Get a HEAD START...

Do you start your week Monday mornings? 

Dragging yourself out of bed with a severe case of Monday-itis... 

Or do you jump out of bed excited about the week ahead and the things you are going to achieve throughout your week?!

One habit that I have learnt and found invaluable during my training for Fitness competitions, and staying healthy and fit in general, is Sunday shopping and food prep time!

Often during the weekdays life gets busy, things come up, plans don't always go to plan... But when you have your snacks, meals, supplements and vitamins all prepared and served out as needed, then it is as easy as grab and go... No excuses necessary.

The only other obstacle you may find yourself struggling with during the week is whether or not you 'can be bothered' to exercise or not... Those few extra minutes sleep in the morning sound more appealing than jumping out of bed in the dark when the alarm goes off! Well, all I can say to that is remember your 'why'... What is it that you really want to achieve? Why do you want to achieve it? Spend some time on your Sunday's, while you are prepping your food, to think about your goals and why's for that week...

Get a 'head' start for the week and have a plan of attack for it all!
That way... You can JUST DO what needs to be done, even when you don't want too...

I came across this anonymous quote yesterday.. Have a think about it...

 "Your body doesn't care if your mind isn't motivated... The results will be the same..."

To a happy, healthy and productive week - Don't WISH for it, WORK for it! xxx

5 Simple FAT BURNING Tips.

5 SIMPLE Burning Fat TIPS… 

Many people don’t understand the processes that happen in our body when we eat (and digest) foods. 3 main macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates and fats provide us with energy. When we eat carbohydrates our body converts them into blood sugar (glucose) – the main source of energy for our brain!

I often hear clients say how hungry or tired they feel and more often than not it is directly related to what and when they are eating (blood sugars), and what exercise they are doing. 

Blood sugar levels also affect whether we burn fat or store it, and essentially how lean we are able to get. Poor diet, lack of exercise and the associated weight gain that comes with the two, stuffs up how the hormone insulin works, potentially leading to Type 2 Diabetes.

Insulin's role in the body is to let blood sugar into our muscles and tissues, therefore controlling our blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are too high more insulin is required in an attempt to lower blood sugars after meals. Excess insulin is a strong stimulus for storing body fat making the fat you already have, stubborn to shift.

There are 5 simple habits that you can implement into your daily life in order to burn fat (rather than store it)… and in turn boost your metabolism…

1. NEVER skip meals! Eat REGULARLY! 

Every time you skip a meal you slow your metabolism and send your body into starvation/survival mode. Therefore conserving fat stores, making fat loss more difficult. 

2. PLAN your meals and take your snacks with you daily.

Plan your snacks and meals for the day take them along so that you are able to eat regularly and won't be tempted by junk food. 

3. UNDERSTAND what you are eating – PRE-PORTION your meals!

Snacking, or eating regularly is IMPORTANT but it is essential that what you are eating is healthy with the correct macronutrients and portion sizes. Over-eating can also lead to increased calories and increased blood sugar levels. (see upcoming BLOG on Perfect Portions)

4. Include HIGH FIBRE snacks and PROTEIN with EVERY snack and meal.

High fiber meals help to regulate your blood sugar levels by slowing down glucose absorption and your rate of digestion. Protein with every meal keeps your metabolism firing and prevents potential lean muscle mass loss.

5. Perform FAT BURNING CARDIO first thing in the morning on an empty stomach… 

When our blood sugar (glucose) levels are low, for example after waking from a night of sleep) when we exercise - the process of metabolism turns our body fat into energy. However, when our blood sugar levels are high, for example after a high carbohydrate meal, the process of metabolism stores excess energy into body fat to be used another time... (see upcoming BLOG on Fat Burning Walks).

For more information on balanced meal plans and correct exercise programs, Email Sharna – sharna@calmahealth.com.au.

Time Out.

Sometimes in this busy world the most precious gift we can give ourselves is a little time out....

I seem to be queen of busy. I like it like that. But, in order to stay in control and focused on the 'right' path for me, I know it is essential to take some time out and reflect/re-evaluate...

