My interview with SLINKII

I'm so happy & honored to be featured on the Slinkii website this week! Check out my interview about my fitness, diet & modelling here: www.slinkii.com

 

My Novo Shoes 2012 campaign shoot

I was lucky enough to be chosen to model for one of my favorite shops Novo Shoes for their new Autumn/Winter 2012 campaign. I modeled alongside Miss Australia Scherri-Lee Biggs & fellow model & friend Dominique Le Toullec.
It was a loooong 13 hour day but it was a very fun & different shoot. The concept was really cool. We were an all girl band on tour! We pretended to sing & play guitars on stage, ride in limos to our gigs & chill at our after parties.

The campaign will be launched at the beginning of 2012 & will be used for billboards, bus ads, shop windows, posters, catalogs & in magazine advertisements.

Thank you Novo Shoes for having me as a part of your exciting new campaign! :)
Here are some behind the scenes pics from the shoot:

Novo Shoes Autumn/Winter 2012 Campaign

Me with stunning Dominique Le Toullec

Rocking a little bit of Angelina Jolie style!

Dominique & me

Me with beautiful Miss Australia Scherri-Lee Biggs shooting our limo scene

Don't forget to check out Novo's gorgeous shoes at amazing prices in store & online: www.novoshoes.com.au & keep a lookout for our campaign photos & our behind the scenes video!

Some uplifting words from me...

NEVER let what someone else thinks or says about you define you! You know who you are better than anyone! Completely remove the negative & poisonous people from your life - To do that means to cut all ties with them physically & mentally. Make a conscious effort to not allow them to affect you in ANY way, forgive these types people for the person they choose to be & let them go. Holding onto hate & anger is not healthy & only brings YOU down & subsequently makes you unhappy! Take control of yourself, your actions, reactions, feelings & your life! Nobody can take away your happiness without your consent! Have complete faith in the person you KNOW you are!

 

Carbs are not your Enemy!

You need to have good carbs so your body can absorb protein & you can build lean muscle. The more lean muscle you have, the more fat you burn! Having a very low carb diet can be detrimental to your thyroid gland which can affect your health & your results negatively. Your thyroid is responsible for producing hormones such as the ones that regulate your rate of metabolism. If it is affected due to a low carb diet then your results will plateau & you won't be efficiently burning fat! You may not notice your metabolism slowing at first but you will find that you hit a plateau faster than being on a healthier, moderate carb diet plan. I'd suggest looking into Carb Cycling so that you don't risk damaging your thyroid!   Without having enough carbs in your diet your body becomes depleted & you simply won't have enough energy to train hard! Carbs are directly related to your body's ability to recover post workout & you'll find that you become weaker & weaker!   Carbs are your body's preferred source of workout energy, while your body can use fat as a fuel source if you're doing endurance or high intensity training carbs will delay the onset of fatigue.   Another reason why cutting out carbs may not be so good: Your brain uses carbs to function! If you haven't had carbs for an extended period of time then your body starts to produce what's called ketone bodies which is your brains alternative fuel source. This can make you feel miserable, you're unable to concentrate, you're tired all the time, can't think properly & just don't feel good!   Carbs also hold water, so if you cut it out, you think you have actually lost weight, but all you have lost is fluid!   Cutting out carbs should only be temporary like if you have a competition or a photoshoot etc. They call it "depleting" for a reason! It is not healthy & shouldn't be permanent! From experience I have found that including good carbs in my diet has lowered my body fat & I was able to gain good lean muscle! Good carbs are: sweet potato, rolled oats, quinoa, brown rice, & of course fruits & vegetables! (Quinoa is also high is protein & is a complete protein - it is far better than just about any other grain!). I hope this info helps you not to be scared of incorporating good carbs in your diet! They are not the enemy! ;)

MY FIRST FITNESS COMPETITION!

I competed in my first Figure & Fit Body competition on the 4th Sept 2011.

I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to compete as I had health issues mid this year & had troubles with my heart. At the time I thought it wouldn't be possible as I couldn't do anything that raised by heart rate... which meant no training! I ended up healing faster that the Doctor thought & was back to training after 6 weeks of resting & recovering. I had lost quite a bit of weight & muscle size but I trained hard for 10 weeks & ate a lot of clean, high - protein, good carb foods & was able to gain back what I had lost!

