Blog - Health & Fitness

The first episode of Shredded Brainiac podcast - finding balance between fitness and the rest of your life. This time my guest is WBFF pro fitness model Williams Falade.

http://williamsfalade.com

https://www.facebook.com/williams.falade

https://www.youtube.com/user/williamsfalade

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Intro music by katapullt https://soundcloud.com/katapullt

So it’s almost 2 months into 2015. At the beginning of the year you probably did set some goals for yourself. Or at least you thought about what you’d like to accomplish this year. Most people do anyway.

Like me for example, one of the things I planned was writing my blog more often. Which obviously I haven’t done :D But hey, things change, life happens, and we have to focus on priorities.

They say that at least 8 times out of 10, you are more likely to fall back into your old habits and patterns than you are to stick with a new behavior.

I think this is very true. Behaviour change is hard. No question about it. But why is that? Why do we quit? And what can we do to make sure we stick to it and follow through?

It all starts with a reality check. You must admit to yourself that you’ve screwed up. Then you can either abandon the goal as something that’s actually not important, or change your strategy and start again.

If you look back at the first few weeks of 2015 and find that you procrastinated, missed your goals, or failed your resolutions then take responsibility for it. It's your fault. Own it.

But don't beat yourself up over it because today you have a clean slate. Even though it’s not the 1^st of January. Because it doesn’t have to be! You can still turn it around.

Check out the videos from my recent trip to Jamaica, which ended up being more of a training camp and less of a holiday, as I was getting ready for WBFF London and later WBFF Miami where I got my fitness model pro card. Lots of training footage, my daily meals, and some random antics too :)

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.

~ Winston Churchill

So I’ve been absent for a few weeks, and those of you who follow my blog / social media know that I was getting ready for WBFF London fitness model competition for another shot at the elusive pro card. I had a blast on the stage, got the first call-out, which is a very good sign, and was in the best shape of my life, but still only manage to place 8^th.

After the show I had to give myself a few days to process how I'm actually feeling. Emotions shift quickly, so often the best way is to put them aside, and consider your feelings after the limbic brain has calmed down and you can think rationally. That's just me being a brainiac, as per usual :)

I did have some doubts about whether to keep pursuing this goal. Do I really have a chance to compete with guys who have always been into sports, whereas I couldn’t do a single push-up until I was 17? Would I ever be able to win against athletes with incredible genetics, and skeletal structure designed for the particular aesthetic standards of fitness industry? Or perhaps I was just dreaming the impossible dream?

Dreams do come true. But only if you truly believe in yourself, and are willing to do what ever it takes to make it happen. So I took the chance to compete at another WBFF show in Miami, which luckily was taking place only one week later, making it easier to maintain my shape. I got there on Friday evening to step on stage on Saturday two times for prejudging and evening show. In a very competitive class of about 20 guys I managed to get the 1st place and WBFF fitness model pro card!!

Why not do some baking and treat yourself to an amazing desert this weekend? Even better if it's one that will support your fat loss goals. That's as long as you don't have the whole cake to yourself :)

Watch the video to find out how to prepare it. Feel free to replace raspberries with other fruit, if you like to experiment. And here is the ingredient list with nutritional analysis:

This makes two mini cheesecakes.

TOTAL MACROS: Calories: 1286 -  Carb=104g Prot=98g Fat=56g

Macros per serving (1/2 mini-cake): Calories: 321 -  Carb=26g Prot=24g Fat=14g

NB. Portion size may need to be adjusted according to your goals and body composition.

Are you reaching for that processed nutrient-lacking sandwich again? :( Don't do this to your body. Please. 

Here's something that would have taken you 5 minutes to prepare in the morning to take with you to work. It's a simple and light version of tuna salad that cuts out high-calorie mayonnaise and adds some chopped fruit and vegetables to really liven it up.

Servings: 3. Here's what you need...

• 1 green apple, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cans albacore tuna, drained
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red grapes, halved
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl and serve. Enjoy :)

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 214 calories, 7g fat, 7g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 28g protein.

NB. Portion size may need to be adjusted according to your goals and body composition.

Have you ever felt like you’ve reached a stage when coffee is doing you more harm than good? This is the way I felt a few weeks ago, when I just kept being hit by this wave of fatigue and exhaustion in the afternoon, despite having several cups of coffee per day. It just didn’t do the trick anymore, and it’s really the worst feeling when you’re trying to be productive.

I had heard some great things about yerba mate, but never managed to get hold of it, because you can seldom find it in the shops in the UK. From the first sip, I was simply amazed! My experience from drinking it can be described as the strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate all in one beverage.

Yerba mate (yer-bah mah-tay) is made from the naturally caffeinated and nourishing leaves and stemlets of the celebrated South American rainforest holly tree (Ilex paraguariensis), native to the subtropical highlands of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. It was introduced to colonizing and modern civilizations by the Guarani Indians of these regions. Yerba Maté is known as the national drink of these countries, and is consumed by millions of South Americans as a healthy alternative to coffee.

This stimulating herbal beverage has the unique ability to wake up the mind without the nervousness and jitters associated with coffee. Deemed “The Drink of the Gods” by many indigenous groups in South America, and known as “the green gold of the Indios” by folks in Europe, yerba maté possesses a multitude of health benefits. The chemical components of yerba maté are similar to those found in green tea; however, yerba maté may be even more nutritious. People worldwide refer to this herbal infusion as a “whole body tonic”.