August 2021 - Fitter Body Ladies Llanelli

What I find with the ladies (and myself at times) is getting the meals right is fine, it's the snacks where people often go wrong.

Unhealthy snacking can really slow down results.

I do always focus with my clients first on getting the meals right and the rest will follow.

Unfortunately with the amount of temptation out there today going through a day without snacking is virtually impossible for some (especially office workers!!) so I’ve come up with a list of healthy snacks to stop you from reaching for the nearest biscuit tin or bag of crisps.

So here they are:

1. Nuts – Nice, easy and delicious. You can pick up some good packs for relatively cheap of mixed nuts. Make sure you get unsalted. Great ones to eat for loads of healthy fats and packed with goodness are Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds and walnuts. Seeds (pumpkin, poppy, sunflower) are also great.

2. Fruit – What could be easier? If you are trying to lose weight then you don’t want to be eating much more than about 2 pieces of fruit a day. Aim for low GI fruits, basically means less sugar. So go for fruits such as berries, plums and apples as opposed to grapes and pineapple.

3. Dark Chocolate – I’ve found this so useful at cutting out those sweet cravings. Try and get high quality 80% + cocoa dark chocolate it’s delicious and just one piece can really stop you craving foods and suppresses your appetite.

4. Yoghurt – There are loads and loads of unhealthy yogurts out there. Ignore the low fat versions as they have added sugar (THE ENEMY) to replace the flavour lost from the fat. Full Fat Greek Yoghurt go for.

5. Salad – Lettuce, cucumber, celery, tomatoes and sliced peppers drizzled with some balsamic vinegar and a bit of black pepper. Easy! That’ll keep you going until your next meal and has hardly any calories in.

6. Veggie Crudites – Chop up some carrot, celery or cucumber sticks and snack on these. Great to dip into hummus for a delicious snack (occasionally).

7. Boiled Eggs – Maybe a little boring if you eat too often but a couple of boiled eggs are packed with good fats and protein and very filling.

8. Peanut/Almond Butter – Avoid overeating this but if you have got a bit of a sweet tooth this helps. Chop up some apple and have with a bit of peanut butter for a lovely tasting snack. Almond butter is healthier but sometimes more expensive. Go for natural peanut butter, Meridian do very nice peanut butter and it’s quite a bit healthier than your normal supermarket version.

9. Popcorn – Now we’re talking. Buy some popcorn seeds. Have a small handful and cook in a pan for a great and low calorie snack. That is as long as you avoid adding loads of salt or sugar. Try cinnamon and a little bit of honey.

10. Healthy Bars – There are a few decent bars out there which are great for deserts or snacks. You will find the best ones are higher in calories but that’s as they have some goodness in, you aren’t just eating empty calories. Good ones to try are Eat natural bars (The dark chocolate ones are amazing), Nakd bars or 9 bars. You can even make your own healthy bars.

So there you have 10 healthy snack ideas which are easy to make and healthy to eat.

Hope this helps you stick on the straight and narrow!

Jamie Stedman

An observation:

There is a new "diet" doing the rounds.

AND after doing my research.

For the first time in a while - I actually think it's a pretty good option.

What is this *new* diet I speak of?

Im talking about something you may or may not have heard about, it's called, Time Restricted Eating (TRE).

TRE is when you restrict the times you eat for some days or every day.

For example, you may decide to only eat between 8am-6pm or 10am-8pm. That's literally it.

You don't have to change what you eat, you just reduce the number of hours you're allowed food each day

and you will likely lose weight.

Although you don't HAVE to change what you eat

I'm pretty sure that eating unprocessed foods and minimally processed foods during these hours, would be preferable to eating pasta, bread, low fat yoghurts and drinking diet coke.

More.

The trouble with most people, due to our LONGER work ours and life being so BUSY, we are eating for up to 16hrs a day or more!!

For example:

Some of us have breakfast at 6 or 7am in the morning, and then are still munching on something before we go to bed at 11pm or later.

I've even heard of ladies waking in the night to eat or drink pop.

That's just too much food for your body to cope -

and the miracle that is your body isn't going to be able to lose weight, if you're eating for MOST of the day that you're awake.

The magic number for a TRE diet seems to be to eat around 9-12hrs per day, if someone eats longer than that, they can start to gain weight.

Maybe you learned something from that.

Maybe not.

Either way, squander this advice at your peril.

Thats all we've time for today.

To get help with all things fat loss and fitness related, you may want to give my "28 Day Transformation Program" a try.

It's ideally suited to local ladies over 30, 40, 50 and 60 who are currently not fit

and who would like to lose 1 stone or a dress size, and get fit in 4 weeks. Plus our nutrition plan teaches you how to do things like TRE and Fasting and get all the benefits associated with that.

