WHAT'S YOUR HALF TIME SPEECH?

Today is a big day. Firstly, it's the last day of the financial year and secondly I've got a ton of freebies you can get your hot little hands on today!

Make sure you read on to the end of the posting for the details of the freebies.

First up, some public service annoucements:

I want to draw attention to a fundraiser that one of my clients is doing. She's set the challenge to run a half marathon and is raising funds for a great cancer charity Can Too.

Nice one Tamsin!

Secondly, another one for you runners getting ready for the City to Surf. The Annual Bay Run is coming up on 27 July - a 7km fun run for those who are keen to get some kms in the legs before your race.

It’s hard to believe isn’t it? We are already at the half way point of 2008! It only seems like a month or so ago when I was celebrating New Years up in the Hunter Valley.

The motivation that we kicked off the new year with is starting to fizz. How do I know this? I’ve heard it from some of you, so it has to be true!

My job is to turn that fizzle into sizzle!

Let’s work on getting that fire back if you are struggling.

First step. Dig out that old piece of paper you scribbled your goals down in January. You didn’t do that? Maybe that’s why the fire has burnt out.

Successful people need to have their goals written down in concrete. Why? It seems silly for some, but time and time again it has been proven by many successful people who have achieved what they want in life that you won’t achieve what you want without following this simple step.

I challenge you to take 5 minutes now. Switch off from everything else around you and think about those goals that you wanted to achieve but didn’t make the cut.

Second step. Once you have them written down, you now need to work out how you are going to make these happen.

Yep, taking action is the key. Who can help you get where you want to be? Friends, Partner, Me?

Third step. Close your eyes and imagine the way you will be looking at Christmas time when the weather is nice and hot and you’re showing off the body you want and deserve.

Seeing as I just gave my half time speech, let's finish with this quote from Anthony Robbins.

"Your past does not equal your future."

This is the time of year when a lot of people go off the boil. If you are nodding your head in agreement now, read the above quote again. It doesn't have to be like this. You can start off afresh today.

So, if you still need help taking action, what can you do to pump up your tyres?

I’ve found possibly the best solution that can work for you and best of all, this is FREE!

http://www.midyearsresolutions.com/

The Mid Years Resolutions is an awesome idea put together by a mate of mine, Jeremy Nelms. I met Jeremy in Florida last year and he is one switched on, and passionate bloke.

He told me about this idea a month ago and swore me to secrecy. But now he’s letting me spill the beans to you.

Jeremy has put together over 20 experts in the fitness, financial and relationship fields. These people are not just anybody who he has plucked off the internet but a big name Hollywood Trainer to the Stars, American Gladiator star and one of the contributors to the Secret phenomenon that swept the world last year - this bloke is massive.

These Mid Years Resolutions calls are free to listen to, so make sure you sign up so you are not the one left sitting on the sidelines as the coach gives you the half time speech.

The second freebie I've got for you is a promo that might interest you if you are into Internet Marketing - I know some of the fitness professionals reading this would be interested.

The link is http://theimgifts.com/

I've got 2 freebies on offer there. There are lots of offers, some are ordinary but if you take a little bit of time sifting through the trash you can pick up some treasure.

This is only up for the rest of the week so get in, once again nothing to buy, just some info that can help your business along.

It's my job to help you find the best resources out there and if they are free, well even better. Most of them are not. So make the most of this rare chance!

What’s your excuse?

Fire UP!

EVEN I DECIDED TO THROW MY HAT IN THE RING

CONGRATULATIONS, WE WON!

After you read on, I think you'll realise that I had my tongue firmly planted in my check with the above title.

But before I get into the action, this quote from Winston Churchill will help you understand how strongly I feel about what I am about to write.

“If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack”

Ok, take a deep breath and read on.

The title that we won, as you may have heard in the news over the weekend is that of the FATTEST NATION IN THE WORLD - per capita.

Wow!

I knew we were in trouble but not that bad.


It seems we have left the yanks for dead - no pun intended.

Seriously.

Where did we go wrong?

Doing too much of not too much at all if that makes sense.

It seems that people have got caught up in their own life and busy-ness that they have forgotten about looking after number 1.

So how can we reverse the trend.

It is simple.

No matter how busy we are - and I include myself in that boat - there is always time to exercise.

It doesn't have to be for an hour like we have been taught for all of these years.

In fact, my interval cardio session that I will do when I get home tonight will be less than 20 mins long!

My workout on friday was only 6 mins of action - doesn't sound like much but when you finish it you know you've had a workout.

Get in, bust your butt and get out - that's my theory.

