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The Last Diet Podcast 🎙️
The Last Diet Podcast is for people who want to rebuild a strong, athletic body that supports their life — not consumes it.
We talk training, nutrition, structure, and identity for people in their 30s–50s who’ve been fit before and want a clear, sustainable way to perform well again in work, family, and life.
No extremes. No gimmicks. Just standards, structure, and long-term performance.
Welcome to the last diet podcast. The last podcast you'll ever need to create the last diet you ever need. I'm your host, Mike Finnegan. Let's dive in. Okay, team.
Speaker 1:We're back with another podcast, another episode, and I'm delighted to be with one of my clients, Ifa, on the other end of the call. So, Ifa, I'm gonna get stuck straight at this because I know it can be daunting enough. I mean, not that I end the call listening to me. I yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Ron. So you might just give a small bit of an instruction to yourself, Ifa. Just, like basically just like what you do and your interest and just small bits so we can just give people a little bit of context before we get into it.
Speaker 2:So I'm currently working in Grohaddon as a general nurse. I've only been there about a year and a half I would say From Cork of course. Have to get that in there.
Speaker 1:That's a big way though.
Speaker 2:And I have to get that in there. Ehm but living in Dublin at the moment unfortunately. I love it here. Ehm but yeah no I really started to enjoy going to the gym and everything in the past year or so. Quite like barstretting as well, but haven't really had much of a chance to do that.
Speaker 2:Up here, very extensive.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah. And chasing cows off. Forget chasing cows on the field.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Always. And I'm chasing cows at the weekend. Get my cardio in.
Speaker 1:Get the cardio in. No, that's perfect. And I love the fact that your story has lots of elements of the shift work, for example, of being a nurse. I just know a lot of people will relate to this because how that impacts the fitness side of things, the food side of things, living away from home and then traveling back up and down. Like all the things that you have gone through in the journey, I think a lot of people relate to.
Speaker 1:So I'm really, really excited to delve into the journey. So let's just start from the start if you would just like, I'd love to give just people a bit of context in terms of what you were struggling with before. So what was your biggest frustration when it came to fitness before and the things that you had tried before?
Speaker 2:I was kind of just very like I I've been working out for you know probably since I was 13 or 14. I was going to the gym. Not any like in anything extreme but you know that's kind of when it all starts when you start comparing yourself to other girls in school or when you first get Instagram or whatever. But then what was I saying?
Speaker 1:You were saying that you started you were in the gym when you were younger, so you got into it when you were younger?
Speaker 2:Yeah. What did you ask me? I forgot.
Speaker 1:Just basically, what was your biggest frustration before starting? Like, what were the things you tried in the past and like what was
Speaker 2:the black widow? It was pretty much just like I I just found it was always nutrition. I was always very on and off with exercise. I would I was either I wouldn't really go to the gym at home. It was more so workout classes and I could be really on with him for a good while.
Speaker 2:Like three or four classes a week. Very intense. Going for runs and everything. Or even when I got to college like me and my friends used to go. We could go five or six days in a row and we could go for like an hour or two hours each time which is crazy.
Speaker 2:Crazy. And then I could go you know I might not go again for a month. And then nutrition as well can be very like it could be very hot and cold. I'd be very good for a while. Very extreme.
Speaker 2:Like I know I was telling you that I did 75 hard last year. And I was actually thinking about it yesterday. Thinking about doing the call with you. And just thinking about the stuff that I did was just I will never do 75 hard again. Honestly.
Speaker 2:About that. I didn't even have my wadi and my water. Like I cut it all bread and everything. I used to do I know 75 pound is like two forty five minute workouts usually. I tailored it a bit because of shift work but I always did a forty five minute workout as well as a twelve hour shift.
Speaker 2:Is madness. I don't even know how I did that now. For seventy five days straight.
Speaker 1:It's it's it's.
Speaker 2:I used to come home and go for like a run or a walk. Whereas now I'm just like absolutely not and straight into bed.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah. Like it it's it's it's so interesting to hear this because there's so many people who relate to this as well. Felt this like, do you know a lot of people think before I joined this, just like, oh, I'm lazy. I can't stick to anything. I'm not just like, you're not lazy.
