What on earth is going on?!

Well, if i'm struggling to keep up with everything that's going on around here how can I expect you to know?! Someone said to me the other day "you're launching a slimming club AS WELL?!" and I realised...there are a fair few things going on and I know you don't all know what's happening so I thought it best to write it down as briefly and simply as I can. So here goes!

I've just opened a brand new shop THE JUICE HOUSE which has been an incredible experience, a huge learning curve and the most expensive thing i've ever done. The shop launched last Saturday and I have been overwhelmed with the wonderful reaction from the lovely people of Earlsdon and beyond! We've got children's workshops you can book onto, we've had adult health MOT's, we've made hundreds of fresh juices and smoothies and lots of healthy lunches with our gorgeous in-house home made soup and fresh salad bar. People have said how refreshing it is to have a health option and something different. THANK YOU to everyone who has come and supported and please keep coming in, we've got loads going on for adults and children and want to spread the word about eating and drinking healthy options.

The management team at The Juice House


I'm combining with Liela Kis and Rebecca Winters to bring you EAT ME SLIM, a brand new slimming club concept that's based on education rather than counting calories or any other conventional slimming method. It's about getting healthy, eating right and moving more so that you never need to diet again! Sound good? Our very first course launches Tuesday 6th May 2014 from The Juice House and runs Tuesday evenings 8.15pm for six weeks. It's run only by qualified health and fitness professionals rather than franchisees and includes loads of freebies from exercise classes to daily recipes, full online support and loads of tools to give you everything you need to eat yourself slim! Check out the Eat Me Slim website for all the information. We only have 16 places so book quickly to avoid missing out. Packages start from only £65 for the full six week course.

Then there is my first love Lean Body Vision. My lovely personal training studio has had to take a back seat whilst i've opened the shop but i'm BACK in the studio tomorrow, Monday 21st April 2014. My lovely private personal training studio will be back in action for sports massage, pregancy massage, nutritional advise and of course one to one and two on one personal training. We've had some incredible results this year with clients using the studio and combing with our bootcamp Earlsdon Bootamp to get regular and effective exercise in. Some of our bootcampers are participating in The Wolf Run this Saturday, a 10k mud and obsticle challenge in Warwickshire. We're raising money for Myton hospice and Cancer research. If you have any money you can spare for these amazing causes please CLICK HERE to donate. We'll be swimming through freezing cold water (this is HELL for me!), climbing over muddy obstacles and helping each other round the 10k course all for a great cause!

We've also had to say goodbye to our lovely personal trainer Rachel as she's moving on to Spain. She's been an asset to the studio and taking our Monday bootcamp class and she will be greatly missed. We wish Rachel all the very best and will miss her greatly!

We've also welcomed Rich Hawthorne to our Earlsdon Bootcamp team who has taken over Rachel's Monday class and bringing some new techniques, new kit and fresh lease of life to our amazing bootcamp. Welcome on board Rich!

As I end two weeks in the shop and go back to the studio I feel overwhelmed with the reaction, the help and the amount i've managed to cram into the last six weeks. It's been hard work, it's been incredibly expensive and it's been amazing fun. I look forward to how The Juice House and Lean Body Vision can together provide people with everything they need in Earlsdon for a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Our next big events;

This Saturday 26th April 2014 - Wolf Run race
Monday 5th May, May day bank holiday - Earlsdon festival. Exercise displays as part of the festival where Earlsdon Street is closed to traffic and fantastic smoothies and juices that can for one day only be made on our smoothie bike - a blender powered by your peddle power! Come and join us on Earlsdon street.

Once again, a massive thank you to every client, bootcamper, customer, friend and family member. The last six weeks has been insane but amazing and I look forward to everything else that's to come!

Yours in juicy health and fitness!

