Simple Stress Strategy

It’s difficult to find anyone who’s unaffected by stress these days. It’s simply a fact of life.

Stress has a huge impact on the way your body recovers and regenerates. It has many negative effects including interrupting sleep and digestion, lowering immunity from illness and disease and can increase fat storage particularly around the abdomen.

Last week I highlighted the cumulative effects of stress with my stress bucket analogy. Some you can easily change, some you cannot. This week I thought I’d look a approaches to dealing with stress.

First and foremost, dealing with stressors or managing them is an ideal place to start. If you don’t embrace this to a certain extent you’ll always be fighting a losing battle. However, in the immediacy quitting your job, getting divorced or getting a full-time nanny to look after your children is out of the question...

If you choose to embrace an intelligent approach to stress understanding the benefits of the right sort of exercise is essential. Your body is already stressed and to put your body through a vigorous routine is often the last thing it needs. Exercise can often be a great outlet, but be sure not to exhaust your body in the process. Trying a mindful sort of exercise such as yoga or tai chi under extreme stress is an ideal solution, but looking forward some simple strengthening and stretching exercises can help the efficiency of your body and make you feel great.

To compliment your exercise eating properly is important. Lot’s of fresh fruit and vegetables to nourish your body is important. Stress actually has a de-nourishing affect on the body so to counter this is essential. Stress hormones also destabilise blood sugar so eating good quality meat, fish and poultry will help redress this balance. Making time for this and eating regularly will help.

If you’ve dialled in the exercise and nutrition a few key supplements can help. Please don’t get carried away with this - if you are eating terribly this won’t help. To get you started a good quality (not cheap!) multi-vitamin is a good place to start. After this supplementing separately with vitamin C, magnesium and a vitamin B complex are a good place to start.

I’ve also found my clients have faired better with obvious suggestions like getting to bed a little earlier, getting regular massage and speaking to qualified counselors. 

On a final point, I echo the advice of Shawn Talbott in the book The Cortisol Connection and encourage you to think not of this as an all or nothing approach. When you are stressed I know this intelligent approach goes out the window. Take each day as it comes and don’t strive for perfection, just do your best. 

To reiterate my point at the beginning stress has a cumulative effect. Reduce part of the load will help you to deal with it.

Get Fitter Faster: 7 Top Training Partners

I’ve had some incredible training partners over the years...

This wasn't a training session...

My first proper training partner was an aussie guy named Luke. We were best buds and at least five times a week we’d pitch up at the gym and lift heavy weights. We were good too! Invariably three out of five sessions a week involved bench press and I’m still suffering from the injuries, but we worked hard and were consistent.

Held together by tape...

Luke went home and I ended up training with kiwi named Corry. He was a battle hardened old man who liked terrible music. Again, we’d train hard and consistently. Agreeing to meet with Corry three or four times a week and documenting the weights we lifted every session meant I could see clear progress. 

She's the girl...

Having ruptured my PCL playing rugby I needed to change tac a little and fortunately I ended up training with my friend Ellen. She was a PT (and now a very good sports therapist) she taught me new and varied ways to train (...and fix myself!) and is the reason I ended up becoming a PT.

TR isn't the handsome bald kid...

After this I got myself a posh gym membership and started training with TR. A bit younger than me, but with a love for lifting heavy stuff, my training plans were a little more refined and balanced by this stage. I became stronger than ever before (not necessarily more muscular) and I still train with TR nowadays.

Always a great inspiration

Since then I’ve been lucky enough to train with my friend Nikki. A very positive and skillful personal trainer. Nikki was happy to put down the weights on occasion step outside the gym and run - sometimes it was hill sprints other times it was long slow endurance - depending on what we were training for. She was and still is a huge inspiration to me.

The crazy american

For a short while I trained with a crazy american chick named Kim. At the time we were both training for an ultra distance running race. She taught me how to channel my thoughts and by her example taught me that the human body is capable of way more than you could ever think.

This is what he wears in the gym...

In more recent years I’ve been fortunate enough to work and train alongside Fil. Whilst my training in recent years has been varied (mostly outside of the gym) I appreciate his insight and enjoy the support and motivation of someone who in a slightly different sport. 

My point is this, doing it alone is foolish. I am self motivated, but have improved and developed by training with other like-minded people. Research suggests training alongside others will increase the likelihood of you getting results. Better still, training alongside people who know what they’re doing increasing it further. 

Did you notice the people I’ve chosen to train alongside are skillful and driven? 

