You are what you eat...

You are what you eat is such an underrated phrase in my opinion. You hear it all the time but how often do you actually take into account what it means?

I will be honest when I heard that phrase I would think yeah if you eat unhealthy processed high fat foods continuously then you will feel awful, be overweight and generally feel like crap, flip side if you eat healthy well balanced diet you feel wonderful - am I right?

So lets rewind to last summer, around May time 2016. A rash starts appearing on my body, a really red, sore rash on my legs, under arms and side of my stomach, I didn't notice it much until it started getting really painful and really obvious! 

Now I have super sensitive skin, it has taken me ages to work out my skin care routine and get the balance so I don't break out, and now something has tipped the balance.
So I tried changing my deodorant, my washing powder, cleaning products used around the house, even down to my exercise trousers, and nothing changed! 

Fast forward to September, winter is on its way and I am about to change to winter breakfast - summer is eggs and toast, winter is porridge with almond milk. I also take out a morning coffee as I find the porridge to be really filling and can't manage a coffee as well. 
After a few weeks I notice some changes, I am less bloated and also my rash is looking a little less red not by much but it looks like it is clearing up. 

So I start to consider that the phrase you are what you eat might have more meaning to that I originally thought, now I think about it I don't even know why I didn't think that the food I am putting into my body would effect the outside, my diet was always 80% clean 20% dirty, so I didn't think think that my diet would ever effect my complexion. 

So I looked at everything in my diet that contained dairy and took it out. Cheese (crying), milk products, yogurts, butter, chocolate, pizza etc and started from scratch. 

Since then the rash has completely cleared up, I had a flare up over Christmas, further confirming that any dairy product is going to effect me, the way I feel and also my complexion. 

At first it was a bit of a pain if I am totally honest, sometimes I would eat things and immediately feel sick, bloat out to looking 6 months pregnant, or break out- so I knew that had to leave the food group. Now I read every ingredient before buying and consider what might be in the meal when I go out to eat. After a few weeks of food shopping I pretty much knew what I can and couldn't have in my daily diet. I am pretty regimented with my eating, always the same thing every day, makes macro counting easier as well! 

I also look for alternatives - so pizza is my ultimate food I love it, so now I look at the free from section and making things from scratch, home made pizza is actually way better and the difference is SO much better. 

The free from aisle is now my favourite section, for foods that contain dairy they have the alternative, the only thing that is really not the same is cheese. Free from cheese is awful, so now I just don't eat it all, it makes me so sad because I love cheese, one day my body will change its mind I am sure.... ;)

So if you are having a similar problem I would highly recommend looking into your diet and thinking more about what you eat. 
Keep a food diary and if you have any reactions from bloating, feeling sick to hives make a note of what you ate and also at what time, and how you felt that day. 


Looking for nutrition plans, advice or eating tips email us barbellasandbuns@gmail.com for more information! 

Being SMART about your goals

Can you believe 2016 is nearly over? Just 20 short days are left of this year, and now begins the time to make the goals for 2017.

But when making the goals we want to achieve do we look at what it takes to achieve them? I mean really look and plan them out, writing down I want to get fit and go to the gym is a start but what does this mean. When will you achieve this by, what level of fit do you want to be, when does this end? 

SMART is a great way to plan out your goals and layout exactly how your will be achieving them.

Lets look at an example to explain a little more -

S - specific - be specific about your goal what exactly is it going to be 
M - measurable - how are you going to measure this - if you want to lose weight you will measure by scales and a tape measure, if you want to get fit you measure by fitness tests or for example being able to walk upstairs without being out of breath
A - achievable - how are you going to achieve this - what changes are you going to make? join a gym, make better food choices, hire a personal trainer to help you 
R- realistic - 2 stone in a month is not realistic and running a 10k in a month when you have never run before is also not realistic. Loosing weight 1lb per week or training for a 10k over a series of months will be mean you are more likely to achieve these goals and not feel disheartened if you don't achieve them quickly. 
T- time, set a deadline. With a clear cut line of what you want to achieve this you will know what you are working towards and are more likely to stay on track. 


