Phase 3 Keeping The Weight Off For Ever!

You may as well right off November, December and January 

Some great principles for health and weight management ongoing. 

More information on Max's 21-day challenge?

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Phase 1 Cleanse -7 days
Phase 2 Fat Shredding -14 days
Phase 3 Maintenance - 3 months

During Phase 3 you simply follow Phase 2 directives and meal plan. Just add in your CHEAT and TREAT meals. You follow the exact meal timing that has been so successful for you. The portion sizes DO NOT CHANGE. Follow your Phase 2 meal planner. It shows you exactly how many serves of protein, good fats and carbohydrates to eat at each meal. You are eating breakfast then your snack, lunch and then your snack, dinner and a snack if you have to. ROCKET SCIENCE I KNOW...

Phase 3 and your Snacks:
During phase 2 you should be using a whey free protein powder. (check membership site for details) Only use 2tsp, not a full scoop. If you have it with water and you are happy to continue stick to that. During Phase 3 you can start using your preferred liquid in your shake (250ml max). I use unsweetened almond milk,  your choice; it's up to you. These two daily snacks are important if you want to continue to lose weight. These two snacks can be swapped for a protein meal of equivalent size, 85 grammes. If you wanted to have a small piece of meat or a tiny handful of nuts instead of the shake you can, BUT BE CAREFUL! The shake is always the best option for weight loss.

Phase 3 and Nuts:
Nuts are a good fat but a fat none the less. The reason you are losing weight is you are only eating two good fats a day. One with lunch and one with dinner. Be very careful not to overdo the addition of nuts, once or twice weekly is more than enough.
I enjoy my shakes; I find them quick, easy and filling. They are a small serve, and once I've had my afternoon shake, I know I won't be eating till dinner. I prefer adding nuts to some of my salads; I find that a better option. Nuts add texture and flavour and spark up a salad. Use a small handful, chop them up and sprinkle throughout your salad. Never use roasted always opt for raw.

Phase 3 and Beans:
You would have noticed on your Power Foods List that beans and legumes are excluded. Green beans are fine but not the rest. Now understand this, beans are an excellent source of protein and carbohydrate, one of the best combinations you can eat.  They are a great source of fibre and almost the perfect food. BUT when it comes to weight loss in most cases, it slows fat loss down. When you hit your goals and as a treat during Phase 3 sure have legumes, lentils, chickpeas, hummus or any of the 4 and five bean mixes, add salt, pepper and a touch of olive oil, they taste great.  Be careful when you re-introduce beans because they can make you feel bloated and uncomfortable.

Phase 3 and Treats:
When can I eat rice, pasta, ice cream, cake and drink lots of alcohol? WHEN YOU WANT TO GET FAT AGAIN...Haha. If you go to the Rapid Weight Loss Tab on your site and select Tips for Staying On Track, read that lesson, and you will never put weight on again. SIMPLE!

During Phase 3 you continue to weigh yourself at least once weekly, the scales are your best friend. You also keep checking your waist measurement; this must never increase. So eat and drink what you want but plan it. If you have a celebration of any sort on the weekend, then eat clean, follow your day planner all week and then enjoy the weekend. Come Monday, hop on the scales check for damage and choose either Phase 1 or 2, IT'S THAT SIMPLE!

Follow these Phase 3 Principles and keep the weight off forever!

1. Stick to the Phase 2 day planner, timing and portion size
2. Continue with your snacks but make sure your serve of protein is 85 grammes
3. Hop on the scales and take a waist measurement at least once a week
4. Plan and limit your cheat and treat meals or you will put all the weight back on

Lastly, you have done a great job making these changes. Learn from my 21-day challenge and you will never struggle with your weight ever again. These principles will keep you happy and healthy so you can enjoy life with your family and friends. That's my goal. Learn from my challenge and put it into practice for the next three months.
I am here if you need any help at all.
Yours in health
Max Lemme

In this update we will learn why your waist should be no more than half the length of your height.

Measuring the ratio of someone's waist to their height is a better way of predicting their life expectancy than body mass index (BMI), the method widely used by doctors when judging overall health and risk of disease.

Measuring someone's waist is important because it accounts for levels of central fat which accumulates around the organs and is particularly closely linked to conditions like stroke and heart disease. People with the highest waist-to-height ratio, whose waistlines measured 80 percent of their height, lived 17 years fewer than average. Keeping your waist circumference to less than half of your height can help prevent the onset of conditions like stroke, heart disease and diabetes and add years to life, researchers have found.

Try this simple technique, measure your waist circumference at a horizontal line one inch above your belly button. Exhale and take your measurement, and it should be no more than half the length of your height.

