I got engaged! So I'm Shredding for the Wedding!

Today is my 2 week engage-aversary. That’s right; I got engaged to the most amazing guy ever. As they say he liked it, so he put a ring on it. That’s how I have now earned a new nickname of Feyonce Knowles. It was such an exciting and surprising day. Going to work that Monday I had no idea how much my life would change that day. He came to take me out for lunch and right in front of the beach he popped the question and some serious bling landed on my finger. Oh and of course I said YES!

How to walk after leg day

I’ve gone back to training with my personal trainer this week. I’m two days in and already I am so sore. I thought I was working out hard by myself but it turns out I probably wasn’t because going back to training has been such a shock the body.

I AM SORE! You know that kind of sore where you can barely walk down the stairs, going to the toilet requires more effort than the workout itself, you can’t cough for fear of breaking a rib and getting yourself dressed for the day is almost out of the question. That’s where I am at.

The emotional timeline of a 14 day dieter

Dieting isn't fun. Whoever you are, we all know you would prefer to be eating that cheesy pizza followed by cookies and cream icecream topped with caramel sauce and maybe a little nutella. Don't kid yourself by saying you would way rather eat a few pieces of lettuce with cherry tomatoes.
As much as I love eating clean and I do feel a whole lot better for it there are days where I just want to order that greasy burger and chow into the fries.

Eating clean and dieting takes a lot of self control. Theres those dreaded words... SELF CONTROL. It's hard. No one says its easy and it's not going to be. Those first 2 weeks are the hardest.

DAY ONE - SUPER MOTIVATED
Ok it's Monday - 2 weeks of eating clean. I can totally do this. Lunch and snacks are packed for the day this is easy. Hello brand new me in 2 weeks time!

DAY TWO - CONFIDENT
Woo! Look at me go! A whole 24 hours of eating clean and I didn't even slip up once. I already feel great, this must be how it feels to be a model. Geez I'm good at this whole healthy lifestyle thing. GO ME!

DAY THREE - CONFUSION
Why am I so hungry? Why didn't I pack extra snacks today? Why did I do this?

 

DAY FOUR - WTF
Seriously? I've only lost 500g. Is that a joke? I haven't had any carbs or sugar in 3 days and this is what I get?

DAY FIVE - PAIN
These headaches are hurting, I feel sick. Must....fight....cravings....

DAY SIX - CRAVING
Oh what I wouldn't do for a mars bar right now. And chips. I'll sell my soul to the devil for a tub of nutella I swear.

DAY SEVEN - RATIONALISATION
Ok it's Sunday. I've been good all week. I can go out with my friends for lunch and I'll only have one drink and order the grilled chicken with salad to make it ok. Oooh is that a free side of chips?

DAY EIGHT - HANGRY
Stay the eff away from me. I am carb-deprived and I want sugar. And if my colleague dares to say again how great her cheesy pasta bake leftovers are again I will punch her in the face. Seriously.

DAY NINE - PROGRESS
I've lost weight but I'm still hungry. Is that good or bad? I don't know how I am meant to be feel. I feel emotional, yes emotional.

DAY TEN - DISGUST
I've been going so great I decided to reward myself with some carb loaded meal. 10 minutes later. Oh god why did I eat that. I feel sick. I better keep it clean for the rest of the day. No more slipping up!

DAY ELEVEN - REDEDICATION
Ok so I slipped up yesterday. It's fine. I am back with my motivation for this celery and air diet. Gym sesh after work and I'll go to pump and then step class. I've got this.
I broke up with my meal plan for a minute but we are totally back together... Is this emotional eating?

 

DAY TWELVE - ACCOMPLISHED
Yeah, I've totally got this now. I swear my pants are feeling looser. Planks… yeah, I do ‘em. So what? Sixty seconds on your forearms, using nothing but your core strength and abs to support you? Kiddie stuff.

