So my 2 year old daughter is potty training at the moment..
Generally, it is going well…
But occasionally
She will forget to say that she needs a wee…
She actually did a wee on me the other day..
But I accept that
It’s a new habit
And it doesn’t just happen overnight…
So why is it
That we get so frustrated – as adults- when things don’t go 100% to plan?
When our new ‘habit’ does not happen on one day?
So we decide to not do it the next day..
All of a sudden…
One ‘bad’ day has resulted in a bad week..
What would be different in your life right now if you didn’t let one day cause a bad week?
Think how many days of our lives we waste?
Anyway..
One of the ladies just starting inside our kickstart asked my the other day
How long does it take to create a new habit…?
Well…
18 days?
254 days?
^^ that’s the range that a study showed on how long it takes to make something a habit…
Because it depends.
Often on how you respond to perceived failure.
And no one tells you this when you try to change…
Well, until now..
Here’s how it works…
Stage 1: Uniformed optimism → you know, when you start something new. You are motivated. Excited. Honeymoon period.
Stage 2: Informed pessimism → you start to think ‘this is hard’…”I am not sure I can do this”…<<< bit like a few weeks into parenthood haha
Stage 3: Pit of despair –> you feel low….and look for the next shiny object to give you that UNINFORMED OPTIMISM again
And we are back to Stage 1 and we repeat AGAIN…
That is the yoyo dieting cycle..
We get excited about trying something else new.
And repeat the cycle.
Some other quick fix.
Promise ourselves it will be different…
UNLESS>>
We make it through to …
Stage 4: Informed Optimism → you accept where you are now. You have that self-awareness. Focus on progress not perfection and although may seem slower, is actually FASTER because you don’t give up and end up back at Stage 1…
Stage 5: Success and fulfilment –> new habits are forming. You get a real reward and feeling of achievement …
And that’s what we specialise in…
Getting you through the pit of despair
So you can stop stopping
And create new, long lasting habits
Rather than a quick fix.
Like Jane, Toni and Jo mentioned (see image in this post)
Anyway,
Our next 28 Day Kickstart begins on Monday
Specifically for ladies 40+…
If you want a step by step plan personalised for you
With small, daily habits built into your routine
Reply with ‘Kickstart’ and I’ll get you the details
“I’m trying to lose weight and ‘tone up…And I also want to lower my cholesterol…
which foods will help lower my cholesterol?”
^^^ A question I get from a lot of ladies on our Kickstart.
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 – Getting the majority of your fats from 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
As for saturated fats..
Despite all the negative press, they seem 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…
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 seems to be 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.
-Not beating yourself up if you aren’t perfect today…
-Giving yourself permission to eat the foods you want and just accepting that certain foods may slow your progress moreso than others but you are CHOOSING to do this
^^ Try this one…you might just be nicer to yourself
-Treating yourself how you treat others
-Reminding yourself of the benefits and drawbacks of comfort eating – how do you feel after? Does it satisfy you ? What would have happened to actually satisfy you?
How much does it cost you to comfort eat?
How much does it cost you to put off exercise?
Increase your self-awareness and relationship with food..
Which will probably make you healthier
Than any cholesterol lowering yoghurt…
Especially as one study found that half of the patients aged 40-54 with ‘normal cholesterol’
still had high risks of heart disease
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.
And this ‘You vs You’ / ‘aim to get 1% better today’
This is one of the reasons why we created our Kickstart Programme for ladies 40+ in Devizes and Marlborough.
I would speak to so many ladies
Who expected to be ‘perfect’….
thinking they had to ‘do it all’ to get the results they wanted..
Saying ‘I am an all or nothing person’…
Forgetting that you just have to win TODAY…
And do more things ‘right’…
You might just surprise yourself in as little as 28 Days
After all, if a ship or a plane goes ‘off course’
They don’t just think ‘F it’
They course correct as quickly as possible…
And the sooner you can course correct
The better..
Which is why we have such a focus on support and accountability to help you do the things you know you need to do…
If you’d like more info on our Kickstart programme for ladies over 40 in Marlborough and Devizes?
Just send over a message with ‘Marlborough’ or ‘Devizes’ ’ and I’ll get you the relevant details
Ever tried to tell a toddler they can’t play with [insert toy] now but maybe tomorrow?
They don’t understand what “later” or “tomorrow” means.
They just want it. NOW.
Why do you think that is?
their Pre-Frontal Cortex (which allows them to think more long term) doesn’t develop until they are about 5-7yrs old.
At which point you can reason with them more like you would with an adult.
Why am I sharing this ?
Well…it turns out scientists have figured out that STRESS and TIREDNESS in and of itself literally TURNS OFF your pre-frontal cortex.
