What I ate today!

This is one for the ladies! I’m not being sexist but us girls think a lot about what we eat. Don't get me wrong guys are health conscious too but us girls take this to another level. For most women every meal, snack, drink is accompanied by a lightening fast thought process including a detailed biochemical breakdown of its content; calories, fat, protein, carbs......and emotions: guilt, pleasure, need, greed, etc.

Food and bodyfat make up a unique and universal language to us ladies, we can talk for hours about what we eat, but mainly what we don’t eat. We go on about how we have two more kilos to lose, how we feel bloated because we ate bread, how we hate shopping for jeans, gym kit and bikini's as all three make us face our lumpy bits. We use shop windows to see how big our bum looks today. Sometimes we pretend we don’t give a toss about our waistline but secretly spend most of our waking hours formulating a plan to get it smaller! Between clients I often work in coffee shops and witness these conversations all day long:

“This week I’m mainly eating cardboard, it really works for me, you should try it…”

“Really! Any special type of cardboard or will any do? I’ll get some on my way home!”

We have routines and rules when it comes to food, We love reading about diets and detoxes, we look at diet pills and potions in Superdrug and for a split second we’re tempted but common sense prevails, if they really worked there wouldn’t be any fat people in the world!

We like to know what's in a celebrities fridge and what they eat on the weekend, knowing full well there's no way they eat that much crap! We scrutinise shots of Abbey Clancey on the beach, trying to find a hint of cellulite and hope that one day we might just witness a bingo wing wobble on Madonna and breathe a sigh of relief that she’s normal after all. We’re fascinated by what other women are doing and constantly compare ourselves.... how do they get such a tiny waist, such a flat stomach and my own personal envy: slim bloody legs!

Its a sad fact that the majority of the women I know may not have eating disorders but certainly eat disorderly. I have refined my diet so much over the years, the more I learn the more it improves and the better I feel. My weight has pretty much stayed the same but I have seen a nice reduction in my muffin top (I am still scarred from a fellow gym pal once pointing out that I was sporting a "cake top" - at least get the insult right!) My skin is the best its ever been, I no longer wear make up in the day and I have the best energy levels I’ve ever experienced in my life. No cravings, no hunger and no sense of deprivation. I will continue to strategically angle mirrors to see how big my bum really is and ask Matt ten times a day if he thinks my legs look fat but I can confidently say I am 100% happier in myself than years gone by, what I'm eating now works so much better for me.

So here’s what I ate today and why:

Upon waking (5.30am)
Warm water and lemon- Cleanses digestive system and stimulates liver.
Teaspoon of nut butter - Stabilise blood sugar and keeps me going until I get chance to eat.

On the train (6.15am)
Organic black coffee - I still love a good strong coffee to start my day.

Breakfast 7.30am
2 scoops chocolate Sunwarrior protein shake with added L-glutamine and Maca (+ Multi Vits/fish oil).

I have a shake for convenience as breakfast is consumed on the go. Sunwarrior is raw, vegan and unlike whey doesn't inflate my stomach, I add L-glutamine as it's alkalines the body and helps strengthen gut integrity, Maca is an adaptogenic herb renowned for regulating and supporting hormone health.

Mid Morning (11am)
Handful of walnuts and clean greens drink.

Walnuts are great source of omega 3's and protein. Pukka Clean Greens is the only green drink I can get on with most others make me heave, I have 1-2 a day for an anti-oxidant fix.

Lunch (12.30pm) Large, baked organic chicken breast with organic green salad, topped with roasted red onion, butternut squash, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower (+digestive enzymes)

I always chunk out salad with roasted veg to keep it tasty and steamed veg for a vitamin and mineral fix, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower) are great for reducing excessive estrogen - a must if you store fat around your legs and chest area.

Mid afternoon (3pm)
Small black coffee and pot of brazil nuts + pumpkin seeds.

Brazil nuts are sweet and creamy so lovely mid afternoon with a coffee, they are a good source of selenium and pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc. I always portion control these as nuts and seeds are a what Tim Ferris calls a 'domino' food for me, I can eat and eat and eat .


On train home:
Large green tea

I aim for 3 a day if I can (every time I enter a coffee shop I have a 5 minute coffee/green tea debate!) Green tea has always been renowned for high antioxidant content but green tea is increasingly being recognised for improving glucose metabolism and increasing fat metabolism.

Snack whilst making dinner (7pm)
Roasted squash and handful pumpkin seeds.

