5 Beach Body Myths (and 3 Steps to Look Amazing)

There's a good chance that you'll find yourself in a bathing suit sometime this month.

If you are like most people then that realization will 1) bring a grimace to your face and 2) will motivate you to lose some weight.

While I commend your desire to slim down before baring it all, I'm here to warn you of the 5 myths that most people fall for. Don't waste your time on these:

Myth #1: Starve the pounds away.

Attempting to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective, it's also dangerous. It may seem that severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you'll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results.

Tip: Don't starve yourself - instead eat healthy small meals throughout the day.

Myth #2: Take diet pills to boost your effort.

It's so tempting! The commercials make compelling claims about the power of diet pills, but don't fall for it. The 'magic pill' has yet to be discovered (it has been discovered - exercise. It's just not in pill form…). Diet pills are more likely to damage your health and burn your pocketbook than to slim you down.

Tip: Don't pop a pill - instead burn calories with exercise.

Myth #3: Do extra crunches to flatten your abs.

We all want our midsection to look toned as we stroll down the beach, but excessive crunches aren't the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a lean look you'll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your abs.

Tip: Don't obsess about crunches - instead focus on fat burning.

Myth #4: Eat packaged diet foods for speedy results.

It is amazing to see the kinds of foods that are packaged as 'diet' or 'weight loss' aids. More often than not these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn't need.

Tip: Don't eat packaged diet foods - instead stick with nutritious whole foods.

Myth #5: Avoid all carbohydrates in order to slim down.

Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while losing weight. The key is to stick with whole grains, oatmeal and brown rice while avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars.

Tip: Don't swear off all carbohydrates - instead stick with wholesome carbs.

Now that you know what not to do in order to look great this summer, it's time to go over your beach ready game plan. Here's what you need to know in 3 simple steps:
•Step One: Cut out the junk.

The best way to do this is to start by purging your kitchen. Get rid of sugary, processed and fat-filled foods. Once the junk has been cleared out don't buy any more of it. Remember that your beach ready abs depend on what you eat - don't eat junk!


•Step Two: Focus on whole foods.

Replace the junk food in your life with plenty of the following: cooked and raw vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts, lean meats and low fat dairy. Clean eating really is that simple.


•Step Three: Come train with me.

This is the most obvious step. You're ready to get into great shape and I'm in a unique position to make that happen for you. Call or reply to this email to get started on an exercise plan that will make you look great on the beach, and all year round

Until next time...

Stay Strong Stay Focused and Keep Faith

You got to Make That Change

Life is a strange and unpredictable thing...here today gone tomorrow. Sounds harsh but that is the way it is.

Michael Jackson is a LEGEND and will always be a LEGEND for his music. I don't know anyone that does not like Jacko's music.

Mow I am pretty sure Michael Jackson has loads to be proud of with what he has achieved in his personal life, his family life, his contribution to the world of music and many other things.

Sometimes a major incident has to occur for people to change and live a more positive productive life. For me it was when my girlfriend Gemma passed away from an agressive form of Leukeamia in December '08. It changed my perspective of life and how I saw things. Life is short and should be cherished. Now MJ's passing away will definitely have that effect on loads of people's lives or at least get them thinking.

We all have dreams and aspirations to what we want to achieve. My dream is to become the South West Coast Premier Bootcamp Comapny. Now that's a big dream I am going after. But you know what...the bigger the gream the bigger the success.

Some people might be reading this and laughing, but with the right mind set, belief, and faith, anythng can be achieved. I am sure MJ had a dream and that dream has made him the King of pop.



So keep dreaming and visualizing your success. Be positive with what you want to achieve and have Faith. Share that positive energy with others, get excited about what you want to achieve and TAKE ACTION. Rome was not built in a day, Edison failed 2000 times before he got it right with the light bulb. It does not matter what your goal is, whether it is weight loss, your dream house, that job you are after, wealth, success, joy, happiness, whatever it may be. GO AFTER IT.

Live your dream...don't let you dream live inside you.

Until Next time.....

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith

PS. Dont forget to leavce a comment. What is your Dream?

It's Anyone's Game

When was the last time that you accomplished something huge?



That's an easy question for Helen Phillips.

Last month Helen wowed the world with her dramatic transformation on the NBC show The Biggest Loser. At 48 years of age she is the oldest contestant to win the weight loss competition, shedding 140 pounds and 54.7% of her body weight.

I'd call losing more than half of your body weight a huge accomplishment - wouldn't you?

The crazy part is that Helen was clearly the underdog. She was simply too old and too fat to win. At least that was what the other contestants thought.

And that's what Helen thought too.

"I never believed in myself in the beginning," she admits. However when a doctor told her that she was living in the body of a 60 year old woman, Helen got serious.

"I'm tired of doubting myself," she decided and something inside of her head clicked into place. "The minute I started doing that, things changed for me."

And, oh, how she changed.

Helen buckled down and made losing weight her only focus. Her hard work paid off, giving her the prized title of the Biggest Loser.

She accomplished something huge and now her life is vastly improved. "I feel so good! I feel like I can do anything," she told reporters with a huge smile.

Helen also had a message for you. "If I can do it, you can do it."

I have to agree with her.

If a 48 year old, 257 pound woman can transform her body from a size 22 to a size 2, then anyone really can do it. Think for a moment of that huge accomplishment that you haven't made. Maybe it's a weight loss goal that you've had for years. Maybe it's something completely unrelated to your weight.

What's holding you back?



Are you afraid you'll fail?

The fear of failure is a powerful thing. No one likes to fail, and repeat failure is even worse. So what can you do to conquer it?

* Realize that failure isn't the worst outcome. Not trying is.
* You only fail when you decide to give up. Get up and try again!

Are you afraid you'll succeed?

You may not realize it, but most people fear success. Success means change and change can be scary. It is important that you embrace the idea of success and ditch any negative self talk.

* Close your eyes and picture yourself accomplishing your goal. What will that accomplishment do for your life? List the benefits you'll enjoy.
* Spend a few minutes each day visualizing yourself accomplishing your goal. How great does it feel? Savor those victorious emotions and use them to drive your motivation.

Helen didn't believe in herself, until one day she decided that she was done doubting.

Are you done doubting?

When you're ready to transform your body, like Helen did, I'm here to help. Is NOW a good time? Call or email, and let's get started on a program that will really improve your life.

It's your turn to accomplish something huge.

Who Knew?

