The Fast Diet & Intermittent Fasting…

Heard of the Fast Diet?

It uses Intermittent Fasting…what is that?

Well alot of people are talking about it (been around for ages) and essentially means you fast by eating around 500kcals for 2 days a week and then eat normally for the remaining 5 days a week. I have witnessed people lose weight successfully (cannot comment on sustainably) whilst following the Fast Diet and it seems logical that a restriction in calories for two days in a week will deliver weight loss as well as limit the possibility of your weightloss ever stalling.

Once apon a time we said “don’t ever skip a meal as your metabolism will slow” but now we say “sure skip a meal in fact  skip a couple” because the action of doing so will stop your metabolic rate from dropping in response to your reduced calories.

BUT what about the claims of increased lifespan and reduction in the possibility of developing cancer?

Keep open minded and read on to make up your own mind about the latter claims and understand more about why the former claims are now valuable practices. http://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting/chapter-1

Enjoy!

Rachel Benton

East Wing Fitness Studio

info@rachelbenton.co.uk

http://www.rachelbenton.co.uk

1:1Fitness Training    Bootcamps   Box n Burn   Yoga/Pilates   Fatburner Classes

Change what you eat….Burn more fat…

Do you know how you can help your body burn more fat by changing what you eat?

We are big fans of early morning workouts and we are now saying it is preferable to do them on an empty stomach that encourage your body to use its fat stores for energy. We didn`t used to say this but we are now as there is growing evidence to support the fat loss benefits of training this way. Our Bedford Bootcamps are especially designed to help you do this by using High Intensity Interval Training and metabolic training methods and that is also the reason why they are at 6am on a Tues and Thurs and 7.30am on a Sun.

I’ve been talking   about your body’s #1 fat-burning hormone, leptin recently and how you
can actually use certain “cheat” foods to boost leptin levels and accelerate fat-burning in your body.

But, what you may NOT know is that raising your leptin levels may be completely WORTHLESS unless you also take steps to improve your sensitivity to leptin.

You see, many people are actually quite insensitive to leptin due to years of high body fat levels and diets full of processed foods. This essentially makes your body unresponsive to leptin, even at high levels…like a car with a full tank of gas and a broken starter.

That said, you can get on the path to heightened leptin sensitivity simply by eating more of this one specific type of food. Knowing that a large consumption of processed foods is one of the main contributors to leptin resistance, you can immediately begin repairing your leptin receptors as soon as today by following this one simple rule:
Apart from cheat days, strive to eat only one-ingredient foods. What do I mean by one-ingredient foods? Simple. A one-ingredient food is a food whose only ingredient is that food:

Tomatoes

Chicken

Beef

Fish

Green Beans

Spinach

Apples

Pears

Cashews

Walnuts

Almonds

Olives

Avocado

Black Beans

Eggs

Yogurt

Cherries

Raspberries

Blueberries

Other foods that fall in to this category? Pretty much any meat, vegetable, nut, seed,oil, beans, or fruit. Unlike pre-packaged processed foods with a laundry list of artificial ingredients and food additives that you can’t even pronounce, all of these foods are whole, natural foods that only contain one ingredient.

And when you begin consuming a diet full of these types of foods–without all the junk–you’ll immediately begin to repair your leptin sensitivity and make leptin even more effective at signaling fat burning to your body.

You can make these changes right now and along side some professional expert training you`ll soon see some results.

Don`t forget to like us on facebook and follow us on twitter because we have some exciting fitness news to tell you really soon and we get enough followers…we`ll tell you all!

All for now

Rachel

info@rachelbenton.co.uk

http://www.rachelbenton.co.uk

Do you want to speed up your metabolism…?

Did you know that your thyroid gland is what regulates your metabolism – the rate at which you BURN FAT?

People with thyroid disorders, such as hypothyroidism, are usually lacking Triiodothyronine (T3), making it very difficult to lose weight. T3 regulates fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism, so it’s a very important hormone for fat loss.