DAY THIRTEEN - EXCITED
Whoever said dieting was hard is seriously disturbed. I don't even feel like chocolate anymore.
OH EM GEE - Is that a baby two pack coming out? I've totally got abs.

DAY FOURTEEN - PROUD
I did it. Two weeks of eating clean (almost) and this is pretty much my lifestyle now. So this is what those clean eating health and fitness fanatics are going on about, I feel Awesome, with a capital 'A'. Hold on, giving myself a pat on the back. Whoa, Are those muscles I feel?

Indulge without the bulge - Healthy weekend pancakes

In celebration of the Gold Coast Show Day tomorrow and a long weekend I wanted to post my new favourite recipe of pancakes.

Who said you can’t eat pancakes while eating healthy?

I made these last weekend and I was a little sceptical of how they would turn out but they were so delicious and my only complaint was I didn’t make enough because I wanted more!

 

The continued quest to find my abs - Week 3,4 and 5 of the Kayla Itsines BBG

Wow what a crazy few weeks. Work has been busy punching numbers, I’ve had a couple of weekends away to Townsville and Melbourne and I started writing for a health and fitness website www.muuve.com. That was so exciting and I’m super stoked to be part of the team. You should check out the website and my articles. There are some great health and fitness tips and ways to keep you motivated. So when all this goes on in my life my blog gets put to the side a little. But here I am back with a vengeance and out to get those blog view stats up!

After a horrible time battling the flu, I then got tonsillitis and it all just robbed me of any spare bit of energy and motivation. It took a good few weeks to get over it and get back into doing any sort of exercise and the Kayla Itsines BBG. I haven’t been completely consistent and sticking to the 3 workouts on the right days but when life gets busy I fit it in where I can and I am still loving doing it.
Week 3 is a repeat of week 1 and again it was a struggle with getting my energy back up and going but I surprisingly could get through a little more than I had in week one. I could already feel those guns growing. Still not enjoying those jump squats on leg day but geeez they work your legs and your bum!

Rome wasn’t built in a day – Your body won’t change overnight

How are your winter workouts going to get that summer body?
I am hearing a lot from people how much they are struggling to keep going. Those chilly mornings are making it hard to get out of bed, the dark afternoons are letting you think you want to sit on the couch for the night rather than do a workout at home or at the gym but the biggest de-motivator I am hearing right now is they haven’t found the change they were hoping for.

One of the biggest things for failed motivation in a new eating and exercise plan is that all too often people think the change will happen overnight and they will get immediate results. Everyone would love to be able to just snap their fingers and get the body of their dreams, but unfortunately it doesn’t happen this way.

It takes time, it takes commitment and it takes a hell of a lot of motivation.

It’s cheat day – excuses we make so we can cheat on healthy eating

Starting a new diet is easy.  It’s Monday morning. For the first couple of hours you feel totally confident, you become motivated by the thought of how great you will look when bikini season comes around and how toned you will be. You are definitely keeping up the diet this time. No slacking off. It’s all protein and vegies from now on.
Precisely half an hour later, you are hungry. That apple you packed for morning tea just isn’t going to cut it. You worked out this morning so you basically have a couple of hundred “free calories” in which you can use for extra eating. You starting thinking about food, scrolling through instagram people are posting photos of their lunch and you want it all. You start thinking about that time when you read an article on how cheating on your diet is actually the best thing you can do, doesn’t it boost your metabolism? And this treat will definitely get you through the rest of the diet so it’s completely fine...

Oh the dilemmas! As we all know, dieting is hard, boring and sadly it’s often pointless and it doesn’t work. We always find ways to ‘cheat’ on our diets;

Flu season, another new obsession with Karissa Pukas and a new direction

You know winter is here when you start layering up the clothes, your fingers need defrosting every time you go outside and everyone starts coughing and spluttering around the office. Last year I managed to steer clear of getting the flu and I think I only had one of those sniffly colds that went away in a couple of days.
Well this week I have been struck down by the flu good and proper. You know those ones where it hits you and then all of sudden you feel so awful, you can't move, everything aches, breathing through your nose is not an option and it gets to the point where you can't imagine being healthy again and your destined for being stuck with the dreaded flu for the rest of your life. This is day 5 of laying in bed and I don't feel any better. I'm starting to get cabin fever, my box of tissues is slowly coming to an end and I have memorised every inch of my bedroom because I've been looking around it for far too long.