Speaker 1:Like, the the amount of stuff you were doing was madness, as you said, like how you even got through it. So you're not lazy, and you definitely aren't ill disciplined. It's just obviously what you were trying to do was so hard to achieve while living in a long way that it just became obviously as you said like this this this on off cycle. When it came to like the nutrition like was there anything you had tried in the past or was it just a case of like cutting foods out or what what was your kind of what was your go to?
Speaker 2:Yeah like I've I've done stuff several times. Like I've done so many things. I think I tried. I did do MyFitnessPal in the past but I think I looked up calories or something and I think it said suggested like 1,100 or 1,200 and I was trying to stick to that which is obviously you know miles away from what I'm on now. But it would just or I try completely cutting out all breads, all cereals, everything that you know you think is the problem and then just doing cardio all the time.
Speaker 2:Like I know you changed around my gym plan. But which is it sounded so much better now. I feel like I noticed much more of a difference. But before I was just doing all cardio machines like StairMaster. I thought they were the answer to everything.
Speaker 2:StairMaster, the row, I'd spend ages on the treadmill. Just so unrealistic. When I think about what I was doing in college, it was just
Speaker 1:It's crazy and like do you mind me asking you what what was driving you through that? Like I know you said like when when you started gym first maybe you got into Instagram and then comparing yourself like what was that literally just a I need to lose weight and this is what I I need to do to get there?
Speaker 2:Pretty much yeah. Like I was actually talking to my sister about this in the car and I was like it's just ridiculous. So many girls are like like the last time we were talking about how you know we don't need to change everything about ourselves and all this about preparing for the wedding. And we're like the last time that you even think you know when you were 10 or 11 you weren't thinking Jesus my arms look awful or like my legs are huge or I know this. Whereas now you're like gosh.
Speaker 2:I gave you some pictures from the head party. I was like ew not posting that anywhere. So it's still there obviously but and then some days you're like oh I look great but
Speaker 1:yeah. I think
Speaker 2:it's just I don't know. Comparing yourself to others or social media and everything and you're just like oh I want to look like her but I everyone is different anyway.
Speaker 1:Yeah and in your head then the only way to get there was by doing more exercise, more punishment, cutting out foods and then it just became kind of this like this spiral of like going really really hard and then falling off for a while and then feeling guilty and then trying it again and then feeling feeling worse yourself.
Speaker 2:Yeah it was the extremes I think like when I was thinking about seventy five hours after I finished I was able to do it for the seventy five and I definitely noticed there was a massive difference like there was going to be. I I was doing such you know extreme cardio and stuff. And I wasn't even really tracking my weight but I lost. I I did lose a good a good few KG but it's I wasn't having any like a cutout so much and then when I did finish it was like I was like oh Grant that's done now. And then you're just completely fell off the wagon basically.
Speaker 2:So that's when I saw your your page towards the end of the year. I saw it on one of the girls. Instagram's down home. I was like oh maybe I could do something like this. Maybe this will help them.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah. And Yeah we get into the journey. I love your journey, Yifa, in terms of going from that mindset and very, very locked in all in to actually the way you've been doing it. And for most people that come to me, I'm always very careful about it because I want people to actually do this differently because I know you can lose weight really quickly. I know there's loads of techniques we could do.
Speaker 1:I could throw so much at you right now and we could do that. And it would be a great before and after picture and it'd be a great like you'll feel good in the moment. But it's like in a year's time you'd be looking back and saying, oh god, it was just another thing I did. You know, was just another fad I was on and it just to me it's like life is so much more important than that. It's like how you live your life and how you actually feel about yourself doing it is important.
Speaker 1:And it's even interesting how you talk about, like, to having that conversation with your sister and like even maybe challenging that belief around I need to look a certain way and I need to be here before I'm accepted as opposed to actually just wanting to feel good because everyone, like you said, like everyone has that, like that sense of comparison. We all do that to some degree. But I feel for most people, it's just getting to a point where it's not taking over your life to the point where you're doing you're doing lots of lots of crazy things. Was there any moment that made you realise you have to change the way you're doing this?
Speaker 2:The way you're working out and stuff.
Speaker 1:Just the way you were doing in the past, like the extremes you were doing? Was there any moment where you realised you needed to do differently?