Here are the 3 best ways to increase T3 levels. . .

1. Eat enough calories.
When people go on a diet, they often drop their calories way too low. When your body doesn’t think it’s getting enough food, it lowers its metabolism in order to more efficiently use the food it’s receiving. So, if you go on too drastic of a diet, you actually condition your try to hold on to body fat for “survival.” Make sure you consume enough calories- no less than 1200 for women and at least 1800 for men (though for most, 1600  and 2100 are more appropriate minimums).

2. Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.

In addition to getting enough calories, make sure the foods you choose are rich in nutrients. The efficiency of T3 is impaired if you aren’t feeding your body what it needs to produce it. Selenium, Iodine, and Zinc are required for the production of T3.

Selenium is a trace mineral that is used by the thyroid to produce T3. Foods rich in dietary selenium include: nuts, seeds, bran, oats, and Most all seafood.

Iodine is also a trace mineral that is required for T3 production. Foods containing iodine include: shellfish, beans, sesame seeds, soybeans, spinach, and squash.

Zinc is another trace mineral that is needed for endocrine glands to signal to the thyroid to produce T3. Zinc is in these foods: crab, dairy, chicken, turkey, nuts, and beans.

3. This is the best tip of all…..check out “Roosters” on St Cuthberts St, Bedford for our August Fitness Package:

Chicken Ceasar Salad Wrap

Fruit Salad

Green Tea

all for £4.00

Your fitness Package comes with some great nutritional facts on what you are eating, helping you understand whats hot and whats not in the world of health nutrition and weight  loss. So you really don`t need to be worried about buying in your lunch from your local sandwich shop, just “look left” when you step in Roosters to see what healthy deal we have come up with for you.

Check out http://www.roostersbedford.co.uk/ to know more about this great place in Bedford Town

And don`t forget to check us out to find out what we are doing to help keep Bedford fit http://www.rachelbenton.co.uk/

All for now

Rachel

Roosters and Rachel Benton`s Fitness Package….

Hi all,

There is a little gem of place to grab a coffee or lunch in Bedford “Roosters” on St Cuthberts St.

If like me you are wary of grabbing a sandwich in a cafe for fear of it being heavilly laden with butter, mayonaise, too much bread and not enough filling (the list goes on) you may have walked past Roosters and not stepped in….I urge you to take the plunge into Roosters and sample some of their wonderful deli style sandwiches.

I am also excited to working with Roosters to help busy Bedford folk make a healthy and nutritious lunch choice! Each month you`ll see a new healthy fitness package that will come with nutritional advice and exercise tips…so you’ll learn whats hot about your special lunch…and if you are interested what you`ll have to do to work it off!

From this Monday 6th August you can buy our healthy nutritious fitness package, just check out our board as you walk in to see what we recommend this month.

Our August Fitness Package is:

Chicken Ceasar Salad Wrap

Fruit Salad

& a Green Tea

All for an amazing £4.00

You can call or email your order and they will deliver so you don’t even have to leave the office (although we think you should take the lunchtime walk). http://www.roostersbedford.co.uk

Dosen`t that sound like a good deal?

It  gets even better, if you are currently a client or are attending one of our group fitness sessions we`ll be emailing so you`ll get a tasty 10% discount on your fitness package or any delicious treat you buy in Roosters. Just print the email and take it in to claim your 10% off.

If you want to know more about what we are offering people of Bedford for fitness this year…check us out.

http://www.rachelbenton.co.uk

We have Bootcamps, 1:1 training, yoga, pilates, vibration training and so much more!

All for now

Rachel

PS: Don`t forget to tweet us what you think of your lunch @RachelBentonUK @RoostersBedford

The Weight Loss Myth….

When I first qualified as a PT  it was all about performing enough cardiovascular exercise a week in order to lose weight. This is still true both in terms of health and fitness but not totally so it seems for weight loss, specifically fat loss. Myself and my Bedford Personal Trainers implement a variety of strategies into your training to help you achieve the weight and fat loss you desire, either in our Bootcamps, Corporate Fitness sessions and 1:1 sessions.

