Do You Exercise On An Empty Stomach?

I think it is safe to say that we all want the most out of our morning workouts. For many of us that means firing up our metabolism and burning fat, which are two benefits of getting the heart rate up. I also believe it is safe to say that a lot of us think that if we do not eat before working out, we will burn more calories..  I know I used to believe this.

Do you think its beneficial to run on an empty stomach? Does it burn more fat and fire up the metabolism to skip breakfast?

NO! This is a long held fitness and weight loss myth. While it seems like it should be true, that if you have no food to fuel your body, your body will burn fat straight away, but this is not true.

Make sure to fuel up in the morning for maximum fat burning effect!

Here’s Just a quick explanation of how it all works. The main fuel of your body during exercise is glycogen, which is carbs that have been broken down and stored in the liver and the muscles – but you cannot store much. After sleeping, your glycogen stores in your liver are depleted by as much as 80 percent. When you wake up and begin exercising, once you have burned through all the stored glycogen your body begins to use muscle tissue to fuel your movements. This is by some evolutionary trick, since muscle takes more energy to preserve and fuel compared to fat, the body uses it for fuel to create less of an energy need. So by exercising on an empty stomach you could be actually losing muscle.

If you are planning on working out, doing cardio or strength training, you MUST eat something before you do! Carbs preferably. A banana is a great option! I do understand that some of you don’t like eating breakfast, but I can’t stress to you enough how important it is that you do. You can’t run a car on an empty tank, it’s exactly the same as a person. We need our fuel so we can work to the best of our ability. Something as small as a banana or even a piece of toast in the morning before a workout can make a world of difference, and you will be able to push yourself that much more without flaking out.  Too many clients are training on empty stomachs which are leading to dizziness, not being able to finish a whole training sessions and in turn their fitness is not improving.

I never used to eat breakfast, but now I seriously cannot start the day without a huge breakfast! It is my favourite meal for the day. I know your always hearing people say “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, but it actually is the most important meal! I really believe this!

So please guys start your day off healthy with a bite to eat and plenty of water before you start your training, it won’t take long to get in the habit of having breakfast every morning before your session, in no time you won’t even think about having to eat breakfast, it will just be part of your morning routine and you will be thinking “How did I ever skip this amazing meal each day?”

Introducing PerFit’s Newest Staff Memeber- Cat Madden

Hi there!

My name is Cat Madden, and I’m the newest staff member at PerFit Health and Wellness.

I’ve been working at PerFit Health and Wellness for the past 4 months and loving it!! I used to be a dental technician but took a 180 in my career direction and looked towards fitness.  I have coached girls rowing crews for the last 3 years and absolutely love it! I took this job because I need to be around fun and energetic people.  So by combining my experience with coaching rowing and my love for helping people, I studied and got qualified as a Personal Trainer! The best choice I have ever made!

So, enough about the boring background stuff, here’s some random facts about me!

I have 2 sisters, one older one younger.

I LOVE music festivals.

My favorite healthy food is Golden Delicious apples

My favorite naughty food is lollies……any jube lollies!

I love watching Antique Roadshow

I laugh when I see people fall over (but not in the studio!)

People always comment on my upbeat personality

I seriously can’t touch polystyrene without getting queasy and shivering

I can’t wait to go sky diving! I’ve been booked in for 4 months but it keeps getting canceled due to bad weather!

So that’s me in a nutshell. I can’t wait to share my health and fitness tips with you (along with any other quirky stories I think you might like)

Talk to you soon!

Cat

Sue Drops 11.6kgs of fat and wins Body Balance Contest!

After nearly not turning up to the initial welcome session, Sue Morna lost 11.6kgs of fat and 55cm from her body to win PerFit Health and Wellness’ first ever Body Balance Contest. Sue was the unanimous winner, claiming the $700 cash prize but most importantly, a brand new body and a new outlook on life!

“8 weeks ago I felt very lazy, unhealthy and really couldn’t be bothered doing anything. I decided to take part in the Body Balance Challenge because I was sick of feeling fat & unhealthy and not being able to muck around with my teenage kids.” Sue explained when looking back on her decision to make the most important change in her life.

“When I first started I doubted myself a great deal. I didn’t know if I could juggle a healthy lifestyle, work and kids. I started to notice my clothes had started to sit differently than before and I also had more energy. The results kept me going and knowing that, I felt better.”

During the Body Balance Contest, Sue (along with all other contestants) was guided through the 8 weeks with a combination of personalised 1-on-1 coaching sessions to address nutrition and exercise needs and group educational sessions which served as an opportunity to learn and help each other along the way.

“I loved the nutrition coaching. It definitely made eating correctly easier. The meal plans were fantastic. It was far from dieting and so easy to follow. The best thing I about it was the variety and amount of food I got to eat. We were even given a weekly shopping list. I couldn’t believe how much food I was eating yet I was losing weight. Go Figure?!” Sue exclaimed.