Unfortunately we are full right now.

However tomorrow we will open registration for our September Programme.

We've already got 15 ladies on the waitlist who will get their chance to join first today. Going on the waitlist guarantees your space.

*Please note: As September is going to be a very busy time, we have already started to accept pre registrations.

If you would like to pre register now for September, so your place is guaranteed

just email me back saying 'September'

and we will send over all the details.

Jamie Stedman

Good morning ,

Every week on the program we catch up and checkin with our ladies.

It's either in person, on the phone or on a message.

Over the last couple of weeks we've had some great messages from the ladies saying how they're getting on.

It's all well and good me saying how fantastic the program is but I think sometimes it's best to hear from the actual ladies doing it.

Ladies just like you who started for the very same reason as you're considering it.

Take a look:

Really enjoying the classes are brilliant and I love the instructors I've met so far. Really friendly environment. So glad I've started this journey with you guys. Thank you

I’m loving it, can’t wait for my next 2 sessions this week. Just doing legs and bums at home. Brilliant thank you , this week has been fab thanks really enjoyed I weighed yesterday with Sher and gone from 97.2 down to 95.2 so definitely going in the right direction. Thanks again

Thanks Jamie! I'm actually really loving it. I'm enjoying the sessions and the workbook as well. Being more aware of what I'm eating is helping. I'm definitely eating less, and I like it because I'm not having to weigh food/count calories/points, so it makes it easier and a more natural way of eating.

Hi Jamie Thank you, This week has been brilliant it’s really motivated me to make changes in my habits & have been more active which has made me feel great. Thanks & see you next week

Hi Jamie, thanks for the check in. I’ve had a good first week and really enjoyed the 2 sessions I’ve been to so far and looking forward to circuits this evening! I’m actually feeling so proud of myself- I started changing my diet a couple of weeks ago to get ready and I’ve gone from eating 0 fruit or veg to now having it everyday/veg every meal and even started to enjoy it. I’ve not bought any chocolate or biscuits or processed food or takeaways for me or the kids and I feel so much healthier. I’ve definitely had a change in my mind set which is keeping me focused and I’m taking help from the food plans and recipes.

Okay one more!

I just want to say a big thank you to Jamie, Olga, Sher and Ifan. I've always hated exercise cos my face goes purple and I've had lots of negative comments. I don't know how you do it, but every session I've been too now, everyone's been so welcoming and accepting that it's really lessened my fear of going red. I still do, but it doesn't stop me now, and I'm so enjoying the classes!

So there you have some exclusive insider knowledge!

What do you think?

Well today we officially open registration for our September program.

Due to missing January because of you know what this will most likely be our biggest and busiest program of 2021. The waitlist was all contacted this week to reserve their spaces and now I'm opening it up to you ladies on my email list and social media.

If you want to secure your space on the September 28 Day Program then simply reply with 'September' and I'll send you through the details.

Take care,

Jamie

Good morning ~Contact.FirstName~,

What I find with the ladies (and myself at times) is getting the meals right is fine, it's the snacks where people often go wrong.

Unhealthy snacking can really slow down results.

I do always focus with my clients first on getting the meals right and the rest will follow.

So here they are:

6. Veggie Crudites – Chop up some carrot, celery or cucumber sticks and snack on these. Great to dip into hummus for a delicious snack (occasionally).

7. Boiled Eggs – Maybe a little boring if you eat too often but a couple of boiled eggs are packed with good fats and protein and very filling.

So there you have 10 healthy snack ideas which are easy to make and healthy to eat.

Hope this helps you stick on the straight and narrow!

Jamie Stedman

We received a lovely message in our facebook group last week.

It was from Carol who was on a high after joining our FBL 250 club and receiving her shiny new bag!

There's not much for me to say here, I'll leave it all up to Carol.

When you join a gym …. normally during the induction period as a new member & then for a short while after ….you possibly might feel supported and encouraged .

Then all too soon , you're left to your own devices , the support wavers and the monthly fee is paid but your membership and the attendance falters ….

I was a member of 2 similar gyms in the Llanelli area, during the past 7 years , I’m quite sure I’m not alone with these experiences.

Fitter Bodies Ladies Llanelli has completely changed me ….so special , it’s well organised , different , invigorating, challenging, supportive and reassuring.

Jamie & his team and are truly marvellous , to keep me occupied and motivated for the past 20 months, since I joined , especially during the pandemic and the lockdowns …. Is a wonder in itself.

Some numbers are not reflected in the scales , I love my food , cooking , eating out and baking . However there are other serious numbers to consider. My numbers are my BP , Heart rate and Cholesterol. In 20 months I’ve reduced my blood pressure from borderline GP concern to below normal 110/80 , which based on my date of birth, is pretty good . Resting heart rate is now 55, initially it was 75+. Reduced my Cholesterol from 6.0 to below 4.0 . All of which has pleased my GP no end.

