Oki doki

An ok performance today! But I can start to feel my muscles adapting to some of my workout routine so I'll have to step it up soon. Now it's tacos time, iiik it could be a trap so I'll have to pay attention to my consumption. Tomorrow it's back to Manchester for a big game on Saturday

Gym session

Went to my spin class yesterday, also worked my arms, abs and ass! Today I feel awesome! A little sore but strong and happy! 681 calories is a good session!! And I have another one this evening! :)

Next stop slimville!

So just leaving work now to go to the gym for a long session today! Going to do a spin class but before I'll do abs, ass and arms! Woohoo also my pre workout drink is whey protein powder (cookies and cream) with some organic 0.1% fat milk!

WEDNESDAY WORKOUT: Ass (wo)man

One of my favourite assets is my butt, I don't have a voluptuous chest region so  I have focused on having a nice, firm, round butt :) Here is some of the moves I love :)

 What You Need: A medium resistance band ($5; spriproducts.com); optional: a set of 5- to 10-pound dumbbells and a chair.

How to Do It: Do 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise on each side. Do the entire routine twice through 3 times a week on nonconsecutive days. Try the Main Move first. If it's too difficult, do the Make It Easier option. For more of a challenge, try the Make It Harder version.

For Quicker Results: Do 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps every other day, and add 30 to 60 minutes of cardio, such as walking, jogging, or cycling, most days of the week.

		Main Move: Side Leg LiftsLie on right side with legs stacked, right arm bent and head supported on right hand, left hand resting on floor in front of chest for balance. Raise left leg about 2 feet, keeping foot flexed and squeezing butt. Pause, then slowly lower. Complete all reps, then switch sides.
		Make it Harder Double up: Once top leg is lifted, raise bottom leg to meet top leg, pause, and then lower one leg at a time.
		Make it Easier Bend top leg to 90 degrees, and lift with leg bent.

		Main Move: Banded ShuffleStand with feet a few inches apart, and tie elastic band in taut loop around shins, hands extended to front at shoulder level. Step about 3 feet to right, then bend knees and sit back until thighs are almost parallel to floor, keeping knees behind toes. Staying low, step left foot to follow. Take two more shuffle steps to right, then switch directions and repeat.
		Make it Harder Bend knees only 45 degrees, and step out just slightly more than hip-width.
		Make it Easier After stepping with right foot, stand and lift left leg to side for a balance challenge. Repeat toward left, lifting right foot for a side lift.

		Main Move: Balancing SquatBalance on right foot, left knee bent with foot lifted a few inches off floor in front. Keeping back straight, slowly sit back into right leg, bending right knee about 45 degrees. Pause, then press into right heel to stand up. Complete all reps, then switch sides.
		Make it Harder Complete the move holding a dumbbell in each hand.
		Make it Easier Rest left toes on floor and, if needed, use a chair or stool for balance.

		Main Move: Single Leg DeadliftBalance on right foot, with knee soft and hands on hips, left leg lifted behind. With abs tight and back straight, hinge forward from hips, lowering left hand toward right foot. Pull through right leg to return to standing. Do all reps on right leg; switch sides.
		Make it Harder Reach both hands to floor, dumbbell in each hand.
		Make it Easier Rest hand on back of chair for balance.

Food on the brain

I am getting so sick of thinking about food all the time! As I weighed myself and I am doing progress (60's here I come) I want to keep the momentum going but that makes me think of food all the time!

Todays food menu
1 bowl Oat So simple Cinnamon Oatmeal with 0.1% fat Milk = 207 cal
Snack 1 square of chocolate = 30 cal
1 cup of coffee with splash of milk = 15
1 cup of Organic Clipper Tea = 0
1 already made spaghetti Bolognese = arround 500 cal

Today I wont have time to go to the gym, might try to convince my boyfriend that we go for a walk, but if not then Ill only have 448 calories left to eat today if I still want to be in the clear.