Speaker 2:I think I just knew it. It just wasn't sustainable. Like it wasn't. I would think that it was working for a while because you know when you feel like you notice the difference and you're but that was when you were being like quite extreme at food and I was cutting out everything like it just wasn't working. Like it it would work for a while for like maybe a week.
Speaker 2:Maybe two. But then I would go back into maybe there'd be a night out or something throughout the weekend. So then you just kind of the whole next week is written off or it's a Monday and you're like oh I'll start next week because what's the point of starting now? And then it was just the extremes, I think. It just wasn't sustainable at all.
Speaker 2:Yeah,
Speaker 1:100%. How do you find the whole shift worked in with that as well? Not now, as in before. How did you find, for example, 75 hard with exercise and then balancing that with shift work? I know that you got through it, but how are you even balancing things together?
Speaker 2:I was able to do it, but I think because my sister was actually asking me, she's only recently after starting into a healthcare degree as well and she was like how did you do like the workouts and stuff after twelve hour shifts? I think I was unable to do it because I knew as a grant that's finishing out the middle of March you know. There's an end you know there's an end in sight. Mhmm. Whereas I honestly don't I don't think I could ever do that again.
Speaker 2:Like the eating and stuff. I did bring like I I was eating decent food but I just cut out so much that I didn't even need to cut out. Yeah. Like dilution. Cut out dilute.
Speaker 1:It's actually funny you say that. I've been drinking my water without dilute over the last week and I actually used to have like flavour cretin and I just made I love drinking water with it and recently I ran out anyway and I haven't had it since and it's been so
Speaker 2:hard to drink the water.
Speaker 1:It's really so much harder. And it is it's mad, but like it is funny how we have this mindset of like perfectionism when it comes to, you know, of like nutritionists, that the loop is going to ruin everything. So, you know, don't do don't do that or like I can't eat this food because it's going to ruin everything and just don't do that. You know when you think about that and then you're trying to work a shift and you're trying to balance your social life and trying to do all these things and you can't even have a dilute it's like how how can we sustain that? You know, how can we keep it up?
Speaker 1:What do you is there anything that surprised you about the process we've been through? Because obviously you've never done it like this before. Everything was very kind of all on or all off before. Like, there anything that surprised you? And did you find it hard to kind of let yourself, like, I don't know, let yourself go a little bit in terms of doing it because of the fact that it wasn't as extreme?
Speaker 2:I'd say it's probably stuff in the gym because, you know, when you first saw gave me my gym plan and it was all like weights and stuff. I know I told you this before but anytime I used to never do weights like that in the gym because I already think I already didn't like my arms anyway and I was like oh God if I do weights like this now my shoulders, my arms are going get so bulky. That's just how I associate. I never did weights in the gym before. I saw it as the boys corner.
Speaker 2:And I would stay over on the other side with all the cardio because I thought that was you know the answer to everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah that's such a that's such a common thing. It's such a common thing if it's get bulky if I do it, so, like, I don't want I don't want to do it. And it's funny because I think I think that's something you really started to enjoy, you know, getting stronger in the gym and actually going there consistently. Did you out of interest, right, because your what I've what I've loved about your journey so far is, like, the enjoyment you were having with it. Because I know you used to do a lot of exercise in the past, and potentially you enjoyed it as well, but I I got, like, a real sense of I honestly had to pull back a bit with the stuff you were doing because you were doing a lot and I like, 'yeah don't have do that much' but you enjoyed it.
Speaker 1:So was exercise something you always enjoyed or was it just recently when you haven't put as much pressure on yourself for that?
Speaker 2:I feel like it's just something I've always done. I'm not not that I'm like massively active person but we if I was at home we'd usually go for like runs or something like that. No I'm not you know I'm not fast or anything but we would just do it. But I'd say it was more so I I probably do enjoy it more now whereas before I was just doing it just to get a result. Do you know?
Speaker 2:Whereas now I actually notice like I when I was at home all week I didn't have access to the gym. So now I came back a day earlier because I was like grand. I'll get a few gym sessions in then before I get to work. Cos you just notice I feel so out of routine when I'm not going and you just feel nicer when you go to the gym and I actually look forward to it whereas before I I would never look forward to going on the treadmill for half an hour or on the Stairmaster for forty minutes. I'd just be thinking about what results I could get from it.
