Although we’re already in the middle of summer, every single one of you would like to look well on the beach … women in tiny bikinis and men showing off their muscles just to attract the opposite sex. Why do we so often focus on our weight and diet only during this particular season? That’s true that outdoor physical activities during warm summer months are much more pleasant than the ones within the cool walls of your gym. The nature also offers us its abundance twice as much in summer, which aids following a healthy diet. Is being seasonally fit really what you want?
We should look at this problem holistically in the first place. By adopting a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet, a little bit more often than only in summer, we can certainly gain longer lasting and more satisfying results. You may believe me or not, but I have lost about 10 kg during a year. I’ve never been really fat, however I had some love handles here and there. I started from seasonal running, which helped me lose my weight. I also started eating less, which was caused more by my lifestyle than a desire to lose my extra weight itself. Unfortunately, losing your weight is not everything. During the whole process I forgot about the fact that my organism needs more valuable nutritional components and a balanced diet. That’s why, I’m happy to present you my today’s interviewee – Angelika – a dietitian who helps others professionally. I hope that this conversation will change your attitude towards the process of losing your weight, as well as gaining an ideal and healthy physical condition forever.
Passion Piece: Could you tell my readers a few words about yourself?
Angelika: My name is Angelika. I’m an engineer and I’ve got a degree in Commodity Science. I’ve recently graduated from the university and completed my graduate studies in Food Services and Nutrition, however the defense of my master’s thesis is still ahead of me. I got interested in nutrition a few years ago when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which means that I had some extra weight to lose. At the same time, when I got inspired by nutrition, I got also interested in a healthy lifestyle. I like experimenting in the kitchen to show people that diet foods can also be delicious. I’m no stranger to physical activity too. I really like fitness. I usually work out with Mel B. I’m convinced of the fact that more than one person would also appreciate the way in which she carries out her exercises.
Passion Piece: What inspired you to set up your blog?
Angelika: I started thinking about setting up my own blog when the scales were displaying the right numbers. At that time, I was just after my own weight reduction. In the meantime, I completed my course in Nutrition. I know how much work and effort one needs to lose as much as 3 kilograms. That’s why, I decided to show people that they can do that too.
In spite of the fact that there are lots of blogs related to healthy lifestyle on the market, I try to convince the readers of my blog that reducing diet isn’t as scary as they may think, and that they don’t really need to starve. I hope that at least one person has followed my advice on the blog.
Passion Piece: What’s the most difficult in making a decision to start slimming?
Angelika: Whether or not we can handle it and face this challenge. The process of slimming doesn’t really have to be so difficult, but you need lots of persistence. If you’ve got the right support from your close ones, you can certainly move the mountains. Being supported by another person or family is truly vital. They can motivate you to regulate your weight. Another important issue is to ask oneself a question ‘Am I able to lead a healthy lifestyle?’ Slimming itself usually lasts a few months. After this time you still need to exercise and follow a healthy lifestyle. It will be like that for the rest of your life. Not everyone can make such a tough decision.
Passion Piece: Are people willing to turn to professionals for help?
Angelika: I think that this fashion has started quite recently. Most people try to deal with this kind of problems on their own through reading some tips on the Internet. However when these methods don’t work out, and on the contrary, they have a harmful impact on someone’s organism, then people realize that they need to contact a specialist. I also think that there is a big group of people who are ashamed to admit that they need help. Specialists are for you to make use of their services. I can say from a dietitian’s point of view that quite a few people contact me just to ask for advice whether they can eat this or that, and if it can have a negative impact on their organism. All in all, sooner or later, they ask me to prepare a balanced menu for them.
Passion Piece: What kind of menu supports the right slimming process?
Angelika: Most of all it needs to be balanced and prepared for a given individual. The best thing is to contact a dietitian, who will explain you how a reducing menu should look like. Unfortunately, there are loads of menus on the Internet posted mostly by unknown authors. I believe they are not prepared by professional dietitians, but by people who follow a healthy diet. There is quite a big number of blogs which were set up by dietitians, in which they share free balanced menus for a healthy person. It’s worth making use of them.
Passion Piece: Can we prepare a balanced menu on our own?
