Fit by Choice Personal Training

19/07/2023

From Worries to Warriors: Building Resilience Against Anxiety After 40

Did you know that 77% of men over 40 have suffered from symptoms like anxiety, stress or depression?

Usually when intense bouts of these emotions come up, you tend to self medicate with alcohol or food.

This is a viscous cycle that damages your mental and physical health.

The good thing is that it can managed daily with these strategies I got from a book called breathe in breathe out.

Thoughts and feelings change the way we breathe.

Shallow breathing causes the feelings of stress to intensify.

Trying to think positive in an anxious state is almost impossible.

But by slowing down your breath to a pace of inhale for 5 secs and exhale for 5 secs will trick your brain into thinking it’s not anxious and will instead start having a feeling of calm.

I’ve used this and it works!

Give it a try and let me know if it works for you.

Healthy Regards

Rasheed

Ps. If you liked this post you'll like my newsletter. Every week I give more detailed tips on how to reduce stress, exercise effectively and eat for weight loss. Join here: https://rasheeds-newsletter-cb65f6.beehiiv.com/

15/07/2023

With so many diets out there. I take it upon myself to explain the difference between a lifestyle and a restrictive diet that will fail you time and time again.

08/07/2023

Just reading the back of labels can transform the way you look and feel.

Check out FitByChoice's post.

08/07/2023

Escape the Fat Trap: Protect Your Health and Say No to Excess Body Fat

Having too much body fat may not seem like a big deal, but it can actually be really harmful to your health.

It's like being stuck in a dangerous trap!

When you have high body fat levels, it means your body has too much of a hormone called insulin.

This can lead to a bunch of problems that can show up when you least expect them.

Here's what can happen:

- You might feel tired all the time. It's like having a low battery that never fully charges.

- You could gain weight more easily. It's like your body is holding onto extra pounds.

- You might start craving sugary foods a lot. It's like your brain is telling you to eat more sweet stuff.

- There's a risk of heart disease, which can make you seriously ill.

- Your mental health could suffer, making you feel sad or anxious.

Can you believe that just one hormone can cause so many problems?

It sounds crazy, right?

But it's a serious issue, and if you're not careful, you might end up spending a lot of your life dealing with these health problems.

But guess what?

You can avoid all of this by paying attention to what you eat.

By making a few simple swaps in your food choices, you can stay lean, strong, and full of energy.

I have a free diet template that explains everything in easy steps.

It's like a guide to help you make healthier choices and stay away from that dangerous fat trap.

Comment fat free if you would like a copy.

14/05/2023

Your Body Deserves Top Care, Just Like Your Car

Let me tell you a story about a supplement shop owner I used to know.

Every few weeks, my partner and I would go to his shop after a workout.

We'd usually buy Vitamin D3, Creatine, and whey protein (though I don't use it anymore).

The owner always greeted us with a smile.

But one day, as we were in his shop, he noticed one of his customers parking outside...

and he couldn't help but express his frustration.

He said, "This man always buys fancy cars but constantly asks me for discounts on supplements."

This got me thinking about something I've observed over the years: many people take their bodies for granted.

Consider this: if you work long hours, neglect exercise and sleep, is it any wonder that you start noticing unwanted fat, experience panic attacks, or suffer from migraines?

These are all signals from your body, telling you that something isn't right.

Now, picture this: imagine if you drove your car for many miles each year without ever changing the oil or taking it for maintenance checks.

How long do you think it would take for your car to start falling apart?

And here's the thing, with a car, you can always trade it in for a newer model.

But when it comes to your body, you only have one.

That's why it's so important to take care of it.

So remember, just like you give your car the attention it needs, your body deserves the same level of care, if not more.

Treat it well, nurture it, and it will serve you faithfully for years to come.

08/05/2023

Find Out How Vitamin D3 Can Repair Your Metabolism And Hormone.

1. Supports insulin sensitivity: Vitamin D3 helps improve the body's sensitivity to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Improved insulin sensitivity can help prevent insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
2. Boosts energy production: Vitamin D3 helps to convert food into energy, which is essential for metabolism. This nutrient also supports healthy muscle function, which can improve energy levels and physical performance.
3. Regulates appetite: Vitamin D3 helps regulate the hormone leptin, which is responsible for controlling appetite and food intake. A deficiency in vitamin D3 can lead to an increase in appetite and potentially weight gain.
4. Promotes healthy weight: Vitamin D3 has been shown to help promote healthy weight and body composition by reducing inflammation and improving the body's ability to use stored fat as fuel.

If you can’t get any sun, then supplement with a high strength vitamin D3 supplement.

30/04/2023

Before and after of my client Hazel. When you reduce alcohol and processed sugar and combine it with resistance training, everything falls into place.

16/04/2023

But If I Stop Drinking I’ll Have No Friends!

Another statement I hear countless times and I totally get it!

But first let me share a story about a woman who contacted me about a body transformation package I was running.

So I did my usual lifestyle assessment and finding the “real” meaning for her body transformation.