While being interviewed after her victory Helen revealed the secret behind her staggering weight loss. "Who knew diet and exercise really were the answer?" It always comes back to diet and exercise. When it comes to losing weight forget about the fad diets, the pills and the potions. Focus on your diet and focus on your exercise plan then you too will see amazing results.

Until next time...

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith

PS. Dont forget to leave a comment.

Your New Favorite Thing

We all have a list of our favorite things. It may not be written down anywhere, but you know the things that make you happy.

The list holds your favorite foods, music, TV shows, movies and even people in your life that you can't get enough of. This is the stuff that you really enjoy. It's the stuff that makes your life worth living.

Somewhere on the list is your health and appearance. You know that looking and feeling great make a good life even better.



The interesting thing about your list is that without fail you'll always make time for it.

* When your TV show airs, you watch it or record it to watch later.
* When your favorite actor stars in a new movie, you do your part by going to the theatre.
* When you're hungry, you turn to your favorite foods.
* When the weekend rolls around, you do everything you can to spend time with the special people in your life.

Yet when it comes to exercise you automatically say, "I don't have time."

Time for TV, but no time for exercise... We live in an age where life is full. You don't have extra time anymore.

You no longer have time. You make time.

* You make time for your TV show.
* You make time for your hobby.
* You make time for your friends.

It's time to drop the charade of "I don't have time to exercise" and call it what it really is.

An excuse.

You know how to make time for your favorite things. You know you want good health. You know you want to look great. You know you want more energy.

Exercise delivers all those benefits - and more.

I believe that exercise belongs on your list of favorite things.

Make It A Favorite: How do you turn something that you've dreaded into something that you enjoy?

1. Block the Negative: Your thoughts play a big part in determining your favorite things. Block out any negative thoughts you may have about exercise. Focus your energy on creating a positive attitude that will get you excited about hitting the gym, rather than dreading it.
2. Focus on the Benefits: With exercise you have so much to gain and nothing to lose. Exercise makes you stronger, sexier, happier, and gives you more energy. Pick the benefit that moves you the most and fixate on it.
3. Get Guidance: The easiest way to put exercise on your list of favorite things is to experience it at its best. Get onboard with one of my personal training programs and I'll show you the most effective and enjoyable techniques that will get you into the best shape of your life.

Until next time....

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith

Tips for your beach body training

So last time I did the 5 Steps to your beach body. This week we are going to focus on exercises that will help get closer to your beach body, but I am going to come to that shortly…

Your choice of exercise is very important. Use compound movements instead of isolated movements. I can see that slighty confused look on your face regardingthe difference. Isolated movement is a simple bicep curl whereby you use recruit just the bicep to move the weight. Now on the other hand a compound movement recruits more than one muscle group over a joint. This can be a squat and a bicep curl. The benefits of doing compound movemnets is 1. its harder 2. its quicker and as a result save you loads of time and 3. it will increase the intensity of your training session. Not bad so far…



Reps and sets is the next variable you need tolook at. Personally I aim to do 24-32 reps of each exercise. Now this can be 6 sets 4 reps which is 24; 4 sets of 8 reps= 32 reps; 10 sets of 3 reps = 30 reps; you get the idea. Depending on which sets and reps range you choose it will have an effect on the weight you use. Lower reps will require the use of heavier weight and as the reps increase the weight decreases. Remember that at all times use the correct technique. Whatever reps and sets range you do decide to go for, you can do it for 2-3 weeks and then change to another reps and set range for another 2-3 weeks. Your body will now have to adjust to a new set of variables again.


On each training session you need to set a personal best (PB). This way you are constantly pushing yourself to do better than your last training session and in so doing improve your performance. A PB can be an extra rep or two, a heavier weight or a shorter resting time.

So here are 2 sessions you can get started on:

Weights based session:

1.Sqaut/shoulder press

2. pushup/row

3. lunge bicep curl

4. wood chops

5. side plank/rotation

Body weight session

1. push ups

2. squats

3. tricep dips

4. lunges

5. burpees

So there you have it. You can alternate days that you do weights and days you do the body weight exercises or if you want you can do them all on the same day depending on your fitness.

Dont forget the 5 steps to your beach body!!!!

So crack on with it and make sure and leave a comment to let me know how you get on. Better yet hop on and log what you have done on http://www.pspersonaltrainers.ning.com

Until next time….

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith

The Sweetest Scam of All Time

The correct answer to the following question will shock you.

Would you survive longer on a diet of just water OR on a diet of water and refined sugar?

The answer: You would survive longer on just water.

Sound impossible? Just ask the five sailors who were ship wrecked in 1793.

The ship was filled with sugar, thus giving the marooned five a diet of sugar and water. When they were finally picked up, nine days later, they were in a wasted condition due to starvation.

The story of the five sailors intrigued French physiologist Francois Magendie to conduct a series of experiments in which he fed dogs a diet of sugar. All of the dogs died.

Magendie proved that as a steady diet, refined sugar is worse than nothing.

How can sugar be worse than nothing? Plainly put, refined sugar is an anti-nutrient.

It starts out as sugar cane, and then goes through an extensive refining process that destroys all of the enzymes, fiber, vitamins and minerals. What you're left with are empty, naked calories.

The problem is that your body needs the enzymes, fiber, vitamins and minerals that were taken out in the refining process in order to metabolize sugar and use it as energy. So it takes those nutrients from your own body.

So while you are enjoying that chocolate bar, sugar is draining vital nutrients from your body. Like a sweet parasite.

And it doesn't end there…

* Sugar creates false hunger (as a result of the insulin rush and then ensuing plummet in your blood sugar levels), which makes you overeat. This means a constant struggle with your weight in which you never seem to achieve your ideal size.
* Sugar promotes aging (due to the advanced glycation end products, or AGEs, that occur when insulin levels are consistently elevated as a result of eating too much sugar). Sugar has even been dubbed the negative fountain of youth.
* Sugar weakens your bones - making you vulnerable for osteoporosis, and weakens your teeth - making you vulnerable for cavities (both due to the calcium being pulled from your bones and teeth in order for your body to process sugar).
* Sugar in excess is stored as fat (after your liver has no more room to store it, sugar is converted to fat and deposited on your belly, thighs, hips and the backs of your arms).
* Sugar can impair brain functioning (as a result of depleted B-vitamin production).

If you're still not convinced of the danger of sugar here are more ailments linked to its overconsumption: varicose veins, constipation, hormonal imbalances, ADD and ADHD, increased emotional instability, depressed immune system, increased risk of cancer and degenerative diseases.

