6 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Weigh Yourself

A lot of my clients that I train are female and most of them, probably about 99% of them, are all after the same goal, and that goal is to lose weight.

But, in actual fact, what most women actually want is to lose body fat, not body weight. Body fat is measured as a percentage of your body weight. Body weight is measured in kgs or lbs. They are completely different methods of assessing ones current statistics.

A healthy body fat range for a female might be 17-25% whereas a healthy body weight might be 9-11 stones (depending on age & build etc)

Most of the ladies that I speak to when asked “if you weighed the same as you do now but looked like (enter the name of the person you’d like to have a body like) most of the responses I get are “well if I looked like (famous person’s name) my weight wouldn’t bother me”. Does this sound familiar?

So my question is this, “why are women so obsessed with the scales?”

Here are my top 6 reasons why women should never weigh themselves:

1. Working purely on scale weight is setting yourself up for a huge fall, especially for females because every day your body weight can fluctuate up to 3-4 pounds. I bet if you weighed yourself first thing in the morning after your first bathroom visit, then again after lunch/mid-afternoon and then again last thing at night you’d weigh 3 different weights. Lighter in the morning and then heavier as the day went on.
2. A well hydrated, fully nourished, well fed body will weigh more than a hydrated, under-nourished, starving body, correct? A health bone will weigh more than an arthritic bone. A muscular frame will weigh more than a fatty frame. Cutting down calories and drinking less water will make you lighter, but not healthier. Do you see my point?
3. If you were to decorate your favourite room in your house, would you only use a screwdriver? No, you’d use a paintbrush, maybe a roller, a knife & a straight-edge.
   My point is you’d use a range of tools to get the best, most accurate job done. Scales will only give you one part of the jigsaw.
4. Other tools are available to measure weight/fat loss. Take a photo on day 1 then again at the end of week 1, 4, 8 & 12 and compare all the pictures. This is a great motivational tool as you can then see even the smallest of changes in shape like hips, thighs & waist. Use your current clothes as a guide. If the waistbands on your trousers or skirts are getting looser it’s a sure sign that you’re losing body fat from around your waist. Have a fitness professional measure your body fat using the Bio-signature assessment method. If your body composition changes (the relationship between fat & lean tissue) the scales won’t always show those changes because your weight might stay the same, but your fat may have dropped.
5. Different sets of scales will show different weights. If I had 5 pairs of scales and measured myself on each of them I bet I’d get 5 different readings, but it’s ok, I’d just take the lightest one!
6. Scales can be the most depressing tool for women, ever, if the numbers aren’t moving in the right direction!
   How de-motivating is it to have spent the last 2-3 weeks working so damn hard at the gym and eating ‘the perfect diet’ only to see the scales haven’t moved?
   My advice is to ditch the scales and focus on other measures as mentioned in Point 4 of this blog.
    

If you would like to book in for a Bio-signature Assessment or are interested in training to reduce your body fat then drop me an email on tony@markefitness.co.uk  or contact me on Facebook at Markefitness Personal Training or Twitter @markefitness

 

Rest Days & De-load Weeks

Rest days and de-load weeks are as important as the training itself.

Why?

When we exercise we break down muscle tissue and send our bodies into a catabolic state. The only way for our bodies to repair is when we are resting or sleeping (in addition to a good quality diet)

Lots of people think that doing more exercise will have a greater effect on their weight loss/muscle gain, but, in most cases this is exactly the reverse of what happens.

Exercise is a stress to the body. Stress creates cortisol. Cortisol inhibits the breakdown of body fat. Can you now see why doing MORE exercise can (sometimes) have a NEGATIVE effect on fat loss?

If you weight loss or body fat loss stalls, and I’m sure we’ve all been there and experienced this, maybe, just maybe, you need an extra rest day or a complete de-load week. For a de-load week, if for example you normally do 4 bootcamps & 2 PT sessions a week, for 1 week, you’ll only do 2 bootcamps & 1 PT session. At first this will feel very odd, but trust me, I’ve seen people come back stronger & more motivated from having an easier week.

An extra rest day or a de-load week will enable your body to:

• Repair damage muscle tissue
• Absorb and utilise more vitamins & minerals
• Adsorb more water to the cells
• Give you a better sleep quality (linked to lower cortisol levels)
• Give your joints, tendons & ligaments a chance to recover

Speak to your trainer if you are unsure whether you need a de-load week or an extra rest day.