I always snack when making dinner, a very bad habit (that I can't seem to break) as sometimes I eat so much I don't even feel like dinner! We had some butternut squash roasted in coconut milk and garlic in the fridge so I snacked on that, it makes a lovely sweet, creamy snack.

Dinner 7.30pm
Cod and mushrooms sauteed in coconut oil and a dash of tamari (gluten free soya sauce) with avocado, watercress, spinach, pine nuts and sundried tomato salad (+digestive enzymes).

This is such a quick supper, I like to eat as soon as I get home so I have few hours to digest dinner and chill out before bed. I have two pieces of fish (lots of lean protein) and a big serving of greens to go with my omega 3's. The sundried tomatoes and pine nuts add flavour. Mushrooms (great with tamari) really are magical when it comes to health; they lower bad cholesterol, have anti-carcinogenic properties, a high anti-oxidant content to boost your immune system and are packed with minerals like copper and potassium. The bitter, peppery taste of watercress makes it a great digestive aid and vitamin A content improves skin health.

Snack 8pm
Teaspoon of nut butter & ginger and lemon steeper.

If you ever get a sweet craving after dinner have a teaspoon of nut butter, the fat will curb the craving and help you feel satiated. Ginger and lemon steepers are lovely, both sweet and spicy, trust me on this one! Ginger also has so many medicinal benefits so get dosed up for winter, I roughly chop big chunks and have with hot water and a squeeze of fresh lemon. I've tried lots of herbal teas but most for me are more of a chore than an enjoyment, but I love ginger steepers. It goes great with some dark chocolate too....only at the weekend of course ;-)

So that's what I ate today, some days I eat more (much more!) some days I eat less but the important thing is that every day I focus on filling my body with good stuff that will keep me happy, healthy and energised.....by the way don't expect a blog on what Matt eats, it would need to be an EPIC novel!

Want to burn fat, get strong, have superior energy levels and avoid excuses?

Then cook in bulk.

I can't eat well
I just don't have the time
I can't cook my own lunches for work
I work too late
blah blah blah blah blah!

I have a simple solution to this......cook more food.

I, too, start work early and finish late. A typical day for me is a 6.30am client followed by 7-9 more throughout the day until about 7.30pm. I then get home around 8.30-9pm. This means I'm out of the house from 5.45am until 8.30-9pm at night. I could easily sloth on the sofa and claim I am too tired and don't have the time, reach for the phone and order an Indian take away. Don't get me wrong, I sometimes do, but it’s rare.

I like to eat well and be prepared.Thats why when I cook, I cook big. Here is a great example:

A very simple, quick and tasty meal to prepare that will last for days. Great to have for lunches or the next days dinner.

To be honest roasting veg is a winner. It’s nutritious, tastes good and can be cooked in bulk quantities:

• Chop a load of sweet potato, red onion, parsnips, carrots, butternut squash and wack it in a baking tray.
• Mix with some macadamia nut oil, mixed herbs, salt and pepper then in the oven it goes. It takes 5mins to prepare and then whilst it's cooking get some steaks in the pan and you’re away.
• Cook enough steaks to last for dinner and tomorrow’s lunch, it doesn’t take any longer so if you’re cooking dinner anyway you might as well cook a bit extra for your lunch.
  

This way, you enjoy a tasy nutritious lunch, save money and you can be safe in the knowledge you’re eating good quality food.

Another great tip is to bulk cook your meat and poultry. Invest in a decent sized baking tray and cook a couple of days worth of meat or poultry.

Here I chopped two whole chickens, marinated them in macadamia nut oil, cayenne chilli powder, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper and cooked them in the oven. This was enough for both mine and Keris’ dinner and our lunches the following day. It was so easy to prepare, tasted amazing and lunch the next day was sorted.


I always recomend folk eat a good breakfast but I understand and extra 20 minutes in bed can be the most appealing thing in the world at times. Which is why I recommend my egg loaf.


This is great for breakfast on the go or something to get down you upon waking as it requires no prep, just eat it. Simply mix 6-8 whole free range organic eggs with chopped red pinion, chopped red pepper, some smoked salmon and a bit of seasoning and cook in the oven for 15-20 mins.

A good protein hit, healthy fats and antioxidants and it tastes great. You can use spinach, mushrooms, chopped tomatoes whatever you like. Be creative and enjoy. Again, something like this will last a couple of days.

So, invest in some baking trays and some tupperware boxes and get cooking. Stop making excuses and feed your body with the good food it deserves rather than spending money on that shop brought processed crap. Saying that, we have a great blog series coming soon with some great tips on where to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner and advice on what choices to make. I'm sure you'll find this of interest.

