So what's next after Body Power?

So the fever of Fit Factor and Body Power is now over; I cant believe it was over a week ago now that I was on stage with an awesome line up of ladies. The post comp blues have come and gone (somewhat!), but the question is what challenge am I going to set myself next? 

I was lucky to be one of the final 20 girls @ Fit Factor

Well i've had a week of much deserved rest, had a few cheat meals but mainly stuck to reverse dieting and i feel so much better. Ive actually got a lot energy, which being the scatty person that I am may not be the best thing! haha I've also had time to reflect and digest everything that has happened in the last year - oh boy its too long to write down but its a lot. 

I have decided to break from competing for a while and get back to focusing on my new job and putting some fun back into my training regime. That doesn't mean I won't keep pushing my body, all it is is that I want to try different things with my training? In truth I've thought about a few new things I'd like to try; my trainer Emma is from a gymnastics background and an avid backflip specialist, so i'd love to dip my toes into this. 

And then I've had thoughts of something a little more extreme, perhaps learning Muay Thai/ kickboxing or cross fit? Is it greedy for me to do both? Maybe give Muay Thai a go first and then gymnastics. That's one of the great freedoms I have now without the pressure of competing or depleting. I can sculpt my training around what I want. I'm not restricted to training specific body parts of getting that extra bit of HIIT cardio in weeks out of comp. The world is my oyster as the saying goes...

So stay tuned for the next wacky idea that I challenge my body with! It could be interesting. However one challenge will always remain through all my workout regimes - to keep my abs! I've worked hard to get them and they are not about to wander anywhere!!

Little Miss Fitness 

Xx

Lights, camera, smoke? and action

Turning up to Belt Craft studios yesterday was an experience; querky and minimalistic is the best way to describe it. The studio was tucked away off the main road, which was a bit unnerving, but once I saw Lowell and his team it was fine. The studio was big and simple, with lots of different types of furniture in it. Once Lowell and the guys had set the room up, with the boxing punch bag and bench, it felt more like an old school boxing room - kind of like the one you'd see Sylvester Stallone training in; no i'm not comparing myself to Sly, that would be hitting below the belt! How many more boxing puns do you think i could get in there!? Haha

The before picture

The photo-shoot was one of the prizes i was given for winning Miss Galaxy, and to be honest I didn't know what to expect from it. I did the shoot with Rebecca Andrews back in march, which feels like a lifetime ago. The shoot there was a mixture of fashion & fitness and I got some gorgeous shots from that shoot. For this photo-shoot Lowell had gone for a boxing theme which I thought was different, seeing as i haven't done any boxing in a long time. Its not something I've ever done properly, but putting the gloves on and giving the punch bag a good old smack felt really good.

To try and give the photos a bit more of a natural workout feel, I did the shoot in bare feet with the punch bag hanging from the ceiling. To warm up Lowell got me to hit the punch bag a couple of times, much like a workout and then started clicking away! I think i soon got a bit carried away and then went to kicking the bag! Now that felt really good....

An extra bonus i really liked was that I could see all the shots that Lowell had taken on his computer, so I could then adjust my body to get a better shot and make sure my eyes weren't closed! Some shots were left to be desired but others I was really surprised with. The lighting and props that were used really enhanced certain shots.. 

So now its time to wait until the proofs get sent through. Im really looking forward to seeing what they look like; then cherry pick my favourite ones. 

BodyPower Expo countdown = 2 weeks!! now i'm getting nervous and excited! I saw Fit Factor organiser Renee yesterday whilst at the shoot and she put any unnecessary nerves to bed. She was really sweet and understanding. I just hope I'm going to get chance to look around the exhibition as well during the weekend. 

Europe's largest fitness & nutrition exhibition

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

ELB & Gyms Kitchen Bootcamp

Wow what a great day at studio elb with the first gyms kitchen and elb bootcamp. A nutrition specialist from Insight nutrition was also there; they took body measurements, height, weight, bmi, body fat% and a few other bits.

