No Excuses

Bulk buy, bulk cook No longer is a normal supermarket enough for...

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:04:49 +0100

Bulk buy, bulk cook

No longer is a normal supermarket enough for this household..between me and my partner we must go through about 35 large chicken breasts a week. Therefore, the cash and carry seems to be the best option…5kg packets of chicken, boxes of 60 eggs, sacks of broccoli…oh yes, no normal food shopping for us!

Spice up your rice! Spring onion, coriander, red chilli, pepper,...

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:58:14 +0100

Spice up your rice!

Spring onion, coriander, red chilli, pepper, cumin, hot chilli powder…delicious but be careful, it definitely burns the mouth if you go overboard..learnt that the hard way!

Wow…now that is a posing suit, gorgeous!

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:55:09 +0100

Wow…now that is a posing suit, gorgeous!

No frills: hungry

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:53:23 +0100

That is what I am right now. There is no frilly part of this endeavour..it is simply a combination of patience, hard work, determination and being damn hungry. Not just hungry for food, but hungry for success. Hungry for that result, hungry for that moment when you look in the mirror and know you have finally reached your goal, that you are finally proud of what you see, what you are. This is all starting to come back to me. I am 1 and a half weeks in to the 16 of prep and I can well and truly say I am hungry. It dawned on me last night when I was counting down the minutes to my last meal how long this 16 weeks is going to feel. It only just dawned on me how many days and how many hours of being hungry that would be.

People ask me what to do if they’re hungry all the time…to which I say nothing. You simply deal with it and know that it is all part of the process. Do not assume that feeling hunger is a bad thing, it is not. I am not saying that it is not hard, of course it is. I just ate my meal of chicken, broccoli and sweet potato and I am still hungry…that is not easy! Just focus on what you want more than food. I want to be the leanest I have ever been come August and that does not come without a little sacrifice. We must all sacrifice something for what we want the most.. Take control of your mind and realise what is important - I assure you, it will not be eating that extra bit of food!

Flavoured green teas are definitely the way forward during these...

Sat, 04 May 2013 19:12:35 +0100

Flavoured green teas are definitely the way forward during these times!

Meals all packed and ready..every damn day!

Sat, 04 May 2013 19:09:49 +0100

Meals all packed and ready..every damn day!

111 days

Sat, 04 May 2013 19:08:42 +0100

The time has come once again, time to start the madness of competition prep! I’m now 6 days in to it, 6 out of 111, my next show being on August 18th…time to get lean!

It really was about time. I have come to the conclusion that I don’t do well mentally being in a ‘bulk’ phase… I did not get on with the whole being bigger thing and so I was more than ready to get cracking. So I enjoyed my last piece of cake, my last yummy meal and my last glass of the ole vino and began with the repetitiveness that is the competition diet. After 10 workouts over 5 days I can already see a slight change in my body - I am already smaller, slightly tighter and feel a whole lot better about the whole thing. Here’s to the next 15 weeks…here’s to the challenge, the sweat, the cold chicken and broccoli and the never-ending feeling of hunger….BRING IT ON.

This so is not what I look like when hungry and craving…..

The gorgeous figure pro, Erin Stern looking as elegant as ever..

Sat, 04 May 2013 18:51:28 +0100

The gorgeous figure pro, Erin Stern looking as elegant as ever..

Year #2, Show #3, becoming #1

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:43:01 +0100

It is almost that time again. The time to start cutting for a show! So we’re the second year in to competing, it’ll be my third show and my first time competing in figure. To say I cannot wait to get started would be an understatement! Bulking, whilst being fun in the sense that there is an awful lot of food and you don’t feel like you’re going to die from lack of energy, I am glad that it is almost time to cut. This is what it is all about, stripping off all of that extra insulation to reveal what you’ve been working on…it’s like ripping open a nice little present. Hopefully the present will not disappoint as unfortunately, there is no refund policy here.

I will competing on the 18th August in BodyFitness (Figure) and all of the prepping fun begins in a week and a half…the 29th April. 16 weeks of prepping…I cannot wait but I know that undoubtedly, the novelty will soon wear off and I shall be desperately watching the food channel once again whilst counting down the seconds to the next chicken and broccoli meal. Well….I say BRING IT ON BITCHES, TIME TO GET LEAN AND MEAN AND GET THESE GOD DAMN ABS BACK!

Check out this great post on “27 easy ways to eat...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:45:25 +0100

Check out this great post on “27 easy ways to eat healthier“…some cool ideas! Not a fan of the remove meat from chilli thing…HELL NO we need protein!

Some stills from a really rather flattering video of me doing a...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:18:55 +0100

Some stills from a really rather flattering video of me doing a HIIT session earlier this week. Who needs the treadmill when you can do crazy weight sessions like this… Give it a go:

20 x deadlift

20 x squat

20 x bench press

20 x clean and press

Repeat 3 times!

