The Most Inspirational Video I Have Ever Seen

This is one of the most inspirational YouTube (or any) videos I have seen in a long time, if ever. It shows how determination can win over pretty much anything.

It's not about never falling, it's about getting up every time you fall....




You gotta check this out.

I love that it's yoga that helps him achieve this incredible transformation, too. More exciting yoga news to come soon...

Did Your Weekend Derail Your Fat Loss Efforts?

It's a classic scenario - great all week then the temptation of the weekend kills or even reverses all the gains (or losses) you've made over the week!

Especially in the summer - all the BBQs and the ever-tempting refreshing glasses of beer or wine to cool you down in the sunshine!

If you are feeling a bit 'worse for wear' after a weekend that was heavy on the cals or booze and light on the exercise then make sure you remember this feeling - and try to invoke the memory next weekend - if you can improve your choices over the weekend you can still enjoy yourself at the weekends without messing everything up!

Also, use this feeling to get you super motivated for the coming week. Don't let yourself go further down the spiral, but start afresh and get back on the clean eating and quality exercising as soon as you can!

If you want to up the ante a bit and actually get great results over the next 6 weeks (rather than letting the weekends mess things up every time!) you might want to join us on the 6 Week Mission Slim-Possible! I've set up a specific site for anyone who wants to get that bit more focussed so check it out and lets get into a 'No Excuses' frame of mind!

http://missionslim-possible.ning.com/

This might be to resist certain treats at the weekend, to limit the alcohol or to ensure you train before you go out - it's up to you, but what I do want you to commit to is sticking to your plan for the entire 6 weeks! I started this last Monday so Monday 1st Sep is my deadline, but you can start whenever you like, it will be a rolling thing! You can even re-start with some new pledges each 6 weeks, building new habits progressively with each 6 week phase!

By signing up you will get one to one advice and guidance from me, to help you choose the best training and nutrition plans for you.

Get signed up now: http://missionslim-possible.ning.com/

Join Us! Our 6-Week Mission Slim-Possible...

Well despite being pretty healthy on my recent holiday (we were camping and I still made a tuna and cottage cheese salad for lunch every day and had spinach with my morning eggs and loads of veg on the BBQ every eve!) I still came back a couple of kilos heavier than I left!

I really must have the 'fat gene' as I really was pretty good diet-wise - not even a single cream tea despite being in Cornwall, or a proper 'fish and chips'! (Did have a 'gourmet' version at a posh restaurant but didn't quite hit the spot...). Windsurfed or surfed every day, walked loads and was generally active (no kettlebells though - gave them a vacation too!) but I did have more wine than usual and shunned my usual FitDay logging and just generally enjoyed life so I did expect the creep I guess...

Most of us experience this with every major holiday or even long weekend. Depsite being 'good' most of the time, the cumulative effect of these indulgent periods will really make a huge impact on the waistline if some action is not taken to immediately get back on track. This is one of the big reasons why people gain weight each year - without getting back to where you were each time you can easily keep gaining and gaining weight without even realising it.

As an athlete has 'seasons' it makes sense that losing weight can work that way too. We don't need to be super strict all the time but by alternating maintenance periods with structured dieting phases we can actually get even better results. The key is to ensure the phases are distinct: structured and focussed effort at intervals, interspersed that with 'maintenance' periods where your body can adjust and you can give yourself a break.

So, what's Mission Slim-Possible all about then?

Well, I was training one of my superstar clients on Monday morning (one of the best times of the week to work out!) and she was feeling that her progress had stalled, due to the fact that I had been away as well as the added stress / chaos of extended family having been staying and her focus had wavered a little.

This is a client who is super-determined and had amazing results over a 6 week period (look out for her results in future posts) losing inches and pounds and looking great. However it is often at that point that we hit a bit of a plateau.

This is actually due in part to the 'treat creep' effect - without realising it we are so pleased with our results we think we can ease off a little, or end up rewarding ourselves with a few 'extras' here and there. This is a very common occurance and can go unnoticed, so being able to identify this stage and break through it with a concerted effort is definitely a good plan so you do make it all the way to your final goal! Once we lose a bit of weight and increase out fitness levels we often feel so much better that it does become harder to stick to the 'rules' that were easier to stick to when we feel really fat and unfit.