Remember, strength & fitness isn’t built in the gym but when you’re resting.......similar to abs aren’t created in the gym, they’re created in the kitchen!

HCL- The Most Important Supplement, EVER!

What is HCL and what is its role in the gut?

HCL stands for Hydrochloric Acid (or Gastric Acid) and it can be found in the gut. It is responsible for breaking down food in the gut so that the body can then absorb the nutrients from the food. It is also responsible for sterilising what has just been eaten, to kill acid sensitive bacteria, kill viruses, yeast, mould, fungi and parasites! HCL also increases pancreatic juices.
Along with Pepsin, it also helps to break down protein in the gut and helps it to be absorbed.

Calcium, magnesium, iron & zinc are all dependant on the presence of HCL along with vitamin B9, B12, Vitamin C & beta-carotene.  If there is inadequate HCL then these vitamins will not be absorbed into the blood stream. If you’re taking a multi-vitamin and you haven’t had your HCL levels checked, you could be wasting your money!

How do I know if my HCL levels are adequate or not?

First and foremost you can do a very simple stomach acid test. It can be done in your own time, in the privacy of your own home and is very cheap to do. It could be the best test you ever do! For more information about the test is done, please read the link at the bottom of this page.

As with most things in the human body, if you are deficient in something the body is very good at letting you know. Whether you recognise the symptoms is another story. Take low HCL as an example. If you suffer from ANY of the following, these are classics symptoms of low, or no, HCL:

·         Bloating after a meal

·         Belching

·         ‘Acid Reflux’

·         Excess gas

·         Skin conditions such as acne or rashes

·         Vertical lines in your finger nails

·         Leg or foot cramps as nutrients aren’t being absorbed

·         Asthma

·         Food Allergies of any kind

·         Arthritis

·         Alzheimer’s

·         Constipation

Believe it or not, but none of these symptoms are normal! Feeling bloated after food is not a normal reaction, unless you have low HCL that is.

What are some of the reasons why my stomach acid is low?

Stress of any kind will reduce the acidity of the stomach. Oxidative stress and inflammation from poor diet is another reason. Chemical additives and exposure to pesticides will all play a major role in why our stomachs don’t produce enough HCL. And your age! Our stomach produces 1% less HCL for every year we’re alive. So if you’re 40 years old, that’s 40% less you’ll be producing anyway! Inadequate zinc levels will also lead to low HCL.

How can I fix the issue?

Fortunately, you can test your stomach acid. All you need is a HCL testing kit (£10) which can be purchased from me.

Then, if you fail the test we would look to put you on to a HCL Rebuilding Protocol.

If you have any questions about anything mentioned above, or you'd like to order the HCL testing kit, please don’t hesitate to speak to me after Bootcamp or drop me a mail.

tony@markefitness.co.uk

To read the full article on HCL please click on the link

Are You Eating The Right Fats?

In my opinion, EVERYONE should be supplementing with an omega 3:6 blend at least, as the benefits are outstanding!

Here are just a few:

·         Reduced inflammation around joints

·         Omega 3 (EPA & DHA) is an anti-inflammatory

·         Can reduce symptoms of most allergies known to man

·         Speeds up the fat burning process when taken with L-carnitine

·         Reduces the insulin response after you’ve eaten

·         Can make your cells sensitive to insulin as opposed to resistant

Every single cell in the human body is covered with a double layer of omega 3 fats which in turn make the cell a healthy cell. Whereas, if your diet consists of more saturated fat, your cells will be covered with an unhealthy form of fat, meaning that your cells will also be unhealthy which can, and does, lead to serious illness.

On the left we have saturated fat (solid at room temperature). This came from two burgers that went onto the George Foreman grill (there are other makes on the market!)....and this is the fat that came out of it. Imagine that amount of fat floating around in your digestive tract, stomach & arteries! This is the type of fat that we as a nation eat far too much of. And guess what happens to all that fat? It builds up nice and slowly in our fat cells and around our internal organs.

