NathanWilliamsTraining: The blog is back...Move it or lose it!

NathanWilliamsTraining: The blog is back...Move it or lose it!: Hi all, My old blog is back and its called MOVE IT OR LOSE IT... check it out here: https://nwnathan11.wixsite.com/website

The blog is back...Move it or lose it!

Hi all,

My old blog is back and its called MOVE IT OR LOSE IT...

check it out here:

https://nwnathan11.wixsite.com/website

Training diary week 6

Monday 9th

Weighed in at 78.2 (0.6 less than Friday) - which is always a good goal to set. Had a "cheaty" meal yesterday afternoon but on 24 hour fast 4-4pm to kick off week.

Taking bootcamps early each morning so my steps should be above 20k every day.

Today ended up pretty busy! 35.5k is ridiculous. Really felt it this morning.

Tuesday 10th 

Enjoying the early morning bootcamp, it gets me moving around early - I'm a believer in steady morning movement as exercise, not too strenuous. All week I get to hit 10,000 steps before 8am.

I'm still doing my easy strength program in the gym (Trapbar Deadlifts, chin ups, bench or shoulder press, leg raises, swings and grip/core work) TB deadlift was 175kg today (2.25 bodyweight) felt strong, lots left in the tank I think.

Diet focus has remained as "fasting as long possible in morning, low carb eating" - keeping the rules simple. Started to drink lots of water today - around 7-8L. Felt knackered this afternoon, probably due to yesterday's massive walking effort. There is no way that all this walking and low carb eating is not burning bodyfat off me somewhere, it's impossible. Probably need to back off the walking as I wasting away it seems!

Wednesday 11th

Weighed in this morning at 78.1 kg. Just think its needs clarifying here that I while I think a weekly/fortnightly weigh in is a good indicator I don't usually weigh daily. It's more to see trends of days during this "experimental" phase and to see what really effects weight from day to day. Went to bed at 2145 last night and felt much better today, moving on this is key to the 5am start for work.

Training - easy strength protocol, some arms and shoulders, 1 x crap run up the lane. Felt heavy!

Eating - low carb misery! Salad in evening with an apple.

Thursday 12th

Weight - 78.1 (visually look leaner) a solid 48 hours of clean protein and good training/sweat should get me a decent result. Would have wished for slightly more fat loss in the past week or so but I feel the ball is rolling nicely and can't see why it won't continue all through summer and remain lean this year. Don't really drink that much alcohol anymore, eat well 90% of the time and my training is steadily improving - so all the habits are in place.

Feeling - feel pretty good, bootcamp off today as it was pretty wet on the ground at 0630am. 

I got up early, this dog was still in my bed at 0730! Laziest dog on the planet.

Training - afternoon weights:

Goblet squat and single arm farmers walks

Push press 5,5,3,3,1,1,1,1,1,1 ended up with bodyweight

Chin-ups 10x5 with different grips/tempos

Planned interval session but genuinely don't have a single ounce of desire for cardio. Low energy, no interest.

Decided to lay off cardio in evening, see point above. Early start tomorrow.

Eating - protein only day, clean options like boiled eggs, chicken breast, etc one more day left where I consciously will be limited in my food options. Had some sashimi in afternoon. Ham Salad 6pm, lots of water.

Friday 13th - World Cup commences!

Got up at 4am for the World Cup opening match Brazil vs Croatia. Suits me today because I need to drink as much water as I can before midday/1pm. Finished up Bootcamps - fantastic week and really got me moving around early each day, perhaps the reason I had no real energy for cardio training in afternoon?

Eating - strictly protein only (10 x boiled eggs, chicken breast x 2, tuna x 1) water, black coffee. Had a sarnies salad for lunch. Eaten pretty low carb for past 21 days to be honest. I think I can be stricter, as in true GFD with plain protein and greens meals. I think I need to do that in order to shift down another level, progress is steadily slow but that's expected at this stage.

Training - trained strength with wanderers, felt good, strong and powerful. Pictures tomorrow and once again I'm not as prepared as I wanted to be. Will take pics and use as another 'progress' stage - this is not over. 

Saturday 14th - week 6 results

Around 4% drop in 6 weeks, pretty good. It justs makes me hungrier (pun intended) to keep the fat loss effort going for another 4-6 weeks to really get down into single % figures. Weight is still relatively high for me and my strength and gym performances have been good.

2 weeks focusing on high quality gym sessions and less strict planning in food, still low carb focus. Then UFITs 3rd clean and lean contest starts. 3 weeks of that challenge should be a great target to really dial in the diet. Will update pictures this week.

Overall 7.5/10

- Training has continously improved

- few glitches in diet (not many)

- need super strict GFD strategy to get to next level

- must start some cardio!

- new magnesium, coq10 & fishbowl supplements should help the 'detox' focus of my next phase

Training and nutrition week 5

Monday 2 June

Weighed in at 79.2 (+0.2 for weekend) not too bad. Next weekend has to be different, pics the weekend after, no cheating! Decided not to get up early to run this week, will do in evening or weekends only. Wake up early enough as it is!

One meal today, keeping it simple. Eggs, chicken and hummus.

Post dinner plate....

Yes I have a plate that says "winner winner chicken dinner" LIKE A BOSS!