Speaker 1:Yeah and is is that is that the big shift you think? Like is is that the big mindset shift you've had? It's not even that you're doing anything different as such. It's just how you're kind of maybe looking at it.
Speaker 2:I think so yeah. Like I just don't I don't approach exercise or gym the same now I think. Like I know you post all your podcasts and everything and your your Instagram posts I've always I'm always looking at and it definitely has made a difference. Like it's just such I don't know. It's just much more sustained but I was always doing it before.
Speaker 2:Obviously results helps. That's what I'm working towards now as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah absolutely.
Speaker 2:It's just a different different mindset towards that name.
Speaker 1:Yeah and and I I don't think you actually give yourself enough credit because you're like oh you said you're you're not that active a person but like don't think you realise how much you actually do. You do a lot of exercise. There's a point where at the start I was thinking, oh, do I need to pull it back from you? Because are you doing it to punish yourself? Not punish yourself, but to get the results faster as such?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It was only as we went through the journey I started to realise how much you actually were enjoying it and it was more of a mindset thing where you actually felt good in yourself just because you were exercising. Even the time you went to Italy was it when you did the run there?
Speaker 2:Yeah. My first run abroad.
Speaker 1:First run abroad. But again, it wasn't even like, oh, I need to lose weight or I need to keep weight out. It was more of you wanted to feel good and keep in some touch with the routine you had built. And that to me is everything of it because if you were to get results and keep them long term, it always has to be this kind of lifestyle shift where you're enjoying it. And again, you said you weren't an active person, but I would challenge you because you are an active person.
Speaker 1:You are quite active. And I suppose, giving yourself that kind of credit because sometimes we can convince ourselves we're not, or we have an identity wrapped around. We're not something, you know, I'm not an active person. I'm not a healthy person. And we can convince ourselves that even though you're doing all the things that would actually contradict that, actually you are a healthy person.
Speaker 1:You are you are a very, very active person. So just in terms of where you are right now, like, what what would you say you're proudest of so far since we started?
Speaker 2:Probably would be the like shift in mindset I think. I know I was saying to you about whatever self confidence and stuff. Know that's probably come it's probably come on a good bit I would say since I've started whatever last November. Obviously you know you have days where you're like oh gosh I nothing has changed. I'm still the same.
Speaker 2:Ehm but I definitely noticed like even my family were saying it at the weekend because we were all talking about you know we're really going to push on for the wedding now and they were like no like you could you Ifi you've really toned off energy my sister's having you know. She's only just after having a baby a few months ago so she really has the fear at the moment. But she's not like like the same as the rest of us. I was like Joanne you need to give yourself a break but I I never actually, I've never said that to myself. I know.
Speaker 2:But I was giving out to her for criticizing herself.
Speaker 1:I I that. And I love that you have sisters and you're talking about this stuff because as you said, like, there's such a toxic side of this as well, where there's other sisters somewhere else talking about the opposite. It's almost putting himself down and competing with each other to look a certain way. It's so nice that you're actually having these conversations because there's two sides to this. There is the losing the weight and getting fit side of it, there's also the self acceptance side as you said there.
Speaker 1:And I've seen a massive, massive change in you even since you started. In because there has been times where you've like, I don't doubt yourself, there's times where you may be like, I should be further along. I should do this and that. But then it's, taking a step back and realizing, well, I'm I'm quite happy. I'm proven.
Speaker 1:And, like, this is actually, like, easy. Like, I won't say it was, like, extremely easy, but it's it's it's very, very achievable for you within the life that that you have. And, of course, we're going to be pushing on for the for the wellness stuff, but it's like it's just not forgetting all the other stuff that you've achieved along the way and the consistency you've had along the way and and and stuff that as well. Has the improvement in fitness and like your general lifestyle? Has it had had an impact on any other area you'd to drink?
Speaker 2:I think so. Yeah. No. I I think I said this on one of my check ins. You just feel like you notice like even my skin has been I don't know is it because of what I was eating or my skin has been so much better for the past few.
