How I Set Goals and Achieve Them

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It can be extremely difficult to make a huge lifestyle change. You have to work hard and be disciplined to break years of bad habits that have been established throughout your life. When I first started getting seriously into health and fitness one of the ways I found it easy to stay on track and measure how well I was doing, was to set myself some clear goals. In fact I still set myself goals on a regular basis so I can continue to grow as a person and achieve what I want in life. Having a goal keeps you focused and means you can track your progress on a regular basis. I thought I would share with you how I set goals for myself to achieve what I want in life.

Be realistic – I’m a big believer in having aspirations & aiming high as long as your goals are realistic and achievable. There’s no point trying to achieve something that is simply unrealistic. For example; I know I am never going to be a professional footballer, so I don’t bother wasting my time trying to be one. If your goals are unrealistic then you will just feel overwhelmed and give up when it all becomes too much. Have big goals but be realistic too about what you can and simply cannot achieve.

Know your potential – It’s important to know your potential and what you are capable of. Too many people look at something they want in life and just simply think “I’ll never be able to do that”. But listen to me, we all have the potential to achieve great things. Choose something that you enjoy and you know is achievable for you. Then go and do what needs to be done to achieve it. If that means changing your hair, losing weight, studying, moving away, whatever it takes you need to be willing to do it if it’s what you really want. Most importantly though remember to believe in yourself.

Find support – It’s so important to surround yourself with a positive group of people who are supportive and caring. Don’t be afraid to tell those closest to you what your goals are and why you want to achieve them. No one has ever achieved greatness by doing it alone, so you shouldn’t have to either. My wife, friends and family have played such a massive role in my journey, so remember it’s okay to ask for help and support. You’ll be amazed at what you can do with a team of great people behind you.

Find an expert – If you have a particular goal and you know someone who has achieved what you want, then go and ask them how they did it. Don’t try and reinvent the wheel when you can find someone who has already got a proven method for reaching your goal. If you don’t know someone personally who has done it, then contact me. It’s great to get support from people as we will know and understand the struggles that you will be going through.

Dream big but plan small – As I said before it’s great to have big goals and dreams but if they are far out of reach then it can be easy to give up when it becomes too hard. So if you do have big goals then break them down into smaller more achievable ones. If you want to run a marathon but have only just started running, then your first goal might be to just reach 10km without stopping as opposed to just aiming for the full 26.2m. When you your goals are broken down to smaller ones then you can celebrate your successes along the way, which will keep you motivated towards the bigger goal. I’d recommend splitting your long-term goal into three. The short-term goal should be between two to four weeks from your start date. This should be more about the ‘process’ of changing your habits and starting your journey. Your medium-term goal should be half-way between your start date and your final goal. That is the perfect time to check progress to ensure you are where you need to be to achieve your overall goal and, if not, make some changes to ensure you will do.

 Track your progress and adapt – Regularly track your progress against your goals and reassess if things aren’t going to plan. I’d recommend splitting your long-term goal into three. The short-term goal should be between two to four weeks from your start date. This should be more about the ‘process’ of changing your habits and starting your journey. Your medium-term goal should be half-way between your start date and your final goal. That is the perfect time to check progress to ensure you are where you need to be to achieve your overall goal and, if not, make some changes to ensure you will do.

You may need to put back the date of your overall goal if things aren’t going to plan, but that shouldn’t worry you. More often than not though, your hard work will be paying dividends and you can be ahead of your target. Just keep trying and keep moving forward.

 

So, when you are planning your goals remember, know your potential, dream big, believe in yourself, do what needs to be done to give you the best chance of success, be adaptable, resilient and keep reaching for those goals.

If you want some help on achieving your goals get in touch and together, let’s make your goals a reality.

 Want to know more?

 Contact me today to ask any questions or book your FREE consultation

 Call me on 07815 044521 or email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com

How to Eat Healthier on a Budget

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One of the biggest challenges I hear from people when they switch to eating a healthier diet is that it’s so much more expensive then what they normally buy. It can feel like a dramatic increase on your food bill, especially for those who aren’t just feeding themselves, but their families too. When you move to more of a whole food diet, consisting of good quality meat and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables it can feel more expensive. And whilst yes, your food bill may go up a little bit at first, I always like to think of it as a long-term investment in your health.

When you are healthier, your body functions better, you are less likely to get sick and you are happier person for it. To me it’s worth the little extra money you need to spend to get healthy. If money is one of those challenges you face, there are some things you can do that will help save on your food costs.

Shop in season – Get to know what fruits and vegetables are in season. Then when you shop try to base your meals around those ingredients. You definitely don’t want to be buying fresh berries in the middle of winter, as you will be paying double. Remember there are lots of fruit and vegetables that can be frozen too. So if something is on special and in season, buy it in bulk and then freeze it for later use.

