ashton wood fitness program and wellness guide PDF

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d o o W n o t h s A HEALTH, MINDSET & WELLNESS GUIDE

A H O L I S T I C AP P R OACH T O EAT I N G, F EEL I N G AN D L I V I N G A H AP P Y A N D H EA LT H Y L I F E

CONTENTS

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M Y P E R S O N A L H E A LT H J O U R N E Y

05

W H AT C H A L L E N G E S D I D I FAC E ?

06

W H Y I P U T T H I S P R O G R A M TO G E T H E R

08

W H E R E D O I S TA R T ?

09

BASIC PRINCIPLES

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L E T ’ S TA L K N U T R I T I O N

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T Y I N G I T A L L TO G E T H E R

20

W H AT I AT E TO AC H I E V E M Y G OA L S

22

FAQ S

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A F I N A L WO R D F R O M M E

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H E A LT H , M I N D S E T & W E L L N E S S G U I D E

H E Y B E A U T I F U L P E O P L E M Y N A M E I S A S H T O N WO O D A N D I ’M H E R E T O SH A R E WI T H YO U SO M E O F M Y B E S T T I P S WH I C H H E L P E D M E L O S E WE I G H T A N D G E T I N S H A P E .

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H E A LT H , M I N D S E T & W E L L N E S S G U I D E

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H E A LT H , M I N D S E T & W E L L N E S S G U I D E

WHY DID I START ON MY PERSONAL HEALTH JOURNEY?

y e n r u o J y M

My wellness journey began when I was faced with challenges that many other women face. I was lucky enough to eat whatever I wanted without having to exercise often. But as I reached my mid-twenties, something happened! My body just wasn’t bouncing back like it used to and the naturally toned figure I’d taken for granted was changing. I started to gain weight, and noticed skin changes like more cellulite and acne. I just felt generally sluggish, low in energy and not at all like my old self. I knew I had to make some lifestyle changes to get back to the best version of me. But with so much conflicting information and fitspo floating around, even getting started felt overwhelming. I decided to turn to an expert and consulted a personal trainer who set me on a healthier path. I started a structured workout and nutrition plan, and my trainer kept me accountable and motivated.

THE REST IS HISTORY!

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H E A LT H , M I N D S E T & W E L L N E S S G U I D E

WHAT CHALLENGES DID I FACE?

Challeng es

M A K I N G A B I G L I F E S T YL E C H A N G E I S N E V E R WI T H O U T C H A L L E N G E S . D E SP I T E M Y C O M M I T M E N T TO L O O K A N D F E E L B E T T E R , I ’ M N O T G O I N G TO L I E : G E T T I N G I N T H E B E S T SH A P E O F M Y L I F E WA S N ’T E A S Y!

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H E A LT H , M I N D S E T & W E L L N E S S G U I D E

“

Like most people, I sometimes struggled to stay motivated and stick to a healthy eating plan.

P E R S O N A L H E A LT H C H A L L E N G E S I suffered IBS for a year and a half and had to educate myself about nutrition and exercise, learning through trial and error what works for me. I also suffer scoliosis which means I have to be super cautious with what exercises I do and ensure I’m performing them safely.

L E A R N I N G H O W T O T R A I N E F F E C T I V E LY Working out was all new to me in the beginning, and I struggled with performing strength exercises the right way. To avoid injuries, I needed to be patient while I learned correct form and got stronger.

E D U C A T I N G M YS E L F O N H E A LT H Y E A T I N G My nutrition knowledge was limited, and while I would give different strategies I’d heard about a go, I was frustrated when I didn’t see results. I’m only human, so managing cravings was also a big part of my journey! I had to learn to cope with sugar cravings so I could stay on track, even when I was busting for a sweet fix.

LACK OF CONFIDENCE Before I got my hands on a structured plan, I definitely lacked confidence in the gym. I didn’t know what I was doing, and just did random exercises and copied other people.

S TA Y I N G M O T I VA T E D A N D O N T R A C K Like most people, I sometimes struggled to stay motivated and stick to a healthy eating plan. When you’re not seeing results, it’s hard to stay motivated and all too easy to slip up and fall back into old habits. When I found a gym I enjoyed going to and a PT that understood my goal it was a game changer for me! All of a sudden I was excited to go to the gym and it became my happy place.

