Author: Delna Pooniwala

“Slow progress is better than no progress”-Delna Pooniwala.

At times when we are on a vacation, or during the wedding festive seasons or yearend load at work our schedule goes completely for a toss & we are rather disheartened that our diet and workout has gone hey wired.

We know that prior to this phase, we had lost weight, were regular with the gym & diet too was going so fine & it’s all changed now.

Most of us just let go and wait for the entire phase to pass before getting back into a routine again. However, life always goes on in phases and the right approach would be adjust to the current phase with a positive approach.

So wherever you can, sneak some time to walk. It may be just 20 minutes in the morning & evening or stay on a clear soup & fruits for a single meal when you know you have a dinner to go to, or cut down on sugar in your tea.

Compensate rather than letting go of yourself so that you can maintain a slow progress with your regime.

“Your body hears everything that your mind says. So Be+Positive” – Delna Pooniwala.

If you have ever experienced kids in our household you may have dramatised a very rosy beautiful world to this child. We make children believe in fairytales & miracles. We teach them to do all the right things and speak only what is true. We show them an extremely optimistic approach to things & make them believe that the world is a wonderful place.

Our body is exactly like that little kid. It craves to do things, eat goodies, sleep longer, enjoy life and it is upto our mind to mother it right. Love your body and guide it to do the right things. Indulge it with pleasures at times & keep it well. Teach it to be active and energetic & consume heath rather than junk. Utilise mealtime as an opportunity to nourish your skin, eyes, nails, hair & bones. Nurture yourself inside out.

We need to be extremely positive in our approach and take tender care of our body which is the sarcophagus that you carry with us for an entire lifetime.

“Stop saying I wish & start saying I will”- Delna Pooniwala.

Most of us feel the grass is greener on the other side. We believe we may have been happier in a different pair of shoes. We are humans & it perfectly fine to have that feeling because if we don’t, we would never want to change things and improve.

I meet various people specially ladies who walk up to me and say “I wish I had a body like yours” or “I wish I had a waistline like yours” & some even say “You are so lucky”. Well, let me break your dear hearts by informing you that luck is not something that will side with you, if you do not work hard towards achieving something you want.

“We all get what we deserve” This is my simple motto in life. So if you want something you better go for it. Follow a holistic approach to slimming down. Eat sensibly; follow a workout regime with periodic checkpoints, set reminders & all you would find is success.

I see my clients follow my diet plan and workout routine like a bible and lose 8-10 kgs. Within 4-6 weeks. Some people have issues such as slipped disc & diabetes but they are true to their regime & see brilliant results.

So if you want something, don’t just sit and wish it- Get up and Do it.!!

“Some People dream about success, while others wake up & work hard at it.”- Delna Pooniwala.

We were all done with the New Year resolutions and some of us worked hard towards them while others enthusiastically tried & gave up or made justifying excuses.

There is no right & wrong in life. If you feel eating is heaven & a sedentary life is cool & if you feel chatting till 3:00 am and crunching your sleep to 4 hours each day is fine, then that is possibly the right thing for you because that lifestyle makes you happy. Finally we are never answerable to anyone except ourselves for our happiness.

However, there are some of us who despite having a fulltime job & a family, plan to work towards a dream. They wake up early & go for their gym or training session at 5:00 am, while others practice their singing. Some study further & I write for all of you who look forward to my posts every morning at 9.

We always end up doing what we want to in life. The choice is always with us & we are the only ones to judge if it makes us happy or not.

“Slow progress is better than no progress”-Delna Pooniwala.

At times when we are on a vacation, or during the wedding festive seasons or yearend load at work our schedule goes completely for a toss & we are rather disheartened that our diet and workout has gone hey wired.

We know that prior to this phase, we had lost weight, were regular with the gym & diet too was going so fine & it’s all changed now.
Most of us just let go and wait for the entire phase to pass before getting back into a routine again. However, life always goes on in phases and the right approach would be adjust to the current phase with a positive approach.

So wherever you can, sneak some time to walk. It may be just 20 minutes in the morning & evening or stay on a clear soup & fruits for a single meal when you know you have a dinner to go to, or cut down on sugar in your tea.

Compensate rather than letting go of yourself so that you can maintain a slow progress with your regime.

“Wishing all my friends a great Marathon completion.” – Delna Pooniwala.

By this time most of you may have completed your run & must be wrapped in some dry warm clothes to maintain your body temperature. I hope you enjoyed the entire experience.

It’s advisable to sip on a sports drink & fortify yourself with vitamins. Try staying on light foods initially like fruits and vegetables that would provide minerals & antioxidants to speed up your recovery. However, your muscles have depleated its reserves of glycogen and require to be replenished so maintain a diet rich in carbohydrates like pasta, whole grains, oats or any other slow to digest foods. It would be better to snack on smaller meals & electrolyte drinks throughout the day to replenish the body, rather than gorge on a huge one. A small stroll may also help in the muscle recovery.

It would be great if you could go for a massage as it may aid to relax your nerves & assist in a good rejuvenation nap.