Anyway, back to the Mission. Caroline really wanted to get that zest and focus of the first 6 weeks back, in order to bust through this plateau and reach her ultimate goals. I was also feeling that I could use a bit of a boost to lose the holiday gain and also that last couple of kilos I've been half-heartedly wanting to shed (again, I'd hit that stage where I was perfectly happy where I was so lost the drive to give it an all-out effort, given that my training and nutrition is good anyway). For me, the holiday gain has been enough to get me motivated again!

So we made a pledge together to get fully on it - a 6 week 'No Excuses' focussed effort to get at least 8lb off! We both train pretty hard already, but we made some tweaks to the programme for maximum effect. I've been a little slack on the interval front since my knee op on the one hand but have also been giving myself too little rest so I've reworked my training to include short interval sessions more often and on alternate days to my main full-body resistance workouts (will post workouts in a future blog if anyone's interested...).

Nutrition is the key, though (you can't out train a bad diet, remember!) and that is what we are both focussing on.

I had been following Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat and just as I got close to my goals actually stopped doing it for a while, but now he's launched his Advanced Audio Files - they arrived just as I returned from holiday which was perfect timing - I got back onto the programme before even listening to them and it was great to listen to them as they renewed my focus and understanding of the programme - I was re-motivated as began to truly understand how the programme works and also the many health benefits to his controversial approach which weren't so apparent in the book alone.

So, we are both following Eat Stop Eat, but also combining that with a few extra rules. One of the key parts of Eat Stop Eat is to actually avoid too many rules and losing the Obsessive Compulsive Eating habits that the 'eat 5-6 small meals a day' mantra encourages. However, I personally find that I can easily let the calories creep up unless I have rules (it's just the way I am!) so I have banned peanut butter and cottage cheese (they are great foods but ones that I can easily add a few extra cals to my day with so figured it was an easy way to eliminate the excess) and also limiting myself to 1/2 bottle wine a week. I was thinking we should go completely dry, but then we decided that we can have a little joy and it will make the whole thing much easier to stick to. That can mean a glass on Friday and Saturday evenings which is nice and civilised and we can't possibly feel deprived. We all know that moderate alcohol intake is good for us and I'm going to stick to red wine which is even better... But that is our one treat!

As for the rest, no starchy, junky carbs at all (I don't eat those anyway, my indulgences tend to be larger portions of healthy foods such as cottage cheese, fruit and nuts! Sad but true...) and general portion / calorie control (I log every thing on FitDay so keeping my cals to 1600 - 2000 a day) and just the normal focus on eating loads of lovely salads and veg!

So, are you in? If you want to join us in Mission Slim-Possible then comment here or email me (via my website: http://www.perfectfitforlife.com/) and we can discuss the guidelines in more detail. As detailed above we have actually both set our own parameters as I would never condone a 1-size-fits-all approach. I have guided Caroline to her plan but if she wants to include more carbs than I do then that is fine, so long as the overall diet is sound (essentially any diet will work if you are consistent!). As we are following Eat Stop Eat the rest of it is all about keeping the nutrition factor high by eating good quality stuff!

So you can decide your plan, email it to me and then I can advise on how best to adjust it for maximum results based on your personal preferences and circumstances. I can also advise you on workouts you should be following to maximise chances of success.

You can email me your results and I can update the blog with your progress, or you can create your own blog (posting in public increases your success!) and we can see who gets the best results! I'll even give a really cool Kettlebell Workout Bonus to the winner (hmmm, that means I can't win... so at the moment my client, Caroline, is bound to win as it's just us in the race! But that does mean your chances are pretty good too...).

I've set up a little exclusive 'members only' club so we can share our experiences and success - you can sign up and post your personal mission plan and stats here: http://missionslim-possible.ning.com/.

Really hope some of you feel inspired to join us. Whatever you do, we'll be on our way to losing those stubborn pounds! Take control and take action!

Get Abs Like These!

Can you believe that this guy spends most of his time at a desk or travelling?! But then he is Craig Ballantyne, creator of Turbulence Training, the system designed for busy men and women to get fit and foxy without having to sweat it out for hours on end in overpriced, overhyped, sweaty gyms!