Here is something for you to ponder on your weight loss journey…

When it comes to weight loss, specifically fat loss, cardiovascular exercise may be the number one modality individuals use to accomplish that goal. This is very common with women because they think resistance training will make them bulky, and only cardiovascular exercise can make them thinner. Individuals also tend to get caught up in how many calories they use during the workout. Even though cardiovascular exercise can help you to lose weight, it shouldn’t be the only exercise mode you use. I’m about to burst your bubble: it takes more than cardio to successfully lose weight and keep it off. An important factor in any weight loss programme is your resting metabolic rate, which is dependent upon how much muscle you have. The more muscle that you have, the more calories you will burn in a day at rest. Cardiovascular exercise should be an adjunct to an effective resistance-training program, in addition to a sound nutrition program. Here are a few reasons why a cardiovascular program alone will not be an effective weight loss tool.

• Cardio alone can actually reduce you resting metabolic rate. Cardiovascular Exercise performed in excess can be detrimental to muscle. After about 45 minutes, catabolic hormones such as cortisol increases drastically. The negative side effect to this release is that muscle breakdown occurs, which results in a loss of muscle mass over time. As muscle mass decreases, resting metabolism also decreases which puts you at increased risk for re-gaining unwanted fat weight. Yes, you can lose weight by doing cardio alone. However, keep in mind that you are also losing quite a bit of muscle with the fat.
• It does nothing for your body’s shape. Muscle is what makes you appear leaner and tighter. It’s what gives your body shape, for example it gives you the tight butt that you see on your favorite movie stars (the ones who haven’t been under the knife). You will lose weight just doing cardio alone; however, if you had a flabby appearance before losing weight you will have the same appearance when you get to your desired weight goal.
• Your body quickly adapts to cardio. Many times individuals perform steady-state (low-intensity) cardiovascular exercise They get on a treadmill for 45 minutes and barely break a sweat, all while talking on the cell with their friends. They may lose weight for the first few weeks, but then they hit a plateau. They usually end up walking longer or increasing the intensity (but not high enough). Eventually, their body quits responding all together.
• If intensity isn’t high enough, you won’t be burning a lot of fat calories. Many individuals still buy into the fat-burning zone, which is a complete myth. In the fat-burning zone, you burn a higher percentage of fat calories. When you take into account total caloric expenditure, however, you actually use very little fat calories compared to higher intensities. Moreover, caloric expenditure after the workout will not last very long after the workout, compared to an intense resistance training or interval training program.
• Research has shown that performing 45 minutes of steady-state cardio 5 days per week is no more effective than dieting alone for weight loss. Basically, if your doing cardio alone you’re pretty much wasting your time.
• Low-intensity cardio done over a long-duration can lead to injury. This is due to the fact that individuals don’t prepare their bodies to run, and may do too much too soon. Their core and hip muscles are too weak to handle the stress of running and this can lead to knee, lower back, and ankle injuries. One common injury that runners experience is IT Band Syndrome, which is sometimes associated with patellofemoral syndrome. Without some form of resistance training, it will be hard to combat these injuries.

So, what should you take from these facts?

First, you should add resistance training to your weight management program in order to boost resting and post-exercise metabolism, decrease risk of injury, and reshape your body. Next, you should consider other forms of cardio to do such as bodyweight circuits, kettlebell swings, and sprint work. These options are great at boosting metabolism hours after the workout. Running is good to do, but you must progress slowly and mix in other options throughout the week. So next time you want to burn fat quickly, reconsider your strategy!

Rachel

Rachel Benton & Associates

Personal Training  Bootcamps Vibration Training Corporate Fitness

info@rachelbenton.co.uk

http://www.rachelbenton.co.uk

New Bootcamp Beginners Running Club starting…

Hi,

We are so excited to be adding a beginners running club to our existing Ampthill Bootcamp. You can do just the Bootcamp session or combine it with our Running club which means extra results and extra fitness!

