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Julia's exercise and eating plan

Personal trainer Paul Stannard worked with Julia for six weeks, doing three hour long sessions three times a week at Esporta health Club in Manchester’s Salford Quays.

“Our target was to decrease Julia’s body fat and tone and change her shape and we have definitely achieved this. Julia had quite a decent level of fitness when we started so progressed from there gradually increasing the efforts each time,” he says.

“As part of the regime, we would concentrate on a warm up, resistance work, aerobic exercise and then a warm down.

Anyone working out like this on a regular basis should see a difference in 4-6 weeks. You’ll have more energy, be more toned and will lose around 1-2lbs a week as long as you’re eating healthily!” says Paul.

Here are the exercises that whipped Julia into shape!

The Lunge
Good for: legs & buttocks
How to do it: Stand upright, feet shoulder-width apart. Lunge to the front and land foot firmly on floor  Control the descent then drive off the landing leg back to the start position. To tone the arms hold small weights or water bottles
Repetitions: Ten on each leg
 
The Three Quarter Press up
Good for: Chest, shoulders and arms.
How to do it: Place hands underneath shoulders with fingers facing forwards.
Rest knees on the floor and cross legs to aid with stability. Bend at your elbows lowering the chest down to about 2 inches off the floor.  Keep a neutral spine (flat back) throughout and return to start position.
Repetitions - 15-20
 
The Lateral Raise
Good for: shoulders
How to do it: Adopt a shoulder width stance  Brace the abdominals and back to stabilise the trunk  Slightly bend elbows and raise water bottles or handweights out to the sides of the body until arms are parallel to the floor
Pause briefly then return to the start position
Repetitions - 15-20
 
The Tricep Dip
Good for: arms
How to do it: Place both hands on chair and extend feet out to the front.  The further away your feet are the harder the exercise. Keep slight bend in legs to reduce stress on the knee joints Lower buttocks downwards by bending the arms.  Pause briefly then return to start position.
Repetitions:  15-20
 
The Front Plank
Good for:  Core stability and shoulders
How to do it: Lie on your front and prop yourself up on your elbows and toes.
Lift yourself up onto your elbows and toes. Lower your buttocks and maintain a neutral spine (flat back).  Breathe throughout  Hold until form deteriorates.
Repetitions: 2x30 seconds
 
The Side Plank
Good for:  Core stability and shoulders
How to do it: Adopt a side lying position with legs stacked on top of each other.
Place elbow under shoulder and raise trunk and legs from the floor.
Maintain a straight alignment from your ankles to your shoulder.
Hold until form deteriorates, breathing  throughout. Repeat on other elbow.
Repetitions: 2x30 seconds on each side

 
Here's the healthy eating plan that helped ping Julia back into shape:
 
Here’s what to do…
• Select ONE breakfast, ONE lunch, ONE dinner, ONE snack and ONE treat every day to make up your daily calorie allowance. To keep your weight steady, have around 2,000 calories a day. If you want to lose weight, stick to 1,400-1,500 calories a day – you can expect to lose around 1lb a week on this calorie intake, although you may lose a little more when you first start out as your body becomes accustomed to a new way of eating. If you are breast-feeding, you will need around 2,500 calories to produce a good quality breast milk for your baby. Use food labels to help you achieve this amount of calories.
• Spread your meals and snacks throughout the day and vary your choices so you get a good mix of nutrients. If you follow a vegetarian diet, choose those meals marked with a V.
• As well as your meals and snack, have an extra 300ml of skimmed milk every day to boost intakes of bone-building calcium. If you are breast-feeding increase this to 600ml a day.
• Eat extra veg or salad with meals or as a snack. They’re packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals but are low in calories and fat. Have five different fruit and veg every day.
• Follow in Julia’s footsteps and eat plenty of iron-rich foods such as lean red meat, eggs, oil-rich fish, beans, dried fruit, nuts and green leafy veg. Good intakes of iron help prevent a condition called anaemia.
• Have two portions of fish each week. One of these should be an oil-rich fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel or sardines. Oil-rich fish provide heart-healthy omega-3 fats.
• Eat more fresh foods and fewer processed ones. Fresh foods tend to be naturally lower in salt. Don’t add salt to food when cooking or at the table, either. Flavour meals with spices, herbs, garlic, lemon juice and black pepper instead.
• Drink 6-8 glasses of water every day to prevent dehydration and help fill you up. Julia started each morning with a huge glass of water and continued to guzzle it throughout the day.
•  Enjoy tea, coffee and herbal and fruit teas – Julia always had a decaff coffee with skimmed milk with her breakfast.
 
