FitterFaster

Changes to blog

2009-02-23T17:46:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone

Just a short post today to let you know that I am swapping my blog from 'blogger' which is here to 'wordpress'

Please head over to my new blog called fitterfaster.wordpress.com and sign up to receive all my posts via email. There is a box on the right hand side that makes this an easy one step process.

I will not be posting here at fitterfasteronline.blogspot.com in the future, all my posts will be made at fitterfaster.wordpress.com

I am making this change to take advantage of the many options that wordpress offers that are not available at blogger.

Please head over there now to resubscribe so you don't miss out on any information. You will see I have already written a couple of posts-"omega-3's" and another post about the importance of putting into action your plans to improve your health and weight and ways to do that.

Other posts that I have planned for the next few weeks, include 'more easy ways to increase your metabolism,'how to make your walking workouts more effective,'recipes,'meal planning and preparation, and many more. Of course the wordpress blog will also keep FitterFaster Bootcampers and Greatest Loser Challengers up to date with everything they need to know about FitterFaster.

Go here now to subscribe

Jo

Walking as exercise

2009-02-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

Hi Bootcampers

Many of you have enjoyed walking for fitness in the past. Dedicated to your daily routine, you have spent 40 minutes, maybe an hour or walked a steady 5 or 8 kms each day. Day in day out you have been doing the miles. What results did you see?

Has the fat melted off your body? Has your strength and endurance improved? Hmmmm.....

Many of you have asked if walking is part of the Greatest Loser or FitterFaster program. Yes and no. As a tool to improve your fitness levels and increase your metabolism-no not really. Walking may be a great way to fill in time or to catch up with a friend, keep you pet happy or to get from A to B. But as a part of your fitness routine, you could find much better ways to spend your time.

I am not going to tell you to stop walking altogether. If you enjoy it and if it helps you to destress, by all means keep it up. If you enjoy catching up with a friend or friends, please continue to do so. We all need down time. I am going to give you some ideas of ways to improve your walking time though. Why not turn your walks into productive metabolism boosting time?

And remember, if you are a FitterFaster Greatest Loser, walks (even modified as below) do not count towards you 5 weekly sessions for bonus points. Only FitterFaster Home Workouts and FitterFaster Bootcamps count.

ZOOPED UP WALK ONE

Walk for 5-10 minutes to warm up
Sprint-yes sprint for about 30 seconds (or 60-80 steps)
Walk again for 3-5 minutes
Sprint again as above.
Walk again for 3-5 minutes
REPEAT for the duration of your walk or for about 10 sprints.
Make sure that the final 5 minutes or so is walking only.

You may like to time the 30 seconds or just count steps, or run from one corner to the next. Whichever you choose, you should be huffing and puffing at the end of each sprint segment for this to work. Start off with walks of 5 minutes and reduce them to 3 minutes in steps as your fitness improves.

Try this. Don't worry about who is watching. Most people are wishing they could do it too. Believe me! Think about what you thought when you saw someone working out hard before you joined FitterFaster. Did you think they looked silly, or did you wish you could do it?

Revisting the stretching debate

2009-02-17T01:02:00.001-08:00

The stretching issue has been raised again by a few new members, so I thought I would republish this post as a bit of an explanation. Please feel free to ask for more info at Bootcamp or on the forum.

Sometimes I am asked if stretching during warm up or after a workout is necessary. All the research tells us that is DOES NOT PREVENT INJURY OR DECREASE MUSCLE SORENESS. Yes it feels good at the time. But it does not prevent injuries. Some injuries are actually worsened by stretching.

Static stretching before a workout or as part of a warm up is an outdated tradition that has been proven to actually decrease strength and co-ordination during the subsequent training session, which may even contribute to an injury. Static stretching is not used anymore in elite sports as part of a warm up. These people know their stuff. They know the research.

What about stretching afterwards? Well as previously stated, it has never been proven to lessen or decrease the risk of injury. Stretching has been proven to increase flexibility if undertaken regularly however. But on all questionaires and surveys that have been completed by my clients, not one has stated increased flexibility as a goal for their training.

If you have time to stretch after a workout, it will not do any harm, unless you further aggravate any pre-existing injuries. It even feels really good to stretch after a workout. So I repeat, if you have time, do it if it makes you feel good.

I prefer to spend an extra 5-10 minutes on productive tasks that get me and my clients closer to their goals-namely improving fitness, losing body fat, increasing strength and adding muscle mass. I usually include some kind of dynamic stretching in my warm ups eg. wide side stepping, easy squats (yes you are stretching those muscles,) windmills, twists etc. I feel that these serve to 'wake up' the body especially if the training session is held shortly after getting out of bed. I never do static stretching in a warm up.

I also do a cool down after a session by walking till the breath has returned to normal and sweating has ceased-usually about 3-5 minutes depending on the last activity performed. Also, some exercises such as lunges and deep squats serve to stretch the leg muscles in a much more productive way than static stretching. I often include them towards or at the end of a workout. You will rarely stretch your muscles with static stretching as efficiently as you will in a deep squat or lunge exercise or while carrying a weigh overhead or doing full pushups chest to the ground (think shoulder flexibility)

I hope this has helped to clear up some of the confusion out there and to explain why I do not usually include static stretching in most of my Bootcamp workouts. Most participants have improved their flexibility by an amazing amount since they started, just by going further and further into the different exercises. It is one of the first things I see improving in all of you.

I carefully plan each workout to include a good mix of upper and lower body strength work and cardio work depending on my goals for the session. I aim to promote fat burning and metabolism enhancing activities depending on the individuals needs while gradually and progressively improving the fitness, strength, endurance and balance of everyone. Workouts are often changed on the spur of the moment too, to accomodate different levels and abilities. All of this is done using a variety of activities and tools to keep you all interested and prevent boredom as we all know that consistency and committment together with the correct training methods are what will help us all get to where we want to be.

My workouts are challenging, but achievable. If you are looking for a quick fix and are not willing to put in the effort, please look elsewhere. Now who wants to get rid of that spare tyre?

If you have any comments about this or any other matter regarding my Bootcamp workouts, please comment below or send me an email joanne@fitterfasteronline.com
I will be only too willing to answer your questions.

Jo

Sugar Can Damage Your Genes

2009-02-13T12:01:00.000-08:00

Human genes remember a sugar hit for two weeks. What’s more, prolonged poor eating habits could be capable of permanently altering your DNA.

A team studying the impact of diet on heart tissue found that cells showed the effects of a single sugar hit for 14 days. The cells switched off genetic controls designed to protect the body against diabetes and heart disease.

Regular poor eating could amplify the effect, with genetic damage lasting months or years, and potentially passing through bloodlines.

Sources:

Journal of Experimental Medicine September 2008, 29;205(10):2409-17

Tehran Times January 18, 2009

the above article was taken from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/12/Your-Genes-Remember-a-Sugar-Hit.aspx

Remember that to our bodies all carbohydrates are sugar. So this includes so many things that we eat-bread, pasta, lollies, cakes, biscuits, wraps, potatoes, etc. But no, I am not telling you to avoid sugar, after all fruits and vegies are also fairly high in carbohydrates, but these foods have less of an impact due to the other things they contain, such as fibre. Note in the article above, it says 'sugar hit' Some foods provide more of a 'hit' than others.

Continuous poor eating can actually change the way your genes behave and this can be passed down through generations. Healthy eating is not a '12 week' thing. It must be permanent. It's not something you do just to get to your ideal weight. You have to change your thinking. If you go back to the things you were doing, you will go right back to where you were. After all, that is how you got there in the first place. And now we are finding out about all the other ways that unhealthy eating is affecting us that we can't even see.

It's time to do something about it-No Excuses, Just Results

Jo

We have Men!!

2009-02-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

There are only a few hours left to get your entry into the FitterFaster Greatest Loser Competition. We have 28 entrants including some men, so if you know any fellas that have been thinking about it but thought it was only for ladies, let them know that they will have company. After all, it's not just us ladies who need to be thinking about improving our health now is it?

After several questions about artificial sweeteners I have also included this link which goes to an article about artificial sweeteners and how they actually cause weight gain. I will write about this and the other bad side effects of artificial sweeteners very soon, in the meantime, go here to find out more

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/02/26/artificial-sweeteners-once-again-linked-to-weight-gain.aspx

Jo

Want to know what your bodyfat percentage is?

2009-02-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

Hi again everyone

Just letting you all know that I have purchased a Maltron Body Fat Unit. This state of the art device will accurately measure your body fat and hydration levels among other things. The Unit should arrive this week, so if you have entered the Greatest Loser Challenge, you will automatically get your body fat measured.

Otherwise, the cost will be $30 for a full bodyfat analysis or you can get it done for free with any Bootcamp Package of at least 12 sessions purchased from now on.

I am so excited about this. For those who have been disappointed by movements or lack there of on the scales even though they have achieved great cm losses, this will show you how you are losing body fat.

And by the way, we have 22 entrants in the Greatest Loser Challenge. I have extended the entry closing date to Wednesday 11th Feb, so make sure you don't miss out.

Jo

FitterFaster Biggest Loser Competition Update

2009-02-08T23:04:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

sorry its been so long, but I have been so busy getting the FitterFaster Greatest Loser Packs together.

We also had a great weekend in Geelong, but I think Greg was getting sick of my writing everytime we had some 'down' time. I was busy dreaming up challenges, bonuses and temptations as well as working out teams and thinking of more prizes. Greg has even decided to donate $100 to the winner of the final challenge to be held on final weigh in day. I will give you more details closer to the date. In the meantime, keep Sunday 15th free from about 2.30-3pm onwards. That is when I will be getting you all together for your initial weigh in and to give out you Greatest Loser Packs.

We are up to 19 entrants so far in the FitterFaster Greatest Loser Competition. I am so excited. If you have been intending to enter, you had better hurry, because if I haven't received your entry by tomorrow morning (Tuesday 10th) you have missed out.

I did some great workouts while away too. I didn't take any equipment, but still did the best training I have done for a long time. Loads of sprints, walking lunges, stair runs, jump squats, push ups, abs stuff and more. I think my legs may be sore in the morning. Caitlin even joined my one morning for part of my workout, and I even did some running with a certain Geelong football player- well actually he was miles ahead of me and the others, we had no hope of keeping up, but I did talk to him when he finally stopped.

So I will see you at Bootcamp this week

Jo

Greatest Loser Comp Update

2009-02-02T21:14:00.000-08:00

Okay guys, we have 8 confirmed entrants in the FitterFaster Greatest Loser Competition. Don't forget to get your entry in before February 9th. Only fully paid up entrants will be eligible to enter the competition and win the prizes.

I am in the process of putting together the FitterFaster Greatest Loser Packs which will include a full nutrition plan, home workouts, supplement recommendations, progress records, workout records and more.

This is going to be the ultimate package to help you achieve your fitness and weight loss goals. Everyone who follows the plan will lose fat and get fitter than you have ever been before.

Make sure that you let me know you want to enter if you are currently a FitterFaster client, or if you haven't signed up yet, please make sure that you do so asap. At least fill out the form at www.fitterfasteronline.com which will enable you to complete my questionaire and waiver form just in case we need any medical clearance before you start.

What are you waiting for. Sign up now and get into the best shape of your life.
REMEMBER IF YOU WANT TO LOOK FIT, YOU HAVE TO BE FIT

Jo

5 Things You Should Do Today for Better Results

2009-02-02T01:37:00.001-08:00

Don't eat chips or wedges Pretty simple. Just don't cook them at home. When out, always yes always when ordering ask for no chips or wedges orfries. If you forget, they will come and no amount of will power will stop you from nibbling. Ask for extra vegetables or salad instead. This is something I always do.

Drink more water Try to drink at least 1.5 litres of water each and every day. More if training. I always find that on days when I have not consumed enough water, I get a lot more cravings and find it harder to resist.

Exercise with intensity every day okay this one actually takes some effort, but will also give you the most rewards. Getting and staying fit is crucial if you want to lose fat and more importantly keep it off! IF YOU WANT TO LOOK FIT YOU HAVE TO BE FIT!

Get up half and hour earlier sorry, but this one really helps with number 3. Enough said.

Don't go more than 3 hours without eating I know I've said this a hundred times, but it really works. You will be surprised how quickly 3 hours goes by and you find yourself thinking-'is it time to eat again already?'

There you have it-5 things you can do today that will make a huge difference. Each one on it's own will make a difference, but combined the difference will be amazing. Make a decision now to make all 5 new rules in your life.

Let me know how you go

Jo Butler

PS Did you know you can subscribe to my blog updates by email. Just add your email address to the link at right.

Must do: Food Journals

2009-01-28T13:37:00.000-08:00

If you want to improve your eating habits and lose weight, you absolutely must keep a food journal. Why?

Well for one it will keep you accountable to yourself. It is surprising how having to write it down will actually stop you having it in the first place.

Secondly, you can use the entries to target where you are going wrong. Sometimes we just don't realise that we are eating too much or too little, both of which can slow our fat loss down.

Thirdly, you can use your journals with a partner or coach (say me) and review each others' entries each week. Knowing that you have to show someone else, can help a lot too.

You wont need to keep the journal forever either unless you want to. I know some people love to record everything (not thinking of anyone in particular) But keeping the food journal for a few weeks every now and again can help break you out of those habits. Habits like having to have something sweet before bed or for afternoon tea. These really are just habits-you aren't really hungry. And remember, your body doesn't reward you for being 'good' all day and then having rubbish later as a reward. It is all calories to your body no matter when you eat them or how 'good' you have been the rest of the time.

This tactic is going to play a major part of the FitterFaster Greatest Loser Competition. I am going to ask you to record your intake at the Forum at least every second day to make you accountable. Believe me, this really really works. I do it if I start to get off track and it brings me right back into the good habits again.

Start on your journal right now. You don't need heaps of detail like how many grams of carbs or protein or whatever. Just record what it is and the serving size. The time you ate it is also important. Oh and you have to record everything-that one square of choccy, that spoonful of icecream, that couple of tastes of tea as you cooked it!!

Start now in a blank notebook, or go to fitterfaster.ning.com/ and start a new discussion called "Jo's Food Journal" (insert your name instead of mine) then each day, you can add to the discussion. How's that for keeping accountable-it will be there for all to see. This will work for you. Try it even for just one week!

Jo

I'm waiting to see who does this

Why Isnt the Scale Moving?

2009-01-27T21:31:00.000-08:00

Why is it taking so long for the weight to come off? This is a very common question that I hear a lot. If you have been following your program on and off and only making half an effort, the answer is clear, but what about if you have been doing all your workouts and watching what you eat? How come the scales are not reflecting the effort you are making? Fitterfaster clients are losing cm's big time, but the scale is sometimes slow to show results.

There are several reasons for this. Let me explain. I am going to keep this basic by the way. I can refer you to many great physiology books if you want further info.

1. First of all, if you begin a program of resistance training like lifting weights or participating in FitterFaster Bootcamps, you will be gaining muscle straight away. Muscle gains come rapidly at first especially if you have come from doing very little or no exercise to suddenly training hard and often. So the muscle weight causes your weight to actually go up. Muscles also store glycogen (for use as energy) and with every gram of glycogen stored, there are several grams of water stored as well with it. So more muscle equals more glycogen and more water. There is more weight on the scales, but don't worry, it is fat-free weight that you are gaining.

2. Regular cardiovascular exercise also causes your blood volume to rise. And guess what, that also equals more weight. (Intense cardio exercise like we do at Bootcamp causes your blood volume to rise much more quickly than so-called 'fat-burning zone' cardio)

3. There is so much good stuff going on inside your body as you increase your fitness level. Your good enzymes increase, your mitochondria (energy makers) multiply, your cholesterol falls, your arteries clear and your blood vessels become more elastic. Your bone density also increases (more weight again) and all these things distort the progress you are making and show that the scale really is an ineffective way to measure your progress.

4. Lastly, if you have been sedentary for a long time, your fat has probably not seen any circulation for just as long. It will be blubbery and possibly hard, so it will take some effort to get the blood circulating properly again. Increased activity especially intense activity like FitterFaster Bootcamps forces changes in your bodies circulation including an increase in capilliaries to get oxygen and fuel to your muscles more efficiently. Have you wondered why you have that pink look for ages after a good training session? Once your circulation gets sorted out properly, the extra blood near the surface (for cooling) will also disapate more quickly.

5. So what is going on in regards to fat loss? Fat is stored in lots of places in your body-some more obvious than others! Fat is stored within your muscles and around your organs as well as under your skin where you can see and feel it. Exercise tends to draw from the intramuscular fat first which is why your muscles start to feel firmer and less squidgy even before the scales show anything. Next comes the fat from around your organs and this is a good thing as it is this fat that is the most dangerous to your health.

6. Last but not least, comes the subcutaneous fat. That's the fat we hate, the fat we can feel and see. After a while on a good training program the muscle gains will slow down. Ask anyone who has been training for some time how hard it is to gain some muscle. Without taking hormones or steroids, extra muscle becomes hard to come by, so when that weight increase slows down, the scales will begin to move downward more quickly reflecting your fat loss more accurately.

For most people, the initial weight loss shown on the scales will underestimate their fat loss. There is lots going on inside you body as you increase not only your health, but your metabolism as well.

For very overweight or obese people the initial drop of weight by the scales will probably overestimate their fat loss.

So don't be disheartened if the scales don't seem to reflect all the effort you are putting in. Just concentrate on what YOU CAN DO TODAY to produce great results and that is eat the correct foods in the correct quantities and continue with not only your Bootcamp training sessions, but supplement them with the FitterFaster Home Workouts as well.

Think also about the improvements you are making to your fitness levels. Think about how much more energy you have now than before. Remember Tania and Debbie when you couldn't do even one push up on your knees and now you can push up on your toes. Remember Sue and Narelle how you struggled with the 30 second cardio intervals and now you can go on and on. What about how sore you used to be after every training session Gaylene, Brooke and Greta? How you could hardly walk Mandy and Betina and how difficult it was to make it through the whole workout Cheryl even though you had been doing some training already? Concentrate on improving your bodies' performance and the rest will come on it's own. Try to go for longer, to go further, go faster, do more repetitions and lift more and all of the above changes happening inside your body will work towards improving your appearance in time.

I could have called this business 'Jo's Weight Loss Centre' or something, but I called it 'FitterFaster' for good reason. I want you to all get Fitter and Faster and Stronger and the rest will take care of itself. So be proud of yourselves for the great effort you are putting in. I am! I am finding this so rewarding as I see not only your fitness improving, but your confidence as well. But that's another story, so remember:

NO EXCUSES-JUST RESULTS

New Bootcamp Timeslot

2009-01-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

Tonight (Tuesday 27th) was to be our last Tuesday night Bootcamp session which I know has disappointed lots of you. (Tuesdays were introduced for the christmas holidays only) But I am going to be able to hold another one next week at my place due to a basketball reschedule, so please reply to this post if you can come. I will not be holding it if I dont get any responses.

