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NOW TO YOU

MINDSET

Before you embark on your journey we are going to focus on your mindset. You can dream of having the best body in the world every night and think about it every day, but if you aren’t focused, committed and determined to work for it, it will never happen. Not everything comes easy in life, but with a positive mental attitude you’ll be surprised at how easy it can actually be.

Exercise doesn’t have to take 60 minutes to be effective and you don’t have to give up your social life to reach your goal. The sooner you make exercise and healthy eating a normal part of your daily routine, the better you’ll feel and the easier it will be.

I hate when clients repeatedly cancel sessions or constantly moan. When it comes to your health, consistency should be viewed in a positive light, as it’s essential to maintaining your goal. Don’t get me wrong, initially it will require perseverance, but once you start noticing the changes you won’t want to be anything but consistent.

BALANCE

Another key ingredient of realising your goal is balance. It’s a word used commonly in the health and fitness industry, but often misunderstood.

For example, I used to think that because I was training every day as a footballer I could eat what I wanted. What I know now is that balance is about a VARIETY of nutrient-dense food so we get the vital vitamins and minerals needed for healthy body function, and CONSISTENCY of healthy habits. Regardless of what your goal is, the food we eat needs to provide us with more than just energy.

I love my food so much but I have to remember to occasionally rein it in because it doesn’t matter how much exercise you do – if you’re eating the wrong food, a poor diet will always catch up with you. So if you love treating yourself as much as you love sweating it out, you may have to rethink.

On the other hand, if you do no exercise at all and eat what you want (yes, even if you’re one of the lucky ones who, from the outside, seems to get away with eating as you please), you need to wake up and start caring for your mind and body. A bad diet will be putting stress on your internal organs, it’ll increase your cholesterol levels, and you’ll be experiencing manufactured energy highs followed by sudden dips, not to mention how it’ll be affecting your mood. In this book I will offer you clear guidance on how to find the right balance, depending on what it is you want to achieve.

PRIORITISING

We all have jobs, a social life, a home, hobbies and both family and friends to juggle. There’s no doubt that you’re busy, but no matter how busy you are, it’s imperative that you make time to nourish and respect your body – even if this is at the expense of other things you feel you ‘should’ be doing. Your body carries you through your hectic schedule after all! For a lot of people, exercise and eating well isn’t a priority but a chore. Put it this way: by prioritising your health, you’re allowing yourself to enjoy your life for a lot longer and the juggling will become a lot easier.

In all honesty, there is no excuse. Exercise can be done anywhere and at any time and eating well only requires a little organisation and basic knowledge. Everyone can squeeze in a 30-minute workout at home when you get in from work or before you go to bed. It’s certainly better than 30 minutes of TV, simply because of how good you feel afterwards. I’ll demonstrate how you can do this later in the book! Even clients of mine who are mothers of young babies find new ways to exercise, such as squatting with a baby carrier strapped on their fronts or going for power walks around the park pushing the buggy. It is always possible.

DON’T GET DISTRACTED

With the health and fitness industry growing faster than ever before, we as a nation are becoming better educated about the importance of a balanced diet and exercise. Nevertheless, with so many faddy diets, super food myths and new food discoveries it is so easy to get caught up, confused and then unmotivated. Just like when everyone believed a fat-free diet was the way forward (it’s not by the way)!

I like to keep things simple, realistic and to the point. I never over-complicate recipes and I certainly don’t follow the crowd. I focus on what foods are right for me and my clients and what will help us get to where we want to be.

The same goes for exercise. There are so many forms of exercise to choose from and some will help you reach your goal more quickly than others. However, it is also just as important to find the exercise style that keeps you motivated. I’ll be discussing exercise styles and finding your favourite exercise in the next chapters.

By figuring out early what foods and forms of exercise are right for you and your goal, formulating a plan and then sticking with that plan, you will feel mentally stronger and far less easily influenced.

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

Some of us are really good at knowing exactly where we need to improve and others get lulled into a false sense of security, telling themselves that they’re happy with how they look and feel because they aren’t quite ready to change. In my experience, most people who have got themselves out of that mindset and have accomplished their goals through training and healthy eating look back and realise they were not happy at all.

So being honest with yourself is a key factor in starting this journey. Let me ask you:

• Do you feel overweight?

• Are you lazy when it comes to your health?

• Do you hate having cellulite?

• Do you dislike your man boobs?

• Could you do more on a weekly basis to get fitter and stronger?

• Do you make excuses at every opportunity?

• Does the healthy eating always start tomorrow?

I know all about this through my sister and her journey, which I will be touching on shortly. Living with her gave me a real insight into the struggles she faced and the barriers she would put up whenever we discussed a healthier lifestyle.

Nevertheless, if you’re reading my book I assume you’ve made the decision to change, which is such a big step.

NO EXCUSES

I have worked with clients from all walks of life, all with their own excuses.

If you are the 9–5 worker who grabs a coffee and a croissant on the way to work, followed by a meal deal or last night’s leftover lasagne, with a few sneaky snacks in between, you’re bound to feel tired. Or maybe you’re the taxi driver parent (like mine used to be) who grabs a slice of toast smothered in butter and marmalade whilst your kids enjoy a bowl of cereal. Not forgetting the social bunnies who can’t say no to a cocktail regardless of what day it is.

• ‘After work I’m just too tired and sluggish to cook.’

• ‘I deserve a treat at the end of the day.’

• ‘Cooking healthy food that all the family will enjoy is really difficult.’

• ‘I don’t want to give up going out and having fun with my friends.’

Whoever you are, it is time to leave the excuses behind. Excuses are just a form of laziness. All they mean is you simply haven’t discovered what works for you.

This book is packed full of realistic advice, taking into consideration people like you. So, be prepared for my no-nonsense approach to health and fitness, because the only way to achieve it is to GET IT DONE.