Obesity - A Post Mortem!

When BBC Three​ contacted me asking if I would be interested in previewing the one off documentary, they stated it was a "challenging" watch and I assure you they were not wrong. I have to say it was one of the most interesting things I've watched to date.

I have seen shows where they do Post Mortems on animals, but never have I seen or heard of one done on an actual human. The documentary, as you can gather from the title is centred around the post mortem of an obese woman who had died from obesity related complications. It's all very real.

It was there in front of me, I couldn't hide from it. A REAL death, caused by REAL issues that affect a huge part of society. It hit home and cemented my views on obesity. It's a very serious issue and the complications that arise when you are obese are not something you should take lightly. Your health should be your main priority.

Thats why I loved this documentary. Because in today's society we put a lot of emphasis on body image. We go by what we look like on the outside and often disregard what happens on the inside. There is no beating around the bush here, being obese is not optimal for your health.

But who do we blame? Is it down to the individual to stop "eating junk" or do we sit and blame the food industry for always tempting us with deals on sweets/chocolate/cakes? Being a personal trainer you must learn that no two people are the same. One person may eat for comfort where another may have put on a lot of weight due to a medical condition or from medication. There are deep lying issues that make it hard for people to simply "eat less and move more!".

I was looking at all the organs surrounded by mass amounts of fat, kidneys that have been scarred, the mass amount of fluid in the lungs, the fatty liver, the sign of heart failure and couldn't help but think to myself, surely THIS IS WHAT'S IMPORTANT!

How we look on the outside should be a minor thing in comparison to how we feel/look on the inside. We HAVE to think of our health and what is happening inside our body because at the end of the day if we are not making our health a priority we will not be around long enough to truly enjoy anything!

Another thing that really struck home was the fact that child obesity is on the rise and to think some children will experience obesity related complications is extremely worrying.

For a second I was sat wondering how sad it is that obesity exists and remembered in most cases it is PREVENTABLE. Even if you are obese, a few lifestyle changes and it can all change. It's not like cancer or AIDS where we do not have a cure for it!

Losing weight isn't easy but with small, gradual changes it can be done. It doesn't have to be about drinking carrot and spinach juices nor does it have to be about being in the gym 5 hours a day. It starts by finding healthy foods you enjoy eating, it starts by finding an activity/workout routine you enjoy doing and starts by you telling yourself that YOU MATTER.

Obesity DOES affect you on the inside.
Obesity related complications ARE dangerous.
It's all very, very REAL!

Catch the one-off documentary on BBCThree iPlayer/Youtube here...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p046n462/obesity-the-post-mortem

... and let me know if it affected you, the same way it affected me! I'd love to hear your views!

Hadee.

Should you tell your child it's fat!?

Well, this is always going to be a topic that will certainly split a crowd. But in this post i'm going to give you my opinion, agree or disagree, I'd love to hear yours. So feel free to send me a tweet or a message on Facebook .

The first thing we have to look at is the manner you approach the conversation. If your child asks for a chocolate in the supermarket, turning around and screaming at them saying "NO, YOU'RE FAT" is not going to have a positive impact on anyone. It's probably the worst way to approach the situation.

I personally believe you should sit the child down and encourage healthy eating. Educate them on the positives that come with living a healthy lifestyle and make them aware of the negatives that come with living a life filled with unhealthy habits. 

Give the child a healthy option and try to promote a healthy balanced lifestyle. Sure, it'll probably be tough, but I think if you start young enough as they grow it'll start becoming a habit... a good one. Simple things like suggesting a healthy substitute when they ask for sweets, chocolates, fizzy drinks or a big bag of crisps, rather than just saying no.

Healthy substitutes like babybel's, fruits, vegetables, yogurts (be mindful of added sugars). Things that you yourself would have as a snack. Remember if they are good enough for you, they'll certainly be good enough for your children. Make their snacks as exciting and colourful as can be - make them appealing.

Like I said, it's all about these healthy substitutes and getting the children involved in the kitchen. Give them confidence in the kitchen, allow them to make their own healthy foods; homemade healthy pizzas, fajita wraps, frittatas. They're quick, easy and taste great.

Another big thing I believe people should consider is to divert attention off of body image and focus it all on the child's health. Health should be the primary priority and we should make it clear that with a healthy you comes a happy you!

Not all children are built the same, like us, some are short and stumpy, some are tall and slim, some are petite and some are super tall and stocky, but they should be taught to embrace their look and to put HEALTH FIRST. 