There were about 14 of us and as soon as got there we went straight into a good old ELB circuit class, although this time with a twist! We paired off and did superset workouts. It was an amazing full body fat blast and we did it twice - we must be mad! Some exercises included traditional burpees, planks and farmers lunges; targeting big muscle groups but we also targeted smaller muscle groups.

After dying slowly on the floor, we had the well deserved lunch made by the amazing gyms kitchen. I chose the chicken salad, with avocado, red cabbage..oh and then for dessert chocolate and banan protein pancakes. I've been dying to try those bad boys for ages and oh my goodness they did not disappoint. So much so that there were left over and it will be my breakfast for the next few days. Naughty but nice and good for you.

Bootcamp team ready to get to work...

Whilst lunch was on, I went and got my measurements done with insight nutrition. So current stats for me

Height - 5ft 7! (I'm shorter than I thought)

Weight - 62kg

Body fat carried - 9kg 

I was also shocked  to learn my body fat %! I couldnt believe it.  

A really enjoyable day, and well worth doing on the 1st Sunday of every month. If you want more information, drop Emma an email at infoelb@studioelb.co.uk. And you get to meet loads of new people.

So now it's 1 week till my photo-shoot and I'm getting excited. This week I have to drink lots and lots of water daily so that I drain any excess out of body. So déjà vu again as I'll be waking up in the middle of night to pee, oh yep and I've got to have a spray tan the day before , although this time I wont be as dark as I am for stage competitions. I'm going to try and get a few behind the scenes shots so keep your eyes peeled.  

Little Miss Fitness

Xx

I cant keep it quiet any longer...

Wow it's the start of another week again; time just seems to be flying by; I cant keep up sometimes. Another good training session last week and on Saturday I did a killer legs/glutes workout. One thing I love about training is learning new exercises that target certain body parts. On Saturday, one of the PT's at Fitness First showed me a new exercises that target the outer part of your glutes - it felt odd to start with but trust me this one is a killer!!

Outer Leg Exercise: (12-15 reps each leg on lightweight)

• Sit sideways on a leg press machine. 
• Adjust the machine to a light weight (believe me its not about going heavy on this exercise). 
• Your top leg should be placed half way up on the foot board, the lower leg should then just dangle beside the machine.
• When your in a comfortable(ish) position, adjust the seat forward so that your knee comes to a right angle, in line with the ankle that is on the foot board. 
• Release the seat so that it slides into the lowest slot. 
• Place your hands on the side of the seat next to your shoulder. 
• From your starting position, you are going to push up, through until your top leg is straight (you should feel the outer part of your bum working when doing so.)
• Then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position and then drive up again to straighten the top leg.

As I said this exercise isn't about heavy weight; it gets your body focusing on a specific area of your glutes.

I have some very exciting news that I just cant hold it in any longer. In less than 2 weeks now I am going to be doing a photo-shoot with the fabulous Rebecca Andrews at Studio ELB; alongside some other amazing athletes who put their heart and soul into their training. Oh my goodness I can't tell you how excited I am. I haven't decided on outfits yet, so I guess I should get my butt into gear and sort some bits out. I've never done a shoot like this before, so am just training and dieting as if it was for stage. I'm starting to get nervous now; Emma will point me in the right direction, but biting my nails is not an option right now!! 

Just some Rebecca's amazing shots from Studio ELB already

Another exciting thing that happened last week, I was approached by The Athletic Colony to do an interview about winning Miss Galaxy win. I was stunned that someone was asking me to answer a couple of questions for an interview, but it was so cool. I had to try and jog my memory a bit, but it was an amazing opportunity to be asked by Oli. You can read the full interview here. There are success stories on their website from other fitness competitors, so go check it out. 

Snippet from my interview with The Athletic Colony

Countdown to Fit Factor: we are at 81 days now and now I'm trying to up my cardio to 2 sessions a week, plus all my weight training. Blasting body fat isn't easy and I'm starting to feel a little tired but I've got to power through.

Right i'm off to the land of nod my gorgeous people. Rest and recovery are key...and boy do I love my bed!

Little Miss Fitness

Xx

Strong Beats Skinny!!

