10 ways to win the psychological battle against the diet culture.

Calorie deficit…

Eat less move more.

We know its the only and best way to lose weight…

We’ve been told enough now.

Calorie deficit is easy right?

So why do more people than ever struggle to lose weight?

Why, if it’s that easy, are more and more people becoming frustrated that they can’t lose weight when it should be easy.

A lot of it comes down to whats going on in that space behind your ears…

Your brain.

your thoughts, the language you use, they way you talk to yourself, your outlook…

Its a bigger factor than ever when it comes to achieving results, not just weight loss.

So, here are 10 steps you can take to start changing the game when it comes to your psychology and mindset when it comes to achieving a goal…

1. REJECT THE DIET MENTALITY. Throw out the diet books and magazine articles that offer you the false hope of losing weight quickly, easily and permanently.

Get angry at diet culture that promotes weight loss and the lies that have led you to feel as if you were a failure every time you gained back all of he weight.

If you allow even one small hope to linger that a new and better diet or food plan might be lurking around the corner, it will prevent you from being free to rediscover intuitive eating.

2. HONOUR YOUR HUNGER: Keep your body biologically fed with adequate energy and carbs. Otherwise you can trigger a primal drive to over eat.

Once you reach the moment of excessive hunger, all intentions of moderate, conscious eating are fleeting and irrelevant.

Learning to honour this first biological signal sets the stage for rebuilding trust in yourself and in food.

3. MAKE PEACE WITH FOOD: Call a truce; stop the food fight! Give yourself unconditional permission to eat. If you tell yourself that you can’t or shouldn’t have a particular food, it can lead to intense feelings of deprivation that builds into uncontrollable cravings and, often, bingeing.

When you finally “give in” to your forbidden foods, eating will be experienced with such intensity it usually results in Last Supper overeating and overwhelming guilt.

4. CHALLENGE TO FOOD POLICE. Scream loud NO to thoughts in your head that declare you’re “good” for eating minimum calories or “bad” because you ate a piece of chocolate cake.

The food police monitor the unreasonable rules that diet culture has created. The police station is housed deep in your psyche, and its loudspeaker shouts negative barbs, hopeless phrases, and guilt-provoking punishments.

Chasing the food police away is a critical step in returning to intuitive eating.

5. DISCOVER THE SATISFACTION FACTOR. The Japanese have the wisdom to keep pleasure as one of their goals of healthy living. In our compulsion to comply with the diet culture, we often overlook one of the most basic gifts of existence - the pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience.

When you eat what you really want, the pleasure you derive will be a powerful force in helping you feel satisfied and content.

By providing this experience for yourself, you will find that it takes just the right amount of food for you to decided you’ve had “enough.”

6. FEEL YOUR FULLNESS. In order to honour your fullness, you need to trust that you will give yourself the foods that you desire.

Listen for the body signals that tell you that you are no longer hungry.

Observe the signs that show that you are comfortably full.

Pause in the middle of eating and ask yourself how the food tastes and that your current hunger level is.

7. COPE WITH YOUR EMOTIONS WITH KINDNESS. First, recognise that food restriction, both physically and mentally, can, in and of itself, trigger loss of control, which can feel like emotional eating.

Find kind ways to comfort, nurture, distract and resolve your issues.

Anxiety, loneliness, boredom, and anger are emotions we all experience throughout life.

Each has its on trigger, and each has it’s own appeasement.

Food won’t fix any of these feeling. It may comfort for the short term, distract you from the pain, or even numb you.

But food won’t solve the problem.

If anything, eating for an emotional hunger may only make you fell worse in the long run.

You’ll ultimately have to deal with the source of emotions.

8. RESPECT YOUR BODY. Accept your genetic blueprint. Just as a person with a shoe size of eight would not expect to realistically squeeze into a size 6, it is equally futile and uncomfortable to have a similar expectation about body size.

But mostly, respect your body so you can feel better about who you are.

It’s hard to reject the diet mentally if you are unrealistic and overly critical of your body she or shape.

All bodies deserve dignity.

9. MOVEMENT-FEEL THE DIFFERENCE. Forget militant exercise. Just get active and feel the difference..

Shift your focus to how it feels to move your body, rather than the calorie burning effect of exercise.

If you focus on how you feel from working out, such as energised, it can make the difference between rolling out of bed for a brisk morning walk or hitting the snooze button.

10. HONOUR YOUR HEALTH-GENTLE NUTRITION. Make food choices that honour your health and taste buds while making you feel good.

Remember that you don’t have to eat perfectly to be healthy. You will not suddenly get a nutrient deficiency or become unhealthy, from one snack, one meal, or one day of eating.

It’s what you eat consistently over time that matters.

Progress, not perfection, its what counts.

Always here to help.

Phil

10 STEPS TO CONQUERING YOUR GOALS.

10 steps to conquering your goals.

One of peoples biggest struggles when it comes to achieving a goal…

is setting one.

Often we feel that we can’t achieve it…

Maybe because we’ve been off the wagon a little while or our self confidence is a bit low.

There may be a goal deep down that we REALLY want to achieve, but in this moment, if feel so big and so far away, that you feel there’s not much point in bothering because you feel you’ll come up short.

So….

lets try and simplify the process so we can start feeling good about setting goals…

Feel that we can finally get on track to achieve them and then some.

Here are 10 steps to smashing your goals in 2021.

1: FOCUS AND DECIDE. Instead of choosing several goals to work on all at the same time, harness all that energy and focus it towards just 1 or 2 main goals.

2: THE BIG WHY! Pick a goal with the biggest why, the one that means the most to you. This is the goal that you have emotionally connect with and have a strong reason for choosing. (Example: I want to have the energy to play with my kids” - Thats a pretty big reason.)

3. COMMIT! Commit the right amount of resources, your time, energy and attention, to make your goal a reality. Treat it like anything else important in your like - because it is!

4. MAKE A PLAN. Every Sunday, set aside 15-30 minutes to plan out your week and make sure you have what you need on hand and ready to go.

Then every night take 3-5 minutes to make sure you’re on track for the next day, this will make a huge difference.

5. TAKE ACTION! This is the most important step of all. You won’t reach your goals without consistent action. Do something daily that moves you closer to your goal.

6. GET SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY. Tell trusted friends and family members what you’re working towards, or even better, work with an experienced coach who will help you get (and stay) on-track with a proven program. (HEY THERE ;-)

With someone in your corner, when you have a “win” or a set back, you will have someone to share it and that will help spur your motivation to keep moving forward.

7. SET DEADLINES. Don’t skip this one! Without having a specific date to shoot toward, you don’t have any urgency to take action. When you feel a clock ticking down your goals, it will help light a fire within you.

8. GIVE YOURSELF A REWARD. When you meet milestones along the way toward your goals, reward yourself with a healthy payoff. New shoes, workout gear, a book or a massage are great choices.

Don’t reward yourself with food, You are not a dog!

9. MANAGE EXPECTATION. Making changes and going after goals can take time and effort. Be patient and stay the course! Give your plan time to work…and know that some days will be easier than others. Just keep repeating step 5: TAKE ACTION.

