Cate - The Tight Arse Diet

W hile this book is intended as a general information resource and all care has been taken in compiling the contents, this book does not take account of individual circumstances and this book is not in any way a substitute for professional advice, either medical or financial. It is essential that you always seek qualified medical advice before embarking upon an exercise program if you have a pre-existing medical condition or you have not exercised for some time. The author and publisher cannot be held responsible for any claim or action that may arise from reliance on the information contained in this book.

Theres a popular saying that you can never be too rich or too thin. And while its far better to focus on getting lean and healthy rather than just getting thin, theres no doubt that health and wealth are two fairly popular pursuits.

Yet we are getting fatter and poorer by the day. We are slap bang in the middle of a global financial crisis and an obesity epidemic. Most papers, magazines or current affairs programs regularly run stories on how to lose weight or increase your wealth.

But what if there was a common solution? Is it possible to lose weight and save money at the same time? Could an abdominal crunch save us from the credit crunch? Can you get a tight arse by being a tight arse?

Imagine a weight-loss program that could help you save money. Thats the philosophy of The Tight Arse Diet. It dispels the myth that being healthy costs more. It shows you how to lose weight and improve your health while also having a few extra dollars in your pocket. It can help you get taut from being tight. You could say its like killing two birds with the one stone (while losing a stone thats 6 kilograms for readers unfamiliar with imperial measurement).

A lot of the inspiration here comes from my experiences in the health and fitness industry, working as a personal trainer for more than fifteen years. I often debate with people the importance of their health, and that the money they invest can be repaid tenfold. I think the best parent, partner, employee and performer you can be is a fit and healthy one. Many people want to achieve better health and weight loss, but parting with their hard-earned cash to achieve results can sometimes be a different story. Thats fair enough in many cases, as people face a wide range of money pressures in todays financial climate. However, what is disturbing is that when people face financial hardship, their weight and health can often suffer. They assume healthy eating costs more, and load up on what can be seen as cheaper junk food. Maybe thats why a higher proportion of overweight and obese people come from people in lower income brackets.

But Im here to tell you that healthy eating doesnt have to cost more. You dont have to sacrifice your health for your finances. In fact, healthy eating can actually be cheaper and The Tight Arse Diet will show you how.

I also think people can be reluctant to spend money on weight loss because of past failures, mixed messages, and experiences with products or programs that promised so much, but delivered so little. While the age of information has its advantages, it has also caused a great deal of confusion and misinformation. The lure and promises of quick and easy weight loss can also be hard to resist. If you have an abdominal training device, an old exercise machine or a half-empty packet of weight-loss tea sitting in your house, then youll probably know what Im talking about.

There seem to be hundreds of ways to lose body fat, and it can be difficult to sort the facts from fiction. I couldnt count the number of times Ive heard of people changing the way they eat based on something they have heard or read without questioning the source or the scientific evidence behind such claims. Thats why youll find some mythbusting facts in The Tight Arse Diet to help uncover the common fallacies and misconceptions surrounding weight loss. By arming yourself with this knowledge you can focus on strategies that actually work.

Most of the weight-loss tips in this book include references to one or more scientific studies that prove how effective these tips can be. Throughout The Tight Arse Diet, youll find over 30 Science says sections. I have seen them work for my personal training and online training clients, and they can work for you too. I often rely on these studies to calculate how many kilojoules and how much cash you can save.

Ive also included a section on my top budget superfoods, and which ones allow you to enjoy healthy food while trimming down without blowing your budget. Theres strategic advice on both diet and exercise, and youll even find some recipes based on my budget superfoods. Each tip will show you either how many kilojoules you could save, how much weight you could potentially lose, or how much exercise that equates to. Youll also learn the amount of money you could potentially save over the short and long term.

I hope you find The Tight Arse Diet a useful tool in helping you lose body fat, and for saving a little extra money along the way.

As a personal trainer, I have designed The Tight Arse Diet primarily to help you lose weight and gain health. As the title suggests, you will lose some fatoff your backside, but also off other areas such as your tummy, hips and thighs. Note that this book is just as much for men as it is for women.

My weight-loss beliefs and methods have evolved after many years of university study, continued learning and that all-important school of hard knocks experience. As a personal trainer I have worked with models, athletes, celebrities and people who weighed over 170 kilograms. I have lectured for weight-loss programs, trained people over the internet around the world, and written several books on how to lose weight (or body fat as I prefer to call it). What I have learned is there are a handful of proven strategies that help people get results. Ive seen them work time and time again. Theyre simple and effective. They are designed to help you use up more kilojoules, and reduce the amount of kilojoules you take in (without hunger or deprivation). Then youll be in the best position to burn off the excess kilojoules stored on your body as fat. These strategies and principles are the foundation of all the weight-loss tips in The Tight Arse Diet.

The key strategies are:

• Find ways to reduce your kilojoule intake, especially by cutting back on animal fats, junk food, liquid kilojoules and processed carbohydrates.

• Theres more to diet than just kilojoules. Eat foods that not only help you lose weight but also promote good health and wellness. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and pulses such as beans and lentils.

• Learn to manage your portion sizes. Portion control allows you to have small treats when you feel the need. Dont go for the all-or-nothing approach and deny yourself the things you enjoy. You simply wont stick to something if you feel deprived.

• Boost your metabolism. Cutting back on your kilojoule intake (dieting) is not enough as it slows down your metabolic rate. You need to offset this effect by increasing your metabolism through physical activity and exercise, or you will end up losing muscle mass and feeling tired.

• Find ways to increase the amount of kilojoules you use, including planned cardiovascular exercise, incidental physical activity and strength training. And remember, exercise has many other benefits above and beyond weight reduction.

• As you get fitter, continue to progress by increasing the intensity, duration and/or frequency of your activities. Try to incorporate some interval training into your cardiovascular exercise.