Another great start to the week; I'm feeling strong which makes a change from a couple of weeks ago. Last night I dead lift 70kg for 8 reps for the very first time in my life! For some it may not sound a lot but for me thats a PB and having long legs, I have further to lift. Well that's my excuse and i'm sticking to it. So this week and last week were both good starts and on legs, which are my least favourite sessions, perhaps I should start training them on a Monday?! Leg press also went up and beat last weeks PB; 170kg this week and leg curl burnouts are up to 20kg for 3 sets. I feel like progress is being made, which is a nice feeling. 

What goals have you guys achieved so far this week? It can be anything big or small; I love to know if you feel the same way when achieving something you work hard for.

Since I started training properly and with the guidance from people, I've learnt that you'll have good days/weeks and bad. Success doesn't happen overnight, it takes time and patience. So for someone like me who likes to run before she can walk it was really frustrating not seeing results automatically. Im not the most patient of people, so its taught me that patience and determination are key. So when I see my friends frustrated or upset they aren't seeing results I try to keep them positive and focused on what they're trying to achieve. I have my off days too, which is why i look to my friends and family for support. Mental strength is half the battle!!

Tuesday morning treat - time to get strapped in..

So time on the countdown clock till Fit Factor? We have 94 days and counting not much time when we think how quick it will go. Picking up the training and trying to keep to a strict diet is a tough routine to get back into but not impossible. Do you know of anyone else competing this year? Or are you competing? 

I made another batch of homemade Quest protein bars at the weekend. Thanks to the genius that is Simon Roshdy, from The Diet Kitchen for this simple recipe. This time I have  adapted the cookies & cream recipe for a few new flavours - think chocolate, coconut and chillies. Since I've started using vitafiber I love it, I can't stop. I'm still on the quest to try some more recipes from Simon's YouTube channel; that might be homework for tonight. I'll post the recipe for the Quest protein bars sometime this week for you. 

Shhhh.. youll have to wait and see

Ooo before I go I have some really exciting news. In just over 3 weeks time I will be taking part in something big, with a well-known name in her industry. But its top secret for now so stay tuned, you'll find out soon...

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

New Year Inspiration

Photo credit: Rebecca Andrews

So my 6 day detox is well and truly over and I have continued to stick to a healthy diet since, as I only have 16 weeks until Fit Factor in May, I've got to keep going. 

To give you guys a bit of inspiration to continue with your goals past January, we have an exclusive Q&A with my friend and trainer, Emma Louise Burrows. What she has achieved, not only in her competing career but in the last year alone; opening her own studio (Studio ELB) is truly inspirational! She is an inspiration to me and motivates me to train harder and to dream bigger...

So Em, we've just finished the 6 Day ELB detox; thank you so much for putting it together. Is there any significance for making it just 6 days?

I like to design 'detoxes' which achieve as much as possible in the time set so this time I went for 6 days which meant I could ramp up the intensity of the training. Any more than 6 days of back to back training combined with a conservative calorie intake would result in some participants having to drop out. It is about considering the mental side of things as well as what our bodies are capable of achieving, whilst still maintaining a healthy approach if that makes sense. 

What are the health/ fitness benefits with a detox like this? Is this the type of detox you would usually do?

For the participants who carried out the full detox which included step by step meal plans for the 6 days as well as daily 45 minute workouts with the rest of Team Detox, they would have achieved the following:

- Increased fitness levels

- Body fat loss

- Increased levels of hydration

- A steady balance of insulin levels throughout

- The all important feel good factor which will motivate them to use the detox as a spring board into a healthier fitter body for 2015

Do you have any top tips about detoxing i.e: the do's/ don't?

The main DO when detoxing is dedicate your life to that timeframe. If you are unable to work your daily routine into a detox plan then it simply won't happen.

The main DON'T when detoxing is to keep it healthy. Anything too extreme will do more harm than good.

Gyms Kitchen sponsored the detox and provided the amazing breakfast smoothie's. Are you guys planning on working together again in the future?

Gyms Kitchen are most certainly the restaurant of choice for us and we sponsor them also. We believe that whilst we are the best place to train in town, Gyms Kitchen are the best place to dine for those who take their bodies and health seriously. We make a good team and yes are working on plans to partner up and offer the fitness family of Essex some very unique opportunities to benefit from our partnership. More will be revealed soon. 