If you can’t find the right training partner you could always employ a personal trainer. Just saying.

www.stevekeywood.co.uk 

The Beach Ready Plan

**The next plan starts soon - join our Facebook page HERE to find out when**

Picture the perfect you…

You feel great - full of life and vitality…

You're happy with your weight and fit into your jeans…

People comment on how good you look…

Just a Dream? …it need not be.

Revealed... During ‘The Beach Ready Plan’ you’ll discover EVERYTHING you NEED to know about losing weight, being healthy and being fit. A little too good to be true? Check this out...

Imagine, in just 21 days you can discover the closely guarded secrets only available to my personal training clients that will free you from the difficulties you’re facing with your fitness right now.

PLUS: You’ll be able to carry it on for the whole year for long term sustainable healthy results.

Dear Fellow Fitness Consumer,

What you’re about to read might surprise you.

Whether you’re fit already or have aspirations to be fit this is important to you.

In the last year I’ve helped hundreds of people change shape, burn stubborn fat and become fitter than they’ve ever thought possible.

If you’re anything like most people you don’t have time to exercise or the motivation to eat healthily and you’ve become somewhat bemused by the inconsistencies in the media about what it takes to be fit and healthy.

If this is you then I can help.

Before I begin I need to tell you this plan is not for everyone. This plan is not for you if you want to just read the diet and exercise plan and do nothing about it. This plan takes action to achieve the results. Yes - it is only two ten-minute workouts a day to be done in your front room with no equipment and no fuss, but you need to do it and give it your all. 

You will be asked to give up some of the stuff you like such as food and drinks containing alcohol and sugar, but you didn’t expect me to say otherwise, did you? But, please bear in mind you will receive all the information, daily coaching and support you need to do this and make it work.

I understand why this is hard to believe. The constant to-ing and fro-ing of so-called experts can be difficult to understand. One minute red meat is good for you, the next it’s not. One minute you can’t eat fat, the next you can. One minute you need carbs, the next you don’t. The diet and exercise industry is complicated!

Starting on Monday 20th May for 21 days we are embarking on a clean eating and a do-at-home bodyweight exercise plan of which the results have to be seen to be believed. 

When you sign up to this plan you will receive...

---->The Diet of Plenty - a simple easy to follow guide on what to eat and what not to eat and why. 

----> The 15 Minute Solution - a time-friendly bodyweight exercise plan to be done at home in your front room in your pyjamas.

----> Advanced Fat Loss Strategies - the ultimate tricks and tips to be applied to The Diet of Plenty to accelerate results.

----> Access to our secret Facebook forum - the hub of the clean eating and exercise plan. This secret group is a great place to compare notes with fellow clean eaters, ask questions, swap recipe ideas and generally hang out. Check in daily to stay on track.

---> The Exercise Guide - including mobility matrix, stretch routines and additional AB workouts.

---> The Diet of Plenty Recipe Book - this includes tons of delicious recipes, a meal planner and a daily ritual tick list to keep you on track.

Sounds good, right? I guess the results of a previous plan speak for themselves...

Total loss 10llb & 10 inches overall - so happy! - Vicky

In total: 7lb & 9" lost. Very happy with the overall results and a lot of the healthy eating is becoming second nature. Thanks Keywood! - Tina

Total weight loss is 13 lbs, total 16 3/4inches. Am very happy with that and I intend to carry on eating this sort of way! Thanks steve! - Michelle

Total loss 8 inches. I don't weigh but feel lighter! Best news is that my favourite jeans that haven't seen daylight for years now go on... Can't do the button up still but hey they got over my hips!! - Sue

Weight 10lbs total

Measures 9.5" total

Looking better, feeling great, love it!

Stephen Keywood I hate to tell you your right but this shit really does work!! ;-) - Ben

Final weight loss 12lb.... And a dress size! A deal is a deal .... See you at bootcamp Steve! - Tillie

I have lost 12lb and 9 inches. Need some new jeans !! Am going to keep going for February !! Well done everyone. Results are amazing !! - Nicola

12 inch loss overall :0)

Overall Weight loss 15lbs :0)

Didn't think that being such a loser would make me feel so good, and will carry on until I have reached my goal of being a yummy old mummy !!

