Have a low(er) fat summer

Hello,

With summer having started around the 21st of June (yes, that’s when summer starts, or so says the BBC) with any luck you, me and the GetFit team will see the sun a little more and enjoy lighter and warmer evenings.

However, the summer months bring with them their own unique healthy eating challenges. We may find ourselves heading out for alfresco dining at pubs, cafes and restaurants, either here or whilst on holiday or be invited to, or hold our own, BBQ’s and summer parties.


Because even though summer is typically seen as the perfect time for salads, light meals and outdoor dining, I find it can often be ambushed by heavy sauces, fatty meats and creamy dips…


And I have to confess to being a heavy dipper!


So what can be done to stop this summer from becoming a ‘Summer of Fat’?


I asked around the GetFit office and asked the guys to confess to their summer time weakness and I can now bring you the GetFit's Top 5 ‘Summer of Fat’ alerts…


Number 5 - Ordering lower fat dishes when dining out (especially on holiday)


Eating out is an enjoyable experience that need not stop just because you are following a healthy eating or weight loss plan. But dining out can be fraught with danger, especially when ordering abroad! However with a little pre-planning it can be made healthier.


Wherever and whenever you dine out you can decide before you set out that you are going to have just one or two courses and try eating a light snack e.g. a couple of crackers to take the edge off your appetite.


Also, look for dishes described as ‘grilled’, ‘chargrilled’, ‘poached’, ‘stir-fired’, ‘steamed’, ‘cooked in own juice’ or with pomodoro or wine sauce (and if you’re abroad and your language skills are rusty, or non-existent like mine, translate these words before heading down to the local tapas bar).


Number 4 - BBQ meat madness… Using lower fat meats or ‘vegetarian’ options


With several Aussies in the office, this comes as no surprise.


There are so many meat alternatives available it would be impossible to list them all her, but sausages, burgers and even ‘fake’ bacon can all be found in almost all supermarket aisles.


However, check the fat content per 100g to help you choose lower fat meat-free alternatives. A guideline figure is 9% fat (9g fat per 100g) maximum, but you will find many lower fat meat-alternative foods containing 5% or less fat.


If the idea of a no meat BBQ is just unimaginable, look for the leanest meats you can find, and shock horror, remove the skin of the chicken pieces, as this part contains the majority of the fat.


Serve your meat-alternative products with a large portion of colourful salad or vegetables.


And if you’re watching your carb intake for any reason, leave the bun!


Next week I'll reveal the GetFit teams Top 3 summer fat alerts...

Willpower eh? now what is that exactly..

Two weeks ago I talked about the opposite of willpower, which I called "other power"

Essentially I was looking for those things "outside ourselves" that could help in tackling problem habits which most of us don't want to continue in our day to day lives.

What is it we all mean when we talking about having "willpower"?

It's one of those funny things, we all have an idea of what willpower means to ourselves personally, but I was struggling to come up with a decent definition.

This being the internet I goggled willpower and let the democracy of internet search give me the definition (thanks Wikipedia - interestingly there isn't a page on willpower just links to other pages)

·  Self-discipline, training and control of oneself and one's conduct, usually for personal improvement

·  Self-control, the ability of a person to exert his/her will over the inhibitions of their body or self

So something about training the mind and the ability to exert control over your own body / self. This is really interesting because I often hear people talking about how they "have no willpower". We often don't think that willpower is something we can train - like a muscle - but surely it must change throughout our lives - so there must be a way for us to change it for the better - to be more focused on what we want.

The second part interesting part of willpower that is the idea of control. Surely the only thing that we have control over in our lives are our choices. But I find myself deciding to do one thing one day, but the following morning deciding that the exact opposite of what I want...

It's like there are many different "me's” all deciding different things at different times. Usually it's whatever is easiest or what will give me a little bit of comfort at that particular point.

Thinking about willpower in this way - is a bit more fun than thinking "I'm weak" or "I just can't do it" - but as a little argument within me, where different “me's” want different things.