My goals for 2017 are to work on all the little skills I am missing - strict strength, gymnastics, building my aerobic capacity ready for 2018 and to go back to competing.
I also want to work more on my personal training and coaching, continually educating myself in the field of strength and conditioning and making sure that I can be the best there is! 

Achieving your goals

Happy March everyone! Can you believe it is March already? I feel like this year is zooming by already! 

So 3 months in, lets check on those new years resolutions... who is sticking to them and whose have ended up brushed under the carpet? 

If you are in the latter you are probably not alone! It isn't because your a failure or never going to achieve anything, it is simply because you set unrealistic goal or unrealistic time scales for you to achieve these. For example losing 1 stone in 1 month... if you want to keep it off and do it in a healthy way then no this is not a good time scale.

So lets reset it is only March there are 9 months left in the year for you to achieve your 2016 goals we just need to re-evaluate time scales and those goals you have set! 

Here are some tips for your to take into account:

• Look at the time scale you have set yourself - are these possible? If you set yourself a goal of 7lbs to loose in one week you will fail, I can tell you this because it just isn't possible and if you do loose it in one week then it will not long lasting and will be dangerous for your health. Aim for 1lb per week and if you achieve more great, but 1lb is alot and you should be proud of this loss! 
• Is your goal going to make you happy - you are working to this goal but what is it doing for you? Goals are selfish they are what you want to achieve so they should bring satisfaction - lifting a heavy weight, hitting that long awaited PB or wearing that swimsuit on holiday. If it is going to make you happy when you achieve it go for it, you will probably find that when you achieve it you will be hungry for more! That's how I feel when  I hit a PB once that goal is achieved I look for the next number to hit
• Work towards it every day - don't go in half assed, go for it and work your butt off to achieve it! Make a plan and stick to it! A fail to plan is a plan to fail 
• Set mini goals - if your ultimate goal is a big one set mini goals as check in points - every 6 weeks check in your mini goal and see if you have achieved it, over succeeded it or if there is still more work to be done, the beauty of a mini goal is that you can keep yourself on track and if you need to tweak some things you can make the changes and see the difference
• Don't get frustrated - if you don't achieve something right a way look at why you are failing - going back to the beauty of mini goals - look at what your doing wrong and fix it. for example I am working on toes to bar - I cant get the kick high enough so I worked on loosening my back and my lat strength as this is key is lasting is a continuous loop of toes to bar. Its frustrating that I am not there yet but I am working at all the small parts to make the bigger picture!

If you are looking to get back on track and want a personalised plan, please send me across an email with details and we can put something together for you! 

Mindful eat whilst abroad

In the summer I wrote about the build up to a holiday and remaining on track whilst your away - that was for a beach holiday, so what happens when your going on a city break that doesn't really involve the beach, wearing a bikini but does include layers of clothes, walking and covering up?

Well I would still keep on track is the simple answer. Weekend breaks or short holidays can sometimes be worse than longer holidays because you think ah its only a weekend it's ok, oh its only 5 days, but what happens after that, your off track, crap food has happened and your back to square one!

Ok maybe not square one but still it is a step back and even though rest days and cheat days are perfectly acceptable, if you want to achieve your goal mindful eating is key!

So how do we make this happen? You are going to be eating out most if not all nights if your staying in a hotel so just be careful what you chose when you eat, instead of having a 3 course meal just have a main, skip the bread starters, change the chips to potatoes or salad. All simple things that really add up!

Don't make the mistake of skipping meals and then eating a large dinner, keep your 3 meals a day with some snacks, especially if your out all day site seeing take healthy snacks with you to keep your energy levels high and the temptation for cake and chocolate at bay!

I always try to opt for a hotel with a gym or some kind of fitness suite so I can get at least an hour of activity in a day! Get up a bit earlier and get yourself moving you will thank yourself later in the day!


It is all about be sensible with your diet and not going to extremes! Treat yourself but make sure your don't go crazy!