Thank you Steve, I now have the confidence and right attitude about weight loss/exercise and healthy eating to continue ( with the help of my friends here on FB) - Jane

5" lost and 7lbs. Goal achieved- hurrah! - Fiona

Ok so 8" reduction overall and 7lb loss. Got the Christmas naughties off!! Hooray!! - Ally

Amazed & delighted..from my dodgy measuring looks like a near total 10 inches lost from various body parts...a 12lbs weight loss & counting...Have no desire to change my eating habbits any time soon as would like to keep loosing those inches & pounds for a while longer....One happy chappy! :) - Becky

Final results 10lbs and 12 inches. Going to keep going as want to keep the inch and weight loss up and feel so much better in myself:) - Claire

Final results for stidders.....9" total body fat loss and 7lbs on the scales. Really pleased with results and the fact that the overindulgence at Christmas is now finally off ;) - Claire

Final stats: 9 1b and 10.5 '' . Intend to carry on and aim for a further stone, setting myself another target. Feeling great with no hankerings for a diet coke or packet of crisps.

Concession is that if I want a piece of cake I'll hold out for a dairy/regular flour type on cheat day - Charlotte

I have been working super hard too ! I am really please to have knocked 8lbs off and 8inches over 8 measurements:-

Well Done to all of you! Amazing results and it was not soo bad was it ?! ;)

I will continue with the plan through the week and save treats for weekend

And I will certainly continue to lift those heavy weights in the gym :) - Jane

My results: 8lbs & 12 Inches - Overall chuffed to bits, clothes no longer tight. Thank you forum for your support. - Lindsey

Weight was 10 st 0 down to lb 9 st 5 lb. Thank you so much for everything you have taught us and thanks to everyone for sharing the experience and keeping me motivated and entertained - Karen

6kg and 11 inches but definitely not stopping here, bikini in 2 weeks! Thanks guys, you all played a part...v grateful for the support - Charlotte

Final results for Lois... 7.5 ins and 10lbs! It's been great, thanks Stephen Keywood you gave us the tools to work with but we all did it!! Well done guys!!!!! - Lois

Lost a stone (now got another 1.5 to go so will be continuing) and 12.5" so very happy with that. Makes me wonder what I could have done if I had done the exercises everyday tho!!! Thanks to everyone- the forum has been an excellent source of motivation......And thanks Steve!! - Nicky

If you want these results in just 21 days it’s a no brainer, right?

However for those I haven’t met I can understand you might have some reservations. Therefore I will put forward this guarantee. 

That’s how confident I am that my clean up plan will work for you.

The majority of people are looking for results, and I want to ensure this is exactly what you receive.

Provided you stick to the proven formula you will drop a jean size.

Are you a suitable candidate for the guarantee?

My training programmes are highly effective, but only if you are ready to stick to the rules. For this reason I am only prepared to offer the guarantee to those who stick to it 100%.

I do accept clients who do not wish to adhere but I do not offer them the same guarantee.

Before you decide you want to train with a guarantee take a look at the deal.

I guarantee if you follow my few simple rules and DON’T drop one jean size within the first 21 DAYS, I will refund all of your money.

You must adhere to the advice given and maintain a positive attitude throughout the program.

You must follow my healthy eating recommendations to the letter. This includes giving up the toxic foods such as alcohol, bread, pasta and processed foods that are keeping you overweight for 21 days.

You must commit to taking positive action everyday to achieving your goals including participating in the two ten-minute workouts.

You must write a daily training journal every evening that documents the foods you’ve eaten, your mood and energy levels, your daily activity and exercise.

You must take a before and after picture at the start and finish of the 21 days to demonstrate the changes in your body shape and be prepared to write a full testimonial so that others can see how well you have done! - You do NOT have to share these - unless you want too...

This might sound like hard work - but most find it enjoyable.

If you truly want these results you will understand that changes have to occur.

You might think there may be a catch, but there isn’t one. I do not intend to give you your money back… because I wont have to. If you follow my advice you will achieve your desired goal and you will not want your money back!

The plan starts on Monday 20th May. To secure your place you need to sign up now.

Sign Up NOW!

...how much? 

You’d expect me to build this up by equating how much my personal training clients pay for this kind of plan, but I won’t. The results speak for themselves. If in twenty-one days time you want to be fitter, healthier and a jean size smaller it will cost you £67.

**GET THE EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT - Sign Up NOW for just £47 - Sign up HERE**

To pay you can use the paypal button HERE - this will send me an email to me and from there I will add you to my list. I will send you more information from there...

If you have any questions in the meantime head over to my Facebookpage and just ask. 

Yours in good health,

Steve