The other thing is I am going to trial a Tuesday night 30 minute session for the remainder of February. It will be held behind the YMCA on the oval and will commence at 5.35pm sharp. It will be important to be there on time (hence the strange start time) as being a shorter session, we will be training a bit harder and everyone will need to warm up thoroughly. If you arrive late, you will need to warm up on your own and therefore miss some of the session.

As I said, I am going to trial this session on 10th, 17th and 24th of February and if attendance is good, I will continue to do this session at least until the end of this school term.

Please let me know if you can come next Tuesday and if you think you will be able to attend the trial Tuesdays behind the YMCA. You will be able to bring your kids to watch if you need to as 30 mins will go really fast.

The Supermarket and shopping there

2009-01-26T10:37:00.000-08:00

I have published this short article before, but thought it worth doing again for those who missed it. It is so true even though it was written in the USA. The Supermarket people really have us worked out. Apart from some non-food items, you really should be shopping mostly around the edges of the store. Exceptions for me are, canned corn and beetroot, nuts, seeds, tea, coffee. I also purchase olives and gherkins for variety on our salads.

Please read, and then take action. Information is only useful if you use it.

And remember NO EXCUSES JUST RESULTS

Jo

"Look On Aisle 5 was written by Virginia Bola, PsyD from DietWithAnAttitude.com

Have you ever stopped to calculate how much time you spend in each section of the supermarket?

Apart from the non-food areas of drug store supplies, rubber goods, and diapers, most stores have about 10 distinct food areas: produce, dairy, meat, ethnic foods and pasta, canned foods, prepared foods, drinks, frozen foods, snacks, and deli.

The areas where most of our intake should focus, if we are watching our weight and our health, are always on the edges, against the wall: produce, meat, dairy. We can easily navigate through 80 or 90 percent of the store without bumping into them.

Next week, I’ll get vegetables, we promise, as we wade into the packaged and frozen foods that fit so much more neatly into our time-starved, rat-race lives. It is so much less time and trouble to microwave a plate than slow simmer or steam something, plus there’s all that cutting and chopping time we just can’t spare.

The frozen stuff doesn’t taste as good but luckily the manufacturers figured that out and added butter sauce or cheese sauce to give it more flavor, a few nuts or other crispy additions to add some snap – nothing is plain any more.

We stock up on packages loaded with chemicals we can’t even pronounce. We pick up bags of quick snacks with nary a nutrient in the bunch. We throw fluffy breads and crackers into our cart, knowing they are merely edible plates.

Ten years ago, I lived in a Korean neighborhood. I couldn’t read half of the market’s signs and ingredients but shopped there anyway because of the atmosphere, dominated by an enormous variety of produce that took up at least half the store’s space. Trying totally new, strange-looking roots and fruits was exciting: sometimes marvelous, occasionally vile.

We have taken our markets into the age of the superstores where everything is available but nothing is natural. What are we doing to our poor bodies? We feed them junk and then spend a fortune on trying to acquire the "natural" look. Fat chance (pun intentional)!"

There is more info about this at www.fitterfasteronline.com

FITTERFASTER GREATEST LOSER COMPETITION

2009-01-24T10:54:00.000-08:00

Announcing the FitterFaster Greatest Loser Competition.

Entries are open to existing clients and new ones. Your entry must be in by 9th February and you must be weighed and measured by 14th February. If you do not enter in time, or organise a weigh in with me before the 14th, your entry will not be counted.

The competition will end on 10th May with all weigh ins being completed between then and 16th May. There will also be weigh ins at approx the 4 and 8 week mark.

Further details will be sent to entrants before the competition starts.

New clients must sign up at www.fitterfasteronline.com The special package is unlimited number of Bootcamp session for the 12 weeks from 14th Feb to 10th May for $250AUD.

Existing clients just need to let me know by email if they would like to participate. Or they can purchase the FitterFaster Greatest Loser Bootcamp package if they wish.

All entrants will receive a diet plan and full online support as well as optional home workouts to speed up your results. And don't worry, there will be no eliminations in this competition. Of course you will also be attending FitterFaster Bootcamps and training really hard to lose fat, get fitter, increase your energy and basically just feel a whole lot better about yourself.

PRIZES:
1st prize is $100 cash and a 12 session Bootcamp package
2nd prize is a 12 session Bootcamp package

There will also be mini bonus prizes along the way for those who show true dedication to their lifestyle and body transformation. Records of all training sessions will need to be kept by the entrants in the special record folder that will be supplied as part of your entry pack.

REMEMBER YOUR ENTRY MUST BE IN BY 9TH FEBRUARY

Goodluck

Jo

Please share this post with anyone who you think may be interested.

Effects of unhealthy diet

2009-01-19T12:27:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, it's great to be back after a lovely quick break. We have had 3 Bootcamps since my return and everyone has been putting in a fantastic effort especially considering the hot weather we have been having.

Brooke had her measurements taken yesterday and she has lost another 17.5cm in the past 4 weeks, so a huge 'well done' to her. Keep up the great work.

I wanted to write today about non-insulin dependant diabetes, which is a very common condition these days. Even more so than you think and unless you are eating healthy foods almost all the time, you are very likely to develop this condition yourself. It used to be called adult onset diabetes but now it is so common in young people, including children, that the name does not fit the disease anymore.

Insulin resistance is basically when the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin. Insulin is one of the most powerful and important hormones in the body and it's job is to get energy (in the form of glucose) from your blood into your cells and regulate blood sugar levels. Without it, you would die as your body would not be able to use the energy (glucose) that your diet supplies no matter what or how much you consume. People who cannot produce their own insulin have Insulin Dependent Diabetes and must use insulin injections instead to prevent hyperglycaemia, coma and eventually death.

A diet too high in carbohydrates and a lack of exercise are two of the leading causes of insulin resistance. When you eat carbohydrates, glucose is released into the bloodstream. This signals your body to produce insulin to take some of this energy to the cells for immmediate energy. It also converts some to glycogen which is sent to the liver and muscle tissue for short term storage. This energy can be used when blood sugar levels drop again. This short term storage is limited and so excess glucose is converted to body fat for long term storage.

This system works really well most of the time, but an excess of carbohydrates and certain kinds of carbohydrates are more quickly converted to glucose and cause a flood of glucose into your bloodstream. This causes an equally large surge of insulin which causes your blood sugar to drop very quickly and triggers fatigue and cravings for more carbohydrates. When this happens regularly, your insulin levels remain high and your body struggles to convert all the glucose properly. It then continues to produce insulin in an attempt to overcome this and eventually the receptors in the cell membranes become less and less effective in recognising the hormone insulin. Another side effect of the glucose that remains circulating in your bloodstream is that it begins to effect your heart, kidneys, nerves, eyes and blood vessels. I am sure that you have heard of amputations and blindness being caused by diabetes.

Eventually your pancreas is unable to supply enough insulin to maintain stable blood sugar levels and your blood sugar rises above normal levels. At this stage you may be diagnosed as having Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes. If you do not get this under control (because you don't change your dietary and exercise habits or you haven't been diagnosed and don't know you have it) your pancreas will eventually falter and be unable to keep up with this condition. This may lead to having to take insulin injections as you progress to having Insulin Dependent Diabetes. (The cause is different to people who experience Insulin Dependent Diabetes from childhood)

If detected early, this condition can be managed and full blown diabetes can be prevented. Don't wait till you have been diagnosed, do something about it now. Clean up your diet and exercise regularly.
Some preliminary symptoms include but are not limited to:

Anxiety, fatigue, sleeplessness, head aches, palpitations

Eating in response to emotions

Cravings for high carb foods

Overweight

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Frequent hunger or thirst

Dizzy spells

Pins and needles

These are just some of the signs and you may have all or none of them. (these symptoms can also mean other things so check with your doctor if suffer from any of them)

Please note that I am not recommending that you do not eat carbohydrates. What I am recommending (after studying loads of research) is that you change your sources of carbohydrates to fruits, vegetables, some yoghurt and limit your intake of grain based carbohydrate foods like breads, pastas cakes, pastries, biscuits, sweets etc.

I am also researching at the moment on the latest info that says it is actually our overconsumption of carbohydrate foods of this type and not our saturated fat intake that is increasing the rate of heart attacks, stroke, high cholesterol etc. I will bring you more on that later.

The above is a simplified, but accurate, version of how your body works in regard to insulin production. If you are interested, I can recommend good books that provide more information on this.

Please also think about this stuff and how it relates not only to yourself, but to your loved ones as well. For instance, don't let your kids get to the stage where they worry about how they are going to lose the excess weight and get their health problems under control. Teach them now about healthy foods and encourage them to eat a variety of real foods rather than filling them up on junk. Just remove the junk from the house and take healthy foods with you when going out. It can be done and they will not starve when they refuse to eat it. Don't give in-this is their health and yours that we are dealing with.

Remember when party food was only eaten at parties?? Now it is a regular addition to peoples' diets several times every day.

Don't forget Bootcamp this evening at 5.30pm (Tuesday-bring plenty to drink!!

Jo

Keep up the great work

2009-01-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

As you all know, I am headed away for a few days. I want you all to keep up the great work while I am gone, and not use it as another excuse (like you would have in the past) not to work out and eat properly. You have all been doing such a great job, even turning up in the almost 40degree heat to train. That would also have been the perfect excuse in the past not to do a workout.

Results are happening for everyone. You all look so different. Please do not be discouraged if the scale or tape measure is not moving for you. You will have times when the results vary, but overall over time, you are all getting fitter, improving your health and losing bodyfat. Remember that when you first begin training, your body builds muscle as well, and when I say just beginning, this period can go for months if you are training hard. (which you are) Muscle weighs a lot more than fat and muscles also grow in size, so this can distort the figures and make it look like nothing is happening. Keep on going and your bodyfat will continue to drop resulting in those cm's and kg's moving again. Just be patient. Notice how your clothes are fitting instead. Did you know that I am on the cusp of being overweight according to my BMI or Height/Weight tables which are essentially the same thing.

While I am gone, continue to train as often as you can up to 6 days per week. I may not be able to answer emails, but you can contact me by text if you need to. Go to my website and do some of the workouts on there. I want a full report at Bootcamp on Sunday at 9.30am at the Hockey oval.

See you then

Jo

Free Nutrition Review

2009-01-09T00:58:00.000-08:00

Hi guys

Anyone going to get me to have a look at your current nutrition? All current FitterFaster clients have the opportunity to record their food and drink intake for 2-3 days, email it through to me and I will take a look and give suggestions for improvement. Don't miss out on this.

I usually charge for a full nutrition plan, and although I will not be sending through a full menu plan, you will definately be able to use the information to clean up your every day dietary habits and in the process improve you health, reduce risk of many common diseases and conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, allergies (to name a few) and lose bodyfat if that is your goal.

I will give you ideas where you could make improvements and show you healthier alternatives to your current intake if needed. Eating a healthy diet is an every day, for the rest of your life thing. It is not deprivation or being hungry all the time. It is not something you do for a while and then go back to your old habits. If you do that, you will end up right back where you started-after all that is what got you there in the first place. There is room for treats and special occasion foods in everyones nutritional plan. But I think that is one of the major problems with most peoples diets. The occasional treat turns into just a bit of this for morning tea wont hurt. I'll just have this little treat with lunch because I had such a healthy lunch. Just a small serve for afternoon tea wont hurt and goodness knows what is served up for tea as we are bombarded with so many contradicting ideas of what is healthy and what is not.

And it doesn't matter if you have certain likes, dislikes, allergies or food preferences, there is still healthy eating for everyone's needs. In fact everyone needs it. Symptoms may not be showing yet, but an unhealthy diet is killing you.

Make sure that you include everything that you consume. All food, drinks, snacks, tastes, nibbles, supplements, anything that goes in your mouth. Also include times that you eat the foods and quantities if you can. At least guestimate quantities if you haven't measured stuff. Measurements like about 1 cup or 100g are good, saying a small serve is not helpful as small to you and me may be very different. Brand names are helpful too.

Come on, I will not be sharing this info with anyone. I've been there. It has taken me a long time to clean up my diet. I know how hard it is. I am living this every day. I have good and bad days and good and bad weeks, but I know what works and it isn't hard. I will also be able to use you examples as examples for everyone else in future newsletters etc. But don't worry I will not name anyone or anything like that.

I know a few of you are busy recording everything, so I will give you till the end of next week to get it through to me seeing as I am going to be away later next week anyway.

What have you got to lose? (parden the pun)

Jo

You CANT out-train a Bad Diet!

2009-01-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Well it's a new year and time for a fresh start. Have you set up your calendar yet? (refer previous blogpost) This one idea will really help you to stay on track if you don't cheat and get started.

A big congrats goes to all the FitterFaster Bootcampers who have been putting in a fantastic effort over the past months. We have had several new Bootcampers start up in the last week or so as well which is great to see. Word is spreading. Results are coming. Everyone is getting fitter, stronger, leaner, they have better balance, more flexibility, more endurance and are feeling more energetic. They have begun to lose many cm's with the average loss so far being around 30cm in 8 weeks.

Another very important piece of the health and fat loss puzzle is your nutrition. You cannot out-train a bad diet. Too much sugar and alcohol cannot be overcome by exercising. Cruel I know, but best results will come to those who change the way they think about what they are consuming on a daily basis. Here are my basic tips for improving your nutrition. These are the first and vital steps you must take to get results. I will expand the list in future blogs, but get these things under control first.

1. Cut down on breads, pastas, pastries, cakes, biscuits, wraps, rice, cereals, museli or breakfast/health bars, etc. This includes multi grain and wholemeal varieties. These foods are processed!!! Since when did a loaf of bread grow on a tree? Try to limit these foods to one serve of wholemeal or multigrain per day. Once serve is a slice of bread or 1 cup of cooked pasta. Remember Grains are not my friends.

2. Eat protein everytime that you eat. This will stabilise the blood sugar/insulin response and also supply quality nutrients that you body needs for complete health. Protein is found in meats, fish, eggs, whey powder and also yoghurt. Nuts and seeds also contain small amounts of protein. Limit yoghurt to 1 serve a day of full cream (do not choose diet or low fat)

3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables at every meal or snack. Most of every meal and snack should be made up of fruits and vegetables. There is no limit to the amount of these that you can eat except limit yourself to 1 small potato each day. Remember rule 2 and combine with protein.

4. Drink only water or tea or coffee. This includes cutting down on alcohol. There are a million reasons to stop drinking every or nearly every day. Even one drink begins a cascade of bad reactions in your body. Many of which also slow or reverse your fat loss efforts as well as effecting your health. Limit yourself to 2 days per week where you consume alcohol. By the way, cut out soft drinks, cordials and fruit juices as well. And skip those lattes and flat whites from the cafe. They are both almost all milk-refer no. 5

5. Cut out milk and if you can cheese too. Limit milk to a tiny amount in coffee or tea. It is for baby cows, not humans. We are the only animal that drinks milk beyond infancy and look at our state of health compared to other species. They may be onto something.

6. Eat every 2-3 hours. Yes don't go more than 3 hours without eating.

7. Include small serves of nuts and seeds in your diet every day.

8. Stop having take away. Cooking a meal from scratch really doesn't take long.

9. If it came in a packet, or has a list of ingredients, stop eating it!!

10. Once per week, eat something you love and disregard all the rules.

11. Exercise every day. You can find plenty of info about this in past blog posts and at www.fitterfasteronline.com

Sticking to these rules will get you well on the way to a healthy and lean body. Every rule is important and although sticking to one or two of them will help, you will never reach your full potential without improving your whole diet.

Until you follow these rules every day, you do not need to worry about serving sizes or quantities of carbs or protein etc. Stick to eating real, non-processed foods and it will make a huge difference. Stop worrying about calories and carbs and get healthy food into you. Don't worry about the latest supplement of weight loss pill or drink. These basic rules will increase your fat loss much more than any of these ever will despite the advertising promises

FitterFaster clients have the opportunity to have their diets analysed and critiqued by me before January 10th. Simply record everything you eat, drink or inhale for 2-3 days and send it through to me either by commenting below or by emailing me at joanne@fitterfasteronline.com

I will have a close look at it and provide ideas, changes and advice for you completely free of charge and with no obligations attached. I really want you all to be able to achieve all of your goals so I want to give you all the help I can.

Make sure that you do not change anything that you normally do for the next 2 days while you record your intake. It is important to get real life examples so that we can work out ways around what you really do. If you try to make it look good, you will not learn ways to improve your daily habits properly so be honest and record everything including the times that you eat it. Best results will be recorded if you carry a pen and paper with you and write it down as you consume it rather that trying to remember it all later in the day.

Take advantage of this whether you are a new client or have been coming for a while. Clients who have purchased nutrition plans in the past should also do this to get you back on track and make sure you are still headed in the right direction. And don't just think that this is for weight loss only. Health improvements are not possible without a healthy diet.

And don't forget that the 30 session package will come off the website on Monday evening. This is your last chance to purchase this package. Results are guaranteed too, so if you don't lose cm's you get your money back

Jo

How Can I stick to my exercise program?

2008-12-30T14:54:00.000-08:00

I have a great idea to help you stick with your new workout program. Get a calendar, any kind will do and hang it in a prominent place at home or your workplace. It has to be where you and others will see it all the time.

Every day that you workout, mark a huge coloured X right across that day. Don't break the X chain. Do something every day. Of course you know that an intense workout is best , but mark any training that you do. Now don't cheat. It has to be at least 15 solid minutes-so a walk (or run) a FitterFaster Bootcamp or home workout or any other workout that gets you huffing and puffing and sweating.

You can find 15 minutes in your day you know. I went out last night on the veranda, after putting tea in the oven, and did a quick circuit of 100 skips with a rope and 10 burpees. I repeated it till tea was cooked. What about getting out of bed 15-20 minutes earlier?? What about as soon as you get home from work, before you start anything else. How about while the kids do their training after school. What about while you watch TV of an evening. Almost all the workouts on www.fitterfasteronline.com can be done in front of the TV.

Have a go at the calendar X chain. You will be surprised how you will not want to break the chain after you get going. You will just need to nick out and do a quick workout before bed if you missed it today. Working out every day, even briefly will help keep your metabolism boosted all the time. Especially if you go hard. Give it a try and let me know how you go.

And don't forget to come to Bootcamp on New Years Day at 5pm. Come and give it a go and see what everyone is talking about. Start off the New Year on a high note and make this the one where you really do get lean and fit for good. Make this the year of no excuses. My new motto is NO EXCUSES-JUST RESULTS

Jo

2008-12-28T18:15:00.000-08:00

How do you reward yourself if you do your workouts or exercise for the day or week? Do you have a treat to eat, or have a can or two (or more?) This rewarding yourself for something that is so essential for your health is really backward thinking.

