A while ago I slipped into a not-so-mindful habit … I was multitasking while I was eating.

And by that I mean, I wasn’t paying attention to the food going into my mouth and instead was focused on [my phone/TV/computer/work].

I know I am not alone in this.

It’s something most of us do almost daily. We do it to save time, keep ourselves entertained, and just out of habit.

But when I realized what was happening - I made a really important connection with my new “habit” and my moods.

That’s because when I was distracted, I barely NOTICED or TASTED anything I was eating.

When you consider that it takes about 20 minutes for our bodies to send “I’m full” cues to your brain, you can quickly see how easy it is to overeat.

Not to mention you end up ignoring how the food makes you FEEL – physically and emotionally.

Plus, instead of eating because we’re hungry, we can start to rely on outside cues like our emotions or because we see or smell tasty foods.

Or even because it’s a certain time (think dessert after dinner even when you’re full), or for entertainment’s sake, or to relieve boredom or other emotions.

This is where mindful eating comes in.

Basically, it’s simply slowing down and really paying attention when you eat.

Here are the basics. Just pick one meal and:

● Turn off the TV and put your phone out of reach.

● Eat slowly, taking time to chew and taste each bite.

● Focus on how your body feels with each bite.

● Stop eating when you’re full.

● And also, before and after you eat, note – without judgment – whether you are truly hungry, and whether what you just ate benefits your health, goals, and your well-being.

When you start to tune in, you’ll probably notice that your habits and food preferences begin to change …

and you’ll begin to make choices that help you feel better and reach your goals faster.

You don’t have to do this with EVERY meal. Just start with one a day and see what happens.

Oh, and stick with it as at first you'll probably feel a bit bored.

To get something different, you have to DO something different!

Jamie

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,


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'


or

'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

Our 3F success system [Food, Fitness & Focus] is our way of helping all of our membersachieve their fitness and weight loss goals.

Today I want to share some of our Focus secrets that can help you.

I just HAD to share this with you, because when I read this, it completely blew my mind.

Have you ever …

● Attended a virtual meeting while you scrolled your phone for the latest headlines (or, ahem, checked your social media notifications)?

● Juggled two work projects at the exact same time because you thought you could do them in half the time?

● Listened to a training/course/book while folding the washing, cooking a meal, and/or caring for a family member?

● Checked your email or phone several times in the middle of a project?

[I can tick a yes to all of the above]

It might seem like you’re streamlining your to-do list by tackling several things at once, but you can actually be cluttering your brain.

This can lead to more mistakes, retaining less info, and actually changing how your brain works (not for the better).

In fact, multitasking on projects that require a lot of thought can make your IQ score dip the same way it does for people who stay up all night!

Check this out: in one study, men who multitasked had their IQ drop 15 points … so that their score was the same as an average 8-year-old child.

This happens because of the way our brains function, according to researchers from the University of Southern California in the US.

When you need to pay attention to something, your brain’s prefrontal cortex springs to action. It keeps your brain focused on a single goal while also working with other parts of your brain to help you finish the task.

And when you work on one task at a time, both sides of the prefrontal cortex work together in beautiful harmony.

BUT … if you try to focus on TWO TASKS at a time, the left and right sides each do their own thing.

You can see how this would make it hard for your brain to FOCUS …

making it even harder to pay attention to the details and retain more info. Plus, researchers say it can cause THREE TIMES as many mistakes!

So, what is the solution? It works like a charm… and it also cuts down on stress – more on that in a sec.

The tip: Set a timer for 15-30 minutes and FOCUS ON ONE TASK. Then, take a mini 5-10 minute “intermission” break, and set the timer again for another period of focus.

[I just set the timer on my phone]

Game-changer!

BONUS BENEFIT ALERT … people who felt stressed while multitasking ate more unhealthy snacks, according to researchers.

This isn’t surprising, since stress is linked to food cravings!

Just something to think about. 🙂

Make it a mindful day,

Jamie

I remember when I used to have a job I didn't like and used to dread the alarm going off Monday mornings.

But now I absolutely LOVE IT!

I literally get to work with lots of ladies every day helping them to improve their health and fitness.

Today, I want to talk about a “feel-good” topic that’s finally becoming a mainstream trend.

It’s BODY POSITIVITY … which basically means loving your body right this very minute – without any ifs, ands, or buts.

Because, frankly, your body is a miracle!

