGG!

By throwing out the yolk and only eating egg whites, you're essentially throwing out the most nutrient dense, antioxidant-rich, vitamin and mineral loaded portion of the egg. The yolks contain so many B-vitamins, trace minerals, vitamin A, folate, choline, lutein, and other powerful nutrients... it's not even worth trying to list them all.
In fact, the egg whites are almost devoid of nutrition compared to the yolks.

Even the protein in egg whites isn't as powerful without the yolks to balance out the amino acid profile and make the protein more bio-available. Not to even mention that the egg yolks from free range chickens are loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids (EFAs).

And now the common objection I get all the time when I say that the yolks are the most nutritious part of the egg...
"But I heard that whole eggs will skyrocket my cholesterol through the roof"

No, this is FALSE!

First of all, when you eat a food that contains a high amount of dietary cholesterol such as eggs, your body down-regulates it's internal production of cholesterol to balance things out.
On the other hand, if you don't eat enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more since cholesterol has dozens of important vital functions in the body.

And here's where it gets even more interesting...

There have been plenty of studies lately that indicate that eating whole eggs actually raises your good HDL cholesterol to a higher degree than LDL cholesterol, thereby improving your overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry.

And 3rd... high cholesterol is NOT a disease! Heart disease is a disease...but high cholesterol is NOT. Cholesterol is actually a VERY important substance in your body and has vitally important functions... it is DEAD WRONG to try to "lower your cholesterol" just because of pharmaceutical companies propaganda that everyone on the planet should be on statin drugs.

If you're interested in this topic of cholesterol specifically, I have another article listed at the bottom of this page about why trying to attack cholesterol is a mistake, and what the REAL deadly risk factors actually are.

In addition, the yolks contain the antioxidant lutein as well as other antioxidants which can help protect you from inflammation within your body (the REAL culprit in heart disease, not dietary cholesterol!), giving yet another reason why the yolks are actually GOOD for you, and not detrimental.

To help bring even more proof that whole eggs are better for you than egg whites, I recently read a University of Connecticut study that showed that a group of men in the study that ate 3 eggs per day for 12 weeks while on a reduced carb, higher fat diet increased their HDL good cholesterol by 20%, while their LDL bad cholesterol stayed the same during the study. However, the group that ate egg substitutes (egg whites) saw no change in either and did not see the improvement in good cholesterol (remember that higher HDL levels are associated with lower risk of heart disease) that the whole egg eaters did.

So I hope we've established that whole eggs are not some evil food that will wreck your body... instead whole eggs are FAR superior to egg whites.

But what about the extra calories in the yolks?

This is actually a non-issue and here's why... even though egg yolks contain more calories than just eating the egg whites, the yolks have such a high micro-nutrient density in those calories, that it increases your overall nutrient density per calorie you consume. Essentially, what this does is help to regulate your appetite for the remainder of the day, so you end up eating less calories overall. In addition, the healthy fats in the egg yolks help to maintain a good level of fat-burning hormones in your body.

Overall, this means that the extra fats (healthy fats) and calories from the yolk are so nutrient-dense that they actually HELP you to burn off body fat!

Also, your normal supermarket eggs coming from mass factory farming just don't compare nutritionally with organic free range eggs from healthy chickens that are allowed to roam freely and eat a more natural diet. Your typical cheap grocery store eggs will have lower nutrient levels and a higher omega-6 level and lower omega-3 level. On the other hand, the cage-free organic eggs from healthier chickens allowed to eat more natural feed and roam freely will have much higher vitamin and mineral levels and a more balanced healthier omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio.
I recently compared eggs I bought at the grocery store with a batch of eggs I got at a farm stand where the chickens were free roaming and healthy.

Most people don't realize that there's a major difference because they've never bought real eggs from healthy chickens... The eggs from the grocery store had pale yellow yolks and thin weak shells. On the other hand, the healthier free range eggs from the local farm had strong thick shells and deep orange colored yolks indicating much higher nutrition levels and carotenoids... and just a healthier egg in general.

This is due to the fact that a free-roaming hen allowed to roam on plenty of land will eat a variety of greens, insects, worms, etc transferring MUCH higher levels of nutrients to the eggs compared to an unhealthy hen that is trapped inside a dark factory farm hen house in horrible conditions and fed nothing but piles of corn and soy. It's a DRASTIC difference in the nutrition that you get from the egg.

So next time a health or fitness professional tells you that egg whites are superior (because of their "fat-phobic" mentality towards dietary fats), you can quietly ignore their advice knowing that you now understand the REAL deal about egg yolks.