I competed in WNBF Miss Figure USA & Miss Fit Body USA & won them both.
I was very proud of myself for how far I had come & what I was able to achieve through self belief, hard work & dedication.

There were times when I didn't think I had enough energy to get through a training session, but I made myself! Pushed my body to it's limits - no further! I listened to my body & didn't overdo it like I used to.

Here's what I ate during the week leading up to my comp;

(Keep in mind this is NOT healthy nor maintainable)

I had around 6 meals a day starting with a cup of rolled oats cooked with water, almond flakes & cinnamon. Throughout the day I had either grilled turkey breast, asparagus & or green beans OR tuna in spring water washed to remove as much sodium as possible & baby spinach leaves. I had rice cakes with almond spread as snacks. Food like tomatoes & broccoli held too much water so I wasn't allowed to have it.
I went 3 days carb free, then carb loaded the night before my comp & water depleted for a couple of days before. I had low sodium through the whole 10 weeks leading up to my comp.

For the 6 months before my comp I did heavy weights & no cardio as I was already quite lean & didn't want to risk burning off hard earned muscle.

I would really like to stress to people that this is NOT healthy & this type of diet & training shouldn't be followed to get fit or lose weight. It is a short term plan & is not maintainable.
A lot of people have this idea that looking the way I looked at comp is a realistic, & maintainable healthy/fit look. Body builders are not healthy!!!

I personally don't like this type of diet & training but it did get me muscular & lean! I may have looked "fit" but I was actually pretty unfit & unhealthy. I had no energy as I wasn't eating enough carbs & I couldn't run to save myself since I hadn't done cardio in months. The water depleting was the worst part. I like to drink a couple of liters a day & I had to cut down to only a few sips the day before & day of my comp so you can imagine how I was feeling!

On the day of the comp I was tired, dizzy, sick & dehydrated. My face looked aged - I looked about 10 years older! When you get so low in body fat you lose the fat in your face which makes you look youthful...BUT my body looked ripped! The depleting had worked! That means that most the water that sits between my muscles & skin had gone - revealing more defined muscles!

If you're looking at competing it is important to speak to someone who knows what they're talking about & can assess your body type & the way you respond to different training & diet plans as well as pre-comp preparation & techniques. Everyone is different & you need to work out what is best for you!
 
What is fluid retention?
Fluid retention is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the circulatory system or within the tissues or cavities of the body & can make you appear higher in body fat & undefined. Foods that contain salt & sugar can cause the body to retain fluid. If you don't have enough protein in your diet & you're not getting enough amino acids or B-vitamins may also lead to fluid retention.

What is water depleting & water loading?
Water depleting is when you drink less or almost no water before a competition so that you look hard & dry on comp day. Water loading is when you increase your intake of water about a week out from your comp causing your body to increase the rate it expels excess water then when you decrease your water intake a few days before a comp your body is still expelling water at the same rate it was when you were loading.

What is Carb loading?

Carb loading is when you increase your carbohydrate intake gradually during the week before your comp. A week-long carbohydrate load allows you to adequately fill muscles with glycogen, which improves definition and size leaving your muscles with a "full" look.

* Bananas are a great source of carbohydrates as they're low in fat but provide you with potassium.

Potassium is an essential nutrient that can help prevent cramping as you decrease your sodium intake.

What is Sodium Loading/Depletion?

Sodium loading is when you increase your sodium intake about a week out from your competition. Your body will begin pumping more sodium out of the body.  About 3 days out from comp you completely eliminate sodium. When the depletion occurs, the body will still be tricked into pumping out more than normal & will take excess water with it. 

Here are some natural diuretics;

• Vitamin B6 - a natural diuretic
• Dandelion - natural diuretic properties
• Green tea/caffeine - stimulates the central nervous system, has a diuretic effect & increases urine & sodium losses through the kidneys.
• Asparagus - contains asparigine which is a chemical alkaloid that boosts kidney performance, thereby improving waste removal from the body

You have to be careful that you're using diuretics correctly or they can lead to dehydration & potassium deficiency. They increase the flow of urine causing your body to get rid of fluid which can also flush out nutrients & electrolytes.


