MAKE 2018 YOUR BEST YEAR YET!

SO, 2018 is right around the corner! 

I know... can you believe it?!

In spirit of the New Year ahead, I wanted to share my TOP 5 tips for GOAL SETTING & MAKING GOALS YOU MAKE SURE YOU CAN STICK TO this year to make your 2018

YOUR BEST YEAR YET!

1.     SELF-REFLECT

I am a huge fan of SELF-REFLECTION. Afterall, you know yourself best. Grab a coffee, put some mellow beats on, get comfy and think about your past goals you have set that you may not have adhered to. 

Dig deep and explore your "why" in the past that may have led you off track or things that may have hindered your progress along the journey of achieving those goals. 

2.     SET REALISTIC GOALS

Im sure you’ve heard the quote, “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

I like to use this saying when it comes to reaching your goals too! 

You don’t have to go from 0 to 100, REAL QUICK. You can start small and transition them into more elaborate goals as you achieve them. For example, want to quick start your health and fitness goals, commit to hitting the gym for 'x' amount of time per week and increase this goal bi-weekly or monthly as you hit this first goal consecutively. 

3.     CELEBRATE YOUR SMALL WINS

This brings me to my next point- celebrate the small wins! Because afterall, its all about the journey and making this an enjoyable process to adhere for the long term!

 When you hit landmarks in your goal, reward yourself! It will make you proud and keep pushin' you along the process!

4.     POSITIVE SELF-TALK

Be your own best friend and only instill positive words of affirmation and encouragement to yourself! Its crazy how big a factor our own self-talk plays when it comes to achieving ANY RESULT we desire for our own life.

Make sure you are prioritizing this and only feed your mind, words of love, appreciation and positivity into the new year!

5.     SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS

This one is my personal favourite!

Your environment truly plays a huge influence on everything you do!

Whether you realize it or not, your circle of influence can impact the type of person you are and the results you create in your own life!

Assess who you spend your time with. Are they people who are goal-driven, inspiring individuals who truly want the best for you and everyone around them?

There is NO room for negativity when it comes to attracting more success & abundance into our lives! Remember that, and know you owe it to yourself to keep only the best people in your circle!

 

As always, if you have any personal development related, nutrition/health questions or just want to say a quick hello, feel free to reach out to me through my contact forum or any of my social media links! 

I would love you hear you! <3

xo

Ayesha Sehra 

MY TOP 10 TIPS TO REDUCE ABDOMINAL BLOATING & FLATTEN OUT YOUR TUMMY!

SO, you’re going out tonight and want that tummy to be tight & flat tummy for your event! But unfortunately your stomach (especially the lower abdominal area) is feeling a little uncomfortable and puffy.
Well, you’re not alone! Many people experience abdominal bloating on a daily basis!
The good news is, it is an experience that can actually be avoided very easily!
Just making simple changes in your day can make the world of a difference and help flatten out that tummy! 

 STILL INTERESTED?
KEEP READING TO HEAR MY TOP 10 TIPS TO FIGHT THAT TUMMY BLOAT AND ACHIEVE THAT FLAT STOMACH!

1. LIMIT YOUR INTAKE OF CHEWING GUM. 

When you chew gum, it causes you to swallow air into the stomach which can lead to bloating. 

2. BEWARE OF YOUR INTOLERANCES. 

Many people may be intolerant to foods they eat on a daily basis without even knowing! These intolerances can cause issues such as bloating, gas, constipation, even diarrhea. Be aware of how your body is responding and feeling to the different foods you eat on a daily basis! 

3. UP THE WATER INTAKE!

Increasing your water intake helps provides so many benefits for your body AND helps reduce abdominal bloating. It helps to keep your digestive tract regular and flush out excess toxins from your body.

SIDE NOTE: Especially if you are eating a healthy diet & consuming enough fiber daily. Then making sure you are hitting your water intake daily is key. Fiber will sit in the colon if not enough water is consumed to bind to the fiber to excrete it. 

4. LIMIT YOUR CONSUMPTION OF CARBONATED DRINKS

This includes any carbonated beverages, including the 0 calorie ones!                                       These drinks can cause gas to get trapped in your belly that leads to abdominal bloating.   