10. REEVALUATE. DO a quick evaluation of where you’re at every few weeks. Are you killing it and staying on track? Or, are you following th plan? Or, are you following the plan and it’s not working?

This is where a coach can make a big difference - Because they have an experienced, big picture view of your goals and can help you accelerate your results.

Need some help?

Let me help you create your personalised plan so you can stop yo-yo dieting, and get those results you’ve always wanted and trying so hard to achieve…. and all of this without having to sacrifice time with your loved ones or give up carbs.

Want to see how I can help?

Fill out your details on the APPLY page and lets book in a quick 10 minute chat and give you some simple steps to follow.

Phil

9 Top Tips to Ensure Healthy Boundaries

How do we kindly and proactively ensure healthy boundaries?

It’s not an easy task, and often, rather intimidating; telling people what you need might seem selfish, aggressive, or even rude.

But it’s important: Boundaries allow us to feel safe and respected both physically and emotionally.

Honouring our limits helps us to take better care of ourselves, builds trust, prevents burnout, and infuses more meaning and authenticity into our relationships.

And there’s a way to do it that protects our best interests and helps loved ones understand us better.

While most of us weren’t taught this vital life skill in school, it’s never too late to start exploring how we might benefit from better boundaries. Here are a few ways to begin:

1 | Tune in

Our bodies always give us signals when we are near a personal limit. Notice if you feel your jaw tighten or your fists clench. Maybe you start to squirm, or you break into a sweat. Perhaps you feel it in your throat or stomach? Whatever the cue, honor what your body tells you and take some time to explore your discomfort and understand the arising boundary.

2 | Understand your priorities

Your time is a limited and valuable resource. If you try to please everyone, you not only purchase a one-way ticket to burnout and resentment, you also deny yourself the pleasure and growth of focusing on what you value. Next time you say yes to someone, make sure you’re not saying no to yourself. Take some time to write a list of priorities and compare it to where you spend your time and energy to assess if you need to make any adjustments.

3 | Communicate with clarity

Practice saying no when you don’t want to do something. You don’t have to explain yourself or offer an excuse. The following phrases are complete answers: “No, thank you.” “Thanks, but I can’t.”

If someone you care about has violated your boundaries, you may want to give them more information. Here’s a helpful template to express your frustration:

When you ___________, I felt ______________.

Please don’t ___________.

_____________ is important to me.

For example:

“When you told our friends about what’s been going on with my family, I felt hurt and embarrassed. Please don’t share things about me without my consent. My privacy is important to me.“

4 | Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

If you’re not used to asserting your boundaries, you may find yourself feeling awkward, scared, guilty, or nervous when addressing a personal limit. Give yourself space and time to build up your tolerance. You may also feel supported by breathing exercises, meditation, or talking with a trusted friend or therapist.

5 | Take space

If you’re ever caught off guard by someone crossing a boundary, and you’re not sure how to respond, offer yourself permission to return to the conversation after you’ve had some time to reflect and recenter yourself. Try saying something like, “I need some time to think about what just happened. I’d like to come back to this conversation in a few hours/days.”

6 | Boundaries can be flexible

Our boundaries will change for different people, and they may shift over time based on the conditions of your life and the evolution of a relationship. It’s crucial to check in with yourself to ensure that your relational rules feel good for you. If your boundaries are quite rigid or extremely loose, it may indicate that something is going on underneath the surface for you. If that’s the case, you might consider getting some additional support.

7 | Be prepared

Don’t be surprised if some people react poorly to your feedback. People who are controlling, manipulative, abusive, or who have unhealthy boundaries themselves may be triggered when you set a boundary. You can express your limits with compassion, but it’s not your job to make it okay for them.

8 | Create consequences

Cultivate clarity around what you want to do if someone consistently disrespects your boundaries. Will you take a break from the relationship? Will you stop working with them? Choose something that you are willing and ready to do and stay firm. If this feels challenging for you, don’t go it alone: ask a trusted friend, family member, or therapist for help.

9 | Respect other people’s boundaries

People often give us both physical and verbal cues about their own boundaries. Notice if they take a step back, avoid eye contact, or seem uncomfortable. Of course, everyone is unique, and their cues will mean and communicate different things. Ultimately if you’re not sure what someone’s boundary is, you can always ask. “May I offer you some feedback?” or “Can I ask you a personal question?”

Need some help with this?

Drop me a message.

10 day Sanity Challenge.

I know it’s tough at the moment, being on lock down and trying to fill your days with things to stop you going crazy.

Trying to keep busy so that we don’t get bored.

I totally get that you might not be very motivated to exercise at the moment and thats cool.

That’s why I have put together this 10 day Sanity Challenge!

!0 simple tasks over 10 days to kick start your health and fitness, to give you something to keep yourself busy and a great way to stop your mind going on over drive.

The challenge is totally free and you will have access to my app that I use for my 12 week transformation clients.

This is totally free to sign up to and will be great for keeping yourself busy and adding a bit more structure you your day.

Just fill in your details below and you’re in!

Know your calories!

Do you know what your daily calorie intake should be?

Do you now if you’re eating too much or too little?

Not losing weight?

Feeling tired?

Input your details into the calculator and know your calories!

Powered by YAZIO

5 reason why you are not losing weight

5 Reasons that you are not losing weight

1. Portion size 

This is a big area when it comes to our food, how much is right for us??

A good weigh to judge a portion size that is right for you is by using your hand.

 Your meal should be made up of the things that your body needs to function propery. So we good protein, carbs, veg and essential fats.

 There are many ways to determine how much food you should be having with your meal such as weighing your food and keeping an eye on your macro nutrients with the use of my fitness pal

This can often be a tricky and stressful way of doing it if you haven’t mastered the basics of nutrition first.

So, let’s go back to the basics by using your hand to determine your portion sizes.

Construct your meals the following way:

• Protein: 2-3 palm-sized portions of sources of protein such as eggs, lamb, pork, fish.

• Veggies: 2-3 fist sized portions of veggies such as broccoli, cucumber, lettuce or kale.

• Carbohydrates: 4-5 cupped handfuls of carbs such as rice or sweet potato.

• Healthy fats: 2-3 thumb sized servings such as peanuts, avocado or peanut butter.

2. You’re not spending enough time on YOU:

We can all be guilty of this one. We live in an extremely busy world where our lives are filled by our jobs or looking after our families and often we forget to spend a bit of time on ourselves.

We struggle to find time to fit exercise into out daily routines which can result in high stress levels, low energy levels, poor nutrition and bad sleep patterns. All of which can contribute to weight gain or the inhability to lose weight.

We need to MAKE time to look after ourselves. By putting aside as little as twenty minutes where we can fit in a quick HIIT session or a brisk walk, we can start gradually improve our fitness levels and increase out chances of losing weight.

By doing this, we can also start to lower our stress levels, increase our energy output which will aid weight loss, feel more relaxed as it is a great distraction from out every day routines and an increase in fitness which will make our days a lot more productive as concentration levels will be higher we can avoid the mod afternoon slump in energy.