Here is some interesting information about the final week preparation for a comp which is contradictory to standard traditional comp preparation written by Dr. Joe Klemczewski who is a WNBF Pro and has graduate degrees in health and nutrition.


Myths Of The Final Week

People often believe they can trick their body by using extreme techniques the last week before the show that will make them look super shredded. The truth is, if one has dieted properly, what they do in the last week will not make or break their show.
Few people win a show by tricks they use in the last week of pre contest prep. However, many people lose a show by using these extreme techniques. These techniques I speak of stem from myths that have been perpetuated by bodybuilders who use large amounts of anabolic steroids. These methods include but are not limited to…

• Drastic carb depletion followed by drastic carb loading
• Days of water depletion
• Massive potassium loading
• Laxatives
• Diuretics

For bodybuilders who use large amounts of anabolic steroids, these methods are needed to shed water, as anabolic steroids will cause one to retain large amounts of water extracellularly (outside the cell or subcutaneously).
For a bodybuilder who doesn't use androgens, this type of preparation is a bit too extreme. One can think of the body as a pendulum. It will stay in equilibrium unless pushed.
One can push their body in one direction and they will experience a certain effect for a while, but eventually the pendulum will swing back in the opposite direction and they will experience the opposite effect.
For example, if one were to cut water intake drastically they would at first experience a great deal of water loss, but as the body senses water levels dropping, it will release anti-diuretic hormones which will cause the body to retain more water. On the other hand, in some cases we can use the body's reactions to our advantage.


Pushing The Pendulum

Many Competitors practice the technique of water depletion. Water depletion consists of reducing one's liquid intake to practically nothing as they approach the contest. Not only is this practice very dangerous, it is also ineffective.
Muscle tissue consists of 70% water. If one restricts water intake drastically, they will lose muscle fullness and appear flat onstage. In addition, reducing water will increase the likelihood of muscle cramps while onstage (this happens quite frequently and is very embarrassing).
Some competitors believe water is what causes them to appear smooth. This is not the case. Water retention intracellular (inside the cell) will cause one appear hard and full. Subcutaneous (under the skin) water retention however, causes one look smooth.
When the body senses a drastic restriction in water intake it will release anti-diuretic hormones that cause subcutaneous water retention. This makes physiological sense: the body senses it is not getting enough water and releases hormones that cause water retention to prevent dehydration.
The result is muscles that appear look flat; from lack of  intracellular water, and soft; from retaining water subcutaneously. The competitor's goal is to maximize intracellular and minimize subcutaneous water retention. Part of this can be accomplished via proper carbohydrate manipulation.
Carbohydrate intake in the final week should be based on one principle, that water follows carbohydrates (approx 2.7g water is stored for each gram of stored carbohydrate), and it is the water following the glucose, not the glucose itself that causes the muscle to have tight fullness.
Therefore, we can deduce that it is not logical to deplete ones water and load up on carbs, more logical however, is to keep a high water intake, and manipulate our carbohydrates so that the maximum amount of water is stored inside the muscle tissue and not subcutaneously.


On Sodium Depleting And Potassium Loading

I see that many competitors seem to think that cutting out sodium and raising potassium to ridiculously high levels is the best way to shed excess water. Not only can this process be dangerous, (even fatal if grossly overdone) it is not that effective.
You see, in terms of ADH (anti-diuretic hormone that causes you to retain water) decreasing sodium intake will reduce ADH output. However, your water and ion levels are controlled by several hormones, not just one. This makes sense, as your body does not want to lose a lot of water.
Why? Because an increased urine volume means decreased blood volume, decreased blood volume means decreased blood pressure; which is dangerous in the short term as it decreases the amount of blood to and from the heart. Therefore, if you lower your sodium and increase your potassium, the body will fight water loss by increasing aldosterone production.
Aldosterone is member of the steroid hormone family and it causes water's reabsorbtion in the kidneys (water retention) and triggers you to become thirsty. Production of aldosterone is stimulated by EITHER an increase in blood concentrations of potassium or a decrease in concentrations of sodium (exactly what most competitors TRY to do!).
Wait, it gets better... aldosterone attaches to receptors on the distal tubule and on the collecting duct (part of the nephron... the functional unit of the kidney) and causes water to be reabsorbed into the interstitial fluid.
So instead of excreting this water via urination, your body will retain it to increase your blood volume and return your blood pressure to normal.
The best strategy for losing excess extracellular water (if you don't want to take illicit drugs) is to use a moderate approach. Sodium loading isn't a bad idea starting about 10-15 days out, but when you deplete don't take it to ridiculously low levels... stay within 1.5-3g per day.
By the same token don't load on a bunch of potassium, just eat the foods rich in potassium, no need to take potassium pills every hour.