Fitting exercise into your daily life should really be non-negotiable. It is not a special achievement that deserves a special reward. Do you reward yourself everytime you wash the dishes or clean your teeth? No, these are seen as essential parts of your daily life as exercise should be too.

The reward for exercising regularly is how it makes you feel and also how it makes you look. Raise your expectations of yourself and if you must reward yourself occasionaly, make it in a less damaging way and for a bigger achievement such as a massage for 4 weeks worth of daily workouts. Or a trip to the movies or some new perfume for accomplishing a performance goal in your workouts like being able to do 10 pushups on your toes. What about some new clothes that fit on your fitter, leaner body after you have lost 30cm.

You need to change your mindset about exercise and healthy eating. Over 30% of Australians are obese. This figure includes many of you. Almost 60% are overweight. Are you one of them? The figures are scarily similar for our children too. Look around. Can you see your own hip bones or your kids? Can you just about see their ribs? You should be able to.

Over accumulation of fat is just another symptom of bad health. Many common illnesses and diseases are caused by unhealthy eating, being overweight and by not exercising with intensity often. Some are:

Health Risks to Children:

Type 2 diabetes, Hypertension, Sleep apnea, Asthma, Breathing problems, High blood cholesterol, Psychological disorders, such as depression, due to social stigmatization. Which then leads to the following, as overweight children are unlikely to become non-overweight adults.

Health Risks to Adults:

Type 2 diabetes , Heart disease, Stroke, Hypertension, Gallbladder disease, Osteoarthritis, Sleep apnea, Asthma, Breathing problems, Certain cancers (colon, endometrial, kidney, esophageal, and postmenopausal breast), High blood cholesterol, Complications of pregnancy, Psychological disorders, such as depression, due to social stigmatization, Premature death and many many more.

What are you doing to improve your health? Start right now with your whole family. Teach your husband, wife and/or children to eat fruits and vegetables. Teach them how to cook real food. Stop eating things that come with a label and ingredients list. Start moving-a lot. Get sweaty and out of breath regularly. Go for bike rides and walks. Play footy, or basketball with the kids. Soccer is a great family activity for all ages and abilities.

Stop buying the junk. You are in charge of what you buy and eat. You are in charge of what your kids eat. Don't give in. It doesn't take long to change habits if you stick to your guns. To recap:

Change the lifestyle and eating habits of the whole family.

Make it easy to access good healthy food in small portions. Throw out the bad stuff, and stop buying it.

There is a strong link between television watching and weight problems, so encourage the entire familly to watch less TV and play less computer games

Set aside some more time to be with them persuing activities such as backyard soccer or basketball.

Set a good example yourself. Children will repeat what their parents do, not what they say.

Check my website for some simple healthy recipes. I have added a few new ones, and will add more as I can.

Don't forget to renew or begin your Bootcamp Package now to get the special price of $8 per session. This offer ends on January 1st 2009. Go to website for details.

And congrats to Tania for being my most consistant Bootcamper in 2008. She received a gift voucher for a massage at Ruby V's this morning at Bootcamp. Tania comes to Bootcamp at least 3 times almost every week, sometimes more and puts in 100% effort every time. Well done Tania!!!

Keep up the great work everyone

Jo

New Years Resolutions

2008-12-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone

What do you want to achieve in 2009. I must say that I think New Years Resolutions are a bit of a crock. I think putting something off till January 1st is a waste of all the time that you have before then. I think when you want to achieve something no matter how big or small, you should get to work on it right now. But seeing as New Years Day is so close, let's have a think about where you are headed.

Do you want to lose body fat? How much? Do you want to fit into a smaller clothes size? What size? Your goals must be measurable, or how will you know when you get there?

Do you want to be able to run 5kms without stopping? Or do 5 chinups in a row? Do you want to be able to get through every Bootcamp workout with resting?

Do you want to be able to see your abdominal muscles, or be able to wear sleeveless tops again? Do you want to make it habit to exercise 6 times per week? What about avoiding junk food 6 days a week?

Of course there are many other worthwhile goals such as travel, building, work related etc, but I am mainly concerned with health and fitness goals here. More often than not though, once you achieve a goal such as losing weight, you are much more likely to be able to achieve other goals as well. It is very empowering. Physical goals have a way of helping you mentally and spiritually as well.

Many clients have said that attending Bootcamp and working on their physical selves has put them in a much better place mentally as well. Loads of studies have proven the benefits of exercise for depression and other mental illnesses.

So have a think about what you want to achieve and get to work on it right now. Don't wait another minute. Get your sneakers on and go do one of the free workouts on my website www.fitterfasteronline.com

If you are reading this at work, do it as soon as you get home. The 15 minutes it will take will not make any difference to that long list of stuff you have do get done. Don't let yourself come up with a single excuse. That's what they are you know, those reasons, they are just excuses that you could work around if you tried to. If you don't think so, send me your reason and I will help you.

Come and join us at Bootcamp for a real boost to your energy levels. Working in the group really helps with motivation. Remember my offer to try Bootcamp as many times as you like before New Years Day for free.

Times over the christmas period are as follows:

Tuesday 23rd 9.30am
Tuesday 23rd 5.30pm
Wednesday 24th 6am
Friday 26th 9.30am
Saturday 27th 9.30am
Monday 29th 6am
Monday 29th 9.30am
Tuesday 30th 5.30pm
Wednesday 31st 6am
Saturday 3rd 9.30am

All Bootcamps over the school holidays will be held at my place except the Saturday morning ones which will be at Princes Park if cool or in the Lions Park in Park Rd if very hot (to take advantage of the shade)

Please let me know if you would like to attend any of these Bootcamp workouts at no cost and with no obligation to sign up. Go on, get your calendar out right now and decide which ones you can attend. What have you got to lose and what are you waiting for. NO EXCUSES-JUST RESULTS

Have a great christmas. And don't forget that a Fitterfaster Bootcamp package makes a great christmas gift for yourself or a loved one.

Jo

NO EXCUSES JUST RESULTS

2008-12-18T21:48:00.000-08:00

You know who you are. You have maybe contacted me via email, or even attended a Bootcamp workout to give it a try. You've been following the blog, checking out the website occasionally. Saying to yourself "I might like to do that" or "Or I am going to do that when........."

Now is the time to start. Don't make up another excuse. You are not too unfit!! You can find the time!! You know you want to get fit!! You know you want to lose weight!! What are you waiting for??

Here is a deal you can't refuse. If you are one of the above and have contacted me at some stage either in person or via email or phone or on Facebook or queried about Fitterfaster in the past. If you have quizzed a Fitterfaster client and promised to come but haven't, this is the time. Even if you have just been thinking about it after someone told you about the website. Don't wait till New Years Day (what is that??) Don't wait till the kids are back at school or holidays start or work gets quiet or blah blah blah. Those things are not going to make any difference. It is you that needs to decide to do it. I bet you find time to watch that favourite TV show. You will always find a reason why you can't do it. Make the choice that you can!!

Here it is. Come to as many Fitterfaster Bootcamps as you like before New Years Day for FREE! There are 11 Bootcamps between now and then. Come to all of them if you like. No obligation. If you take me up on this and then do decide to sign up for more Bootcamps, you can have 30 sessions for $240 to start in the New Year. That's only $8 per Bootcamp. And it comes with a guarantee. If you don't lose cm's, you get your money back. Really what have you got to lose?

All you have to do is let me know when you are coming and turn up with a drink and a towel. Details of all sessions can be found here

The only change to this schedule will be that I will not be holding a Bootcamp on Christmas day, but will have one on boxing day instead at 9.30am at my place.

Everyone is getting such great results.

Here are some of them:

Tania 29.5cm in 7 weeks
Maree 31.5cm in 8 weeks
Narelle 39cm in 8 weeks
Brooke 16.5cm in 5 weeks
Amanda 30.5cm in 9 weeks
Fiona 18.5cm in 6 weeks
Brit 16.5cm in 6 weeks
Sue 29cm in 8 weeks
Karin 33.5cm in 8 weeks
Brooke 10cm in 4 weeks
Jennie 29.5cm in 7 weeks

What are you waiting for? NO EXCUSES-JUST RESULTS Contact me via email at joanne@fitterfasteronline.com

I PROMISE IT WONT KILL YOU-NO ONE EVER DROWNED IN SWEAT

For new clients only

Jo

Stretching, is it necessary??

2008-12-16T16:52:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I am asked if stretching during warm up or after a workout is necessary. All the research tells us that is DOES NOT PREVENT INJURY OR DECREASE MUSCLE SORENESS. Yes it feels good at the time. But it does not prevent injuries. Some injuries are actually worsened by stretching.

Static stretching before a workout or as part of a warm up is an outdated tradition that has been proven to actually decrease strength and co-ordination during the subsequent training session, which may even contribute to an injury. Static stretching is not used anymore in elite sports as part of a warm up. These people know their stuff. They know the research.

What about stretching afterwards? Well as previously stated, it has never been proven to lessen or decrease the risk of injury. Stretching has been proven to increase flexibility if undertaken regularly however. But on all questionaires and surveys that have been completed by my clients, not one has stated increased flexibility as a goal for their training.

If you have time to stretch after a workout, it will not do any harm, unless you further aggravate any pre-existing injuries. It even feels really good to stretch after a workout. So I repeat, if you have time, do it if it makes you feel good.

I prefer to spend an extra 5-10 minutes on productive tasks that get me and my clients closer to their goals-namely improving fitness, losing body fat, increasing strength and adding muscle mass. I usually include some kind of dynamic stretching in my warm ups eg. wide side stepping, easy squats (yes you are stretching those muscles,) windmills, twists etc. I feel that these serve to 'wake up' the body especially if the training session is held shortly after getting out of bed. I never do static stretching in a warm up.

I also do a cool down after a session by walking till the breath has returned to normal and sweating has ceased-usually about 3-5 minutes depending on the last activity performed. Also, some exercises such as lunges and deep squats serve to stretch the leg muscles in a much more productive way than static stretching. I often include them towards or at the end of a workout.

I hope this has helped to clear up some of the confusion out there and to explain why I do not usually include static stretching in my Bootcamp workouts.

I carefully plan each workout to include a good mix of upper and lower body strength work and cardio work depending on my goals for the session. I aim to promote fat burning and metabolism enhancing activities depending on the individuals needs while gradually and progressively improving the fitness, strength, endurance and balance of everyone. Workouts are often changed on the spur of the moment too, to accomodate different levels and abilities. All of this is done using a variety of activities and tools to keep you all interested and prevent boredom as we all know that consistency and committment together with the correct training methods are what will help us all get to where we want to be.

My workouts are challenging, but achievable. If you are looking for a quick fix and are not willing to put in the effort, please look elsewhere. Now who wants to get rid of that spare tyre?

If you have any comments about this or any other matter regarding my Bootcamp workouts, please comment below or send me an email joanne@fitterfasteronline.com
I will be only too willing to answer your questions.

Jo

Super christmas discount

2008-12-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

Extra special christmas special on Bootcamp price. Sign up between 17th and 24th December for 24 session christmas special and receive and extra 6 sessions free. That is 30 Bootcamps for $240. Absolutely no rain checks. Sign up and pay before 24th December to get in on this amazing offer.

For further details about Bootcamp go here.

The easiest way to sign up is online. Hit the Buy Now button and then return to the previous page to complete your details.

Don't miss out on this great offer. This is a great way to start your new years resolutions. I repeat, you must sign up and pay by 24th December.

Jo

Win a Massage and more cm lost

2008-12-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

On Saturday at Bootcamp 9.30am at Princes Park, I will be giving away 2 massage vouchers from Ruby V to two lucky participants. It's my birthday, so I thought gifts were in order. So come along and have some fun. This is another great reason to come to your first Bootcamp. You will need a drink (or two) and a towel.
Start your New Years resolution early. You know there is no magic about the new year!! Don't put it off. Get a jump start and prevent the usual weight gain over the next couple of weeks.

I remeasured some more clients yesterday and they achieved more great results as follows:

Maree-another 11cm bringing her total to 31.5cm
Brooke-16.5cm
Tania-another 13.5cm bringing her total loss so far to 29.5cm

Fantastic effort ladies. Another Fitterfaster client said that "when I went out last night, it was the first time in ages that I felt like I looked alright!" Other comments lately have been "everyone is asking me if I've lost weight" and "the girls at work say I look great"

Come on, get started. Don't put it off any longer. Forget the excuses, come and try one free session at least and see what it is all about.

Let me know if you are coming at joanne@fitterfasteronline.com

Jo

New Bootcamp Timeslot

2008-12-14T17:06:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone

After several requests I am adding another bootcamp time to the schedule. This timeslot will be for the christmas school holidays only at this stage, and will also depend on numbers that attend. The new time will be 5.30pm on Tuesday. So the times are as follows:

Monday 6am
Monday 9.30am
Tuesday 5.30pm
Wednesday 6am
Thursday 5pm
Saturday 9.30am

All Bootcamps will be held at my place over the holidays except for the Saturday session which will continue to be held at Princes Park till further notice. Look for us on Princes Park or at the Lions Park in Park Rd if the weather is hot, as there is a nice lot of shade there.

Don't forget my 24 session package is still available till christmas eve.
You are welcome to bring your kids to Bootcamp. Kids aged over 6 can participate (free for 6-16yo), but please remember that they are your responsibility.

So don't forget new time slot Tuesday 5pm which should make it possible for most of you to get in 3 sessions per week. Also, all Bootcamps except Saturday held at my place.

Welcome to new participant Peter Barlow. Yes we finally have another man. Greg has been attending Monday 6am sessions and Pete has now been twice.

Hope you are all organised for christmas. Don't forget to do your home workouts and keep those greats results coming.

Jo

How many carbs do I need??

2008-12-11T20:41:00.000-08:00

I often get asked how many carbs should I be eating? Or how much protein do I need to lose weight? There are many different theories about this, and what works for one person may not work for another. Some of the factors to consider are:

Current and past diet history
History of drug and supplement use
Blood types
Activity level
Activity type
Age
Training age
Body Type
History of type and level of training

These are just some of the things to consider. But all this is really irrelevant for anyone who has more than a few kgs to lose. There is no need to overcomplicate your nutritional plan until you get to those last couple of kilos that just wont seem to budge. If you think that this is the secret, you are way off the mark.

It is actually a lot simpler and easier than that. Make good food choices and eat healthily. That is the key. No secrets, no complicated formula. That's it.

Do the following:

Choose healthy foods-fruits, vegetables, eggs, lean meats and fish.

Include small portions of nuts and or seeds every day-not fried or salted

Cut out as much grains as possible. That includes breads, pastas, wraps, pastry as well as cakes, biscuits etc

Avoid all drinks except water. (some tea or coffee is okay)

Eat every 2-3 hours every day while awake

Have a protein with every meal or snack-that is eggs, meat, fish

Need I say, don't eat lollies, chocolates, cakes, biscuits, pastries etc etc

Train hard at least 5 times per week-3 strength circuits and at least 2 high intensity cardio sessions.

Eat salads, vegetables or fruits with every meal or snack

Stick to it. This won't work if you don't do it properly. This is life long eating-not a diet!!

Remember,there are no secret supplements or exact formulas.

Jo

More great losses recorded

2008-12-08T21:47:00.000-08:00

I did some more remeasures yesterday on 5 FitterFaster clients and recorded more great results. A total of 68cm was lost by these 5 people who have put in a great effort over the past 4 weeks.

Fiona lost 18.5cm, Brooke lost 10cm and 8kgs, Brit lost 16.5cm, Narelle lost another 14.5cm bringing her total lost to 39cm and Karin lost another 8.5cm bringing her total to 33.5cm lost.

These great results are an inspiration to every one of us. Well done!! If you would like to start losing cm's like these FitterFaster clients, go on over to www.fitterfasteronline.com and sign up before christmas for a great deal on Bootcamp prices.

Don't forget to keep up your fantastic training efforts over the Christmas/New Year period and you will avoid regaining any of those centimetres back. You will even continue to lose if you maintain you healthy diets for most of the time. Try to fit in an extra Bootcamp is you can each week and make sure that you train at least 5 days per week. In my last newsletter I talked about fitting in an extra 'mini' but intense training session especially on those days when you know you are going to eat more than you should. I have included a reprint of that session below.

Quick Metabolism Booster

Go through this whole sequence 5 times. Take a couple of minutes to cool down and stretch afterwards

Exercise

Manual-Notes (if any)

High Knee Drill
1. Stand at foot of agility ladder or just stand in place.
2. Drive knee up towards chest and place that foot in first square or back on the ground.
Drive other knee up and land in next square and so on down the ladder in a moderate to fast jog with minimal ground contact time.

Trainer's comments:
Lift those knees really high no matter how puffed you are getting

Sets	Reps	Weight/ Resistance
1	20 each leg

Bodyweight Squats
1. Start by placing feet shoulder width apart and holding your arms out in front of you.
2. Proceed to squat down like you are going to sit in a chair. Your upper body will lean forward slightly and your hips will shift backwards while going down.
3. Remember to keep your knees from going out in front of your toes while squatting.
4. Repeat according to your required repetitions. If you want to make the exercise more challenging hold your arms at your sides or behind your head.

Trainer's comments:
Go down nice and low. Keep your chest high

Sets	Reps	Weight/ Resistance
1	20

Mountain Climbers
1. Start by getting on your hands and feet in a prone position.
2. Keeping your body parallel to ground drive your knees up towards your chest alternating back and forth.
3. Repeat this movement for the required number of seconds.

Trainer's comments:
10 on each leg. Stretch back leg right out and bring front foot right under your chest

Sets	Reps	Weight/ Resistance
1	20

Air Bike Crunches
1. Start by lying on your back with your hands behind your back and thighs bent 90 degrees at your hip.
2. Simultaneously curl your right shoulder and left knee up towards the center of your body until your elbow and knee touch. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other side.
3. Continuously repeat this pattern for the prescribed repetitions.

Trainer's comments:
10 to each knee. Remember to bring your shoulder towards your knee, not your elbow

Sets	Reps	Weight/ Resistance
1	20

At any time of the year you can add a short workout like this to your regular routine as a boost, but it is especially effective at the moment when you will probably consume all those things that I advise against like alcohol, nibblies and desserts. Just try to have very small portions and make sure that you eat normally and properly for the rest of the day.

If you can't make it to FitterFaster Bootcamp training sessions, you could have your own personalised online training program that includes descriptions and animations of all exercises like the ones above. The program will include all fat burning cardio workouts and all metabolism boosting strength circuits. You will have full email support and your workouts will be adjusted according to your progress and your goals. Go to online training programs for more info.

