Tested

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The other day we announced that instructor from NCC would be available, we were taken for a surprise. NCC asked us to take the service of Physical Training Instructors (P.T.I.) employed by IIT Kharagpur. With kind support of all concerned we were confirmed of their availability from today's session. The same was communicated to all students yesterday.

We all were excited to have the instructor among us today morning. We expected to learn something new. The student trainers are doing excellent job in the stop-gap period. They were trained for one semester some months back by the best training faculty available. And they were the best of 850 students trained last semester.

We were looking for new knowledge and better supervision from our P.T.I. Probably due to some communication gap, no P.T.I. from Gymkhana arrived. But this time we are certain that their service will be available soon, probably from next session itself.

As it happened before the student trainers came forward, took the responsibility and we had fun-filled session interspersed with clapping, applause for the trainers. We updated the students at the end of the developments through P.A. system and there was a resounding "Yes" on if they got benefit from the workout and a roar of "No" if they have any issue to share with us on this. We also announced special activity common programs and opportunities lying there for each to showcase their talent, leadership, team work etc. On this count, Unit 7 student members appear to be a step ahead. The unit level meeting already conducted by them came up with an interesting idea from students. The unit faculty asked and was assured of necessary funding support. We shall share with our readers what this idea is when it is implemented and gives benefit to the target audience. Till then let there be suspense :-)

By default, all students transferred from other EAA programs to this program, about 13 of them, were accommodated in Unit 10. It resulted in non-uniform unit size. Reallocation of eight students were done today to other units. Finally, we present a video of today's work out showing a glimpse of warm-up, exercise, de-stretching. This is available here (Link) and also appears in the player window given below.

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Healthy cauliflower leek quiche or pie base

Typically we have pizza's on Friday night but I had a cauliflower in the fridge which I thought would make an ideal base for those traditional pastry quiche and pie bases. You know the ones with white flour, butter, eggs etc... well here's my super quick, healthy chicken quiche or pie version.

Healthy chicken quiche pie

This is an ideal Fathers Day light lunch served with some salad. Adrian has requested this for Sunday! He loved ALL the flavours.

Ingredients
1 cauliflower
1 leek
3 eggs
S&P
parmesan cheese (or your preferred cheese)

Method
Boil cauliflower and leek, once cooled squeeze excess liquid and mash up with a fork, mix in eggs, cheese and seasoning. Line mixture into a quiche pan and bake until golden brown. Add whatever cooked toppings you like to this.

Doesn't it look beautiful? It's super tasty too!

Healthy cauliflower and leek quiche pie base 

I sautéed (whilst the quiche pie base was in the oven baking) 1 leek with 3 zucchini's and 1 packet of chicken tenderloins. You can do so many variations from bacon and mushroom, curry, bolognese mince you name it!

What are some traditional dishes you make on Fathers Day?

Have a great weekend and Happy Fathers Day to ALL you Dads' out there.
xxDani

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Todays Workout - If It Bleeds We Can Kill It

Huge apologies for the gap between posts here on Sandbag Fitness - work and other projects have been stupidly busy. I've still been training though and I hope you have too.

5 Heavy Sandbag Thrusters
50m Sandbag Load Carry
10 Heavy Sandbag Shoulders

Repeat for as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.

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Determination

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Our resolve was tested a little today by rain-god with an overcast sky and light drizzle at about 5 AM. Phone call came at 5:15 AM from student members. We told ourselves that we would wait and watch till 5:30 AM to announce cancellation of today's session, if it rains. And rain-god / nature understood how determined we all are and showered mercy, and not rain :-) Yes, there was not even a drizzle during entire work-out. We could enjoy the lovely morning with light physical training.

We had IIT Kharagpur Gynkhana Athletics student Secretary in the field telling us to limit our activities as there will be athletics meet later in the ground. Accordingly, and also for the wet ground condition we restricted our exercises that does not require running / stamping the ground.

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Workout Wednesday and BOB Ironman stroller review

We love it. As soon as a little bit of sun gets out in Ballarat we are out that door!!! Here's Zali and I in the park having some fun and I squeezed in a mini squat workout. I also love getting into my fitness gear as they are super comfy when working out and super stylish for when I need to pick up the kids from school.