It starts June 11th……in Ampthill Park

Grab your FREE taster session for our Ampthill Bootcamp now on 14th June, 21st June and 28th June.

info@rachelbenton.co.uk

We are so pleased to be running these sessions with Run England and the support of GETBACKINTO….

Ask us about it now… http://www.rachelbenton.co.uk

 

New Fitness & Fatloss Bootcamps in Bedford and Ampthill 2012

Bedford and Ampthill Fitness and Fatloss Bootcamps

Our Bootcamps use a specific training method that will fire up your metabolism for 24 hours, and that means a hard, lean, strong and fit body that you can be confident about this Spring and Summer. Our sessions are made for all fitness levels…so don`t be afraid :0)

Don`t forget we will push you to work hard in our fitness sessions but we won`t bully or humiliate you. We want you to feel great after our workouts!

Think about it….if you keep come along twice or even three times a week that is a lot of extra opportunity for your body to lose some inches and shred some fat unwanted fat from your belly, butt and thighs.

You`ll get out what you put in with our workouts so what do you think? We have seen some impressive results already this year and we`d really like to show you how we do it….so that you can keep doing it on your own as well as with a little bit of our help.

Give us a call so we can book you in…

We can`t wait to get started again…

Rachel & Team

t: 07879 614 730

e: info@rachelbenton.co.uk

w: http://www.rachelbenton.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Improve your golf and stay healthy…

Hi all,

Been soooo busy…but the blog is back now!

Here is what I have been doing recently. I have started working with 2 other professionals at Colmworth Golf Club to bring a new dimension to Bedfordshire golfers games as well as offering back pain management and corrective exercise to the folk of Bedfordshire.

Read why Tilly Vesely of Lakeview Osteopathy, Colmworth Golf Club wanted to start this.

As an osteopath I see a variety of problems throughout the week – headaches, shoulder pain, lower back pain, RSI’s – the list goes on! This is mainly due to repetitive work patterns combined with poor postural awareness resulting in poor body mechanics, particularly noticeable amongst golfers! I work to free restricted joints and tight muscles to allow the body to work normally again.

However, as much as I educate patients as to what they should and shouldn’t be doing to prevent the pain from returning, most find that as soon as they are pain free they forget about these handy little tips resulting in many patients finding themselves trapped in a repetitive cycle of pain.

I have two new professionals to help me with this matter – Rachel Benton, our new Fitness Professional will work with you to maintain good posture, correct faulty movement patterns and keep your body moving naturally. She will be taking classes every Friday at 10am starting 9^th March 2012 at Colmworth Golf Club. Cost: £6 per session/ £5 block booked per calendar month. In addition, our golf professional, Steve Ellis, has a refreshing approach to the golf swing – and that’s just it – swing, not hit! By using your body correctly, the golf club should build up a natural momentum and do all of the work for you – this will save your back and make you hit the ball further and cleaner.

If you are suffering with any pain, discomfort or restriction with your swing I can talk this through with both Rachel and Steve and see how we can best help you.

This is a great opportunity to work with professionals from an osteopathy, golf coaching and fitness background who share a common interest in improving the functional performance of the human body not only for the benefit of golfers at the club, but for local folk in Colmworth and surrounding villages too.

To talk to one of the team or for more information please call 01234 378181 or email: tilly@lakeviewosteopathy.co.uk

Tilly Vesely M Ost DO ND

Lake View Osteopathy

Phone: 01234 378181

Text: 07530 860800

Email: tilly.osteopath@yahoo.co.uk

Web: http://www.lakeviewosteopathy.co.uk

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Linked in!

Top Bedford Personal Trainers weight loss tips…

Hi all,

Our clients have done an awesome job in 2011 achieving their weight loss goals and the reality of sustainable weight loss and improving your general health and fitness is has one key ingredient “sustainability”.

