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

FEATURED IN THIS MONTHS OXYGEN MAGAZINE!

I'm very honoured to be featured in my favourite magazine Oxygen this month as a runner up for the Oxygen Cover Girl competition. I am so happy and proud that I made it to the top 5 out of the 150+ entries Oxygen received, especially considering I am only just starting out as a fitness model. Just to be compared to these amazing, strong, fit women is a huge compliment for me. What a great way for me to enter the fitness industry! - Thanks Oxygen!

I'd like to congratulate the winner: Katrina Wilson - 3 x junior power lifting world records, 3rd place 2010 INBA Figure competition.

It just goes to show that hard work & persistence does pay off & you can achieve your dreams if you stay positive & motivated! Don't give up & you'll get there!


Hope you enjoy my Oxygen interview:




Emily Skye

Age: 25
Height: 170cm

My Astrological sign is Capricorn

I grew up on the Central Coast, NSW and I’m owner & operator of Vixen Management, health & fitness adviser, model & photographer.

My qualifications are: Fitness cert 3 & Beauty Therapy cert 3.

I have never competed yet but maybe one day.

For breakfast I ate: All Bran with light soy milk, natural yogurt with banana &
blueberries with organic flaxmeal sprinkled on top & a protein shake.

In my fridge: fresh vegies, soy milk, flaxmeal, blueberries, strawberries, lemons, kangaroo meat & organic free range chicken.

At the gym you will find me either doing interval training on the bike, leg tabata training or in the weights section.

I love training because it makes me feel happy – releases endorphins & gives me energy to live my life to the fullest.

I hate training when I’m really tired – there’s no point training as it’s a waste of time, you’re better off getting a good night’s sleep that night & waiting until you have more energy to do a worthwhile session the next day. Rest is just as important as training!

I'd love to workout with Amber Elizabeth, Michele Levesque, or Jessica Paxson-Putnam. Anyone that loves to train as much as me really!

I never leave home without my waterbottle, Lucas Pawpaw ointment & my iphone.

Favourite music: When I’m training I listen to anything that puts me in a good mood & motivates me to train. Ministry of Sound Running Trax have some great songs to train to!

My best feature: eyes

I would love to meet anyone who has goals to improve their health & fitness  – there’s nothing more satisfying than hearing other people’s goals & helping them to achieve them. If you want it bad enough & take all the steps necessary to achieve them – then you’ll get it!

Favourite cheat food: white chocolate! Full of sugar I know, but if you train & eat healthy the rest of the time there is definitely nothing wrong with treating yourself every now n then!

What advice would you give to women wanting to get into the best shape of their life? Keep a food diary & don’t have unhealthy food at home so you’re not tempted, have a training program so you know exactly what to do in the gym & you’re not feeling lost. Learn as much as you can about different foods & how it affects your body. Surround yourself with positive people with similar goals that help motivate you rather than bring you down. Don’t give it up! It takes time, you might not see any changes yet but keep up with your healthy diet & training & you will definitely see results in no time & you’ll feel amazing! Make health & fitness a part of your life - not just a phase.
What I always tell people is “If it was easy – everyone would be doing it!”. With determination & ensuring you are taking all the steps necessary to succeed – there is no reason why you won’t achieve your goals!

5 things I can't live without:

1. My family & friends
2. My water bottle – I take it everywhere!
3. My iphone
4. my paw paw ointment
5. The gym

On my bedside table: My water bottle, paw paw ointment, moisturiser & the current issue of Oxygen Magazine of course!

Best beauty secret: There is no secret – get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, have a healthy balanced diet & get enough exercise! There’s nothing more beautiful than a happy healthy glow!

Who inspires you? Anyone who is living their dreams - it shows that it is possible if you put your mind to it!

Who is your fitness and body role model? Amber Elizabeth. She’s in perfect proportion, has shape, muscle definition & great abs. This is my ideal body! She also seems to be a lovely person with good morals. She has the package! Looking at Amber’s fitness photos motivates me to train harder & push myself to my limits to be the best I can be.

Outside the gym I love spending time with my family & friends. One of my favourite things to do is to get a coffee at the local coffee shop with my partner & read the latest Oxygen Magazine. I love anything outdoors; the beach, surfing, snowboarding, dirt bike riding, skateboarding & hiking. Being outdoors allows me to really appreciate life & the fact that I’m healthy & fit & how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful country.

The question I'm most asked is: what I do to keep fit. So I started a Health & Fitness blog! I love being able to help others by informing them with what I have learnt through my own health & fitness journey.

My biggest pet peeve: When people say they want to get fit & healthy while they’re eating a take away burger & say how lucky I am to be fit & toned. It’s not luck, it’s a matter of knowing what I want, making goals, taking steps to achieving my goals & staying committed!

