Most of you are aware of my opinion on the TV show The Biggest Loser and are often puzzled by my views, so I would like to explain why I think this way. I will also show you a video from a well respected trainer who shares a similar view.

I think the show is a disgrace, for many reasons…

* It gives people false hope that this is how quickly you should be able to lose weight, when realistically this is near impossible in the real world.

* People of this size should be aiming to lose this excess weight over years. We are talking about 150kg-200kg individuals.

* It is so unhealthy! They take the most overweight, unhealthy, emotionally unstable specimens from society and punish their bodies and their minds severely;

• They are subjected to hours upon hours of exercise everyday, when they may never have exercised in their life before.
• They are nutritionally deprived.
• They are encouraged to eat junk food in order to win immunity to elimination.
• They send home the ones who don’t lose enough weight that week. Surely the ones who don’t lose enough weight are the ones who need to stay!
• The exercises they give them are so unsuitable for anybody of that weight.
• Their technique during exercise is horrible.
• They are subjected to the bitching, plotting against and ridiculing each other in order to form these “alliances” to stay in the show. Remember how emotionally unstable these individuals were already.

What always astounds me is when you see the contestants pouring their hearts in their audition tapes or on advertisements.

They all say the same thing: “I really want to lose the weight and I feel so bad about the way I look and feel, all I want to do is be healthy”.

But if this was true, they would make an effort to do it outside of a national television show.

What they really need to say is: “I want to be on TV and I want to win lots of money and I don’t care how badly I have to punish my body to get it”.

 Do you think it is healthy to see somebody break down and start crying mid way through an exercise session?

Imagine how you would feel if you were in their place.

So if you love watching the Biggest Loser because it really changes peoples lives. Think again!

 What they need is no different from what we all need:

• A healthy eating plan with plenty of fresh salads, vegetables and fruit. Lean organic protein and lot’s of filtered water
• Daily exercise suited to their weight and ability.
• 8 hours of quality sleep a night.
• No caffeine and limited alcohol.

 So that’s my opinion of Biggest Loser!

 Check out this video, it demonstrates what I am talking about.

“Origin of Energy” video about biggest loser

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Centennial Park Outdoor Group Training Camp, Sydney

In order to succeed, you must be your own motivator. You cannot rely on others to give you your motivation on a daily basis.

Here is a very simple example, but there are many variations to this.

Example of somebody who requires constant motivation: Somebody who turns up to training and just does what’s required.

Example of a self motivator: Somebody who turns up to training regularly and tries their hardest at everything.

Who do you think will get the best results?

Who do you think will have long term success?

You will notice something about a person who tries their hardest at everything: They improve!

You will notice something about a person who just does the minimum: They stay the same!

You should be trying your hardest even when nobody else is watching you.

Think of your trainer, as a guide. They provide the program and the guidance to get through that program.

How hard you try at the program provided is up to you.

You have to provide the intensity based on whether you really do want to succeed with your health and fitness goals or not.

Bottom line:

I want each and every person to succeed, but I cannot be over your shoulder barking at you to keep going or do more or run faster or eat healthier or have better technique. You have to want these things yourself for ultimate long term success.

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Centennial Park Outdoor Group Training, Sydney

A few weeks ago I was reading a mainstream fitness magazine which stated on the front cover “Revealed! The secrets to massive weight loss”, so I decided to have a read and this is what I found;

Inside the magazine was an article titled “Training Secrets for Massive Weight Loss” written by a famous ironman. I won’t name names, but there was a nice picture of him and a spiel that said he is a former world ironman champion and the winner of Celebrity Survivor.

The article was based around him currently training an overweight Australian singer…

Now wait for it, here are the secrets: 

The singer has given up junk food and soft drinks and replaced them with more protein, lean meats, fish, lots of fresh fruit and veggies and litres of water.

Her training is 2 to 5 kilometres of walking on most days, one resistance training session in the gym, one kick boxing session and one crosstraining session per week.

Well, there you have it, the secrets to massive weight loss!

My point here is, you don’t need the former world ironman champion to tell you there are no quick fixes, I’ve been telling you that for years. A healthy diet and sensible exercise and consistenly sticking to your program are the keys to a healthier body.

Did you consistenly stick to your regimen last week?

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Centennial Park Outdoor Group Training Camp, Sydney

Ideally we should be exercising 30 – 60 mins 6 days per week.
If you commit to 3 sessions per week, you have already halved the recommended amount.
If you miss one of those pre-planned sessions, you are now only doing one third of the recommended amount.
If, for some reason (work is too busy, the weather is horrible, you’re too lazy etc) you happen to miss another one of your pre-planned sessions, you are now only doing one sixth of your recommended sessions.

