I bet that title drew you in? well you’d be surprised by what habits can lead to weight loss – no diet required.

1. Drive or walk to work on a different route. Breaking routine may be what you need to get your weight loss on track. This may be because there is a usual place you stop at to get your daily donut fix or it may just be the action of trying something different each days on affect the brain.
2. Fill at least half your plate with non-starchy vegetables and eat them first. This will fill you up, make you feel great and leave less room higher calorie foods.
3. Choose a smaller plate and smaller utensils. This has shown to unconsciously keep people from eating larger portions.
4. Fidget. Small movements or fiddling like scratching your face, biting your nails, twirling your hair and tapping your feet about can increase the amount of calories you burn by around 30%!
5. Eat with no distractions, that means no computer, no TV, no music. Also coined mindful eating – distractions can do two things 1. Cause you to overeat without noticing and 2. Cause an emotional reaction that will cause you to overeat.
6. Love yourself. Put five minutes of time aside everyday to give yourself positive affirmations like “I really like how my hair looks today” to “you did do well yesterday eating five serves of vegetables” can break the cycle of self loathing which has shown to be sabotaging in a diet as it may lead to emotional eating.
7. Keep track of diet and exercise. There’s no use in blindly exercising and eating well if you don’t know if you’re improving. This is one of the habits that people who lose weight and keep it in the long term off do everyday.

When you have your eye firmly set on a goal you can become so focused and caught up on your workouts, training harder, getting stronger and increasing your reps and strength… but don’t ever underestimate the importance of recovery and rest times as part of your training regime too.

Yes… you should always be challenging yourself and pushing yourself for results, yet another crucial part of your weekly routine should include adequate rest and recovery.

Focus on these point to boost your progress for even better results…

1/ Adequate sleep – we are so busy and trying to fit in so much from day to day that sometimes we forget just how important sleep can aid in our recovery. We need enough hours of really deep REM sleep to ensure that our cells have time to recover and regenerate for physical renewal including muscle repair, growth and hormonal regulation. Without deep sleep, you’re more likely to get sick, sometimes experience feelings of depression, mood swings and lack of sleep can lead to over production of the stress hormone cortisol which can contribute to belly fat.

2/ Resting muscle groups from day to day – as we put our muscles under pressure ie. lengthen and contract our muscles during our workouts, we are actually creating small ‘micro tears’, and the muscle fibres therefore need time to repair to form new muscle myofibrils. Over working a group of muscles is generally counter productive to allow for this time for repair and growth.

3/ Stretch & Muscle Recovery – add in time for a good foam rolling session. Stretching out tired muscles can aid in the recovery time and also help with reducing soreness in the days after your workout otherwise known as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).

4/ Down time and Mindfulness – taking the time to schedule in a decent amount of downtime for relaxation has been proven to work wonders for your brain power and helps reset the body. Mindfulness and calming techniques can also be a great way to practise purposeful downtime for your mental and physical health too.

So are you getting enough Zzzzz’s? Maybe it’s time to start scheduling a decent bed time and/or allow for a decent stretch and recovery session. Maybe even a regular mindfulness practise? OR maybe you’ve been over training a certain area of your body, and need to provide more timely rest in between sessions? Any or all of these ideas are a great way to add in that crucial element of rest and recovery that might just be missing from your training schedule to take your health & fitness to the next level.

Here’s to rest and recovery! Best wishes & happiness always, Di xo

We have great outdoor training options at ‘ibelieve fitness’ and we would love to welcome you along to a ‘ONE WEEK FREE TRIAL’ so you can find a session that suits you best! Lots of convenient training times – Sunrise, Mid Morning and Late Evening plus Mummy Bootcamp with complementary Nanny Service – with loads of variety across Boxing, Circuit, Cardio, Interval/Strength, Speed & Agility Training so there’s something for everyone. Limited spaces available – Just drop us an email di@ibelievefitness.com.au to find out more! 

Di Shepherd is a Master Trainer and Founder of local Outdoor Fitness provider ‘ibelieve fitness’ operating out of Ryde Park.  