            5. DON'T EAT TOO FAST!                                                                                                            
I know I can be so guilty of this one, especially when I'm hungry!!
Unfortunately, scarfing down a quick meal does not help out our digestive system. When we consume a meal fast, it causes air swallowing and also does not give our bodies adequate time to fire up its digestive processes. Digestion begins at the mouth, so just by chewing our food more slowly, it can help reduce bloating immensely! 

6. TRY NOT TO CHUG SIPS OF YOUR DRINK IN BETWEEN BITES OF YOUR MEAL. 
During a meal, taking sips of water in between bites is totally okay! However, drinking too much fluid with your meal can reduce saliva production and dilute gastric juices necessary for proper digestion of your meal! 

7. ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS
These are everywhere- in sugar alternatives, chewing gum, condiments, foods, drinks, etc. They are NOT unsafe to consume! However, depending on the person and their consumption they may respond differently to artificial sweeteners.
Some people may experience digestive problems because they can reach the bacteria in the intestine and produce gas.
Some people can get away with consuming more artificially sweeteners and not experience any bloating or get as bloated as others.
As always, just being mindful and limiting your intake if you find your stomach is feeling uncomfortable after consumption. 

8. DIGESTIVE ENZYMES & PROBIOTICS! 

Digestive enzymes and probiotics can be purchased at any health food store! Our bodies can sometimes lack the certain enzymes needed to break down the foods we eat.                      Digestive enzymes contain supplemental enzymes to break down the foods we eat.         Probiotics on the other hand, help maintain the healthy and good bacteria environment in your gut!

I recommend a good probiotic supplement to all my clients to ensure that we are maintaining a happy gut in order to ensure proper digestion and reduce any symptoms of gas and bloating! 

9. EAT MORE WHOLE FOODS, LIMIT PROCESSED FOODS. 

Consuming majority of your diet from natural whole foods that are not heavily processed is a lot easier for your body to process and digest! Not only that, but it also provides your body with the micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) it needs.

Keeping a healthy environment for your gut is key and having these processed foods in moderation is a great way to keep the environment in your gut a happy one!

10. MOVE YOUR BODY! 

A lot of you may be seated for majority of our day at work.                                                      Constantly sitting and eating can slow down your digestive system. So try a little stretch break or some walking around to help activate that digestive system and help to reduce any bloating you may experience in your day! 

& there ya have it folks!
MY TOP 10 TIPS TO HELP REDUCE ABDOMINAL BLOATING!
As always, feel free to message me with any questions, comments, feedback, anything at all!
I’d love to hear from you & happy to help you move closer to becoming the happiest and healthiest version of you! 

XOXO
AYESHA SEHRA

 

CARBS AFTER DARK

Its late at night and cravings strike… God forbid you snack on some carbs this late in the evening because that stuff is just ALL going to get turned straight into fat!

Don’t get too surprised when I say this, but that is NOT the truth. Carbs are not the enemy, eating late will not kill you and make you fat but hear me out a bit.

The answers are all explained in the science, so sit back, relax and lets here what the truth behind the science says!

First off, lets discuss what is going on when you are asleep.

Most believe that your metabolism slows down due to the fact that you are lying down and resting. This makes sense as you would be resting, you would be buning less calories than if you were up and moving around like during the day.   

However, research has found that sleep energy expenditure actually significantly INCREASES in the latter half of your sleep (Norton, Biolayne). Overall, your sleeping metabolic rate (SMR) is no less than your resting metabolic rate (RMR) during the day (Norton, Biolayne). (Resting Metabolic Rate is the amount of energy you expend during the day at rest to support your body's basic functions such as breathing, circulation. (Bodybuilding, 2016). 

In fact, studies have shown that exercise can INCREASE your sleep metabolic rate leading to GREATER fat oxidation during sleep (Norton, Biolayne). Therefore sleeping metabolic rate was proven to actually surpass resting metabolic rate in active individuals as well! And if you are an active individual then consuming carbs before bed may be even MORE advantageous for you!  

Now lets see what your hormones had to say about consuming carbs late at night...

A study was published in the Obesity Journey and carried out by researchers who created 2 groups. An experimental group who consumed most of their daily carbohydrate intake at dinner and a control group, who consumed their carbs dispersed throughout the day (Ferruggia, 2015). 

The results concluded that the experimental group that consumed majority of carbs in the evening showed greater losses in:

Total body weight, body fat & waist circumference. In addition to higher leptin levels, a fat burning hormone that down regulates during dieting. Keeping this hormone elevated helps fat burning and keeps your metabolism running fast (Sofer, Eliraz, 2011). 