Speaker 2:Now it was never too bad but you know you obviously get the odds breakout here and there but for the past few months it's been grand like it looks it just looks so much better and I just feel I'm not as tired anymore. Usually I could hit like a three or 04:00 slump or I'm like jeez I'd love a twenty minute nap now if I was at home. Whereas now I don't really feel that as much. I usually am. Like grand I'll get out for my walk now or something or it's sunny or I might go for a run or go for to the coffee shop or something like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Which is
Speaker 2:I think my new anyone else have definitely got them.
Speaker 1:Which is good going considering the shift work and and the changes in in in schedule. That that's really good. I I I love the the skin one is is such you know, it's something like people don't talk about, like just in terms of like your general health because I know we're always, again, as you said, because of Instagram, we're so driven by the aesthetics of it all. But like our energy levels, our health and just general mood and like it's so important because that's that's every day, you know, like an Instagram picture is fucking it's one picture and every couple of weeks or months, whatever. But actually, like feeling good in yourself day to day is massive.
Speaker 1:I'd love to talk a little bit about like how you've done this and how you've managed to balance the social life that you've had and the shift work specifically. Have you any tact or techniques or tactics that have helped you to stay consistent? Let's start with the shift work. Is there anything specifically that's helped you with with that side of things?
Speaker 2:The shift work has been difficult. Like, it well nights more so is is worse. Day shift isn't too bad because I usually have you know all my meals prepped and then I'll have dinner at home. But my shift is just so much more difficult. I was saying this to in my check ins this getting home and stuff I find quite hard because it's from it without traffic it's thirty five minutes but Dublin is trash so it takes a good hour and a half sometimes, sometimes longer.
Speaker 2:So I usually end up pulling into the shop to try and wake myself up. And I before I wouldn't even have noticed like before I started all of this I might have driven early to work and I would get maybe a cross onto the shop for breakfast and a coffee. And then this would be on a day shift or then on nights coming trying to come back from work. I would stop in the shop as well. I'm like grand.
Speaker 2:I'll try my wake myself up here now. I'll go into the shop and get some testosterone or something. And then you're like Jesus. How much was I eating in that? When I could have just brought stuff and I would be sitting in the car.
Speaker 2:I'm like why didn't I bring something with me that I could have just I could easily have made something at home and just brought it in the car and ate that. Or anything I just pulled over anyway but I used to just when you when you look back at what you were actually doing I was like God.
Speaker 1:Awareness yeah. Awareness of it so so so important because we just go through everything in autopilot especially when you're talking about like sleep because you're not getting sleepy, you're just going through the motions and obviously we're always going to be more tempted when we're sleep deprived. So would you say the big thing within that so is basically be more prepared and the structure because is that why the night shifts are that a little bit harder?
Speaker 2:Yeah I think so because especially when a lot of I don't know if people know a lot of hospitals get a lot of takeaways delivered at night time and it's usually not for the patients. It's usually for some nurses. Yeah. They were like oh are we going to take away tonight where is Last the last of the nights I did before my annual leave, they got to take away that night. Was like, no, I'm not having it.
Speaker 2:So I sat down with them and had I'd already brought in my Coke Zero from home and I had made a chicken curry as well. I was able to I still sat down with them, but I had I knew what I was eating. So it was much better.
Speaker 1:Yeah. But but but again, to to to peel back on the Nisha, like, you've also had nights where you've had the takeaway, you know?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:It hasn't been this extreme thing of like, you're on this plan now, so no, I'm not taking the takeaway where you're almost excluding yourself. It's it's it's just understanding, you know, you can you can do both. Obviously, there's trade offs to everything. There's if you have the takeaway, there's a trade off in terms of speed. If you don't have the takeaway, there's a trade off in terms of enjoyment maybe.
Speaker 1:Even just just, you know, sit down and and actually, eat what they're eating.
Speaker 2:Chicken bowl at 02:00 in the morning.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And that's the other side of thing. I'd like Eva, again, I don't know if I said this enough to you, but the fact that you're doing what you're doing with the night shifts is very, very impressive. Every anyone would struggle. Like, anyone, like myself included, with all the knowledge, with all the habits I have, anyone would struggle with that.