And that is exactly what I have done over the past 2 days.

What am I doing? Where am I heading? How are my relationships? Training? Diet?..... Every area of my life.... Since competing in my first Fitness Model Comp I have found my biggest challenge has been balancing a social life again with clean living and exercise... One challenge I am SURE you are all familiar with. 

My little 'light bulb' moment came today....

I realised I had a 'mental shift' since finishing comp and had been thinking, "Oh, you missed out on so much while prepping, now you can socialise and cheat because soon you will be prepping again..." This is NOT healthy/balanced thinking. The feeling of deprivation leads to cravings, mood swings, lack of motivation... the list goes on...

Ok, why am I sharing this, when I usual share motivating post and tips???

I realised that most women (and possibly men) are living with this same feeling on a daily basis, rather than the feeling of being in control of their health and fitness!

Like I said in my first blog after comp - IT IS A LIFESTYLE... A CONTINUOUS CONSISTENT JOURNEY....

There is NO NEED to deprive ourselves anything. Start to think in ADDITION - what does it feel like to complete a challenging exercise session or stepping into your clothes that you have not fit into for a year, or waking up with energy and vitality that you haven't had in years!?!

Time out yesterday and today has helped me re-focus and find my motivation again. Goals for the next 6months are set! Vision board is up! And my own challenges are set!!! 

So, here I am challenging YOU! Give it a go and reflect on how you feel at the end of the 7 days. 

50x5 Challenge

1. Burpees

2. Mountain Climbers

3.Sit-Ups

4.Walking Lunges

5.50sec Plank Hold

Complete 50 repetitions of each exercise, back to back, every morning for the next 7 days. You can do it ANYWHERE! No excuses!

Have fun! And remember, time out is sometimes exactly what we need. 

If I eat a big steak, is it all protein?

Steak, and all red meat, is an excellent source of protein but is not ALL protein. Raw red muscle meat contains around 20-25g protein/100g. That's around one quarter protein. Cooked red meat contains a higher percentage of protein, 28-36g/100g, as the water content decreases and nutrients become more concentrated during cooking. The remaining weight of the cooked lean red meat you eat is made up mostly of water at around 73% and of fat at around 5%. The protein in red meat is highly digestible, around 94% compared to the digestibility of 78% in beans and 86% in whole wheat. Protein from meat provides all essential amino acids and has no limiting amino acids. Because red meat is high in protein, it makes a substantial contribution to help you achieve your minimum 1.0g/kg of body weight daily protein target. As well as being an excellent source of high biological value protein, red meat also boasts the following properties: An excellent source of vitamin B12, niacin, vitamin B6, iron, zinc and phosphorus. A source of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, selenium and possibly also vitamin D. Mostly low in fat and sodium. Sources of a range of antioxidants and other bioactive substances including taurine, carnitine, carnosine, ubiquinone, glutathione and creatine. For more informative articles on nutrition check out -  www.metabolicjumpstart.com

Food. Food. Food.

Food. Food. Food.

These were so many questions I was faced with over the past few months when people starting noticing changes in my physique, as well as changes in my energy levels and strength and fitness.

What do you mean by clean eating? Do you eat much? What/when/how/why? Don’t you get sick of the same thing? Prep?!?!

When it comes to health and fitness goals, I would have to say the #1 most important habit for me is to create is CONSISTENCY - in exercise, in diet and in recovery… In order to see results, you MUST be consistent. PERIOD.

As I have mentioned previously, I have always been fairly healthy and aware of what I was/wasn’t eating and the exercise I was doing. However, I wasn’t CONSISTENT in WHEN I was eating and HOW MUCH I was eating.

Throughout my comp prep the biggest change/lesson for me came from ‘cleaning up’ my diet and becoming educated on the what, when & why’s of all things Nutrition+Health+Fitness.