Maybe a sallad? and 2 light snacks?

Then comes the question, what to eat tomorrow?

Tuesday Tunes

New on the playlist :)

Monday Funday!

Its Monday! Another day to start my life over! I did well this weekend, worked a game and that is always tricky to keep to eating at the right time and working out. Even if running up and down the stairs is quite good exercise. Today is spin class day, so I am meeting my with my love and we are going to sweat together :)

Sunday Breakfast

Woke up to a snow covered London, my boyfriend called me as I had slept passed my alarm, but I got myself some breakfast (whole wheat toast, 2tbsp no sugar added peanut butter and 1 sliced banana, 1 cup of coffee)

Today was suppose to be working the chelsea v man united, but in broadcasting things can change in a day so instead today is going to be a day of gym and creativeness :) yeay Sunday's!

74 kilos :)

Around my birthday last year (Spetember) I weighed 79 kilos. I just got a new job, I was in my mind on my way to be a career woman, I was so in love and just excited about my life. But I wasn't happy with my body. I have been getting more active eating healthier and seeing myself as a fit muscular, lean muscles and just feeling strong and sexy in my own skin. And yesterday I went to the gym and I actually weighed myself. I am happy to say I am now down to 74 kilos. I am not that into measuring myself by kilos as I have always been heavy even if I was not over weight so I am happy to look slimmer and feeling more toned. So lets see what will happen in the upcoming months!

BODYROCK

One of the websites I look at when I am feeling a need for inspiration is www.bodyrock.tv I love it because it is workouts you can do or modify to do at home with nothing besides your body! I am looking into doing the 30 day challenge. 30 days of doing their workouts and sticking to a strict diet. 30 days!!!
if I am running on the treadmill and want to give up I remember a line that Bob Harper says on the biggest loser 'You can do anything for 30 seconds, 30 seconds is nothing' So I am looking at this like you can do ANYTHING for 30 days!

Ill keep my eyes out for the start of the next challenge and post all my progress, maybe some before and after pictures ;)

Arsenal v Blackburn

Long day today, up and out of the house by 7.30 busy game day and Arsenal ended up winning 7-1.
Our production went really well and it is nice to have a production without any technical issues. It was a good day for working out, running up and down 3 floors back and forth, my butt's gonna be sore tomorrow.

Friday is the new Saturday

So I am off today as I have a big weekend of work coming up, so I am still not feeling 100%, I am going to gym today and move my hormones around! My sister has been here to visit and they just left to go back to Scottland so I have gotten all the sheets and all the clothes in the washing machine, going to do a good clean of this place!

I have already started mission 'Make Me Feel Better', Did my nails and going to have a bath moisturise my body ;) All that good stuff! My baby is coming over later, going to make dinner and catch up on some biggest loser. What a perfect day!

New Workout Tune

Some happiness to brighten your day :D

Still ill (tips for you who aren't ill)

This is so bad! I hate being ill, my throat is killing me and I am just so tired all the time!
I want to go back to the gym!!

Are you bored with your workout? If you follow these simple tips you'll massively increase the effectiveness of your workouts and will get much fitter.

Shake up your cardio
A recent European health club survey reveals women are cardio junkies but whether it’s the same running plan, cycling route, cardio machine or a trusty old aerobics class, we tend to stick to familiar ground. This won’t do anything for your long-term goals or enjoyment factor. So if you really want to improve your fitness, lose unwanted weight and get a buzz from your workouts, it’s time for a cardio carve-up.

If you’re a runner
Turn at least one run each week into an interval session. This will relieve boredom, improve your fitness and allow you to focus on technique. Warm up by running gently for at least five to 10 minutes. Using a stopwatch or equally spaced landmarks such as lampposts, run as hard as you can for 30 to 90 seconds, recover for an equal amount of time, then repeat six to 10 times. When you’re doing the hard intervals, focus on good core control, relaxed upper body, lengthened stride, soft rolling foot strike and gluteal muscle power (feel your backside working as your leg kicks back). This type of interval training will elevate your metabolic rate immediately afterwards, helping you to burn calories. This will also improve your endurance.