Keep up the good work ladies

Jo

More great losses recorded

2008-12-08T01:45:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone

Did a heap of measurements today and have some great results to report to you. I will send them out tomorrow.

I am going to have to change Saturday's (13th December) bootcamp session time. We haven't got the full basketball timetable yet, but our first game is at 8am in Castlemaine, so I will not be able to make it for 9.30am. Depending on the time of the next game and whether we come home between them, I may need to either just change the time or maybe even move it to Sunday. If anyone misses out because of the time change I will add a bonus session onto your program. I am really sorry about this.

Also, the following week (20th December) I am celebrating my birthday by giving away a gift voucher for a massage at Ruby V's. Anyone who attends the Bootcamp on 20th December is eligible to win it. So make sure you come along.

Don't forget that you can bring your kids along to train for nothing if they are aged between 6-16years. We have had quite a few join in lately and they are really enjoying it. It is great general fitness for any sport or to improve strength, endurance, balance, power and of course weight control.

And last but not least, the Christmas special price of $240 for 24 Bootcamp sessions is still valid till 24th December. If you want to renew your program or purchase a new one, this deal includes weekly 'homework' workouts and full email support as well as 24 x 50 minute bootcamp training sessions. Results are guaranteed. If at the end of your first Fitness Package you have not lost cm's, you get your money back.

I have just purchased some new equipment which should be here by the end of the week. Look forward to using the kettlebells, hurdles and agility bands along with the slosh pipe and tyres, sledgehammer and equaliser bars. All this new stuff gives us heaps of new ways to work out muscles, improve our fitness and of course burn heaps of fat. It will all combine well with our own bodyweight, the medicine balls, jump ropes, steps etc. Variety is the spice of life as they say!

Don't forget to keep on training over the christmas period. See you all at a training session soon. Come and try your first one free.

Jo

Free Bootcamps over christmas holidays

2008-12-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

Don't forget that you can attend your first bootcamp session for free. So come and try FitterFaster out. Get into some high intensity conditioning workouts and don't put on any weight for once over this Christmas and New Year period. In fact you will most likely lose some. You never know you might enjoy it and if not, what have you got to lose? If you don't lose any cm's you get you money back-so who could argue with that??

If you do decide that you want to give it a go and lose some fat and get into great shape, visit www.fitterfasteronline.com for a great special price on a FitterFaster 24 session package deal. The offer only stands till Christmas Eve, so come along soon and have a go. This really works!! You will have more energy and feel great.

Group Bootcamp sessions are held:
Monday 6am at my place
Monday 9.30am at my place
Wednesday 6am at my place
Thursday 5pm at old Tech College Nolan St
Saturday 9.30am at Princes Park

If you want to give it a try, let me know via email joanne@fitterfasteronline.com, phone me, or send a message via Facebook

What to eat-sample daily diet plan

2008-12-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

Due to getting so many questions about what exactly to eat, I am republishing this recent article with 2 days of sample meal plans.

Now remember these are not 'diets' in the traditional sense. These are examples of how you should be eating every day, not just till christmas or till the wedding or whatever.

These two sample days do not allow for any 'treats'. Make sure that twice per week-no more you allow yourself a treat if you really have to. Do not go way overboard though. The more you cheat, the slower the weight loss will be. I find that having a treat makes me want it more often and therefore I am usually better off not having it at all. If you must cheat have your treat with one of the meals. If you find that you are hungry, you are not eating enough. Increase the size of the servings!!

First rule: Eat every 2-3 hours!!! I cannot stress this enough. If it is less than 2 hours since your last meal, do not eat. If it gets to the 3 hour mark, you need to eat right now.

Second rule: Eat protein at every meal there are several reasons for this which I will go into in a future post. Very very important

Third rule: Eat salad, fruit and vegies till satisfied You should not be hungry eating like this. If you are, eat more fresh fruit, salad vegetables or steamed vegetables at your meals. When I say huge serving, I mean HUGE as any of you that know me personally can testify to. You will probably find yourself thinking 'gee is it time to eat again?'

DAY ONE SAMPLE MENU

Meal One
2 whole eggs, poached, fried (just a spray of olive oil), scrambled or cooked into omelette.
1 piece of wholemeal or wholegrain toast-no spreads
You can add grilled tomatoes if you want, or add onion, capsicum etc to eggs

Meal Two
1-2 pieces of fruit
1 protein shake with water (no carbs)

Meal Three
approx 100g chicken
steamed vegetables- cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, sweet peas, zucchini, capsicum etc
1 small steamed potato is optional

Meal Four
200g full cream yoghurt
fresh fruit-I cut mine and put it into vanilla yoghurt

Meal Five
approx 120-140g chicken, lean beef or lean lamb
huge salad-no dressing mix it up and have heaps of different salad vegies

Meal Six
1 piece of fresh fruit or 3/4 cup of canned fruit no added sugar
1 protein shake with water (no carbs)

DAY TWO SAMPLE MENU

Meal One
200g full cream yoghurt (300g if you did one of my workouts beforehand)
no sugar added canned fruit or fresh fruit (enough fruit to satisfy hunger)

Meal Two
approx 100g of left over chicken, lamb or beef from last night's meal
with medium salad

Meal Three
150g white fish or 100g salmon
large serve of steamed vegetables as in day one OR huge salad
Optional small/medium steamed potato

Meal Four
1-3 pieces of fruit
1 protein shake with water (I blend together my shake with fresh strawberries and canned pears or even frozen berries and water)

Meal Five
120-140g chicken, beef or lamb
huge serve of steamed vegies or huge salad

Meal Six
100g plain cottage cheese mixed with 1 teaspoon of jam
Add strawberries if you want. Tastes like dessert, but cottage cheese is high in protein and low in fat and carbs.

Now remember these are just samples of what I would eat in a day. I also add some chocolate about once per week, usually to meal six. Most Saturdays, I have pizza for tea. I have a vegetarian one that does not have much cheese and I get extra vegies on it. I eat 1-2 pieces and then pick the grilled toppings off the rest. Yum! Depending on my protein intake for the rest of the day, I may also have a protein shake with it.

You can also alter the order of the meals by swapping Meals two, three or six around with each other. It all just takes preparation. Cook extra meat the night before and pack with salad to take to work. You can easily steam vegies in the microwave a t work too. Even though I have included protein shakes in the menu samples, I still want everyone to eat heaps of real unprocessed foods. Protein shakes are just a great way to get the protein in when you are on the go.

If you would like an individual plan made up, go to Customised Nutrition Plans. These plans include a base daily schedule and food lists from which you choose. That way I can include foods that you like and vice versa for ones you don't.

Give it a try. You will definately lose weight, but even better, you will improve your health and feel heaps better.

Jo

PS and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter at www.fitterfasteronline.com

Kids train for free

2008-11-30T10:27:00.001-08:00

Did you know that you can bring your kids along to Fitterfaster Group Training sessions. Kids aged 6 to 16 over can participate with a paying parent at no cost. There have been quite a number of kids joining us over the past month and they have been really enjoying it. All of the activities we do are stuff that kids do every day in the playground and can in no way damage their bones or affect their growth. (well only in good ways)

THIS IS FANTASTIC AS EXTRA SPORTS TRAINING AND WILL DEVELOP THEIR OVERALL FITNESS, STRENGTH, POWER, CO-ORDINATION AND BALANCE AS WELL AS THEIR SPEED AND ENDURANCE.

If you feel your children could do with some extra activity or they just want to come along and have some fun, bring them with you next time. Please make me aware of any injuries etc that they may have though before they start.

If you are not participating, but would like your child or children to attend, you can sign them up at www.fitterfasteronline.com/

Website revamp

2008-11-29T19:16:00.000-08:00

Over the next week or so, I am going to be working on updating and revamping my website. I will be adding new content including lots more free workouts and more recipes. If you have any recipe ideas, send them through to me and I may be able to include them on my site. I am adding lots of new photos as well so see if you can spot yourself.

I am also currently working on building and purchasing some new equipment to be used in our fitness sessions, so get ready for some new exercises and sore muscles in new places.

If you get a chance to have a look at www.fitterfasteronline.com, please let me know what you think. Hopefully I will be done by the end of the week. As always, it is a work in progress.

Also, don't forget the Christmas special of 24 sessions for $240 available only till 24th December.

Jo

Problems with newsletter subscription

2008-11-27T19:16:00.000-08:00

Have you subscribed to my Fitterfaster Newsletter at www.fitterfasteronline.com and not been receiving them? If so, you may have to resubscribe. When you do, you will receive a confirmatory email straight away in which you have to click the link to confirm your subscription. If you do not do so, your newsletters will not arrive. Check your spam/junkmail folder if you do not receive this email.

You may also need to add the newsletter email address to your contacts list to enable the emails to be sent to your inbox instead of getting stuck in the junkmail folder. The newsletter address is joanne@fitterfasteronline.com

By subscribing to this blog (see right) and the newsletter, you can be assured that you will receive all of my special offers and information about FitterFaster programs. If you currently have a FitterFaster fitness program in place or sign up for one in the next few days, look out in your letter box for a little thank you christmas gift from me to you.

Jo Butler

Losing Bodyfat over Christmas

2008-11-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

Sound impossible. Not if you follow a few guidelines.

Make sure you are subscribed to the Fitterfasteronline newsletter.

In a few days I am sending out the next issue which will have some practical real-life tips to surviving the silly season. Tips like "eat before you go out" don't really help in the real world. We aren't eating all that party fare because we are hungry, we are eating it because it is there. So that will just mean that we eat and then eat again when we get there. Definately not helping!!!

I have some tips that will really make a difference, but don't expect yourself to be perfect. This is a time for celebrating, but in a sensible manner.

So in the meantime, keep up with your training (that is my first tip by the way) It really helps to keep in your routine. Burning calories while maintaining muscle will be one of the most important tools you have to stop the fat piling on over the next month or two.

Jo Butler

PS I am sending a bonus out to all current clients in the mail in the next couple of weeks, so if you are thinking about starting your fitness plan make sure you do it in the next week so you don't miss out. Fitness Coaching details

Christmas Discounts and freebies

2008-11-24T20:35:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone

I've just sent an email out to all my current clients reminding them that if they refer a friend, collegue or family member to Fitterfaster and that person signs up for a fitness session package by the end of November, they can earn themselves $80 (for each referral) to go towards their next package. I will be offering similar deals next year as well.

Now to my Christmas Package Special. Purchase a 24 Fitness Session Package before midnight on Christmas Eve for the special price of $240. This price applies to new clients and current ones. So if current clients refer a friend, they could purchase the package for $160. That is for 24 sessions! Sign up here

If you want to start losing cm's like Tania and Amanda who just lost 16cm in 4 weeks and 29cm in 8 weeks sign up now. What have you got to lose? (sorry) Dont forget that if you don't lose cm's by the end of your fitness package, you get your money back. So again What Have You Got To Lose??

More great losses recorded

2008-11-23T16:26:00.000-08:00

29cm in 8 weeks and 16cm in 4 weeks are the latest results from Fitterfaster clients. Congratulations to Amanda and Tania on these fantastic results. You have both been putting in such a great effort.

It can be very hard to stick to your good intentions especially at this time of the year. Just try to reduce the damage as best you can. For instance, if you have a big party, dinner or whatever coming up on the weekend, don't say "oh well I will get back on track Monday." Stay on track for the weekend, and just go overboard for the one meal. Eat well for the rest of the day and the day after. Don't write off the whole weekend for the sake of a couple of hours. One bad meal will not ruin the whole week, but a whole weekend of bingeing will do lots of damage. Remember it is all those weekends put together that got you where you are now.

Why not start your fitness, new body journey before the christmas chaos hits, and continue it through the holiday period. And the same rules for your eating apply here too. A couple of days off from your workouts will not hurt, but a week or more will have you heading very quickly back to where you started.

Check out the fitness packages at FitterFasterOnline and shout yourself one for christmas. They also make a great gift for a loved one. What better gift than improved health and well being?? Gift vouchers are also available for any amount.

Jo Butler

12 Days Of Fitness

2008-11-21T20:46:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone

What 'great' weather we are having for this time of year. I hope no one is using it as an excuse to slack off on the fitness routine!!!

I just wanted to let you know about a promotion that is being held called the 12 Days of Fitness. Basically it is promotion where you sign up and can receive a heap of free fitness resources from all over the world. There is nothing to buy. Every Fitness expert that is participating is offering their Gift free of charge. I have been chosen to represent Victoria Australia and I am offering a 4 week online Metabolic Booster Workout Program as my gift. When you sign up, you will receive the 4 weeks' worth of workouts sent to you. For anyone who is thinking about signing up for an online or Personal Fitness coaching program, but would like to 'sample' my workouts first, this is an ideal opportunity to get 4 weeks worth as my gift to you for christmas.

Every gift is optional and you only receive the ones that you are interested in. So please go to www.12daysoffitness.com and sign up if you want to receive my program. This is the only way to get the Metabolic Booster Program. I will not be offering it any other way.

Dont forget my training session tomorrow (Sunday 23rd November) at the old Technical College at 10am. Meet at the Nolan Street car park by 9.55am. Come along and try your first session FREE.
Joanne Butler

Group Fitness session change this weekend

2008-11-17T01:35:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone

I am going to have to change my Saturday session this week due to Energy Breakthrough. I have a few times in mind, so please let me know which one suits you best and I will try to accomodate as many of you as possible even if I have to run two sessions in lieu of the 9.30am Saturday one.
The times are:
Saturday 1pm
Sunday 10am
Sunday 1pm

If you were planning on coming, please let me know which time suits you best before Wednesday so that I can let everyone know ahead of time. The session will be held at the old Technical college gym Nolan St regardless of which time or times we end up with.

Jo

What happens at a group session?

2008-11-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

I just uploaded a video that demonstrates some of the things that you will do at Fitterfaster Group sessions or Bootcamp. You won't have to do all of these things, and there are lots more too. Check it out here

New trainees are always only challenged to their individual levels and you will be surprised how quickly you will improve and get results.

Hope to see you at a session soon. Come and try your first one free

Jo

Fitterfaster new clients welcome

2008-11-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

A huge welcome to the new fitterfaster clients this week. Thankyou for putting your trust in me to help with your fitness and health goals. If you put in the effort, you will not be disappointed. Results will come to those who make the right choices.

I thought I would talk a little bit about exercise today and how much is enough etc.

First of all, where should you start? It is best to not contemplate this too much and just start doing something. Some people get so caught up in the planning, that they neglect to actually do something about their problem. Any exercise is going to be better than none. Even walking is better than nothing, but as you know I recommend something a little more energetic for MOST people if you want to see results. Pick a free workout from www.fitterfasteronline.com and just do it. Move on from there with a different one each time, or if you really enjoy the same one, repeat it till you get sick of it. Just get started. If you find it hard to get motivated or to stick to the workouts on your own, come and join my group sessions. The first one is free, so you can see what it is all about. They are lots of fun and you will definatly work out harder than you will by yourself, therefore getting better results more quickly. If you don't get any results from your group sessions, you get your money back, so what have you got to lose?

Secondly, how often should you exercise? If you are a new exerciser, who hasn't done anything for a long time, I would suggest that you start off with a day or two between each workout. But only if you have trained with some intensity, as you will have some sore muscles and will need the extra recovery time. Then you can build up to working out every day for the best results. Just vary the exercises you are doing each day to avoid overtraining certain muscle groups. But don't use overtraining as an excuse to not workout regularly. It is pretty hard to overtrain as long as you build up over time. I have regularly trained hard for 13-14 hours per week for a long time without suffering any overtraining effects. And I do have those nights where the kids keep my awake or are sick or whatever, just like everyone else. But I choose not to let excuses stop me and I find a way to fit it in.

How long should each workout last? This will also vary on the individual. If you train hard as I teach you, 20 minutes is plenty long enough, with maybe 2-3 workouts each week being up to an hour. Intensity is the key to keeping workouts short without losing their effectiveness. Short breaks, no interruptions and hard work will give you the best results.

Remember, it takes more than just saying you are going to do it. You actually have to put in the effort. Excuses just have to be pushed aside. "I've had a bad day," "I'm too tired the baby kept me awake last night," etc will not get you results. You must move past them and workout anyway. Remember that it is those exact excuses that got you to where you are now. Change in your behaviour is what is needed to get changes in your body. Just get started applies here too. You will find that doing a workout will actually give you some energy back and you will feel better physically and mentally for having made the effort. It becomes habit after a while, so choose to do it anyway for a month and notice the difference.

Again welcome to Fitterfaster's new clients. I look forward to seeing you all regularly at each week's sessions. You will not be disappointed in your results, as long as you remember that it is you that has to put in the effort.

Jo

Another Big Loser

2008-11-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

The latest Fitterfaster client to have a measure up has lost 24.5cm and 3 kgs in 4 weeks. Fantastic Narelle. A great effort I am sure everyone will agree.

Don't forget to spread the word to all your friends, coworkers and relatives that they can get great results like this too. And earn yourself $80 towards your next fitness package if they sign up in November. Everyone can come to one group session for free, so maybe you could get them to try just one!

Gift vouchers are also available on the website which make great christmas gifts to give or receive. You can make the voucher for any value. Get them here

Have a great week and don't forget to let me know if you are coming to any fitness session. Keep up the great work everyone.

Jo

20.5cm and 25.5cm lost

2008-11-06T23:32:00.000-08:00

I've done two remeasures in the last couple of days and am very proud of Maree and Karin for losing 20.5cm and 25.5cm respectively. This is such a fantastic effort and reflects the effort that these two ladies have been making with their training and healthy eating.

These are the kind of results that you can expect to achieve if you train with intensity regularly and change the types of foods that you are eating. Maree told me today that she is eating so much food (she is following my plan.) She is eating much more than she ever did on any 'diet' and is never hungry.

Well done ladies and keep up the good work.

Jo

I am taking bookings for my new Fitterfaster Bootcamp which will commence on November 24th. You must register before 15th November or you will miss out. I will have to limit numbers too, so book early. You can book on the website here

Time Change Group Fitness Class

2008-11-06T10:39:00.000-08:00

First I would like to thank everyone for the fantastic effort you have been putting into your training programs. We have had heaps of participants over the last few weeks with a massive 11 participants to just one group on Monday. That's a record. Numbers are consistently improving and you are all doing really, really well.

We have had a couple of set backs with one person twisting her ankle while chasing a child across the road and another hurting her knee at tennis, but they have both continued with their programs (with modifications of course) and this is the type of committment that will get you results. Don't lose hope if you have a setback, just keep on going and look to today and tomorrow, not yesterday. It is giving up on yourself that got you where you are. Our bodies need taking care of every day, not just when we feel like it.