Blackmilk Clothing camo leggings, Nike free runners, Stylerunner Striders Edge jacket

Thank you Stylerunner for my funky fitness pack and supporting my Ride To Conquer Cancer rides, I hope to see you in Sydney for the Chris O'Brien Lighthouse at RPA. I only have another $500 to reach my target. Donations of any kind are welcomed here.

For those that like to workout in style, head over and check out the awesome range of fitness wear and like Stylerunners' Facebook page here.

Squat workout

12 body weight squats
12 baby/body weight squats (as pictured above for added weight I held Zali whilst doing a regular squat)
12 Plie squats (stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width with your toes pointing out. Put your arms out straight in front of you and lower into a squat)
12 squats with kick back (simply bring your left leg straight behind you while extending your arms forward. Repeat on other side)

NB: avoid your knees creeping over your toes

BOB IronMan stroller review

I also love taking our "you beaut" BOB IronMan stroller for some interval training up and down our street. Adrian likes to take Zali for a run around the lake too and finds the fixed front wheel really sturdy. He particularly likes the alloy wheels and the hand brake. Such a male thing to say!

Ironman stroller

I love how smooth it feels, very light to push, great to manoeuvre and the padded handlebar is comfortable. The girls love jumping into the stroller at any opportunity. There are heaps of great features on this stroller. A secure five-point padded harness, adjustable reclining seat that looks super comfy with all the padding. Fabulous on those days when you want them to sleep and you get some fresh air and exercise at the same time. I love it!!!

Mietta and I running up and down our street in the Ironman stroller

It's super lightweight frame makes it easy to fold away in 2 easy steps and fits comfortably in the rear of our car. Nothing is worse than being stuck on the road trying to fold up a stroller when you are in a hurry, trust me, it's hard yakka with 4 kids!!! It is totally optioned up with a snack tray and with the wind blowing across Lake Wendouree, the multi-position canopy adjusts for protection against the harsh winds and wet weather. It looks super cosy in there.

There is loads of storage in the seat back pocket for my handbag and our snacks, including internal pockets for the girls lip gloss and toys.  I would recommend this stroller especially for those active Mums that need to get out and exercise but can't co-ordinate a babysitter on time. Having said that, Adrian loves taking Zali for a walk/run giving me a break and fitting in fitness for himself.

Adrian and baby Zali loving the Ironman stroller

Do you prefer to workout on your own or like finding creative ways to exercise with your kids?

Happy Wednesday xxDani 

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Weight loss story on Transformation Tuesday with Fatou Cissokho

Let me introduce you to my beautiful French connection Fatou. I didn't want to edit this interview as I love her authenticity. As I was reading this I imagined her French accent, I hope you do too.

Fatou has lost over 15kgs - 33lbs and continues her journey....

Transformation Tuesday with Fatou Cissokho

How old are you and please can you share your health and fitness journey to date? 

I am 26 years old, I really try to eat healthy and lot of things I didn’t eat before. I workout every day and im feeling better since I make the choice for a new healthy me.

What types of foods did you used to eat as a kid and young adult? What's changed since then? 

When I was a kid I just love to eat junk food, I didn’t eat veggie and fruits, and I eat a lot candy, chips and fast food. When I start to “know” cooking I just cook easy and quickly meal like pasta and cheese. I always eat the same things. Since I start my journey I really try to not eat lot of starchy, sugar and no junk food. I include lot of veggie and fruits and cereals (oats). I just drink water no more juice or soda. I prefer smoothie or fresh fruit juice (homemade). I really take pleasure to cook and eat and discover some healthy dishes.

Do you play any sports or what sports do you like watching? 

When I was younger I played basketball, but at the university and in my nurse school I stop it. But now I workout every day (fitness). I really love the feeling when I finish my workout, I start to love sweat again and I push myself every day to do more than yesterday. In TV I watch soccer and tennis.

What are your interests, passion and what makes you smile? 