And hopefully cut down on the 9 cups of coffee! 

3. Poor sleep

Sleep is more important than we think. This is where our body takes its time to repair. If you are already in an exercise routine and not getting enough sleep, you might find that your sessions may be getting harder as the week goes on.

Often this is unavoidable because we always feel a bit done in by the time Friday approaches, but a lack of sleep won’t be helping.

 If we are looking to lose weight, not getting enough sleep will inhibit your bodies ability to repair itself whilst you sleep, this can lead to your weight loss slowing down or stopping completely.

What also comes with this is cravings for the foods we know we shouldn’t be easting. Where our bodies will be feeling tired and low on energy, out blood sugar levels will be raised which will lead us to craving sugary snack such as chocolate and crisps, anything to satisfy those cravings.

Try your best to get between 7-9 hours of sleep a night and see if you notice a different.

4. Eating whole foods.

To keep this one simple as there is a lot of confusion about what we should be eating.

For example, some years ago, granola was the new big thing on the health scene, it was THE breakfast of all breakfasts.

But now we are being told that it is bad for us. No wonder eating healthy is tough, we are being told different things every day.

So, lets go back to the basics, eating nutrient rich food such as fruit and veg, a good amount of protein and a good source of carbs and all you need to construct yourself a nutrient rich meal.

Pick fresh foods from the produce aisle at the supermarket and avoid the packaged up process foods that are calorie dense and lacking in good nutrients.

Not getting enough protein can also affect your weight loss as it is important to help your body repair and building lean muscle.

5. Not listening to your trainer!

 Trust your trainer and enjoy the process.

We will always strive to get you the results you desire but if you are not sticking to the plan outside of the gym, then it will always be more difficult to achieve them.

We have your best interests at heart and will develop a plan for you to follow and work together as a team to get you there.

We are in control when you are training but you need to be in control when you leave and stick to what we have planned.

WORKOUT AT HOME, WORK OR ONLINE WITH TRANSFORM90

Summer is fast approaching, the evenings are getting lighter, moods have improved and motivation is on the up.

It’s getting to that time where we are starting to think about wearing less clothes (shorts, skirts, t-shirts and vests I mean). This also makes us think a lot about our body shape.

You may have gone into your summer wardrobe and found some of your favourite items of clothing from last summer, but this time it’s not fitting as well as it was last year?

Maybe you’re a bit worried about certain parts of your body being on show?

Where motivation is starting to increase, confidence may start to decrease.

It may not even be motivation that’s a problem. A lot of people are motivated to change, but circumstances may prevent them.

You may not have the time to be able to get to the gym.

You may work long hours and feel tired at the end of the day and getting up early to get in some exercise before 6am just isn’t for you.

You may not like the gym environment and may want to exercise in the comfort of your own home but you aren’t sure where to start as there are no easy to use machines that you just press a button for at home.

Maybe the gym is too far away and there is nothing local to you for you to utilise to help you get into shape.

Luckily there are solutions to these problems. 

TRAIN in the luxury of your own HOME:

Have you thought about hiring a trainer to visit your home?

Or to train with you up the local park?

You don’t need any equipment and if equipment is required, I will take care of that for you.

What are the benefits of training outside of a gym?

• This takes a lot of the effort out of training as I come to you

• You don’t have to drive anywhere so you save valuable time

• You can wear what you like to train without the fear of being judged

• There are no queues for equipment or services

• You are the sole focus in the sessions

• You have privacy and confidentiality in the sessions

• You can shower at home and be ready quickly after the session

• We can train outside if the weather is good (or you like the rain!)

Training at home is great, someone, like myself, comes to your home, has all the equipment ready and you can do it in the comfort of your own back garden.

Combine the power of in person workouts with ONLINE COACHING:

Have you thought about having online coaching?

This can also take a lot of the effort out of planning your exercise schedule as it is all done for you.

Consultations, reviews and check ins can be done through the use of Skype or via phone call which adds the accountability and momentum which is the secret to sustained transformations.

After the initial consultation, a programme and nutrition plan is made for you and everything is sent out to you and all you have to do is add your workout and diet info to your online tracker and then check in once or twice a week and update your progress.

Programmes are tailored to your specific needs, whether its gym or home based or around the time you have available to exercise.

With this service you are employing a coach and not a trainer.

Some people don’t need a trainer to stand next to them and count reps and push them on. Sometimes all you need to be given is the stuff to do, what to eat and that’s it.

It’s very easy.

What’s next?

Both of these services are available for the Transform90 programme and are a great way to get the results you want whilst taking a lot of the effort for yourself away.

To book in a FREE transformation session apply via the application form below.
Spaces are limited so be quick!

What's going on in that body of yours??

Food and dietary habits: What’s going on in that body of yours? (PART 1)

Time to bore you with some science!!

But some important, need to know science, about how your body is reacting to what is going into it and how every person is different.

It has been accepted for hundreds of years that excesses in dietary intake are a major factor in causing obesity and its related health issues.

Modern life has had extensive effects on society and the affects, not only in a person’s weight, but their health.

We often class Obesity by how we view people, what their size, clothes size and appearance is.

These days, there are many factors that influence our diets and food intake such as:

·       The development of market economies

·       reliance on imported, non-traditional foods

·      Increasing urbanisation

·      Changing occupational structures

·      Social status

·      Increases in animal fat and animal protein intake

·      Decreases in vegetable fat and vegetable intake

·      Reduction in total and specifically complex carbs and increases in sugar intake

These factors are major players of the modern diet. Diet is one of the most powerful influencers of obesity in modern life but due to the fundamental human right to freedom of choice and freedom of speech i.e. advertising, diet is probably one of the most difficult influences to control.

There are many different ways in which food intake can affect the capacity of the body to change its underlying controls and therefor increase or decrease the likelihood of fat storage occurring.

These include:

·      Total calorie intake and energy balance

·      The effect of foods on appetite and satiety

·      Macronutrient (protein, fat, carbs) and alcohol intake

·      Food processing and chemical additives

Hormonal considerations:

It is accepted that the balance or imbalance of certain hormones can play a big part in the development of weight gain and obesity.

This is a very complex area because there are many different hormonal interactions that influence the body’s natural state.

Have you ever heard of Homeostasis?? This means remaining stable by staying the same.

What about Allostasis?? This means remaining stable by being variable.

The body needs to keep some mechanisms the same whilst other must ebb and flow in order to keep the body healthy.

Therefore, our health relies on the proper management of the homeostatic and allostatic processes of the body.

A good example of homeostatic control would be the maintenance of a consistent blood sugar levels while an allostatic control would be the management of a healthy female reproductive cycle.

Obesity can happen as a result of disruption to homeostatic controls that fail to keep internal mechanisms and environment the same, as well as interference with allostatic controls that subsequently allow body chemistry to swing beyond healthy parameters.

The hormonal environment within a person’s body influences the body as a whole especially the storage and release of different molecules absorbed into the blood or lymph from the digestive system.

