Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Start when you’re busy

Tuesday Tip: Start when you’re busy ⏰

One common thing I hear from people is that they want to start losing weight/ getting fit etc but they’re just going to wait until they’re less busy/have fewer social commitments going on etc. Now whilst I understand this completely, in actual fact it’s not the best approach. If you’re waiting until you’re less busy/less social to start a new habit/program then it sort of assumes that when you are busy again you’ll stop or revert back to your old ways. If you have to be less busy to do it then surely you can’t do it when you are busy right? In reality the best time to do it if you want a long lasting change is when you’re busy! Learn how to make it work in the worst conditions so you can easily stick to it long term.

It doesn’t need to be all or nothing, it doesn’t need to be perfect… it just needs to be something … consistently. If you are unhappy and wanting to make a change then you need to stop making excuses or using being busy/having lots of social events on etc to justify not starting to make a change. The reality is you will always have busy or sociable periods and waiting for the ‘perfect’ time to start is not a realistic way to make long term sustainable changes, because the moment you get busy etc again then you’ll struggle to stick to it.

So if you want to make a change but you’re telling yourself you’ll just wait until this week/month/holiday/event is over then stop. Today is the perfect time to choose change regardless of the what else is going on in your life. Take a small step today – consistency over perfection right?

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Tuesday Tip

How to get bikini ready..

How to get bikini ready.. 👙

Summer holidays are on the horizon and already people are talking about wanting to get bikini body ready… so here’s my top tips for getting a bikini body! You probably assume you need to lose weight, cut out food groups and foods you enjoy, live on salads, do loads of workouts etc…

Nope – it’s a very simple 2 step process to getting your bikini body.

Step 1 – have a body ✅

Step 2 – put a bikini on it !

Ta da!

Now I realise it’s actually not that simple – and that wanting to look a certain way in your swimwear is totally valid. If you want to lose weight to feel more comfortable when you’re on the beach then that’s great – go for it! However whether you prefer a bikini, a swimsuit, a swim dress , a tankini, a sarong, T-shirt and shorts… whatever.. you’re entitled to wear whatever you like however you like. You deserve to enjoy the sunshine regardless of your shape or size. You don’t have to lose weight to do that! Find a style you like and rock it!

Happy summer!

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: How to age well!

Tuesday Tip: How to age well! 👵🏻

Ageing is something we all experience but perhaps we feel like it’s out of our control. In reality up to 80 percent of how we age is directly influenced by your lifestyle choices.

Movement, exercise, good nutrition, and sleep can make significant differences to how you age.

Regular physical activity can significantly slow the aging process in joints. Studies have shown that inactive individuals experience a rapid deterioration of joint health, leading to increased pain, stiffness and reduced mobility.

Regular exercise not only helps maintain muscle mass, but it also plays a crucial role in preventing age-related muscle loss. In contrast, a lack of physical activity is associated with muscle wasting, weakness, and frailty. It also helps with proprioception and balance. Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense movement, action, and location. It’s present in every muscle movement you have. Without proprioception, you wouldn’t be able to move without thinking about your next step. Proprioception allows you to walk without consciously thinking about where to place your foot next. As you age this becomes even more important and helps you to stop yourself falling. Preserving muscle mass also means you can get back up if you do fall. All this enables longer independence

People who regularly do some form of aerobic exercise, experience significant improvements in cognitive function and a decreased risk of age-related cognitive decline. Meanwhile, sedentary individuals have been shown to be prone to memory loss, reduced mental sharpness and at greater risk of neurodegenerative diseases

A diet abundant in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins provides essential vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that combat oxidative stress, protects against age-related diseases, and promotes cellular health.

Lack of sleep disrupts vital processes, which can lead to some signs of aging, such as fine lines, dull skin, and impaired cognitive function. During deep sleep, the body engages in critical repair and rejuvenation activities, promoting cellular regeneration and optimising brain function.

So take some control back and prioritise some of these habits and prioritise your nutrition, exercise and sleep to ensure you age as well as possible!

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Stop exercising to burn calories…

Stop exercising to burn calories… 🏃🏼‍♂️

Whenever someone wants to lose weight inevitably they place a huge focus on exercising to burn more calories. Exercise appears to be the holy grail of weight loss behaviours. Exercising to burn calories becomes the main goal. And yes, of course it’s important to exercise and yes of course it does increase your energy output but, as I’ve discussed before, you will never ever be able to out-exercise food.

So whilst I wholeheartedly support people exercising more (I’m an instructor so obviously I do!) it’s not with the sole purpose of burning calories. That’s last on my list of reasons for anyone to partake in exercise and it should be last on yours too!

Instead, move your body to improve your mental and physical well being. There are so many reasons to exercise that go beyond burning calories.

• Exercise improves muscle mass and joint health and keeps you functioning independently into old age.

• Whilst excess exercise can down-regulate immune function, regular exercise serves to improve the resiliency and expression/activity of immune cells and mediators so it improves immune function and helps protect against disease.

• It makes you feel stronger and more empowered

• It improves mood, can reduce anxiety and some symptoms of depression and relieves stress.

• It improves cardiovascular health and reduce disease risk

• It increases self confidence

Above all – exercise to celebrate that you can! Not to burn calories!

🤗xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Common mistakes that prevent weight loss

Tuesday Tip: Common mistakes that prevent weight loss 🤔

Here are some of the common mistakes I see people make with their diet/nutrition that may be preventing them from losing weight/fat.

#1 Thinking that there is a “perfect” diet.

There Is no ideal diet that you can follow to lose weight. You have to learn about calories and nutrition, go through some trial and error and figure out what works best for you.

#2 Trying to do too much too quickly

Many people try to completely overhaul their diet overnight. Small, simple, step by step changes that can be sustained over time often lead to better long term results.

#3 Eating too little

Now just to clarify – I do not mean that you can ‘hold on to fat’ if you under-eat. If you’re in a calorie deficit you will lose weight/fat (consider the extreme case of some eating disorders etc). But you can hinder your progress by eating too little because most people can only under eat for so long before the mind and body fight back and they binge. A lot of people are stuck in a cycle of bingeing and restricting because they are eating too little instead of properly nourishing themselves. So it’s about finding a sustainable calorie deficit.

#4 Not being willing to make sacrifices.

Sorry but if you aren’t happy at the weight you are, eating and drinking as you are, then you are going to have to make changes and that may mean sacrificing some of the things you currently enjoy consuming.

#5 Too much variety

Finding a few go-to meal options and sticking them consistently helps simplify your nutrition choices and make grocery shopping and food prep easier. Variety is great, but don’t overdo it to the point that eating at home becomes a huge chore.

#6 Expecting results too quickly

You can’t expect to change your diet and see see changes In a week or a month. It took longer than that to gain the weight and it will take longer to lose it. Changes take time so be patient.

#7 Inconsistency

It may be boring but consistency is key. You can’t expect results if every weekend you have a massive blowout. You need to find a happy medium if you want to reach your goals.

Happy Tuesday 🤗xx