So to the fitness class time change. We are moving our Wednesday 5pm class to Thursday evenings at 5pm instead. It will now be held next to the old Tech Gym Building (Court 3 for those who are into basketball) You can access this from Nolan St where there is a carpark on your left if heading towards the Railway line. The class will be held on the 'grass' between the gym building and the railway line.

Hope to see you all there. Keep up the great work everyone

Jo

PS Keep an eye on the Advertiser today for details of Fitterfaster Bootcamp. Any current clients who wish to participate, contact me to find out how to put your current program on hold or convert.

7 Keys to Change your Habits

2008-11-03T12:27:00.000-08:00

Now that summer is getting closer and christmas is nearly upon us, now is a great time to get started on your fitness plan. Think of how it will feel if you have dropped a pant size or two (or three) when the warm weather hits for good. Get your loved ones to get you a gift voucher or purchase a package of Fitness Coaching sessions for you for christmas. Or you could give the same gift to someone close to you.

Any clients in that refer a friend or family member to Fitterfaster who then purchases a package of fitness sessions will receive an $80 credit towards their next package. Refer two friends and receive $160 etc. So sign up now and then get some friends to join you. You will all benefit from the workouts and health improvements.

There are a few keys to changing bad habits … I highly recommend that you create a plan based on these keys, before you start to implement your habit change, so that you are well prepared and well positioned for success. I have used the example of binge eating on junk food, but the same keys apply to changing any habit such as quitting smoking or missing workouts.

1. For each habit, identify your triggers. What situations trigger your binge eating (boredom, watching TV, sitting down after tea, having coffee, drinking alcohol, stressful meetings, going out with friends, driving, etc.)? Identify all of them, for each habit.

2. For every single trigger, identify a positive habit you’re going to do instead. When you are bored, instead of eating, what will you do? What about when you get stressed? When you go out with friends? Some positive habits could include: exercise, meditation, deep breathing, organizing, decluttering, and more.

3. For at least one month, focus entirely on being as consistent with your triggers as possible. That means, every single time those triggers come up, do the positive habit you identified instead of the negative one. The more consistent you are, the better the habit will form. If you sometimes do the new habit when the trigger occurs, and sometimes don’t, the new habit won’t form very well. Try to do it every single time. If for some reason you fail, extend the one-month period and try to be very consistent from that point onward.

4. Avoid some situations where you normally drink and eat, at least for a while, to make it a bit easier on yourself. If you normally drink when you go out with friends, consider not going out for a little while. If you normally go outside your office with co-workers to eat or smoke, avoid going out with them. This applies to any bad habit — whether it be eating junk food or doing drugs, there are some situations you can avoid that are especially difficult for someone trying to change a bad habit. Realize, though, that when you go back to those situations, you will still get the old urges, and when that happens you should be prepared.

5. Realize that your urges will be strong, but they will go away after a few minutes. They come in waves, but just ride out the wave. Find strategies for getting through the urges — deep breathing, self massage, eating frozen grapes, walking around, exercising, calling a friend who will support you.

6. Ask for help. Get your family and friends and co-workers to support you. Join a Fitness Group like FitterFaster. Get a workout/health buddy. When you have really strong urges or a really difficult time, call on your support network for help. Don’t eat junk food, for example, without emailing your support crew or me. Don't eat it until you call your buddy first.

7. Staying positive is key! You will have negative thoughts — the important thing is to realize when you’re having them, and push them out of your head. Squash them like a bug! Then replace them with a positive thought. “I can do this! If Jo can do it, so can I!” :)

Bonus tip: If you fail (and many of you will, at least once), don’t give up. It can take many many attempts before you get control. Figure out what went wrong, and plan strategies to overcome that obstacle the next time. Keep your positive attitude and keep trying. You’ll get it eventually.

And don't let old habits sneak back once you reach your goals. If you binge or fall off the wagon, just get up and keep on going. Let it pass and move on. Don't give up because you have a set back. Every day you will be tempted, but it does get easier. The key is to move on and remember what it is you are trying to achieve.

$5 training for kids and new bootcamp coming soon

2008-10-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

All children aged 10-16 can come to any group fitness session for $5- or less. Children attending will be able to join in with the whole session with some exercises altered to cater for their differing fitness levels as with all participants, young or older. These sessions are great for general fitness and health improvement for kids and also to increase sports performance ability no matter which sport they participate in. Send my an email joanne@fitterfasteronline.com or click here if you are interested in your child or children attending.

Group fitness sessions are held:

Monday 6am at my place
Monday 9.30am at my place
Wednesday 6am at my place
Wednesday 5pm at Jack Pascoe Reserve
Saturday 9.30am Princes Park

I am starting up a morning 'Bootcamp' soon for men and women. I haven't decided on days yet, but it will be 3 days per week at 5.45 or 6am. You will have to attend all three sessions and the 'camp' will go for 6 weeks. It will also include 1-2 home workouts per week and nutritional guidelines. All participants are guaranteed great results or your money back. There will also be a cash prize for the "participant of the camp." If you think you may be interested in losing some serious weight, getting in great shape and getting fitter with heaps more energy for the new year, contact me for more details joanne@fitterfasteronline.com I will have to limit numbers, so contact me first to reserve your place.

Jo

11cm off in 2 weeks

2008-10-26T23:38:00.000-07:00

I did a quick remeasure of one of my clients today. It had only been 2 weeks since Amanda's last measure, which is really way too soon to be doing it again, but she was pretty keen to see how she is going.

Amanda has lost a total of 11cm in the last 2 weeks by following my nutritional plan, doing regular group fitness sessions with me and by doing her 'homework' fitness sessions as she calls them. That is a fantastic result and added to the 10cm or so that she had lost from when she first started my plan to the last remeasure is absolutely amazing. She is well on the way to the body of her dreams.

The improvement in Amanda's fitness is incredible too. She has gone from not being able do even a few repetitions of most of the exercises, to being able to do different variations of the many different exercises and movements that we do in the group fitness sessions. I am so proud of her. She is really putting in the effort and the results are showing this.

It really is important to follow the whole plan, eating the correct nutritious foods and doing all the workouts that I set for you. Anyone can do this if they want to change.

Well done Amanda. Just remember to keep eating ALL the food on your plan!!

Jo

Men Required and My workout of the day

2008-10-24T22:38:00.000-07:00

It's official, I need men. My workouts don't just work for women. Does your man need some shaping up? What about his health, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease. Regular exercise decreases the symptoms and the risk of getting these things in the first place.

A few men have tried the workouts and found them surprisingly challenging. And to all you men out there that are hanging it on your wives and girlfriends while they do it, how about putting your body where you mouth is and having a go yourself!! I challenge any of you to do a workout with us and see how you go. It is also great training to improve your performance in any sport. Greater strength and endurance, greater core control, faster, quicker, leaner who could ask for more.

Now my workout of the day:

Thursday
50 minute run at 12.2kph plus warm up and cool down

Friday
5.45am mini circuit of the following 5 x through
20 x KB swing each arm
20 mountain climbers on each leg
20 swiss ball sit ups
20 up and downers (you ladies know what they are)
20 plyometric jumping lunges

9.30am Pump class for 60 minutes at YMCA

10.30am 20 minute mini posterior chain circuit in YMCA gym
lat pulldowns 2 x 10
low cable row 2 x 10
incline rear shoulder raise 2 x 10
stiff legged deadlift 2 x 10
one arm bent over dumbbell row 2 x 10

WHAT A DAY!!

I challenge you blokes to a workout with me any day.

Saturday
Abs circuit
various planks, crunches, leg raises, sit ups etc for 20 minutes

Can you see your abs fellas?? I can see mine!

Ladies show your man this post and get him off his __________ Or tell the men you know at work, family, friends etc. I would really appreciate it.

Jo

Online Training Plans

2008-10-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

As you know, any online training plan clients can come to any group fitness session for $5-. I have decided to extend the offer, by making the 3rd or 4th session in any week free to those clients.

Any 12 or 24 session package clients can have their 4th session free in each week.
Now that is an incentive to come more often!! Remember the more consistent you are with your training, the better your results will be.

All those due for a remeasure and weigh in next week, please contact me via email or phone to organise a suitable time. This is for all those that have been training or doing their nutrition plan for 4 weeks. I will keep everyone posted on the great results that I know they are going to get.

The group fitness times are:
Monday 6am and 9.30am at my place
Wednesday 6am at my place
Wednesday 5pm at Jack pascoe reserve
Saturday 9.30am at Princes Park

Please remember to let me know you are coming. And to all those who want to come and try, your first session is FREE.

By the way, I went to a PUMP class this morning at the YMCA. It was really great for a change and I enjoyed it. Just remember that you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone to get great results. Bring on the variety!!

Jo

New group fitness session time

2008-10-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have had some requests for another early morning fitness session, so I am going to include another time on the schedule. Wednesday mornings at 6am at my place.

That brings the total of group session held each week to 5. The times are:

Monday 6am my place
Monday 9.30am my place
Wednesday 6am my place
Wednesday 5pm Jack Pascoe Reserve
Saturday 9.30am Princes Park

All sessions start promptly on time and are suitable for everyone from total beginners to the more advanced. You must book if you are coming the day ahead and cancel if you can't make it.

All clients signed up for group session packages can come to any or all of the above sessions as can online trainees who can attend for $5 per session. Please remember to book before you attend.

Come and try your first session for free, just let me know which session suits best and come with a drink and a towel.

Hope to see you soon

Jo

My Workout of the Day

2008-10-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 21st October

Warm up with 50 Kettlebell swings (all exercises using 12kg KB unless otherwise stated) All below with no rests between

ROUND ONE
150 single arm KB swings
30 KB snatches
ROUND TWO
double alternating plank knee touches x 20
16kg KB squat x 20
20 KB snatches
ROUND THREE
10 x suitcase KB deadlift 16kg
20 x KB high pull
20 KB snatches
ROUND FOUR
KB reverse lunge with twist and knee drive x 20
20 x KB sumo squat
20 KB snatches
ROUND FIVE
20 x renegade row 12kg dumbells
20 x KB narrow stance squat
20 KB snatches
ROUND SIX
Sumo deadlift KB behind neck x 20
Lunge with KB figure 8 to hold x 40
Russian twist with KB 2 x 50
20 KB snatches

What did you do today, comment below

Jo

My Workout of the Day

2008-10-21T02:07:00.000-07:00

Tuesday 20th October
RUN-on treadmill
10 minute warm up @10kph including 3 x 30sec stride outs
5 mins 12.6kph/5 mins 10kph
4 mins 12.6kph/4 mins 10kph
3 mins 12.6kph/3 mins 10kph
2 mins 12.6kph/2 mins 10kph
1 mins 12.6kph/1 mins 10kph

All done on level 3 incline
Cooldown 5 mins jog/walk

Use this blog as a way to keep accountable with your workouts. Let others know what an effort you are putting in. Click the 'comments' button below to add your workout

Jo

Workout of the Day

2008-10-18T20:02:00.001-07:00

Thursday-60 minute race pace run
Friday-5 exercise circuit,1 minute each exercise x 4 no rests
-high knees
-spiderman plank
-kettlebell deep squat
-kettlebell swings
-kettlebell russian twist

Saturday-14km aerobic run in the morning
5 exercise circuit in afternoon (with Greg)1 minute each x 4 no rests
-weighted fast step ups
-spiderman plank
-rope skipping fast
-overhead medicine ball throws
-russian twist with medicine ball

How have your workouts been going? Been doing them or still wondering why nothing is changing? Make the change today. Do something about it. Anyone can do this if you drop the excuses. Email me if you need some help joanne@fitterfasteronline.com or go to http://www.fitterfasteronline.com for more info.

Want to try a workout with me? Email me for a free training session joanne@fitterfasteronline.com

Jo

Free Fitness Training Session

2008-10-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to train effectively without a fitness coach? Yes it is. Most definately you can work out and exercise without a fitness coach to help you.

But most people need the extra motivation that having a coach and a set appointment can provide.

Our bodies are very good at acclimatising to any stress placed upon it. That is how you get fitter. A correctly organised and progressive program will improve your fitness a lot quicker and get you to your goals sooner.

Want a fit, lean and firm body? Want more energy all day every day? Want to fit into the size you used to wear? Want a shapely butt and thighs, a flat stomach, what about washboard abs? Want to improve you sports performance, get faster, have more endurance? Want to achieve all this in the shortest possible time without getting injured or getting bored before you get there? This is where a Fitness Coach comes in.

There are many variables in a properly structured training plan:

Different exercises

Different variations and progressions of those exercises

Varying rest periods

Varying work periods

Numbers of sets

Numbers of repetitions

Changing resistance

Changing recovery periods (days off)

Order of exercises

Frequency of training

Different modes of training-cardio, strength etc

Overall volume of training

Different equipment use

Proper use and progression of all of the above variables will get the best results and will vary depending on your individual fitness level, goals, past injuries, time available, motivation and capabilities as well as your individual ability to absorb and recover from the training load placed on you.

I can design individual programs that are geared towards you and your circumstances. Programs that will get you the best results, no matter what your goals.

Come and try one of my group sessions at no cost and see what it is all about. The exercises within each session are geared to the individual's level whether you are a pure beginner or have been training for some time.

To book a free training session and get your free fitness assessment email me at joanne@fitterfasteronline.com What have you got to lose?

Workout of the day

2008-10-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 15th October

Kettlebell circuit twice through- no rests Total 50-60 minutes
Turkish get upx 6
Alt clean and press x 20
Double bent over row x 20
Burpee/high pull/kb squat combination x 15
Figure 8 to hold x 30
Push up/Up and Downer combo x 15
Alt double clean x 30
Suitcase deadlift x 20
Alt chest press on floor x 20
russian twist x 50
Hi pull/snatch combo x 20
Seesaw press x 20
Figure 8 under lunge x 15 each leg
renegade row x 20
squat-triple crush x 15

Workout of the day

2008-10-14T01:22:00.000-07:00

Monday 13th-20 minutes abdominals circuit
Tuesday 14th-13km race pace plus run in morning and 20 minute kettlebell circuit in evening
Record your workouts in the comments below. It's great to keep a track of what you are doing to inspire yourself and others to fit something in everyday

Lost 2.4kg in first 10 days

2008-10-12T02:16:00.000-07:00

I received this email yesterday from one of my nutrition and group fitness clients. She was happy for me to share it with you all.

"Well, without bragging Jo, thanks to you I have lost 2.4kg in the last 10 days!! So very excited about it. Can't wait until you measure me in a week or so time. This in it's self has given me so much determination I just want to keep going until I am satisfied that I have lost the weight that is needed to be lost and to have that general well being feeling that I have'nt had for a long time. So thankyou to you for helping me make these changes and look forward to seeing you on Monday at 9.30 sharp!! (Suey had better be up and ready!!) Eating plan going very well. Amanda"

I must stress though that this is a long term plan. Initial weight loss may come very quickly, and it is the long term maintainance of this fat loss that I am striving to help you all achieve. The healthy eating and exercise are lifelong habits that I am hopeing you will all adopt.

Jo

PS Thanks again to all who have faith in my systems. I know that they work and you are proving that they do, but only with committment and hard work from you.

WORKOUT OF THE DAY

2008-10-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday 12th October 2008
My workout of the day
60 mins on bike at high aerobic pace followed by fast (for me) 6km run.

Easier recovery day today

Come on everyone, record what you did today by adding a comment below. Recording your workouts will keep you accountable and more likely to stick with it. You may even encourage someone else to get moving!

WORKOUT OF THE DAY-SATURDAY 11TH OCTOBER

2008-10-11T02:06:00.000-07:00

I am starting this new daily blog called Workout of the Day as a way of keeping accountable for my training. It would be a great idea if you also recorded your weekly workouts to keep yourself accountable and also to encourage others. So each day that you do a workout, hit the 'comments' button below my entry and record your own workout. Be as detailed or as brief as you like. Record your PBs or anything else. It has been proven that recording your workouts is a great way to maintain consistency with your fitness plan.

Here's mine for the day.

6am- kettlebell circuit twice through-spiderman planksx20/kb swingsx100/renegade rowsx20/Doubledeep front squatsx15/Feet raised russian twistx30/kb high pullx 30 Total time 25 mins

6.30am 14km aerobic run

9.30am 40 minute bootcamp session

This was an unusually hard training day.

For workout ideas you can do at home go here

Online Training Plans

2008-10-10T02:49:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note that my online training program special price ends on Sunday at 11.59pm. The Online program includes all strength and cardio sessions for the full 8 weeks and full email support. Plans are updated and reviewed throughout the 8 weeks.
All online trainees also are entitled to attend any group fitness class for only $5- Times for group fitness classes can be found here

The special price of $60 expires on 12th October. Once you lock in at this price, further 8 week blocks can be purchased for the same low price. Email me if you have any questions.

Jo

Fitness Coaching Costs Reduced

2008-10-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about our kids and their health and fitness. Why not provide programs for kids who want or need to join in. I have added prices for group fitness classes for students aged 10-16.

The prices will be as follows:
12 group (or bootcamp) sessions for $60
24 group (or bootcamp) sessions for $100

The kids 12 sessions package will have an expiry period of 10 weeks
The kids 24 seesions package will have an expiry period of 15 weeks

The class times are:
Monday 6am my place
Monday 9.30am my place
Wednesday 5pm Jack Pascoe Reserve
Saturday 9.30am Princes Park

These classes are great for kids. They can come to any time slot as long as they book. As you know Caitlin (aged 11) joins in often and loves it. I have seen her improve her strength considerably over the past couple of months while having fun. She joins in of her own accord. I have never once asked her to join me. We often train together at home. This type of training is great for all sports and things like energy breakthrough etc. It is also great if they don't do sports and just want to have some fun while improving their fitness.

A full price list can be found here

I will have this option up and running on my website later today. If you have any questions or comments use the link below or email me at joanne@fitterfasteronline.com

While on the subject, anyone following my healthy eating plan should not be cooking seperate meals for their family. What you are eating for tea, for instance, can and should be what you are serving to your loved ones. You can change their portion sizes of course and they will probably need some potato or rice etc with theirs (you will add this back to your meals in very small portions if you want when you reach your goal weight) Don't make this hard for yourself by cooking different things. Your whole family should be eating REAL foods too. It is not just you that should be getting healthier!

What are we eating?

2008-10-06T00:34:00.000-07:00

I'm not the only one raving about eating real food. There is a plethora of information about it on the net. Here is a really short article about going to the supermarket.

"Look On Aisle 5 was written by Virginia Bola, PsyD from DietWithAnAttitude.com

Have you ever stopped to calculate how much time you spend in each section of the supermarket?

