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.

Training for a race!

We are 3 lovely ladies in my office, not only are we colleagues but we are also good friends and we have decided to get more fit and healthy. So this summer we are going to be partaking in the Race For Life in London which is a charity race to raise money for Breast Cancer. So we are creating a little company team and we are going to raise money this summer. So yesterday at the gym I decided to see what my time for a 10k is. Not as impressive as 2 years ago by a mile but at least I finished. I burned over 800 calories so that was good. Felt amazing and after I was done I went home and made a large tuna casserole for the weeks lunches and fell into bed. Completely exhausted!

Things that are easy to do are also easy not to do!

January is well on its way, so if you are still sticking to your diet and exercise GOOD JOB this is better than many! People can already see the difference in me, saying my face is thinning and that I look more toned! YEAY this is what will keep me going, my boyfriend is away for 1 week for skiing so I really want to focus this week and do really well so that when he gets back he can tell that I have been working out!

This weekend I was in Liverpool working onsite with the premier league, we came in the day before the game and stayed at a local hotel, I stay alone so I don't feel like going out to a bar or anything, I usually go for a walk buy something to eat as take away then go back to my hotel room and have a long bath and try to get an early night. But on friday I decided to use the hotel gym! It was AMAZING, very small but all new stuff and just what I needed and I was there for 2 hours and I was alone the whole time, I have now fallen in love with the idea of having my own gym in my house.

So I had an option of staying in my room and enjoying the luxury of my room but i decided that it was more important for me to be fit and that being fit will be by luxury!

Monday Motivation!

With some treats during the weekend I want to really have a great workout today! So after work I am going straight to the gym! I want to have at least 1 hour of cardio and I think ill focus on arms and abs!

2011 Best Bikini

Its always good to have some concrete goals, and I have found this amazing bikini that is giving me a little more inspiration for sticking to my guns!! These Bikinis are from www.charliebymz.com. And they just look amazing, Id LOVE one black and one white. And I prefer the top on the last picture, when you have a smaller chest it would just make them look just a little bit more voluptuous! :)

My top 5 for Nails

1. Seche Vite, this is beyond the best product I have used, it is a top coat, and there are tons of Dry fast top coats out there but nothing like Seche Vite, it dries so fast and become a pretty glossy and hard surface. Lasts ages!

 

2. The Deborah Lippman nail polish remover mittens. This is a little finger mitten that it suppose to remove all your nail polish on all 10 fingers with one mitten, that doesn't work for me but I use base coat, 2-3 coats of colour plus my Seche Vite on top so. But it smells amazing, just a very slight hint of acetone but mostly lavender. Its so easy to take with you they come in little sachets.









3. Hand cream, I wish I could say that I use cuticle creams and keep them nice and tidy but I dont, however I try to use a hand cream as often as possible, preferably after I have just gone to the bathroom and washed my hands. Your hands and neck are the first signs of ageing when you get older so keep a hand cream on your desk at work. This will keep the cuticles hydrated and less flaking means less work.











4. Barry M Nail Polish, it is on the lower end of the price range (2.99 pounds) but they have tons of different colours and it goes on smooth and dries quite quick. Very rarely the colour on the bottle is the colour that is on your nails, BUT its always so many pretty colours so it doesn't matter.






5. Buff and File your nails, this is my best tip to get your nails hard and promotes their growth without taking any supplements, food that are rich in B-complex, C, A, E (alpha tocopherol), D, calcium, zinc, iodine and iron. Such as Avocado, apples, grapes, asparagus, cucumbers, garlic, green leafy vegetables, celery, onions and sweet potatoes.

Today I am wearing Barry M Flamingo Pink :)

Workout Wednesday!

Today is going to be a big gym session! I am looking forward to in, on my lunch break I was looking up new things to do in the gym. What happens to me is I say I am going to work out abs and arms or butt and back. But when I get down there I am standing on the gym floor looking around like an idiot. So I am gotten these apps that I LOVE, they  run a work out program focusing on 1 part of the body but the different muscles around it. So I am just going to go through them today. You can keep your music going but they will show you and tell you what to do! They have them as Free Version so you can try and then decide if you wish to buy the complete ones.

Good luck!! Post your thought on the apps if you have tried them! :)

Tea Break

To not over indulge on coffee which is my favourite thing to do I am having one large cup of tea when I feel those hunger inclines close to lunch. Will give me a short temporary fill feeling then when I finally get to my lunch my tummy is slightly filled with liquid and I'll feel fuller quicker :)

Get a Runway Body with an Angel!

Its all about the ass! Who doesn't want that perfectly round and perky bottom! So many of the Victoria Secret Angels have such great asses! So have a look what Alessandra does!