I love lot of things. I love smile, meet new people, and help. As you know I’m nurse and I’m on mission in French Guyana. I love dance, im a foodlover, I  travel a lot, cause I think itsi mportant to knew the world around me. Im a cinema addict.Chillin with my friends, discover new things. And I love share all of these with my instagram family. Cause im very happy when people leave nice comments on my picture or ask me some advice or recipe. You know what im this kind of girl very simple, always smiling with star on my eyes.

What was the catalyst that sparked your lifestyle change? 

The catalyst for me is the fact to buy clothes more bigger everyday. And  keep my pants in the background of my wardrobe. One day I was invited for diner and I have nothing to wear I just want to cry cause all of my close are so small.But the week after I decide to change my life for a healthy one.

What are some of your dreams/goals you hope to achieve over the next 12 months? 

Im not sure it’s a goal or dream but I just want to be a better new me. Cause I deserve it. The healthy new me gonna be more stronger than me today. And I want to share my experience with lot of people cause inspiring and help other help me too to being better.

Before and after 

What tips would you like to share with my readers about your transformation? 

You are more stronger than you think. Just make the daily choice for a new healthy life. Its hard but everyday past it’s a victory. You can and you will do this. Keep lot of inspiration, try news things but just take care of you.

* * * 

You can follow beautiful Fatou on Instagram @_mymiweightloss_ and merci gorgeous Fatou for sharing your life with us xx Dani 

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On Track

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We tried but we could not avoid wash-out of our Wednesday session. Heavy rain continued for consecutive days. We apprised all that the session will be cancelled if rain continues. Even then enthusiastic students mailed, rang as late as 11 PM previous evening if the session would be there. On Wednesday morning again, phone call, SMS, email from students and faculty poured in and sent out right from 5 AM. And yes, we could not maintain our 100 percent on-track record due to bad weather.

With bad weather behind us, we regrouped today as usual and an interesting session followed. One important point in today's session had been the huddle of all faculty at the end. We see that our counterparts in NSS and NCC take up special activities. Why we fall behind and not earn credit for the same? Each unit is to have one-to-one session with unit faculty and come up with their activity list which will be spread over remaining three months.

The other notable thing in today's session was the presence of IIT Kharagpur Gymkhana representative. We welcomed him and handed over the P.A. system to him for an announcement from Gymkhana side. Addressing all 1st year students he told that the freshers' athletics event is scheduled tomorrow (25-8-2013) afternoon in the same venue.

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Epic weekend in Brisbane for the Rio Tinto Ride To Conquer Cancer

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark." - Michelangelo 

Jeepers! I know for a fact I didn't aim low with this Ride To Conquer Cancer achievement. I am speechless, so many europhic and epic moments that I will endeavour to keep this short and sweet. Still pinching myself with Richard Branson getting back to our invitation to come ride with us. Totally outta this world!

Photo courtesy of amazing photographer Pat  Event Photos Australia

Seriously? This time last week I was in Bris Vegas and meeting a bunch of crazy and super extraordinary people. Yes, we the VisionCrusaders.com finally met face to face for the first time. It was like a family reunion. Faces were familiar and we were chatting like it was only yesterday. Which is kinda true, as we would've touched base via Facebook the night before to finalise our weekend arrangements.

The power of social media and connecting people these days simply blows me away. I am totally in love with it all, as you can appreciate being a Mum of 4 kids my social life isn't as regular as back in my Rockstar Dani days :-)

Anyways, without getting too emotional and telling you this has got to be one of the greatest things I have EVER done in my life (besides marrying the love of my life and giving birth to 4 amazing children) this comes pretty close. I rode with so many amazing people and loved hearing all their stories and why they ride. They shared their life with me and the ones they lost. I too told them I had family pass away and thankfully my father survived prostate cancer.
It was truly humbling to hear them give me thanks for doing what I am doing and for leaving our young family behind to help theirs. WOW!!! Tears, strolling.

So without further adieu here are my thousand words in pictures.....

Day 1 - Vision Crusaders We ROCK!!! We were pumped!!!! Just about to take off!

