Geelong's Gym

If you’re a non-exerciser… WARNING: this video could save your life!

While McDonalds isn't the only culprit, this image really says it all!

That’s right, if you’re really overweight and aren’t exercising, this video will save your life, BUT you must act upon the learning.

And if you’re none of the above, but are a converted regular exerciser, then get someone you know who’s life is at risk to sit (it’s not like they’re not used to that!!!) for 9 minutes and watch this video.

The other day I went into McDonalds to use the restroom and to buy a bottle of water.  It was a quick, flying visit but I have to admit I stopped and did a double take when a particular patron caught my eye.  I was amazed, astounded in fact, by the size of this particular man, sitting with his partner, gorging on a huge array of burgers and such.

A whole raft of thoughts raced through my head as I watched him… I felt empathy, I wanted to stop and talk to him, help him realise that he’s severely shortening his life through his unhealthy lifestyle… I really wanted to get through to him.

However, I realised that we all have different reasons for our actions and I questioned whether in approaching him I would be helping him or only adding to his story.

The thought crossed my mind that I could use my phone to take a photo of him so I could blog about the impact of an obese lifestyle… but of course, that wasn’t the right or sensitive thing to do!

Instead I started looking for a video or something which would portray the importance of moving your body.  And I found this 9 minute video, which does a great job doing just that.  Please take the time to watch it – it could change your life or the life of someone you care about.

I’ve noticed that sometimes people get a little one-eyed when it comes to exercise.  In their mind, exercising = weight loss.  Then, if they don’t start losing weight within the first week or so they get discouraged and give up.  The thing is, losing weight doesn’t happen overnight and it generally also requires other changes in lifestyle.

If you want to feel healthy, well and full of energy... start exercising!

However, even if you don’t see a reduction in your waist measurement after the first few days, there are so many other benefits to exercise.  Here are just a few:

• Working out regularly helps lower your systolic blood pressure just as much as many medications do, which is great news for your heart.
• Your overall risk of developing cancer is reduced just by walking or cycling for an hour a day.
• Worried about how your bones are going to hold up in old age?  A mere 10 minutes of high impact exercise three times a week can boost your bone strength.
• Maintaining an active lifestyle cuts the risk of cognitive decline by around a third and also helps prevent depression.
• Dropping around 5-7% of your body weight can delay, and potentially prevent, Type II Diabetes.
• Exercising for 20-60 minutes three to five times a week can help treat irritable bowel syndrome.

And those are just a few of the health benefits of regular exercise.  So don’t be discouraged and give up if you haven’t seen a dramatic change to your waistline yet… if you keep persevering that will happen and in the meantime you’re doing wonders for the overall health of your body… even if you can’t see it!

I recently saw John Tickell speak in Melbourne.  I’ve heard him speak several times over the years and love his passion for eating and living a healthy lifestyle.  Not to mention the fact he’s also an outstanding presenter who has the audience in stitches of laughter.

He mainly spoke about the enormous problem facing the Western World in dealing with the health crisis resulting from lack of physical activity and poor food choices by the majority of the population.  The problem is getting worse, with 2/3 of Americans overweight or obese and Australians following hard on their heels.  In fact, it was recently reported on the news that obesity has now overtaken smoking as the number one cause of premature death in Australia!

John shared some examples of nations with excellent health statistics, such as the people of Okinawa (an island off the coast of Japan) who are predominantly vegetarian.  Yes, we all have a couple of canine front teeth capable of ripping flesh from bones but the bulk of our teeth are molars designed for chewing vegetation.

When striving for success in life, you generally mirror or copy those who are successful… I find it strange then that so few people seem to follow this approach when it comes to a healthy lifestyle!

Have a look at Healthy Theory – it covers the Blue Zones of our world, which are the healthy nations and their eating behaviours.  Or take a few moments and read over one of the Blue Zones eating and lifestyle recommendations.

For example, Okinawa, Japan is known for its low number of diseases and the longest living human.  Spare a few minutes from your day and check it out here.  If you learn just two or three new things to adapt into your eating habits then it’s time well spent.  In fact, maybe you should consider spending 10-15 minutes every month on nutrition educational reading.

Remember… we only get the one body and one chance.

Ask yourself this question, how serious are you about living your life to the fullest?  Or perhaps the better question is, are you in the driver’s seat or are you more of a victim of your life?

You may think that you eat pretty well but let me shake up your thinking a little bit.  John recognises that in the Western World we eat 50% Meat/Dairy, 30% Processed Food and 20% Vegetables/Fruit/Grains…

But we should be eating more like 5% Meat/Dairy, 10% Fish and 85% Vegetables/Fruit/Grains…

If you want to find out more about John’s research and how you can vastly improve your lifestyle by eating properly, check out his books.

Now that Spring is in the air, most of us start getting worried about fitting into our summer clothes again.  Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix.  However, we do have a few tips that will help you move that stubborn tummy fat:

• 

  Eat your way to a flatter tummy!

  Eat Dark Chocolate – we all know we need to eat less rubbish and more good foods, but let’s face it, sometimes you just need a treat!  So instead of the usual block of milk chocolate, chips or ice cream, have a little dark chocolate instead… because it’s actually good for you.  Dark chocolate boosts good HDL cholesterol levels, plus it contains natural substances that help control insulin levels and relax blood vessels, lowering blood pressure, and it provides important minerals including copper, magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron.  What’s not to love – it tastes good and it’s not on the taboo list!