Week 2 - Still no abs but they are coming

Read about my week one review here

Well it was a crazy week. Despite some overtime at work for end of financial year I still managed to fit all my workouts in at the gym and the Kayla Itsines BBG plus a few pilates classes.

All I can say is this program really works! In 2 weeks I can already notice changes and I would say with the combined effort I’ve put in with weight training and pilates it’s really showing me some quick and positive results.

Summer bodies are made in the winter - Staying motivated in the colder months

The alarm beeps, its 5.30am, the sun isn’t up. You poke a leg out of the safe cosy cocoon of your bed, yep its cold. You would rather go back to sleep.
Those good intentions from last night where you promised yourself you would get up and smash out a good gym sesh practically goes out the window. It’s ok, you’ll go after work you tell yourself. 12 hours later, you leave the office bleary eyed, it’s dark and cold and you would rather have a hot date with your trackies and the couch than the treadmill. Sound familiar?

Those winter blues have kicked in, and before you start writing the season off as three months of exercise hibernation it’s important to remember that summer bodies are made in the winter! This is the perfect time to get yourself sorted and by the time spring rolls around and everyone hits panic mode because bikini season has started you are already well on your way to being a hot biscuit.

The quest to find my abs - Week 1 of the Kayla Itsines program

Well its been a huge week of exercise. Since getting my head back in the motivation game I've been upping the exercise and enjoying it like i used to.
I wrote out my own gym workouts including weights and resistance training, HIIT, the Kayla Itsines workouts and pilates. It's been busy fitting it all in with the craziness of work but I already feel so much better.

I have been obsessed with pilates lately and I like to do a simple routine most days plus 3 classes a week at the gym. The routines are only 15-20 minutes long but it's insane how much they work. I LOVE doing a quick leg and butt session and in just a few weeks I already feel like butt has changed. I'm getting a booty!

The quest to find my abs again and starting the Kayla Itsines workout plan

I decided I needed a kick up the bum to get motivated again. After getting some.. ahem.. enhancements and had to take some time off from exercising and I struggled to get back into working out. I had good intentions and I still went to the gym regularly but I wasn’t pushing myself like I used to. I wasn’t getting what I wanted out of the training (obviously, I wasn’t doing all the right things) so I became a little down about how I just didn’t look like I did a few months ago when I was smaller and a lot more toned.

Raw choc tahini/caramel slice

I am seriously obsessed with tahini. OBSESSED! I always buy the Mayvers brand because it's Australian made and organic and just so much better for you than the over processed brands.

Tahini is so great for you it's packed with powerful nutrients, essential vitamins and minerals plus 3 unique antioxidants that have been clinically proven to naturally lower the bad cholesterol which can lead to coronary heart disease. It's one of those good fats so get that stuff into you!

The things I’ve learnt about weight loss by watching how males do it

I’ve always wondered how some people can lose weight without having to count calories, cut sugar, cut carbs and workout like a maniac.

Since watching my boyfriend go about life and continue to lose weight after already losing 20kg and going to a gym where there is a dominance of males it’s become clear that men and woman are very different. Before you start calling me captain obvious, if you really look into it it’s clear that men take a very different approach to weight loss. They seem to be able to swap meals for protein rich foods without anxiety, self pity or any other emotional repercussions. They seem easy going and continue on with their day like not much has changed.
I started watching how they were doing it and some of their tips are worth a try!