Hormone imbalances can cause one person to store more fatty acids in adipose (fatty) tissue where another burns these for energy, or one person to use amino acids to build muscle tissue where another breaks these down in the liver to use as an energy source.

A balanced hormonal environment can enhance health, whereas imbalances in one hormone tend to have a knock on effect on others, causing a cascade of imbalances and potentially influencing the development of the disease process.

Hormone balance itself is affected by many factors, including diet and physical activity; sleep patterns, stress and emotional resilience; exposure to drugs or toxins; medications and environmental chemicals.

I know this is all the confusing science jargon but believe me this is very important to understand.

It is important to understand how your body works and that there are many different factors other than the amount of calories you consume or don’t consume, that could be affecting your fitness/health goals.

In the next blog I will be covering the dietary factors that influence weight gain and also explain the law of Thermodynics, which again is very important and will definitely change your outlook on calorie counting.

This will make this section seem a lot clearer and you will understand why this is an important chapter.

What's stopping you?

Summer is FINALLY, almost upon us!

For most, the change in weather, the warmer climate brings about a massive boost in motivation, not just towards physical goals, but it can improve your work rate at your job, the motivation to go after something new, go for that promotion, start that business you have always thought about, the possibilities are endless.

For some it can bring a lot of pressure into our lives, I know it does for me.

Here’s why, and I hope you can relate to this.

I have defiantly been feeling the change in motivation in different areas of my life. I don’t have a particular fitness goal at the moment but I am defiantly enjoying my training a lot more now the weather is warmer. That dose of vitamin D can really do a lot to change your mood.

I have found I look forward to the early starts at work more. I usually start around 7 am most days and I’ll tell you now, it was horrendous getting up and about at that time of the morning to come in for that time. It was freezing cold, dark and gloomy by the time I got into the gym, and by the time I left it wasn’t a lot different as I often finish around 7 or 8pm so I often wouldn’t see daylight out of work. 

The change in weather has certainly helped in that aspect.

During this change of motivation, I also forgot about the pressures that this time of year can bring on us, especially if you are working towards a personal goal. Again not just a physical goal, but a personal goal.

Anyway to the point, I started back up at my boxing gym last Thursday and it felt great to be back, do to work commitments it has been difficult to get myself up there but I managed to change a few bits around and made sure I made some time for myself.

After the boxing, I met up with some friends to celebrate my mate’s birthday. We were meeting at the local curry house for a meal.

Now, as I was enjoying my training so much, I wanted to make the right choices so I had water instead of beer and a tandoori mixed grill with no rice and no sauce. I kind of healthy option I guess.

The lads I was with all ordered the standard curries and were starting to put the beers away.

No comments were made but I did feel a little bit self-conscious of what I had in front of me.

As the night went on and the conversations flowed, I began to notice a pattern in the conversation. And a lot of it involved alcohol.

Now, I’m not a big drinker these days and I haven’t been since I had my second hip operation. I wasn’t allowed to drink for around 6 months due to medication vacating my system and I never really missed it.

The pattern of the conversation was what everyone had coming up this year. A lot of what the guys had plans were revolved around alcohol. Stag do’s, golf weekends, trips to magaluf, all trips that involved them getting as smashed as they could whilst away.

Before I go on, I don’ have a problem with them doing those kinds of things and nor would I try and convince them to try something else, that is there choice. I have been on stag do’s and celebrated mate’s birthdays and it’s been great but it’s not something I generally get excited about

But it did get me thinking, I don’t enjoy any of that stuff anymore. I’m border line T-total and that’s just my choice.

But over the past year or so, I have been labelled boring by these friends and I can see why I guess. I had nothing to contribute to their conversations as I didn’t have anything like that planned and there were a few weekends there that I haven’t been invited too because they know I am not a big drinker.

Being labelled boring left me feeling very hurt and gave me a sense of loneliness. If I don’t enjoy the things these guys do, then where does that leave me?

This kind of criticism can often lead you to doubt your own path.

I often think: Am I boring? Is there something wrong with me for doing something different? For not wanting to go out drinking every weekend? I am I a loser because I enjoy being fit and healthy?

It left my brain in a bit of a whirlwind and lot of self doubt began to creep in. This can very often derail a persons goals and aspirations.

I am off to Finland next week and I am going on my own because I couldn’t think of anybody I knew that would be interested in doing something like that. At first I felt really proud that I had the guts to do a trip like that on my own, now I feel a bit like a loser after hearing all my friends go on about their plans this year together and there’s me about to jet off on my own.

The summer time is a big time for socialising and don’t get me wrong, I do a lot in the summer with friends where you don’t feel under pressure to drink and but we do live in a country that has a big booze culture and lot of us can feel a bit under pressure.

It is a time of year where there are a lot of physical events going on, half marathons, mud runs, the race for life etc. You might feel motivated in your training towards and event in the summer but there will always be that pressure from people who won’t quite understand why you’re doing it.

Pressure to go wayward on your diet, to drink, to skip a training session, there are loads of variables.

This can often lead to stress about what it is you’re supposed to do. Are you going to stay committed to training? To working towards that goal at work? To put in that extra work on a Saturday evening instead of going out to the local pub or bar?

You will always get people who will understand, and those who won’t understand and probably pile on the pressure to stray from what you are working towards.

At the need of the day the choice is yours. The important thing is not to worry about other people opinions and to carry on your chosen path.

It hurt being called boring by friends and then not being included in certain things, but I remain happy with what I am trying to achieve and what I am working towards which is feeling and being the best person I can be.

Everyone is entitled to be happy, whether that be boozy weekends away, training for an event or working towards that promotion at work. We all need to understand each other and not judge one another as we all enjoy different things.

Whatever you enjoy doing, go out and do it!

7 Brides wanted who want to lose a dress size

ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED?

We are seeking 7 Brides to be wanted for a free transformation session worth £99! (Apply below).

Is your day fast approaching and your not quite feeling in the shape that you want to be in or not quite feeling confident with the fit of your dress?

I am on the look out for 7 brides to be who want to transform their bodies for their big day in 2017. They are worth £99 and I will leave no stone unturned to make sure you start the process the right way.

APPLY NOW TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN DROP  AT LEAST 1 DRESS SIZE IN THE NEXT 4 WEEKS.

CREATE YOUR OWN SECOND CHANCES

You cannot get to a future position until you define your current situation.

Define where you are and what you have, without prejudice, and you will be ready to fulfil your purpose in life.

The only way to define your current reality is to erase the past completely, and disregard the pull of emotions in your mind. This step can seem more difficult than it actually is. Every decision you make during the day is influenced by you past experiences and your emotions. Usually, this is a good thing because it keeps you from repeating the same mistakes.

In order to define where you are right now, you must forget the past and treat your emotions as a disease. Any feelings of fear, anger, sadness, or guilt will prevent you from objectively measuring your current situation.

Once your mind is completely clear and in the present, imagine you were dropped from the sky into your life as it currently stands right now. How would a stranger describe your life right now with no knowledge of your emotions and desires? Carefully measure your assets and liabilities, your strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of your connections.