Epsom Salts

I have been reading alot about epsom salts lately, so when I passed a bag for sale in a shop I thought why not give it a go!

So why have an epsom salt bath? Epsom salts have alot of health benefits from soothing aching muscles to drawing toxins from the body, so what better time to start than after a hard few training weeks and Christmas period?
Stress is prone to draining the body of magnesium - taking a bath is always relaxing anyway but the epsom salts contains magnesium so by bathing in epsom salts your body with absorb the salts and replenish the magnesium levels - magnesium helps produce a mood enhancing chemical called serotonin making you feel calm and relaxed.

Aching muscles after a workout? Take a bath! The combination of hot water and salts will help you and your muscles relax. Again the magnesium absorbed through the body helps regulate muscle and nerve function as well as helping flush the body of lactic acid which is built up during strenuous workouts.

Aching feet after a long? Soaking your feet for ten minutes in hot water and salts can really help improve circulation, relieve aches and pains and reduce inflammation. Perfect after a long day on your feet, after wearing heels or even after a long run!

There are also articles saying that it works as a clenser from being ingested - this is a different salt to the kind you put in your bath and also due to side effects it is recommended you check with the doctor first to make sure it is ok! I haven't tried this and wont - I tried a detox once and it had the worst effect on my body so never again!


I have only had two baths with epsom salts so far so really I don't have anything wise to offer yet as two baths is not enough to tell anything but time will tell!

Lately...

So lately life has been hectic! I have been away with work, handing in my notice at work and trying to get back on the wagon of exercising like a pro! 

The work trip was ok, I ran everyday but one which felt great and walked around 3-4 miles everyday, I ate pretty healthy with a few treats - the craving of a cheeseburger and chips got too much one night so I treated myself! I stayed clear of wine and again treated myself to a few cocktails on the last night coz hey why not! 
I got back and made sure I went straight to the gym the next day to make sure I got back into my routine straight away because there is nothing worse than getting out of it! 
I was admittedly exhausted after some seriously stressful months at work, but I pushed through, it wasn't until Wednesday when I was back at crossfit that I felt totally back on it and motivated again. 
It was a great feeling!  
Eating normal, healthy foods again and working out really makes a difference in how you feel! 

I am away travelling again this weekend, but this time it is a weekend break to Rome! I have a different mind set for holidays, here I will relax, eat in moderation what I want but not worry to much because hello Italian food is one of the best kind of foods! 

I am looking forward to having a straight set of about 8 weeks with no interruptions with exercise and my routine though, I know exercise isn't everything but I am really wanting to be competition ready for the new year and it means hard, dedicated work needs to take place!
I will have a few adjusting periods when I start my new job - I will be working shifts, one week early one week late, so I will need to make sure I adapt to my new hours and fit the training in. 

I am really excited about the next few months, I am feeling super positive and happy, something that hasn't been happening for a long time! 

I am working on introducing new features to the blog as well, so bare with me if I get a bit behind, I promise I am working on keeping it up to date!

On another note - I started my birthday yesterday just right with a nice personal best on the deadlift 95kg 2 rep max!

Working away and keeping up with your routine

I am away with work this week which means no gym, eating out, late nights, early mornings and very long days! It is easy to let your healthy lifestyle slip and this is where the sneaky pounds creep in! 

Sure it is only a week, but a week of drinking, lack of sleep and no exercise can leave you feeling sluggish and burnt out. 

So I am making sure that I am keeping up with at least some of the aspects to make sure that doesn't happen! 

