Woodlands Fitness Centre

Hi, Many diet programs out there don’t address the psychological aspect of why people fail to be successful with long term weight loss. However, quite a few studies exist that have looked at just that. In many respects, the psychological aspect is the most important for long term weight loss, and probably the most underappreciated component. Studies that compare the psychological characteristics of people who have successfully kept the weight off to people who have regained the weight, see clear differences between these two groups. For example, one study that looked at 28 obese people who had lost weight but regained the weight that they had lost, compared to 28 formerly obese people who had lost weight and maintained their weight for…

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Hi, When I talk about weight loss, I actually mean fat loss. They are not the same thing. A pound of fat equals 3,500 calories whereas a pound of muscle equals only 600 calories – so a large calorie deficit and rapid weight loss will result in more muscle loss. Not an ideal outcome. So if I use the term ‘weight loss’, I do so only because it is a familiar term most people understand. The true focus and goal of a properly set up nutrition and exercise plan should be on fat loss, not weight loss. A focus on losing weight, which may include a loss essential muscle, water, and even bone, as well as fat, is the wrong approach. Losing…

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Hi, Any exercise is better than no exercise. However, like diet plans, not all exercise is created equal. I’ve talked / ranted about this extensively over the years. However, many people often choose the wrong form of exercise to maximize their efforts to lose weight. Some people will do cardio exclusively and ignore resistance training. Resistance training is an essential component of fat loss, as it builds muscle essential to your metabolism, increases 24 hour energy expenditure, and has health benefits beyond just doing cardio. Think about it; if you do any form of exercise whilst watching the latest episode of Stranger Things then are you really doing much. A personal trainer can Help With Your Unique Requirements. Everybody is different -…

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Hi, People who have successfully kept the weight off overwhelmingly have incorporated exercise (especially resistance training) into their lives - and in my experience, the people who have successfully lost weight and kept it off invariably find these people were consistent with their diet and exercise plans. I am not going to list all the benefits of regular exercise here (recent newsletters and social media posts cover this topic!) - but regular exercise has positive effects on your metabolism, allows you to eat more calories yet still be in a calorie deficit. This will help you to preserve lean body mass - which is essential to your health and metabolism. The many health benefits of regular exercise are well known, so I…

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Hi, Diet plans that offer weight loss by drinking their product for several meals followed by a “sensible dinner;” diets that allow you to eat their special cookies for most meals along with their pre-planned menu; or diets that attempt to have you eating their bars, drink, or pre-made meals, are of the diet A variety covered above. They’re easy to follow but destined for failure, long term. They all fail the “Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?” test, unless you really think you can eat cookies and shakes for the rest of your life. Bottom line here is, if the nutritional approach you use to lose weight, be it from a book, a class, a clinic,…

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Hi, The first newsletter I wrote after we moved to our new location listed all of the equipment we’d brought with us. Since then, I’ve consistently been adding new equipment. Today, 7 new pairs of Technogym dumbbells have been delivered so we now have 2 well equipped dumbbell areas: downstairs, there are 2 flat/incline benches with Jordans dumbbells from 10kg to 52.5kg. Upstairs, in a large matted area, there are 3 flat/incline benches and 28 pairs of dumbbell pairs from 1kg to 42.5kg. The ground floor space accommodates the majority of our weight lifting equipment. This includes: 1) Nytram Leg press 2) Power Fabrications Power cage 3) Power Fabrications Smith machine 4) Hammer Strength squat rack 5) Power Fabrications ISO row 6) Force lying leg curl 7) Life Fitness seated leg curl 8) Life Fitness seated leg…

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Hi, Let’s do a diet A vs. diet B comparison. Diet A is going to supply you with their foods, as well as their special drinks or bars to eat, and tell you exactly when to eat them. You will lose – say – 30 lbs in two months. Diet B is going to attempt to help you learn which foods you should eat, how many calories you need to eat, why you need to eat them, and generally attempt to help teach you how to eat as part of a total lifestyle change that will allow you to make informed decisions about your nutrition. Diet B causes a slow steady weight loss of 8-10 lbs per month for the next…

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Hi, I get asked a lot about diet supplement companies and weight loss clubs. A well known Chinese Proverb is “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This expression fits perfectly with the next essential step in how to decide what eating plan you should follow to lose weight permanently. Will the diet plan you are considering teach you how to eat long term - or does it spoon feed you information? Will the diet rely on special bars, shakes, supplements or pre-made foods they supply? If so, how do you eventually break free from that? Some pre-made meals are great. Just don’t base your entire…

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Hi, It's that time of year when I get the "I'm going on holiday in 8 weeks and I need to lose 2 stone! Help!!!!" type messages. What I always wonder is what you've been doing in previous weeks that made you leave it until the last minute. You've not been exercising or watching your calorie intake for the last 44 weeks – and you’ve only given yourself 8 weeks to accomplish your goal? Losing weight is all about maths. Yeah I know, maths isn't sexy, but understanding the process can't hurt, can it? But let's break down this particular goal. So this person has a BMR of 1,365 calories per day. They would need to jump from a sedentary lifestyle to an…

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