OK, here in the UK it’s now 11pm at night so I’ll be quick but I just wanted to show you the new logo for the Peak Physique challenge which starts on Tuesday 20th of May. I couldn’t be any happier with the work the designer has done.

Please note that when I get up tomorrow morning applications will be closed and I will be responding to everyone who has applied - so if you haven’t got around to applying yet and you fancy some personal, one-on-one weight loss help, get your application in now.

Just see the video in my last post on the details and/or how to apply, or head straight over to www.YouHaveFeedback.com and tell me why you want to get involved!

Here’s the logo:

What do you think?!

Popularity: unranked [?]

We’ve all been there - a new member at the gym - and you know how out of place you look.

It just doesn’t feel “natural” to be there.

But if you’re keen to get over that “bump” and start looking like a gym pro as quickly as possible then there are a few things you can do:

1) Get Yourself A Proper Workout Kit

Many gym newbies haven’t yet quite decided if it’s for them or not so they wear an old t-shirt and pair fo shorts from the back of their wardrobe.

Appreciate that you are going to get hot and sweaty, and that the majority of the serious gym goers will be wearing “proper” gym stuff and go buy yourself something so you blend in. Best bet - pay a lot of attention when you’re shown round the gym before you actually sign on the dotted line so you can get an idea of what the other members are wearing.

2) Get Inducted Out Of Peak Hours

Most new gym goers will have a gym induction - in many gyms it’s one of the rules.

So don’t aim for peak time. Struggling trying to learn to use the various machines and do the various exercises with a instructor right next to you while the gym is packed couldn’t scream “newbie” any more if you tried.

So go some time between 10am and 4pm on a weekday for the quietest times and do your induction then. If you want to be smart, even ask them when you’re being shown round when the quietest times are and make a mental note.

3) Focus On Your Workout Not Other People

Serious gym goers tend to be there to work out. Newbies tend to feel self conscious and spend a lot of time looking around the gym watching what other people are doing. Sometimes even mimicking them. It’s OK to go ask someone what that exercise is that they’re doing and what muscles does it work - but try in general to focus on what you’re doing not what everyone else is doing.

Popularity: 39% [?]

Incase it’s of use we’ve just branched out a tiny bit by listing fitness equipment for sale.

Let me know via the comments if there’s anything you’re looking for but can’t find.

You’ll find the links half way down the right-hand navigation bar on each page and here, specifically, are the pages:

Popularity: 11% [?]

My Fitness Pal is a new website offering a huge range of free health and fitness services.

As soon as I visited the site I liked it. It’s attractive and easy to use.

There’s also a lot going on there.

In the “Tools” section, for example, you can add a button onto your blog or website if you’re a fitness nut like me letting people know how much weight you still have to lose. As you lose weight and report it back to your account (which includes a useful food diary) the button automatically changes to give the right amount of weight still needing to be lost.

You can also calculate your BMR and BMI to help work out calories required each day and your ideal weight from a health point of view. There is also a useful free calorie counter on the site so you can work out how many calories you have consumed.

The fitness section allows you to specify your weight, the exercise you did and how long you did it for to estimate how many calories you burned off.

The site also claims to create you a personalized diet profile by entering in a few basic details about yourself.

So it seems this site has all the bases covered to enable you to get a fairly decent understanding of where you are, where you need to be and your progress along the way.

Coupled with a regularly updated blog and a discussion forum I think this new free site is well worth a visit and will quickly become an essential destination for those who want to get in shape.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Bonus Tip 1 - Desserts

I don’t really have a sweet tooth but while on the Atkins Diet eating lots of dairy and meat I did start to long for something sweet. I am therefore pleased to reveal the two things which kept me going.

Firstly there is an egg custard recipe you can make with sugar substitute, coconut milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and  egg yolk. It’s quicka dn easy to make and tastes great once it has set. The full recipe is in the standard Atkins Diet book.

The other thing was sugar-free jelly with cream.

I only ate these desserts once every day or two, but they rounded off the day nicely for me after all the other food.

Bonus Tip 2 - Condiments

Typically when you look at sauces to add to meals they contain all sorts of non-Atkins things. Sugar. Cereals. And so on. Over time I started to use plenty of herbs and spices to, well, spice things up. I made garlic butter. I added ginger and lemongrass to cream and condensed it down to make an oriental-style sauce. I used vanilla, rum extracts, basil and so on. So use your brain. Gather a load of herbs and spices and see what you can come up with.

Popularity: 15% [?]