High intensity, short training sessions.

The crap that kids get fed these days too is another reason.

Why are there so many kids that are obese these days?

Seriously, it should be considered child abuse to do that to a kid and let them get that way.

These same people would not treat their flash car like that, or even their dog.

So why the kids?

People are not big because of bad genetics. Sure, some people have thyroid problems or other medical conditions I won't deny that.

But for the most part, people are big because they eat the same crap that their parents, siblings and everyone else they associate with eat and drink.

Anyway, that's enough ranting for today.

Let's look at solutions.

Here's my 2 cents worth:

* Subsidies for personal training and gym memberships (reward people who want to take action)

* Government subsidies for health insurance premium discounts for people who meet certain health and fitness criteria each year - why are my health fund premiums funding everyone elses claims?

* A review of the current recommended healthy eating options such as the food pyramid (I'll write about how much this is messed up in another posting soon)

* An extra tax on fast food and reduce the cost of healthier options like fruit and vegetables so nobody can say it is too expensive to eat healthy.

I'll tell you what I'll even do to put my money where my mouth is.

I am going to announce the first ever DPM Performance Ultimate Body Blitz.

Yep, I'll organise the details and let you know as soon as I finalise them, but I am going to run a transformation contest together to reward people for taking action.

I'll put some pretty sweet prizes together and make this event worth taking part in.

Stay tuned soon for more info.

Thankyou for letting me get it off my chest. It feels better already.

On a positive note, I applaud people who are already taking the steps to reverse this situation in their own lives.

That is why I do what I do.

I love seeing people make a positive change and get awesome results - rather than being excuse makers.

Why am I so passionate about this?

Well, partly it's my job.

But the main reason is I lost my Dad to a heart attack in what should of been the prime of his life at 53.

Yep.

I don't want the same thing to happen to me and I definitely don't want the same thing to happen to you.

What's your excuse?

Fire UP!

TIME TO GET OUT THE TAPE MEASURE

I was doing some interesting reading this morning, and the author was quoting a doctor who was talking about the link between your waist (belly button) measurement and the likelihood of you having heart related problems down the track.

The doctors theory is this:

Measure your height in inches (he was American).

Next step is to measure yourself around the belly button, once again in inches.

If your belly button measurement is more than half of your height than you are in trouble.

Yep, you're lining up for a heart attack if you don't take action now to reversing the risk factors.

If you unsure of your height in inches just look at the other side of the tape measure compared to what we normally use.

I just tried this myself, and I made the cut!

This theory works just the same in centimeters too

How did you go?

The Journey, the Temptation and the Caffeine hit

The Journey:

If you caught yesterday's Sun Herald, you may have seen an article on one of my favourite athletes, John Maclean.

For regular readers, you'll probably know I love his book "Sucking the marrow out of life" and I love hearing about his latest challenge.

For those unfamiliar with John, let me recap:

- Hawaiian Ironman Finisher
- Swam the English Channel
- Represented Australia at World Rowing Championships
- Represented Australia at World Cycling Championships
- Completed Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
- Sydney Olympian

that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Johns achievements.

Oh, I forgot to mention that he is also in a wheelchair.

Yep, this bloke has accomplished more in his 42 years then most people acheive in 4 life times. No excuses for what he can't do, more looking to what he can do and inspiring others - especially kids in his position that anything is achieveable.

Johns next challenge is the Beijing games later this year in the mixed rowing discipline.

I can't wait to see him on the start line.

"Eighty percent of success is rocking up to the starting line".

So what are you rocking up for at the moment?

Got a few kilos to lose?

Got a new job that you've got your eyes on but are nervous about the first steps?

Got a burning desire somewhere deep down that just needs to be scratched?

Whatever it is, make sure you're at the start line.

The temptation:

I set myself the challenge since getting back from overseas to be my own success story.

So far so good.

I set myself the challenge of a maximum of 4 cheat meals a week - less than 10% of my normal eating plan and am meeting that easily.

No alcohol too. Not a problem.

Going well so far.

I am finding it a good test when I am out visiting family to resist the temptation of digging in to the snacks on the table.

Yesterday was a good challenge - some nice homemade sweets looking pretty tempting on the table.

Was I tempted?

No. I asked myself is this going to taste as good as the satisfaction I'll feel when I hit my goal?
No way.

Did I want to waste a cheat meal on that? Nah. It looked good but not that good.

How are you travelling with the temptations that you come across?

The Caffeine Hit

Having trouble sleeping at night but can't put your finger on the problem?

Read on for a possible solution.