With no gym you have to be inventive - outside workouts are key! A brisk walk in the morning can really help wake you up and make you ready for the day! Spending time with work colleagues is different to spending time with family or friends when you are away and this 15-30 mins of alone time can really help focus you and get your head together! 
Steer clear of excessive drinking - a glass of wine can often turn into a few and this is were the sneaky calories are hidden because they are liquid you are not as concious that you are consuming them! 
Stick to one glass if you really want, or stick to water. I always order water for the table anyway, so having this there can making less tempting to chug the wine. 
If you are eating out opt for healthier options and steer clear of desert! I know the chocolate brownies might be tempting but every night? Not needed! Keep it healthy all week then on your last night go for the brownies! 
Drink water! I have a 2 litre bottle at my desk that I drink all day, sometimes when your out and about it is easy to let it slip, make sure you have the bottle near you and that your keeping up the water intake, it will keep your hydrated, refreshed and vitalised.
Snacking! So I am at a trade show this week and we have lots of little snacks on the stand for clients throughout the day, sweets, mini chocolates, crisps etc... yes it is tempting! Stand clear of the snacks and if your tempted walk away! 
I distract myself by fixing something on the stand going for a walk or drinking some water! The snacks are the calories you forget to count! 

Enjoy your time away and don't make the gym your only thing in life, but as it is a work trip and not a holiday I don't take a break because it is my normal routine! 

Sweet Potato Wedges

I am obsessed with sweet potato fries at the moment, when I go out to eat if I am feeling like chips I opt for sweet potato fries if I can, so I decided to experiment and see if I could make my own version. 

Ingredients:

1x sweet potato - a large on cut into small chunks got me about 20 little wedges 
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Prep:

Wash the sweet potato and cut into small chunks 
Lay them out on a pan lined with tin foil 
Put the olive oil into a bowl along with the salt and pepper, then mix together
Coat each wedge in the mixture making sure it is covered all over
Put into a pre heated oven and leave to cook until dark brown

They were very tasty and a nice low calorie, good carb afternoon snack! 

They work well with several different types of meals especially home made burgers, chicken - in fact all meats! Just replace the potato or chips and add in these! 

Workout Wednesday - Swimming

I love swimming, I have swam pretty much since I was born, well been in the water since I was born I wasn't that advanced as a child! But I swam competitively for my school, every Tuesday I would swim after school for an hour earning badges in lengths, lifesaving etc and then when I left school I swam for fun, I swam on a Sunday after work to relax and keep myself healthy - I will be honest it was the only form of exercise I was doing because well I got lazy from  the age of 13 and gained weight, but always loved swimming, I am a water baby, I exercise on holiday anyway but also end up swimming some lengths in the pool.

So why swim?
It is low impact on your joints, so if you have injuries, or cannot do weight baring exercises for a long amount of time then swimming is the exercise for you. Water leaves you weightless so there is no stress on your joints when you exercise, hydrotherapy is often recommended to patients recovering from surgery as a way to exercise and build up their muscles but with no stress on the joints.

Full body- it is rare to find exercises that work the entire body, but this is one of them, whatever stroke you choose to do you will be working both upper and lower body muscles, it will help improve muscle tone because water is 12 times as dense as air and also provides a resistance you are constantly working against.

Mental health - like all exercise swimming releases that feel good hormone, making you feel less stressed, happier and all round pretty damm good about yourself. I also find the water to be peaceful, granted sometimes the swimming pool is hectic, but pick the right time to swim and it can be as relaxing as meditation. Outdoor swimming on holiday in the sunshine is one of the most relaxing things because of the sunshine and the peace and quite, I always feel better about myself after exercise but I feel peaceful and centred when I leave the pool.

I understand that if you feel self concious in the gym then maybe you think swimming isn't for you but lets talk about it for a second - I was swimming when I was a size 20 and 16 stone... the only part where people are going to see you is the short walk from the changing room to the pool, then you are in the water, but that is not the point, you are there for you and doing something that will benefit you, so for that short walk I want you to hold your head high, smile and not worry about a thing!

Happy swimming guys!

How to get the best results from your training

You train everyday, eat healthy, do everything you are supposed to do and yet you are not seeing results... does this sound familiar? You are not alone, we have all been there where we are doing everything we have been told to do and yet nothing! Frustrating isn't it! 

So lets have a look at what factors could be effecting your training and what you can do to make sure you can achieve your maximum potential. 

