Blog – Body Pep Talk

July 25, 2019 Habits and behaviors Motivation

Why Willpower Is Not Enough To Create Real Change

Do you know anyone who went through a full transformation? I mean, someone who has drastically changed his/hers habits? A complete overhaul.

What do you think happened to this person? Do you think that he/she has an enormous amount willpower, determination and self-control?

Well, I assure you that it was more than that.

You see, willpower is a conscious decision that requires a lot of energy and effort, making it a limited resource that can only be accessed when you are at the top of your game. This means that when you are felling tired, stressed, sad, angry or even bored, you will not be able to use your willpower. (can you remember a time in which you were resolute to wake up early to go to the gym, for instance, but in the morning when the alarm went off, you simply convinced yourself to stay in be?)

The truth is that all change happens on the subconscious level because that’s where our habits, patterns and addictions are stored. Willpower, on the other hand, is part of the conscious domain and the conscious mind is only responsible for 5% of our mental capacity. The other 95% is run by the subconscious mind.

To explain this concept I like using the following metaphor.

Imagine that your conscious mind is a tiny little person. This person is supposed to ride on top of a huge elephant. The elephant is your subconscious mind.

Now, the rider is smart and has the ability to guide the elephant through the path he wants. However, because of the difference in size, the rider doesn’t have the power to control this elephant. If the elephant for some reason gets scared, distracted or impulsive, it take off in the opposite direction, and the rider will not have the strength to prevent it from running away.

This means that to make permanent changes, you will need to learn what motivates your elephant, so your rider can easily guide it through the path you want.

April 30, 2019 Habits and behaviors Motivation

Fire the “fat” mentality

Let’s talk about body image. How do you feel about your body?

If you are dissatisfied with your appearance, you are not alone. Take a look at the following statistics from Eating Disorders Victoria.

In Australians aged 11-24, approximately 28% of males and 35% of females are dissatisfied with their appearance (NEDC, 2010a).
The Mission Australia National Youth Survey has revealed that body image has been listed in the top 3 concerns for young Australians from 2009-2015.
The Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, found that only 22% of women within a normal healthy weight range reported being happy with their weight. Almost three quarters (74%) desired to weigh less, including 68% of healthy weight and 25% underweight women (Kenardy et al., 2001).
Poor body image is associated with an increased probability of engaging in dangerous dietary practices and weight control methods, excessive exercise, substance abuse and unnecessary surgery to alter appearance (NEDC, 2010a).
Beyond Stereotypes, the 2005 study commissioned by Dove surveyed 3,300 girls and women between the ages of 15 and 64 in 10 countries. They found that 67% of all women 15 to 64 withdraw from life-engaging activities due to feeling badly about their looks (Etcoff et al., 2006).

Weight loss is the most common fitness goal. In any given time, there are lots of people obsessing about their weight, size or shape. It is the single biggest reason why people start exercise programs.

It is also a very lucrative business. The weight-loss industry makes millions off people’s insecurity. According to Ibis World:

Australians are expected to spend $309.9 million on industry weight loss counselling services and related low-calorie foods and dietary supplements in 2018-19.

And because it is so profitable, it doesn’t really want to provide a definite solution. So it keeps feeding people’s insecurities so they can have a customer for life.

Weight-loss industry tells you to worry about your weight, obsess about your food, follow the newest trend, exercise to burn calories and look for a short cut (the easiest and fastest way to lose weight).

And if you have been caught up on this mentality, look at where it has taken you. You are probably feeling defeated, broken, frustrated, confused, and believing that there is something wrong with you.

So it’s time free yourself from this type of thinking, fire that old persona and adopt a new avatar.

The avatar of a healthy and fit person who is committed to feeling great inside and out. For that you will have to become a different person. And to become a different person you will have to think differently. Because if you think differently you will behave differently and if you behave differently then you will have different results.

October 20, 2018 Healthy eating

Are Starchy Carbs Bad for Me?