The point of this post is to assure you that cooking your own breakfast, lunches and dinners is not as time consuming or expensive as you think. It is very time friendly and easy on the wallet and can also be incredibly enjoyable if you put your mind to it. I used to hate cooking and would often put together the easiest dish possible. Uncle Ben’s 2 minute Rice, a tin of tuna and a tin of sweetcorn was a favourite of mine :-) Now i love trying out new ideas and I feel very satisfied when I'm tucking in to my tasty, healthy and hearty lunches whilst other people opt for their processed, fat laden lunches.

People often ask how I manage to maintain high energy levels throughout the day and I always say it’s my diet. This may sound obvious but it is often over looked and people are always looking for other reasons as to why their energy levels have dropped. When more often that not they have had a carb rich and processed breakfast which has now seen them have a blood sugar crash. Start your day right, snack well, eat a good lunch and your body will thank you for it not to mention your training sessions will benefit too.

Hope you enjoyed this quick post and please if you have any questions or would like some recipe ideas please don’t hesitate to get in touch at matt@fitterlondon.co.uk

Have great day,

Matt

Caveman Survival in a 21st Century Office by Ceri Jones

I’m not going to sit here and say that eating Paleo is easy at first - it does require some planning and thinking ahead (that for me is the fun part!), but once you’ve worked out how it can easily fit with your lifestyle (whatever your career) , it really is plain sailing.

I've been near as damned it Paleo since last December. As I enjoy planning my food and discovering new recipes, for me the hardest thing wasn’t eating all this wonderful Paleo food but rather having confidence to explain to people around me why I had decided to overhaul my eating habits in this way - But why not? Why is choosing to eat Paleo any different from being a Vegetarian, Vegan, Fruitarian or Raw Food connoisseur? I went along with this line when first explaining to my family, friends and colleagues why I was no longer regularly eating pasta and porridge, refusing afternoon cake, or why now I prefer my coffee black. A stream of questions about being a Paleo followed and ultimately I believe I gained their respect for sticking to my guns (although they do still laugh at me for eating Chicken for breakfast). Surviving the office environment is tough; office hours can be long, sedentary, and mid-afternoon munchies, birthdays, lunches out, conferences and after work drinks all provide plenty of distractions. Here are some of my personal tips to help get you through;

The PFA



In my office we have an area called the PFA (the projects food area), so called because it's situated on some spare desk space at the end of the Projects Team pod. The PFA ALWAYS contains morsels of food, a half eaten packed of crumbled digestive biscuits, some random sweets from Joe Blogg's recent trip to Greece, a pot of M&S mini-bites just because it's Tuesday and we all need cheering up?? I'm sure this all sounds familiar... Even with a rock-hard will of steel I know it’s not always easy to ignore the PFA, especially when it’s 3.30pm, you're tired and having a really hard day. I’m not going to lie and say that I never dip into it, but there are ways you can avoid it... Firstly get organised and bring your own personal supply of snacks, of if you’re feeling generous bring Paleo snacks to share - A bag of nuts or fruit for starters (punnets of berries always a winner). Or if you’re feeling really adventurous make some Paleo cakes to share, yes sweet (healthy) treats ARE allowed. When I have time at the weekend or a spare evening I make up a huge batch of cakes stick them in the freezer and then bring them out as and when I fancy them. I have great satisfaction in feeding other people my Paleo creations, especially when they show complete surprise just how tasty Paleo recipes can be. Being a cake maker can have other benefits too - you get repaid by a constant supply of tea (green or herbal of course)

Food preparation

Does your office have a fridge, freezer or microwave? Make use of them!
I have breakfast at work most days having spent the first part of my day in a Fitter London class! The microwave can be incredibly useful and used in conjunction with some trusty Tupperware you’re just 60 seconds away from scrambled eggs. If you also throw in some diced tomatoes, pepper, prawns or salmon you get an omelette in a bowl. If you also top this with some avocado the meal is a total winner! I’ve even got one of those plastic things that makes boiled eggs in the microwave (yes really, I found it in Robert Dyas). Dippy eggs with crudités make a great afternoon snack!

Personally I prefer to bring in my own food for lunch, rather than visit the local Pret.... If I’m making big curry, stew or soup at home in the week I make extra portions for my freezer so that I can take them out first thing and hey presto they have defrosted by lunchtime. I also keep extra frozen veg in the office freezer so if ‘m really hungry I can us it to pad out my Bolognaise stew or Thai Curry for example.