Sue found the group coaching sessions to be invaluable when it came to keeping her on track and focused. “The group education sessions were great, I loved it. There was no bitchiness….. which everyone believes there is in contests. It was actually the opposite. We tried to support each other and ask how the others how they had done for the week”

When asked about how she feels about winning the contest, Sue says the money really isn’t and wasn’t the motivating factor. “That (The $700 prize) was just a bonus and everyone was really a winner”

When asked how life had changed for Sue after these 8 weeks she replied with a smile “Now I walk with my head help high, especially after seeing the before and after photos….Ive got a bounce in my step now which I never had. My confidence has definitely lifted and even other people are noticing the difference and are just blown away.”

Sue passionately expressed for anyone else out there wanting to make a change in their health and fitness, getting started is the hardest part. “At the very start of the contest I thought to myself ‘I don’t know if I can be bothered (turning up to the meeting)’, and that’s the problem…you get yourself into such a rut. You just need to kick yourself up the butt and say ‘No, I’m going to do this’” Sue emotionally explained. “You may hit speed bumps along the way but the fact you’ve got the ball rolling means you’ve got your motivation and momentum up to overcome them.

In the following weeks a brand new 8-week body balance contest will be starting which Sue whole heatedly advocates all to register for. “I loved all 8 weeks of the contest with PerFit and can’t recommend it enough. If you have been looking to make a change in your health and are on the fence about it, stop finding excuses and do it now. There is no better way”.

For more information about the upcoming Body Balance Contest and to register, visit

www.BodyBalanceBallarat.com.au

and start your transformation today!

Personal Trainer Ballarat PerFit- Top 5 Winter Exercise Tips

Maria Wins Your Best Body Challenge!

After 10 weeks of dedication, Maria Hartwich was the unanimous winner of the Ballarat “Your Best Body” contest, claiming over $2,400 in prizes. Maria lost over 15kgs of fat and saw her quality of life improve drastically as a result.

Local fitness/weight loss expert and creator of the contest, Julian Gaylor of PerFit Health and Wellness says that Maria’s transformation is great inspiration and motivation to others. “Maria’s transformation is testament to how regular exercise and sensible eating is all you need to see great changes in the body. Dangerous weight loss pills and extreme dieting is never the answer”.

Gaylor’s Your Best Body Challenge is part of the fitness and weight loss contest phenomenon started by the hit TV show, The Biggest Loser.  “That show really focused the nation’s attention on the benefits of participating in a contest, guided by certified personal trainers, in terms of the motivation and accountability necessary for success,” explains Gaylor. “It’s difficult to lose weight on your own. Anyone who’s tried and struggled knows that – and unfortunately, that’s the majority.”

All entries were judged by Gaylor, his staff and all sponsors. Both Perfit Health and Wellness and major sponsor Gems and Jewels have generously awarded Maria $1,000 gift certificates while Jeanswest , Skin Ski and Surf and Salon Boji have kindly given Maria a new look to go with her new body.  “It’s definitely a town effort,” says Gaylor, “we couldn’t do this without a lot of help.  We’re all very grateful for the way this challenge is being received and look forward to helping a lot of folk lose weight and get into great shape in the near future.”

Visit www.YourBestBodyBallarat.com.au to see the winners before and after pictures.

PerFit Christmas Party

On the evening of Tuesday December 15th we held a night of good food, fun and games at the studio for staff, clients, friends and families that have been involved with PerFit Health and Wellness.

Games involved the “Egg on Medicine Ball” races and water balloon throwing. We also had the drawing of the eagerly awaited “Train the Trainer” contest. Congrats to Scott & Tanya, Dean and Mark & Jess for winning a 1 hour session to train the trainers!

YOUR HOLIDAY SURVIVAL GUIDE

Well it’s that time of year again, things are starting to wind up and the festive season is upon us. Christmas day and New Years is just around the corner and with each coming week there seems to be more and more alcohol and finger food laden parties. Don’t get me wrong, they are great fun and you shouldn’t miss them but if you’re not careful, this holiday period has the potential to ruin your whole year of good work in the gym! Here are some golden rules to follow to avoid sabotaging your progress.

• Get a head start on your holiday fitness

In the few weeks leading up to the holidays, you should really try and ramp up the exercise to give you somewhat of a head start before the festivities hit. Not only will it get you into the routine of exercising, you will be fitter and healthier than usual which means you will have more “breathing space” of sorts to indulge during the holidays.

Secondly, if you really focus on proper exercise and eating well right now, you will be in good habits when things may get a little difficult.

• Don’t get too stressed out! Enjoy yourself!

When it all boils down, the holidays are a time to be happy and relax a little. If you worry too much about exercise and eating right you won’t enjoy yourself during this period. You need to accept the fact that your diet and exercise habits might not be perfect over this period and not to stress about it. In a month’s time when you are back into the swing of it all, it will just be a distant memory. Being mentally relaxed is also a big part of your health and wellbeing so stressing out over missing a session or eating too much every now and then won’t help at all.