With all the training we've done over the last 6 days, what was your favourite? And what was your favourite smoothie?

The success of the detox has led us to offering a monthly membership for those who want to keep up the 7am workouts 3 x per week followed by what we found to be the most popular smoothies. The 2 favoured smoothies were; Fruity Fusion which is a classic blend of berries, banana and almond milk and the Pick Me Up which consists of oats, walnuts, banana and almond milk. I loved the final workout we used for the detox team as we combined everything they had learnt through the week to create one big crazy high intensity and full body circuit. 

You're a big ambassador for Tabata? What makes you so passionate about it and have you got any future plans?

I have never been a fan of fad classes that come and go. There is always a new gimmick but for those of us who are results driven in the industry, Tabata is a breath of fresh air because it is scientifically proven to achieve more in 20 minutes than an hour or steady cardio. It combines my love for using your own bodyweight to workout and my strong belief that to burn fat most effectively, a high intensity approach is always the most efficient. It is also a great way for people who have limited time and/or money to get a lot out of what they put in.

Your studio is such an amazing space to train in. What made you want to open your own studio?

I am extremely passionate about what I do and the only way I could envisage offering everything I wanted to people I train and coach, was to create the perfect space. Along with the right team of fellow trainers/coaches/gurus that are just as passionate in what they do. We cover various things at the studio, as I am a sought after competitor coach as well as training clients, so designing my own studio has allowed me to offer the best of both worlds. Every request we get from a new client is always unique and I am lucky enough to have the studio that allows us to cater to each individuals needs. 

DREAM - BELIEVE - ACHIEVE

We are MACHINES...

Final day everyone - day 6 of the detox! 

Oh my goodness, I have had a great time this week; its been such a laugh with the guys that have taken part. The early morning starts (yes, even on my day off) were hard but once the workout was done and we had a giggle, you could get on with the rest of your day. I will miss the guys who have done the detox this week, but i will definitely continue mixing and matching with the healthy diet.

Guess the flavour in todays smoothie...

 I’ve made a decision from this week to try and workout more in the mornings. It wakes me up, they fit in with work and my social life a lot easier. The gym and your diet should fit INTO your lifestyle and not just be something you do for a month or two. However come March, it will be upping the training for Fit Factor in May at the NEC. I’ll admit now, the dieting for this competition I'm not looking forward too, and im sure a few other people aren’t either – sorry!

During this weeks detox, I've picked up some useful tips that you could use as well, if you struggle to get out of bed (like I do) for an early gym session.


1) Put your phone/ clock away from your bedside. That way you have to get up and turn it off! Once you're out of bed you can get going.

2) Prepped your food/ clothes for work and even handbag before going to bed. That way its less of a ball ache in the morning, rushing around for things.

3) Wash your face with cold water. There may not be any science behind this but the it will certainly wake you up!

The ELB Detox Gang, not so fresh after our workout...

Going back to yesterdays session, not only did I do our 7am circuit class but straight after this, Emma worked me hard on my glutes - yes a double session! I am insane, but who wants to be boring?! Not me.


The main bits I want to train and work on this year is my butt. I keep saying I want a bubble-butt and I'm determined to get one. So Em took me through my paces yesterday with heavy weights and plyometric exercises to fire up my butt! My god it was hard, but i felt it working.






Ive got a little treat for you guys next week but you'll have to wait and see what it is..


Till next time;

Little miss fitness

Christmas come early!

You'll never guess what landed on my desk today?? Only the biggest Christmas present I think I've ever seen. Santa Claus decided to stop by and give me an early Christmas gift. I didn't think i'd been that good this year!lol

I went down to reception and picked up this huge box which was labelled from Musclefood. I had absolutely no idea what was in it but as you can see it took up most of my desk. First of all let me say thank you to Musclefood for causing a stir in my office, I dont think any of my colleagues had seen a food parcel that big before!

Dont think Santa had enough wrapping paper...

