Pilates in the sun...

Ah there's nothing better than stretching and twisting with the sound of a waterfall in the background and the birds tweeting. What would make it even better is for the view to be of the sea stretching out to what seems like the end of the world!

For the next 10 days the only exercise I will be doing is Yoga and Pilates. I find these 2 disciplines so relaxing; for my mind and for finding and stretching deeper muscles that you don't usually work when lifting weights or doing high intensity training. Its such a nice feeling to give your body time to reflect on days past.

The day after we arrived, I was up early (yes I'm crazy - I'm on holiday!) as the sun was streaming through my window. Then I headed off to yoga at the coral reef club. It lasted about an hour and a bit and this class was all about thinking about that special someone and focusing on them when holding a difficult position. So when I was bending backwards and pointing my arm to the ceiling (sorry my yoga lingo isn't 100%) I thought back to all those hard times when I was training for miss galaxy and thought of my boyfriend; his pep talks and supportive words to help me refocus on my objective. For that I am so grateful, but doubt whether he'd like to be in this position???haha 

Then yesterday it was off to Pilates with Leanne (aka: the torturer) at Apes Hill. Tough class but well worth it; my abs were certainly burning afterwards. It was funny though as I took my BFF Emma Miles to the class, which was probably her first ever class. At points during the class all I could hear was Miles groaning behind me; clearly stretching certain muscles was a bit painful! The other girlies had fun as well, but don't think they'll be subjecting themselves to it on Friday. Where as crazy old me loves a bit of Pilates and will be there (with pom poms....errr maybe not!) 

I would recommend Pilates or Yoga for anyone who doesn't really like heavy or intense training. It still gets your muscles working, but without the feeling that your heart is going to burst into a million pieces! You can do it even if your a beginner or if you lift weights; it keeps flexibility in the joints and muscles. So go on give it a go.. its getting to that time before Xmas when layers are our best friend and comfort food calls us! 

Till next time from sunny Barbados;

Little Miss Fitness

Xx

Passport: check!

So I'm ready, packed and sitting in the holiday inn at gatwick (yes for the 2'd time in 2 weeks)....I am flying out of this country tomorrow morning for 2 weeks to the wonderful, sunny island of Barbados. I intend to do nothing but sit on my tired butt, get some rays of sunshine and walk on the beach...Aww bliss!

I can't believe how much this week has been a blur. Not only have I been up to Manchester for meetings then on Thursday I had the luck of going to the Emirates stadium for a digital conference. Unfortunately I didn't get to see any of the players and Marie-Anna and I couldn't seem to find the changing rooms! I joke..

Training in the week was strange too as the competition was over I didn't have anything to work towards. I managed to do my first abs and glutes session since the show and it felt weird. Good weird to be back in the gym, but I didn't have to push as hard as before the comp. Not restricting my food has also been a bit tricky this week. I've tried to eat healthy and clean still but the sugar cravings have been rampaging. Chocolate and crisps are everywhere I look, so I have been naughty and had a few..oh well i think I've earnt a little reprive. I decided to take a week off of prepping food and just go with the flow.

Emotionally it been a little difficult last week adjusting to not looking stage ready. I guess it's something I will have to adapt to and learn quickly. You can't maintain that physique for long term, and I need to enjoy food again. The prep before competition is intense so it's nice to relax now. My body is changing and I just have to stop thinking about gaining weight and not looking lean. I lost a lot of weight and I need to gradual put it back on but after months of seeing changes it's sometimes hard to accept that your body will soften.

Anyway time for bed, and then tomorrow I am going to spread my wings and plonk my butt on a Virgin Atlantic flight. I wonder what duty free I will find?!

Till next time on the sunny beach of Barbados probably. 

Little Miss Fitness 

Xx

And the winner is....

Oh my god I've done it I've actually done it! Hearing my number (17) being called out for supreme champion of Miss Galaxy November 2014 is something I've been playing in my head over and over again. It doesnt seem real - at any moment now, my mum is going to shake me awake and tell me to get my butt out of bed and to stop being lazy! It certainly feels like a dream right now...it hasnt fully sunken in yet. Emma said it will do after the 1000th person says congratulations.

Once I had been called to the front as the winner, Mum rushed down to the bottom of the stage when my name was called out and I could see Lewis and my dad also jumping up and down. I've never won anything before in my life so I don't quite know how to react or take it in. I think I took forever and an age to get to the front of the stage as I wasn't sure if they were kidding or not. Lowell mason (the fabulous galaxy photographer) did an imitation of my face and walk after everyone had gone. It seemed spot on. Most people who know me, know I've usually got something to say and at this point I was speechless..a rarity.

Still in shock..