Office Lunch?

Someone suggests lunch out, and your first thought is well, that’s Paleo out of the window for today? Au contraire, I have yet to find a cafe, restaurant or pub where a Paleo meal can’t be found, and if necessary don’t be afraid or embarrassed to ask to sub one item for another. Keris’ previous article sums this up nicely. They know me now in our local cafe and are always quite happy to give me extra salad instead of chips (though are constantly surprised I can easily conquer half a chicken).

Another slightly challenging situation for a Paleo can be the conference / training day / meeting lunch. On my second day as a Paleo I was out at a staff training day, where I knew sandwiches would be served up at lunch. I didn’t want to fail so early on, so made sure I asked before hand if it might be possible to have a salad (with protein of course). If you don’t feel comfortable spending the next 30 minutes explaining why you don’t want a sandwich then just them you have a wheat allergy.... That should help!

The Office Birthday



Is it someone’s birthday soon? Offer to make the cake – a great excuse to put your new found recipes to use. I was deeply touched that on my birthday this year along with buying a classic cake from M&S my colleague made me a Paleo Carrot cake. Guess which one got eaten first and was still talked about for weeks afterwards? – yep the Carrot cake! My endless ranting has obviously started to pay off! The same goes for office cake sales, make some Paleo versions to sell, people will soon realise Paleo = tasty!)

Post-work drinks

7pm Friday night, you've been in the pub since 5, had a few glasses of wine (Pinot Noir or Rioja of course) and you're starving. You've scanned the pub food menu and there is nothing but chips, or fish finger sandwiches on the bar menu (if you're lucky a handful of nuts) so what to do?? Again it’s a bit of a plan in advance thing. There are some snack bars (such as Nakd) out there that which can be yanked out of a handbag in a matter of seconds, and even though they can be quite carby are a billion times better than chips. Failing that an emergency bag of nuts or a pack of meat from the supermarket (bought in your lunch hour or en route to the pub) are a good plan!

Hope that covers it, but most of all - take your colleagues along for the ride - they'll thank you for it when their concentration levels reach sky high, and mid afternoon energy slumps are a thing of the past. Plus don’t forget that by working in an office you have one massive advantage over non-office based workers - The Internet! At your fingertips you have access to the biggest Paleo cook book in the world. Type the word Paleo recipe in front of any number of ingredients into Google et voila – inspiration for tonight’s dinner? A snack for tomorrow afternoon? A scrummy cake?

By the way, I do fall off the Paleo Wagon (Friday 3pm usually) when I succumb to the packet of biscuits that have been staring at me for 5 days, but that’s allowed, we’re all human after all, and I know that come Monday I can get right back on it.

Summer Cleanse

So this week Fitter London's Keris Marsden, Matt Whitmore and Rich Nicholas are taking part in a seven day cleanse. Each one will be blogging their personal reasons for undertaking the cleanse as well as their day to day experience and results. This will be a regular event for Fitter Londoners soon so have a read to find out why cleansing at least once a year is essential to optimal health.

What is a Nutritional Cleanse?

The 7 day cleanse was created by Dr Robert Rokowski and taught to me by strength coach Charles Poliquin as part of the BioSignature Modulation in Sweden.

A cleanse involves unlimited consumption of medical food powders and green drinks or green vegetables every day. There are optional further supplements you can take including amino acids, fibre drinks and detoxification support. The elimination of all other foods and these drinks take the body through an intense process of detoxification.

Why Not Simply Fast or Juice fast?

Short term, controlled fasting (1-2 days) has been shown to deliver some benefits in terms of improving digestive issues and rebalancing hormones. However, it is debated as to whether extended fasting may bring any additional benefit, for many people it becomes a stressful experience for the body to cope with. The lack of vitamins, minerals, fibre and essential fats are both physically and mentally challenging to the body and not everyone responds well. Furthermore, during an extended fast the body breaks down muscle to be used by the liver for fuel in the absence of food. Muscle is your metabolic tissue, it’s the precious stuff you never want to lose. The more muscle mass you have the better your insulin sensitivity and the more calories you burn at rest.

I’m not a big fan of juice fasts either, don’t get me wrong I love drinking juices but essentially you are ingesting water, vitamins and sugar. Sugar consumed in the absence of fibre, fat or protein will spike your blood sugar levels and disrupt your insulin and cortisol control which can lead to fat accumulation around your stomach and waist.