Little Old Me

So who am I!? I am a 23 year old woman, half Swedish half American. I live in London, have for over a year. I work for a Television Production House we are part of a bigger Sports Rights Company but we broadcast Football. I am part of a big family of athletes, they have played professional sports or work as trainers in spare time. I have worked for years in the fitness industry before going into broadcasting.

I am 168 cm tall and I weigh 77 kilos. I am not fat, not even chubby, but I could lose a little bit more weight and I could get some long and leans muscles. Thats what I am looking for!

I am getting inspiration from Miss Jillian Michaels! This book is so good, it takes you through what you need to know and gives you a plan to execute the plan! 

Tuesday Tunes

I am not one for profanity, as most of my friends know Id rather stick to Shucks and Crap :)
There is an singer called Azealia Banks and her song 212 is very good but I cant listen to the original version it makes me flinch, so I am posting the clean edit here. Its a good beat and good to work out with.

Motivation!

Yesterday I did my second spin class of the year, felt so good! With abs and a quick warm up I managed to burn about 500 calories at the gym. Today I rest, eating my 1200 calories and going to a movie pub quiz! :)

Tomorrow I am going to try to run a 10k! 

ROOMIES!!

So my lovely flat mate just got back from Christmas break, so we just had some catch up in the lounge and then she pulled out her christmas present from her boyfriend! CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN SHOES!!
I dont think I have ever had this kind of reaction to a pair of choose, I was literally out of breath!

so jealous! 

Black Bean Chilli

Now with my new food scale I am loving the accuracy of the calories in my meals. SO for dinner I had:

346g boiled black beans (455 calories)
1 large yellow onion (70 cal)
1 can of tomatoes (94 cal)
2 tbs  tomato puree (28 cal)
10 sprays of Olive Oil sprey (10 cal)
1 packet  of Whole Grain Rice (430 cal)

My meal made 5 portions of 261 grams each so every meal was 217 calories per meal!

I fried up my onion with Paprika, Rosemary and Garlic Powder (forgot to buy cloves) And a couple of sprays of the Fry Light. This thing does its job without adding any extra calories to the meal.

 
Then I mixed in some tomato puree and a can of Italian chopped tomatoes. Usually I am appose to cooking things in plastic but Tesco had run out of whole grain rice, but I must say it is so handy, Darn you chemicals! So I boiled one bag (usually 1 bag is for 2 people)

 

Then I mix in the beans and the rice, this makes it harder to over eat on the carbs so instead of 2 sharing a bag now it is 5 and you can hardly tell a difference :)



 

So there it is, easy peasy lemon squeezey!  260 grams was my portion :)

Boost!

And off we go!!!

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Its shaping up to be a very productive day! I am up and about on a sunday my wonderful roommate who I havnt seen in almost 1 month over the holidays is coming back as her school starts tomorrow, so I have been doing a bit of cleaning and organising, I had my 130 calorie breakfast bar with a cup of coffee for breakfast. Yesterday I made a curry with chicken and wholegrain rice, so I had some left overs for an early lunch, going to hit Tesco before Pilates this afternoon and for dinner I am going to make a healthy black bean chilli, and Ill tell you all about it later! 

Just doing some work and watching the Man City v Man Utd game. I am a Man City fan by "marriage" Not the best day for them!

I dream of real estate!

I can not wait to have my own house, I love looking at interior design blogs I always flick through the real estate pages in the news papers. My style is a mix of things, Scandinavian mixed with a bit of Parisian look with a hint of New York. I cant wait to decorate my house and make it just the way I want it to be!

Bodies

Jennifer was voted by Womans Fitness Magazine as the body most woman want to have, she does have an amazing body but she is a size 0!!! I dont even know if i would look good as a size 0.  If I got to choose  it rather have Beyonce's body, she is a size 6. (don't think ill be a size 6 either but still)

Friday

Last night we had a big gym session, I went to 900 calories before I needed to have some more energy.
I ran a 5k, did abs and butt for 30 mins, they rotated sprints with elliptical and some hovering machine thingy. Went home after and did some fish tacos with my Mr before watching the biggest loser in bed.

2317

2317 is the calories I still have to burn this week! So tonight I am hitting the gym, I want a big burn session, 2317/3= 772 and that is already a big deal for 1 work out session and I want to reduce me calories for the weekend! So I am setting a goal for at least 1000! puh, heading over soon but before I am making myself a protein shake and make some notes on my phone of what I am going to do in the gym so I don't get lost, its then when I just feel like giving up! But got some new music to my playlists so that always makes me happier!

Small things that make me happy

If I am feeling crappy something that always boosts my spirits is to do my nails, this has resulted in a big collection of pretty coloured nail polished!