How Much Fat do you Want to Lose in the next 4 weeks ?

After seeing some great results last time round we have decided to run our Rapid Fat Loss program again !

If you want to get you best body in 4 weeks, then this is your answer…

Plus…it’s safe and doctor recommended.
NO crash diets. NO dangerous drugs and NO gimmicks!
Just the fastest fat burning fitness program you’ve ever seen…and it’s perfect for beginners!

 You get $499 Value for only $199. It includes 4 weeks of Training, Nutritional analysis, testing and Done-For-You Meal Plans.

There are now only 7 spots left in our Rapid Fat Loss Program, so don’t miss out, make sure you book your spot today ! 

Go to : http://www.suncoastfatloss.com/

Last Sunday the 3rd of July I ran my first full marathon at the Gold Coast….. 42.2kms! Most people have been saying I am stupid or crazy….well I probably am. But I didn’t just go out there and run it I trained a lot and worked my way up to the distance.
I was thinking about running a marathon last year after I ran the half I wanted to run a few more half marathons first, but that didn’t really end up happening. In January I started setting goals for clients and decided I should also set one for myself. The best thing I did was tell everyone that I was going to run the marathon; this meant they could hold me accountable by reminding me of my goal! It wasn’t until a few months out from the marathon that I realised I needed to really get in some more kms. Every time I considered not going for a run I thought how many people I had told I was doing it and how embarrassed I would be to have to make up an excuse as to why I didn’t make it, and how many times I would have to repeat that poor excuse!
The most important run when training for a marathon is getting in at least one long run a week, some of these runs I did with the running group “Lazy Runners” which made it so much easier and more enjoyable to have someone to talk to when running for over 2 hours. Some runs I had to do myself which was pretty challenging. Once I ran from Alexandra Headlands to Bullock Beach in Caloundra-it was hard when my iphone battery died – I had no music and couldn’t call my friend to pick me up , I ended up catching the bus all the way back! I have also run all along the coast from Caloundra to Noosa, lucky the Sunshine Coast is a great place to run.

Shannan and I at the Running expo

Talking to my mum a few days before the event – I think she was more nervous than I was. She was upset that she couldn’t be there “So proud that you are about to achieve a life-goal, so many people set them and then forget …”. The event was very well organised – if you were running you could register to a site called “run with me” where my timing chip would detect where I was at different points in the race and automatically update my Facebook status. My friends and family could see where I was in the race and leave a message that would come up on the big screens set up at different points during the race. I registered for the site at the expo on the Saturday before the race. While i was typing away at the computer someone familiar started recording video messages for the same site……… IT WAS SHANNAN Ponton! (celebrity personal trainer from the Biggest Loser). I said to him “You could just do a message for me if you like”, I am sure I sounded like an excited little school girl, so I was glad when he said “Yeah of course I will and good on you for asking, what are you doing the half or full?” Me- “The full marathon, I figured if the biggest loser people could do it so could I”

I then went on to tell him that I was a Personal trainer too and he was a bit of an inspiration to me and asked if I could get a photo with him. He was very nice! I couldn’t stop smiling all day and forgot The message he recorded for me went like this “ C’mon Sam keep going, dig deep, remember what you said yesterday if the Biggest Loser people could do it you can to!” – great motivation for me when I was hitting the wall at 39km.
After drinking about 6 L of water and a lot of carbs including a big bowl of fried rice for dinner I was fuelled up for the race. I had a surprisingly good night’s sleep and woke up on race day feeling great!
I was up at 5am and walked to the start line with the other “Lazy Runners”. The Half Marathon started at 6am so we were there to cheer them on. The next hour we went by so fast the next thing I knew I was at the starting line ready to start at 7:10am, with over 5000 other CRAZY people. I was with the 4-hour pace runner , pace runners have balloons attached to their backs with different times on them. They are in the race give you an idea of what speed you should be running to make the time on their balloon.
I knew not to get too excited and go out too hard, I tried to check out the scenery and enjoy the atmosphere. The first 10km was pretty crowded as I ran down south towards Burleigh. I saw the elite runners pass us going the other way – they are incredible, they are pretty much at sprinting pace but look so efficient and comfortable. Before I knew it I was at the halfway mark – my time was 1:54 which is only 2 minutes slower than my half Marathon last year. I was on my way back towards the start line where I had left a drink with my running coach. She was surprised to see me so soon I was still with the 4 hour pacer! I had a sip of my drink and kept going – I saw Nick cheering which gave me another boost. The crowd was also great! I then started running north past Southport – the crowd started to get thinner and it was getting HOT! I made sure I stopped at every drink station and aloud myself to walk for 12 steps, mainly so I wouldn’t choke on my water.
The frustrating thing about training for a marathon is that I didn’t ever run the distance of the race before the actual race. The 42km distance is such a strain on your body and the recovery time so long that the furthest run I did was probably about 32-33kms. At the 32km mark it felt like my body just didn’t want to go anymore, the 4 hour pacer started getting further and further away, the faster I would try and run the slower I seemed to go. That’s when I had to change my mindset – I decided to not worry about keeping up with the the pacer and just keep running and finish. There was so many people stopping and walking and it would have been the easiest thing to do. But I kept telling myself if I stop and walk then I am not going to be able to say I ran a marathon!