Many of us would have heard advice on eating 5 smaller meals per day…? Well, how many of you actually do??? Would you be surprised if I was to then say, this is just the MINIMAL amount of times that I eat! Your body needs fuel (just like a car) to keep running and by eating smaller meals every 2-3 hours throughout the day, you are providing your body with that energy to run efficiently.

BUT. Feed it crap, no matter how often, and it definitely wont’ run as efficielnty as it could!

Of course, there are lots of different theories on this, so I am just reflecting on what worked for me!

Clean Eating… ‘Oh you mean by washing your food before you cook it?!’…. ummm, no. Not quite! 

As little processing or chemicals as possible. 

No packages, pre-cooked, baked, seasoned, sauced, processed crap.

Besides my meats, eggs, fruit, vegetables, nuts and proteins – these are the extras I had sitting on my bench to cook with or add to foods, daily.

• -       rock salt
• -       cracked peper
• -       caynenne pepper
• -       paprika
• -       nutmeg
• -       cinnamon
• -       garlic
• -       ginger
• -       coconut oil

As simple as it sounds, (and many people try to complicate it) but clean eating really is just cutting out the bad stuff and going back to food in it’s basic form.

There are a lot of great E-books on clean eating and great fresh food recipes out there! People are posting on Facebook all the time… Really, there is always a ‘healthy/clean/ option you may just need to search it out. No excuses.

Cheat meals… Again, there are differing opinions on cheat or treat meals… But, for me it was about balance and knowing if I was controlled and consistent most of the time (I said 90%, some say 80%) then I could let me self enjoy a good cheat meal (NOTE – meal… NOT – day!). For me this was a Korean meal, some pasta, sushi, icecream or of course – chocolate! However, as it came closer to comp day cheats became less frequent/non-existent…

How do you prep?

That is a simple question - but one which I was asked every time after I posted ‘prep’ photos.

The simple answer....

1. Shop routinely – I shopped every Sunday.

2. Dedicate an afternoon to prepping for the week.

3. Buy many containers, electric scales, snap lock bags and play some loud/fun music.

I have a meal plan – I know what to eat every meal and how much carb/protein/fats .

So,

4. Weigh, chop and cook veggies and meats then put into containers for each meal.

I am a little too organized at times – tending to label every meal – meal 1 -6/7 so I know what to grab the next day! 

I also count out my almonds on the weekend and wrap them so during the week it’s a grab and go situation. No thinking!!!

This not even scrapping the surface with diet/food/nutrition.... But just a little insight into what Clean Eating and living has started to become for me...

If you have any questions that I haven't touched on please feel free to comment or send me a Facebook message or email - sharna@calmahealth.com.au

Choc Protein/Oats Pancakes with Organic Peanut Butter Drizzle

Pancakes:

- 5 egg whites

- 1 scoop of protein powder ( I used chocolate)

- 2 tbsp almond milk, skim milk or water

- 1tsp cinnamon

- splash of vanilla extract

- mix together and cook on fry pan

Peanut Butter Drizzle:

- 1tbsp of organic peanut butter (melted down in microwave or saucepan)

- 1tspn of agavae

- 1 tspn of water

- mix together and drizzle over pancakes with chopped up banana

* This is a similar recipe from a fitness friend - John Carter. I played around with it to suit my tastes. You can check out his Facebook page at  -http://www.facebook.com/JohnCarterFitness

What's NEXT???... Momentum...The IMPORTANCE of having GOALS...

I have always been a believer in setting goals and making a plan to achieve them...
One of my favourite all time books that my brother lent me (and I still have) is Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. It focus's on 'Definite Purpose' in life, which is the starting point of all achievement.

4 days after competing in my second Fitness Model Competition within a matter of weeks, all I can think about is, 'What's next?'... Nearly everyday this week someone has asked me what my next GOAL is...

"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve".  Napoleon Hill

When I set out to compete in a Fitness Model comp I did not give much thought to 'post-comp'. I really thought I would only compete once and then move onto my next 'fitness goal'. Maybe train for a Marathon, since I completed my first half-marathon in March this year, or maybe start triathlons or get back into dancing...