The average modern person consumes 46 teaspoons of sugar every day. That comes out to roughly 175 pounds of sugar each year.

And it's no wonder, since sugar industry is big business. They sneak sugar into any product that they can.

Go through the foods in your home and you'll see that sugar has been added to everything from ketchup and spaghetti sauce to crackers, oatmeal, peanut butter and even ‘healthy' items like weight loss bars.



Where does this leave you?

You are in a unique position. Your personal judgment determines the foods that you eat and the foods that you avoid. It is my hope that you approach sugar with new eyes.

While all other foods offer you caloric energy PLUS some nutritional benefit, sugar doesn't. Sugar is simply caloric energy with a sweet habit forming taste, and a hoard of health risks.

Use your judgment wisely and limit your sugar consumption - you'll love the benefits of low sugar living.

And while you're at it contact me to start a training program that will turbo-charge your results.

(Oh and if you're ever in a ship wreck with only sugar and water at your disposal - just drink the water!)


The Many Names of Sugar

While you're checking out nutrition labels for sugar content be on the lookout for the following names that all describe refined sugar:

* Sucrose
* High fructose corn syrup
* Fructose
* Organic sugar
* Maltose
* Dextrose
* Glucose
* Lactose

Until next time....

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith

http://www.pspersonaltrainers.co.uk

5 steps to your beach body

With summer is on its way and fast approaching, I am sure you are all thinking I am going to be on the beach looking HOT!!!which I am sure you will be. Your focus has now changed and all of a sudden the gym is a nice place to be or going for a run is a good idea and cutting down on those extra calories is a brilliant plan. No more desserts :)

You are probably also thinking somethng else as well...how do i get rid of some of some those extra pounds to look hot in my bikini or so I can show off my six pack....

Well you still got some time on your hands to get that beach body by taking some positive steps in the right direction.

So here we go with 5 things to do to get ready for the summer and closer to your beach body:

1. Increase the intensity of you workout:One way of doing this is by taking less rest after each set. Dont sit around waiting to start the next set. Move on to the next exercise and work your way down till you get to the last exercise then rest. So your workout is more like a circuit.

2. Increase workout frequency:If you do 2-3 sessions per week increase it to 4-5 times. This does not mean you have to kill yourself on every session. Alternate days of cardio with days of weights. Increasing your weekly sessions will create a bigger caloric deficit and the amount of calories your body burns.

3. Lift heavier weight: If you are female you are probably thinking right now...'I dont want to get muscular' This is just a myth. The more lean muscle you have on your body the more calories you burn at rest. Lifting weights also increases your metabolism which is what everyone wants to do. Dont be afraid to hit the weights ladies. It will get you results quicker as well.

4. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Reasearch has proven that HIIT burns calories up to 24hrs after your have completed your workout. So you can be burning calories the day after from your workout the day before. How great is that!!! This works very closely with point number 1. HIIT is periods of low level intensity work followed by a period of very high intensity. eg. 1 minute jog followed by 30 second sprint then repeat. 20 minutes of this will sure get you sweating buckets

5. Drink water. By drinking water you can drastically reduce your caloric intake campered to other forms of liquids such as juice which tend to contain loads of sugar which if you want to drop those pounds is not what you want to be comsuming. Aim for 2L of water a day. More on days that you workout.

So there you have it. 5 Simple positive steps to get you on the road to your beach body.

Until next time...

Stay Strong, Stay Focused, and Keep Faith

PS. dont forget to leave a comment....

Stop making excuses....

Have you ever wondered why its easy for some people to get off their arse and get into the gym or go do their workout and some find it difficult....

I will get up in a while and go...

I cant be bothered...

I will go tomorrow...

After this program...

Its crappy outside...

I am tired...

I have to do XYZ....

I dont have time...

To be honest these are all excuses.

Working out or exercise should not be a chore, it should be something that you want to do as we all know the benifits of exercise. You also dont have to spend hours exercising. A simple 15-20 high intensity session is all you need. It also does not have to be in the gym if you dont like the gym. It can be in the comfort of your living room or in the park.

Now you might be asking 15-20 minutes??? Yes thats all you need so you cant make the excuses 'I dont have time' 'its crappy outside,' and so on and so on...

Get in to the right mind set, set your goals, visualize on the end product and most importantly stop making excuses and get started.

So here is your 15-20 minute workout:

Push ups








Squats








Dips








Lunges










Crunches









Do each exercise for 30 secs and then rest for 30 secs then move on to the next exercise. Repeat 3-4 times.

Simple as that!!!

Until next time....

Stay Strong, Stay Focused, Keep Faith

www.pspersonaltrainers.co.uk
www.pspersonaltrainers.ning.com

Lifestyle Changes

Lilliput Health is an exciting and brand new clinic offering a multi-faceted approach to private and complimentary healthcare. Lilliput Health offers a wide range of services all under one roof from experienced therapist which includes:

* Chiropractic
* Physiotherapy
* Pediatric chiro and physio
* Sport and depp tissue massage
* Personal Training
* Acupuncture
* Podiatry
* Nutrional advise
* Sport Physchology
* Laser liposuction and Colonic irrigation



Lilliput Health opens its doors on Friday 1st May '09 with the official launch on Saturday 30th May '09.

If you neen any more info pop on to their website: http://www.lilliputhealth.co.uk or email info@lilliputhealth.co.uk or call +441202725090


What's Lifestyle Got To Do With It?


It happens to everyone. That moment when you realize that it's time to do something about your weight.

It may happen when you're looking in the mirror or standing on the scale.

Your first thought is to go on a 'diet' but as quickly as that enters your mind the ghosts of a hundred diets past return...along with all the frustration.

Then you wonder, why bother?

The weight will come back, as it always has. Then you'll be back in front of the mirror as discouraged as ever.

The answer is not to go on another diet.

The answer is to change your lifestyle.

You've heard this before, and it makes sense, right? So why haven't you done it?

Your Lifestyle Obstacles. Most people resist changing their lifestyle for two reasons.

1. Change is scary. Whether you realize it or not, your life is in a constant state of change. Though you cling to the familiar, it's a futile struggle. Change always wins.

The most consistent thing in life is change. Since you'll never escape it, you might as well channel it. It's time to make the change in your life purposeful and positive.

2. Lifestyle misconception. How many times have you heard the term 'healthy lifestyle' only to picture a health nut with celery sticks in one hand and tofu in the other? The truth is that most people think that changing their lifestyle will be an extreme and unpleasant experience - and that's not true.