For more details visit: www.ibelievefitness.com.au  

Follow on Facebook and Instagram – Search ‘ibelieve fitness’

Yes, the days are certainly shorter and it’s definitely a lot colder all of a sudden. Cold morning, days and nights can make it easy to opt for hibernation and avoiding exercise altogether. Many of us prefer to stay curled up on the couch with a warm cup of cocoa or tea and hit Netflix or perhaps a good book. The fact is though, that exercise becomes even more important than ever when it starts to get cold!
Here’s a few reasons why…

1. Energy and Blood Flow – Exercise gets the blood pumping around your body and the endorphin rush from working out stimulates energy – and who doesn’t want more energy to keep up with busy lifestyles?

2. Better Mood – it’s dreary enough sometimes during those cold winter days…. I mean who wants to be a grump anyway? The endorphin rush created from staying active with exercise will leave you in a better mood, creating happy vibes that your friends and family will thank you for!

3. Clear Thinking – cold weather can make it difficult to stay focused, and the energy created from movement with exercise along with pumping of your blood, stimulates the flow of oxygen to your brain and ability to think better.

4. Health Benefits – many know about the health benefits of regular exercise, and ensuring your body is consistently moving can reduce the risk of heart disease and other crippling health issues, along with increased quality of life.

5. It’s so much harder to get back in the saddle later – deciding to take time off from exercise and staying inactive over the colder months can make it a lot more difficult to resume again later, both mentally and physically. Once you get off a consistent routine, it’s so much more difficult trying to resume a routine once again, plus your body can lose strength and muscle tone due to inactivity in as little as just a few weeks!

6. Summer is coming, it will be here before you know it – I’m often approached by new or returning clients when Spring has already hit or Summer is just around the corner expecting to suddenly shape up and become beach ready. It is often said that Summer bodies are made in the winter, and it is absolutely true. Consistency in both exercise and diet the WHOLE year round, are the best ways to approach expectations for the summer months.

If you are not traditionally a ‘lover’ of exercise and wondering about the best way to stay active at any time of the year – my absolute top 2 tips for this are…
GRABBING A WORKOUT BUDDY to stay accountable and…
FINDING A WORKOUT ACTIVITY & ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU LOVE!!!
Both these things make it so much easier to stay committed to an active lifestyle to reap both the health and mental benefits – especially over winter!!!

So, although the weather may not reflect the desire to exercise, staying active is important for your health both mentally as well as physically. Now before curling up on that lounge or binge festing on Netflix, make sure you earn it with active movement during your day and week!

Enjoy staying active! Best wishes always, Di x

We have great outdoor training options at ‘ibelieve fitness’ and we would love to welcome you along to a ‘ONE WEEK FREE TRIAL’ so you can find a session that suits you best! Lots of convenient training times – Sunrise, Mid Morning and Late Evening – with loads of variety across Boxing, Circuit, Cardio and Interval/Strength Training so there’s something for everyone. Limited spaces available – Just drop us an email di@ibelievefitness.com.au to find out more!

Di Shepherd is a Master Trainer and Founder of local Outdoor Fitness provider ‘ibelieve fitness’ operating out of Ryde Park and Ryde Public School
For more details visit: www.ibelievefitness.com.au
Follow on Facebook and Instagram – Search ‘ibelieve fitness’

Frozen meals were all the hype in the nineties and it seems they are making a come back with new brands on the market. So, is there any difference between any of them nutritionally? Well it depends what you want in a ready to eat meal.

Let’s take a look.

I took a look at Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Weight Watchers, Super Nature and YouFoodz (chilled).

Winner for lowest sodium: Super Nature
Sodium is added to these ready to eat meals to add flavour, and they can sometimes have excessive amounts. Super Nature had the lowest average sodium content.

Winner for highest fibre: Healthy Choice.

Not many brands showed fibre on their labelling. Fibre is important, as it will keep you feeling more full after your meal, which will keep you from raiding the pantry after eating.

Winner for lowest saturated fat: Weight Watchers
It’s those artery-hardening fats we need to watch out for, and thankfully Weight Watchers have it all in order delivering their frozen meals with lower Saturated fat than the other popular brands.

