Blog – Body Pep Talk

September 28, 2021 Habits and behaviors Motivation

3 reasons why you shouldn’t set weight-loss as a goal

How many times have you said that you were going to lose weight? And how many times have you given up before you got there?

According to several researches, almost half of the adult population of the USA (49.1% – CDC 2018), UK (48% – Mintel 2016) and Australia (46% – DAA 2017) are actively trying to lose weight. Unfortunately, the success rates seem to be very low because many people make several attempts throughout their lifetime.

But what is the real problem here? Is weight-loss a mythical creature that no one seems to know how to capture?

In my perspective, the problem lies on how we have been conditioned to approach weight-loss and it all starts with the goal setting process.

You see, for most people, weight-loss is not even a goal. At best, it is an intention. The same as getting rich, being successful or finding happiness. What does it even mean?

September 20, 2021 Mindset

Self-care vs Self-indulgence

When you are feeling down and need to lift your spirits, what do you usually do?

A Bubble bath, a walk in nature, a cup of tea and a book…

Self-care is noticing your own needs and taking an active role in maintain or restoring wellbeing.

But be careful with the strategy you choose to adopt.

Eating a whole bag of cookies or draining a bottle of wine, – is not good for you and you know it. Neither is sitting in front of the TV for hours or mindlessly scrolling through social media.

Don’t mistake self-indulgence for self-care. How do you know the difference?

By how you feel after it. If you feel energised, joyful and in peace, it’s definitely self-care. But if you end up feeling guilty, ashamed or simply yucky, it was just a desperate attempt to break an undesirable state.

We all have our moments. It’s not realistic to think that you must feel bubbly and cheery all the time.

There will be days, in which you will feel less than best and that’s ok. Just understand that in those days, you will need a little more love, kindness and compassion. That’s what self-care really means.

September 8, 2021 Mindset Motivation

The big shift

If you have been struggling with weight-loss, you must watch this video. In this video, I explain how a simple shift in perspective can improve your long-term motivation and commitment, helping you staying on track.

August 27, 2021 Habits and behaviors Mindset

Turn weight-loss failure into success

Weight-loss is not just about calories in and calories out

This is a gross oversimplification of a very complex process. You see, weight-loss is a multifaceted process with way too many variables that cannot be just boiled down to a mathematical equation.

The truth is that even the scientists don’t know for sure everything that it is involved in it. So let’s spot pretending that this is just a matter of exercising more and eating less.

The human body is a complex piece of machinery that relies on homeostasis to function properly. If you are not familiar with the term, homeostasis is a self-regulating process that resists changes in the external environment in order to maintain a steady state of physical and chemical conditions that are crucial to survival.

When we make drastic attempts to lose weight, we threaten the stability of systems, and the body has no choice but to defend the energy balance.

July 8, 2021 Mindset

The one thing you need to know to achieve your goals

“Your body will not manifest anything that your mind doesn’t believe is possible.”
Carla Torres

That’s right. Everything is created in your mind first. Your thoughts influence your behaviours and your behaviours, well, they influence your results.

If deep inside you don’t feel you can achieve something, your mind will prove you right. This means that you won’t find the strength you need to push your limits. You won’t have the will to look for solutions. You may try again and again but you will always fall short.

January 6, 2021 Mindset Motivation

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

You know how we can feel very confident one minute and totally inadequate the next?

Well, that happens because we are constantly comparing ourselves to others. It’s not as if we do this on purpose. It happens automatically in our unconscious mind.

You see, in order to process the immense amount of information that comes our way every second, the unconscious mind must find a way to filter what is relevant and important.

January 2, 2021 Mindset

Start 2021 with Positive Vibes

A New Year begins and with that comes renewed hope for a better future.

At this moment, we are generally more optimistic and enthusiastic which makes it the perfect time to design the future we would like to manifest.

So to get the best out of the positive vibes we are experiencing, I suggest the following visualisation exercise.

September 7, 2020 Habits and behaviors Mindset

How to Use Affirmations Effectively

You probably heard about affirmations before. You might even have tried doing affirmations as part of a self-development process. But have you being performing them in a way that will bring you the results you want?

You see, to be effective you must fully believe in the affirmation you are performing. And I find that that’s where most people fall short. Repeating a sentence without fully understanding or accepting its content will not change how you feel about something.

So let’s look at a better way of doing it, shall we?

First, what are affirmations?

February 24, 2020 Habits and behaviors Mindset

What’s Lifestyle Change

So you want to change your body, to become fit and healthy, to feel comfortable in your own skin so you can finally be free to enjoy life, go after your dreams and fulfil your true potential.

I get it.

It is not as if you haven’t tried before. You certainly did. Some things worked for a while. Others left a bitter taste behind. And now, you might be a little discouraged.

You are not alone. I’ve heard this story multiple times. That’s why I decided to make this video. To show you that there is nothing wrong with you. It is the way you have been approaching that it’s not the best.

Here’s why you haven’t succeed yet and what you need to do to get back on track.

February 13, 2020 Exercise and fitness Prevention

Are You Resting Enough?

Did you know that your gains happen outside of the gym, when you are resting? That’s right.

Exercise is just the initial push, a necessary stimulus that forces the body to go through physiological adaptations (getting stronger, building muscle, becoming leaner). For those adaptations to occur, the body requires time to clean up the mess created by your workout session (think of all the by-products left behind) and to repair broken down tissue that was (purposefully) damaged during exercise.

So what happens if we don’t give time for the body to recover?