Have a go at this exercise from both a personal and professional point of view.

Next, keep your emotions turned off but let your past drift into play.

What have you accomplished?

What have you failed to accomplish?

Ignore excuses that come into your head. Ignore your emotions and any attempts that your mind makes to justify what you are in the process of accomplishing. Refuse to evade reality by pretending things are one way when they are really another. Only then will you be able to see where you stand and how far you are from achieving your goal. Take careful notice of your victories and your defeats. Are there any patterns?

What have you been particularly successful at? DO your failures have anything in common?

Now that you know where you stand, you must embrace it and realize that only you are responsible for both the good and bad in your life. It is your own bad strategies that are to blame for your failures. This mind-set will free you from excuses and open your mind to all the possibilities that are existing in your life.

Instead of getting defensive about past mistakes and failures, learn from them and search out new and exciting opportunities to face and similar challenges to overcome. Once you do this, you will start creating your own second chances.

You must ruthlessly evaluate where you are now, it is the only way to get to where you want to go.

The key here factor here is that your biggest obstacle in life is always yourself and not your external factors.

You must stop trying to change external factors and focus on changing yourself.

You have to take responsibility for the person that you are right now, in this moment and that includes everything that you have or have not accomplished in your life.

Taking responsibility in this way will help you consolidate your current position in life with complete confidence and integrity.

Once you know exactly where and who you are, you can strategically determine where you want to go and who you want to be.

Don't ask, act!

Phil

A life's lesson

So this week I wanted to write about what happens in our lives and what it can teach us.

Since I wrote ‘my toughest year’ and the follow up to that post, I have kind of been struggling about what more I can write about to help deliver a lesson on life.

Has anybody been suffering from the January lull?

Perhaps not feeling as upbeat about this year as you thought you might be?

I was certainly feeling like that.

The problem is, I set so many goals last year and I’m so pleased that I completed them all, that I kind of left myself with nothing to aim for this year.

Obviously a holiday here or there is a must for anybody. I was looking into challenges such as the Ice Ultra challenge, a 250km race across Lapland in Finland that is run over 5 days. At 40 miles a day and only 2 months to train, it was a bit much for me and I didn’t want to get over confident.

After all, I have two metal hips now and am very limited to what challenges I can take part in.

For this reason, I have been suffering a bit with my motivation for my own goals. I’m not quite sure what I’m aiming for this time around.

I did sign myself up for another boxing match which will keep me fit and training and will also keep my head busy whilst I figure out what step to take next. I was finding that without anything at all in the pipeline, I was eating rubbish and not exercising, which resulted in me feeling crappy and low on energy so it made sense to at least do something I enjoyed, even though I had done it before, but it gets me up and motivated.

The realisation that I can’t play football anymore and do as much as everyone else has really hit me hard and it’s a tough one to get out of I’ll admit.

This morning I received a phone call from my mother….

She called to tell me that my Auntie’s cancer had returned and this time it had returned to her Liver which isn’t good news.

My Auntie is an amazing lady, who lost her husband (my Uncle) to cancer when I was about 14. She was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 years ago.

She also had a bout of skin cancer and had a tumour removed before.

When I went to on my holidays to Spain last year and to see my family in Gib, I hadn’t seen any of them for a very long time.

My Auntie would walk about with us under an umbrella because she wasn’t allowed to get the sun on her skin. Not once did I see her smile leave her face, the smile she always had on her face for since I can remember.

Her attitude was so positive; it was an inspiration.

She was having chemotherapy which would knock her for 6 and wouldn’t be able to leave the house for a day or two but when she did, she would have that smile on her face.

Going through that and coming out the other side to then hearing the news that she was given, I can’t even begin to imagine how that must feel.

Hearing the news this morning broke all of our hearts. To be so positive for the past through years and be told that she has beaten the cancer, for it to come back in this way just seems so unfair.

But life isn’t fair sometimes is it?

My Auntie chose to be positive every day. My family would worry about her, try to wrap her in cotton wool but she wouldn’t have it, she just wanted to live a normal life and be happy.

Obviously this is a very personal matter but I am sharing it with you because I feel we can take note from this kind of situation.

What do we have to feel negative about in life? I mean really?

For me I am lucky enough to still be here after the emergency surgery I had on my leg, so even though I can’t do as much as I used to, I still have a choice about how I live my life.

Being positive in what seems to be an impossible situation, is a challenge. It’s tough. It’s a true test of what you’re made of.

But at the end of the day we have that choice. Had a bad week at work? Well you can choose to leave that week behind you and choose to start a fresh.

The choices we make are what make our lives the best they can be; nobody can do it for you.

Hearing that news this morning, after feeling a bit sorry for myself, got me thinking that I have the choice not to feel this way, the same way that my Auntie had the choice not to let her circumstances get the better of her and still get out every day, see her friends, go about her normal routine, and be happy.

I took this mornings news as a lesson, pure and simple. Hard news to take but we all turned It into a positive.

I hope this blog will be taken the right way and to just remember that if you are struggling to get going yet this year, there is still time on the clock, you can change your circumstances just like that, it all that’s with you and the way you think about your situation and circumstances.

Phil

Exercise: The most under used anti-depressant

So…. as we come to the end of the first month of a new year, where do you feel that you are?

Are you smashing those new year’s goals?

Keeping up with the new eating regime?

Getting in your weekly quota of exercise?

Or have you fallen by the way side a little bit?

Yet to get started?

Lost motivation already?

This can happen because of a few different things such as the goals you set just aren’t quite exiting enough, your daily routine makes it tough to fit in regular exercise, or you’re just getting started a little later this year.

For some people, it is a very tough time of year.

The dark days and cold weather can make it very difficult to get up early in the morning to hit the gym before work, it may affect your motivation so socialise, and can severely affect your mood.

This time of year can be very hard for someone who suffers with depression or anxiety. They will shut themselves away from people whereas a lot of people will be out working towards their goals, attending nights out and socialising.

People who suffer with these conditions may be seeing a therapist or counsellor to help talk through problems, some may be on medication also.

There are many different ways of helping with depression.

One of the most under used anti-depressant, is exercise.

I believe a combination of humanistic therapy (counselling) and becoming involved in an exercise programme, will help accelerate an individual into beating this horrible condition.

The Humanistic model of counselling focusses on the person as a whole. To create a heathy balance and sustainable feeling of wellbeing we need to pay attention and not ignore any aspect of ourselves. In order to achieve the balance, we need to work on:

Mind—talking therapy enables you to express difficult thoughts and feeling in a confidential safe setting where you can say things that you have would never dream of saying to anyone else. You can explore issues which will enable you to understand yourself more effectively and enable you to manage your anxiety, stress, depression in a different way. This will equip you will strategies and techniques for the future.

Body—Exercise releases endorphins which are the hormones that help us feel good. It helps release the energy that emotions create in the body. Take a moment to reflect on how your body feels when you are stressed. Sometimes you need more than talking to release the anger (energy).

So when you combine counselling and exercise you create the BALANCE which enables you to substance your wellbeing long term.