Eating 
If your goal is to lose weight then a calorie deficit needs to be made, but make the calories to low and your body will begin to hold on to the little food that your are putting into it. 
Your body needs energy and the energy comes from the food you are putting in, you can't expect a car to run on empty so why would your body?
I have recently upped my training routine, starting Crossfit and Olympic lifting, and for the first 2 weeks I was feeling so run down by the end of the week, so using My Fitness Pal I changed my stats to reflect the training I was doing now and the hours I am putting in and it turns out I was eating under than what I needed by about 1000 calories... no wonder I was feeling run down! So now I am enjoying eating more, feeling energetic and training harder!
Carbs are also key! They help with the healing process after exercise and also with your energy levels, don't fear carbs, embrace them! 

Training 
How long have you been doing your routine, is it the same old same old, used to it routine, doesn't really excite you? 
Then change it! I change my routine every 8-10 weeks to keep it fresh and make sure I don't hit an exercise slump. 
Even if you have the same routine change the days you do it to make sure that your body is kept active, it doesn't get used to what your doing and basically surprise it! 
If you are a cardio lover who doesn't enter the weight section then change this up and add in some resistant training to the routine, it won't make you bulky and will help tone and tighten your body and also continue to burn calories after your routine. 
The heavier you go the more effective the training is, but start and exercise safely to avoid injury! 
Equally if you spend all your time in the weights section and never do any cardio you might want to change this! We all need exercises to get our heart rate going and the blood pumping, 20 mins of HIIT 3 times a week will keep your heart in shape and also your body in shape! 

Sleeping 
Sleep is vital to getting the best out you, you cannot perform to your full potential when your run down and exhausted, trust me! 
I always make sure I go to bed about 9 on a week day as I get up at 5 so I try to make sure I get at least 8 hours sleep a night to make sure I am well rested for the day ahead,I am rubbish without sleep so early nights are a must! 
Weekend bedtimes are obviously a bit later... sometimes, but always making sure I get in 8-9 hours sleep. 
Rest days are also important to make sure your body recovers from the training you are doing. 
I am not a fan of rest days... but I am getting used to them, I use them to write my blog and study for my PT exam. 
I also use rest day as my cheat day - 1 cheat meal a week to reset my metabolism and also to make sure I dont deny myself of anything completely.  
You are more likely to stay on track with clean eating and training if you allow yourself a treat every now and again! 

So have a look at your programme and see the tweaks you can make to ensure your training to your best potential!

Know your body type

There are 3 types of body types Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph. Knowing your body type is key to helping you develop your workouts and making sure you are working to your best potential for your body. 

Type 1: Ectomorph 

• Typically skinny
• Small frame
• Lean muscle mass
• Doesn't gain weight easily
• Fast metabolism 
• Flat chest
• Small shoulders 

Workout types - short and intense and focus on big muscle groups.

Type 2: Mesomorph 

• Athletic and rectangle shape 
• Hard body with defined muscle 
• Naturally strong 
• Gains muscle easily 
• Gains fat easier than ectomorph
• Broad shoulders 

 Workout types - cardio and weight training, respond best to weight training, watch your calorie intake

Type 3: Endomorph

• Soft and round body 
• Typically short and stocky 
• Gains muscle easily 
• Gains fat easily 
• Finds it hard to lose fat
• Slow metabolism 
• Large shoulders 

Workout types - cardio and weight training and watch your calorie intake. 

You may read these at first and think that you don't fit into one specific type, but if you read into detail on which one you will workout exactly which category you fit into and it will help you with your training plan. 

For example I am an endomorph, I gain fat easily but I also gain muscle easily - my quads are an example of this!

Watching my calorie intake and tweaking my training really helps with keeping my body fat down and keeping my muscle gain up. 

Always work to your best potential in your workouts, challenge yourself everyday to see the changes and to make sure you don't hit a slump. 

The post holiday body - what happens now?

 

So you have been working hard for months getting your body 'bikini ready' you have the holiday and now is the time to relax, eat what you like, workout if you feel like it and all round relax and enjoy yourself, then you arrive home, look at the killer tan you have from holiday, but then notice the body you worked so hard for, well it is no longer there. 