The Great Cardio Myth

My biggest guess for you going for a run, swim or cycle would be because you want to lose some fat, reduce the muffin tops and shred those love handles. Wanting to lose fat motivates us to do cardio right? Wouldn’t it just rock your sweaty socks if I told you relying solely on cardio is a waste of time.

The truth is cardio (and when I say cardio I mean low intensity long monotonous activity) is not the answer to a guaranteed fat loss method.  Here’s why:

Dying to be thin – the things that shock me on instagram

If you went through the list of people I’m following on instagram you would see there are quite a lot of fitness pages (not surprising). Most posts are of fit looking girls, healthy ones that love eating clean and working out which I love to see and it keeps me motivated. But then there are some photos that are posted and it practically glorifies being incredibly skinny, having ribs on show and promoting that a thigh gap is the epitome of ‘fit’.

A quick search of #thinspiration and it’s filled with emaciated girls praising thinness and starvation. I found one post that literally said ‘’WAKING UP THINNER IS WORTH GOING TO BED HUNGRY’’.  It’s no wonder that there are millions of girls with eating disorders just dying to be thin. I constantly see photos of girls with the desired thigh gap and endless comments along the lines of ‘I’m a 13 year old girl, I am dieting and going to the gym everyday and I can’t get the thigh gap. PLEASE tell me how to get a thigh gap!!’ or ‘I wish I could look like you, you’re so skinny’.

People are vulnerable, especially those who are young, depressed about their weight or feel they just aren’t good enough. When did society make it ok to start generating a ‘’how to get a thigh gap ebook’’ and spreading word that you just aren’t good enough unless you have that bikini body?  
It’s promoted that in this life, being thin is the pinnacle of success. Being incredibly skinny does not make you healthy!

Shouldn’t healthy be defined by healthy eating, regular exercise, enjoying life, enjoying food in moderation and in general feeling and looking better?

Quitting sugar so far & the best brownies EVER!

So I’ve been sugar free for 8 days and it’s going good so far. I’ve hardly had any sugar cravings (I must have out-sugared myself that my body didn’t even want it anymore), I haven’t even had those horrible headaches you get from weening yourself off sugar. My skin is already feeling and looking better, I’ve started to sleep a bit better too and in general just feeling so much better.
How have you been going with cutting out sugar?

The last couple of months have been terrible for me eating wise. It was my birthday month in March which meant almost every weekend I was out doing something celebrating my birthday with different people and justifying every bit of cake, ice cream, chocolate with ‘It’s my birthday, it’s fine’. Then came Easter and I can honestly say I would have eaten close to my body weight in chocolate within 4 days. It was disgusting. I felt gross, my body was changing and I desperately wanted to get back my pre-sugar binge body that I had worked extra hard on. Now that it’s May I have completely cut the sugar and to ensure I stay on track I have made a bet with my mum that if I eat sugar during this month I will pay her $500. I don’t have $500 so one tiny bit of chocolate is going to be extremely expensive and almost bankrupting. Not worth it at all, let alone the damages to my body again.

Many people ask if when I say ‘I’m not eating sugar for at least a month’ if that means I’m not eating fruit and I guess I need to clarify that I’m cutting all those nasty refined sugars out of my life, not the natural sugars our body craves.
Refined sugars are found in those processed foods like chocolate, ice cream, white breads, baked goods and generally anything processed.

I am completely obsessed with finding sugar free recipes that are healthy and taste oh so delicious so I’ve been scouring the web for some great websites and recipes that will help get me through the month and hopefully even longer!

Lately I am loving these;

www.iquitsugar.com

I even got the I Quit Sugar for Life book from one of my best friends for my birthday and there are so many great recipes in there that are easy and simple to make.

 

 

www.sugarfreemum.com.au

I’ve been following her facebook, instagram and blog for a while now and I love every recipe she brings out. There are so many great ones and I’ve used a lot of them and changed them around to suit my needs and wants.

www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com

This is a newbie I’ve found and started following on instagram. LOVE! Can’t get enough of searching through the dessert section and I’m aiming to make them all!