Exercise and counselling both have the benefit of helping an individual with their general well-being.

Exercise increases confidence and leaves you feeling good about yourself and positive due to the release of endorphins.

Counselling can help you to get things off your chest, discover the root of a problem and also increase your confidence.

Exercise can take you out of your head. By focusing on an exercise, helps to bring you into the moment which temporarily shuts down negative thought processes which can lead to negative feelings. This can take you out of the negative sprawl of depression or anxiety and helps to set you on the path to a positive lifestyle.

The humanistic approach to counselling focuses on the person as a whole in body, mind and soul.

By talking through issues, difficulties and challenges life is presenting you with, enables you to understand and deal with things differently. However, when you don’t pay attention to all areas of the self, it creates an imbalance.

This is where exercise plays an important part of your overall well-being.

By expending energy in a positive way, you will be releasing the negative energy and all the negative emotions that build up through the release of endorphins.

Emotions are energy that needs to be expressed verbally and physically.

Your soul is your own source or self-worth. When you are feeling more positive, it increases your self worth and confidence.

The Result-

Confidence and skills to handle life’s challenges more effectively.

You will have the strategies to manage emotions and thoughts.

You will feel stronger, fulfilled and resilient.

You will be able to move forward with your life, setting yourself new goals that you never thought were possible.

Phil

MOTIVATION: Is it affecting more than you think?

Hi everybody!

Since I launched the transform90 program, I have met some amazing people.

I’m sure by now you have seen me pop up on Facebook and inviting you to apply for one of the free transformation sessions that I have offered.

Through these applications, it really gives me an understanding about what the applicant wants from the session and how I can help them.

The whole point of these sessions is to empower you with a few tools, confidence and motivation, to help you realise that you can achieve the goals that you have set for yourself. The sessions are designed to help you understand a bit more about your eating patterns, activity patterns and general lifestyle habits, so that you can understand a bit more about how you can make certain changes to your life and enjoy exercising again.

There is no catch and there are options to get involved in the 12 week transform90 program, but this will not be hard sold in anyway to you. Again, the whole transformation session is about you and changing your life.

Anyway! Through the application I receive, I can get a real understanding about why this person has applied. By the way they talk about their goals, why they haven’t achieved them in the past and how important on a scale of 1-10 it is to them. Everybody should be putting a 10!

The big questions on the application are why haven’t you seen results in the past and what are the biggest challenges you face in getting there.

9 times out of 10 it will be down to motivation!

Motivation is so important in achieving any kind of goal in life. Without having a purpose behind your goal, your motivation will dip very quickly and you’ll think ‘what’s the point’.

Ring any bells?

First of all I want you to have a think about a goal that you are currently working towards, or are thinking about getting started.

Got one?

Good!

Now I want you to ask yourself 3 questions:

Why?

Why?

Why?

Think of your goal as an onion. When you first think about your goal, and lets use dropping a coupe of dress sizes as an example, the answer to the first question will simply be: Because I want to lose 2 dress sizes.

Ask yourself why again. This time it will make you think a bit deeper and you’ll start peeling back the layers. The second answer might be: Because I want to fit into a size 12.

Now, ask yourself why you want to fit into a size 12, an example answer might be: Because I have a wedding or a party to go to and I want to feel happy and confident in my new size 12 outfit.

Then ask yourself: How would you feel if you achieved that goal and felt the best you’ve ever felt?

As we start to peel back the layers on the ‘onion’, we discover more reasons why we want to achieve certain things, thus giving your goal a purpose. You’re doing it for you, your happiness, your confidence, to feel the best you’ve ever felt.

Right?

Practice that series of questions on yourself, and ask yourself WHY as many times as it takes until you peel the layers back to that purpose.

Now, coming back to the motivation side of things. We have just taken the first step into getting some of that drive back, but here is the big question.

Is your lack of motivation affecting other areas of your life?

This is a question I ask people in their transformation sessions.

Most of the time it will just affect the exercise part of a persons life.

Some times it affects more.

Does your lack of motivation affect your social life? Do you feel confident enough to go out and socialise? Do you feel lethargic and tired and not really feeling up for it this time?

I have spoken to people who have lost a lot of friends and distanced themselves away from family also where they just don’t feel like doing anything. Lack of motivation and thinking what’s the point is a common theme. Also, if you don’t feel comfortable in your own skin and not really in a place where you’re feeling confident, you might not want to be seen by people, therefor you might avoid social events or gatherings.

Lack of motivation can also affect areas like your sex life. You might have a long day at work and feel tired and not really feel up for any intimacy with your partner. Also, if you aren’t feeling confident with your body where you lack the motivation to drop those dress sizes, you might feel that your partner is un-attracted to you, therefor avoiding intimate interaction. This may just happen on just the odd occasion but can then snowball into more than one occasion. This can put a huge strain on any relationship and can cause more stress and low moods which are difficult to shake off.

It can also affect your work. Maybe you don’t have the motivation to push yourself harder to earn more money, go for a promotion or venture out into a job that you’ll enjoy. Maybe there’s an opportunity to progress in your profession but the lack of motivation and confidence is making you doubt yourself and before you know it, the opportunity has passed you by?

These are huge areas of a persons life that can be affected by a lack of motivation.

Imagine dropping those dress sizes, feeling good about yourself, having the motivation to go out and see people without feeling low in confidence, having a great relationship with your partner because you’re not feeling unattractive or moving forward with your professional life and getting that promotion or job that you never before had the courage to go for. Resulting in having more money to enjoy life. All because you feel good about YOU!

Create a personal slogan for yourself, you cannot fulfil your purpose in life without connecting your personal identity to it.

A personal slogan will help fully develop the bond between your purpose and your identity,

Find something that you really want to do, no matter how unachievable you think it is.

Life is there to be enjoyed, and having a lack of motivation can hold you back so much, you just need to know how to break out of it and empower yourself with the tools to do so.

That is what my transformation sessions are all about.

There is nothing better than saying what you’re going to do and then going out and doing it!

If you have given this a read and feel you’d like to try one of the transformation sessions, please do not hesitate to get in contact and we will get you on back on to the right path.

Phil

How's it going??

We are now well into the new year now and I want to know: how is it going?

New years resolutions have been set from the end of last year, you should be on it big time as it's January, looking forward to a new and healthier you.

Have you started yet?

Or even stopped already?

Are you already lacking the motivation?

Maybe your not sure on where to start?

Is that new diet you said you were going to do not for you, making you even more tired or you just haven't started it yet and keep telling yourself 'next week'?

Are you feeling a bit daunted about the goal you have set and are now feeling that it's beyond you?

With the transform90 programme, my clients drop at least one dress size in their transformation programs with me and one of the biggest changes I see is a huge rise in confidence and energy.

My clients have changed their lives and have embarked on new and exiting challenges that they had never dreamed of before. 

Some have gone on to gain a promotion at work or have left jobs that were bringing them down and started on a new and enjoyable career.