Reduce your meat intake – If you are a meat eater, like me, this can make up a huge portion of your weekly food budget. By reducing the amount of meat in your meals you can reduce your costs. I’m certainly not suggesting becoming a full vegetarian (as I couldn’t do that myself) but you could try and start introducing a few meat free meals a week. If the thought of that does not go down well you can halve the amount of meat you have in each meal, making a cut of meat last twice as long.

Prepare your weekly meal plan – Every week decide what meals you will be cooking and what key ingredients you can use. Have a look at what’s in season or on offer and create your meals around that. Take your shopping list to the supermarket and be strict with yourself to stick to it. Also don’t go in hungry as that is when we tend overspend and also make some unhealthy choices of foods. If you don’t use up all the ingredients for one meal, see how you can turn them into other deliciously healthy meals for the next few days. Also don’t be afraid of eating leftovers. Make double at night and then you have something for lunch or dinner the next day. Making it far less likely to purchase lunch at work or those takeaways when you aren’t in the mood for cooking.

Store your fresh vegetables properly and organise your fridge – It’s so easy to forget what is in the fridge and sometimes some of the vegetables you buy ends up going off before you use it, simply because it’s stored in the back of the fridge and gets forgotten. Store the food with the shortest ‘best-before’ date towards the front so you know what ingredients you should be cooking with at the beginning of the week before it goes off. Find out the best ways to store your fresh vegetables, as there are plenty of tips and tricks for keeping those ingredients fresher for longer.

Move away from packets and pre-cut food – It can be very tempting to go for the quick and simple pre-cut fruit and vegetables, but these are often far more expensive, just because they have been cut up for you already. Buy the whole fresh vegetables and then pre-cut them yourself. If they are freezable items then buy them in bulk when on special, pre-cut them yourself and store in the freezer for later use.

Buy your fruit and vegetables from a market – As most supermarkets insist on fruit and vegetables that look good, are pre-washed and are often bagged or pre-packed you actually pay more for your fruit and vegetables than you do when buying them from a local market or greengrocers. If you are able to get to a market or greengrocers a couple of times a week you can save yourself a decent amount of money and help local businesses.

Think of your long term health – Yes, it can be hard to see your food bill go up but think of long term benefits you are giving yourself in your new healthy lifestyle. Eating cheap, pre-packed foods that contain all sorts of additives is not a healthy way to eat. This is why I say eating healthier is probably some of the best medical help you can give to yourself and your family in the long run.

 

I hope you enjoyed some of these tips. If anyone has anything they do to save money, I would love to hear them.

Want to know more? 

Contact me today to ask any questions or book your FREE consultation

Call me on 07815 044521 or email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com

Dealing with Negativity is Part of Life

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Failure is one of those inevitable things about life and the sooner you can get used to that the better. We all fail, fall, get knocked back, criticised and knocked down. But the important thing is to not let these hurdles get you down and keep you there. If you really want something you have to keep getting up and keep pushing forward. Every successful person has had to deal with negativity and has failed many times in their life. If you read autobiographies of top athletes or entrepreneurs I can guarantee they will talk about how many times they have failed and how many negative issues they have had to overcome. But they always get back up and come back stronger. So if you want to be successful and you want to make some changes then you also need to learn that failure is not a bad thing, as long as you commit to coming back again stronger.

 

Don’t give up – There have been many times in my life that I felt like giving up. I was widowed suddenly when I was 31 years old. My whole world came crashing down in an instance and there were times when I didn’t know if I could carry on. However, there were two key moments, both linked, that made me realise that I had to come back stronger.

A couple of weeks after I was widowed and I was arranging the funeral details, I wanted to arrange for donations to a charity instead of people giving flowers. I was on the way to a meeting at a local charity to discuss donations when I was waiting to cross a busy road at a crossing. As I was waiting a lorry was driving towards the crossing. For a split second I thought that if I stepped out it would end my pain. The only thing that stopped me was the realisation that I would then be placing more hurt and heartache on my family.

The second moment was when I actually arrived at the charity. The walls of their office was covered in photographs of terminally ill and life-limited children that had been helped by the charity. As soon as I stood there I knew that I should help. The charity, Wishes 4 Kids, offered to set up a fund in my late wife’s name, so that we could track donations and what the donations were used for. This was a way of keeping my wife’s name going for a good cause. Since then, over £50,000 has been raised for the fund by myself, family and friends in a variety of ways.

That will hopefully be the lowest place I will ever be at in my life. Any other knock-backs or failures I encounter can never be as bad meaning I know I can always come back, try again, learn from mistakes and be a better person.

 

Unhappiness can be your motivator – A lot of people I talk to are unhappy with the way they look, being overweight or the ‘wrong’ dress size. My philosophy is that if you are unhappy about something you need to commit to making a change. Get the help of a family member, a friend, or a Personal Trainer to help you with making those changes that will make you view yourself in a more positive way.

