Month: August 2020

Something really interesting happened yesterday that actually changed the topic of my Q and A and seminar last night inside our Kickstart programme

 (reply with ’28 Day’ if you would like more info on our September 28 Day Kickstart for ladies 40+ which you can do in Devizes, Marlborough or all from home)

I like to share the meaning and lessons from the conversations I have as I know if one person is thinking it?

Many more will be.

So, the first conversation I had yesterday was with one lady who wanted to lose weight as she had been told this will reduce her blood pressure..

Now, she is nearly a stone down…

But nothing has changed with her blood pressure (yet, anyway)…

THEN..

I speak to one of the other ladies.

Over the past few months, she has got stronger, fitter, her clothes are now looser…

And she just came back from a review regarding her Diabetes and her blood sugar levels were down

Result, right?

BUT..

The scales are not moving…

My point here?

2 conversations…

And at both times, it becomes very easy to focus on what you have NOT done

Rather than what you HAVE done.

And what if

By you focussing on what you have NOT done

You miss the lessons, the recognition, the confidence boost and the momentum 

To keep going for long enough to see the results you want?

Perspective is everything. 

As Jane (one of the ladies who started during lockdown from home):

“I was thinking about what you say about where do we want to be in 5 years time and reflect that on where I wanted to be back at the beginning of lockdown. 

1/2 stone lighter – clothes fitting better (mostly down a size) and doing a load more exercise! 

I could have been a stone heavier and feeling unfit due to not having the motivation to exercise regularly and as much!! 

So, thanks to you and the amazing work you do supporting and motivating us ladies and always there to help. 

Many Many thanks ”

Well done, Jane ☺

Anyway, we have very limited spaces for our SEPTEMBER 28 Day Kickstart for ladies 40+..

This can be done with us in-person in Devizes or Marlborough or all from home.

If you would like more details?

Just reply with ’28 day’ and I will get you the details.

Matt

I’ll be honest,

Pre lockdown / Covid

What I did last night just wouldn’t have interested me.

Why?

Well, not because I didn’t think it would..

But because I didn’t want to have to put myself out of my comfort zone…

I was comfortable just doing live home workouts where you can follow me along from home

OR

In-person small sessions with the ladies.

The problem with that in today’s new ‘norm;?

Well, some of the ladies are still in a form of lockdown..

Some of the ladies can’t get to sessions.

Some of the ladies can only get to some sessions..

Some of the ladies live too far away..

So I wanted to make this as best as possible..

What if we could make it better now than it was pre lockdown / covid?

So last night,

After some fun and games with the technology..

^^^ including waking Mrs Fruci up at silly o’clock as I struggled to sync my microphone

I was on Zoom, Facebook Live and in person at the same time…

So that whether you were at home or with us inperson

You could get that ‘going to a class’ feel

And get the workout in to change the way you feel…

One of the ladies who was following from home 

Even said it was nice to hear the ladies there 

And what they were saying..

^^ albeit… usually they just complain at my dodgy counting (even when I borrow the abacus from the kids)

My point in all of this..

Is that I’m more aware of when / how I may dismiss something

Simply because I am scared of coming out of my comfort zone..

We even did Tai Chi yesterday..

And this is now a regular addition to our sessions, both in person or from home..

To go alongside the cardio, stretch, yoga, low intensity, no floor workouts, stomach blast, boxing and Back To Bascis….

So my long-winded message to you today..

Is to look at what is behind the fear of coming out of your comfort zone..

What could be possible if you went through it..

Think back to when you felt nervous about something in the past…

Job interview?

Presentation?

Meeting someone new?

It is rarely as bad it seems.

And that is coming from me who would go bright red, and want the world to swallow him up when doing a presentation…

^^^ I’ll discuss about how no one HAS confidence by chance, another day

I would go as far as saying that this is when the breakthroughs happen…

Because we have two choices:

1. Stay where we are (which although might not feel hard now, what happens 5 years from now if nothing changes? <<< write that down)?
2. Change >>> this doesn’t have to be super uncomfortable, just dip your toe in to start. Make it so easy that you can’t fail. That sense of achievement will be worth it.

