Heatfit Magazine - Blogs

Wow, the Lunch Box Diet seems to be picking up even more!

no@spam.com (Simon Lovell) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Well what can I say. I know it's been a while since my last entry but it's all gone a bit manic. After the review in Elle of The Lunch Box Diet it's all gone crazy - emails from all over the place asking to cover the diet for radio, magazines from all over the world, so I'm pretty excited to see what's said in the new year. I've been quite surprised at the amount of people getting the diet before the new year, it seems that some are making the move for a more slender waist line pre-crimbo. For me the new year is pretty manic in the gym, with everyone's new year resolutions so we'll have to see how the diet follows. Anyway, everyone, thanks for your mails and keep in touch, letting me know how your training is going and how the diet is working for you.

2008 Lunch Box Diet to appear in Elle Magazine

no@spam.com (Simon Lovell) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

It's been an exciting few weeks. Not only have I been receiving some great feedback on the Lunch Box Diet from customers, but I was recently contacted by women's magazine giants Elle Magazine about the diet being featured in their January edition. Of course, I was more than pleased to send a copy along and i'm glad to say that it will be seen in the issue out at the beginning of January.

Here's some recent feedback on the diet from customer 'Gaye':

Hi Si

Just to say I will have been on your diet for 4 weeks next Monday and I think it's great!!

Managed to get down from 8 stone 9.6 lbs to 8 stone 2.4lbs and 2" off my waist (32" to 30") in that time, so I'm really pleased. Thanks. That weight has really been sticking since I retired last year.

Determined to keep it off and I've found diet really easy to stick to, as the lunchbox is always there and you don't have to think once it's sorted out in the morning. Think only let down is the dreaded alcohol - interesting - 2 cans of Magners cider puts on 1 lb!!! Should I switch to West Country English instead of the Irish - don't suppose you can guarantee it won't have the same result!!!!!!!!

Thanks again Simon - intending keeping on it as I really do think it does you good.

Gaye

Morphing Active Gamers: Wii Fit By Personal Trainer Simon Lovell

no@spam.com (Simon Lovell) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 BST

As a games journalist pup, I saw my waist size steadily grow. Tapping my way through review after review, PR lunch after lunch and post work drinking session wasn’t exactly the best combination to maintain 32inches around the torso. Unfortunately the quarterly out-of-office football challenge didn’t do much for the other months of abuse. Sound familiar anyone?

Having dragged myself away from this lifestyle for several years now but still maintaining a definite interest in gaming I find myself writing this column with the motivating combination of experience with both video gaming and one-2-one personal fitness training – it’s been an interesting journey and now new technology brings me back to my old grounds; it’s great to be back!

It seems as though there’s a shake-up on the horizon and as gamers such as myself originally adopted the ‘Neanderthal with Controller’ position, the morph to a more active gamer seems not too far away. Nintendo seem to be one of the liveliest movers at getting more than our minds circulating, the announcement of Wii Fit certainly put a smile on my face and made me think of writing this in the first place. With previous visions of, let’s be honest here, quarter-pounder children and adults racking up the calories in front of consoles over the world, we’ve finally got at least some indication that things may be tipping in the opposite direction.

The balance board technology looks fun and in cases where gamers have not heard of exercise let alone taken part in it much, there could be a huge benefit to a wide variety of families and individuals when it is released. Like Jamie Oliver did for school dinners, is what we are seeing here quite similar, but for the gaming community? By simply introducing this kind of gaming to the living room it is going to send out a message that will work in a user’s favour for years to come. By making exercise fun early on, the physiological benefits will be maintained and developed, instead of snowballing in the opposite direction and this is, in my opinion, essential.

Of course, this could potentially turn into an active universe for developers to dive on the wagon and generate the equivalent of the exercise world’s surplus of useless arse toners and stomach crunchers, let’s hope not. Hopefully quality will be high and a genuine interest in developing bodies and mental attitude towards exercise will give more positive media towards health and video games that is normally easy pickings for critics.

After seeing what Wii Fit might have to offer and what the Eye Toy has at least done for getting gamers out of a chair, I can see huge potential in developing a higher level of ‘active gaming’ in the future – whether it’s multi-user and trainer interactivity or solo driven software that’s structured to develop sports skills and really shift unwanted calories in a variety of ways. Exercising, then using a Wii for weekly weigh-ins and then automatically storing data online? The possibilities for active gaming are endless! I just hope that celebrity endorsements don’t start bombarding the gaming world as they have the DVD shelf space. Let’s just sit on our bums and see what happens, shall we?