Speaker 1:It's it's it's the number one thing I always see. Like, because I we'll get to socialize in a second, but I usually see this more so with the weekends for people. It's like when they're drinking or when they're losing sleep at the weekend, it has a huge impact on the Sunday and then the Monday and the Tuesday because it's almost like you're getting jet lagged you're losing out in your sleep on weekends and you're trying to get back into rhythm Monday, Friday and then you're losing it again on the weekends and then obviously lack of sleep and then alcohol as well. It just turns to poor decisions, low energy and cravings obviously are a lot higher as well. So the night shift is a big thing and you probably don't give yourself enough credit.
Speaker 1:I've got a few clients that do shift work and everyone struggles with it. It's funny, sometimes psychologically it can be hard to say what day do I put these calories into? Yeah!
Speaker 2:But, like, if I enter the half one, do I still put it into Monday or will I put it on Tuesday?
Speaker 1:It's fine. It's actually Scott. That's actually so funny. I saw this morning if I was traveling about this week. Do I I got, like, we've got eight hours back.
Speaker 1:Do I actually get to eat more now or just, like, my body even really? But yeah look it it it is obviously it is obviously a big thing. Is there anything specifically you found that's helped you with NHS?
Speaker 2:It probably is. I know there's more so a recent thing. I've only gotten a bit better. My meal prep for an NHS because sometimes when you're in the middle of an NHS you're just absolutely not bothered to get up and cook anything. So I started to meal prep at the start.
Speaker 2:Usually I'm in for three nights most of the time so I meal prep at the start of the three nights rather than in between because it just doesn't work. Yeah. Just usually as retired I'm like oh I'll just have toast or because we do have a kitchen on the ward and all that's there is just basically. It's just biscuits and bread. That's all.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's what you're about having or like or there's also unfortunately a vending machine outside the door so you might there's potatoes in there which I think they should just take away. Yeah. 02:00 in the morning. Usually a bag of potatoes or something like that. It's looking very tempting.
Speaker 1:Well that's isn't ironic as well like sometimes. Of course. I I think when you're in the night shift and you're hungry and your craving is like, you know, you don't care. Like, you don't care about your plan in that moment. You don't care.
Speaker 1:Like, that's why like, I love even how you said that there. Like, you've prepped for three days because you're obviously like that's that's going be the time you're going to be like moments of weakness, like when you're when you're in it. So it's kind of like good headspace you is prep is preparing for like poor headspace you during that during that time. So giving yourself that that treat is and and even going through this journey, if it's like I said to you at the start, but like, we have to kind of figure this out as we go together because like the principles of weight loss and all that are very, very simple, but it's how we make that work for us then within the life we have that matters. So how do we actually create habits that are easy to stick to without giving up everything?
Speaker 1:So it's just finding the happy medium. So obviously, it's taking you a while to kind of figure that out in terms of what works for you for the niches, but it's a life skill that you can take on, you know, with you now going forward again. And it's just understanding how to how to stay consistent. With the weekends, I know we talked a little bit about this before we before we went live. Like, how do you find them, and is there anything that's helped with them?
Speaker 2:I'd say it probably is just planning ahead again like I know I was saying when you're away from your own environment I'm not I'm not as inclined to maybe bring food with me or say I'll go to the shop and I'll make something here because you're not in your own house or somewhere else. It's either going out like if I was gone at night out I would just decide not not to bother drink just because I did not because I'm on like trying to restrict myself or I just don't want to. I'm not a massive drinker anyway normally I would only have maybe two or three if I was drinking. And I just think it's not worth it really. Cos I wanted to just drink it basically because we're in Ireland you know and everyone's like oh why aren't you drinking?
Speaker 2:What's wrong with you? But yeah that and I think I don't know. The weekends you're just always if I'm off you're nearly always doing something or like oh will we go out for lunch or will we go go out for dinner or something? When you could just make or a takeaway. I know everyone.
Speaker 2:A lot of people get takeaways at the weekends which I have done as well. But it's just so much easier to be able to make it yourself when I am able to do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And like, know we've talked a little bit about this as well, Yifa, but it's like, it's just finding that sweet spot in terms of like, not every weekend has to be like cook everything yourself and be perfect on the calories, but also not every weekend has to be the takeaway and the meal out and stuff like that. Just sometimes it's just understanding how to balance some things. Like if you want more progress, obviously cooking your own foods and tracking things more accurately is going to help. But then we also have to factor in that you want to keep some form of social life because if you don't, you're going to find the rest of the week really hard.
