Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Nothing is permanent in this wicked world we live in…

So this next little piece of me has nothing to do with fitness or nothing to do with my journey to be a better me physically but I guess it is part of my journey and part of how I think or feel and can be shared with each and every one of you reading this right now.

Last week an innocent 19year old boy’s life was taken too soon – he was killed in a “fight” between him and another 24year old male and it got me thinking…

People that are alive today should really LIVE….

Stop! Smell the roses! I think most people take life for granted and each and every person should get up in the morning and watch the sun rise and give thanks for the beauty that surrounds them and be thankful that they are alive!

Your life can be cut short in an instant without warning….you can live a long or short life, it all depends on how you choose to live it – so basically once again boiling down to the choices you make.

It’s forever always changing but for any of us, our forever could end in an hour, or a hundred years from now….you will never know when your forever is coming to an end until it arrives so make every second count. Be spontaneous, dance in the rain and don’t take life too seriously. Make a difference, stand out and live for what you believe in not for what others tell you to believe in.

The biggest choice you should ever have to make in life is how you want your life to be and if you knew your forever was coming to an end tomorrow – is your life right now exactly how you would have hoped to have spent it?? 

Monday, November 28, 2011

The choices we make affect the life we live...

So driving back from gym this morning at exactly 06:39, I looked in my rear view mirror only to be met by a lady in a Getz behind me stuffing her face with what looked like a pie...so early in the morning?! Was she thin-definitely not and yea who am I to preach considering I was once there 11 months ago, but it dawned on me that everything we do in life has to do with the choices we make...she might be happy eating that pie so early in the morning and hey it's her choice to do so but after 11 months of hard work,eating correctly and a complete lifestyle change my choice won't be to eat that pie cause I know the difference between right/wrong and by that I mean-what's good for my body nutritionally and what's not...It all boils down to that saying again that I love so much-eat for long term gain not short term satisfaction.

Eleven months ago I realized that complaining about how I looked was not going to change anything...I physically had to get off my ass and do something about it and make the changes to better myself. Slowly but surely I have realized how important eating healthy and looking good is to me, it has changed my life, boosted my self-esteem...I still have a far way to go but I am getting there!


Make a change, make a healthy choice, choose the stairs instead of the elevator,eat a chicken salad instead of that pie and coke. You will soon see the difference and you will be contributing to making this world a healthier place-create awareness!

Have a fabulous Monday-every new day  is another chance to change your life-I did :)

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Every New Day is another chance to change your life….

Morning to all you fitness freaks, friends, family….whoever is reading this…it’s a another great day in Cape Town and another great day in my life so why not smile cause you’re alive right!?

Here are a few things I try to live by and maybe you would find these useful to add to your daily lifestyle…use it don’t use it?!!

# Eat what you want BUT remember everything in moderation….sooooo if you having that chocolate craving, buy yourself a slab of Lindt 85% Cocoa Chocolate BUT limit yourself to two blocks ONLY (you  can do it – you know you can!)

# Drink Loads of water everyday…..I try to drink no less than 4L per day J

# Exercise until you sweat or feel the burn….if you leaving the gym breaking no sweat….then you doing it wrong!

# Rest well….get plenty of beauty sleep and remember during sleep your body produces GH (growth hormone) which is largely responsible for tissue growth and repair

Enjoy your Thursday everyone and we one day closer to the weekend baby!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

What gets me going....

Listen we all have our off days and I guess I seem to be having more off days these days but how I cope with these will have a huge impact on my end result, workouts, eating clean and goals. Motivating myself is necessary to get me past these off days so I can keep focusing on what I want my outcome to be at the end of it.

It has been a long hard road for me, trying to lose fat, gain muscle, eat right, be a healthier me but to achieve the results or goals I want I know I have to put in the hard work – blood, sweat and tears!!! Most days I feel like giving up, trust me but I won’t because I know in the end it is all going to be worth it! Looking in the mirror seeing results makes me want to work harder.