If you’re a cyclist
Plan new routes that take you on a longer, more varied journey. Use a heart rate monitor to assess the level of intensity and aim to be at 70 to 85 per cent of your maximal heart rate for at least 75 per cent of the time. This will ensure you’re working at the right intensity for fitness benefits. Cycling training tends to focus on the front thigh muscles, so balance this by focusing on the pull-back action of your cycling motion. This will improve your efficiency throughout the whole cycling motion, increase your output and energy expenditure and reduce your injury risk. For something a little different, cycle in a velodrome or a spinning class taught by a well-qualified instructor. Both these disciplines are sociable and get you working on sprint speeds to challenge your fitness.  

If you’re a gym bunny
Strength training will not only improve your cardio capacity but will also increase your metabolism, so you’ll burn even more calories when you do cardio training. Try a mixed cardio and strength circuit twice a week. Start by warming up on a bike for 10 minutes, followed by sets of squats, gym ball chest flyes, lunges and lat pulldowns, then two minutes’ hard cardio on a treadmill or cross-trainer. Repeat this three to five times, changing your strength exercises every two to three months. You should also do one long cardio session each week, during which you increase your distance in whatever time you have. You can mix this up on different cardio machines or stay on the same one. Just log your time over distance and aim to improve this every three to four weeks. For a final mix up, do intervals at least once, a week. Try six intervals starting with two at 120 seconds, two at 90 seconds and two at 60 seconds. Aim to work as hard as you can in the time you have.

If you’re a studio junkie
Look at the full timetable of classes – you want to get a mix of different activities that challenge you in different ways. Aim to do five classes a week: three cardio and two focused on strength or relaxation. Include two hard, long cardio sessions such as spinning, combat or Body Attack, a combined strength and cardio session such as circuits or a combined aerobics and conditioning plus one strength-orientated session such as Body Pump or kettlebells, and one strength, core and flexibility-focused session such as Pilates, yoga or Body Balance. Your instructor is important to your success – make sure they help you to progress in each session by giving you individual feedback and developing the class so it doesn’t stay the same week after week.

If you exercise at home
Look at the large number of apps available to download on to your smartphone. Nike Training Club (free, from iTunes) is a great example; it also has a social network and goal-driven motivational tool, both key if you tend to exercise alone. Try to get outside, too. All you need is a set of steps or a bench, and some resistance bands you can tie around a post, tree or bench. Try the following circuit indoors or outside. Warm up for five minutes by walking or marching on the spot, followed by knee lifts, leg curls and alternating lunges. Do step-ups for three minutes, then four strength exercises using a resistance band, such as lunges with back rows, chest presses, squats with shoulder raises and one-leg balanced tricep extensions. Repeat this circuit three to five times, then switch the step-ups for skipping or rebounding if you’re at home, or walking and running if you’re in the park. Have a hot, relaxing bath in the evening followed by a long stretch in front of the TV before bed.

I'm sick! :(

I was so motivated knowing that I was going on vacation and wanted to be all thin and muscular, I wish I felt better but we have a busy month a head so I cant push myself to hard. So this week will take it easy and rest my throat to be 100% for the games we are producing!

Clear Goal!

I have booked the first vacation of the year so I have a very clear goal 30th of June and this will be 7 days in a bikini so now I am super focused on what I need to do. So I am going to Ibiza!!

TGIF

It is Friday! Not only is in the beginning of the weekend, I actually have a weekend this week. No games until next week so I am going to enjoy myself AND my baby sister is coming down from uni so I cant wait until she gets here. We are going to go enjoy Borough Market and spend some quality sister time :)

PERSONAL BEST

Yesterday I went to the gym and I did a 5k in 32 min's! For me this is a personal best, completely collapsed after this! But it felt good to already see results in my stamina, not so much in my belly but I know it will follow!

