It’s the beginning of 2013 and I mean to start the way I mean to carry on!
My main goal and focus for this year is to help you, the reader of this blog.
So I have a very important question for you:
What is Your Greatest Pain?
You know, what is that one thing preventing you from being fit, healthy, slim and happy in 2013?
It could be that you lack motivation to exercise and eat right, you may feel overwhelmed with media information, perhaps you’re tired of failing or just need a proper plan and supervision.
If you don’t identify what it is that is holding you back from achieving your goals then you are always going to struggle.Â
Let me know in the comments section below exactly what is stopping you and together we’ll work on a solution, OK?
So once again:Â What is Your Greatest Pain?
Sounds like you may be eating the wrong foods Chris. When you satisfy your nutritional needs then you won’t want to overeat. Do you eat enough good fats like coconut oil, avocados etc. Fat is very filling and one reason why people who starve themselves of fat are always hungry.
One other thing, are you drinking enough water? Thirst is often mistaken for hunger as the body craves food for the liquids.
I guess for you Aaron the “Importance” just isn’t there yet. Find something that you love and just do that more. I love climbing so I climb more in the summer rather than working out….When the “importance’ is great enough then you will get off that couch 🙂
Hello Buck, Knee problems are very rarely to do with the knees unless you’ve had a localised injury. You may want to take a look at your hips and ankles…..Are they moving well? Do you sit a lot? Next look at your core strength, this will also effect your knees.
The body is a system of systems so don’t be fooled into countless knee ops until the rest of the body is fixed.
A good trainer should be able to help you with these issues.
Deske, sorry to hear about your heart issues. I would focus all your attention on lifestyle and nutrition changes. Manage your stress levels by keeping your mind in the right place and eating all natural foods. Have you tried yoga or tai chi? I think they would help you.
I have a very bad left knee. Bone on Bone and it prohibits a lot of activity. I used to run and exercise often, now I have to manage the pain.
I have a very bad left knee. Bone on Bone and it prohibits a lot of activity. I used to run and exercise often, now I have to manage the pain.
For a while I knew I had a problem with my knees but having increased my training significantly two years ago both my knees got worse and I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis (age 48). This was a devastating blow and has had a huge impact on my overall fitness as there is so much I cant do. I have had to keyhole ops, one of which has not been successful. I had to stop running and all ply metric work (all things that drop pounds fast). I have gained weight which I feel really awful about and my mood has a huge impact on my dietary habits. I would just love an effective program that drops pounds but is kind to my knees! Great blogs Greg, keep up the good work!
For a while I knew I had a problem with my knees but having increased my training significantly two years ago both my knees got worse and I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis (age 48). This was a devastating blow and has had a huge impact on my overall fitness as there is so much I cant do. I have had to keyhole ops, one of which has not been successful. I had to stop running and all ply metric work (all things that drop pounds fast). I have gained weight which I feel really awful about and my mood has a huge impact on my dietary habits. I would just love an effective program that drops pounds but is kind to my knees! Great blogs Greg, keep up the good work!
My greatest pain is finding a goal that I really want and can achieve within a reasonable time frame. I just seem to have lost my way. I could put it down to injuries (bad back, arthritis knees & hips) which I accumulated over my military career of 22 years, or my new job, working hours, stress etc, it isn’t any them though, it’s just I’m to lazy to get of my arse and do something about it.
I’m 44 years old and since my mid thirties I’ve struggled with my weight. When I was younger I never had a problem with my weight, I could eat whatever I wanted.
I lost 50 lbs with weight watchers in 2003 in only 12 weeks, but by 2006 I’d put it all back on, I then did the Lipotrim shake diet and again lost about 50 lbs in 12 weeks. I’m now at my biggest (my weight drops to about 15 stone, then I tend to slowly put in on over a couple of years). I’m now 19 stone 8lb. It’s diet time again lol.
I’ve made a decision this time to exercise more and eat proper healthy portions. I’ve just purchased a concept 2 rower with row pro software and I’ve got your fitness apps. It’s time to do it right this time and break the cycle of weight gain/loss.
If I start to falter I look at the poem written by Anonymous, Don’t Quit. Google it on the Internet, it’ s worth a look.