So we established that she wanted to look and feel good about her body.

The other reason for this is that she wanted to find a man to settle down with and have children.

But the problem with her getting to her goal was fear of changing her lifestyle which she felt would mean having no friends.

I said ‘I don’t want you to have no friends but your alcohol intake is way too high so you will need to go out less’

I also asked her when she finds a partner wouldn’t she be spending time getting to know him.

She started seeing how irrational her fear was.

Because the equation looks like this:

Fear of losing friends + fear of not finding a partner = stuck and unhappy

When in reality you don’t have to choose one over the other.

Life is about balance.

Anything too extreme will always cause problems.

Fear will make you sabotage even the best plan.

Tackle it head on 💪🏿

The rewards are truly life changing.

12/04/2023

“Why You Never Hear The Word Hard Work In The Weight Loss Industry”

Repetition and patience is hardly ever mentioned because we are short term orientated.

So 30 day challenge is more appealing than a 3-6 month challenge.

But we do know to be a success in any area of life takes repetition, discipline and a level of hard work 😓

So why would that be any different in regards to weight loss?

When on a weight loss journey

First you have to be willing to be bad at something.

Then through practise become good.

And this is the same process in all walks of life.

There is also a huge component to weight loss that’s is usually overlooked...

And this is the mental side!

This is the nagging voice in your head that comes up with every excuse to skip and encourages you to grab a bottle of wine instead.

If this nagging voice in your head was a real person.

They would be the worst friend ever!

So even with the best diet and exercise plan.

Can you see how easy it is to go off track?

If you want to master this element of your loss journey.

I’ve designed a program called inner weight loss that will make you:

✅More confident in your body
✅Less stressed in your daily life
✅Sleep like a baby to stay youthful
✅And how to burn fat like crazy

Healthy Regards

Rasheed

P.S. And just to let you know, I’m putting together a brand new 8 week kickstart program ’ summer sculpt’ starting on the 2nd May 2023.

This is specifically for busy women who struggle with stress, motivation and weight gain. But would also like to lose up to 8KG of body fat.

I’m looking for 5 women to work with via my new app. If this would be valuable to you, just drop me a message for more info.

07/04/2023

Pain can be a great motivator.

The pain of hating how your body looks can force you to do something about it.

The pain of feeling aches and tiredness can motivate you to start exercising.

The pain of feeling anxious or stressed should motivate you to do something to eliminate it.

Might as well get used to being comfortable feeling uncomfortable.

Because it’s gonna happen regardless.

Hope you have a good Easter break.

27/03/2023

Is Your Dad Bod a Red Flag? Here's How to Evaluate Your Health Status

Did you know that if your body fat is over 25% you’re considered obese?

This is not about how much you weigh.

Because you could be what is classed as a “good” weight

And still have high body fat levels.

Watching your body fat levels is not so much about vanity.

Even though the term dad bod suggests you have let yourself go a bit visually.

It’s a lot more serious than that health wise.

Here’s a few health risks linked to high body fat:

⛔️ High blood pressure
⛔️ Heart disease
⛔️ Stroke
⛔️ Sleep apnea
⛔️ Metabolic dysfunction
⛔️ Fatty liver diseases
⛔️ Osteoarthritis

You can also be very fit but still have high body fat levels.

So what’s the best approach to bring your body fat down?

The 3 main habits to improve is:

1️⃣ Weight Training. This helps increase lean muscle and burn fat.

2️⃣ Improve your diet. A combination of lean protein, good carbs and healthy fats. Also fasting is good if you have the willpower.

3️⃣ Get more sleep. Lack of sleep increases cortisol (stress hormone) and insulin resistance (inability to take sugar from your blood)

Take a look at your current daily schedule and see how you can incorporate these habits into your life.

Healthy Regards

Rasheed

P.S. If losing weight or dropping fat is something you need help with. Feel free to drop me a message to discuss your goals.

09/09/2022

I Went To The Gym 1,900 times in my 40’s So You Can Escape This Habit Hell

Here are the 5 biggest mistakes you need to avoid in your 40’s and over.

1. Not giving yourself enough time to see results. Even if you go to the gym everyday, you will not see results immediately even most things are marketed this way. Celebrate small wins like completing your workout for the week.

2. Expecting to out train a bad diet. Everything you put into your mouth is either triggering fat burning hormones or fat storing hormones. Choose wisely.

3. Lottery type workouts. This is very common, going to the gym and randomly picking a bunch of exercises is not going to lead you to your fitness goals. You need a structured plan designed specifically for you like everything else in life.

4. Overdoing aerobic work. There’s exceptions if you’re an endurance athlete (and even then you need to allow good recovery days), but in your 40s and 50’s you want to hold on to your muscle, but too much aerobics will promote muscle loss, which means more body fat.

5. Not warming up the body properly. You need to warm up your joints and muscles doing mobility work. Jumping on the cross trainer for 10 mins is not a good warmup to prevent injuries.

I’m running a new coaching program at a discount of 50% off until October. Then the price goes up.