Tuesday 3 June

Weighed in at 78.6, possibly down to BC last night. This weekends tactic of double or triple sessions (sat/sun) should mean I'm feeling lean on Monday for the final run in. Bought Syntha 6 protein shake to continue the shakes during daytime and one meal strategy, want to see how far that takes me in terms of fat loss as I think its unique and my own idea.

Fasting has really dialled in the past 2 days, really feel comfortable going through morning on no eats. Will try a genuine 'warrior' day soon of no food until 6-10pm (protein and greens only). It'll take some getting used but I think it's going to be a powerful strategy to get under 10% and keep dropping fat.

Wednesday 4 June

Weighed in at 79.1. Feeling a little sore upper body, debating no training and focus on diet? First shake today at 1330, morning fast was comfortable. 2 black coffees and 2L water done. Large meal in evening of salad, apple, eggs, chicken and hummus - easy and nice.

Thursday 5 June

Weighed in at 79.2. Woke up feeling more awake, started with shakes today around 11am. Will try to repeat yesterday and check weight. 

Friday 6 June

Weighed in at 78.8 kg. Pretty steady this week, I think the injection of training is going to be perfect for a drop this weekend without changing much to the diet. I will switch off MRPs to syntha 6 for less carbs over the weekend and drink only after training.

Bodyfat estimated at 10-11% - I don't want to take bodyfat unless absolutely sure I've dropped significantly, so will wait until next week sometime.

Great salad idea. Salami and feta cheese, with tomatoes balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Delicious

Saturday 7 June

Weighed in at 78.8kg. Woke up later and walked up my apartment stairs, looking to do 60,000 steps on my polar loop for next 2 days for my NEPA. Plus strength session, few sprints and steady jog.

Ramping up training to 3/weekend days to get fat loss moving for the final week. Strict zero carb warrior style for both days - it's business time.

Walked to universal studios and tried to stay busy today, also run in the evening and ended up on steps 26100 steps. You really have to get a good early start to ramp the numbers up! Tomorrow should be good opportunity to get the fasted cardio in.

Went to gym at 4pm, 5x5 on chin ups, squats, Deadlifts and push press plus a finisher on the Bulgarian bag.

Made the greatest tasting salad I've ever had tonight...

Salmon sashimi, feta, avacado, cherry tomatoes, mixed leaves, olive oil and balsamic. Amazing! Followed by 5 whole eggs, avacado and hummus. Crazy Saturday nights in Singapore!

Day 1/2 weekend training plan down and completed. Repeat tomorrow and Monday I should be bang on target for the Saturday completion and progress picture.

Sunday 8 June

Weighed in today at 77.7kg, getting back down to March weight of 76kg but significantly leaner/stronger. First of 6x7am bootcamp at fort canning, should be interesting. Walked around marina bay to get my steps in, finished on 28,000. Weekend total 54,100! Feeling stiff today as result of pushing it yesterday. Went to true and did 30 minutes of bench and chin ups.

Training and nutrition diary Week: the hybrid

The name of the blog entries have changed. I'm now settled on a hybrid diet of velocity and green faces (VELGF) TM! Haha.

It looks like this:

Morning fast (ideally strength training)

2 x meal replacement drinks

6 eggs with chicken breast portion (1/2)

Broccoli and spinach 

Also returned to my greens drink in the morning. Feels like it's helping already.

Wednesday 28

Weighed in this morning at 79.7 (-8.7) the 2/2 shakes and meal formula with fasting is the ideal blend for me and highly effective. My training has been 1 lift per day (Monday - goblet squat & Tuesday - chin ups) again I over this style as it's sparing on energy. I will sprint/row/cycle in bursts daily (but it's not a priority yet). Had dry needling done today I could be off training for a day or two. Can do light sprints tomorrow and maybe some core work - no disaster, good time to dial in the diet to super strict carb intake. 

Starting to get more ketone taste in my mouth this week and feel and look visibly leaner in places, need to keep this 10-12 day run going to next weekend and feel I could make massive steps towards single digit bf%.

Thursday 29

Weighed in at 79kg (-9.4) think I've hit the sweet spot for weight/fat loss with daytime shakes and high protein meal in evening (modified warrior diet) so will try to keep the same system. It's not easy but it's not that tough either. Shoulder still hurting from dry needling so 50/50 on training today.

Did first day of easy strength 40 day program, avoiding shoulder and was "easy" - I will keep this going every day, I like the process of strength practise, it takes very little time too - which helps.

Additional Note: to avoid sounding gross my toilet stops have been unbelievably different over the past 2 days. Elimination is a vital part of health, if it ain't happening regularly, you're not going to feel great. More on this as the diary goes on but it seems like one massive feed a day is doing incredible things for the bowels. Say no more.

Two meals, two shakes today - that's easy to maintain.

Friday 30

Weighed In at 79kg. had extra hour in bed and felt good, weekend target is to get to Monday at 78.5 or 78. 

Waking - 11am to 12noon is water/coffee

12 - 5/6pm is shakes

6-7pm I'm eating one large protein heavy meal

Saturday 31

Weighed in at 79kg today, pretty steady, happy to stay here. Took my greens drink today which shows an attitude shift towards my weekends. In gym doing day 3 easy strength program at 0845. Drank 2 coffees, the milk feels really crappy now so I'm done with it. Had 1 shake then one large meal at 1730, chicken, wedges and sweet potato (boomerang) not first choice but not a disaster. No food until tomorrow evening. Possibly just shakes through Monday lunchtime and past Monday bootcamp.

