Watch out for the Train Wreck...

What is wrong with us? If someone you loved was standing on the train tracks and a train was bearing down on them, the least you'd do would be to let them know, right? Or you'd take them by the hand and lead them away from the danger. Never mind the reason they were there in the first place, your prime concern would be to get them away from the danger.

Would you worry about offending their feelings? Worry that they'd not talk to you for a week? No way, you wouldn't care, you'd just want them safe and healthy.

So why...why...do we not say something to someone we work with, care about, love when they are their own train wreck? When their own behaviour is leading them directly into the path of the train?

I see people every day, who have led a lifestyle that is killing them as surely as standing in front of a speeding train, but nobody will tell them. They eat too much, exercise too little, allow themselves to become morbidly obese, but nobody has the guts to stop them and give them the truth.

Why don't we? For the most part we are afraid of offending them. So, instead of offending them for a minute, and encouraging them to change their life, which can so easily be done, we ignore the elephant in the room (don't pardon the pun, I meant that to offend) and ignore the fact that someone we love is obese.

Don't know how to bring the topic up? The next time you are together maybe ask them what weight they want to be when they die...you don't see too many morbidly obese 60 year olds. They're already dead.

Shocked? Irritated? Offended? Good!

Tate

This is something special.

This young guy is one of our newest and youngest members, Tate.

As you can see, Tate is kinda big. Before Christmas, Tate lost 1kg and I was the proudest Coach on the planet.

At his last weigh in with the dietician, Tate had gained 6kg. I've never been so devastated about a member that I have been reduced to tears. I was when his Dad Scott sent me the e-mail.

But it’s all good. Tate and I have a plan.

I just wanted you guys to see the before photo, in a real before state, not after he has lost the body fat.

So...watch this space, and if you see Tate in the Club, give him some encouragement to keep going when it gets tough. Coz it will.

This is part of what being in a Club is all about, helping out, and you can help Tate by encouraging him on his transformation.

Thankyou

What's holding you back?

Do you ever feel that you are being pulled in too many directions? Work commitments, taking the kids to school and sport, getting the groceries done, cleaning the house, helping out our family, walking the dog, time with our partners, the list sometimes seems endless, and there never seems to be any time for ourselves.

How do you break out of this cycle and get the time in your day you need to focus on yourself?

The time is actually there, you just have to reorganise a little. We get stuck in paradigms that we have been using for years, and it locks us into courses of actions that doom us to repeat the same activities over and over. Nothing ever changes. Nothing will change until you change your mindset.

(A paradigm, for those of you scurrying for the dictionary...is basically the box we construct that we live in, our way of thinking that things must be..."I must be the one who takes the kids to school" or "I can't exercise at 6am"...essentially the rules we force ourselves to live by).

Well...who the Hell says it has to be that way? Why can't you commit to 4 training sessions a week, or commit to a healthy eating lifestyle for ever? One thing that bugs me is when people say, "But you still have to live". Why on Earth does eating crap food and sitting on your arse equate to living? What if you changed the paradigm to, "I will eat nutritious food every day and exercise to make my body fitter, leaner, stronger". What would your definition of 'living' be?

So...my point...??? And there is one...!

Stop with the lying and the bullshit about why you can't do something, because it is utter bullshit. You know I it, I know it, it's plain to see. You don't make time to exercise or eat well, because you're stuck in what happened yesterday.

You can change the way you live, it takes courage though. You need to have the courage to tell those around you that you are changing the way you live, that their needs won't always be first. Sure, when your kids are young you need to do everything for them, but if your kids are 25, do you still need to take them everywhere and do everything with them?

I'm not saying ignore everyone else in your life, that's stupid. I'm just saying that with a subtle shift in the paradigms you live with that you can find the time to exercise and live a healthier and more fulfilling life.

Thanks to my friend who helped me see that the paradigms I had constructed in my life were holding me back from being who I can be. I hope you know how much you've helped me!

See you all in the Club today!

Matt

2010 - Just about done!

Hi EFMers

I wanted to take this opportunity to quickly review what we have achieved this year at EFM Geelong.