But...No. I am hooked. I absolutely LOVE/LOVED everything about prepping for comp - the dieting, the prepping, the amazing people I have met along the way and will now have as friends for life, the early morning and late night cardio, but most of all - the weights training.
Feeling STRONG (and lean) is the best feeling in the world.

Those close to me know that I have always been a cardio bunny. I loved everything CARDIO and like most girls, was always a little hesitant to get into 'heavy' weights. Over the last few months I have received many emails and messages asking how I have 'transformed' or 'regained' my body since having Harry.

There is NO secret. Just HARD WORK and CONSISTENCY.


My Top 3 Tips to ACHIEVE THE BODY OF YOUR DREAMS.

1. Having a CLEAR GOAL. Visualise what you want. Make a Wish Board and put it on your bedroom wall. Read your goal out loud everyday and doing everything you need to until you achieve it!
2. Clean EATING. Prepare and stick to your plan. Allow yourself a cheat so you don't go insane (80/20). And listen to your body. It doesn't want to eat CRAP!
3. WEIGHTS training. Step off the cardio equipment and into the weights area at the gym! You will not look like a man. Trust me. I did it. You can to.

So, back to GOALS...
What's are my next goals???
- To get stronger! I want to be able to Squat 100kg and Deadlift 110kg (may take a little while).
- To put on 2kg of lean muscle (which may take a little while too).
- Then compete next year, with more experience, prep and confidence behind me!

With July fast approaching, have you thought about your goals for the second half of the year?
Feel free to share your goals, to make yourself accountable.

If you need help with Nutrition or Exercise Programs - email - sharna@calmahealth.com.au.
I am always happy to help!

My Pre to Post Baby Body Journey

“How do you do it?”  That is a question I was asked A LOT over the last few months…. So as I come to the end of my journey of my first ever PREP for a Fitness Model Competition, I thought I would share my story and hopefully inspire some other women (or even men) to start DREAMING, BELIEVING and ACHIEVING… 

And Begin to LIVE LIFE to the FULLEST!

I am a 29 year old single mum of an 18 month old little miracle man. Harrison came into my life in November 2010 and has been a part of my journey/prep – every single step of the way. I have a lot of support, friends and family, around me, but for the most part this journey has come from planning, organizing and prepping – followed up with commitment, dedication and persistence. To those people that don't know me and even to those that think they do, and who say - 'Oh, but you are a stay-at-home mum, so you have the time to look like that'.... Read on... 

I work two jobs – this first being as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist for a Corporate Health and Weight Management Company and the other developing and growing my own Health and Fitness Business - Calma Health -in the city of Brisbane.

I first thought about competing in a Fitness Model competition back in 2009 when I got a taste for weights training while living and working in South Korea. My personal trainer at the time put the idea in my head and I held onto it for a long time… 

While I was pregnant with Harrison in 2010 I gained 24kg and learnt that feeling that heavy was not comfortable for me. I then learnt that becoming a mum gave me an unbelievable amount of internal courage and strength that I had never really felt before. Those that know me will say that I have always been a fairly positive person and into my health and fitness, however having Harrison has given me more focus and motivation and helped me become even more determined and driven….

So, once Harrison was born (November 2010) and I could get back into exercise (February 2011) I did just that. I started walking, started back into yoga and started back into activities that I generally enjoyed, but nothing ‘crazy’ as some people have asked. In May 2011, I started back into running (with Harry in the pram, of course).

I finally decided to begin my prep for this competition in February this year...

-      ‘Light’ weights training at the end of February - (12 weeks out)

-      Diet at the end of March - (8 weeks out)

-   ‘Heavier’ weights and cardio in April - (about 5 weeks out)


   My GOALS were:


 - To be 59kg
 - 10%body fat
 - Increase my lean muscle mass (didn’t know from what and to what)
 - Get a bikini made for stage
 - Practice my posing, AND
 - Somehow find a MASSIVE amount of confidence in order to get on stage!

