A little less conversation a little more action please!.. research on why fat talk should be hushed...

You're probably already aware of how crucial self talk is to success in any aspect of your life, whether it be fat loss, sport, business success or relationships. We have approximately 70,000 thoughts on average each day, pretty much all of which our subconscious takes to heart, and I'm sure you've probably heard the famous Bob Proctor quote, 'thoughts become things'.

So it may come as no surprise that a recent study published by SAGE Publications, found that the more people tended to talk about fat, being fat, being worried about being fat etc, the more likely they were to be dissatisfied with their bodies, REGARDLESS of waist circumference.

SAGE Publications. "Frequency of fat talk associated with increased body dissatisfaction, regardless of waistline." ScienceDaily. 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 8 Aug. 2011

Now I accept that it's impossible to regulate 70,000 thoughts or every word that leaves your lips, but what we can all do is start becoming more aware of the images, particularly self images, that we project, and acknowledge when a thought is not conducive to our ultimate well-being. And let's face it, trying to convince others or yourself that you are carrying excess weight isn't going to make you feel good in any way at all, or indeed help you get the shape you want to be in. So, when you next catch yourself thinking or speaking 'fat thoughts' say 'cancel!' and replace it with something positive, like, 'I'm putting the effort in to feel great about myself by....'



And, as I always say when there is too much chatting and not enough moving going on at Phoenix Pro, 'A little less conversation a little more action please.' :)

To Your Success!

Charlotte

www.phoenixprofitness.com

Follow us on twitter at @charlotteord and @phoenixprofit

Research says Cut down on carbs for faster fat loss and better health

A new study published in 'The Endocrine Society. "Cut down on 'carbs' to reduce body fat."Gower et al, 2011. ScienceDaily, 24 Jun. 2011. Web. 7 Aug. 2011 demonstrates that even a modest reduction in your consumption of carbohydrates may promote loss of harmful deep abdominal (visceral) fat and total body fat, which is great news if you are looking to slim down and reduce your risk of diabetes II, stroke and coronary artery disease.

The study, which used 69 overweight but healthy male and female subjects, split the group into two, with subjects either eating a standard lower fat diet, or one with a modest reduction of carbs but slightly higher fat than the standard diet. The latter group were also given carbs that had a relatively low glycemic index, a measure of the extent to which foods raise blood glucose levels.

The study found that, whilst both groups lost weight, those who consumed the moderately carb-restricted diet had 11% less deep abdominal fat than those who ate the standard diet, as well as a 4% greater loss of total body fat, indicating that the lower carb plan encourages preferential loss of fat rather than lean tissue (the latter of which is key to maintained metabolic efficiency).

So, the take home message is, reduce your carbs for faster fat loss! At Phoenix Pro Fitness we find the easiest way to do this is to limit starchy carbs (ie bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc) to the post-training 2 hour window, when glycogen stores are depleted and insulin sensitivity is high.

To Your Success!

From figure dream to dream figure: Day 41, and no excuses...

Today is day 41 of my bodybuilding competition prep and it seems like a good day to talk about overcoming obstacles and not giving in to excuses. For the last couple of weeks my diet has become increasingly strict, with calories now on the very low side, so the last couple of days have been a challenge owing to the fact that I have had to work around being out late last night watching the diamond league athletics at Crystal Palace and attending a fabulous wedding today. It would have been quite easy to succumb to the amazing smell of chips wafting around the stadium yesterday, but not nearly as easy as it would have been to indulge in the amazing wedding dinner of thai prawns and noodles, lamb and gratin potatoes and incredible chocolate cake (not to mention the vino)! As it was, I managed to stick vigilently to my diet and enjoyed some smoked salmon (thanks to the awesome caterers for making these for me specially!), tons of veg and a protein shake instead.

This is me with my 'dessert'...


and my yummy canapes...


Now I'm no dietary martyr. I enjoy bad foods as much as the next person and can think of excuses as to why I couldn't stick to the plan as well as anyone. But at the end of the day, there are a few reasons why I was able to stick to my diet despite considerable temptation, and I am certain these things will also help you whenever you are close to falling of your fat loss plan..

1) Having a goal that is really important to you. A goal is not really a worthy goal if in your heart of hearts you're not really fussed about achieving it. That doesn't mean it will be easy, but it will make you think real hard before you jeopardise your progress.