I learnt how to become more positive and grateful for the life I have and I decided from then on that I was always going to go for the things I want in life. If I didn’t try, then I wouldn’t achieve anything I wanted. So if you aren’t happy with where you are at now, use that as motivation to push through those boundaries and keep working towards your goals.

 

It’s all about persistence – The difference between actually reaching your goal or not is persistence. Persistence will always beat talent and that’s so important to remember. There are thousands of people out there who are talented at different things but the ones who work the hardest and never give up are the ones who succeed. That theory can also be applied to health, weight loss and exercising. So many times people give up just before they reach their goals, but if you want something enough then just keep going. You will eventually get there. And believe me, when you reach your goal you’ll look back and be so grateful you didn’t give up when things got tough.

 

It’s okay to make mistakes or regress – I have made a lot of mistakes in my life, but the mistakes have all helped me get to where I am now in my life. There have also been times where I have had to take steps back from my training in order to come back stronger. These have been through illness, injury (often by pushing too hard – I have learnt from this) or returning from holidays. This is not a problem and shouldn’t be viewed as such. I am now happy and doing the job I should have been doing years ago, which is helping others to be their best too. If you make a mistake, then learn from it and move on. Don’t sit and dwell on it, use it as something to make you grow and be a better person. Nobody is perfect, so mistakes are totally normal.

 

Believe in yourself – Generally the biggest obstacle standing between you and your goals is yourself. You aren’t going to achieve your goals if you don’t believe you can. Believe in yourself, believe you are good enough, commit yourself, work hard and smart, and don’t throw in the towel if doesn’t come easily. If you fall down, then don’t let any of that negative self-doubt creep in. Don’t ever give up on your goals because you don’t think you can achieve them.

 

The best way to learn and grow is not through our successes, but through our mistakes, failures and knock-backs. Appreciate them because they all add to who you are and who you will be in the future. Changing your life to be more positive, more active and healthier will be one of the best things you’ll ever do. I really can’t stress that enough. Start making those changes now. Nobody is going to do it for you. You need to take control of your life and be who you want to be. It is possible and you deserve it, remember that.

 

Want to know more?

Contact me today to ask any questions or book your FREE consultation

Call me on 07815 044521 or email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com

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Benefits of Exercising Outdoors

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I love exercising outdoors. There is something about breathing in fresh air that helps you push a little bit harder. It’s also a nice change from being in the gym. You really can do a good workout outdoors anywhere, like a park, the forest or even your own garden. My programmes are designed to allow you to get the most out of any workout with minimal or no equipment, so you don’t need to be tied down to a gym membership.

Still need convincing? Well here are just three of the benefits exercising outdoors will give you.  

 

  1. It helps you focus It can get a little crowded at the gym, which also means you can get distracted, comparing yourself to others and how their bodies are. When you take the workout outdoors, you only have yourself to focus on. There also aren’t any mirrors outside, so no more getting distracted with how your hair is looking, how much you are sweating and how you compare to the person stood next to you.

 

  1. Boost your vitamin D levels with the sunshine Whilst you want to be careful exposing yourself to too much sun (not always a problem in the UK) there are many benefits to getting a daily dose of sunlight. When we are exposed to the sun on our skin, it helps our body’s production of Vitamin D3, which is extremely important for bone health and your metabolic function. Just make sure you wear suncream and sunglasses to protect yourself against harmful rays.

 

  1. It saves you money Gym memberships can be costly, especially if you want a Personal Trainer as well, and whilst you do need a gym for more specialised training, you can actually get an extremely good workout with no equipment at all. Think of the hundreds of pounds you could save for the new clothes you can treat yourself to when you achieve that body you have always wanted.

 

Want to know more?

Contact me today to ask any questions or book your FREE consultation

Call me on 07815 044521 or email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com

Healthy Habits You Can Start Today

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Moving over to a healthier lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight. You don’t just wake up one day and you are instantly healthy in everything that you do. It is a gradual process of integrating healthy habits into your daily life. I know it can feel completely overwhelming with where to start when you want to make a change. So instead of trying to change your life completely, start by introducing some healthy habits one by one. They say it takes 17 days (numbers vary and I doubt if there is concrete proof) for a habit to kick in. Start with one or two things first, conquer those and then move on to more. If you really don’t know where to start, read on. I thought I’d share some great healthy habits that are easy to incorporate into your life today and will help set the ball rolling towards a healthier happier life.

  

  1. Get moving in the morning – Exercise in the morning is one of the best ways you can start your day. It gets the blood pumping, kick starts your metabolism, wakes you up and energises you for the day ahead. If you aren’t someone that can get up and do an intense workout first thing, then you should still at least try to get in some form of movement. Even if it’s gentle jog/walk or a yoga session it’s better than doing nothing. Exercising in the morning also puts you in the healthy mind frame for the rest of the day, so you will make healthier choices as the day goes on. If you feel overwhelmed with getting up and doing a one-hour workout, then start by committing to ten minutes of movement each morning. You’ll never notice getting up five minutes earlier so every couple of weeks set the alarm slightly earlier. As the weeks go on you will be able to progressively increase the time exercising. Before you know it you’ll be up and getting a good workout in for an hour or more.

