Wednesday 12 December 2012

New years resolution?

New Year soon, lots of resolutions to make? How about making 2013 the year that you get fit? Here at Forefront Fitness we have lots of plans for the year ahead – and they are all made with YOU in mind. Our gym will be opening in Bluntisham in January – above Budgens in the village. Ideally situated so that you can ‘pop’ to the gym for a quick workout and home for shower and breakfast before work. Or maybe you would prefer to get the children off to school and call in then? No journey time involved – (we are going to be able to walk to work!) The gym is going to be equipped with all you need to get a really good work out at a level and pace to suit you. We will have 2 treadmills, 2 bikes, 2 cross trainers and a rower. There are two free weights areas (with a great range of dumbbells and barbells) and plenty of space for Swiss Ball, BOSU work and resistance bands. There will be a cable machine and a TRX (if you have never used one of these you are in for a treat!) So, big enough to meet the needs of the village but small enough to be friendly. There will always be a qualified exercise instructor on duty to support and advise. We are planning ‘Teen time’ and special sessions for new Mums and by special request, something for the older movers and shakers. But tell us what you want and we will see if it can be done. There will be joining offers and Personal Training packages to encourage us all to shift a few pounds and tone up generally. Keep watching this space for more details.

Monday 19 November 2012

Creep

Have you got Creep? No, its not a new version of Foot & Mouth disease – its what can happen if you take your eye off the ball. Creep is unintended weight gain – its occurs due to ‘one little bit won’t matter’, and ‘what difference will just one more drink make’ , decisions slip into your life. You are, of course, right, one more probably won’t make a difference – but one more every day certainly will. So, what can we do about it? Well, if we are serious about weight management, we can set our wiggle factor really tight. What’s your wiggle factor? Mine is half a kilo – I don’t let my weight fluctuate more than half a kilo up or down from my ideal. I weigh myself everyday and act accordingly. If it’s a bit lower than my target weight – great – but watch it doesn’t go too low. If it’s above – I take action. That means that that day I don’t ‘just have one more’. It means that that day I am super vigilant and stop the creep. I will also make sure I get my 10,000 steps in for the day (using my Activ8rlives programme – www.activ8rlives.com) When I weigh myself the next day I am usually back to more normal. Now, you may be thinking words like ‘obsessed’, ‘crazy’, - but – it works – I have maintained my new, lower weight for months like this. I am no longer scared of the scales – I face up every day and act accordingly – it doesn’t take much to lose a little – but losing a lot is a big task – watch out for Creep – don’t let a little become a lot.

Friday 2 November 2012

Moving Forward

‘Let’s make a go of this’ we said. ‘Go’ of what, you may well ask? We are working hard to make Forefront Fitness a great provider of exemplary health, fitness and wellbeing advice and support. We worked with a training and business advisor this week and amongst other things have come up with a mission statement: ‘We are personal fitness coaches, passionate about helping people achieve a healthy lifestyle’ To this end, Steve is doing his Level 2 REPs Exercise Instructor course. Now, of course, this is great and fits well with what we are doing. However, and it’s a big however, he now thinks he would like to practice his new found skills on me. That means, out in our home gym at some unearthly hour, whilst the rest of the UK sleeps, I have to do 70 (yes, seventy) kettle bell swings, far too many star jumps and pick up weights that previously would have reduced me to a quivering wreck. (If any of you are now thinking of a recently published novel – please refocus). Whilst this is actually great for my fitness levels (I usually decide that 10 real hard reps is enough and blow the other 2 sets), I am somewhat dreading Monday morning when he gets back form this weekend’s tuition with more ideas! This is a real watershed time for us, Steve has resigned from his day job and we are drawing up our definitive business plan. We have many possibilities and probabilities, some research on our PACT model might be a potential, a level 4 training course, a local gym to set up and very importantly, lots of Personal Training clients. We are working on our social media strategy and are very grateful for the help and support from friends who seem to only want the odd cup of coffee now and again to say thanks. We ‘tweet’ regularly and you will have noticed an increase in FB articles. Obviously this is to ‘get our name out there’ but, more importantly, to make sure that you have easy access to all the best advice and support for your own fitness journey – so- watch this space!

