My Surprising Opinion On Weight Watchers

A couple of nights ago a the channel 4 show Dispatches aired a rather damming show on Weight Watchers and how they make their millions.

Whilst on the face of it I agree with everything the show ‘uncovered’ my opinion might surprise many.

Anyone with a commodity of understanding of nutrition will be able to highlight the shortfalls of the Weight Watchers plan, but by airing such a one-sided negative show who are Dispatches really serving? Yes, many people unaware of the shortfalls are now much wiser, but after watching the show will they be able to make any smarter choices. I think not. 

Amongst the opinions levied at the WW was at the effect of counting pro-points. What WW have attempted to do with propoints is condense the nutritional value of all foods into one single number. I’m not a fan of counting calories, points, green day or red days or any other point scoring system for this matter, because I feel it leads to obsessive behaviors and is akin to knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing. What I mean by this is whilst thinking about propoints you will overlook the benefits of nutritional density in higher calorie foods to stay within a guideline or worse still overlook how the foods make you feel after consumption. I’m pretty sure many of the low scoring propoint foods make the person feel tired, lethargic and unsatisfied after eating. But, and correct me if I’m wrong, I’m pretty certain WW do not discriminate against whole natural nourishing foods. 

You can eat vegetables, fruits, meats, chicken, fish on WW and stay within your guideline, right? Therefore it would be your choice what you eat...

Other criticisms were at the price of the products. This was pretty damming. Some of the products were twice the price and gram for gram had more propoints. But, to qualify this I will use a simple analogy. A couple of months ago my friend Maisey brought a house. He took a few weeks off work and spent 16hrs a day renovating. During this time he fitted a new kitchen and bathroom, knocked through walls and decorated. After a couple of months he had it revalued and it was priced at £60k more. During this time I sat on my arse and my kitchen is still the same old kitchen, my living room is in need of a face lift and the list of jobs EJ has for me has grown. My point being if you invest in yourself, educate yourself and take action you will be rewarded. Maisey has taken the time to learn how to renovate his house, worked out the numbers and done it. I have not. Therefore Maisey has better rate on his mortgage and a nicer house to live in. 

You can take the time to learn about better alternatives to the hideous overpriced WW’s food. They even have apps on your smart phones to help! It’s just about taking the time to learn...

The effectiveness of their diet plan... This is my major gripe. I know several people who have lost weight at weight watchers and kept it off. Heck, a few of them come to my fitness camp. Whilst I don’t really like the approach they have taken to lose weight these guys are happy, fit and healthy and therefore whilst I coach them around fitness I will not be coaching them on nutrition unless they ask. And then given their success I will mostly be telling them how they could modify the WW plan work better for them. I also know quite a few people who have not lost weight or have lost weight and gained it back quickly. These are the guys who need help. Many of these people are repeat offenders. Despite it being ineffective they continue to go back. Is this not the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result... 

The truth is if it doesn’t work don’t do it. However, if it does, do.

I’m not a strong advocate of the WW plan - I know many better ways - BUT it does work for some and a shameless sensational one-sided program highlighting the millions made adds no value to the debate. In fact, the only thing it is likely to do is lead to a person who is concerned about their weight to sit on their sofa and not go. This serves nobody.

The health and wellness industry is saturated with information - most of it is BS - many people I come in contact with are confused. If you do go to Weight Watchers and want to make the best of the plan...

1. Try eating more wholesome nourishing natural foods rather than packaged processed food - this is the ONLY way a diet plan can be both healthy and work longterm.

2. Take the time to read about nutrition and learn what you need to be healthy - the mindful educated consumer always has the best success.

3. In order to make it work be focused and clear on your goal - this will keep you on track and go along way to curbing cravings and making the best of any diet plan.

Christmas Cracker or Christmas Pudding?

The festive season is upon us and pretty soon you’ll be out for a party.

Whilst I like helping people with longterm sustainable results I also know a thing or two about getting people in shape FAST. 

If you have aspirations of getting in a little black dress (...both guys and girls) here are my top tips for losing 7lbs in 7 days...