Apart from the non-food areas of drug store supplies, rubber goods, and diapers, most stores have about 10 distinct food areas: produce, dairy, meat, ethnic foods and pasta, canned foods, prepared foods, drinks, frozen foods, snacks, and deli.

The areas where most of our intake should focus, if we are watching our weight and our health, are always on the edges, against the wall: produce, meat, dairy. We can easily navigate through 80 or 90 percent of the store without bumping into them.

Next week, I’ll get vegetables, we promise, as we wade into the packaged and frozen foods that fit so much more neatly into our time-starved, rat-race lives. It is so much less time and trouble to microwave a plate than slow simmer or steam something, plus there’s all that cutting and chopping time we just can’t spare.

The frozen stuff doesn’t taste as good but luckily the manufacturers figured that out and added butter sauce or cheese sauce to give it more flavor, a few nuts or other crispy additions to add some snap – nothing is plain any more.

We stock up on packages loaded with chemicals we can’t even pronounce. We pick up bags of quick snacks with nary a nutrient in the bunch. We throw fluffy breads and crackers into our cart, knowing they are merely edible plates.

Ten years ago, I lived in a Korean neighborhood. I couldn’t read half of the market’s signs and ingredients but shopped there anyway because of the atmosphere, dominated by an enormous variety of produce that took up at least half the store’s space. Trying totally new, strange-looking roots and fruits was exciting: sometimes marvelous, occasionally vile.

We have taken our markets into the age of the superstores where everything is available but nothing is natural. What are we doing to our poor bodies? We feed them junk and then spend a fortune on trying to acquire the "natural" look. Fat chance (pun intentional)!"

There is more info about this at www.fitterfasteronline.com

Is Your Newsletter Arriving?

2008-10-05T22:26:00.001-07:00

Have you subscribed to the FitterFaster Newsletter yet?
This is a weekly newsletter containing new workouts, fitness tips, recipes and other ideas and information to help you get the body you dream of. If you have subscribed and have not been receiving your issues each Monday, please check your junk mail folder and add me to your safe senders list to ensure that you don't miss an issue. This is where I put my special offers as well, so don't miss them!

A special thanks to all who have signed up for Personal Fitness Coaching and/or Bootcamps already. To those who attended Saturday, don't forget to sign up with a friend for a 12 or 24 session package before Friday to receive 2 extra sessions each for no extra charge.

All Personal Fitness Coaching Packages include home workouts and unlimited email contacts.

Thanks again for your support

Jo

Looking forward to seeing all the shapely new bodies for summer

Five dollar bootcamp sessions

2008-10-04T03:33:00.000-07:00

Alert!!!

All current online training clients can attend any group fitness session for just $5-

This is one of the ongoing benefits of being an online training client.

Make sure you book your place by letting me know you are attending at least 12 hours in advance.

Jo

Bootcamp was a success

2008-10-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

Today's free fitness bootcamp was a great success this morning with 10 'campers' turning up and participating with great enthusiasm in their first session. We covered lots of basic exercises some of which were deceivingly more difficult than they looked. Let's hope you are not too sore tomorrow! When it was over everyone was already talking about doing it again and organising to meet up for another workout.

Brooke won the Personal Fitness Coaching sessions raffle and I will be emailing a special offer to all who attended for further 'bootcamp' or 'Semi Private Personal Coaching sessions'

Thanks heaps for being such a great group and I look forward to training with you all again.

Go to www.fitterfasteronline.com to get current prices and times for Fitness Coaching sessions

Jo

She lost 26cm in 8 weeks

2008-10-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

Sue booked in for her reassessment today and was very pleased with her results. She increased her upper body strength (via push up test) by an impressive 250% and her abdominal strength by 150%. That alone is amazing.
Overall she lost 26cm in her girth measurements by exercising for the full 8 weeks and making a super effort with her eating especially in the past 4 weeks. I am so proud of her, she has had many difficulties to overcome while achieving these amazing results. Read her comments and check out her photos here

Don't you want to get into shape before summer? Come along on Saturday for a demonstration of what you can do at home to see big changes in your body If you are going to come, let me know asap.

Jo

She lost 30cm in 7 weeks

2008-09-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

Just did Jennie's final measurements and she has lost an amazing 30cm in the 7 weeks she was following my program. How about that for results!! I will keep you updated on Sue's results on Thursday. Do you want to shape up ready for summer too?
Go to fitterfasteronline to check out an amazing discount for an online training program. And come along on Saturday morning to Princes park at 10am (4th October) to find out how you can do it too. Let me know if you are coming by clicking on the 'comment' button below or by emailing me. Come on get rid of the excuses-do you want results or not??

Jo

Click here to take my Online Survey

Free Fitness Bootcamp

2008-09-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

Okay everyone

This is it. My free fitness bootcamp is on this Saturday 4th October at 10am at Princes Park. Please come along and learn some of the exercises and techniques that you can do at home to start your fitness program. I will be holding a draw for some free Personal Fitness Coaching sessions on the day for those who attend.

So do you want to learn how to lose the fat, get some lean muscle definition, get more energy and feel a lot better? Come along and see then.

Please let me know if you are coming by email or by clicking on the 'comments' button at the bottom of this post.

Thanks

Jo
I help people achieve the bodies of their dreams while gaining more energy, living longer and feeling better about themselves and having fun in the process

Personal Fitness Coaching

2008-09-28T22:58:00.002-07:00

Please take a minute to complete this short Personal Fitness Coaching Survey

Sample healthy meal plans for weight loss

2008-09-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

FitterFasterOnline newsletter tips

2008-09-27T22:11:00.001-07:00

Hi guys. Have you subscribed to my FitterFasterOnline newsletter? If you haven't yet, please do so here. After you subscribe, you will receive an email asking you to confirm your subscription by clicking on the link. Please make sure you do this, or your weekly newsletter will not arrive. Also, make sure you mark it as 'not junk mail' or it will end up in you junk or spam folder anyway. If you have already subscribed and have not received the first 3 issues, please check that you have taken the steps above.

Thanks

Jo

Today's workout

2008-09-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

Just finished my workout today in time to get ready to watch Hawthorn win the Grand Final. I actually managed to get Greg to do a bit with me today as well and of course Caitlin joined in for most of the session as well.
Did 1 minute each of running step ups, plank, burpees, kettlebell swings and lunges with NO rests for 20 minutes. Greg collapsed after a while, but I then finished off with 30 seconds each of fast rope skipping and abdominal exercises for 10 minutes with no rests. Great workout and very hot in the sun.

Start the Exercise Habit in 4 Simple Steps

2008-09-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

As you know I have made exercise a daily habit in recent years.

But I know that it’s not the easiest habit for most people, and most people’s experiences consist of starting and stopping and starting again. I began this way myself. Which is fine — don’t beat yourself up about it. The important thing is starting again.

The Main Problems

So why do most people have trouble making exercise a regular habit? Well, there are probably a number of factors, but here are the main ones as I see it:

Too difficult.

People set out with a lot of ambition and enthusiasm, and start out with a big goal. “I’m going to go to the gym for an hour a day!” or “I’m going to run 30 minutes every day!” The problem is that the goal is too difficult to sustain for very long. You can do it for a few days, but you soon run out of energy, and it becomes a drag to do it.

Too many goals.

Often we set out to do too much. We want to run, and lift weights, and eat healthy, and quit eating rubbish and....and..... Well, those are multiple goals, and you cannot focus on the exercise habit if you’re trying to do all the others at the same time. Or we might start with one goal, but then get caught up in another goal (to stop procrastinating, for example), and lose our focus on the first one.

Not enough motivation.

It’s not a lack of discipline, it’s a lack of motivation. The most powerful motivators, in my experience, are logging your habit and public pressure. There are many others that help as well.

The 4 Simple Steps

So how do we solve those problems? Keep it simple. Here are the 4 simple steps to start the exercise habit (and keep it going). I should note that you can use these 4 steps to start any habit.

Set one easy, specific, measurable goal.

There are several keys to setting this crucial goal:
Written: Write this down. Post it up. If you don’t write it down, it’s not important.
Easy: Don’t set a difficult goal. Set one that is super easy. Fifteen minutes of exercise three or four times per week. You can do that. Work your way to 30 minutes after a month. Then go to 6 days after 2 months. You can see what I mean: make it easy to start with, so you can build your habit, then gradually increase.
Specific: By specific, I mean what activity are you going to do, at what time of day, and where? Don’t just say “exercise” or “I’m going to walk”. You have to set a time and place. Make it an appointment you can’t miss. It helps to have a training partner or coach to meet but is not necessary.
Trigger: I recommend that you have a “trigger” right before you do your habit. For example, you might always brush your teeth right after you shower. The shower is the trigger for brushing your teeth, and because of that, you never forget to brush your teeth. Well, what will you do right before you exercise? Is it right after you wake up? Right after your coffee? Right when you get home? As soon as you take off for lunch? A trigger that you do every single day is important.
Measurable: By measurable, I mean that you should be able to say, definitely, whether you hit or miss your goal today. Examples: run for 10 minutes. Workout for 20 minutes. Do 3 rounds of a strength circuit. Each of those has a number that you can shoot for.
One goal: Stick to this one goal for at least a month. Two months if you can bear it. Don’t start up a second goal during that 30-day period. If you do, you are scrapping the first goal.

Log it daily.

This is the key habit. If you can log your workout, you will start to see your progress, and it will motivate you to keep going. And you have to make it a habit to log it right away. Don’t put it off, and say you’ll do it before you go to bed. As soon as you’re done working out, log it. No exceptions. And don’t make the log complicated — that will only make you resist doing the log. Just the date, time, and what you did. Logging it on my blog comments or on Facebook is easy.

Report to others.

I think this is key. You can do it on my blog, or on FitterFaster online forum (soon to be up and running), with your spouse, or friends or family, or a workout partner, or a coach, or a group, or a class. Even report your workout on Facebook. This will have the extra effect of motivating others who may even join you and make working out an easier habit to keep and more fun. However you set it up, make it part of the process that you have to report your daily workout to other people. Let people know that you will be reporting daily so that they come to expect it and will hold you accountable.

Add motivation as needed.

The first three steps might be enough for you to get the habit going. But if not, don’t just give up. If you miss two consecutive workouts, you need to look at why, and add a new motivation. Rewards, more public pressure, inspiration, whatever it takes. Read this article for more on this. You can add one additional motivator, and then see if it works. If you miss two more consecutive workouts at any time, add another motivator. And so on, until the exercise habit sticks.

Joanne

Five Things You Can Do Today To Speed Up Your FatLoss

2008-09-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

Don't eat chips Pretty simple. Just don't cook them at home. When out, always yes always when ordering ask for no chips(fries) If you forget, they will come and no amount of will power will stop you from nibbling. Ask for extra vegetables or salad instead. This is something I always do.

Drink more water Try to drink at least 1.5 litres of water each and every day. More if training. I always find that on days when I have not consumed enough water, I get a lot more cravings and find it harder to resist.

Exercise with intensity every day okay this one actually takes some effort, but will also give you the most rewards. Getting and staying fit is crucial if you want to lose fat and more importantly keep it off!

Get up half and hour earlier sorry, but this one really helps with number 3. Enough said.

Don't go more than 3 hours without eating I know I've said this a hundred times, but it really works. You will be surprised how quickly 3 hours goes by and you find yourself thinking-'is it time to eat again already?'

There you have it-5 things you can do today that will make a huge difference. Each one on it's own will make a difference, but combined the difference will be amazing. Make a decision now to make all 5 new rules in your life.

Let me know how you go

Jo Butler

PS Did you know you can subscribe to my blog updates by email. Just add your email address to the link at right.

Free Bootcamp

2008-09-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

I've had some interest in the free bootcamp session on Saturday. Don't miss out on taking the first step to a fit and lean body. I am going to show you how to work out at home, how to do some of the strength exercises and how the high intensity cardio works. Be prepared to sweat, be prepared to be energised, be prepared to be inspired and have fun. Bring a couple of drinks and a towel.

To all of those who can't make it for whatever reason, let me know and I will keep you posted about the next one.

Jo

I help people achieve the body of their dreams while gaining more energy, living longer and feeling better about themselves while having fun in the process

Free Bootcamp Training Session

2008-09-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

A special message to all the local guys today.

I am thinking about running a free training session over the school holidays for anyone interested. I will need to know some numbers, so if you are keen to give it a try, please add a comment below, or email me at joanne@fitterfasteronline.com Possibly thinking about making it Saturday 27th September at about 10am (yes you will have heaps of time to get home for the grand final) or alternatively one day next week in the morning. Please let me know your preference, so I can try to suit as many as possible.

The session will go for about 50 minutes and all you will need to bring is a drink and a towel. I will probably hold it at Princes Park or the Hockey oval, so you can bring your kids if you need to. Please remember that they will be your responsibility though, so you may want to leave them at home if you can to get the most from the session. Kids will need to stay away from the immediate training area, but will be able to stay on the oval.

Please let me know if you want to come and let your friends and family know too. Feel free to bring along someone as long as I know numbers, that will be fine.

Looking forward to hearing from you all. This is your chance to take that first step.

Jo

Beginner workout plan-weeks one to four

2008-09-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

Let's suppose you have decided to improve your fitness and lose some weight. You have read the website pages and the blog and it all sounds great. But where do you start. Below is a pure beginner plan for week one of your new program through to week four. This is a general plan that will increase the fitness of anyone whether you exercise regularly or not.

Week One

Monday

Cardio Workout

5 mins warm up

10 minutes of beginner cardio Use a skipping rope for this workout

5 minutes cooldown stretch

Tuesday

Rest day

Wednesday

Beginner strength workout one

Thursday

Rest Day

Friday

Repeat Monday-try alternating star jumps and running on the spot today

Saturday and Sunday
Rest days

Week Two

Repeat week one

Week Three

Monday

Beginner strength workout one

Tuesday

Rest day

Wednesday

Beginner Cardio-as per Monday weeks one and two

Thursday

Beginner strength workout two

Friday

Rest day

Saturday

Beginner cardio

Warm up 5 minutes

Main 15 minutes-try something different today (note extra 5 minutes)

Cool down and stretch 5 minutes

Sunday

Rest Day

Week Four
Repeat week three

So there it is. Please give it a try. You only need to commit to 20-30 minutes for each workout. Little or no equipment needed. You will start to see results straight especially if you follow the diet tips as well. Also check out my recent blog post with sample diet plans.

Goodluck and don't forget to email me if you have any questions Joanne@fitterfasteronline.com

Eggs for breakfast

2008-09-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie this afternoon. As most of you who have purchased my meal plans know, I am a huge fan of eggs for breakfast. Check out this latest research.

Eggs for brekkie helps weight
loss
Recent research from the US has indicated
that eating eggs may assist weight loss
and increase energy levels in overweight
individuals.
A two-month study of overweight and
obese adults, led by Nikhil Dhurandhar
an associate professor in the laboratory
of infection and obesity at Pennington
Biomedical Research Centre, Louisiana State
University, discovered a positive association
between egg consumption and weight loss.
Study participants who ate two eggs in the
morning, as part of a calorie-reduced diet,
lost 65 per cent more weight than their study
counterparts who ate bagels for breakfast,
and also displayed a 61 per cent greater
reduction in body mass index and increased
energy levels.
‘People have a hard time adhering to
diets, and our research shows that choosing
eggs for breakfast can dramatically improve
the success of a weight loss plan. Apparently,
the increased satiety and energy due to eggs
helps people better comply with a reducedcalorie
diet’ said Dhurandhar. The study was
funded by the Egg Nutrition Centre.
Source: International Journal of Obesity.

How about that!! For other great diet tips see www.fitterfasteronline.com

Jo

Low carb diets?

2008-09-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

Hi again everyone

As you all know, I recommend a diet that consists mostly of non processed foods such as fruit, vegetables, eggs, meats and fish. I read an interesting article which talks about this and low carb diets I have included below.

Please note that I do not necessarily recommend a low carb diet. Of course a diet that does not include a lot of bread, pasta, rice etc will be lower in carbs naturally. Fruits and vegies contain lots of carbs too though, but they also have loads of water and fibre which makes them extremely hard to consume too many calories with.

www.ThePaleoDiet.com
Loren Cordain, Ph.D.
Issue: # 2008 - 10 / September 19, 2008

Hello! Welcome to The Paleo Diet Update, your guide to eating for optimum health. The Paleo Diet is based on the simple concept that the healthiest diet is one which attempts to mimic the diet that we evolved to eat.

Until the invention of agriculture a mere 333 generations ago, humans rarely had access to high amounts of carbohydrate containing foods. When farming replaced the hunter-gather lifestyle, the macronutrient content of the human diet changed dramatically. Today most people consume bread, rice, pasta, sugar, and other high carbohydrate foods with virtually every meal. Others have heard the message about the benefits of reducing carbohydrates, but may go too far too quickly.

People who go on a low-carb diet will sometimes report feeling weak or light headed during the first few days on their new eating pattern.

Whether this happens depends on two main factors: 1) the total carbohydrate restriction and, 2) the total caloric restriction.

Popular low carb diets typically restrict carb calories to 50 grams (~200 kcal) or 100 grams (~400 kcal). If the diet is low in calories and carbs are restricted to less than 100 grams, many people will feel weakness because their muscle and liver glycogen stores will become depleted and they must rely upon beta oxidation (the metabolism of triglyceride) as their primary substrate source.

Additionally, the brain can only use glucose as an energy source, hence hepatic gluconeogenesis (the synthesis of glucose from either protein or fat in the liver) represents the primary glucose source. However, gluconeogenesis is inefficient and can only supply small quantities of glucose.

All of these metabolic adaptations - beta oxidation, hepatic gluconeogenesis and ketosis (a by product of carbohydrate restriction and beta oxidation) - upset homeostatic mechanisms shaped by a lifetime of high carb intakes for the average Westerner.

With the Paleo Diet, we advise people to get all of their carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables and to restrict grains, sugars, legumes and processed foods. Carbohydrates are not restricted on the Paleo Diet, but because fruits and vegetables contain so much fiber and water, it is difficult to consume more than about 30 percent of the daily energy from these foods.

Most people don't experience weakness or lethargy upon adoption of the Paleo Diet, but rather the opposite. Their energy levels remain stable over the course of the day.

I think that he has hit the nail on the head here. Low carb diets do usually work in the short term, but are very hard to maintain and have their own set of side effects.

Sometimes we do need loads more carbs than this type of diet can supply however. For instance I am presently training really hard and long for a half ironman distance traithlon in a couple of months. I use carbohydrate sports drinks while training and sometimes afterwards for recovery. I need to do this as I am using very high intensity training usually twice a day for up to 14 hours per week.