It felt like Christmas had come early and having to open it with the tinniest scissors made me even more excited to just get into the damn thing. Once I'd opened the box I knew exactly what it was; the prize I'd won through the Diet Kitchen's Facebook competition! I thought this was super fast for everything to get to me, as I only found out last week that I'd won. A huge thank you needs to go to Simon from The Diet Kitchen for sorting all this out. Its amazing; I couldn't believe how much meat was in the box. It was like Mary Poppin's bag. 

Chicken anyone?

Another big thank you to Musclefood for this amazing gift. A great start to the week, which is already planned to be filled with good tasting food and drink. Of which I will probably gain the amount of weight all this meat is put together. I've ordered bits from Musclefood before; Quest protein bars and beef jerky and let me tell you the quality is brilliant.

Its expensive to find good quality meat like this in supermarkets. It costs a small fortune to eat clean but I believe if you want to be healthy and live a healthy lifestyle, this is what it takes. A high protein diet works for me as well; feel fuller for longer and I don't crave all the sweet things I used to. I don't tend to snack as much as I used to and if I do it's on vegetables or nuts. 

So within the box, let me give you a taster of what was in it. 

2 X 2.5kg of chicken breasts

2 turkey breast steaks 

2 Irish rump steaks

6 chicken sausages 

4 British beef hache steaks 

Now thats a lot of meat, but I cant wait to cook with them. (I have a sneaky suspicion my boyfriend will like having the steaks.) I have no idea how I'm going to fit 5kg of chicken breasts into my tiny freezer let alone the rest of the other bits! I think a bit of tactical manoeuvring is required. Freezer bags at the ready! 

Its that time of year where you are prone to put on a little weight - so I thought I'd weigh myself today to see where i stand. Pre-christmas weight = 60.4kg. I will post my post-Christmas weight in the new year. I've got my photo-shoot with Lowell coming up soon and as we know the camera adds 10lbs! I can't be looking heavy in these shots. 

Till next time;

Little Miss Fitness

Xx

Back to reality

Well it definitely feels weird (and bloody cold might I add) being back after 2 weeks in sunny Barbados. I'm sorry for those of you who had to suffer looking at my pictures of beaches whilst being in the u.k! You can continue to hate me but I recommend a holiday there if you've never been. 

Yes i took this picture myself...

In other ways I'm glad to be back; it's time to get back to training and training hard before Christmas, as well know its the season of festivity and over eating!! I've missed lifting and weight training whilst being off, but I know that my body needed it after miss galaxy. I've missed having a goal andy first session is tomorrow morning (yes my alarm will go off before 6am), I've put a little circuit together to see how it goes. Stay tuned - if I can film it, I'll post it.

So my holiday gave me a chance to get over my little mental hiccups: my body changing after the competition (yes as silly as it sounds - most girls get downers afterwards), I know it's not natural to look that lean all the time. I'm not restricted in my diet anymore, which im quite relieved about but I will endeavour to make healthy choices. Ive never been an unhealthy eater but its nice to be able to munch on the odd bag of M&M's sometimes! 

They are so good...but do you share?

You don't have to give up chips; but perhaps sweet potatoes as an alternative than normal potatoes? Cut them up the same way you would potato wedges, sprinkle a bit of oil and chilli flakes over them and oven bake them for 20 mins. They are (in my opinion) tastier and are less stodgy. I am a firm believer in that no food is bad for you - just learn moderation and portion control. Those are the 2 things I've learnt (with tears during the process), its better to give your body what it craves (if you can eat it) rather than cutting it out, because your mind will psychologically say that you want it more if you don't. 

I'm glad to be writing on my blog after my holiday. I've decided that id like to keep posting to you all (whoever is reading my blog). Im going to continue to train hard and eat healthy, and hopefully show you that its not about yo-yo dieting and fad one-hit wonder diets, but about healthy choices and not restricting yourself with food. Its not just about eating salads and crash dieting in order to get a good body. It's a combination of exercise and eating habits. Oh and those pictures you see in magazines neews flash - they are photoshopped. Models don't look like that all the time. same with bikini models or fitness models, they will prepp for a photoshoot - just like how I will do for my photoshoot at the end of January. 