Simon Lovell

Personal Trainer – The Heat Personal Training

www.theheatfitness.co.uk

07786 175 118

Fitness Game Coming to Nintendo Wii

no@spam.com (Simon Lovell) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 00:00:00 BST

Having spent eight or so years reviewing computer games for national magazines across the UK, i thought it would be relevant to mention that I've just purchased a Nintendo Wii for some out of personal training relaxation time. However it seems as though new innovations in interactive entertainment may be bringing me back to exercise as Nintendo announce that Wii Fit will be released some time this year. Using an innovative 'Balance Board' that measures weight and player balance, the game will feature over 40 types of exercise from muscular strength to yoga. Looking at some of the videos of the product around it looks like it will be a fantastic product for introducing exercise into homes where normally it would not have been considered so as a concept seems great. I'll get hold of a copy when it's released and take myself back to the days of reviewing and come up with a rating. If you want to find out more check out this link

Clients dribbling on the floor

no@spam.com (Super Admin) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 BST

Sorry that I haven't been updating the blog as often as I like peeps but here's a light hearted one, one of my clients today was working so hard he generated a pool of flobber in front of me which was most amusing to the people around in Fitness First Exeter. Obviously for confidentiality reasons I won't name them but you know who you are. As people will have noticed from the main home page at www.theheatfitness.co.uk there has been a new update in the form of online personal training. There's a variety of options available from Gold, Silver and Pay As You Go Programmes. Go in an check it out, you'll be most imprssed by what's on offer! Sign up via the front page for my free personal training tips and you'll get instant gym help to your inbox.

Take it Easy,

Si

Andrew Cast in TV Advert

no@spam.com (Simon Lovell) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:00:00 BST

Just thought i'd write a quick congratulations note to one of my clients Andrew Elston who after working really hard over the past 7 months with me has today been cast in a TV advertisment. Andrew came to me underweight and neeing to put on size - he's done fantastically well since January and continues to pack on solid muscle with a strict eating regieme (The Lunch Box Diet) as well as a few important supplements. Here's a recent article on andrew from Exeter's Express & Echo. More details on the ad when I get it.

With an intensive weight training programme and the right diet, Andrew Elston has transformed his skinny frame into one more suited to modelling

While many people find keeping their weight down a constant battle, part-time male model Andrew Elston had the opposite problem.

At 6ft 7ins tall, he has always been skinnier than he would like, but the crunch came when he was told he needed to fill out to get more modelling work.

In less than five months, Andrew has transformed his physique and has gone from 84.1kg (13st 2lb) to 102.6kg (16st) with the help of personal trainer Simon Lovell, who drew up a high-intensity weight- training programme and correct nutrition advice.

"I had the chance to do an assignment for a sportswear company," explained Andrew, a self-employed telecommunications consultant from Honiton.

"I was told my physique was good, but not good enough. They said I was on the light side and I had to put some weight on.

"Ever since I can remember, I've always found it difficult to put weight on, whatever I ate. I wanted to put on bulk, but the right type -to tone my muscles and shape them, and make them big without the fat."

Andrew, who is married with two children, decided that he would need a personal trainer to make sure he was eating and training correctly. He has been training with Simon at Fitness First in Exeter since the beginning of January.

Simon explained: "A lot of the time, people who want to put on weight go to the gym, but they aren't properly informed and end up leaving lighter because they are not training correctly. You need to know what you are doing - you have to eat properly to gain weight and complement it with exercise. Andrew has been training four times a week for an hour. He spends one session interval training and three sessions muscle building."

Andrew has also been following Simon's lunch box diet, a healthy-eating plan that is also used by people who want to lose weight. The diet involves packing a lunch box with different combinations of food and grazing on it throughout the day, plus eating a normal breakfast and evening meal.

"Andrew has had to eat more than normal to get the calories in, but the principle is exactly the same," said Simon. "He gets all the nutrients which play a massive part in how his body synthesises things like protein and is able to generate muscle."

Andrew said: "I'm on a huge diet now - I eat five or six times a day. I estimate I'm eating about 4,500 calories a day. The lunch box diet has been really important. I've been eating lots of coloured fruits and vegetables, meat and a lot of nut-based products.