I also cant believe that Renee Watters, from Fit Body Promotions has chosen me and 5 other girls to appear in Fit Factor at Body Power Expo next May. This is a huge exhibition, held at the Birmingham NEC where hundreds of renowned people from the fitness industry all come together for a full 3 day weekend.

Whats even more surreal is that I came 2nd in the fitness tests. The amount of talented girls that showed up to the track on Friday afternoon, was amazing. I was so worried about it all and put a lot of pressure on myself to do well but all the girls were so nice that I thought i should just go out there and enjoy myself. I have trained hard for the last 4 months so now Ive just got to go out there and do my best. Which is what I did and I had a great time doing the fitness tests - once these were out of the way I felt more relaxed and at ease to take to the stage on saturday. Now the whole weekend seems a bit of a blur. So much happened last week and then to be up on stage with the rest of the girls, to show off the hard work that we had all put in for just a couple of minutes was momentous. Every single girl that competed on Friday and Saturday should be proud of what they achieved. It takes a lot of guts to get up on stage in a bikini and pose, so my hat goes off to them..

Granted my legs were shaking like leaves and my bottom lip was trembling, but the blood sweat and tears are slightly put to the back of the mind when up on stage and meeting lots of new friends behind the scenes.

Ah got my finger caught!! 

There were so many gorgeous girls up on stage and I was lucky to make lots of new friends 2 in particular. I met Louise who was crowned most adorable and is also a fellow fit factor beauty. Then there's Amy Stephens, another fit factor buddy whose skills of fake tan and patching up green armpits; I will forever be in her debt!lol These girls were amazing and we kept each other calm whilst backstage on Saturday. Louise had the chocolate...I had the alcohol. No change there then!

Snickers.. get some nuts!

After having some pictures taken after the show had ended etc, then it was off to celebrate in style.. The first stop was Macdonalds for the long awaited Big Mac that I had been planning for weeks as my cheat meal. It was a romantic meal, as my boyfriend and I went through the drive through and then ate our food in the car park. Talk about candlelight dinner for two!!haha I think he was semi-impressed with how quickly I wolfed mine down though. After all the weeks of dieting, you wouldn't stop a Galaxy girl from eating a Big Mac... thats just dangerous! 

Ah there's so much to tell you about the show and what happened. There was also a post show party back at the hotel and some of the fitness models went out out!! A few of the other girls, including me, Louise and Amy Stephens stayed at the hotel and drank. 

So what now you say? Well I still feel high on adrenaline, but I've got a holiday coming up next week, so whilst I'm lying on a beach somewhere with the sun beaming down on me (sorry if I'm making you jealous), it will be time to take everything in and just relax. When I come back then its back to reality!

Till next time 

Little Miss Fitness 

Xx

Running the track..

Oh my goodness the day is finally here; fitness test day and the start of the Miss Galaxy Universe. Arghhh the nerves are setting in big style now and i don't know what to do with myself! I am sort of flying around like a headless chicken not really know what to do. Chill and calm down should be my first option but mum and I have just got to get going and drive down to Crawley now and I DO NOT want to be late. Its like your first day of school and your so eager to be on time, or you'll get told off! lol

Last night was a bit of a whirlwind as well as I had my final run through with Emma at Studio ELB; a full dress rehearsal and then i went off and got myself tangoed (once again) at the Tanning Station with Elise. It was déjà vu all over again!! This time i made sure i had the right clothing; didnt want any white lines on my legs whilst driving afterwards.

Pre fake-bake! Just polishing off my geisha skills

I spent the night with my mum and stepdad as it seemed more logical for the early start the next day. I had steak, brown rice and vegetables waiting for this little oompaloompa when I got there. The steak, oh my god was my first bit of red meat in months, so when i ate it I made sure i savoured every last little bit of it.

We arrived at the Travelodge in Crawley right next to GAtwick North Terminal and i had to wait for registration to open. I met a couple of lovely girls, who put my mind at ease a little with the fitness tests and what was to be expected. The support from the show is incredible already and we haven't even got anywhere. It was also nice to be around lots of other ladies who were tangoed and preened just as much as i was. It's surreal but a nice feeling. 

Once we'd registered etc and got our competition numbers, there was a fair bit of waiting around before we needed to go to the track. Granted mum and I got there ridiculously early! oopsie. So mum and I just chilled in the room; then my friend Becks came up and chilled with us too. Becks has been training so hard for a lot longer than I have, and her transformation is incredible. So proud of her and was going to be cheering her from the sidelines in her fitness tests.

Getting ready to pump the arms in the fitness tests.

Once we got to the track, we all had to wait a little while whilst things got set up and then Chris and Sarah ran us through the set up, bonus stations and where we needed to be etc. The weather was amazingly warm for Halloween, so the crop top and shorts weren't a bad idea. Little did we know that the temperature would drop and turn into the Arctic by 8pm!!  