Simon Mills, Brenda Batten, Nicko Lunardi, Nicole Whelan, Dani Stevens , Kai McIntyre, Ken Dutton, Josh Potter, Klaus Bartosch, Troy Douglas, Greg Leitch, Bec Failla, Chris Hennessey, Sharon Robson, Jeanette McGhee, Rona & Tim Wakeman, Robert Dixon, Jacqueline Anthony, Lis Dargush, Matt Leasegang and Stephen Hughes

Day 1 - I officially fall off my bike with one cleat still on (only a minor fall), first 5kms into my ride and I stuff up on my gears, the chain gets stuck in between the cassette and the rear hub, amazing Rio Tinto bike techs to the rescue and I allow the blood flow back into my body after my feet go numb riding. 

Fitness Food And Style rides her first 220kms ride

Day 1 - celebrating our amazing team member Robert Dixon reaching his 20,000kms milestone, super special

Vision Crusaders celebrating Robert Dixon's 20,000km milestone

Day 1 - riding along side my partner in crime, Matt (I'm sure we got separated at birth)

Matt L (another amazing photographer) and I

Day 1 - first lunch pit stop after missing one in between and cycling 40kms straight! I was on fire!

Captain Klaus Bartosch and I (eating as per usual)

Day 2 - We were very noticeable standing out in our Blackmilk Clothing leggings

Photo courtesy of amazing photographer Pat  Event Photos Australia

Day 2 - riding in the fog and being escorted by Police vehicles was pretty cool

Photo courtesy of amazing photographer Pat  Event Photos Australia

Day 2 - Beautiful Stephen Hughes kept me going over the 2 days, awesome crew at every pit stop nourishing our fatigue bodies, fab photographer Pat capturing all these amazing pictures and Greg and I woo-hooing at the finish line on Day 2

Day 2 RTCC highlights with fabulous people

Day 2 - Bec and I crossing and finishing our 220kms ride together

Photo courtesy of amazing photographer Pat  Event Photos Australia

Day 2- I complete my first ever ride of 220kms of my life (my bike only clocked 100kms on an indoor trainer 14 days ago). Anything is possible if you set your mind to it!

Very proud moment

The Rio Tinto Ride to Conquer Cancer raised an astonishing $4.2 Million, with 1,236 riders to support vital cancer research and clinical trial at QIMR. I am super proud to be a part of this. For those wishing to support us please donate generously so we, the Vision Crusaders can complete ALL of the 6 Ride To Conquer Cancer events. Click to donate to our team here or you can donate to my next ride in Melbourne which supports the Peter Mac foundation.

Special thanks 

To all my Vision Crusaders family, amazing sponsors Cycle City for my bike, Goves Cycles for my awesome gloves, 2XU for my bike apparel and all of you that kindly donated and made all this happen.

While I was in Brisbane my beautiful girlfriend made me feel pretty special by placing micro bead hair extensions, I am so in love with them. So if you are in Brisbane, you have to contact Nicolina at Lashing Extensions and please like her Facebook page and leave her a comment and say hi. They feel so amazing, so natural. Our kids thought that the sunshine made my hair grow longer while I was up North. Gold!!!

Hair extensions by Lashings Extensions

Have a beautiful weekend and I look forward to another sensational week with you all next week.
xxDani

Linking up With Some Grace for FYOB.

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Stuffed red capsicums

This dish was one of my fave's growing up. In Serbo-Croatian they are called "Punjene Paprike" but in English you can call them stuffed capsicums or peppers. Typically Mum made them with mince meat and white rice but I have since made my own versions.

Punjene Paprike AKA Stuffed Capsicums AKA Peppers

These are the ingredients I used tonight.

Ingredients
6 capsicums (cored with lids sliced off, reserve)
x2 cans of lentils
6 slices of bacon (omit if you want a vegetarian version)
1 zuchinni
1 carrot
1 leek
handful of parsley
S&P to taste
drizzle of olive oil

Method
Heat fry pan with olive oil. Sauté leek with bacon, zucchini and carrot until translucent and soft. Add lentils. Drizzle tray with olive oil, carefully place capsicums in the tray and fill with vegetable & lentil mix. Bake in oven approx. 40 minutes at 170C degrees or until cooked. Serve with quinoa, feta and parsley.