If you have any concerns about what you discover, my 21 Day Challenge is designed to focus on decreasing your waist measurement.

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Tips For Staying On Track This weekend!

Tips For Staying On Track This Weekend!

Let's just do this so you can’t blame me for your big weekend!
Tips for keeping on track! You have a hen’s night or a weekend away with your mates, and you want to stay on track and not put weight back on. Well, at least you’re thinking. Decreasing your body fat i.e. losing weight can take months of hard work. Putting on 2 to 5kgs can be achieved over a weekend. I’ll outline options, and hopefully, you’ll understand. Remember if it’s just one lunch out then one of the following will suit. If it’s lunch and dinner with desert and drinks, then another option might work best. If you plan on going on a weekend food and alcohol binge, then work out which option suits you best.

Option 1. Stick to your commitment and don’t waver from your Day Planner. You’ve lost x amount of weight; you haven't felt this good in years and are starting to enjoy the way you’re looking. You’ve started Max’s Challenge, and you don’t want to go back to your starting weight. People will understand. If anyone judges you, are they a friend?

Option 2. This one works well if it’s just one meal out, say lunch or dinner with your friends. Have a shake and eat a meal before you go out. Sounds crazy, but this simple tactic means you can order less because you’re feeling fuller. Maybe an entrée or share a meal etc. No dessert and maybe have a coffee if you haven’t had one yet that day.

Option 3. There’s no way out of drinking and eating too much. It might be your birthday; you’re almost at your ideal weight, and you know no matter what, you’re going to (let's be frank) get fatter. Enjoy the celebration, remember your weight is going to increase, understand that you will be craving sugar for days to come worse than ever before and be prepared to feel a little more bloated than you have for a while. What to do? It’s easy if you have a weekend like this coming up make sure the week leading up to it is spot on re Accountability Scores. Follow Phase 2 as strictly as possible and get some extra high-intensity exercise in, especially the day before or morning of celebrations. When you’ve finish celebrating, check your weight and depending how much you’ve put on, (because you will) choose to do either Phase 1 or Phase 2 with the shakes for 2 to 3 weeks. By doing this, you'll get your weight back down in 2 to 3 weeks. Don’t panic you have the skills now. Just follow your Day Planner.


The following is an old example, so don’t go getting anything for my birthday because I’ve had it… It’s my birthday this weekend. I’ve decided that I’m having lunch at one of my favourite restaurants in Sydney. I will be eating and drinking lots of food and alcohol. I’m also hanging for a dessert. I’ll be repeating this at dinner with extra alcohol. I know 100% that my weight will increase, anyone tells you that you can over eat and drink and not put weight on is lying to you! I haven’t had alcohol or dessert since Australia Day, about 20 something days. I have been working hard on getting my weight down from 82kgs to today 73.4kgs. After the weekend I will be repeating Phase 1. I will then mark on my calendar the next time I’ll be celebrating, the longer between celebrations the lighter I’ll be. I hope my example makes you understand the importance of having a plan.

Unfortunately, if you’re only 2 or 3 weeks into your challenge, chances are you’ll put most of the weight back on. The closer you get to 12 weeks the less impact your celebrations have. Your body needs to move through cleanse to fat burning, and this takes at least eight good weeks. I hope this helps and isn’t all bad, what’s important is that you have a plan, and you stick to it. Getting off track is part of the journey, it may take time, but you will get back on track.

Cheers Max

Muscle stops responding to the same workouts...

Summer is coming !

Over the last six months, I've been implementing a series of changes with all my clients whether face to face or online. If you've had a good start to your training year and you've been consistent from February you would have noticed many changes to your routine. These changes are the key to gaining muscle, and changing body shape. These changes require careful planning!

Key points for increasing muscle and decreasing belly fat.
Meal timing and portion control are combined as one to give you the best results possible. Knowing what and when you're eating is one way to guarantee you the results you want. The right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats are critical to your success. And what's more important is for it to be easy, you need to be able to get about your busy life and not have to think too hard about what you're eating. Eating tasty meals that deliver the correct nutrition balance allowing you to build muscle and decrease belly fat is easy once you know how.

Now that you're six months into the year your routine should look nothing like it did in February. You have a real strength and fitness base, and it's time to make changes.

Your focus is now on multijoint movements like squats, deadlifts, lunges, bench press, bent- over -row, standing press, etc. All these exercises give you huge bang for your buck. When combined correctly with the most important training variables, muscle growth and fat loss can't be helped.
Intensity is just one of these variables that need changing.  I typically start my clients with 8-12-rep range with 3-4 sets, remembering that you need to take care of your family and get to work, so it needs to be a routine that pushes you appropriately and gets the best from you all in under an hour. Changing your intensity i.e. rep range and sets is an ideal way to shock/change your muscle. Other variables like doing dropsets, changing volume, training to failure, rest periods are all points you should consider when you're training to increase muscle and decrease belly fat.