1. Bin the wheat. Eating wheat leaves many people bloated. A pasta belly not only makes your stomach look bigger, it changes the way you digest food, leaves you with dark circles under your eyes and can effect your mood and energy levels (not good for partying!). Cut out bread, pasta and cereals and eat more vegetables and meat.
2. Drink 2-3L water a day. This will speed up your metabolism, flush out toxins and make your skin glow. It’s often difficult to start this habit so to get started upon waking drink two glasses of water before breakfast and then have a glass every hour/hour and a half of the day. To vary try using a combination of herbal teas (peppermint, nettle, liquorice, etc) and fresh water. 
3. Get to bed by 10pm. This is important. You fat loss hormones will reset overnight and so you must get to bed on time. Staying up late will leave you tired and you’ll feel hungrier and stressed. With the extra energy you’ll be dancing all night!
4. Get toned. If you want to look fit in your dress you need muscle tone. To get muscle tone you need to use the muscles. Therefore if you want to create muscle tone on the back of your arms it is pointless running (unless you use the back of your arms to run?!) Does that make sense?! My tip is to do this bodyweight workout that uses every muscle in your body. Try this.
5. Eat a little more protein. I’m not high carb, low carb or no carb kinda guy. I just do what works. Therefore if you want to lose weight eating a little more protein seems to help. Including either poultry, fish, meat, eggs at breakfast, lunch or dinner will do the trick. This could be boiled eggs for breakfast, chicken salad at lunch and steak and vegetables for dinner. Like this.
6. Sit up straight. Consider your posture. Sitting and standing tall will make you look better. It might not help you lose weight immediately, but it’ll make you look better. Job done.
7. Laugh your ass off. Smiling and generally being positive changes your physiology. You will feel less stress and your bodies metabolic functions will work better. 

Let me know how you get on either on Facebook or Twitter @SteveKeywoodPT

Weight Loss vs Fat Loss

I pitched up at Surrey Sports Park yesterday to do my swim after 400m to be stopped by a man about 50 years old who asked, ‘how do you get a body like that? Not from swimming, right?’ To which I smiled. After checking he wasn’t chatting me up - he had a wife and kids (apparently) - and before I could impart any of my wisdom on him he told me he’d already lost a couple of stone, but recognised he didn’t have the bodyshape he wanted.

Being a polite kind of guy I congratulated him on dropping a couple of stone because we all know losing weight is tough. I didn’t tell him I was a trainer first of all, but agreed I’d spent a fair amount of time in the gym over the years, but in truth I haven’t done any formal gym training for a while. I then asked him what he did to lose the weight. He told me I just ate less and exercised more. 

This highlighted a really common misconception I hear all the time. There is a huge difference between weight loss and fat loss. It is actually possible to lose weight and still be fat. This is why the BMI (body mass index) is a bit misleading. And this is why the guy wasn’t too pleased with how he looked.

To break this down a little you need to know a couple of things. Firstly, the BMI makes no inference to body composition. It is total bodyweight. This includes both body fat (the flabby bits on the back of your arms or belly), lean mass (the metabolically active tissues i.e. muscle). Separating the two is important.

The trouble is eating less and moving more for the most will mean you lose weight and sometimes unfortunately this includes muscle. To me if you are genuinely overweight this is a good place to start. If there was a benefit to the BMI this is it. If you outside of a ‘safe’ weight (overweight or above...) weight is a relevant measure. Whilst weight doesn’t kill you per se, it is a good indicator of how healthy you are, particularly in non-athletic people.

Let’s not overcomplicate this. If you are heavy and don’t exercise you can just get moving and eat less. It’s simple thermodynamics, not easy, but simple.

However, this has some shortfalls. If you choose the wrong type of exercise or create too much of a calorie deficit with food, like I said, you might lose muscle too. This is not good. Muscle is metabolically active and is also what makes your not so firm bits look ‘toned’.

Therefore, just to clarify if you want to look more like me (hahhahaha) you need to preserve muscle and burn fat, not lose weight.

Zero to Ironman. Again.

I’m pretty sure it’s like having a baby. 

[Did I just liken competing in one of the worlds toughest triathlons to having a baby?! Oops...]

The satisfaction it gives you afterwards outweighs the pain. Eventually. Maybe.

You forget the dark damp early winter mornings at the pool, the extreme coldness you feel in your feet and hands after five hours on the bike on a February morning, the crazy thought of lake swimming at the start of April because the race you chose is at the start of summer...

