Lifestyle Camp in Florida! This is going to be epic!

Siesta Key beach, relaxing after yoga & BJJ

I started these 'Lifestyle Camps' so that hard working  ladies who bust their butts in the workforce, being mothers and basically juggling it all could have an experience where they were looked after and could get a much needed break. I wanted these camps to be an opportunity for BJJ ladies to stop and to just focus entirely on themselves and to connect with other amazing, like minded women. 

So far this year all my Lifestyle Camps have been so much fun and I would like to expand these camps  to be able to provide this opportunity for more women and make it a time that you gals will never forget. The next camp I am working on is set to be held on February 13th - 17th in Siesta Key, Sarasota Florida - which quite seriously is magical.  We will all be staying at 2 mansions minutes walk from the beach, doing jiu jitsu every day  and shaking off the Winter blues. I know that after a few months of the cold weather, heading to Florida to hang at the beach and enjoy the sunshine will be paradise. 
The focus of this camp will be geared a little more towards overall lifestyle hence the camp will also include:
- BJJ sessions
- Yoga session
- Meditation sessions.
- On site masseuses.
- Showbags with cool BJJ gear and discount coupons.
- All meals provided and from my nutrition e book. 

The camp will also be packed with loads of other additional activities.

SPECIAL GUEST BLACK BELT: 
I am arranging a special guest female black belt instructor to teach alongside me.

WARRIOR WITHIN WORKSHOPS:
I have a special guest who will be conducting a 'Warrior Within' Workshop that is especially useful for those who need some more confidence in themselves on their training journey or who are competing.  

NUTRITION SEMINAR
I will also be hosting a nutrition seminar to help shed some light about about healthy eating, safe weight cutting and eating for performance. 

EXTRA ACTIVITIES AT THE BEACH:
I believe there is the option to go do some watersports at the beach also. Stay tuned for details.

I am opening up this camp to 20- 30 ladies. If you think this is something that interests you, please send me a quick email to sophia@sophiafit.com. I will  be offering a DISCOUNT for those who register early. From the feedback I have received already, this might sell out fast, so please email if you want to be a part of this!

One of the houses at Siesta Key. waterfront pool view.

my 5 day challenge is coming soon

I have been working with my editor on my workout videos for my 5 day challenge which starts in a little over 2 weeks. I am really excited! Here are a few snap shots of my 'Butt Blast' workout. The 5 workouts that I am sharing in the group all have a different focus so each workout is unique and overall, at the end of the gives a great full body workout.  Join the Facebook group if you haven't yet and add your girlfriend's names also. 

Up and coming seminars in Boise, Idaho

FOr those peeps in or hear Idaho I will teaching a couple of seminars on November 11 & 12. The seminar on the 11th, a Friday evening will be for the ladies only and the co ed seminar will be held on the Saturday morning. If you are interested in attending please contact jacinth. Her details are on the flyer. 

Working out for weight loss

Work out this way to burn fat and get fit more effectively

In a previous newsletter I talked about how slow long distance jogging does not get you lean. Slow jogging and other slow or moderate, even paced cardio exercise puts your body in an efficient mode where it is in the aerobic zone. When you body is working aerobically it is using fat for energy BUT but it is burning the  fat slowly. As uncomfortable as running may be for some of you, your body is actually operating quite efficiently.... which means it is  burning calories at slow rate.. regardless if it is burning fat. 

If you really want to shed fat then you have to put yourself out of the comfort zone and shock your body a little. Switching from anaerobic to aerobic and back to anaerobic with bursts of intensity is the way to go. It forces your body to use both energy systems and keeps it guessing. Basically this is NOT efficient for your body so in the long run, it burn more calories AND set up metabolic pathways for your body to burn fat well after the session is over. Intervals of high intensity causes your body to release human growth hormone (especially in women) and testosterone. Both hormones are very powerful agents for lipolysis (breakdown of fats for energy) and hypertrophy (building muscle.) 

So if you want to have a leaner body with more muscle tone, skip the slow steady cardio and opt for some interval training with sprints. If you are doing weights, switch things up into a circuit and move from one exercise to the next. Throw in some burpees and some jump squats. These bursts of high intensity exercises will shock your body and help you burn fat and build firm muscle far more effectively that slow jogging ever will. In addition, by adding burst of  high intensity  to your workouts you can reduce the workout time dramatically. For those who are time poor you can get a great and effective workout in in as little as 15 minutes and still see changes. 