Angelika: Of course. You should eat everything, but with moderation. You cannot eliminate any products with the exception for the ones your organism doesn’t tolerate or is allergic to etc. There are also numerous apps, which count the calories and nutrients you’ve consumed during the day. The examples of such apps are fitatu or calorie calculators. These applications really make your life easier and teach you how to create the right balanced menu for yourself.
Passion Piece: What besides the right diet should we take into account while trying to gain an ideal figure?
Angelika: There are lots of such factors like physical activity and sleep. These are the next two important issues during reducing your weight. Exercising will accelerate your metabolism, so the process of losing your extra weight will last shorter. Besides this, during physical activity your organism produces endorphins, which set you in a better mood. Of course, you should take up something you like, and not something you have to. The next factor, which I’ve already mentioned, is sleep. You need to sleep well. It’s best for you when you can sleep from 6 to 8 hours daily. When you lack sleep, you consume more calories during the day. It’s been scientifically proved.
Passion Piece: How can we avoid the yo-yo effect?
Angelika: You should eat, not starve. This is the key to success. When your organism undergoes the starvation diet, it starts burning glycogen in your muscles, and then your fatty tissue. That’s true that you can lose your extra weight while doing a starvation diet, however when you finish that process and you start eating regularly, you will get the yo-yo effect. It happens, because your organism doesn’t know whether it will have to undergo starvation diet again, and in this way it protects its body fat. The best solution to avoid the yo-yo effect is to introduce a balanced diet in your life. As I’ve already mentioned before, you should eat everything, but with moderation.
Passion Piece: Which of the metamorphoses was the most memorable for you?
Angelika: There were quite a few of them, but one of metamorphoses was the most memorable for me. I advised a man, who had high cholesterol and some extra weight. He lost only as many as 6 kilograms. That was just enough to lower the level of cholesterol, which wasn’t raised any longer. My patient felt really well and the doctor praised him for keeping his diet. The smile on his face made me feel that dietetics was something I wanted to deal with for sure.
Passion Piece: Have you got any other passions?
Angelika: Yes. Actually, quite a lot. I love zumba and fitness. I exercise at home, as it’s more convenient for me. However, I’ve signed up for fitness and zumba classes recently. The next great passion for me is cooking. I spend a few hours in the kitchen daily. I love experimenting with food. It’s quite useful in the profession of dietitians.
Passion Piece: Where do you see yourself in the nearest future?
Angelika: In my own clinic. For now I prepare personalized diets online, but I plan to start my own practice, to make it possible to see my patients in person. When I finally have my dreamed clinic, I’ll know it will be my most special place in the world, in which I’d like to spend most of my time.
Passion Piece: Which motto would you like to share with my readers?
Angelika: I always follow this motto ‘There’s not time like the present.’ So if you want to start a healthy diet, do it now, at any minute today, not tomorrow. Nevertheless, this motto didn’t help me only with that. My blog was set up in this way. While I was thinking of setting up my own blog, I was searching for the right online platform, which I could use to write my blog and I just created it. I knew that if I hadn’t done that then, I would have never decided to do it.
Passion Piece: Thank you very much for this interesting conversation and I hope that this interview will inspire many people to change their lifestyles on the ones, which will allow them to fully enjoy every minute of their lives without worrying about their health or extra weight.
Remember that your lifestyle has an enormous impact on the quality of your life, as well as its length. To live healthy you should remember about both the right balanced diet, which will supply your organism with necessary nutrients, and physical activity, which is essential for staying fit and reducing your extra weight. I hope that a healthy diet and regular exercising will become a passion for the rest of your life!
See you around!
Yours,
Passion Piece
Photos by Angelika Konkol
Website you should visit: www.rozsadneodchudzanie.blogspot.com
What a beautiful interview! And I definitely agree: it's never ok and good for our body to starve ourselves!!
Thank you! You're right we should never become too obsessed with our weight ... the right diet is the most important. :)
I agree having a good balanced diet where everything is in moderation, is very important, I majored in nutrition myself in college.
I think that moderation could be applied in many other spheres of life. At least as an educated person you know how to eat right! :)
My neurologist put me on the Ketogenic Diet and I am loving it. I am definitely healthier and thinking more about what I eat.