Hannah Johnson
Director of Lean Body Vision
Founder of Eat Me Slim and Earlsdon Bootcamp
Managing Director of The Juice House
www.leanbodyvision.com
www.thejuicehouse.co.uk
www.earlsdonbootcamp.com
www.eatmeslim.com

Disappointment

It's a funny old thing disappointment isn't it? One argument is that we should lower expectations and then we can't be disappointed but is that anyway to live?

I had some disappointing business news last week as I was let down on a property I was looking to lease. It meant I lost close to five thousands pounds, I had to let lots of other people down and also my vision and efforts got (for want of a better word) crushed. It got me thinking...life has disappointments and sometimes they're big or small or huge. Sometimes we could have done more and sometimes it's just 'the way it goes'. People will tell you "it's not meant to be" or in my very funny cousins case "I heard there was sewage there anyway".

Whatever the reason and whatever the cause, we can't change that, we can only change our reaction to it. We can be sad, angry, or we might cry. We can hit things, we can shout or we can close off when we get disappointment. Any reaction also has an impact on your body.

When you feel stressed your body releases cortisol (the stress hormone) and guess what? That makes you FAT! When you're body receives the message of stress it assumes the position of 'serious bad times'. Yes it may have been designed for being in the jungle and chased by a sabre tooth tiger but actually we get stressed for far less reason but far more frequently. If we were running from a tiger it would need to be fast and we'd hope it wouldn't happen often. As a result of this extreme stress your body would fire up the stress hormone and all sorts would kick in. Adrenaline rushes and your feed speed away from you as the blood is pumped to your limps. Your digestive system shuts down to allow the blood to go to your vital organs for survival with any surplus going to those speedy legs. Body fat is stored to protect you and keep stocks in case your run takes you to a cave with no food. Your body temperature increases and you start to sweat...I could go on.

What's the impact if we do this a lot? Hair loss, body fat storage around the middle, insomnia, head aches, lack of appetite or huge appetite...again I could go on.

 

So, whatever the stress, whatever the disappointment, it's important to remember, it's just not worth getting fat over! So take some deep breaths, drink lots of water and do whatever you need to do to calm down. I for one will not let the landlord who just let me down make me fat!

Wishing you a day of positive vibes and no disappointment and remember, if you see a stressed person, remind them it's making them fat (in the nicest possible way of course!)

Hannah Johnson

Chief Catalyst at Lean Body Vision

www.leanbodyvision.com

@leanbodyvision

Was it a blue Monday or were we told it was blue Monday?

First we had black Friday and then Blue Monday. Where are all these badly coloured days coming from? We were told last week that it was the 'most depressing day of the year' by the media. Well, there is a statement. It fell of course in the long stretch between pre Christmas pay day and the end of January when mornings and evenings are dark and cold and Christmas is a distant memory stained only by the arrival of the credit card bills, but wait...is it me or have the days been dark and cold for a while? What on earth is the sense in telling us to be depressed?

It leads me to an interesting point of view about 'the news'. I know a few people who actually don't read the news any more. "It's all depressing, there is nothing good". 

The news has changed a lot thanks to the internet, social media and mobile internet devices. News is now instant, if not quicker. Your skirt blows up in the wind and your knickers and pictured on the next trash magazines "badly dressed" section before you can put them away again.

News is also of course very useful. We need to know what's going on elsewhere in the world, we need to take an interest and a responsibility. It's enabled charities to raise awareness of natural disasters and raise millions of pounds in a very short timescale. It enables political broadcasts to people with no sight or no hearing and of course it gets advertising both of things we want to hear about (like your favourite shop having a mega sale) and the things you don't (like the PPI claims we've all been told we're entitled too!!).

So, what's my point? Well, this whole thing of 'Blue Monday' just really got me thinking. I have quoted before;

"You are the five people you spend the most time with"

Well, you're also a bundle of all your other influences, your facebook timeline, the news site you read or subscribe to, the gym you go to, the friends you hang out with and the headlines you read. So, what i'm saying is BE CAREFUL! A positive attitude is one of the most amazing and infectious tools you have and guess what? You can make one all by yourself FREE of charge!

