Eight Week Challenge

I woke up on the 11^th of January and took this photo. I was tired, a little grumpy, hungover and for my profession, I was a little out of shape. We had just returned from an overseas holiday off the back of a big Christmas and New Year period. My love for food (and a drink or two) had left me thinking I’d better change something. If not, my clients would soon be asking “why should I listen to you?” I needed to set a better example.

At the airport I picked up a fitness magazine with a guy on the cover who showed what could be achieved in 8 weeks with a good diet and exercise. The transformation was amazing to say the least! What I liked the most about his article was that he was exactly the same height and roughly the same starting weight as me. He had made a decision and set a deadline to improve his body. More importantly he took a photo when he was at his starting point. I thought this would be a great idea to keep self-motivated, which is often the hardest thing when it comes to staying with a plan.

The first week is tough because the unhealthy foods and people with alcohol start calling. While I started saying “no thanks” more often, I thought it was important not to deprive myself of everything I liked so much. This approach not only kept my sanity but it is also much more sustainable in the long term. Each and every day of the eight weeks I know that I ate at least one thing that would be considered unhealthy. My challenge was to limit it to a minimum. If I wanted a drink it would only ever be one or two and limited to the weekend. You need to have more good days than bad. I found it a heap easier to be good on the weekdays when everyone is working and in a routine.

It was also hard to shrink my portion size for meals. Your stomach is like a balloon. It stretches and can shrink back to a smaller size if you train it. Once you get used to smaller meal sizes it gets a whole lot easier. This will only take a few days but you need to be careful not to over-eat again or you’ll be back to square one. The downside of smaller portion sizes is that you will probably feel the need to snack more often but don’t panic. It’s actually really good for your metabolism to snack more often. The two major rules however with this are 1) choose your snack food wisely and 2) you need to move more than not to keep your metabolism from slowing down. Find whatever you like to do best that raises your heart rate. You’ll be inclined to do it more often.

Everyone has their ‘witching hour’. You know….. the time of the day when you can’t help but stare into the fridge or pantry and say “what is there to eat?”  For me it’s when the kids have gone to bed. I’m watching television and enjoying a bit of down time when the ads come on. If I’m not searching for the remote, I’m searching for what can go in my tummy!  For those who experience these cravings at another time of the day like the ‘3pm energy fix’, I would say to plan ahead with your healthy snack shopping. Quick sugar rushes usually come with a crash and make you even hungrier. You can’t go wrong with fresh fruit and vegetables. For me though, I find that it’s mostly in my head. I don’t really need that hot crossed bun at 10pm at night. The two things that really helped me get through until bedtime were 1) chewing sugar free gum after dinner, it tricks the brain into thinking you’re eating something sweet and 2) I would brush my teeth at the same time as my kids around 8:30pm instead of my bedtime. You really don’t feel like much to eat or drink after brushing.

After the diet starts to take shape you need to concentrate on being smart with exercise. Who has time for an hour long run? The best way to do it is with short, sharp intense workouts. If you need ideas to spike the heart rate I’m all too happy to help. At our boot camps and in the gym I design the sessions to get the heart rate up and then back down as much as possible. This gives you plenty of chances to work hard and rest up to go hard again. This method has been scientifically proven to help increase your metabolism.

Eight weeks later and I’m feeling fresher, fitter, stronger, and my energy levels are up. Whilst I know I don’t look like the guy on the cover of Men’s Fitness magazine, at least I know I gave it a red hot go!  When I took the photo in January I was 86kg. I am now tipping the scales at 80kg and have been able to put on muscle. What’s more I don’t feel the need to binge on all things that I missed out on. I would thoroughly recommend anyone to take this challenge up. I’m also happy to help. I’ll do my best to keep you motivated throughout.

Finally I want to point out that I’m not publishing this for my ego or fishing for compliments. If you like this blog, I’d be happier for you to like my business page on Facebook rather than send through a compliment. There are so many incredible benefits to leading a fit and healthy lifestyle. Don’t just take my word for it. Fran has been training regularly with me for six months and has lost 8 and ½ kilos. She is looking and feeling great. Check out her before and after pics. I hope this can inspire you in the same way that I have been inspired. Whether you take up the challenge or not, I think it’s really important to seek out and purchase the food that’s not so processed and to just keep moving. Your body will thank you.

Before                                                                                                                                                                                        After