"Eating six times a day includes pasta or rice at least twice a day, a lot of meat and a lot of eggs. Every other day I have three eggs for breakfast and two bowls of cereal. I probably get through seven or eight bananas a day and I have five pieces of fruit last thing at night as well - every day I have three grapefruits and at least two oranges. On top of that, there's whey protein, which I take twice a day, and carbohydrate multi-dextrin-based drinks, which I make with whole milk and chocolate to give myself energy before training. Weight training can really take it out of you."

Andrew has put on nearly three stones and is very pleased with his progress.

"When I first started, I didn't think I was going to cope with the weights Simon was talking about. When I came in, I couldn't lift 3kg dumbbells above my head. Now I'm doing about 30kg," he said.

"I've seen a huge difference in my physique. I take photos of myself once a month - front, side and back views - to track my progress. Looking back at the ones I took in January, it's just amazing. The muscle structure is far more defined.

"Where I was skinny there is bulk. I used to be able to put my hands around my bicep - I can't do that any more. Before, I modelled suits because of my height, but there's no doubt that with the bulk I've got now, I can really make the suit hang well on me - it looks really good.

"The other place I've noticed it is on sheer power and strength. I can do things now that I wasn't able to do when I started training."

And Andrew is keen to point out that the fast results he has achieved have been through hard work alone. "A lot of people don't want to wait for results and they take steroids, which is really harmful," he said.

"This is based on two things only: one is the lunch box diet and the mix of fruit, vegetables, nuts and meat, and a balanced diet. The other is the high intensity weight training.

"The diet has to be a lifestyle thing - you can't just do it for a few months. You have got to carry on doing it, just like someone who puts weight on easily. I've got to do the same thing but in the other direction.

"It has been a lot of hard work, but we've got there."

For more information click on www.theheatfitness.co.uk or www.thelunchboxdiet.co.uk

Teenagers and steriods

no@spam.com (Simon Lovell) — Tue, 22 May 2007 00:00:00 BST

With recent news that an increasing amount of teenagers are resorting to anabolic steriods to increase their body shape, I pose the question, are new gym-goers properly informed when they enter the gym environment? Are health issues and proper training technique at the top of the agenda and are there enough properly qualified individuals to offer the correct advise to new gym goers? Are you taking steriods and are suffering bad after effects or do you know someone that swears by them and just won't stop going to the gym? I'll be writing a new article soon about the effects of these drugs and i'd be interested in your input, whatever you angle. So email simon@theheatfitness.co.uk or use the comments form on this page.

Weight a depressing issue?

no@spam.com (Simon Lovell) — Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 BST

With news out today from charity 'Mind' that around 31 million prescriptions for drugs like Prozac were dished out to patients in 2006, its begs the question how many of these can be directly related to those with weight and health issues. Unfortunately for those not in the fitness loop, it's can obviously be very hard to get motivated to get out of this 'troff' and into a better, life-changing routine. With more education to youngsters and adults about the benefits of exercise, maybe we can reduce the cost to the NHS for such prescriptions and bring down depression levels. I know i'm doing my part. If you know somebody that is depressed and overweight, do your bit and be their training buddy. Get them motivated and feeling more confident!

Today's Lunchbox

no@spam.com (Simon Lovell) — Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 BST

In today's Lunch Box

Group A) Watercress, Mushrooms, Sugarnap Peas, Baby Corn
Group B) Lean Chicken Breast
Group C) Mature cubed cheese, herbs, pepper and lemon juice!

I'll add this to 'Lunch Box Diet Combintions on the magazine pages.

Check out http://www.theheatfitness.co.uk/pages/lunchbox.html

Canada here we come!

no@spam.com (Simon Lovell) — Sun, 13 May 2007 00:00:00 BST

With just two weeks away until my trip Kayaking with Whales off Vancouver in Canada, as you can imagine I'm getting pretty excited. It's likely we'll also take a trip up to Whistler on the Rocky Mountaineer as well as do a number of activities in the big city. You're probably wondering what will happen to my clients during this period. They'll be given their programmes while I'm gone and it'll be back to the grindstone when i get back on 9th June, hopefully with some wonderful stories of wildlife, landscapes and relaxation! Please email me or comment if you know of any great places for me to visit while i'm out there.

Cheers

Si