Improving your lifestyle does not mean swearing off chocolate or living in the gym. You don't have to eat wheat germ for lunch and you can still enjoy a nice plate of pasta. The key is moderation.

Making the Change. It's time to lose your 'all or nothing' mentality. Embrace simple, small changes that will add up to big improvements in your lifestyle. These are your main venues for change:

* What You Eat. Let's face it, most of the foods you eat aren't the healthiest. Some are downright terrible (the burger and fries you had last week). While others are simply excessive (the snacks you eat while watching TV).

The solution to cleaning up your daily diet is NOT to go back on a 'diet'. In fact, I never want you to go on a 'diet' again. (Yes, you heard me right!) Instead I want you to make permanent healthy changes to your eating habits.

Here are some practical examples:

o Choose salad over chips or fries
o Don't add butter to your food
o Eat fresh produce with every meal
o Purchase fat free dairy productsM
o Limit desserts to one or two per week
o Cut out mindless snacking
o Drink water, not soda

I don't expect you to eat a perfect diet every day of the week - that'd be ludicrous. You should, however, make MORE healthy choices every day than unhealthy ones.

* What You Do. Exercise is a huge component to a healthy lifestyle, and quite frankly you're not getting enough of it. How often does an entire week go by without you ever lacing up your tennis shoes? Don't disregard the importance and power of a good workout.

Your new healthy lifestyle means exercising on most days of the week. This may seem tough, but I have the perfect solution - my training programs were created for busy people just like you who only have so much time to dedicate to exercise.

I understand how hard it is to find the motivation to stay consistent and to push yourself. Make exercise a no-brainer - contact me to get started on a lifestyle enhancing program today.

Here are simple ways to move more:

o Watch less TV
o Stretch stiff muscles every day
o Play at the park with the kids
o Go for a jog
o Do some pushups every morning

While none of the above are meant as substitutes for a solid exercise routine, they are great ways to become more active and to improve your lifestyle.

Your lifestyle is the balance of all the choices that you make regarding your body. Swing the balance in your favor - make a majority of your choices health conscious.

So the next time you're in front of the mirror you won't worry about your weight.

You'll relish it.

Until next time...

Stay Strong, Stay Focused, Keep Faith

'I just read this post from Dax and it got me thinking...'

When I found out about The Magic Hundred I imediately invested in it and so far I have accomplished 35 out of my hundred goals in 55 days. For me that is excellent as my weakness is procastination. Since starting, I must say do still prcastinate but no where close to what I did before. I am always going over my goals and pushing myself to achieve them.

Anyway check out what it did for my buddy Dax Moy:

I've been re-writing a few sections of www.themagichundred.com The MAGIC Hundred today in order to update a few of the chapters with things I've learned since I originally launched the program in January 2007.

As I was writing away, it dawned on me how much my life has changed in the 2 short years since the program was released and how a simple decision at one moment in time can DRASTICALLY alter the hundreds, thousands and even MILLIONS of moments that follow.

You probably know what I'm talking about as it's happened to all of us, but I've got to tell you, when I started out with my 'little idea' all those years ago (even before I wrote the program) I had no idea where it would eventually lead me. No idea at all!

I mean, when I left the regular army about 8 or 9 years ago I had nothing.

No qualifications (I'd left school at 16 without taking my exams), no money (I was completely broke) and no obvious means to get either. To make matters worse, I had a young wife, 3 young kids and another one on the way, and nothing remotely approaching the slightest hint of how I was going to support them, let alone give them the things that every father and husband wants to provide for their family.

We were living in high crime council accommodation on a housing estate in North London (in what in the U.S would be known as 'projects') and claiming social security benefits in order to pay the bills and get by and dreaming of ways to improve upon our situation so that we could give our kids some of the better things in life.

I took many temporary jobs including bodyguarding, roadsweeping and even working in sewers in order to get the little bit of extra cash we needed and supplemented my income with my Reserve Forces pay from my territorial army unit weekends, camps and courses, but as fast as I was able to earn a little money it seemed to be eaten up on bills of every conceivable type so that, no matter how hard I worked, we were never able to get ahead.

It was frustrating to say the least but, like most people, it was a frustration i just had to learn to tolerate. After all, my bills had to be paid, right?

Then one day after an army weekend, I noticed one of the other guys in my patrol was reading a book in the back of the truck on the way home. He was coming to the end of it and as he finally turned the last page he glanced up and noticed me looking in his direction. Seeing I was bored he offered me the book, which I gratefully took and in that moment... started a chain reaction of events that would totally transform my life!

I'm not exaggerating.

I read that book all the way home, persuaded my patrol-mate to lend it to me until later in the week and took it home and read, and read and read.

Now, what was surprising to me was that this wasn't a new book. It was old. REALLY old, like 1920's, yet as I read through it I felt as though it had been written specifically with me in mind as it described many of the very things that I had been going through and, more importantly, why.

It told me to hold a major definite purpose uppermost in my mind, pursue it with all vigor and not to quit on it until I accomplished what I'd set out to accomplish.

So I did!

I'd always had an interest in fitness and having boxed, done martial arts and been a soldier, knew that I was naturally gifted in this area as well as passionate. I'd seen ads posted for gym instructor jobs but when I enquired they told me to go get a civilian qualification and they'd consider employing me. Trouble is, I didn't even have the £325 I needed for the YMCA gym instructor course, but the book said that I shouldn't let that put me off, so I set about getting a bunch of temporary jobs to raise the cash.

Eventually I did the course, got qualified and went back to the gym where they told me they only had work for me for 2 hours a week in the shifts that no-one else wanted and that the pay was a measly £5 an hour. I took the job and again, changed the course of my life.

In short, that job led to me becoming a personal trainer, becoming a trainer led me to owning my own studios, owing my own studios led to me working directly with people like Bob Proctor and Joe Vitale from The Secret and working with those guys led to me writing the www.themagichundred.com MAGIC Hundred Goal Achievement Program which sold over $107,000 in the first 7 days of launch and that has led to me travelling the world, speaking at international events and teaching my own rapid goal achievement philosophy to thousands and thousands of people.

Since making that first teeny-tiny decision to read that book instead of going to sleep like my patrol-mates, literally EVERYTHING about my life has changed and I find myself in the weird and rather unlikely position of being some kind of 'goals guru' to people from all around the world who I've never even met and earning more money than I ever thought I'd earn whilst travelling the world and having all kinds of adventures.