My top five tips to a positive attitude

1. "An attitude of gratitude". Cheeeeese ball I know but have you tried it? Our wonderful in house therapist Bev encourages people to keep a gratitude journal and write down five things each day you're thankful for. From being able to breathe to the coffee someone bought you. From appreciate just how amazing your body is to the smile someone pulled just for you on the street. It's SO easy to find five things. Do it for a week and see just how positive you feel.

2. SLEEP! I know, i know, you've got children or you worked late and it's not your fault! But sometimes it is your fault right? Some times you watch just 'one more' episode of breaking bad or just another 30 minutes on the xbox? If you don't get good quality regular sleep do you notice how EVERYTHING is more irritating? Yes, so get that body into bed nice and early and feel refreshed.

3. Meditation or 'Me' time. How often do you stop and chill? Let your body rest, let your mind rest? Not in front of the tv but just quietly, just you? Try it, if you can manage 10 minutes each morning and be on your way to a yogi great but if not, just 2 minutes before bed or 1 minute in the shower. Give yourself time to reflect, absorb and appreciate what's going on around you.

4. Do something nice for someone else every week. Buy a bunch of flowers for someone who'd love them (you can get them for £4 in Tesco, come on!). Take your work colleagues favourite coffee into work for them. Cook someone dinner. Compliment someone on how the look. Call someone, just because. The best bit? You're the one that gets to feel great for it!

5. Goal set and reward. I worble on about this a lot but you'll have a lot to be positive about if you know what you want and you reward yourself when you get it. Use a vision board, plan with a friend, stick post it's all over your bathroom mirror - whatever you need to do. Visualise the future and be happy when it arrives. Celebrate the small stuff and tell yourself just how awesome you are! I dare you!

So, go forth and be nice this week. Anything but blue please!!

Hannah Johnson

Chief Catalyst at Lean Body Vision

www.leanbodyvision.com

@leanbodyvision

www.facebook.com/coventrybootcamp

12 days of detox

How's your January going? Has it been the year that the healthy life style has stuck? Or has it not yet begun? Lots of you set resolutions or goals in January to be healthier and it's always a popular time to detox. So here are our 12 days of detox and our best advice.

1. Goals

Do you set them? Do you think about setting them but not do anything with them? My favourite quote about goal setting...

A study at Harvard University in 1979

In that year, the students were asked, "Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?" Only three percent of the graduates had written goals and plans; 13 percent had goals, but they were not in writing; and a whopping 84 percent had no specific goals at all.

Ten years later, the members of the class were interviewed again, and the findings, while somewhat predictable, were nonetheless astonishing. The 13 percent of the class who had goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84 percent who had no goals at all. And what about the three percent who had clear, written goals? They were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97 percent put together.

Astonishing stats. WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN. Use a vision board and stick it by your bed so you can visualise it happening. It really does work and if your goals are a priority, you'll do it! 

 

2. Water

One of the most basic rules. You need water to survive. Every function in your body needs water. Water is usually available clean and at low or little cost. But do you know what? SO many of us are daily dehydrated. It's not about money or time, it's just bad habits. So, make a new habit. Use a bottle of water or make a rule such as "every cup of tea I have a glass of water" or "every time I get up from my desk I have a glass of water". It's one of the easiest detox and fat loss methods in the book so get glugging!

 

3. Support network

As a personal trainer I see the success and challenge of this every week. I see the woman whos husband tells her she's boring repeatedly till she caves and has take away with him or the wife who loves to feed her husband or children. The people around you and especially the people you live and eat with need to be on board, supportive and backing you up with actions as well as words. They need to know your goals and support you. The days you want to quit or you reach for the biscuit tin - they're the ones that are there to help and guide you. So talk to your immediate circle of people and get them behind you.