First of all welcome to the holiday club, I had almost abs at the beginning of my holiday, now not so much, I am softer than I was 10 days, I haven't gained any weight but I am feeling out of shape, but you know what I had an awesome time away, add good food, worked out and relaxed, and now I am back I know I will clean up my eating, get back to my full workouts and get back to where I was in no time! 

I make an effort to workout on holiday not because I force myself but because I enjoy my workouts, I went lighter on the routine for the past 10 days, spending about 40 mins doing different weight exercises and 20 mins of cardio and abs each day to keep me active, I also swam alot during the day and we walked every where which is always an added bonus! 

As we were staying in an apartment we had the advantage of being able to cook our own meals and then eating out at different restaurants and picking exactly what we wanted to eat.

I love all inclusive but having this change meant I drank less, ate healthier and basically got to make my own choices - no chips! 

I ate pizza, bread and crisps and had ice cream of course, I think the gym helped balance it and some days I got bogged down with weight worries but then I took a step back, knowing it is only 10 days and that I am away to enjoy myself! 

So now it is back to the grind, I got straight back into my routine yesterday when I returned and cleaned up my eating, today was my first day back properly weight training - chest and back - but it felt so good! Yesterday was cardio and HIIT session, both felt awesome and I don't actually feel too bad, which was good! 

So if you are heading on holiday and unsure of eating and drinking my advice would be everything in moderation but also relax and enjoy yourself. You know you can sort it out the minute you get home, if you have the chance to workout then go for it 3 times a week just to get the body moving and trust me it will make you feel so much better! 

Happy summer holidays!

Post Holiday and ready to get back to the grind

 

Well hello there! 

I returned this morning from a wonderful 10 days away in the sun and I can honestly say I really feel SO much better for it! 

If you are feeling stressed, down or just a bit defeated I highly recommend getting away if you can, if not for a week or so just take a long weekend and you will really feel the benefits from it! 

I had a lot of time to think whilst I was away about my life and where it is going and I honestly feel more positive with the actions I am taking to improve my life and change myself for the better. 

First of all I took the plunge and have enrolled to take a diploma for working in the fitness industry... more to come later on, I have also signed up for 2 week trial at my local cross fit gym! 

I am really excited, I love the training I am doing but I need a goal and I have decided to give cross fit a try and see if I enjoy it, and then compete in the cross fit games. Basically my life is going to start revolving alot more around fitness, more so that it already does, and eventually my job will be part of the fitness industry as well! Yay, exciting. 

For the meantime whilst I am still working at my current job I am making sure I don't get to bogged down with work outside of work, and that my life and mind does not revolve around it when it is out of my control, I don't want to become obsessive and stressed like I did before, I just want to be good at what I do, and also have my life outside of work.

I also want to make sure I travel more, I love to travel and see new places so I am making sure that I do these things when I have money and am able to that I make sure I do it!

In the near future aka next few months, what are left of this year... eek! I am focusing on building my body to its best potential, studying hard, building this blog and working hard whilst at my actual job. 

I feel ready to take on the world again, which is an awesome feeling compared to 2 weeks ago. 

Dry Skin Brushing

I am off on holiday tomorrow so have been focusing on making sure I am feeling my best, including my skin, typically had a massive breakout this week, but I am hoping that 2 weeks of no make-up and realaxing will take care of that! 

But I have also been dry brushing my skin religiously every morning before I shower to reduce the cellulite and build up of fatty tissue around my thighs and on my hips, and I really believe this has been working for me. 

I can see a difference in my skin and it is defiantly less bumpy and looking ALOT better! 

The best thing about this little trick is the brush cost me £3 and that was it! I highly recommend buying once of these brushes and using it everyday, not only for cellulite, but also to help with dry skin, cell renewal and blood flow. 

Brush in the direction of the heart in long stokes, and counter clockwise on the stomach. Don't press to hard as the skin should not be red once you have finished! 