And who doesn’t have a poor nights sleep?
Work, stress, worry, anxiety
Think about that for a second.
This means the more stressed and more tired you are the more impulsive you’ll behave therefore making it HARDER to stay on track with your long term goals (like exercising, getting fit, eating better and toning up).
This might sound like a no-win situation but it’s actually good news because the REAL problem is not always a lack of willpower,
it’s that you’re probably more tired and stressed than you realise.
Have kids?
Moved house recently?
Have a stressful job?
Work long hours?
Don’t sleep like a baby at night?
Need multiple coffee’s to get going in the morning?
All of these and more a literally just symptoms of the real reason why you over eat/make poor food choices when you know you shouldn’t.
If it wasn’t clear enough yet.. ..
the real reason you eat emotionally, over indulge or make poor choices / put off exercise is because you’re tired, stressed or both. You may not even realise it.
So what can you do?
1-Stop practicing what you don’t want to become →
What you do today, you are moe likely to do tomorrow.
So if you call today DAY 1…
Imagine you have achieved your goal – with your health, your fitness and weight..
And ask the question:
What would they do today?
Then do that today.
Just live that for today.
2. Make the ‘right’ choice today when it comes to TINY decisions
Are you going to hit snooze or get up a do a 10 minute workout?
Are you going to have a glass of water before you meal or not?
Are you going to go for a walk or scroll your phone before going for a walk (which usually means you don’t go as get sucked in my news or emails and don’t end up going << unless you are reading this email, this might make you go :))
3. Prioritise rest and recovery
E.g Meditation (which is literally sitting and doing nothing) reverses ALL of that. In 2017 a team of researchers looked at all the research on diets, exercise and meditation in relation to weight loss and what they found was startling.
They noticed a trend that diets + exercise alone led to short term weight loss but in the long term, people tended to gain back the weight.
Whereas programs that included a diet + exercise + meditation not only led to short term weight loss but people also kept the weight off long term.
Meditation can be as simple as deep breathing. Having a coffee on your own.
Or even waking up and taking 10 deep breaths in before starting your day.
Taking time for YOU
As without you?
What happens?
4. Get your priorities done in the MORNING (if you are struggling to do them)
Exercise can be the domino in the equation of ‘feeling good’
Endorphins released..
We feel better
Eat better
Gain confidence that we can do this..
Prove others wrong
Clothes feel a bit looser
Arms start feeling more toned..
Less breathless climbing stairs
More stamina to handle life…
But if you don’t get to experience the above and say ‘I will do it later’…
This is something that is coming up a lot right now…
that is, muscle loss with age…
And it’s not surprising given that there is now more awareness than ever
about the health benefits of muscle ..
particularly around menopause…
Yep, it isn’t just how your clothes fit that improves with more muscle tone…
but also::
risk of diabetes goes down..fitness levels improve (making it easier to climb stairs / go on long walks without aching and being out of breath)risk of disease goes downrisk of obesity goes down..Could help with hunger I could go on..
And it has been great to see Sandra do so well.
Here’s what she said:
Clothes looser
stronger
and delighted with her results..
that’s the power of small habits
and doing the things you know you need to do
with a plan
and accountability.
If you’d like more info on our next Kickstart (starts 8th March)
then just reply with ‘Kickstart’ and I will get you the details
Matt
PS. here are 4 ways we can help you:
1- I’ve put together over 200 daily, short, impactful podcasts to inspire and motivate you on doing the things you know you need to do.. ALL for free… >>> CLICK HERE to grab it for free(if you have an iphone) If you have an Android, click here
2 – Join Our BRAND NEW 90 Day Kickstart For Wiltshire Ladies 40+
We have put together a BRAND NEW 90 Day Kickstart which can be done from home or with us in our private ladies only studios in Marlborough and Devizes designed for ladies 40+ that want to take back control of their eating habits, fitness and lifestyle habits.
If you’d like more details on this? Just reply with the subject line ‘Kickstart’ and I’ll get you the details.
3- Join Couples Kickstart for 2 people. Specifically designed for couples or two friends who want to work together to take back control of their eating habits, fitness and lifestyle habits.