Additionally it was found that consuming carbs at night also showed more stable insulin levels! Keeping insulin in check is another important variable to have controlled to keep burning fat.

THE MOST IMPORTANT KEY to take away on whether or not eating a bolus of carb at night will cause you to put on excess fat or not comes down to, YOUR TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to the numbers, CALORES IN VS. CALORIES OUT.

If your goal is to lose weight, and your macronutrient and caloric goal is adjusted and set accordingly, then it does NOT MATTER what time you choose to eat throughout the day, as long as the numbers add up correctly!

Yes there are more optimal times of the day where carbohydrates may be of more benefit to you and your fitness goals (ex. Pre workout, intra workout, post workout) but I will get into that in another post. :) 

Pay attention to your total caloric consumption at the end of the day. If your macronutrient goals are at an optimal place for your body and physique goals then you will NOT see any unwanted changes in your body composition!

A little tip I recommend, if you are one to get hungry in the evenings is to save a good portion of your macronutrients for that time.

This way you can eat that big meal that is 100% accounted for in your day, you experience no guilt & you might even find you experience improvements in the quality of your sleep!

Eliminate the guilt, eat for your goals and as always if you have any questions, I'm here & happy to help! xo

Email – ayeshasehra@hotmail.com

Or shoot me a message in my contact forum ! :)

HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED ON YOUR FITNESS GOALS INTO THE NEW YEAR!

1. Get yourself on a program! Going into the gym with a plan of action will keep you focused, prepared & excited for your workout!

Consistency is key, and staying regimented on a specific program will guarantee you results!

As you progress you will probably decide how you want your training program to be but for now, its super important to give yourself a plan of action!

2. Forget about what other people are thinking

At the end of the day, everyone in the gym is there to workout for themselves. They don’t care how much you are lifting, what exercises you are doing, how you look while you workout, so don’t let any of that intimidate you!

Never compare yourself to anyone & love the body you were blessed with.

Start where you are, do what you can & go in there with confidence and you will KILL IT!

3. Get a workout partner to go to the gym with!

Having an accountability partner can be huge to helping you reach your goals (not to mention, a lot of fun having someone to gym with!)

This can be someone who is at your level or someone who is experienced.

If they are just starting out like you, you guys can learn together and have a lot of fun going to the gym together, makes for a very comfortable experience going to the gym! If they are an expert in the gym you can learn a lot from them. Either way a WIN-WIN situation! :)

4. REWARD YOUR SUCCESSES

BIG OR SMALL, recognize the positive changes you make and be proud of yourself!

Setting up a reward system for yourself is a great way to stay motivated!

5. DO IT FOR YOU!

Most importantly set this goal for YOU!

Love your body enough to follow a healthier lifestyle and fall in love with the process! If you don’t love it in the beginning, be patient, it gets easier.

Go into this New Year with the right mindset, set goals for yourself and ultimately have fun doing it!

WHAT IS IIFYM (FLEXIBLE DIETING)?

Flexible dieting, or better known as IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) is the tracking of your macronutrients (Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats). These macronutrient daily requirements are determined based off of your body compositional goal. The beauty of flexible dieting most people love about it is that everyday you have the option to eat different things as long as at the end of the day you hit your required macronutrients. If you still hit your correct macros goals daily, you will get the results you desire!

Now don’t get me wrong, flexible dieting and tracking your macros isn’t about trying to fit in Oreos and doughnuts everyday. Yes, you have the CHOICE to fit treats into your daily macros but it is still crucial and optimal to fuel your body with nutritious whole foods. Just because you may be able to fit 3 donuts + candy and other empty calories into your macros doesn’t mean you should.

Especially if you are cutting, and you don’t have much room to play within your macronutrient ranges, it is important to eat foods that are higher volume, nutrient dense that will satisfy your hunger and make you feel more full!

Making sure you are eating lots of nutrient dense foods is important for overall health and for your body to recover and function properly.

By all means, if you have an urging craving for a donut one day, the beauty of counting macros is that you can satisfy that craving AND still be well on your way to achieving your goals!

That is what I think this makes flexible dieting so sustainable and effective!

It allows people to be strict but NOT restrictive with their diets.