The average person will not need to supplement their diet with extra carbs if they are consuming lots of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables also have many other health benefits such as fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that are vital to our healthy existence.

So heap up those plates and get training.

Jo

Want to look like this?

2008-09-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

Hi again guys

Have linked you up to a YouTube clip below that I think is really inspirational. I comes from a kettlebell gym in America, but shows the types of workouts that you can expect to get at FitterFaster once I get up and running. Of course, I won't be expecting everyone to be doing these types of exercises from Day 1, but I will be expecting you to do them. Check out the fit looking bodies. Don't they look great. High intensity workouts make ordinary people like these, look extraordinary. Don't you want to look like them too?

Did you know you can comment on any of these blog entries, Just hit the link under the box that says 'comments'.

Jo

http://www.fitterfasteronline.com

Sample healthy meal plans for weight loss

2008-09-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Hi guys

Well I have had such a great response to the launch of my website and received heaps of questions. One of the most common questions has been "what do I eat?"

Most of you want to lose some weight. I am going to put a couple of sample days plans together here. Now these are not 'diets' in the traditional sense. These are examples of how you should be eating every day, not just till christmas or till the wedding or whatever.

These two sample days do not allow for any 'treats'. Make sure that twice per week-no more you allow yourself a treat. Do not go way overboard though. The more you cheat, the slower the weight loss will be. Have your treat with one of the meals. If you find that you are hungry, you are not eating enough. Increase the size of the servings!!

First rule: Eat every 2-3 hours!!! I cannot stress this enough. If it is less than 2 hours since your last meal, do not eat. If it gets to the 3 hour mark, you need to eat right now.

Second rule: Eat protein at every meal there are several reasons for this which I will go into in a future post. Very very important

Third rule: Eat salad, fruit and vegies till satisfied You should not be hungry eating like this. If you are, eat more fresh fruit, salad vegetables or steamed vegetables at your meals. When I say huge serving, I mean HUGE as any of you that know me personally can testify to. You will probably find yourself thinking 'gee is it time to eat again?'

DAY ONE SAMPLE MENU

Meal One
2 whole eggs, poached, fried (just a spray of olive oil), scrambled or cooked into omelette.
1 piece of wholemeal or wholegrain toast-no spreads
You can add grilled tomatoes if you want, or add onion, capsicum etc to eggs

Meal Two
1-2 pieces of fruit
1 protein shake with water (no carbs)

Meal Three
approx 100g chicken
steamed vegetables- cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, sweet peas, zucchini, capsicum etc
1 small steamed potato is optional

Meal Four
200g full cream yoghurt
fresh fruit-I cut mine and put it into vanilla yoghurt

Meal Five
approx 120-140g chicken, lean beef or lean lamb
huge salad-no dressing mix it up and have heaps of different salad vegies

Meal Six
1 piece of fresh fruit or 3/4 cup of canned fruit no added sugar
1 protein shake with water (no carbs)

DAY TWO SAMPLE MENU

Meal One
200g full cream yoghurt (300g if you did one of my workouts beforehand)
no sugar added canned fruit or fresh fruit (enough fruit to satisfy hunger)

Meal Two
approx 100g of left over chicken, lamb or beef from last night's meal
with medium salad

Meal Three
150g white fish or 100g salmon
large serve of steamed vegetables as in day one OR huge salad
Optional small/medium steamed potato

Meal Four
1-3 pieces of fruit
1 protein shake with water (I blend together my shake with fresh strawberries and canned pears or even frozen berries and water)

Meal Five
120-140g chicken, beef or lamb
huge serve of steamed vegies or huge salad

Meal Six
100g plain cottage cheese mixed with 1 teaspoon of jam
Add strawberries if you want. Tastes like dessert, but cottage cheese is high in protein and low in fat and carbs.

Now remember these are just samples of what I would eat in a day. I also add some chocolate about once per week, usually to meal six. Most Saturdays, I have pizza for tea. I have a vegetarian one that does not have much cheese and I get extra vegies on it. I eat 1-2 pieces and then pick the grilled toppings off the rest. Yum! Depending on my protein intake for the rest of the day, I may also have a protein shake with it.

You can also alter the order of the meals by swapping Meals two, three or six around with each other. It all just takes preparation. Cook extra meat the night before and pack with salad to take to work. You can easily steam vegies in the microwave a t work too. Even though I have included protein shakes in the menu samples, I still want everyone to eat heaps of real unprocessed foods. Protein shakes are just a great way to get the protein in when you are on the go.

If you would like an individual plan made up, go to Customised Nutrition Plans. These plans include a base daily schedule and food lists from which you choose. That way I can include foods that you like and vice versa for ones you don't.

Give it a try. You will definately lose weight, but even better, you will improve your health and feel heaps better.

Jo

PS and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter at www.fitterfasteronline.com

no time for health

2008-09-15T03:47:00.001-07:00

I know I've written about this before, but I just couldn't help but mention it again. Having no time is just not a good excuse to let yourself go. We all have the same amount of time in a day, and some of us just achieve more than others. I know you can all find time to look after yourselves. Just start today. Right now do something to better your own health.

I just read this exerpt from Ben Warstler of Groundbreaking Fitness I couldn't put it better myself.

1 Year

365 Days

8,760 hours

525,600 minutes

315,360,000 seconds

We all have the same amount of time jo, it all depends upon how we spend it.

Bill Gates has the same amount of time as you and I do.

Why is he so successful?

Michael Jordan has the same amount of time in a year as we do.

Why does everyone know his name?

Someone who is very lean, pre plans their nutrition plan and has makes time to exercise has the same amount of time in a year as someone who is struggling with their weight, and claims to have no time for exercise.

I've heard all the excuses before, and frankly I have to smile and say ok, when I hear them.

I'm not a cold person, and in some instances I don't know what it is like to be in their shoes. But I will tell you this:

I know we all have the same amount of time in a day and a year. No one has more or less. It may seem that way but that is because the one who seems to have more time has planned ahead of time so they can live each day the way they want to.

The day we don't take ownership for our actions and what we do and don't do is the day we lose control of our very lives; the one thing we can control.

Here is an example of what you can accomplish when you provide yourself the opportunity. We will call this woman Aunt Mildred.

In one year here is what she has experienced:
-Attended 31 basketball games in six days to watch her favorite team win a womens college basketball national championship

-Traveled to the Czech Republic with students on a sports ministry trip, with the hopes to going to China next year

-Put a lot of sweat equity into a camp on 'the island' which included raking, pruning, and burning.

-From June to Labor day went tent camping following the Lewis and Clark Trail from St. Louis to Washington and Oregon. Following the Journals of Lewis and Clark

- Explored the Cascade mountains (including, Mount Hood, Rainier, St. Helens, Baker, Olympia, Jefferson, Washington, and Three Sisters.

-Drove down beautiul US 101 in Washington, Oregon, and California

-Visited the Hoh Rain Forest in Oregon.

-Learned how to sand board

-Traveled through the Rocky Mountains

-Visited family and took a motorcycle ride

-Visited two friends undergoing cancer treatment

-Went to 65th high school reunion

Now some of these items may not seem that great to you. But when you consider the fact that Aunt Mildred is 83 years old, you have to be inspired!

Think about that for a minute.

83 years old!

Kind of puts things in perspective a little bit doesn't it.

The truth is we all have it in ourselves to become better and better each day. In regards to fitness, ask yourself, are you making the time investment now so that when you are 83 years old you can still live? Better yet, are you making the time investment in your health and fitness that are going to help you live tomorrow?

The words I can't don't exist. I don't believe in them. Do you?

Aunt Mildred blows away the other excuse I've have heard too many times to count: I'm too old.

So what are you waiting for.

Begin your journey right now.

Jo

personalised workouts online now up and running

2008-09-15T02:44:00.001-07:00

I sent out my first newsletter today. Yahoo! I can't believe I have so many subscribers already. Check the previous post if you haven't already subscribed.

And today I finally got my online fitness program pages happening too. You can now request a personalised fitness program designed especially for you depending on exactly what you want to achieve. You can purchase in 4 or 8 week blocks and both programs are fully updated every 4 weeks. Payments are made through PayPal. If you have any queries or problems during the program, you can email me at any time and we can adjust things and sort out any problems.

I hope to be taking more personal training clients in Maryborough soon too. I will probably be selling Personal Training sessions in blocks of 12-24 sessions and you will be able to purchase these online via PayPal too. Any personal training clients will have access to online programs at no extra charge. These programs will be additional workouts to do in between sessions with me and they will be personalised to your needs as well.

If you prefer to go it alone, I am still adding heaps of new strength workouts and cardio sessions to the site every week. All of these workouts are free and there is plenty of variety to keep you going for as long as you want.

Please email me if you have any questions you want answered and also check out the frequently asked questions pages which I will also update regularly.

In the meantime, keep training hard, eating well and living healthy.

Jo Butler

Stubborn body fat

2008-09-13T03:58:00.000-07:00

Hi again

Just a quick post today. I just got a hold of an ebook called the Stubborn BodyFat solution. It goes into quite a bit of detail about hormones and why some fat is harder to lose. It recommends eating a healthy unprocessed diet as I do and also recommends a consistent exercise program. I am giving away copies of this ebook to all new subscribers to my newsletter this month. So if you would like to read it, please subscribe.

Jo

A new body tomorrow??

2008-09-12T02:05:00.001-07:00

When should you start your new weight loss or fitness program? Tomorrow, on Monday, at the start of the month or year? When the holidays start or finish? When I'm not so busy, when I move house. After the party, when I have more time.

Sound familiar? The very best time to begin is right now. Do something right now to begin the journey. Spend 20 minutes doing some exercise, cook something healthy for lunch or tea. Clean out the cupboards and get rid of all the junk food. Plan this week's healthy meals.

It doesn't matter where you start, as long as you do it now. Don't put it off till a better time. There never will be a better time. You must make the decision and just do it. You know it won't happen if you wait as there will always be another excuse.

If you miss a planned training session or eat some unhealthy food, don't let it deter you from your program. Just keep on going regardless. There will always be set backs. The key is to not let them be the end of it all. Fitness and health are a lifelong commitment. You must stay committed to your program for the long term.

For an endless variety of workouts and ideas to help make eating healthy a life long habit, go to www.fitterfasteronline.com

You can also contact me directly if you have a specific question. I will only be too happy to help.

Jo

subscribe to fitterfasteronline newsletter

2008-09-11T00:46:00.000-07:00

I have just started up a newsletter from my website called fitterfasteronline ezine. In the newsletter I will be giving you a new workout each week. This workout can be used in place of any of the strength workout circuits at www.fitterfasteronline.com These workouts will burn incredible amounts of fat during the training session and also for hours afterwards. They will also increase your strength and fitness better than any long 'fat burning' cardio session ever will. So if you want to get super fit and lose weight while getting the body you always dreamed of subscribe today.

The newsletter will also include healthy recipes and every couple of weeks I will send a new cardio workout for you to try as well. Don't forget that you do not need any expensive equipment to do any of my workouts and they all take around 30 minutes or less to complete

Happy training

Jo

A letter from your belly fat

2008-09-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

Letter From Your Belly Fat

How's it goin'! This is a letter from your ol' pal, Belly Fat. We had a great run this summer, didn't we? Lots of good times, great food, and plain ol' sitting around eating too much.

Well, I'm thinking about sticking around another year if you don't mind. But you might need to get a bigger pair of pants, as I was thinking about expanding my place down here.

So do me a favor, avoid that interval training you were thinking of doing. The last time you did that stuff, I nearly had to look for a new place to live. I felt like the Wicked Witch of the West in the land of Oz. Did you hear me yelling, "Help me, I'm melting!"?

Instead, stick to that slow cardio stuff. Sure I get a little sweaty, and the ol' brain up there thinks it's doing "a real fat
burning workout", but it's never enough to melt me outta here.

Another thing, keep listening to those experts who say strength training doesn't burn body fat. Since research shows they're wrong, if you added strength training to your program, you'd practically need to throw me a going away party!

After each one of those superset workouts you tried last January it felt like someone lit a match under our collective butt. I was burning up down here!

But boy oh boy, I sure was glad you gave that up and went back to just lifting utensils and not dumbells. Otherwise we wouldn't have been able to celebrate another summer together this year.

Sometimes I wonder, what did you ever do in college without me, your trusted belly fat? Back then, you were probably one of those people that couldn't wait to get to the beach to show off your body, unlike these days.

Nope, stay in the shade and keep the cover-up clothes on, that's the way to go now. Besides, its a lot closer to the cold beer and the BBQ when you're sitting in the shade avoiding all the fun down on the beach.

Well, it sure was good catching up with you. I'm sure we'll be in touch more often, as long as you stay away from that Turbulence Training workout routine.

Brings a tear to my eye whenever I even think about that workout program and all the belly fat it's burned. Heck, it's fried more fat than a short order cook at a roadside truckstop.

So again, if you want to keep your dear old belly around for another year and another summer, do NOT use Turbulence Training - otherwise, its all over pal, and you'll never see me again.

Belly Fat says, "Don't use this"

www.turbulencetraining.com

Your friend and spare tire,

Belly Fat

PS - Seriously!

Don't go near that Turbulence Training program unless you want to see me, Thunder Thighs, Manboobs, Jigg Lee Arm Fat, and Luv Handles pack our bags and hit the highway.

It will be a sad farewell, and you'd be stuck with ripped abs, gorgeous glutes, and toned arms, and you know how much attention those guys get from the opposite sex. Who needs it, I say.

Pretty funny isn't it. But so true. Turbulence Training uses the same methods as I do. Lots of intense interval training, combined with smart strength training. You can check out the turbulence training program on the above link. I highly recommend it.

Jo

Additions to website

2008-09-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

Hi guys

How is your training going? Be honest, have you been putting in the effort to achieve your ideal body? If you have had a set back, don't worry, just keep going from now. Weight loss and fitness are an ongoing thing. It never ends. Stuff happens everyday and sometimes you make the wrong choices. Don't let it deter you from the big picture. I don't eat perfectly all the time. When I do slip up, I just keep on going anyway.

I have added some new workouts to my website including great high intensity cardio sessions that will send your fitness sky high and burn fat really fast. I have also added exercise demonstration graphics so that you know what to do if you are unsure of some of the exercises. All of this is free!

However, if you think you need some extra help, click on the customised fitness plan button to get a completely personalised fitness plan from me which includes all workouts and exactly when and how to do them step by step. You can't go wrong.

Till next time, be sure to check out these new workouts and do one today. Yes today, don't wait any longer.

Jo

lose the fat in minutes a day

2008-09-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

Have you read that somewhere? Or '2 minute abs' or 'lose all the weight you want in 20 minutes a week?' Deep down you know it's too good to be true don't you? Well it is. Keeping and getting into shape does take some time. Not hours and hours as some would have you believe, but you really do need to put in the effort. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Programs and products that make these claims are just using good marketing techniques to sell to people who do not know better. Minutes a day, what could be easier. It makes for an easy sell to people who are too lazy to train properly.

It's a great thing to lessen the time spent training by using high intensity techniques for your cardio and strength training. It is another thing to think you can get away with doing practically nothing and still have a fit and healthy body.

Some health benefits can be gained by walking a couple of times per week, especially if you have not been doing any exercise regularly. But real benefits come to those who are willing to put in a real effort. You cannot expect to get fit and lean if you don't put in the effort to match. People who have fit, lean, strong bodies are the ones who are making that effort. Who do not use excuses and who find the time.

Be one of those people. Start right now. Do something right now to get your journey started. Don't wait till Monday or next week or the beginning of the month. Start right now. Get up and do an intense workout. You can be done in 30 minutes. Get into your kitchen and throw out the rubbish. Make a meal plan for the coming week and get the necessary ingredients.

For more information on how to get started visit www.fitterfasteronline.com Here you will find all you need to make a change.

If you are more advanced, I will be adding more programs very soon to help you reach new levels of fitness and strength.

weight loss maintainance

2008-09-04T17:36:00.000-07:00

I just read another interesting article regarding maintaining a healthy weight once you have got there. A lot of the principles are exactly the same as losing weight. This should show us that changes you make are not temporary. Going on a 'diet' is not the way. You must change your lifestyle and eating habits permanently. Sometimes the changes need to be huge and sometimes slight modifications are in order. In the article Tom talks about keeping detailed records of everything. I wouldn't go to that extreme with your diet, but make sure that you are eating non processed healthy foods as detailed on my website www.fitterfasteronline.com Here is the article I read:

Listen to Maintainers, Not to Losers: 5 secrets to keeping the weight off for good

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS Burn The Fat
I have very little interest these days in all the media-hyped stories of dramatic, rapid losses of body weight. “Big losers” don’t impress me, for numerous reasons. For example, weight is not fat. “Weight” could be composed of mostly lean tissue, or it could be mostly water weight. In fact, I would go a step further and point out that rapid loss of bodyweight correlates very highly with a greater chance of relapse, weight re-gain and long term failure.

So what does impress me? What gets my attention?

I pay attention to what the “long term maintainers” have to say - those are the people who have maintained an ideal weight for over a year… preferably even 2-5 years or more.

The difference between losers and maintainers

As I was researching the subject of long term weight maintenance recently, I was surprised at the huge amount of research that's already been done in this area.

One paper that caught my interest was published by Judy Kruger and colleagues in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, titled,

“Dietary and physical activity behaviors among adults successful at weight loss maintenance.”
This was not an experimental study, but a compilation of data from the “Styles Survey” which was representative of the U.S. population and asked respondants questions about strategies to aid with maintaining an ideal weight.

In this particular survey, only one-third (30.96%) of the respondents said they were successful at keeping their weight off. The researchers wanted to know the difference between the small group that was successful and the majority that were not.

Both groups reduced the amount of food they consumed, they ate smaller portions, more fruits and vegetables, fewer fatty foods and fewer sweetened beverages.

Not really any surprises there, but what we want to know most is not what losers and maintainers have in common, but what the maintainers did that the losers didn't.

Some major differences emerged between losers and maintainers:

First, a significantly higher proportion of successful maintainers reported exercising 30 minutes or more daily, and they also reported adding other physical activity to their daily schedules (recreation, sports, physical work, etc). In addition, more of the successful maintainers included weight training in their exercise regimens than did the losers.

Reducing sedentary activities (TV watching, etc) was also a significant difference between those who successfully maintained and those who did not.

The next big difference that separated the successful maintainers from the unsuccessful was in their “self-monitoring behaviors” including:
tracking calories
tracking body weight
planning meals
tracking fat
measuring the amount of food on their plate

Unfortunately, these types of self-monitoring behaviors, especially weighing and measuring food and counting calories, are among the most avoided and even criticized weight control techniques. Some weight loss “experts” even claim that it's detrimental to count calories, weigh yourself or measure and weigh your food.

