Andrew would like to thank everyone who has asked questions either on Joy FM or through the website. He hopes the answers will help you to a happier and healthier life.

QUESTIONS:

1. I did one of those weight loss programs for a while and they told me to get a 'fat' picture of myself, put it on the fridge and look at it every day. They said it will motivate me to lose weight. I have been looking at it every day for nearly two years, but I just can't lose weight. Can you help me?
   Martha - Edithvale (Vic)
    
2. I eat well and exercise regularly but I am exhausted and I can't stop craving chocolate in the middle of the afternoon. What is wrong with me?
   John - Mosman (NSW)
    
3. I do hundreds of sit ups everyday. Why can't I lose my gut?
   Joe - St Kilda (Vic)
    
4. I need to lose a lot weight quicky for a holiday to Fiji in July. What can I do?
   Melanie - Fremantle (WA)
    
5. No matter how hard I try I just can't stomach breakfast in the morning. Does it really matter if I skip this meal?
   Dianne - Woodforde (SA)
    
6. McDonalds now have the Heart Foundation tick on many of their products. Are chicken Nuggets really good for my heart?
   John - Cheltenham (VIC)
    
7. Do vitamin supplements work, are they important and which ones would you suggest?
   Mal - Hobart (TAS)
    
8. Which is better Coke or Diet Coke?
   Kate - Hawthorn (VIC)
    
9. I keep hearing that bottled water isn't as good for you as they say. Is there truth in that?
   Laura - Melbourne (VIC)
    
10. Andrew, you talk about writing goals. I do that, but still never achieve them. Why?
    Mary - Beaumaris (VIC)
     
11. I would like to get a personal trainer.What should I be looking for?
    Paul - Gladstone Park (Vic)
    
    
12. I have limited time and I don't want to join a gym. What can I do to get and keep myself fit?
    Phillipa - Glenelg (SA)
    
    
13. When is the best time of the day to exercise?
    Phil - Footscray (VIC)
    
    
14. I want to get in shape, but I just can't find the time to do the things you suggest. Such as; exercise, shopping and preparing food, reading goals etc. Please help.
    Helen - Bendigo (VIC) 
    
    
15. When is the best time to eat chocolate and what type is best?
    Sarah - Prahran (VIC)
    
    
16. What is the best exercise for tight buns?
    Rob - Essendon (VIC)
    

THE ANSWERS:

1. Hi Martha. I can tell you quite simply why you are not getting the results you want. By looking at 'fat' pictures are you focussing on what you want or what you don't want? Obviously what you don't want. However, your subconscious can't differentiate. You will get exactly what you focus on - good or bad. Without even knowing it you are attracting what you don't want. The solution is simple - put up a picture of exactly how you want to look and focus on that every day. Whilst looking at this picture imagine yourself having achieved it and feel the associated feelings. Do this every day and let me know how you go in the next month or so.
    
2. There is nothing wrong with you John. Nothing that a little bit of fine tuning won't fix. Not knowing your specific situation I will have to be very general here. The reason why you are exhausted and craving in the afternoon is simply because your blood sugar levels are low. This could happen for a few reasons. The most common are due to skipping meals and over exercise. You say that you are eating well, but even eating good food, if not enough will cause lethargy and craving. So the first thing I would look at is how frequently you are eating. Do you eat breakfast every day and snack every 2-3 hours? Do you eat mainly natural foods or do you eat a lot of processed foods? Do you exercise every day? You need to look at the balance of all these things. You may also benefit from a quality multivitamin supplement. To give you more information about this situation, which is my speciality I would strongly recommend you purchasing a copy of 'Eat Chocolate, Drink Alcohol and be Lean & Healthy' as it will answer all your questions in simple detail.
    
3. Hi Joe. Sit ups are a strengthening exercise and so will strengthen your abdominal muscles. Unfortunatley they are NOT responsible for burning fat on the stomach. So it doesn't matter how many you do, if you aren't complimenting them with a healthy eating plan and balanaced exercise regime you will have the gut for life.
    
4. Hi Melanie. Do you mean you want to lose weight and keep it off or lose weight and put it all back on after your holiday? If you want to just lose the weight for Fiji and you are not to worried about your long term look or health then there are a myriad of diets and quick fix programs and products out there. I would however, recommend NONE of them! I can only give you advice based on developing habits that will create long term change. I hope this is okay. What I am about to say may not please. For you to potentially get to where you want to be, in a healthy way that you can maintain, may not be possible by July. What you can do is start the process so that you will be in your optimal shape for every other holiday you have for the rest of your life. If that sounds good then you are ready to start the process. Get 'Eat Chocolate, Drink Alcohol and be Lean & Healthy' - everything you need to know is there. 
    
