MUScular bodies gym

We live in a world of food delivery apps and restaurants, perfectly complemented by fitness/nutrition apps and gyms. It’s almost like we are being setup to eat more, feel bad about it and then look for a way to burn all that food off. We happily say ‘please take my money’ to restaurants and fitness organizations alike.


Almost everyone we know has probably tried something to lose fat - this could be from finding the latest diet out online, a detox program or obsessive amounts of activity in a day or week. And chances are, it’s probably worked for a bunch of people.


Here is the truth - our bodies (and minds) have never been wired for short term results. While we think about transformations in the next 10 weeks and looking good at the next social event, our bodies are thinking about the next 10 years and living those years healthy. We've evolved over millions of years and our bodies have been designed to resist change. There is a ‘safe zone’ for each one of us physically and we will always try and stay in that zone unless we give ourselves time and a strong enough reason to get away from it.


This means that whenever fat loss happens, our bodies try and regain some or all of the fat lost. Depending on how much and how well we resist, the regain will happen over days, weeks, months or years.


Here is what we first need to accept and come to terms with - If we want to change anything in our bodies (like reverse your physical structure or a health condition) it will take months and/or years. Similarly, if we want to change anything in our minds (like change a habit or addiction), it will take months and/or years.


Stop thinking days and weeks. Sure, fat loss is possible in days and weeks. But progress will last only over months and years. Progress here doesn’t mean losing fat only. It also means health first, sustainable lifestyle changes, feeling good about ourselves and most importantly, enjoying our foods and lives.


And that, is the future of fat loss.

You need 1 to 2 grams of protein for every kilogram of bodyweight. 1 gram/kg if your goal is general health, 1.5 grams/kg if your goal is general fitness/strength maintenance and 2 grams/kg if your goal is performance improvement and/or muscle growth.

So if you weigh 70 kilos, you need between 70 and 140 grams of protein every day. How do you get this?

Here are the foods you need to eat along with their approximate protein content within parentheses.
- 2 to 3 whole eggs (15)
- 1 cup of milk (8)
- 1 cup of curd (8)
- 3 cups of mixed vegetables (15)
- 1 cup of beans or lentils (15)

This works out to about 60 grams of protein. Add to this the following.
- 150 grams of lean meat (30) OR
- 75 grams of paneer or other cheese (15)

And you end up with 90 grams of protein with meat or 75 grams of protein without meat. This is perfect for most of us looking for general health and fitness.

What if you're looking to improve performance or build muscle? Simply add in a scoop of whey protein before and after training. This will add another 50 grams of protein to your diet, resulting in a total of 125 to 140 grams of protein per day.

It really is this simple and this is pretty much all you need to know about getting sufficient protein. Would you like more such posts on practical nutrition? Hit "Like", "Share" and let us know.

As with sleep, activity and all things awesome, protein is something we need, but don’t get enough of. For general well being, building and repairing tissue, and maintaining muscle mass, you should eat at least 1 g of protein per kilogram of body-weight per day. Given this scenario, how does a vegetarian get enough protein in their diet?

Instead of breaking your head over numbers and macros, here’s a simple checklist of foods that should feature in your plate every day. Do pay attention to your portions though. These foods are dominant in starch or fats and are calorie dense. So, instead of eating too much of one food, try to get a little of all of them on a daily basis.

--> Daal - Sub a portion of your rice intake with lentils. Although they have a lot more starch than proteins ( approx 3:1 starch to protein ratio), 1 cup of dal does offer some protein, dietary fiber, iron and vitamin B6.

--> Full fat curd and paneer - These foods offer more fat than they do protein, and one has to watch the portions as they are very easy to overeat. Saying that, they do provide protein, calcium and Vit. B12.

--> Almonds and Walnuts - A source of good fats, magnesium and dietary fiber, with some amount of protein. Ensure that you stick to 10-15 nuts per day.

--> Whey protein - A convenient way for vegetarians to add protein to their diet. One scoop of whey offers anywhere between 20 - 23 g protein depending on the brand. Be mindful of the artificial sweeteners and additives that go in these! The simpler the label is to read, the better.

--> Eggs (only for those of you who eat eggs) - A serving of 2 large eggs offers ~12 g of protein, along with a significant amount of fats (the good kind!), Vit. D, Vit B12 and Choline. If you are looking for a low carb, high(er) fat option, look no further!

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Want more information on proteins for vegetarians?
'Like', or maybe even 'Love' this post, and 'Share' it with someone you know who could use some veggie protein in their life.
Because everyone should eat .