Some things that help me stay motivated or get myself motivated when I am feeling down are:I keep a fat photo of myself handy to look at every now and then to remind myself of how far I have come – do I want to go backwards – NO!

I speak to like-minded friends – they will quickly smack you back into line…TRUST ME I KNOW…

I do research on nutrition, fat loss or muscle gain.

I look at motivational sayings and pictures of fitness models I would like to aspire to be like one day – nothing gets my fire burning more than seeing someone who looks better than me, it makes me want to work that much harder to get to where I want to be!

I ask questions – people in the fitness industry (ok well most) are happy to share their experiences with you, their ups and downs they have had, what they feel works best – if you don’t know and something is getting you down – ASK! No question is a stupid question!

I change things up a little at gym or do some outdoor cardio – cardio can be so boring so if you spice things up and make it more fun – you will want to do it more….instead of doing a boring hour cardio session in the gym go climb Lions Head…you get your blood pumping and you get to do it in fresh air and nature!!! Or get a friend to do outdoor sprints with you or climb Clifton 4th beach stairs over and over…get creative!

I change my resistance training routine often – I like to change things up every 6weeks…keep your muscles guessing and this will make sure you put in the effort for your entire workout and not give up half way or put in a half hearted attempt because you are bored out of your mind!

Eat to meet long term goals NOT short term Satisfaction….think before you put something you shouldn’t be eating in your mouth – make the right choices….it will be worth it in the end…it may be tough in the beginning but once you see the results – nothing is more rewarding!

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” Wayne Dyer

Monday, November 21, 2011

Not the healthiest Festive Treats but a good idea to give to friends, family members or even work colleagues as the end of the year approaches...

Reindeer cookies

Use the Basic Vanilla Biscuit Recipe (see below)


You will need the following: 


• 20 red-coated chocolate sweets
• 40 small pretzels
• 40 silver balls
• 20 kebab sticks

Royal icing
• 1 large egg white
• 400g icing sugar, sifted
• 3ml lemon juice

1 Cut 6cm circles out of the biscuit dough and place onto a lined baking sheet.

2 Cut the pretzels in half to form the shape of the reindeer antlers. Press two into each biscuit.

3 Press a red sweet into the centre to form the nose and press two silver balls just above the nose to form the eyes. Bake for eight to 10 minutes or until the edges brown slightly. Leave on the baking sheet for five minutes, then leave to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

4 Royal icing Whisk the egg white until foamy. Beat in the lemon juice and icing sugar until it forms a very thick paste. Pipe icing onto the back of the biscuit and stick the kebab stick into the centre. Leave to set for about two hours or until the icing has hardened.

BASIC VANILLA BISCUITS

Makes: about 50
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus refrigeration time
Baking time: 8-12 minutes
Oven temperature: 180°C

You will need the following

• 185g (200ml) butter, softened
• 220g (250ml) castor sugar
• 10ml vanilla essence
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 365g (675ml) cake flour

1 Cream the butter and castor sugar until light. Add the vanilla essence, egg and egg yolk and beat in well.

2 Stir in the flour. Use your hands to knead the last bit of flour in to form a dough. Flatten the dough and cover with clingwrap then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3 Divide the dough in half. Roll out each piece between two sheets of clingwrap.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Early bird catches the worm.....

My day started out nice and early with a 5am start. Hit the gym for an epic abs and cardio session!! So one week down on my intermittent fasting eating plan and going strong. I seem to feel a difference but when taking some more progress pictures this morning, I felt rather down but hey I won’t allow it to eat at me forever I am just gona keep on keeping on!!!




So back to my cardio workout this morning:

20 min Stepper


5 min warm up
Level 10
5 min
Level 12
1 min
Level 18
4 min
Level 12
1 min
Level 18
4 min
Level 12


Calories Burnt = 202
Heart rate = AVG 142

10 min Orbitrek


2 min warm up
Level 5
2 min
Level 10
2 min
Level 15
2 min
Level 10
2 min
Level 15


Calories Burnt = 100
Heart rate = AVG 145

I then went up stairs to the ab section to train abs for 15min with Shaun – he showed me the ropes today on a few abdominal exercises and shoooweee are my abs feeling tight as I sit here and type this!