Sunday 1

Weighed in at 80.2kg. 13 days until pictures for blog story, no more huge feedings, sizes of single meal wil naturally reduce. Redo bf% on Friday this week and adjust cardio/sprints/carbs for last week accordingly.

Trained today (4) easy strength and feeling good. 

1230 - pre workout shake

1430 - post workout meal (sashimi pieces x 12, banana)

24 hour fast commences. Good week, felt really good midweek and tapered off Friday/Saturday. Need to put the next 7 days down as the best yet. 

- absolutely no fruit or dairy

- smaller last meal of the day (big not massive)

- lane sprints to end some workouts

- slow 'rag doll' runs on sat and sun while carb depleted.

- no cheat meals

Velocity diet: week 3

Monday 19

Okay so my first statement here is I'm no longer on the V diet. So like most diets, that's a fail. However I am now combining shakes and low carb eating and making the whole process more enjoyable.

I wanted to share this because I think it's funny and deadly accurate!

Tuesday 20

81.5 on weigh in this morning. Holding weight quite well, I'm really only looking at myself visually now, the weight is more a secondary thing as extra information. It would be excellent to remain as heavy as I can while continuing to lean out. 

Training EDT style with daily ab work, goblet squats and loving the simplicity of the sessions. Consistent, steady work without massive fatigue each day and also adding short bursts of sprinting and also weekend exercise.

Tonight's "Atkins" meal:

Wagyu burgers, lean bacon, 2 fried eggs with Parmesan cheese, broccoli and asparagus. Oh and carb free ranch dressing! Amazing :)

Wednesday 21

Weighed in at 82.1 so really stabilising there but eating a lot more solid food. Happy to extend pictures to another week, feel good right now and want to continue this run not end it. The goal now has to be to get as lean as possible in the coming 4-6 weeks.

Using a new bodyfat caliper sequence called "parillo" which has more sites and tests the leg fat too, so I think it's far more accurate.

The results show that in the past 16 days I have lost (an estimated) 3.5kg bodyfat and lost around 2kg of muscle but I believe this is partly glycogen storage and not not pure 'muscle'. My new goal on next parillo caliper test is to stay above 71-72kg lean mass and duck under 10% bodyfat. To achieve this I need to extend the zero carb "Atkins" style diet for another 7-9 days - definitely through this weekend with no heavy treats/alcohol/late nights.

Thursday 22

Weighed in this morning at 80.8kg. Got a busy morning with PT so I'm going to fast with water and a black coffee. Will train fasted at midday and breakfast around 1330 with bacon and eggs.

Friday 23

Weighed at 80.3 (-8.1kg). Trained bench, got to 130kg again, failed on 137.5 - relaxing on the carb intake today but not much, back on the diet train again tomorrow. Need another 2% in 2 weeks to be happy with this past 6 weeks effort. Half way through day I decided to have a carb refeed - so i can refocus on low/zero carb weekend and weighing in lighter on Monday than today. Active weekend planned with lots of sun, fasting and recharging.

My daily dojo.

Saturday 24

Taking the day off training, weighed in at 80.3 again, did bootcamp coaching and chilled. Had 2 coffees and a solid lunch so not eating much more today and will return to a single meal, low carb Sunday into a 24hour fast - looking to creep under 80 on Monday and a Friday goal of 78.5/79 with solid strength and sprint work all week.

Sunday 25

Fasted today, not a particularly great diet day but fully committed for the next 14 days effort of fat loss, goal is to get under 10% which is close to around 78kg.

Taming the velocity diet: experiments in rapid fat loss. Part 2

Monday, 12 may

Weighed in this morning at 82.1 (7 day loss = 6.3kg). Trouble sleeping last night, could be the thermobol? Felt warm and wide awake. Targeting 80kg by Friday. Battled mentally all morning and seriously would have taken any offer of food! Really hard to stick with this, it's starting to feel unfair and unnecessary. Had an afternoon nap and felt okay. Had a second wind and was in great spirits heading to my bootcamp session! I realise these small bursts of energy don't last.

I feel like each day needs to be broken down into a.m and p.m, the pm being easier. 2pm is my magic number for each day. Lifted 130kg bench press today and felt good, that's 1.7 bodyweight so would score 10+ on ufit scoreboards.

Think tomorrow will be easier. Have a later start planned for work as it's public holiday.

Tuesday, 13 may

Woke at 815am today, feel so much better with the extra time in bed! Feel leaner and obviously more awake. This could lead to a change of daily pattern in the future? It certainly feels more human to wake at 7/8am from the usual 5am assault! Weighed in today at 81.5kg (8 day loss = 6.9kg) - happy to stay above 80kg for the weekend leading into the refeed, which is now planned for Saturday afternoon.

In a blog I called 'taming' the velocity diet, it was I that has been tamed. Today I decided to switch some things just due to the sheer dullness of this challenge. I've found over the past few days I've simply been trying to sleep a long as I can - from a work and social perspective this is bordering on what depressed people do.

So my changes are:

- add one green faces meal per day (eggs and greens)

- take away one shake

- keep refeed meal on Sunday, but it's followed by a 24 hour fast.

I feel these small changes are positive both mentally (look forward to daily meal) and physically (25g less carbs per day) and will ensure I stay on this fat loss challenge throughout May.

Wednesday, 14 may

Woke up pretty tired, after good sleep but not long enough! May keep Thursdays free until 8am for extra sleep time.

