Goal Setting - Are you making this BIG mistake?

It's time for another post on goalsetting, as this seems to be something that people are still struggling with.

You're probably familiar with the idea of setting S.M.A.R.T.  goals; if not, read goal-setting-key-to-your-success.

You may even have delved into goalsetting, and you have a great "why" for what you want to achieve; if you don't know what i mean by that, read motivation-and-goal-setting-find-your-why.

You've found your why, and you know to set a SMART goal for the result you want, so what else is there??


Why you should make Process Goals. 
If you focus all your attention on results based goals, it will be very frustrating and demotivating

Why your New Years Resolutions fail again and again.

You'll hear lots of talk over the next few days about 'New Years Resolutions', and to my mind, it seems that the people making such a big beal about setting NYR's seem to be the same people who are making the same resolution year after year... 

"This year, I'm going to lose weight & get fit" 

This will usually last for a couple of weeks before 'New Year, New You' has become Same Shit, Different day.

The reason for this is often because there's no plan on HOW to achieve it, or even thought behind WHY it is important. 

When making the decision to take action on your health & fitness, it can be helpful to approach it like you were planning a holiday.

For example, this coming July, i'll be going to Dubrovnik, Croatia. I can take a flight, go by bus & rail across europe, or drive. Each way of getting there has its own pro's and con's. (in terms of speed, cost, simplicity, comfort, safety, enjoyability [other?] ) .

If you want to lose weight, put a number or clothing size on it and thats your destination. You can achieve that weightloss through dieting, joining a gym, hiring a personal trainer or health and fitness consultant, taking up a sport, taking dangerous "diet pills", having painful and expensive surgery etc., each of which comes with its own set of pros and cons. 

Along the journey there will be setbacks, moments where your willpower fails you,  you just say "f*ck it!" and roll over in bed listening to the rain beating against the window instead of going to the gym, or where you cave in and have the delicious cake that someone brought into work. I like to think of these things as being like getting a puncture on the way to the airport; it's unfortunate, and it's certainly going to slow you down a bit, but it's not the end of the world, because you started out in plenty of time, so you change it and get on with the journey.

What absolutely mystifies me is that when it comes to new years resolutions, it seems like most people would rather slash the other 4 tyres, set fire to the car and roll in the gutter feeling sorry for themselves instead of just changing the f*cking tyre! If you don't know how to change the tyre, call someone who can help you change it. Someone like me, for example, can help you plan your journey, and teach you how to deal with a puncture in a way that doesn't involve setting fire to the car.

How I stayed motivated while losing weight.

My weight loss journey took some time, during which I got rid of over 70lbs of fat, and at the same time put on enough muscle that i looked good rather than gaunt! It wasn't easy, of course. Nothing of significance ever came easy. This was back before hashtags and #fitspo, hell, you could be on the phone or the Internet but not both, and broadband didn't exist.

My motivation was the one and only Mr Arnold Schwarznegger, the skinny Austrian kid who went on to become the Austrian Oak, a mighty champion. While I had no interest in becoming a bodybuilder or champion of anything, his story inspired me, and in the space of about a year I transformed myself from very fat to very fit. 

This required making some changes to my lifestyle, some more dramatic than others. The one most fundamental to my success though, was a change in attitude, from I wish to I am. No more "I wish I could lose weight"; that became "I'm in control of my weight".

I took responsibility, and I took control; I made mistakes and I learned from all of them. I cooked all my own meals from scratch (except for pasta), nothing from jars or packets; I stopped eating in front of the tv; I introduced more physical activity as I became more able, using what I had (my bodyweight & some rocks). Eventually, I was cycling instead of taking the bus every Friday for my 11mile each-way commute. After a while I was just as quick cycling as taking the bus. 

Some of those early meals were bland, some were borderline poisonous, but with practice you learn what combinations of seasonings make a dish mouthwatering instead of eye watering (hint: use cayenne and chilli peppers sparingly until you know what you're at!).

20 years later and I'm still no bodybuilder, but then, I'm not trying to be. Annie inspired in me an attitude which allowed me to take responsibility for my actions, and to take control of my life to make it go in the direction I wanted. 

Hopefully this will inspire you to take more control of your own life. If you'd like some help along your journey, I'll happily be your guide. You have to take each step though, nobody else can do that for you.

If you are ready to take those steps, drop me a line mal@malkelly.com or pick up the phone 086 1945 040. If I can't answer, please leave a message and I'll call you back as soon as I'm free.

Why you shouldn't need/want to lose weight.

I hear it all the time..

I want to lose some weight for my wedding

Or 

My doctor says I need to lose weight because of my (insert name of non-communicable medical condition here).

The fact of the matter is both are doomed to be successful failures. Allow me to explain. 