 

Ok so now for the best bit. The most delicious chocolate brownies that are completely sugar, grain and dairy free but taste better than the naughty version and its completely guilt free!

Ingredients

¾ cup coconut flour¾ cup cocoa powder¾ cup melted coconut oil3 eggs1 cup rice malt syrup3 tsp vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 150*C

Mix together all ingredients till a batter is formed

Pour into a greased baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes

I topped mine with a thick frosting of melted coconut oil, cocoa and rice malt syrup.

Chill in the fridge till firm

The brownies will keep for a few days in the fridge (if they last that long and you haven’t eaten them all!)

 

Binging, my new resolution with breaking up with sugar and the tasty quinoa granola recipe

Easter has come and gone. My sugar high came and hasn’t left. I practically ate my body weight in chocolate over the weekend, not to mention the burgers, hot chips, cake and frozen yoghurt I also ate. It was a complete binge of a weekend and I was left feeling disgusting, bloated, couldn’t sleep properly and I don’t even want to look at bad food right now.

I was recovering from an operation and not exercising, craving something delicious and let’s face it caramello chocolate is so much more comforting that broccoli.

It’s almost like this time of year comfort eating is higher in demand and the vicious cycle is harder to kick. (Stay tuned for my next blog post on comfort eating)
It’s crazy what sugar does your body that I even re-read my earlier blog post on breaking up with sugar to make sure I instil in my brain how sugar is the enemy right now.  So from today Wednesday 23rd April I am breaking up with sugar again. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do and especially after going on such a crazy sugar binge, unfortunately going cold turkey on sugar isn’t the perfect answer to quitting sugar – the more you eat the more you want – so I’ve started from today to begin cutting it out so that by the time May 1 rolls around I am ready to kick the habit once again.

Have your cake and eat it too - paleo apple, coconut and cinnamon muffins

Everyone who knows me knows I have such a sweet tooth. I love chocolate and cakes and for me cutting those out to lead a healthier lifestyle has been a struggle. But seriously just because you're eating healthy doesn't mean you can't have a treat. And when I say treat I mean a healthy treat. It keeps me on track to stop me having such a blowout binge and I can indulge in my favourite foods without putting on the kilos!

I love looking at recipes of my favourite indulgences and changing the recipe around, swapping the bad for the good and realising what's going to work for me so I can enjoy a treat without the big guilt. It's all about making smart decisions to satisfy the sweet tooth.

I came across a recipe for apple, coconut and cinnamon muffins. Changing it around and after a few practice batches have managed to perfect my new favourite muffin.

Why does my healthy lifestyle offend you?

I’ve become increasingly aware of the far too many people around who are all too happy to give their opinion on someone who leads a very healthy lifestyle. They sit back in the comfort of their air-con, munching on chocolate and chips, laying on the couch for hours and telling us, the ones who got off our ass today, that we have a ridiculous obsession with working out and keeping healthy. Alllllrighty then...

Fat burning in a fasted state – Burn more fat in the morning

Morning workouts are extremely beneficial to fat burning and weight loss. We have all heard of these fat burning walks (FBW) but probably never really understood how exercising first thing in the morning is a whole lot better for you.

To put it as simply as possible our bodies preferred source of energy is glucose (carbs and sugar). Exercising of an afternoon or evening will most likely just burn off the food you have eaten that day rather than the body fat you are trying to shred. It will take you a much longer time to get to the point of fat burning. 

Over the day you have consumed a number of carbohydrates which are your body’s most convenient fuel source of energy. As you start exercising this is transformed into glucose which is then converted to energy with the help of insulin. This process is usually quite quick provided you are eating a healthy diet and the type of exercise you are doing.

Not reaching your goals? Here's why...

Are you doing some really great workouts and eating really healthy but just not seeing the results you were expecting? Hitting a plateau that you just can’t shake?