• Have a break from work, not exercise

Sure, the holiday period is a time for relaxing and taking it easy but don’t let your exercise routine suffer too much. If you currently exercise 3-4 times a week and all of a sudden drop off to 1 or even 0 sessions each week, not only will your progress slow but you’ll probably find yourself going backwards.

As nice as it is to sleep in and then “veg” out all day, getting to the gym or even exercising outside for 30-60 mins 3 days a week will go a long way to helping you maintain your health and fitness levels. Did you know that exercising for an hour 3 times a week is less than 2% of your whole week? Its not the much at all, is it ?You’ll also get more out of the day as you’ll be more energetic. However if you feel the need to snooze afterwards….at least you’ve earned it!

• Christmas Day survival guide

Christmas day can be worse than other parties as it’s usually an all day event!  Here are some quick pointers to help you out.

-          If you eat from a smaller plate you will not eat as much as in your mind will still be eating a full plate (or two….or three!).

-          Eat lean meats such as turkey and chicken instead of pork and ham.

-          Cut back on the trimmings such as gravy and other sauces.

-          Instead of snoozing on the couch, participate in the game of backyard cricket or whatever game the family is into. If there is no game going, start one!

• Improvise on vacation

If the gym is your soul outlet for exercise, when you go away during the holidays you may be limited as to what you can do so it’s time to improvise. Getting outdoors and doing some cardio work such as running, cycling or swimming can be a great change of pace. You can still get a good resistance work out in without machines and free weights. You can do body weight exercises such as push ups, squats, dips, lunges, chin ups etc. If you have advanced to a point where you need more resistance you could fill a backpack and put it on your back while doing these exercises. You can also use suitcases and bags as makeshift weights and dumbbells. You’re only limited by your imagination!

If you are interested in getting some ideas for exercise programs you can do over the holidays when you are away, getting involved in our men’s only or women’s only boot camps may be just what you need. You will learn some great exercises that don’t require a lot of equipment to help maintain your fitness while not in the gym.  Check them out at www.BallaratBootCamps.com

• Don’t let the parties poop your progress

I’m all for letting my hair down and having fun at Christmas parties. It is the silly season after all isn’t it? The problem comes when you have multiple BIG parties where you over indulge on the alcohol and nibbles. It’s quite easy to consume 3-4 times your daily calorie allowance at one party (that’s not including the rest of the day’s food either!). Let’s put that into perspective- Let’s say you had 3 big parties where you really let yourself go. You would have consumed up to, or even more than 12 days worth of calories (most probably coming from sugar and saturated fat). Hypothetically (PLEASE DON’T DO THIS) you would have to not eat for the next 12 days just to counteract the damage.

To minimise the effects of these parties, make sure to exercise earlier in the day. You should also eat a good meal before going to the party. This will mean you have already filled up on good food and won’t be nibbling on junk at the party. You should also plan to only have 1 or 2 big parties and pace yourself or don’t drink at all at the others. Not only will your body thank you, but you will save money and chances are you won’t be the one doing something embarrassing!

I hope you all have a relaxing holiday period and this article will help you to maintain your health and fitness over this time. If you have any questions or would like some help in other areas, feel free to book a consultation at the top of the page!

Transform your body and win over $3,000 in prizes!

Hi Folks,

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I’m not kidding. Take a look right now, you’ll be glad
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Here’s the scoop…

I’m running a contest. It’s called the “Your Best Body
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not valuable. This is the fastest way to lose weight,
drop dress or pants sizes, transform your body and
look and feel better than you have in years…in just
10 short weeks.

If thats not enough enticement, there will be prizes…BIG
PRIZES. Along with PerFit, local Ballarat businesses have
donated over $3,000 worth of amazing prizes for the winners

There’s just something about contests/challenges like
“Your Biggest Loser” and others that really get folks
motivated to do more and be more, faster than they
would otherwise.

This is a great way to challenge yourself, with our
help, and it won’t cost you a cent (just a small, one-
time $10 donation to The Ballarat Cancer Research Center,
a great local Charity here in Ballarat).

I’m doing this to get more local folks the help they
need to get the body they want…and to raise much
needed funds for The Ballarat Cancer Research Center
So it’s a winner all the way around.

Take a look here for all the details, and to get my
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nutrition program for you to follow with or without our
help.

Just go here:

www.YourBestBodyBallarat.com.au

To your health, fitness and best body,
Julian Gaylor
PerFit Health and Wellness

P.S. Even if you’re not interested, I’d greatly
appreciate it if you’d forward this to all your
friends, family an co-workers in the area. They’ll
appreciate you giving them the “head’s up!

What Favorite Post-Workout Meal?

We all know it’s best to have a healthy snack after working out. Studies have shown that eating a small meal of protein and healthy carbs helps increase the benefits of your workout and speeds up the fat loss process. So what’s your favorite post workout meal?

What Is Your Favorite Exercise?

I was talking with a training client today and we got into an interesting conversation about his favorite exercise.  It was kind of neat learning about his preferences, likes and dislikes.  So I wanted to open this up a bit and ask you… what’s your favorite exercise and why?