We did 4 sets of 3 ab exercises and then I went to do a further 15 min or cardio – I am trying to aim at 1hr cardio every morning, if I train abs as well in the mornings then I will limit my cardio to 45min just due to the fact that I don’t have all the time in the world being a working class girl, I got to get my ass home and showered etc before 8am!

5 min Cycling


1 min warm up
Level 3
1 min stand up on bicycle
Level 20
1 min
Level 10
1 min stand up on bicycle
Level 20
1 min
Level 5


Calories Burnt = 47
Heart rate = AVG 131

10 min Stepper (stepped backwards for 5 min)


5 min
Level 10
5 min stepping backwards on the step machine
Level 10


Calories Burnt = 107
Heart Rate = AVG 139

I was “broken” after this cardio session but it felt great! So for the next 6 weeks I am trying to do morning cardio every morning (no less than 4 times per week) and then I have started on a new weight training program which I will follow for the next 6 weeks as well.

6 Week weight training program:

Monday:              Biceps and Triceps

Tuesday:              Legs

Wednesday:        Rest Day (Cardio in the morning)

Thursday:             Shoulders, Chest and traps

Friday:                  Back

Saturday:             Rest Day (Cardio in the morning)

Sunday:                Cardio, Calves and Abs

Ok so it is now 11:30am and it is time for me to have breakfast, yum yum cannot wait I am starving! Bring on my apple and cinnamon oats J

Until next time....

~ When I’m not hungry I eat. When I’m tired I train. When I feel like giving up I push harder.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Intermittent Fasting (IF)

Eating “big” and less frequently is what it is all about….

Building an amazing physique is tough. It’s not for the average, impassionate bro. It takes time, perseverance and commitment. But then again, anything worth achieving rarely ever comes without a fight ~ JC Deen

You merely pick an 8 hour window  to consume all of your daily calories. Once the 8 hours is up, you fast for 16 hours until you approach the 8 hour window the following day. Easy enough. For the typical trainee who hits the gym in the afternoon (say 4 - 6 p.m.), you will fast intermittently from bedtime up until about 12-2 p.m. the following day. So, if your 8-hour window begins at 12 p.m., you will cease your feeding before 10 p.m.

Training days your calories (well for me) will be 1550 which is broken down into 40% Protein, 40% Carbs and 20% fats. On Rest days your calories (well for me) will be 1200 which is broken down into 50% Protein, 20% Carbs and 30% fats.

Training at least 3 times a week resistance training and 3 times a week cardio.

My Meals consist of the following (example):

Meal 1 (breaking my fast at 12pm) 

1/2 cup of dry Oats
2 Scoops of HMT Whey protein
1 Tbspn Crede Flax Powder
20g Peanut Butter
50ml Skim Milk
1/2 cup of strawberries

Break-fast of champions
Meal 2 (3:30pm)
150g of Smoked Chicken Breast
50g Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1/2 cup of Rice
Mixed Side Salad (Lettuce 1 Cup, cucumber 80g, tomato 50g


Meal 3 (8pm)
200g Hake
5ml Olive Oil for frying Fish
150g Steamed mixed s training

Today's training - Chest, Shoulders and traps - BRING IT - a girl is amped ;)