Since March we have been pretty busy with a couple of climbs up the You Yangs, Indoor Rock Climbing, and planning our inaugural Kokoda Trek for 2011. We supported the Mother's Day Fun Run and Cotton on Run Geelong and it was fantastic to see so many members participate in both. We have also commenced tracking every member's visits, with Norma winning the race to firstly 100 visits, then 200! We now have 17 members of the 100 Visits Club with more to come! We've kicked off Pilates, yet another thing I'm crap at!!

We've had a few challenges, with Geelong reaching number 10 in the EFM Nation in the EFM Interclub Challenge (out of 60 clubs), which was an awesome achievement. We had our own 6kg in 6 Weeks Challenge, and I have to say keeping those bathroom scales from some of you was a challenge in itself. Some great results in that challenge led us to the EFM 8 Week Challenge in which we had some awesome results: Jacqui White losing 9.1kg, Cassie losing 18.5 cm in girth measurements, Simone W losing 5.5cm even though she couldn't train half the time because she was sick.

We have had fitness testing in which just about all of you have improved your strength, fitness and endurance. We've had a Train the Trainer Day (and I'm still suffering!). We've had plenty of Members of the Month as well, all for different achievements.

We've had new members join, some old members move on to do different things, and we've been able to develop a great culture around the Club that makes everyone feel welcome. We've celebrated everybodys' achievements. To me it was just as exciting to see our youngest member Tate lose 1kg of body fat as it was to see Christina bench press her body weight. Whatever goal you chose, it was awesome for me to be part of helping you achieve it. The Club isn't the building, its the people who choose to be part of a group working toward that goal of being healthier.

2011 will bring new events on the EFM Geelong calendar, with more challenges including the EFM Health Revolution in February, EFM Tennis and Netball Days, a new Interclub Challenge, some Fun Runs...heaps more to come to keep you guys motivated and inspired. We hope to get out and about with some Friday Happy Hours, so any ideas you have will be thrown into the mix.

For me, 2010 has been a challenging year both professionally and personally. I want to thank all of you for your support, and the fact that you show faith in me to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. The effort you guys have put in at each session helps keep me inspired, and reminds me why I get out of bed at 5am! I hope that I can repay that support in 2011 with continuing to help you all continue to be happy and healthy.

Owning an EFM Franchise is not a job - it's a passion, a lifestyle, and without the members constantly pushing me, I don't get the opportunity to learn and be a better Coach.

Whilst Christmas is usually a busy time for us all, it also affords us an opportunity to reflect on the past year and what we have been able to achieve, and look to the next year and the challenges and opportunities it will bring. Lets' face it, we're never going to run out of challenges, the key is to turn them into opportunities for growth! Surround yourself with people you love and who love you and enjoy it!

That's enough philosophisaling!

Have an awesome week, make sure you get in for a few more sessions before Christmas. Check your last newsletter or in Club to see our hours between Christmas and New Year.

Cheers

Matt

Bah...humbug!

Cookie at the You Yangs on Saturday 4th December 2011

Hey guys

We're nearly at Christmas, so time to get some stuff tidied up and squared away...

Please, please RSVP for the BBQ lunch this Saturday and also for the drinks at The Barking Dog from 3pm. This is our end of year event, so please make every effort to get along and see what the other members achieved this year. Some of you guys have achieved amazing results, and it would be great if you were around to be congratulated on your own achievements.

Train the Trainer day is this Saturday from around 10.30am. We'll have regular Fitness Coaching from 9am to 10.30am, so make sure you set your alarms for this one. Plenty of members have come up with exercise ideas, however are yet to put their name on the sheet next to the white board. Please ring/sms Jill Craig on 0408 030 859 to give her your exercise. Each exercise you want the Coach to do will cost you $5 which goes towards the village of Kagi in PNG. If you don't pay before Saturday, your exercise doesn't get done. Simple as that!!

Check the newsletter I e-mailed you for our Christmas hours. We will be closed on the 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th of December and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of January, which are all of Public holidays. We will have reduced session times on the 29th, 30th and 31st of December. You may remember that we were open on Geelong Cup and Melbourne Cup for you all to work out, so I'm taking the opportunity to freshen up for the New Year.

This is the last week of the EFM 8 Week Challenge - if you want to be in the running for the 12 months FREE membership check with me to see if you have already achieved or will achieve your goals you set at the start of the Challenge. Don't miss out on the opportunity to save yourself some money!!

