It’s now the time of year when we shed a layer of clothing to reveal our winter-hidden bodies underneath.  Do you like what you see in the mirror?  If not, I invite you to read the article titled, “Exercise Alone Will Not Make You Thin.”  The information contained within this article might just change the way you think about food!  Exercise is only one factor in achieving weight loss.  Your eating habits are also just as important.  If the balance is out, no amount of sweating and slogging it out at the gym will do the trick.

Happy reading and don’t forget to email us across the page if you have any questions.

Shortly after graduating when I first started out in the fitness industry, I applied for a personal trainer position at one of the UK’s largest chain of commercial gyms.  Our brief for the interview was, amongst other things, to give a 10-minute presentation on something fitness related.  My mind was buzzing with ideas…would I talk about how to perform the perfect squat that combines both concentric and eccentric loading, or how to make use of items around your home in your exercise routine. However, none of this seemed sparky enough.  I was sure that the interviewers had heard it all before.  So, I decided to make it real, honest and a story with a purpose.

Here goes…

I used to be known as Bridget Jones (“thank you” former work colleagues).  Just before I threw caution to the wind and gave up my career in Business Travel Management to study anatomy and physiology and a Diploma in Personal Training, I ran the London Marathon.  I learnt an awful lot in the process.  If anyone reading this is currently marathon training and spending many hours each week clocking up the mileage, you might be able to relate to what I am saying.  Taking part in an event like the London Marathon takes commitment, dedication and a little bit of sacrifice.  Others around me soon became aware of some very strange goings-on.  Bridget was changing her eating habits, going to bed a little earlier each night and was up and out very early on a Sunday morning, only to return a few hours later looking very sweaty, tired and ready to eat anything that was put in front of her.  Gone were the days of late nights and junk food!  Oh, and not forgetting the *few* glasses of wine.

As my marathon training reached it’s peak, I was suffering from knee pain.  I was devastated when I had to pull out of one of the 20-mile training runs.  It was no surprise really, given that my body had gone from being inactive to VERY active and ambitious in only a couple of months.  (I can say this know as I have the knowledge, training and experience to understand why I was injured).  The tendons around my knee were inflamed and causing pain upon exertion, i.e. tendonitis.  Anything ‘itis’ is usually some sort of inflammation.  After having several treatments and lots of ‘pep-talk’ from my sports massage therapist, I was determined to get through the 26.2 miles of the London Marathon.  Nothing would stand in my way.

I was running for the Meningitis Trust and had managed to raise a substantial amount of money.  How on earth could I let anyone down?!

The day before the London Marathon, I couldn’t eat through nerves.  What if I couldn’t do it, what if my knee started hurting, what the hell have I got myself into?????  During the time that I should be resting a refuelling, the complete opposite was happening.  Sure enough, it was a sleepless night.

Finally, race day!  My name was embroidered onto my vest (I was sure to be relying on crowd support), the jelly babies were packed into my bum bag and I even managed to eat a sustainable breakfast.  The atmosphere was truly amazing at the start and throughout the whole course.  Just hearing the helicopters hovering above gave me goose bumps.  All of that marathon training WAS worth it, just for that feeling.

At 14.5 miles, I managed to stumble on a plastic water bottle.  Ouch, ouch, ouch!  My ankle turned beneath me and I felt two toe nails rip off.  After hobbling for 100 metres, I gritted my teeth and dug deep to continue.  The knee started aching at 16 miles, but still I continued, remembering who I was doing it for.  By mile 23, my legs were exhausted, my ankle was swollen and my right trainer was covered in blood.  Still I continued.

By the time I turned the corner at Buckingham Palace and saw the finish line, I couldn’t hold back the tears.  I did it!!!!!!! Crossing that line was such an emotional experience.  Even though my finishing time of 4 hours, 50 minutes and 18 seconds was slower than I had trained for, the experience was worth it.  My chosen charity would also benefit!

Before my job interview, I thought that 10 minutes of presenting would be difficult to fill.  It was actually rather easy, because I was talking from the heart.  From the eight trainers who attended the interview, only two of us were given the position of Personal Trainer.  I asked for feedback afterwards and was told that my presentation showed commitment, dedication and inspiration.