The Photo nick took as he was yelling out to me to Sprint

I was really counting down the kms now I kept skipping through my ipod to try find a really motivational song. Other racers were cramping and throwing up on the sidewalks, I tried my hardest to just ignore them. I talked to myself a lot a when I felt a pain in my foot or hip or knee or pretty much everywhere I would have to say “ignore it and it will go away” it kinda worked. I came to the last turnaround and there were a few more dedicated spectators, they read my name on my race number all started yelling out “Go Sam” and I managed to force out a smile. One guy said “C’mon Sam you looking good”, I knew he was just straight out lying, but good on him for trying.
4 kms to go I was this time I was trying to trick myself “just going on a 4km run down at Mooloolaba I have done that before easy”. Just past the 38km point I say another checkpoint, there was a big screen. I ran over the mat and looked up to the screen, there was Shannan.
“ C’mon Sam keep going, dig deep, remember what you said yesterday if the Biggest Loser people could do it you can too!” My own little personal trainer motivation!! I got another big smile I looked around to see if anyone else had seen but the other racers were either too far away or looking to the ground in deep concentration. I got another burst of energy after that and realised it was nearly over, my clients have all heard me say when they are running “the quicker you go the quicker it will be over”. As I came closer to the finish the crowd started to get bigger again. I think marathon spectators have to be the most dedicated people to stand there for hours. At about 1km to go I saw Nick at the fence yelling “Sprint Sam SPRINT”. I was glad to hear after that the people standing beside him “gee give her a break she just ran 41kms”.
I then saw my running coach and all the Half marathon lazy runners i gave them all high 5’s. There was so many people and only one more turn then I saw the sign “270m to go and you will have the amazing feeling of crossing the line”. The guy next to me started to walk “NO C’mon” I said “270m you can make that”. I started striding out, I would like to say sprinting but I don’t think it was a sprint at that stage. I overtook all the others who had decided to walk the last bit and crossed the line! It was the best feeling. I was even happier to see that I wasn’t too far off the 4 hour mark the time crossing the finish line was 4:06 making my official time 4:04:34, and 28th (from 85 finishers) in my age group.

Thank you again to everyone for all their support couldn’t have done it without you!

Samantha Swanson

High 5'ing the other "Crazy" Lazy Runners with 1km to GO!

They are great to cook up and freeze for lunches or dinners !

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

700g Chicken Breast
2Tbs Corn flour
1 onion
2 Cloves Garlic
2 carrots
250g mushrooms
2 Zucchinii
3 Tbs Tomato Paste
1 Chicken Stock cube(mixed with 1 cup of water) or 1 cup stock
1 tin tomatoes

1. Coat chicken fillets in cornflour
2. Spray a non stick frying pan with cooking sprayand cook chicken until brown
3. Add onions and garlic
4. Add carrots mushrooms, carrot, zucchini, tomato paste, mushrooms, zucchini,stock and bring to boil
5. Add tined tomatos and let simmer 5-10 mins for sauce to thicken

Zucchini slice

Ingredients:

