6.  There are NO super foods, pills or magic potions.
We all want to find the thing that will make it much easier.  'Super foods' is a marketing term designed to make you buy a product because you believe it is better.

Yes, some foods have higher amounts of certain nutrients but taken in isolation they have little affect at all.  

Nutrition is about the big picture.  

A pill containing a raspberry ketone will strip you of pounds from your wallet but do very little for your health.  If you want raspberry ketones, eat some raspberries, they taste much better.

Supplements are designed to be exactly that, supplementary.  If you take fat burning pills on your way home from KFC you are not going to really going to see the results you want to.

Like Kung Fu Panda discovers - the secret is that there is no secret.

7.  Willpower is a tiny part of the equation.
Willpower runs out.

We all know that.  

You start a new diet and can resist a gourmet cheesecake made by Paul Hollywood himself; 2 weeks in and you'd eat a couple of crisps off the floor if you think nobody would notice.

Your willpower is temporarily restored when you start next Monday.

As Roy Castle sang, Dedication is what you need.  

If you are dedicated to achieving your goal, you will get there.  This ties in to knowing your WHY.

When you're dedicated you can have a slip up but you will get straight back on track.

I have a friend and client who is a cover model, he has the odd 'planned' cheat but gets straight back on his his.  He is dedicated to achieving his goal and looking his best.

Most people have a slip up and start 'fresh' the following week. 

It's not about willpower; it's about being dedicated.

Commit to achieving your goal and take the steps necessary to get there.

8. It's not that complicated.

Ultimately it comes down to exercise that is right for you and achieving a calorie deficit across the week.

The important parts there are 'right for you' and 'across the week'.

HIIT is the buzz word in fitness at the minute, particularly with the online and app based stuff.  It's been a major part of what we do at bootcamp for the past 7 years, we just don't feel the need to shout about it.

We also have lots of other tools in our bag.

HIIT can produce amazing results, however, it could also screw you over.  Leave you injured and feeling drained of life.

YOU are the most important part of any exercise plan, it needs to fit with what you enjoy and what fits your system at the moment.  

A simple walk around a park could be the thing you need to get amazing results.  Speak to somebody who knows what they are talking about and they will plan to fit in with your life and where you want to get to; not based on the ideal world but based on YOU.

9.  Calories do count.

I say that calories don't count when you are eating clean.  

In some ways they don't, when you are eating a predominantly 'clean' diet (I'll write a separate post about eating clean next week as there is a lot of confusion about it at the minute) it is hard to go over the top on calories.

I say it to remove the pressure associated with eating in a new way.

In reality though, calories do count, it's as simple as expend more than you consume.

However, simple isn't easy.  

How do you know how many you're expending?

How do you know how many you're consuming?

A food diary can help, I use MyFitnessPal online and the app.  It can be massively inaccurate though.

Apps and gadgets can also help you calculate how many calories you're burning.

Both methods are best guess.

Your endocrine system, medications you are taking, how long you have been exercising for, the ambient temperature, altitude and so many other factors all have an effect.

Sounds complicated.  It is and it's not.

If you are gaining weight, you are consuming more calories than you are burning.

If you are losing weight, it's the other way.

As a general rule.

10.  We like to feel needed.

The fitness and weight loss industry thrives on the next big thing.  The thing that you need to have success.  

We throw marketing terms at you (if you read my blog regularly, you'l know that I actually don't do this I'm using 'we' as the industry).

Loud music, flashy images, beautiful bodies.

We're constantly re-invent the wheel to confuse you.

You don't need a boxing class that combines pilates, that is actually a thing.  

If you need a pilates class go to a pilates class, just pick a good one.

If you need to hit stuff, go to a boxercise class.  If you don't mind being hit back, go to a martial arts class.

Pick the class that works for you, where you feel part of the team, where you enjoy being there.  You'll get so much more out of it.

Because it's not just the fitness industry that like to feel part of something, it's humans.

We've had members that have been with us since the start of our Achieve Bootcamps 7 years ago.  We are one big team working towards their goals.

It's the reason why I created it in the way that I did.

More tomorrow.

Darren 'needy' Checkley