The medical foods involved in the cleanse combine vitamins, minerals and accessory nutrients which can be tailored to your needs (e.g either detoxifying, hormone rebalancing or anti-inflammatory). Each shake contains 16g of protein so you don’t go hungry and consuming extra amino acids in addition to the shake allows you to retain lean muscle mass throughout the cleanse.

Cleanse Benefit 1 – Fix the Gut

A cleanse allows the gastro-intestinal tract to rest, repair and reinoculate with healthy bacteria. The addition of probiotics and l-glutamine to the medical shakes supports and strengthen the mucosa cells of the gut wall which are often impaired by gluten/dairy heavy diets and stressful lifestyles. Anyone suffering from recurrent digestive disorders including irritable bowel, bloating or food intolerances would benefit hugely from a cleanse.

Cleanse Benefit 2 - Detox

People often dismiss or ignore the effects of toxicity, however, it has been strongly linked to symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue and joint pain. Toxic elements are everywhere in our environment; we inhale, consume and absorb toxins through our skin. The liver functions to eliminate toxins from your body, however, occasionally there can be an accumulation of toxins in our tissues effecting our neurological, immune and endocrine (hormone) systems.

Even those who consider themselves healthy may not realise toxic load is increased by things like intense training, high protein diets and lack of recovery/restoration sessions. The cleanse lessens the toxic load placed on the liver and kidneys. It supports the different phases of liver detoxification and restores levels of highly alkalising and anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Cleanse Benefit 3 – Drop Body Fat

Obviously one of the most exciting results of a cleanse is the overall improvement to body composition. Detoxifying the body, removing foods and any source of stimulant really allows your hormones to balance; promoting fat loss, improved blood sugar management, increased energy levels, improved mental clarity and increased strength. Following a cleanse some individuals have reported strength increases of 10%.

Training

One of the best things about a cleanse is that you can still train, Poliquin advocates a specific protocol for weight training during a cleanse to keep the lymphatic system circulating. However, what is also really enjoyable is investing more time in restorative activities like saunas, epsom salt baths, massage, long walks, yoga and mobility exercises. Your body feels amazing and will really thank you for the break from your usual routine.

Fitter London is running a group cleanse in September, contact Keris@fitterlondon.co.uk for more details.

Best Status Updates

I love reading status updates, I like hearing the gossip, what people are up to and there’s loads of useful knowledge sharing that goes on, especially in the health and fitness world. Some updates have the profound ability to lift your spirits. I came across a Personal Trainer in Melbourne who posts some of the best updates on Facebook. Every day he puts up quotes either motivational, inspiring, uplifting or just funny. I asked him if I could share some of my favourites in a Fitter London blog and he agreed.

His name is Anthony Goldsmith (anthony@performants.com.au) you should add him as a friend as I promise his quotes can change your mood for the entire day!






‎”Just like to say most of my quotes are either by myself or unknown. I do not wish to take credit for any. But, if i can make an impact on somebodies life by a simple quote...it makes me happy. I try my best to put up the most powerful quotes to make a difference in people’s life.....after all, I am a personal trainer....isn’t this one of our roles anyway?”
Anthony Goldsmith







Wise Words

Failure is like fertilizer, it may stink, but it’s necessary for proper growth

People too weak to follow their own dreams, will always find a way to discourage yours.

If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.

Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about.

Won’t power is better than Will power.

Before you talk, listen. Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you criticize, wait. Before you quit, try.

You can't make the same mistake twice. The second time you make it, it's no longer a mistake. It's a choice.

Dear Past, thanks for all the lessons. Dear Future, I'm ready.

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success


Motivational

I've learned that millions of people can believe in you, and yet none of it matters if you don't believe in yourself.

When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.

If someone is strong enough to bring you down, show them you're strong enough to get back up.


Feel Good

You want to know who’s got the most amazing and best smile ever? Read the first word again.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you, not because they are not nice, but because YOU are nice.

Your character is more important than your reputation or your wealth. Take good care of it.


Diet and Fitness

A diet is the penalty we pay for exceeding the feed limit.

If you don't watch your figure, no one else will either.

If pubs don’t serve to drunk people, how come Mcdonalds serve fat people?

A man asks a trainer in the gym: "I want to impress that beautiful girl, which machine can I use?" Trainer replies: "Use the ATM"


My Personal Favourites

Bad news: Time flies. Good news: You’re the pilot.

Life always offers you another chance. Its called tomorrow.