He's offering us all the chance to get shredded abs like these: Turbulence Training For Abs, his unique, CRUNCH FREE speedy way to get the abs of your dreams!

The first 100 copies come with his extra special gift for you worth $59.85... but that has probably already gone as the promo started Monday (sorry for not letting you guys know sooner!). But so long as you get it by midnight Wed you'll get loads of bonus goodies:

Craig's new program that features 5 new TT for Abs workout programmes including...
1) The 4-Week Beginner Introduction to CRUNCH-FREE Ab Workout

2) The 4-Week Intermediate Level ANTI-CRUNCH Ab Workout

3) And THREE Advanced 4-Week Home Abdominal Workouts

PLUS, you'll get...
4) The "TT Abs 300" Workout Challenges (including one for beginners,intermediate, and advanced fitness levels)

5) The Bodyweight Abs program that you can do anytime, anywhere,without a single piece of equipment. (This program comes withbeginner and advanced versions too!)

All that, AND STILL MORE... The TT for Abs Home Abdominal Workouts also comes with...
a) The Advanced Ab Nutrition Meal Plans for Men & Women (this is really brilliant - this alone is worth buying the whole lot for IMO)

b) The 5 Motivational Secrets to STOP Cheating on Your Diet and Never Skip Another Workout Again

PLUS, the first 100 men and women to grab their copy gets a 3-month TT Basic Level Membership to the TT forums and workout of the monthclub (at the time of writing there's only 7 of these left!)

AND FINALLY, he's added THREE more 4-week programmes to sweeten the deal and keep you burning fat for another 2-3 months. When you grabyour copy before Wednesday, July 23rd at midnight, you'll get:

1) The NEW "Hot Zone TT Fat Loss Workout"......showing you how 4 simple exercises hit all the fat burning hot zones of the body and help you boost metabolism and burn more belly fat.

2) "Bikini Ready Abs"......from America's #1 Fat Loss expert for Mom's, Holly Rigsby, giving you another "IN-HOME" fat burning abdominal workout you can do with minimal equipment.

3) The Big 5 Fat Burning TT Circuit Workout......revealing one of the most popular and innovative fat burning workouts Craig has ever put together. If you love burning fat with circuits, you'll love this simple 5 exercise solution to getting rid of stubborn belly fat.

WHEW!

That's an incredible offer, but its only here for 3 days...

...So That You Can Burn Belly Fat and Work Your Abs in the Comfortof Your Own Home...
As you can see by HIS PHOTO (he's looking hot that's for sure!) on his new site, he knows how to get abs without doing crunches or long, slow boring cardio. And he'll show you all NEW workouts to help you do the same.

Check out Craig's new program HERE:=> Turbulence Training For Abs

But remember...

1) Only the first 100 copies get the extra bonus worth $59.85

2) The "Bikini Ready Abs", "Hot Zone Fat Loss", and "Big 5 Circuit Workout" are only available as FREE GIFTS for the next 3 days. They are gone after Wednesday, to be put back in Craig's workout vault for Platinum TT members only.

WHY IS HE DOING THIS?

Because he knows you can't wait any longer to get working on yourabs...summer is here and passing us by - and so are your chances toimpress everyone with a new body on the beach, at concerts, or at BBQs.

Check out TT for Abs for all of the details on this Limited-Time Special Offer: => Turbulence Training For Abs

So save time and money by grabbing your copy today. But hurry, this Special Offer expires and VANISHES - Poof, just like your belly fat will - at midnight on July 23rd.

Get started with the all NEW Turbulence Training for Abs Home Abdominal Workouts here: => Turbulence Training For Abs

Helping you look great this summer!

Caroline

P.S. The bonuses are gone after July 23rd. In fact, only the first 100 copies get the 3-Month TT Membership bonus.

So get your copy now: Turbulence Training For Abs

Reverse The Aging Process! (Don't Forget Your ID Even Though You're Almost 30!)

