Last Neanderthals Podcast
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Last Neanderthals Podcast
Ditch the Diet: The Secret to Lasting Health || Áine Harkin
Can you imagine a world where dieting is a thing of the past, yet you still achieve your healthiest self? Join us in this episode as we sit down with Áine Harkin, an intuitive eating counselor and personal trainer, who reveals how breaking free from restrictive dieting transformed her life and can transform yours too. Áine shares her compelling journey from a sports background to becoming a personal trainer, driven by a pivotal moment that reshaped her career. She introduces the concept of intuitive eating, guiding us through reconnecting with our natural hunger and fullness cues and promoting a healthier, more balanced relationship with food.
Áine dives deep into the science behind intuitive eating, explaining how it can benefit individuals of all body types by helping them achieve their natural set point weight. She sheds light on the detrimental effects of dieting on hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin, which often lead to increased cravings and food obsession. Áine also shares practical tips on meditative practices for understanding true hunger signals and how our bodies naturally balance food intake over time. For those eager to explore more, she points to valuable resources by Evelyn Tribole and Elise Resch, pioneers in the intuitive eating movement.
Beyond intuitive eating, Áine discusses the principles of building sustainable, healthy habits and the importance of moving away from a weight-loss-focused mindset in fitness. She emphasizes gentle nutrition, consistent exercise, and finding a deeper "why" for staying active that goes beyond aesthetics. We also touch on the challenges and rewards Áine has faced in her 13-year career as a personal trainer, highlighting the significance of creating a safe, non-judgmental space for clients and fostering long-term commitment to well-being. Tune in for personal success stories and gain invaluable insights into fostering a positive relationship with both food and movement.
Message From Áine
Hi there, I'm Áine Harkin, Intuitive Eating Counsellor, Personal Trainer & Wellbeing Coach based in the West Midlands. I help my clients break free from dieting and build a positive relationship with food and with their bodies. I help them find a way of moving that feels good for them, to allow movement to be a life long, enjoyable part of their lives.
Website: www.aineharkin.com
Instagram: @aine.harkin
Facebook: Áine Harkin Coaching
5-day free training:
https://www.aineharkin.com/5-days-free-training/
Intuitive Eating books:
https://www.intuitiveeating.org/our-books/
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I'm an intuitive eating counsellor and personal trainer.
Speaker 2:So what got you into fitness?
Speaker 1:Since I can remember, I always loved being active. I just knew that that was going to be part of my career really. So it wasn't until the very last lecture at uni. One lady just said I'm a personal trainer and I was like that is it.
Speaker 3:You mentioned intuitive eating counsellor. What does that mean?
Speaker 1:I was a dieter for about 10 years. My weight was fluctuating, my hormones were not in balance and through my own research, I came across intuitive eating. It allows all foods to be part of your diet so you can understand what foods feel good for you how do you go about losing fat with this framework?
Speaker 3:That's a really good question is there any sort of guidance on the type of food that you should eat?
Speaker 1:We really do encourage a balanced diet and really moving away from any sort of restricting food groups. Our bodies do really respond well to whole foods, but really making sure that you're flexible with this and life happens. If there's times when you do have to have processed foods, then absolutely allow them to be part of it as well.
Speaker 3:And how can someone be a good personal trainer?
Speaker 1:I think it's creating a safe, like non-judgmental space for people to exercising.
Speaker 3:And then what makes someone a good client?
Speaker 1:I think if clients are open to really seeing nutrition movement as a long-term part of their life, so they really get that. I love working with clients like that.
Speaker 2:That's for me. What would you want written on your team song?
Speaker 1:oh god, that is a really good question. I've never thought about this before welcome to last neanderthals podcast.
Speaker 2:Today we have a special guest, anya harkin.
Speaker 1:How are you thanks, yeah, thanks for having me on Great to be here.
Speaker 2:Thank you for coming on. Would you like to tell us more about?
Speaker 1:yourself, Of course, yeah. So I'm an intuitive eating counsellor and personal trainer and I help my clients to build a positive relationship with food and their bodies through nourishing their bodies well and moving well. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, you have changed my parents lives. You know, I've been telling them throughout the years. They, you know, growing up in Pakistan they didn't know about diet, health, things of that nature, and you have completely, you know, transformed their life. So first of all I thank you. And so what got you into fitness yourself?