All I can say is these babies got placed in the oven ASAP. The minute they were cooked, they were served and there was no time to take a picture of them once they were plated. The house smelt amazing! We smashed these tonight and I can't wait to experiment with my next lot.

What's your favourite traditional meal that you have converted to a healthier version?

Happy Thursday!
XxDani

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Treadmill vs. Gym Membership

Now that my gym membership has reached expiration I've been debating whether or not I would like to renew it. I'm currently weighing three different options, renew my YMCA membership, obtaining a membership at a different gym, or purchasing a treadmill. I've thought about purchasing a treadmill ever since I moved out on my own. I'm not looking for a brand new treadmill and I'm hoping to spend about $150 but no more than $200 which is totally reasonable for the used treadmills I've seen on Craig's List. If I renewed my YMCA membership it would cost me $180 for the whole year. I don't use the weights or machines at the Y so my only benefit there would be taking classes. I'm not planning on making this decision until after my I find out my class, research, and work schedule. If the Y classes don't fit into my schedule then I'm not going to renew my membership. The Y's hours are also less than stellar. They open at 5:15 and close at 9. Their weekend hours are terrible and the class schedule really isn't that great. Since I'm in gym membership limbo I thought that this would be a good opportunity to try out new places. Monday I picked up a two week pass to Anytime Fitness. They aren't located quite as close to me as the YMCA but they are open 24 hours. Downside, they aren't staffed 24/7. After 7 p.m. you use a key fob to get into the building. They told me that they haven't had any issues in the three years they've been there but maybe it's the 22 year old basically defenseless girl in me that's not comfortable with that. It's also a really really small gym, what you'd expect from an apartment complex gym. Four or five treadmills, a few elliptical machines, as well as weights and weight machines. On the plus side they have an in house personal trainer (of course that costs more) but they don't offer any classes or even have a room for that. They also aren't month-to-month (you have to sign an 18 month contract, which you can break hassle-free with 30 days notice) and it would cost me $37 a month. I don't think I'm going to be joining that gym but I will be using those 2 weeks free. I'm also planning on trying out the Lifetime Fitness that's down the street from the hospital but there's no way I could afford working out there. 

The plus side to having a treadmill is that I could workout anytime time of day (or night) that I wanted to, I wouldn't be self conscious of people watching me, I can watch Netflix while working out (major yay!), and it's a one time investment. The downsides are that I won't have access to gym classes anymore, treadmills take up a lot of space, and are a expensive. I also want to make sure I'm buying one in good condition. I could buy a brand new one for $400 but I am definitely not doing that. I know that for some people buying a treadmill would be useless because they need the motivation of going to the gym to workout whereas I am the opposite the leaving and having to go somewhere part of exercising makes it less likely that I will workout. Unfortunately my only strength training comes from doing classes but I still fully intend to continue taking yoga classes. Yoga can be considered strength training. I also have several Tone It Up workouts as well as a resistance band. Eventually I'll add a few free weights as well as a yoga ball to my workout gear. The biggest barrier to buying a treadmill is where am I going to put it! Now that is going to take some maneuvering. I'll have to let ya'll know when I make my final decision but until then it's the gym for me! 

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Prepping and a Clean Fridge

I don't think I've mentioned it yet but my brother is moving down here to go to Trinity (same as his big sis) and I am so excited! My mom flew down with him Saturday and while I was ecstatic I was a little nervous about how it would effect my eating/habits. I'm a person who needs a lot of structure and a set schedule. When change occurs I get completely thrown off and go a little nuts. I don't take my medications, I don't work out, and I eat really poorly. My schedule has been completely out of the norm since the 26th of July so that's partially why I let myself get off track health-wise. Saturday and Sunday I was still off track but my family left for Corpus Christi to visit some friends and I had my first full day of vegan in a while! The first day is ALWAYS the hardest but once I get through it I remember what a piece of cake it is! I did meet my points and usually I like to be under but I'm trying to adapt to portion control and healthy eating again so I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Last night after dinner I decided to go ahead and put together my salads for the week!

