In Your Shoes - Monika Gostic

Monday at FitFactory HQ

Mondays are my favourite!

It's the day when I get to sit down with a clear head and plan the week ahead. This Monday I am updating my calendars and scheduling 1-2-1 client calls. The calendar fills out quickly, so it's best to plan ahead.

I still work as a lecturer at the University of St Andrews, so I need to organise my days to fit in all my work and business obligations. The start of new semester means preparing new lectures, organising practical skills for laboratory and meeting with colleagues.

Being a scientist really helps my coaching as I understand human body and biological processes on a whole different level. My favourite part of the business is seeing my client's results - that moment, when they realise that healthy living isn't as difficult or unpleasant as they think.

This Monday, I am running a free January workout challenge. It's a great way to start a year full of fun and with clear intention. I can't wait to hop on zoom with my ladies and talk about their week ahead!

Taco Tuesday?

Today is all about FOOD! I loveeee food! 

People often think that as a nutrition coach, all I eat are salads and shakes haha! They could not be more wrong!

It's January, and a lot of people follow the veganuary trend. To be honest, I was quite sceptical about veganism - until I studied the science behind it! I realised that plant-based diet is indeed very beneficial to the human body. And when you know what you're doing, it's easy to get more than enough protein, healthy carbohydrates and fats into the system.

My family has started eating a lot more plant based meals over the past few months, and the difference in my muscle recovery, overall enegries and fat loss, is incredible!

So today I'm making tacos! I love them! It's one of those simple recipes, where you can just sir-fry all the veg, beans, legumes you have and pop them into a delicious crispy taco shell! YUM!

Besides eating, I am also spending a few hours on online networking events and meetings. But first - gym! I am preparing myself for the powerlifting competition in February, so a training routine is a must!

See you all tomorrow!

Wednesdays are for clients

I love a good routine. To be honest, the predictability of the day makes me feel in control. This way I do more and feel anxious. This is why I make sure everything is written in my calendar. 

The day starts with some gut-friendly drinks and foods, a great gym session and delicious post-workout recovery shake. I am picky about what I put into my body, so the fact these shakes are certified by Informed sport, assures me good quality nutrition at no expense of my health!

Obviously I'm feeling amazing after a morning like this, so I am super excited to meet up with my clients. Most of my meetings are on zoom, but I do like to meet face to face when possible!

Today I'm meeting my newest client who signed up for my 90 day nutrition coaching. We will be talking about sustainable and healthy fat loss together with examples of foods that promote extra calorie burning.

After the meeting, I'm planning on creating a lecture on Genetics of Development for a guest lecture I am presenting at the University of Nottingham. I love everything genetics related (probably why I have a DNA tattooed on my thigh!)

Evenings are for family! My daughter has a lot of hobbies, so I usually don't manage to see her until dinner time! Yesterday she had Karate (yes, she goes to Kanzen - we all love it there) and tomorrow she's up gymnastics! Today she only has an after school club, which means we get to play board games and giggle the night away!

See you all tomorrow

Training time

The beauty of being an academic is that I get to have a flexible schedule! Working from home has had ups and downs, but today I am taking advantage of this opportunity and spending the day In Edinburgh! 

My powerlifting coach is looking forward to torture me today! The competition in 3 weeks away, so we need to make sure I am able to perform as planned. I'll be driving down in the morning and spending half the day in his gym. However, if I'm already in Edinburgh, I need to take advantage of all the amazing restaurants! I'm planning on finding some delicious ramen place and load up on this gorgeous dish! Not only does it taste amazing, but the nutrients and preparation of ramen also make it anti-inflammatory, meaning eating it helps your gut to fight inflammation. 

I have some friends living in Edinburgh, so spending a day eating, networking and training sounds like a great deal! Who knows, maybe I'm going to finish it with some salsa dancing in the evening

Friday Fun

As usual, waking up, having a shake, popping to the gym and taking the shower! A great way to start the day!

Nooooow, I do have a few meetings at work, most importantly - coffee chat at 11 :) Okay, joke aside. Today is about preparing for the practical I am running next week. We are teaching students how to work with viruses. Very current topic, eh?

I am also making a home made pizza! We love creating out favourite foods, but with a healthy twist. Our pizza base contains extra fibre and extra protein, so it really help fuel and power the body! And for the toppings? Well, it depends! I'll be popping on chickpeas and various veggies for me, sweetcorn and tuna for the monkey and some spicey toppings for my partner. 

After work, I have a few client calls and then - salsa class! My daughter and I join Dundee salsa folks every Friday and attend the classes. We learn new steps and figures and have tons of fun dancing. This is a brilliant way to get some cardio into our system. I don't particularly enjoy endurance sports, so this way I make sure my body trains the heart too!

All danced out, time to recover! Saturdays are our busy days, so we need to get a good night's sleep!