12 food additives to avoid

This article was posted by the people at http://www.celestialhealing.net/ Something to think about! Become a BOX TURNER, when you do your food shopping turn the box over and have a look at what is actually in it! 

Including something new in a food isn’t always a good idea, especially when it comes to your health. Here are 12 additives to subtract from your diet:

1. Sodium Nitrate (also called Sodium Nitrite) - This is a preservative, coloring, and flavoring commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish, and corned beef. Studies have linked eating it to various types of cancer.

2. BHA and BHT - Butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydrozyttoluene are used to preserve common household foods. They are found in cereals, chewing gum, potato chips, vegetable oils and canned foods. They are oxidants, which form potentially cancer-causing reactive compounds in your body.

3. Propyl Gallate - Another preservative, often used in conjunction with BHA and BHT. It is sometimes found in meat products, chicken soup base, and chewing gum. Animals studies have suggested that it could be linked to cancer.

4. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) - MSG is an amino acid used as a flavor enhancer in soups, salad dressings, chips, frozen entrees, and restaurant food. It can cause headaches and nausea, and animal studies link it to damaged nerve cells in the brains of infant mice.

5. Trans Fats - Trans fats are proven to cause heart disease. Restaurant food, especially fast food chains, often serve foods laden with trans fats.

6. Aspartame - Aspartame, also known by the brand names Nutrasweet and Equal, is a sweetener found in so-called diet foods such as low-calorie desserts, gelatins, drink mixes, and soft drinks. It may cause cancer or neurological problems, such as dizziness or hallucinations.

7. Acesulfame-K - This is a relatively new artificial sweetener found in baked goods, chewing gum, and gelatin desserts. There is a general concern that testing on this product has been scant, and some studies show the additive may cause cancer in rats.

8. Food Colorings: Blue 1, 2; Red 3, 40; Green 3; Yellow 6 - Five food colorings still on the market are linked with cancer in animal testing. Blue 1 and 2, found in beverages, candy, baked goods and pet food, have been linked to cancer in mice. Red 3, used to dye cherries, fruit cocktail, candy, and baked goods, has been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats. Green 3, added to candy and beverages, has been linked to bladder cancer. The widely used yellow 6, added to beverages, sausage, gelatin, baked goods, and candy, has been linked to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney.

9. Olestra - Olestra, a synthetic fat found in some potato chip brands, can cause severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and gas. Olestra also inhibits healthy vitamin absorption from fat-soluble carotenoids that are found in fruits and vegetables.

10. Potassium Bromate - Potassium bromate is used as an additive to increase volume in some white flour, breads, and rolls. It is known to cause cancer in animals, and even small amounts in bread can create a risk for humans.

11. White Sugar - Watch out for foods with added sugars, such as baked goods, cereals, crackers, sauces and many other processed foods. It is unsafe for your health, and promotes bad nutrition.

12. Sodium Chloride - A dash of sodium chloride, more commonly known as salt, can bring flavor to your meal. But too much salt can be dangerous for your health, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.

Update

I went to the gym yesterday and did a measly 250 calories burned, I was surprised that I only burned that little with strength exercises. So today is all about cardio. I am off from work today so I am going to the gym to do a 10k. Later tonight I am going into London with the boyfriend with some of his friends.  Yeay!

A rainy day in London

Today is such a crappy day out, it is rainy and foggy and windy and just the most grey day I have ever seen, everyone in the office has the sniffles and a cough, my boyfriend just got home from france and he has gotten a big cold so today we are in need of a stew! As I am still healthy I want to hit the gym today and as soon as I get home put on a stew, put some bread in the oven and snuggle up on the couch with my fleece and watch some crappy tv.

It will be my little treat!