OMG! I am utterly flabberghasted! I have been asked for ID to buy a bottle of wine for the 4th time in a row! Here in the UK, you have to be 18 to drink and I've been 'getting served' since the tender age of 13 (I had a bit of a wayward youth...) but suddenly, at the tender age of 30 minus 100 or so days, I am getting asked to prove I am over 18!! How can this be?

Well, I have lost weight - discovering kettlebells, amongst other things, has helped me shed a few kilos that I've had for most of my 20s (nice to get to 30 looking better than I did at 21!) and I eat an extortionate amount of veg and get plenty of protein and good fats etc, but all of this has been pretty typical for me for quite a while so can't be the only explanation.

Resistance training actually reverses biological markers of aging too, but again, I've been training with weights for ages...

The only thing I can think of that is new in my life is the intermittent fasting, thanks to Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat programme. I've been doing it on and off for the past few months and have found it a great way to control the calorie intake without having to obsess about food (something I am very prone to!). Brad has just launched the Eat Stop Eat Advanced Audio Files and I was actually listening to them yesterday on the way to the supermarket in question as he was explaining all the benefits to not only your waistline, but also your health, and explained the scientifically proven anti-aging effects of fasting. So when I was asked for ID I found it amusing as it did seem to be anecdotal evidence that it was having that effect on me!

The audios are really informative - even though its a really simple concept we are continually bombarded with soundbites such as 'you must eat every 3 hours or you will go into starvation mode' etc, and Brad neatly unpicks all the nonsense in a really unique and wonderful way! There is quite a lot of 'sciency' stuff in there, but he does explain it well so you don't feel too bamboozled by it all. I'll definitely listen to them a few times to properly understand it all, but the key messages are loud and clear - this is a system that works.

Brad has just turned 31 and is in a similar boat to me - looking better and stressing less now than he did 10 years ago! As a birthday bonus he's launching the audios and throwing in a free copy of the original book, so you should get hold of your copy now here: Eat Stop Eat - Audio Files and EBook

You'll find out that most of what you read is a waste of your time, and how to control calories without dieting or stressing (while saving yourself a lot of time and hassle in the process!)

Free Fat Loss Tips: 14 Experts Share Their Secrets!

Well I have been very slack on the posting front, but I am trying to give myself 'technology free' time and after the last post the rest of my holiday was blissfully lap-top free! Lots of sunshine and surf and plenty of relaxing - and we got back to a weekend of sunshine and windsurfing on the South Coast of the UK which is always nice!

To top it all off, I've been selected as one of the world's premier fat loss experts and have been asked to contribute my closely guarded secrets to the rest of the world! The Free Fat Loss Tips website is where 13 other experts from Australia, the United States & Canada join me to share our secrets - and the best part, of course, is each of us has decided to give up these secrets for free! The site is now live: http://www.freefatlosstips.com

So, who are the experts?

• Daniel Munday, who specialises in short, intense workouts for busy people who usually don't have time to exercise. He is giving away the Aussie Fatblast Secrets Revealed audio and eBook special report.
• Dave Soucy, a women's fat loss expert, who has a great Busy Women's Fitness Solution eBook. This 50 pages of jam packed, results producing info is aimed at women sick of trying fad diets and boring treadmill workouts.
• Ed Scow, the author of Fat Loss To Go, who is giving you 3 hot secret reports on the best ways for men and women to lose that body fat.Mike Grafstein, is a Youth Soccer expert who has some great interval fitness programs if you have any kids that play the world game.
• Caroline Radway (that's me) - to get a copy of my free report 'The Perfect Ten' then just use the sign up form at the top of the page!
• Stephen Cabral, a renowned media personality, who is offering The World's Most Powerful Weight Loss Interval reportDan Grant, magazine contributor and body transformation coach who will teach you his Degrees of Change system to accelerate your fat loss results
• Dr Kareem Samhouri's ground breaking, year long, Lift Hard Play Hard program is one of the internets premier online training solutions.
• Eddie Enriquez, who has created the MyTrainer.com website to allow users free access to some of the best fitness videos and audios on the planet. This is You Tube for fitness.
• John Fell, a Sydney based trainer to the stars who is offering you 3 months online training with access to mp3 workouts, education, and his sought after motivation and support methods.
• Ben Warstler, runs successful boot camps in small town Vermont and is sharing with you his 4 Secret Hot Spots for fast and effective fat loss.
• Susan Hill, a renowned personal trainer of the year winner, and author of the Bikini Butt Workout for all the women wanting to look their best in their swimsuit this summer. Susan will give you the best tips for picking the right swimsuit.
• Jeremy and Alissa Nelms, creators of the revolutionary Mid Year Resolutions Program which is a teleseminar series that addresses your fat loss, financial and relationship success. Jeremy interviews over 20 experts and you can gain access to this for free!
• BJ Gaddour, a successful real world fat loss expert who has a revolutionary online membership site with audio workout programs to maximise your fat burn. BJ is offering a free, downloadable, cardio workout.

