Back in August I introduced #EmsChallenge, a few things I decided to do differently and of course, you guys were of course invited to join me. I just felt it was a great way to get my mojo back and hopefully push and inspire each other. I don’t believe in deprivation but I wanted to move more, cut a few things out and see if I felt a bit better in myself. You know what? It really worked. I consciously made an effort to try new activities (finally got myself back to yoga and picked up swimming again), smile at people more and ate better foods, not less! Setting goals and promises to myself really meant I achieved my goals and pushed myself out of my comfort zone, which is why this month, I guess I want to talk about a few things I’ve continued to do in September and will continue doing in October. See this as a kind of follow on post for those of you who fancied taking the challenge and for those of you who didn’t, feel free to do it in October instead! Thanks to Robinsons Refresh’d for challenging me to do this again in October.
Dress /
Goals - First things first, setting goals for me is such an easy way to keep myself motivated. There’s something about goal setting that just instantly puts a fire in my belly. I don't like letting myself down so if I say I'm gonna do something, I usually make sure I do! I don’t really believe in losing weight ‘just for a holiday’ for example, but if that gives you a clear goal then so be it! My main goals are to feel less heavy (some foods genuinely make me feel really bloated and uncomfortable, I don't mean weight-wise, I just mean how awful they make my tummy feel) and to continue getting that lovely endorphin rush I get from exercising. I genuinely can’t get enough of it!
Goals - First things first, setting goals for me is such an easy way to keep myself motivated. There’s something about goal setting that just instantly puts a fire in my belly. I don't like letting myself down so if I say I'm gonna do something, I usually make sure I do! I don’t really believe in losing weight ‘just for a holiday’ for example, but if that gives you a clear goal then so be it! My main goals are to feel less heavy (some foods genuinely make me feel really bloated and uncomfortable, I don't mean weight-wise, I just mean how awful they make my tummy feel) and to continue getting that lovely endorphin rush I get from exercising. I genuinely can’t get enough of it!
Top goal setting tips:
Get a diary - For me, having a diary is key. I actually use the diary on my MacBook and it’s linked with the same apple account so it crosses over from my iPhone to my laptop. It's a great way to tick days I've been to the gym and really monitor my progress. I also have a list on the notes section of my phone and write out every gym routine on there with the results, it means I push harder every time to beat those numbers. Take notes, write it down, tick it off!
Take photos - If you are looking for results, I always recommend taking before and after photos, rather than weighing. I know measuring weight works so well for some people but I use the Boditrax machine at David Lloyd gym and it told me that my body weight had gone up, but actually, my body fat had dropped. I really don't judge how my body feels by what it weighs, I judge it by how I feel in myself. My friend hadn't lost any weight according to the scales but then photographs showed a different story. It's your journey and I promise, please don't obsess over weightloss or numbers.
Make a check list - Like I mentioned above, make a check list! Grab a diary and tick off how many times you did active things that week!
In August I… - In August I stuck to my challenges for the whole month (hooray!) read more here #EmsChallenge, definitely drank more water, made an effort to get more veg and fruit in my diet, got back into the swimming pool and restarted yoga! I feel great for it. Luckily, Robinsons have challenged me this month to make healthier choices, giving me the perfect excuse to continue into October.
October Goals - I mainly want to get back into a good routine in August. I've been away since May (our huge American road trip is to blame!) so haven't really been able to enjoy my gym as much as I'd like to (David Lloyd gym is seriously my happy place). I do think finding a routine that works for you is so important. Once you're in a routine, it feels weird not doing it. I'm also going to focus more on less refined sugar. If I'm going to have sugar, I want it in my cake, not in my cereal!
Water intake - I read somewhere that filling up on water to see if you're actually hungry is really good. I never drink enough water so I'm definitely focusing on more water and more green tea. Being refreshed is good for the skin, body and just everything really. I swear by Clipper, Bloom Matcha and teapigs for my tea. I've also been loving Robinsons Refresh'd because they taste so yummy it doesn't feel like I'm drinking boring water. I love the Raspberry and Apple one the best, it makes me feel so refreshed but is hydrating too.
Healthy Swaps - There are so many healthy food swaps you can do. I always eat PopChips, Popcorn or Yushoi over crisps (it doesn't mean I deprive myself from crisps, I love them! I just don't eat them every day). I eat Naked bars or my Mums famous healthy bar rather than sugary cereal bars. It means I'm always grabbing something good for me. When I want a tasty desert like snack, I try to go for OmBars as they're refined sugar free. I also bake quick and easy healthy muffins. If I want pasta sauce, I quickly cook it myself with fresh tomatoes and herbs. When I want a fruity drink, I'll go for Robinsons Refresh’d. It's a mix of spring water and real fruit and contains 100% naturally sourced ingredients including stevia leaf extract. Whilst I don't count calories, I know it works for a lot of people and this has just 55 kcal per 500ml bottle. Refresh’d is available in three fruity flavours: Apple & Kiwi, Raspberry & Apple and Orange & Lime. I honestly think healthy swaps are the best way to change your body without realising.
Swimming - I love swimming so much and have challenged myself to do the Aspire swim challenge in September and October, it's great because it basically means I have to get back in the pool and swim! Swimming is a totally different type of exercise as I don't really do it much and I like to shock my body into new exercises it's not used to! I promised to take new exercises up this year and I've always loved swimming so it's good to fall back in love with it.
Walking - When I was at Uni, I used to walk everywhere. Ever since I've been working for myself, I don't really walk anywhere as much as I used to do. I'm really trying to walk between meetings and even walk up flights of stairs, rather than getting lifts! Little things make a huge difference.
So there we have it, if you needed some motivation this next month, I hope this helps you get back on track! Remember, the key is: don't deprive yourself, move more, eat better, not less!
How do you feel about my fitness challenges? Is there anything you think you over indulge on? Do you believe in moving more and eating better?
You might also like:
Things university taught me
My health and fitness challenge
How do you feel about my fitness challenges? Is there anything you think you over indulge on? Do you believe in moving more and eating better?
You might also like:
Things university taught me
My health and fitness challenge
Lots of love, Em x
*Thank you so much to Robinsons for sponsoring this, as always, it's 100% my honest opinion.
*Thank you so much to Robinsons for sponsoring this, as always, it's 100% my honest opinion.
Don't forget to follow me on bloglovin! to stay up to date with my posts!
I would also love it if you could subscribe to me on YouTube here!
No comments:
Post a Comment