Failing to plan is planning to fail...

For the past two weeks I have been focusing on making smaller changes but haven't had a game plan.

Succeeding at something is easier when you have a plan as you know where you are heading and what you need to do.

A lot of people feel like a plan means a diet and being restricted, in fact this is not the case.

Like any goals in life you need to know the steps you are going to take to achieve them. This applied to short term goals such as losing weight and long term goals such as maintaining your weight loss.

Steps to making a plan

There are some things we need to consider when making our plans.

1. how long is your plan valid for?  I try to make my plans no more than a month long. This allows me to change my plan on a monthly basis to keep things fresh. I can evaluate the last month and see what went well and what failed, if I need to do more exercise or change my eating plan.
2. what exercise are you going to do? cardio, weight, yoga, classes etc. know what you are going to do and what days you are going to do it. Don't try and do everything on the same day. For example: Tuesdays are only cardio, Wednesdays are only weights etc...
3. what day is going to be your rest day? pick a day a week where you don't work out at all.
4. What are you going to eat? know your calorie allowance for the day, know what you are going to eat. It doesn't mean you have to eat broccoli and chicken for every meal. you can basically have anything - so long as it fits in with your calorie allowance.
5. Set your goals. What do you want to achieve and by when? make them achievable but something you have to work for and something you can measure/ know when it has been accomplished  Your goals don't have to be weight related, they could be something like fitting into your old jeans or going to the beach in a bikini this summer.
6. know if you want to keep track of your weight. if you do remember that it is not the be all and end all of everything!! Weight will fluctuate depending on what you have eaten, water retention, whether or not you have "used the bathroom" or not today.
7. keep track!! jot down what you ate each day - and yes, this means everything eaten or drunk!! It is harder to lie to yourself and pull the wool over your eyes when you are writing things down.
8. keep track!! know where you have come from and how far you have come. Take weekly.monthly pictures in your underwear or bikini, this gives a good indication of how your body has changed.  

What is my plan

Length: 1 month -  November

Exercise and rest:   

Monday - Weights 

Tuesday - Cardio

Wednesday - Weights

Thursday - Cardio and Yoga

Friday - Rest

Saturday - Cardio and weights

Sunday - Yoga

Food:

Monday - 1500 calories

Tuesday - 1500 calories

Wednesday - 1500 calories

Thursday - 1500 calories

Friday - 1500 calories

Saturday - 2000 - 2500 calories

Sunday - 1500 calories

I am choosing not to have a set eating plan but rather know my calorie allowances, that way I can choose what I am going to eat on a day to day basis.

Goals for November:

Weigh 55kg

Fit my Roxy mint green mini skirt

Rock the short shorts

Weight:

I decided that I do wish to track my weight.

Keep Track:

I use an app called "Fat Secret NZ" which allows me to track my calories and exercise each day. Its easy to use and being on your phone makes it convenient.

Keep Track:

I take regular pictures to track my progress as well as using a spreadsheet to keep track of my weight against my goal weight.

So time to start making a plan for yourself, it doesn't matter if you fall off track once of twice, having a plan to come back to makes things easier.

Louise Taylor xox

FOLLOW BLOOMING FITNESS ON FACEBOOK - CLICK HERE

Its all about the frame of mind...

Its important to find the right frame of mind, finding that place in your mind that makes maintaining a healthy lifestyle easier.

There are some simple and cheap things that I do that may also help you feel healthier and help you stick to a healthy lifestyle and most also have actual health benefits which is a bonus!!!

Herb and vegetable garden
A herb and vegetable garden can be very therapeutic  Whether it be a large vegetable plot or a couple of pots with herbs such as basil, chives and parsley on the back porch.harvesting your own home grown foods has an amazing effect on  the mind and soul. Personally when I have home grown crops in my fridge I am more inclined to want to eat them as opposed to their store brought counter parts.
Obviously vegetables are nutritious and full of vitamins and minerals, the same goes for herbs. Plus they are a really simple way to add loads of flavour to meals.  I enjoy adding parsley, rosemary and basil to a pan with potatoes, pumpkin and sweet potato for a bright, fresh burst of flavour.

 Farmers Market
A trip to the farmers market for your weekly vege haul is a great way to get out in the fresh air and go for a little walk. I find it quite relaxing and great for the mind.
The benefit of going to the vege market is that you get to know the people who are selling the veges, if you don't like the look of the veges from one stand you can go to 5 others, you can buy just what you need not a big bag full, they are fresh, often you can find a large number of veges that you wouldn't normally see in a supermarket.