And can we all please STOP with this sillyness about eating an omelete with 4-5 egg whites and only 1 egg yolk... If you want real taste and real health benefits, we'd all be better off eating ALL of our eggs with the yolks.

After all, do you REALLY think that our ancestors thousands of years ago threw out the yolks and only ate the egg whites? NOT A CHANCE! They intuitively knew that all of the nutrition was found in the yolks. But our modern society has been brainwashed with misinformation about fats and cholesterol.

Another interesting study about eggs...
I read a study recently that compared groups of people that ate egg breakfasts vs groups of people that ate cereal or bagel-based breakfasts. The results of the study showed that the egg eaters lost or maintained a healthier bodyweight, while the cereal/bagel eaters gained weight.
It was hypothesized that the egg eaters actually ate less calories during the remainder of the day because their appetite was more satisfied compared to the cereal/bagel eaters who would have been more prone to wild blood sugar swings and food cravings.

Day One

2010-06-30T09:28:00.003+12:00

Good morning guys,

Great to see you all this morning braving the elements! I'm sure you will all agree once you get started the rain becomes insignificant. And we finished the session under blue skys.
A great start by you all today, you all gave 100% and thats all we ask.

Remember to drink at least 2 lts of water today, not counting the water you had at training.
Most of you will start to feel the aches and pains by tomorrow, some might feel them today. Dont worry its just your body waking up. For your job you sit down for most of the day & as a result all the muscles you sit on, eg legs, butt, lower back, go to sleep we are waking them up.

So PLEASE don't use the pain and sore body as an excuse not to come to training on Friday.

It took a long time to get out of shape, guys, this is just the start of your journey to getting into good shape

Food diary feedback

2010-06-29T17:09:00.003+12:00

Hope you are all charged up and ready to go? Was great to chat with you on a one to one basis and, very revealing.

"This is the worst week ever, I'm not normally this bad" - we heard this a lot!

What we found to be the most common deficiency was a lack of VEGETABLES and too many simple carbs and unhealthy fats. By religiously keeping your food diary (written down) you can keep track of what you are putting into your stomach and work towards adding as many coloured vegetables as you possibly can into your day, and putting PROTEIN (the muscle building block) into every snack & meal you take.

Look at including only primo fats into your engine, ie olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocado (1 quarter of an avo, is a far healthier option to smear on your toast in place of butter, which is a saturated fat & not condusive to a healthy heart.

WATER WATER WATER !!!!! Those of you who are still meeting the barre, train yourself to sip water continuously throughout your day, you need to get to the 2 LITRE mark urgently!

NRG?!

2010-06-24T12:32:00.002+12:00

Found this the other day well worth a read...

I receive a ton of questions about all of these new "energy" drinks that have hit the market over the last few years. They seem to be all the rage, especially with the youth, and they promise you the world with outrageous claims of all of the super energy that you are going to have, and how you'll become the best athlete in the world, start lifting cars over your head, and get a perfect body.

So a couple questions arise:

Are these "energy" drinks really any good for you?Do they actually increase your energy? Do they really have some sort of magical energy formula?Will they help you lose weight?

First of all, let's look at what most of these energy drinks are usually made of. Most of them are simply carbonated water loaded with gut-fattening high fructose corn syrup (or other added sugars), caffeine, the amino acid taurine, and some crappy vitamins added for show to trick you into thinking there's something healthy about these concoctions.

Let's start with the high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Well, here we've got empty calories that will go straight to your belly fat, and that are possibly even WORSE for you than plain old refined sugar (although that's up for debate, but semantics in the big picture). Some energy drinks use other added sugars instead of HFCS, but it doesn't really matter, because they are all gut-fattening empty calories with no nutritional benefit.

Ok, so you say that they have low-sugar or sugar-free varieties as an alternative to the HFCS-laden energy drinks. Yes, but now you have the problem of the harmful chemicals in the artificial sweeteners which have their own set of health dangers.

Another problem with artificial sweeteners is that there are some researchers that believe artificial sweetener use leads people to inadvertently consume more calories and gain more weight in the long run. I won't go into the details on that because that would fill up an entire discussion by itself. Just trust me that artificial sweeteners and artificial chemicals in food in general, are all bad news for your body! It's never a good idea to try to "trick" your body with artificial tastes.

What about the caffeine?

Well, first of all, caffeine doesn't in itself provide "energy". Technically, the only substance that actually provides energy is calories (from carbs, protein, and fat).