4-5 Zucchinis
1 carrot
1 large onion
1 can of corn Kernels
2-3 slices low fat ham
4 eggs lightly beaten eggs
2 egg whites
½ wholemeal self raising flour
½ cup low fat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C
2. Lightly greese a 20×30 cm oven proof dish
3. Grate vegetables
4. Spread vegetables ham on the bottom of the oven proof dish
5. Beat eggs an pour over the vegetables sprinkle cheese over the top
6. Bake for 45 min- 1 hr or until set in middle

No Cook protein bars

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup oats
2 scoops whey protein powder
2 tbs flaxseed oil
1 cup skim milk powder
¼ cup natural penut butter
¼ water
1 tbs vanilla
½ cup rasins or dried fruit

1. Lightly spray a 20 cm pan with cooking spray
2. Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl
3. In a separate bowl mix peanut butter water and vanilla, add to dry mix stir to form a dough, knead in rasins/dried fruit
4. Using wet hands or a spatula press mixture into pan and freeze overnight
5. Cut into squares ( approx 9) and wrap individually in fridge ready to grap when you need a quick snack

 Lemon pepper baked chicken

Ingredients:

140 gms chicken breast
2tsp lemon juice
Black pepper
Garlic powder or clove garlic

In an oven proof dish pour lemon juice and seasoning over chicken.
Cover in foil and bake25-30 mins. 
This is approx 1 serving but it is a great idea to bake some extra to use during the week to add to salads ect.

Kangaroo and mint salad with char grilled zucchini and capsicum

Ingredients:

220g kangaroo fillet cut into strips
2 cloves of garlic
¼ mint leaves torn
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper
Olive oil spray
1 large red capsicum
3 zucchini
2 tbs white whine vinegar

Combine kangaroo garlic and 1 tbs of mint and oil in a bowl and marinate for 20 mins.
Meanwhile lightly spray char grill pan/ electric grill with olive oil and heat on high.
Cook the capsicum shiny side down. Remove and cut into strips.

Chargrill the zucchini in strips until tender but now sloppy.
Combing remaining mint and oil with zucchini capsicum
vinegar and oil in a  shallow dish. Heat a frying pan or gill
on high and cook the kangaroo in batches for 1-2 mins and toss through salad.

So is anyone else reeling at how fast this year has flown by? Well I certainly am!
I don’t care what you say  – deep down everyone wants to look and feel good about themselves when the festive season comes around – so many parties and functions, it’s not fun when you don’t feel good in your clothes!

Even as a Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer I go through periods where I struggle to stay committed to my training and nutrition goals. So here is what I did in the last week to stay accountable to my goals.

1. No More Excuses!
   

   Motivation tools - Oxygen Mag & Positive Thought Cards

You don’t want to look back on your life and say ‘I never achieved my ideal body and felt fabulous in my own skin because…(insert your most frequently used excuse here) I was too tired; I was too busy; etc etc. As a Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer, I love our Sculptlife motto “Live the life you want, Love the body you’re in!”

2. Get in the right head space.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, ‘where your mind goes, your body will follow’. Get yourself in the righthead space, figure out what thought patterns or emotional roadblocks are stopping you from achieving your goals and work through them.
I went out and had some of my favourite Bodysculpting photos printed and put them up in the studio and added them to my vision board. (Click this link to Think Yourself Slim with a vision board)
Then I got out some of my favourite fitness mags to help keep me in the right frame of mind. I also got out some of my favourite Law of Attraction Thought cards to help me keep in a positive vibration. (Click this link to read how Bianca used Fat Melting Thoughts to get motivated again.)

3. Make a plan of attack
As a Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer I know it’s easier to work backwards from your ultimate goal, by setting smaller goals week by week, day by day. Just

4 Week Plan Of Attack

take it one day at a time, keep putting one foot in front of the other. I grabbed some of our Sculptlife 4 Week Plan of Attack Sheets and planned out my exercise for the week. I also rated myself on my training and nutrition too, the key here is to be honest with yourself, you’re only cheating yourself out of your ideal body if you’re not honest.