As you can see, it is a comprehensive list of accomplished and successful Fat Loss Experts and a whole lot of information waiting for you to get stuck into. You really don't want to miss the boat on this one - these trainers charge upwards of $100 an hour for their time and you get to get inside their heads for free!

Once again, the place to get your freebies is http://www.freefatlosstips.com

Do tell all your friends about this - we can all do with a nudge in the right direction - even I'm signing up to find out what all the others are offering!

Fishing For My Magic Hundred!

Well we've begun the Magic Hundred journey - although the list hasn't been fully written yet and we've not actually read the whole book (as you have to do the tasks at each stage before moving on) the Magic has started! It even took us to a castle on a hill for a gorgeous Lebanese meal on our first night in Cornwall, completely randomly!

One of the things on my list was to learn to fish. We go to Ireland all the time and every time we go I say 'one day we should...' and that is the exact phrase the Magic Hundred wants you to get rid of! It's so powerful, too - every time I catch myself doing that I now switch my thinking and decide to 'just do it' instead! So we bought a fishing rod and all the accoutrements, walked to the end of the beach, clambered over the rocks to find a potentially suitable spot, cast the line and within a second the line had got completely tangled and we lost the float and hooks! We spent about half an hour untangling the line, then clambered back to the van and bought our dinner instead - gutted (or not, in this case...)

Day 2 was far more successful - off the pier in St Ives. I learnt how to cast, but that was about it. I'm blaming the huge seal that was lurking around, scaring all the fish!

So I've got about 97 days left and need to catch 20 fish to meet my goal! Luckily the last week of the Hundred Days we'll be in Ireland so if I don't manage it by then, we'll be in a perfect place for it... Think of all those omega 3s....

Spinning Around Like A Crazy Kid To Lose Weight?

Well this is a new one on me, but I kinda like the crazy stuff so thought I'd give it a go! Basically, Jen Jolan has a tip gleaned from studying the (slim and youthful) Turkish Whirling Dirvishes - spin around on the spot a few times, and repeat a few times a day, to increase fat loss! It has something to do with cellular energy, and while I'm not sure of the science of it, it's fun and strangely energising! Not sure if spending your day a bit dizzy means you forget about food, but she has tried and tested it on loads of her clients so I'm going to give it a try and see what happens. In fact I had a go yesterday and my Kettlebell Renegade Rows went from 16kg x 6 each side to 8 each side, which I've been trying to get to for ages... All in the mind, maybe, but who cares if it works?

To find out more Jen has a downloadable report for you at her site: Weight Loss For Women (but you guys can give it a go too!).

Lunchtime at the Beach

Well here in the UK summer seems to have turned to autumn, which is bad news for most people, but as a windsurfer I'm absolutely loving it! We had really good wind and waves, as well as sunshine and warm(ish) water on Saturday at Overcombe.

So where's the fitness and fatloss relevance, I hear you say? Well, it's all to easy to turn to junk foods when you've had a hard (and cold) day on the water and most windsurfers feel the need for junk to keep their energy up. A lot of the guys (and it is a very male dominated sport) can get away with it, but I know I have to keep my nutrition tight regardless of the activity I do (and squeezing into a tight wetsuit on a regular basis is enough to give anyone a complex...) so I make sure I arrive well prepared and make sure that my healthy fare is sustaining and delicious enough to keep me energised and happy!

