Have you got the Fit Factor?

Oh wow what a weekend-I don't know where to begin! 

First let me apologise for the lack of communication over the last week or so, it's been rather hectic, what with trying to fit training in, nearly getting lost in Amsterdam, water loading.. To name a few things! Put it this way I was in desperate need of sleep and driving when your tired is not something I condone at all.

But it all came together last week on Friday-everyone in the gym, friends and work wished me good luck and I was off to prep. Friday morning was up early for last bit of cardio with Shaun T-boy it was insane, then I headed to Elise for my gorgeous fake bake spray tan. I can't thank her enough for fitting me in early and for all the competition tans she's done for me. 

Tunes blaring and 2 tanned girlies...

Then onto the motorway to head up to Birmingham with my girlie Amy Stephens. We had the tunes blaring out and the sun was shining. Once we got to the NEC it was straight to registering for fit factor and meet the rest of the guys competing. The Hotel we stayed in was lush and just what we needed, large space to practise posing and soft beds...ah heaven. It wasn't too far from the NEC either so it was an added bonus- The St.Johns Hotel.

So Saturday came and it was up early again to do hair and make-up for the day. Breakfast was an interesting mix of chicken and almonds, weird you might think but actually filling, as it's a high source of protein which keeps you fuller for longer. Try it out if your brave enough! 

Once we'd got to the NEC (again!) with a bit of commotion in traffic, we had a brief competitor meeting and told what time we were going to start. After that we were free to wander about which I was sooo excited about. This is what id been waiting for, to go round and see all the stands, buy a few things, meet some stars. Oh I was in my element. I did manage to bump into Phil Heath on Sunday which was incredible. Don't think he had too much time to chat though, he was on his way to make a speech.

GymShark - and i'm afraid of sharks!

So then the time came for me and Amy to go back stage, get glazed up and ready in our sportswear for the 1st round. We did a few pre-exercises to get the blood pumped to the muscles so things like press-ups, lateral raises, squats just free-weight bits. 

I was so nervous before going on stage, I was running through everything in my head at a million miles an hour, over and over again. I kept thinking to myself what my coach would say "don't look down" and "smash it". Again my legs went like jelly as soon as I got on stage,but I loved doing my t-walk. But I didn't predict how many more people there'd be in the audience. 

Current & former Miss Galaxies strutting - oh yeh!!

After the swimwear round 3 girlswere brought forward to the judges so they could get feedback. I was shocked that I got called and my feedback was that I came across a little shy on stage in comparison to the other girls. I took this on board and appreciated the feedback. 

Then it came to the end of the day to announce the guys and girls who'd made it through to the final on Sunday. I was shocked and sad to hear Joshua and Amy didn't make it, they'd worked so hard and looked amazing. I was even more shocked to hear my number (101) called out! I couldn't believe id made it through to the final out of the competition. 

So it came to Sunday and there were 2 rounds again. 1 being swimwear and the 2nd round was a photoshoot where we had 3 chances to get the perfect cover magazine pose. Unfortunately this doesn't come naturally to me and with only 16 seconds inbetween shots I struggled, although I felt my wall was alot more confident than Saturdays performance. 

the gorgeous Amy Stephens & me..

So these 2 rounds came and went, a lot quicker than the Saturday, understandably. I got to walk around the exhibition a bit more and see more of the stands; and my BFF Danielle came up to the NEC as well which made everything that extra bit special. The results were announced at 3pm and unfortunately I didn't make the top 5 girls. But the girls who did were incredible and the winner of fit factor couldn't have gone to a better girl - Paloma. I wasn't too disappointed as my goal was to make it thought to Sunday which I did, anything else was a bonus. I knew the competition would be tough so I prepared for what may happen. I'm pleased with how I looked and my t-walk which for me was what mattered. 

Backstage with the girlies...