Tuesday Tunes

This is such a great song! I love running to this song, it is one of my sprint song!

5 tips to staying healthy at the office

This has become one of my best tools when it comes to staying healthy Monday to Friday. It is easy to be distracted by the coffee and tea breaks with biscuits and snacking at your desk

1. Bring a big bottle of Water to your desk and make sure you fill it up a couple of times a day. This will keep you hydrated and might limit some of the initial hunger of the day. You will be surprised how much more water you will drink when you have a full bottle of water staring you in the face!

2. Bring a Lunch, although you can make healthy choices when you go out for lunch but you will never know what is going into your food and all the extra hidden calories that comes in the form of sauces and dressings. I always try to make enough dinner the night before to have for lunch the next day or do a big cook on a sunday that will last me the whole week (might be a bit repetitious but if you keep freezing sunday food you can vary after a couple of weeks)

3. Talk about your quest for health in the work place, being excited about something gets other people on board (maybe not for long but it might cause some office changes) Like for us there are 3 girls in the office that decided that we where going to be healthy so we asked that instead of buying cookies and chocolate and now we order a fruit box)

4. Get up and move, even if you are bringing your meals to work, eat them somewhere ells, just getting off your chair and moving around will help your circulation and give you a chance to stretch out your neck and shoulders.


5. Healthy Snacks, if your are going to gym after work you want to eat something with some substance about 1 hour before you hit the gym, something with a lot of protein. But you want to eat something every 3 hours so make sure you have some fresh fruits, nuts maybe a power bar, I love some olives and some cheese cubes. And leave the sugary crap (maybe give yourself 1 square of chocolate as a treat, thats what I do if I am feeling the sugar craving!)

Monday Motivation

Hello Everyone! I hope you have had a good weekend, if you are like me you fell short a little bit on the weekend, I indulged in some treats and lacked in the exercise. But lets not let all that we have worked for go to shambles because of a few bad days. It is monday so we picking up from where we left off and going at it full force. My boyfriend who has been skiing in france has just come back home and we are going to see each other for the first time in 10 days so I am going to try and go healthy at dinner :/ I'm thinking of cooking something. Ill get back to you on what I decided.

It is 129 days left until 1st of June (what I class as the beginning of summer) So lets all pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and get to work :)

No good!

What a waste of a day! I am still feeling so sluggish and nursing my headache not wanting to leave my house! So I am going to do some exercise at home! ! So I am doing something with this saturday! Later this evening I am going to take care of myself, have a bubble bath, have a healthy dinner and get an early night sleep before I work onsite tomorrow at Arsenal!

The Botanist

Went out in London town yesterday after work with my friend Kim. It was so MUCH FUN, we met some new people and she brought me into her world. I got to try some new drinks I have never had before, we spent a lot of time at the Botanist. I was still home before 12 (typical me) This morning my head feels heavy and I am very sluggish and this one of the reasons I am not a big drinker, I really wanted to go to the gym and have a big gym session, I am still going to go but I know it wont be as good as if I had 100% of my energy!

TGIF!

This week has flown by! I think one of the reasons is that my boyfriend has been skiing in France this week so I haven't seen him all week so I work, go to the gym then home to go to bed, and then we start all over again. He comes home on saturday but I work on Sunday so ill not see him until monday evening. Today is kind of thrown up in the air, I don't know if there will be any fun stuff going on after work, I have a dress with me some heals and some spanx so you never know where the night will take us. It could just as well be on the sofa with some take away.

Celebrity Workouts

So lets do some profiling, it is always interesting to read about what celebrity's do to keep themselves in the shape that they do. People who need to be in front of the camera every day! So today Jessica Biel, she always toned and healthy.


 Now we know why. In addition to eating well here’s what Jessica workout is like courtesy of her trainer Jason Walsh and Us weekly mag.

Jessica Biel’s Workout 
Jason recommends a 30 minute interval-training regimen, four days a week.