Speaker 1:Like, you're at night shifts, you're working long hours. It's like, well, if you don't have any outlet at all, that can equally be as hard because it's it's funny, right? Well, it's not that funny, but I had a I had a client before who was actually on shift work as well. And I remember when we started, she cut out everything at the weekend. So no takeaways, no going out, basically no socializing, just cooking at home.
Speaker 1:And what ended up happening was she ended up emotionally eating a lot more during the week because she had no outlet at the weekend. So even though we like on paper, like oh yeah don't eat out the weekend or don't do these things, you think oh that's gonna be better surely for results but it's like not if it has an indirect impact on other things. It's just finding that sweet spot. And for you, I know I know, like, obviously, you're not a big drinker, but then it's it's as you talked about there, like eating at home versus eating in Dublin, going to your boyfriend's house as as opposed to having your own food. And that and that itself has its own problems because you don't want to cause a fuss or you don't want to be seen to be on a diet or that has its own issues.
Speaker 1:Has anything helped you with that? I know recently you've been trying to kind of maybe get on top of that a little bit more. Has anything helped you with that sort of things?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Have tried to recently. I have tried to focus in on the weekends because I do feel like I I feel I am quite generally I'm quite consistent during the week unless there's something on. Like usually I have planned for nearly Monday Monday to Thursday anyway at least. And then if I'm working Friday or whenever that's usually when a problem occurs because that's when you're somewhere else.
Speaker 2:Ehm I just kind of I yeah I know what you mean. You kind of try and go with the flow when you don't want be awkward because people are oh you know why are you doing this or why don't you let's just have a takeaway because everyone else is having a takeaway. And you could easily just go to the shop. But I have brought I've meal plans and stuff for the weekends. Recent more recently when I was going up there just to bring I suggested Deborah and can we just have you know can we make our own pizzas or like with wraps or something like that or we make our own spice bag and they're like, oh yeah, that might be nice or save a bit of money.
Speaker 2:That usually encourages people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Can I can I ask you? And I actually haven't even asked you this before. Like, do you think that you were going to flow in the past because you didn't want to have that awkward conversation? Or was it just a case of that's just always the way you used to do it and you didn't want to change it?
Speaker 2:Just, yeah, I think it's just awkward, especially if it was my I know I was saying that I changed off the dinner the dinners and stuff at home. Cos you know it's when it's your own family. You're like yeah something awkward just listen to what I'm saying. Yeah yeah. But when you're with someone else you know I'm obviously not going to say that to them.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:Think friends are gonna go with that when it's not my house or I don't you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah. The in laws is definitely a hard one. Like, 100%. Like, I find that myself all the time. And again, for the for the majority of time, it's not a big deal because, like, you know, you can get away with it.
Speaker 1:Like, it's like, I can I can just have what you're having, and I can just just make sure that I don't want to do with other things or whatever? So you can you can still get out. But the context is always like, are you trying to kind of speed up the fat loss? Are you trying to, like, just maintain or whatever? It can be harder.
Speaker 1:But as you say, like, with I do think it's always worth having conversations with the other people, like the people in your family, because because I know you said it's easier to talk to your family, some people don't find it easier. Like, they they still neglect that conversation with their partner or their their their parents or whatever. But it's funny when you actually do have the conversation, you realize that they don't care. Like, they're funny about it. As you said, you cook the dinner for them.
Speaker 1:They're like, oh, that's okay. Even suggesting to cook can be a good thing sometimes.
Speaker 2:Yeah. They're like jeez that's a nice difference from their own sponsors. That's what I'm telling you.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah. Exactly. And it's nice too because it's not like oh like fitness food or whatever. It's just nice food that you're you're cooking. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You're you're you're a control.
Speaker 2:They were surprised at how much I was actually filling and I'd say I put very little three quarters of plate was all like lettuce and I did like roast veg and men's meat and stuff. There was a very small section of like sweet potatoes in the corner. God they were like cheese and stuff then. Know. Wipe is right.