The concept of a gym has undergone drastic changes over the past decade. We've seen machines like treadmills, ellipticals and those lat pull downs filling up a traditional gym floor, and then there are the tools of today (which have been around for ages) - kettlebells, barbells, squat racks, ropes, tires etc. And then there's technology. A million fitness apps, calorie counting apps, step trackers and heart rate monitors etc. All of this aims to slice a piece of the billion dollar fitness industry in India.

You can literally choose any option from all of the above for yourself, IF you have one other very important tool in your arsenal - a qualified, level-headed and experienced coach. This we strongly believe is the cornerstone to success in your fitness journey.

Think about this. There is a difference between self-medication and going to a doctor when you are sick, right?

Why is your coach the most important part of your fitness journey?
- You need someone to watch you with a hawk eye when you are lifting weights. You need a qualified coach to tell you what works for you and what doesn't.
- While you can probably download a whole bunch of diets and workouts and string them together for yourself, a coach will do that and more in a meaningful, effective and maybe even in a fun manner so that you'll stick to doing it for a long time.
- A great coach will help you make sense of everything that's floating around in this big, bad world of fitness marketing. Yup, that's a thing.
- Nothing can replace the impact an awesome coach will have in your life. Not just in terms of results, but also in terms of trust, friendship and sometimes even life lessons.

So if you are still figuring out this fitness thing for yourself, just look for a knowledgable coach who truly cares instead of looking for a solution. You'll see that once you find that coach, the solution isn't too far away.

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Tell us about your favourite coach(es) in the comments section below. Tag your coach, and show them some love!

Photo credit: Rahul Sadagopan - Photographer

Nutrition recommendations during pregnancy can be overwhelming and a tad confusing to navigate - from the plethora of fruit juices that are suggested, to inclusion of ghee in every meal, and staying away from certain fruits like pineapple.

To top this, expectant mothers are frequently advised to ”eat for two.” Is there any truth to such statements?

Here, we lay out
- how much to eat during pregnancy
- the food groups essential for development of a healthy foetus
- foods that are best avoided

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Want to see more such infographics? 'Share' this post with an expectant mother or anyone who'd find this information useful, spread the good word!

It's not comfortable. It's not what everyone else does. And it's definitely not easy.

Waking up before the rooster crows. Showing up to train when you're mind is groggy with sleep and heavy with responsibilities. Ignoring the people around you who say hard work is not for you. Fighting the voices inside your head that ask you to take it easy. Or standing tall, staying focussed and redefining your limits. None of this is easy.

But if it were easy, everyone would do it.

If you're looking for easy, then strength training and progress are not for you. If you're looking for better, show up, do the work and walk out strong!

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(Photo: Shivani Ranganathan; Credit: Gayatri Nair)

"Better" is not easy. It requires doing things that make you uncomfortable. It needs you to go past your comfort zone. It involves focus and patience. And it definitely demands a truckload of hard work. And this is not unique just to fitness or health. It is the case with work and sport and everything else in life worth succeeding in.

At times, it gets monotonous, feels impossible and the thought of "easy" tempts. But you need to get your game face on. You need to stay strong. You need to go on.

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(Photo: Sawan Gupta; Credit: Gayatri Nair)

What is stopping your fat loss from happening? We know it is not a magic pill or solution you are missing (hopefully). We know what to do, for the most part. Let's look at another missing piece of the jigsaw today.

It is the little things that add up. As cliche as it is, little drops make up a mighty ocean. How do you think you got here (fat/unfit) in the first place? By slowly and steadily doing small things wrong daily, consistently for years and years. You did not go from a thin teen or 20-something to out-of-shape 30/40/50 year old in a week. Years and years of invisible acts got you here.

There's power to these small, little things. Walking up stairs every time, instead of the elevator. Choosing water instead of juice. Choosing to go on a walk instead of lounging on the couch. And a million such things.

It is not the one workout that you missed, that one cheat meal that you had last week. It is the hundred little things that you chose to go the easy way with.

So, do not dismiss these little habits. They add up! They lead to better decisions. See if you can add 1 thing to your life and do it for a month. Here are some ideas

1. chew slowly. chew more
2. take the stairs every time. Yes. Everytime.
3. floss
4. reduce 30 minutes of TV time, and make it a walk
5. have water instead of 'any other liquid'

One thing. One month. Do it!

Photo courtesy: Pablo Heimplatz via Unspash