Your Club is only as good as you make it, so please get involved in events, talk to other members, let other people know how much you enjoy training, how you are getting results. My goal is to make EFM Health Clubs Geelong one of the flagships of the EFM Nation. I met with some head office crew last week and they were blown away by how we have developed a true EFM culture since I took on the franchise in March, and I had to be honest and tell them that it was due to the effort and involvement of the members. Without you guys, there is no EFM culture. An example of your attitude is that we average over 8 visits per month per member, around 4 times the national average! Thank you for putting your trust in me!!

Thanks again for another great week!!

Matt

Patience...

We all want results, and we want them now! But that is rarely how life works. Sometimes you just have to be patient and keep working hard to get there. You'll have good days, bad days and just some days but ultimately, if something means enough to you, the results will come. The best thing about working hard consistently over time is that you'll appreciate reaching the goal more than if it was easy. Keep working hard, and putting positive thoughts out there and it will happen.

Don't forget the Club will be closed for the 3pm to 7pm session on Friday 26th November due to a Fitness Australia function. The morning and lunch sessions will run as normal.

Saturday 4th December will be another You Yangs walk, so the Club will be closed that morning. Meet at the Club at 9am and we'll head off to the You Yangs. Bring a drink, a snack, sunscreen and a hat and wet weather gear if the weather is lousy. Kokoda Trekkers and Machu Picchu Trekkers (all one of them) will be expected to ascend Flinders Peak twice, everyone else should be able to get up and down once. Feel free to bring the kids if you want to - be aware that kids under 10 will probably find the going pretty tough. If you bring the kids, they're yours to look after! Kokoda Trekkers - if it is raining, deal with it!! Last time it took approximately an hour to get up and down from the bottom car park, so allow enough time to complete that twice.

Speaking of Kokoda, we still have some people thinking about it - time to decide. The Kokoda Trekkers will be attending the Kokoda Brothers Christmas function on the Saturday night and will have a chance to talk to those who have already walked in the footsteps of heroes.

Train the Trainer Day is coming - see the sign next to the whiteboard in the Club to be part of it. Have you really got something that will challenge the Coach? Each minute of exercise will cost you $5 so make it count - proceeds are going to the village of Kagi in PNG. See Jill Craig if you need some ideas on exercises.

RSVP's required for the BBQ and the Barking Dog following for our end of year function - please let me know if you will be attending either/both for catering purposes. See Matt for more details.

Halfway!!! What does your report card look like?

Imagine if your Coach sent home a report card on your effort so far in the EFM 8 Week Challenge? Would you try to hide it from your parents, or maybe offer to do some extra chores around the house? Most likely not, since your accountability to our parents has diminished over the years. Unfortunately for most of us that means our accountability lies with ourselves...oh dear!

The beauty of the EFM 8 Week Challenge is that those of you who decided to participate completed a goal setting sheet, and gave it to me. Now you are accountable to someone other than just yourself.

I once heard Oprah say that the person we lie to most is ourself, and I think she may be right. We're always going to make a better effort next time, next Monday, the first of next month, next January...the list just seems to go on.

What's my point? Do I have one? You betcha.

Stop talking BS and just get it done! You have four weeks left in this Challenge. What's the worst thing that could happen? Lose some body fat? Drop a dress size? How absolutely awful that would be.

Whilst on the topic of EFM 8 Week Challenge, click the following links to check out some nutrition tips from Soren of EFM Nutrition, and also the Testimonials from some EFM members including our own Jacqui White.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFpM97CErSA&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8m6ffalhiI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q00e9hstZ8&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

http://www.efmgymandfitness.com/archives/378

http://www.efmgymandfitness.com/archives/380

The time to do anything is right now! If you leave things too long, it just gets harder and harder to do. So get into the Club today, don't leave it till tomorrow. Make your Coach work harder to help you achieve your goals. One of you could win a year's free membership to EFM Geelong!!

Don't forget that the Club will be closed for the 3pm to 7pm session on Friday 26th November due to a Fitness Australia function. No, not this coming Friday, the next one!

I hope to see heaps of you at the Cotton On Run Geelong on Sunday 21st November!!

Cheers

Matt