So what does this mean in the bigger picture?
There are 168 hours in a week. You should be sleeping for 56 hours of your week. So, of the remaining 112 hours in the week that you are awake, my recommendation is to be exercising a minimum 5.4% of the time. Not really much is it? Or is it? You might think it is. Most people obviously think it is, because they don’t even do that much. Maybe look at it this way, you are not exercising for 94.6% of the time.

If you commit to only 3 sessions per week, you are now only exercising 2.7% of your waking hours. Or, you are not exercising 97.3% of the time.
If you miss a session, you are exercising 1.8% of your waking hours, or you are dormant 98.2% of your waking hours.
If you miss two of your pre-planned session and you are still going to do your one session this week, you are now down to 0.89% of your waking hours exercising. Or, 99.11% of your waking hours not exercising.

Does this paint a little bit of a picture as to why we are a nation that is ever increasing in size?
Does it drive home how important it is not to miss your pre-planned sessions?
Does this make you realize how important it is to eat healthy food and not to eat more than your recommended calorie intake?
 
Here’s a quick quiz to fill in tonight after dinner:
1)How many hours have you sat down today?
2)How did you get to work today? a}walked  b}sat on a bus  c}sat on a train  d}sat in a car
3)What did you do on your lunch break? a}did a 45 minute exercise sessions b}went for a 45 minute walk  c} sat down and ate something healthy  d} sat down and ate something unhealthy
4)How did you get home from work today? a}walked  b}sat on a bus  c}sat on a train  d}sat in a car
5)What did you do when you got home today? a} did an exercise session b}went for a power walk  c}sat down in front of the tv/computer etc  
6)What are you doing right now? a}sitting down b} something other than sitting down

Now that you’ve filled it in, have a think about it. Work out how many hours you sit during your waking hours.
I don’t need to see your answers; this is just for you to think about.

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Centennial Park Outdoor Group Training Camp, Sydney

I recently asked my clients to tell me the single most important word to help you reach your health and fitness goals.

The answer I was looking for was Consistency!

Some of the other words emailed back to me were perseverance, commitment and motivation.

1) Perseverance ran a close 2nd to consistency. It takes perseverance to push through those tough times, I think perseverance is an awesome trait to have to reach your goals.

2) Commitment is the most important trait if it is used correctly. Unfortunately it generally isn’t. I have been told many times by people that they are committed to reaching a certain goal. Some time after these words were spoken, that “commitment” must have disappeared because they aren’t doing the things I asked them to any more.

3) Motivation is a feeling and it can fade away as quickly as any other feeling. Motivation will not get you to your goals, it will however get you started on the road to your goals.

4) Consistency is a culmination of actions that cannot be lied about nor interpreted. It is just the raw fact, were you consistent or were you not!

Do any of these things sound familiar to you? 

* When I was running everyday last year, the weight just fell off me. (Why are you so overweight now?)

* I remember how strong I was getting last year when I was doing those 2 weights sessions a week, I could do 50 dips without stopping, now I struggle to do 15.

* I used to be a size 8 years ago, now I can’t even fit into my size 12 clothes.

* I used to feel so good all morning when I was having those fruit and veggie juices for breakfast at my old job. I feel so sluggish after I eat that raisin toast from the cafe downstairs now.

* I was so skinny when I worked at my old job, I used to walk in everyday, now I just feel like a blob.

Why do any of these things have to change?

If people were consistent with their good habits, they would reach and maintain the health and fitness they desire.

I have seen people go through 12 week challenges and have great results. But what happened after the challenge or even towards the end of it, even though you had seen great results? You stopped being as consistent with your training and you started to slow your progress and eventually you went backwards.

Think about the results you have achieved in the past by being consistent with your training or eating, no matter how short of a time it was. I have seen people eat well for just one week and they tell me how great they felt. Unfortunately the next week things come up with work, or life or whatever and they ate badly again. I have seen people have a real hardcore exercise week, going to classes or running everyday and they tell me how awesome it feels. Unfortunately the next week things come up again and they only get to exercise twice. The funny thing is that they are always so quick to tell me how good they were last week!

Can you imagine the results you would achieve if you consistently had those good weeks. Can you imagine that after you finished your 12 week challenge and you have lost your 6kg, if you stuck with the same intensity of training, that it would not take that much longer to reach your end goals? Unfortunately, you didn’t and now you have gained weight and it is a struggle to get back into that routine and be consistent again.

Consistency is the key, don’t have good days and bad days, only have consistently good days and you will get there eventually.

Consistency is the key, don’t have good weeks and bad weeks, only have consistently good weeks and you will get there eventually.

