The location for the April 2nd AROC adventure race has finally been announced.

It will be held at Morisset on the Western shores of Lake Macquarie. This is well under 2 hours from Sydney, probably closer to 1.5 hours at that time of day.

Entries are going to fill up fast, so let’s get some more team registered with on 2 teams locked in so far.

It’s going to be a great fun day!

I have 1 person who needs a team, so if you are thinking about doing it and don’t have a team, we can easily put one together, so stop procrastinating and lock it in!

Go Team Fitta Bodies!

I’m going to kick off with a quote from Robb Wolf’s blog when asked about how to convince people this is the best way to eat for health and body composition;

“Gabe-

Justify…well, it works! There is ample literature to support this, far more anecdotal support. We have kinda beat the fat-phobia out of our clients and even the new folks rolling into the gym know we are sharp on our nutrition and get people results. If I’m working 1-on-1 with someone I insist on full buy-in for a month. I do not do a lot of explaining, they just need to do it, especially if they are a weight loss client. People will get so hung up on arguing details instead of DOING. I simply do not entertain that crap anymore and oddly enough, our clients get amazing results and our gym has grown like wild-fire. Much of the process is as simple as this “Give me one month of full investment and you will be amazed with the results…””

It works on many levels.

Now that we have that out of the way, I have been trying to find info on protein supplements. From all of the contradicting info out there, I have not really come up with much.

In my eyes, whey is dairy and dairy is out on the challenge.

Pea protein is made from peas and peas are legumes and legumes are out on the challenge.

Purefit bars contain soy, rice and oats. Enough said

So where does this leave us?

I know I use a shake for my 5:30am meal and when I have 4 hours back to back in the gym, I use a purefit bar.

I guess you have to weigh up the pros and cons. Do you go without a meal if there is really no way to get real food in, or do you use the occasional supplement to ensure you don’t leave too long in between meals and allow blood sugar levels to drop?

I am suggesting you avoid these products all together this month. Then after the 31 days is over, try introducing them back in as little as possible, but as often as completely necessary. If you don’t feel as good when you introduce them back in, then eliminate them from your diet completely.

I have also been asked about millet and amaranth.

Both have grain like properties and if you have read the book, you will know why they are not good for our guts.

I have also been asked about soy or almond milk. With no research, I can say soy is a definite NO, I would avoid soy most of the time. I am not sure if I have ever read anything good about soy except from the companies that make it.

Almond milk however is ok as it is derived from nuts, so enjoy your almond milk!

P.S – We just added person number 15 to the challenge!

Keep them coming!

Congratulations to all of you who have taken up the challenge. You will the be the reason others will try it next time around, when they hear how good you look and feel.

A lot of you have got the book already and others have it on the way. Enjoy!

On day 1, the 15 starters are;

Adam M

Darrin P

Erin K

Jo J

Jovana P

Jovana’s mum

Leonie M

Louise G

Matt B

Matt C

Meg A

Nancy M

Peta S

Ruchi R

Toni A

BTW, this is nearly as many people who took up my original NOsugarVEMBER challenge 18 months ago. Well done to all of you and good luck. Read the book, it will keep you on track, for sure.

Jovana sent me this great link yesterday. I haven’t had a good look around, but by the titles of their articles, I think I could spend weeks reading their info. Check it out.

If you want to join, it’s not too late. If you want to look and feel better, join at anytime!

If you have any questions, post them in the comments for everyone to see. Someone else may have the same question.

So the last few posts have been based around fat loss and I guess I got a little carried away on the wrong side of things.

Yes, you are definitely going to lose weight and start to look a lot more like you should look, but the health and sickness side of things is the real reason why I want everybody to participate in March.

Just as a quick side note. I am not making any money off this challenge and there is nothing in it for me except loads of time writing these posts which could be better spent doing things for myself or my family, so please take note.

I know what’s good and bad, I do research on “health” all the time.

How many of you have benefited from cutting down sugar? You can thank me later for that.

How many of you think that CrossFit is the best exercise program you have ever done? You can thank me for that later too!

This is the next big thing in your road to a healthier life, so don’t let me down.

Do it for 31 days and then I will discuss anything that troubles you about the diet.

Sometimes I think everyone needs to take a step back and look at this from an outside view point. I’m not asking you to eat dogs for 31 days or to shave your entire family’s heads. I’m asking you to eat fruit, vegies and protein for 31 days to improve your body composition and health.

I’m also not asking you to bore yourself stupid and read the latest Di Morrissey book, I am asking you to read the best book I have read in years if not ever, so that you can grasp exactly what you are doing to your body on a daily basis.