Consistency is key in constantly making improvements. There are a lot of common mistakes people make that can prevent you from reaching your goals.

Fat traps when eating out

One of the hardest things we all struggle to do when trying to be super healthy is going out to dinner and making good food choices. We end up thinking we have made a really healthy choice but in fact we haven’t. Restaurants delight us with their menus with descriptive words so we visualize how amazing this meal is going to be, but do you really know what the words on the menu mean?

Break(the)fast - my obsession with quinoa porridge

I recently went to try out The Outcider cafe in Kirra. The raw and wholefoods cafe is a pretty great one. I couldn’t go past the quinoa porridge and it didn’t disappoint the tastebuds that’s for sure. I loved it that much that I decided I needed to make my own. It was so simple, easy to make and amazing that I couldn’t stop talking about it to everyone. I am now obsessed.

Serves 1

½ cup rinsed quinoa
1 cup coconut water
155g coconut cream
¼ cup shredded coconut
1 apple, thinly chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla essence


Combine quinoa with the coconut water in a pot and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes until quinoa is soft
Add coconut cream, shredded coconut, apple, cinnamon and vanilla essence
Cook for a further 15 minutes until creamy and thick

Serving suggestion – top with mixed berries and coconut or any other fruit you love!!

Those 'I feel fat' days

We’ve all had that horrible ‘fat day’. You wake up and feel... well, fat! You know the ones where you want to crawl back into bed and curl up under the covers; they make you re-think your outfit choices so you have something a little flowy over the stomach, you feel gross and you probably end up being a little moody. Yep, we have all had those!

I will occasionally have those days where I wake up and feel like big giant blob. I feel bloated and gross and it doesn’t matter what the scale says or what my friends say I just feel like a big giant blob. Even though in reality I don’t look like that at all.

Fat days are literally a mental thing. It’s some kind of irrational feeling that goes on in our head that makes us view ourselves differently. You ‘feel’ like you have gained about 5kg overnight but to everyone else you still look exactly the same. Your stomach isn’t really that bloated and you don’t look like a hot mess. I find sometimes I ‘feel’ fat because I ate something a little naughty the night before but I’m actually the exact same weight as I was yesterday when I felt skinnier.
So why do you feel fat? Ate something bad? Stressed out? Haven’t exercised in a little while? Whatever it is just let it go. It’s just a feeling that can easily be replaced by the ‘I feel skinny’ feeling.

So how do you get that ‘I feel skinny’ feeling?

How losing 7 kilos gave me a healthier attitude towards health and fitness

A few weeks ago I started a detox. I was sick and tired of working my ass off at the gym, watching everything I ate and it wasn’t making a whole lot of difference. I thought I mustn’t be training hard enough or I was eating too many snacks throughout the day. My problem was I had a very slow metabolism, I was holding onto too much fluid and in a way I had an unhealthy attitude to how much I was training, or over training more like it.

So I went on a 3 week detox that was watched by my nutritionist. Yes it was strict but the overall benefits most definitely outweighed how much willpower I had to have for it.
I lost just over 7 kilos, I feel healthier and happier within myself and it made me realise I don’t need to train twice a day because the balance of healthy eating and a healthy mind is what it’s all about. Don’t get me wrong I still train hard every week day morning with my trainer because the benefits of weight training are so great and it really works for me, plus I really enjoy it. I just realised I don’t need to do that 10 times a week.

Whether you are trying to find a healthy attitude towards health, food and fitness for the good reasons (to lose weight, get motivated, be healthier) or to realise there is more to life than working out really hard twice a day and being exhausted there are some simple things you can change to help you. There is a fundamental link between a healthy mind and a healthy body.

FOCUS ON SMALL ACHIEVEMENTS – You might have a big end goal of say losing 10kg but that goal seems so far away and you give up because it’s all too hard. Instead focus on small goals. Start with 2kg and once you get there aim for another 2kg. Take it step by step. 

