The Balancing Act

Considering I took the day off of gym today, i thought I would get cracking at some more storytelling...

Today I would like to share how I balance training, eating, studying, partying, dating and family.

Training: Life has become so fast paced, and time is seriously of the essence. So fitting in your training sessions has become more and more difficult. I make sure that i set aside at least 1 hour of my time everyday to fit in a training session. Whether it be early in the morning before vasity starts, inbetween lectures or in the afternoon when I am finished. I always make time to train because it is important that you get a minimum of 30miuntes of exercise a day. Not only is it good for your healthy, but it also gives you those feel good endorphins that just keep you motivated!

Eating (nom nom nom): Yes, i love eating. Its one of my FAVOURITE past times. But people have become so busy now days with hectic scheduals that they dont have time to prepare a healthy meal for themselves. I find this to be BULLSHIT! A healthy meal can take up to 5 minutes to prepare if you dont cook anything, which is easy.... just eat a SALAD! I make myself a healthy lunch and pack some snacks for varsity everyday and it keeps me going. If i have a early lecture, i make it the night before. If you really are dedicated to maintaining a healthy appetite, then you will do anything you can to get the healthy juices flowing. Its not hard, it takes 5 minutes, so DO IT!

Studying: I go to varsity every week day and get a LARGE amount of projects, tests and assignments which take up a hefty amount of my time. But that dosnt stop me from hitting the gym! No ways! I make sure I get my work done so that i still have time for my daily workout.



New Years 2010-
I still know how to PARTAY!



PARTY!: As you know, I am 19, which indeed makes me a teenager, and yes, I do occassionally like to party a bit harder then i should and indulge in the fattier things in life. Unfortunately, this does have a negative effect on my fitness and health, especially when i decide to have a burger over a salad and have a couple too many drinks. I do try to balance it all out by drinking vodka, lime and water when i go out and having a healthy, carb free dinner before i start drinking. I just keep telling myself that drinking vodka with lime and water is the healthier option (heehee). I really enjoy dancing when i go out so that hopefully burns off some extra calories. But, i do make sure i dont drink too much so that the next day i can get my eating back on track and get to the gym so that i can get rid of those horrid toxins.

Dating and Family: Spending times with the ones you love is very important in life. I'm lucky in that my Boyfriend is also in to staying fit and healthy (sometimes) so he comes to the gym with me every now and then and dosnt mind eating rabbit food. My mom is just amazing with eating healthy and she is my gym partner/trainer/manager so we spend alot of time with each other which is awesome. I try to make time for my family and boyfriend as much as i possibly can. Night times are mostly dedicated to hanging out with them and catching up on news.

Today, I don't feel like doing anything...

Yes, it happens. Even I get those days where all i want to do is crash on the couch and snuggle in a blanket. It doesn't help much that the weather is miserable, well it's actually quite nice, I like being cold every now and then, it gives my body some time to relax.

So.... you might have guessed that i have taken a day off from gym today. I'm not going to lie, it feels pretty damn good! I woke up this morning, next to my boyfriend, and it was just so warm and comfortable! It would have been a sin to get up and go to gym at that moment in time. So i lay there in the comfort of a cosy, warm embrace, and just relished in sleeping in. Eventually I got a bit restless and not to mention, HUNGRY! so I slowly got out of bed and moved my body towards the kitchen to cook my beloved oats. After eating, guess what i did?..... Got back into bed! It was FABULOUS!

I know you're wondering, and yes i did eventually get back out of bed, have a shower and attempt to get some varsity work done. And now here i am, blogging away about my wonderfully lazy day off!

Do i feel guilty for not going to gym today? HELL NO! I believe that you need to take a day off every now and then to let your body recover and reward it for all the hard work it has been doing. And lets face it, my body has been through hell through the past 6 days. With 6 days to go until the shoot, i think i deserve a break. Oh yes- the photo shoot has been confirmed for 4:30pm on Wednesday... GET EXCITED!

Fitness Secrets

We all know that staying in shape and eating healthy all the time is quite difficult, especially when there are sooooo many different foods out there that are just so damn tasty but crawling with carbs, sugar and fat! I’m going to share my secrets to staying in shape and eating a good, clean diet.

Secret 1: Oats, oats and more oats! Oats is pretty much the only thing i will ever eat for breakfast, no matter where i am or what I’m doing. Not only is it full of fibre but it is also low in GI which gives you sustainable energy. You’re probably thinking, this poor girl has such a sad breakfast! But you’re wrong! I add strawberries, banana, cinnamon and sugar into the mix with just makes it absolutely delicious. I don’t eat it every day because i have to, i eat it every day because i LOVE it!.

Secret 2: GREEN TEA! I’m sure you have read it in just about every health and fitness magazine you read. And it’s true what they say, green tea burns fat and increases metabolism (as it contains catechin epigal-locatechin gallate A.K.A. EGCG)... aaaand it gives you a little pick me up with its small amount of caffeine. I have about 5 cups of green tea a day. And to combat that bitter taste, I add half a teaspoon of honey. So seriously, if there is NO green tea in your kitchen cupboard, GET SHOPPING!

Secret 3: More protein, less CARBS! Protein builds muscle, yes? Carbs add fat, yes? So what would be the natural solution? To increase protein intake and decrease carbohydrate intake! GENIUS! As you saw by my meal plan, i have a protein with every meal, except breakfast. I eat protein rich foods that are low in fat such as tuna, fish and chicken. To spice it up a little, I add some chickpeas, lentils or butterbeans to my meals which are also jam packed with protein. My carbs consist of sweet potato or brown rice as they are low GI. Oh, and one rule i stick to is: NO CARBS AFTER 5! They take a long time to digest and there is no need for all that added digestion to take place during the night.

Secret 4: Cardio is Key! OK, to be honest, I have only recently started doing up to 45 minutes of cardio a day, but i have seen the a HUGE change in my body since doing that. Cardio burns all that extra fat and keeps you lean and slim! My new favourite cardio machine is the spinning bike. Just make sure you either wear cycling pants or get a gel seat because let me tell you, your bum takes a huge beating!

Secret 5: Weight Training! I do weight training every day after cardio and it gives me the strength and definition that i want.

Secret 6: Have a cheat day every now and then. Everyone gets those little cravings for something naughty. Whether it be chocolate, a pizza, a big juicy burger, some lemon merangue or an ice cream. Its important for your sanity to give in to those cravings every now and then, just not TOO often. One day of sidetracking your diet is not going do much harm. So have a little Cadburry's or give Debonaires a call.

Secret 7: Vitamins! EVERYONE should be taking at least a multi vitamin! it just gives your body the nutrients that it really needs and is not getting from all the processed foods we eat. Everyday, i take: Vitamin E, A multivit containing Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin A, Salmon Oil, Flaxseed Oil and Vitamin C. If you're not sure about what vitamins you should be taking and in what dosages, ask tyour doctor or a pharmacist.

Ok so i have let you guys in 7 of my fitness secrets. I'm not going to give everything away from the start so I'll be adding in some more secrets as i continue my journey. I hope this enlightened a couple of you.