Health: Time for a post-winter tune-up

Linda Hall with Jamie Loughran of Aspyre Fitness

The arrival of summer means it's time to curb that 'don't care' attitude. Linda Hall is put through her paces with a six-week fitness challenge

Do you hate your bathroom scales? I don't actually own any. I did once years ago, but I ended up throwing them out.

I don't need to step on the scales to know I've put on weight over winter and spring.

I've been in one of my "I don't care" moods for months now. It's a cycle I go through every year. I go hard at the gym, I go biking, I run or walk and I eat well.

I have done some sort of exercise for years. But in recent years it seems to get harder to stay slim and trim. When winter rolls in I get lazy. It's too dark to go out by myself in the morning and it's way too cold to get up and go to the gym.

After work, same excuse. I start eating sausage rolls and of course, I must have a glass or two of wine in the evenings.

I periodically feel guilty and go to the gym twice a week. But I'm not consistent. I'm still in my "don't care" mood.

Now it's hot and the cycle begins again. I care ... my clothes are tight and all those things that went past my lips have well and truly settled on my hips. So this time I have enlisted some help.

Jamie Loughran, owner-operator of Aspyre Fitness, has agreed to help me with an exercise programme, an eating plan and some advice.

I'm going to be keeping readers informed of my progress over the next six weeks.

I had a meeting with Jamie this week. He is full of knowledge and when I interrupted him to ask him how he knew all this stuff he replied: "I'm a geek."

He's far from it. The qualified personal trainer and neuromechanic, with 20 years' experience gave me some advice.

"Think of it this way," he said. "If you have a problem with your car you take it to the mechanic, leave it there, they fix it ... job done. The human body is far more complex than a car. Unfortunately you can't just park your body here for me to fix. However, I can teach you the tools to do it, but you have to be your own mechanic.

"It's about getting your body to work well."

He has this cool machine called a Body Composition Analyst which measures weight, body fat, body water, muscle mass, physique rating, metabolic age, bone mass, visceral fat and DCI/BMR DCI (Daily Calorie Intake/ BMR Basal Metabolic Rate.

The amount of energy needed to keep your body alive and functioning not counting daily activity or exercise). I didn't score too badly but it sure needs improvement.

When I gasped at my weight Jamie said I shouldn't focus on that.

"Women are obsessed by their weight. It's not that important and remember, muscle weighs more than fat so don't worry too much about your weight. It's what's going on inside that's more important."

I said my goal was to lose five to six kilos in the six weeks, however Jamie suggested my goal should be to lose half a per cent of body fat a week. So that's my goal.

Next week I'll tell you about my eating plan and let you know how the first week went.

I know this is going to hurt but I am determined, so wish me luck.

For more information about Aspyre Fitness phone 876 0539

For tips and advice go www.aspyre.co.nz

Linda Hall is a paying member of Aspyre Fitness