EFFECTIVE because at the end of the day it is a numbers game. In order to lose weight you must understand that a calorie deficit is necessary and in order to put on more muscle mass, a surplus of calories is ideal. Tracking everything you are eating gets you well on your way to taking control and reaching your goals!

SUSTAINABLE because like I said above it does not restrict you. Flexible dieting has been said to kill the binge diet. It is more mentally and emotionally sustainable knowing that you don’t have to always deprive yourself and then go crazy on a binge. You can eat what you want in moderation and still accomplish your goals!

Hope this helped your understanding on the IIFYM diet!

As always, if you have any questions or would like to try out this style of dieting or want to find out your ideal macronutrient intake should be for your goals, shoot me a msg!

I’m always happy to help! Xoxo

5 TIPS TO STAYING LEAN THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

The greatest time of the year is finally here! With all the holiday celebrations with family and friends comes all the FOOD! Now, don’t feel like you have to deprive yourself of the food and festivities that come with this time of year!

Its all about finding a balance of letting yourself indulge but not losing yourself this holiday season and letting yourself go overboard.

Here’s a list of my 5 tips you can keep in mind while enjoying your holiday season! :)

1. PRIORITIZE the Protein!

Protein has a high thermogenic effect meaning that your body uses more calories to digest protein (20-35% of calories) than it does for carbs and fats. Protein also has a stabilizing effect on your blood sugar and will help you to feel full!

Increasing your protein intake will boost your metabolism and help to maintain your muscle mass, both key ingredients in losing fat and keeping it off.

2. Drink lots of water and make sure to eat your fiber!

Making sure you are drinking enough water and eating foods high in fibre will definitely help with satiety! Fibre tends to sit in your gastrointestinal area longer, which pulls fluid into the area, making you feel full for longer!

Fibre also helps blunt the secretion of sugar, which will help with the all the yummy desserts you may plan on enjoying ;)

 3. Never arrive to a party or dinner hungry. 

Starving yourself all day up until the social event often leads to overeating and making many poor nutritional choices. Try to keep your diet clean throughout the day, eating a smaller meal about an hour before your event. Protein and healthy fat sources are great options that will help fill you up so you’ll be less likely to overindulge at the event.

4. Feel free to add in some extra cardio sessions to your workouts!

To maximize your chances of avoiding the holiday weight gain, make sure you stay active! If you're finding if hard to schedule workouts into your busy schedule, try out HIIT (high intensity interval training) style workouts. HIIT will help you to burn fat faster with a less overall training time! (Want to read more about HIIT training? Check out my blog under the 'fitness' tab- "Lets Talk Cardio")

5. Don’t eat the leftovers the next day.

Try to leave the holiday food for the holiday itself. It’s hard to get back on your normal diet the next day after your cheat meal if you are staring at the tempting foods in your fridge.

Instead, enjoy your indulgences over the holidays but get yourself back on track with your goals the next day!

Overall, it is the holidays and it comes only once a year so by all means, ENJOY IT! You only live once and these times you share with your loved ones create memories you'll always have.

But by just being a little mindful of your choices you are already that much more ahead, leaving you pumped and motivated for the new year instead of frustrated or upset that you let yourself go completely over the holidays!

MY FIRST OPA BIKINI COMPETITION

On August 15th, 2015 I competed in my very first OPA (Ontario Physique Association) competition in the bikini division. I competed at the GNC CanFitPro Natural Championships in Toronto. The entire process of my competition prep was definitely one of the most rewarding experiences of my life! Throughout my prep, I coached myself and learned an exponential amount of new knowledge about my body, nutritional diet, training and just more about myself in general.

For 15 weeks, I devoted my entire life to my training would not change a thing about the experience! I am a strong believer in always striving for more in your life. There really are no limitations as to what you can achieve in your life. Set your goals HIGH and you will get there. It truly is all about your mindset, if you tell yourself you CAN do something, you WILL!

Your life is a constant journey of growth and learning to achieve what we want. This past weekend I qualified for the Natural Provincials, which I will be competing in next August of 2016.

I am more than ready to train even harder this year and come back to the stage with a completely different and improved package for 2016!!

Never stop expanding, growing, living and learning in your life! & always remember to trust YOUR process! Even when it feels tough, trust that it will all makes sense and the adversity will put you in the exact places you need to be!