Thursday, 15 may

Energy and enthusiasm have transformed with the inclusion of a green faces meal. Having a daily goal and treat of a meal is a lifesaver! Training is going well, one lift a day for 45 minutes is great.. Probably need to add sprints in now, I'm just being lazy and deciding against it every day. It's only 60s!

Drinking 3 shakes and saving the meal for evening which is still tough but really working well.

Friday, 16 may

Weighed in this morning at 81.9, which I'm happy with. The weight loss has stalled but I think I'm progressing and this process (fat loss) doesn't work in a linear fashion, must have the patience and discipline to get through another weekend on plan. That means going to a party and not drinking or eating - which will be tough. Gym session planned for Sunday morning followed by myoplex shake then refeed followed by 24hour fast. Then my ketogenic 3 day switch starts for potential pics on Friday.

Farmers walk training today inside the gym so not ideal, felt tired. Will need to include more cardio next week (sprint daily with swimming)

Saturday, 17 may

Training day off. Weighed in at 80.4kg (-8kg) for the 2 weeks. Fasted until midday shake, drank lots of water in morning. 

Felt great today, had my lunch of lamb chops and spinach, really feeling the benefits of fasting daily and eating far less on weekends! It makes a huge difference. My first 'slip' of a latte and cake today, simply felt like it and it was good. I told myself it was in the lunch but I'm super determined to keep with this effort. Next Friday I should be feeling and looking close to my best again, but that's the start, want to have a physique in the low single % (close which I've got near in past but never really got right). 

Late night tonight as it's the massive Spanish game on TV but gym still planned for tomorrow and I'm focused on smashing that and enjoying my single feed Sunday Before a strict 24 fast.

Sunday, 18 may

Legs and arms session planned (1030am) before refeed lunch (1230-1300) - the goal of Monday morning is to be lighter than Friday morning (81.9) this will mean 2 weeks of dropping weight on consecutive weekends. Next Fridays target for potential pics is realistically 78-79 being as muscular/dry as possible then returning to a stable training and diet regime.

Next weeks training will be:

Warm up (10 minutes including 20reps of goblet squat, 1 minute plank/push up)

Abs - 5 sets (10 minutes) bosu, leg raise, cable crunch, leg raise, side ups

Supersets - 8/10 reps (25-30 minutes)

Sprints/rowing - 5 intervals (10 minutes)

Standing db row, Bench press

Neutral grip chin ups, dips 

Ez tricep extension, Trapbar shrugs, lateral raises

Db incline press, Alternate bicep curl

Ez bicep curl, Seated shoulder press

Changing up things to hit more upper body muscles.

Taming the velocity diet: an experiment in rapid fat loss. Part 1

About 5 weeks ago I started a fat loss regime that would involve a lot of fasting and protein shakes. I will post a new blog every day for the past 5 weeks, ending on Saturday with my final pics and results. 

Here's what happened...

Only a few times in my life I've tried the infamous velocity diet and After reading Dan Johns "never let go" I was once again reminded of the simple and sinister challenge that it gives.

Starting bodyfat numbers:

Suprailiac - 6mm

Bicep - 4mm

Tricep - 5mm

Scapula - 11mm

Bodyweight 88.3 (2nd highest I can remember)

Waist 33.1" (biggest I can remember measuring)

Looking at the numbers my bodyfat is 'okay', but my goals are to be continuously single figure % whilst staying as strong and muscular as possible. The velocity diet promises "no muscle losses" and "all fat loss" - let's see if that's the case. My targets are:

Total weight - 80kg (-8)

Lean body weight - 73.24 (-2)

Bodyfat weight - 6.96 (-6)

I'm predicting that I will considerably drop waist size, as I'm eliminating foods that I know make me bloated (bread, milk, dairy, alcohol). 

Waist target is 30.5" (-2.5)

Velocity diet: the numbers

21 days

12 weight training sessions

6 sprinting sessions

6 (targeted) yoga sessions

100 protein shakes

200 fish oils capsules

42 cold water immersions 

105 litres of drinking water

21 green teas

21 supergreens/spirulina drink

3 steak dinners

Here I will keep a Velocity diet diary, detailing the key challenges, feelings to help others in their potential Vdiet attempts.

Sunday, May 4 (Pre day 1)

Decided to eat some off-menu foods today like granola, fruit, sushi, milky coffee, white chocolate, etc. I also want to try some brief daily meditation focused on the challenge and the detoxing of my body over the next 3 weeks. It's actually more mental than physical.

Agreed the terms of a buy-out clause with fellow employee DC (who is on same diet), they are:

Week 1 - $100

Week 2 - $300

Week 3 - $500

This is purely an idea to keep us on point for the whole challenge, honesty is the only way we can really go with it.

Monday, May 5 (day 1)

Today was ok, not hard at all yet but started to want lunch/food at the usual time. No real hunger pangs. Trained upper body weights and walked a lot (20k steps atleast). Slept good.

Tuesday, May 6

Weighed in this morning at 85.5 (-2.8) the diet already working its inflammatory magic! No training today as very busy with PT and work. It's becoming already very clear that I need to do the following every day:

Revisit the goal of this 21 days challenge and stay on track with that mentally.

Sleep as much as possible while staying productive

2-4pm seems like a genuine down time for me so ideal nap time. Early to bed also seems to be the answer, 9pm is the goal daily.