2) Having people to be accountable to. I have my coach, my friends who are coming all the way to Stratford next week to support me, and the team and members at my gym to be accountable to. When I stand on stage next week I will know that I have done everything I can to be my best on the day and that is all I can do. If I'd let excuses get in the way I would have not only let myself down but them as well, which adds extra weight to the goal. So if your goal doesn't have a definitive date yet, then give it one. It adds urgency to the process and will make you think twice before giving in to temptation. Temptation is much like anything else, once you've overcome it a few times, it becomes a habit and you become confident in your ability to handle it.

3) Preparation. I had my nutrition for last night and today all mapped out before I left the house, and pre-empted temptation by ensuring I had access to the right foods at the right time. This meant packing a cool bag with salmon and beans and a protein shake and finding out what was on the menu as soon as I arrived so that I could plan ahead and ensure I wasn't hungry and had an alternative to eat. I couldn't let what other people would think act as an excuse for spoiling weeks of hard work, and nor was I going to miss my good friends' wedding, and as it happened it was the subject of much interest at my table anyway :) So always plan in advance, both training and nutrition, and never skip meals... that way you won't get hungry or even have an excuse for eating something off plan because there was no alternative... all you need is a cool bag!

It's now just one week until my competition and I am looking forward to what will undoubtedly be a challenging week or training, diet and preparation. Bring it on!

Charlotte

Owner
Phoenix Pro Fitness

Follow us on twitter at @charlotteord and @phoenixprofit

3 Reasons You're Not Losing Fat..

Fat loss can be a difficult thing to master due to the fact that there are so many variables involved to success, all of which can be limiting factors for certain individuals.

There are 4 main factors to consider initially. Firstly, there's the exercise part. Secondly, there's the diet part. Both of these play an essential role in the fat loss equation. Thirdly, there's the psychology part, which can be a real stumbling block for some, and finally there's the social support part, which can also be a limiting factor if those around you are not on side.

Let's suppose that you have all of the above sorted, but you're still not losing fat. What then? Well, for the majority of people , if the above 4 factors in line, chances are you'll be changing shape successfully. But there are a small % of people who have their diet and exercise sorted, head screwed on and great support system, but still can't shift fat.

For these people we need to delve deeper and look at what is going on at a deeper physiological level. A bit like farming, you can plant the best seed and add water and sun, but if the soil isn't healthy then the harvest will fail. Your body is the same.

The first fat loss limiter is the adrenal system. The adrenal glands are responsible for releasing hormones in response to stress through the synthesis of corticosteroids such cortisol and catecholamines such as epinephrine. The primary role of cortisol is to increase blood sugar levels so the muscles, organs and brain have enough sustenance. Problems occur when you experience chronic stress because chronically elevated cortisol levels result in increased insulin levels and preventing you from burning fat, regardless of your diet or exercise protocol. Stress is not just limited to emotional and mental stress, but also food intolerance, disease, overtraining and severe caloric restriction. You can find out whether adrenal fatigue is an issue for you by a simple pupil dilation test or adrenal salivary test.

The second fat loss limiter is the gastrointestinal system. If you experience symptoms such as gas, bloating, IBS, feeling uncomfortably full after meals, constipation, acid reflux etc, it is likely indicative of a food sensitivity, which can severely hamper your chances of fat loss. In addition, gastrointestinal dysfunction can result in reduced libido, altered stress hormone production and disrupted blood sugar levels. The easy answer to gastrointestinal upset is an elimination diet for a period of at least 4 weeks, which allows your body not only to cleanse and heal itself, but also allows you to identify which foods are creating a problem when you start to reintegrate them.

The third fat loss limiter we are going to discuss today is oxygen transport system. In order to function optimally, the body's cells require two things, glucose and oxygen. Any deficiency of either of these two essential components in your body will result in less than optimal function. Inside your cells, a process is constantly going on whereby a multifunctional nucleotide called adepnosine triphosphate is produced via phosphorylation and cellular respiration, and transports chemical energy around the cells for metabolism. ATP is the body's basic form of energy, and without it nothing works properly. One if the key components in the production of ATP is oxygen, so if your body isn't receiving enough oxygen, ATP manufacture is impaired, bodily function is restricted and fat loss is consequently halted. So how does a lack of oxygen affect fat loss? Well, you've probably heard if the condition anaemia, where the body lacks sufficient healthy red blood cells, or haemoglobin inside RBCs, to transport oxygen efficiently. Symptoms of anaemia include chest pain, dizziness, light-headiness, as well as a wide range of other clinical consequences. If you think anaemia may be affecting you, a simple blood test at your GP's will test your levels of iron, ferritin, transferrin, vitamin B12 etc, and tell you whether there is an issue that needs addressing.

