Girls Listen Up: How to Keep Your Belly Flat at That Time of Month

Now this one’s for the girls, but don’t you men wander away just yet – what I’m about to tell you could save you having to listen to your partner moan about how fat she feels at that time of month! Just be careful how you go about passing on my suggestions!

I know I’m not the only woman out there who puffs up when I get my period. Let alone a week beforehand; I know it, because every new client who comes to see me tells me all about it!

I mean, really, we do have it a bit tough. Mood swings I can handle (even if everyone around me can’t), but it’s just so frustrating to feel like all the hard work and healthy living was paying off; to even see some definition on your abs…and then BAM! It’s like flipping a switch for some women…overnight you seem to gain not just one but several spare tyres.

Over the years from working on myself and with clients, I’ve come to understand more about how hormones affect us at that time of the month - and after trying and testing just about anything, here’s what works…

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Nutrition & Lifestyle |

5 ‘Flat Stomach’ Exercises To Avoid If You Have A Bad Back

Do you know anyone with a bad back? It’s such a common injury these days that chances are that you yourself have experienced some sort of back pain at some stage or another.

A combination of a sedentary lifestyle and poor diets means that more and more people are prone to seriously injuring their backs, either through doing something innocuous such as picking up the laundry basket or something sports- and fitness-related.

At this time of year many of you will have signed up to join a gym, especially if you’re trying to lose some weight around your middle. Unless you’ve had a personalised fitness program or workout created for you by a qualified professional, then the chances are you could be putting your back at risk in your quest for a flat stomach - especially if you already have a niggle in your back.

Here are 5 exercises you should avoid if you have a bad back of any sort… Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Exercises & Workouts, Five Things |

How To Motivate Yourself When You Can’t Get Started On Your Flat Stomach Plan

Do you find that when it comes to starting an exercise program the reason why you want to have a great looking set of abs will significantly influence your levels of motivation?

It might not necessarily be a flat stomach on its own that you desire but all the things that come free as part of the package…

It’s those much longed for extras such as pleasant compliments, admiring glances, invitations to go on dates and a chance to wear trendier clothes that will drive you that extra mile on the treadmill, isn’t it?

By the same token, it could be that you’re sick and tired of feeling bloated, experiencing stomach cramps and enduring back pain that you will do anything to stop those symptoms. All these reasons determine your level of emotional investment, and therefore your levels of motivation, in a flat abs program.

Here are some tips to crank up your motivation… Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Five Things |

Is A High Protein Diet Really The Best Way To Keep the Hunger Pangs at Bay?

It’s all well and good to have a ‘Better Abs’ plan and the best of intentions to “eat right”, but what do you do if you just can’t stop thinking about your next meal?

Before I learnt which foods worked best for me, it wasn’t uncommon to be thinking about my next meal when I was still in the middle of the previous one!

A recent US study into popular diets has found that high protein intake may be one of the best ways to keep hunger in check. The study was centred around discovering which foods best suppress ‘ghrelin’ – one of the hormones that makes you hungry.

The study found that proteins were most effective to do this, with fats having little impact at all, and carbohydrates only making people hungrier.

Why we’re not so sure… Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Nutrition & Lifestyle, Our Take |