So at the end of if all, I had an great weekend, met some more amazing people and learnt a lot more about the fitness industry. Now it's time to give the body a break from competing and trying new gym routines and fitness ventures. Oh and for anyone who wants to know, my first cheat meal afterwards was a KFC! Followed by chocolate and it all tasted so good. 

Little miss fitness 

Xx

2 weeks to go

Yep you read that correctly, this time in 2 weeks time it will all be over. 

All the prep and the mini-meltdowns in Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys (well pretty much every supermarket) will be no more. I think I've had more tantrums this time around than when i trained for Miss Galaxy. Either that or the tantrums haven't increased, they've just got worse - erm not sure which! I may need to phone a friend! Even my boyfriend has lost count I think! It's not something i'm proud to admit but anyone who has competed knows that mood swings and food tantrums are part and parcel of dieting. My boyfriend deserves a lot of beers for the tantrums and snappiness from me, as i think him and my mum have suffered and seen the worst of them. And even he can get a bit mardy when he's hungry - so you can imagine the combo of him and my tantrums. Our supermarket visits are always pretty much like supermarket sweep!  

I know the next 2 weeks are going to be hard, perhaps the hardest - water loading, carb depletion, additional cardio to burn that access fat. Yes there isn't any beauty aspect in the run up to a competition. And to make it that little bit harder, this coming weekend I am going to be on stage performing at Miss Galaxy. How have these weekends come round so quick?

It is sad to think that whilst the girls who've competed in Miss Galaxy are stuffing their faces with chips and wine after the show, I will only be able to chow down on chicken and veg..mmmmm yummy!! AS my trainer would say though, its only 1 week and then ill be able to have my cheat meal too.  Oh my god I cant wait. Its got to the point now, whereby im sniffing cookie jar tins for that sweet smell of chocolate (AKA: SUGAR!!!!)

My saving grace when cravings hit!

This week is going to be a bit manic - Ive got to finish blinging up my bikini, practise my t-walk for Galaxy, water load, train..oh yeh and do a full-time job. I think birthday celebrations will have to wait until after BodyPower!

So apologies now if you don't hear much from me in the next 2 weeks; my mind may be elsewhere and ill probably be spending more time preening and getting spray tanned than actually working!

Little Miss Fitness
Xx

3 weeks to go

Wow so there's only 3 weeks to go till BodyPower! 

Where are these weeks going? So quick recap on what I've been up to... I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since I started my new job; then next week (Saturday 9th May) I will be on stage at Miss Galaxy Universe and then the week after that is BodyPower (Saturday 16th - Sunday 17th may). 

Fit Factor Poster

I don't think it's sunk in yet how hectic these next few weeks are going to be. And if your thinking am I competing again at Miss Galaxy, no I'm not. I am only walking on stage once all the other girls have walked on and strutted their stuff. It's going to be exciting seeing the girls I made friends with last November competing again. I'll be cheering them on and I'm looking forward to watching the show as a spectator! 

So yes unfortunately the oompalompa look is coming back! And it will be making an appearance for a solid 3 weeks. I have warned work already; so I'm preparing myself for the jokes that may WILL follow. But hopefully the body scrubs we sell will exfoliate my skin back to normal. My tanning sessions have been booked with the trusted Elise at The Tanning station, in Enfield. She is amazing at doing my competition fake bake tans, so why go anywhere else. She's only down the road too so that's the cherry on top! 

And then oh boy, this coming weekend I've got my photoshoot with Lowell Mason; he is the photographer from Galaxy. 

Lowell Mason's Miss Galaxy shots...

We are shooting in North London on Saturday; but I can't tell you too much on the theme of the shoot that you'll have to wait and see what's in store. 

So stay tuned on my Facebook and Instagram pages; 

Little Miss Fitness 

Xx

New start; new challenge

"If it doesn't challenge you, it wont change you"

I found this quote on Pinterest this morning and thought it was quite apt for today. We shouldn't be afraid of challenges or to take them on. Each time we do, go into them with a fresh mind; start from scratch as if you don't know anything. You never know what you'll learn from those who've done it, been there, got the T-shirt. 