If you read my previous post on insulin resistance, you'll know that your ability to manage blood sugar levels can also be a major limiting factor to fat loss.. if you missed it you can find it here

Remember though, that if you are struggling to shift fat, the first ports of call is to get your exercise, diet, psychology and support network in check. If you can honestly say all these things are aligned with your goal but you're still not losing fat, then there may be a deeper seated physiological issue at hand. Once your bodily terrain is healthy, fat loss will resume.

To Your Success!


Charlotte

www.phoenixprofitness.com

Follow us on twitter at @charlotteord and @phoenixprofit

Tired, stressed or anxious? Adaptogens may help..

One of the hot topics at this year's UKSCA convention was the use of adaptogens in improving athletic performance and body composition.

Adaptogens are herb products that are plant derivatives and are thought to increase resistance to fatigue, trauma, anxiety and stress. One herb in particular, Rhodiola Rosea, is gaining notoriety as an effective combative treatment for depression, lifting mood and helping the user to cope with everyday stressors. I have personally been taking rhodiola as part of my bodybuilding supplementation program and have found it to be very effective at keeping mood levels even despite heavy training combined with a low calorie diet.

Indeed, clinical studies have found that adaptogens such as Rhodiola exert an anti-fatigue effect and increase mental work capacity, affording the user tolerance to mental exhaustion and enhanced attention.

P, Alexander & G, Wilman. (2011) 'Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System and the Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Their Stress--Protective Activity'Pharmaceuticals 2010, 3, 188-224.

So, if you suffer from stress, low mood or fatigue, it might be worth giving RhodiolaRosea a try. It's inexpensive, and in my opinion, works!

To Your Success!

Charlotte

www.phoenixprofitness.com

Lessons Learnt from Bodybuilding..

If you've been reading the Phoenix Pro blog recently, chances are you'll know that I am currently preparing for my first bodybuilding competition, which takes place a week on Sunday in Stratford. Although I'm doing the trained figure class, which is more like a fitness physique class than a very muscular look, my diet and training have had to be carefully designed and monitored so that I drop a significant amount of body fat whilst preserving lean muscle tissue. One of my main motivations for embarking on bodybuilding was that the pursuit of significant body transformation is a goal of many of our clients at Phoenix Pro Fitness, and I wanted to personally experience what happens when you take diet and training to an extreme and purposeful level... something that is quite unique to the bodybuilding world. Here are some of the things I've learnt so far that might be of interest to you and hopefully help you in your own body transformation journey:

1) Having a coach makes sticking to even the toughest dietary protocol easy. I know that, being a coach myself, I would say that, but it's true. Bodybuilding is new to me so it made perfect sense to enlist the help of someone who knows it like the back of their hand, and my coach, former British Champion Annabel Ottey, has made the whole process a pleasure. As I am experienced in program writing I designed my own training schedule, but my diet, routine and all other prep has been down to Annie. This has been brilliant, not only because I have had access to Annie's experience and knowledge with regards to 'cutting', posing and preparation, but also because there's no way I would ever allow myself to diverge from a plan set by someone else and have to explain why my body fat hadn't dropped; never underestimate the accountability factor if you have a big goal to achieve...

2) You can get stronger, faster, fitter, leaner and more flexible simultaneously and on a 'bodybuilding program'. I decided to use my foray into bodybuilding as a bit of an experiment to see whether it was possible to drop fat, build muscle and improve a variety of fitness components simultaneously. This meant that my program incorporated a number of facets including:

a daily 'computer reboot' warm up protocol, aimed at preparing for more strenuous activity but also encouraging correct biomechanics for sprinting, jumping etc etc.

Dynamic flexibility aimed at maintaining (and in the case of my recently broken ankle, improving) good joint range of motion in a functional capacity

Olympic lifting to develop explosive strength and ensure that my new found mass was more useful to me than just looking good..

Multi joint compound lifts such as back squats, deadlifts and presses to develop large muscle groups in both strength and size.

Med ball circuits to develop proprioception, co-ordination, power and co-contractile efficiency.