The picture shows the gorgeous salad I treated myself to while sat on the beach after a great session - a huge mixed salad with chicken and cottage cheese, topped with a dollop of pesto and drizzled with balsamic vinegar, yum. I stored it in a coolbox in the van so it was chilled, fresh & ready for me when I needed it - no queues in busy beach cafes or waiting to be served for me - and no paying through the nose for it either. Trying to eat healthily in cafes when you are as hungry as you are after a day on the water is a nightmare, too. As you can see, it may be a salad but it is certainly a lot more than you would ever get served in a restaurant (it's a v. big container!).

A win-win situation I think... As it is if you do the same and prepare your lunch to take to the office - if you have a tub of salad this big you can split it into 2 or 3 to keep you energised throughout the day (as recommended by Simon Lovell in his Lunch Box Diet).

This is part of a 'no excuses' strategy that I use myself and recommend to my clients. If you set your mind to it you can find ways to outfox all the fat-loss obstructing hazards that are always lurking somewhere and get awesome results. If you want to find out more then make sure you sign up to my mailing list using the form at the top of the page!

Precision Nutrition Tip of the Week by Dr. John Berardi: Fish Oil Rules

Fish Oil Rules by Dr. John Berardi:

"I consider fish oil to be an essential supplement for fat loss. Data from the University of Western Ontario shows that fish oil supplementation increases lean body mass (during non-dieting conditions), increases BMR (by up to 400kcal/day), decreases inflammation, and improves the ratio of fat/carb oxidized (sparing carbs, burning fat). Recommended dose: Start with 6-10g per day of total fish oil (assuming 30% EPA and DHA)."

SEE ALSO: This tip is sponsored by Precision Nutrition - my pick for the best nutrition and supplement resource currently available. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want - guaranteed.

Order Precision Nutrition now and get $50 off!

Vince Del Monte Interview

Vince just sent me this email and I thought I'd share it with you guys. As with the Mike Geary / Truth About Abs interview, audios are a great way to transform otherwise 'dead time' into a highly productive learning experience!

"Lately I've been getting interviewed almost 3-4x a week and the questions are usually the same thing you've already heard me talk on.
But after 60 minutes I WAS UTTERLY IMPRESSED with the conversation that just went down and the depth of information that Jim Katsoulis sucked out of me.
This call is not for you if you just want me to preach on reps, sets and rest periods...... this is by far the most honest and revealing interview into my private life, my mindset and belief system. Don't worry... if you listen carefully you will learn a few gems that that make you "that guy" or "that girl" at your gym that turns heads!
We go pretty deep here... so get ready for the ride!
I really WANT you to hear this call. Especially if you're struggling with motivation and getting your physique to the next level.
Click here to listen to the interview: http://www.theelitebody.com/liveteleseminar/
I believe Jim is letting you listen to the call for free and then there will be a fee - download it now and listen to it before your next workout."

Jim is running a teleseminar series called 'The Elite Body' with a tremendous line up of speakers - check it out at this link: The Elite Body Teleseminars

The Truth About Abs - Interview

If you want to make a boring trip to work or round the shops a little more inspiring then check out this interview: Mike Geary shares his tips for getting six pack abs and losing stubborn belly fat faster than you'd imagine* (while still enjoying delicious food and having a LIFE!). Just save it to your MP3 player and transform a queue into a classroom!

http://www.truthaboutabs.com/lose-fat-get-flat-abs-audio.php

*the fat, not the tips, going faster than you'd imagine...

Could It Be Magic?

I have just signed up for Dax Moy's Magic Hundred programme and I'm so excited! I was listening to an interview with him as I was driving yesterday and was so inspired I decided to sign up as soon as I got home.

Essentially, it involves setting 100 goals and taking action towards achieving those goals over the next 100 days. I've seen the programme before but always let the 'realist' or the 'doubter' in my mind stop me actually doing it, by telling me I couldn't possibly achieve 100 things in such a short time span! I literally let the opportunity pass me by as I couldn't face the idea of facing my goals head on, I guess fear of failure made me ignore it and carry on as I was. Listening to the interview was enough to inspire me - even if you don't achieve all you set out to at least you are a whole lot further down the road than you were when you started!

