How negativity can hinder your fitness goals

July 16, 2014

Last week I felt really demotivated and just plain depressed about my fitness progress. I am sure that I am not unique in feeling this, and that there are actually a lot of you out there who feel the same way I do which is why I wanted to write this post.

I have been exercising and attempting to eat more healthily since I was 16 years old … seems like a lifetime away now! It can be really hard when I see someone achieve such incredible results in a fairly short amount of time, when I have been working so hard for so long, and still not achieving the ‘dream body’ I so crave. I am not saying I am jealous of these people. On the contrary, I am in awe at their achievement and respect their dedication and hard work. Buuut, it can also cause me to feel a lot of self-doubt and negativity. You know the kind, “Why don’t I look like that? Am I working out wrong/eating wrong? What is wrong with me?”. It is so sad to think about how inextricably intertwined our state of being is with our body image. And it can also really hurt us in the long run.

By hurt us in the long run, I mean in terms of motivation, choosing the right foods and finding the desire to exercise. I had never felt SO demotivated and not bothered to work out in my life as I have felt this last week .. it was weird! I absolutely love working out; it makes me feel good and full of energy, but my negative state of mind was bringing me into a place where I didn’t even feel like myself. On other occasions where I have felt particularly negative, I have chosen to eat foods that I don’t even really want which only serve to make me feel guilty and more negative later on.

Feeling negative can also lead you to stress out, which is something I have definitely noticed happens to me! As soon as I start feeling down in the dumps I start to stress out about why I am not losing fat more quickly, second guessing my meal choice the other night and etc. When we are stressed, this throws our bodies into hormonal disarray as the hormone cortisol is produced when we are stressed. In small amounts, cortisol is actually a beneficial hormone, but in excess it has been said to cause overeating, leach nutrients from the body’s tissues and lower the immune system. It’s really quite annoying isn’t it?! You get worried and stressed because you aren’t losing fat/weight and this could actually make you gain more fat/weight! Stress can also cause sleep problems, and we all know how vital sleep is for us. Feeling negative, sad and stressed in general is just not a state of mind we want to be in full stop. Think about anyone you know who has ever been like this, and then think about how they were to be around. Probably not the most fun I am betting. So basically being negative and glum can lead to stress, potential weight/fat gain, lack of sleep and will probably make you feel very unsocial and will result in people not really wanting to hang around you! Yikes! So what can we do to stop this?

Luckily, I am back to a relative state of positivity but not after a few days of complaining and feeling generally glum. I have found that these are the best ways to help bounce back into feeling positive again and to continue along your health & fitness goals:

Shake up your routine a little! Do you always run to get in your cardio? Why not try jump rope or a spin class? It is easy to get stuck in a rut, so make sure to do something new every now and again to keep fitness fun and fresh
Talk to a friend or family member about it. Just talking to someone is usually a great way to unburden yourself and others can put things into perspective when you cannot
Keep a journal for a few days. Trust me, you will be so amazed at how helpful it is to write down your feelings and be honest with yourself. Even a few days can help!
Take a break! Sometimes all we need is a little break to make us excited to exercise and eat right again. And by take a break, I do NOT mean eat what you want lol … I mean, go to some nice restaurants, go hiking or walking instead of the gym, and hang out with some friends.
If you have them, look back at old photo’s of yourself and remind yourself how far you have come. Or simply reflect on how much your eating and fitness habits have changed in the past few years.
Seek professional guidance. If you can afford it, it might be worth investing in a consultation with a nutritionist or personal training sessions to get you back on track.
Most importantly of all, remind yourself of how AMAZING you truly are. This is what helps me most. I remind myself how truly lucky I am to have such a healthy and functioning body. Who cares that I don’t have rock hard abs; I can walk, run, move, think and do so many amazing things. Your body image does not define you.

Isn’t the above photo fitting? I love it, because that is what you should be aiming to do everyday, no matter what you have planned out for the day. Whether it be a class, a job, or a gym session, wake up everyday ready to give it your all. I know that sounds sooo corny, but it is true. There is no point living life half trying. Even if you do not get exactly where you planned to be, you’ll be a lot better off than if you went through life not trying.

I hope that all helped you .. it helped me quite a lot to write this post to be honest!! None of you are alone in this. If you ever feel upset or sad about your health, fitness, or anything else for that matter then feel free to shoot me an email or a comment below.

Hope you all have a wonderful day and that the rest of your week is positive and happy!

Honestly yours,
Alice xxx

P.S. All images from www.instagram.com/motivationwall

Health

Why I love juices & smoothies

July 9, 2014

Ahh, summertime. All you wanna do is be at the beach or by a pool and sipping something cool and refreshing.

A simple green smoothie

My go to for hot weather is definitely juices and smoothies! Sadly I do not have a juicer and cannot make my own juices (one day I will own a juicer!) but I do have an awesome blender and love experimenting with different smoothie combos. Smoothies and juices are wonderful as you can pack them full of nutrient dense fruit and veg. As much as I love salads and chomping away on fresh fruit, it’s really nice to have a small snack which is full of goodness and also easy to take on the road with me if I have a particularly busy day.