 I hate it when people make excuses as to why they don’t train. They’re either too tired or don’t have time. There is always at least half an hour a day where you can do some sort of physical exercise.

Future plans to be a fitness model, help others to achieve their goals, compete in sports model competitions, start my own health & fitness business.

I'm preparing for Life! Whatever is to come in the future – I don’t know, but I want to be prepared physically & mentally!

Words of wisdom: Work out what it is exactly that you want, and then work out what steps you need to take in order to achieve your goals & do it! Stay committed & determined. If you fall, get back up. If you have a bad day where you don’t eat right & don’t train, don’t let it get you off track, get straight back to it. Stop making excuses - you don’t get anywhere making excuses!
Surround yourself with positive people with similar goals. Don’t get distracted. Make health & fitness a way of life & of course enjoy your journey!

Website: www.emilyskye.com

Email: emily@emilyskye.com

COVER GIRL DIET

BREAKFAST: All Bran, natural yogurt with banana, blueberries & flaxmeal sprinkled on top & a protein shake, or quinoa with banana cooked through it & flaxmeal sprinkled on top with soy milk & a protein shake.

SNACK: a piece of fruit & nuts.

LUNCH: salmon or tuna, brown rice & salad or a sandwich made with rye or spelt bread, shaved turkey or chicken & salad.

SNACK: rice or corn cakes with hummus & tomato or light cream cheese, smoked salmon & baby spinach leaves.

DINNER: boiled chicken with garlic & herbs or kangaroo & either salad or broccoli & sweet potato.

DESERT: fruit & natural yogurt & a white or green tea before bed.

WORKOUT WEEK

Monday: 20 – 30 mins cardio & back , chest & bis & 6 – 10 mins of abs & stretching

Tuesday: 20 – 30 mins cardio interval training & shoulders, tris, calves & stretches

Wednesday: Legs (quads, hamstring & gluts) squats – either weighted or leg tabata without weights, 10 mins abs & stretches

Thursday: 30 mins interval training, 10 mins abs & stretches.

Friday 30 mins Interval training on the bike (20 sec sprints/20 sec rest etc) abs, calves & stretches.

Saturday: Run, bike or cross trainer + any body part I feel needs more work, abs & stretches.

Sunday:  REST

MY WORKOUT WEEK

This is what I did last week;

Monday 20 – 30 mins cardio & back , chest & bis & 6 – 10 mins of abs & stretching

Tuesday 20 – 30 mins cardio interval training & shoulders, tris, calves & stretches

Wednesday Legs (quads, hamstring & gluts) squats – either weighted or leg tabata without weights, 10 mins abs & stretches

Thursday 30 mins interval training, 10 mins abs & stretches.

Friday 30 mins Interval training on the bike (20 sec sprints/20 sec rest etc) abs, calves & stretches.

Saturday Run, bike or cross trainer + any body part I feel needs more work, abs & stretches.

Sunday REST

Through commitment & determination you can achieve your goals! :)

What I usually eat in a day

BREAKFAST: All Bran, natural yogurt with banana, blueberries & flaxmeal sprinkled on top & a protein shake. Or porridge made with light soy milk & cooked with banana through it & flaxmeal sprinkled on top & protein shake.

SNACK: a piece of fruit & nuts.

LUNCH: salmon or tuna, brown rice & salad or a sandwich made with rye or spelt bread, shaved turkey or chicken & salad.

SNACK: rice or corn cakes with hummus & tomato or light cream cheese, smoked salmon & baby spinach leaves.

DINNER: boiled chicken with garlic & herbs or kangaroo & either salad or broccoli & sweet potato.

DESERT: fruit & natural yogurt & a white or green tea before bed.

Week 3

Welcome to my 3rd blog entry about my training!

MONDAY: Tabata (squats, lunges & wide legged squats), calves.

TUESDAY: 30 mins on the bike – 5 mins of warming up -  20 secs hard, 20 secs rest repeated. Then back, bis  + 10 mins of abs

WEDNESDAY:

THURSDAY: 20 mins on the cross trainer, bike, shoulders, tris, & abs

FRIDAY: REST DAY!

SATURDAY: Cardio – 50 mins bike

SUNDAY: Day off

MONDAY:l Leg tabata – squats, wide legged squats & lunges and abs.

TUESDAY: Bicep curls, hammer curls, mill press and upright row tabata, abs.

WEDNESDAY: day off

THURS & FRI: Drove home to Sydney from Brisbane.

SATURDAY: 30 mins cardio - crosstrainer & bike tabata, back dead lifts, tricep pull downs & abs on medicine ball.