However, caffeine can be an aid for livening or waking some people up, by means of stimulating the central nervous system.

Instead of caffeine added to some carbonated "energy" drink, I'd rather get my caffeine from a natural source like green, white, or oolong teas (or my new favorite - yerba mate teas), which actually provide powerful healthy antioxidants too!

Keep in mind though, if you're a regular coffee drinker, you probably have some level of addiction to caffeine and probably wouldn't receive too much benefit from the caffeine in an energy drink anyway.

Tip: try to drink more tea and reduce your coffee intake to only a couple days per week max to reduce your dependency on caffeine. Most teas contain much less caffeine than coffee, and some teas (such as green, white, and oolong) contain synergistic phytochemicals that work to slow the response of the caffeine that they do contain. This means you get a milder response from the caffeine in green, oolong, or white teas compared to the harsher jittery response that some people get from coffee.

Now what about that so called magical blend of taurine and B-vitamins that they load into these energy drinks?

Well, big deal...you get taurine in almost any protein source. And the vast majority of those artificially added B-vitamins are simply coming right out into the toilet in your pee. Vitamins are best obtained naturally from a REAL food source, not artificially added to some carbonated drink. Your body just doesn't use fake sources of vitamins as readily as natural sources from real food.

So as you can see, in my opinion, I give all of these energy drinks a big time THUMBS DOWN! Don't fall for the ridiculous marketing of all of these so-called "energy drinks".

Instead, here's my recipe for my own home-made energy drink:

1. Make a big iced tea mixture using green tea, white tea, and yerba mate tea. I like to add a little fruit flavor, so I'll use 1 tea bag of a raspberry or blueberry hibiscus tea, and then use 2-3 green and/or white tea bags, and 2-3 yerba mate tea bags, and make a gallon container of iced tea. I just use a small amount of stevia to lightly sweeten the batch of tea.

2. I buy a container of organic coconut water from a health food store, or buy fresh coconuts to obtain the coconut water from the inside.

3. For my healthy energy drink, I mix a half of a glass of the white/green/yerba mate iced tea mixture and fill the rest of the glass with the coconut water.

This is actually a delicious and truly healthy energy drink instead of the chemical-laden crappy energy drinks that everybody is getting suckered into buying these days.

The green, white, and yerba mate teas contain a small dose of caffeine along with a diverse mixture of powerful antioxidants and synergistic phytochemicals. Plus, the coconut water is a rich source of electrolytes and a diversity of vitamins and minerals. Coconut water is known to provide a good instant energy source, and also contains some medium chain triglycerides, which are healthy fats that are readily used for energy and also aid your immune system.

So enjoy this natural healthy energy drink, knowing that you're doing your body good instead of filling it with chemicals with normal store-bought energy drinks.

My TEAMTRAINING

2010-06-22T15:49:00.003+12:00

For the last 6 weeks I have been doing the Monday, Wednesday TEAMTRAINING at St Marys Ponsonby.

I loved each and every session, its very addictive. Pushing yourself each night to work up a big sweat. One of the hardest nights we had was 2 x time trial runs up College Hill, now that's HARD work when you are competing against your 18yr old son. He beat me each time, but he had to work for it, just like I worked hard to stay in front of everyone else. The point is you get out of it what you put into it. I would have hated to come 3rd knowing I could have gone harder and come 2nd. Icouldnt go any harder than I did and I was beaten fair and square! Give me 5 more weeks and I will take on my son again.

Always try and do your best, take yourself out of your comfort zone, that's how you will improve.

Light Weight Snacks

2010-06-14T10:52:00.006+12:00

Give these ago if your stuck for ideas for snacks.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small brown onion (finely chopped)
1 garlic glove,crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
100g trimmed washed spinach leaves,finely shredded
500gm low fat plain yogurt

1) Heat oil;cook onion,garlic,stir until onion has softened;Add spices stirring until fragrant.Add spinach,cook until spinach wilts.Transfer to clean bowl allow to cool 10min.

2)Add yogurt to mix stir then refrigerate1 hour

3)Serve cold with assoreted crudities

serves 4 6.8gm carb,8.9gmfat.

goodyarn

2010-05-31T10:03:00.001+12:00

Hi guys,
Check this site out www.goodyarn.co.nz/sports/turf/team-training.aspx
They train with us and thought it was good enough for a mention thanks for that

"Thank You"

2010-05-31T09:05:00.004+12:00

This isnt just training.... he changed his food as well. Small things will add up to big results.