• Add Apples to your shopping list – fresh fruit is a must and apples come high up on the list as they’re packed full of antioxidants, such as quercetin, catechins, phlorizin and chlorogenic acid—powerful antioxidants.  Chop them up with some blueberries and yogurt and you have a delicious summer dessert minus all the calories.  There are also plenty of great varieties in the supermarket at the moment, so go nuts!
• Speaking of Nuts – instead of snacking on biscuits and chips, have a container of nuts and seeds handy for when the munchies hit.  They’re a great source of many key nutrients, including protein, fibre, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, B vitamins and vitamin E.
• Eat more green vegies - I know, I know, this isn’t news to you!  But if you’re really wanting to trim that stomach down, you need to eat less carbs at night and more vegies, especially broccoli which is high in fibre, aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar and, best of all, curbs overeating.
• Lean meat is your friend – we all need protein but that’s not an excuse to whack the barbie on and load it full of sausages and burgers.  Instead, go for skinless chicken, which is a great source of protein and low in fat.

But most of all, if you really want to get rid of that tummy fat you need to get moving!  That’s right, exercise is the key to really shifting the fat and getting a fabulous flat and toned stomach.

Let’s face it, there’s nothing quite like a good sandwich with lots of delicious fillings.  But if you’re trying to lose a little weight you need to be conscious of what you’re putting on that sandwich.

Here are a few tips to create a healthy, nutritious and still delicious sandwich.  Number one is the best, number five the worst.

Make the right choices in your sandwich and you don't need to stress you're breaking your diet.

Meats (25g slice):

1. Turkey – go for your life!  Each slice has 6 grams of protein and just 126kJ.  Plus it’s full of potassium which can help lower blood pressure.
2. Roast Beef – still lean plus it’s low in sodium, has 7 grams of protein per slice and is also one of the best dietary sources of zinc, which is essential for a healthy immune system.
3. Honey Ham – it only has 2/3 the protein of roast beef, but it’s still pretty low in fat and kilojoules.  But make sure you read the label because it can be quite high in salt.
4. Salami – yes, it’s delicious but when you’re thinking about putting it on your sandwich, bear in mind that those little white bits are pure pork fat!  Definitely don’t make this your first choice.
5. Prosciutto – it has a strong flavour, which means you can use less of it.  Which is a good thing, since it has more than double the kilojoules of turkey and 6 times the saturated fat, plus it’s high in salt.  On a good note, it’s high in protein.

Condiments:

1. Hummus – made from chickpeas, it’s got loads of fibre and richness without the kilojoules.  Great combined with roast lamb and roasted red capsicum.
2. Guacamole – if you’re going to spread your sandwich with fat then it may as well be the healthy kind!  Combine it with turkey and cheese for a delicious sandwich.
3. Pesto – the olive oil and pine nut base has plenty of monounsaturated fat and the basil is loaded with antioxidants.  Fantastic on a grilled chicken sandwich.
4. Dijon Mustard – it’s got no fat and very few kilojoules, but unfortunately one teaspoon contains almost as much sodium as 100 grams of Doritos Original corn chips!
5. Mayonnaise – I know, there’s nothing quite like mayo on a sandwich.  But two teaspoons has 753 kilojoules – almost as much as a Krispy Kreme doughnut!  Try canola oil (egg free) mayo or garlic aioli instead.

Cheese (25g slice):

1. Mozzarella – you might be surprised that this pizza topping comes on top of the list, but it actually has a great balance of protein and fat, with plenty of substance, and is one of the healthiest cheeses.
2. Soft Goat’s Cheese – low in fat, kilojoules and sodium and a good source of protein.  Great all round cheese which goes well with olives and crusty brown bread.
3. Swiss – low in sodium and with a good amount of protein, it goes well with any cold meat.
4. Cream Cheese – it can be a great substitute for butter, but make sure you buy a light variety with a low fat content.
5. Cheddar – while it has about the same amount of kilojoules as Swiss, it has nearly three times as much sodium so keep your slices thin if you must have it.

Information sourced from Men’s Health Magazine.

Oh No... how did the number get that high?!!!

How do you cope with that moment when you realise you’ve gained more kilos than you ever thought you would?

Do you take one of the following approaches?

1. You can ignore it – The I Couldn’t Care Less Approach.
2. You can hide it – The Cover Up Approach.
3. You can blame others – The Deflection Approach.
4. You can blame circumstances – The Excuse Approach.

Or, you can admit to it, fix it and learn from it – accepting any appropriate consequences like an adult.

What is this called?  The Responsible Approach!!!

Which approach do you take?  Sometimes it can be hard to take that first step towards addressing the problem… but at Geelong’s Gym we’re here to support, encourage and guide you on your weight loss journey.  So don’t waste any more time – take that step now!

…especially when it comes to weight loss.

Do you get caught up in talking about what you want to do, how you’re going to achieve it?

There are just so many excuses we can find not to exercise...

Do you write those words down, look at them several times, promise to action them but never quite get started?  Maybe you lose the paper they’re written on.

Here’s your training tip for today… Fill in the gap.

“I want to ………………………”

Now count how many letters are in that statement.  Go on… start counting.

How many letters did you come up with? 

Write ‘minutes’ after the number.

Now get up and start moving for that number of minutes.  Go walking, lawn mowing, to the gym… just be active for the minutes in your statement.

See, you’ve started on your way to your goal.  Great work!

We have the miracle treatment for Obesity!!!

We can help you on your weight loss journey!

Forget fat zapping, lipo-sucking treatments.

Geelong’s Gym is home to the Obesity Clinic. 

All results are clinically and scientifically backed by years of medical research.

We have the answer you have been looking for…

The MOVEMENT CURE!

Pop into Geelong’s Gym for your very own action plan and start tackling your weight problem today.  Our friendly staff are here to help you with every step of your journey.