Speaker 1:100%. But that's something you've done again very well throughout this journey. It's like you haven't restricted yourself, you haven't cut everything out and you've been eating nice foods. I love seeing that because it's like, as you said, you know, hitting the category target is important because you're not cutting out 1,100. Like when you're in sixteen, seven hundred calories, like you can eat as soon as you can have good dinners.
Speaker 1:Obviously, it's just fine. And then what works for you within that Even it's been amazing. Thanks so much. And I love all the relatability, especially when it comes to ship work and weekends because I think that's where most people let them sit down. Just one last question, right?
Speaker 1:There is probably a lot of people listening to this now that are stuck in that like stop start cycle. They're probably going through a 75 hard at the moment and knowing that they're going to fall off or are doing doing something especially now because like summer's coming, you have the wedding in August, but other people probably have like a holiday or something. There's always that temptation to do something extreme. Like, what would be your biggest advice to them in order to just get started in something that they can actually stick to?
Speaker 2:I think everybody just goes through like all these different things that are advertised online. Like even on Instagram I the other day I saw how to lose 11 kilograms in two weeks. I was like what? How is that even possible? Like I was like that'd be great.
Speaker 2:How's how's that even work? I I think think I just got sick of going the ups and downs and then you know falling off the wagon back onto something else. Maybe 75 per hour it works for some people but I just honestly wouldn't I wouldn't advise it. I think it's so extreme. And this is just far more sustainable.
Speaker 2:It's just this is the most sustainable like fitness and diet wise that I've ever been. And that's probably since I was like 13 or 14.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It it all the workouts or classes that I've ever done. I've never been this consistent like since what December.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And you do you do feel a you do feel a massive difference with it. And other people notice as well. Which is a nice perk.
Speaker 1:Yeah. But it it it it funny if it because like sometimes we can we can separate the weight loss from the the consistency and the lifestyle stuff you've been you've been doing. Right? Because, obviously, they they they coincide with each other because you're like, one's motivating the other a bit. But it's like with seventy five Hire, for example, like, you don't actually create, like, lifestyle change.
Speaker 1:You're you're it's just the way that you're basically going for. But with other stuff, that's why I love that you said you're proud of yourself because you've been really, really consistent. Because it's been it's a long time to be doing this for six plus months, but actually still enjoying it is a credit to you and and the way the way you've done it. So I know, again, it's I've been people listen just probably are a bit more tuned into this really. The that, like, sustainability is is so so important.
Speaker 1:But the whole we get we get so misled by the whole, as you say, the the 11 kgs in two weeks. We get so misled because we often think in our head, oh, 11 kgs of it's going to be body fat. But like 11 kgs in two weeks is just water. It's probably like people probably cut that for for like boxing fights and weight loss and or just water loss and stuff like that. So it doesn't actually make you actually feel any better or look any better.
Speaker 1:It just it just puts it on the scales. But yeah, no, I that. And again, thanks for going through this because it's just so good to hear from someone that's actually in it as opposed to me just yapping on myself all time. Any closing thoughts or anything else you want to add?
Speaker 2:No, I don't think so. They should just when you see that Instagram post advertising something like you're advertising, just message back. Sign up. It'll be worth it.
Speaker 1:I'd go for it. No. No. Love it. Love it.
Speaker 1:Eva, thanks so much. Guys, if anyone has any questions about the anything we talked about or podcast or any specifically shift workers, I know a lot of you listen to this. If you have any questions that you want me to ask Eva, let me know because yeah, it's cool when someone's going through this and actually seeing the results and staying consistent with it because I actually don't even know what it's like. It's funny because I'm coaching you, but you're teaching me about this stuff as well. It's like, how do you do this?
Speaker 1:What's the best way to prep for for a night? It's just it's cool when you're open your eyes. So guys, thanks for listening. Appreciate it. And we'll chat you all soon.
Speaker 1:Thanks for tuning in to the latest episode of The Last Diet Podcast. If you want to inquire about how you can join the last diet lifestyle and find out more about our coaching, then the show notes below has a link to coaching inquiries. Just fill that out, and we'll be in contact as soon as possible. See you in the next one.