However, these self monitoring behaviors are being identified more and more frequently in the research as part of “the difference that makes the difference.” I agree, and they have always played a major role in my own Burn The Fat Program

A final difference was that people who reported self-perceived “barriers” to their success were 48-76% less likely to be a successful maintainer.

For example, they said they had no time to exercise, they were too tired to exercise or it was too hard to maintain an exercise routine. I interpret this as: the unsuccessful losers were excuse makers!

THE TOP 5 STRATEGIES TO BE A SUCCESSFUL MAINTAINER

So let’s recap and turn these research findings into some practical action steps you can apply today.
1. Increase your total daily activity level, including formal exercise as well as sports, physical work or recreational activity. Exercise improves weight loss, but more importantly, it is critical for weight maintenance.
2. Decrease sedentary recreational activities by cutting back on TV watching, computer games and web surfing. Take up physical recreation such as sports, boating, biking, walking, hiking, gardening, physical hobbies and playing with your kids, if you have them.
3. Include weight training as part of your formal exercise program, throughout the fat loss phase and even more seriously during maintenance.
4. Track and monitor everything! Count calories and nutrients, measure your portion sizes, weigh your food, plan your menus in writing and monitor your body weight and body fat percentage.
5. Avoid excuses and maintain positive beliefs and attitudes towards your environment and what you perceive as “barriers.” For example, say, “I can always make time for what is most important to me” instead of, “I don't have time to exercise.”

If you're currently on a fat loss journey, and you want to know how good your odds are for being a successful maintainer, it's pretty easy to predict using these 5 strategies. If you're not using all 5 of them yet, then when would be a good time to start today?

There are limitations to survey results such as these, including the fact that they are cross sectional, and therefore cannot prove causality. However, I believe these findings are important and significant.

Not only do they confirm previous similar studies and agree with the findings of other groups of successful maintainers (such as the National Weight Control Registry), I found that these results match precisely what I've seen among my most successful "Burn The Fat" clients.

THIS is the type of advice I'd suggest you listen to the most: Advice about how to lose body FAT, not body WEIGHT, and how to maintain an ideal bodyweight and body composition over the long haul, not how to lose weight as fast as possible.

Your friend and coach,

Tom VenutoFat Loss Coach Burn The Fat
P.S. There was one more “difference that made the difference,” in this study, and this one may surprise you (although it didn’t surprise me). Successful maintainers were LESS likely to take over the counter diet products (pills, etc).

About The Author

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: Burn The Fat

Bootcamp and making healthy choices when eating out

2008-09-02T21:20:00.001-07:00

Have you checked out my free workouts? Have you tried them? You can even invent your own based on the same principles. If you need more inspiration and some new ideas, keep returning to http://www.fitterfasteronline.com/ as I am adding new workouts all the time. If you live in the Maryborough Victoria area in Australia, maybe you would like to join me for some one on one training. Or perhaps you have a friend or two that would like to train together.

I am starting up bootcamp style training soon also, this will be heaps of fun and is a great way to boost your fat burning potential and to get super fit in a different sort of setting.

In the meantime, check out this article written by Craig Ballentine which talks about the dangers of eating out on your healthy eating plan and how to avoid eating enough for one or two days in one sitting.

The 1000 Calorie Diet Tip

If you eat at restaurants, it's easy to eat over 1500 or 2000calories per meal. Yikes! That's a full day's worth of calories in one dinner...

Pre-dinner bread & butter -> 200 calories

Pre-dinner cocktail -> 150 calories

Appetizer -> This could be a 500-1500 calorie bomb on it's own!

Steak -> 300-500 calories

Potato -> 150-300 calories

Vegetable -> 100 calories

Dinner Drink -> 150 calories

Dessert - 300-750 calories

After Dinner Drink - 150

And that's only if you CONTROL yourself. If you go on a rampage,you could be looking at 2500 or even 3000 calories in one sitting. Those numbers are scary.
Fortunately, there are ways to avoid this dietary nightmare whiledining out.

Here are 5 rules to cut 1000 calories from your dining-out diet...

1) Plan ahead and avoid restaurants that offer huge portions.

2) Skip the bread. It won't stop you from eating your full mealanyways, so just send it back.

3) No booze or liquid calories of any type.

4) No potates. Stick to your protein and your vegetables.

5) Reward yourself with only the tiniest bit of dessert, if at all.

It's all about taking responsibility for your choices. And yes,choosing between the "Pain of discoipline or pain of regret". What'syour choice?

For more diet and exercise tips, visit:

Turbulence Training

How about that food for thought. As I always say, it is your choice.

Keep doing what you have always done and you will keep getting what you have always got.

Make the right choices and you will soon have the lean, strong, fit body that you want. It's not always easy, but it is always worth it!!

Till next time

Jo

Exercise versus diet for fat loss

2008-09-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

I just wanted to show you part of an article I was reading today authored by Tom Venuto of Burn the Fat fame. It highlights the importance of combining exercise with diet for fat loss which is something that I think is absolutely necessary to getting results with your weight loss program. Here is the article:

Fat Loss Lie #9: "Exercise is not necessary... all you need is a diet"-----------

The Truth About The Diet Versus Exercise Debate

Yes, you CAN lose weight by cutting calories. But as you learned in the first part of this course ("the starvation diet lie"), there is danger in using very low calorie diets; you almost always re-gain weight that's lost with highly restrictive diets.

Some people use calorie restriction out of necessity. For example, I know some wheelchair-bound individuals who lost weight with calorie restriction alone. I also know some people who were very obese and had orthopedic problems (making exercise difficult at first), who chose to get started only with dietary restriction, then they added the exercise later. They also lost weight. However, for able-bodied people, dieting is the absolute WORST way to lose weight.

Two Ways To Create A Calorie Deficit And Lose The Fat

As you learned in part 5 on calories, to lose fat, you need a calorie deficit. However, there's more than one way to create a calorie deficit. One is to decrease the amount of calories you consume (eat less). The other is to increase the amount of calories you burn (exercise more).
Of the two ways, burning the calories with increased activity is the superior method. Or, you can also combine the two - eat a little less, and exercise more.

Paradoxical as it seems, the most effective approach of all is to eat more and exercise a LOT more (as long as you still keep your calorie deficit). Nutritionist and exercise physiologist Dr. John Berardi calls this a "HIGH ENGERY FLUX," which simply means, higher energy input, higher energy output. The result is a high level of nutrition and a turbo-charged metabolism.

Top 10 reasons why exercising ("burn"), not dieting ("starve"), is the superior method of losing body fat:

The most effective fat-burning programs in the world always contain two types of exercise - weight training and cardiovascular training. The reasons to include both could go on for pages, but here are the top 10:
1. Exercise increases your metabolism.
2. Exercise creates a caloric deficit without triggering starvation mode.
3. Exercise helps you sleep better and manage stress better.
4. Exercise (strength training) tells your body to keep the muscle. Dieting causes muscle loss.
5. Exercise increases bone density.
6. Exercise helps prevent diabetes, control blood sugar, and improve insulin sensitivity.
7. Exercise improves cardiovascular health.
8. Exercise improves mood, helps relieve depression and increases self esteem
9. Exercise increasese mobility and quality of life as you get older
10. Exercise helps you keep the weight off long term.

The Science Behind Burning More, Not Eating Less

The role of energy expenditure in weight loss (diet vs exercise) is still the subject of controversy. For years I've been a strong advocate of weight training and cardiovascular training to "burn the fat" instead of just cutting calories (and being a "couch potato"). Take a look at some of the research-proven benefits of the "burn more" approach and see for yourself:

“Strength training may have greater implications than initially proposed for decreasing body fat and sustaining fat free mass. Research suggests that adding exercise programs to dietary restriction can promote more favourable changes in body composition than diet or physical activity on its own.” -Stiegler, Sports Medicine, 2006

“Treatments relying only on energy restriction commonly cause substantial loss of lean tissue…” - Walberg, Sports Med, 1989:

“Increasing daily activity and regular exercise plays an important role in weight maintenance due to an impact on daily energy expenditure and a direct enhancement of insulin sensitivity.”- Astrup, Int J Vitam Nutr res, 76:4, 2006”

“Physical activity is a critical factor for successful body weight regulation. Physical activity facilitates weight maintenance through direct energy expenditure and improved physical fitness.”- Saris, Int J Obes relat Metab Disord, 1998:

“Reduced energy expenditure appears to facilitate weight gain in individuals susceptible to obesity."- Saltzman, Nutr rev, 1995:
The Lies And Deceptions That Fuel The $50 Billion Weight Loss Machine
With this kind of proof, why is there any debate at all? Well, the biggest reason is because the weight loss industry thrives on novelty. Without “what’s new,” there's no story. People want to hear about some cutting edge new revolutionary pill or unique new diet breakthrough.
The industry also bets on laziness. Exercise is a hard sell because it's perceived as hard work. Advertisers know there's a lazy side hard wired into human nature, so they do everything they can to make their weight loss solutions look quick, easy and painless.

I believe the fact that we need to exercise - for health, quality of life AND for improved body composition - is such a common sense and intuitive conclusion that I find it almost comedic that there's any debate about it at all.

Think about it: What will your body shape look like by dieting without doing any training??? Diet without exercise tends to create a “skinny fat person” - someone with a low body weight but little if any muscle, and the last 10-15 lbs of stubborn fat is left defiantly clinging to your hips, butt, thighs, abs or "love handles!"

Here's what else I believe about exercise vs dieting:

I believe that the human body is the only machine on the face of the earth that wears out and breaks down from not using it enough
I believe that much obesity and disease are a direct result of inactivity
I believe that much of the deterioration that happens as you age is a direct result of a sedentary lifestyle and a loss of muscle
I believe that cardiovascular exercise + weight training + a small calorie reduction is vastly superior for fat loss purposes than a calorie reduction alone, both in the short and long term
I believe that calorie restriction alone is a short-sighted and incomplete approach to a complex problem, and it requires a complete change in lifestyle habits to achieve better health, better body composition and results that last
I believe that everyone who is able-bodied should get some type of physical activity almost every single day
I believe that anyone who is healthy and physically able should get involved in weight training 3 days per week (up to 4 - 5 times per week for athletes and bodybuilders)
I believe that anyone healthy and physically able should do at least 3 days per week of vigorous cardiovascular exercise (jogging, brisk walking, treadmills, stairclimbers, ellipticals, aerobics classes, etc), and they may increase their exercise frequency, intensity and or duration if necessary, to accelerate fat loss
I believe that more people should stop taking their bodies for granted and start appreciating that those wheelchair-bound individuals I mentioned earlier would give anything to be able to run or ride a bike

It's tempting to keep looking for some kind of "no-sweat" secret, whether in the form of a special diet technique, a magic fat burning pill or whatever, but in the end, it always, comes back to this:
You need a calorie deficit to lose weight... and it's better to burn more calories than to cut more calories.

Exercise - including weight training and cardio training - should be a part of every weight management program and a part of your lifestyle. This is one of the ultimate secrets to fat loss and long term weight control:

Remember, don't starve the fat, "BURN THE FAT."
In the next lesson, you'll discover the dark side of rapid weight loss and hear the truth about how quickly you can safely take off the pounds - for good - without risking a rebound. Until then...
Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCSFat Loss Coach

Burn The Fat

This is part of a free email series that Tom has written which is really worth a look. Check it out at Burn The Fat

For lots of free workouts that will burn fat and get you fit fast, check out www.fitterfasteronline.com

New cardio workouts for fat loss and fast fitness improvements

2008-08-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

I have just added some new cardio workouts to my website. All of these cardio workouts take 30 minutes or less including a warm up and cooldown and use cheap equipment such as skipping ropes. They wont be easy though. If they are, you are not trying hard enough. Remember it takes effort to look fit. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Be different. Show yourself you can do it.

There is no cost to get these workouts, so have a look. More cardio workouts

till next time, be strong, speaking of which, I will talk about the many many many benefits of including some sort of strength training in your program next time we catch up

Jo

the diet solution

2008-08-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

I found this great product the other day and agree with the principles included. Basically it recommends eating natural foods and choosing health as a means to a fit lean body when it comes to nutrition. Check it out here The Diet Solution

for free nutritional advice you can check out my website at http://www.fitterfasteronline.com/

And remember that the best thing to do to improve your body is just something. Get up right now and do a 20 minute fat blasting cardio session. Decide not to eat that biscuit or piece of cake. Right now, do something that will get you closer to your goal.

It doesnt matter if you have kids home sick or you have the baby there. Do it anyway. You will be surprised how they love to watch, and my kids join in all the time. You just need a small space and your bodyweight. Do an interval session of lunges and squats. Jump rope or do step ups for 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off. Get huffing and puffing, that is a sure sign it is working. And yes, you can train like this every day. YOU WILL NOT OVERTRAIN unless you are doing several sessions every day and not eating and sleeping properly.

NO EXCUSES JUST DO SOMETHING NOW!!

Jo

exercise equipment for fat loss

2008-08-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

I am often asked how much you need to spend to set up a good home gym. The quick answer is not much. Dont be fooled into thinking you need a fantastic treadmill or pin loaded weight machine. Unless you love running, or are training for an event where you need to run, a treadmill is unnecessary.

I once owned a great big pin loaded weight machine too. I hardly ever used it and ended up selling it for about $150 on Ebay. It was just a huge waste of space. Now I use adjustable dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls and most of all, my own bodyweight. There are such a huge number of things you can do with next to no equipment to absolutely burn the body fat quickly and leaner and stronger.

One thing I love to do is pick an exercise, such as a kettlebell snatch or swing or a dumbbell clean and press and do it for high repetitions. I might start with a set of 20 reps, then 19, then 18 etc etc. When I get down to 1 rep, I may go back up again, but usually, the first 20 sets are more than enough. And it doesnt take very long either. Take minimal or no rests if possible. You will be hard pressed to find a faster fat burner.

Choose a multijoint exercise for best effect. Bicep curls or crunches will not be effective for this type of workout. The choices are endless: Front squat, lunges, clean and press, swings, push press etc etc. And no huge equipment required. You will also elevate your metabolism for hours after a workout like this.

Visit my website for heaps more free workouts like this one http://www.fitterfasteronline.com/

till next time

Jo

Cardio for fitness and fat loss

2008-08-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hi again guys

Do you still think that you have to do slow fat burning cardio to lose fat? It's been proven time and time again you know that it is far more efficient to do high intensity cardio and also heaps more effective.

Improvements in fitness come rapidly with these types of workouts and they are the quickest way to lose stubborn body fat. Here is an example:

_______________________________________________________
Warm up with easy pedalling of stationary cycle, walking and jogging or easy exercises such as jogging on the spot, star jumps etc for 5 minutes to get the heart rate raised.

Now begin the main workout, you can use a bike, treadmill or cross trainer, or alternatively you can use a step and do step ups, a skipping rope (one of my favourites) running, star jumps or anything else that gets you huffing and puffing.

For 30 seconds go as hard as you can-THIS IS KEY-GO HARD
Take 30 seconds easy-dont stop, just walk on the spot, pedal slowly etc

Repeat the above 1 minute block for anywhere from 10-20 minutes

Cooldown with easy paced activity for 3-5 mins.
__________________________________________________

There you have it 20-30 minutes and you are done. You have burnt heaps of calories, and the higher burn rate will continue long after you have finished (unlike slow easy cardio.) 20 minutes of high efficiency fat burning. Do this 3-6 times per week and you will be noticing a huge difference very quickly.

For more of these types of cardio fat burning workouts check out http://www.fitterfasteronline.com/

that's all for now

Jo

The worst thing you can say when trying to improve

2008-08-23T00:58:00.000-07:00

I just read a quick article and it made me think what is the worst thing you can do about improving your fitness or losing weight. The worst thing you can do is to say you will do it tomorrow or on Monday or in the morning or whenever.

Do it now. Make one small change right now, even if you dont have the equipment, food, time or whatever excuse you can think of. One small change right now will get you started, and that is the biggest hurdle. Choose something healthier for tea (or breakfast) or whatever. Dont have that biscuit or bowl of ice cream. Get up and go for a walk (although there are heaps more effective ways to get fit and lose weight). Get up and do some squats, lunges, push ups or star jumps. Just do something. Start right now!

I have heaps of ideas on what you can start with and what are the most effective workout techniques. You dont need to spend any money, you dont need heaps of time, you dont need expensive exercise equipment. What you need is a kick up the butt to do it now. Dont be lazy-start right now.

I have written the 10 most likely reasons that you cant lose weight in a quick report. No it is not your genes or your kids or the take away shop or your lack of time (Gee I'm glad that I dont have only 24 hours in each day like you-I would never be able to fit it all in!!) The report is absolutely free and doesnt include any links to expensive products and I wont send you endless emails trying to sell you something. Check it out at www.fitterfasteronline.com

till next time-try it do something right now

Jo

Welcome to FitterFaster

2008-08-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

As you can tell I am new to this whole blogging thing, but here goes. Pretty much I want to talk about getting fitter and losing weight. I want to talk about how everyone can do this with commitment. There are no 'secrets' or tricks to losing weight. It actually does take hard work and is sometimes not easy, but everyone can do it.
About 6 years ago, I was a slightly overweight extremely unfit mother of 4 children aged 2 to 4 years. I decided to join the gym and also to take up triathlons as I had a few friends who did them. I dont know what got over me actually, as I couldnt swim and didnt even own a bike.

Well the rest is history, I have since spent that time experimenting with all manner of strength training and cardio routines and have found what really works best. I have trained and become a personal trainer and have had fantastic results getting people fit and helping them to lose weight. I have studied extensively all manner of diets, workouts etc etc and weeded out the ones that dont work and the ones that do and you would be surprised. Dont get me wrong, it's not always easy and you do really have to eat healthy foods. Just thinking about it does not work and there is no quick fix solution.

What really works is having a plan and sticking to it. You dont need to join a gym or have heaps of expensive exercise equipment. Working out when you dont feel like it and getting rid of all the excuses is what you do need. I have started a website called FitterFasterOnline where I share tonnes of ideas, workouts, eating tips etc so that anyone can get fit and healthy. It is also a work in progress, but I plan to share all of my successful ideas and research so that you too can get fit like me. You can follow along step by step and email me any time if you have any questions or concerns.

At the moment I am training to compete in my 5th half ironman where I have to swim 1900m, cycle 90km and run 21km without stopping. Oh and I have had another baby since then too, so I have a 2 year old as well. So much for the kids excuse hey! but dont panic, I am not going to tell you that you have to do that to get fit or stay in shape. It is easier than that!! You do still have to work at it though and you must make permanent changes.

So till next time, check out FitterFasterOnline. Till next time.

Jo

Oh and dont believe everything you read, stick with me and find out what really works in the real world.