4 .Get moving!
We are running a FREE 8 week Your Best Body Challenge starting the end of this month – entry cost is a one time donation of $25 to go towards saving MoonBears through Animals Asia. What better way to get in shape for the New Year and leave your unwanted lumps and bumps in 2010! Check out www.suncoastchallenge.com to find out more!

People – there are only 10 weeks of 2010 left- finish it with a bang! Don’t let your figure and fitness goals for 2010 become another failed New Years Resolution, get into it!

To Your Best Life, in Your Best Body,

Sascha

Lead Trainer

Sculptlife Personal Training

Hi I am Sam and I am so excited to be a part of Sculpt life and personal training on the Sunshine Coast. I have just finished my first few weeks as part of the sculpt life team and loved it. It is so good to be promoting something I feel strongly about. Having the opportunity to help wonderful people accomplish their health and fitness goals is fantastic……if that isn’t enough I get to work all around the beautiful Sunshine Coast (and inland at Glasshouse Mountains).

I am not originally from the Sunshine Coast I grew up in Armidale NSW which is known for being freezing cold.  I started playing hockey when I was 5 and was disappointed to miss a season when I was 7 because of a broken leg (I also broken my arm when I was 9 but that didn’t stop me playing).  My mum would always come to watch me play hockey and other parents would say to her “I thought Samantha was such a shy little timid girl …….until I saw her play hockey”. I also followed my older brother Matt and played soccer. My first year was in an all girls team coached by my Dad. I travelled all over the state playing in school and representative teams. I loved sport and was my school sports captain. When it came time to decide what to do when I finished school my mum gave me some great advise “do something you are interested in….something you are going to enjoy”.  What was I interested in….. Sport the only subject I liked at school was PDH- Personal Development and Health and PE- Physical development. So I applied for a Bachelor Science-Sport and exercise science and it was at Sunshine Coast so even better somewhere warm!

I had a year off after school and worked then moved to the Sunshine Coast not knowing anyone and starting a long distance relationship with my boyfriend Nick. My degree started off a little boring with lots of basic science but got better and better. My mums advise really paid off when I saw other people quitting or deferring  there degrees that they started purely to  pursue high paying job, and I was going to the gym to prepare for an assignment or going for a run to apply what I had learnt.  I played hockey for the first season while I was here. Then decided to have a year off hockey and save my money to go skiing in New Zealand my first time out of the country!!

In my third year I got accepted to go on an exchange semester to Germany at the Deutch Sporthoschule (which translates to German Sports school).  It was an amazing school where I got to play sports like pistol shooting, gymnastics, tennis and rugby for class! I travelled a lot (I have now been to 13 countries). When I came back I weighed more than I ever had. Even though I was playing a lot of sport it was not enough to balance out the German bakery food chocolate and beer!



I only got slight hints from people like Nick saying “you must have really enjoyed yourself did you try a lot of food?”.  I didn’t mid so much about the number on the scale but I just didn’t feel like me. I couldn’t afford to play hockey I joined the gym but it was hard to get motivated as my old gym buddies had all moved away. Before I went overseas I had ran in a few fun runs with friends but the longest distance I had ever ran was 10km. I needed a goal to get motivated again. I decided to train for the Gold Coast Half Marathon, I made sure that I entered as soon as the registration opened so I was committed and couldn’t pull out.  I loved having something to work for but still found it hard doing the long runs by myself. I joined a running group because I needed that extra bit of push, and needed to have a time and set place to train so I couldn’t make excuses and get out of it! Two of my friends from Brisbane also trained and ran the race with me. I ran the race in well under the time I had set myself and it felt so amazing to reach my goal. I was so happy. Now I want to keep going I want to run some more half marathons and am going to do either the Gold coast or Melbourne full marathon next year.

Now I am working for Sculpt life personal training I am so excited to help others work towards their goals- no matter how big or small. It is going to be amazing!

I would also really like to start playing hockey again next year….anyone know who I can play for?

My Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer - Audi the Doberman !

 I have been meaning to blog for a while, but running an award winning team of  Sunshine Coast Personal Trainers has taken it’s toll on me a bit. I’ve found that I’ve been making the same mistakes that many of our clients do, skipping meals, taking the fast option rather than the best option food wise, and I have seen the results of it in the  uncomfortabe tug on my waistband, afternoon energy slumps and black circles around my eyes.  