The main thing though is BE PATIENT! We are all our own worst enemy (myself included!) in this; however patience will set you apart from others that aren't and go for quick results instead. 

You control your destiny

I know all of this sounds very thoughtful and deep for a monday morning but hear me out. Today is my first day in a new job and I admit I am really nervous. There are so many thoughts going through my head; what if the people in the office don't like me, what if i cant do the job? 

I know these may sounds silly but I guess it's natural to be anxious with any new challenge you face. I've just got to rise to it and have the confidence and patience to achieve what I want. As my mum would say "Baby steps Amy" and "Rome wasn't built in a day" as my boyfriend would say. Don't you just hate it when your loved ones are right?!! 

A little welcome pack full of goodies...

I guess these nerves were similar when I started training for competitions; I questioned myself then "can I train hard enough", "can I stick to the diet"? This is where mental strength will prevail - not to mention having a support network around you. Even with 5 weeks to go till Fit Factor, I'm still battling with some of these questions and challenges now. But thats part of the excitement and the fun with doing something new and challenging - you don't know what the outcome will be until you get to the end. 

So lets see if I can make it to the end of this challenge and feel confident that when I'm up on stage on 16th May in Birmingham, I know I've done everything I could to push myself and challenge my body.

#5weeksToBodyPower

Little Miss Fitness 

Xx

Train together; stay together...

Oh boy I cant tell you how excited I was for what lay in store with my BFF Dani on Friday. She texted me earlier in the week and asked if we could go to the gym on Friday, at which I almost jumped down my phone to say "Yes, Yes, Yes" and to top it off she wanted to do legs!! I couldn't wait; it was going to be a girlie day done in style - I just prayed we could walk afterwards.

Time to bust these bad boys out...

So I got to Dani's and we hit the gym straight away, no messing around; we'd both had coffee and breakfast so we were good to go. I love working out with Dani, she works hard and wants to push herself; there's no whining or complaining "I can't do it". We get in, do what we need to do and leave - no time for chit chat. It was #girlsonamission

So to make the most of our session, I put a little plan together - 

Doggy Style Leg Lifts ( x10 each leg)
NOTE: if your glutes aren't burning after this, you're not doing it right!
Glute Leg Lifts (with small dumbbell. Hold in the back of the knee)

Then it was to the weights room; oh yes my friends the above was just a warm up for the glutes.
Dead-lifts (x10 with weight bar)
Curtseys (x12 on each leg) - dumbbells in each hand
Split lunges (x12 each leg) - with weight bar
Farmers lunges (x10 strides with dumbbells in each hand)
Leg press machine (x8-10 with heavy weight)
Leg Extension burnouts (x10 each foot position)

Dead ringer in the gym - check out that form!

Its official... I cant walk

We did all of these 3 times and boy were we cream crackered after. We pushed each other through the workout; and afterwards our butts were definitely perkier and on fire.

Soooo sad its over...

I find that having someone with motivation to train hard, makes you go that extra mile and pushes your body even more. The same goes when I train with my boyfriend - he pushes my body and my mind. He is the encouragement I need and the sergeant major to tell me off when I'm not working hard enough. My thought of the week is I truly believe that those couples and friends that train together, stay together.

What do you think? Share this with your training BFF if you agree.

This week is back on the cardio and weight training...#6weekstillBodyPowerExpo and got a training session with Emma on saturday. Better prepare for the pain now! 

Little Miss Fitness
Xx

6 weeks till showtime!

I cant believe how quickly time is flying by, only 6 weeks to go and if i'm honest this week I don't feel I've made any gains in shredding any additional body fat. I know I shouldn't compare but I keep looking at pictures from previous Fit Factors and I don't feel my body is nowhere near there yet!

This week I've found difficult to fit hardcore sessions in as I've been here there and everywhere, not really in my usual routine. I've been at training days for my job, day off which I spent with my mum as well as preparing to start my new job in a week's time. I have managed to fit in a couple of cardio sessions and my leg sessions but why do I feel thats not enough? 