Speaker 1:yeah, so since I can remember, I absolutely always loved being active. I just loved all things sports school. So, like PE was my first and foremost lesson that I just loved. And, yeah, I just knew that that was going to be part of my career really. So I always chose PE for GCSE, a-level sports at uni. But really it wasn't until the very last lecture at uni that they invited past students along just to share with us what they'd done with their degree. And one lady just said I'm a personal trainer and I was like it was just a light bulb. I was like that is it? So I just, yeah, I spoke to her after. I was like that is that is definitely. I love working with people, particularly one-to-one. So, yeah, I just banked that idea, went traveling for a year, come back and qualified straight away. Yeah, so that's where it all all began, yeah you mentioned intuitive eating counselor.
Speaker 3:Yes, for everyone listening. What does that mean?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so intuitive eating. So I was a dieter for, I'd say, about 10 years. So I was on this kind of binge restriction cycle for a long time and my weight was fluctuating, my hormones were not in balance, my energy was low and I never seemed to be happy with my body or really happy with my relationship with food. And through my own really research, I came across intuitive eating and it's really a self-care eating framework and it allows you to really connect to your own hunger and fullness cues. It allows all foods to be part of your diet so you can actually start to really understand what foods feel good for you and not follow the kind of good, bad food labeling or you should and shouldn't eat it. So it's really from like the inside out rather than following strict rules from the outside in really yeah, so it's a lot more personalized way yeah, so personal.
Speaker 1:and another way I describe it is that we're all born like intuitive eaters. So when we're babies we just cry, we get fed and then we stop eating, no issue, carry on and there's no kind of like mental chatter about what we've just eaten, and then we kind of obviously we start growing up and there's lots of there's like cultural influences. Obviously diet culture comes into it and that kind of brings us away from our innate wisdom that we're really born with. So what I say intuitive eating is it's almost like you're rediscovering your intuitive eater. That's there. That's been just blunted by diet, culture and rules.
Speaker 2:So a lot of people you know their aim is to, you know, lose their fat. You know, lessen their weight With intuitive eating. How does you know? Know like we've been taught, like calories in and calories out? How can you really know that? You know, if you don't, if you listen to intuitive eating for long enough, that you'll start losing fat? Like, how do you go about losing fat with this framework?
Speaker 1:yeah, that's a really good question. So intuitive eating is it's weight neutral and we always focus on, first and foremost? You listen to your intuition, so that's always leading your food choices and it then helps you achieve your natural set point weight. Important when you come on the intuitive eating journey, aiming to rediscover your intuitive eater, is letting go of any sort of weight loss or any sort of goal of weight loss, because the aim is to really help you arrive at your natural weight and, yeah, so that's, once you achieve that, you can then make choices from your intuition and not from rules, because that's very, very external and that's why I really try and move people away from weighing themselves Because, again, our weights do fluctuate.
Speaker 1:And actually a big, big learning for me in my intuitive eating journey was that I had a goal weight that I wanted to be on the scales, but that wasn't actually my natural set point weight, so I was always working against my body. So really, when you start on your your intuitive eating journey, you have to really accept that actually you may lose weight, you may stay stable, you may even gain a bit of weight. I've had clients do that because I've actually been eating, eating less. So, yeah, I think that's really key when it comes to intuitive eating. It's a really balanced approach to eating, movement and building that positive relationship with your body and your natural weight, your genetic blueprint.
Speaker 3:So I think it's really interesting because it's so different to what we've been taught about weight loss and like health and fitness in general. But, as you said to us earlier, the main focus is on health rather than the weight, and I mean, for us, we've been able to see that it works because you've worked with Khusha's parents, and both of them are like a lot more healthy now than before.
Speaker 3:So it is like it's crazy to think that we've been taught this one rule set, but this new idea that you're presenting to us. It might not be new in the grand scheme of things but for us it is and it does clearly work. But I wonder then if someone is, let's say, like morbidly overweight, if they're like, let's say, 150 kilograms, yeah, does this then work for them as well?
Speaker 1:yeah, it would as well, because when you do start to listen to your hunger and fullness cues, you naturally will, your body will settle at its natural set point weight. Now, someone who is morbidly obese or they may have, it would be definitely worth looking at their relationship with food and their eating habits, because sometimes a kind of loose structure of eating can help like, encourage, encourage, I suppose, a healthier way of living. But it really can. It really can help bring them back. I think another thing to remember as well with the intuitive eating journey is that when you do start restricting or controlling food, it really can affect your hormone levels. So the your hunger and fullness hormones, so ghrelin and leptin, they're altered when you start dieting and I found this when I, as soon as I started dieting it was almost overnight all of a sudden I was getting cravings I'd never, ever had before. I was really occupied by food. Food was very much in my mind again, so much more than it had been before.