Dm me for more info

31/07/2022

How To Stop Letting Work Get In The Way Of Your Mental And Physical Health.

Client: ‘I’ve been so busy this week I haven’t had time to exercise at all and I don’t feel myself’

Me: ‘I’m not surprised. No sleep, no exercise and added stress will not have a good effect on your mind and body’

Client: ‘Yes even my partner has noticed’

Me: ‘What you can do is even when you don’t have much time, just do a quick 15 min workout at home or if you’re in the office stretch for 15 mins’

Client: ‘Yes I think I’ll do that, it’s very easy to get sucked into work and get obsessed with trying to finish’

Me: ‘Yes but you have to remember it’s the same as working out if you don’t rest your performance goes down. It’s no difference with your brain’

This is a common dialogue I have with many of my clients.

I’m not sure why we think it’s a good idea to push harder when we’re feeling stressed or tired.

But I’m sure there’s been times when you looked back on your work the following morning and can’t even recognise your own work.

This is a sign that you must get a better system in place.

Once you find a system that works for you never deviate from regardless what work or the outside world throws your way.

A bullet proof system to follow is:

✅ Always get your sleep. This is like your charger for your phone. No charge, then you go offline.

✅ Exercise. Very important for getting rid of pent up stress and makes gives you clarity especially when work is stressful.

✅ Supplementation. There is a lot of useless supplements on the market, but there are also a few gems that should be in your cupboard like valerian root, magnesium and kava kava. These ones are great to keep stress levels low

If you would like me to help you with any of the above. Feel free to drop me a message for more info.

26/07/2022

Men 40 And Over Who Exercise Miss Out On A Lot Of Things. Things Like Poor Health, Body Fat And High Levels Of Stress.

Taking care of your health should be a priority regardless of your age.

You can get away with a lot more when youth is on your side and also don’t need to do much and stay in decent shape.

But when you hit 50 things really start to change due to sarcopenia (aka the male menopause).

And if you don’t exercise and eat a balanced diet you could open yourself up to some of the following:

⛔️ Enlarged prostate.
⛔️ Back pain
⛔️ Stress and Anxiety
⛔️ Weak Bones

And these are just a few but enough to make life not look as good as in your youthful years.

But instead of accepting this.

There is so much you can do to prevent this.

✅ drink less coffee and lift weights to prevent your prostate enlarging.

✅ add more mobility and agility to your life to prevent back pain. A mixture of strength and conditioning is perfect for this.

✅ Sitting down for 7 hours has shown to increase stress. Doing some activity every day changes your physiology and tricks your brain to release happy chemicals.

✅ Lifting heavy to moderate weight is great for getting stronger bones. I use static holds with my clients to prevent injuries.

The only thing in your way is to ignore this advice and carrying doing things the same old way.

Healthy Regards

Rasheed



P.S. I’m looking for 5 men aged 50 and over who want to build muscle and lose fat. It’s a remote program done through my app, which covers building muscle, reducing stress and increasing

25/07/2022

Men Over 50 Who Exercise Miss Out On A Lot Of Things. Things Like Poor Health, Body Fat And High Levels Of Stress.

13/07/2022

Please don’t take this statement lightly.

Let me explain why.

Gym training is not just about looking good.

If you’re stressed at work a good gym session will relieve your stress and give you more clarity to hit your work with more enthusiasm.

If you’re angry a good workout whether it’s boxing or running will release all your pent up tension leaving you a lot calmer.

The same if you’re feeling anxious about something.

Then to top it off you’ll be a lot leaner and fitter.

Not a bad side effect to have 😊

………………………………………………………

12/07/2022

Are You Using Food And Alcohol To Relieve Stress? Take This Short Test To Find Out

Most of the time eating the wrong foods and drinking alcohol is not just about being greedy as it’s usually perceived.

The mind is very powerful and smart and is constantly trying to find you a solution (even if it’s not the best one).

And food and alcohol is one of those solutions that the mind will give you to relieve stress.

You could be using alcohol and food for stress relief If you find that you do the following:

⛔️ Eat when you stressed
⛔️ Drink alcohol when you’re bored
⛔️ Eat when you’re sad
⛔️ Have alcohol to help you ease off to sleep
⛔️ Consume sugary snacks when you’re angry
⛔️ Drink alcohol when you’re angry
⛔️ Eat when you’re tired

If you answered yes to any on the list above then
you are using food and alcohol to relieve your stress.

Everyday we have to deal with stress on some level.

Whether it’s from work, the kids, work colleagues, world news or family news.

So we have to find strategies on how to control the strong emotional pull it can have on us.

You see doing exercise and nutrition is only scratching the surface if you don’t address the root cause.

Is it any surprise that the weight loss industry has a 95% failure rate?

But if we tackle the root of the problem and combine it with exercise, nutrition and sleep it creates real transformation.

Imagine being less angry, less stressed and instead being full of energy, maintaining a weight and body image that makes you happy and comfortable.

It’s very possible when you become aware of what steers you off track.