Wednesday, May 7

Weighed in at 84.6kg (-3.7) this morning, felt well rested and had an extra hour in bed so great start. Experienced the afternoon lull which is fine, I plan a lengthy nap every day with the dogs, they love it! Took 17000 steps today which was okay and did sprints with a light weights session. Anticipate that training intensity will return after weekend - keen to just get through week one in one piece and on track.

Thursday, May 8

Weighed in at 83.4kg (-4.9) that's another 1.2 in 24 hours!!! Enjoyed a Relative lay in today, 7am alarm which I'm assuming will help a lot, I'm feeling so much better when I wake up later - I can't wait for the weekend as I plan 2 big sleep ins! Visually seeing a difference already, I'm thinking of switching the training to 'one lift per day' for next week. This way I think I can maintain strength and muscle in all the big areas and keep as much mass as possible. Training without the thought of a post workout meal is tiring in itself. 

Today was easier, I woke up hungry and thought it would be a long day. Mid afternoon naps are great! Supplementing with melatonin tonight as finding it hard to sleep in evening. Few people commenting on Facebook that diet is crazy, that just spurs me on - MY goals are to be sub 8% bodyfat this summer not to go out drinking every weekend - I'm on the way to that.

Friday, May 9

Weighed in 83.4 (no change) so the weight finally stopped. Trained 45 minutes shoulder press and pull ups, decided to lift one muscle part every day, with 3/4 x 300m sprints in the week from Monday.

Brought my meal forward as I went to Luke's for lunch with a client and co worker, so this means I now have 9 days until my next solid (including an engagement party) so navigating that should be fun! Felt good in gym, really seen an improvement in bodyfat when training, can't wait to wake up Monday feeling fresh and focused.

Saturday, May 10

I added a different type of flaxseed today and acidophilus (healthy gut bacteria) - thinking it would be a good idea to use this "detox" to actually improve gut health. Should be an excellent addition to the shakes. I Also Cacoa nibs which are high in antioxidants and fill out the chocolate shakes, I will keep those back for my evening "treat" shake of PB/chocolate.

Woke today at 0930am, had a black coffee and took the greyhounds to fort canning do some bootcamp recon work - Mapping out where I can take my Monday evening group during sessions. Great low level fat loss and a chance to get some fasting in for extra results.

Sunday, May 11

Weighed in 83kg (-5.3) this morning. What's interesting about this (and creates a genuine challenge in the future) is that my weight is going to be lower on a Monday than a Friday... A rare occasion. Can I challenge clients to be lighter on Mondays than on Fridays? 2 more of those weekends should do me well in this challenge. Converted over to "one lift a day program" and today is leg press with a final burn out set on leg curl/extension machines.

New program template looks like this:

A) 5 minutes Ab work

B) 45 minutes of primary lift (or pair if selected)

C) burn out set (30+ to failure)

Today I have:

Weighted Cable crunch (4 sets)

Leg press (60 reps at 240kg)

Hamstring curl/extension (35 reps each)

Leg session felt great, really enjoying lifting again and returning to sculpting type training of my youth. I can see my physique changing too which feels good. Started to feel bored and craving food today, possibly due to fasted cardio this morning. 

Lesson: no need to chase fat burn with extra activities/exercise. Keep appetite in check, focus on daily lifting and shakes!

In body results today show 12.5% bodyfat which is quite close to accurate. Will repeat calipers and I body next to see any differences.

Choices

Life is full of choices...

                                      

                                                 

We need to make choices all day every day just to make it through our lives. What time we get up from bed will determine whether or not we get to work on time. How we choose to greet people will effect our own relationships with friends, colleagues and strangers. I could go on forever but i wont, as long as you get the picture? Choices are everywhere in our lives.

Now in terms of nutrition... or more importantly successful nutritional strategy, choices are THE make or break for your physique goals... and more often than not we are making poor choices with regards to the foods and drinks we eat daily. From the moment we leave the house in the morning, modern day humans are bombarded with advertisements (visual stimulants) suggesting to us what we may like to eat. We are ambushed by ridiculously good smells that seem to whisper in your ears as you walk through the shops trying not to think about food.

                                      

                           'Magnum are the new world champions of ambush food marketing'

Just the other day i was on my way to get some nespresso capsules (Yes, im that guy) and suddenly i had an overwhelming desire to maybe go to the cinema. Completely bizaare thought? Puzzled by this, i then looked around the corner to see that Gourmet Popcorn were blasting out caramel popcorn odour at unsuspecting shoppers and the smell had reminded me of popcorns deadly association with watching movies. The queue was filled with depressed, sorry-looking people, nobody dared look up or at each other. The time was 10:45am, thats the sad modern reality of how and why people eat crap.

                                          

                     The association between popcorn and the cinema is deep-rooted in our culture

Relax you're on holiday

In my opinion (and experience) holidays are by far the most dangerous time for a "nutritional slip" 

Nutritional slip - a non-offensive way to describe a person eating their own bodyweight in chocolate, cheese, bagels and alcohol.

                                       

                                                      A typical holiday breakfast buffet

So as an experiment, i decided to write the latest installment of the blog whilst on my Christmas holiday to Bali. Before i write more you have to know that i have a history of "losing it" on holidays and coming back 5kg+ heavier. Looking back at that now it seems like a strange behavior for someone who usually prides themselves on the way they live, work, train and has an ongoing goal of inspiring others. Anyway, this time i leave the airport not feeling like i want to drink and eat an awful lot outside of my usual routine and i want to share that with readers of the blog.