Winner for Highest Protein: YouFoodz.

By far this brand comes up on top with protein. The samples I bought had an average of 32g per meal. Which is significantly higher than Healthy Choice at 19g per meal. Protein can keep you more satisfied after eating, so if you’re still hungry after eating your planned frozen meal try some Youfoodz.

Winner for the yummiest combinations: Super Nature
With combinations such as butter chicken with Freekeh (young wheat) and Japanese chicken with green tea noodles how could you not be tempted!

If you haven’t tried them yet, give them a go!

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament or better known as the ACL is located within the knee and is designed to keep the shin bone from moving out of place. It is becoming increasingly common to hear of injuries related to the ACL as our younger generations are beginning to play elite levels of sport before their bodies have completely developed. This is leading to increased probability of arthritis later in life as well as a lack of confidence when participating in physical activities. Preservation and prevention are vital not just for the athletes among us but also for our mothers, teachers, corporate workers and our elderly.

Breaking the common myth, most ACL injuries are actually caused by non-contact actions such as sudden directional changes, unexpected falling from uneven ground and landing a jump where the foot is facing a different direction to the knee. All of these situations put stress on the ligament and can cause it to make a ‘popping’ sound or feeling. This may then be followed by Swelling in the region within a few hours, severe pain and a feeling of instability or ‘giving way’ with weight bearing. Clearly this type of injury can be detrimental to daily activities and needs immediate diagnosis by a professional physiotherapist as it can lead to further injury within the knee and other connected areas.

Entering the winter sports season, Soccer and rugby players are among some of the most susceptible athletes to wind up being carried off the field by a stretcher because of an ACL tear.
There are five main steps to follow to better prevent a major injury to the ACL;

• • Warm Up – Anyone who’s ran onto a field without warming up will tell you that they felt ‘tight, sore and sluggish’ during and after their game. Promoting blood flow to your extremities will help you reach your potential out on the field and will also improve recovery time.
  • Stretching – Dynamic stretching is essential, especially on those cold winter mornings as it irons out any stiffness and helps maintain limber muscles. Make sure that you allow time to stretch your legs too as they bear all of your weight and any injury to the legs are amplified by the weight that we place on them.
  • Strengthening – Regularly running, cycling, weight training and swimming are all great ways to maintain and improve strength to not only your legs but will also benefit your core, balance and endurance.
  • Agility Drills – Be sure to include agility drills into your training regime to diversify the muscle groups that you use. This can be as simple as 5 sets of shuttle runs, or just simply line-to-line jogging if you are finding shuttle runs to stressful on your joints. Be sure to challenge your boundaries but always listen to your body!
  • Cool Down – Cooling down includes, warming down with static stretching and keeping your muscles warm. It is also vital to have rest days between your activity to allow your body to recover correctly otherwise overworked muscles and ligaments are more likely to fail under constant pressure.

If you are feel as though you may be prone to injuring your ACL, any other joints or ligaments in your body, it is worth being proactive and addressing your concerns before they become problems. A professional Physiotherapist can assess your condition and will give you exercises to strengthen your area of concern which is a key step to preventing majour injury and is a great way to maintain good health.

With school age kids at home over the next couple of weeks, it can be tempting to say goodbye to your regular exercise routine and take a break, but there’s a few key reasons to keep up your fitness over the school holiday period.

1.      Disrupting Fitness Routine –  once a routine is broken, especially a fitness related journey, it can be doubly hard to get back into the routine. Staying consistent with your fitness routine keeps you on track to achieving or maintaining your goals.

2.      Fitness Levels Can Slip – even taking just 2 weeks away from a regular fitness routine, can make it super tough when you return to it. You may notice this in terms of your cardio levels or physical strength or even your recovery can be slower than usual with muscle soreness lasting a lot longer.

3.      Time to de-stress – it can be stressful having the kids at home over the school holidays, and keeping up your fitness is a great way to manage stress levels and keep making time for yourself with a bit of self care.