Brilliant blogs Greg, but it’s information overload and lack of direction for me. I have the motivation to do five or six workouts a week – mixed army workout cardio/strength, weights, and maybe a long run. But what am I aiming for in my late forties? What can I achieve? What is realistic? I don’t want to give in yet to age limitations, but is that being naive?
Seems like you are asking the right questions Domm but maybe you need to dig even deeper.
What do you really like doing with your time? How do you want to be remembered? What makes you truly happy?
Forget health and fitness until you can answer these questions.
Once you know the answers you can see how exercise and nutrition fit into the big picture, then you really will have some goals with meaning 🙂
I have no problem getting in and working for the body I want. But I do however have an issue with what I eat. I’m a student and on a budget everyday. The job I have is in a mall so I’m surrounded by the temptations of fast food and stuff that I don’t have to make myself(because I’m no cook of any sorts). I’ve tried doing easy stuff like sandwiches and tuna but one can only handle so much of the same thing every day. Does anybody have any ideas??
Sounds to me Mike like you need to learn to cook and fall in love with good home prepared food. Once you can cook all your nutrition will start to fall into place, you can even take home cooked meals to work 🙂
Why not enroll in a class, start an online course or have a friend or family member teach you?
I put the needs of my family above my own needs. “I’ll do that tomorrow” is a common phrase that I need to stop saying when it comes to fitness. I am improving my nutrition needs however. My daughter is vegetarian, and in finding suitable recipes to feed her, I have found new and interesting ways to incorporate healthier eating habits for the entire family.
My Mum is the same Andrea, I think it’s all part of being a Mum! But the sad truth is unless you are healthy you can’t help your family. So your priority should be to stay fit and healthy for your family and this means spending some time looking after YOU. Start with just one step at a time. How about a yoga class or a massage to begin with?
I put the needs of my family above my own needs. “I’ll do that tomorrow” is a common phrase that I need to stop saying when it comes to fitness. I am improving my nutrition needs however. My daughter is vegetarian, and in finding suitable recipes to feed her, I have found new and interesting ways to incorporate healthier eating habits for the entire family.
My Mum is the same Andrea, I think it’s all part of being a Mum! But the sad truth is unless you are healthy you can’t help your family. So your priority should be to stay fit and healthy for your family and this means spending some time looking after YOU. Start with just one step at a time. How about a yoga class or a massage to begin with?
The biggest pain for me (apart from loving food, lol) is my work shift patterns: 06/14, 14/22 & 22/06 but a lot the time my job entails me to pull double shifts although I am managing to get to the gym at least 2/3 a week also covering around 24 miles per week on my bike and starting to eat more healthier but at 15.5st I’m needing to loose a good 1.7st is this enough?
Sound to me Karl like you need to just clean up your nutrition. Shift work will always cause a problem because hormonally it’s totally unnatural. When the sun goes down you should be sleeping 🙂
Try to spend more of your efforts on your nutrition rather than your exercise as this will have the biggest impact.
Here some nutritional guidelines:
https://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/all-natural-nutrition-plan/
Good luck!
My back 🙁 and finding time.
Finding time is a poor excuse, sorry. You only need 10 minutes when you wake up. If you can’t find time for that then your priorities need addressing.
Have you seen someone about your back? Often bad backs are a case of too much sitting, poor mobility and not enough pumping of the spinal column fluids due to inactivity. So you will probably find that a scientific 10 minute exercise problem will fix your back and improve your health no end.
I work out hard most days and eat well when I am at work ,but when I get home I over eat. Although I am not putting weight on I am also not loosing any either.
Sounds like you may be eating the wrong foods Chris. When you satisfy your nutritional needs then you won’t want to overeat. Do you eat enough good fats like coconut oil, avocados etc. Fat is very filling and one reason why people who starve themselves of fat are always hungry.
One other thing, are you drinking enough water? Thirst is often mistaken for hunger as the body craves food for the liquids.
Just when things are going well, i strain my back again, been on and off for 20 years. But i keep stretching and resting and carry on. Find the 50 challange a bit hard so starting at 10 each and will build up
Sounds like you need to get to the cause of your back issues. Examine your life. Do you sit a lot, are you hips and upper back immobile? Start slowly with core based exercises and come back to the 500 challenge later.
I think Yoga would be a good option for you Niall.
The pain of the loss of a child. No matter what age. My mind is a jumble of thoughts and questions and I really do not have any desire to lift a weight, do a pushup or crunch.