Situation 1: The airport

The airport is perhaps the only place on earth that can make you want to eat a cinnabon cake or drink a pint of beer at 10am. You know you dont need to have it, you actually admit to yourself you dont really want one... but "its the airport" or "im on holiday" mode kicks in and were off on an empty calorie binge that can last hours! 

Choice 1: Burger King Vs Sushi

There are many options in the airport but the above choice is one that is close to my own heart. If you dont usually frequent burger restaurants in your usual working week then why visit one in the airport? seek out a sushi or salad bar and make a better choice.

                                        

                                      Try to avoid burger and fast food restaurants in airports

Choice 2: Orange Mocha frappacino vs Espresso

There are approximately 1700 coffee establishments in every airport, thats a real statistic. I love coffee, a little less than i did a few years back... but i still cant completely get myself off the black gold. So i often find myself helplessly lured by the smell of it and the hope of a caffeine 'buzz'. Only 2 good options exist in these places and they are either Black coffee or water! Nearly every other option has too much sugar, dairy and calories to be called a drink (more like dessert). In truth, you are probably better off drinking water pre-flight, keep yourself hydrated! 

                         

             In the words of King Arthur (guarding the holy grail in Indiana Jones & the last crusade)

                                                           "You must Choose wisely"

Still have some change left in your pocket..?

Why not donate it to the various charities on planes that take spare coins? The reality is you will buy a couple of small bags of percy pigs that you dont want because they were by the cashier and now you have no change left... winner winner.

                                      

                            Extra change in your pocket at airports usually leads to percy pigs

                                      

                                                   Put the pigs back... Think of the kids!

Situation 2: Holiday evenings

Almost every international hotel restaurant will have choices. Choose a place that has a good menu, find out what the local specilaity is - it will be plentiful, probably well made and may also be cheaper than imported produce.

                                      

                                     Jimbaran Bay in Bali has world reknown fish restaurants

If youre a typical Brit you will seek out a full english breakfast, fish and chips or a steak sandwich. They are all solid meals but for the sake of this blog and a change of holiday habits i would suggest looking at other lighter options on the menu like local fish, chicken and salads - keep it light if possible.

Situation 3: Holidays Breakfasts

At hotel buffets i would usually say go for the lean protein source and/or some fruit/natural yoghurt but i was limited this holiday to a (very nice) continental breakfast of fruit, fresh orange juice, assorted pastries and bread and coffee. I made peace with myself by limiting the pastries and having black coffee. Although this is usually a lot more carbs than I would usually eat at breakfast, it's very good quality and psychologically makes sure that I put in a 20 minute workout before or after it.

                                       

                                                          My daily breakfast in Bali

Situation 4: Holiday snacking

If youre on a relaxing beach-type holiday then there is a lot of lying around, and thats good - a holiday should by a break from your usual routine. My usual life involves being on my feet for long hours and for long periods of the year so im not guilty to put my feet up when I have the chance. 

However, this presents a new challenge of 'boredom eating' - meaning there is not much to do except eat and drink to pass the time away. This fake 'hunger' can mean you spend the whole day gorging on crappy foods whilst not buring the extra calories off. My tactic and advice would be to visit the local supermarket and stock up on enough nuts, fruit, water and even diet soda (if you have to). These foods will keep you from craving the crisps, sweets, chocolates and sugary drinks that will sabotage your waistline during the lazy holiday daytimes. Just keep in mind calories in/calories out - If youre not using energy there is no need to put it in.

Situation 5: Holiday drinking (alcohol)

I have mentioned in a recent blog that "Alcohol is the single biggest factor in people not achieving their physique goals". This is something that ive noticed in clients over the past 8 years and in my current client base today. Those who drink moderate/heavily 2/3 times per week (supreme genetics depending*) have very little chance in getting into great shape.

*I have met a handful of people over the past decade who can drink/eat daily whatever they want and not put on any bad weight. I used to be quite envious and i (of course) would love to have their genetic luck in that respect, who wouldnt? But i believe gaining fat and weight through bad habits in a good measure that we are doing something wrong. The internal organs of the supremely genetically-gifted will still be taking the same punishment through a lifetime without the visual barometer and decline of the external structures (bodyfat, skin, etc). So long term I believe its bad news not to see the fat you gain. Just my opinion.

                                    

                         Its been proven (time and time again!) that drinking is bad for you!

Everyone has their own stress relievers and tolerance level regards alcohol so i will only offer my current strategy towards drinking alcohol.

Taken from "Wooden" (a book describing the habits and practises of John Wooden, a legendary US college basketball coach):

When consuming alcohol:

- Enjoy the first (Youve earned it)

- Sip the second (Make it last)

- Decline the third (there is work to be done tomorrow)

The justifications in (brackets) are my own. I feel the sentences are stronger when they are backed up with solid reasons of why they are important. Saying catchy phrases and mantras is great but you have to make them real. The Wooden rule on alcohol is something i will be adopting in the new year along with great work environment, structured/purposeful training and getting back into top shape being my major goals for 2014. Alcohol and the bad habits that follow plays no part in those goals. 

The subject of alcohol, being such a major contributor to poor gym results (on many levels) is one i will cover sepertely in a future blog.