Speaker 1:And it's known that this is a very natural response from our bodies when it experiences restriction. It's trying to keep us safe all the time. It's always trying to. It's on our side. So we can be quite annoyed, say like, why am I experiencing these cravings? I shouldn't be, I should be restricted, I should be able to do it. But actually it's our body's way of just keeping us safe and thinking right, I need to adapt to try and keep you in balance.
Speaker 1:So yeah, but yeah. So coming back to someone who's yeah, morbidly obese, absolutely can really help because any way of bringing them back to their natural hunger and fullness cues, I use a really powerful tool with clients and it's the hunger scale, and it's a scale, simply one from ten, and you can work along it and in any moment you can always connect to your where you are on your hunger scale. So whether you're really, really hungry, absolutely stuffed, or whether you're kind of in the middle and we always try and aim to kind of be in the middle of that scale- yeah, could some people's intuition be incorrect though because, could some people's intuition be like incorrect, like, could that be one of the drawbacks because, let's say, if I think I'm hungry when I'm, when, it's more of like a kind of addictive craving, right?
Speaker 2:yeah because I'm so used to eating, like, even though I'm not hungry, even though I don't need more food, but because I don't know like I've got this bad relationship with food.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I still don't listen to my body. Does that make sense? Yeah, it does.
Speaker 1:I think one thing that really helps with that is meditating. So there's a specific hunger connected to your hunger meditations. So, even before you eat, just taking a few minutes, a few breaths, closing your eyes and really connecting to your body, that's a really powerful way, particularly closing your eyes. Really connecting to your body, that's a really powerful way, particularly closing your eyes, because you can let go of all external distractions and really focus inwards to what your body needs in the moment. I think sometimes we can be, especially if we're coming off the back of any sort of restriction. It can take quite a while to really reconnect with that intuition, but it is there. It's just really taking the time to slow down and connect with it.
Speaker 2:But we've all got it for sure yeah, because sometimes I have, like this, tendency to be a glutton okay, you know sometimes I have like two pieces of chicken and then I'm like, because it tastes so good, I'm like, although I'm not hungry, I'm full I feel hungry. Does that make sense?
Speaker 1:yeah, no, for sure, yeah, definitely definitely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know, because in the moment. But I think another thing of which is so I've loved about learning about intuitive eating is that our bodies are so clever. So say, if one meal, you know, there might be a time where you do eat past your comfortable fullness. But it's really nice to get curious and be like okay, I've done that. Now how does my body feel for the rest of the day? In the evening, do I feel like I need like a meal again or am I going to go a bit lighter? Generally, our bodies are really good at keeping us in balance, even from like day to day. You know, say, if you have a really big meal in the evening, you may wake up in the morning. Think a bit of a light breakfast now this morning. That's what I feel, you know. It's just almost like stepping back and letting our body just lead the way a bit, rather than trying to control it, because it will do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it knows what it's doing for sure before we move on to next question if someone wants to learn more about intuitive eating, where should they go?
Speaker 1:yeah, so there's so many. There's um, there's two, actually two authors, so they actually came up with the intuitive eating framework in 95 and it's evelyn trible and Elise Retsch and that's who I qualified with. So they've got an intuitive eating book. They've got a couple actually, and they're really good, so I can recommend those to you and also my website. I've got the intuitive eating principles there on my social media, particularly on Instagram. I share a lot of content and videos on there, so they can, they can go on there. Another thing I've got, actually my website, is a five-day free training which is like an introduction to intuitive eating. So that's another. There's lots of options you can choose, but there's a lot of there you can learn what's the website called?
Speaker 3:it's on your harkincom, so that's a-i-n-e-h-a-r-k-i-ncom okay, and we'll link that in the description perfect, thank you, yeah, there it is I think you said you wanted to move on to the next question, but one thing I wanted to ask as well is is there any any sort of guidance on the type of food that you should eat as well, or is it just a free-for-all?
Speaker 1:you can have whatever yeah, no, that's a really good question again.
Speaker 1:So there's 10 principles of intuitive eating and the 10th one is gentle nutrition, which is where we bring in nutritional guidance.
Speaker 1:But it's really important if you're coming off the back of any sort of restriction or dieting, it's really important to set that aside so you can really focus on building the positive relationship with food.
