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.

My Goal

Starting Weight: 53kg



This months fitness mag



I read alot of the health and fitness magazines, obviously! The one that i enjoy the most is the South African Fitness magazine. It just has absolutely everything about exercise and healthy food in there and lets be honest, Shape and Women's Health have pretty weak exercise routines! The Fitness magazine has THE BEST workouts that really do work!

Anyway...

... I have always wanted to start modelling in some form, but i would prefer to do fitness modelling as I don't exactly have the most womanly body and as for my height, measuring in at 1.54m... I am indeed 'vertically challenged'. It is a sad truth that i have come to terms with but i am determined to make my height work for me. I mean really, lets not discriminate against short people please!

So back to the modelling... I have been trying to sign up with modelling agencies but I just can't seem to get them to overlook my height problem. I nearly gave up, but then i came accross an article in the Fitness Mag about the USN Face of Fitness which is their cover model search competition. Below the headline it said:

"It's time to get your fitness modelling career started-GET NOTICED!"

 And thats when it hit me. This is what I'm supposed to be working towards! Not girly clothes and shoe modelling, but hardcore fitness modelling! So I started seriously thinking about entering, spoke to my mom, told my boyfriend, and then I spoke to one of the Trainers at my gym, Ant Botha (he used to be a body builder). Everyone became pretty excited and pushed me to do it, and even better, they BELIEVED in me. The only problem was, entries had to be in on the 30th of September (Yes, in pretty much a weeks time) and i only started planning to do it about 5 days ago. So Ant put me on a strict diet and training programme that i have been following since last saturday. I must say, the food is less then exciting and the training is tiring BUT I am seeing AMAZING results in myself.

My Diet as of last Saturday consists of this:

• Breakfast: 50g Oats (no banana or any other fruit!)
• Mid Morning: 1 tinTuna and 50g sweet potatoe
• Lunch: 1 Apple
• Mid Afternoon: 1 tin Tuna and 50g sweet potato
• Dinner: 1 tin Tuna and Broccoli
• NO SNACKS AND NO OTHER FRUIT!

Yes, I do have to eat the exact same meals everyday until next week Wednesday when i have my photo shoot (photo's will be uploaded). You know the saying: "You are what you eat"? Well I'm officially a tuna! But i must say, i thought it would be tough to eat like this every single day, without ANY snacks (which i have quite often... under normal sircumstances), but it makes me feel so good to eat such clean and healthy food. I'l be honest though, I could NEVER do it forever! As much as i love eating healthy, a pizza and chocolate here and there never did any harm. But no one said this was going to be easy, and I'm not expecting it to be.

As for my workout, I have been ordered to go spinning every single morning (before eating) for at least an hour. I require no more training because apparently i am in "beautiful shape" says Ant. I have been doing a bit of upper body exercises and abdominals, just to maintain some tone, BUT i am NOT allowed to train legs, which is cool with me because my legs are pretty dead after an hour of spinning.

I definitely could not have kept this up without the motivation of my mom. She has been doing the diet with me and she comes spinning with me. I call her my manager and my trainer because she gives me workouts and is with me every step of the way. I am so gratefull to have her not only as my mom, manager and trainer, but also as my friend. My boyfriend has also been a really great supporter though this and tries to eat the same things as me in order to motivate me, and i appreciate every little bit of inspiration i get from him.

So it has been 5 days since i have started training for this competition, and apart from the fact that i am lacking a bit of energy (which will be sorted out with some energy pills hopefully by the end of today) i am feeling AMAZING, fit as a fiddle, and i can just feel the thin layer of fat melting away. Honestly, I am in the best shape i have ever been in during my 19 years of existance. And this is only the beginning...

P.S. I need to get my weight down to 48kg.... Just saying! 

My Views on Fitness and Health

My family has always been BIG into fitness and health. My parents have been going to gym and cycling since i can remember! My mom has always had the desire to eat healthy and she has pushed my brother and I to eat healthy to. I have not always eaten the way i do now, up until about 3 years ago, i lived on hot dogs, doughnuts, milkshakes and noodles. My poor mother used to beg me to eat my vegetables and drink some water but i just wouldn't budge. I'm not quite sure what changed me, but i gradually started eating healthier food. It was only at the beginning of this year that i really went all out to eat the right foods for my body. Something that really helps in maintaining a healthy lifestyle is taking up active hobbies like going to the beach and kicking a ball around. My boyfriend and i do this often, whenever the sun is out. Not only is it a bit of exercise, but it is also really fun and i LOVE spending time with my other half!

Mitchell and I enjoying the beach!

I think that giving your body the correct nutrition that it needs is an extremely vital part of living. Your body is your vessel throughout your life, and how on earth can you live a full life in a malfunctioning body? I believe that the right nutrition and a sufficient amount of exercise is a necessity to any human being, or living thing for that matter. And i know, most people have a busy schedule and cant seem to find the time for exercise and cooking the correct meals, but I'm hoping that through this blog, i will be able to motivate all you people out there.

OK so, here is a very basic list of what i usually eat on a day to day basis to keep my body in peak condition:

• Breakfast: Oats with banana
• Mid-morning snack: Apple (an apple a day keeps the doctor away!)
• Lunch: Tuna and Sweet potato mix salad
• Mid-afternoon snack: Apple and a boiled egg
• Dinner: Chicken fillet and veggies
• Snack: Yogurt and cooked apples

Along with eating right, i exercise as much and as hard as possible. I try to do quite a large amount of cardio, but sometimes its a bit difficult as time is not exactly never ending. Here is a breakdown of my weekly workout routine:

• 20-40 minutes of Cardio, either spinning, running or stepping (preferably spinning-SERIOUS calorie burner!)
• 30-40 minutes of weight training with combinations of back and biceps, chest and triceps, shoulders, legs and glutes.

I will go into more detail with regards to my workouts in a later stage. And you are probably wondering what i look like so you can actually see if I'm legit and worth taking advice from right? Well i will post some photos next week after a photo shoot-which will also be explained soon!

A little bit about me

My name is Emma Rogers i am 19 years old and i am currently living in Durban, South Africa. I attent Vega College and study Brand Building and Management, although i must say, my heart does NOT lie in this particular field. You're probably wondering what brand building has to do with the name of my blog, so i'll just tell you...

...I am pretty much OBSESSED with being fit and healthy, which i don't particularly think is a bad thing because i love it! I have always been involed in sports at school. I did athletics, swimming and netball which kept me quite fit. But the real motivation all started after a very hectic December holiday in 2009. Yes, i was in grade 11. To sum it up, i pretty much partied waaay too hard and ate a bit too much fast foods, needless to say, in January i was not happy with my chubby cheeks, so i joined the gym. Since then my desire to stay fit and healthy has just increased and i am proud to call myself a 'gym bunny'. I now I go to gym as often as possible (at least 6 days a week) and i eat a very healthy diet. The diet thing happend to change due to the fact that i became wheat and dairy intolerant... this was not very convenient in the beginning, but i am now thankfull for the genetic defects God gave me.

I am now trying to make a career out of my fit and healthy body and this blog is basically going to be about my journey to reach my goal of becomming a fitness model and wherever else my obsession takes me. I am sensierly passionate about health and fitness and hope i make an impact on people's lives if they read this.