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Special touches

Last week we were talking about flabby bits – I can help – I use the latest ultrasound fat cell bursting techniques, combined with a vibrating plate workout – what have you got to lose? A 20 to 30 minute treatment – all you have to do is lay back while I smooth the ultrasound head over your ‘fatty bits’ followed by your hard work on the vibrating plate works well. Then some cardio work in the following 12 hours – a walk would be good – and those inches will go! Just give us a ring – loads cheaper than salon prices. And keep hydrated – often we mistake thirst for hunger – always try a glass of water – might just head off an indulgence!! Don’t forget – we are here to help you be your best

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Forever Living

Perhaps you need some help managing your weight? Give us a ring and we can set you up with some food diary sheets – might be all you need to realise where those extra calories creep in. Maybe a chance to chat over your diaries would give you the help you need? Just give us a ring. Protein shakes used as a meal replacement can be a great way to get your weight to a level that you want and to help you keep it there – there are some great products available from Forever Living – all Aloe Vera based. www.forefrontfitness.myforever.biz/store Take a look, I find that a protein shake is really easy to prepare and very filling. Stops me reaching for a sandwich and a bag of crisps. I also love the body wrap system from the same company, helping to firm up those flabby bits! Take a luxury bath, apply wonderful warming body creams, wrap it on for maximum effect and just relax.

Sunday 5 August 2012

Olympic Gold

Olympic Golds Great performances in the Olympics – how do they do it? Well, apart from hours and hours of training – they set themselves goals, they believe in themselves, and they hold themselves accountable for their actions. What are your goals? Where do you want to get to? Do you want it enough to work for it? If you want to lose weight, tone up, get fitter – we can help. We can help you to work out what you need to do to be your best – to get to where you want to get. We can help you work out what you want to be accountable for (perhaps its 30 mins of exercise three times a week, perhaps its 3 alcohol free days a week) – and help you to maintain a lifestyle that makes you feel on top of things and in control. If this sounds good to you, get in touch – what have you got to lose?

Friday 27 July 2012

10k a day

What fantastic weather! Has all the Olympic activity encouraged you to increase your exercise levels? Get motivated and get moving! Your simple start might be to walk more – do you do 10,000 steps every day? Maybe a pedometer might help you to keep a check on your steps? Check out www.activ8rlives.com for some great walking ideas. I have been really surprised at how many and also how few steps I do. Obviously the day that we walk 5 miles there are loads of steps (before breakfast!) so I feel very righteous. But a day like today when I have worked at my desk all day – the count is pitifully low. What it does mean is that I can choose to be aware of my steps and consciously ‘top them up’ towards the end of the day. It means that when I need a break I go for a quick walk – instead of reaching for a cup of tea and a biscuit (double whammy, fewer calories in and more off!) . Coming soon – some walking programmes to encourage you on your way.

Tuesday 26 June 2012

What have you got to lose?

Well, I’ve finished my Cleanse programme – I’ve lost 6lb and I’ve lost inches. I feel great and full of energy, and I have learnt some interesting things about how I eat. So, how did I do it? I used Forever Living’s Cleanse 9 programme. It comes in a box, everything you need, you just add milk for the protein drinks and a 600 calorie meal on days 3 – 9. There are tablets to help with your metabolism and a vitamin boost. The Aloe Vera gel drink helps with energy levels and the protein shakes make sure you get 100% of RDAs of vitamins and minerals. You get a book with all your instructions, somewhere to chart your progress and helpful tips. You even get a tape measure and a shaker for mixing your drinks. Just moving away from bad habits helps, keeping up your exercise will make a difference (and yes, you can still exercise – even with many fewer calories!) Knowing that I was getting all the vitamins and minerals that my body needed gave me confidence to continue. So, what now? I am sure that some of you will be thinking – ‘yes, but she will put it all back on’, That is, of course, possible, but not likely as I have been able to spot some of my danger times and avoid senseless eating. Also, I have taught myself that I don’t need to eat loads to prevent collapse and that being a bit hungry is OK – I was always afraid of being hungry before – but have learnt to manage it now. Of course, if I give in to a whim and have that pastry or whatever, I need to be sure that it’s a one off and move on with renewed determination! But help is at hand, Forever Living also have a Nutri-Lean programme to follow on with. Again, nearly everything you need in a box, plus more helpful hints and tips. Next thing I am going to try is the body wrap to help with some of the lose skin – combined with exercise, I hope it will soon disappear. Thanks for sticking with me through this – if you would like to give it a go, or would like to join me in offering this to your clients (it’s a great business opportunity) – then please feel free to email / phone me or take a look at my web page www.forefrontfitness.myforever.biz/store Lots of lovely lotions and potions on the web pages and you can buy directly from that site. Delivery is really quick (if you live locally I can get them for you if that helps) and there is a 60 day money back guarantee – so if you get something and you don’t like it or it doesn’t do what it says it will do – you can have your money back! Why not give it a go – what have you got to lose?? Not going for the hard sell – but it worked for me.