4. Positive attitude

This will get you a long way. Think you can't do it? You won't do it. Think you can? You will. Be positive, be grateful and be happy. One of the best ways to start this is with an "attitude of gratitude". Try it today and write down five things you're grateful for and try saying thank you to someone. It's contagious!

5. Remove the toxins

Sounds obvious but no point in detoxing and re toxing at the same time! Cut out the caffeine, alcohol and red meat, ditch the cigarettes and beer while you detox. Eat and drink clean and give your body some recovery.

6. Throw out the crap

This is one of the keys to success long term. If you shop dirty, you'll eat dirty. So whatever is in your house - CHUCK IT! If it's worth something and you think it's a waste, bag it up and give it to a homeless person. If the food is in your house, you'll eat it so the first thing I'd advise anyone to do is THROW OUT THE CRAP! 

7. Get active

The advantages of physical activity are way too long for this blog post but in terms of a detox one of the best things you can do for activity is get outside. Get some fresh air. Bike, walk, run, skate, whatever you can to get outdoors. And guess what? Your skin is waterproof too, isn't that amazing? So you can still do it when it rains! No, i'm not mad. TRY IT! Running in the rain is actually really refreshing. So grab a friend this weekend and get outside. You'll feel great for it, yes you get a rush of endorphins and a glow in your face but it also helps freshen you, your skin and your head up so give it a try.

8. Lemon water

Hot water and lemon. What a blessing and one of my absolute favourite drinks. Again, the list is endless but to name a few...costs next to nothing, clears skin, balanes Ph levels, freshens breath, boosts your immune system, aids digestion, aids detoxification, increases energy levels....I could go on!!

9. Remove sugar

One of THE biggest evils on this planet. It's addictive, corrosive and it makes you fat. So cut it out! Out your tea, out your cooking and swap those sugary foods. Stay away from breakfast cereals, flavorings and fizzy drinks. Dump the sweets, chocolate and cakes. There is no benefit to your body from sugar. Enjoy your sweet things with honey, fruit sweet potato! After a few days of headaches (which shows you how evil it is) your hormones, energy levels, mood and appetite will all be so much more balanced, your skin will improve and you'll lose body fat. Again...I could go on!

10. Review and reward

Another great saying.

 "You're not a dog, so don't reward yourself with food"

A great quote. However, we do need to review and reward. We need praise, we need to feel good and we need to use it as motivation. With your goals set specific rewards - aim high and treat yourself to a facial, a shopping trip, a cinema trip with your mates, whatever is a genuine reward for you and tell people about it. Tell people how well you're doing. It feels great and you also might just inspire them to do the same!

11. Friendly bacteria

If you do a proper detox you're likely to flush out all bacteria including good bacteria. So after you've completed the programme always get friendly bacteria back in to replenish your gut and keep your immune system in tip top condition. Plenty of anti oxidants to protect you from free radical damage and a good quality friendly bacteria (not in drink form as these are pasteurised which ironically kills most of the bacteria in them) and take care of yourself and your gut. It's one of the most important parts of your body for staying well, digesting well and keeping your weight under control. I personally use a friendly bacteria in tablet form after any detox, after any illness or if I was ever to take those horrid things called anti biotics. Click here if you want to check out the one I use.

12. Fibre

Final tip is fibre. Everyone claims they get enough but the best test is always your poo! Yes, I said it! If you don't poo, you don't get rid of your toxins and you're getting a constant back log which sits and festers! You should be pooing every day and without sounding too much like a certain Gillian, it shouldn't be too stodgy or too runny. If you're constipated or have frequent diarrhea review your fibre. The best source? Organic veggies but please please, leave the skins on. It's where all the fibre is. Don't peal your carrots or over cook your broccili. Steam them and eat the as they're supposed to be. Keep pooing and you'll keep flushing those toxins!!

That's it! Easy right?!

I truly hope you've had a really fit and healthy start to 2014 and are feeling fabulous! If you're not and you want help...please get in touch.