Take before and after pictures to see if it is working for you, but I promise after about 3 continuous weeks of doing this you will start to notice a difference!

Fasted Cardio and Clean eating - the results are in

So 6 weeks ago the fasted workouts and clean eating began, and the results are in.

The changes are subtle so I will be continuing after holiday but I am feeling good! I have lots about 1.5kg, gained muscle and gone down a dress size, and most importantly I feel pretty good about myself and also healthy eating and fasted workouts are no longer a chore, I am used to it and to be honest far more enjoying the healthy foods I am eating! 

 Week 1-3

 Week 4-6

Week 1-6

All taken at the same time each week, and even if the changes are not fully noticeable I can feel it with my clothing and the way I feel! 

I highly recommend the fasted workout and obviously the clean eating, I also upped my training going heavier on weights and more HIIT workouts. 

If you have any positive thoughts I would love to hear them, but keep the negatives ones to yourself ;) 

Eating out - to cheat or not to cheat!

Going out for dinner is one of my favourite things, good food is also one of my favourite things so when I go out for dinner I like to make the most of it! 

I used to use it as an excuse to eat loads of food, feel stuffed and basically crappy. 

Now I use it to eat good food, enjoy what I am eating - maybe have a small treat but know my limits. I am on a no cheat meal at the moment because of holiday so when I go out I choose the healthier options when I am eating out such as salads, a starter or a dessert - not both - and go from there.

Usually I would make this my cheat meal of the week so I would choose a burger with a bun or have a sweet instead of a starter. 

I have been out for dinner a lot lately with birthdays, evenings out etc I have tried to stay on track and opting for meals with side salads, no chips, and no desserts.

When I went out for my boyfriends birthday I chose the vegetarian option of a spring roll with sundried tomato, ratatouille and side salad and it was amazing! With a started of bread and houmas it was one of the most delicious meals I had eaten in ages, drinking water and a small amount of alchol I left the restaurant feel full, satisfied and did not touch a chip! 

I like opting for healthy foods not because I have to but because I want to! I don't like feeling overly stuffed and like I cant move for a few hours - I save those for my once every six months epic pizza cheat, when I am at home in my pjs - it was nice to enjoy my meal and still feel like I am on track to my goal! 

It is true that you don't have to be strict all the time and that once meal won't mess up your hard work but there are certain sacrifices you have to make to ensure you stay on track and meet your goal - if I have to give up chips and chocolate etc everyday then so be it because I have been working hard for so many years to get into shape and honestly I want abs god dammit!! 

Lift like a girl

I don't know why but I have become more and more sensitive to the phrase "like a girl" recently, it might because the blogs, women I follow on Instagram etc are highlighting being a strong, independent woman that I have taken on their mindset, the face I am comfortable in my own skin and also probably that I am training with boys and its all I hear!

The other day I over heard some guys talking in the gym and he said "come on, do it properly, your doing it like a girl" and then this morning a guy couldn't lift heavy and he said to his friend "eugh I feel so girly".

It frustrates me because well I could easily turn around to these guys and correct them as I can squat heavier than one and lift heavier than the other - I know this for a fact as I have seen them train!

But I don't obviously because are they going to care/listen - no of course not because they are already set in comparing weak performances to being "like a girl".

I feel that men like this fear strong women, I am lucky that my boyfriend was raised by a strong woman so he encourages me to be stronger and fearless - sometimes he does use the phrase like a girl and he gets a look ;) but he would never put me down because I was a girl, if I can't do something it is not determined by my gender it is determined by my own strength.

I posted this on Instagram for International Womens Day and also because it is my favourite image to show that doing things like a girl is NEVER a bad thing unless you make it a negative!

Working in male dominant industry (marine industry) and training with men 7 days a week really makes me want to stand up for women and represent us as the strong, independant women we all are!

If the men in your life can't encourage you to be this, ignore it and do it anyway - they will either accept the change or you know you are better off without them - I have known so many men who think strong women are out of control, or women who believe in womens rights are "lesbians" I don't have time for people like that when I want to build a brand that empowers women and encourages them to shine!