Find a fitness and eating plan that intrigues you and interests you to sustain it. A good trainer will help you find the best plan for you as opposed to “insisting” you do it their way…this will never work unless you totally buy into it.

Our Bedford personal trainers asked their clients what “top tips” they had to help them lose weight and here is what they came up with:

• “Don’t cut out all the food you enjoy. I like the occasional takeaway, but now I save up calories to have one or earn it. If I restricted myself to just fruit and veg I’d give up very quickly. I also found that I could still eat my favourite foods if I ‘tweak’ them a bit: low fat cheese, low fat spread instead of butter, light mozzarella etc. Also the best thing I did was get olive oil spray!”
• “Write everything down. Even (or especially) on bad/splurge days. It’s only if you write things down that you know what you are doing. I’m not saying don’t have the Peking Duck. I am saying, at least know what having the Peking Duck means. There are some great aps for this “myfitnesspal”  OR “caloriecount” on iphone or blackberry allows you to log your food and exercise very easily.”
• “I find sticking a wedding invitation or holiday photograph of destinations I want to visit in a prominent place in the kitchen. This is a bit more subtle than a fat photograph of yourself and reminds you when you are tempted.”
• “Use scales in the kitchen – it’s amazing how easy it is to deceive oneself!”
• “I think it is a good idea to buy some new clothes when you are down a size or two. That way, you are reminded of what you have achieved and not to go back to old sizes. Chuck out the old stuff or give it away. “
• “Life is too short so build in treats! Ok my weight loss is nice and slow but I don’t feel like I am on a diet or that I am depriving myself of anything (including chocolate and cheese. Lol!!!)”
• “Be honest with yourself. Ok, if you go over the required cals, but keep a record, it’s the average calorie intake that matters.”
• “It is not rocket science, but I am convinced that exercising is the key to success with sustained weight loss. I try to vary my routine, including the cross trainer and walking regularly, and cycling and swimming occasionally.”
• “Always measure alcohol consumed at home carefully, as it is easy to fool yourself.”
• “Don’t ever give up! You are going to get bad days/weeks; it happens! Just get straight back on it and limit the damage.”

So we hope that helps you all get started in 2012, it is working for our clients who are managing to fit in regular exercise and great nutrition their way..into their lives.

Let us know what is working for you too..

Rachel & Team

info@rachelbenton.co.uk

http://www.twitter.com/RachelBentonUK

http://www.facebook.com/RachelBentonandAssociatesPersonalTraining

“Christmas Present and New Year Fitness Package”…

Are you starting to feel a little bit Christmassy?

Us Bedford Personal Trainers are and we are determined that this year we will help even more people find a way to build fitness into their lives for good! Yes, for good!

No more of the join a gym in January, become disappointed at the service and lack of results, try to leave the gym in March and fail as they have you by the short and curlies until Dec the same year! Nope.

We want to help you become more active, improve the quality of your life, have some fun exercising and realise your exercise potential this year what ever your goals may be and we think we can help you do that. And you just might enjoy it.

Why? Well because we`ll travel to you to for your training session and bring you all our fitness expertise, you`ll soon realise that exercise can be seriously effective, low-cost, fun and most importantly sustainable! It just takes an open mind and a little determination before you`ll start to see some results from training with us.

Whats the saying,  21 days to break an old habit and form a new one?

Our Christmas Present and New Year Fitness Package is the perfect way to do that and we`ll give you atleast 28 days to squeeze it all into!

• 8x 1 hr personal training sessions
• 4x admissions to our group fitness classes
• nutritional advice
• continual support

For and amazing value price of     £198    (we think it is really worth around £260)

Snap this up quick before Dec 31st to take advantage of this offer, you then have until Jan 31st to use your sessions by….there is your 28 days!

This has got to be the perfect way to get you, your partner, brother or sister turned back on to exercise and then keep it going….and we`ll help you do that.

Take a look at ad and let us know if you want us to help you make that change for the better this year.

Rachel