In the middle and to the right we have a selection of ‘healthy fats’. We have salmon, a great source of omega 3 fats & protein, a selection of nuts and seeds, also a great source of omega 3 & 6 fats & protein and then there’s a capsule form (also available in liquid form) of omega 3:6. If you don’t consume a lot of fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, olive or coconut oils on a daily basis, you really should consider supplementing with a good quality, well sourced form of omega 3:6 supplement. Steer clear of cod liver oil though as this tends to contain high levels of mercury which, strangely enough, is not great in the human body!

You should try and consume a small amount of healthy fat with each meal. Some ideas would be:

·         Breakfast- meat and nuts

·         Snack- nuts & seeds

·         Lunch- chicken & avocado salad drizzled with olive oil

·         Dinner- fish cooked in coconut oil with lots of steamed green vegetables

If you would like more information on healthy fats or any other nutrition topics, or would like to order some omega fish oils, please don’t hesitate to contact me at tony@markefitness.co.uk

I'm also on Twitter @markefitness

 

My Vitamin D workout!

What can be better than working out during the summer...working out outside maybe?

Now that the summer looks like it's finally here, I thought I'd make full use of the sunshine and treat myself to an outside workout.

All I needed was a kettlebell, a mat, a bottle of water and myself......I took myself to the running track at Down Grange and set to work.

Here's how I made use of my 40 minutes that I had:

3 warm-up laps around the track (even though it was pretty much 30 degrees I still needed to raise my core temperature and warm up my muscles) followed by

1 minute of full Press-ups (you can do press-ups on your knees if that suits you better)

1 more lap around the track (getting warm now!)

50 kettlebell swings (I used a 14kgs but you can use whatever)

Another lap! (last 200m I pushed really hard)

20 metre Kettlebell Walking Lunge (kb in right hand, lead with right leg, then change hands and lead leg to lunge back)

Another lap

15 Single Arm Kettlebell Press right then left side

1 more (very warm) lap

20 Press-up with Squat Thrust (perform 1 press-up, then 1 squat thrust, 1 press-up, 1 squat thrust continue until all 20 are complete)

1 lap walked to 'cool down' and then a quick Bikram Yoga style stretch (it was certainly hot enough!)

To read the full benefits that Vitamin D has on the body and why we need it, please click the attached link:

 http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/410/25-Excellent-Reasons-to-Take-Vitamin-D.aspx

If you have any questions with regards to this email, personal training or any of my other services that I offer, please do not hesitate to contact me:

tony@markefitness.co.uk

Twitter: @markefitness

Skype: TonyMarke1

Facebook: markefitness

www.markefitness.co.uk

Fitness meets Hypnotherapy for Weight Loss!

Losing weight can be hard enough as it is.

Firstly, there’s the food side of the equation to think about, then there’s the exercise and lastly there’s the mental side of things (mindset). It’s no surprise to hear then that the average diet in the UK only lasts 7-10 days!

Here at markefitness, I’ve teamed up with a Student Clinical Hypnotherapist to bring you the very best way to deal with all of the points mentioned above.

We are offering the first 5 people a HUGE discount on our brand new trial of bringing fitness & hypnotherapy together!


What will the course involve?

After the initial contact, you’ll firstly meet with my colleague, Ed Francis, who will decide if he can treat you using hypnotherapy as not everyone can be treated in this way. If it’s a yes, you’ll then have 3 hypnotherapy sessions with Ed over the following 3 weeks. Between each of those sessions you’ll see me, a full time Personal Fitness & Weight Loss Coach. I’ll be taking you through an initial nutrition consultation, a further nutrition follow-up appointment and then 6 (2 per week) 1-1 personal training workouts. But don’t worry, the intensity will be adjusted according to your current fitness level and skill base!
The total duration of the course on offer is 4 weeks.

So as you can see, between my colleague and me we will take you through the mind-set, the eating and the exercise, all of the 3 main elements of successful and long-term weight loss.

Let me explain a little bit about what hypnosis is:

Opinions vary on the exact definition of this natural state of mind. First of all, contrary to what many people believe, hypnosis is not always a trance state or a sleep state even though a person in hypnosis may appear to be sleeping. Hypnosis is really natural state of mind and is an important part of everyday life. Whenever our mind wanders, daydreams or is focused on something, such as reading a book, driving a familiar route, watching a film we are in a state of hypnosis.


If I’m hypnotised do I give up control?