It's very strange indeed!

Nice, but strange : )

I now live the kind of life that I'd only dreamed about before with travel all over the world to jungles, deserts and arctic wastelands as well as luxury hotels, secluded islands and all manner of other places that I'd only ever seen in books before I started on this amazing journey that my life has become.

But looking back at how I got to this point in my life and the opportunities I now have before me, I can honestly say it all started with reading that one book. It's as though that one decision was like setting a compass bearing just slightly off course to the original path I'd been on at the time, yet which over the weeks, months and years has moved far off the original course to deliver me to the place I'm at now.

I guess you're wondering 'What's this got to do with me?' right?

Well, nothing I guess...

...and EVERYTHING!

You see, just as my own life has been created by each of the decisions I've made along the way, so has yours.

Everything you've experienced so far is the result of the decisions you've made (or failed to make) up to this point.

That's a fact.

The good news is that that means you can also decide where you want to go, what you want to do and who you want to be just by the simple and straightforward act of making a decision right now. I mean LITERALLY right now!

Just choose to act on something you've been putting off, something you've been 'thinking about' or something that's been tickling away at the edge of your mind and you too could find yourself living the life of your dreams in some not-too-distant future.

I mean it.

It happened to me so why not you?

Make a decision TODAY my friend.

Set a new course!

Truth, joy and love

Dax Moy
www.themagichundred.com

P.S - I almost forgot, I bet you want to know what that book was that started off my magnificent adventure, right?

Put your best guess below and I'll tell you tomorrow : )

(I know, nasty huh?) : )

Until next time....

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith

www.pspersonaltrainers.ning.com

What is your life like?

Ok I got this email from a friend and thought it was brilliant and thought I would share it. So here it goes:

Health:

1.Drink plenty of water.
2.Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3.Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less
food that is manufactured in plants.
4.Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5.Make time to pray....pray while driving, washing the dishes, taking a shower,cooking, early in the morning, in the middle of the day, late at night, while you are sitting on the porch and/or after reading a book. It doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing just pray.
6.Play more games.
7.Read more books than you did in 2008.
8.Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9.Sleep for 7 hours.
10.Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past.That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:

25. Call your family often.....no matter how busy you are.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your family & friends will. So, stay in touch.

Life:

32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything...
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
40. Thank God everyday for your LIFE, HEALTH and STRENGTH.

Let me know what you think. Leave a comment for me

Until next time...

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith.

www.pspersonaltrainers.ning.com

MAGIC 100

Well, Dax promised he'd be back 'tomorrow' and it's been a week.

A family emergency got in the way and he was unable to get back to us and share some more of his goal achievement 'secrets' but he's finally back with another interesting and thought provoking message to help us achieve your goals faster.

Today he's answering the most common question that his thousands of readers often ask about goal achievement and success.

"When Should I Begin?"

Believe it or not, it's a really common question!

People are of the belief that there is some special 'buildup' they have to go through in order to achieve what they want or that they have to 'prepare' or 'get ready' or have all their ducks in a row before they can finally go after what they want.

They tell themselves they'll start to pursue their goals...

...tomorrow
...next week
...next year
...when the kids get out of school
...when the kids go back to school
...when there is more time
...when things settle down
...when there are less bills
...when there is more money
...when the moment it right

And all the while they delay the pursuit of those things that would make them happiest because of... something. Some 'reason' for why they couldn't possibly go after their goals right here, right now.

So here's Dax's answer.

(I think you know it already) : )

Start right here, right now with whatever resources you have at your disposal to build the life that you most dream about having.

You see, you can carry on dreaming about the things you want or you can do something about them.

You can let the daily routine of your current life run the show or you can make the changes you want to see.

You can keep putting off and delaying your happiness until 'someday' or you can begin doing the things you know you are capable of doing TODAY!

The choice is yours.

You have the power to choose.

You see, it's all too easy to fall into the same old routine of saying to yourself 'someday I'll do it but right now I just have too much on my plate'.The truth is, you will ALWAYS have tons of things to do, tons of people to see, tons of places to go, chores to be done and bills to be paid.

That's life for us all, right?

But if you don't at least START building the life of your dreams, regardless of how busy, tired, stressed, broke you are then you stand zero chance of ever getting there don't you?

So start today my friends.

Start today.

You don't have to do much. You don't have to change the world in an afternoon. Just change one thing. Do one thing different to how you did it yesterday and you've begun to move your life on a different course. This is the REAL 'secret' of goal achievement.

It's taking action.

But you knew this already, right? : )

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith
Magic 100


P.S - What one action are you committed to taking TODAY? Write it in the comments area... I dare ya! :)

5 simple ways to increase the intensity of your workout

Do you ever sit there wondering to yourself, is this program ever going to work? Do you even think to yourself could I have worked harder or pushed myself a bit more? If the answer was yes then the chances are you could increase the intensity of your workout to get more out of it.

So here are 5 ways in which you can do this:

1.Change the tempo of your reps: instead of doing a tempo of 1 sec down and 1 sec up, try doing it slowly for a count of 4 secs down and then hold for 2 secs then explode to the start position. Keep changing the tempo every time to mix up your workout and also take the boredom out of it.

2.Do super sets: with super sets you can save so much more time and get more done in your session. You can do an upper body exercise then followed by a lower body exercise and keep alternating them for the required sets. While one body part is working the other is resting. Due to no rest between sets this will increase intensity.

3.Reduce your resting time: This sounds obvious but how often do you see people do a set and then wonder off for 2-3 minutes, come back have a chat, then pick the weights up to do another set. You are better off staying at home if you do this unless you are lifting extremely heavy weight. Let your rest be 20-30 seconds if you dont want to do super sets

4.Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE): On a scale of 1-10, you got to be honest with yourself here, rate yourself how hard you are actually working. 1 being no effort and 10 being maximal effort. Aim to always be around 8-10.

5.Do your Personal Best(PB) ever time:This is my favourite. Try to do better than your previous workout. Push your boundries to see what you can achieve. You would be surprised how much you would be able to do.The more you push yourself the better you become, the better you become the closer you get to your goal.

Train like an athlete or better yet train like a warrior.

'The more you sweat in training the less you will bleed in battle'

Until next time....

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith

www.pspersonaltrainers.ning.com

Weight training for women

Many women think that they will end up muscle bound if they lift more than the lightest of dumbbells.

Actaully you WON'T!!!