Below are some pictures I took from the weekend! xoxo

 

8 TIPS FOR SUCCESS!

1. HAVE A POSITIVE MIND. 

After all, a positive mind = a positive life. To help keep a positive mind, dismiss words from your vocab like “I cant” and “I wont”. Instead say, “I will” and “I can”.

2. THINK BIG!

Honestly though, as cheesy as this may sound, the sky is the limit. YOU are absolutely limitless and the possibilities for your life are endless. So often we tend to live so small and safe when we can live SO much larger! We just need to step a little bit outside our comfort zones and take risks! (this is where growth happens!!)

3. DON’T BE AFRAID OF FAILURE.

Don’t accept failure as an end towards achieving your goals. Instead, take it as an opportunity to take a deep breath, re-asses the situation and try again!

4. LOVE WHAT YOU DO.

Life is way too short to wake up everyday to not be happy with what you are doing. Do what you love everyday and you are on the road to success.

5. DON’T LET DISCOURAGEMENT STOP YOU.

There will be people in your life that will make comments about your goals and life. Don’t let any discouragement hinder your journey to success. Stay true to yourself, trust your process and you are sure to succeed.

6. FIND YOUR BALANCE.

Manage your life and your work and make them work in harmony. Reward yourself for your successes and try not to get too caught up with one thing!

If you’re finding trouble balancing out the differenet areas of your life, try this exercise! :)

Exercise: Write down all the things you value and rate how important each value is to you on a 1 to 10 scale.

Also write down where you would like to be on that scale with your value. Think about how you can bring that number up and then make an effort towards achieving that.

7. BELIEVE IN YOUR ABILITY TO SUCCEED.

If you don’t believe in yourself first, who else will?

Trust that you have everything it takes inside you to succeed and achieve your goals. Once you believe this, everyone around you will too!

8. PUT IN WORK AND WORK HARD.

If you want something bad enough, you will make the sacrifices that need to be made. In the end, these short-term sacrifices will create long term gains you will never regret!

Put in the hard work now and I promise you will come along the time to enjoy the success you create!

MINIMIZE THE STRESS IN YOUR LIFE

No one likes to be stressed but unfortunately in this day and age stress seems inevitable of escaping! Stress appears in our lives in many situations, and if we let it get the best of us, our bodies can be at major risk and suffer from a number of concerning health problems! We aren’t going to let that happen, so that’s why I’m here to share my 5 tips to help MINIMIZE the stress in your life. Its YOUR life and YOU are the only one in control so don’t let stress get you down!  

1. Get Rid Of The UNNECESSSARY Stress In Your Life

First off something we all can do is just eliminate all the unnecessary stress in your life. You will be surprised with how much stress you can alleviate from just doing this simple task.

If someone in your life is constantly causing you stress, limit the time you spend with that person, if you feel overwhelmed with tasks, say no if you feel you are taking on more than you can handle. It’s perfectly OK. You don’t have to say yes to everything and everyone, you are only human.

2. ALWAYS Find The Positive Of Every Situation

If you can’t eliminate the stressor, learn to cope with it in a positive manner. Change your expectations and attitude by trying to view the stressful situation from a more positive perspective. Look at the big picture of the situation and ask yourself, “Will it matter in a month?” “Is it really worth getting upset over?”

Take a moment to reflect on all the things you are grateful for in your life. Gratitude is the best medicine to let go of anything that isn’t serving you and bring you back to understanding what is most important in your life.

3. Make Time For Relaxation!

Reduce the stress in your life simply by taking care of yourself. Try meditation, get some fresh air and go for a walk, listen to your favourite songs, have a killer workout, read a book that you love, get a massage, talk to good friends, make yourself a nice warm cup of coffee or tea, take a long bath, the list could go on! In our busy lifestyles we tend to forget to do the things that make us happy but it is very important that we remember, “DOWN TIME IS NOT WASTED TIME.”

4. Strengthen Your Physical Health

This will without a doubt increase your stress resistance and ultimately make a happier and healthier you! Eat healthy, exercise, sleep, avoid alcohol, cigarettes and drugs and you are on your way to being a powerhouse machine capable of fighting any stressor that comes your way!

5. Time Management

You’d be surprised with what a little organization can do. Something as simply prioritizing your time can help put your mind at ease just by focusing at the task at hand and tackling one thing at a time!