Fuel for Leg Day...mmmm Chocolatey

Chow time...Sweet potato/ Salmon/ Vegetables

One of my highlights this week was spending time with mum and training together! She is one of the main reasons why I got into sports, exercise, healthy eating etc and generally not being able to sit down for more than 5 minutes!

So we did a bit of mother/daughter training; I showed her a few tricks and she showed me what she could do. I wish I had taken a picture; my mum didn't even think she could do 1 full body press up - and yet on Wednesday she did 2!! Now that's amazing, something I tried to keep telling her. Listening to your head when it says no, can stop you going beyond your comfort zone. The body is a powerful machine that can surprise you in the strangest way. With Miss Galaxy training I told myself I would never be able to do full chin-up and yet as it got closer to competition day I was bashing out 5-6 chin-ups in 1 go. I shocked myself and learnt that pushing boundaries is not a bad thing. 

Over the course of my training I have learnt a few things, one being don't say you can't do something unless you've tried it first. And with everything achieving what you thought was impossible, takes time and patience. A hard lesson I had to learn and am still learning. 

Hold on!! Pot calling the kettle black, I think I've just solved my own mental downer this week. I need to re-focus on my goal and don't let my head tell me I cant do it! I think I need to take my own advice! haha.. Today I am training with my BFF Dani and its legs!! I hope she's ready and then Saturday is shoulders/ back and core. 

Thank you guys for listening and reading (if you still are?!). 

Little Miss Fitness 

Xx

8 weeks and counting....

So I've had my last blow out weekend, and I can say it was well worth it! Indian on Friday night to celebrate my boyfriends birthday (which was really good), Saturday it was my all time favourite, spaghetti bolognese for dinner.... and then Mothering Sunday was pub lunch (although I did stick to grilled chicken and vegetables - so i don't think thats too bad). 

However now it's time to knuckle down and get serious. There's only 8 weeks till Fit Factor at Body Power and I need to shift this body fat; it's not going to shift itself. So back to clean eating now and training dirty!

I'm upping high intensity cardio during the week and I'm also going to make some appearances at vivi's metabolic meltdown classes at studio ELB. Vivi's not called the terminator for nothing! Hopefully with this effort and the strict clean eating again, my body will snap back into shape, similar or better than what it was for Miss Galaxy. I feel I've made gains on my abs and shoulders over the last few months now it's time to up the anti and get the dream bubble butt! 

A few cheeky little handstands to start my workout...

there's the smile - after much concentration!!

I've also got to start practise my T walks and poses. Fit Factor isn't just judged on our figures; 50% of is based on physique and then the rest is on personality, presence and if i'm seen to be marketable. I have to admit though Im just as excited about seeing all the different fitness and nutrition brands that will be there as much as the stage competition. Its going to be a long weekend but hopefully worth it. 

Fit Factor Bikini - kind of colour I'm thinking of for my bikini... 

So here comes the pain of dieting; sorry in advance that I have to put you guys through this pain again! Although I'm learning a lot more this time around, with the help from people in the business. But I've also learnt to listen to my body and rest;, with thanks to the amazing support I've got around me, you know who you are....


So the countdown begins to May 16th & 17th... If you fancy coming along for either the Saturday (16th) or Sunday (17th May) you can book tickets here. There are going to be so many big names from the fitness industry you'd be crazy to miss it! 

Little Miss Fitness

Xx

Mondays are made to be broken

So today was one of many firsts. For one I've never done a legs session on a Monday night, and as its a new month I thought I would mix it up by doing cardio at the end of my workout. I've read a couple of articles recently, suggesting that doing cardio after a weights session can help burn more fat than doing it before a workout. As I'm one for a challenge, I wanted to see how this went...

Well I can tell you now that after tonight's session, the treadmill became the devil! My legs just felt like jelly - but I will persevere and do it again tomorrow after my shoulder/ back workout.