Unless you make it your life's mission to do so and possibly resort to measures that I would not say.

It is OK and safe for women to lift heavier weights on resistance machines or better yet on free weights. Women are much more likely to get better and quicker results from increasing the amount of weights they lift. It will improve their body shape, funtional strength to do daily activities, and reduce body fat.

Just what every woman wants!!!

Why is it better to add weight exercises to your fat loss program?

You have probably read all sorts of things in mags and heard various ways to lose weight from friends and the so called experts in the gym, but you are not going to like this, long slow slow boring cardio takes forever to get results.

After a cardio session, the body recovers very quickly, so the only time you are burning calories is actually when you are on whatever machine you are on. Instead of doing long boring cardio try some high intensity interval training (HIIT). A simple 20 minutes of intervals work wonders. When you do your intervals make sure it is a very high intensity of about 80-90% of you MHR (max heart rate) or on a scale of 1-10 and ten being hard you need to be at least 8-9.

When you add your resistance program to your HIIT workout, you can burn calories up to 24hrs later from this same workout.

Isn't that great!!

Because you are working in your anaerobic threshhold, your metabolism reamins elevated when you have finished your workout. This afterburn is called excess post-exercise consumption (EPOC). So while you are relaxing on the sofa you can be still burning those calories from your session earlier that day.

Why free weights?

• free weights are more funtional than fixed weights
• you go through a greater range of movement
• greater selection of exercises
• can be adated to any person
• quicker results

What should I do?

Women should lift heavier weight as I said earlier. For greatest results you should change your program every 4 weeks and vary the reps and sets each week. This will keep things fresh and you would not get bored.

Variety is the spice of life!!!

Your reps and sets over a 4 week cycle will look like this:

Wk 1: 3 sets 8 reps
Wk 2: 4 sets 6 reps
Wk 3: 6 sets 4 reps
Wk 4: 3 sets 12 reps

Make sure to work to overload your muscles. Overload refers to the point when you find it difficult to do your last couple of reps without cheating or using bad technique. Doing this will chalenge your muscles to get the best results.

Lastly, working bady parts, like your tummy, in an attempt to reduce fat is not the best workout strategy. You CANNOT 'spot' reduce fat. You will get teh best results from a workout program that work your large muscle groups, such as push ups, squats, lunges, dead lifts.... All these exercises recruit more than one muscle group working at the same time.

So there you go. You know what you need to do so get cracking. Go have a great workout now.

Until next time.....

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith

www.pspersonaltrainers.ning.com

My workout....

Ok so was up early today and had my day planned.

I recently done my Kettlebell course and enjoyed every moment of it. It was a great expereience and I was looking forward to using them and mastering the technique of it. I orderd 2 Kettlebells and received them over the weekend.

So this morning bright and early I was up and doing my workout. This is what it consist of:

30 swings
30 push ups
30 squats
30 snatches
30 windmills
30 swings

I was half dead after that but felt great.

Until next time....

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith

www.pspersonaltrainers.ning.com

Are you Still focused on your Goals???

Ok so here is what is happening with me.....

I have been loosing focus on my goals a bit over the last 2wks. Last week my nutrition has not been great. Honestly it has been terrible!!! I think I might have even put on few pounds.....

Hmmm not good :(





The good thing is I have put a stop to it by going back to some fundamentals. I have made my grocery list for the week and also planned what I will be eating every day this week. Monday to Sunday, exactly what time and exactly what I will eat. Its all about preparation.This will keep me focused and also get me back on track again and not eating the things I know I should not be eating.

We all lose focus of our goals at times. We are human after all. When this happens sit back, accept that you have gone off track a bit and do whatever you need to do to get back on track. Going back to basics usually works. Remember what you want to achieve from your goals. Your goal is only achieved once you have achieved the desired results.

Until next time....

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith

What The Secret Didn't tell you

Have you seen the movie The Secret?

If you have you'll know that it practically became the goal-achievement 'bible' overnight due to it's very simple, yet very powerful message about how you can be, do and have practically anything in life that you want as long as you do one or two key things.

They are:

1. Think about what you want on a regular basis

2. Think about it positively

That was it really.

That was the 'secret' of The Secret!

Now, I'm not knocking this at all, far from it. First off, most people (myself included) can be really unfocused and unclear about what they want and spending some time focusing can be really beneficial, right?

And thinking positive, well, that's just obvious isn't it? After all, going through life with a dark cloud over your head is not really going to help you feel good about even STARTING your goals, let alone achieving them is it?

So I've no real problems with the advice that The Secret shares, it makes sense and, truth be told, thousands of people have already gone on to achieve great things as a result of following this simple advice, but again, there are a lot of people who couldn't seem to make it work for them and are now dismissive of the who goal achievement 'thing'.

Maybe you're one of them?

I certainly used to be.

I tried thinking positive and holding my goals in my thoughts but still, the bills piled up and the same old hassles that were always in my life before were still there so I did what most people would do. I gave up the whole goal-setting thing as a waste of time.

That is until I came across (yet another) goal achievement program that was saying some things that were very different to what I'd been hearing from the thoughts become things crowd.

In fact, this program said that thoughts DON'T become things, but rather, they could become things, but not necessarily.

It jokingly explained that if thoughts really did automatically become thingsthen most teenage boys would materialise pretty young girls into their bedrooms. After all, this is what's on their minds most of the time, right? : )

Sounds funny, I know, but it struck a chord. After all, if thinking clearly of something that's important to you, holding it in your mind and thinking about it a lot works to bring goals to life, then it should work, right?


And as to thinking positive...

I'd always been told that thinking positive was a critical step to making your goals come to life, but again in this program I was told that this simply wasn't true. After all, if being positive made your goals come to life you should be able to sit in the middle of a busy road, smile and say 'I won't get hit, I won't get hit, I won't get hit" and sure enough, all the trucks will completely miss you.

Not a strategy that I think I'd like to try : )


It all makes sense doesn't it?

The idea that you can't just put on a happy face, think about your goals and have them come to life?I think so anyway : )

So what's the real 'secret' to goal achievement?

Well, I guess it's simply that there isn't one. Not as in one hidden thing that once exposed will bring your goals to life. It's more a case of having a strategy that is proven to work rather than relying on hope or wishful thinking.

What's the strategy?

It's coming... I promise!

In fact, I've persuaded Dax Moy, author of The Magic Hundred to spill the beans right here on my blog over the next week so DEFINITELY stay tuned.