Speaker 1:So restriction isn't there, you've moved away from diet mentality, you're connecting to your hunger and fullness cues and then you can bring on nutritional guidance as, not as a oh, it's another diet to kind of latch on to more rules. It's really coming from, then, intuition, but with yeah, so with intuitive eating, when it comes to nutrition, we really do encourage a balanced, balanced diet and really moving away from any sort of restricting food groups, just making sure our body's in that balanced state all the time, because that's when it will perform best and, as I mentioned before, I mean our bodies do really respond well to kind of whole foods, you know, as close to its natural state as possible. But really making sure that you're flexible with this and life happens. If there's times when you do have to have processed foods or play foods you like to call them within chew to bc, then absolutely allow them to be part of it as well.
Speaker 2:So yeah, okay that makes sense um. Also another question I had is we pretty much everyone knows that. You know exercise is good for them and it will reduce so many of their medical problems like probably 90% that they're trying to basically find a quick short-term relief with exercise. You know prescriptions by doctors or other other means right, how like, although they know it's good, but so little like very little amount of people stay consistent with it or they find it extremely difficult to start working out. Yeah, how can someone make that journey easy?
Speaker 1:yeah, there's quite a few things that I would say to this, and let's say the first one I always encourage people to really start small. I think a big barrier for people can be that there's this thought that it needs I need to be a gym member, I need to go to the gym for an hour, certain amount, a few times a week, but actually that can be a barrier and movement and exercise can be anything like. It really can be anything. You can do it at your home, your living room. If you're away in the hotel room, it can be outdoors, indoors. So I think it's really simplifying movement and not kind of putting on this big pedestal that it has to be very structured and I need to work really hard every time I exercise. It's really allowing it to be a very natural kind of part of your life, so making movement much more natural, I think. Another reason is I think people can be safer.
Speaker 1:Like in January and New Year, people are always quite motivated, maybe to start exercising or whatever it might be, start eating more healthy, whatever it might be. But I think it's the motivation aspect and it's something I've learned personally as well. I think you might be so. January might's something I've learned personally as well, I think you might be. So January might be really good to motivate you to start moving. You might get a new pair of trainers.
Speaker 1:That's a good motivator, but it's practicing, I think, moving when you're not feeling motivated. And I think that's absolutely key because I found, for example, I love exercising in the morning, but when my alarm goes off at five o'clock I'm not feeling really motivated. But I think it's practicing the habit of moving when you're not feeling motivated. Cause then that's going to be so consistent, cause really I think I'm I'm a few times I might feel really motivated to exercise, but not not a lot of the time. So I think, if you can think right, if I, if I keep waiting to be motivated to exercise, I probably won't do it much. So it's just my like knowing that actually feeling motivated doesn't need to, doesn't need to stop you from moving your body.
Speaker 3:That makes sense. Yeah, and it won't be consistent as well, because, like you said, you won't always be motivated. And then when you're not motivated, you're just not going to do it.
Speaker 1:So if you learn to do it when you really don't want to, then nothing can really stop you it's so true and it can be such a long, long-term part of your life, then I think another key thing, you know it's really connecting to your why and the reason why you want to start moving your body and I really do.
Speaker 1:Although weight loss is such a common goal for people and can get people into movement as quick as I can, I try and move people away from using weight loss as a goal, because our weight does fluctuate, you know, and there's lots of reasons for that, and I think if you're using weight as a motivator, it can be very sporadic, and I've been definitely like this. Like on the weighing scales, one day I'm whatever it might be and well, okay, it's not worth it or very up and down. But I think if you can gradually just lean away from that and focus on so many benefits of movement that aren't related to appearance or a number on a scale, you're on to a winner. I think it's gonna be much more long term so you, I totally agree with that point.
Speaker 2:So I read this book called atomic habits, yes, it talked about two types of habit. What was the outcome based? And one's uh identity based yeah, I think so instead of being like, oh, I want to lose 10 kgs of you know weight or fat, instead of saying like, I want to be healthy, that is, I want to be a healthy person, I want to be an athlete. That is way more, because once you lose that 10 kg, then what? Then what?
Speaker 2:And I've noticed whenever I've had outcome-based goals, I get to the outcome and then I go back to my old ways. And that's what happens with the dieting thing, With the dieting in the past until I learned the hard way with carnivore diet, to stop my toxic relationship with food. In the past I would go on extreme diets. I would lose a lot of fat, but because I had restricted myself so much that when I would reach my weight goal then I was become a glutton again. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:And again, that's such a natural response from your body because it has been restricted, so it's like right, okay, we've been deprived of all these calories, these food groups we need to. We need to rectify this in some way.
Speaker 1:So it's yeah, it's very, very natural for your body to respond that way and, in fact, one of the big learning curves that I um found with intuitive eating is like oh god, great, my body's working well, that's so good. It's doing that because it's actually what it's supposed to be doing. It's supposed to give me a balance. It's supposed to be sending these cravings, because it's not. It's not getting what it needs. So I think that's a really good like learning, I think in it all.