It's not so much a goal setting exercise, more a goal getting exercise. These don't need to be 'SMART' goals in the normal sense - you are encouraged to think big, not limiting yourself to ones you think are 'Achieveable' or 'Realistic' - but the ones you think right now are pipe dreams - you will surprise yourself, I'm certain of it!

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm rapidly approaching 30 and want to get there being able to say I've achieved certain things, but life can so easily just cruise on (July already?!) and you realise you've not found the time for all those plans. This has come at an absolutely ideal time for me - I have 120 days of my 20s left! I almost didn't get it straight away, as I have a few other projects going on at the moment and thought I'd complete those first, but then realised that was pure prevarication, so bit the bullet and took action number one and signed up.

I am going to get all my private clients to sign up to the programme as I want to share my goal-getting journey with them, and I would love it if all you you guys did too! You can even create a Magic Hundred Blog and share your progress. I'll be charting my progress here!

Come and join me on my journey!

Recipe of the Week - Something for the Weekend!

Well, we can hope for some more glorious sunshine this weekend, and if so, a BBQ may well be on the cards for some of us, so a few recipes to help you make it a healthier experience!

Low Fat Houmous
1 tin chickpeas
200ml fat free / low fat plain yoghurt
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
100ml lemon juice

Blend in a blender, you may want to adjust the proportions to taste and add black pepper and Sel de Guerande unprocessed sea salt...

Serve as a starter with carrot, celery, peppers, cucumber etc. or add a blob to your burger or salad rather than mayo! Yum...

Spicy Peanut Sauce
Generous tbsp Peanut Butter
50 ml Water
2 tbsp Lime juice
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tsp Lime zest
1/2 tsp Garlic
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Thai chili paste

Mix by hand if you want to keep it chunky (using crunchy PB rather than smooth...) or blend. Great smeared onto chicken before you BBQ or used as a dip...

Mayonnaise Style Dressing
150ml low fat yoghurt
1 tbsp herb mix: dill, parsley, basil, thyme.
1 tsp finely chopped shallots or spring onions
1 tsp roasted garlic paste or a chopped clove of garlic
1 tsp capers
1 tsp whole grain mustard

Combine in small bowl and whisk or shake. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days so use whatever's left to turn tuna into a healthy version of tuna mayo - be inventive!

Turkey & Apple Burgers
450g ground turkey breast (can also use lean mince)
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
5 mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
Clove garlic, chopped
1/2 apple, finely chopped or grated
1tsp lemon juice
1 egg
1/2 tsp Sel de Guerande unprocessed sea salt
Black pepper to taste

Heat the coconut oil and fry the onion until brown, then add the apples and mushrooms and stir-fry for another 4 minutes.

Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Form into patties and chuck on the barbie! Should be about 6 minutes each side - the burgers are done when the juice runs clear after being pierced with a fork.

You can really be inventive with burgers - no need to buy the pre-frozen ones that have loads of added junk. Use lean mince and add an egg and then any herbs and spices you like (a bit of Marmite or mustard adds a great little kick - my boyfriend's secret ingredients I believe!)

Act The Part

I've just been listening to a fab audio interview with Siren from American Gladiators. The interview is available at http://www.midyearresolutions.com/siren/ and well worth listening to. She has a pretty inspirational story and had loads of motivating advice to share. One of the things I really liked was her point about believing you are already successful in your chosen goal and then acting the way you would if you were already there, which makes actually getting there for real a lot easier and more likely.

Just moments earlier I was listening to a Vince Del Monte interview where he said pretty much the same thing - it's so important to 'Act the Part' when you are striving for something. He reminds his clients that if they want to build muscle or get 6 pack abs you have to eat and train as if you're already there. This has a double effect of creating the right behaviours as well as creating a positive mindset and meaning you are more vividly visualising the end result. He also suggests, as many do, that you should surround yourself with people who are where you want to be - if you want to be succesful, surround yourself with successful people - their habits and success will rub off on you!

I love the Mid-Year Resolutions concept and it's certainly got me thinking about what I planned to achieve this year and reminded me there's only 5 months left in which to do it... I'm going to be 30 at the beginning of November and there's a lot I want to have done by then, too, so this has been a great gentle reminder that there is still time, but action is needed now!