Despite your background, if you put your mind to something, you really can do it!  If you are training for the London Marathon at the moment, we here at Total Personal Training wish you lots of luck.  If Bridget can do it, so can you!  If you would like any help or advice connected to your training, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

I was poorly last week… great I think, at least I will lose extra pounds! Sadly not.  Having spoken to Jacqui I now understand that although you lose pounds whilst ill, you quickly pile them back on as soon as you feel better as your metabolism crashes. We are adding another week to the challenge to make up for this blip.

So, I thought I would give you an update as to how I have been getting on this week. As soon as I recovered I was straight back at the gym and eating well, still no starchy-carbs in the evening.  Since I last wrote I have lost 5 pounds, a grand total of 7.5 pounds lost so far.

The weekends are the hardest challenge by far and I have a few meals out next week. With 2.5 pounds still to go I have my work cut out and will need to be really disciplined.  I am writing down everything that I eat and drink – this is helping me to stay on track.

That’s all folks, I will let you know how I am getting on in a weeks time before the dreaded body mass scales are back in the house for the final result!  Until then…

Hi there,

I am feeling very disappointed today. I had lost 3 more pounds by Saturday morning and following a naughty weekend, I have put it all back on. I am afraid that weight loss this Monday morning therefore stands at 0 pounds! I am not sure I believe it, surely just water retention!!???

The exercise last week was hard going but I did all of it and feel good for it.

This week I am doing the USANA detox for 5 days so I am sure this will sort things out. I will be an angel this coming weekend with no plans to go away.

Short and sweet this week as I am cross with myself for putting the weight on! I have just watched the video of myself again to motivate myself for the week ahead!  Re-group and progress on! More news to follow next week…

If this is your first time reading the blog and want to find out more about Suzie’s Weight Loss Challenge, read all about it on this link.

Want to pledge your support for Suzie’s efforts?  Leave a comment and we’ll be sure to pass it on.

If you have read our Testimonials page, you will recognise Suzie as the lady who went to St Lucia last year and who felt extremely fit and fantastic before she jetted off.  Upon her return, she continued exercising and managed to keep most of the weight off.  She spent 10 months during 2010 using our Online Personal Training and Weight Loss Program.

BUT, now she needs a little help and support to shift a few unwanted pounds.  Cue Jacqui and the video camera!!!!

In order to make this targeted and monitored, Suzie has kindly agreed to share her current ‘statistics’ with us:

Monday 17 January 2011
Starting Weight: 11 stone, 8 lbs
Body Fat: 36.1%
xTotal Body Water: 45.3% (dehydrated!)

Suzie has been given a Healthy Eating Plan and Exercise Schedule to follow.  She doesn’t have to think about anything, all she has to do is follow it (and of course plan correctly and do some food shopping!)  Each week Suzie will share with us how her week has gone, how she is feeling and most importantly how much weight she has lost.

Week 1 Update

Hi there,

Well that is week 1 complete and I have lost 2.5 pounds, well and truly on track, so far so good! What’s more the Christmas paunch seems to be evaporating with an intensive amount of stomach exercises! Great! So, how have I found it? It was great to be back into my exercise program last week, I will confess to feeling a tadge sick on a couple of occasions but that it is just my body adjusting to less calories and a lot more exercise I guess???

I am feeling great this morning and generally my energy is returning and my head feels clearer and happier. There was definitely some detox going on as I looked decidedly blemish ridden mid week! I mention this as it is interesting to watch all of these effects and I guess you have to know you will feel a bit rubbish for the first few days, stick with it!

I have eaten well and have basically cut out carbohydrates in the evening. My favourite friend, the glass of wine, is on holiday (apart from at the weekend of course, sorry Jacqui!). I am very pleased to say that I maintained my weight throughout the weekend, despite going out for dinner and drinks I made healthy choices and it worked. Hurrah!

One thing to bear in mind…. STRETCH!!! I went to a Yoga open class on Saturday and I had absolutely no flexibility and got cramp in my leg at one point as I never stretch after the exercises I do on my own, (confession number 2 Jacqui!). This has definitely motivated me to stretch every day as I was aching all over, lesson learnt!

On a final note, thank you for the words of support I have heard so far, they are a great help. I have never seen myself on video before and to see myself like ‘that’ was a definite eye opener!!! As a result I am hugely motivated to achieve my goal and lose this weight so please log back in next week and see how I am getting on. I am officially accountable to you all and I need all the support I can get!

Until next week then…

S.A.D is a recognised and established condition – Seasonal Affective Disorder.  During the winter months when daylight is restricted, our mood can be effected to the point that we feel a little depressed.  Whilst sleep is a fundamental need for our body, daylight is too.

