Busy days at work coming up?
Do you find it hard get a balanced, nutritious, wholesome and easy meal when you're on the go between yoga in the park, dropping kids off at school, doing and everything you need to get done? 

It's easy to bring with you, only take a few minutes to prepare and tastes awesome.

The differences in a Super Shake compared to chain bought smoothie can be seen in the image above, but more importantly - it put's you in control.

You can ensure you get the right balance of nutrients you need to achieve your goals:

• Good source of protein
• Healthy fats
• Right amount of carbs

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What is the best exercise for you today - to work towards your goals but also to make your life better and more enjoyable?
How do you feel after training?
And more importantly - how do you feel after doing different types of training?
Are you in tune with your body and how it responds to different training stimulus?
What makes you feel great?
What makes you feel tired and worn out?
What type of training lifts your mood?

Most people train with a specific goal in mind like:
Loosing fat/Weight Loss
To gain muscle mass
Strength for either powerlifting or for sportspecific training
Increased mobility 

A lot of people who are very serious about their fitness, follow a well designed program that is geared towards their specific goals (which is a good thing)to get the results they want quicker but it doesn't leave much room for self reflection.
But for a large number of people who aren't power lifters, bodybuilders or physique competitors who are looking for better general health and wellbeing might do better being a little more in tune with their body.
It's still a good idea to have a program or at least a general plan of what you want to do each week and what you 

have to do to achieve it but you can afford to be a little bit more flexible with how you approach your training.

​Start by listening to your body:

• Reflect on how you feel in the first few hours after training.
• How do you feel the next day?
• How are you energy levels after the session and the next day?
• How is your mood after the session and the next day?

People react and feel differently to various types of training and this not something that's static. When you get stronger and fitter this can change so stay aware of how your body and mind feels throughout your journey.

•  A tough session pushing you to the limit might leave you sore and sluggish the next day but for someone else it could give them a massive energy boost.
• Maybe a medium heavy lifting session with steady/slow cardio afterwards might feel boring at the time, but makes you feel strong and full of vitality
• A quick 20 min HIIT session might give you a great energy boost without the muscle soreness the next day but might leave someone else completely exhausted for days
• etc etc etc I think you get the idea by now :-)

How to apply this to make your life better and more enjoyable.

Once you learn how your body & mind responds to different types exercise you can be more intelligent and strategic about what exercise you do and when. 
Like if you have an important meeting or a seminar and want to feel energetic and strong without being overly tired, you might pop to the gym for a 20 min sprint session to boost your energy levels.
If you're feeling stressed and under pressure, maybe a nice stroll in a park or in the woods might be the most productive thing for you that day. It might not be the most effective training for your weightloss goals compared to a gym session and some intense cardio but for overall health and wellbeing reducing stress is vital.
If you need to be calm and focused before a job interview you might go for a swim or do some yoga. Some people get calm from doing heavy lifting!
You need to listen to your body and learn how you respond to different types of training. When you mastered that, you can use exercise as a tool not only be fit, healthy and achieve your goals but also to enhance your day to day life!

​Feedback - Not Failure! 

Imagine walking on a rocky surface — maybe a beach, or a dry creek bed, or a hiking trail.
Some of the stones are stable and solid. If you step on them, they don’t move.
Some of the stones are slippery. Maybe there’s a little algae on them, or some mud.
Some of the stones aren’t stable. They wiggle or tip when you step on them.
With every step you take, you are getting feedback about the path. And you can use that immediate feedback to correct course as needed.
If you step on a rock, and it shifts, did you fail? - No.
You just got important information about the next thing to do — try another rock.
You got feedback.

So what has all that got to do with you?

Losing weight & eating well consistently works the same way. You've probably tried lots of different diets and protocols to achieve your goals. By now you should know what works and what doesn't work for you.

Did that 4 week transformation challenge work long term?
Did apple cider vinegar in the morning give you amazing results?
Did you feel good doing a no-carb diet and could you stick to it?
How about sticking butter in your morning coffee? you didn't did you? Not that there's anything inherently wrong with having butter - but in the coffee?

If you haven't found anything that works yet - it's time to try something new - never stop trying.
So by trying something  but not succeeding you haven't failed - but you have gotten feedback and gained knowledge. That means next time it will be easier to chose what ti try next. 
If that scam-pill from Dr. Oz didn't work, it's unlikely you will fall for the next scam he promotes(I would hope). 
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• So get back on that horse, try something new and enjoy the process.
• It's a learning process and enjoy discovering how your body works.
• Follow your instincts - ask yourself if it is likely this or that will work and act accordingly.

for full disclosure this blog was inspired by a lesson in the ProCoach Nutrition Coaching Program - by Precision Nutrition

It's human nature to seek out shortcuts and an easy way out and marketers and the supplement industry make a killing every year abusing our innate wish to achieve our dreams through some quick-fix or pop-a-pill solution. When it comes to sustainable weight loss there's no such thing and most times it leaves us in a worse condition than before.

Most of us(me included) have tried every diet under the sun in hope of some miracle solution and sooner or later always end up back where we started. To reference the pic of Einstein - trying short sighted diet solutions again and again in hope of achieving a different result than last time. 

So what is required to be able to consistently eat for good health and to achieve a body you can thrive in?

Will that new pill work(fingers crossed), maybe this time it will be different?
Will you try another short sighted quick-fix solution, maybe this time it will be different?
Does that impressive looking  person in the magazine know my situation and my personal circumstances?
Be honest and ask yourself - am I ready today to start a permanent positive change?

There's no easy solution but there are solutions - you just need to find yours.

The solution is easy - stop looking for an easy solution. Done - That's it.

Sound simple but it's true. If you're reading this you're probably tried various diet "solutions". Atkins, HFLC , Paleo, clean eating and other  options  including random cleanses and detoxes. 
Sorry for misleading you with a really catchy and tempting title but I needed your attention.
The good news is that it doesn't have to be hard or difficult to lose weight or get to a weight or size where you feel happy and healthy. But it will require a shift in your mindset.

Starting now(including reading this) you should see yourself as being on a health journey. You are on an almighty quest to figure out how you work and what works for you. 

Before you might have tried some diets that worked well albeit temporarily and other things that just felt like a complete waste of time(and maybe money). That's great! "why" you ask? 'cause by doing those things you found out things about yourself and how your body works. From now on there's no failures only information - information that will get you where you want to be.
For starters you need to look at this journey as something permanent. Once you hit all your target and achieved all you dreamed of, the journey doesn't end, you just adjust your goals and journey on......

So how do you do it?

By changing your daily habits and how you relate to food.
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• How do you get got at tennis?
• How do you get got at painting or playing guitar?
• How do you get good at anything?

By practicing every day.

By daily practice of healthy habits, food related skills and by practicing to be in tune with your body you will gradually change your habits and skills. Habits that seems really difficult now will become second nature.

One of the fundamental and really important habits is to learn to eat slowly. If you eat too fast you can easily over-eat before your stomach signals to your brain "I've already had more than i need".

By gradually building on your habits and adding more skills around food you'll find yourself on a sustainable journey of change.

If you want more advice on how to deal with cravings and get your eating under control - send me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.