As much as I didn't like the comp prep as it's not healthy for you I am still very proud of myself & what I was able to achieve. Not many people have the dedication it takes to prepare for a competition & the guts to actually get up on stage. While I gained a lot of support & compliments from friends, family & online I still received a lot of negative comments even from those close to me.
Some comments & questions were;

"You're overdoing it"
"You're obsessed"
"You look disgusting & unattractive"
"You're too lean" or "you're too muscly"
"Why do you want to look like that?"

Well in comeback to your put downs, questions & concerns; I did it because I LIKE training, I like pushing my body to it's limits, I think abs are sexy on girls & I like being strong & proving people wrong! I did what many people said I couldn't. I have achieved something that many say is hard to achieve. I proved to myself that I can achieve pretty much anything I want to do through self believe, hard work & dedication. When I fell I got back up, when I was told "you cant" - I said "I can" & I did! Did you?

We both won!! :)

With my gorgeous Sonia who came 3rd :)

My best friend Chloe Maxwell & me backstage
I'm wearing an amazing Amy Taylor dress.

On stage - Triceps pose
Figure suit by Vizion Wear

Back stage pumping up

WNBF Miss Figure USA short class winner &
Miss Fit Body USA short class winner 2011

“Failure is temporary, giving up makes it permanent"

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm"

“Humans have the remarkable ability to get exactly what they must have, but there is a difference between a ‘must’ and ‘want.’ ”

“To be successful, pursue your goals with unstoppable determination. As long as you know exactly what you want and possess an incessant desire to acquire it, you will prevail.”

“True success comes to those who strive for greatness without surrendering to defeat. You can overcome anything when you possess the unstoppable drive to do so."

   

www.emilyskye.com

Dream - Believe - Commit - Achieve

Overcoming Negativity & Making Yourself Happy

Have you been making changes to your life so that you can be a "better" version of yourself & are now enjoying life to the best of your ability? Have you finally done what you have been saying you’d do for a while now? How wonderful is the feeling of accomplishment & being proud of yourself!
You've decided to be the BEST you possibly can, you're training hard at the gym, eating healthy, clean foods & you're starting to see some great changes in your body, have more energy & you feel happier than ever! You feel on top of the world & everything seems to be going great until your high is shattered when a family member or a friend makes a negative comment about you training too hard, or you're getting "too" muscly, or hassling you for not eating desert. These are the people that are “supposed” to love & care about you the most yet they don't seem to be happy for you! It doesn’t make sense does it?

When you make a change in your life, especially a big change you’re more vulnerable for personal attacks from other people. People are used to you being a certain way & dislike it when you change for the better usually because of how it affects them rather than what’s actually best for you. There are a few reasons why this is; because they’re either jealous of you because they are unable to make the change themselves or because they feel threatened by you & the attention you’re receiving which is drawing the attention away from them! These certain types of people like to be ahead of you & like to see themselves as “better” or more “successful” than you or just simply want you to be the way they want you to be. They may even subconsciously criticise you, destroying your confidence & bringing you down, pushing you back into the way your life has previously been; boring, mediocre & unfulfilling. This way you’re back where they like you, back to their level so they can feel more satisfied with their own obviously “unhappy” life. Unhappy people want you to be unhappy too & will go to great lengths to keep you there.

Criticisms can be tough to receive, especially because you care about what the particular person thinks of you & respect their opinions, but the important thing is their opinions are just opinions, nothing more.

Here's a quote I love;
"What you think of me, is none of my business". - In other words; people are ALWAYS going to have opinions & there will always be negative opinions. This is what makes us unique. It's important not to take on board what others think of you. The main thing is that YOU ARE HAPPY. You are doing what you love; you're healthy & fit & have never felt better. If these people really cared about you then they would be happy for you too!