So, daylight is REALLY important for us.  But, there’s more.  In the presence of bright daylight direct on our skin, our bodies are able to produce Vitamin D, with help from the liver.  Vitamin D is a well-researched vitamin and is now proving to be influential in the prevention of many degenerative diseases and supporting our immune systems.

In recent years, many studies have reported that vitamin D deficiencies are surprisingly common worldwide, especially during winter months.  As such, many doctors are now advising that we supplement our diets with vitamin D at levels between 2,000 IU and 5,000 IU (where the exact level depends each individual, location and health history).

So, here’s something to think about…if you feel S.A.D this time of year and struggle to get outside for some daylight every day, have you considered a little help from supplementing Vitamin D?  As always where supplementation is concerned, it is important to eat a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet in order to maximise the benefits.

Before you consider any of that, Mike and I would like to firstly wish you a healthy year ahead.  Now is the time to start looking forward to the coming months with a health or fitness goal in mind, regardless of how large or small that goal might be.  Any change that you make will be worthwhile.

During the early part of the year you will see lots of local races being advertised, such a 10K course, a half marathon or even a family fun run.  Imagine how good you could feel if you participated in one of these events after never doing such a thing before? You will really feel like you’ve achieved something.

Alternatively, you could be on a mission just to shed a few pounds.  Is that cushioning around your middle starting to make you feel quite sluggish?  After all, where on earth did it spring from?!!!

We don’t believe in new year resolutions as whatever you want to achieve can be done on any day of the year, not just in January. HOWEVER, the early days of 2011 are just as good as any to help you get started, especially if you overindulged during the festive season.  If you stumble at the first hurdle, don’t panic!   Just pick yourself up and try again.  If you stumble again, have you considered investing a little help from a professional?

What is your goal this month?  Good luck!

However, if you are a newcomer to exercise, have a particular health condition or have never trained this way before, we highly recommend seeking the advice of a professional before commencing an interval training program.  Why?  Because of the nature of training this way, if your body isn’t ready to cope with the extra effort required from short bursts of high intensity, you could risk injuring yourself.  If you have areas of muscle tension, lack of strength or are just unfamiliar with this way of training, getting it wrong could set you back for quite some time.

All of that said, interval training is a fantastic way to burn more calories in a shorter space of time.  If you like to run, cycle, swim, briskly walk or even train at home with bodyweight exercises, increasing your intensity will really pay off.

So, how do you know when you are working hard enough to reap the extra benefits?  Think about how much effort you are putting into your workout.  If you poodle along and could continue the activity for a long time, you are not working hard enough!!!  If you ‘push’ yourself by increasing your intensity and find that you can only continue for a short time (around 60 seconds is a good starting point) then this is around the optimal level.  Short periods of hard work followed by short periods of active recovery, i.e. ease off on the intensity but continue moving, is exactly the way to interval train.

Adding this to your normal exercise routine will not only give you variety, but it will also help you tone up, get fitter and see your desired results more quickly.

As the only official national charity for the Brighton Marathon 2011, the Teenage Cancer Trust offers runners who nominate them as their chosen charity excellent support throughout their journey.

Back in 2003, I ran the London Marathon for a charity organisation.  I raised money for a cause that had sadly effected the lives of loved ones around me.  The training took on a whole new meaning.  April 13th 2003, observing thousands of people lining the start with anticipation, all doing it for a good cause and with a story to tell, was a truly emotional day!  If you have ever considered training with a goal, running for a charity is a great idea to consider.

Nick Piggott, Events Manager at Teenage Cancer Trust says: “Every day, six teenagers find out they have cancer. Usually treated on children’s wards or with elderly patients, these young people are often left feeling extremely isolated. Teenage Cancer Trust units are designed to be as close as possible to a young person’s life outside, helping them to cope with grueling treatment and often long stays in hospital. Therefore we asking this year’s runners to find out a bit more about us and consider us for their nominated charity so that we can continue to make a difference to young people’s cancer journey.”

For more information, email the Challenges Team challenges@teenagecancertrust.org or call 020 7612 0370.

• Do you regularly sleep for less than 7 to 8 hours a night?
• Do you sometimes feel that your lower back is a little ‘tight’?
• Or do you regularly miss a meal in the hope that you will lose weight?

If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions then you need to download our 2nd Newsletter.  Packed full of physiological facts, it’s a really great read! 

Subscribe just over on the right-hand side.