Thats all for this blog, thanks for reading. Dont forget to like, share and please comment too. I know some really good blogs that ended recently because the writers were disheartened by the lack of comments and feedback. Real story - i started following a kettlebell training blog which was excellent and the guy stopped because he felt nobody was reading. It was a shame to read his final blog describing his efforts and how they were a waste of his time.

Have a great Xmas and New year, if youre in Singapore i will see you for the the January Green & Lean fat loss challenge which runs from 6th-31st. If you are not, you can still join us, get the information sent to you and run along side the competition. Contact becky@ufit.com.sg for registration details.

    

                             

                                                        

Who's in? I am.

The Power of saying NO!

Hi all,

The first of my New Year habit changes is to start writing the blog more regularly. Without boring you about the reasons why i had stopped, some of them are:

- Changing my laptop to an ipad

- Becoming very busy at work

- Not really having much to complain about (no ranting worth blog material)

Part of my new approach to work is to schedule in time to do the things that are enjoyable in this job; Reading, writing, planning, learning and basically becoming a better coach and now recently manager of fellow coaches. This blog is me getting a headstart on 2014.

The power of NO

If you've seen the outstanding Jim Carrey film "Yes Man" the you will know the incredible power that comes from just saying the word YES. In the movie, Carrey's character becomes almost a recluse to his friends after a divorce until he is dragged along to a 'Yes' seminar. This leads him into new adventures, promotion at work, saving a man from suicide and falling in love. If you never saw it, its worth 90 minutes of your life.

Today im going to argue the there is equal power in the word and action of NO, especially when we are involved in a diet or our recent 21 day Green/Clean eating challenge. 

"Success during a diet challenge will depend on the the things 

you don't eat rather than the things you do"

The above statement is just my own way of thinking when it comes to getting good results on a diet plan. With all the literature on fitness/health and millions of different diet books/systems available, I believe the majority of us know what it means to eat well or more accurately what we foods need to avoid to get in/stay in reasonable shape. The best way to succeed on a diet challenge is to ban certain foods from your life and set rules for a different periods of time (21 days, weekends, parts of the day, etc) to suit your individual lifestyles and schedules. 

Say NO to:

1. Bread

The problem with bread is that it contains allergens like wheat and gluten and most varieties are high GI and enter the body quickly as sugars. Bread is really not a great food to have in the diet if you are trying to drop bodyfat quickly. The other major issue is that its so readily available to purchase, easy to eat "on the go" and its cheap like most poor quality foods. 

Saying NO to bread means saying NO to the stores that sell sandwiches (e.g. Starbucks, 7/11 type shops) - staying out of these places is key to dieting success.

2. Dairy

I could probably write a whole blog on the perils of eating dairy; for a long time I've been suspect of its negative effect on clients physiques. Approximately 85% become intolerant to lactose after the age of 4 and consuming too much can cause bloating and digestive irritation.

Like bread, there are an abundance of cheap dairy products available on the high streets today including cheeses, yoghurts and a large variety of 'healthy' drinks. The contemporary cultural phenomenon of coffee houses play a huge part in the increase of the average waistline measurements. I would actually be very comfortable saying that 99% of products sold in coffee houses like Starbucks and Costa are detriment to having a good physique, and these places should be avoided to ensure better dieting success.

"99% of products sold in coffee houses like Starbucks and Costa 

are detriment to having a good physique"

3. Alcohol

Alcohol is a poison. Read that again and enjoy your pint! We routinely subject our bodies to a weekly dose of toxins through Alcohol and its making us fat and tired. Im not here to argue about the potential fun and social enjoyment you can have whilst sharing a drink with others, I'm here to say eliminating alcohol out of your life will make you slimmer and healthier, fact.

"Eliminating alcohol out of your life will make you slimmer and healthier, fact"

Over the past 8 years of watching some clients transform their physiques, i would say the biggest and most immediate changes came from those individuals who stopped drinking alcohol. Also, from personal experience i have cut down my alcohol consumption in the past 5 years and noticed a massive change in the quality of my sleep (especially on the weekends) which has resulted in better mood and energy at the start of the week.

Alcohol will effect sleeping patterns and energy 

4. Sugars

The very nature of the Green and Lean diet means there will be very low to zero sugar. There is no need for me to elaborate this point as its obvious.

The most recent experiment

Starting on November 21/2013 approximately 10 workmates, friends, clients, client's spouses started a 21 day Green and Lean Challenge, with everyone who wanted to be involved received a link to my previous blog on the subject:

http://nathanwilliamstraining.blogspot.sg/2010/09/green-faces-challenge.html

My colleagues, housemates and PT clients were involved in daily conversations with myself regards tactics and menus but for the most part we all communicated through a Whatsapp group text titled "Green 21" where we shared pictures of green meal ideas and funny stories to keep each other entertained.

Bread free burgers are pretty awesome!

The results

Here are the final weight loss totals for the participants:

NW - 77.5kg to 72.9kg (4.6kg loss; BF% loss of approx 3%)
BM - 69.9kg to 61.8kg (8.1kg loss)
DC - 81.4kg to 77.8kg (3.8kg loss)
HK - (2kg loss)
TK - (5kg loss)
SH - (7.6kg loss)
AH - (3kg loss)
OA - (5kg loss)
LP - (3kg loss)
NL - (2kg loss)
CF - (2.5kg loss)
JC - (6kg loss)
NF - (3.5kg loss)

Total KG loss was 55.3kg at and average 4.25kg per person 

Just looking at the numbers above says this was a worthwhile exercise! However, with the challenge being 21 days of 100% strict green and lean eating - Interestingly, every single person failed the challenge except one!