I love prepping veggies because it gives me an excuse to watch Supernatural while still being productive :) In total I put together 6 jars of salad. 

Aren't they pretty?

Four of them had:

• 2 tablespoons fat free Italian dressing (0pts.)
• 2 tablespoons chickpeas (1pt.)
• 1/4 cup cucumber
• 3 radishes
• 4 baby carrots
• 4 cherry tomatoes (sliced)
• 1/2 romaine

The other two had:

• 2 tablespoons fat free Italian dressing (0pts.)
• 1/4 cup cucumber
• 3 radishes
• 4 baby carrots
• 4 cherry tomatoes (sliced)
• 1/2 avocado (4pts.) 
• 1/2 romaine

Depending on how these taste I might use fewer 'toppings' next time just because I wasn't able to fit much lettuce in. They look really good and I grabbed an avocado salad for today because I don't think the avocado will last that long in the fridge. I'm hoping these taste great because they were really easy to make, they don't take up a lot of room in the fridge, and they're easy to bring with you! I made sure to bring a bowl with me to work because I am not going to attempt to eat this salad out of the jar. 

In the spirit of preparation I decdided to make some green smoothies ahead of time. I usually blend the night before anyway but last night I decided to make enough for either 2 smoothies a day or 4 days of smoothies. I don't think they'll last that long in the fridge but I won't have any problem drinking two a day. 

6 ounces Coconut Water
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup mango
1 banana

Tropical smoothies are my very favorite so now I buy nothing but those ingredients. These fruits also don't separate on me which I like. I like storing them in jars because they're easier to bring with me that way and they take up less room in the fridge. 

Since I was being such a good girl yesterday I also decided to make sure that my fridge was up to par!

Sorry about the quality. Paint was not being my friend nor was the lighting in my apartment. This is what my fridge looks like when I'm being good (so basically all the time except for the last 3 weeks). 

Crisper Cooler: I generally will have a few more fruits and veggies such as snap peas, grapes, sliced grapefruit, and strawberries but I had already finished most of those (grocery trip time!). I find that buying baby carrots already separated into little baggies is more convenient and worth the little extra I have to pay. I also keep my apples in the fridge because they last so much longer that way. The shredded coconut is for smoothies. It is sweetened (it's hard to find unsweetened coconut!) but I bought it as a treat so I'm okay with it being sweet. 

Small Shelf: Since my mom's in town and eats a high protein diet I picked up the eggs and turkey bacon for her. I buy Kraft's fat free Zesty Italian dressing. I think it's okay as far as non-fat dressings go and a little goes a long way. I always have a bottle of all natural, unsweetened, 100% cranberry juice on hand for when I do the Jillian Michaels de-bloating water. It's basically 60 ounces of dandelion tea, lemon juice, and a little bit of cranberry juice. 

Large Shelf: That's where I keep the stuff I reach for everyday (and the big stuff). My jars of salad, pre-made smoothies, bottled water, cut watermelon, and spinach are there. I buy big boxes of spinach from Cost Co and they give me about a week and a half of smoothies. Last night I pre-cut the quarter of watermelon I had bought and separated it into different containers for lunches. It definitely made leaving the house this morning a lot quicker. 

Door: I buy my coconut water in bulk from Cost Co because I get a better deal on it that way and the big containers are nice because they last a long time. I started keep a pitcher of lemon water on hand and I find that I drink more water throughout the day when it's so convenient to grab. I use almond milk in protein smoothies (almond milk, protein powder, almond butter, and ice). I don't like it in coffee or cereal so one box lasts a long time in my house. The pineapple juice came from a larger can of pineapple juice. I use this when I drink the Tone It Up Bombshell Spell. I keep mustard on hand because I find that it can add some nice flavor to vegetables while they're cooking. Crushed garlic, pretty self-explanatory, I'm a garlic junky. I love blackberry jam and on the occasional days when I don't have peanut butter or I want something sweet I put this on top of my english muffins and it's only 1 pt./tbsp. Coffee creamer, ya'll have heard enough about that. I have yet to try the almond butter on toast. I keep it around for protein shakes. One of these days I'll have to eat it by itself. 