What causes negativity?
Usually negativity originates from; being unhappy, jealousy, confidence issues, lack of self worth & past negative experiences.
 

Constructive Criticisms & Negative Criticisms

There’s a difference between a “Constructive Criticism” & a “Negative Criticism”.

Constructive means that there is a use, or purpose for the criticism for improvement & a genuine interest, concern & compassion for the person. The last thing you want to do is offend, embarrass or hurt the person. There is an appropriate approach to constructively criticize someone without putting them down & making them feel hurt or inadequate. It is a criticism that is not targeting the person for necessarily being at fault but just offering an alternative view or approach to the subject/area being criticized.

Negative criticisms are voicing an unjustified opinion & don’t help the person at all, but attacks either the person or their work/actions, resulting in insecurities, feelings of humiliation & degradation.  It is definitely not healthy & unnecessary, but if you come across it, brush it off like a grain of salt.
Where is the criticism coming from? Are they a reliable source of judgement? Do they have experience & adequate knowledge to back up their criticism? What is their intention or motive for their input? How relevant is their opinion or presumption?

“Your life is yours alone, so rise up & live it the way YOU want to & do what makes you happy!”

 People pleasers

The obligation to please other people seems to be very common these days. People have a need for acceptance, security, social approval & reassurance to verify their self worth. These types of people are usually hypersensitive to criticism or rejection, have difficulty accepting criticism themselves & can also have a tendency to build up a defensive barrier.
The downfall is that by attempting to please everyone, you’re actually sacrificing your own happiness which should be your priority in life! You have to learn to accept that not everybody is going to like you & or see eye to eye with you.
“Attempting to please everyone sets you up for failure.”

 Stand up for yourself

This can be a hard one, especially if you’re shy or insecure. The person you’re standing up to might be intimidating or appear a lot more confident than you. This branches off from people pleasing. Usually people pleasers have trouble standing up for themselves because they’re afraid of upsetting someone & would rather “float along” being unhappy themselves in order to make the other person happy. It’s not healthy & can be self damaging to constantly put your own wants & needs at a less importance than others. It’s better to discuss the problem with the other person before it gets worse & difficult to confront. It can take a while to master, but with practice you will be able to stand up for yourself in no time & also gain respect from others.

Rid your life of difficult people. You don’t owe these people anything & definitely don’t need them in your life. Who you surround yourself with affects you immensely, so if someone is upsetting you or making you unhappy just tell them nicely that you can’t associate with them anymore. You’re not put on this earth to please others! If you’re unsure whether someone is good for you to be around, ask a friend who is not a friend of this particular person about what they think.
Learn assertiveness.Be prepared for people to dislike the new, assertive & confident you! They don’t like it because they realize they can’t walk all over you anymore & get what they want from you.

Believe in yourself

You have to believe in yourself, if you don’t then how is anyone else supposed to believe in you? If you don’t have confidence in yourself & your capabilities, how are you supposed to succeed in anything? Having self doubt is noticed by other people & can cause them to take advantage of your insecurities. You are worthy of happiness & deserve only the best. Believe you have what it takes & can do anything you want in life.


Trust yourself

It is important to have faith in yourself & your ability to make decisions. Make your own decisions because this is your life & nobody cares more about your life & your happiness than you do, therefore you’re going to make the best decisions for yourself. Take charge of your life & trust your gut. Don’t listen to people who haven’t previously shown a genuine care for you & your life choices. Listen to the people that genuinely do care about you & have given decent advice in the past, but ultimately your decision needs to be yours alone. If you make the wrong decision then at least you know it was wrong & can go from there! It’s better than having regrets about not doing something & always wondering how things could have turned out.


Attitude is everything

Nobody wants to be around a negative Nancy. Put a smile on your face, have a positive attitude & concentrate your energy on the good things in life.
Bad things are always going to happen & there are always going to be ups & downs – it’s just life. So we may as well accept it & make the most of it!
Appreciate what you’ve got - not what you don’t have & expect the best result from everything & see hurdles as being blessings in disguise. You’ll become a happier, healthier, more pleasant person to be around. A positive attitude means you can achieve success.

“Always look on the bright side of life!”

Being positive is a constant day to day thing; it doesn’t come naturally or easily, it’s something you need to choose to be & work on every day.
Positivity is contagious so choose who you surround yourself with wisely!