 I have only recently been studying the Law of Attraction and it resonates with me a lot, as I know that I am always quite analytical and sometimes focus too much  on what I could have done better instead of just accepting things at face value and focusing on what I want things to be like. I call it “”The Curse of The OverAchiever!” – and I know a lot of you suffer from it too!  

So, now with this amazing weather I am back on my path to keeping a good balance between my figure and fitness and my business and I thought I’d offer you a few quotes of insight from Esther and Jerry Hicks and the Law of Attraction.   

The Great Sunshine Coast Outdoors !

“ Once you identify a desire for wellness, or for a specific bodily condition, you will never be able to focus upon the lack of it again without feeling negative emotion. Whenever you feel negative emotion, stop what you are doing or thinking and say, What is it that I DO want ? Because you have turned your attention to what you do want, the negative feeling will be replaced by a positive feeling and the negative attraction will be replaced by positive attraction – and you will be right back on track.   

 There is no right or wrong way to tell your improved story. It can be about your past, present, or future experiences. The only criterion that is important is that you be conscious of your intent to tell a better feeling, improved version of your story. Telling many good-feeling short stories throughout your day will change your point of attraction. Just remember that the story you tell is the basis of your life. So tell it the way you want it to be .”   

Even as a Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer, I need insights like this to keep me on track – so I interpret this as I could either   

-          feel horrified at the extra kilos that have crept on, mentally berate myself for being so weak and then the only motivation I will feel will be to go and sit down on the couch and eat tim tams   

or I could   

-          focus on the changes I imagine are happening to my body on a meal by meal basis and immediately feel myself in a better frame of mind, inspired to make healthy choices and increase my daily activity through my Sunshine Coast Personal Training program.   

Audi and I interval running along Lake Kawana

 So now I think of how great I feel knowing that I am on my way to my leanest and most sculpted body ever, and I find myself actually enjoying the journey, instead of feeling “deprived” . Now when I  think about fat melting off my body when I go for a run, I immediately set forth on a path of inspired action – and go faster ! When I look in the mirror every morning and instead of feeling woeful that I see I am still 5 kilos away from where I want to be, I notice the change in my jawline which has already slimmed down and the sunkissed and toned shoulders I see now after spending more time outdoors.   

Now that I am “telling an improved story” I am inspired and motivated to take slow and progressive steps towards my ideal healthy body. Regardless of all the technical knowledge that I have, I am very aware that one of the most powerful tools on sticking to your Sunshine Coast health and fitness journey is enlisting the support and accountability from your friends and family or a  coach, such as a Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer.      

Audi and I doing some weights !

Joyous Exhaustion !

Enlist the knowledge and guidance of a certified Sunshine Coast Fitness Professional to give you the right information and hold you accountable to your goals, dont’ waste your money on something you know in your heart it sounds too good to be true.  Our programs are 100% money back guaranteed and combine ALL the components you need for your success: the right exercise, nutrition and holding you accountable to your goals. We have our next nutritional coaching challenge coming up soon, check it out and the amazing testimonials at www.suncoastbodybalance.com, everyone who has completed the challenge have absolutely changed their life for the better.   

So what are you waiting for – fill in the details at www.suncoastbodybalance.com and start thinking better thoughts and living a better life TODAY !

Sculptlife Champs after training in the rain!

Hi there, Sascha here, I’m one of Sculptlife’s Personal Trainers on the Sunshine Coast and  I get to help some really fantastic people achieve their health, fitness and figure goals. On Friday I had a group session at Pt Cartwright- we got caught in the rain! But did that stop these fitness fanatics? No way! They kept on charging and didn’t seem to mind at all!

It’s clients like these that are a source of motivation for my own personal fitness journey, so I wanted to show you what I did on the weekend to keep up with my own fitness training.

I bet there aren’t many Personal Trainers on the Sunshine Coast that get the advantage of training on the beautiful Sunshine Coast as well as training in the fast paced city of Brisbane! After driving back home to Brisbane the night before, Saturday morning I drove out to Kangaroo Pt Cliffs to do a cardio session on the infamous Kangaroo Pt Stairs.