I've never tried the Ketogenic Diet ... I need to read more about that. :)
This was such a great interview. I should probably eat healthier, but I like my cookies too much. I just try to have a balance. But I'd never deny myself cake!
I eat sweets quite often too! I couldn't refrain from doing that for sure! :)
Such a great interview! I eat a pretty well-balanced diet, but I could really up my physical activity!
The physical activity is the key to success! :)
A writeup like this opens new ways of thinking for us. Keep doing amazing work.
Thank you very much for your kind words! :)
Very interesting interview. I have been losing weight by eating healthy but as soon as I go traveling, it comes back, as I don't keep the same lifestyle.
Yes, travelling makes it difficult to keep your diet, especially when you want to try some new things. :)
This is so great. Lots of amazing advice.
Thank you! ;)
I absolutely agree with her take on nutrition! Balance is so important to an overall healthy lifestyle
We shouldn't exaggerate in any way. Common sense is the key to success. :)
Thanks for sharing this informative conversation. I am determined to live a healthier lifestyle. I understand that starvation is not the proper way to lose weight.
Being determined is very important while trying to lose your weight! :)
Loving this interview! I believe balance is totally key.
You're right, the sooner we realize that the better. :)
Such a great interview. I agree that having a good and proper balance diet will help us stay healthy and lose our weights.
Thank you! We should never forget about that! :)
This is such a great interview. I agree with a lot of it. I know I can lose weight and get healthy, I just have to make it more of a priority.
Finding the right priorities is very important in life! :)
Great interview. I'm a fan of a balance diet, every time I try an specific diet I fail misserably. Knowing I can eat anything within reason helps me more.
I never try any specific diets, as I know I'm not persistant enough to follow them! :)
Balance diet and proper exercise looks you fit and sexy goals! I like the interview :)
Being fit makes you not only look better, but also feel much better. :)
It's true that losing weight isn"t all that matters. Health has to come first.
I couldn't agree more with you! We should never forget about that! :)
What great advice! Your diet has such a powerful effect on the way you live!
Right! The proper diet gives us more energy to live! :)
Such a great interview!
Thank you! :)
Thanks for sharing! This is so interesting and helpful!
I'm glad you find this interview helpful! :)
I really like her motto and I need to apply it into my life. I need to change my diet and eating habits so I can relate. A little love handle here and there.
I also love her motto and I should remember about it a little bit more often. :)
I wish I find my good balance ! I hate all kind of diet . well I hate the word "diet" ahah but I try to eat more healthy like less sugar more veggies :D Thanks for sharing !! :)
I also dislike the word 'diet', as it reminds me of resigning from the food I like. :)
I love what she said on moderation. It is so true. You can have all kinds of things in moderation but when you have too much it causes other problems. It's sad that her thyroid has caused problems though. When its wrong it affects so many different things.
Sometimes our organism makes it difficult to maintain the proper weight, but it's good to do whatever we can to stay healthy. :)
This is such a great post. I feel bad that her thyroids are causing problems like that. Thanks for sharing!
Health problems may make our lives difficult at times, but they may also make us more aware of certain matters ... like healthy diets. :)
Such an inspiring post ... it’s good to have a right plan for your diet when you want to lose some weight ???
Right! A good plan is the key to success! :)
Great interview! I love that saying there is no time like the present it is so true!!!!
Oh, definitely this saying is really true and we should apply it in our everyday life! :)
Great post! Love the idea of interviews!
Thank you! I also love this idea! :)
What a wonderful interview! I really like how you think and the thoughts and motivation in life!
I'm happy you enjoyed reading this interview! :)
Thank you so much for sharing this. Great advice!
Glad to hear that you find Angelika's advice helpful! :)
Thanks for all the tips.
You're welcome. :)
I am all about eating healthy and exercising but its not always fun. For example I can use a milkshake and fries right about now.
I can understand this pain ... but from time to time we can eat everything. :)
It is so inspiring that you decided to take a nutrition course. I hope you continue to see success in your healthy lifestyle and are able to keep your hypothyroidism under control.
I also hope she will continue her journey with nutrition and she will help others with their weight problems! :)