First of all, keep in mind that carbohydrates are not bad foods. They do have an important function for the body which is supplying energy to the brain and muscles, especially during exercise. However not all carbs are the same. There are different categories which are:

Simple carbs – table sugar, honey, lollies, candies, cakes , pastries
Starchy carbs – grains (rice, barley, wheat, rye), beans, potatoes, corn, peas
Fibre-rich carbs – veggies and fruits

May 16, 2018 Exercise and fitness

Got Questions?

If you have just started a new exercise routine, it is normal to have a million questions. I have answered a few of the most common questions I often get. If you have any other question, please post it on the comments below and I will get it answered for you. Read More

March 9, 2018 Habits and behaviors

Creating Healthy Habits

The topic of the day is How to build the habits that will bring you closer to your long-term goal.

Why is this important? Because results come from small actions performed consistently over a long period of time. If you transform those little actions into habits, it becomes much easier to incorporate those changes into your life. That’s how the real makeover happens.

What exactly is a habit? Well, a habit is a recurrent pattern of behaviour acquired by frequent repetition. In other words, it is a way of programming an action into your brain. That means that it becomes automatic. You don’t have to think about it. You just do it. And saves you a lot of energy that can go into more important activities.

March 5, 2018 Exercise and fitness

Fat Loss Habit #1 Exercise Regularly

I believe that you are familiar with the concept of energy balance. In theory, weight-loss happen when you burn more calories than you consume. That generates a negative energy balance forcing the body to used stored energy (mostly fat) to keep you going.

But do you know how many calories you need to burn in order to get rid of a single kilogram of fat? A whopping 9000kcal. That’s the equivalent of 30 hours on a treadmill. That’s assuming that you are not consuming more calories than your body need.

Before you walk away from, listen me out. Don’t get discouraged by the numbers. The good news is that any physical activity can contribute to your daily calorie count. And by physical activity I mean anything that get you moving, not only structured exercise.

Here are my strategies to turn your body into a furnace.

February 28, 2018 Motivation

Weight-loss Starts in Your Mind

Today I want to talk to you about Mindset.

Did you know that your mindset highly influences your ability to get what you want? That’s right. In order to accomplish something, you must first believe that it is possible.

Successful people understand that results depend on effort, and that they can grow and change through the practice of simple behaviours. They embrace challenge as an opportunity to become stronger. Because of this way of thinking, they are highly motivated and are more likely to achieve their goals.

February 21, 2018 Habits and behaviors

Have You Heard of Intuitive Eating?

Many dieters tend to develop a negative relationship with food. That’s because diets created the idea that eating is a frivolous habit that should be restricted in order to obtain the perfect body. Unfortunately, most diets completely ignore the body needs for energy and nutrients. Instead, they create the illusion that there are “good” foods (such as cabbage and broccoli) and “bad” foods (such as doughnuts and bread) and you should only eat the good ones otherwise you’ll be condemned to be fat. Therefore, people try to deprive themselves of the foods they love in the name of “fitness.” However, eating only cabbage and broccoli is unrealistic and unattainable. Read More

February 16, 2018 Exercise and fitness

Plyo HIIT Workout

Want to burn some serious calories? Then, you must give this one a try.

This circuit is composed of four body weight plyometric (aka, explosive movement) exercises performed in a interval format.

The goal is to perform as many repetitions as possible within the time limit. You also want to move as fast as you can to maintain the intensity high and maximise the calorie burn. Read More

February 6, 2018 Healthy eating

Meal Makeover

I’ll be honest with you. I love my food. Therefore, the idea of not being able to enjoy it is outrageous to me. As a food coach, I don’t believe in deprivation. However, I don’t use it as an excuse to eat any and everything I see in front of me.

With that in mind, I have developed a few guidelines that help me staying on track when I am choosing what to eat. Because I love cooking, I give preference to homemade meals but I understand that not everyone enjoys the kitchen. The good news is that I can use these guidelines not only when I am cooking but also when ordering food at a restaurant.