  

  1. Cut ‘added’ sugar – Sugar has to be one of the worst things you can consume when you are looking to lose weight or get healthier. Now when I talk about sugar, I’m talking about the processed kind and not the natural sugars you find in whole natural foods, such as fruit. Processed sugar has no nutritional value to the body and strips nutrients as it passes through the digestive system. It’s called empty calories for a reason. In fact, recent studies have shown that sugar has similar addictive effects on the brain as cocaine. So when you consume it you will want more. Sugar also spikes your insulin levels, which leads to increased fat storage in the body. This is why it’s important to start cutting it from your diet. The bad thing about sugar is it’s in almost every food that we enjoy. Start reading your food labels and become more aware of what foods contain added sugars. Then start to cut those out. Apparently it can be quite intense when you first cut sugar as the body goes through withdrawal symptoms, but once it’s out of your diet you will feel so much better for it.

  

  1. Meal plan and prep – If you want to eat healthy then you need to get organised with your food. One of the weekly habits I have in my life that helps so much, is my meal planning and prepping. Once a week I will work out what I’ll be making, write down my shopping list and then stick to that at the supermarket. Then I spend a couple of hours cooking in bulk so I can have lots of healthy food on hand during the week. It can seem like a lot of work to begin with but the more you practice, the easier it becomes.

  

  1. Get plenty of sleep – Getting a good night’s rest is so important to a healthy lifestyle. When you sleep properly your body is able to function better, not just physically but mentally and emotionally too. Poor sleep can also slow your metabolism, which is why it’s so important to get enough sleep. This amount varies from person to person, but the rule of thumb is that you should not feel tired when you wake in the morning. If you are one to go to bed late because you stay up late watching T.V. or are on social media, start by restricting these things one hour before your planned bedtime. Get yourself into a nightly ritual before bed that will allow you to unwind and get to sleep easily. Things like reading, taking a hot bath, meditation or some gentle stretching can be hugely beneficial to getting off to bed and into a deep sleep more easily.

  

  1. Remove negative self-talk – Being healthy isn’t just about having a healthy body, it’s also about having a healthy mind and outlook on life. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy and put ourselves down so much. The mind is a powerful thing, but like everything, it can be trained to get the outcome we desire. Negative thoughts will often appear when you start something new. That could be exercise or healthy eating. The negative voice will always tell you that you cannot do it. Ask the negative voice this is question; WHY?

 

Why? is the best question you can ask. Every time your negative voice talks, ask it why? Then when it answers, turn that negative answer into a positive. I often encounter this when people start to train. They think that they cannot do something, so I ask them why they think that. If they have a reason (some just answer “I don’t know”) then I try to turn it back around on them again with a positive. Their answer is usually “I’ve never done this before”, to which my positive voice would answer “great, this is new and I’ve never done this before so it’s going to be an achievement once I have finished”.

 

Soon, you will start to believe the positives and the negative voice will start to lose the battle. Once you win this battle your confidence levels start to soar and you will start to notice.

 

Now remember you don’t need to try and do these all at once. Start with one or two, let them become good solid habits in your life and then move on to the next.

 

You don’t just need to stick to these either. Sit down and think about what habits you can create for yourself that will help you achieve your goals. I hope you’ve got some good ideas here of some great healthy habits that you can introduce into your life today.

 

Want to know more?

Contact me today to ask any questions or book your FREE consultation

07815 044521 or martinhulbertpt@gmail.com

It’s Okay Not Being Perfect

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Don’t be fooled into thinking that some people are happy all of the time. The fact is that nobody is entirely happy 100% of the time. People may have this exterior appearance of looking happy and making out that they never have a bad day but this is rarely the case.

I have experienced people who appear to be the most positive of people and later find out that behind closed doors they’re unhappy and just putting on a brave, public face. Social media (especially celebrities) only amplifies this as people only portray their best version of themselves online. Therefore, we are fooled to think that’s what their lives look like, being blind to what really goes on in private.

Celebrity magazines are also just as bad. If a person puts on a bit of weight, they are chastised for being fat. Then if that same person loses the weight they are classified as too skinny. No wonder most people can never be totally happy. I just try to be as real and honest as I can. If you keep trying to aim for perfection in life, you will continuously be disappointed as you try and reach an unachievable goal.