To sum up;

Commitment is a word that is used far too often and it can be lied about. 

Motivation is a feeling and it will fade.

Consistency is a culmination of actions that cannot be lied about nor interpreted. It is just the raw fact, were you consistent or were you not!

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Centennial Park Outdoor Group Training Camp, Sydney

The most basic formula for weight loss is to burn more calories than what you are consuming.

I like to think of “calories like money” and “exercise like work”.

The more you work, the more money you can earn.

The more you exercise, the more calories you will burn.

If you want to save money, you tend to work a few more hours and spend a little less money. Well exercise is just the same, when you want to lose some weight, you exercise more and eat a little less. Makes sense doesn’t it!

So if you really wanted to lose weight, then you wouldn’t exercise like it’s a part time job, would you? I mean who only works part time when they have a holiday to save for? And who goes out on a spending spree when they want that new car? Only fools do, so why skip training sessions and eat all that junk if you really want to lose that weight?

You should be trying to bank as many calories as you can to wipe off that debt you have accumulated from the last few years from poor eating and sedentary lifestyle.

Why not take a part time job before or after work, or as I would phrase it, take a walk in the morning or evening. You’ll benefit from the extra calories you will burn from your stroll.

If you wake up and you aren’t motivated to train, then let me ask you this. How often do you spring out of bed motivated to go to work? How much more important is your health than your job? Because without your health, you might not have a job!

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Centennial Park Outdoor Group Training Camp, Sydney

Does this statement sound weird to you?

If I can’t lose weight fast, I would rather not lose it at all. In fact, I will probably gain weight instead!

It sounds really crazy to me.

But, I hear this all the time. I don’t hear it verbally, because the people I am talking about would never verbalise it. They wouldn’t even admit it to themselves, but they do it over and over again. Every time they quit their exercise regimen when they don’t get super results, super fast.

If you think about how many years it has taken you to gain any excess weight, why do you expect to lose it instantly with only a few changes to your lifestyle.

If you have spent the last 10 years slowly gaining weight, even if it is only 1kg per year, that puts you 10kg heavier than you would like to be. You need to realise that exercise and a healthy lifestyle will have to form part of your life, not just a quick fix to shed a few kg’s and then go back to your old habits so you can put it all back on again. If you are patient enough to allow your body to gain weight steadily over years, then be patient enough to lose the weight over years if necessary. 

The first thing that will happen with a new exercise routine will be to stop gaining weight. I have never known anyone to gain fat whilst on a good exercise regimen. So even if they didn’t lose any weight, they are already in front as they are now not gaining weight.

Then they will lose weight. Slowly but steadily they will lose weight.

Their is a category of exerciser that may not lose weight. These are the ones that combat their hard work with a poor diet. These are by far the most unfortunate, and I will tell you why. Firstly they don’t lose weight despite exercising regularly because of their poor dietary habits. So, they give up. And why not, they weren’t losing any weight, it wouldn’t take long to lose heart. The problem is now, their poor dietary habits, which made them overweight in the first place, cause them to gain even more weight because they are not exercising to balance out the affects of the poor diet.

So, what is the moral of the story?

Exercise is good!

No matter what affect you think it is having on you, it is a positive one and giving up will only be bad for you. It is as simple as that.

EXERCISE for LIFE!

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Centennial Park Outdoor Group Training Camp, Sydney

Whilst you read these blogs, I want you to acknowledge that you have probably heard a lot of this information before but you have not acted upon it.

Don’t let these opportunities pass you by again. All the information in the world is useless to us unless we act upon it.

Do something for your health and fitness today that you don’t normally do. Go for a jog, walk home from work, skip dessert tonight, take a healthy lunch to work instead of getting takeout, have fruit for morning tea instead of coffee, stretch on the floor while you watch tv tonight instead of sitting on the couch.

Give your body the respect it deserves, you’ve only got one and it has to last you a lifetime!

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Centennial Park Outdoor Group Training Camp, Sydney

More often than not, the average person is embarking on a fitness regimen that is not right for them. Whether it be a program from a magazine, a recommendation from a work colleague, or an unrealistic schedule planned out by an over zealous trainer. I love a good analogy, to get my point across, so read on to figure out if you’re on the right track or not.

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“Life is a series of constant challenges, but our destiny need not be determined by the challenges we face, rather by the way we choose to deal with them.”

Please click on the link below and watch the video, I can assure you, it is one of the most amazing things I have seen, it is well worth a couple of mintues of your time and I guarantee you will be inspired by it.

View their inspirational real life story here

View the video here

Unfortunately the video attached to the story has been removed, so I have attached a link to the video separately. Please enjoy…

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Centennial Park Outdoor Group Training Camp, Sydney