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H E A LT H , M I N D S E T & W E L L N E S S G U I D E

WHY I PUT THIS PROGRAM TOGETHER

Inspir atio n

My vision is to help others who are going through what I went through and give them simple and effective ways to become a healthier and happier person! I know the challenges first hand, and I want to share my experience with you so you don’t have to struggle and repeat my mistakes.

E V E N I F I H E L P S O M E O N E I N T H E S M A L L E S T WAY M Y V I S I O N W I L L B E F U L F I L L E D. It’s important to understand our bodies are all unique and what’s healthy looks different on everyone. In this guide I share nutritional principles which prioritise wellbeing and support weight loss. This guide covers everything you need to know to optimise your health and look and feel amazing, from hydration, to sleep and structuring a day of healthy eating.

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H E A LT H , M I N D S E T & W E L L N E S S G U I D E

SO, WHERE DO WE START?

F I R S T T H I N G S F I R S T : I T ’ S V I TA L Y O U G E T C R Y S TA L C L E A R O N YO U R G O A L S . If this is your first time setting fitness goals, I get that this process can be daunting! Health targets don’t always have to be based around how your body looks. You may aim to have more energy, feel more confident in your own skin, fit into old clothes or even set aside time to work on yourself.

W H A T ’ S O N E T H I N G YO U WO U L D L I K E T O A C H I E V E W I T H YO U R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S I N T H E N E X T 8 W E E K S ? Be as specific as possible here! Check out these examples for inspo: “My goal is to lose 5kg” “My goal is to workout 4 times per week” “My goal to eat 3 healthy meals per day” “My goal is to increase the strength in my legs so I can do squats with weights”

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H E A LT H , M I N D S E T & W E L L N E S S G U I D E

N OW I T ’S YOUR T URN : 1 / W H A T ’ S O N E T H I N G YO U WO U L D L I K E T O A C H I E V E W I T H YO U R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S I N T H E N E X T 8 W E E K S ?

2 / W H Y W O U L D YO U L I K E TO A C H I E V E T H I S G OA L A N D H O W W O U L D I T M A K E YO U F E E L I F YO U A C C O M P L I S H E D I T ?

3 / W H Y I S T H I S G O A L I M P O R TA N T T O YO U ?

Now you’ve taken the time to get clarity on your fitness future, let’s get to the exciting stuff: actually getting you there! Once you have a good idea of what you’d like to achieve, you need to develop what I call the process. Your process is your daily habits, routines and actions which either bring you closer to your goal or push you away. Remember: with any worthwhile endeavour, consistency is key, effort is necessary and there will be challenges.

I BELIEVE IN YOU. NOW IT’S YOUR TURN.

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HERE ARE MY BASIC PRINCIPLES TO HELP YOU BECOME THE HEALTHIEST AND FITTEST VERSION OF YOU

T H E R E A R E M U LT I P L E FA C T O R S T H AT M A K E A L L T H E D I F F E R E N C E W H E N YO U WA N T T O G E T L E A N E R A N D B E H E A LT H I E R . YO U N E E D T O B E AC R O S S A L L T H E SE A R E A S T O T R U LY N O U R I SH YO U R B O D Y A N D A C H I E V E YO U R G O A L S .

G ET AC TIVE

One

Research proves one of the best things we can do to increase our metabolism is to get moving, and I’m not just talking about what you do in your structured workouts.

Non Exercise Energy Thermogenesis, or NEAT, refers to how active you are outside the gym. This can come in the form of walking, being on your feet around the house and just generally moving your body more throughout the day.

My favourite way of adding this into my daily routine is to go for beach walks, grab a coffee and run into cute dogs which turns into a whole lot of calories burned! If you have a watch or phone that tracks steps, aim for a minimum 8,000 per day. Just this one change alone can have a huge impact on your weight loss. Don’t forget to tag me if you’re out and about getting those daily steps in!