 Remember we are all human – I think sometimes people care too much about what everyone else thinks of them that they feel the need to hide behind this perception of a perfect life where they pretend like everything is great (keeping up with the Joneses). It’s often not the case. I like to think of myself as a positive, confident person but I can tell you that I don’t feel like that every day. Some days I just want to stay in bed all day, some days are really crap and everything goes wrong. Some days I’m too lazy to train so I have a couple of beers instead. Remember we are all human, with our own flaws and insecurities, so stop thinking that there are people in this world with a “perfect life”. They simply just don’t exist.

 Life has ups and downs – Life is not always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes life is just crap and it’s ok to have “bad days”. It’s just important that you don’t let yourself stay there. In my experience, the longer you stay in a bad place, the worse it gets and you can get stuck. Being in that frame of mind doesn’t do you any good. So if you have a bad day, week or month that’s okay. Just get it out of your system, have a good cry or shout if you want and move on. Life is up and down and you’re going to have some crap days but you’re also going to have days that are amazing which make the bad ones all worthwhile.

 It’s okay to make mistakes – ‘The only bad mistake is one that we don’t learn from’. I’m not sure who said those wise words but they certainly ring true. Making mistakes is a part of life and you need to learn that it’s okay to make them. In fact, mistakes can be used to teach us the greatest lessons and help us grow into better people. If you make a mistake, accept it and see what you can do to learn from it. I’ve made so many mistakes in my life, and still do today, just ask my wife! The important thing is not to let them get to you or make you feel inferior or like a failure. If you make a mistake, accept it, learn from it and move on as soon as you can.

 Speak kindly to yourself – We aren’t perfect and that’s fine. But just because you can’t do something, or you’ve made a mistake make sure you still speak kindly to, and of, yourself. I hear so many people, mainly women, talking negatively about themselves because they are comparing themselves to others and think that they aren’t good enough. If we keep putting ourselves down, then we can never truly reach our potential. We believe what we tell ourselves. I used to be really shy and allowed my head to be filled with self-doubt and negative thoughts. I thought I wasn’t good enough and all I was doing was self-sabotaging my life. My life only began to change when I taught myself the benefits of positive thinking. So please be kind to yourself as much as you can.

 

It’s time to stop aiming for perfection and start realising that we all have flaws, we all make mistakes and we are all human. No matter what appears on the outside there is always a story behind closed doors. If you want to look to people for inspiration forget the celebrities. Look for people closer to home, people who show their real selves, their flaws, their insecurities and all. When you let go of the idea of being perfect, you will find so much more happiness in your life.

Want to know more?

Contact me today to ask any questions or book your FREE consultation

07815 044521 or martinhulbertpt@gmail.com

Exercise Excuses You Need to Stop

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I must say that over the years I have come across many excuses why people can’t workout. It’s amazing what people come up with when they don’t want to do something. In fact, I can remember when I used to make every excuse under the sun why I couldn’t make it to the gym or go out for a run. “I’m too tired”, “It’s boring”, “I can’t be bothered” were all some of the common excuses I used to make. If this sounds like you, here are some of the most common exercise excuses you need to stop today so that you can start working towards your health and fitness goals.

 

I’m too tired – This used to be my go-to excuse when I did not want to go to the gym. Now, I don’t want you running yourself into exhaustion, but if this is a common excuse for you, it’s time to say goodbye. Sometimes we aren’t at our best, but remember, exercising doesn’t have to be perfect for you to get benefits. Showing up and doing something is way better than not doing anything at all. Once you miss one workout, then you are far more likely to fall into the trap of missing the next, and then the next and so on. Did you know exercise can actually help with giving you energy and waking you up? Exercise also stimulates the release of endorphins (your feel-good hormones), so you will often end up feeling better after the workout.

 The gym is too expensive – A gym membership can definitely be expensive, but don’t let that be the reason you aren’t getting fit and healthy. There are plenty of things you can do that doesn’t involve a costly membership. That’s why, with all of my block bookings I give you workouts you can do at home with no or minimal investment in equipment. You can also pick up cheap second-hand equipment if you want to save on costs. I have also plenty of ‘no equipment workouts’ that you can do at home. There are plenty of options for you, that won’t cost an arm and a leg, so don’t let money be an excuse.

 But exercise is so boring – You can love exercise, or you can hate it. It just depends on how you go about it. If you find your exercise boring, and you are using this as an excuse from getting fit and healthy, then it’s time to do something different. Exercise doesn’t need to be boring, or something you find a chore, you just need to find something you enjoy. Perhaps it’s picking up a social sport, or getting a buddy to workout with. Either way, rather than sitting there and saying it’s boring, contact me and we can look for ways you can make it fun.

 I don’t have enough time – Everyone is busy these days. The major difference between someone who exercises and someone who doesn’t, isn’t that they have more time, it’s just that they make time in their day to exercise. If not having the time is your main excuse, perhaps it’s time to sit down and reshuffle a few things in your calendar and start scheduling in some exercise. Exercise doesn’t need to take hours upon hours either. In fact, you can get effective workouts done in 10 to 20 minutes if you need to. Just remember your words of ‘not having the time’ when you are sitting watching tv or spending 30 minutes on social media!!