Do you ever look at a smoker and think why? Don’t they know or don’t they care or don’t they think it will affect them? I’m there right now with this challenge and you!

This is for you! YOU and YOUR HEALTH and YOUR BODY.

Now, the majority of diseases are caused by inflammation. Not only diseases, but injuries. How many of you have ever had an anti inflammatory? Wow, that many? Well, listen up.

Food is the most powerful drug you can consume. You eat it all day every day. What you eat both becomes and affects your body.

The basis of this diet is to control inflammation and hormones. The two things that will contribute greatly to most illnesses or health issues, from cancer to cholesterol to cardiovascular disease to infertility.

I am not going to go into, because it is too long for me to write about correctly and the experts have detailed it all in the book I recommended “The Paleo Solution” by Robb Wolf. Buy it, read it, understand it.

Next time you tell me about your illness, injury, health issue, weight problems, you can know 100% what I will be thinking in my head, but probably not bothering to say out loud….

Has anyone ever seen the movie “Madagascar”? You may remember the scene at the end with the penguins laying on the beach…”Just wave and smile boys, just wave and smile”

For those of you who are worried about calcium intake, here’s your answer – Calcium and Paleo

For those of you wanting a few tips about eating, check this out – The Food Matrix

I also had a conversation with someone last night where he said he wanted to read the book before he signed up. I told him to sign up for me. He proceeded to tell me that he wouldn’t be doing it for himself if that is the case.

My response is that you may be doing it for me right now, but 2 weeks into March, when you feel the difference in yourself and you have started reading the book and understanding the inner workings of your body, you will be doing it for yourself, I guarantee it. You will also be doing something that has become common for you, you will be once again thanking me for pointing you in the right direction, because as far as I can remember,I haven’t led you the wrong way yet!

One thing I noticed from our no sugar events is how much people focus on what they going to eat as soon as the challenge is over.

I always hear about the chocolate they ate that night etc.

What I want you to focus on towards the end of this challenge is what you are not going to eat.

It’s quite simple really. When you are eating your dinner, think to yourself. I really don’t need to eat pasta anymore.

Or when you order Thai takeaway, you might realise how enjoyable it is without rice.

Lunches may seem more enjoyable as fruit and turkey instead of bread and turkey.

Think of the things you are enjoying and would like to stick with.

Think of how you feel when you eat something and think of how you used to feel when you ate the alternative. Thats a sure fire way to keep you eating well. The lack of bloat and lethargy you will feel.

I personally do not eat like this all the time. I do enjoy eating like this all day almost every day. It is convenient, healthy and I feel great all the time.

I do enjoy some takeaway and a treat on a Saturday night and sometimes a Sunday night. I also don’t really hold back at parties etc. I am not an extremist and I am not stupid, I understand how good all of this food tastes, but I am a realist, I understand how bad it is for you and how it makes you feel. So moderation is the key.

If there are 42 meals in a week, make sure 39 of them are clean. Do the math on that one. Surely you can get some great results and put less stress on your body by eating clean for 93% of the time and still enjoy the things you like in moderation…

Remember, focus on what new habits you can continue. Don’t focus on how you are going to break your new habits. It’s all a state of mind!

One more thing, how many people have you even met who are fit, healthy and lean, I mean lean, not not-obese, who have become that way via something along the lines of lite’n'easy, weight watchers, tony ferguson etc etc etc. Pardon? None? Oh…..

Yesterday I took a visit to the local aquatic centre and to the aquarium. Not that this was anything new, but I had a good look around this time and was intrigued by what I saw.

At the aquatic centre on the benches where we left our belongings were 3 parents. The other partner was in the pool with the kids, while they sat and watched. Can you guess the common factor in all 3? Yes you can, they were obese. I bet their kids are having fun without them. But I also bet they will shovel in a nice treat from the cafe on the way out.

At the aquarium, it was wall to wall. I am not sure at what point our population became so fat! The queue at the popcorn and donut stand was massive and the people buying the snacks were even more massive.

I don’t care when people say they are happy with how they look and that they don’t need to lose weight, because I know it is a lie and a very transparent one at that. No-one likes walking around overweight. This may seem harsh, but it is true. Whether they admit it to you or not. Whether they admit it to themselves or not. One day, it all gets too much and usually by that point, it is out of control and it is so much harder to get a handle on.

The thing I find most disturbing is the overweight children. Which always have overweight parents! One guy yesterday, who would have tipped the scales at 150kg’s had a daughter who would have been around 7 years old. Now her belly was sticking out between her shirt and pants. While she was eating a tub of popcorn. He was in the underwater tunnel and no-one could get past him, there was a massive traffic jam until he realised and made a bee line for the exit where he stood while the rest of his family enjoyed the rest of the underwater experience that he was now missing out on.