Anyone can make you smile...but only certain people can make you happy

Plantain 'Cakes'

I got this recipe idea on Friday while I was in the changing room at the gym :) The TV chef used potatoes and I thought, "This would definitely work with plantain".

And of course... it did :)

FYI: I'm Nigerian and I love plantain :)

Ingredients
2 eggs
2 plantains
1 red bell pepper
Quarter of an onion
2 small tins of mackerel (fresh fish is ideal but I had none at home)
I used no seasoning because plantains are naturally sweet.

Plantain 'Cakes'

1. Cut the plantains into three pieces each (leaving the skin on). Add to a pot and add enough to cover the plantain halfway (max). Boil on medium to high heat for 15-20 mins.
2. Chop the 1/4 onion into small pieces, same goes for the bell pepper.
3. Remove plantain from pot and peel. Add the pieces to a big mixing bowl.
4. Break an egg into the bowl, add the chopped onion and pepper. Mix contents with a wooden spoon, the result should be very thick.
5. Take a handful of the mix and roll into a ball, then into a square/cube shape. continue till done with the mix. (I made 3 large 'cakes')
6. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a pan and fry the onions in the pan. When brown, toss them out.
7. Add the cakes to the pan and pan fry on low to medium heat. the cube shape comes in handy because you are able to turn it on all six sides. It took a total of 10 minutes to cook.
8. Fry the egg and serve with a cake (as seen in the pictures).

Serving suggestions:

• I served mine with an egg (runny, which I like and which is how the potato cakes were served on TV)
• Serve with Quick Stew (Recipe: HERE)

Alternatives:

• I'm going to try baking it in the oven next time :)
• Use vegetables of your choice, I'm going to try spinach next.
• You can use sweet potato, butternut squash, etc.
• I also made a butternut squash version which I rolled into small balls and oven-baked on medium heat for 15 minutes. Again, I boiled the squash before mixing with other ingredients:

Amazing Breakthrough

Our scientists in the Fitter London lab have been running extensive tests for the last few years and have made a huge breakthrough that will take the health and fitness industry by storm.

We are so confident in the results that we can now put it out as an official statement.

We discovered that when we ran tests on individuals (including both males and females between the ages of 18 - 55) and placed them in a situation where we were trying to advise them on different ways in which they could assist their fat loss goals, achieve great things with their training regime and to lead a healthier, more energetic and happier lifestyle (please know that this advice was only offered to those who requested it as they were not happy with their current physical health/appearance) shockingly 82% of those tested showed strong signs they were suffering from a forever growing condition known as:

"I talk a load of bollocks and can find an excuse for absolutely anything syndrome".

It's shocking I know but the test results prove it. The worst part is that the symptoms of this condition are in most cases unknown to the person with it.

The bad news is that there are as yet no pharmaceutical medicines to counteract this global epidemic.

How to spot if someone has ITALOBACFAEFAAS:

Example:

Someone tells you they are unhappy with their weight and wish to embark on a training and diet protocol to help them lose weight and feel better.

Fitness professional gives advice to then hear:

- I cant possibly cook my own food, I work an 8 hour day like most people and by the time I get home there really is no chance.

- Reduce my alcohol intake? Are you mad, I work in advertising and im always out with clients.

- how can you expect me to get more sleep. By the time I get in and microwave my cottage pie and catch up with my sky plus recordings its gone 11.30.

- lol drink less coffee! that's insane, I get to bed at 11.30 and have to be up at 5.30 for work and you expect me to get by without my caffiene hit.

You get the picture here.

The above is just an example but the point here is that everyone claims they want to make change yet throw every excuse that they have at you as to why those changes are not possible when it comes to the crunch.

Now I am not going to hold anything against these sufferers as all I want to do is help them and rid them of these awful condition before it spreads and takes over the world.

To make change you have to be open to advice and make time to read, learn and trial different methods to discover what works best for you.

If you are 100% happy with how you look, your training, your energy levels and how you feel generally then please crack on with what your doing as it is obviously working great for you.

If on the other hand you are not, then please visit a Fitter London scientist who can help you overcome this awful condition and rid you of it forever.

We at Fitter London are not machines, we do not lead boring and bland lifestyles and live off chicken and leaves. We simply believe in a well balanced, structured lifestyle involving smart yet tasty eating habbits, a rewarding training regime and providing ourselves with the rest we deserve.

Don't be afraid of change, change is good.

Have a vision, lay the stepping stones and then tread them one at a time.

Much love, double espressos and full body workout,

Matt Whitmore