 I don’t know how to train properly – If you are new to exercise I know it can feel a little daunting. But don’t let something new and unknown stop you from achieving what you want. All experts were beginners once, and everyone has to start somewhere. There are so many different resources online that can help. This is also why I do what I do. I am here to help you with any nutrition or fitness related questions. I want to provide the best support possible to anyone who is interested on getting fitter and healthier so they can have access to all the important information they need to achieve their goals.

I’m worried about being judged by more experienced people – Everybody has to start somewhere and any experienced exerciser, who has been working out for some time, has been a ‘beginner’ too. The thing is, most people who are exercising are too busy with their own workouts to pay attention to what anyone else is doing. So stop worrying about what people will think, and just get started.

I’m not motivated enough – Guess what? You aren’t born with motivation to do something. In fact, motivation is something you actually need to work at on a daily basis. However, not having any motivation is not a good excuse. If the overall task or goal is a bit too overwhelming, break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks. Once you achieve one small thing, then you will feel motivated to keep going, and so and so on. There are days that I don’t want to run or go to the gym, but then I always go back to my goals and remember how good being fit and healthy makes me feel.

 

So no more excuses! Now is the time to get fit and healthy and become the best person you can possibly be.

Want to know more?

Contact me today to ask any questions or book your FREE consultation

07815 044521 or martinhulbertpt@gmail.com

How to Save Time with These Food Preparation Ideas

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One of the most important factors in getting that body you want is maintaining healthy food choices. Some people can get put off by having to prepare vegetables each day for lunchtime or evening meals. This can then lead to reaching for packaged meals or dialing for a takeaway. However, if you plan well and are prepared to spend some time once a week doing smart food preparation you will be setting yourself up for success.

A huge cause of why people end up eating unhealthy food is because they get caught out and hungry with nothing healthy on hand. That’s why if you are prepared, slip-ups are less likely to occur. Whilst preparing food may take a few hours to do in the one go, you will ultimately save on time over the week. That’s because you are doing all the chopping, cooking and cleaning in the one go. I know a lot of people starting out haven’t cooked this way before, that’s why I want to share some of my tips that I do for my weekly meal prep.

Create smoothie freezer bags – I have to admit that I prefer to eat whole foods over making smoothies, especially for breakfast. However, smoothies are a delicious quick snack to have on the go or a healthy alternative to biscuits or cake when sat at your desk. When you are doing your meal prep for the week get some snack sized zip-lock bags and fill them with your favourite smoothie ingredients and put them in the freezer. All you need to do is grab your pre packed smoothie bag from the freezer, add a liquid of your choice, blend and you have a quick healthy snack in a couple of minutes. By using frozen ingredients, it makes your smoothies nice and thick too.

Cook in bulk – There are quite a few meals that you can cook in bulk that will stay good in the fridge for a few days or you can freeze for meals later. Things like curries, stews and soups are all great freezer meals as they are easy to cook in bulk. I often buy minced meat in bulk and cook up a whole saucepan of it. Once cooked it can be split into Tupperware dishes and frozen for use another day. The joy of this is that when you come to use it you can make a Bolognese, chili or cottage pie (topped with mashed sweet potatoes or butternut squash). Slow cookers are also great for cooking soups, stews and curries. You can simply chop all your ingredients, add them to the slow cooker with your flavourings and liquid in the morning, leave it for the day and then come back to a nutritious home-cooked meal after work.

Eat your leftovers – If you don’t have time to do a big bulk meal prep session then when you do get time to cook make extra, so you can have leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. It’s all about making smart use of your time, so if you are going to the trouble of cooking, then you may as well cook a few meals in the one go. Now before you roll your eyes at having to eat leftovers, remember that’s it’s far better to eat the same healthy meal a few times, then it is to fall off the wagon when there is nothing healthy on hand.

Chop your vegetables in bulk – When you move to a healthy diet that doesn’t come out of a packet then you will find that there is a lot more time spent chopping vegetables. So whilst you are spending the time chopping them you may as well do it in the one go. I usually do this while an evening meal is cooking, making use of the time I would previously have spent leaning on the worktop checking Facebook. You can chop your vegetable sticks for snacks and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge (carrots and celery are my favourites). I know that the vegetables I buy will last over a week in the fridge once chopped and stored. If you are making stir fries, chop all your vegetables and then store in serving sized snap lock bags. You can either keep these in the fridge or freezer and are ready to go for when you need that quick meal. You just need to add your protein and sauce to the pan and you have an instant quick dinner and something that is far better for you than takeout.