Day 8

Monday and day 8 Only one more day after today! Its been a very long day today – got up at 05.00 and did lots of house work type tasks. Went to work at BUPA then at Lighter Life. Now I’ve done some ordering for ‘Forever Living’ products. Tomorrow I’ll tell you more about this company, about the great products and the fantastic money making opportunities for you. I have spread my food allowance out over the day today. My only lapse has been a Nak’d bar – for the rest I have kept within my allowance. I haven’t been fanatical, but have kept a clear eye on what I have been eating. I am much more aware of when I am really hungry and when I just ‘fancy a little something’ (a bit like Pooh Bear!) . There is nothing like writing down what you eat to focus the mind! I realise that before I had something to eat just about every time I went into the kitchen – and that’s a lot of times. I ate if my day had been good and if it had been bad. I ate if I was happy and if I was sad. I had all sorts of excuses to eat and best of all, if I sat down to read anything, then obviously I needed something to eat at the same time! Those habits are gradually going, its not easy but this programme has helped to reinforce the good habits that I have acquired. Its also really good to know that I could always do it again if I felt I needed to lose a few pounds or to rid my body of some of the nasties that accumulate. Full details tomorrow – your turn next? I’ll support you if you decide to do it. Texts, phone calls, emails, - its all helped me to stay on track.

Sunday 24 June 2012

Day 7

And so it goes on – one meal, two shakes and lots of supplements – no harder, no easier. Exercised in a great rush today (overslept – its all this great sleep that I’m getting!) but still worked out hard. I think its about determination – its about being really clear what my goal is and keeping it in mind throughout the day. If I didn’t know why I was doing this I feel sure I would have given up – but being clear what I intend to achieve keeps me really focused. Losing weight and keeping it off takes effort – but its loads easier if you have a plan. A plan and a clear guide plus some great products makes for a much easier journey. Two more days – all will be revealed!

Saturday 23 June 2012

Day 6

Just starting day 6 of the cleanse programme. I have lost another pound, and since I started, 1cm from arm circumference, 2 cms from waist and 2 cms from hips. This is a really good result, I am quite small anyway, (I now weigh only just over 8stone) and am only 5 feet tall, so this represents a decent percentage lost. And how am I feeling? I am sleeping really well, feel full of energy and only hungry when it is the time for a shake or a meal. Interestingly, I forgot to take one lot of the pre meal tablets before I ate last night and wanted to carry on snacking – I wondered why it was happening until I remembered the regime properly. I know that this doesn’t ‘prove’ that it works, but it was really noticeable. Exercise wise, I have been able to carry on as usual and I have just run 5 miles. Already I am beginning to think about what I do when I have finished this 9 days, so exploring the follow on regime – I’ll tell you more about that too, very soon. Intrigued? Only a few days and I will reveal all

Thursday 21 June 2012

Day 4

Day 4 done and dusted. Full of energy and still not hungry. Have noticed, too, that I don’t have that dreadful ‘I must eat something’ feeling in the evening. I have drunk loads, but I do that anyway. There is plenty of support available, so not on my own. Nearly half way through. I even did a more strenuous work out today in my gym. And despite that rain, walked for half and hour to get the milk and the newspaper. Wonder what tomorrow will bring? Watch this space!