At Maxfitness I want you to get the best results possible with the time and commitment you can give me. Targeting problem areas with different exercises and angles of that exercise is something I specialise in. I believe everyone should have three triceps, not one. Haha
Challenge yourself because if you've been consistent, you'll notice big differences in the first few months. However, your muscle stops responding to the same workouts. This is where people start to lose their way. The program that led to those gains is becoming less efficient; your body adapts quickly. You need to challenge yourself.

I hope my words have motivated you to challenge yourself in the gym, If you're making time and have a plan, goals, if you want to change, be a little different, focus your butt off, then this Summer is going to be the best one you've ever had. Get into the gym this week, push yourself and embrace the burn!
Cheers
Max Lemme

My idea is not to be too restrictive

As a healthy food and exercise professional, I want you to know that you can eat almost anything as long as the portion is small and the timing is correct. You can't be perfect all the time, and you need to enjoy life, your food is a big part of that. I like to focus on food that tastes delicious and keeps you in shape. My idea is not to be too restrictive. It's ok to occasionally enjoy fries, eat ice cream, chocolate and have an alcoholic drink, then come back to real food.

Giving up certain foods for a period has taught me how good I feel when I'm not eating them. I firmly believe, (and there's lots of scientific proof) that if you give your body a break from processing loads of sugar, fats and protein once or twice yearly, you'll be rewarded with a fitter, leaner, better-looking body. Your body's liver, kidneys, blood glucose, etc. need a break.

If you're feeling bloated, sluggish or find it hard to lose weight, these are all indications that you're eating and drinking too much of the wrong foods. It's a good idea to cleanse/detox twice a year if you can handle that. Just before the festive season and just after have to be the best options. Xmas and the new year get out of hand, and we all eat and drink too much, but this is why we exercise, eat well and stay healthy so that we can enjoy the holidays!

Try it, your body will love you for it!

Detoxing assists with improving your metabolism, kerbing your cravings and kick starting your weight loss.  It’s important to detox because overeating, consuming unhealthy foods and sugary drinks burdens your digestive tract and liver. Over time, this can lead to poor digestion and the inadequate absorption of nutrients. Foods like refined grains, starches, sugars, and unhealthy fats do not give your body the nutrients it needs. If you've been feeling hungry, tired and bloated, this can force your body to stay in fat storage mode. Your digestive tract and liver work together, so when one is stressed or overworked the other is too. One of the consequences of having an overstressed or toxic liver is that it becomes so overloaded that it can’t fully metabolise fat, which causes vitamin deficiencies and poor digestion.

Max Lemme.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DETOXING

Does alcohol inhibit fat loss?

Growing up playing rugby I knew that alcohol would affect my performance on the field in a negative way. But this didn't stop me drinking entirely, I didn't drink till after our weekly game and tried drinking as much water as possible that night. I grew up in a drinking culture and struggled my whole life trying to decrease my body fat.

I've been a personal trainer for 27 years; I've always known that if my clients wanted to lose weight they would have to abstain from alcohol for at least six weeks or until they hit their weight loss goals.
This article isn't meant to stop you drinking alcohol altogether, we all know that drinking alcohol can boost your confidence, help you feel more relaxed, and turn you into a damned good dancer!

Paul Salter, MS, RD works in the field of clinical, sports, community, and foodservice nutrition. After reading a lot of his work, I thought you might find this article interesting, helpful and inspire you to set goals this Winter.


Despite the fun, you can have with "liquid courage," it's important to know that excessive long-term usage can result in several severe health consequences like liver damage or addiction. Moreover, if you're worried at all about the size of your gut, alcohol's seven calories per gramme and impact on fat storage can wreak havoc on body composition.

ALCOHOL A SHOT OF SCIENCE, DRINK UP SOME KNOWLEDGE AND LEARN WHAT ALCOHOL MEANS FOR YOU GOALS!

As far as your body can tell, alcohol is a toxin. Think of your body's food digestion, absorption, and storage system as a big multi-button dashboard. On this metabolic console is a large, red "pause" button. When you consume alcohol, your body pushes that pause button. As a result, nutrient regulation—what you consume and how your body uses it for energy—is put on hold as the body shifts its priority to processing the alcohol.

Once it's consumed, alcohol (ethanol to you science peeps) is broken down into acetaldehyde and something called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH).2 You'd probably never guess it, but it's this very process that sparks unfavourable changes in nutrient storage and body composition.