Get good storage – If you haven’t realised already from all of these tips, you are going to need containers and room in the fridge to store all the food you are making. If you can, try and get containers that are serving sized so you don’t overfill them and overeat. Other handy things to have in the cupboards for meal prep are zip-lock bags (for your smoothies, vegetables and freezer meals, meats and fish).

Save money by wasting less – Somebody once told me that they didn’t like to prepare food in advance as they didn’t want to waste food. They preferred to eat ‘what they felt like’. Now, either that means that they shop every day for their daily food, or they take their daily food from their fridge or freezer on a daily basis. Shopping on a daily basis can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to healthy eating, especially if you had a habit of previously making poor food choices. Being in a supermarket when hungry can often lead to buying packaged, processed foods.

If you are taking food from the fridge or freezer on a daily basis, then having prepared the foods in advance will save time when it comes to cooking.

I’ve been preparing food in bulk for a few years now and I can honestly say that I waste less food now than I ever did before. I have vegetables in plastic dishes for the week, ready to be cooked and I can dip into the freezer at any time for meat or fish for the following day.

 

I know all of this can seem like a lot of work to start with but remember why you are doing it and that big changes don’t come easy. Once you start cooking this way, you will soon get in to a habit and I promise it gets a lot easier as time goes on. There is so much truth in that saying “by failing to prepare you’re preparing to fail”.  Remember by having quick instant healthy meals on hand you are less likely to fall off wagon and grab a takeaway when you run out of time. If you can use some of these tips, then you will be well on your way to getting the results you want.

Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation

Call me on 07815 044521 or email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com

Martin Hulbert

Personal Trainer & Running Coach Leicestershire

A Balanced Eating Guide and What I Eat in a Day

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I don’t really follow a defined way of eating. I am not a vegetarian (far from it if I am honest), nor do I eat a paleo diet. I do not eat low carb, low fat or low sugar. What I do ‘aim’ to eat on a daily basis is a balanced selection of ‘whole’ foods.

You will notice I have written ‘aim’. It is my intention to eat mainly whole, unprocessed foods but I am the same as everyone else, I do like my treats; and I will eat my treats. What I won’t do though is binge.

I believe balance eating is about feeding your body with the right nutrients it needs to look and feel great. It is not about a cheeseburger in each hand!!!

There are so many different ‘diet’ theories around and it can get be overwhelming to understand what you should and shouldn’t eat. To help you out a little I’m going to share with you some of my guidelines around healthy eating and a look at what I eat in a typical day.

My balanced eating guide:

Clear out the processed foods First of all to understand what are ‘whole’ foods, it’s good to get an understanding of what food should be cut out of, or minimised in your everyday eating. Personally, I stay away from as much packaged and processed food as possible. I steer clear of foods that are high in sugar and try to minimise ‘white carbs’ like white pasta and white bread (these are usually more processed than the ‘brown’ versions). The more processed a food is, the more likely it will be bad for you. If it has an ingredient list a mile long and you don’t recognise the ingredients as a food source, then it’s probably best to stay away. Also, look at what added sugars and additives have been put in the food. So much food that is marketed as ‘healthy’ has all sorts of added extras that are not only bad for your waistline, but also your overall health.

Ditch the diet I’m a firm believer that ‘diets’ aren’t a good approach to your health and fitness goals. I see so many people go on major deprivation diets, giving themselves metabolic issues, only to put the weight back on after they return to normal eating. My belief is about finding a healthy way to eat that is sustainable over the long term. If you don’t totally deprive yourself of foods, but instead have a little bit every now and then, you can enjoy a balanced diet without feeling as though something is missing. If weight loss is your goal, then make sure you are eating in a way where are losing weight at a healthy rate, but still providing your body with the right nutrients it needs to fuel your body and brain.

 Eat whole foods Focus on eating foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Most of the foods that I buy are not packaged. These include meats and fish that are from the fresh counters of a butcher/fishmonger (although most supermarkets have these as well), fresh fruit and vegetables and nuts, seeds and grains in (or as close as possible) to their natural state. My daily meals are generally made up of lean meat like salmon or chicken, lots of vegetables like dark leafy greens, complex carbs like sweet potato, brown pasta or brown rice, nuts and seeds with some fruit. I will also eat when I’m hungry so I don’t deprive myself.

 Eat protein Protein isn’t just for bodybuilders and is an essential nutrient to include in every meal. Your body needs protein to repair and refuel its muscles, making it even more important to eat when you are exercising. As protein is denser than carbs you will usually feel fuller for longer by eating a balanced amount of protein rich foods. Always make sure your protein is from a quality source like lean meat, fish, legumes and free-range eggs.

 Don’t be scared of carbs I say ‘carbs are not your enemy’ to people all the time. There is this total myth that carbohydrates make you fat. You need eat carbohydrates, in as close to their unprocessed-self as possible, so your body can absorb protein and you can build lean muscle. The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn. In addition, carbohydrates are essential for our body and brain to function properly. However, not all carbohydrates are created equal and it’s important to eat complex carbohydrates like brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, butternut squash and oats. Stay away from simple carbs like white bread, white pasta and sugary snacks.