Make yourself happy!

“I just want to be happy!” - I’m sure you’ve heard this before!
The most common thing us humans have is the desire & search for happiness. We want to be happy but don’t do anything about it or do what actually makes us happy. If you’re unhappy with the way your life has been going so far then you actually need to consciously make changes for there to be a different result. Work out what makes you unhappy & eliminate as many things as you can & spend more time doing the things that make you happy.

“I don’t have time” – that’s the response many of you will have I’m sure. Well you’re going to have to make the time & sacrifice something else to fit in the things you enjoy, even if it’s only 5 minutes, otherwise what is the point of life if you simply don’t have the time to be happy? Remove the things you dislike in life if you can & replace them with the things you enjoy. Even if it’s only a couple of things – it will make all the difference. Work out what makes you happy in life & do it! Don’t waste your precious life doing things you don’t enjoy!

Keep it simple; Things that make you happy don’t necessarily have to be big things. They can be anything from watching your favourite movie to walking along the beach. It’s the small things in life that can make all the difference & can make you happy! It’s about appreciating everything!

Happiness is a choice!

You are number one! You can’t make anyone else happy if you’re not happy yourself & you need to take care of yourself, you are your priority.
Write a list of all the things you can think of that make you happy or make you smile. I guarantee that by the end of writing the list you’ll feel instantly happier! You can add to the list whenever you think of things. Whenever you feel down or feel negative just look at the list & focus on the things that make you happy.
If you lose something that makes you happy there will always be something else that can fill the spot.
If a situation goes bad, look at it as a loss & ignore it – don’t dwell on it! Learn from things if possible & move forward.
A big part of “making yourself happy” is actually making yourself realize that you are already happy & can be even more happy – you have the choice!

Life if full of changes & things don’t always go to plan which I’m sure you’re well aware of! Try to be more adaptable to change. Change is often something that terrifies people; they’re forced out of their comfort zone & away from familiarity with which can be difficult & takes time to adjust. The easier & faster you can adapt the more stress free & enjoyable your life will be.
Happiness is not an end goal; it’s the journey getting there. Life is all about your journey to reaching your goals & enjoying & celebrating your progress & achievements. Whether it be losing that first kg to saving a deposit for a house. You need to be proud of yourself & what you’ve achieved so far which will encourage you to keep going.

Don’t compare yourself to anyone else & beat yourself up for not being as successful as someone else. This will not help you, & is more damaging & discouraging than anything. Use other peoples successes as motivation for your own goals.

Practice makes perfect; the more you practice certain ways of thinking or acting the better you will be at handling all things in life!

Don’t give up! Living a happy, healthy life is a day to day thing! It takes work & takes time to develop a certain way of thinking, acting or re-acting. Once you have practiced & mastered it, it will become easier & soon it will become a habit. If you do something repeatedly every day, before you know it, it will come naturally!

Happy people attract happy people, & happy people want YOU to be just as happy as them!

“What you think is what you are” – if you think you’re happy, you will be!It’s time to live for you, be the best you can & make yourself happy! :)



Note: This is what I have personally learnt through my own life journey. This is what has helped me & what I think may help others.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY & STAYING POSITIVE THROUGH TOUGH TIMES

Everything was going fantastically with my training & healthy eating; I got down to 8% body fat & was stronger, healthier & happier than ever. Fitness is my life & I strive to be as fit & healthy as I possibly can. I want it so much that I started to train TOO hard, I didn’t listen to my body & pushed myself more than my body could handle. When you overtrain your immune system gets low & you’re more susceptible to getting sick – can you guess what happened to me?
I have been diagnosed with Pericardial Effusion which means I have fluid around my heart. The doctor thinks it is from a virus I have recently had that has affected my heart. At the same time I got the flu & an infection & was told I couldn’t exercise for a couple of months while my body heals & my heart settles down. This news destroyed me! I was so upset that I wasn’t able to train. I had a lot of fitness campaigns & photo shoots coming up that I had been working hard towards for the past year & I have now had to cancel them all due to my illness.

While this news to me is devastating & I felt really down & felt like simply giving up, I decided that I have 2 choices; to completely throw in the towel & surrender to the depressing “woe is me attitude” OR I could look at the positives of the situation & make the most of the circumstances.

