Fitness and Health

Hey everyone! I think I will start this post by saying I love Kayla Itsines! She is amazing, her plans are amazing and her followers are amazing. The BBG community is something I just love and I am proud to be a part of the #k2movement. Something with so much power and support for each other is truly inspiring. You can check out my journey on my Instagram at @ krristelley  

I purchased the Bikini Body Guide quite a while ago now and I have given it two attempts. The first time, I was mentally not prepared and it lasted only two weeks. I barely even bothered. My head just wasn't in it and I wasn't excited enough to workout and get fit. So I stopped and I left the guides waiting for my motivation to come to me because I knew it eventually would. I continued to follow and admire girls who are really into their fitness and the bikini body guides. 

The turning point came for me on Valentines Day. I went out with my boyfriend and we found some amazing views at the beach over a cliff. We had the GoPro with us so naturally we snapped up a couple of what we thought would be amazing looking photos. I was in my bikini top and shorts for a few of the photos and looking at the way my body looked, I felt so uncomfortable and uneasy. I loved the photo but looking at my body, I couldn't handle how awful I felt I looked. 

Check out my journey on my Instagram, @krristelley

I started the following Monday on the bikini body guides. I did the four weeks of pre-training to try and build up a bit of fitness before hitting the real thing. I got up to week 5 of the real thing. I was eating well at the start, stopped eating take-away foods and cut out the junk food completely. I ate healthier and I felt better. I could see the progress in the mirror. I had photos with a few weeks in between and the difference was amazing. 

Then I got sick. Life got full on and I got lazy. I was extremely busy with working, which resulted in my eating habits sliding off towards the end. I had stopped working out and it honestly had been 3 weeks. I gave up.

But this morning as I scrolled through my Instagram feed, I made the choice to stop making excuses. A one hour workout is only 4% of my day. I can spare that much. If I need to get up an hour earlier to start my day with a workout I can do it. Meal prep when I know I am going to be at uni and work so I won't be tempted to eat chips or sneak a few chocolates. I am motivated. I went and did my 45 mins of low intensity steady state (LISS) workout after I posted my confession/photo on Instagram and afterwards I was sweaty and out of breath and it rained on m multiple times, but I felt so much better. It makes me happy, so why wouldn't I give something that makes me happy my all?

I am going to make weekly posts now about my BBG progress to keep me up to date with it. How my exercises are going and roughly what I've eaten. I would love to be able to post up progress photos and be incredibly happy with how I look and feel. 

Here's a progress shot of me. Top photo is before I started the BBG and the bottom photo is the progress shot at the end of week 4. 

In the above photo (the bottom one) I was semi-happy with how my stomach was starting to come along. But I would love to be super confident all the time in how I look in photos and not have to question whether it is just a 'bad angle' making me look bigger than I am. 

I don't take measurements and I don't really believe in weighing myself either. Although I can say I have always fluctuated between about 55-57kg and before I started the BBG I was up towards 60-62kg. That made me extremely upset that I had let myself gain weight like that. I am now back down to 56kg on most days and I'm not overly fussed with that. If I can see differences in the photos and mirror, that's what will make me happy, not the scales. 

Anyway, thank you all for reading and until next post.
Kristelle xx

New Year, Not So New Me?

It's almost two weeks into the new year and we all know what that means. For most of us our new years resolution goals have fallen off track and the promises to ourselves to become better people (spiritually, physically, emotionally) whatever the case has probably fallen off track too.

sitting around with my green tea, Kayla Itsines bikini body guides, 2015 planner and my favourite book trying to concentrate and remember
how I wanted to 'better myself' for this year

I am no exception to this. Although I mock and joke about new years resolutions (because they never stick) I found myself unconsciously making them and setting goals which just seem to have already fallen apart. Everyone knows the usual I'm going to get into shape in the new year and start hitting the gym or I'm going to start working harder and saving more money or my personal favourite I will do better in school this year. My new years resolutions/goals included the following:

1. Drink less alcohol
2. Get into better shape and lead a healthier lifestyle
3. Work harder to save more money
4. Look for a new job when uni is starting up for the year
5. Be more adventurous and try to say yes more instead of no
6. Get better grades this uni year

Well I haven't exactly fallen off track with all of them yet, but I think that's mostly because I haven't had the opportunity to mess them up yet face those hurdles yet. But I can give you detailed and specific reasons why I have already 'messed up' several of those goals. 

1. I started 2015 on a holiday. I drank every day. It is the 13th of January and I have had alcohol at least 7 of those days.
2. I want to do this so so badly. I just lack discipline. I haven't been eating well since I got back from holidays because like I spoke about here healthy foods are just so damn expensive
3. Okay I haven't exactly messed this one up, but I haven't been living up to my full potential
4. N/A
5. I'm really trying on this one too. Instead of saying no to something when I'm not bothered or too tired, I have been giving stuff a go. Would I like to go on adventures? Yes. In fact in a few weeks I will be going on one, so stay tuned!
6. N/A

Okay, so I'm not completely off to a horrible start. It is basically just #2 that is making feel like, well #2. I think it's important to remember why you set yourself these goals in the first place (that's another thing, I would prefer to call them goals not resolutions because goals are something you are aiming for and working towards, and resolution is just well, this ). Ask yourself, did I set these goals because I want to achieve them for myself? Will this make me a better person? Will I be happier if I achieve these goals? My answer to all three is definitely yes. 

Next you need to remember that you aren't the only person who ever gets distracted from a goal. You just need to get back in the right frame of mind and jump right back on the horse- so to speak anyway. Remember that these goals are something you want and give yourself time to work towards them instead of giving up right away.

I hope you found this insightful or some advice in this short piece, I know I needed to remind myself that it's okay to mess up towards my goals, as long as I get back into it. I feel one step closer by simply acknowledging "I am not doing all I could or should be towards achieving my goals for 2015".

Thanks for reading

Stelle xx