Hi Cindy/Kraig,

Just a quick email to say thanks for all your training and support over the last few months.
I started off training with you guys at the end of January and was around 82-83 Kilos, 33-34 inch waist and "thought" i was reasonably fit...

It's now the end of May and in 4 months I have lost 9 kilos and 2-3 inches of my waist. I've probably never been fitter than I am now and recently completed the huntly half marathon in 1hr 42mins. That's 18 mins faster than I'd done before I started your training!

On the downside it's costing me a fortune in new clothes because nothing fits me anymore but i can live with that!

I love the fact that you let people work/train at their own pace whilst encouraging them to do the best they can. (No pain=no gain!!)

Bring on the next session!

Cheers,

Gregor

WINTER WEIGHT WARNING

2010-05-26T10:21:00.001+12:00

winter weight warning...W.W.W.How many of you reached the goals you set for yourself over the summer?Did Valentine's Day get in the way or was it Easter?? So it didn't go as well as you wanted......And chances are its only going to get worse over the winter..........UNLESS YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT ITWhy not come and join us for TEAMTRAINING- get fit, stay in shape, and keep those winter kilos at bay [or lose the ones from last winter that stayed with you over summer]. Does this sound familiar??Make a positive change in your life, do something for YOU because no one else will.WE are here to HELP and encourage you to reach your goals.Come down for a trial workout - we are all over auckland www.teamtraining.co.nz you can join in at any time. START MOVING TOWARD YOUR GOAL TODAY WITH TEAMTRAINING fitterfasterstronger

Tricks to Eat Less

2010-05-17T08:45:00.001+12:00

I found these 4 tricks (that are proven to help people eat less food and overall calories) while reading a fascinating book recently called 59 Seconds by Richard Wiseman. I think you'll find these very helpful if you're looking to control your caloric intake and reduce your body fat.

These tricks were tested in scientific studies and are quick and easy to implement. I thought these were VERY interesting...

Trick #1 to Eat Less

Several studies prove that the size of the bowl, plate, or spoon that you use can directly influence how much food and calories you consume.

Richard Wiseman, in the book 59 Seconds, talks about one study conducted where party guests were randomly given either 17 or 34-ounce bowls and 2 or 3 ounce spoons, and allowed to help themselves to ice cream. It was found that the party guests given the large spoons and large bowls had eaten 14% and 31% more ice cream respectively, than the people using the smaller spoons or smaller bowls. Interesting huh!

Another study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania used a bowl of M&Ms that were left in the hallway of an apartment building. A sign next to the bowl told people to help themselves to the M&Ms. Some days a tablespoon sized scoop was used in the M&Ms and on other days, a larger scoop was used in the bowl. The researchers found that the larger scoop caused people to take TWICE the amount of M&Ms on average compared to the people that had used the smaller scoop.

I've also seen studies referenced in the past that showed that people who used larger plates consumed more calories than those using smaller plates.

The lesson -- Use smaller plates, bowls, and silverware and you may inadvertently reduce your calorie intake. This also means saying NO to seconds and thirds!

Trick #2 to Eat Less

You've probably heard before that eating slower can help you to eat less because it gives time for the fullness signal to reach your brain and thereby shut off your appetite before you've eaten too much.

However, this study below found a twist on this!

According to Mr. Wiseman in the book 59 Seconds, a study at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center had overweight participants eat a meal at 3 different speeds:

a) their normal rate

b) half their normal rate

c) their normal rate at first, followed by half their normal rate (normal-slow combo)

The results were interesting...

Eating at the slower rate caused the men to eat less, but not the women (that's weird!). However, the 3rd group that combined the normal pace at first with the slower rate after that caused both the men and women to have a large reduction in their appetite and eat less. The normal-slow combo was found to be more effective than just the slow-only group. Why? I have no idea, but those are interesting results!

Mr Wiseman stated that the lesson here to eat less is "to start at your normal speed but then savor each and every mouthful".

Trick #3 to Eat Less

According to the book 59 Seconds, a series of experiments conducted in offices compared putting chocolates right on people's desks vs placing the chocolates six feet away. In another experiment, the chocolates were put inside either transparent or opaque jars. When the chocolates were placed on the person's desk instead of 6 feet away, people ate on average 6 more chocolates per day per person. Also, the chocolates in the transparent jars were eaten 46% more quickly than the opaque jars.