That's basically my fridge. My freezer needs to be defrosted so it's kind of a mess. All I have in there is frozen pineapple, frozen mango, frozen bananas, two bags of frozen asparagus, a bag of frozen green beans, one bag of frozen broccoli, and a box of Dreyer's Outshine bars. As you can see my fridge is really small so I have to be choosy about what I put in there. I also have to be really careful about the temperature because if I let it get too cold then the spinach freezes and I can't use it. 

I really try hard to use tools and an organization technique that makes being easy healthy. So far, what I'm doing right now is really working. Everything is easy to grab, I know where it is, and I don't have to do a lot of prep work (other than on Sundays). Let me know if ya'll have any suggestions for improvements or tips on stocking small fridges :) 

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Droppin' truth bombs over fat loss supplements & 30 day ripped plans.

If your Facebook is anything like mine, it is constantly being assaulted with quick plans & fancy supplements that promise to get you lean, fast! They claim amazing results in only 4 weeks, 30 days, 2 days, only 20 minutes per day .... blah de blah. They market themselves with a mega babe whose face alone makes you want to do bad things to your computer. Not to mention the cheese grating abs that are “oh so shiny” from that layer of oily awesomeness. Add in a dash of Photoshop, some feel-good testimonial goodness and an impressive before and after pic here, and you’ve got a recipe for bulk sales and enough money to buy yourself a lifetime supply of quest bars.

 

 

Let me throw you a few examples of what I am talking about

1) - “Hey Mel, Im doing this lemon detox thing where you drink only lemon and water for a week and then you take a bunch of diuretics, its supposed to make you lose heaps of weight in only 2 days” 

Programs like that make me go a bit crazy. Like push people over in the street, kinda crazy. Any form of fat burners, appetite suppressants, stimulants, juice detox programs, slimming protein powders, herbalife suppliments or meal replacement   shakes Do. Not. Work.
Do they teach you about food? NO. Do they make you feel good? NO. “But Mel, the bottle says that it “helps fat cells switch into burning mode…"” Well my sweet child, the bottle is lying. Whilst I’m here dropping truth bombs all over the place I might as well address another thing.

2) Pre-packaged plans, things like Jenny Craig/Weight Watchers/Lean Cuisine Meals- basically anything that comes in a pre-packaged box that you can whip out and microwave, are a ridiculous way to try and lose weight! Yes, these plans may work for you because they are controlling the amount of food you consume- but they teach you nothing about WHAT you are eating. How much of it is protein? What about carbs and fats? And what do I do when my next delivery of low fat, low sugar, low carb, low sodium, low protein brownies run out? Long term results come from a foundation of knowledge. You need to know WHY you are eating certain foods at certain times.

 

 

3) “What about those “get shredded fast” online programs? Will they work for me?” Well, I’m not here to protein poop on anyone’s programs because there is no doubt, that some people will get results from using them. Even if the program doesn’t morph your face into the model on the advertisement, you will hopefully learn something in the process that will enhance your knowledge of food and exercise.


Confession time: You see, I have purchased a fair few meal plans in my time, and have spent a significant amount of money on them in the process. I'll be honest here and tell you, I once purchased a meal plan for $200 and it literally told me to eat meat and nuts for every meal. And I did it! So I know from experience that you have to make some significant sacrifices to really achieve the results you want in that amount of time. Is eating nuts and meat healthy, fun or sustainable, ergh, no.

Now taking part in a shred plan could very well work for you, and can definitely provide people with the motivation and jump start they need to get their fitness in order. However if you are simply expecting to mutate into a ripped up athlete, you may want to have a think about the following points...

