By Adam MacDougall, Sunday Telegraph
IT’S the time of year when many of us have pledged to lose weight, get fit and be healthy. We all start out with the best intentions but the bad news is 92 per cent of us will fail, with only 8 per cent actually succeeding in the pursuit of our New Year’s resolutions. So I’m here to help you fulfil those New Year vows, with some great tips and tricks from a bunch of Australia’s healthiest and fittest celebrities.
SOPHIE MONK
“WE all struggle sometimes. Some days I’m healthy, some days I’m not. No one’s perfect, so don’t put pressure on yourself,” Monk says.
“Start off with something simple and easy like just going for a walk. In fact my tip is just walk and talk. My friends and I go walking together and have a gossip. Otherwise you’re just sitting gossiping, so you might as well go for a big walk and get fit at the same time.”
FOOD TIP: “Simple — pack your own lunch box. It’s really important to have the right food around you and if you don’t come prepared you will never be able to steer clear of the chocolates and unhealthy snacks.”
DR CHRIS BROWN
“FOR me being healthy and fit is about being at your best so you can get the most out of your life everyday,” Brown says.
“My exercise tip is don’t do exercise that is extreme and has no carry over to your daily life and activities.
“The way I like to train is really not about building up muscle size and strength to look good but instead I train to try and improve my functional movement patterns, balance and core.
“I want my training to help me when I have to, for example, bend down and pick up a dog.
It’s all about doing movements that you would do in everyday life and loading them up.”
FOOD TIP: “Be snack smart. As snacking is important when you are busy because you don’t know when or where that next meal is going to come from but the key is making sure you eat the right type of snacks that keep you feeling full. I always travel with my own homemade trail mix with cashew nuts, and I am going to sound very Bondi here but it has goji berries and coconut.”
MARK BOURIS
“WHILE it is important to invest time and effort into your job or business and make smart decisions in regards to your financial health, the most important investment you can make is in you physical health. So this year don’t use excuses to not being healthy. We now live in the world of excuses,” Bouris says.
“You have to just get off your arse and exercise. It’s too easy, especially as you get older, to make excuses like my hormones aren’t the same and I can’t do hard exercise anymore. Just keep it simple and nice and easy to do.”
FOOD TIP: “Make sure the first thing you do in the morning is put the right fuel in your body and this is especially important as you get a bit older. I’ve found for me this means having more protein to help my muscles and energy. I’m not here to plug you and your (Adam MacDougall’s) Man Shake but I have it every morning as it’s easy.”
JESINTA CAMPBELL
“TO me being healthy is about feeling happy and confident. As being healthy looks different on everyone, and I think that’s a really important message,” Campbell says.
“Just because someone is a size eight that doesn’t necessarily mean they are healthy, and being a size 20 doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy.
“We’re all different, and as long as I feel happy, healthy and fit, then I’m in a good place. With exercise, mix it up and find fun challenging activities. No, you don’t have to slog it out at the gym. Go have some fun.”
FOOD TIP: “Learn how to cook. Throughout the week, (my husband) Buddy and I cook our dinners together every night, because we know exactly what we’re putting into our bodies and we know what’s in it. We’re not running the risk of going to a restaurant and eating things that aren’t going to fuel our bodies and make us feel really good, and make us perform at our highest level.”
BRAD FITTLER
: IF you want to win a game, achieve a personal best, or just have a healthy life, you have to really look after your mind as well as your body,” Fittler says.
: I believe working your brain is actually more beneficial for your health than working your body. And when your brain is fit and healthy, that’ll get you back into training.
“For me meditation sessions are the key to good health and happiness. It’s easy to do, I just let my thoughts go and just breathe from the belly.
“When you concentrate on your breathing you come back to right now and you can just exist in the moment and give your mind a rest. I know if I didn’t train for a month I wouldn’t be in great nick, but I’d be OK. But if I didn’t meditate for a month, I’d be a wreck.”
FOOD TIP: “My food tip is different — it’s feeding your brain. We all spend so much time on our phones these days, why not use the apps that will make you happier and healthier like the meditation apps and fitness apps.”
BRENDAN JONES
“BEING healthy for me means having energy and the key for me is getting plenty of sleep,” Jones says.
“I’m up at 3.20am so if I can have a sleep in the afternoon that’s great. I get the earplugs and I’ve got my face mask — the whole routine instantly puts me in the mood to go to sleep.
“My exercise tip is find something that can become a passion. I discovered stand-up paddleboarding in Hawaii back in 2010 and it’s become something I love, and in fact it’s a bit of an obsession for me.
“I go out every day paddleboarding because I love it. It doesn’t feel like exercise but it is a great workout.”
FOOD TIP: “It’s pretty simple — just keep it simple. I think we make what we eat too complicated when we all pretty much know that a hamburger, chips and soft drink is not good for us, and that fruit and vegetables are probably a good thing to eat more of.”