Until next time ladies and gents

MWAH

Interesting post by Phil Heath ~ Mr Olympia

How to burn fat and boost metabolism

When talking body fat levels ‘Metabolism’ is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot. If someone’s in better shape it could be said that person has a higher metabolism.
But hang on, that person might exercise a bit harder than most and may have healthier eating habits, so is their buff body really due to gifted genetics? Or is it more about lifestyle? And what the heck is metabolism anyway?
Metabolism is the rate your body uses calories. These calories are used for all processes required to keep you alive, including the beating of your heart, digestion of your food, and repair of your muscles.
Your metabolism also controls the speed you can tap into fat stores for energy and lose weight. So if your metabolism controls fat burning, how can you control your metabolism and maximise fat loss?
There’s 2 areas you need to tackle – diet and exercise.
By eating foods at specific times, and by exercising in certain ways you can make significant improvements to your metabolism. Sure, some people do naturally have faster metabolisms than others but we ALL have the ability to improve on what we have.
Your body size also plays a part in the speed of your metabolism. But not how you might think. The heavier you are the more calories your body needs to function, so the higher the metabolism. If you consider yourself ‘chunky’ due to having a slow metabolism forget that excuse once and for all.
Although, in the case of a smaller person holding more kg’s of muscle compared to another, the muscular individual will have a faster metabolism. That’s because muscle tissue is more ‘metabolically active’ than fat. The body needs more calories to fuel muscle than body fat. Every gram of muscle you hold contributes to the amount of fat you can burn. That’s a good reason to protect lean muscle – muscle volume contributes to the speed of your metabolism in a big way.
Ignore this following fact at your peril – inactive adults will gradually lose muscle tissue, and sometimes much faster than you think. After taking 2 weeks off training over Christmas I’ve discovered this for myself! If you don’t exercise your body will lose it’s ability to fend off flab as fat fighting muscle erodes
away.
To insure your current ability to burn fat you need to perform some resistance exercise at least a couple of times per week. For greater fat dissolving ability, concentrating on adding more muscle is the answer. For that you will need to do 3 to 5 resistance workouts each week.
Physical activity will also have a stimulating effect on the metabolism. The more intense the exercise the greater the effect. Interval training and resistance exercise are the best choices. Each places such large demands on the body that the metabolism can remain elevated, melting fat for hours after training has finished. If you include both then all the better!
Another way to increase your metabolism is through focusing on what you eat – by using the TEF principle – or the Thermic Effect of Food. Certain foods cause the body to burn more calories to digest them than others. Protein digestion requires the largest energy expenditure, while dietary fat is the most
easily digested so has little thermic effect. Carbohydrates are somewhere in the middle.
Because protein naturally turns up the heat on calorie burning always include plenty at every food stop. Good sources are Lean Meat, Lite Cottage Cheese, Eggs, and Whey Protein Powder. By following a diet with an emphasis on protein at each meal you’ll soon have a metabolism running at a faster rate. Plus have the best chance of ridding body fat or keeping it at bay.
Other food ingredients can also help kick your metabolism into high gear. Studies from Japan have shown that eating spicey cayenne may boost metabolism by up to 30%. In Switzerland another investigation showed men who took a Green Tea Supplement 3 x per day burned more calories each day compared to those who took a caffeine pill or placebo.
And remember never skip breakfast, this meal starts your metabolism racing for the day. Now get to it and burn off some body fat!

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Progress Pictures 02 November 2011





I am feeling rather bloated this morning but I am glad to see my waist is shrinking - now for the hips to disappear LOL....one day at a time....

Found this awesome recipe - can't wait to try it...looks so good and it's healthy too!!! Eating clean/healthy can becomes so boring so it's nice to mix it up a bit and try new things...keep it exciting!

·                   Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes

    • 1/2 cup plain rolled oats
    • 3 egg whites 
    • 1/8 tsp vanilla 
    • 1/8 tsp cinnamon 
    • 1/8 nutmeg
    • 1 slice of granny smith apple diced
    • 1 oz crushed almonds or walnuts
    • Orgave® Nectar (http://www.orgave.net/)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. 
Spray a griddle/skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Pour small amount of pancake mixture on the hot surface in circular shape.
Cook until the pancakes are dry and bubbly on the edges. Bubbles should appear on top, as well. Lightly brown both sides.
Top with unsweetened applesauce or a drizzle of Orgave®. Makes one serving of pancakes.


There will come a day when i can no longer do this....TODAY is NOT that day!