It deserves your care and respect because it works so hard to support you each and every day.

And one of the BEST things you can do to show your body that love and support is to MOVE it – regularly and intentionally. That’s why this month we’re taking a deep dive into all the wonders of MOVEMENT and how it impacts pretty much EVERY aspect of your life!

When you exercise regularly, your body just plain FEELS and FUNCTIONS better from the inside out.

BONUS: You do NOT have to spend hours a week working out to get these payoffs.

Here’s a list of just some of the many benefits:

  1. A longer life because you are less likely to die early from chronic disease.
  2. Less risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers (including colon, breast, lung, and uterine).
  3. Better mood, less stress and anxiety, and improved mental health.
  4. Improved brain health (both the structure AND how it functions).
  5. Stronger bones and muscles.
  6. Better sleep (both quality and quantity).
  7. More satisfying sex life.
  8. Lower risk of falling down.
  9. Improved weight control.
  10. Easier time quitting smoking.

Doesn’t your amazing body deserve all that!? (ANSWER: Yes it does!)

I’ve got a LOT of great info coming your way over the next couple of weeks, including the answers to some of my most-asked questions!

But I have a question for YOU first: What is your biggest fitness / movement / health-related goal right now? Comment back and let me know!

Make it an amazing day,

Jamie

At Fitter Body Ladies we have our 3F system.

You've probably heard me talk about it.

It stands for:

Food

Fitness

Focus

If we get all 3 right we should be able to achieve the results we've always wanted.

This week I'll give you some tips from all 3 Fs.

Today is Focus:

This is the one that many programs overlook.

In one way though it is the most important.

If you haven't got your focus then you won't eat well and you won't exercise well.

If we don't want to do something then we'll only do it for so long.

If you hate a diet then your days are numbered

If you hate your exercise program then eventually you'll quit

The good news is we can change our Focus and the way we think.

Your task today is to look into your habits.

TASK

Write down 5 habits which are bad for you

Examples:

  • Drinking too much coffee
  • Drinking too much alcohol
  • Eating too much chocolate
  • Staying on bed too late
  • Only walking a couple of thousands steps a day

Next, write down a way of improving on this

e.g. coffee: swap 2-3 of your daily coffees for green tea

Alcohol: only drink on weekends

Bed: Set alarm and have a plan for the morning

Maybe don't try and change 5 all at once, that may be too much.

Pick one habit and work on it for 2-7 days before adding another one.

Think how much healthier and focussed you'll be in a month!

Plus your focus and mindset will improve as a result of you proving to yourself that you can change.

These bad habits cause us to fail, don't let them.

Have a great weekend and good luck,

Jamie

It's fair to say that we had a pretty dark start to this year.

But

Each month has got that bit better, that bit brighter.

Now we move into the Summer, the nicest part of the year.

The world is getting better around us.

Businesses are getting back on their feet

New businesses are opening!

People are back int the gym

Cinemas are open

People are seeing friends, family, getting married.

This is different to last July/August when things were getting better, it just feels different. Back then I think we all knew it was temporary.

It doesn't feel that way this time, I think we've got so much hope and we've come so far.

What's the message today?

It's nothing complex.

It's just be HAPPY, there's still a lot of bad things going on but just try and look for those positive things.

Those signs that the world is recovering and life is getting better.

Little task:

Name 3 good things that have happened/happening right now.

I'll go first.

1. It's my fiance's Birthday today so we've got a nice day planned

2. The bank holiday weekend we saw loads of family and friends including my niece who was born less than 2 weeks ago

3. The gym has been back open for nearly a month and the May and June program both sold out

That'll do for me.

What about you?

Have a great day and enjoy the sun.

Jamie

When we embark on a new challenge, new diet, new exercise regime, - in fact any promise we make to ourselves to improve, it often feels like that we have to 'sacrifice' stuff in order
to achieve what we want .

Committing to a diet - sacrifice the wine, the chocs, the biscuits, the takeaways etc and you'll get your result.

Committing to working out early each day - sacrifice some of your sleep to wake up early.

And because it feels like we are having to sacrifice things, if we then
don't see some results then we're likely to cave in - temporarily or permanently.


My challenge when creating our programme was coming up with a food plan and an exercise plan that didn't feel like we were having to sacrifice so much.

As it helps with continued motivation.

So that is what we have done with our 3F System .