I do like to set myself one big challenge a year and for next years challenge I’m revisiting an old flame.

In 2011 having never completed a triathlon and not even owning a road bike I decided to take on ultra endurance sports biggest challenge - The Ironman.

The Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim (often in the sea), 112 mile cycle and a 26.2 mile run. Done one after the other. On the same day. 

I brought a bike, took advice on how to swim, read the books and followed a time-friendly plan which saw me training for up to 20hrs per week and arrived at the start of Ironman France uncertain of what would happen... 

I crushed it! Finishing Ironman France in 12hrs 43mins, I was immensely satisfied with my efforts and decided to leave it there. Crossing the finishing line of Ironman France was the culmination of an amazing six-months training and was most certainly one of my proudest moments, but the training was so tough I decided despite the vast expense of buying a bike, wetsuit and copious amounts of lycra never to do it again.

Therefore I haven’t sat on my bike since that monumental day. It’s laid dusty and dormant in my garage since I pulled it out the bike box and put it back together. My wetsuit has taken pride of place at the back of my wardrobe alongside the pair of trousers I’m never going to wear, but can’t throw away. And my tri-suit? I’m not really sure wear that is!

However, after a mug or two of idea juice in Pret, I somewhat conveniently forgot the reasons why I vowed not to do it. I remember the euphoria, the carnival atmosphere you get at this race, the cool stash. I remembered the feeling of crossing the line, the feeling of knowing you are the fittest you have ever been and the feeling you have done something quite incredible. 

The race itself is alright (I guess if you take the time to prepare properly...), but the training for this race is brutal.

Swim, bike, run, swim, bike, run, swim, bike, run... To get good at three different sports takes time. Training takes up to 20 hours a week. But, like my hero The Rock says, ‘there’s great value achieving the goal. But the greater value is in the struggle and hard work to achieve it..’ 

There really is no glory without sacrifice.

I guess it’s this final point which makes Ironman an incredible race. When my friend Nikki told me she was keen to do it, I was keen to share her journey. The hard work, sacrifices and struggles make it an amazing accomplishment and that feeling is totally worth it.

I guess I’ve just got to remember this in the next couple of months!

Let my journey to Ironman Lanzarote begin...

7 Reasons To Exercise Other Than A Smoking Hot Body

Did you know there are actually more reasons to train than looking better naked? Check this out...

Clarity & Concentration

You have to be in shape to think! Ok, you don’t have to, but research says it helps. If your body is struggling to keep up with the energy demands of the day then imagine what your brain is doing? By increasing your stamina with exercise you can improve the way you think.

Reflection

Reflection is the better part of a champion! Exercise, albeit exertion, gives you a chance to unwind. Doing something more physical allows your mind to reflect and can give you a sense of perspective. This can give you solutions to mental challenges.

Enjoyment

If you like what you do it won’t seem like a chore! Ok, not all exercise is created equal, some types are more efficient than others. Depending on the results you’re looking to achieve will depend on what you choose. This being said enjoying what you do is important. Engage yourself in the process and you will love it.

Better Sleep

Getting moving can be the catalyst to better sleep. It might be the extra exertion, the calmness and satisfaction from exercise or simple distraction from daily life. If you want to sleep better take some exercise.

A Longer Life

People who exercise live a longer healthier life than those that don’t. However, rather than counting the years in your life, it might be worth considering the counting the life in your years. Being healthier as you get older will give you opportunities to enjoy your life and take holidays when you’re old and grey.

Stress Relief

Life is challenging. In this part of the world you can expect a certain amount of hustle and bustle. Taking time out to exercise can offer welcome relief. Again, this can provide a distraction and focus of day-to-day life.

Increased Self Confidence

Getting fit boosts happy hormones, strengthen posture and makes you feel much better about yourself. This coincides with an increase in self-confidence. People with greater self confidence have a better experience of life.

Improved Fitness

Do I need to elaborate on this one?? Improving fitness without the goal of weight loss is a great reason to exercise...

Look Good Naked in Fifteen Minutes

I’m ecstatic to read Arnold Schwarzenegger is endorsing my simple fitness message.

Working with busy people who are looking for a time-friendly fitness solution I started recommending just a fifteen minute daily exercise habit.

Introducing the simple do-at-home bodyweight workouts to be done before breakfast has been somewhat of a revelation. 