Speaker 2:Yeah another question I had uh was about the fitness culture. We see on instagram unrealistic bodies, you know, even with the male uh influencers and fitness like massive biceps and they're not healthy. Just all steroids. They couldn't run for two minutes. What? What do you think about that?
Speaker 1:yeah. So from my background of really obviously believing in intuitive eating, having photoshop people in front of you, obviously very much visual, then that can very much disconnect you from eating intuitively. Because if you're it, obviously, and then people that are doing that, they often kind of say, oh, you should be eating this way, you should be doing this kind of thing. And again, if that's not right for you, if it's like I always say, no one, no plan or no diet plan can actually tell you how hungry or full you are or what food you want in that moment, and I think if you're so, if you're connecting to your intuition, but actually that's not what the plan says and it's not going to get you to that, whatever that vision is, then you might think, oh, it's not right, but you know, but it is, um, but you're right.
Speaker 1:And I think it can be very tricky, because I started dieting as a result of that thing. Like I was exposed to so many magazines photoshopped, this kind of thin ideal, that thin was like more successful, more healthy, more attractive. So I was like right, and then obviously, you know, we're exposed to so many diets every day and it's not going anywhere. So that's kind of that started my dieting journey. So really for me it was very, it was, it wasn't good, but then where I am today, it's actually led me to this. So I I think the journey has a, has a meaning really in a way. Do you know? Um, but yeah, very I think even to be aware that these images are photoshopped is is a really good starting point, because then you can kind of start to suppose, have a different perspective, do you know?
Speaker 2:yeah, and just because look people look good in their photoshop pictures doesn't mean they're actually experts on fitness advice or nutrition advice so true like I've. I listened to this guy who's who aesthetically looks good, but he encouraged, like the calorie, you know, bulk and then not bulking. Like bulking season and then cutting season, cutting season, man, that's one of the worst things I've done really it's horrible on the body.
Speaker 2:I bet it didn't feel good it's so yeah, it's like I feel horrible about myself, I'm stuffing myself unnecessarily, I get big and then I'm like, oh, and I have to lose all of this.
Speaker 1:Like yeah, and then it's again.
Speaker 2:Such an endless cycle just to? I don't know.
Speaker 1:I have two inch bigger biceps yeah feeling depressed yes, I know it can be, yeah, really, really challenging.
Speaker 1:And, as I was saying earlier about our natural set point weight, you know we've got this genetic set point weight that can be affected by, obviously, our um, our genetics, and then all of that's been, we're trying to change this and our body's like what is happening? I just want to be, I just want to be here. This is where I'm naturally wanting to be and it's like, like you know, it's funny, especially for I've noticed with women, like in different even you look back at the different generations sometimes it's like they want women to have, like the thigh gap, and then it's like, okay, now it's the big bum, and then it's like the thin waist, and it's like I always think, gosh, our bodies are like can I just, can I just be like where I want to be, rather than trying to be these different things? Do you know? So it's really, uh, yeah, I think it's really. As I say, awareness is key, because you can really get sucked into. It's very powerful, isn't it? It's everywhere.
Speaker 3:I think social media is so dangerous for young women. But, like you said, even before social media there were these things where women had to fit a particular body type. But do you think it in your profession? There's an increase now of people who are chasing the aesthetic, or are people more health conscious now?
Speaker 1:that's a good question. I think it's definitely still there and I don't think it's going anywhere. But at the same time, I do feel there's more of a health focus as well, like running alongside it, which is great. But, like I said, because it's everywhere, absolutely everywhere, I think it's very easy to get sucked in, especially that vulnerable age, that adolescence I mean, that's when I really was, that's when I started the journey, really, and it's a very vulnerable age, I think at that time. So I think it's still there, but I do think, yeah, it's really good that we're seeing a more health focus alongside it yeah, I think that's what I've seen as well, just from being on social media.
Speaker 3:Now, people are more like you said. There is still that I want a six-pack or for girls. They want a particular body as well. But there is now also more. I just want to be healthy too.