I've also got a couple of busy weekends coming up - lots of Christmas parties. So the LBD's will becoming out. The first being Emma's at studio ELB on Saturday this weekend. I'll be dusting my party dresses off ready for it. Lewis, mum and Emma miles are my plus 1's..well +3 I guess! Ill make sure i take lots of pictures for you all.

Till next time; 

Little miss fitness 

Xx

Must good things come to an end??

5 days and counting till I get up on stage at the miss galaxy universe competition. That means there's only 4 days till I take the fitness tests. Oh my god I hadn't really thought about it till now. I still can't believe that it's all come round so quickly.  I'm checking the weather forecast every 5 minutes to see if it's going to rain on Friday evening (please pray that it doesn't). 

Now we've found out who the judges will be for Miss Galaxy. There are the likes of Julia Hubbard, Dan Parker and none other than Alex Reid! There are a few other well known Miss Galaxy faces, so it's time to impress them all. Ive got to get all the practise and posing in that I can.. 

Run Forest Run!

Last weeks training was good, I managed 2 glutes sessions, abs, fitness tests and upper body. My glutes felt tired after the 2nd session, but i wont get a bubble butt if i don't train hard! Tonight is my final stint at the track so I've got to make it count. Then it's just about making sure I rest my tank as much as possible. Friday is going to be tough! Sick bucket at the ready lol... I've got to fuel the body as much as possible too so chicken, fish and oats are going to be happily consumed this week. Even the steak on Thursday night is going to be a taste of heaven...

I did my final abs session yesterday at mums, which felt weird. I haven't trained at my mums since the beginning (remember me doing wheelbarrows in the garden?) and looking at where I started and where I am now is up lifting. It seems strange now but i have the body i've always wanted and its given a new found respect in how i've had to get it. Don't get me wrong though I am still shitting a brick for the tests but it's all in gods hands now and for me to put 150% into everything on Friday. I was so scared last week when I saw the final list of tests; so much so I phoned my boyfriend and blubbered down the phone to him. He calmed me down, as did my mum when I told her the same. I've got to make sure my routine is spot on too, so extra rehearsals this week as well to fine tune it. It's just one week left that's all I've got to think about.

This week is a mixture of training and final competition prep. I'll be getting fake baked on thursday at the Tanning Station, after I've had a full run through with Emma. Then Friday morning its off to the hotel with mum in tow. Hair and make up is being done by yours truly as is the final layer of my tan. I don't really think mum knows what's she's let herself in for! I don't think I do either though..Oops. Well as they say it will be alright on the night.

Just before I go (as i need to get my beauty sleep), I'm not sure if any of you are bored of these posts by now but I hope you've enjoyed reading and coming along this journey. I'm sure work, my boyfriend and my family will be pleased once this is over, as all my conversations wont need to start with "training is hard" or "no I can't eat that"! AHH i cant wait for that cheat meal on Saturday night. I can assure you there will be no lady like etiquette when eating that meal! Lol 

Till next time (which may be at the track);

Little Miss Fitness

Xx

You can smell the stage

Well it's getting close to the end of the week and then we can safely say it's countdown in single digits. I can almost smell the stage (odd to say but it's true). This so surreal to say it as the last time I was doing a countdown in single digits it was Musclemania which seems a lifetime ago. Time really does fly when your a) busy and b) training your butt off.

This weeks training has been good, glutes on Monday was good. I could certainly feel them fired up. The hardest part of that session is doing frog jumps and then straight into rotating side squats. After doing sumo squats and then curtseys, the glutes are burning! Fitness tests were smashed on Tuesday, which was surprising - again some pb's were improved on, some tests however remained unchanged. At this point of the training these will not change drastically. We shall see how my last track session goes on Saturday down at lee valley.

Lift the legs up and pick your bum off the bench slightly

Then slowly lower the legs down, but don't touch the floor

The next question I have is another glute session or yoga tomorrow night? Think I need to work on the bubble butt a bit more...so glutes it is.