This means that a child must know WHY its important for them to eat healthy most of the time and how its OK to have the odd treat here and there. Children are fantastic imitators and its vital you, as their role model, focus on living a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

So tell them they are fat, no, why, theres no need? Just teach them the ways of a balanced, healthier lifestyle and tell them why its important. If your child needs to lose weight, chances are once they start eating healthier, they will. You must be positive, proactive and always try to lead by example.

Agree, disagree, do let me know your thoughts.

Hadee

My 10min transformation!

This was definitely one of the most popular posts I've done, so I thought I'd upload it onto my blog (it is about a year old, but the message is still ever so important today). Enjoy!

We all love a good transformation, but so many of us get disheartened when "person A" looks absolutely flawless in just 2-4 weeks.

"Why can't that be me?"

"What am I doing wrong?"

The answer is, you're probably not doing anything wrong, progress takes time. The problem with many (not all) of these transformations is that they aren't always what they seem. 

There are many tricks to making a transformation look amazing & that's what I'm showing you here.

Here's my transformation. This took me just... 10 minutes (after my huge breakfast)! Yes, 10 minutes!

Let me tell you how...

Before photo:

1) I'm on holiday, so I went a bit OTT at breakfast. So I was absolutely stuffed & bloated.
2) I dimmed the bathroom lights.
3) I stood in a way that would make my tummy poke out.
4) Boom, there's the before photo.

After photo:

1) I used the toilet (sorry to be crude)
2) I turned the lights on
3) I done a few press ups & dips for a little pump
4) I sprayed on a bit of lotion.
5) I stood under the lights.
6) I flexed.
7) After photo done!

Now if I said I done this in 6 weeks, everyone would want my "diet secrets". 

So many others try to trick you into believing their supplements will speed up your success. But reality is, there's no short cut for hard work & there is no quick fix. So don't believe everything you see online!

Hadee

*Disclaimer: This doesn't go for ALL the transformations you see online. I was simply raising awareness of the tricks used by some people to get you to buy their products!

Fitness model diet = Unnecessary for you and me!

So before I start this post I would just like to say I have nothing against those who compete (bikini models/fitness models etc). I think what they do is great and requires a lot of hard work, so I do respect them for that.

My only issue is that these people must understand that the average person does not need to mirror their habits in order to see progress.

What I mean by this is that a mum of 3 who wants to lose a bit of fat does not need to eat white fish and rice, 8 times a day. We are all different and have different goals.

I see a lot of terrible advice forced upon people because it was advised by someone who competes. A good example being...

"You shouldn't eat fruit because of the sugar and carbs"

or

"You need to completely cut your carbs"

This is all wrong advice and shouldn't be forced on others!

The average person who wants to simply improve their figure doesn't need to be super restrictive like those who compete. What the public needs is to be educated about a healthy balance.

You can look great by eating carbs and by eating fruit and you don't have to do 3 gym sessions a day. These are all choices made by someone competing and you don't have to be so restrictive.

Like I always say, all you need to do is create a healthy balance of eating the right foods, allow a little room for the "not so right" and become a more active person.

Health and fitness is specific to the individual. My rugby season has started and to those who are watching the world cup will see how demanding a rugby game can be. As you can imagine, my goal is performance whilst staying in good shape. I know that walking around with minimal body fat like a competitor prepping for a show will cause my fitness, strength and performance to drop and my abs and shredded figure would mean nothing if I couldn't perform on the field.

For my sport, I need to be strong, fit and quick, so I've compromised by gaining a little body fat which has resulted in a stronger and fitter me (and I've managed to still be happy with the way I look).

To finish I'd just like to stress the fact that your goals are specific to you and you do NOT need to copy the diet of a competitor to get in good shape. It's unnecessary and isn't sustainable. You must think long term and think about making lifestyle changes that'll allow you to be in great shape and STAY in great shape!

Hadee.

Not seeing results? Have you thought why?

Not seeing results? Sick and tired of trying? Thinking "I'm better off giving up"?

^ Is this you? 

Well this post is aimed to help you get back on the right track!!

Let me start with you wanting to give up. What will you achieve? Nothing. If you were to just stop working towards your goal, eat rubbish & sit on your bum all day, chances are you'll put on more weight. This will also have a negative effect on your health & I can guarantee you'll feel even worse than you do now. So giving up totally - this should never cross your mind!