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H E A LT H , M I N D S E T & W E L L N E S S G U I D E

STRESS LESS

T wo

Stress is a part of life. While unavoidable at times, it can impact our wellbeing and ultimately our weight loss journey. Stress intensifies your cravings for naughty food and supercharges your appetite in general, as I’m sure you’ve experienced during difficult times! Stress can also wreak havoc on your fatigue levels, decrease immunity and throw off your sleep. Knowing that stress may come and go, the question is: how can we manage it so it doesn’t affect our wellbeing? We all handle stress differently and you have to find what works best for you. My number one suggestion for getting a handle on your stress quickly is to take a break from social media. We have constant access to a highly stimulating device at the touch of our fingers. We can scroll through the world’s biggest issues and highlight reels of people’s best moments. It can leave us feeling worried, judgmental about our own lives and with a big case of FOMO! Logging off every now and then can help you recharge your mind and feel so much calmer.

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G ET IN A WO RKO UT

It feels good to burn off some restless energy, get that positive endorphin hit and feel accomplished after some time in the gym.

I’m very lucky to have a PT for a boyfriend, but if you don’t have ready access to a handsome trainer be sure to check out my training guide where I share everything I’ve learned.

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Four

STA RT JO URN A LIN G

I know what it feels like to have thoughts running around in your mind in what feels like an endless loop. One of the best things I’ve found to help get me out of my head is putting pen to paper and writing down my thoughts. If you haven’t journaled before, just start with the basics by writing down exactly how you feel! You might start with:

“

“

Today I’m feeling really overwhelmed

Today I’m feeling so accomplished

with uni and work and I’m finding

and really proud of myself. I can’t

OR

it hard to have time for myself and

believe how much faster I achieve

enjoy life. I need to find balance but

my goals when I believe in myself

don’t know how.

and have the right mindset.

W r i te i t do wn

Whether you’re feeling really down or super happy, journaling about it helps you process those feelings, allows you to get it off your chest and then later on reflect. Over time, you’ll realise how often your thoughts and feelings are always changing! When you’re going through a hard time it’s easy to feel like it’s the end of the world, but when you read through old pages of your journal you’ll realise you’ve overcome those challenges and that nothing is permanent.

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H E A LT H , M I N D S E T & W E L L N E S S G U I D E

H AV E A G RATITUD E PRAC TIC E

Five

Science proves we can decrease stress and boost immunity simply by managing our thoughts and focusing more on the positive ones. A great place to start is writing

down five things you’re grateful for first thing in the morning. While doing this, it’s

important to ask yourself why you’re grateful for those things. This strengthens your sense of gratitude and welcomes more of the good stuff into your life.

Six

JUST B REATH E

Sometimes we just need to stop and take a deep breath. Breathing is something we do

roughly 26,000 times per day and can have a great impact on how we feel. Slowing down to take some deep breaths can shift us into what’s called a parasympathetic state. This state is also known as “rest and digest” which is favourable for the body and brain to calm down.

Try this simple breathwork drill: • Inhale for four seconds, then exhale for eight seconds • Repeat five times • Pay attention to how you feel after slowing the breath down

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SLEEP IS EV ERYTH IN G

Seven

One of the most important shifts you can make to feel great both physically and mentally is to get better sleep, and more of it. It’s the time when your body repairs, rejuvenates and produces key hormones which can aid in weight loss and general wellbeing goals.

Eight

H YD RATE O FTEN . D O N ’ T WA IT UN TIL YO U FEEL TH IRSTY! If you want glowing skin, a healthy body and

Another tip is to add some electrolytes or

improved workout performance, make sure

BCAA’s to your big bottle of water to add

you drink enough water. Keeping your H2O

some flavour.

levels up is also important because if you’re dehydrated, you can often mistake this for hunger and end up eating extra calories.

How much water you should drink is slightly different for each of us based on body weight, training and how much you’re

Increasing my water intake is something I’ve

sweating. As a rule of thumb aim for at least

really had to pay attention to. I now aim for

2 litres per day.

1.5-2 litres per day, and one way I achieve this is to fill a big bottle and make sure I get through it each day.

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FIN D B A LA N C E

For long term results that you can achieve and maintain, you’ll need to adopt these

practices as a lifestyle. We’re shooting for balance, NOT short term fixes, fad diets or extreme weight loss measures.

• A scoop of ice cream with dessert - Not a whole tub

Remember: life’s short! You can still enjoy yourself with a balanced approach where you’re still mindful of habits that promote

I don’t want you to follow a crazy diet that

weight loss. Overly restricting yourself and

you can’t stick to! Instead, you should learn to

then binging can cause you to consume

allow yourself to enjoy foods in moderation.

too many calories and push you away from

So what does moderation look like?

achieving our goals.