4.      Time to Mix Things Up – Having a slightly different schedule to work around while the kids are at home, may help or force you to mix things up a little with exercise at a different time of day, a different class or finding new ways to exercise together with the kids by fitting in fun ‘active’ activities. Some things you may like to consider are hikes, outdoor treetop adventures or indoor play centres like rock climbing which are all great challenges to complete with the family. Obviously stick with something that is age appropriate for your children.

5.      Helps Kids Understand the Importance of Exercise – regular movement is so important for long term health. Either staying in your regular fitness routine, or doing something active with your kids together over the school holidays shows how important regular exercise is to you. Find a way to make it fun by involving your kids in a local hike or active play at the local oval or playground.

Enjoy staying active with whatever you do… have fun and challenge yourself for better active living!

Best wishes and happiness always, Di xo

Di Shepherd is a Master Trainer and Founder of local Outdoor Fitness provider ‘ibelieve fitness’ operating out of Ryde Park.  

Contact us to arrange a ONE WEEKS FREE TRIAL

For more details visit: www.ibelievefitness.com.au  

Email us: di@ibelievefitness.com.au

Follow on Facebook and Instagram – Search ‘ibelieve fitness’ 

1.      Banana peanut butter “ants on a trail” – quick fuel

Slice a banana length ways spread with peanut butter and top with sultanas, close the halves of the banana back up. Like a banana sandwich!

2.      Pretzels and hummus –slow fuel

Salty to replace lost salt, carbs to replenish energy and the protein form the hummus will give you a protein kick.

3.      Nuts and dried fruit – quick fuel

Easy, peezy. Carbs, good fats and protein all in one.

4.      Greek yoghurt topped with granola – slow fuel

The protein from the yoghurt will assist in recovery and the carbs in the granola will provide energy.

5.      Peanut butter sandwich – slow fuel

This favourite can provide carbs from the bread, fat and protein from the peanut butter

6.      Protein bliss balls – quick fuel

Make your own or buy them, these popular bite sized energy giving balls are all the craze. They will provide carbs, fat and protein.

7.      Chocolate milk – quick fuel

Simple, yet tasty. Chocolate milk will provide protein, carbs and an added nutrient boost from all that dairy goodness.

8.      Tuna sandwich – slow fuel

Protein and carbs and very filling if you aren’t going to get back up anytime soon and feel heavy and bloated.

9.      White bread with jam/honey – quick fuel

A quick and easy fix. Carbs and… Carbs to replenish glycogen (muscle fuel).

10.  Jerky and fruit – slow fuel

Salt from the jerky to replace that lost in sweat, protein for recovery and fruit for the carbs needed for energy.

Most of us worry about the big problems like knee injuries, hip injuries and back injuries which was covered in our last newsletter, but a lot of the time we forget about the upper half of our bodies. Shoulder pain is more common than you may think and can often be a sign of injury in other areas of the body.

It is a common belief that the biggest cause of shoulder pain is arthritis and only affects the elderly and therefore is not a major concern to most of us, however, everyday activities such as lifting, housework, sports and even sleeping incorrectly are all linked to causes of shoulder pain. Doing these activities incorrectly over a long period of time can lead to rotator cuff injuries and instability, both conditions that cause discomfort and long-term damage if not addressed at the early stages of the injury. Injuries like these can severely inhibit your ability to work, as a damaged shoulder cuff cannot bare as much weight as a healthy one and often would limit movements like lifting your arms above your head.

The way that the body reports pain can sometimes be unreliable, this is especially seen in the shoulder region as there are multiple nerve pathways that are connected to the neck and surrounding muscles. This means that the brain may not recognise a neck injury as the cause of pain and the patient may think there is an issue with their shoulder, this is called referred pain. Areas that may be the cause of this referred pain are the elbow, the heart and the spine/neck. Because of the wide array of regions connected to the shoulder, it is vital that if you are experiencing shoulder pain that is not being resolved by home remedies or time, that you consider an examination by a physiotherapist as it may be an indicator of a different problem.