Now let's see why you're not seeing results. Before you say "I'm going to cut out carbs", zoom out & look at the bigger issue. We always assume the only way to progress is through some fad that is promoted in a rubbish magazine.

Assess your current situation. How active is your current lifestyle? Can you be more active? What's your eating habits like? Are you eating well Mon-Fri & binging all weekend? Are you eating 3 good meals and snacking on rubbish throughout? Are you getting enough sleep or are you just a walking stress bomb?

These are all important questions you need to ask yourself!

You'd be surprised with how many people I speak to who eat really well but will have a huge binge over the weekend or on a Friday & Saturday night.

Now I don't want this to be all about numbers & the last thing I want you to do is start calorie counting to the last drop. But we all know that a small & sustainable calorie deficit is the way for us to burn fat (created by a small drop in calories and/or an increase in exercise/physical activity).

The problem is that if you do really well in the week & create this deficit, but consume over 2000-3000 calories on Friday & Saturday night, this deficit is more than likely to turn into surplus!

Fat loss is all about averages. Make sure, on average, you're eating well & there will be no issue. Allow a little room for the not so healthy & you'll continue to see results whilst living a balanced lifestyle.

And one final point, don't underestimate the power of living a more active lifestyle - walking the dog more, walking to the shops rather than driving, running around with the kids in the park or even a spot of cleaning/gardening. This all burns calories as well as your workouts!

So just stay positive & if you're not seeing results, sit back, zoom out and evaluate!

Hadee x

Body confidence & healthy lifestyles start at home!

Body confidence & healthy lifestyles start at home!

We always point out the fact that children are so willing to learn & they will always copy what their elders do. 

This is why it's vital that you share your good habits w/ your child. When you exercise, your child too will probably want to exercise (occasionally with you) & if they don't, at least you can tell them "living an active lifestyle is good for your health".

Just like when you're sat together eating your healthy dinner, they will know that "eating healthy food makes a healthy body".

Another thing that's important is when you do eat the "not so healthy", your child understands that it's not a big problem because the majority of their diet is great & their life is an active one! Life is about a positive balance.

The problem though, is when your bad habits (habits you should work on breaking for yourself) are on show to your child.

When your child forever sees you on the scales obsessing over a mean less number, they will grow up thinking they too must be a certain number in order to feel good. This is wrong.

When they see you always avoiding all carbs because you read some fitness competitor's article in a mag, they too will think carbs are evil. How then will you ever get them to eat fruit & veg? This too, is wrong.

And when they see you skip breakfast, they too will reach an age where they say, "I don't want breakfast, you don't eat it, why should I?". How can you promote the benefits of breakfast when you don't eat it yourself? This again, is wrong.

So in a nutshell, it's important you lead by example by having a healthy lifestyle, understanding balance & promoting an active life. This way your child is equipped with proper knowledge instead of reading silly magazines about Z-List celebs!

Hadee.

Calling people fat isn't "motivation for them"

I was reading the news recently and saw an article where someone on public transport handed out cards to those overweight reading "you're fat". 

This annoyed me, for obvious reasons. But I thought deeper and it began to make me even more angry.

The biggest issue I had was this is not productive, helpful or thoughtful in any way, shape or form. You simply can't go around calling people fat expecting your "words of motivation" to miraculously make them think... 

"Thats it! I'm going to lose weight!"

You'll be one ignorant human being if you think this. There are many factors that can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. Most of the time those who are obese know it, but aren't really equipped with the sustainable knowledge to overcome obesity. They try diet upon diet and end up in an even worse state from where they first started. 

People often scream, you should eat less and move more. This too, for someone who is already struggling with their current lifestyle is too vague. By this logic we could go to eating 200 calories a day and exercise 4 hours a day. That is eating less and moving more, isn't it!?

Like I always say, improving your lifestyle and figure will not happen overnight. The people you call fat, could be way onto their way in the journey of improving their life and you, well you're not exactly helping them are you? If anything, you're probably going to upset them and not everyone has the will power to use negative comments to spur them on!

So I ask you, please, stop calling people fat to "help them lose weight". Putting someone down isn't going to help them up.

If you want to help someone, offer guidance and support. Be kind, it costs you nothing and it'll inspire them so much more than you could ever imagine.

Help + Support + Motivation + Guidance = Positivity

Hate + Anger = Negativity

We simply can't beat obesity with negativity!

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Hadee x