Warm tea
There are a range of plain black and flavoured teas available at the supermarket (as well as specialty tea shops) now. 
I find that drinking a nice warm cup of tea at the end of the day helps me to unwind and relax. Often when I am craving something sweet in the evening a fruity herbal tea can be enough to curb my craving without all the calories. 
During the day when I am wanting a hot drink at work

Yoga and stretching
Stressed out? Tense? Need to relax?
Yoga is a great way to ease tension in the body and relax. Whether you do it first thing or in the evening yoga can aid in so many different ailments and there are poses for just about everything.
Yoga sessions are calming and balancing, after a session of yoga I am less inclined to want to put bad junky foods into my body as it feels like i am undoing all the work i just did.

Organic treats
When I need a treat I am inclined to go organic or natural.
While the taste is amazing and satisfying, it feels like I am still having a really bad treat. But because it is organic I find that the flavours are more intense and my mind tells me that I don't need as much to be satisfied. 
I love OOb organic ice cream which can be purchased from supermarkets and Common Sense Organics. Peppermint Chip and Double Choc Chunk are both incredible.

Bobble water bottles
Water is vital in any healthy lifestyle. Carrying a water bottle makes it super easy to get all the water you need throughout the day. 
Instead of sugar and artifical sweetner filled drinks, water fully hydrates and leaves you feeling great. It also helps to keep skin clear and looking healthy.
Personally I always carry a Bobble water bottle around. 
Bobble has a filtration system build into the lid which means I can fill my bottle up from anywhere and know that the water that I am drinking is clean, not every where has clean fresh drinking water after all.

Walking with friends/ family
Going for a walk with friends, family or a loved one makes a walk more enjoyable and less like exercise. 
A walk in the evening is another great way to unwind, discuss the day and get some all needed exercise.
After a nice walk I feel less likely to eat and drink bad foods and more likely to eat healthy veges and drink water or tea.




So give these tips a try, comment below with any tips that you might have that makes you feel good and helps you keep on track.

Until next time - Keep calm and love life

Louise Taylor xox

FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK - CLICK HERE

The battle of stress vs. your healthy lifestyle

Stress is something that will effect all of us at some point or another in some way shape or form, and something that we all deal with in different ways, be it consciously or subconsciously. 

We will all have to deal with deadlines, frustrations, demands, work, family, ourselves... and at a point thing things can become to much and we become STRESSED!!!

Stress isn't just something that we can make go away with out something changing, we can't just ignore it and hope for the best, more often than not your body will manifest the stress in some other way out of your control.

How do I know? I tried and failed at ignoring my stress. The result? Months of getting small rashes and my arms, hands, knees and feet that itched so bad I wanted to rip my skin off. It wasn't until I did something to change what was stressing me out that the rashes stopped and my body returned to normal.

At 22 I feel that I have already had my fair share of stress and up until now I have let the stress control me and control my life. It was something that was easily pushed to the back of a dark closet and forgotten about.

Stress and your healthy lifestyle

Now when you are trying to change your lifestyle and become more healthy, stress is something that will test you. 

It is easy to fall back into old habits or to tell yourself "I can't do that today I am to stressed" and before we know it all our hard work is undone. Believe me I have been there plenty of times and in the end find myself sitting on the couch asking myself how I ended up back in the same place that I started AGAIN!

I think stressful situations are the time when we need to hold our selves up and continue with our new lifestyle more than ever. It is not the time to give up.

Don't try and tell me "but its to hard" because I am no longer buying it.

Sticking with our routines and habits is going to make a stressful situation easier! It is going to help keep your mind calm and keep you in control of your life and help you to not let the stress envelop you.

I find that a lot of people use stress as an excuse to "fall off the wagon", by telling themselves or others that "its to hard to make healthy choices when you are stressed", "when I am stressed I don't have the energy to work out" etc etc.

My Non-stress free Weekend

Imagine, you have been very good and spent some time on Friday night planning your day on Saturday, what housework you had to do (incidental exercise), what you was going to eat and what exercise you were going to do. FAILING TO PLAN IS PLANNING TO FAIL.
Now a stress spanner is thrown in the works and you are pulled away from home and you can't do what you had planned.

Does this stress lead you to doing no exercise and eating whatever is around?

This is exactly what happened to me this weekend.
I spent a large portion of my Saturday this week in the hospital waiting room as on Saturday morning a family member who I love very much was taken to hospital by ambulance after having a seizure at home (and two more at the hospital).

When you are in a hospital there isn't a lot that you can control as far as food and exercise goes.
I made the choice that rather than eating that were available, I would have some fruit. Instead of fizzy drink I would have water or black coffee and when I needed something sweet like some lollies I found some fat free, sugar free lollies in the gift shop and they were just as good if not better than some full sugar lollies and helped with the stress induced sugar cravings.
I also opted to stand and move around as opposed to sitting stagnant in a chair. Going on the errand runs to get others food and drinks from the gift shop or meeting people in the car park to show them where the rest of the family was.