Healthy Juices and Smoothies

Suja ‘Glow’ juice – my fave on the go companion!

‘The Hulk’ juice from Vive Juicery, Salt Lake City – contains blue-green algae!

Although I love both juices and smoothies, there is a slight difference to the two. Juices do not contain the fiber of the fruit which can make it easier on your digestive system, but you obviously do not get the benefits of fiber (which include keeping you full, keeping your bowels moving hehe and lots of other good stuff). Smoothies on the other hand do contain the fiber of the fruit and veg, but they are a little bit heavier on the stomach, but not by much as the fruits and veggies are still easily digestible since they have been blended up. It really depends on your preference whether or not to choose a smoothie over a juice or vice versa, but both are great options. The best way to enjoy a juice or a smoothie is to of course make your own, but time does not always allow! When choosing a smoothie or a juice, the most important thing to look at is the ingredients list. Make sure that the smoothie or juice contains nothing but a dairy or non dairy base, fruits and veg. If you see something like ‘sugar, cane sugar’ or etc, run!! Many juices and smoothies are already so naturally sweet from the fruit in it that there is simply no need to add any more sugar. So avoid brands that do. My juice brands are definitely Suja Juice and Project Juice as they do not have any added sugar in them.

Greenhopping is a fabulous app that lets you locate green juice bars, so definitely make sure to download it when you can.

Turmeric Mylk is so yummy and unique!

Mmm, my fave Project Juice drink

The juice that made me loves beets again 😀

Okay soooo if you want to make your own smoothie, I can definitely help with that. Sadly, I do not have my own juicer but I have found that a lot of juice places let you choose your own blend of juice and what to put in which is really cool.

Anyway, the basics of making a smoothie are:

the base liquid (this could be water, coconut water, brewed green tea, milk, coconut milk, unsweetened almond milk or another of your choice)
fruit (I prefer to use frozen fruit in a smoothies; choose away from any fruit such as bananas, strawberries, blueberries. Dates are a yummy addition too)
vegetables (optional, but makes the smoothie so much better; choose from cucumber, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, romaine lettuce and etc)
healthy fats (optional; choose from natural peanut butter, coconut oil, avocado, flax seeds, chia seeds and etc)
protein powder (optional for those looking for a more filling smoothie, I use vanilla whey protein powder)
citrus (lemon juice, lime juice, oranges and etc)

So there you have it! Feel free to add anything else your heart desires. I have seen some pretty unique additions to smoothies such as spirulina, chlorella and maca powder. The world is your oyster when it comes to smoothies. My favorite smoothie is pictured below and is made up of frozen bananas, unsweetened almond milk, lime juice, spinach, and vanilla whey protein powder topped with fresh mango.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I love making, drinking and buying these healthy juices and smoothies, and I just wanted to share with you all why I loved them as much as I do. If you already make juices or smoothies, what is your fave combination?

Honestly yours,
Alice

Fitness

Beginner’s Circuit Workout

July 3, 2014

What a treat I have in store for all of my readers who are new to, or at a beginner’s exercise level…a beginners circuit workout! My lovely friend Ben Coffin, who is a personal trainer, kindly shared a workout that is perfect for beginner’s. This workout will not only strengthen and tone your muscles, but because you will be performing them in a circuit style, you will get in cardio as well since your heart rate will be kept high. Ben is currently based in Newcastle in the UK so if you are looking for a personal trainer then do not hesistate to contact him at ben.g.coffin@hotmail.com 🙂

Beginners circuit workout

Circuit workouts are an extremely effective way of getting toned and fit fast because of their incorporation of fat burning cardio and muscle toning strength. Kayla Itsines workouts are all circuit based, and you can see how effective her workouts are (and her body shows it)! This beginner’s circuit workout works a whole range of muscles as opposed to just one or two. I am sure you will be feeling sore the day after you give this a go!

Always remember to do a 5 minute warm-up before you workout. This could be a brisk walk, some jump rope or even jumping jacks – something to get your heart rate up and to prepare your body for some hard work. For the workout, you will complete the full repetitions of each exercise, with no rest until you complete the circuit (if you must rest please limit it to a few seconds). Try and complete the exercises as quickly as you can with the CORRECT FORM. If you are unfamiliar with the exercises, do yourself a favor and youtube how to do them. Correct form is vital in ensuring you are engaging and working the correct muscles.

Once you complete the circuit, repeat it 2-3 times with a 1-2 minute rest between each set. Once you complete the circuit workout, please take 5-15 minutes to fully stretch out your muscles. If you fail to stretch properly after your workouts, you run the risk of injuring yourself during your next workout. Stretching helps promote flexibility and lengthens muscles that may have become very tight during your workout. You don’t want to end up with tight muscles that make you look stumpier or hunched do you?!

With all of that said and done (I hope you read it THOROUGHLY!), here is the workout! I realize that in the photo’s I am not using a weight, but that is purely because I did not have one to use during these photos. Please use a 5-10 pound weight if the exercise requires it 🙂

1. Shoulder presses with the resistance bands – 10 reps