Only Two weeks of training to go.

Week 6 -Monday's weigh in is important, we'll discover how much work you have to do in the next two weeks to achieve your target. Everyone is doing so well and getting notably fitter each week, which makes me so proud.

I hope that you feel motivated as I do to give it your best and still push yourself hard in these last two weeks, the crown of BodyShrink biggest loser is still an open competition. You have already transformed yourselves, taken control, taken action and demonstrated amazing strength of character and determination. You've made new friends; sweated together, laughed together, craved together, cried together and shared an incredible journey so far.

Bring it on!

To fart or not to Fart....that tis the question of the week!

During training this week, Miss Indigo decided to 'let rip' during the Abs section of training. Fortunately the offending 'guff' was one of noise, strength, vibration but non scented.....thank goodness thought Miss Yellow as her head was uncomfortably close to the rapidly exiting wind! Despite the distruption to the last set of Abs, our abs ached from laughing so hard, so job done really. So to fart or not to fart.......if your running ahead of someone then be mindful that they will be breathing heavily to catch you and a lung full of 'flatulance' might not be appreciated, so a 'heads up' before you evacuate is the polite thing to do. Holding your gas in will give you tummy ache and prevent you from giving your all, so let it out, as my old Mum used to say " better to hear that than be deaf"

"The whiter the bread, the quicker you’re dead!" – old saying.

The topic of conversation during this mornings boxing class, was as usual the food you are all missing during 'Shrink'. White bread with peanut butter, white bread and butter, BBQ shapes and shortbread biscuits all made the list this morning. Here's the low down on white bread.

The difference in taste between white and brown bread is significant, as is the texture and obviously the way it looks. When you are brought up on white bread, it can be really difficult to make the change.

There's some other things you might like to point out about white vs. brown as sometimes the words "because it's better for you" just don't cut it with a white bread addict:

White bread is made is from wheat flour from which the bran and germ have been removed. This is where much of the nutritional bread value is. White bread is lower in zinc, fiber, thiamin, niacin, trace elements and "good" fats and oils. White bread in many countries has to be fortified with vitamins and minerals *by law* during the bread making process. These are usually sprayed into the mix. It's somewhat ironic that the nutrients that are removed from wheat are re-added by this means. Nature provides, we destroy, then add it back in via a man made form.

Once the bran and germ is removed, the flour is bleached using potassium bromate, benzoyl peroxide or chlorine dioxide gas. Potassium bromate is also known as Bromic Acid or Potassium Salt. It's an oxidizing agent, can be fatal if swallowed, is harmful if inhaled or absorbed through the skin and may also cause kidney damage. Benzoyl peroxide is another irritant that can kill animals, birds, or fish, and cause death or low growth rate in plants. Chlorine Dioxide is also a pesticide and even though it breaks down very quickly, it is ranked in the USA as one of the compounds most hazardous to the environment.

So even before the baker adds his chemical magic, there's some pretty solid cons relating to white bread. Another point to note is that anything that needs "refining" requires more energy resources to do so.

By the way, just because bread is brown in color doesn't necessarily mean it's brown bread in the traditional sense of the term, i.e. meaning whole wheat or wholemeal. Check out the ingredients on the bread that you buy and ensure that the first ingredient is whole wheat or wholemeal flour rather than enriched wheat flour or just wheat flour. Enriched/wheat flour is the same type of flour used in white bread. The presence of caramel also is an indicator that it's not true brown/wholemeal bread as caramel is used as a coloring agent. A couple of other ingredients to avoid if possible are fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oil/fats; aka trans fats.

The general rule of thumb is the less ingredients in the bread and the presence of wholemeal flour as the major ingredient, the better it is for you - and the planet

Week 4 Results are in!

Well done everyone for producing good results in week 4, which is one of the hardest weeks to get results from, mostly because your motivation wanes and training is hard. But you will find that this week you will be feeling fitter and training will become more enjoyable. Also the light at the end of the tunnel can now be seen. I'm sure that your friends and family have noticed your new svelte figure, which should give you new found motivation. Come On!

Is your motivation waning.......?

It is about this time that your motivation will wane, you are bored of eating healthily and just want to stuff your face with all high calorie junk foods that make you feel so good....or do they. Research has shown that the junk food we crave when we adopt a healthy eating plan, actually has the reverse effect. The second it touches our lips, there is a sense of glee but the remorse that immediately follows is worse, not only do we know that we have eaten food with the calorific content equivalent to 10 x up & down Cambridge ave, we have wasted our hardwork for the previous few days and proven to ourselves that we have the willpower of Tiger Woods in a strip club. So....what do you do. I suggest that you become more focused and determined to survive this week and demonstrate the strength, motivation and willpower that you have shown in abundance up until now.

Chicken Poo, upper cut......peeeww!

Boxing at Christensen Park this morning was fun, it was so dark at 5.45am that we could not see what was causing such a stench and for first time it wasn't Fudge. As the sun rose it became apparent that the council had fertilized the playing fields the day before. Biggest Loser Miss Yellow and the two 'gainers' this week trained hard at this mornings class. Despite being taunted by the 'bun shovellers', Miss Yellow wallowed in the glory of a 2.2kg weight loss this week, "Nothing tastes better than being thin" was her mantra.

Biggest Loser goes to London Fashion Week

This weeks Biggest loser Miss Yellow may be off to London Fashion week, "what will I do about my training and diet".....stick with it girl! Just because your away on holiday or at your mother in laws, it doesn't mean you have to break your diet, just choose the healthy option on the menu, most restaurants have them or choose a salad to start, fish for main course and leave the bread basket well alone. You can exercise everyday, what better way to see ol' London town than to run or power walk it. Trust me, running up the stairs of the Piccadilly line is a workout all on its own.

Weight'ing for that day!

WoW weeeeee......amazing weightloss results this week! Well done Miss Navy, biggest loser with 2.3kg loss. Bloody fantastic. When asked for her top tip this is what she said "I stopped eating the wrong snacks, drank herbal tea when I was hungry and trained hard, I've finally realised there is no magic pill and that eating right and exercising is the answer!"

Rain Rain Go Away

Despite the rain this morning the hardcore Miss Indigo and Miss Aqua braved the pouring rain. Well done ladies.

Training has begun

All the new shrinkers have started, with the old shrinkers telling tales of horror and woe from previous training sessions. Whilst you are all feeling sick and are struggling to do up your bra straps and wonder 'Why' I have signed up for this torture. Just remind yourselves of your end goal and what you want to achieve. Check out Miss Black and Miss Amber, both star clients who look like supermodels with the temperament to match! Miss Violet feigned a wheeze this morning to get out doing another hill...nice try!

Post Christmas training blues

After training hard up until the Christmas period, then training sporadically during the holidays will often means you are dreading getting back into regular training. I know you will be struggling to "get back into it" but here's what you must do. Decide upon your training days, then no matter what get out of bed, get your kit on and turn up for training, some days you'll feel ready to train hard, other days you won't, but that doesn't matter. The most important thing is to get your routine back and before you know it you'll be hopping out of bed with the enthusiasm of a child on christmas morning...maybe not that enthusiastic.

BodyShrink - Getting Started

A new term of Body Shrink is about to start, with enrolment full and complete.

Entering into this programme takes commitment and hard work; reaching your goal weight and being healthy means changing habits that have been formed over years.

You will get out what you put in. There is no where to hide and we want you to achieve your goals as much as you do.