Lost your Way in Fitness and Diet?

So there I was, grabbing my rolls of belly fat, staring at my body in the mirror....

....upset at my lack of 'sexy bod'. AGAIN.

After perhaps the most inconsistent training period of my life all last year

I’d had great levels of strength, muscle and got myself lean and fit…

Then I'm seemingly back at square one!

You've been there're right?

Of course!

You'd be lying if you said you hadn't

And we all get off track from time to time

For me, constant work was the self-destruct button

For you? Maybe family commitments took over, or DIY projects

Perhaps you got injured

Or you've just not had the motivation or direction to get up and make a lasting change in your health

So right now, I hope this post helps you refocus your efforts as I show you a little of how I'm getting myself back on track...

Here we go...

There are two things to consider and improve:

1) motivation

2) nutrition

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Firstly, motivation comes from anchoring your training to a purpose, not necessarily a goal

For example, 'losing 3 stone and looking leaner' is a goal

But that will not motivate you!!

Start with WHY you want this

For example, 'by losing 3 stone I can play with my kids in the park and not feel like a fat dad'

Or think about the single most focused athletes on the face of the planet...

BRIDES!

Those girls don't want to look fat on their wedding pics and have their insecurities immortalised in photo and memory for the rest of their lives

So they train their assess off! 

Every bride I've ever trained has come into the gym like a navy SEAL, primed and ready to kill.

Makes sense right?

So what's your purpose?

What fires you up?

Once you know this, your training becomes consistent because you have a reason to hit the gym.

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Secondly, after I've got a purpose linked to my training, then it's time to clean up my diet

Simple habits come into play here:

> I start my day with a simple protein smoothie (frozen cherries, whey protein, almond milk) because I was missing meals when travelling, generating huge hunger later in the day, then eating shite for lunch

> I end my day with a big portion of protein and fresh veggies (e.g. Steak, Cucumber and peppers, not boiled veggies) - this just makes me feel healthier right away, and that mental aspect is what we want to focus on when getting back on track. Also this makes waking up much easier the next day (my body is hydrated, I've had a deep sleep due to stable blood sugars)

> I stay away from bread, sugar and dairy 6 days per week, and rarely drink alcohol.

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NOTE: I will say this again, this is my method for getting back on track with clean eating and training

After a month or maybe two at this level my nutrition always shifts to tracking calories, macros (protein, fat and carbs) and weighing my food - because you can't get lean if you don't know exactly how's much you're eating. And I make tweaks every week so my body instantly looks leaner and stronger

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So just know you aren't alone when you feel off track, or if you can grab a roll of fat that wasn't there before

Trigger your motivation

Clean up your diet

And you'll get in incredible shape before this year.

Take a small step today and you'll be back on track this time next week!

Anthony Shaw

Head Coach
Raw Strength Gym, Warrington