Caffeine Imposters Can Cost You Sleep
By James B. LaValle, RPh, MS, ND, CCN

Everyone knows caffeine during the day can affect your sleep. But you may not know that there are caffeine-free foods that may have caffeine-like effects on the brain. These foods can even be toxic to your brain. But once you know what to look for, you can avoid them and protect your health.

These foods are sometimes referred to as excitotoxins because they cause over-stimulation, which can lead to nerve cell damage in the brain. And anything that causes increased brain cell activity could counteract your attempts at rest and relaxation. Be aware that excitotoxins come in all shapes and sizes. But here are three common sources:

1. Aspartame: This is the phylalanine-based artificial sweetener often used in soft drinks, diet gelatins, and sugar-free gums and mints.

2. Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG. MSG is a sodium salt of glutamic acid. It's found in more than 6,000 processed and preserved foods, often listed on the label as an ingredient that's "partially processed" or "partially hydrogenated."

3. Natural glutamates. Natural glutamates are found in abundance in both plant and animal protein - and if you're allergic to any of those foods, they can also act as excitotoxins. Any time your body has an immune response to a particular food, one of the side effects is increased stress hormone production and increased inflammation.

And chronically increased stress hormones can affect your sleep. So if you have trouble sleeping from time to time, the problem could be related to your diet. Keep a food diary to see if you can pinpoint the culprit (s).

If you need help with a food diary, let me know and we can look at some online training options that can help you sort out the dramas.

What's your excuse?

Fire UP!

THE EUROPEAN WAY

There were a number of things that stood out for me while I was in Europe recently.

First thing, of course, there were some awesome sights that I got to soak up and enjoy.

But one thing that definitely hit home to me was that Australians and definitely Americans (from my travels there) are leading the way in obesity by a long stretch. I know that we are not alone here as the UK is up there by all reports.

I found it interesting to experience with my own eyes the amazing European paradox.

What do I mean by this?

Well, you go into any food shop in Paris and you find an amazing amount of pastries, croissants, fine chocolates and other wonderful creations.

Italy is renowned for their fine pizza, an abundance of pasta and gelato and of course, red wine.

Istanbul has a great range of great tasting kebabs (even with chips inside them!) and of course the lokum (turkish delight) and baklavas are abundant.

You find people smoking like chimneys, especially in Istanbul and Greece.

At least Italy and France have moved ahead and now ban smoking inside a restaurant.

BUT

The amount of obese and overweight people was nothing like you would find in the Western World.

Why is this?

My thoughts are that while the Europeans like to indulge in some stuff that is definitely not what you would find on any recommended eating list they eat nowhere near the amount of processed rubbish that us in the so-called more developed countries eat.

Most of the stuff they eat is fresh - either the ingredients in a baguette in France or a pizza in Italy.

By the way, the pizzas aren't the rubbish you'll find from domino's that is the thick pan fried cheese crust trash that some people mistake for food.

The kebabs in Turkey don't leave you tasting it the morning after because they are fresher and less processed.

You cannot find a McDonalds or Burger King on every other corner - although I did see at least one McDonalds in each major city (except Santorini), it definitely is not like us.

The Europeans also love their olive oil.

And their wine.

The benefits of red wine especially, in moderation, are well known.

Are we missing something?

I think so.

Aim to eat less processed foods in your life (like the Maccas and other artery clogging food choices) and you can even splash out every now and then with a nice pastry or other desert that while it may not be 100% pure in origin, will make you appreciate it as the cheat meal that it should be, not a regular make up of your diet.

What's your excuse?

Fire UP!

BACK IN BUSINESS!

After a refreshing 3 week overseas break enjoying the sights and tastes of Europe it is time to get back into the game and reset some goals.

So, to prove that I practice what I preach, I will be keeping myself honest with continued updates on my progress.

Last night was photo time - to get the before shot. I know that my body has lost a bit of condition over the last 3 weeks but it is now fresh and I can't wait to get into my training each session.

Last night I did a quick 10 minute circuit at 9:15pm - no excuses - just do it - even if it's late.

Today it's off to get measured and to see how much my stats have changed after a 3 week break!

I've set myself the program I want to do and I have set myself the challenge to have 1 month off the grog since my return date of June 3.

I've also set myself the challenge of 4 cheat meals maximum a week.

What are you prepared to do to get the body you want? Let me know in the comments section. I've put mine down here, make sure you put your goals out in public to keep you accountable.

Finally, I've got some training videos that will be uploaded to my You Tube channel in the coming weeks that were shot at some of the most beautiful places in the world - so stay tuned for that!

Until next post,

What's your excuse?

Fire UP!