Reply with “couples kickstart” for more info
4- Watch How Cassie From Wiltshire Went From Mobility Scooter To Running Her First 5k & Fitting Back In Her Favourite Clothes Without Long, Boring Workouts Or Giving Up Her Favourite Foods >> CLICK HERE TO WATCH
If you have an Android, click here I was talking about
not just the power of small habits
but the impact of walking and how great it is:
–> Insulin sensitivity (and risk of diabetes)
–> Mood
–> Muscle loss
But also the impact of resistance exercise / muscle strengthening exercise.
and what else could be different with this…
and that it doesn’t have to be an hour
If you’d like more info on our next Kickstart (start dates are today or 8th March)
then just reply with ‘Kickstart’ and I will get you the details
Matt
PS. here are 4 ways we can help you:
1- I’ve put together over 200 daily, short, impactful podcasts to inspire and motivate you on doing the things you know you need to do.. ALL for free… >>> CLICK HERE to grab it for free(if you have an iphone) If you have an Android, click here
2 – Join Our BRAND NEW 90 Day Kickstart For Wiltshire Ladies 40+
We have put together a BRAND NEW 90 Day Kickstart which can be done from home or with us in our private ladies only studios in Marlborough and Devizes designed for ladies 40+ that want to take back control of their eating habits, fitness and lifestyle habits.
If you’d like more details on this? Just reply with the subject line ‘Kickstart’ and I’ll get you the details.
3- Join Couples Kickstart for 2 people. Specifically designed for couples or two friends who want to work together to take back control of their eating habits, fitness and lifestyle habits.
Reply with “couples kickstart” for more info
4- Watch How Cassie From Wiltshire Went From Mobility Scooter To Running Her First 5k & Fitting Back In Her Favourite Clothes Without Long, Boring Workouts Or Giving Up Her Favourite Foods >> CLICK HERE TO WATCH
Of our ladies only studios in Devizes and Marlborough from 12th April
And outside sessions added in from 29th March (wow I can say ‘this month’ from tomorrow )…
I’m getting REALLY excited (have I said that already)…
I can’t wait to get the 80’s bangers on (always brings the worst outfits out of me..)
The 90’s Dance hits back on (to be fair they have stayed on haha)…
We’ve also been upgrading everything that goes with our 3F Kickstart Accountability:
→ Brand NEW accountability challenge for when you start to make sure you do the things you know you need to do (even if you are doubting you can stick to it)
→ One to one Booster sessions with myself and my team to breakthrough any obstacles / sticking point
→ NEW workouts all live from home – which can be done in 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes or 30 minutes …all on catch up too so when things get busy you can still get it done..
→ Personalised Workout of the Day Sessions outside and at the studios where you work at your own pace with me and my team making sure you feel safe and effective, not just with social distancing and cleaning measures, but your technique and form
→ Some new Ninja style tricks to help you stay motivated (they go perfectly with the Accountability book we post to you when you get started)
I could go on.
And get you might be thinking ‘is it for me?’ so I thought I would share what Cathy posted yesterday who has done 90 Days (see picture)
I can’t wait.
Our next start dates for the Kickstart are 1st March and 8th March
So if you’d like more info just send me a message 🙂
Despite being a Gov recommendation for years and years…
The latest UK Chief Medical Officers Report finally emphasised the importance of building strength (doing strength based exercise at least twice a week) to help:
1 – Prevent falls – linked to bone density and lack of muscle mass, particularly if you are over 50
2 – Reduce your risk of Type 2 Diabetes by 40% (and improve control of blood sugar levels)
3- Reduce your risk of heart disease by 30%
4 – Reduce your risk of depression by 30%
Now, of course, any exercise is better than none…
Walking, parking your car further away, taking the stairs instead of the lift etc.
^^^ These are all very beneficial and the key is building up from this and getting 1% better each day
But
There seems to be something very protective about muscle strengthening exercise
When it comes to ageing well, quality of life and even disease..
This is something we touched on when I interviewed researcher, Richie Kirwan, who researches healthy ageing, muscle strengthening exercise, cardiovascular disease and diet
^^^ just a few of the messages I get when it comes to the scales
But I just wanted to share the results of a recent study .
Showing that those that the more often someone attempted to lose 5lbs, the less likely you are to die from all causes…
And this was also consistent even if people actually ended up heavier.
So cut yourself some slack.
I get it.
Weight loss is motivating .
But just because it hasn’t happened yet, it doesn’t mean it’s pointless..
And that’s something we are big on
Because what if you were one day away from seeing the results you wanted to but you gave up?
What if you didn’t see all of other wins you have achieved?
Like one of the ladies posted in our private group this week:
But back to the scales
why can the scales go UP and down when you’re dieting?
1) You’ve started eating more fruit and vegetables –
Fibre is hard for your body to breakdown.
^^^ It can make you gassy and bloated
This also means you hold more water.
So, consider that you’re probably going to eat different amounts of fibre everyday – which can impact your weight!
The good news?
Over time, your body will probably get better at handling your increased fibre intake, you’ll feel more full and stop craving more sugary, higher fat snacks foods which could help you lose FAT so you fit your clothes better!