We have a timetable that can cater to all working hours with fun, varied workouts. [Fitness]

We have a food plan that consists of good nutritious food with a few indulgencies thrown in [Food]

And...

[this is the really important bit]

Say to yourself

"Being fit, healthy and in great shape is less about self sacrifice and more about self respect" [Focus]

The moment that we can all start respecting ourselves more - our bodies and our minds, then we are less likely to want to 'self sabotage'.

We're more likely to stay on track and stay motivated if we respect ourselves and the actions we are taking.

This is a gamechanger.

I hope it helps.

Have a great day,

Jamie

Good morning,

Guess what.

You are not perfect - nor are you meant to be.

Neither am I.

Neither is anyone.

And those that pretend to be perfect are the unhappiest around .

The quest for it will cause much unhappiness and stress - because it's never ending - impossible to reach.

Many ladies believe that they will be more confident and happy when they look, act or feel 'perfect' or when their home is perfect or when their marriage is perfect or their job.

The English model Patti Boyd said that when she was featured on the cover of Vogue magazine, she could only see her flaws and faults.

The author and therapist by Marisa Peer says

"In my 24 years as a therapist, I have noticed that the happiest people are those who aim to be the best they can be but also accept they they are real, flawed people, having relationships with other real, flawed people"

^^^^^^^^^^

That right there is so important to accept.

Notice how she doesn't say that people just accept they are what they are.

She says that they are trying to be the best they can be but also accept they are real and flawed.

That's the key.

We're all flawed.

And will always be flawed in some way.

But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't want to try and continually better ourselves.

When it comes to your overall health and wellness, this kind of work that you can do on the mental side really helps to support your success on the physical side.

It helps to make better decisions regarding food as you learn to control emotions.

And it helps to stay motivated to continue working out.

Everything is linked and as important as each other :

  • FOOD
  • FITNESS
  • FOCUS

Our 3F System .

Let me know if you have any questions.

Have an amazing day 

Jamie

How would you describe your morning routine? Hectic, calm, nonexistent … ?

I’ve got a fun checklist for you this morning. It will help power-up your mornings and get your day off to a great start with an energy boost.

The best part is, you can do everything on this list and not add any extra time to your routine! - bonus right

In fact, everything on this list will make your existing routine more enjoyable.

Right, here we go then:
1 - Wait 30 minutes before scrolling your phone. - this sounds easy but you will find it harder than you think. This sends a strong message to your subconscious. It tells it YOU are in charge of your day, and not your phone or what’s happening in the news or on social media.

2 - Splash your face (or entire body, via a shower) with cold water. Cold water can boost your energy. It results in dilating your blood vessels, increasing your heart rate and circulation.

3 - Drink water BEFORE caffeine. Your body has been without hydration all night long. Being even a little dehydrated (just 1-2%!) can sap your energy. Treat yourself to a big glass of water before you sip that coffee.

4 - Supercharge your water. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and a dash of cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne pepper to your water. [I know this sounds a bit weird, but try it]

This will start your day off with a healthy kick of antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and may help your body balance blood sugar.

There’s even some evidence it can help with appetite control.

5 - Let the natural light shine in! Open up those curtains in the morning - straight away. This helps reset your body’s internal clock to wake up earlier, as well as naturally boost your energy.

6 - Listen to your favourite songs while you go through your morning routine. Studies show music can boost your mood as well as make you more alert! And it’s a lot more calming than a rundown of the latest news. [yep avoid that nasty manipulative news as much as possible]

7 - Do something FUN. If you have a smart device like an Alexa, try playing “question of the day” while you go about your routine. It will give your brain a challenge first thing.

8 - Light a naturally scented candle or turn on a diffuser that contains energizing organic essential oils. Anything in the citrus or mint families can help rev you up.

9 - Change into real clothes if you work from home (and especially if you don’t 😉 ). Wearing pyjamas all day is so 2020!

10 - BONUS TIP! Disclaimer: This one WILL add time to your daily routine, but not during your morning. Before you go to bed at night, do as many of your morning to-do’s as possible: pack your workout clothes, prep your breakfast, etc.

You've probably heard all of this stuff before, but it really does work.

And just by changing a few habits, I can guarantee that it will lift your mood.

Remember, Win the morning Win the day.

I hope this list gave you a few ideas for changing up your morning routine to make it more energizing!

You’ll be surprised how something that seems so small can change your day in a BIG way.

Make it an amazing day,

Jamie

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