 Fat will not make you fat Fats are essential for your body, brain and organs to function properly. Fat also helps rebuild cells, gives you energy and produces fat-burning hormones. That’s why it’s an essential nutrient to include in your daily diet. Especially when you are doing extensive exercise and your body requires ‘longer-lasting’ fuel. However, you need to make sure you are eating the good kind of fat that comes from whole foods like salmon, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. Try to keep an eye on saturated fats and cut out foods containing trans fats.

 

My typical day of eating:

Breakfast At the moment my breakfast is usually porridge oats, peanut butter (made from 100% peanuts) and 200ml of semi-skimmed milk. I will add a dash (less than 1g) of dark cocoa powder to give it a chocolatey taste.

If I have exercised I will also drink a glass of semi-skimmed milk to add a few more grams of protein and help me hydrate.

Morning Snacks A banana, an apple and a selection of celery and carrots. If I did more than an hour of exercise I may also include a small bag of crisps to help replenish salts (and crisps are something I would binge on if I didn’t have a small bag every now and again).

Lunch This week has been two eggs cooked in a frying pan together with a selection of vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus and carrots), a quarter of a chopped chilli and half of a clove of garlic. I may also add mushrooms and a bit of stilton cheese to add a bit of taste.

Afternoon Snacks A banana and a homemade flapjack (I’ll post the recipe soon)

Dinner Dinner varies but usually consists of meat or fish, carbs and vegetables. For instance, tonight I am cooking salmon with brown rice, a mixture of vegetables and a homemade tomato and chilli sauce.

For those of you who lead a busy life (don’t we all), this will take approximately 20-25 minutes to cook and that is due to the rice. While the rice is simmering the sauce will be made (more than is needed tonight as the rest will go into tubs and into the freezer for use another day) and the salmon and vegetables cooked in the last 10 minutes.

Evening Snacks I always have a snack in the evening as I don’t like to have my main meal too late. At the moment I am having two squares of dark chocolate. Once again I do like my chocolate so by having a couple of squares most nights stops me binging.

Now I would say that I mainly eat ‘whole’ foods and have a balanced diet between proteins, carbs and fats (in the peanut butter and stilton cheese) and the fruits and vegetables I eat. I have my treats when I feel I want them as I know my food choices, in the main, are ‘whole’ foods. I do not get hung-up on thinking “I can’t eat that”.

Remember, to be your best you need to feel your best, which means you need make sure you are fuelled with wholesome nutritious food. Once you start eating this way and feeling great, your body will continue to crave more good food, making it easier to stay away from the processed and the packaged.

 

Want to know more?

Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation

Call me on 07815 044521 or email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com

Martin Hulbert

Personal Trainer & Running Coach Leicestershire

Fitness Ideas For When You Are Short On Time

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When it comes to getting fit and staying fit there are no shortcuts. To get a lean toned body, you need to be consistent and prepared to work hard. However, sometimes life gets a little hectic, the jobs pile up and all of a sudden you have missed an entire week of exercising. We have all been there, including me. However, there are a few things you can add into your daily routine for when your life gets a little too busy that can help you stay fit. Here are 3 fitness shortcuts for when you are short on time.

Introduce the 10-minute workout If you cannot find time to go to the gym and complete and full workout, an idea is to introduce a quick ten-minute workout to your day. Everybody can find a spare ten minutes, even if it’s in your lunch break. It’s really amazing how many calories you can burn in a short space of time. In order to burn calories and get your body into fat burning mode, you need to get your heart rate right up. This style of training can also be called interval training or more widely known as HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). So dedicate to ten minutes, but give it absolutely all you have got.

Sneak in more cardio You don’t need to go for a run for an hour to get cardio into your day. Look at ways you can add small amounts of cardio into your day, that will add up over time. Park your car further away from work or the shops, take the stairs instead of the lift, and get up and walk around as much as possible, even if it is when you are talking on the phone. These are all small changes you can add into your daily routine, so that whilst they may not feel like much, they are a great way to burn more calories, without committing to hours of running.

Do super sets One of the best ways to maximise your time for optimal results, is start incorporating supersets into your weight training. To do a superset, you pick a muscle group you want to target, and then do a few different exercises for that muscle group, with no rest in between. For example, if you wanted to work legs, you could do deadlifts, squats and walking lunges. Once you have gone through one round of each exercise, repeat a few times. Not only do supersets cut down your workout time, they also keep intensity levels high, helping you burn more calories and ultimately body fat.

Want to know more?

Contact me today to ask any questions or to book your FREE consultation

Call me on 07815 044521 or email me at martinhulbertpt@gmail.com

Martin Hulbert

Personal Trainer & Running Coach Leicestershire