Who has ever known an overweight child to be picked on?

Who has ever known an overweight adult who was singled out?

Why on earth would you want to put your child through the same ridicule that you may have felt as an overweight child or adult?

An overweight child is more than likely going to become an overweight adult.

Or, an overweight child could develop eating disorders instead, which would last a lifetime and control their lives more than you could imagine.

Just educate them and lead by example. Please!

P.S  Has anyone heard the news today that we need more ambulances to carry obese people because they don’t fit in regular ones on regular stretchers.

Keep eating grains, I’m in la la land.

P.P.S All I have focussed on here is being overweight for appearance, because in our society, this is what people focus on most, but the reality is, it doesn’t matter what you look like when you’re dead. Being overweight is extremely bad for your health. If you don’t lose your weight and look after your health, you’re in for a lot of visits to the doctors with lots of medications and lots of troubles as you hopefully grow old.

Health is far more important than appearance!

The Fitta Bodies Paleo Challenge is kicking off on March the 1st.

For 31 days, we will not eat grains or dairy! Fruit, Veg, Meat, Nuts!

All the details will follow soon, but in the mean time, please take a look at the video below (which I did not make, but thoroughly enjoy). It will give you a bit of motivation to get signed up for the challenge.

For an awesome video click here

Also please order a copy of “The Paleo Solution” by Robb Wolf asap. I have just checked the internet quickly for online sellers and I came up with the following links. I am not associated with any of them and cannot vouch for the credibility of them, but they all look like legitimate book retailers to me. If you find anywhere else to order it, go ahead. If you can find it in a bookstore somewhere, then even better.

http://www.boomerangbooks.com.au/Paleo-Solution/Robb-Wolf/book_9780982565841.htm

http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Health_Wellbeing/Dieting/9780982565841/

http://www.abbeys.com.au/book/the-paleolithic-solution.do

I really want you to read the book throughout the month to help you to understand why you are eating this way and why you will be looking and feeling better. It’s one thing to do, it’s another to fully understand why you are doing it.

If you are really, honestly wanting results, then put your name down and stick with the program. If you want to lose any weight at all. f you want to feel healthier. If you want to have more energy. If you want to get more out of your life than just merely existing, then put your name down and stick with the program.

All I ask is 31 days and you can be the judge for yourself. You can also be my testimonial, just like anyone else who tries it.

Or, you can not sign up and you cannot be the judge and you can keep wondering why you look and feel the way you do.

Have a think about it this way, the results you get will be within this 31 days. I am not asking you to do something and wait to see if you feel better next year. You will feel better immediately. You will lose weight this month, you will feel more energised this month and if you have any health issues, you may even clear them up this month.

If after the 31 days, you don’t notice any change, then you haven’t lost anything, you simply ate healthily for 31 days. But if, heaven forbid, for some strange reason I am right, you have stumbled onto something that will help to keep you slim and healthy.

But remember, buy the book. I have already had people asking why they can’t eat grains and dairy, so please get the book and read it. Invest some time in your health.

Put your names below. Don’t take the soft option and do it without committing to me. I know a lot of people did that in NOsugarVEMBER, but that doesn’t help anyone, you only do that if you aren’t 100% committed to it. The more people who sign up, the more other people will be encouraged to sign up. It also keeps you on track, knowing you are legitimately in the challenge!

Well, the new logo is complete and it’s time for some new CrossFit shirts.

I want to hear what you would like to wear on your t-shirt.

So, enter all of your suggestions into the comments box below. Don’t worry if you think your comment is good, bad or average, because some really great quotes can be moulded out of some very ordinary suggestions.

So get your quotes in and also give your votes on any that have been submitted that you really like.

I want to get started on the shirts asap, so get creative people.

If anyone knows of a good screen printer that has quality shirts, please let me know as well.

I’ll start us off with the old quote on the shopfront;

“FITTER, LEANER, HEALTHIER – one workout at a time”

Or if anyone has seen this video before

“A f@#king NINJA lives here”

“Smells like ELITE”

“I’m going to get back on the eliptical trainer for another 4 hours and read a magazine”

But away from the quotes from the video…

“Anything you can do, we can do better”

“Anything you can do, we can do better. Anything we can do, you probably can’t”

“It doesn’t get easier, you just get faster”

“I’m just like every other person that goes to the gym, But FITTER!”

“Side effects include an increased risk of FITNESS”

“My gym is better than yours”

And the list goes on, but I want your quotes and your votes, so we can get some Awesome CrossFit shirts made soon.