Goal setting 101

You've probably heard about setting SMART goals already, (if not, click here)so I won't bore you with the details here. Suffice to say the goals above, while worthwhile, aren't going to deliver any long term results.

They're too vague to be meaningful over a longer period of time.

Loss aversion.

As humans, our brains are wired to be loss averse. That means we will fight hard to avoid a loss. To give a concrete example, think of a person who continues to have their old car repaired, spending good money after bad simply because they've already spent so much on it. All the while knowing that they could spend less than the cost of the last repair on a newer model which will be more economical to run and to repair in future.

Let's use an example we can all relate to, a lost wallet or keys, or even worse, the mobile phone!  If you LOSE any of these things, you're going to try your hardest to GET IT BACK. Because we are loss averse.

The research that looks at long term weight loss is not encouraging. Almost everyone who LOSES WEIGHT will GET IT BACK within the next 5 years, regardless of what diet they use. 

I suspect this is due to a combination of the built in loss aversion we all share, and the weight loss mindset.

So I propose a shift in mindset.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of my mindset moment, though at the time I certainly didn't realise it was anything momentous! 

 I stepped up onto the bus and heard the familiar rrrrriiiipp that accompanied my fat ass busting it's way out of yet another pair of 40" trousers, my face turning the customary beetroot red. As I waddled my 17stone bulk down the bus to try & find a seat, mortified with embarrassment and ashamed that I couldn't even get onto a bus easily anymore, there was one thought foremost in my mind...

"This will NEVER. F**KING. HAPPEN. AGAIN!!"

The next thought was about finding a seat close to the front of the bus, but once that was done I was back to the bigger picture..

"I AM going to GET RID OF THIS USELESS FAT ONCE AND FOR ALL"

12 months later I was 5 stone lighter, and  seriously needed the belt on my 34" trousers. Having made the lifestyle changes needed to get rid of the useless fat, I'm completely smashing the statistics for long term "weight loss" (19 years later and still an easy 34"). I believe that's due mainly to mindset. I had my mind set on GETTING RID OF FAT, rather than LOSING WEIGHT.

There's another factor involved in the language here, and that has a crucial role to play. 

Lose weight - sometime, somehow, a magical body composition fairy will sprinkle some magical frosting on my cereal and my body will begin to shape itself into the one I want without me having to take any responsibility for my poor daily food and activity habits which have gotten me to this point. (Externalising responsibility and giving up control).

Get rid of weight - action is required on my part in order to make this happen. (Internalising responsibility and taking control).

The difference in language is subtle, yet powerful. Which is why I sometimes sound like a broken record on the topic of language. I will insist in changing language habits just as strongly as I insist on changes to eating and activity. Especially when it comes to words and phrases such as "I can't" or "it's (too) hard". 

If you want to see my angry drill sergeant side, persist in saying "I can't" and see what happens!

9 Steps to Fitness & Weight Loss Success in 28 Days

A lot of people struggle with motivation and staying on track with their diet (I HATE that word, and here's why) and exercise plans. Does this sound like you, or someone you know?

There are a number of ways to improve your chances of sticking to a program.

1. Get a training buddy.
You're less likely to skip out on a training session if you know you'll be getting a call from your buddy cursing you for flaking out of your session. Likewise, it's easier to chow down on junk food if you're not comparing nutrition notes with someone else working towards a similar goal.

2. Keep a record.
Whatever you're trying to change, keep a diary of it. From logging exercise or nutrition, to monitoring cigarette smoking or tracking sleep or weight, you have a better chance of successfully changing things when you keep track of what you're doing. Whether you use a smartphone app, or good old pencil & paper is up to you. Just do it!

3. Ask questions.
Don't just blindly accept whatever 'expert advice' is being touted in this weeks/months glossy magazines. At best, this info is so general its next to useless for most individuals; at worst, the 'expert' or 'celebrity trainer' is giving outdated or disproven theories, and being misquoted or quoted out of context by the reporter. Talk one-to-one with a health and fitness professional to discuss your situation, and get tailored advice. Ask why specific recommendations are being made. Once the WHY makes sense to you the actual DOING becomes a little easier. If they can't give you the why, go elsewhere.

5. Expect and Accept Failure.
When you were born, did you pop out and start running around and doing handstands straight away? Of course not, you fell on your face a lot before you got the hang of walking upright. Why? Because you were learning something new. And that takes time and persistence. Expect to fail lots when learning something new. It's a good thing. Laugh at failure, (it makes it less scary), learn from failure (so next time it's something different you stumble on) and move on.

6. Focus.
Does it ever feel like you're putting in the work, but it's not working? Focus could be what's missing. There are 2 main kinds of focus that are relevant here:

• General focus - you're generally mindful throughout your normal day of what you're trying to achieve, and how your actions or lack thereof will help or hinder you in achieving your goal. You take responsibility for your choices and actions.