Hannah Johnson

Cheif Catalyst at Lean Body Vision
hannah@leanbodyvision.com
0790 778 1497

Merry Christmas to you

Here it is, Christmas day. Can you believe it?! We wanted to take this time to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a fit and healthy year ahead for 2014. We also wanted to bring you all the news and highlights from 2013.

This years client highlights

A big one for us has been collecting up and finally publishing some of our "before" and "after" photos. They really show the hard work people have put in and also give us, as trainers, an immense sense of pride. They're not just about weight loss, they're about energy levels, skin clearing, self confidence and so many other factors that cannot be measured by photographs. However, the photographs are such a great way to look back and smile!

If we were to list individual clients in this post we could go on forever and ever but if you've been working with us this year or know someone who has you will know. So much weight loss, so much fitness improvement, so many physical and emotional challenges met. If you've challenged yourself then WELL DONE because you're already exceptional. Changing your body and improving your health is so important but it's not easy so massive well done to everyone who has pushed the limits this year.

Rachel's achievements

Rachel has had an amazing year, more than 12 months has flown since Rachel started at the studio and she's gone from strength to strength. Taking on more personal training clients, training to become a fitness pilates instructor and taking a weekly class on a Monday night. Becoming our first ever Earlsdon Bootcamp instructor and bringing a new lease of life to Monday bootcamp. Rachel works tirelessly and is booked on even more up and coming, exciting training courses next year including fitness for children. So watch this space! Rachel would like to thank everyone she's worked with and all her clients for working so hard, coming to her sessions and her classes and showing her just how rewarding working in the fitness industry is! Happy holidays from Rachel xx

Hannah's achievements

Hannah has had a crazy year. Ending work with the NHS last year and beginning studying Sport Massage Therapy, Hannah was MORE than ecstatic to pass her massage course in the summer of this year. It was a lot of hard work and study along side running the business and working with her lovely clients. It was a mental and physical challenge but putting into practise the last six months has been fascinating. Hannah really enjoys being able to help people out of pain and into movement and provide relief. One particular treatment of a lady who came in and couldn't raise her arm above her head, had treatment and regained 90% of movement just in one treatment - you don't get much more instant job satisfaction than that!

Hannah also completed her pregnancy massage course later this year and has enjoyed the quiet, relaxation of treating pregnant ladies in the therapy room at Lean Body Vision.

The last few months have been filled with planning and meetings and drawings and more meetings as we're planning to expand next year. We had the brilliant news yesterday that our Change of Use Planning application on a new premises has been fully accepted! We're not there yet as we're still negotiating on a new lease but it's a huge step closer. That has been a challenge but an exciting one and again - watch this space!

Qualifications

Hannah and Rachel have both completed courses this year from Vibe Cycle level 2, Fitness Pilates, Sports Massage Therapy and Pregnancy Massage to name but a few. Both Hannah and Rachel have multiple courses book next year and are always looking to better their knowledge and stay on top of the game to help you.

What's to come in 2014...

There are lots of exciting plans for next year from the new building, to kids fitness, our slimming club and everything in-between. We're also very much looking forward to April when we have a 56 strong team of bootcampers entered into the Wolf Run, a 10k obstacle and mud run! We will keep you posted on our facebook page and our blog so keep watching.

We'll be here in January with our detox programme, our bootcamp 4 days a week, our personal training studio 7 days a week and our Zumba, Fitness Pilates and Massage so get in touch and make this the year to treat your body how you should!

We'll leave you with our special advent burpee montage that we did for you all this Christmas. Take a few minutes and have a watch!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM HANNAH, RACHEL AND ALL THE TEAM AT LEAN BODY VISION! xxxxxxx

Who on earth invented burpees?!

I get asked this question ALL the time. "Who the [insert relevant expletive] invented burpees?" followed after the next set by "Seriously Hannah, who would even think of such an evil [insert expletive] exercise?" And I laugh and say that they're not really evil and that everyone secretly loves them but that I don't know who invented them. Well, guess what? I decided to find out!