Perseverance and patience are definitely qualities I never possessed in the past but I have definitely learnt after the last 11 months to hang in there – ‘Rome was not built in one day’

Felt great at gym last night gave it my all and pushed really hard, feeling rather stiff today so I know I gave it my all. As far as morning cardio goes – I am failing in that department….TIME TO PULL UP MY SOCKS…if others can do it I have no excuse as to why I can’t and being tired isn’t a good enough excuse!

Training last night consisted of the following workout routine: - I failed to do cardio afterwards (Hanging my head in shame as I type that)

Chest and Triceps:
1.       Warm up on Incline Chest Press with NO WEIGHT only bar x 20 quick reps
Incline Chest Press 10kg – 3 sets x 12 (or more if you can)

2.       Flat bench Dumbbell Fly’s 8kg – 3 sets x 12 (or more if you can)
SUPERSET with
Side crunches with a 10kg weight

3.       Flat Bench Dumbbell Bench Press 8kg,10kg and 12kg – 3sets x 12 (or more if you can)
SUPERSET with
Peck Machine 25kg and hold the pads with your hands and push together

4.       Cable Cross overs  6sets x 12 (or more if you can)

5.       Over head Dumbbell stretch for Chest and Triceps 8kg 3 sets of 12 reps (lay on bench take weight in hand and lift it over your head backwards and stretch it out then bring it back to your chest again)
SUPERSET with
Standing Tricep Extensions 10kg flat weight– 3 sets of 12

6.       Tricep Push Downs on Machine 15kg 3 sets of 12
SUPERSET with
Overhead Rope push downs on the same machine 3 sets of 12

7.       Skull Crushers 10kg 3 sets of 12

Got home had a protein shake (YUM), showered and then dinner ------------> was reeeeaaaal YUM!


Had salad and grilled chicken

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Ignite the fire within....

Well it sure has been a while...there is no excuse, I have been in hiding, went off the rails for a while there but I am back on track!!

6 weeks and counting until my UK friends arrive and I better look like something in a bikini!! I made a promise to myself to not be the one on the beach this summer covering up with a T-shirt. I would be the one playing bat and ball on the beachso let's do this!

Yesterday got off to a great start - healthy eating and a great gym sesh listening to my hard Style set got me going!It felt great walking out the gym - (as we say in CPT) SOP NAT! I can honestly say there is no better feeling walking out of gym having worked your heini off!

My Daily food intake consisted of the following:

Meal 1: 30g Oats
Meal 2: 90g chicken breast and sweet potato
Meal 3: 110 g of tuna, tomato, cucumber and 2tbspn ight mayo
Meal 4: 1 x Fat Free Plain yoghurt
Meal 5: 2 scoop of HMT Protein Shake
Meal 6: 90g lean Mince and Garden Salad

My Gym routine yesterday - Back and Biceps followed by 30min Cardio : A girl crushed that sesh!

1.       Rows (seated machine rows) 30/37 kg 3 sets of 15 or more
SUPERSET with
Face Pulls with rope 3 sets of 15

2.        Angled Rows (seated row machine) 30/37 kg 3 sets of 15 or more
SUPERSET with
Close grip pulldowns on lat pulldown machine (face the other way  - pull down) 25/30kg 3sets of 15

3.        Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns 30/35kg 3 sets of 15 or more
SUPERSET with
Upright rows on Standing back machine use a 15kg plate weight 3sets of 15 or more

4.        Bent over rows 20kg 3 sets of 15 or more
SUPERSET with
Cables 5kg 3sets of 15 or more

5.        Bicep Curls 8kg dumbbell 3 sets of 8 on one arm, 8 on the other arm and then 8 alternating



6.        Bicep curl with straight bar 10 and 15kg 3sets of 12 one after the other



7.         21’s 15kg 3 sets
8.    Hammer curls 6kg 10 reps per arm 3 sets
Then it was 30min Orbitrek...
Was an Epic workout and I am even more amped today for Chest and Tri's - BRING IT ON!!!
Train Insane or remain the same...