It goes without saying , that this is because of FBL.

So on this, the final day , before certain restrictions in Wales, I can safely say that FBL has helped me no end, it is a wonderful gym family, with excellent coaches and the loveliest of lady members.Thanks all

Waw!

It's so easy just to fixate on the numbers on the scale but the numbers Carol has mentioned there in my opinion mean more.

The greatest wealth is health.

Have a good day,

Jamie

Good morning ~Contact.FirstName~,

It's fair to say that more people are exercising than ever before.

Millions of people across the UK have some form of gym/sports membership.

People across the UK are swimming, running and cycling every week.

It's fantastic!

But we still have a major obesity problem which doesn't quite add up.

I believe one of the biggest contributing factors to this is how we spend most of our day.

I'm sat in my office writing this email, where are you reading this?

In bed? On transport?

At the desk?

Sat on the sofa?

The problem is even if you workout 4-5 times a week but you're sedentary the rest of the time you can still get problems.

Say you worked a 9-5 office job and you are well behaved and get your 8 hours of sleep a night then that's 16 hours (give or take walking around a bit at work) sat down/lying down!

That's two thirds of your day without taking into account the commute to work, sitting down for breakfast and dinner plus TV time in the night.

It's staggering really!

Some people probably easy spend 20+ hours a day on their ass!

The human body is an amazing thing, it can run marathons, climb a tree, jump onto a box as tall as them.

It's not designed to be sat down all the time, but it will adapt to that being the norm if that's all it's asked to do.

Your muscles will change, your metabolism will slow and your body will get bigger and less efficient. Mobility will be reduced, it's also harder to build all important muscle, plus due to other factors you will increase your chances of getting serious health problems.

Tips to reduce your sitting time:

- Get a smart watch (some vibrate when you've been sat down too long)

- Aim for 10,000 steps a day

- Get a stand up desk

- Go for a walk lunchtime

- Walk to and from work if possible

- Park further away from your destination

Just a few things to try.

There really is much worse problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle than just putting on weight.

Have a think about how you spend your days.

Thanks,

Jamie

Good morning ~Contact.FirstName~,

If I had a nickel for every time a client said to me:

'Oh I ate that because I had nothing else in the house'

Then I'd have a lot of nickels that I could do nothing with!

Eating healthily is simple.

That's not to say it's easy but it is straight forward.

Pick 3-4 healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks and eat these through the week mixed in with a couple of treats.

Do that consistently and you're on to a winner!

There's no magic formula, it just takes a bit of time.

What people struggle with the most is the planning side of things.

This is hands down the most important aspect of a healthy diet.

You have to plan - plan what you eat, when you shop, the foods in the house, when you cook.

If you wing it you're up against it from the start.

To help you with your planning here is a list of some core foods you should ALWAYS have in the kitchen.

Which means you can always have something healthy to eat:

1. Eggs

2. Spinach

3. Lean protein (chicken/turkey) or white fish

4. Coconut oil

5. Blueberries/cherries

6. Broccoli

7. Sweet Potatoes

8. Brown/basmati rice

9. Herbs and spices

10. Salad ingredients (lettuce, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes)

Ensuring you've always got these knocking about the kitchen guarantees you've got a good option. This will keep your diet on track and keep you on target to reach your goals.

Smoothies, omelettes, stir frys are easy to rustle up with these ingredients.

So get shopping!

Jamie Stedman

Good morning,

I always like going into a new month.

I use it as an opportunity to reflect on the previous and plan the next.

I used to just live day to day, not looking any further ahead but since the start of the year I enrolled onto a business coach to help me with things like time management, business planning, reviewing and work life balance.

It's made a huge difference to how I work (which is much more efficiently now) and how I see things.

I used to keep setting goals to do things but I'd get to the end of every month having not done them as I was too busy, then again it would be another month gone and the same thing happening.

I see this with health and fitness too.

Ladies getting to the start of each month (or week) and saying:

'I'm going to lose weight this month'

'I'm going to start exercising this month'

But that's all there is, INTENTION.

No planning around it.

Intention is great and is the first step but you need to do more.

If your intention is to lose weight this month then you need to do things e.g.

Get a healthy food shop in

Try and get rid of as much temptation in the house as you can

Tell friends and families what you're doing so they can support you

Set time aside to food prep/plan

If you don't do these things then before you know it another month has gone by and nothing has been done.

So it's early into August, look ahead for this month and:

1. Set your intention/goal

2. Plan how you can achieve it

Good luck and have a great day,

Jamie