Slow stuff is all the rage. People are sick of fast food, low quality, low nutrition, high preservatives, no time to appreciate it, indigestion... so slow food happened. And then there was all kind of other slow things, like slow TV (which to be honest I don't really understand, but then I don't really follow the other kind either). We seem to be starting to get a handle on the idea that instant gratification, isn't always the best kind. Slow and steady.... But I still have clients approach me and ask me to help them lose 6kg by the end of the month. I tell them, as is my responsibility, that while it may be possible, it will involve lifestyle changes that are uncomfortable and potentially unsustainable. It is likely that the weight will come straight back on. I always work with my clients' informed choices, but if it were entirely in my hands, I would choose the slower road. Ideally, sustainable fat loss happens at about 0.5-1% of your bodyweight weekly. Tha

I've been thinking a lot lately about the barriers that make it hard for people to stick to healthy habits, or even take them up in the first place. My personal training clients are a lovely bunch, and one thing I can certainly say is that none of them have come to me completely uninformed about healthy eating. Most people have done some homework before they get to the point of hiring me, and while I always go over the basics (never assume anything) I know that when I tell them stuff like this, it's not new information to them: Eat less to lose weight Eat protein with every meal Eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day Consume high sugar and fat treats rarely and in moderate portions Drink water with every meal or snack Exercise regularly That's not rocket science, so why are so many people still struggling with it? Is it because "the rules" are more complicated? Are they missing the "weird trick" (spoiler alert, there are no weird tricks

So here's a post I've been putting off writing. Most people working in health and wellbeing have a personal story behind it. I've not felt motivated to write about mine, because what I really enjoy writing about is  the things that can help people like you to improve your lives too. But people like to know where their information is coming from, so this post is all about me! In fact it won't just be a post, it will be a series of posts, because when I started writing I realised that the revelations that I have had as a result of my own experience are going to take up a bit more space. The skinny Now we are going to get straight to the stuff people ask me about. 18 months ago I weighed in at about 95kg. While my weight had fluctuated throughout my late teens and twenties, 2 difficult pregnancies left me about 15kg above where I started out, which was already a heavy point for me. 1 year ago I hit my first goal weight of 75kg and moved from a weight loss goal

Right. Next gym myth to dispel! This one was later on my list, but it came up in a conversation recently so I decided to go for it now. I was discussing with fellow bellydance instructors , an issue where class participants had stated that because they weren't sore after their dance class, it didn't feel "like a proper workout". Now, whether the class actually was challenging those individuals' fitness isn't something I could comment on, but I find this idea that a "real" workout hurts interesting and I want to explore it. Where did we get this idea that exercise is painful? What do we even mean by pain? What are we doing to ourselves when we submit to this narrative? I'm pretty down with the pain thing. I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome which means that I have chronic pain in most of my joints. Oddly enough the one thing that actually relieves my pain (another symptom is resistance to pain relief drugs, thanks nature)  is the post-ex