How Your Mindset Is Affecting Your Health

Caitlyn Davey • July 8, 2025

Before you consider going on a diet, and blitzing your food and nutrition, you need to take a step back and consider what you want out of it – why are you pushing yourself to diet and what your goals are. On episode 43 of the Rebuild Health and Fitness podcast, hosts and qualified nutritionists, James Batey and Sean Carroll discuss the importance of psychology when evaluating people’s attitude to food. Speaking on the podcast, Sean says part of the problem is clients looking at training and nutrition as punishment. He says: “People come to us because they think they need to punish themselves, to get to where they want to go to be happy. It’s never a place of punishment. We’ve seen it time and time again, it doesn’t work like that when you have that approach.” James says when clients come in, the first part that’s considered is the mindset: “You have to work around the psychology of someone – behaviour and lifestyle. The thing we deal with the most, even though we’re not psychologists is the psychology – and the way that people view food.” Firstly they look at your mindset, and then, changes to ‘low-hanging fruits’ the quick changes that can make a big impact – hydration, sleep and eating vegetables.“Everyone is trying to find the shortcuts around that. But you just need to eat your veggies and hydrate well. If you do that, you’re going to be in a much better place,” says Sean. James agrees: “We say nutrition is simple, but simple is not easy.” They also encourage clients to eat the things they love every day to break the association of emotion and food. Food is a stressor for people, and they eat when they’re stressed, which causes them to stress about what they’re eating. A study was conducted on women who were constantly dieting and reducing their calorie intakes and the data found that these women weren’t healthy. Sean says: “There are interesting studies around cognitive dieting restraint. There were studies done on middle aged women who’d been perpetually dieting their whole lives – and even though their energy intake was low, because they were in such stressed states, it massively affected their energy output. “So, they thought they were eating minimal to lose weight – but they just weren’t getting enough nutrients in to want to move, because being in a stressed state affects your digestion so you’re not absorbing the nutrients as well as you could, so you’re not getting the energy to be a good human.” James explains: “It’s about finding that balance between nutrients. We harp on about flexible dieting a lot – flexible dieting being pro-choice, you get to choose what you like.But I think people get the wrong idea, thinking that flexible dieting means you get to eat whatever you want, to make progress, and it’s just not. You have to eat good, nutritious food.” James says: “Good nutrition is about obtaining the right quantities, and the right amount of nutrients, to allow our body to function in the way it’s intended to. “The quality of our food will dictate the way that we feel, and the quantity will dictate our size. You can be losing weight but if you’re eating poor quality food, you’re going to feel poor.” Listen to the podcast below, or if you want help with your nutrition, get in touch with our team. Team@rebuildhealthandfitness.com.

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July 22, 2025
If you live in Wynnum or Capalaba , chances are you’ve seen a bootcamp in action — high-intensity sessions in parks, with lots of burpees, sprints, and shouting. While bootcamps can be a fun way to get sweaty, there’s a reason more people are choosing structured strength training instead. At Rebuild, we often meet people who’ve jumped from one bootcamp to another, chasing results they never quite achieve, or can’t maintain. Here’s why strength training, not bootcamp-style fitness, is the smarter long-term approach for your health and body. 1. Progress Over Punishment Bootcamps often focus on burning calories and pushing people to their limits every session. It feels intense — but it’s usually random. There’s no plan beyond “go hard”. Strength training is different. It’s measured, progressive, and adaptable . Whether you’re lifting a barbell or doing bodyweight movements, the goal is to build skill, strength, and confidence over time. You're not punished for where you're at — you're coached toward where you want to be. 2. Stronger Muscles = Better Results Cardio-heavy bootcamps might help you lose weight quickly, but they rarely help you build muscle, and muscle is the key to long-term fat loss, strength, and mobility . When you train with resistance (weights, bands, or bodyweight), your body becomes more efficient. You burn more calories at rest, move better, and feel more capable in everyday life. And unlike bootcamps, strength training actually preserves lean mass while you're in a calorie deficit — which matters if your goal is body composition, not just weight loss. 3. Individual Coaching Matters Most bootcamps have one instructor yelling instructions to a big group. There’s rarely time to check your technique, let alone adjust for injuries, experience, or confidence levels. At Rebuild, our group sessions are coach-led and purpose-built . We take time to teach proper form, scale movements to your ability, and track your progress. You're not just surviving a workout — you’re learning how to move better and train smarter. 4. It’s Not Just About Today’s Workout Bootcamps often lack structure. You show up, do something exhausting, and leave. There’s no continuity or long-term planning. Strength training follows a programmed approach , meaning each week builds on the last. You’ll have sessions designed to improve specific movements and outcomes — whether that’s lifting more weight, increasing core strength, or mastering your first pull-up. That structure keeps you consistent, motivated, and injury-free. 5. Sustainability Over Shock Tactics If you’re tired of the “go hard or go home” mentality, strength training is for you. It’s adaptable to all ages, bodies, and goals . You’ll get fitter, stronger, and more confident — without burning out or breaking down. Ready to train with purpose? If you're looking for something better than a bootcamp in Wynnum or Capalaba , join us at Rebuild. We coach real people — not fitness models — to get real results. 📍 Structured training 📍 Expert coaches 📍 Community that has your back You don’t need to be fit to start. You just need to start.
July 22, 2025
A lot of people have completed a marathon but how many people have collapsed at 40km?