Even my busiest clients can set the alarm a little earlier and to quote The Terminator, “Start with 1%. Pledge to spend 15 minutes each day on your health.’ Simple, eh?

But is fifteen minutes really enough? Yes. Sure, if you did a little longer you could get greater benefits, but the reality is most people don’t do anything so it’s a great place to start. And with my simple bodyweight routines you can do this at home before work in your pajamas.

What to do? You could start with my Five Alive workout. 

Five Alive

• 5 Press Ups
• 5 Squats
• 5 Spidermans (on each leg)
• 5 Lunges (on each leg)
• 5 Burpees

Repeat this five time...

By contributing just 1% of your day to your health and fitness you will be surprised at the results.

Keep me up to date with your progress on Twitter @SteveKeywoodPT or on Facebook here.

Let's Mount Snowdon!

Last weekend The Fit Green mounted Snowdon.

Making our way up on Friday afternoon we arrived at The Black Boy Inn (a former brothel) in Caernarfon in time for some gentle pre-hike refreshment... 

Feeling a little jaded after a little too much refreshment we assembled at the breakfast table the next morning kitted up and ready to go. Leaving any sign of the detox behind us many elected for the full welsh breakfast (exactly the same as a full english... [cue the Welsh uprising]) to fuel the upcoming adventure. 

Being from a non-walking background the crazy get up was a sight to behold. Dressing little bit like one of The Three Musketeers in shorts, tights and boots, George Clooney lookalike (or not...) Mat was confident of the location to meet our guides for the day.

Alongside Mat, in her ‘special’ boots, Stidders and her partner in crime Lindsey, who were slightly fresher than the rest after electing to go to bed early to watch Alan Carr’s Chatty Man had made a sterling job of organising the trip. 

After many u-turns we arrived at the correct car park at the foot of the mountain. Despite being described as ‘very hard’, we elected to take The Watkins Path up Snowdon because it would be more of a challenge. 

Our guides Zak and Cat looked somewhat bewildered when our excited convoy finally reached the meeting point. Out the car and after a few minutes of last minute faffing (Tricey) we were off. 

Making our way up the gentle slopes to start off with we soon opened into the great outdoors. The views in this part of the world are second to none and it was clear this was gonna be a great journey. Starting at the back with Ben & Karen we were laughing at how they had spent the night on a sofa bed in Ally and Tricey’s room. They had booked into the same hotel as us but on a different night. Doh! Lucky we are a friendly bunch at bootcamp.

Just a few minutes in and we were already starting to take layers off. It’s surprising how warm you get whilst walking. This gave a brilliant opportunity for a photo or two.

From this point on the path got steeper and steeper and steeper until we were up in the clouds. The path, a well trodden one, gave fantastic views out to the coast and a challenge to even the toughest of our team. At some points we were on hands and knees. 

We made it up to the ridge and pushed on for the short steep walk to the summit. What an achievement! I think we were all delighted. Luckily we were joined on the summit by a surprise visitor - Ally’s cousin Huw who lives locally had whizzed up another route. Even better for us he was kind enough to bring a bottle of champagne!

After a toast and a few more pictures we found a quiet corner in the cafe at the top to eat our sandwiches. However, the job wasn’t quite done. Our guide Zak calmly reassured us the descent is often as challenging as the climb and so back out in the fresh air we needed to warm up. Keen not to waste energy and always primed there was nothing for it... PRESS UPS! 

Impressed by the teams general fitness levels and positive attitudes our guides decided to take us another route down the mountain. This was great because we got to some even better views and a slightly more varied terrain. 

It would appear Zak was right. Walking down was challenge. Mat, who had been struggling with a bad knee during the week began to feel it. Luckily for us he was proud and brave and didn’t let us know about it. Oh, no, that’s right, he did. Never have you heard something so dramatic. Luckily he had a couple of walking poles and a sense of humour.

Making it up in three-and-a-half hours and then back down in three we had all had a great day. From the journey up on the Friday afternoon with my trusty companions Bev and Cla(I)ra to the drinks in the bar to the climb and the descent this was an amazing trip.

A special thanks to Claire and Lindsey for organising it and Zak and Cat our guides. 

Another challenge complete! ...I wonder what’s next?!