So while it wasn't the food and exercise I had planned, I still did my best to keep on track and looking back I can say that I didn't let stress dictate my diet, exercise or my life in that situation.

Peach Melba slim Fruits - Sugar free, fat free and high fibre

My tips to dealing with stress while maintaining a healthy lifestyle:

1. Have contingencies for eating - have snacks that you enjoy pre-split into travel sized packets so if you are in a rush you can grab a pre-arranged healthy snack. Think crackers, nuts, dry fruit etc.  Also having fresh fruit that you can grab on the run and stick in your bag.
2. Make sure you are eating, while a lot of people are stress eaters and over eat, there are some who under eat in stressful situations, neither of these are a good idea... 
3. Have contingencies for exercise - while you may not be able to get to the gym or go for that long run you had planned, know some exercises you can do without equipment or a lot of space. Think, none weighted squats, lunges, press ups, jump squats, burpees, star jumps etc. Find yourself a small bit of space and go for gold, even if you do one now and then something else in 10 minutes, it all adds up.
4. Deal with the problem in front of you, don't try and mask it or ignore it - if you do it will manifest itself in other ways.
5. Talk about your stress with someone, sometimes voicing the issue is half the battle won and you are able to carry on.
6. BREATH!!
7. Do yoga, the deep breathing and stretching will help you relax and calm your nerves.
8. Drink hot tea - at the moment I am enjoying Nerada Organics Lemon and Ginger - it may help relax you.
9. Keep to your routine as much as possible.
10. Allow yourself the occasional treat, sometimes we need that sweet pick me up in stressful times, but made good choices when picking your treat. Personally I have fallen in love with OOb organic ice cream, it feels like I am indulging but I also know I am offering my body a food that isn't full of chemicals. (and no a treat does not mean the whole carton of ice cream haha)

Deliciously creamy treat of double chocolate OOb organic ice cream

I really hope this helps you guys cope with these stressful situations while maintaining your healthy lifestyle.
If you have any tips for sticking with this healthy lifestyle in a stressful situation please leave a comment below, I would love to hear your tips.

I will try and do a post about the contingency foods and exercises soon for you all to keep in your arsenal for when you need them.

Big hugs and calming vibes :)

Louise Taylor xox

Tiny outfits, finding inspiration and meeting my idol...

Hey guys,

So, what did I get up to watch over the weekend?

119 men and woman prance around on stage in their underwear showing off their amazing and muscular bodies in beautiful not so sunny Auckland.

That's right, I was at the 2013 NZIFBB (New Zealand International Federation of Body Building) nationals which were held in Takapuna on Saturday 12th October.

Spent Saturday watching muscular men and woman prance around on stage in their undies... (these guys were the top on the day)

But how did I end up at a show like this? 

Well 4 and a half years ago I decided to join the gym for the first time in my life, having never been to the gym before I opted to pay the gym for 3 sessions with one of their staff to get familiar with what was what.

The gym paired me up with a lovely young man who clearly worked out named Peter Dolan, and for the past 4 and a half years I have had the privilege of calling him my boy friend.

As it turns out Peter was quite into building muscle and he started competing in body building competitions in Wellington, and this year he also competed at nationals.

Now I don't see myself jumping on stage (and if I ever do it will not be in the next few years) but I have learnt a lot from Peter and from watching other competitors.

4 and a half years ago I joined the gym to get "skinny", now I am working out to lose body fat and build muscle so I can have a lean physique!!

Peter getting his pose on onstage on Saturday, check out those muscles!!!
Follow Peter and Kyle Dolan's journey on Facebook

Inspirations and role models.

I strongly believe that anyone who is looking at going on a body transformation journey needs to find someone that inspires them - whether it be their body or their dedication or their work ethics - whether it be someone you know or someone you see competing in a sport that you admire.  Find that someone that you can draw inspiration from when you are struggling, that you can look at and remind yourself what you are working for.

The Lovely Amazing Raechelle Chase...

As I said before I have learnt a lot about what I want my body to be from watching body building competitions when my partner competes. 

Watching these shows has also drawn my attention to look at the professional female figure body building competitors both nationally and internationally

For me, one stood out who I have admired and followed on Facebook ever since. That person is IFBB Figure Pro Raechelle Chase. 

Raechelle onstage at the 2011 Olymipa

While in Auckland for the weekend I took the opportunity to meet Raechelle at her new gym in Birkenhead for a personal training session.