5. Hi Dianne. This is a common problem that I come across. In answer to your question - yes it does matter if you skip breakfast. It will affect your energy, your metabolism, your risk of colon cancer, your overall wellbeing. So as you can see it is pretty important. Without breakfast you will really struggle to achieve your health goals. Now we just need to come up with a solution for you. The reason why you, and many other people can't stomach breakfast is because you are not used to eating it. So when you try your body will reject it. When I started personal training and getting at 5am - I couldn't stomach breakfast either. But after a short period of time of persisting I started to look forward to it as it gave me a great start to the day. What I am saying is you need to start eating small amounts and then persist for a week or so - your body will adapt and you will start to reap the benefits of eating this crucial meal.
    
6. Hi John. As we discussed on Joy, no I don't recommend chicken nuggets as a healthy heart choice. As a indulgence every now and then, by all means go for it.
    
7. Great question Mal. I will start with the part about whether they are important. I believe the are an essential part of a healthy eating regime. But I didn't always think like that - I used to think they were a waste of money and if I ate properly I would get all the nutrients I need. The reality is that no-one gets all the nutrients they need to cope with all the stress that they are exposed to. Now you may or may not believe me, so I will give you a test to see whether you need them or not.
   If you answer YES to all of the following questions then you need not consider a vitamin/mineral or omega 3 supplement:
   - Do you eat at least 2 pieces of fruit every day?
   - Do you eat at least 5 serves of vegetables every day?
   - Do you eat at least 3 serves of wild, fresh deep sea fish every week?
   - Do you eat only organic food?
   - Do you drink only purified water?
   - Are you not exposed to pollution of any kind?
   - Are you stress free?
   How did you go? Okay so now you have identified that you need a supplement what should you look for? Well to answer this question I will start by telling you what to avoid.
   Avoid:
   - synthetic/processed supplements - those which you buy at the supermarket or chemist.
   - cheap supplements - they will be synthetic and hence your body will not absorb nor benefit from the nutrients.
   - omega 3 made with farmed fish (less of the good fats)
   Look For:
   - organically grown
   - plant based food supplements
   - omega 3 made only with the wild fish of the northern atlantic ocean
   There is a lot more I could say about this subject. if you have more questions Mal, please get back to me.
    
8. Hi Kate, as I quote my friend and associate Sherry Strong who poses the question, "Which would you prefer, to be hit with a baseball bat or a sledge hammer?". Well I would prefer neither - the effect of the sugar and caffeine in the coke is not good, but the effect of the articifial sweetners and other cheimicals in the diet coke will have far more serious long term ramifications.
    
9. Hi Laura, there are two main issues with bottled water. The first is that there are limited standards on bottled water, which means you can't be sure what you are drinking. In some cases it is not much more than glorified tap water. The other massive issue is the cost of bottled water - you pay much more per litre of bottled water than you do for petrol. But I wouldn't recommend drinking petrol. So, we know we shouldn't drink tap water if our health is important, and bottled water is expensive and the quality not assured so what is the solution? The best thing to do is buy a quality water purification system as it will provide a consistent quality and will be far cheaper in the long run. Buy a filter don't be a filter!
    
10. Hi Mary, well done for writing your goals. Let me ask you a couple of questions; i) are they written in a positive way and as if you have already achieved them? ii) Do you read them every day? iii) When you read them, do you imagine the feelings of actually having achieved them? Finally iv) Are you taking daily action towards making sure it happens? Let me know.
     
11. Hi Paul. Choosing a personal trainer is a very individual thing, but here are a couple of questions to consider; Do you like the person and can you see yourself spending time with them? Are they qualified? Do they have a message that you are comfortable with? Are they interested in helping you change for the long term or are they more into quick results? Do they walk the talk? Good luck
     
12. Hi Phillipa, welcome to the club. We are all time poor and very few people want to join a gym, but they feel that is what is neccessary. The good news is there are many options for training which I have outlined in 'Six Weeks to a Better You' in 'Week 4'. Just remember if you don't have a lot of time just do what you can - 10 minutes is better than nothing. Be consistent and be creative. Enjoy
     
13. Hi Phil. I am going to keep this short and sharp. The best time to exercise is whenever you can fit it in. Find a time that works for you, program it in to your routine and go for it
     
14. Hi Helen. Let me ask you a question - How important is it for you to get in shape? If it is important enough you will make the time. Here are some ideas to create a bit more time:
       - Reduce the amount of TV you watch.
       - Get up a bit earlier to prepare food for the
         day
       - Look at the things you do that you can
         delegate
       - What can you eliminate?
       - Re- read your goals and make sure they
         create an emotional response
    Good luck
     
15. Hi Sarah. The best time to eat chocolate is really anytime as long as it is in moderation and as long as the decison to eat is not fuelled by craving nor emotion. I hope that makes sense. The best type for your health is dark chocolate with 70% or more cocoa because of the health giving properties. Make sure whatever chocolate you eat that it is good quality and Enjoy it! 
     
16. Hi Rob. If it is tight buns you are after then the best exercises are; squats, lunges, stairs and step ups. But the thing that will have the greatest impact on those 'Buns of Steel' is the food that you are eating. Get you food right and you will crack walnuts until the cows come home!

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