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Kayla Itsines Round 2 – Week 3

October 12, 2014
Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 3 BBG

Out of the past three weeks, I have to say that this week was probably the most successful. I could tell that I had become much stronger because even though the workouts were still hard, I paused a lot less and I was able to do two rounds of each circuit for most of the workouts. I still found the burpees and push ups a little hard but they definitely were not as killer as they were doing the first week. 

Kayla Itsines Round 2 – Week 3

Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 3 BBG

 Got some cute new workout clothes from CottonOnBody to help keep me motivated and … because they are amazing!

1. Couldn’t find the exact same top, but this one is similar
2. Printed Core Capri
3. Running Short

Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 3 BBG

 New workout clothes!!! That was a good workout, I felt so motivated haha

I am continually surprised at how good my progress is my second time around. I have lost more weight than I ever thought possible in the past 3 weeks; I have lost 7 pounds so far! For those who are regular readers of the blog, you will know that I do not think that weight loss is that important. However, I am pleased because I have been carrying around an extra 10 pounds for the past year and a half that I have not been able to shake so this is definitely a mini victory for me. I went on a very low carb diet about 2 years ago where I got quite thin, but then as with all drastic diets, I gained the weight back as soon as I started including carbs back into my diet again. It is really motivating to see that my body is responding so well to eating healthily, and getting enough nutrients from every food group without excluding anything. It just goes to show how dangerous drastic and exclusionary diets can be. 

 Fitness and health aside, I am in Salt Lake City for the weekend and having a great time. I took Alaska Airlines as they offer affordable tickets and I literally  had one of the best flight experiences I have ever had! First off, the plane was half empty so I got a whole aisle all to myself. Secondly, the flight is only an hour and a half long which is NOTHING compared to some of the international flights I have taken. A flight from San Francisco to Phuket (where my parents live) alone includes at least 1 stopover and is about 18 hours overall … it is pretty horrible. I have not got much planned as I have a lot of work to get done, but I want to try a few new restaurants while I am here. Salt Lake City has a surprisingly good variety of restaurants and some of the best Mexican food I have ever eaten.

Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 3 BBG

 SO EMPTY!

Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 3 BBG

Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 3 BBG

Destination, Salt Lake City!

What are you all up to this weekend? Who else just finished week three of Kayla Itsines bikini body guide?

Honestly yours,
Alice

Fitness, Health

Rest & Relaxation

October 8, 2014

Feeling tired, worn down and just plain sore all over? It is probably time for a rest day my lovely!

relax

Exercise can be addicting and sometimes it can be hard to tell ourselves to take a rest day. If your body is giving you signals of being tired and worn down, do not ignore them! Rest days are vital for allowing our muscles time to repair so they do not become tight and damaged. You must make sure you are stretching properly after each workout and taking a full day off of exercise (no strenuous hiking either!) to make sure you do not get injured. Overtraining can result in some painful injuries (shin splints, knew injuries and etc) that can make it hard for you to keep exercising. And if you continue to not let your muscles rest, you may tear or break something, and you may be forced to rest for months on end (i.e. no exercise for months)!

“Give yourself a break“

As well as physical rest, be sure to give yourself some ‘mental rest’ too. By this I mean the mean things we say to ourselves in our heads such as ‘Ugh, I am so fat’, ‘Why can’t I look like X?’. You would be surprised at how much of an effect this negative mental activity can have on you. Unfortunately, this sort of thought mentality is not uncommon amongst women today and I am certainly no exception. Although I have a pretty good attitude about myself and things in general, I can still get some really dark days where I compare myself to others and wonder why my progress is not like theirs. Having a journal really helps me get my mind off things, as does a good manicure/pedicure or spa day (if you can afford it, which I can’t lol).

Trust me, just take a day off!! Relax, recuperate and your body and mind will thank you so, so much for it. 

Honestly yours,
Alice

Fitness, Health

Kayla Itsines Round 2 – Week 2

October 5, 2014
Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 2

Kayla Itsines Round 2 – Week 2

Week 2 of Kayla Itsines BBG (bikini body guide) is an interesting week. I personally think that it is much harder than week 1 because of all the jumping we have to do in the legs workout circuit (one word: jumping lunges) and the commandos and mountain climber/push up combos destroy me during the arms workout. I found these really, really hard the first time around as well. They are just demon exercises honestly haha, and if you do like them well then kudos to you! Honestly I am surprised I managed to do the full body workout today, because my abs were still incredibly sore from Friday’s arm workout. 

Food wise I didn’t do as well as I would’ve liked, but it was not too bad. I stuck to the HELP guide during the week, but had a bit too much over the weekend. I had a cider on Friday night and on Saturday night, I went out for dinner with some friends. We went to a really nice place in San Francisco called Zerozero SF. Have any of you ever been there before? We shared a delicious roasted cauliflower dish which I recommend whole-heartedly. It tasted so buttery due to the rosemary oil that it was lavishly cooked in. I also got their salad special of the day which was this incredible octopus salad with butter beans with chorizo oil. I have never before had something with chorizo oil, but I would buy it by the gallonful if I could … it was DELICIOUS! Probably not overly healthy though lol. And tonight since I did the total body workout quite late, I was STARVING and got a big chicken pad see ew. I am staying positive however and making sure I am more mindful next week. I.E. do not let myself get too hungry!

Kayla Itsines Round 2 - Week 2

 My octopus salad, yum!

I weighed myself on Friday and I was still 4 pounds less so that makes me really happy. I am hoping that I can maintain this weight-loss and any extra is truly a bonus. My waist looks as if it is tightening up, but again, it is still too early to tell. I am excited to see what results I have when the first and second month pass.

Honestly yours,
Alice