Since it was only a one off session and wasn't going to be ongoing she opted for a full body workout which took an hour and a half. And she didn't go easy!! Hey, whats the point in paying someone to train you if they are going to let you slack off right? 

It was an AMAZING experience and I am so glad that I did it.  Raechelle is such an inspiration to me and what I want to acheive, having her train me is an experience I will never forget!!

It was also an experience my body didn't forget for DAAAYYYYSSS!!!  

I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO SORE IN MY LIFE!!!
Monday - trained and left the gym feeling great!!
Tuesday - stiff and sore 
Wednesday - super sore, especially my hamstrings and quads, I couldn't even bend down to pick something up off the floor and god help me if anyone made me laugh, my abs were on fire the whole time!!!
Thursday - slightly sore but able to move more freely
Friday (today) - can still feel that I worked out but only bearly

Now you may think I am absolutely bonkers but the pain felt great. The pain you feel from a workout is a good pain, you know you went hard at the gym and gave it your all.

Rachelle and I after my training session.

So find your motivation, your inspiration, that person you admire and give it your all. Going in with a half assed attitude will not get you all the way.

Today is the first day of your journey... and mine.

Hey guys, sorry for the VERY VERY VERY long delay in any updates or activity on here. A lot has happened in the last six months and unfortunately i fell off the waggon and never got back on.

I feel that in order to achieve your goals you need to be in the right frame of mind and know why you are doing what you are doing. We all fall and sometimes our frame of mind may change and if we are not committed to the goal fully this change of mindset will will always make it a struggle to get back up.

For me, things have finally become clear again. My goals, inspiration and mind set have been foggy for a while and this has stopped me (even though i should never have let it stop me!) I allowed myself to slack off, to not workout, to not eat what I should be eating to be healthy....

I fell!! I'm not where I planned to be at this point in time, to be honest I am right about the same place where I started.  As I write this I am 59.7kg, I still have a flabby mid section, flabby arms & thighs. I am not happy with my body, but I only have myself to blame, ME, no one else but me.

...but I am back, I am ready, I am committed and I AM GOING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!! 

I AM HERE TO KICK MY OWN ASS INTO SHAPE.

Are you ready? Are you committed? Are you going to join me in changing your life, you mind, your health and your future?

Today is the first day of your journey:

Firstly you need to decide that you are ready mentally to begin the journey, its not going to be easy, in fact there will be times when it will SUCK! but we cannot let this keep us from achieving what we are setting our sight on.

You need to figure our if there is something holding you back mentally or emotionally. When you think about working out or are eating those foods you shouldn't be eating what are you thinking, it may only be subconscious, but you are telling yourself something, you are giving yourself a way out. For example it may be something like "if i change i will lose my friends", "I have always been this way I can't change" "I have tried and failed it before, if i try again I will fail." just to name a few excuses we can feed ourselves. Until we acknowledge these things that are holding us back and deal with them we will never truly be able to stay on the waggon.


Then, what do you want to achieve? Now I don't want to hear you say "i want to lose weight", " I want to be skinny" "I want to be attractive"... 
I need you to give me something solid!! Give details, how much weight do you want to lose (but remember weight isn't everything!!), what size jeans do you want to fit, do you want to fit into those jeans you wore 10 years ago and have held onto with hopes of one day fitting them for example. The goals must be measurable, and ideally can be broken down into smaller milestones.

Now we make a plan, we set our smaller goals. So if you goal is to lose 100 kilo you can set smaller 5 or 10 kg milestones and set a time frame of when you would like to meet the first one.

What do you need to do to achieve it?  How often are you going to work out? what are you going to eat? what other aspects of your life might need to change? for example.

Keep track of where you have come from and where you are going. Keep reminding yourself of what you want to achieve. Keep a journal everyday of what you ate and drunk, what you did as a workout. Its easy to lie to ourselves when we just think about what we did but it becomes harder to lie when we put it down on paper.  

REMEMBER - this isn't a diet, it isn't a quick fix, IT IS A LIFESTYLE CHANGE. Diets and quick fixes are temporary, a lifestyle is permanent as long as you want to live that way.


What do I want to achieve?

For me this is still a work in progress, I haven't set my goals yet, as I said I am right back at the beginning but I am hoping to have them set for myself by tomorrow.

 So whats it going to be?  Do you want to remain the way you are? Or do you want to become the person you have always dreamt of being? It starts now, today, this minute.  Make the choice and start your journey. Join me or find someone you know to go on the journey with you if you would like. Become an inspiration to someone else in your life and help them become who they always wanted to be. And remember, we all will stumble at some point or another along the way, but don't let a small stumble keep you down and stop you achieving your goals.