Day 3

Wednesday – and its my husband’s birthday – lots of food challenges. But today saw lunch introduced, I ate healthily and felt great. Great energy, and no hunger. Carried on with supplements – and – I have to admit that I found this hard to believe, they have stopped me being hungry! I did have two mouthfuls of some special scones that I made, but even so, kept within my daily calorie allowance. We had to go out in the afternoon so I was driving so easy to avoid the champagne. Then, and this is a bad bit, I didn’t have my last protein shake of the day. This is just as bad as eating too much, but I just felt too full to manage it – crazy! I am getting exercise everyday and used my vibrating plate and went for a brisk walk. This is going well – I've even lost 4 pounds! -heading into day 4 of 9 now. Stick with me – who knows, you might want to give it a try?

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Day 2

End of day two and I’ve done it! Couple of hours to go of this phase. Tomorrow is additional shakes and a calorie controlled meal. Will seem like a feast after last two days! The tablets have kept the worst of the hunger at bay (I will let you into the secret soon!) and drinking plenty has helped. We (those of us who are all doing this together) have just had a conference call and talked about ‘how its going’. Sounds like we are all going through the same stuff but sticking with it – measuring & weighing tomorrow – will be interesting. I was quite concerned this morning as I had a very important meeting when I needed to really concentrate and be clear about what I was aiming to achieve. I was concerned because I know I hadn’t had many calories over the last hours and wondered if I would lose the plot – not a bit! It was remarkable – I completely forgot that I might be hungry, I spoke fluently and was able to fully focus. No dizziness at all. Really good result. This looks like its going to be a great way to clear your body of rubbish and drop a few pounds in a really short space of time. Then there’s a plan to keep that weight off. Sounds good to me!

Monday 18 June 2012

Day 1

Well, Day One nearly done, I’ve got one more gel drink to have. How do I feel? Most of the day I have felt very energetic and raring to go. Which is not bad on some tablets, gels and a shake. (Don’t worry, I’ll reveal all at the end of the 9 days!) Right now I will admit to being hungry but determined. I have spent a lot of time lately considering where my ‘hunger’ comes from. I was convinced that if I didn’t eat something every hour then my world would fall apart. I thought nothing of having a home made protein shake, loads of fruit and nuts and a cereal bar, all before 10.00 and I won’t go on to tell you what else I ate during the day – but it was fairly constant. Then an evening meal and then that dreadful ‘hunger’ time, when a bowl of Frosties was absolutely essential. Of course, I justified all this by the amount of exercise I did. Let me tell you that I ate enough to fuel an iron man, let alone a 45 minute circuit class. So, I have rationalised and trimmed. I have learnt that so much of what I called ‘hunger’ was nothing to do with my stomach being empty. It was habit, comfort and stress relieving. Now I can face waiting for food and eating only what I need. And I can throw away left overs. ‘Just as wasted in my stomach if I don’t need it as in the bin.’ So, on Day One, its hard but not impossible. Its will power and determination, but its also knowing that my body has had the RDAs that it needs and will start to burn fat if I stop shoving food down. Its looking at my goals and remembering why I am doing this. Tomorrow is just as harsh, but after that there is much more on the menu. One more day – how difficult can that be?

The Start...

Well, I’m weighed and measured. My goals are set and I am ready to go. How do I feel, bit anxious – will I be devastatingly hungry? Will I cheat? But I can do this – it’s all carefully planned – stick with me – I’ll let you know how it goes, check in tomorrow!

Saturday 16 June 2012

Detox

Having worked hard to get my BMI to 23 (‘healthy’ being within the range of 20 – 25) I am very keen to maintain it there. Exercise is definitely helping and I am now well toned and am pleased with my CV level (ran 5 miles this morning!). However, the tendency to eat all I can find remains, so I need to manage my eating to manage my weight. I always do particularly well if I stick to a high protein diet and make sure that any carbs that I have are complex (so, no white bread, no bowls of Frosties for me!). Porridge is a great start to the day and protein shakes and bars see me through to the evening when I have a balanced meal, usually fish or chicken with veg. By way of a challenge I am going to embark on a 9 day detox programme on Monday, I’ll keep this blog going throughout so you can find out ‘how it was for me’ – and who knows, you may want to try it too? Its weighing and measuring night tomorrow, I’ll share those with you and then I can let you know about my progress. and tell you more about the products and where you can get them.