Feel free to add your details here to recieve my next newsletter with more health fitness and nutrition tips. https://sophiadrysdale.squarespace.com/subscribe/

Is chronic dehydration making you fat?

Water is essential for weight loss.

Water is the essence of life. Every living thing needs water to survive, right down to every cell in all plants and animals. Our bodies are made up of nearly 75% water and in order to thrive, we must supply all the cells in our bodies with adequate water so these tiny magical building blocks that make up our bodies can carry out all their biological processes and this included utilizing our food for energy. 

Check out this article I wiore for Whole Life Challenge which explain why chronic dehydration might be making you fat.

https://www.wholelifechallenge.com/how-chronic-dehydration-can-make-you-fat-tired-and-weak/

Is eating less and doing more the key to long term fat loss?

I eat more than most...  have learned that starving yourself is not the way for long term fat loss or for health

There is a reason why the weight loss industry is a billion dollar industry. People will try almost everything to lose those stubborn last 5 pounds. Thermogenics, diet pills, grapefruit diets, ketogenic diets, skipping meals, you name it....  And to top it off there are a lot of frauds out there who are capitalizing on this, making their millions but misinforming the masses. 

the main theme that runs throughout all of these diets,  is restriction or cutting out a food group. None of this is healthy. To top it off, as a trainer I was taught the very simplistic notion that input vs output is the key to weight loss. Basically we must burn off more than we eat. This idea may work for someone who has not spent years yo-yo dieting and has literally destroyed their metabolism, but for most of us, especially women we know that just isn't true. It is due to years of calorie restriction and more exercise that most of us are in this situation in the first place!!! If a client comes my way who has spent years dieting and destroying her metabolism do you think it would be wise of me to tell  her to eat even less and spend another 30 mins per day on the treadmill? I think not. 

WHY CALORIE RESTRICTION IS SO BAD:

Long term calorie restrictioin or dieting causes the metabolism to slow down, which is the rate at which the body burns calories for energy. Instead of using up the fuel for all bodily functions, it stores the calories since it thinks it is starving and wants to save every last calorie for survival. 

SOLUTIONS: 

We need to shift the idea that eating less is conducive to weight loss. In reality, eating for weight loss is all about changing the way we eat so that your body can deal with the calories in a way that is hormonally conducive to fat loss. Basically we need to eat in a way that enables our calories to be utilized for energy rather than stored. 

There are a few factors involved and WHAT you eat is only one of them... When you eat, how much you eat, sleep, and water intake all make up  the recipe for eating for fat loss. 

Here are a few tips to get you on the right path:

1/ Eat regularly: to keep your metabolism elevated and burning fuel the entire time.

2/ Eat a big breakfast: Eat breakfast like a Queen and dinner like a pauper. Start the day off with a good hearty meal. This is creates the benchmark on what rate your body will be burning your fuel for energy throughout the day.

3/ Pile your plate high with greens: The enzymes which are responsible for every biological function in the body are derived mostly from the raw veggies we consume.  Eating loads of salads will fill you up on nutrient rich foods. 

4/Drink plenty of water: Water is necessary for proper digestion and to filter toxins from the body. 

I am writing a series for the magazine Whole Life Challenge. Stay tuned for the Full info. If you would like to receive more health, fitness and nutrition tips please subscribe to receive my weekly newsletters :

My seminars in North Carolina were a blast!

My seminar with just the ladies

My  seminar with the guys and gals!

I am back from yet another seminar. This one was in North Carolina. I loved the people here. So care free and open. Thank  you so much Geeta and Jason for making this possible. And thank you TFTC Academy for opening your gym up to me. I taught a seminar on the Friday night to all the ladies and a seminar on the Saturday morning to guys and girls combined. As well as BJJ. I also touched on diet and nutrition and discussed healthier ways to cut weight for a competition. 

My Next 5 day challenge starts November 7th

My next 5 day Challenge starts on November 7th! 5 days of 5 workouts to lose weight, tone up and get fit! Invite your sisters, girlfriends and mums and let's get as many amazing ladies as possible to do this together! Jump on to Facebook to join the group and add your friend's name also!   https://www.facebook.com/groups/248316812183450/