Speaker 1:I want to live a good life yeah, I think sometimes going on that cycle like I did, actually brings you to okay, I don't want that. So even sometimes going through it it can be really difficult, but it does bring you to a really, I suppose, positive place.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know, and I think people are now more aware of the wider benefits of health and exercise. Like people know, if you're physically healthy, in most cases you're more likely to be mentally healthy as well yeah, so. I think that's been a massive driving factor in getting more people to be like more active and not just care solely about how they look.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a really good point actually. And if I kind of sway back to the weight thing about not all kind of slim people in slimmer bodies are actually healthy, I mean, I wouldn't say when I was dieting although my body might've been slim, like I was probably at my unhealthiest I've been. So I think just using weight and vision as a okay, they're healthy, it can be really, yeah, really misleading. So I think that's really always important to know 100.
Speaker 2:I can relate to that too. When I was on carnival diet yeah, that was the best I looked right yeah but I would get on like a heavy bag boxing and I would be tired after two minutes I'm like I've got no performance. What? What is this all for?
Speaker 1:yeah, yes, yeah what's the point? So you're not feeling good about it it's interesting. Earlier we talked about you post that diet. So afterwards, how did you feel after having doing the carnivore diet, with your relationship with food and your body?
Speaker 2:I was like I'm not gonna go extreme again yeah, okay I'm just gonna listen to my body.
Speaker 2:I think naturally I became an intuitive eater. Yeah, that's when I went and heard this word. I was like this sounds very interesting. Yeah, where you just listen to your body, this is good for me, like, for example, currently I'm on keto diet, right, um, but again I'm open to other food. Like you told me to start having carbs before my boxing sessions and that has massively improved my performance, so it's not like I'm not all just keto diet now. This is my new religion and nothing else, so I don't even do that anymore yeah, like you know, sometimes I have a bit of rice you know things of that nature and flexible.
Speaker 2:Just listen to my body. I'm like, oh, you're getting too much, okay yeah, yeah, so it does help a lot and I think as long as I eat clean food, there's not. Even if you gain a cage, you here and there, it doesn't matter yeah, absolutely doesn't matter.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, for sure, yeah, yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 3:Okay, so you've been a personal trainer for a very long time. Yes, could you just tell us a little bit about that journey, uh, and what some of the challenges were coming up as a personal trainer?
Speaker 1:yeah, sure, yes. So yes, about 13 years now I've been a qualified personal trainer and in the fitness industry I would say I started on the gym floor. So I started working in a gym straight away, which was one, I think, the best experience, because I was exposed to so many different clients, so many different abilities. I think it's such a great place to start and I think one of the things I learned straight away and one of the biggest challenges, I think, is it depends how you're coming into it. But for me, I was working in a gym, so I was doing I suppose you could say, anti-social hours, six o'clock in the morning till one o'clock in the afternoon, or it might be like one till ten. So you're always doing that kind of morning evening shifts and then. So I was on the gym floor, but I was also building my one-to-one client base on the side. So there would be times where I'd be in for six, work till 1 30, do my own training and then work with one-to-one clients in the evening. So it quickly became very long days and there was one specific time where I definitely was very close to reaching burnout because I was there was yeah, the days were just so long I and because there weren't very social hours, I was kind of missing out on kind of social things that family and friends, and also building up my client base on the side. So I think that's one of the biggest challenges in a personal trainer, because you often as well you maybe work with lots of clients that are nine to five workers, so you're either doing first thing in the morning or in the evening or weekends. So it's really kind of building that balance in and I think what really helped me and I just suppose advise new personal trainers to do, is spend a bit of time first working with lots of different clients, lots of different goals, lots of different abilities.
Speaker 1:I think it's one of the best things to do before you even start thinking about like, say, if you're self-employed, website name message, I think really dedicating a bit of time to just working with lots of clients, because that's that's what I did, and then very quickly you start to learn, okay, they're the kind of clients I want to work with and then I think the experience is so good.
Speaker 1:Then it's both so positive for the trainer and for the client, because you're really working with who you want to work with and you can get the best results from and then, by doing that, then you can start to create your message, your site, all your content comes, and I think you know obviously a challenge for personal trainers can be showing how you're different to other personal trainers. But once you find your ideal client, your niche, it does become easier, because then you're just so focused on your yeah, on your space, your client, and your content or your messaging becomes really clear. So I think it's really worth doing that. Just, it can be busy, it can be quite challenging at the start, but really committing to yet working with as many people as you can just to find who you really are comfortable working with and can work best with really so, yeah, what are the biggest challenges that come with it?
Speaker 1:yeah. So I think, avoiding burnout. So I think it's trying to create the balance in your, in your life. So you're particularly for self-employed, so trying to find a schedule that works for you. You're working with your clients, the clients you want to work with, and creating that balance and with your own training as well, trying to maintain. That's quite a lot to think about.