ANDREW JOHNS
“ONE of the most important things you can do for your health is too make sure your mind is healthy,” Johns says.
: This means being conscious of what you eat and how much you move. It’s all connected — if you have a healthy body, you’ll have a healthy mind too.
“I find the more I do, the better I feel mentally and it helps me to sleep better. My exercise tip is try something new. I always thought yoga was for girls but now I wish I’d done more of it when I was playing footy.
“Physically it’s great for my body, especially with all the injuries I’ve had, but mentally it’s even better — it really clears my mind.
“It keeps me in check too. If I know I’m doing yoga in the morning I behave myself the night before — within reason.”
FOOD TIP: “Before you rip into a big greasy meal, ask yourself ‘How will I feel one hour after I have eaten this?’ and if the answer is crap, then you know to give it a miss.”
JESSICA YATES
“FOR me being fit is not simply about me but it’s also about my family,” Yates says.
“As a mum with young kids, I want my kids to live a long life, and that means a healthy life so we make that a really important part of our family values now.
“I think the biggest hurdle for most of us to getting fitter is getting past all the excuses to not get up and get moving. And the best way to overcome this is to simply partner up with somebody so that you both feel motivated to turn up and exercise.
“I buddy so I am accountable to somebody.”
FOOD TIP: “Remember your kids are always watching so eat healthy foods you want them to eat.”
TARA RUSHTON
“MY health tip is to take baby steps,” Rushton says.
“Set small goals that are specific to you, and don’t look at what anyone else is doing. Just get started. Take the plunge and find something you enjoy doing and foods that are healthy that you enjoy eating.
“My exercise tip is start early. Exercise first thing in the morning so there are no excuses and it becomes a habit. Working out in the morning not only gets your exercise out of the way, but sets you up for a healthier day, too.
“I set the alarm pretty early, then I do my 50 minutes and it sets me on my way for the day.”
FOOD TIP: “Come prepared. Make your own healthy meals and snacks so when you do get busy you have something healthy on hand and aren’t left having to grab something that isn’t good for you.”
MARK BERETTA
“MY motivation for being fit and healthy is to be a great dad,” Beretta says.
“Your kids are you and they will live the way you live so it’s critical to teach them how to eat healthy and be fit.
“My New Year’s resolution in 2018 is to swap a beer for a salad a few times each week.
“My exercise tip is to find an event that will allow you to give back and get fit at the same time, like a charity run or bike ride.”
FOOD TIP: “Always have on hand healthy fast snacks like fruit and nuts.”
PAUL ROOS
“LOOK after yourself first, try something new and find good balance in your life,” Roos says.
“If you become a better happier individual those around you will take notice and hopefully follow.”
NATALIE BARR
“I TURN 50 this year so I am determined to make 2018 my fittest and strongest year yet,” Barr says.
“Wile I stopped making New Year’s resolutions a few years back because I kept failing so badly, I am determined that 2018 is my fitness year.
“I am very busy so my plan this year with food is to freeze more so when we get home from basketball, sailing or AFL training, I can reheat instead of madly trying to start from scratch the stir fry or one of my ‘50-ways-with-mince’ dishes.”
EMMA FREEDMAN
“MY motivation for being fit and healthy is to feel good and being happy. It’s pretty amazing how great you feel when you eat the right foods and move your body,” Freedman says.
“For me, I love starting my day with more liquids than solids. Water, herbal teas, protein shakes — they’re really convenient and easy for your body to digest.
“With exercise you’ve just got to get started. You can make every excuse, but nothing is going to change unless you change, so you just need to get going.”
LISA WILKINSON
“I’M not usually a fan of New Year’s resolutions, but in 2018 I am absolutely determined to get back to full fitness after breaking my wrist six months ago,” Wilkinson says.
“It meant I had to give up the gym and just concentrate on daily physio sessions for my arm instead. But my aim is to be back doing five minute planks by March.”
TOM CARROLL
“MY advice would be to pause, dig deep into self honesty and ask the big question; ‘Am I truly ready to follow trough with a commitment to myself?’ Then make your resolution a manageable ‘one day at a time’ movement,” Carroll says.
“Never forget to start with being kind to yourself.”
ADAM MACDOUGALL’S WEBSITE:
Lose the beer gut without losing all the beers at themanshake.com.au
Adam MacDougall is the creator of The Man Shake. A new healthy, weight loss shake that is low in sugar, full of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals that you can have on the run and leaves you feeling full.
ADAM MACDOUGALL’S WEBSITE:
Lose the beer gut without losing all the beers at themanshake.com.au
Adam MacDougall is the creator of The Man Shake. A new healthy, weight loss shake that is low in sugar, full of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals that you can have on the run and leaves you feeling full.
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