That’s a massive pain…so sorry to hear that Paul. Forget exercise, slowly get your nutrition in order but focus on your mind and family first and foremost. Sending you my love!
this ones easy. motivation. short and sweet answer.
getting my lazy arse up of the couch.
Always getting comments from friends and family like, why bother, you look fine, have a cupcake.
I guess for you Aaron the “Importance” just isn’t there yet. Find something that you love and just do that more. I love climbing so I climb more in the summer rather than working out….When the “importance’ is great enough then you will get off that couch 🙂
As a Marine veteran, I have so many ailments, I need a complete Knee replacement , both ankles are shot, both shoulders ,and both wrists. Looking for a fitness plan that I can do , and stick with.
John g
Tough question John…do what you can is the simple answer. If it hurts don’t do it. Little and often is going to be more effective than intense interval based sessions for you.
First of all I would like to thank you for the regular emails with fitness tips and inspiration. I happen to be in love with kettlebells due to the fact that I have seen visible results. I only use kettlebells and aim to workout every other day with them. My pain at the minute (which trust me is not really my pain) is that I’m 6 weeks pregnant with my first child. I am absolutely delighted and having sought advice from my Gp have continued with my workouts. The problem however is that I’m struggling with tiredness and can just about squeeze in 3 30 mins session a week. Have you any advice on this matter and what kettlebell exercises would you recommend? Thank you
Congratulations Katerina, the first trimester is a vulnerable time for you and your new addition….Kettlebells is far too stressful and intense especially ballistic exercises like Swings. Why risk it?
You would be better trying a yoga class or taking it easy with some nice long walks in nature. If you really must continue with the Kettlebells then do more static based exercises like Turkish Get Ups.
You can see more on the Kettlebell Stabilisation exercises here:
https://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/guide-kettlebell-training-workouts/
My greatest pain? My knees. Already one surgery and I know that I can prevent the other if I commit to it.
Hello Buck, Knee problems are very rarely to do with the knees unless you’ve had a localised injury. You may want to take a look at your hips and ankles…..Are they moving well? Do you sit a lot? Next look at your core strength, this will also effect your knees.
The body is a system of systems so don’t be fooled into countless knee ops until the rest of the body is fixed.
A good trainer should be able to help you with these issues.
My greatest pain is reducing overall body fat. Although I exercise regularly, following Greg’s suggestions of doing 7 mins single exercise and the six exercises for fat burning. I also do a workout fromm Gilliam Michaels dvd twice a week. I walk at least 6-10 km once a week, weather permitting.
Hey Pat, Fat Loss is all about nutrition….exercise can’t compete with “21 meals a week”
Put all your attention into nutrition and the fat will fall off with or without exercise.
Here are my guidelines on nutrition…
https://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/all-natural-nutrition-plan/
At 60 my body is not responding and recovering as it did 10,20 30 years ago- I enjoy exercise- walking, spin class, dumb bell circuits- and snow skiing- however lower back pain and periodic hip bursa pain frustrates and affects my programs and motivation to exercise and control weight.
Yes Paul, I don’t train like I used to either. Recovery slows down as you age and remember that nutrition and stress play a part in that too! Reduce your workout intensity and experiment with rest to see what works best. You will find more rest and perhaps better mobility type movements (have you tried yoga) will help with your back and hips.
Always use nutrition for weight control not exercise!
I don’t mind doing the workouts, but I don’t want to/can’t curb my eating! I love good food. Oh, and wine too;)
Krysia, no one loves food more than I do but loving food means eating lovely food from nature. Do you really love good food or bad food? Perhaps you just need to learn to cook different foods and love those instead? Eat good natural foods and a few glasses of wine now and again is no problem.
Which foods are a problem for you?
I’ve had 10 surgeries over the last 8yrs. Two years ago I had heart surgery to repair a valve that was leaking severely (a fluke) All of my heart valves are leaking still to a degree. I used to be able to train hard and felt as though I could conquer anything. Since the surgery, I’ve been hospitalized about 8 times with something called chronic pericarditis. I’ve managed to stay out of the hosp since July of 2012. That’s the longest time going since my surgery. However, having fluid around my heart (even minimal) makes it a lot harder to work out. When I can’t work out as hard, I tend to slip on eating as clean as I should. The two coupled together create a nasty effect of feeling sluggish, and gaining weight/inches back that I worked very hard to lose 3yrs ago. I’ve been back on track since Christmas Day (with 2 cheat days) but I’ve had to cut down on my workouts. I miss my old, 1hr, hard core workouts. I’m learning that it’s ok to do a hard, quick 20-30min workout, but I just don’t feel like I’m reaping the same benefits as before? It’s a hard adjustment, at a young age, to deal with heart issues. That’s what seems to be holding me back.