Monday 4 June 2012

New Look!

Here we are, back again. How do you like our new look blog? As you can see, we have extended our range of services, do take a few minutes to browse through and see if anything catches your eye. Perhaps you would like to fill in our quick questionnaire to help focus on what is important to you? Are you looking to tone up for the summer? We know that it is important for you to look your best on your holiday and we want to help with that. We can put together a programme for you that will get you results. Let us guide you with your exercise regime and give you some advice on your diet. Shedding a few pounds and toning up your body can be done. With our guidance and help you can move yourself closer to where you want to be. Just get in contact, let us know what you want and we can show you how we can help – and don’t forget – your first consultation is free!

Saturday 18 February 2012

Updated website coming soon

Another exciting week ahead at Forefront fitness.

It's a very short blog this week as our website will be being updated over the coming weeks to include further information about the services we offer.

Please come back soon to check out our new look, and as always we'd love to know what you think.

Saturday 11 February 2012

Make a PACT

The weather may be making everywhere look pretty – but I’m missing my runs – even I can’t force myself out onto the sub zero slippery pavements!

Nonetheless – the plans for the Bluntisham Sports Relief mile on the 25th March are coming on well – the Parish Council is very supportive and we are making contact with the school, the scouts and the WI – so an event for everyone! Please sign up at sportrelief.com

The pilot videos for our online service are nearly ready for viewing – just the voice overs to add – very exciting

We are also working on a new service
Personal
Accountability
Coaching &
Training

So – we make a PACT with you – this means that we speak once a week for 15 mins – covering the issues that you have decided to be held account for

These fall out of your goals; - so if you want to lose a stone in two months you may choose to be held account to;
• Exercise for 30 mins three times a week
• Have 3 alcohol free days per week
• Cut out chocolate entirely for a week

You phone in every week and go over your accountabilities and feel positive when you have achieved them and consider what you could do differently when you haven’t – early pilots showing that this is working well. We are putting together some training around this – so watch this space!

Saturday 28 January 2012

Sport Relief

The excitement is mounting for the Sport Relief mile – its great to be involved in something so big. Come and join us – a mile isn’t far – go as fast or as slow as you fancy
Our Running Buddies are ready and waiting if you want to get in a bit of training before the big day
I have had some great workouts this week on the Ultim8 vibration plate – I've been pretty busy – so 15 – 20 minutes on the plate has provided an ideal workout. Combining that with a run and a TRX session has kept my activity levels high
I have also run some Lighter Life sessions on my own this week – I continue to be totally amazed at the fantastic results that the clients achieve – and the weekly group work means that everyone learns new ways to view food and the pounds (and the stones!) stay off!
If you fancy knowing more about how you could ‘Be Your Best’ – drop us an email – grab your free session and make a start on fitness goals for 2012

Tuesday 17 January 2012

New Year, New Office

This week is a very important week for Forefront Fitness. We are moving into our new office in the Health Club at Lakeside Lodge in Pidley. If you’re around – pop in and see us – always a cup of coffee on the go!
We are also excited about the Hoola Hooping that we saw demonstrated at our Launch Day. The Hoop Dance company came and showed us ‘how to do it’ and my abs haven’t been the same since! Its actually a bit easier than I thought to get started and we are keen to learn more – some of us are aiming to get trained as Hoola trainers next month – so watch the website for news of hoola classes at Lakeside Lodge – fun for all ages.
This slippery weather has limited our running a bit – so instead of the long runs that I really like I have taken to running up and down our road. I think the neighbours rather doubt my sanity – but a jog down and a (sort of) sprint upwards is the start of my interval training!
Our Ultim8 Vibration Plate is arriving in Bluntisham this week – so look out for offers on that in the next few days.
Need a bit of help with those ‘keep fit’ New Year resolutions? Contact us and see what we can do together!