In case you've been deprived of burpees in your life, here is a video of me doing a few. 

There are lots of varieties of burpee and I took it upon myself to make an advent of burpees this year. Above is day 1 and there is a burpee every day of advent to follow! Check out our YouTube channel to view them all.

So it turns out, after all the jokes, there really was a Mr Burpee. Mr Burpee Ph.D infact, after he invented the 'burpee test' in 1940. I can't find out if he is still alive or not as I know lots of people want to egg his house but best to take it out on your personal trainer instead!! According to the ever reliable www.wikipedia.org the fitness test was taken on by the US Armed services after this as it was deemed an excellent test of soldiers fitness.

So we're told to credit Mr Royal H Burpee with all the fun and joy burpees have brought to us  and to all the generations ahead of us!

In reading about burpees I also stumbled across the BURPEE MUSEUM! I got incredibly excited and just before booking my flights to the states was horrified to read further it's nothing to do with burpees in exercise form and is a historical museum (which i'm sure is excellent). I was thinking it would have made the perfect Christmas party for everyone at Lean Body Vision! Never mind!

So, whatever you think of burpees and however evil they may be, it's not my fault, I didn't event them, but I do think they're ACE! An exercise that works your whole body, spikes your heart rate in an instant and means your face is out of sight from your trainer, if only for a few seconds, so you can swear under your breath, scowl and curse to your hearts delight before bouncing up into the next jump!

So what are your favourite burpees? I mean, if you had to pick? With press ups? With dumbbells, kettle bells, TRX? Maybe lifting and throwing your personal trainer in the air? Here's one of my favourite...

Why? Because it makes me think i'm just a little bit more like Jessica Ennis than I actually am!

HAPPY BURPEES EVERYONE and thank you to Mr Burpee for enriching all our lives so. We salute you!

Hannah Johnson

Cheif Catalyst at Lean Body Vision

Tweet me @leanbodyvision

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/coventrybootcamp

Web www.leanbodyvision.com

Avoiding the buldge this Christmas

As a personal trainer, Christmas is one of the hardest periods to help my clients stay focused and eat well. Along side Christmas having meanings of religion, family and giving, a huge modern focus is on over indulging, eating to excess and moving less.

It’s these aspects that can often lead to some serious weight gain in the festive period. So, here are my tips for beating the bulge this festive season.
1. Christmas is one day, not two weeks. Whatever treats you might line up and traditions you might have, one day won’t sabotage but two weeks might. So don’t go over board.
2. The Christmas shop. This is the most important part of any healthy eating plan but even more important at Christmas. You’ll be bombarded with “two for one”, “BOGOF” and “Christmas specials”. Write a list, stick to your list and don’t buy the tin of chocolates JUST because of it’s “never seen before” special offer.
3. KEEP MOVING. A family walk on Christmas day or boxing day bike ride are actually lovely ways to spend time together (British weather permitting!). So get the new scarf and glove set on and get outside over Christmas. You will not regret it!

4. Avoid all-you-can eat buffets if you’re on a Christmas party. They’re a disaster waiting to happen! (Click here to read our blog on All-You-Can-Eat buffets!)

5. Drink plenty of water. Sounds obvious but people forget. Spread the alcohol out with h2o and also make sure you don’t over eat due to thirst.
6. Don’t wait for  the new year to make resolutions, change happens when you begin, that can be a Tuesday, a bank holiday or any day in between! Set some goals, get someone on board with you and get to it!


Remember, any situation at any time, you have a choice, so make them wisely. A little treat won’t be what makes you need to loosen the belt another notch but a few weeks of bad choices will. Enjoy time with your family and friends, eat well and keep moving!

Hannah Johnson
Chief Catalyst at Lean Body Vision
www.leanbodyvision.com 
@leanbodyvision