Deske, sorry to hear about your heart issues. I would focus all your attention on lifestyle and nutrition changes. Manage your stress levels by keeping your mind in the right place and eating all natural foods. Have you tried yoga or tai chi? I think they would help you.
I find reaching my calorie target whilst eating clean is difficult. Unless I snack on nuts during the day when not hungry (which seems a waste just to reach my calorie goal) I’m way under my goal.
Why do you have a calorie target? Please let me know and I can help you further.
Dear Greg,
Firstly I wanna say thank you for your constant tips and Informations on Nutrions and excersises. I been working out regularly since 6 month ago. I have moved countries since then. The climate change made me weak. Then I have started to study and my schedule has filled heaps! I barely have time to do my regular 2 hours workout like 3-4 times a week. I’m stressed and tired. During my full time studies I have to work a couple of nights as well which brings my rhythm out of balance as I work in hospitality mostly nights! On the day and a half days off I’m exhausted and have to do home studies. So my greatest pain is lacking on excersising and not eating enough or too much, I can’t balance it! I’m thinking every day about I’m getting fat or too slim. I feel bad if I don’t have the spare time or the motivation to excersises though it is so important to me. I have been feeling like this for month and now with your news letter I turn to you and appreciate every kind of help or advice you can give me.
I hope you have a very good year.
I’m looking forward hearing back from you.
Thank you very much,
Best regards
Chris
Sounds to me Chris like you need to make a plan. I often do this when I feel like things are getting on top of me.
Prioritise what is most important to you. For me it’s..
1. Family and Friends
2. Personal Health
3. Adventures
4. Business
So I make sure I schedule my life in this order. Eating and exercise always comes before work. I get up early and exercise for 20-30 minutes before I do anything else. The healthier you are the more you can do so don’t get your priorities backwards or mother nature will force illness upon you!
Once you have your priorities laid out learn to say NO more often if things conflict with your priorities. Finally, make a timetable of your week and stick to it.
Good luck!
Dear Greg,
Firstly I wanna say thank you for your constant tips and Informations on Nutrions and excersises. I been working out regularly since 6 month ago. I have moved countries since then. The climate change made me weak. Then I have started to study and my schedule has filled heaps! I barely have time to do my regular 2 hours workout like 3-4 times a week. I’m stressed and tired. During my full time studies I have to work a couple of nights as well which brings my rhythm out of balance as I work in hospitality mostly nights! On the day and a half days off I’m exhausted and have to do home studies. So my greatest pain is lacking on excersising and not eating enough or too much, I can’t balance it! I’m thinking every day about I’m getting fat or too slim. I feel bad if I don’t have the spare time or the motivation to excersises though it is so important to me. I have been feeling like this for month and now with your news letter I turn to you and appreciate every kind of help or advice you can give me.
I hope you have a very good year.
I’m looking forward hearing back from you.
Thank you very much,
Best regards
Chris
Sounds to me Chris like you need to make a plan. I often do this when I feel like things are getting on top of me.
Prioritise what is most important to you. For me it’s..
1. Family and Friends
2. Personal Health
3. Adventures
4. Business
So I make sure I schedule my life in this order. Eating and exercise always comes before work. I get up early and exercise for 20-30 minutes before I do anything else. The healthier you are the more you can do so don’t get your priorities backwards or mother nature will force illness upon you!
Once you have your priorities laid out learn to say NO more often if things conflict with your priorities. Finally, make a timetable of your week and stick to it.
Good luck!
My greatest pain is that my health is pretty poor. I’ll just be getting into a routine and then I’ll get a virus and be on bed rest for a week (and have very limited energy for a week after that).
I’m going to be proactive this year and try to get into the routine properly now in the hopes that I don’t get struck down with another bug before it gets a chance to bed in.
To improve your health start with your Nutrition first. Forget about exercise other than getting outside and walking. Get plenty of sleep too! Once you have these 2 dialed in then you can move onto other forms of exercise but not before.