Getting back into a dress, jeans or top that you have not been able to wear for a while can help create a huge shift in how you feel. Imagine having more energy and being able to shop for the clothes that you really want to fit into.

On my transformation programs, I make sure that my clients have all the tools and support they need to see the results they want. It is not just about the training that you do. You need to make sure that you stay accountable to your goal. And you will have all the support you need.

 All clients start their journey at transform90 with a transformation session: this can be life changing. In this session we look at all your obstacles and help find solutions for you. I will show you some simple nutritional changes you can make to increase your energy levels and specific exercises that will help change your body shape.

pply below and begin the journey towards a better you.

Spaces are limited and will fill up fast.

4 Ways To Succeed at Achieving your New Years Resolution

It's that time of year again guys!

As another year draws to a close, no doubt you will be looking back at what you have achieved this year, reflecting on the achievements, the things you didn't quite reach and those goals that you set out to achieve but never got started on them.

Do you have difficulty sticking to your New Years Resolutions?

Don't worry, you're not the only one, in fact, just under half of those who set new year goals have not even started or are still hanging in there 6 months down the line.

This is due to us setting goals in January without any or very little planning involved.

Vague resolutions such as losing weight, getting rich, find a new job or eat better become our mantras.

If you truly want to achieve a goal next year, you need to get too work:

1. BREAK YOUR GOAL DOWN INTO ACHIEVABLE TARGETS.

One of the main reasons people have a hard time achieving their new year targets, is because the goals are too general. The big one is usually 'get fit' or 'lose weight', what exactly does that mean? Personal fitness is different for everyone. Are you trying to put on muscle or shed the body fat? Are you focused on altering your diet, activity levels, or both?

Think about the specifics or your goal and break it dow into small, manageable bits.

For example, your new years goal is to lose 2 stone by the end of March.

Lets break that down, to achieve that target, you need to focus on losing 2.3 pounds per week to achieve this. 

Braking it down like this can make the goal seem a lot more achievable. Instead of thinking 'how on earth am I going to lose 28 pounds in 3 months?' you will be thinking 'I need to lose 2.3 pounds this week'. Having a smaller number in mind makes the goal far less intimidating.

2. SCHEDULE CHECK INS.

It is definitely more common than you think to have forgotten about you new years goals completely after a few weeks or months into the year.

Everyday life can catch up with you and play a huge factor in your putting your goals on the back burner. You may be too focused on family or work life or other obligations to stay focused on you and your goals.

Try to schedule several days throughout the year and reassess the progress that you are making towards your resolutions.

Make one day each month to assess the following:

How close are you to achieving your goal?

What have you done in the last month that has contributed to your goal?

What will you do next month to work towards your goal?

3. DON"T LET FAILURE STOP YOU?

It is incredibly difficult to sustain your efforts to achieve your goals all year round.

Once you start to lack the motivation, it's all too easy to start talking yourself out of it

You must recognise, that you can still move forward, even if you have come to a complete halt.

Take dieting for example, a cheat day can often turn into a cheat week if motivation is beginning to drop, but remember that you can always restart your diet at anytime. The same goes for your workout routine, a few days off the gym can always turn into a few in the gym. Its up to you to continue that progress.

4. MEASURE EVERYTHING.

Break your goals down into manageable units.

Measure the percentage of your goal that is complete vs the incomplete.

Measure your body!

Keep a journal and log everything you have done that is in relation to your goal, even if it's a setback.

I hope you are all ready to tackle the new year and have all set some goals that you really want to go for.

Remember to make them specific.

Want to lose weight? How much?

Want to do a run? How far?

If you haven't, you can still get started on your plans, its never too late.

Happy new year everybody!

Heres to 2017!!!

5 Reasons you might not be achieving those new years goals

Have you ever set yourself a goal for the new year?

Have you always achieved what you had set out to do?

If not, why not?

Here are 5 reasons why you might not be achieving you new years goals

1.     Going it alone: When January comes, and you’re ready to get started on your new years goals, but that first visit to the gym or that first run can always be a tough one. Especially if you are doing it on your own. It’s easy to tell yourself you won’t bother today and just stay at home. But imagine if you had to tell someone else that and they won’t let that happen?? You are more likely to stay motivated if you have a training partner. Training with someone will keep you and your partner on track when motivation dips. When training alone, it is all too easy to skip the gym or not go for that run you were going to go for. But having a training partner will give you that extra push as they also have a goal to achieve and you won’t want to let them down.

2.     Extremely high resolutions: By setting yourself unrealistic targets, you will set yourself up for the fall straight away. Of course, you can set ay goal you want, but you have to make sure that it’s realistic for you to achieve them. For example, wanting to do the London marathon having never trained a day in your life and you have only 4 weeks to make sure you do it in under 2 hours. That’s obviously just a very extremeexample but hopefully it makes sense.  By setting small, realistic targets, you will maintain your motivation and achieve your goal. Setting yourself a goal that you want to achieve by the end of the year, you may feel you won’t achieve it because it’s 12 months away. From personal experience, I have found that setting a goal for every 3 months, you will be more driven. You can absolutely set yourself a goal for the end of next year, but set smaller goals along the way that are relative to the main target and that will help along your way. This way you will always see the end result insight.

3.     Giving up too early: Ever start the new year saying: This is it, I’m going to get fit! Going to start the new year as I mean to go on? And then February comes around and the buzz has left you? Most people who set new year goals, will have stopped doing anything about it after 4-6 weeks and start slipping back into the old habits and before you know it, you are back in the same old routine and not achieved anything. This is where setting a target to achieve within the first 3 months of the year will really help to keep you on track and set you up for success. You can set a goal for the end of each month or until the end of March, either way, it will all help you to keep you on track to complete your long term goal.

4.     Financial Burden: Let’s face it, January is a tough time when it comes to getting back into training. Not just because of motivation but because of finances. After Christmas, we are all trying to save a little bit to recover from the spending that comes with the festive period. A good way to save money is to give up alcohol and sweets for January. I always give myself until March off but then again I’m not much of a drinker these days. But the money you will save will help go towards investing in yourself and your fitness goals. Alcohol and sweets are going to take you further away from your goal at the end of the day, let’s be honest. Joining a gym these days isn’t too expensive either. The way the fitness industry is moving and the way gyms operates, you can relate it to the supermarkets squaring off against one another. It’s very easy to find a gym that you can join for no more than £15 a month, so having the money to be able to afford a gym membership can be overcome with ease. At the end of the day, the best way to invest your money, is on yourself.

5.     Not Believing in yourself: This is a big one. Many people just don’t believe they can achieve what they are thinking about doing. When I was in hospital after my surgery, I too thought ‘there’s no way I’m going to be able to achieve what I wanted too next year now’. But I am now writing this letter, 1 year on, having completed everything I had planned on my list, and it feels amazing. You can do anything you set your mind too. Don’t be afraid to set a goal because it might take a few months, the time will pass anyway regardless. Have the confidence to throw yourself into it and the main thing to remember is to do it for yourself. Don’t set a goal to impress anybody, prove someone else wrong or to try and be better than someone. Set a goal that you would be proud of yourself for, set a goal to prove yourself right and be a better you. When you work hard at something, the greater you will feel when you have achieved it and to say you did it for yourself is the most fulfilling buzz you can get.