Do we give up control of our mind to someone else when we are reading a book or watching a film? In situations like this you are in a hypnotic trance, although you still have the power to emerge from that state if wished. Whatever or whomever hypnotizes you; you always have the power to resist. When you realize that you are the one in control, when you decide how deeply
into hypnosis you wish to go, then you become aware of what hypnosis is. A hypnotherapist is a guide and helps you on a journey, but the change can only be made by you. Often the realization that you are in control, and that you can make change yourself is very empowering. You’ll find that the more often you going into hypnosis, aware that you doing it, the more you realize how easy it is to let go, secure in the knowledge that you can always stop a session if you feel
uncomfortable. Some hypnotherapists use the knowledge that actually we are always in hypnosis
and will have an open discussion with you, just altering their language patters, using suggestions relating to your goal and the changes you wish to make, without taking you into a ‘trance state’ at all.

How does hypnosis feel?

Hypnosis is a natural state of mind; people are often surprised that they hear every word and could get up and walk out of the room at any moment. Unless you enter a deeper state, you may not seem any different, just very relaxed. It’s similar to drifting off to sleep at night, that stage when you are not quite awake and not quite asleep, you may feel a sense of weightlessness or you
may feel heaviness as all your muscles relax. Everyone experiences it differently, and your therapist will be able to reassure you and help you relax and enjoy the experience.
Most people are surprised at just how relaxing it is.

What will happen in a hypnosis session?

Your hypnotherapist will take detailed history and with some conditions may request permission from you to write to their doctor, to let them know you are having hypnotherapy. They will then discuss you goal and what you would like to see or feel at the end of your sessions. Using a range of different techniques your hypnotherapist will relax you, make you feel comfortable and work with you towards achieving your goal. After a session you may feel uplifted, lighter and very relaxed. Often change is very subtle, as your hypnotherapist will be working with your subconscious mind, and you may just notice a very positive shift in how you are feeling.

If you're serious about losing weight, for good, and would like to be one of the first 5 people to take advantage of this HUGE reduction in price get in touch TODAY. Spaces are limited and once the first 5 have gone, the discount WILL end.

For more information or to book one of the first 5 spaces, please contact myself or Ed.

Tony: 0781 809 5619 e: tony@markefitness.co.uk
Ed: 0780 972 8185 e: edthemagician@hotmail.co.uk

Weight Loss Bootcamp in Basingstoke

Do you want to lose weight and raise money for charity?

markefitness and Anna's Challenges have teamed up and Tony will be giving 50% of his takings to Anna's Challenges (helping children with Cystic Fibrosis. For more information about the charity see www.annaschallenges.org.uk)

Weight Loss Bootcamp is a 4 week program designed to help you lose weight, it's that simple!

During the 4 week period you will be strongly advised to exercise at least 3 times a week. All the sessions will be early morning at 6.15am. What this means is that you will have the opportunity to be put through your paces on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, then get yourself home to eat a healthy, pre-planned (by me) breakfast and then off to work. By 7.30am you could have exercised and eaten a well balanced breakfast before catching the 7.47am train into London!

The emphasis of the course is to get you to lose pounds and inches. So, we will do a weight-in on day 1 and then at the start of each week. You will have already taken measurements of your waist and any other areas you feel you would like to keep an eye on. These are done in the privacy of your own home. These measurements are then emailed to me the day before the start of the course. At the end of the 4 weeks, you can then re-measure the same areas and email me the results.

The format of the 4 weeks will look like this:

• Monday, Wednesday & Friday meet at Down Grange Sports Complex at 6.15am
• All sessions will be 45 minutes in duration
• All equipment will be provided
• Bring a towel and some water as you will be getting warm!
• You will be required to fill in a weekly Food Diary as this is key to losing pounds and inches
• Each week you will be given guidance as to what to eat and the best times to eat it
• Full email, text and phone support will be available throughout the 4 weeks and after

Previously I have run this type of Bootcamp over a 2 week period and had some great results. Think what you could achieve in 4 weeks.

ALL THIS FOR ONLY £80 PER PERSON.

Starts Monday 20th February 2012

If you would like to sign up for the Bootcamp or would like more information please don't hesitate to contact me on any of the following:

m: 0781 809 5619
fb: Tony Marke or markefitness
t: @markefitness
w: www.markefitness.co.uk

All the best and I hope to see you soon

Tony