Like Hazel said after watching Nicnak’s story (if you haven’t see it go here: https://frucifit.com/what-happened-to-nicnak-1-year-later-podcast/)

“great to hear details of your fitness journey. I started in lockdown online so doing everything from home. Don’t underestimate the power of accountability to Matt and his team. Keep up the good work, Nicnak.”

Anyway, we are opening up 10 more spaces for our SEPTEMBER 28 Day Kickstart for ladies 40+.

This can be done with us in-person in Devizes or Marlborough or all from home.

If you would like more details?

Just message me I will get you the details.

Matt

The longer I’m in this nutrition, health and fitness industry, the more I seem to see it fail to understand that the goal is to help people just be better TODAY than they were yesterday…

Not make people extreme with their dietary beliefs, like it’s some cult…​​

I saw yesterday that The Sun Newspaper shared a completely misleading picture of what diet coke does inside your body in 20 minutes. I have NO idea where they get this so called ‘research’ from. At least cite the source..

and it leads me on to this question:

‘I like diet drinks, like coke and fanta, should I be worried about sweeteners? they stop me picking but I’ve read they’re full of crap and worse for you than sugar?”

Well, I’m just going to tell what the science says…this is NOT my opinion:

1. You may hear that aspartame contains methanol. This is true. However, the amount found in aspartame is far LESS than found in FOOD. 

Example: 1 serving of Tomato juice contains 4 to 6 times more methanol than the same amount of a diet coke…

It is important to remember that the human body is able to process small amounts of methanol from foods, such as fruits, grains, vegetables, beans, tomato, and aspartame…

​​​​Like anything, the devil is in the dose. Too much water can kill you. Eating too many apple seeds is poisonous. Lectins found in beans are toxic if not cooked and prepared properly…

And speaking of dose..​​

2) They gave 18-60 year olds 1050mg of aspartame AKA  which is equivalent to about 6 cans of diet coke a day for 12 weeks and found:  

* No impact on appetite as some people say

* No impact on blood sugar levels or impact on insulin levels (which can be predictors of Type 2 diabetes)

Suggesting that if a diet / sugar free drinks stops you losing control and having your head in the biscuit tin?

It’s fine…

In fact, if it helps you lose weight, lose fat around your organs (which reduces your chances of conditions like Type 2 diabetes) and improve your health…

Then that’s way more important than worrying about the minutia…​​

I would love to say that sweeteners were bad for you..

but the research – as I write this – cannot conclude that…

Most of the time we’re looking to blame ONE thing.

(gluten, dairy, vegan meatballs, aspartame etc. )

when in reality what they show is that habits, accountability, and support seem to be that ONE thing

 (not gluten, dairy, or chia seeds)

Now, I’m not saying sweeteners are healthy. 

They contain ZERO nutrition. 

And – of course – water is better than any diet drink in my opinion.

Finding a plan that you can stick to so you can keep the weight off is about personalising it for YOU.

Which means making the smallest step you can make TODAY. 

If that mean curbing your biscuit tin rampage with a sugar free drink? Then go for it.

At the end of the day, overeating sugar and fat is probably doing more harm..

And always consider:

“What’s the alternative?”

If you would usually have a high sugar drink?

Then maybe a diet drink is a better option to help you lose fat (which would make it anti-inflammatory)..