REALISE THAT CHANGE DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT – It never does. You didn’t put on that 10kg overnight or in a few weeks so you’re not going to lose it that quickly. There is always that disheartening realisation that progress isn’t immediate. That doesn’t mean you give up. It means you keep going. Right when you give up is just about when the change occurs. 

DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS– Extremely hard I know but I have learnt that comparing myself to someone else drives me mental. Me at a certain weight is completely different to someone else at the same weight. I don’t have their same body type so I am not going to look like them. Notice the changes within yourself and how much better your body looks compared to what you were previously. Compare the new you to the old you.

HAVING A TREAT IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD – No one is perfect, everyone lets the diet slide slightly to enjoy and indulge in something a little naughty. It’s not the end of the world. As long as you make sure it’s only a treat (say once a week) it’s not going to hurt. The everyday treats are where it hurts the waistline! 

ENJOY EXERCISE – Going to the gym isn’t for everyone. Weight training and high intensity workouts aren’t for everyone either. Enjoy doing something active so it doesn’t feel like exercise. Go for a bike ride with a friend, join a zumba class, join a bootcamp, go for bush walks. Anything that keeps you active and you enjoy is so beneficial to your overall wellbeing.

STOP SAYING I CAN’T – You can!! Every time you say you can’t you probably won’t. That’s not the attitude. Give it a go and you will definitely surprise yourself at what you actually can do.

Why I love eating clean and my new obsession with Luke & Scott

You know when the whole ‘Ashy Bines’ thing started and it bought clean eating to a very public eye and everyone was all of sudden giving it a go? Well I tried too. Sort of failed and then I was sick of seeing Ashy’s face and name plastered everywhere so I decided that clean eating was just this fad thing and it was completely restrictive, like I had to live off celery and carrot sticks.

I was pretty wrong and it took me a while to get back into it and now it’s one of the easiest things I do in my life.

Rules of the gym

There are a number of unwritten rules for the gym. Most are common sense but it baffles me that people don’t have enough of that common sense and seem to just be content in their little bubble of oblivion that you’re now about as unpopular as Miley Cyrus in a convent.


RULE #1 – Use a towel. You’re sweating and leaving puddles on the equipment. That’s disgusting. Put a towel over it or wipe it up. No one wants to share sweat with you.

RULE #2 – Use Deodorant. Not hard. You stink and you make me feel physically ill. I’d rather spew from too many burpees than spew because you because you smell like garbage.

RULE #3 – Excessive grunting is not ok. Keep it a little quieter.

RULE #4 – No lifting up your top to check you abs after that set of sit ups when you think no one is watching. They are. Check out your progress at home you look like you’re far too into yourself.

RULE #5 – Dress Appropriately. No one likes to see your bum hanging out. Also short shorts on a guy is really not ok. Also, why are you wearing a hat? It’s not sunny inside. If it’s to keep your hair back try a headband instead.

RULE #6 – There is no need to apply a full face of makeup before coming to the gym. You’re here to exercise so you’re supposed to look all hot and bothered not like you’re at a beauty pageant. If you’re makeup and hair is fully intact: get out. You’re not at a night club.

RULE #7 – If you load up the weights put them back. Another one that isn’t hard.

RULE #8 – Don’t be an equipment hog. Monday seems to be international chest day so there will always be a shortage of benches. Share them around for the other people waiting. And don’t start collecting a whole bunch of dumbbells like a squirrel and then not put them back. Other people want to use them too.

My go to 15 minute workout

Think a short workout isn't effective? Think again sister!
I love a quick workout, especially when you don't have a lot of time on those busy days.

My quick 15 minute workout is enough to get the heart rate going, the blood pumping and the fat burning. Better still there is no gym required and easy enough to do at home, so now there is no excuse of why you can't do it. If you don't have dumbbells you can use anything with a bit of weight. Try cans of foods or milk bottles filled with water or sand. Make sure it's enough weight so you can feel the muscles working.

