Sonely B.

Overcome mental blocks that are a barrier in your performance.

When I was 22 years old, I was diagnosed with PCOS. It took a few years to understand and educate myself about it. I wanted to learn to live with PCOS medication free. I understood that meant nailing nutrition and getting moving. I wanted to find joy in movement, that meant training not only physically but mentally.

Being mentally exhausted affects physical performance – whether it’s at the gym, in the boardroom or even in the bedroom. ☺ It’s really important for us to improve our mental state of mind so that we’re able to push past the plateau or get through a hard workout. Even as someone with 8 years in fitness, I continue to work on my mental strength every single day:

The DOOM Strategy

TIP : Mental training is just as important, if not more than physical training. Once we program our minds, they can either deter us from achieving our goals or enable our growth. Remember, small wins make for big differences.

DESIRE : Call this your wish-list or your goal. Be specific and take your time with it.

OUTCOME : Once you write down your desire, take note of what your desired outcome looks like. What does it feel like? When you think of the outcome, what emotions does it trigger? Does it feel like something relatable? Tangible? Does it bring back a feeling or memory from the past?

OBSTRUCTION : What is holding you back from getting to this outcome? Here’s the part that gets REAL. Overseeing all the viable excuses that come up instantly (yes, I am calling you out on that); I want you to dig a little bit deeper. What is REALLY holding you back? Are there fears? Self-confidence? Lack of trust in yourself? Thought patterns? Actual events or traumas? The truth is often so profound that saying it out loud is sometimes scary in itself. Don’t worry, this is for you and you only. You do not have to share this with anyone unless you choose to.

METHOD : Knowing your desire and what holds you back is a great start. However, knowing doesn’t do anything. It is in our actions that we move forward. Think of this as the insta-fix action you need to take. Do that ONE thing in order to get ONE step closer to the outcome.

When faced with ____________________ (obstruction), I will do ________________(action) to overcome that thought.

Example: When faced with negative self-talk & self-sabotage (obstruction), I will focus on 1 thing I did well today to overcome that thought.

If you train your mind to do anything you ask it to; the result will always be the by-product of your mental strength. The mind is primary and incredible changes can occur at the gym, at work or in fact in any area of your life if you train your mind!

Is there a constant battle in your mind with food? Do you find yourself negotiating every time you eat a piece of bread or dig into a bowl of nachos?

I have been there and I have done that so many times. Here is what I have learnt from that experience. It didn’t matter what my goal was, be it weight loss, mass gain, strength etc, I could never maintain the achievement. I say achievement because I would attain the goal but I could never sustain it. I couldn’t sustain it because my relationship with food was a constant battle. I always felt restricted and uneasy. I didn’t want to go out because “I cannot eat that” or I had to tell myself “it’s ok, I’ll run an extra 30 minutes” or “I’ll skip carbs for dinner”. The battle was endless.

In November 2009, I had lost so much weight, I gave up chips... rice and everything in between for 7 months. I looked great but I wasn’t loving life, I won’t lie. Around that time I had made an Indian outfit for myself, a saree, I was so excited to wear at a friend’s wedding. Fast forward to August 2010, wedding time! I took the saree to wear at my friend’s wedding reception and low and behold the blouse did not fit!! The hooks wouldn’t even come close for me to squeeze myself in! It was off by 3 whole inches. I had let go and come so far off, I couldn't believe it! 🥺

It took a while to realize, it didn’t matter what my goal was, if my relationship with food was negative, I would always be on a “diet”. It was then that I realized that I had to learn to build a positive relationship with food and myself.

Here’s how I did it 👇:

• I started by recognizing when the negative mental chatter started. It usually started when I went overboard with eating. Most of the time, if I ate one cookie, it didn’t bother me. It was when I went for the 3rd one that the chatter would start. That was my cue to stop.
• I didn’t label food as good or bad – a bowl of avocado mash does not have some angelic power and a slice of pizza is not demonic. Some foods are better for our wellbeing, but no food is evil or benevolent. It’s all about balance.
• I started by telling myself it isn’t that I cannot eat it, it is simply that I choose not to eat more than 1. Having options is so much more positive than restrictions.
• I made an effort with balancing my plate. I ate the greens even if I didn’t want to. I understood it would fuel my body.
• When I went out, I stopped when I was full. If there were extras, I got it packed to go.
• I educated myself! I understood that a slice or 2 of bread wasn’t going to make me pack on the pounds. Rather it was the daily indulgence of 8 slices of bread that wasn’t benefitting me.
• I took the time to understand what portions meant. Does 15g of peanut butter (1 serving at the back of the bottle) look the same as 1 tablespoon (also at the back of the bottle). If not, what does 1 serving actually look like.
• I distinguished between hunger and cravings. If I was craving, which is usually attached to an emotion, is there anything else I can feed that emotion with other than food?
• Finally, I stopped cutting food out of life. Instead, I added nutritious food and left room for indulging within reason (no negative chatter or hate talk).

On a final note, food is our friend. If we can learn to enjoy everything within reason, we can be happier and healthier.

The NEAT way to get fit.

Let’s get NEAT. I am not talking about being neat & tidy, although that may be a great way to up your NEAT levels.👇

Most people think the only way to burn calories is through scheduled exercise sessions. Although exercise is the most effective way to expend calories, there’s another ‘NEAT’ way to burn calories throughout the day. NEAT or ‘Non- Exercise Activity Thermogenesis’ is essentially calories expended outside sleeping, eating or exercising. Simple tasks such as walking, climbing stairs and even rummaging through our closets to find that perfect outfit, helps us expend additional calories. Essentially, NEAT increases metabolic rate and results in energy loss overtime.

Those who have desk jobs and don’t get much movement in their day-to-day lives, have significantly lower levels of NEAT. It is important for these people to insert ‘NEAT’ into their workdays. Some ideas include walking to work; taking the stairs; working on standing desks, hold ‘walking meetings’ … you get the gist.

It is essential to understand that while exercise does account for calorie expenditure, it may not necessarily be enough if THAT is the only 30-40 mins/ day you are moving. If you are looking to boost your metabolism, increasing NEAT levels is the way to go. NEAT can boost daily calorie expenditure by about 10-15%.

My favourite way to up my NEAT is, walking Fydo (my first born a.k.a my dog)😊

Some ways to increase NEAT are:

• Household chores: cleaning, cooking etc.
• Going for walks (but not accounting for that as exercise)
• Grocery shopping
• Breaking up your work hours: . After every hour of sitting, take a 10 min break to go get some fresh air, grab water etc.
• Walking while talking on the phone
• Cleaning your apartment
• Hosting a party and cleaning up afterwards– that sounds neat right?
• Playing with kids/pets

As you can see, the options are endless. Our bodies are made to move. The higher our levels of NEAT, the better our metabolism. Now, let’s also be mindful that there are many other ways to be at a calorie deficit, if that is the goal. However, if we can boost our metabolism throughout the day then it's a win-win all round. So, let’s get creative, let’s get moving, let’s get NEAT.