Monday and Friday
Warm-up: Light cardio on the treadmill, bike or elliptical. (5 minutes)
Circuit work: Alternate 10 reps each of 2 strength-training moves (choose from walking lunges, bent-over dumb bell rows, squat to press, plank, hanging leg lifts and back extensions) with one minute of moderate cardio; repeat three times. Alternate one minute of cardio with another two exercises; repeat three times. Alternate one minute of cardio with last two exercises; repeat three times. Beginners use 5 – 10 pound weights; veterans, 15-20 pounds 18 minutes.
Intense Cardio: Alternate one minute of high speed (3.5 to 5 mph on a treadmill) at moderate resistance (an incline of 3 -5) with one minute of low speed (2.5 mph) at low resistance (incline of 1 or 2). Repeat set three times. Six minutes.
Cool down: Low speed walk. one minute

Tuesday and Thursday
Same as above, but substitute strength training moves: Squat jumps, pushups, sit-ups, wide-grip lat pull downs, side bridges, side bridges and crunches on the fitness ball.

Wednesday
Rest

Saturday and Sunday

45 minutes of your favorite sport.



Sounds like a healthy routine :)

Top 10 Reasons to Avoid Processed Foods

I found this article written by Tyler Graham the co author of The Happiness Diet. Previously, he served as the health and environment editor ofO, The Oprah Magazine, the nutrition editor at Prevention, and the environment editor atBest Life. He recently launched a men’s health section at Details magazine.

This is only a few of the reasons! This is so important!! Please take time to read this.

1: Deciphering food label ingredients leads to unappetizing results. Take the innocuous-sounding castoreum, which is used to enhance the flavor of puddings, candies, and some frozen dairy desserts. You might be surprised to know that it’s derived from beavers—beaver anal glands, specifically.

2: Many foods get their red coloring—”carmine”—from ground-up insect shells that can cause severe allergic reactions in some people.

3: The greater the number of cheap cuts of meat ground into a single patty, the greater the risk of contamination with E. coli. A standard fast-food burger contains the trimmings of dozens of cows raised around the globe.

4: According to research from UCLA, it takes only two months to lower levels of brain chemicals responsible for learning and memory (like BDNF) on a steady diet of processed foods.

5: Processed food is only as good as its packaging: In the summer of last year, Kellogg’s recalled 28 million boxes of cereal because a compound in the box lining (the company wouldn’t say what) was giving off a foul smell and tainting the taste of the boxed food.

6: The same company that makes metal detectors for airports also sells them to food manufacturers, who use the devices to test processed meats for stray wires, metal shards, and hypodermic needles.

7: The ingredients list for Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups doesn’t include…strawberries.

8: Animal feed given to factory-farmed cows contains rendered roadkill and euthanized cats and dogs, as well as plastic pellets as a cheap form of “roughage.”

9: There are more than 80 ingredients in one Oscar Mayer LunchablesBreaded Chicken and Mozzarella sandwich.

10: The FDA allows 19 maggots and 74 mites in a three-and-a-half-ounce can of mushrooms.

Womans Workouts

Back from the gym, did an hour on the treadmill it was SO HOT in the gym today and my face was completely changed into a tomato red and I did 8.5k in one hour and I just felt a bit faint, so I did abs and arms, here is one youtube video with some easy arm exercises.

I have been doing good for 2 weeks and I am so impatient and I am getting a bit flustered that I am not seeing more results, but I know I will soon and I am doing this as a LIFESTYLE not as something temporary!

Wednesday Workouts

Its Wednesday and it is my day off, I slept in to 8 and watched some of my favourite shows that I have missed this past couple of days. I made a scrambled egg with some light cheese and tomatoes, capers and chives. A good source of protein and it was a total of 215 calories. Going to have a big gym session soon and start the endless task that is the laundry!

So today I am going to do a run, preferably a 10k, I want to try and do it 3 times a week.