Health & Fitness Q&A

Your most common questions answered ....

As a health & fitness instructor, there's a number of questions that I get asked again and again and again, so in this week's blog I'm going to try and answer these.  By the way, there's no such thing as a stupid question.  Always ask me if you're not sure of something, no matter how stupid you might think it sounds.

Q1.  Does muscle turn to fat if you don't workout for a while?
It's important to realise that muscle cells and fat cells are completely differently, one will not change into the other.  However, if you don't partake in regular, progressive exercise then your body composition will change.  In other words, you can lose/gain muscle mass and expand/decrease your fat cells.

What most of us want to achieve is increase our muscle mass and lose body fat.  This can be done through a combination of training, nutrition and mindset. 

Q2.  How long does it take to get visible abs?
You can do crunches and planks until the cows come home but you will never see those abs until you can get serious about your nutrition.  'Abs are made in the kitchen'.  Having said that, it's important to look at all aspects including your overall body type and hormone levels.  You cannot change your body type but you can certainly make improvements to it!  Abs become visible by reducing the body fat on top of your mid-section.  You need to be looking at reducing those extra treats (alcohols, sweets etc), reducing your overall calories slightly each day, ensure you are eating enough fibre, green vegetables and drinking plenty of water.  Do this consistently for 2-4 weeks then reassess.

Q3.  How will I ever achieve my fitness goals as there's no diet or training plan that seems to work for me?
Get real with yourself, are you getting sucked into a social media black hole and trying everything and anything that you read about but not giving yourself enough time to see the results? 

First of all and, most importantly, BE CONSISTENT.   Seriously, you need to knuckle down and stay the course. 

Secondly, give yourself time to see changes.  It's going to take up to 12 weeks of being consistent with your workouts and healthy eating to see a real difference.  The only plan that will ever work for you is the one that feels right for you.  Forget about what everyone else is doing; consistency and action is way more powerful than the latest fad.

Q4.  How can I feel more positive and get rid of my self-doubt?
This is a tough one because we all have bad days when we feel a little wobbly.  It's take practise and letting go of your previous limitations in order to push through.  Just because you've struggled in the past doesn't mean you're not going to achieve your goal in the future. 

Every day is a fresh, new start.  Do something different today, learn from it and move onto tomorrow.  You can't keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result (so said Einstein!).  You have to keep trying different things to see different results.  Be kind to yourself, speak positively to yourself, read positive books, repeat positive affirmations.  You might feel silly in the beginning but with this one you have to practise, practise, practise and the wobbly days will become less common.

Q5.  I'm really 'good' during the week but how can I keep control at the weekend?
Don't fall into the trap of labelling foods 'good' or 'bad' and associating food with guilt.  All foods are fine in moderation .... I said moderation!!  Don't restrict yourself too much during the week so that by the time the weekend comes around, you're instantly reaching for the bottle of wine and chocolate. Restricting yourself will only make you want it more. 

Ok, so you've eaten and drunk too much, don't beat yourself up and think 'well, what's the point, I might as well have a full-on blowout now'.  Create some balance by eating healthy the next day and doing an additional workout.

Our bodies and mind like to feel 'in balance', they don't like extremes.  I wish I could tell you one thing that will definitely work but it really is a case of figuring out what works for you and only you can do that.  That being said, I'm here to listen and guide you should you need any help and please don't stop asking questions.

#makeithappenmarch  #youcandoit