I also broke some PB's; Monday's are fast becoming a day for things to be challenged and broken. Todays PB's were;

167KG Seated Leg Press

60KG Straight Leg Deadlift

45KG Squat

This is how i feel right now

I felt strong today in the gym; I guess I should take it as a good sign that this week will be better in the gym. Lets see what other PB's I can break - whose up to see this challenge through with me?

And now for a victory dinner deserving of such a workout - I love adding new vegetables and spices to this Chicken stir-fry. I've popped the recipe below, so you can create your own. Its healthy, quick and tastes yummy - so all round winner.

Victory Dinner; get in

Recipe for Chicken & Vegetable Stir-Fry: (serves 2-3)

2 Chicken breasts, into chopped medium sized chunks (smaller chunks will cook quicker)

1/2 head of brocolli 

2 handfuls of sweetcorn (can be frozen)

1 handful of broad beans (can be frozen)

1 red pepper (chopped)

1 handful of fine beans (chopped)

2 gloves of garlic, grated

3cm of fresh finer, grated

1 tsp of light soya sauce

1 tbsp of organic Agave

Optional: 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice

Cooking:
Prep time: 10-15 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

- Put a bit of olive oil into a wok and let it heat up
- Pop the chicken into the wok and fry between 5-10 minutes (cut a piece open to check its cooked).
- Before placing the chicken in a bowl to one side - throw in the grated garlic & ginger.
- Use the same wok, no need to add any additional oil 
- Throw in the vegetables altogether and stir-fry for a good couple of minutes. After a few minutes, stir in the Agave and light soya sauce.
- Just before serving, put the pre-cooked chicken back into the wok.
- Ey Voila! You want to waste time eating this....

- Optional: if you want to add some carbs - then throw in the brown rice towards the end with the pre-cooked chicken. Mix everything together, then serve and enjoy! 

Little Miss Fitness
Xx

It's official!!

Yep it's official..its just over 100 days to go until myself, Louise and Amy will be hitting the stage at Fit Factor, part of Body Power; Europe's largest fitness and nutrition exhibition at the NEC! I am so excited to be getting up on stage with those 2 gorgeous girls. I also can't wait to see some of the biggest names in the fitness industry: Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, Paige Hathaway are just a few. Not to mention some of the amazing brands that us fitness peps buy and devour. The likes of protein pick a mix, shredz, Scitec, USN and many more. Sad as it sounds but I can't wait to learn more about the industry and meet new people.

Countdown begins...again!

So now it's time to up my training and work on those areas that need improvement aka: getting that bubble butt!! You will no doubt in the coming months hear me moan and whinge about my hardcore sessions with Emma and the diet that will commence just before comp.. So bear with me! But youll be able to see some more protein bar creations that I'm dying to try with my vitafiber, and protein ice cream as well. Yes now that I have found a new blender, smoothies and protein ice cream will be special treats for me to make to curb those cravings.

Protein bar recipes from The Diet Kitchen

This week has been a little up and down; today I've not felt 100% my heads felt a little fuzzy which is unusual for me. I go through little blips sometimes but not one which lasts the majority of the day. So with the loving advice of work colleagues and boyfriend, the best thing was to come home and rest my body. Tomorrow is a new day with a new frame of mind. I'm not sure where it's come! I feel as if I've fallen off the wagon this week with diet and training. I have been to the gym but perhaps not as much as what I feel I should.. I'm a weird one yes! I've got to try and keep myself busy, as I feel like I'm not doing much at the moment. Perhaps that's why I'm so much like my mum. If I'm not busy I easily get tempted into the wrong things and become lazy with training. 

Do you ever feel like this or am I talking rubbish? 

You can follow me and my training and nutrition experiments on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Please like and share my videos and photos with friends, even if it's to laugh at my cooking skills!

Instagram - @littlefitness88

Twitter - @littlefitness88

Facebook - Little Miss Fitness

Till next time 

Xx