I made a PLAN, contacted some coaches for nutrition and training advice and started to surround myself with positive people that knew a little (or a lot) about the industry. (Some of those people may tell you I stalked them until they helped me, but it worked! And others approached me, which I am so grateful for!)

I then prepared for every day of the week. Every Sunday I shopped and prepared my food for the week ahead. That included cutting, weighing, bagging – even down to writing times for each meal on the containers. I wrote down a plan for each day’s training, when I was going to fit in my cardio and weights around my work, my clients, around Harry’s sleeps, around house work and cooking and cleaning, not to mention sleep and some kind of social/family life!

It sounds like it was hectic, and again, a lot of people have said to me that I sound really busy but I think life is about the CHOICES we make and I am happy when I am busy doing the things I love. I have SO much more energy from the CLEAN DIET and PLANNED EXERCISE then ever before.

“Be miserable or motivated…. Whatever has to be done, it is ALWAYS your CHOICE.”

I CAN understand how people can say, ‘How do you do it’, especially other mums because as women we tend to put ourselves on the back burner. And with the fast paced, want-it-now society that we live in, it is hard to learn to put yourself first and become clear on your own goals. But to other women, mum’s or even guys out there that want to change but either doubt themselves or haven’t taken the next step – I say – Just.Do.It. 


Stop making excuses and start believing in yourselves....

There are no secret pills, magic tricks or miracle drinks. Fit and healthy bodies are achieved by exercise, a healthy diet, consistency and perseverance. Start making small changes in your diet and include daily activities that you can turn into permanent positive habits. Start believing in yourself and surround yourself with people who believe you and won’t hold you back. Have a CLEAR GOAL in mind, plan and prepare, take actions steps towards that goal daily. Employ professionals to help you along the way if you need. And NEVER GIVE UP.

Calma Health – my own Health and Fitness business’s philosophy is about finding the balance in life through clean eating, corrective exercise and doing what you love in order to achieve your individual goals. When we make the right choices with our own health we can live a peaceful and fulfilled life which in turn leads to happiness within ourselves and rubs off on those around us. I believe it really is that SIMPLE.

So, in response to comments I have received over the past few months including – ‘Oh, you must have always been this way’, or ‘You must just have a good metabolism or genes’….

Ahhhh. NO! The photos below clearly show that I have NOT always been this way, but with the help of clean food and correct exercise YES, I have sped up my metabolism… But mainly - I have worked my butt off! And LOVED every minute of it!

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF YOU HAVE A GOAL AND BELIEVE…

I am a sucker for motivational quotes and photos (as you can tell by my Facebook pages). Here are some of my favourites photos and quotes that I had plastered over my bedroom wall and on my Iphone to get me through prep.

           

               

-      "Go as far as you can see. When you get there, you'll be able to see farther…" 

-    "You don’t get it by STARING. You Don’t get it by WISHING. You don’t get it by DROOLING. You don’t get it by HOPING. You don’t get it EASY. You get it by GETTING OFF YOUR ASS AND WORKING FOR IT."

A picture tells a thousand words…. A little visual snapshot of my journey…

Starting 2012 with some clear goals... and BELIEF...

February 2012, first of many 'self' pics... little H supporting me...

End of February after getting into light weights slowly,  3 days a week.

Harry added to my challenge of climbing the stairs, and loved every minute of it. 

Sunday stair sessions at Kangaroo Point Cliffs...

About 4 weeks out I started AM (5am - 1 hour) and PM (9pm - 1 hour)  walks on the treadmill. Lucky enough to have a good friend lend me it so I didn't have to drag Harry on 2 hours of walking daily. 

Food Prep...

Posing practice... practice... practice...



Nerve racking but loved every minute of being on stage...

And it all came together... with a 3rd place... and my # 1 little motivator by my side!

STAY TUNED AS THE JOURNEY CONTINUES THIS WEEKEND AT THE ANB ASIA PACIFICS...

And if you have ANY questions related to health and fitness, send me an Email -

sharna@calmahealth.com.au

I want to help others LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!