So friendly reminder on this Monday - lift like a girl, run like a girl, think like a girl and act like a girl, because you are awesome!

Change is always good!!

Lots of changes are going to be happening in the next few months!

One is going to be my training programe I am training for the great south run in October and now after a month and half off training I am back on it and feeling good! 

I am going to revamp the training programe making sure I am the strongest and fittest I have ever been! 

I will also be studying to qualify as a personal trainer and fitness instructor a life long ambition of mine, finally I can push to make my dream a reality! 

My boyfriend said something very interesting to me this weekend, he said if you treated every task like you do when you do squats you would smash everything you ever wanted to do.
Believe in yourself babe because you can do anything when you put your mind to it. 

So I am and I will!! 

                                 

Spicy Salsa Chicken

Sometimes you need a little spice in your life and food is a good way to do it! 

This spicy salsa chicken is a perfect light summers meal that can be made as mild or as spicy as you like! 

Serves 4 

Ingredients: 

• chicken breasts x4 
• Red pepper x2
• Spring Onion x5
• Mushrooms
• Chorizo
• Salsa sauce 
• Chopped tomatoes x1 tin 
• Nandos mild sauce 

Prep time - 10 minutes, cooking time - 30 minutes

• Chopped all veg into chunks and put into a pan with some cooking oil 
• Whilst the vegetables are cooking dice the chicken into chucks 
• Add the chicken to the mixture and cook through
• Once the chicken has cook through add in the chorizo and continue to stir until everything is cooked
• Add in the chopped tomatoes and salsa, stir the sauce into the meat and vegetables 
• Add in a few drops of Nandos sauce and stir into the mixture 
• Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavours to soak into the chicken 
• Serve with either pasta or rice 

It is a really simple recipe but so tasty and ideal for lunches or dinner. 

I have started cooking in bulk to this actually served as dinner and 2 lunches for me last week! 

The beauty of this meal is that it is versatile so you can add in different spices and favours depending on how hot or mild you like it! 

 

Time for tea!

Lets talk about tea for a second – tea is my favourite kind of drink, tea is relaxing, refreshing, warms you up if its chilly, and basically just an all round good drink.

What it doesn’t do it make you loose weight.

I have been seeing all these weight loss teas advertised lately on a lot of social media, and I will be honest at first it made me curious – could it really help you loose weight? So I tried it, I wont mentioned brands of course, but a friends of mine has been using it and said it worked really well for her friend… so why not, what’s the worst that can happen?

So I bought some tea and began the detox, I will be honest I was terrified of the first night as some one had said it gave them the runs for days!

But I woke up on the Friday, no dodgy tummy or anything phew, so I had my morning tea at work, went about my day again terrified the dreaded ‘runs’ would get me, even more worried as I was going out for dinner that night! But nothing.

In fact let me tell you, and sorry if this is too much information for you, but I had nothing for a few days! Yea nothing, that is NOT fun!

I also noticed my skin was looking awful! So spotty and this is unusual for me, I don’t have perfectly clear skin but I do pride myself on having nice skin most days of the month!

I also felt bloated – probably the side effect from not going to the toilet for a few days, but as far as detox goes I felt gross!

So I stopped drinking the tea – I lasted a week, I couldn’t even bare the taste for the full 14 days, thank goodness I only bought for 14 days worth, and I felt better switching back to my trusty peppermint tea or lemon and ginger.

So in conclusion the only tea I highly recommend is the herbal kind, my personal favourites are peppermint for after meals – this does reduce bloat, it settles my stomach, and is refreshing, lemon and ginger is a great early morning tea, light and refreshing with a slight ting to it, lemon water has become a new favourite of mine great for clearing the toxins out of your system and doing a cleanse.

So do yourself a favour, next time you see a model or celeb holding the tea saying how great it makes them feel you can almost put money on the fact they have been paid to say that and it has never past their lips!

Stick to clean eating, training hard and looking after yourself and the weight will take care of itself!