Of course they did not FAIL as such, with most reporting 95% adherence throughout the 21 days... and this number seems enough to get a great result.

Did we learn anything new?

Looking at the 21 days and group as a whole i believe the following points are worth mentioning:

- You can actually create some fantastic meals during this challenge
- Creating a social group will result in better success when dieting
- Modern day social living/pressures have made it almost impossible to get into great shape
- We now see food as entertainment, this is a major issue when on a diet
- Hard boiled eggs are a easy, fantastic daily snack to stay on track with a clean, healthy diet

- From my own 3 weeks, i created a delicious new shake that i will continue to use as part of my diet. Here are the ingredients:

- Handful of raw nuts (cashews, pistachios or almonds)
- Splash of organic coconut oil
- Scoop of Pea protein (Vanilla)
- Avocado (half or whole)
- Dash of Cinnamon

Mix with cold water and ice for thick delicious shake.

What now?

After speaking to the majority of the group post-challenge, the major theme and lesson seems to be that of HABIT CHANGE. Most or all of them have committed to following the principles in some form, with a few promising to to revisit the 21 day challenge in January to start the new year when UFIT launch a massive GREEN and LEAN 2014 weight loss challenge.

Join UFITs Clean and Lean challenge in January!

For everyone who is interested please visit the UFIT facebook page for details or contact Becky@ufit.com.sg

I definitely encourage all readers of this blog to try it along with our group in January, however the Diamond can only be won by Singapore residents who can commit to the weekly weigh-ins at our Amoy street studio on Saturday mornings through January.

Thanks for reading and i will hopefully see you for the GREEN and LEAN CHALLENGE on January 6th.

Have a great Xmas Break and a fantastic start to your New Year!

The blog returns!

Hello strangers!

After a 3 month break from the blog im back. and this time im pissed!

Only kidding. I'm actually in a better place in terms of lifestyle, energy, mood and work.

My happy face

The last area being a key factor in the receny changes. Ive moved to a company called UFIT and its been a great first 6 weeks. I have much more social interaction at work, making some great new friends and that i realise has been a key ingredient that was missing previously. Also, i have been lucky to have a great new client base, who are keen to put the work in and listen to my ideas on tarining, nutrition and lifestyle change. I have awesome new bosses/managers who listen to ideas and are involved on the studio floor everyday. Its a brilliant environment to be creative and ive rediscovered the passion for training again. long may that continue!

I may also have an input into UFITs relaunched blog and share writing with general manager Darren Blakeley - I will use this as a chance to write about 'in the trenches' issues that i see in the gym each week, while this blog will remain wide topic around health and fitness as usual.

Todays blog is about Environment.

Not the really, really important of our planet and one that we seem to want to destroy, but the personal environment we can create daily and the environment/s which we put ourselves to enrich our lives and generally get along in life.

1. Creating your own environment

One of my favourite phrases in any book is in Jack Canfield in "The success principles":

"You are 100% responsible for your life"

Think of every time you have blamed something or someone else for your personal situation. Was it really you that caused that problem. Most times its really down to yourself when things go wrong. Lets take weight loss and personal training for example. Ive met clients who have claimed their previous trainer was not good at their job and they did not get results. Months later those same clients are claiming im no good at my job because they havent got any results.

The key fact missing here are that the client was unable to make significant changes in their own lifestyle outside the gym, yet they convince themselves that paying money for training would ensure weight loss and its the trainers fault. this is just one example... but i digress.

Is your environment stopping you in life?

Action. Review everything you do and identify where changes can be made. Are the practises you use working? If not modify them. Are you always late for appointments? Plan your time better. The list is literally endless. The biggest example i hear everyday regards health is food intake at work.

You say "There's nothing healthy to eat at work?"

I say. Create your own food.

"I dont have time to make my own food"

I say. Create or buy snacks that take little or no time to prepare.

The 2 negative statements above are easily solved problems that people use as excuses everyday NOT to get in better health and better shape.

Almonds are a perfect snack for 'busy' folk

2. Working environment

We spend 1/3 of our lives at work. Thats actually pretty depressing reading if you hate your job?

Im not writing this and saying you should quit your job if you dont like it, absolutely not. What im saying is that i find it amazing how people will spend decades of their lives in jobs (and relationships) that sap their energy, soul and purpose in life.

Im certainly not qualified to give expert advice in this field but i have recently experienced a positive change in my working life. I moved because i wasnt happy. The reasons i wasnt happy could not be changed, so i had to try to make a change to make me love my job again. It worked.

Closing thoughts

Not too long a blog today but i just wanted to briefly share the last phase of my own life/career and try to get some people thinking about their personal and working environments. There are always areas to improve and i believe (in my own opinion from experience) small changes will result in massive positive shifts in other areas in life. Take a look at every area in your life and try to make small changes that will make things better for your family, your relationships, your business, etc.

Passion requires energy, If your daily routine is zapping your energy then you will have passion for nothing.

On that deep note, im off!

Good to be back, share with friends/facebook and lets get the hits back up!

see ya!

Topics coming soon - Intermittent fasting, Resistance Band training, Flipping tractor tyres & revisiting the 10kg in month program!