Just shows... out of sight, out of mind! As you may already know, I recommend never even having junk food around your house at all...that way, you're never tempted by it and you're forced to only eat healthy foods... but then you can use your weekly cheat meals to eat junk food out at a restaurant. That way the junk food is never in your house to begin with!

Trick #4 to Eat Less

Studies have found that people eat significantly more when they are distracted by TV, movies, games, or other distractions. In one experiment mentioned in the book 59 Seconds, people who were more absorbed by a movie ate significantly larger amounts of popcorn compared to those that were paying less attention to the movie.

In another experiment, people who actively listened to a detective story during lunch (being distracted by the story), ate 15% more food than those who sat in silence during their lunch.

The lesson -- ditch the TV and other distractions and focus on your food! Enjoy every bite of your food and you will naturally consume less calories while enjoying your food more.

Green Chilli Stew

2010-05-10T09:09:00.003+12:00

This one's for Jason

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1kg rump steak cut ino 3cm cubes
1 lg onion sliced
4 cloves garlic crushed
2 tspn ground cumin
2 long green chilli, seeded. sliced
500ml beef stock,
1 tbsp tomato paste,
3 lg tomartoes corse chop
2 medium carrots corse chop
500gm fresh or frozen corn kernells
2 medium kumara
1/4 cup chopped fresh corriander

1) Heat 1/2 oil and brown beef in batchs

2) Preheat oven to 180

3) Heat remaining oil cook onion,garlic,cumin,and chilli,stiring until onion softens.Add stock and tom paste,bring to boil.Add beef,cook in covered oven dish 50min.

4) Add tomartos carrot an kumra cook again for 35 min.

5) Add corn cook 5min

6) Add corriander and serve.

Chilli, the next super spice

2010-05-10T09:07:00.003+12:00

Have a read of this guys will give you a chilli recipe as well

The next super-spice -- Chilli!

I was just reading about a recent Australian study that documented how you can burn more calories, increase your metabolism slightly, and help control your blood sugar and insulin levels by including chili peppers and chili spice (or cayenne) in your foods. Keep in mind, this may be a minor "detail", but when you add up a lot of these types of "details", you can make significant changes to your body over time.

As you've probably heard in the past, the active ingredient in chili pepper (capsaicin) can cause slight increases in your metabolic rate and calorie burning from a meal. This has been reported many times in both animal and human studies. However, in this Australian study, Madeleine J. Ball, MD, one of the researchers from the study, sought to find out how chilli pepper affected blood sugar and insulin response after a meal. As you know, chronically high insulin levels in your body can not only cause deposition of excess body fat, but also can lead to diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

The study was split into groups of subjects that ate meals without chili spice, and other groups of subjects that ate meals with chili pepper.

As it turned out, the chili pepper eating groups had lower insulin levels and more stable blood sugar after the meals than the groups that ate the same food without chile. According to Dr. Ball, "the chili is probably having some effect on the ability of the body to clear -- or remove -- insulin from the bloodstream".

Aside from the temporary calorie burning boost and insulin controlling response, apparently chili pepper also has significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties...

So if you can handle a bit of spicyness, go ahead and enjoy adding some extra cayenne or chili pepper to your pot of meat & bean chili, your morning eggs, meat dishes, and other meals, knowing it's possibly giving you a slight edge in the fat burning department.

Excuse #4

2010-05-07T08:02:00.002+12:00

Hi guys, the work-out you had today is a great example of time saving workouts. Ten minutes hard out - I know you all felt it.

Once again we need to get back to priorities. If your house and kids are priorities, why wouldn't your health and fitness be top priorities also, so that you can enjoy your life and everything and everyone in it!Remember, you don't need to work out for hours every day to be in great shape. It's all about maximizing the intensity and amount of full body musculature you work in a given time period, even if that time period is just a brief 10 minute daily workout.

Excuse #3

2010-05-05T09:02:00.005+12:00

Good morning, What a fantastic morning it is! Both morning teams worked really hard and achived things they thought they never could. Brillant keep it up.

Excuse buster #3

*Excuse #3 - Knee, ankle, or leg injury so haven't worked out:

Ok, so now you're saying that just because you have a leg injury, that somehow your upper body no longer works? Even if you need to walk in there on crutches, and then do nothing but seated upper body exercises, that's a lot better than doing nothing and letting your entire body get weak and soft during the time while your leg heals. Knee or leg injury excuse busted!

Now don't get mad at me about these injury excuses... Believe me, I DO understand that there are some serious injuries and disorders that do prevent some people from doing any exercise at all. However, for most minor injuries, there's no excuse not to at least continue doing some form of exercise.