If you would usually have a Chinese Takeaway on a Friday night..

then maybe this Easy (delicious) Chinese Fakeaway recipe below is a good alternative for a higher protein, lower calorie meal:

Check it out here:

(36g protein and 330 calories a portion without rice, 500 with rice)

Ingredients for 4:

Nutition info Per 1 portion (333 calories, 36g protein)

Pack of diced chicken

Sweet Bell Pepper (any colour)
2 whole

Garlic Clove
2 clove

Worcestershire Sauce
2 splash

Onion (small)
1 Whole

Diet Coke
1 can

Chicken Stock Cube (raw, any brand)
1 cube

chopped tomatoes

Sugar Snap Peas
14 whole

Tomato Puree
3 TSP

Soy Sauce (any brand)
1 splash, tsp

Matt ‘Myth Buster’ Fruci

PS. We are opening up 10 new spaces for our SEPTEMBER 28 Day Kickstart, specifically for ladies over 40. This can be done with us in-person in Devizes or Marlborough OR all from home with our live home workouts. For more info, just send over a message to Matt@frucifit.com 

So I had a chat with one of the ladies yesterday.

She’s done great. Nearly a stone down overall and back in shorts she hasn’t worn for 2 years (shame about this weather to show them off haha)

And most importantly, feels like she has developed a really positive relationship with food after years of dieting…

BUT…

Even with the above..

She still has days where it doesn’t ‘feel like’ it is working…

Where maybe the scales go up..

It feels ‘harder’ today…

And I am sharing this with you as

1 – it is hump day Wednesday, wet and cold

2 – so you know this is normal and it is not just you that sometimes feels like you cannot do it / you are too unfit / you have no willpower / you are scared of failing 

3- If you are stressed and tired…you will Overexaggerate the lows and Underexaggerate the highs

^^ read that again…and consider what you would say to your best friend in a similar position to you? That is probably the best advice you can take

3 – that no matter how hard it feels today….ask yourself:

“Hard compared to what?”

Because as hard as it is to change…

Is it harder than staying the same?

And only you can make that choice…

Something I have done today to help me realise what ‘hard’ actually means..

Is writing down what I am grateful for today:

1. House over my head
2. Amazing job that never feels like a job
3. My health  because nothing actually matters with that, the weather, work etc

And this way…

I choose to be happy ☺ 

Matt ‘choice’ Fruci

“I’m trying to lose weight and ‘tone up…And I also want to lower my cholesterol…

Should I be eating a low fat diet and which foods will help me lose weight and lower my cholesterol?”

^^^ A question I get a lot which is why our Q and A tonight is going to be all about cholesterol and blood pressure – where nutrition and exercise come in

But -firstly – I am not a doctor…

And high cholesterol CAN be hereditary. 

So ALWAYS treat this advice in combination with your medical advice personal for YOU…

Now…

That said…

I get it. It’s confusing out there. It seems like they change their mind about butter, eggs and cheese every day.

Forgetting ONE key thing I’m going to share with you today.

So, first things first….

There are certain foods which MAY lower your cholesterol.

Here’s 4 ‘cholesterol lowering’ (types of) foods:

1) Oats – they contain beta glucan which can bind to cholesterol and interfere with it’s absorption. 3g of a type of fibre (beta glucan) found in oats per day has been shown to reduce cholesterol

​​ (that’s equivalent to 3 bowls of porridge per day, however…)

2) Unsaturated fats – swapping saturated / trans fats for polyunsaturated, such as oily fish, olive oils and nuts, or monounsaturated fats, such as avocado and olive oils can have cholesterol lowering effects (you could also fry with ‘fry light’ instead of butter / coconut oil)

That said, saturated fats seems to have a neutral effect…so I’m not saying you have to avoid them.​​

3) Plant sterols and stanols – They are similar in structure to cholesterol so may block the absorption of cholesterol.

​​They are found in veggies and nuts.

​​However, you’d probably need to eat a ton of these to get the amount needed for the ‘cholesterol lowering’ effect (hence the yoghurts etc..but even them, you still have to eat quite a bit of the stuff)

4) Soluble fibre – Yep, found in good old fruit, veggies, and pulses like lentils and beans! Your other half won’t thank me for that one…

This fibre can bind cholesterol and ‘get rid of it’….

But are we missing what’s REALLY important here?

Well, the scientists looked at the effect of high fat vs low fat diets on cholesterol levels and found:

* Low fat diets decreased bad (LDL) cholesterol

* High fat diets were superior to low fat diets with respect to good (HDL) cholesterol 

^^^ Controversial, right?