As the diagram shows, the end product of alcohol breakdown is acetyl-CoA, which is a molecule that's heavily involved in fatty acid synthesis, or the creation of fat molecules. An excessive build-up of acetyl-CoA can lead to increased formation of fatty acids, which eventually leads to increased fat storage.

Additionally, an increase in NADH (produced as a result of alcohol breakdown) signals to the body that there's a lot of energy (calories) available. The body naturally wants to store that energy, which means that an increase in NADH also favours fatty acid formation and storage. Over time, these molecules create a change in your body to prioritise fatty acid storage.

STUDIES FOR SUPPORT
Now, I don't want to be a killjoy. Trust me; I enjoy a tasty beverage just as much as the next guy.  But we shouldn't ignore some of the data floating around out there. For example, in a groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers observed the effects of alcohol ingestion on carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism.

The researchers assessed fatty acid and glucose usage over a four-hour time span. To do it, they infused the subjects with simultaneous delivery of both glucose and insulin through an IV. Researchers then collected blood samples at 0, 30, and every 15 minutes thereafter to determine how the subjects were using fuel.

Two hours into the experiment, the glucose infusion was replaced with an alcohol infusion equivalent to two standard drinks. Upon the alcohol infusion, rates of fat oxidation dropped 87 percent! So, instead of using fat for fuel, the subjects' bodies began using alcohol for energy. Rates of fat oxidation remained depressed for more than four hours after the alcohol infusion, which is bad news for anyone who wants to burn fat.
Although there is a huge variation in the speed at which each body can break down and rid itself of alcohol, it's probably safe to assume that even a small amount of alcohol will stay in your body long enough to put a dent in fat breakdown.

The same researchers also infused subjects with alcohol and glucose at the same time. Since many of us like to have a few carbs alongside our drinks, this next bit of information is particularly telling: The results demonstrated that simultaneous infusion of alcohol and glucose reduced fat-oxidation rates to nearly 0 milligrammes per minute!

In practical terms, consuming chips and salsa with your beer during the big game is dropping your fat-oxidation rates to almost zero. If you pair carb-heavy snacks and alcohol often, you're stuck with a lot of excess calories that basically aren't being used. That means they're almost certainly going to be stored as fat. And, as even the poorest eighth-grade student can tell you, too much fat storage is no
good.

THE TAKEAWAY
Even small amounts of alcohol ingestion will temporarily pause fat breakdown. Research also suggests that consuming alcohol causes overall net decreases in fatty acid breakdown and an increase in storage. If alcohol is abused consistently for a longer period, this increased storage can turn your uphill fat-loss battle into an unconquerable feat.

Although alcohol in moderation has been shown to provide some health benefits, like reduced blood pressure, there's just no way you'll achieve your dream physique if you're consistently drinking and eating too much. The best way to balance your life with your physique goals is to keep your alcohol consumption to 1-2 drinks no more than twice a week and refrain from snacking with wild abandon.

MAX'S MESSAGE
I thank Paul for his article because he has made it easier to understand the effects of alcohol on the body when it comes to fat breakdown. Paul's also confirmed what I've always known, and that is you can't drink alcohol and lose body fat. I believe it's better to abstain from alcohol for a period, a couple of times a year. Pick your battles, birthdays, anniversaries, footy grand final, wife's birthday, Xmas, the new year the list goes on.

Why You Should Exercise This Winter!

Why You Should Exercise This Winter

Winter is coming, and as the weather gets colder, it becomes easier to skip exercise and choose to sleep in.  

But by maintaining your training during the colder months, you will benefit and not have to start from scratch a couple of months out from Summer.

Want to Burn More Calories?

You have to work harder to regulate you bodies temperature when you’re in cold environments, so you’ll  burn more calories exercising during winter than you would in summer. The Same workout = bigger result. That's a win-win!

You’ll Feel Happier and More Energised

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) peaks during the colder, darker months, and staying sedentary only exacerbates the effects of this. Get your blood pumping, carrying oxygen throughout your body, refreshing you, leaving you more energized, able to think and focus more clearly. You know you are feeling happy and healthy when exercising, the fitter you get the happier you are!

Sleep in, miss training and before you know it you're sitting on the lounge rugged up and overeating. Having a plan that motivates you these next 12 weeks will encourage you to eat smart and not over indulge. Exercising during winter will keep your eating on track, keeping you fuelled stopping the Winter bulge.

Keep Focused on Your Fitness

Don't let your fitness slide during Winter before you know it's Spring.

All you need to do is make a plan and stick to it. I find training Monday and Saturday makes a big difference when it comes to hitting goals. The next 12 weeks is a chance to push and get a head re your fitness and health, I promise you the extra effort you're putting in will have you looking and feeling the best for Summer and the holidays.