Clay Pot Chicken

2010-05-04T08:44:00.005+12:00

Give this a go, it's quick and easy.

Ingredients

800gm chicken thighs (skin off)
1 lg onion cut into quarters
1 fresh long red chilli,sliced thinly
1/2 cup chicken stock
100gm shitiake mushrooms halfed
4 green onions chop into 4cm lengths
500gm savoy cabbage cut into squares

Hoisin an citrus marinade

4 gloves garlic crushed
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
10cm stick fresh lemon grass finely chopped

1) Make marinade by combining all together

2) Cut each thigh in half and place in bowl to marinade over night in fridge

3) Preheat heat oven to 180

4) Place chicken mixture in 2.5lt oven proof dishwith onion,chilli and stock; mix to combine. Cook covered in oven for 45min. Add mushrooms, green onion and cabbage to dish; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, about 15 min. Serve an enjoy

Nutritional Breakdown

Per serving: 9.4 gm carbs / 9.2gms fat / 46gms protein

(serves 4)

Excuse #2

2010-05-04T08:42:00.006+12:00

Hi guys, Excuse number two...

*Excuse #2 - Shoulder or arm injury so haven't worked out:

Bum shoulder... so what... are you saying your legs and abs don't work all of the sudden just because your arm or shoulder is hurt?After all, most of your fat loss and metabolism-boosting results come from lower body based exercises anyway, as they burn more calories due to the larger muscle groups involved. Your upper body injury just gives you a good reason to focus even more intensely on your lower body, abs, and interval training during this period when you won't be able to do upper body exercises.

Shoulder injury excuse busted!

Excuses - What Excuses!

2010-04-30T09:39:00.011+12:00

This was sent to me last week. It's a good read and makes you think 'are you in this for the long term or are you just trying for a quick fix?' Which in my opinion never works.

EXCERPT: LEAN-BODY SECRETS

I wanted to talk today about excuses for why many people don't workout or miss workouts. Here's a common theme I see all the time at the gym...

Somebody that was doing well working out and finally starting to get results at the gym all of the sudden stops coming in for several months. When they eventually come back and start working out again a couple months later, they're usually back in horrible shape, have gained back all the weight or more, and lost most of their strength gains that they worked so hard for.

So while talking to them, I'll ask where they have been the last couple months, and that's when the excuses start... Perhaps it was that they had a special assignment at work and have been "too busy" to work out lately -- Or perhaps it was that they had a shoulder or arm injury so they thought that they couldn't work out during this time -- Or perhaps they had a knee, ankle, or leg injury so they thought they couldn't work out. -- Or perhaps they were busy with house renovations, or family issues, or too busy with the kids, etc, etc, etc... excuse, excuse, excuse.

You can see where I'm going with this... if your health & fitness and how you look and feel is important to you, then there is no such thing as an excuse. Either you want it, or you don't, and it's either going to be a priority in your life, or it's not! After all, your health and fitness determines not only how good you're going look and feel every day that you're on this planet, but also how long you'll exist on this earth to enjoy the time you have with your friends and family...

So with all of that said, why wouldn't you make your fitness a priority in your life!

Here's my opinion on the example excuses above...

*Excuse #1 - Too busy at work:

Ok, so why don't you squeeze in really brief but really intense 5 minute workouts before and after work each day... after all, that's only 10 minutes of your time, and despite popular belief you CAN stay in excellent shape working out as little as 5 or 10 minutes a day (as long as your time is well spent with the right exercises and right intensity).

Part two tomorrow

Ward off Winter sickness

2010-04-28T08:36:00.003+12:00

This is the cold and flu season, so perfect time to feature this article about how to ward off sickness... although these tips can work anytime of the year to keep you healthy.

First of all, let's clear up a misconception about why more people get sick in the winter, compared to warmer times of the year.

So many people still have the misconception that the cold temperature itself can make you sick...This is not true. There are 2 theories that I think have the most validity as to why more colds, flu, and sickness occur in the winter:

It may have to do with people generally spending more time indoors in the winter and thereby being exposed to more germs in enclosed buildings.
People don't get much sunlight in the winter and therefore, Vitamin D levels in the body drop significantly, which reduces immunity. Most people don't realize how important sunlight and Vitamin D levels really are towards so many functions inside their body. Even for people that get outdoors in the winter often, if you live to the North of an imaginary line from approximately Atlanta to Los Angeles, the suns rays are not strong enough in the winter months to stimulate any significant Vitamin D production inside your body. This aspect of lack of Vitamin D production and lowered immune strength in the winter months is what is most likely the REAL reason why more sickness goes around in the winter.