Speaker 1:Uh, being self-employed too as a personal trainer, you obviously got to be open that your income won't be as predictable as, say, like a nine to five job.
Speaker 1:So it's being aware of that. Um, I think, although it's tricky at the start, I would always say, if you can maybe work part-time in a job and then maybe build your personal training business or client base on the side, because then you're not putting lots of pressure on yourself to make that be your main income stream. So it's almost like building that, if you can, at the start together and then eventually going full-time personal training. I think that's a good, a good way to kind of overcome that that challenge of income. And, yeah, and I think it can be like I mentioned before, I think it can be a challenge in that finding who you do want to work with and who is your niche. That can be quite tricky and sometimes you might swap and change, but I think if you really can get that, you really it becomes so much easier and it becomes really really enjoyable and then you're in. I think you're in in it for the for the long run. Then, yeah, once you get that kind of sweet spot between you and the trainer.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and how can someone be a good personal trainer?
Speaker 1:yeah, okay, I think there's a couple of things here. Um, I know so, suppose, when I worked on the gym floor, I think really, uh, being approachable, friendly, I think that's always goes goes a long way, particularly in the gym environment. But I think it's creating a safe, like non-judgmental space for people to exercising, because I think what I noticed and learned really quickly is that actually, say, hiring a trainer or starting exercise can be really a massive step for a lot of people and very daunting. So I think if you can really make it a safe space, not judging it in any way, it can really be a positive experience for the client.
Speaker 1:I think another thing is being able to adapt to your clients. I think it's so important because I think I've learned in the past. I may say, for example, planned out a specific session for the client that day the client comes in, they're exhausted, they might have been up all night with a child, or they've just had worked overtime, or they've got like a stiff back and I'm like right, that's not going to happen. Let's adapt, let's see what needs to work for you today. And another thing I've noticed as well is that I suppose people might see that working with a trainer. I need to. I'm going to work really hard every time.
Speaker 1:I have a personal trainer, but you know, again, this could this, I've noticed, can create a bit of a barrier too. So if you feel like you need to work really hard every time, but actually someday you think, oh god, I don't feel like it today, I always say, come in, let's, we'll do something, we'll adapt, we'll just really reduce the intensity. It might be we have a chat. Just being really really flexible, I think is so important because it's really focusing on the client experience all the time, rather than maybe what you think they should be doing. Yeah, it's a client led.
Speaker 3:As much as you can and then what makes someone a good client? What?
Speaker 1:good question. Yeah, I mean I suppose that like I suppose it focuses a bit more on my who I love working with and I think it's when I look at my, my clients. They're, all you know, really reliable, really friendly. I think I can call a lot of them my friends now. I mean like talk like it's all for guys, isn't it?
Speaker 1:I feel like part of the family, so you do really create that relationship and I think sometimes you, you know, as soon as you meet a client, you're like this is going to work well. It's almost like you don't even it's not something that's said, you can just feel that's a really good, positive connection. But, yeah, clients that I suppose it touches a little bit on the weight loss thing, because I'm really passionate about kind of guiding people away from it. I think if clients are open for me, if they're open to really seeing food and nutrition, movement as a long-term part of their life, so they really get that. I love working with clients like that. That's for me, yeah, so it's not like a very short-term fix, it's a real like long-term vision for them.
Speaker 2:That's, that's, that's for me what are some of like the challenges you face with clients that you know, let's say, if they're unrealistic goals, things of that nature, yeah how do you overcome it?
Speaker 1:yeah, I would bring it back to again. I definitely focus on why they're doing it. I've adapted, to be honest with you, um, with some clients that actually they might say, right, I can do one session a week, but they really do struggle even with that. So I just try and be as flexible as I can. I it might be like, right, I'm gonna do a couple of 10 minute recorded videos for you and send them to them and then they might get that in before the session, before their working day. So I think, just trying to, as much as I can, just work with their challenges and trying to be as flexible as I can. So I'd say that's, that's the biggest thing really. Um, and you know, coming from, I suppose, because I've been in the fitness industry for quite a long time now and being active myself and come across a lot of challenges myself in food and exercise and trying to fit things in I just try and really resonate with them and understand and kind of come from that, that point of view.
Speaker 3:Yeah, could you tell us a little bit about that fitness journey that you had with khashal's parents, as you mentioned before yeah, for sure, yeah so, yeah, torpokai was so.
Speaker 1:We were introduced. It's about 10 years ago now and yeah, so torpokai obviously came to me. She wants to improve her fitness levels. She did want to lose some weight, but she also had a really challenging back issue that was.
