In cities like London, there’s temptation on every corner.
I sign up to newsletters that tell me about
new bar and restaurant openings and when I miss something, friends are the
first to let me know about the latest ‘bottomless brunch’ with its lengthy menu
and as much prosecco as one can quaff in a two-hour timeslot. And these are
just the treats I pay for – sometimes, I’m lucky to be invited to go and review
restaurants. Part of my day job in advertising revolves around being social,
which often includes lunches and dinners. I’ve never been very good at refusing
canapés, even when I was serving them for At Your Service (it’s a wonder the
guests had anything to eat with me around!).
Then there’s the woman at work whose baked
goods rival those of any Bake Off contestant I’ve seen so far. Anytime any of
my colleagues travel anywhere, exotic treats return and appear on the breakfast
bar, to be walked past and lusted after with every loo trip (which is many, if
you’re drinking nearly enough water). I’m certainly not complaining, I love
trying new things and being fortunate enough to eat lots of yummy food, but
what’s a girl to do when faced with all this temptation and ever-tighter jeans?
Buying the next size up is a slippery game that only ever ends one way. I want
to do something about it before it becomes unhealthy.
So, keen to readdress the balance, and sit
comfortably at my desk without popping my straining top button, I got in touch
with Jack Braniff, sports nutritionist (CISSN) and PT. Jack runs a company
called Urban Energie and is devoted to helping his followers ‘get lean.’ I used
to take Jack’s gym classes and also signed up to his emails on a friend’s
recommendation. The advice he offers is practical (read: you can still get
tipsy at the weekend) and is designed to be easy and relatively simple to
introduce to your life. Email him to sign up for his updates.
Jack describes himself as a ‘Jack of all sports’, which I would definitely
agree with. He’s one of those all-rounder types who, along with offering
exercise and nutrition advice to his loyal followers, has also done yoga in
India and trained under the guidance of an Olympic weightlifter. He’s getting
into mountain climbing now and is planning to climb Mount Blanc this month.
Casual.
Just this morning, I started Jack’s Lean
Body Coaching course, a systematic seven-step plan to get Jack’s help and
expertise and join a supportive group. The course includes videos from Jack –
they’re a great way to get an overview of what each section entails. There are
all sorts of great additional PDFs on here, one of which is Jack’s ‘Get Lean Cookbook’ – a great start for your new healthy diet.
I joined the private Facebook group
yesterday and can already see the benefits of somewhere to talk about the
programme with other ‘Leaners.’ I think this could actually be really good fun.
It’s only day one for me, but I’m feeling
really positive and am looking forward to seeing some results over the
following month. The jeans are feeling looser already…
If you’d like to learn more about the Lean
Body Coaching Course, you can do so here.
Follow Jack on Instagram for
healthy food and exercise updates and to attempt to keep up with him.
This is Jack!