Kangaroo Pt Stairs - there's so many I couldnt fit them all in the picture!

Approximately 90 steep stairs in total, I say approximate because after a doing seven (or was it eight?) sets of these leg shattering stairs your brain turns to jelly along with your legs – and I lost count!

Im sure our Sculptlife clients would be happy to hear I got a taste of my own medicine – I staggered back to the car on wobbly legs; drove home with my head glued to the head rest to prevent more dizziness; hauled myself up the front steps leaning heavily on the handrail; quickly ate a protein bar to get my blood sugar levels back up and had to rest up before I could go grocery shopping! (I can see all your playfully taunting faces now!)

While we’re on the topic of me getting a taste of my own medicine, I thought you’d like to know a few weeks back I had a really tough session with Bianca’s and my Personal Trainer, Robert Reed. (click here to read Bianca’s blog on how she made this mass monster cry!)  It was the very first time I wanted to shout and swear at him! But the moment passed and I was proud of myself for getting through such a hard session and felt great afterwards.
Its a good experience to know what it feels like to be in your client’s shoes and I’d like to say kudos to you all for holding your tongues and hanging in there when I bet you all you wanted to do was  tell me where to go! Proud of ya guys!

Personal Trainers on the Sunshine Coast that live in Brisbane like me, cant afford to be cooking during the week so I make sure I get it all done ahead of time. I do a big cook up on the weekend and I assure you its well worth the time and effort!

1kg basa, 1kg steak, 500g mushrooms, 2kg broccoli, 1kg capsicum = $45
1 hour 20 mins of my weekend = 8 lunches, 9 dinners
The convenience of having figure friendly meals ready made = priceless!

...and here's something I prepared earlier!

So after an active and healthy weekend Im pumped to start another great week as a Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer, motivating clients and in return being motivated by their hard work and success. Im lucky to be working with such dedicated clients, so thanks guys, you inspire me! Train hard, eat clean and Love Life!

To your Best Life, In your Best Body

Sascha

Lead Trainer

Sculptlife Personal Training

Unfortunately, there can be an unpleasant side to peoples’ comments when embarking on your own health and fitness regime. I’ve often had to tell my clients to be wary of the people around them and how these people respond to their health and fitness regime.

Hopefully most of them will be like your personal cheer squad – the type of people who support you no matter what. They are there praising and encouraging you when things are going well and pick up your spirits and help you back on track when things get tougher. ( Being a Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer means I’m  a 1 person cheer squad too!)

Then there are the people who appear supportive and believe they are being supportive but they may say things or behave in ways that lead you off your track or discourage you.
These people are the unconscious saboteurs of your weight loss journey and are more than likely people close to you, such as your family, friends and colleagues. They don’t intentionally go out of their way to sabotage you but act out of habit or what they think is right.

This happened to me once when I lost quite a bit of weight. I went to a party where there were people I hadn’t seen in a while, I bought a new outfit and I was looking forward to seeing their reactions to the changes I’d made.
The funny thing was I could tell they had noticed I was leaner – they’d look me up and down or out of the corner of their eyes – but no one made a comment what-so ever! It was confusing and a bit discouraging.
It happened again with the same group of people a few times over several months as I kept slimming down. I finally figured out that my success was confronting to them in some way. Instead of letting it get to me, I decided that if these people made no comment about my trimmer figure – I knew that I was looking good!

The people in your life may not be so subtle. Perhaps you know people who are conscious saboteurs – people who intentionally try to stop you from achieving your goals by behaving in certain ways or putting obstacles in your way. They might appear to be supportive but are actually thinking of ways to foil your success. Keep your eye out for these people as they are often those close to you, friends, family, colleagues or acquaintances and can be difficult to spot.

So while you are on your way to a slimmer, healthier, happier you – be aware of the people around you. How many are genuinely happy for you and your progress and how many are confronted or threatened by your success?
At the end of the day, remember that you are your own person and you are working towards your own betterment and personal development.  Don’t let someone else’s issues affect your own journey.

Live the life you want & love the body you’re in!

Yours In Health & Fitness,

Sascha Aiono

Sculptlife Personal Training