Although most runners feel fine within 72 hours, it actually takes the body about 3 weeks to recover. During this period it would be advisable not to work out at normal intensity, as the body is fatigued, muscles have broken down, joints are stressed and the body cells have completely down.

Be extremely careful about your body. Especially our calves, Achilles tendon, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors as they are all tight and stretching them cold could result in a muscle tear. This usually happens when runners resume their workout soon after an event, without resting and utilising ample recovery time. Give your body time to deeply and completely recover & do not get impatient and rush into a training session.

The Marathon was a truly great achievement & there would be many more. So sit back & enjoy this moment with your loved ones.

“Just 1 day to go for the Run” – Delna Pooniwala.

A day before the event, you should not stress too much. Take things easy and keep your running gear ready.

You must have already invested in a good cushioned pair of shoes without which you can expect lots of extra pains in your legs and lower back. Always wear shoes that you have run in them several times, so that you are not uncomfortable with them.

Wear simple running cling fit T shirt which is specifically designed to wick away moisture from your body. Perhaps a ‘Dri-Fit’ – They are comfortable, look good, and make you feel like a runner. A big mistake that people do is by wearing cotton clothes.

Short tights are a great way to prevent discomfort from legs rubbing together and can be worn under running shorts to prevent chafing. Don’t forget to apply a lubricant to your inner thighs and any possible friction area. It is advisable to wear a pair a pair of shorts with pockets over your tights & carry a few tissues.

Most of your body heat escapes through your head. So, if it’s warm, then you may be keeping in too much heat by wearing a cap. If you choose to wear one, make sure it is light. Perhaps buy a “Dri-Fit” hat. They are really thin and allow heat to escape.

In case you are unsure of the temperature, layers can always be removed during a run. If in doubt, go ahead and wear a long sleeve t-shirt over your running T-shirt. If you find it is too warm, you can simply take it off and tie it around your waist. Just use your own judgement here and remember to do what is comfortable to you & take advantage of the latest technologies in running gear.

“2 Days to go” – Delna Pooniwala.

Did you know that most runners know that they require to be well fulled before a Marathon. Surprisingly, most of them eat wrong foods or inappropriate quantities.

What is actually required are foods that are a great source of energy, since you would require it when you run 21 kms. or 42 kms. & hence you need to be ‘carbo-loaded’ properly. Its a pity when runners train so hard and then are not fulled with an energy booster.

When you are carb-loaded, the carbohydrates are stored as glycogen which is utilized by the body, along with the fat reserves. I often hear clients tell me that because their fat % is higher than athletic level, why they don’t depend on the body to just burn off the fat resources. However, fats are not as efficient because your body would have to work harder to convert it into fuel.

Since Marathons are early in the morning and some people may feel uneasy with certain foods, you can select from a wide range of carbohydrate sources. Oates, bread- butter-cheese, pancakes, boiled potatoes or idli. My personal recommendation is Bananas since they are a low-fiber choice. Whatever you do, do not go without a carbohydrate.

It’s not possible to completely fill your muscles with glycogen from just one meal, “which is why you should start 2 days before your race, so that the glycogen will accumulate in your muscles. At this point, 85 to 95 percent of your calories should come from carbohydrates. You should consume about four grams of carbohydrates for every pound of body weight (for a 150 pound runner that’s 600 grams—or 2,400 calories—of carbohydrates per day).

Mind you, when you are loaded, it would not help you run faster but the packed energy & power in you would help you sustain through the entire way.

“Preparing for the Marathon Day”- Delna Pooniwala.

There are mixed views about what participants should do hours before the Marathon. So here is a great routine for competitive runners.

Most runners understand the value of preparations before a race. On the evening before the run, it is advisable to go for a light short stroll in the open & stretch a little. This would de-stress you and fuel your mind and body with oxygen. Come home and take a hot shower to relax the muscles. Try and sleep early and wake up about 3 hours prior to your run since it takes several hours to get your body raise your body temperature and become fully awake and alert.

Fuel your body with a litre of water & then step out in the open and jog for about 10 minutes. This would warm the muscles & speeds oxygen to the muscles which improves muscle power. It would loosen your legs & mentally gets you in the outdoor running mode.

Once done, get into a shower & sooth your muscles with warm water. This would calm the nerves too. Always feed yourself & fuel up with a pre-workout meal to maintain your energy & glycogen levels.

Reach the venue 20 minutes before time, so that you get to position yourself closer to the starting line. Once you are there, focus on your breathing and stay composed & enjoy the run.

“Fresh Ingredients are better than Gourmet Masterpieces” – Delna Pooniwala.

Four essential categories for a healthy diet are whole grains, lean proteins, vegetables & fruits. The moment we deviate from this list, we step into the unhealthy category.

Products made from refined flour are definitely less healthy than grains. If you consume fatty meats instead of lean meat, you are going to consume unhealthy fats along with your protein. Processed foods too contain far more sugars, sodium nitrates & nitrites & unhealthy fats.

So try keeping you’re cooking and eating as simple as possible, with as many fresh resources as possible because although there is healthy gourmet food available, most of us develop a taste for the favourites which may be extremely tasty but less healthy.