Sonali is a Nutritional Therapist and Pre and Post Natal Specialist; Shaf is a qualified Functional Fitness Coach and Personal Trainer and together they are the Co-Founders of Body Plot – a Nutrition and Fitness Consultancy that helps people all over the world get into the best health and shape of their lives, without dieting, in the most holistic and balanced way. They don't believe in quick fixes or expensive fads but instead healthy mindset and lifestyle changes.
Stepping on the scales but the digits aren’t budging? Don’t worry, if you’re exercising regularly and eating right, you are probably making significant changes despite what the scales show. You see, fat loss and weight loss are two completely different things. You can lose fat and maintain your current weight, and you can also lose weight but maintain a high fat percentage. Some people may even find that they are losing weight, but their body fat percentage is increasing. In this iWellness Show exclusive, our Body Plot experts help us navigate this conundrum.
We’ve talked about the difference between fat loss and weight loss and how we don’t need to do any fad diet but actually the secret is inside your own homes. Many of us think we need to just focus on nutrition or go for a jog every day, but are we missing a trick here? Are there other components that people don’t talk about that can help us truly get healthier, fitter and lose fat?
Stress is a feeling of being under abnormal pressure. This pressure can come from different aspects of your day-to-day life, such as increased workload, a transitional period, an argument you have with your family or new and existing financial worries. You may find that it has a cumulative effect, with each stressor building on top of one another.
In this episode, the Bodyplot experts delve into the situations where you may feel threatened or upset and your body might create a stress response. This can cause a variety of physical symptoms, change the way you behave, and lead you to experience more intense emotions and especially weight gain.
"Carbs" are a hotly debated topic, especially in the weight loss world, due in part to diets such as the Atkins, Dukan, South Beach and Ketogenic Diet. The idea that "carbs are bad" has left many people confused about carbohydrates and their relevant for our health, including maintaining a healthy weight.
In this episode, the Bodyplot experts explain that carbohydrates form a very broad category and not all carbs are the same. It's the type, quality and quantity of carbohydrates in our diet that is important. There is strong evidence that fibre, found in wholegrain versions of starchy carbs, for example, is good for our health.
A body that moves well (and moves a lot) will indirectly aid the processes involved in weight loss because movement helps with the dynamism required to keep the systems constantly pumping, as well as directly helping with more rapid muscle toning (because the muscles are doing the jobs they are designed to do and so are thriving and working hard).
In this episode, the Body Plot experts explain how movement and posture isn't just “sitting up straight” or “standing tall” but involves maintaining a decent range of motion at every muscle and joint within the body.
Many people begin thinking about how to improve willpower when they encounter challenges in their lives. Willpower is seen as the solution for compulsions or areas in life that feel out of control.
In this episode, the focus is on learning how to gain willpower, starting with an understanding of the term itself. Self-discipline isn’t a skill, an art or a strategy – it’s all of the above, and it’s far more complex that merely sticking to the rules. Human beings are social creatures with a drive to survive. Our wants, needs and choices are driven by our fears and our desire for pleasure and contentment. These are largely a product of our values, which are often unconscious until we work to discover and define them.
With the holidays coming up, one of the things people most look forward to is the food. A big lunch or dinner (or both!) with loved ones, filled with all your favourite foods. It’s something really exciting but it can also make people apprehensive. If you’re one of them, you may be wondering how to avoid overeating during the holiday season. This will be especially true if you’ve been working hard on your diet to lose weight, bulk up or just become healthier. The fear of undoing all your hard work can put a damper on your spirits.
In this episode, the Bodyplot experts talk about how you can control the amount of food that you eat, whilst still allowing yourself to indulge and enjoy yourself! It’s all about the balancing act.
*The information in this programme and related articles does not constitute professional medical advice. Please always consult your doctor on personal health matters.