Speaker 1:She's also had osteoporosis yeah, that was really affecting her day-to-day life, um, so we really had to start slowly with top guy and it was very, very new to her, like she hadn't done any of that kind of exercise, uh, before. So we brought in her physio exercises into each session and we just took it so slowly, really made it really suit her, her time or availability, and gradually, once you start it, it doesn't take long for you to start to feel the benefits. And she was so patient and she. I'm really grateful for both Torpocai and Zeolone because it was so new for them, but they really trusted me in, like, what I was suggesting for them to do and they did everything I said and they're just so committed to it and I think that's it's been a real pleasure because they really are reaping the rewards now and it I think it really seems like it's such a long-term part of their life like this is this is they really get it, so that's a really lovely place to be.
Speaker 1:Um, so, yes, I've been working with Torpukai for 10 years and then Zudan's been, yeah, consistently now for the last year and he has absolutely got the exercising in between sessions absolutely spot on. So like we'll see him once a week and he, yeah, every other day he is like I know it's going to be done and you can. You can see that because every time, every week, I can just see he's getting fit and I was like there's no way he'd be getting that fit if he didn't do anything in between the sessions. It's lovely to see he's so committing and committed and really really seeing and feeling the benefits himself I've seen a massive difference in him his aura, the way he carries himself.
Speaker 2:He looks and feels 10 years younger, if not more. Yeah, he does.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know he.
Speaker 2:Recently he did one of those uh tests he lost five kg of fat and gained two kg of muscle. I know which is so impressive yeah, it's so good.
Speaker 1:I was saying earlier one of the best things. He just kind of said it to me in passing conversation, but it was probably about after six months, after he'd really committed to this and he'd been away, he traveled somewhere and I remember him coming back saying I felt so strong lifting my suitcases. And he just said it in passing and I was like that's so good, because it's it's just so nice to do something in your everyday life. Obviously, travel he'll be doing a lot to. That's what. I think. That's such a good, great motivator. That's what's going to keep you going, do you know?
Speaker 2:yeah, and just healthy living like as well longer life, healthy, the quality of life. Yeah, like my mom and my dad had a lot of like health issues before you know they were training with you consistently but, like you know, especially my dad as well, um, and I told him I was like 80 90 of your problems are literally caused because of bad diet and not working out and, honestly, like I barely see them getting ill now, which is incredible it's so good to see, isn't it?
Speaker 1:definitely, because I think what's come with that is, and what often happens, is, when you start moving, then you do naturally start to eat, you know, kind of more whole foods, more kind foods, more nutritious foods. So I think it kind of comes hand in hand almost naturally, without it being like I need to, you know.
Speaker 2:It's like you do a good workout. You don't want to ruin it with bad food now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like your body's like oh yeah, that's what I want. Just some good, yeah, nutritious foods. Yeah, yeah, Cool yeah.
Speaker 3:We spoke about a lot today. What do you think for the people watching if they could take one thing away from this podcast? What is the most important thing?
Speaker 1:they would say to them oh, there's so many, I'll try and narrow it down. Um, yeah, I think it comes back to my intuitive eating background, I suppose. But I think enjoyment is such a big factor in everything. So in food, are you enjoying the food? Is it satisfying you? If you're not, it's going to be quite tricky to maintain it. Are you enjoying movement? If you're not, that's going to be really hard to maintain it. So I think you know we all absolutely deserve to enjoy, enjoy life, and food and movement can absolutely be a part of that. It really doesn't have to feel like a punishment, a chore. It can absolutely be a really nice, positive, pleasurable part of your life. I think so yeah, I'm gonna go with enjoyment that's a good one.
Speaker 2:I'd be like sure I asked the last question yeah, it's such a morbid question you might have to change it. But we'll go for it. Um. What would you want written on your tombstone?
Speaker 1:oh, that's a really good question. So would this be like about me, or just like a quote, or?
Speaker 3:it would be mostly we say about you.
Speaker 1:But whatever you want, it comes with oh god, that is a really good question. I've never thought about this before, so just a quote on my tombstone um, I'm gonna go for something. I probably come back to a lot and it's everything happens for a reason. I think I'm gonna go for that because I feel like I I come back to that quite a bit in my day-to-day life, do you know, like if things don't go as you expected, I just think this is happening for a reason. There's a reason why this has come to me and it just helps me. Yeah, deal with it.
Speaker 3:So I think I'm gonna go for that thank you for joining us on the podcast and teaching us quite a lot. To be fair, it's a pleasure speaking to you, yeah you're more than welcome and thanks everyone for listening thank you for watching guys all the best.