• Specific focus - this is more of a 'right now' kind of focus. By focusing your attention on which muscles are active as you exercise, you actually get more benefit due to the enhanced brain body connection. And this is true for all kinds of physical activity, not just what we've come to think of as exercise.

7. Be realistic.
Life has its ups and downs, and achieving any worthwhile goal is no different. Don't expect to see visible progress every day. instead focus on improvements 3 weeks in 4. Then for the next 4 weeks, repeat the process. The aim is progress over time, not instant perfection. Don't beat yourself up for not attaining unrealistic goals, congratulate yourself for making improvements by doing something you enjoy. Warning, this is not food related enjoyment!! This is common pitfall, celebrating achievements with a behaviour thats undermining what you're trying to achieve. Don't fall into that trap!

8. Breathe deeply and relax.
You'll often hear people say "take a breath and count to ten" when someone looks like they're about to lose their cool. But why wait till you're getting annoyed to enjoy the benefits of breathing well. Breathing can be very relaxing when you've had a bit of FOCUSED practice. Check out this breathing exercise and give it a whirl.

9. Keep an eye on my facebook page for challenges to keep things interesting.

 Rebalance Your Life.

What is the BEST...?

I hear this kind of question all the time, and it makes me cringe a little every time.

We seem to be conditioned into thinking that we have to have the best whatever-it-is before we can even get started. Everyone seems to want to know the 'one thing' they have to do in order to be happy.

The truth is, there is no instant or perfect solution I can magically give you to help you reach your goals.

What I can do is suggest ways you can do things a little better than you are currently. The 'best' will keep changing as science and technology pushes forward. Doing things a little better than you were before allows you to BE a little better than you were before.

So when is the best time to exercise? Now, as in right this very second. This is the best moment to get started!

Eat well to lose weight, gain weight or stay slim

Eating well isn't a case of eating caviar and kobe beef everyday. How do you know if you eat well? Take out a sheet of paper, and answer the following 5 questions honestly. It won't give you an exact solution to your nutrition, but it'll allow you to identify which areas are the ones you should work on improving first for the greatest effect.

1.What do you eat?

This is the obvious one. Do you eat a lot of deep fried food, fast food or take out? Do you get your 5-a-day of fresh fruit and veg? Do you eat 'treats' such as biscuits, cakes, milk chocolate, sweets/candy several days of the week. Do you eat a lot of ready meals, microwave dinners, or instant (just add hot water) foods? Do you choose lean or fatty meats? Do you trim the fat/skin off, or leave it on? Do you eat a lot of refined carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta or white rice? Do you drink plenty of water? The key thing here is to identify the foods you eat several times per week.

2.When do you eat?

Do you eat breakfast? Do you regularly skip meals? Do you frequently allow 6 hours or more to go by without eating, and then eat until you feel stuffed?
We've all heard that you should never eat after 'X' in the evening. The time seems to change every few months, depending on what fad diet is popular. A good guideline is to never eat a large meal within 2 hours of going to bed; make it fit your own lifestyle. 

3.How do you eat?

This isn't a case of knife & fork or chopsticks! Eating infront of TV leads to more calories being consumed due to delaying the onset of satiety. the brain body connection is important in experiencing the colour, shape texture and flavour. Without experiencing the meal, it's unlikely we will be satisfied by it. 
Example - in the cinema, you can taste the popcorn until the movie captures your attention. After that, the next time your brain is engaged by the popcorn is when your hand reaches the bottom of the container. 

4.Why do you eat

Serotonin levels are linked to blood sugar levels, in that when blood sugar rises, so does serotonin. High GI foods that give the quick sugar spike will boost mood in the very short term, but lead to a double dip when both blood sugar and mood drop, causing us to reach for more. 
Example - any sugary sweet/candy. Toasted white bread, when was the last time you had a single slice? 

5.Who do you eat with? 

There's a significant amount of research that tells us that birds of a feather flock together; we will tend towards the norm for our peer group. If our friends are mostly overweight, chances are we will be too. 
There's a school of thought that we are the average of our 5 closest friends, in terms body composition and physical health. Next time you're out with friends, thats something to think about..

Is That It?

There's more to eating well than just these 5 questions of course, as the different demands of our lives will place different demands on our nutrition (I hate the word diet).  Those looking to increase weight will have different requirements from those trying to lose it. I'll go into more detail on those in other posts, and link back to them from here.

Sleep : 5 Health Benefits Of A Good Nights Sleep

Most of us are aware that we should be getting an average of 8 hours sleep per night ‘because it’s good for us’. Ever wondered how it’s beneficial?

Getting a solid nights sleep is important for a number of functions:

1. Growth and repair
If you are very active, or following a fitness plan, your body’s tissues are repairing and healing themselves while you are in the land of nod. Insufficient rest on an ongoing basis can lead to