Sometimes you do everything right, and shit still doesn’t go to plan.
 Last weekend I ran in the Gold Coast Marathon, my first ever marathon. I trained properly, my body felt relatively good (all things considered when preparing to run 42.2km), I carb-loaded, and my race day nutrition was dialled in.
 I was ready.
 We set off. Jess and the kids met me at different points on the course with signs, the atmosphere was great. I loved seeing the kids with their signs. Pacing felt on point. The first 21km? Easy. I felt great. Maybe I should’ve drunk more water, but I didn’t think too much of it at the time.
 At 25km, I felt slower, but pace wise I was still holding well. I’d kept telling myself throughout the day "The race starts at 30km." And let me tell you, it does.
 By 30km, the sun was out, and I was starting to struggle. My watch started glitching so I had no real idea of my splits. I thought I was slowing down a lot (turns out I wasn’t), but the effort to keep the same pace suddenly felt 10x harder.
 I hadn’t taken on enough water. Usually, I can get away with lower fluids. Not this time. Dehydration crept in. hard.
 At 35km I was in survival mode, one foot in front of the other, flicking between moments of pain and little short lived waves of “let’s go.” But by 39km I was delirious. I could see the finish line, I hit the 40km mark (where I thought enjoyment might return to finish), and I collapsed.
 I was gone. Scary stuff.
 The last few hundred metres were a complete blur. All I remember is the crowd, the medics, and about five paramedics suddenly around me. I was vomiting, shaking, confused, in and out of it. I had this overwhelming, indescribable feeling, and honestly, for a moment, I thought I could die.
 My memory went. I couldn’t recall the day, the year, where I lived, or how to spell. I only knew who Jess and the kids were, and that I didn’t want them to see me with wires in me. 
 My temperature had hit 40°C. Blood pressure crashed. Thankfully, the medics and paramedics were incredible, I had a drip running into me within 10 to 15 minutes.
 As I already knew, I’m stubborn. I wanted to run it all. Not walk. Not stop and breathe and In hindsight, I should have. 
 Seems like my mind was just a bit stronger than my body on the day. I never thought I could push myself there in all honesty. 

Am I gutted? Of course, I was only 2km away but I gave it everything I had on that day. Heat stroke, exhaustion, and dehydration got me. 

I am always reminded here of the quote ‘The man in the arena’ look it up if you need. 
 Will I run 42.2km again? Yes, I feel I need to. 

Would I do things differently, now I’ve run 40km under race conditions? You bet, lessons learnt. Always lessons. Never be scared to not succeed. Be scared to never try in the first place. 
 We go again.
By Caitlyn Davey July 8, 2025
You Need To Earn The Right To Be Good At Something
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