FAQs and Myths with Our Coach Abhi

Having just embarked on your fitness journey, do you feel overwhelmed with the amount of information that you are bombarded with from everywhere? Do you also have some questions that aren’t satisfactorily answered by any of that info? Well, we had an expert answering all your questions.

SocialBoat hosted a Live session with Abhishek (@yourcoachabhi) to answer the most frequently asked diet and fitness-related questions. The questions were asked by people from the SocialBoat communities and SocialBoat’s audience. Read on to find beneficial information from the expert himself.

Best websites/apps to check on food calories

In a question asked by Parul, Abishek recommended two apps for checking food calories-

1. HealthifyMe- Best pick for Indians, since it has Indian meals such as palak paneer, matar paneer, etc.
2. My Fitness Pal- Here you can just scan the QR code and have all the options, instead of entering all the information one by one.

On motivation and mentally preparing yourself for a workout plan

Asked by Wendy and Vimal, here Abishek stressed the importance of the ‘why’.

“If your ‘why’ is centered around losing weight only, you might not go that far,”

Abhishek tells us at the gym he sees two major reasons for motivation- a break-up, or a doctor’s intervention. But if the why is channeled towards building a habit and nurturing it daily, one is more likely to stick through it.

A similar concern about staying motivated was expressed by Shivangi through her question for which Abhishek highlighted four important aspects-

1. Accountability- you have to have someone to be accountable to. Have someone to work out with or someone whom you are training under so that it is a team effort.
2. If motivation is taking a hit, your goal should be to reach the gym and not to perform anything, Because, it is such a cornerstone habit that you can wire your mind into thinking that so many things are getting influenced because of this habit- my posture, my diet, all of that.
3. “What gets measured, gets managed.” So start tracking, when you start to see results, you will feel good.
4. Cut out the clutter. Once you have found your source of information that you can rely on, you should commit to cutting out the clutter, even if algorithms keep bombarding you with information. Because so much information is just going to keep you in the knowledge-seeking instead of action-oriented mindset.

Abhishek also mentioned that he began withdrawing his motivation from a sense of feeling better about himself. And presently, he finds it in the beauty in exercise.

Protein intake, vegetarian options, and bean alternatives

Abhishek told his audience the importance of protein intake while being mindful of the vegetarian and vegan folks as well.

For vegetarian protein alternatives, he suggests paneer, beans, pumpkin seeds, soy, and soy-based products, tofu, broccoli, toned milk.

Shiela also asked for alternatives for beans for which he suggested hem seeds, fate-free paneer, or cottage cheese.

If there is also a case of lactose intolerance, soy and soy-based products can be a good alternative.

For gluten intolerance, Abhishek suggests millets like jowar and bajra, which he calls India’s gift to the rest of the world.

Abhiteg’s question was one of a very common concern among people who live away from home. It was about how one should fulfill their nutrition intake while consuming food prepared in the hostel mess.

“An induction cooker has come as a boon for people living in hostels. Start asking your parents for pocket money for protein because that is a requirement. If your mess has dal rice, pre-boil some soya and add it to your dal. Have paneer- raw or cooked.”

Amit asked about the intake of protein supplements and was told that one should consume them only if and when they don’t have access to a proper diet that is lacking in protein content.

Abhishek further said that one should avoid cheat meals as much as possible because they break the body’s rhythm. But if the working out is going better than planned, the one meal a week at most can be a “deserve meal.”

Workout fatigue and energy sources

Ravi asked about meals to eat before working out for feeling energetic and Abhisek suggested going for a banana, or any other fruit, with a cup of coffee made in lukewarm water.

About workout fatigue, brought up by Parth, Abhishek asks everyone to take extra care and monitor their sleeping schedule and pattern.

Diet myths

Two myths most common among Indians according to Abhishek are-

1. The fixation with lemon water. Although a great drink to start your day with, but the harm lies in the intention that after lemon water in the morning I can eat anything throughout the day.
2. Most of the urban dwellers have now started to incorporate this mindset that if I eat less, by default I’ll start losing weight. That is not at all true.

There is a lot of contradicting information out there, and it can be hard to tell what is correct. As a fitness expert, Abhishek has a lot to share, so hopefully, this blog post has been a big help for you. If you have a question about anything fitness or diet-related, please ask it in the comments section below.

You can check out the recorded live here and YourCoachAbhi's page here.

Stay tuned for more such opportunities to ask your questions to our experts.

For more such insights from fitness creators, visit SocialBoat.