Breakfasts
Choose one each day
• 1 chopped banana with 1 pot low-fat natural yogurt and 2tsp honey. V (240 cals) 
• 1 slice wholemeal toast with 1tsp low-fat spread and 1 boiled egg. Plus 1 orange. V (240 cals) 
• 2 slices wholemeal toast with 2tsp each of low-fat spread and reduced-sugar jam. Plus 1 apple. V (260 cals) 
• Bowl of fruit salad with 1 pot low-fat natural yogurt. Plus 1 slice wholemeal toast with 1tsp peanut butter. V  (270 cals) 
• 6tbsp branflakes with 1 banana and skimmed milk. V (290 cals) 
• 2 slices wholemeal toast with 2 scrambled eggs mixed with 1 slice chopped smoked salmon and 1 grilled tomato. (385 cals)
 
Lunches
Choose one each day 
• Large bowl of salad with 3 slices lean ham and fat-free dressing with 1 wholemeal pitta. Plus 1 bowl fruit salad and 1 pot fat-free fruit yogurt. (370 cals) 
• 1 large jacket potato with 6tbsp cottage cheese and salad with fat-free dressing. V (375 cals) 
• Sandwich made from 2 slices wholemeal bread filled with 1 slice lean ham, 1tbsp low-fat soft cheese and salad. Plus 1 packet of reduced-fat crisps and 1 orange. (380 cals) 
• _ small tub reduced-fat hummus with 1 wholemeal pitta and carrot sticks. V (385 cals) 
• 1 large baked sweet potato filled with 3tbsp low-fat soft cheese and salad with fat-free dressing. Plus 1 bowl fruit salad and 1 pot fat-free fruit yogurt. V (415 cals) 
• 1 wholemeal pitta filled with 3 slices reduced-fat mozzarella and 1 tomato. Plus 1 apple and 1 banana. V (425 cals) 
• 2 slices wholemeal toast with 1 small can sardines in tomato sauce and 1 tomato. Plus 1 bowl fruit salad. (455 cals)
 
Dinners
Choose one each day   
• 1 grilled skinless chicken breast with 5 boiled new potatoes with 1tsp low-fat spread and carrot and swede mash. Plus 1 apple. (400 cals) 
• Vegetables in black bean sauce made from chopped veg, 1tsp sunflower oil and 2tbsp black bean sauce with 8tbsp cooked brown rice. Plus 1 pot fat-free fruit yogurt. V (435 cals) 
• 1 grilled small lean rump steak with potato wedges (made from 1 large potato cut into 8 and brushed with 1tsp olive oil) with salad and fat-free dressing. Plus 1 pot fat-free fruit yogurt. (475 cals) 
• Beef and broccoli stir fry made from 100g lean beef, 1tsp sunflower oil, chopped veg, broccoli and 1tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce. Serve with 8tbsp cooked brown rice. (485 cals) 
• _ large thin-crust goat’s cheese and roasted vegetable pizza with salad and fat-free dressing. Plus 1 bowl fruit salad. V (485 cals) 
• 1 large jacket potato with _ large can baked beans, 2tbsp grated reduced-fat cheese and salad with fat-free dressing. V (500 cals) 
• 1 grilled breaded haddock fillet with 6tbsp mashed potato and steamed veg. Plus 1 bowl fruit salad. (510 cals) 
• 8tbsp cooked wholewheat pasta with _ tub fresh arrabiatta sauce and 50g goat’s cheese, with salad and fat-free dressing. Plus 1 banana. V (535 cals) 
• 1 roasted gammon steak with peppers, aubergine and courgettes, roasted in 1tsp olive oil. Serve with a 10cm piece Granary baguette. (600 cals) 
• 3 grilled salmon fish fingers with 1 large jacket potato and _ large can baked beans. (630 cals)
 
Snacks
Choose one each day 
• 1 low-sugar cereal bar. V (130 cals) 
• Bowl of fruit salad and 1 pot fat-free fruit yogurt. V (135 cals) 
• 1 wholemeal pitta filled with tomato. V (165 cals) 
• 1 pot low-fat natural yogurt with 2tbsp raisins. V (170 cals)
 • Handful of nuts and raisins. V (220 cals)
• 4 rye crispbreads with 4tbsp cottage cheese. Plus 1 apple. V (215 cals)
 
Treats
Choose one each day. 
• 1 packet of low-fat crisps. V (130 cals) 
• 2 scoops of reduced-fat ice cream. V (140 cals)
 • 3 jaffa cakes. V (150 cals) 
• 50g jelly-type sweets. V (160 cals)
• 2 chocolate digestive biscuits. V (170 cals) 
• Small (50g) bar of plain chocolate. V (265 cals)
 
Disclaimer:
Avoid dieting while you are breast-feeding. Even if you are bottle-feeding, you should wait six weeks after you have given birth before starting a diet. Always consult your GP before starting a weight-reducing diet.

Julia was trained at Esporta Health Club, Salford Quays, Manchester by her Personal Trainer Paul Stannard.  Esporta operates a chain of 55 premium Health & Racquets Clubs throughout the UK, offering quality facilities to over 150,000 members Nationwide, including Health & Beauty, Spa treatments, Racquet sports, and state of the art gym equipment. To contact Paul Stannard, email paul@soulmatefitness.com or visit  www.soulmatefitness.com. Paul personal trains members of Esporta Salford Quays and private clients at their homes.