But the purpose of this article is not to debate about the causes of winter colds and flu... the purpose is to provide tips to help bolster your immune system to fight off sickness before it gets a hold of you. So here is my little ritual that I've been using for a few years now and really seems to keep me from getting any colds, flu, or any sickness at all. As a matter of fact, I can't remember the last time I was legitimately sick. Every time I feel a cold or something starting to come on, I do this ritual, strengthen my immune system, and my body always fights it off before I actually get sick....

Focus on Vitamin D (but not in pill form) You need to be careful about artificial forms of vitamin D in many vitamin pills, as artificial vitamin forms are almost always either ineffective or possibly even detrimental compared to natural forms.

For this reason, you need to get your vitamin D naturally. The sun is the best source, and leads to a powerful strengthening of your immune system when your body can naturally produce Vitamin D from moderate sun exposure.

Since you may not be going on a tropical vacation this winter, how can you still keep Vitamin D levels from falling dangerously low in your body? Well, the best food sources of natural Vitamin D are egg yolks, fatty fish, organ meats, and some mushrooms. I also like to take a SMALL dose of cod liver oil daily in the deepest months of winter to make sure my vitamin D levels don't fall too low. Make sure to take only small doses of cod liver oil, as large doses can give you an overdose of Vitamin A. I take half of the recommended dose on the bottle.

FYI - The synthetic version of Vitamin D is ergocalciferol (vitamin D2), while the natural form is cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). btw, fortified milk has added D2, not D3... so that's not a good source.

Pork, Lime & Peanut Salad

2010-04-27T11:08:00.006+12:00

A lot of you ask for low carb food etc so here's your first recipe. I'll be posting new recipes here regularly, so be sure to check back.

Ingredients

800gm pork fillets,sliced thinly
6oml lime juice
4cm piece ginger grated
500gm choy sum or bok choy chopped
2 tbsp water
2 medium carrots cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup basil leaves
1 cup coriander leaves
4 green onions thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped peanuts(toasted unsalted)

Sweet Chilli Dressing

1tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sweet chilli sce
2 tbsp lime juice
1 small red chilli finely chopped.

1) Place pork in lg bowl with lime and ginger place in fridge 3hours or overnight.

2) Make dressing-place in ingredients in jar shake well.

3) Stir fry pork in batches ,cover to keep warm.

4) Stir fry choy sum with the water until just wilted.

5) Place pork,choy sum in large bowl with carrot,herbs,onion,and dressing; Toss gentley to combine,sprinkle with peanuts.

Nutritional breakdown

Per serving 6.8gm carbs / 10.4 fat / 321cal / 48gm protein
(serves 4)

Training & Eating

2010-04-22T14:19:00.005+12:00

Talk about being slack! I started this and haven't kept it up, so now we are going to let all you teamtrainers know about it. That should keep me honest.

Waka ama

As most of you know, Cindy and myself have been doing Waka ama (outrigger canoe) for the last 18months. We love this sport you compete with the best bunch of people you could hope to meet.

Low impact, so no broken bones sprains etc. As you all know the older you get the harder it is to bounce back from injury. This sport enables as to use our gym training, compete, and not get hurt. Unlike a lot of you who always seam to be hurting yourselves, playing social sport.

I encourge you to come down to the club and give it a go its addictive.

Team Training

The results we see at the end of each and every T/T 5 week block just blow us away. New people getting fit and enjoying there training. The hard core who come to each and every block not missing a day pushing themselves to levels they didnt know they could acheive. You guys rock! keep up the AMAZING WORK.

The weather is starting to cool down but don't let it put you off your training. A polyprop under your t-shirt is all you need just make sure you bring something warm to wear before and after training. Also NewWorld sell Thermotech gloves, only $10, that will keep those fingers of yours warm as toast.

Food & Eating - the second installment

Food has far more functions that just making us feel full. It can control the way we look, think, feel and function. Every cell of your body needs energy and certain nutritional goodies to work! Despite this, we rarely make decisions about food based on what our body needs - most of us eat when the clock indicates it’s time, or because after a glass of wine with friends, we just can’t resist that delicious looking cheese!!