Just on a side note, I haven't weighed myself in a while, due the fact that it's not about how much I weigh, and also I don't want to scare myself. I'll admit I started this competition at 65.5kg and now I am dot on 60kg. For those who don't work in kg, there's 2.2lbs in a kg so I've lost a stone. That's over a 4 months, but the transformation of my body has been incredible (if I'm able to say that?). I've got the abs I've always dreamed of (I've got a 4pack showing now) however my shoulders have become a lot bonier than id like. This is where genetically I lose weight first though and with all the upper strength I've developed over these 4 months it's inevitable to be honest.

I had a great session with Emma last night, running through my evening wear routine. I can't wait to show her the full routine with my newly altered dress next week. It's exciting stuff - and Christine, my friend from work is going to come and watch my dress rehearsal! Yikes..

It's where the magic happens...

Next week however has to be stress free so it's all about making checklists, double checking I've got everything to take to the hotel and final things to do before Fridays fitness tests. Think I might start putting bits and bobs into my suitcase this weekend - better to be safe than sorry. It's going to feel such a short week at work, as I've got half day on Thursday, it's tanning time (back to the Tanning Station I go) and my final run through with Emma. I only hope I can make all the people that have supported me through this gruelling 4 months proud with the progress I've made and show them the final result...

Till next time

Little Miss Fitness

Xx

It's becoming real now..

Nerves are setting in...

Well last week was a bit manic and the next few weeks are going to be no different. It's getting closer and closer now and errr the nerves are slightly starting to set in! 

Last weeks training went a lot better than the previous week..no more breakdowns last week! I did Abs on Friday night so yes I took my routine trip to the bar!lol A couple of people in the gym saw what I was doing and thought it would be sportsman like to make me do extra sets and extra reps..for that I am grateful! My abs however are not! Lol 

Emma's session on Thursday also went really well. We did upper body and shoulders; which I found really good, my upper body strength has come a long way since I started training. Anyway she got me swinging from the monkey bars to start, followed by endurance shoulder presses...then to top it all off I was pulling a 20kg weight with rope. That exercise was fun, as sad as it sounds I felt like someone out of strong man!! Haha (hardly) It let out a lot of frustration though. Pull ups weren't missed off the list either; these made an appearance. Damn it! 

Feeling strong after lugging this thing around.

Oh my god ive completely forgotten hockey training on Wednesday! How could I forget; I got absolutely soaked. There should be a law for sportsmen and women, allowing them to sack off training when the weather is that bad. I couldn't see anything and the rain was literally dripping off my face. All my clothes were soaked through. You can't grip the stick properly, so as you can imagine there were a few sticks flying across the pitch that night!lol It was nice to go back to practising the basics though; it's good to refresh and go back to every now and then.

Unfortunately I didnt get chance to get to the track on saturday as lee valley had the outdoor and indoor track fully booked with hundreds of scouts. Aww they all looked so cute in their uniform and looked so excited to be doing some athletics. That's so nice to see young kids getting involved, I don't think we do enough as a country or as people to encourage children to take up sport or keep fit. It's al too easy to just sit on our asses and become lazy..anyway before I go into a full on rant, I'll move on.

On a side note, I've got to get one of my evening dresses taken in for miss galaxy, so I made a trip to crouch end, to gold needle tailor to get it altered ready for next week. I couldn't believe how much material they took at the back - about 3 inches!! Now this dress fitted me like a glove at university for the law ball. It just confirmed how much weight I've lost and how much my body has changed during this journey.

So I've started the week off on a high and this week is all about posing posing posing, I need to crack my routine for the show and then I'm seeing Emma on Thursday to go through my evening wear routine. Oh so many little things to do still..will I get them done in time? Hope so...

Time is running out... best get my skates on

2 weeks to go and it's all becoming so real now. I'm getting excited, and I am looking forward to getting up on stage and showing how much hard work I've put in. This isn't just for me though, it's also for the support I've had around me. I started on this journey trying to take each day as it came and it has certainly made me grow and become a more patient person..and a hell of a lot more organised (how long that will last is debatable!lol).

Happy Monday everyone. I hope your day is full of happiness and joy

Till next time

Little Miss Fitness 

Xx