So the way the fitness tests were set up was really good. There were 8 groups of 8 girls (as there are 8 lanes!!) and each group would do their discipline first followed by the next group. The whole thing was organised to perfection and it all ran incredible smoothly; thanks to Sarah Donohue and her A-team.

First off was the 800m followed by the long jump. Bearing in mind most of the girls in the fitness tests hadnt stepped out on a track since high school - it was an amazing achievement. My butt was shaking ready to get started, so to calm myself I was breathing heavily. Donna Kissei beat me in the first race - just on the last bit of home straight - I could see a shadow but then she appeared!

All the GG's getting ready to pound the track hard!!

Next test, after everyone had completed their long jumps and 800m was the 400m followed by however many press ups you could do in a minute. That was tough, but my timer was excellent and made sure that I was doing the fitness tests properly each rep. 2nd to last discipline was the 200m then how many squat thrusts in a minute. By this time the temperature had started to drop and turned slightly chilly. This was where the crop top and shorts was a bad idea.  This test was the hardest - after all we had done already, to then do squat thrusts, which are by far my least favourite exercise! But there was no complaining as we had to suck it up and just crack on with it. No woosies in this fitness test!

Final test was the dreaded 100m then however many sit ups in a minute. This was hard after all of the other races we had done but it had the the longest wait and by then it was really cold. But i managed to run the 100m 15.03 seconds. This is the best result I've ever done on 100m, not even in high school did I achieve that.. I am simply over the moon with that. 

My mum did a bit of cheeky filming of the tests, so once i've edited the shots and seen it in full - I'll upload them on here  and on Youtube.

After the tests had finished it was back to the Travelodge for food, a little tipple, tanning and then to bed. We needed to make sure we were rested, ready for the big show today at the Hawth Theatre.  With regards to my tanning however, this is where my mum had to step in.. but in hindsight i don't think it thought it through. There are things mothers should never do for their children and tanning your entire body is not one of them! Oh dear, i'm sure you can imagine the stories my children will endure one day! haha 

I was really looking forward to the show on saturday, spending some quality time with the Galaxy girls backstage. I needed to practise my routine...so I made sure that practise makes perfect!

Till next time;

Little miss fitness 

Xx

D Day Tomorrow!

So it's the day before tomorrow; I have packed my suitcase and think I'm nearly ready to go. The only thing I've left to do is prep my food for the weekend, which ill do when I get home after work and then packing the car up ready for my little adventure. No I can't even eat hotel food, not even if I'm doing the fitness tests, it's only for 2 days which is nothing in the grand scheme of things and then what next? Rest....

I'll admit Ive been getting ridiculously nervous over the last few days, and even doubting myself a little as I know the show is real now. I want to do well - I've trained hard for 4 months and want something to show for it. That may sound selfish but unfortunately that's what these competitions do. They make you selfish - you have to constantly think about your food, your training and your body. You have to be disciplined because no one else is going to do it for you. Your BFF isnt going to get up at 6am to go to the gym to train upper body or legs for you. Which is why I guess I'm going in and out of mind sets. No one else can do these fitness tests for me and I'm the one whose eaten salads and vegetables like a rabbit for the last 4 months (much to my boyfriend and family's confused looks!lol)...chocolate cake what is that again?lol 

So sweet of work to give me this before tomorrow

So I've got a final run through with Emma later; my final ever session. I don't know what I'm going to do now without my weekly trips to Studio ELB to be annilated? No one shouting in my ear "push Amy push" or "there's no change without pain". I will miss your motivational lines Em.haha It's been a blast working with her and she has sculpted my body in a way I would never have got on my own. And thank you for all the nutritional advice from Simon, this and reading more on it has taught me a lot about eating clean and being organised when it comes to food. Anyone can eat healthy as long as you put your mind to it; I'm a girl who loves her food and can be quite lazy sometimes when cooking - aka can't be assed! Lol but I've now learnt that it's not that big of a ball ache to stick salmon in the oven and do some roasted vegetables with it. It doesn't take long and is delicious. It's too easy for us now to just give in and say let's get a takeaway or not even bother eating! Don't do it!! Prove yourself wrong and you'll feel better.

Then after Emma's it's off to see Elis at the Tanning station for my base layer of fake bake. Yes I will be an oompalompa once again - don't think my parents are quite ready for that yet! So the uncomfortable night of lying like a zombie is almost here and then tomorrow it's up earlyish to get down to gatwick for registration and the dreaded fitness tests. Sick bucket at the ready. Then another early night to get ready for stage on Saturday. I don't think mum knows what she's let herself in for with helping me with my tan...oops, she'll soon find out! 

Next time you hear from me I'll have done it! So I'll give you all the juicy details and pictures then. Stay tuned this weekend... Miss Galaxy here i come!

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