My 5 reasons why a get lean fast program wont work for you:

1.  You need to have muscle! 

This is what I WISH someone had told me BEFORE I decided to try and get a 6 pack! You need muscle to have an athletic physique. If you are scrawny and have very little muscle mass- no matter how much broccoli & chicken you shove down your throat, you will not get a rippling six-pack or a chiselled looking physique. Building muscle mass takes TIME, a whole lot more than few weeks or months. People literally train for 2-3 years consistently, to build the kind of muscle definition you see in Mens Health magazines.

 

2. You may have a hormonal disease or imbalance

 Endocrine disorders are quite complex and can really have an impact on weight loss or gain. If you have Cushing's syndrome, Hypo/hyper-Thyroidism, Syndrome X, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), Oestrogen/testosterone imbalance or any other hormonal issues, you will need to address those prior to undertaking an intense fat loss program. The good news is that they can usually be somewhat balanced naturally through diet. If you are in Melbourne and want to see someone who specializes in hormonal imbalances I would recommend The Pagoda Tree.



3. Your metabolism sucks!

People who have the most effective fat loss results have rocking metabolisms. They’ve ‘overeaten’ or ‘bulked up’ over a period of time and have allowed their bodies to adapt to a higher calorie intake. Then, they have to only slightly reduce their calorie intake (around 20% if you want to get technical) in order to start burning fat. If you already eat hardly anything and over exercise you will have to reduce your calories even further & exercise even more—which is very dangerous for your health, and a long road back to recovery! 

 

4. You are addicted to sugar filled foods.
Its all fine and dandy to shove a chicken and veggies into someone’s hands and tell them to eat ONLY that for a month. However, us humans have some intense food habits/addictions, and they aren’t easily satisfied by a grilled chicken breast. Say goodbye to your morning latte, those wines at dinner, your Saturday night out with the boys, the cookie jar at work, the ice-cream you have for dessert and the sugar filled cereal you have as you run out the door in the morning.These foods and more are incredibly addictive and trying to detox from these items is no easy task. Have you ever tried a sugar detox? Sugar is extremely addictive, and if you go cold turkey you will unleash one epic tsunami of a sugar crash. Expect headaches, migraines, massive fatigue, dizziness, cravings, mood swings, depression and anxiety.  You name it, sugar will do it!       

The problem is sneaky, so most people consume more than they think. Those white crystals of deliciousness are hidden in many food items and have more control over you, than anyone is prepared to admit. There is only so much will power someone can have and removing sugar, and then adapting to new foods takes time. If you want to detox yourself from sugar there is a great program by Sarah Wilson that you might like to try. 

 

5. You may have some Psychological Issues around food

Im going to get a little deep here, so put on your snorkel and paddle with me. As someone with a psychology background I have an understanding of the psychological issues surrounding food & body image. It is very important that you have a healthy relationship between food and your body prior to committing to a quick fix program. If you are inclined to turn to food in times of stress or you have had an eating disorder eating in the past, starting programs like the ones I describe can be dangerous.  Be smart about your choices and whether they are appropriate for you and your situation.

There are very few people who would get amazing results from a quick fix program. As you have just read, these people already have a substantial amount of muscle mass, a healthy metabolism and optimal hormonal balance. They also have no psychological issues around food and have relatively healthy eating & exercise habits.

The truth is, that the results that you see on those magazine covers comes from a solid lifestyle built on a foundation of consistent weight training, quality food choices and a commitment to caring for ones body. The great news is that it is never too late to start making changes to your life. There’s absolutely no reason why you cannot make your body look the way you want it to. 

Well.. that’s a bit of a lie, I mean even if I did nothing but lunges for the rest of my life, my little stumpy legs would never morph into Miranda Kerr’s.. BUT- my legs can be the best looking set of legs that I could possibly have.

You can have a healthy and slim physique for the long term but you need to realise that getting your dream figure is going to take time. It does not come in a plastic bottle and will not be found in a few months of hard dieting. Find a solution that will work for you, make small changes that you can sustain, find a type of exercise you enjoy and be mindful of what you put on your fork.


With a bit of patience and dedication you could be sitting in a healthy and fit body a year from now!

Start making a plan to make it happen now.

Mel xx

Questions or comments? Id love to hear from you!
melvfitness@live.com.au

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