Because we now know that your ratio of good (HDL) to bad (LDL) cholesterol is a key indicator in heart disease. 

​​And is perhaps a better indicator than TOTAL CHOLESTEROL…

But there’s more

Weight loss / FAT LOSS through diet and exercise is important

​​as every kilogram of weight loss is associated with a DECREASE in your bad cholesterol and an INCREASE in your GOOD cholesterol 
 

So, whether you go high fat or low fat…losing fat and ‘toning up’ (which muscle strengthening exercises will help with) appears to be the key 

Which brings me back to something I’ve been talking about a lot this week…

Being a bit rough around the edges with your diet.

In fact, with my house move this week…

I have be just that…

I had no kitchen yesterday so some bought chicken, sugar snap peas, beef jerky, mackerel in olive oil, and fruit came in handy 

^^^ although it has never been easier to buy fast food, it has never been easier to buy healthy food on-the-go, too ☺

And it’s why having a flexible approach to your diet that allows you to eat the foods you actually ENJOY..

^^^ Depending on whether you’re in the mood for a carby risotto or a juicy steak (always rare for me)…

Asking the question:

“what is the alternative?”

Like, sure, I could have made some better choices yesterday…

But I could have made a lot worse ones..

And finding the small, sustainable changes 

Will probably help you lower your cholesterol MORESO

​​than just hoping that a few cholesterol lowering yoghurts will do the trick….

In fact, studies have shown the Extremely low fat diets have really high drop out rates because people just cannot stick to them..

So they may be great for cholesterol but 

People cannot stick to them so…

They could end up worse off if they feel rubbish, low in energy, don’t exercise, end up going the other way and eating everything in sight…

Especially as one study found that half of the patients aged 40-54 with ‘normal cholesterol’

still had high risks of heart disease ​​​​

suggesting that it’s not all about this one number

and that everything from your stress management, exercise habits, eating and sleep

Are probably all things we can look to improve today

no matter how small…

progress is progress.​​​​

​​Matt 

Is it me or is the weather more up and down than those scales are at the moment?

Just yesterday – 

We decided to move morning outside sessions in Marlborough to inside to avoid the ‘storms’..

And I was scouting out sheltered area for our live home workouts today because on the ONE day I can’t do it inside?

Storms are due…

But what happened?

Well, over the course of the night (and touch wood as I write this)

The rain has passed (for now)

Which means I don’t have to prop the camera tripod up inbetween two logs under an umbrella haha

^^ Apparently the iPhone is water proof

Anyway, as Tony Robbins said:

“Every problem is a gift – without problems we would not grow”

^^^ read that again

And the thing is,

Problems are NOT a sign of weakness

And they do NOT mean you’ve failed…

In fact, problems are VITAL for change.

Problems have often been the trigger to forcing someone to transform their change…

And all this reminds me of those weighing scales.

(and the weather)

Of just how up and down they are…

And the problems they COULD cause to your progress

If you let the scales dictate how you FEEL…

And your next action today..

Like Belinda said on Friday:

“This weeks results are in #week16

Weight: gained 2lbs (total 15lb lost)

Measurements: stayed the same (total 20 inches lost)

Oops! Up 2lb. The heat this week has completely derailed me.

So back to basics for the next week.

Food recording – that has dropped off

Bed at a sensible time – that flew out of the window like a bat out of hell

Move more – even if it’s just a walk in the evening for 20-30 mins.

Thank you to Matt and team at Fruci Fit – Personal Training Wiltshire “

My point here?

Here total CHANGES are great.

Not just weight (15lbs) and not just inches  (20 inches) ..

But her food choices, snacking and ability to respond to problems…

Because from this post, we had out catch up

And Belinda has planned her meals and set her target with her bedtime..

Problem = solution ☺ 

So next time you face a problem, be grateful…

Because a breakthrough is around the corner

If you listen to the feedback

And keep going..

Matt ‘always take the weather with you’ Fruci