Speak soon!

Gavin De Souza


P.S - Don't forget to leave your own comments about this post. What do YOU think are the not-so-secret secrets to achieving success?

Make a change

Hi

What were you doing 77days ago?

I know, funny question, but there is a point, you see, today is day 76 of 2009 which means that 77 days ago you were celebrating New Year’s Eve and, like most people, you were setting up your New Year’s Resolutions and goals.

And look, here we are at day 76 already.

Time goes by pretty quick, huh?

But I’m not just mailing you to act as some kind of timekeeper or clockwatcher, rather I wanted to share with something that I’ve been thinking about a lot this week.

You see, it recently dawned on me that, we’re already approaching the end of the first quarter of 2009 and that many of the goals I’d set for myself this year haven’t even been started. In truth, many of them haven’t even been thought about.

It’s not like they’re not important to me. They are, many of them would REALLY change my life for the better if I could bring them to life but, well, I just haven’t seemed to get around to them.

I bet you’re the same right?

I bet you have a huge list of things that you KNOW would absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt change your life for the better, yet you haven’t taken a single, solitary action on them, right?

Weird isn’t it?

For instance in my own life I know that these goals are important to me:

1. To get my body fat to under 15%. This is important to me as it will keep me in tip top shape

2. To learn to do presentations/public speaking. This is impotrtant to me to create more clients for my my business

3. To do a new course every 3-4 months. This is important to to keep me updated with what is happening in the industry and keep my workouts fresh. I actually completed this on day 20. I have just completed an Extreme Kettlebell course

4. Prepare meals for the wk on a Sunday. This is important as its all set out and I know what i will be eating on any day and I dont have to worry about eating things I know I should not be eating.

5. Drink 2-3L of water a day. This is important as it will keep me hydrated.

Most likely you’ve got a bunch like this too haven’t you?

For example, what financial goals did you set for yourself on New Year’s Eve?

What about your health goals? I KNOW you had a bunch of those!

How about adventures? We all want to travel more and experience more and I bet you had set some goals in this department, right?

Not to mention relationships, education, family and career goals.

I bet you had a bunch, yet where are you with them?

That’s not a rhetorical question, I mean it. Where are you with these goals?

Did you achieve them as you said you would?

More to the point, did you even START them?

I know that I didn’t even BEGIN many of the goals I set at the start of the year. I know they’re important to me, I know they’ll change my life in more positive ways than I can even begin to tell you but for some strange reason, I haven’t even begun to chase them yet.

Like I said, weird.

So look, I’ve got this mad, crazy idea.

I want to help you achieve YOUR goals over the course of this year and I want you to keep ME on track. Sound like a fair deal?

It starts today.

Tell me what your most important, most pressing goals are and I’ll tell you mine and (hopefully) together we can see 2009 through in great style.

Of course, you could simply ignore this and pass it off as silly but, well, that’ll just mean that the next 76 days are just like the first, and the ones after that, and the ones after that.

I need help to bring my goals to life.

So do you.

So let’s do this!

Gavin De Souza

http://www.pspersonaltrainers.ning.com/

The MAGIC Hundred

P.S – I got my idea for this email from my friend Dax Moy, Author of The MAGIC Hundred. I’m glad he kicked me in the butt today : )

25 Randam Facts about me

Hey how are you all.

Just a few facts about me. Are you brave enough to put yours up. Step out of your comfort zone and list your 25 Randam facts.

Here are mine:1.My name is Gavin Spencer De Souza

2.I was born in Hammersmith London

3.Grew up on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad where I moved to when I was about 1 year old (well I think it was about 1 year old)

4.I was born on 30th December 19765.I have a son. His name is Kaydon. He was born on 23 Feb 2004

6.I have an older brother Marc and a younger sister Kristen

7.I moved back to the UK in 1998

8. I received a part scholarship to attend Ashland University in America to play soccer as the Americans call football

9.I still don’t have a driving license at the young age of 32 (working on it though)

10.Favourite colour is blue

11.I represented Trinidad against Mexico in a game of football at under16 level and also played cricket against an England under 16 team

12.I have played sport all my life

13.I never liked to wear clothes when I was very young

14.I get very grumpy when I am hungry

15.I had dreadlocks for 5 years

16.My girlfriend Gemma passed away from Leukaemia on Christams Eve 2008 while we were in Trinidad on holiday. She did not know she had Leukaemia

17.I moved to Bournemouth in September 2008

18.I have done a multi-sport triathlon which consist of a 4mile Kayak, 10mile run and a 20 mile mountain bike ride. Took me over six hours and I burnt over 6000 calories

19.I have never done any sport on snow

20.My favourite number is 20

21.My parents live in Trinidad

22. I was a Head Prefect in High School

23.I was voted Sports Personality of the Year at my High School

24.Never been drunk…well at least I cant remember

25.I miss Gemma with all my heart

Untill next time…

Stay Strong, Stay Focused and Keep Faith

www.pspersonaltrainers.ning.com

The Blame Game

Whose fault is it that you're out of shape?

If you go by what you hear in diet ads then you believe that it's anyone's fault but yours.

The big diet companies think that if they put the blame on you, then you wouldn't buy their bogus pills. So they put the blame on your cortisol levels, your modern diet (ie fast food), or your busy schedule instead of where it belongs - which is squarely on your shoulders.

Sure, you have obstacles that get in your way - your schedule, your job, your kids, the weather, your knee injury from college...but ultimately you have the body that you accept.

I'm going to repeat that so it will really sink in.

You have the body that you accept.

Embracing the blame for your current weight is not a bad thing - it's empowering. Think about it. If it really wasn't your fault, if it really was due to a long list of variables that you have zero control over, then you'd be stuck. You'd have no way to change.

The Secret Behind 'Before and After' Pictures

Allow me to pull back the curtain for you on something that the diet industry doesn't want you to know. You've seen countless before and after pictures documenting weight loss as a result of a diet product. Well, there is more involved than just the diet product, and it's the same across the board.

Look into the eyes of any person in their before picture and you'll see that they are disturbed. The body they have is no longer in sync with the body they can accept.

They changed the body that they accept.

Now look into their eyes in the after picture - see the sweet satisfaction? They now own the body that they decided they could accept. And what a great feeling that is.

Your Time To Transform

Whether you realize it or not, you already posses everything you need to transform your body, but it all starts with taking responsibility for the body that you have today. You have your current body because until this moment you've been OK with it.