If you need that extra push in the new year, apply for one of my free transformation sessions to find out how I can help you achieve your targets.

FESTIVE FITNESS CHALLENGE

With Christmas fast approaching, that means only one thing.

CHRISTMAS PARTIES!

The Challenge is simple.

Complete the exercises set on the given days, or whatever works around your schedule.

Think you’ve got what it takes?

Download the challenge for free from the link above and then post your results to the Facebook page.

Good Luck!!

Phil

(We get amazing results for our clients but everyone is different and it depends on a number of factors including initial fitness levels, genetic make up and how much you out into getting the results we teach you to get.)

One year on from my toughest year.

Right, here it is, the blog I have been desperate to write for a while now but I had just a few things to finish off before I could write this.

It has now been exactly a year since the disaster of my second hip replacement.

I am not going to lie, I remember lying in my hospital bed this time a year ago, thinking how on earth am I going to get out of this one? How was my life ever going to be the same? What am I going to be able to do now? I pretty much have no chance of laying any kind of sport ever again. Was my leg going to ever be the same? The doctors told me that it wouldn't!

What on earth was I going to do now? I have a physical job, would I ever be able to go back to it? Would I have to sit in an office for the rest of my life?

A million and one thought were going through my head during those 10 days in hospital and I have never been so afraid of what the future held for me.

As Christmas approached, I was getting very bored of sitting at home not really doing a lot, I decided that I wasn't going to let this beat me, I just need some guidance to figure out how I was going to get started.

I bought myself a couple of books. I have never really been one for reading, especially self help books, but I wasn't doing a lot else so I gave it a go.

I read these books in 5 days! And after, I had never felt so revitalised and pumped to get myself back up to speed.

And to get me started, all I had to do was plan my year from Jan. At first I didn't have a scooby too (clue) :-), but I gave the pages a second going over to really try and understand what they were after.

The first stage for me was getting back to work. At this time I was teaching PE lessons for a friends company and where I was a supervisor, my role wasn't too physical. So the first port of call was to ask if I could do a couple of hours every day in January, even though I would still be on my crutches. They said of course and this is where it would all begin. Those 2 hours a day also helped my mental state, it got me out of the house, got me moving around for a couple of hours a day, and made me feel good.

Next was too get back to personal training. That was achieved by the first of February which I was very surprised about. I had moved gyms where I had no clients, I was determined to make it work at the new place, so I was converting shifts left right and centre to get myself known and also increase my confidence in the new environment.

I also had a holiday to Las Vegas booked in April for my 30th birthday which I new I had to save a lot of money for, so it was time to graft even though I was still in a lot of pain. But I had a goal to achieve and was ready to do whatever it takes to do it.

Vegas was amazing! I went with my dad as it was his 60th birthday and it was unreal. White water rafting through the grand canyon followed by a helicopter ride, going the see The Killers at the brand new T-Mobile arena, night time helicopter rides, cycling too the hoover damn! It made all the hard work worth it.

My goal for this year was to have 4 trips away as I didn't have any the year before for obvious reasons. My parents have a holiday home in Spain so I went out there a couple of time and also a small trip to benidorm for a friends birthday, these things just have to be down.

Another goal was to improve my education and earn more qualifications. I passed my GP exercise referral course and Level 4 personal trainer course. Both huge qualifications for the fitness industry as it allows me to help people on a different level.

Now, this big one! As I had started to build up my fitness, I joined the boxing gym that I used to train at. As I couldn't really use my lower body to get fit, I tried the boxing. I absolutely loved it and being part of a team. After a few sessions, I got asked if I would like to have a bout in November.

At first I thought NO CHANCE! But I gave it some thought at the fight night fell on the exact date of my second hip replacement. What a way to see how far I have come since in just a year!

So I was signed and committed. I devoted myself for 2 months to the training and dieting. It was the toughest training I have ever done! But the end result of winning a boxing match in front of all my friends and family, was bigger than the training and the dieting. For the first time in a long time, I felt like my old self, expect even better!

I had the fight on Saturday and I WON! The relief after was so much that I actually got ill hah, only a bit of man flu. But It had felt like a whole year of pushing myself, getting myself back on my feet, working towards these small targets, had finally all been achieved and my body just went into complete relaxation.

Find a purpose too your goal. I know I go on about setting yourself goals, but I hope you can see, from personal experience, how important these small goals are for improving your life and improving yourself!

Fitness isn't just about looking great on the beach, its about you, its about you feeling good, enjoying life and being ready for anything the world throws at you.

As 2017 approaches, get working on this goals for next year now, and throw yourself into the process of achieving them. 

Next year is going to be your best year yet, I guarantee it!

LETS DO THIS!!!

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Why I love my job

As a personal trainer, not only do I love seeing my clients getting the results they want, but also how the process can change their lives.

I don't believe I have ever had a client that has come to me 100%happy with their bodies and also their minds. 

As previously discussed in the goal setting blog, I bring you back to the importance of WHY.

When I sit down with a client to talk about their goals, I will ask them why at least 3 times. It is usually by the third why, the real reason behind their goal is revealed.

Many of these reasons can be because the client has lost confidence in themselves, maybe they've been through a bad break up and are trying to get themselves back on track to feeling happier, It can be because of stress, maybe they have issues at home or work that they are trying to escape from for a couple of hours a week and channel their stress into something that is going to ultimately improve them as a person.

Clients can often view their trainer as somebody they can open up to and get things off their chest. This client may not have anybody they feel they can trust with the information they give to you. Sometimes a client can be totally knowledgeable when it comes to exercise and just wants someone neutral to talk to things about whilst being made to do the exercise they may not want to do on their own as often stress and anxiety can make you not want to do anything active.

I myself have had clients with many different kinds of things going on in their lives. I will never ever give them advice or tell them what to do with a situation that I feel is out of my scope of practice. But my job is to make that client feel happy and safe in the gym environment and help them to forget the outside issues going on in their lives.

With the 12 week transformation programme, the difference I have seen in my clients from start to finish, not just physically, but mentally, has been amazing and it is the joy of knowing that I have played a small part in making that person feel better about themselves that makes being a personal trainer so rewarding. 

You have the opportunity to improve a persons life and give someone an escape from the struggles of their everyday lives and it is for this reason above all why being a personal trainer is an amazing job. And if you're not making someones life better than you are wasting your time.

A client of mine recently wrote me a testimonial for my new website, which I have shared below.

And before they sent it to me, I had no idea of what an impact I had on them as a person and when I have days where maybe I don't feel i'm good at my job, I just give it a read through and see the difference I made and can make to others.

'Phil is a wonderful personal trainer. He pushes you hard but always in the best way! He takes his time getting to know you, what your goals are and how you are going to achieve them. Phil is kind and considerate and a really good laugh. I lost inches and toned up. He also helped me to regain confidence in myself. He made it all so easy. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him for excellent results'.