Prevention of injury to the shoulder is easily done by including these five steps into your daily routine:
1. Regular stretching and movement of the shoulder and upper body. This includes warming up with dynamic stretches before exercise and warming down with static stretching afterwards.
2. Building up endurance is key to ensuring that you do not strain your shoulder. This is often done by athletes recovering from injuries where they slowly return to their sport over a month or two. They may train for 20 minutes one day, rest the next and then train for 30 minutes on the third day. Increasing this slowly allows for you to monitor your recovery and will reduce chances of reinjury.
3. Rest! Resting is absolutely essential, especially if you are constantly using your shoulders everyday. Rest is also important if you are noticing early signs of shoulder pain as it allows for recovery which could prevent further damage.
4. Cross training is a useful method to maintain your training routine while managing the stress put on your muscles. Because of the nature of swimming, shoulders are put under a lot of pressure and can be damaged by wear and tear over long periods of time. Instead of swimming, athletes will train on a bike or run which maintains their fitness but allows for upper body recovery.
5. See a professional if you are feeling any discomfort for a long period of time that is not being resolved.

Between April 26th and 6th May you may receive one GAP FREE visit or 50% off if you don’t have private health insurance, with our new Physiotherapist Bianca. You swipe your health fund card and you pay no out of pocket expense! You can read all about our new highly regarded Physiotherapist Bianca by clicking here. Feeling those niggles and have been putting off getting treatment? Come in and enjoy this limited time offer and the value of Fine Form Health. Please call 8068 6776 or email admin@fineformphysio.com and mention you received the SMS offer for GAP Free at time of booking.

Good nutrition during pregnancy is vital. Sometimes it can be a mission to sift through the boundless piles of information thrown at you during this time. This information comes from a variety of people, experienced and unexperienced all with the best wishes. Here are 5 myths about pregnancy and nutrition that will empower you to filter through the right and wrong information of pregnancy.

1.      You are eating for two.

Myth, myth myth myth. No you are not eating for two. A baby is 3-4kg that’s not 2 people that’s 1.05 people 🙂. Your calories don’t need to increase until the second trimester and they don’t need to increase by much. In the second trimester they should only increase by 150-300 calories and then 300-500 calories in third trimester. Hmm that’s like a large green smoothie and a banana to a ½ cup of low fat cottage cheese on a large slice of multigrain sourdough. Of course these ranges depend on the pre-pregnancy weight.

2.      You need to gain 15kg

There is not an all rounder weight gain for every pregnancy woman. The healthy amount of weight gain depends on the pre-pregnancy BMI.

If you are underweight: 12.5 to 18kg

Normal weight: a healthy weight gain is between 11.5-15kg

Overweight: 5-11.5kg

3.      Don’t eat allergens to deliver a child void of allergies

This is false. Go on, eat the soy, dairy, eggs, peanut and eggs it won’t impact on your child health.

4.      Don’t eat fish particularly tuna

Fish can play a big part of a healthy diet in pregnancy. It’s a great source of protein, iodine and omega-3 fats, which are essential for the growth of your baby’s eyes and brain. The reason why there’s a miscommunication about fish in pregnancy us because of the mercury content which can be harmful to your baby. Only some fish accumulate mercury.

The Food Standards in Australia and New Zealand state that Pregnant women can have 150g of fish (sardines, tuna, salmon, herring and trout) 2-3 times per week, but if its shark (flake), swordfish 1/fortnight or if orange roughy or catfish no other fish that week.

5.      To maintain your weight, eat less carbohydrates

I don’t know where this came from, but it’s harmful. Any restricted diet is risky whilst pregnant. As well as that, bread is fortified with folate and iodine, which is essential for a growing baby and it was fortified for a reason – we weren’t getting enough from our food! When you go on a low carbohydrate diet your body is switching from one source of fuel to another. There have been some small studies that indicate that a ketogenic diet (low carb, high fat diet) can cause foetal implications, but otherwise there simply isn’t enough evidence to show that this particular style of eating is safe for a growing baby. Why would you put your child a risk?

Shadia Jammal
Dietitian & Nutritionist APD, MNutrDiet, BAppSc.
Shadia is available for private Diet Consultations at the Fine Form Clinic on Thursdays and Saturdays. Call 80686776 or email admin@fineformphysio.com to organise an appointment.