“Optimism is truly measured by circumstance, a person who is truly positive remains positive even when their world seems as though it is falling to bits. It’s easy to be happy & positive when everything is going your way.”

So I decided that I was going to walk the talk so to speak & do what I am constantly preaching!

I ‘m focussing on working towards my other goals (besides my fitness goals), I have started my own Fitness Models Agency, I’m booking in photo shoots (I’m also a photographer & photo editor), I’m creating delicious healthy recipes & continuing to help others with their health & fitness goals.

The massive lesson I learnt is to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY & not to overdo it or you end up going backwards. Don’t let your desire to reach your goals & dreams become so great that you destroy them altogether! Not moving forward is better than 2 steps back!

Don’t let one disappointment knock you right off track, it is up to YOU to make yourself happy & you have to choose to get back up & keep going! If it’s something you really want – you keep going no matter what!

You have to remind yourself everyday what it is you want, why you want it & plan what you need to do to achieve it.

It’s not so much about working HARD, it’s about working SMART!

So whatever it is you want – take control of your life, grab it with both hands & work SMARTLY towards it & NEVER EVER GIVE UP!

It’s important to not only believe in yourself - that you’re capable of achieving your goals, but believe that you DESERVE them!

Appreciation

True happiness can only being achieved by appreciating all the things in your life especially the little things. Focus on all the good things rather than the bad & you’ll attract MORE good things to you AND feel much happier.

Here are some positive affirmations & quotes I made up that have helped me through tough times;

“You may not be able to control things that happen to you but you CAN control how you deal with them! You have the option to either give up or keep going!”

"I show patience in the times of difficulty. I can overcome anthing life throws at me."

"I focus on all the good things in my life giving them power to multiply".

“With every hurdle I come across I become stronger, wiser & one step closer to my dreams... as long as I never give up.”

What motivates me!

As it can be quite hard to stay motivated I thought I would share with you all what helps to motivate ME to train & eat healthy – I look at these pictures every day and it helps me stick to my fitness goals and reminds me of what it is I’m working towards.

Whenever I get off track I look at these images, look at my goals –all that I want to achieve and it gets me back on track quick smart!

If you really want something you will do all that you can to achieve it!

I hope these images inspire and motivate you with your own health & fitness goals.

Featuring;

*Jennifer Nicole Lee

*Amber Elizabeth

*Michele Levesque

*Jessica Paxson - Putnam

*Jenna Renee

*Amanda Adams

*Lindy Olsen

*Kristen Mathers

Click image to view full size

Here is a video that motivates me

featuring one of my favourite fitness models

Jennifer Nicole Lee.

I'd suggest finding images/videos that inspire and motivate you. It has helped me a lot.

"Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do."

"Every day you spend drifting away from your goals is a waste not only of that day, but also of the additional day it takes to regain lost ground."

XOX

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! - Achieving your goals, motivation, inspirtion, affirmation & positivity!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

While Christmas & New Years is a fun time full of parties, yummy food & alcohol it is also a time where you may get off track with your health & fitness if you’re not careful!

Kick start 2011 by getting back into your healthy eating and training NOW! Don’t put it off until tomorrow...it starts now!
Rid your cupboards of unhealthy food & fill them with clean, nutritious food. Instead of having a sugary or alcoholic drink tonight, have a green or white tea instead!

I myself am guilty of getting off track over the holiday period, which I allowed myself as what is the point of working so hard throughout the year if you can’t relax & enjoy some bad foods occasionally. As much as eating that Christmas cake & drinking those yummy fruity cocktails on New Year’s Eve tasted great at the time, I soon realized that it wasn’t worth it! I felt sluggish, sickly & had no energy. So I decided to snap myself out of feeling this way and got back into my healthy eating and training. I did my first training session of the year yesterday. Even though the gym was shut, I was not going to let that be an excuse to put off my training to the next day. IT STARTS NOW! If you don’t do something about it NOW then it will never get done as I have discovered in the past! So I set up am at home circuit of 4 exercises using some weights.

It was a very hard workout (thanks to all the unhealthy food I’d eaten in the past 2 weeks) but I’m proud I did it & got through it & I felt so much better after I’d done it!