The GetFit.com willpower training method

Based on this, the psychology team at getfit.com have developed a fun little training technique based on "self-talk". Self-talk is the way we talk to ourselves about what we are doing. But with this training method you are going to name the different "you's" that are talking when there is a situation that you feel Willpower is required.

We've all seen the cartoons with Donald Duck with an angel duck on one shoulder, and the devil duck on the other. I don't think that this is a helpful way of viewing the different "you’s" that you might appear when making a decision, but it gives you an idea of what I mean... Remember that both "you's" will be looking to make your life better, just going about it in different ways.

1. When a challenging situation arises - recognise it
- After all if you just react on instinct you won't be thinking at all

2. Stop and take some time to be aware of your thoughts and feelings
- This is where you can recognise the different "you's" who want different things

3. Give a little description to the different "you's" that are present
- This one is tired and wants a treat, this one is thinking about fitting into jeans.....

4. Act as a judge as to what type of "you" each would result in
- This first one will only look after my short term needs, this second one is thinking for the long term

5. Make a decision based on what you want to be in the future
- I'd rather be able to fit into jeans than have a treat just now

6. Just do it - no more thinking - you've made the decision, move on.
- Don't get caught up in guilt or brow-beating, you've made a decision - accept it and whatever goes along with it.

Remember that there is always some trial and error with learning anything new. Willpower is just you being clear with yourself about what you want and that there are some costs associated with getting what you want.

Of course willpower is not the entire picture, for the next few weeks we'll be tackling how to establish healthy habits - so willpower can take a back seat!.

Thinking about summer Swimsuits

Oh boy, here comes the summer. At GetFit.com we love the sun, but aren’t too keen on the swimsuit stress that is on the Horizon.

Like everything in the health coach program, we believe that planning is so important if you want to achieve a goal either for your health or wellbeing. So this week we are thinking about the small steps that you can put in place to hit the pool, beach, park or sundeck without that niggling feeling that it would be better if there was a little less of you to be exposing…..

Basically we’ve whipped around the office and come to the conclusion that there are three ways to address this stress.

Method 1: Avoid any event that might include swimming or people who are likely to whip of their clothes and sun worship…… We’ve decided while this sounds good, it then cuts out all the places and people we like in the summer

GetFit.com rating: 1/10

Method 2: Accentuate the good, boost your confidence and think positive……

We like this method, as what goes on inside will show on the outside. No matter how your look, if you’re worried and feeling shy, your face will be wrinkled and your posture will be slumped over. This does not help with your outward appearance; you’ll also be less relaxed and “emotionally turned in”.

Ask yourself what do I like most about my physical appearance, and what will help me accentuate it? For example if your eyes are a feature you like, then sunglasses might not be the way to feel your best, however a fashionable hat with matching outfit might be the perfect way to stand out and feel comfortable.

GetFit.com rating: 7/10

Method 3: Accept what you can and can’t change, then work on what is reasonable……

Some people (myself included) are just not suited to skimpy… frankly revealing swimsuits. But regardless of size or shape some things can always be improved.

Aim 1 - Posture Perfect: With a great posture, you look taller, more confident and friendlier.

Aim 2 – Proportion: if top and bottom are more balanced, then differences between body parts will be less extreme. So (maybe counter-intuitively) toning on chest, shoulders and arms may be a really important part of balancing when the lower areas of the body are a concern

Aim 3 – Belly and Back: Closely related to posture, it’s not just how you hold your self, but how your body holds you. There are some specific exercises for the natural belt of muscle that holds everything in – read our tweets for some of these!

Aim 4 – General fitness: Having a healthy sheen rather than a panting sweaty mess can really increase your confidence about your body in general. This will reduce the stress when it comes to the “swimsuit event”…

GetFit.com rating: 8/10

In practice a combination of method 2 and 3 has got the GetFit.com Summer Seal of approval. So watch out for this week’s tweets around how to put method 2 and 3 into practice for BOTH GENDERS!

To help you get started now, before the pressure starts mounting we’re offering 50% off membership at getfit.com This includes a full health and wellbeing report, and programs to tackle fitness, healthy eating, a good night’s sleep, and challenging that thoughts that can kill your confidence… just enter the code “SUMMER” at the checkout.