Isolation exercises synonymous with bodybuilding to develop specific areas, although in reality it is impossible to literally isolate any specific muscle.. the body simply doesn't work that way, but I must admit I have really enjoyed doing bicep curls! :)

Fasted, low intensity cardio (usually with dog in tow and leaflets in hand - multi-task is my middle name)
I will post my before and after pictures following my show so you can see for yourself whether I have managed to simultaneously drop fat and build muscle. Strength wise my loads have continued to increase on a weekly basis despite weekly reductions in caloric intake, and my snatch (4x3 @27.5kg >> 35kg) and clean and jerk (4x3 @32kg >> 40kg) have also been making fairly linear positive progression (helped by the fact my ankle and surrounding structures are becoming more mobile and explosive again :) The take home message here is that an athletic training program, incorporating the best protocols from both strength and conditioning and bodybuilding, can achieve a variety of objectives simultaneously whilst correcting, rather than creating, imbalance.

3) Posing is harder than it looks. Aside from the confidence challenge of standing on stage in sweet F.A, the 'poses' themselves are actually pretty hard to nail and a workout in themselves. I have newfound respect for those who can do this well - it is quite an art - don't knock anything until you've tried it..

4) It IS possible to be on a really strict diet and have a life! I have been out for dinner three times this week alone (birthday week :) - to Pizza Express, Loch Fyne, and Bistro Cote - and managed to have diet compliant meals at each by asking for small adjustments to what was already on the menu. Remember that 'decision' is latin for 'to cut off from..' - decide that you are going to achieve your goal and cut off from all excuses that might stop you - when you do that, abstaining from little things like dough balls becomes much easier than you think.



5) If your friends are trying to boycott your efforts, chances are that they are not bad people but rather that your determination and goal trigger feelings of guilt or lacking for them. It's a bit like smokers who try to boycott their ex-smoker friends - if their friends can do it there's no justification for why they can't and that's an uncomfortable and uninvited feeling. So, if you find yourself being boycotted by your friends or family, turn it around and realise that you may actually be inspiring them to make a change too. And if they REALLY try to lead you astray, explain the importance of your goal and why you would really appreciate their support. I must add here that I've been really fortunate in that my friends have been super supportive and have even adjusted their own diets and training to accommodate mine! But I have spoken to others who haven't been so lucky (thank you my friends!)

6) Finally, in my humble opinion, lean, fit and strong really does look better than thin and scrawny. I've been both, and I've seen and trained a lot of women who've been both, and I can categorically say that people are happier, sexier and healthier with great muscle definition, great fitness levels, and eating proper fuel on a regular basis.

To Your Success!

Charlotte

www.phoenixprofitness.com

3 easy ways to boost your insulin sensitivity and burn more fat!

If you're looking to shed fat, then you may already know that insulin sensitivity is a serious ally in your fat loss arsenal. Insulin sensitivity describes your body's hormonal responsiveness to glucose and your ability to metabolise that glucose. When this function is impaired, we call it insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, which is the state in which the cells have a diminished ability to respond to insulin secreted in response to sugar in the bloodstream. Consequently, the pancreas produces and releases an abnormally high level of insulin in order to process glucose and regulate blood sugar levels, with associated health issues, including excess fat storage (particularly in the abdominal region), diabetes 2 and hardening of the arteries.

So, what can we do to increase our insulin sensitivity?

Well, firstly, we can exercise more. I know being a trainer it was kind of inevitable that I'd say that, but research on 'Exercise and Insulin Sensitivity' in the International Journal of Sports Medicine (Borghouts & Keizer 2000) found that in both insulin sensitive and insulin resistant populations insulin sensitivity was increased for up to 16 hours after a single exercise bout, as well as illiciting a multitude of adaptations in glucose metabolism and transport.

Secondly, we can add a little spice to our lives. Adding just 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon to your diet per day has been found in numerous studies to lower blood glucose post meals, reduce fasting insulin levels, speed up gastric emptying and counteract sleep deprivation induced temporary insulin resistance. And it tastes great in a protein shake - WIN!

My third tip for optimising and taking advantage of your insulin sensitivity is to never miss a post workout shake. Taking a post workout drink immediately after training has been found to up protein synthesis (essential for repair and restoration of your metabolic furnace and fat burning action station, lean muscle tissue) by a whopping 300%, compared with only 12% if you leave eating until a few hours after training.

So, the take home advice on increased insulin sensitivity and faster fat loss is to up your exercise (the RIGHT sort of exercise though - more on this to come..), supplement with cinammon and don't forget your post workout shake when you next hit the gym.

To Your Success!

Charlotte

www.phoenixprofitness.com