• A few pieces of chocolate

A balanced approach is focusing on

- Not a whole block • A glass of red wine with dinner

nourishing foods 80% of the time and leaving an honest 20% to enjoy yourself.

- Not a whole bottle

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H E A LT H , M I N D S E T & W E L L N E S S G U I D E

LET’S TALK NUTRITION M Y N U M B E R O N E N U T R I T I O N P R I N C I P L E I S TO P R I O R I T I S E U NPRO CES S ED F O O DS A ND F O CU S O N Q U A LI TY S O U RCES O F C A R B S , P R O T E I N A N D FAT S . Unprocessed foods are naturally lower in calories, easier to digest, lower in toxins and improve satiety levels so you feel the sensation of being full.

T H E R E ’ S A L OT O F I N F O R M AT I O N O U T T H E R E W H E N I T C O M E S T O N UT R I T I O N , A N D M UC H O F I T C O N F L I C T I N G ! I WA N T T O SH A R E WI T H YO U WH AT WO R K E D F O R M E A N D S O M E S T R AT E G I E S YO U C A N A P P LY W H E N I T C O M E S TO A C H I E V I N G YO U R O WN G O A L S.

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PROT EI N When it comes to weight loss, protein is key for supporting lean muscle, regulating appetite and various bodily functions and helping you recover from training.

HOW MUCH PROTEI N S HOULD I H AV E E A C H DA Y ? Aim for a minimum of three servings. A simple way to measure the serving size right for your

VEG A N PROTEI N S OURCES • Yogurt

• Tofu

• Lentils

• Kidney beans

• Black beans

• Chickpeas

body without weighing your food is to shoot for a palm size portion of protein.

A DDI TI ONA L PROTEI N M Y FAV O U R I T E P R O T E I N S O U R C E S

SOURCES

I choose not to eat meat products apart from

If you eat meat, you have some

seafood. Below are the sources I include in my

more choices:

diet which help me achieve my protein goals: • Animal protein sources • Wild caught fish (Salmon, Tuna, Barramundi) • Prawns

• Chicken

• Lamb

• Lean beef

• Kangaroo

• Turkey

• Cottage cheese

• Pork

• Eggs

FAT S Don’t be afraid of fats! They’re an important part of your diet even while you’re losing weight. Fats help to regulate blood sugar and hormone production and keep you feeling satisfied and full.

H O W M A N Y S E R V I N G S S H O U L D I H AV E ? Aim for at least two servings of fat a day. This might be a shift for you at first. Keep an eye on your serving sizes, as fat is the most calorie dense macronutrient and overdoing it can affect your weight loss. Shoot for a thumb size or tablespoon serving. My favourite fat sources: • Avocado

• Coconut oil

• Flaxseed

• Olives

• All nuts

• Oily fish

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• Almond butter

H E A LT H , M I N D S E T & W E L L N E S S G U I D E

CA RB OH Y DRAT ES Carb tolerance varies widely from person to person. That being said, I still recommend you consume them regularly because they’re highly beneficial to your body in a number of ways. Carbs provide glucose for our body which can be used for energy or stored as energy for workouts or daily functions. Typically the more active you are, the harder you train and more muscle mass you have, the more carbohydrates you will be able to tolerate.

H OW M A N Y S E RV I N G S O F C A R B S S H O U L D I H AV E P E R DAY ?

M Y FAV O U R I T E C A R B S O U R C E S : These sources will not only help fuel your

If you have less than 5kgs to lose, focus on

workout but provide you with vitamins and

three servings per day. One of the best ways

minerals for an overall sense of well being.

you can include them to improve training sessions and recovery is to add them around

• Pineapple

• Papaya

• Blueberries

• Bananas

• Cherries

• Passionfruit

• Raspberries

• Pears

• Oranges

• Rice

• Green apples

• Potatoes

• Red apples

• Sweet potatoes

without using a food scale or consuming

• Mangoes

• Beetroot

extra calories. For carbohydrates that

• Kiwis

• Oatmeal

require cooking, you should measure your

• Strawberries

• Sourdough bread

portions uncooked.

• Watermelon

• Rice cakes
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