When it comes to food, the first step to making better choices is to have a clear understanding of what nutrients your body needs to keep it working at its best! The truth and reality is: we don’t need saturated fat to make our bodies work, and sugar is not helpful for most people and provides no other nutrition than the burst of energy it supplies. The flip side of this is that for our bodies to work at their best, we need to focus on the time we are eating our meals. Also, remember in NZ there are several things we need to be aware of, such as...many of us don’t get enough iodine (a mineral!), we are often short on omega 3 (helps the brain and a million other things...) and more fibre really would help us all...errr... ‘function better in the lower area!’.

Transforming the way you eat is not about DIETING and not being able to enjoy the foods that you love, but it is balancing up what you REALLY need for your body to work, with tasty treats which are only for now and then. For results from your training, look at the way you shop, cook, plan, serve, think and feel about food. To get the right food in – now and always - start by helping yourself make better choices, EVERYDAY! For more information about making good choices and being healthier now and always, check out http://www.missionnutrition.co.nz/

Claire Turnbull – Director of Mission Nutrition
Claire is the Nutritionist for Healthy Food Guide magazine, the Millennium Institute of sport, Newstalk Zb, Easymix FM and regularly features of TV shows including breakfast, Campbell live, Good Morning and Close up.

Sports Massage

2010-01-29T12:48:00.006+13:00

A lot of questions were fired at us every week. Here we will post articles from the people who we recommened you use. First up is James with Sports Massage...

Benefits of Sport and Remedial Massage

Whether you’re an elite athlete, take part in sport socially or someone who spends all day at the office or in the car, you can benefit from sport & remedial massage.

The techniques the Recovery Room uses can release the tension that builds up in the body’s soft tissues due to over-use, after injury or through inactivity; such as sitting in front of a PC all day.

Sports massage can have many benefits:

Increase the quality and quantity of training by reducing recovery time after exercise and competition
Prevention of injury - through regular monitoring of the condition of muscles and other soft tissues
Improved muscle flexibility and associated range of movement
General reduction of stress and tension; helping you achieve your optimum performance
Effective rehabilitation after injury
Enhanced immune system

The ultimate goal is to improve your performance and enhance your enjoyment of sport.

Remedial massage can have several benefits:

Relief for tired and aching muscles
Improved posture and general body awareness
Aid rehabilitation after an injury, accident or operation
Enhanced immune system
Physical relaxation of the soft tissues can also lead to mental relaxation
Improve the quality of your life!

Contact the Recovery Room for details – 09 486 8261

2010 is your year

2010-01-19T16:44:00.005+13:00

Well thats the wind-up of week 5 out of the way. This week is the first block for 2010.

Round the Bays is coming up in 48 days, are you keen?

This year we want a bus-full of people to go to the Tough Guy and Gal mud run, in July. All those of you who did it last year know how much fun it is. Lets make it bigger than last year.
Tongariro Crossing, the most beautiful walk in the world, who is keen for this? Once we have a minimum of 20 people we will start organising this.

Cindy and I have just come back from competing in the Wakaama Nationals, at Lake Karapiro, as extreme novices we put ourselves up against the nations best, didn't bring home any medals this year, next year for sure! BUT we had heaps of FUN, come join our club Aratika, a real family based type of watersport. We can train you for this.

Wilderness Workout - those of you who remember these, will know they are great fun, we will be doing these again in 2010, YAYYY! Also the Amazing Race, YE-AH!
Do you have another event you want to go for this year?

If you really want to get results this year, the most important thing is to be consistent with your training. Getting in shape doesn't happen overnight and when you reach your desired weight or shape you need to maintain that with TeamTraining and a sensible diet. Its not that hard, just make good choices. And to do that, we have a list of recommended professionals for you to use, alongside of US. They will be posted on our new updated web site in a few weeks, so watch this space www.teamtraining.co.nz

Welcome to theFitter Faster Stronger blog

2009-12-24T14:29:00.000+13:00

There's only so much I can tell you lot during Team Training sessions, and only so much you can absorb. The right type of training regularly is half the equation, and the other half is what you do between sessions.

Let's face it - as an example - sometimes you'll spend an hour at training, then the rest of the day undoing the good you've done with bad or poorly informed eating choices.

So I thought, I need a way to be able to pass on advice, ideas, contacts, inspiration and motivation. I thought maybe a 'newsletter'... maybe an 'e-newsletter'. And then someone said 'what about a blog'...

...'A what?'

So here I am. Blogging. 'Embracing technology'. And hopefully from time to time passing on some information or advice to help support you between sessions, to make the most of your time during sessions.

And get the results you've committed to and deserve.

So stay tuned in 2010.