Oh sure, you aren't thrilled with it, and you even talk about losing weight and getting fit, but you haven't changed what you'll accept.

Here's how to transform your body in 3 steps:

Step One: Get Disturbed

You've heard it said that emotion creates motion. This is essential when it comes to losing weight. Just like those folks in the before pictures, to transform your body you must first decide that you can't live another day in the body you currently have.

It's time to get your emotions stirred up. Make a list of all the reasons that you must lose weight and get fit. Get disturbed!

Step Two: Get Focused

Without clarity it's very hard to get where you want to go. Now that you're disturbed with the body you have, it's time to decide what the body you can accept looks like.

I want you to think in concrete and specific terms. Just like the captions under those before and after pictures - "Suzy lost 25 lbs", "Mike lost 8 inches from his waist", "Jenny went from a size 18 to a size 6" .

Get a clear picture in your mind of what you'll look like in your after picture and visualize what the caption will read.

Step Three: Get Moving

The time spent between your inspiration (now) and your action determines whether you will succeed or fail. Don't allow yourself to get stuck between inspiration and action - there is always something that you can do right now.

Don't you agree that you'll be happier living life in a fit, healthy and attractive body, rather than the body you have today? Of course you'll be happier.

I've helped scores of clients just like you finally lose their unwanted weight. I am here to take you from your before picture to your after picture, however, you need to bring something to the table - you need to make up your mind about what you'll accept of yourself.

What will you accept?

Why crunches and sit ups don't work

As a Personal Trainer loads of people ask me this question: Gavin how can I get a six pack? Gavin I do loads of crunches and sit ups but I still can't see my six pack. What do I need to do? I bet you have asked these questions at some point in time...

My reply to those questions are usually: we all have a six pack but we first need to get rid of the layer of body fat before we can see your six pack. This usually leads to: How do I get rid of the body fat?

First of all its hard work. Wherever you have seen peole with your dream six pack, magazines, books, athletes, films I guarantee you they have worked hard to get that.
So here we go...I am going to let you know why crunches and sit ups dont work. Yes thats right I just said that...

If you walk into any gym you would see countless numbers of people on there back doing every variation of a sit up or crunch. Come on admit it you do it as well...The thing is people think that doing hundreds of sit ups and crunches will help them get rid of that layer of body fat that will bring about their six pack. Sorry to disappoint you but if that was true we would all be walking around with a six pack and I would be out of work.

If you want to see your six pack then you need to know this:

It all comes down to the basics of losing body fat, which is calories in vs calories out
So to decrease your body fat you need to create a caloric deficit, which means your body needs to burn more calories than it is taking in. To do this you need to increase the intensity of your workout to burn more calories and reduce the amount of calories taken in by eating healthy foods.

The biggest problem with crunches and sit ups is it does not give you the best return for the efforts you put into it. You can spend lets say 15 minutes working on your abs and only burn a few calories while doing so which does not have have a large effect on losing body fat.
Here is what I mean: if you do a 15 minute circuit of push ups, squats, lunges, plank..etc and 15 minutes of crunches and sit ups which do you think will burn more calories overall? I hope you said the circuit. Like I said at the begining it is hard work!!!

The answer to getting your six pack is total body exercises which works more than one muscle at a time and as a result burns more calories. The more calories you burn the more body fat you will lose and only then you will be able to see your six pack. This is why total body workouts are so much more effective as it gives you more return for you money on your workout and in less time.

So doing loads of crunches and sit ups is not going to get you your dream six pack. Try total body exercise, increase the intensity of you workout, increase your lean muscle mass which will in turn increase your metabolism which in turn will help you get closer to your dream body.

Until next time...

See Ya

Positive Steps Personal Trainers

A step in the right direction...

Gavin De Souza -CPT

Comfort Food...Your Two-Sided Friend

With one holiday under your loosened belt, you're gearing up for many more celebrations...and piles of seasonal comfort food. If you don't mind, I'd like to be totally candid with you today.

Sure, I could write you a 'feel good' article about cutting back a few calories and exercising a few minutes each day, but I'd rather be perfectly frank (and truly helpful).

Here's the real deal: You abuse food.

That's right. You're overweight because you eat too much, and you eat too much because it brings immediate pleasure.

I am here to point out that this pleasure comes at high price...

The other side of comfort food: You've heard dishes being referred to as 'comfort food'—some restaurants even have an entire section of their menu designated as comfort food. But comfort food is more than just a hearty dish.

• It's those extra calories that you eat to feed an emotional need rather than a nutritional need.
  
• It's excessively big portions that leave you stuffed.
  
• It's high calorie snacks.
  
• It's sugary treats.
  
• It's fried, cheese smothered appetizers.
  
• It's whatever you indulge in with mindless munching.

Could you relate to any of the above? Most of us tend to gravitate toward a particular form of comfort food. For many women it's chocolate or other sugary treats. For men it often takes a saltier form.

Think of the last time you ate for pleasure rather than nourishment. Why'd you do it?

Out of Habit: Your body loves routine. If you always snack while watching television then you'd probably find it hard to relax without going through that munching motion. The good news is that once you break the cycle your body will quickly adapt to a healthier routine.

To Change Your Mood: Does the thought of a cupcake bring a smile to your lips? How about a large pizza to lift your mood? Pay attention to the emotions that trigger you to overeat—you may be surprised how often you use food to feel better.

Because Everyone's Doing It: Who can resist comfort food when it's offered among friends? Peer pressure doesn't just apply to teenagers—it's another reason to overeat. Remember that true friends will support your decision to refrain.

Can you remember how you felt after you last filled up on comfort food? If you're honest, you'll admit that the stuffed and bloated feeling was downright awful. So why do it?

Come on, where have your eating habits gotten you?

• Into clothes that are a few sizes larger.
  
• Drained and with less energy than ever before.
  
• Plagued with health concerns and prescriptions.
  
• Embarrassed and frustrated with your body.
  

Most people don't realize it, but the battle to overcome your eating habits is decided by a single body part—and it's not your mouth. (Your mouth is simply a puppet.)

It's your brain. Once you've made up your mind, for better or for worse, you can bet that your body will obey your decision to the letter. You've proven it time and time again.

So make the decision to give up your unhealthy dependence on comfort food.

There is no better time than now.

Making a change is hard—that's why I'm committed to being with you every step of the way.

Call today to schedule a consultation.

You can end the abuse, once and for all.

Positive Steps Personal Trainers

A step in the right direction....

Gavin De Souza -CPT