It’s fast and challenging but trust me, you will be buzzing after it!!

Food prep….every single day! At first it is a chore, then...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:39:59 +0100

Food prep….every single day! At first it is a chore, then it becomes habit. Stick with it and before long you’ll do a whole day of food in 40 mins!

Guilt free thai peanut chicken

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:23:47 +0100

Love Thai food but don’t love the guilty post-takeaway feeling? Try out this recipe on Muscle and Fitness Hers for a high protein meal!

4 servings:

8 skinless chicken thighs fresh ground black pepper
3/4 cup mild salsa 
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce or fish sauce
2 tsp grated fresh ginger 
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro lime wedges

Season chicken with fresh ground black pepper and place in slow cooker. in a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients except cilantro. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for eight hours. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken and place on serving platter. Pour sauce over chicken. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with cooked brown jasmine rice, steamed green beans, and pineapple.

Per serving: 302 calories, 25g protein, 10g carbs, 20g fat, 4g saturated fat

The next port of call….cannot wait to step on stage in one...

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:23:13 +0000

The next port of call….cannot wait to step on stage in one of these bad boys!

Bikini client, Sade Banting at the end of our back workout last...

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:33:16 +0000

Bikini client, Sade Banting at the end of our back workout last week down at Cheetah’s gym in Hove. Do you girls and guys row?? If you want a good back, both width and depth, then you’ll need to row. Along with deadlifts, chin ups and lat pulldowns, these should be your back staples!

Coming soon… video exercise demos!

Phase 2, week 1 of the “Normal experiment” progress...

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:29:31 +0000

Phase 2, week 1 of the “Normal experiment” progress pictures

Back in the day I never would have put images of myself up looking like this…I would have recoiled in terror and deleted them from all devices to never have been seen again then hid under a big hoodie. However, as part of this experiment I think it is important to show you all the physical effects along with my semi-witty remarks on hunger and feeling balloon-like. I am sharing this in the hope that it will give some of you hope and will inspire someone, even just one person to make a change. Can you recognise yourself in those first images? If so… do not despair… all it takes is the decision to change. Stick to something for once, it makes a difference.

I shall report back next week with more images after 2 weeks in. The abs will be back in no time, BOOM.

The "Normal" experiment: Phase 2 - "Fattie to fittie 2.0"

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:23:31 +0000

We are one week into phase 2 of the normal experiment and I am already feeling better. I no longer feel like a bloated pregnant whale, so that’s a massive bonus. To give you an idea of what phase 2 involves, here is the breakdown:

Meal 1 Oats, blueberries, egg whites, multi-vitamins, green tea extract, omega 3,6&9

Meal 2 (post workout) Whey protein, simple sugars, BCAAs

Meal 3 Chicken, brown rice, extra virgin olive oil, vegetables

Meal 4 (As above)

Meal 5 Turkey, extra virgin olive oil, vegetables

Meal 6 Casein protein, almond butter

As for training….5x 45-60min sessions of weight training plus 2x 45 minute HIIT sessions.

Other random bits and pieces…4 litres of water minimum, no snacking on fruit or anything else for that matter, no milk in coffee…surprisingly actually not too bad…black coffee is something I can live with.

Now you can see how this is all a far cry from those 10 days off fueled by bread, sugar and god knows what else. Yesterday evening I even had a cheat meal…but rather than a crazy ass cheat meal laden with fat and sugar, I made a lovely healthy spaghetti bolognese with all natural and clean ingredients, extra lean beef steak mince and wholegrain spaghetti. And as the boyfriend reported (who just so happens to be 7 weeks out from the Hercules Olympia show), it was a lot tastier than most ‘normal’ spaghetti bologensessss. Just goes to show you can get creative with good ingredients and still enjoy lovely food without the added shit and cellulite. We had natural yogurt with fruit for dessert to top it off…again, a sweet yet healthy dessert.

Below: Make your own sauces by chopping up tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and basil, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season with any herbs and spices you fancy and throw in the oven! Brown off extra lean beef mince and then add this to it along with the other ingredients in the second picture. It really is not that hard to make healthy food, you just have to put in a little effort.

So there you have it, week one done. And I know you’re waiting for it…the honest part… YES I WAS HUNGRY OK!?!!! I was hungry often and wanted to eat often but I did not. Because as we discovered from phase 1, indulging does not make anyone happy…so instead we shut up, man up and get on with it. It is up to you and you alone if you are happy and if you achieve anything. Be miserable and drown in self pity or make a change and motivate yourself…it’s up to you. Every little thing does make a difference.

Meals 3, 4 and 5…always prepare!

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:09:47 +0000

Meals 3, 4 and 5…always prepare!