2) You’ve started drinking more fluids –
Yep, another positive habit could be making you put on more weight (at least in the short term)
^^^ Be it from tea, coffee, water, squash (or even diet coke…)
I mean, you exercise one day and maybe not the next.
You may sweat a lot one day (weather / exercise) and not so much the next.
The good news?
Over time, your body will better regulate this increased fluid intake, you’ll feel more full and satisfied, and may have more energy and even better digestion
3) You eat more salt one day compared to another –
Perhaps you started preparing your meals?
Maybe you’ve started keeping higher protein snacks in the fridge, like smoked salmon, turkey ham, eggs, cheese, natural yoghurt?
Maybe you’ve been making some wraps with some cold meats?
So you’ve been trying to increase your protein intake (which helps you get that more leaner look and keeps you more full up)
But by doing so you may have increased your sodium intake – making you hold more water and increasing your weight!
Perhaps you got a takeaway<<< who probably don’t care about the salt intake as long as you don’t complain…😆
4) You ate higher carbs than normal today or a few days prior –
For every gram of carbs stored in your body…
You pull about 3-4 g of water into your muscles which can mean you gain water weight!
This is not fat…
5) Sleep –
Some members of our Kickstart programme will report LIGHTER body weights on the weekends.
Why?
Because they can sleep in (a bit) more
^^^ unless I’m knocking on their virtual door at 715 as the wake up call…scary thought, I know
So consider this:
If you’re in bed for a bit longer during the night. Perhaps have a lay in. You may get up a few more times in the night and actually PEE more than normal.
AKA
Get rid of more water.
So, if during the week, you say, get only 5 hours of sleep a night…
You’ll pee less during the night (and / or first thing in the morning)
And the time between your last meal on the day before and your weigh in is shorter
^^^ Meaning your body may still be digesting the food!
6) You weren’t consistent with time and day –
Did you weight yourself at the same time?
Did you go to the bathroom before weighing yourself in the morning?
Same underwear / pyjamas?
Did you weigh yourself later in the day?
7) You’ve started a new exercise programme –
This is a new stimulus on your muscle.
It ‘stresses’ your body.
But when you rest…
The magic happens.
Your body repairs the muscles (you may feel a bit achey)
Now, this process burns calories and will help you LOSE FAT!!!
YET…
This ‘magic process’ AKA muscle soreness / recovery may mean that you increase your body weight (at least in the short term)
Why?
Because you’re holding more water in the muscle to help your body REPAIR!
Which is a bit like your immune system when you’re struggling with hayfever,(which we may get around soon with the birds tweeting in the morning and the evenings getting lighter )
OR
Your skin when you’re sunburnt!!!
8) You haven’t done what you said you would do –
This one HURTS.
It makes us reflect on what WE have (or have not) actually done.
Have you done what you said you would do?
9) Menstrual cycle –
You know better than me…
That pre-menstrual phase ‘bloat’ can leave you holding more water (and craving carbs…)
To sum up:
It’s for these 9 reasons why the scale is NOT your dictator (it’s one of many) and not your boss.
And why – in my opinion – :
* Progress pictures (for your own personal reference, even if you scroll back through your Facebook photos)
* How you feel (energy, digestion, exercise habits)
* How you feel when you look in the mirror
* How you fit your clothes
Are the best tools you can possibly have…
Which is exactly what we do in the Kickstart
Because…
‘Who cares how much I weigh if I feel confident on the beach in a bikini”
^^^ As body transformation member, Lisa, told me
And as I’ve learned through coaching more and more…
If you do the work….
Make small – manageable – adjustments along the way
You’ll learn exactly what your body needs to lose FAT and inches (not just weight)
And get fitter 🔥🔥
at times…
The journey will be tough.
I’ve been there many times, too…
Where I’ve weighed myself, phoned up Specsavers and asked for a full refund …
But just consider the above …
And consider
What if you were one day away from seeing the results you wanted but you gave up?
What might be different in your life right now when it comes to your body, health and fitness ?
If you beee more accountability to do the things you know you need to do?
Just message me with “kickstart” and I’ll get you the details for the 90 Day Kickstart beginning March 1st and March 8th.
What could possibly be different right now in your life, particularly when comes to nutrition and fitness, if you did all of the things that you said ‘there’s no point’ doing?
Whether it’s that glass of water..
Walk at lunchtime
Portion of veg
Control of snacking
Showing up to do a workout..
Consider
That what you do today
Is what you’re more likely to do tomorrow
So start small.
And who knows where you might be a month or a year from now.
Like Natasha said yesterday (see image)
Anyway,
If you’d like to join us on our BRAND NEW 90 Day Kickstart
Message me with ‘Kickstart’ and I’ll take care of the rest.