Here is what I did;

SHOULDERS: 12 reps of 5kg dumbbell lateral raises

LEGS: 20 reps of 18kg overhead squats

TRICEPS: 12 reps of 5kg triceps extensions

ABS: 30 reps of roman twists holding a 10kg plate.

I did these 4 exercises 5 times back to back (no rest in between sets). Then to change it up I did;

SHOULDERS: 12 reps of 5kg dumbbell shoulder press

LEGS: 20 reps of 18kg lunges (holding a 9kg dumbbell in each hand)

TRICEPS: 12 reps of 5kg French presses

ABS: 30 reps of roman twists holding a 10kg plate.

I do this another 5 times. So all up you have done each of the 4 exercises X 10 times!

For examples of dumbbell exercises please check out this site that I have mentioned in a previous blog:

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/dumbbellexercises.html

If you need to, have a small rest of about 10 seconds in between each exercise.

Circuits are great as you’re incorporating strength and cardio training in one and you’ll be exhausted at the end of it. It only takes about half an hour to do (depends on how much rest you have in between sets but aim to have no rest in between) – work your way up – start with 20 secs rest in between each set & next time decrease the amount of rest you have in between. Before you know it you’ll have no rest! You’ll get better and better! J

The longer you put off changing to healthy eating and training, the harder it will be to start. SO START NOW!

MOTIVATION & INSPIRATION

Motivation is hard to maintain which is why we need to motivate ourselves every day. It is a day to day challenge.

It’s important we know exactly what it is we want as it is easier to achieve your goals if you have a clear picture of you goals!

What inspires you? Look at the body you want in magazines & imagine having that body. Keep pictures of the body you want around the house, as your computer screen saver, on your bedroom wall, in the toilet – places you will be able to see them every day & look at the images before you work out and imagine them even while you’re working out. Thinking of how you aspire to look will help you push through hard workouts & will reinforce the reason why you’re doing this, why it is worth it!

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF & AFFIRMATIONS

 You have to believe in yourself, believe you can & will achieve your goals – this applies to everything in life, whether it is to lose weight, quit smoking, or get your dream job. If you don’t think you’re capable then you won’t be! Believe you are capable & you deserve this!

Look at yourself in the mirror & tell yourself you can do this. Look yourself right in the eye. By looking yourself in the eye as you state your affirmation you magnify the importance of the message to yourself. You will find it harder to let yourself down!

If your goal is to get fit and healthy; Tell yourself you WILL commit to a healthy eating plan, you WILL allocate time for exercise every day, you WILL resist unhealthy food temptations, you WILL get the body you have always wanted  you WILL maintain your body once you have reached your goal!
YOU CAN DO THIS!

Regular positive affirmations keep you focused on your goal. Remind yourself every day what it is you want & why & believe you will achieve them!

Words and thoughts are more powerful than you think!

Write down your goals & your affirmations & leave notes around the house. Eg. I choose to eat clean, healthy food & exercise regularly so I can have a healthy fit body & can live my life to the fullest!

Be positive – you are much more likely to stay committed & achieve your goals if you are positive about the entire journey you have to take to get there.
Rather than thinking; “I hate exercising & find it boring” – think;
“I love exercising because of the great benefits I get such as an increase in energy levels & endorphins, let alone the amazing body I will have!”.

 “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.”

You are the product of your thoughts - what you think, you become!

Be proud of yourself of what you have already achieved & what you are continuing to achieve. It is a step by step process! – Take it one step at a time & be proud of each step you have achieved.

VISUALISE YOUR GOALS

If you are a sprinter and your goal is to win a race, visualise with minute detail you actually winning the race. Visualise it as if it were real, imagine how you would feel winning the race. See yourself how others would see you. Replay winning the race over and over in your head so when you actually go to run the race, you have already won several times before in your mind. It’s like you have rehearsed winning many times before & you’re just doing it again.

Visualising yourself achieving success at whatever it is you want to achieve, dramatically improves your chances of achieving it.

- Remember you must be prepared to actually walk the path to success in the real world too & take all steps necessary to achieve your goals!

So what are you waiting for? Start achieving your goals NOW!

2011 IS THE YEAR YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN – THE CHOICE IS YOURS!!! J