The "Normal" experiment: Phase 1 - "Normal"

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:06:00 +0000

So that’s it. I am now on diet, on training and am ready to enter phase 2 of the experiment which shall be named “Fattie to fittie 2.0”. And the result is: After a solid 10 days off I can well and truly say that I would never want to go back to eating and living like a normal person. Yes it is nice having the freedom to do whatever you like whenever you want but what is not nice is the result of this. I enjoyed going out to restaurants, looking at the menu and thinking I could have anything on there rather than desperately hunting for a lean steak and salad. I enjoyed the social side of eating this way the most… I went out on a few dates and had ice cream and milkshakes, I went out with my Mum for Mother’s Day and had a three course dinner, I enjoyed going to the Brighton Chocolate Festival with a friend. And yes…there is a massive ‘BUT’ coming…..

Below: Bread anyone? More bread please? Bread as a side? Yes please.

But before we go into this, we must take a walk through phase 1…10 days of indulging on all sorts the likes of crisps, pizza, pasta, cheese, ice cream, milk shakes, cakes, chocolate - you name it, I had it. I even ate ben and jerry’s in bed and had doughnuts before breakfast. Oh yes, that’s right - if I do something, I’m going to do it 100%! The result of which is really quite astounding. Not only physically, but mentally. It is one thing to be as bloated as a pregnant whale but it is another to look at yourself and hate what you see, for that to take over your mind and affect everything you do.

Below: ALWAYS DESSERT

The physical result

I have put on a whole stone. I am now 11 stone 1 pounds. I am 25% bodyfat. I do not fit into my skinny jeans. I am more blobby everywhere. I have love handles. However, I still only have size 34A boobs (what the fuck is with that!?). I feel my inner thighs rub together when I walk. I feel parts of me move independently from my body when I walk. I have lost my abs.

The mental result

I have lost confidence. I hate what I see in the mirror. I feel angry. I feel upset. I feel as though people are judging me. I feel unattractive. I feel like I want to hide under big clothes so no-one can look at me. I feel like I don’t belong in the gym. I feel like people wonder what has happened to me. I look in the mirror at myself and feel disappointed.

Below: I honestly cannot remember the last time I ate a chip before this…

Lessons to be learnt

Phase 1 of this experiment has taught me a lot. It has made me realise that no food can make you happy, no food tastes good enough to make the result of that food worth it. Binging is not going to make you feel confident and empowered. No amount of food will be enough when you’re craving and it is only a downward spiral from there. You will feel bloated, uncomfortable and wish you hadn’t eaten it, you will feel like a failure, you will feel quite frankly, a little bit disgusting. It has also made me feel the result of sugar, the cravings, the crashes, the whole darn thing. I felt tired, lethargic and wanted to sit down all the time from being full. Now you can see how that does not help matters.

REALLY!?

It astounds me how people can eat this shit on a regular basis and not hate themselves for it. Yes that’s right, I said it. How does that work? Are people just lying to themselves saying they are enjoying these foods and these drinks when in reality they get home, undress and look at themselves, recoiling in terror? People say they could not eat clean and healthy all the time, that they love food too much, that they could not give up chocolate. But what you are really giving up is your unappealing and unfit body in place of a new, fit and shredded one. Why does this not seem to be enough for people to jump off the shit wagon and onto the fit and healthy one? This, I don’t think I can understand. Maybe try eating all this shit in front of the mirror naked - would you do it then? Would that pizza and that ice cream still look so appealing to you when you’re looking at your rolls of flab? …….. Really?

Photographic evidence coming soon….along with phase 2 (day 2 and going strong).

Welcome to the "normal" experiment

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 12:10:36 +0000

So I’m sitting here in a cafe with a lovely iced coffee and unusual egg in a spinach cup thingy the likes of which I have never seen anywhere else. For lunch I am off to Nandos and last night I ate Ben and Jerrys straight out of the tub with a spoon. This is all part of what I shall name the “normal experiment”. For 10 days I am living like a normal person…I am not training (resistance or cardio) and I am relaxed on my diet. I am allowing myself to have things that I fancy, whenever I fancy them. I am allowing myself alcohol. I haven’t eaten broccoli in a week. 10 days. On Monday I shall weigh myself, take honest photos (no sucking in, favourable lighting or editing the contrast on photoshop - you know what I’m talking about!) and have my bodyfat% measured by a fellow PT who is most likely going to think “holy crap how did this girl compete”?!

This all came about due to the previously mentioned tears in the squat rack but instead of having the attitude of “holy shit I’m going to get fat and horrible and it’s gonna suck” I have decided to embrace this, throw myself into it and write about the process. Consider this an introduction to an unexpected post by a figure competitor…the post that reveals what happens when you step out of the world you are so used to and back into what most consider to be normal. I shall write up my findings of this experiment once it has been completed. As for now, I have 2 more days of “normality” and I can tell you now…I’ll be glad when Monday rolls around with its cold broccoli and grilled chicken. Now please excuse me whilst I go and devour some Nandos chicken….