This high intensity workout is great, make sure you work hard for the on periods and take the rest. This is the best way to burn the fat!

Detoxing without realising you're detoxing

Its been the season of food babies. We have had Christmas, New Years and Australia Day. There's been excessive food eaten, copious amounts of alcohol and a drop in exercise. It probably all got put in the too hard basket because 'It's holidays' and you could deal with it later.

All I have heard lately is how everyone is feeling disgusting from the blow outs and they can't wait to start losing the excess weight they gained but it's all a little overwhelming.

I started a detox about a week and a half ago. It's not an insane one, It's through a nutritionist and really its basically just very clean eating and it's most definitely working.

When I tell people I'm on a detox they look at me like I'm a complete idiot. I'm not living on a celery stick and water people!! I did it for my health, not to be some rake thin starved girl. I've been taunted by photos of a delicious plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes. Donuts placed in front of my face with excessive noise about how great they taste. Stories of the best combination of cold rock. (Just these instances have all been purely from my boyfriend by the way!) But to be honest the detox hasn't been too hard.

Breaking up with sugar

Here's a challenge.
Go sugar free for 30 days. I'm not kidding.
A break up from sugar, a 'it's not me, it's you' ending, a 'maybe we can still be friends at some point but we will probably ignore each other' break up.

Fructose, glucose, pretty much anything ending in 'ose', corn syrup, molasses is sugar. Manufacturers are actually breaking it down into these words to make it look a little less scary but it doesn't change what it is. Sugar has absolutely no beneficial qualities at all. It's basically just pure energy. It's toxic to our bodies and with no nutritional benefits it goes no where in our body except being stored as fat. It's found in so much food these days it's almost ridiculous. Simple white carbs like pasta and bread, junk food like chocolate, ice cream, lollies, muffins, cakes - It's all loaded with the stuff!

On average Australian's consume about 20 teaspoons of sugar per day. PER DAY!! This is the number one reason more than a million aussies have type 2 diabetes. This is actually shocking to me and frankly its disgusting.

Admitting To Self Sabotage

It's been a long but satisfying 8 months of constant exercise and clean eating. It's been the best decision I've made and I've never looked back since becoming a lot more healthy, fit and happier.
It took a long time to finally get to that point where I decided all excuses need to go out the window. I had been through many attempts to get fit and healthy, all of them failed for one or many stupid reasons.

There was that time where I decided I would get up every morning and go for a run. I did it for 3 days and then on the 4th day I decided I was too tired and I deserved a sleep in. I never got up and went for a run after that.

Then there was that time where I decided to cut out all sugar. I lasted until 3.30pm that day and gorged myself on chocolate because I needed a pick me up.

There was also the time I decided that hot yoga was going to be best thing for me, I'd lose weight from sweating it out and I'd relax because yoga is supposed to be so great for me. I went to one class and went to go to a class a couple of days later but it turned out they didn't have a morning class that day. I never went back.

The big fat truth about 'low fat' foods

We see the products every day. The ones that say low fat, fat free, reduced fat, no added sugar. It’s basically just a marketing ploy used by companies to make you think it’s the better option. I mean if you quickly glance at the calories they specifically show there is less than the original one next to it, so why are these foods actually worse for us? 

When you see the words low fat or light you can much pretty much translate that to chemical loaded piece of crap. Seriously. Think about it...

Companies try to make a ‘low fat’ version of the original to appeal to the calorie conscience consumer trying the new fad diet. Sure they might reduce the fat in it so there’s less calories but that generally means they have added a heap of sugar, salt and other artificial sweeteners to make it taste less like a piece of cardboard and more like the flavoursome original. Manufacturers aren’t stupid, they want you to buy their product on the pretence that it is exceptionally good for you without compromising on taste. But too much of the bad stuff is actually damaging to your body and instead of losing weight you will essentially start gaining weight from all the unnatural chemicals in your body.