Here’s your nutrition guidelines:
https://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/all-natural-nutrition-plan/
Hi Greg,
Once again thanks for your good work on your blog. 🙂
My greatest pain is that i don’t know where to start, i have never trained fitness or with weights, that resulted in 2 bad knees because i did not have a plan and started completely wrong, before that i was pretty fit because i trained squash, but wanted to be tightened up.
So basic, waht I need is a long-term plan for home training to get my body in good shape.
kind regards,
Ole from Denmark.
Hi Greg,
Once again thanks for your good work on your blog. 🙂
My greatest pain is that i don’t know where to start, i have never trained fitness or with weights, that resulted in 2 bad knees because i did not have a plan and started completely wrong, before that i was pretty fit because i trained squash, but wanted to be tightened up.
So basic, waht I need is a long-term plan for home training to get my body in good shape.
kind regards,
Ole from Denmark.
Hey Ole, this is simple, start at the beginning and progress slowly.
Here’s your first months plan, with videos, no equipment needed:
https://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/beginner-bodyweight-workout-plan/
Myself.
Inner Belief that I can do things beyond what people expect and what I’ve done before. Negative self talk I guess in a way too.
Gulsen, my advice is to take small steps and celebrate the success of each achievement. Treat life as a series of experiments and learn to use past experience to ensure you get it right the next time. It’s amazing the amount of things people keep doing when they know it’s simply not working. Removing fat from your diet rather than sugar is a great example.
I think there are two, one is limiting my eating in any way doesn’t seem to be a pleasant experience at all, yet when I am just not concious of my eating I eat food that doesn’t serve my health at all.
Two, who do you follow? So much advise that is in conflict. I’m looking at a smarter science of slim at the moment because there seems to be a lot of credible eviedence for what he teaches, also his podcast is outstanding and free
Hi Mark, limiting your eating is probably the wrong tactic, rather think of it as eating the right things versus the wrong things. You can eat a lot of Organic Meat and Veg and still lose fat. Small steps = small wins. Develop a plan and take small steps. Number 1 should be reducing sugar. If you don’t cook or buy lunch at work etc. these all need to be addressed as potential problem areas too!
My advice is to follow no one. Go on an information diet. Just stop and focus. Listen to your body and no one else’s, we are all different. Eat the way mother nature intended, just plants and animals. Live in line with nature rather than against it and you’ll notice some big changes!
I think there are two, one is limiting my eating in any way doesn’t seem to be a pleasant experience at all, yet when I am just not concious of my eating I eat food that doesn’t serve my health at all.
Two, who do you follow? So much advise that is in conflict. I’m looking at a smarter science of slim at the moment because there seems to be a lot of credible eviedence for what he teaches, also his podcast is outstanding and free
Hi Mark, limiting your eating is probably the wrong tactic, rather think of it as eating the right things versus the wrong things. You can eat a lot of Organic Meat and Veg and still lose fat. Small steps = small wins. Develop a plan and take small steps. Number 1 should be reducing sugar. If you don’t cook or buy lunch at work etc. these all need to be addressed as potential problem areas too!
My advice is to follow no one. Go on an information diet. Just stop and focus. Listen to your body and no one else’s, we are all different. Eat the way mother nature intended, just plants and animals. Live in line with nature rather than against it and you’ll notice some big changes!
I definitely notice how stress affects my diet/exercise plans. When I’m feeling happy, I WANT to exercise and eat well but when I’m stressed I sometimes don’t have the energy or motivation to work out.
Yes Suzanne Stress is at the Heart of a healthy body and mind. Remember that exercise and nutrition produce a stress to the body just as much as a recent divorce or metaphysical conundrums. My daily goal is to manage my stress levels no matter what I do. If I exercise hard, I rest more. If I sleep badly, I exercise less and eat well. It’s all about balance!
I am really good at putting together effective and fun training programmes but fall down when it comes to nutrition. I know what I should be eating and when but always seem to fall down, whether it’s ordering take away or buying extra snacks that I don’t need and are unhealthy. I can’t control my cravings for snacks, junk food and over eating.
Understand your point James but you will find that good nutrition leads to even better nutrition. It gets easier with time but you need to take small steps. Start by simply reducing sugar day by day, this will help with cravings.