When I first launched our Extreme Sports Bra, I honestly didn't realise the versatility of it as more than just a high impact sports bra. It wasn't until the customer reviews and feedback started coming in from new mums that I realised that this really is the best postpartum sports bra too.
One customer stated "Two days ago I had to breastfeed in the changing room of a clothing store. All I had to do is undo one of the straps & voila! This is what I do now. Easier & comfy." She also mentioned how the soft fabric doesnt leave marks on the baby's face, which is something that I never would have considered as a need of our customers until she mentioned this.
"This has done so much for my confidence" mentioned another, when speaking to me about the "free bust lift" the adjustable straps also gave her.
So here are my tips on what to look for in a postpartum sports bra that I learnt in the development phase of our Extreme High Support Bra:
1. Soft fabric is a must - look for something with a high level of stretch and a powdery softness to the touch - better for the baby and for all day wear for you.
2. Built in bra cups without padding - not only will this be more comfortable and practical for you, but it also wont overemphasize the size of your bust.
3. Adjustable straps - so many mums fear the sagging bust postpartum so adjustable straps will ensure you are lifted and sculpted, and that it will still be the perfect fit for you in months to come.
4. Adjustable band around the waist - similar to the above, this ensures the perfect fit, and that you can keep wearing it as your size changes. It also allows you to tighten it for support, and release looser when you are seated for breastfeeding
5. Front zip - this is so practical for removing when wet, or even if you are trying to get it off whilst also holding baby in your other hand
If you're struggling to find one like this that ticks all the boxes, our Extreme High Support bra caters up to 5XL H Cup and I highly recommend you check it out if you are looking for a postpartum sports bra
Nicky xx
]]>As an athlete, your primary focus when preparing for the stage is to lose weight whilst keeping your body strong and healthy enough to endure a long 4 month exercise regime of up to 2 hour exercise per day.
In normal life, I like to apply the healthier parts of that diet to achieve effective weight loss for vacations, and special events which I would love to share with you!
This is just what I do and by no means a prescription
1. Breakfast
I follow a combination of volume eating, intuitive eating and routine eating in general. Breakfast is where the routine really kicks in because I eat the same thing every day. 40g oats with 30g frozen blueberries, made in the microwave with water. The slow releasing carbs from the oats get me through my morning walk, they keep your insulin levels stable (so you don't have cravings mid-morning) and the berries are there to maintain health with the many antioxidants, vitamins and minerals they contain. Remember we are looking for weight loss, but also the healthiest version of ourselves.
2. Snack
After breakfast I take a 60 minute walk outside, and when I get back I have my first snack before I go and do my weight training. If I'm going to train legs or back, I will make a chocolate protein shake with water and 1 full scoop. There is no real reason for this except it gives me a feeling of fullness that psychologically makes me feel better before a heavy workout. If I'm going to train upper body, I will typically have an orange & a black coffee here instead.
3. Lunch
Lunch post workout is where the volume eating comes in. I fill my plate with as much salad as I can fit on the plate, or cooked Mediterranean vegetables (I pile the plate high as this is the food that you can eat the most volume of with the lowest amount of calories). A quarter of the plate will be some form of protein (tuna, or grilled chicken usually), and a quarter some form of carbs (this could be pasta or rice usually). To measure this easily, you can fill half the plate with your salad/vegetables first, and then divide the other half into equal portions for your protein and carbs. For dressing & some healthy fats I will typically add 1 tbsp olive oil, with 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and seasoning.
4. Snack
In the afternoon I may or may not have another snack here, it totally depends (and this is where the intuitive eating comes in). If I am genuinely hungry I will have a protein shake here (only if I didn't have one in the morning), or some watermelon (you can pretty much eat as much of this as you want because it's so low calorie).
5. Dinner
Dinner follows the same principles as lunch although I will typically have a slightly heavier protein such as steak or lean mince beef. Again, half the plate will be piled with vegetables (I prefer bell peppers, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes because of their diverse vitamin content) and quarter of the plate will be carbohydrates (again rice or pasta). For sauce I will have 2 tbsp of barbeque sauce (any is fine). The meat and vegetables will be cooked with 1tbsp olive oil each here.
6. Post-dinner
If I am hungry, then I will typically have a bowl of strawberries with 10g of chocolate chips melted on them. Strawberries are extremely low calorie but taste amazing, and very sweet, and the chocolate is just because no one needs to give up chocolate ever! If I don't have this, I may sometimes have a kit kat, or a mini-kinder bar (depending on if I can convince my boyfriend to venture out to the shop & get me one! ;-) )
7. Fluids
Throughout the whole day, I drink water wherever I can, black coffee when I need to, and I don't consume any other drinks. Calories from drinks are a quick way to lose your calorie deficit for the day without realising.
So what did I do there that is so effective for weight loss?
- Routine & structure making it easy to form good habits
- High volume eating of low calorie items to stay full
- Intuitive eating, listening to my body & trusting myself
- Flexibility: allowing myself to still have the things I love in moderation
Hope you found this interesting & helpful!
Drop a comment anytime
Much love, Nicky x
]]>I'll cut to the chase: the secret is in the weekend habits you don't want to change.
]]>I'll cut to the chase: the secret is in the weekend habits you don't want to change.
When we're working out, pushing ourselves and eating healthy all week, the last thing we want when we finish work at the end of the week is to have to continue those habits.
However, if you let yourself loose at the weekends, you can EASILY undo the calorie deficits you created during the week. You'll know if you have been doing this because your weight will have been staying the same despite your workouts and healthy eating habits mid-week.
3 things to realise about weekend habits:
1. You need a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day to lose 1lb a week...think about what happens if you don't hit your deficit on thursday, friday and saturday. That's almost half of the week.
2. Letting yourself go at the weekend, doesn't just mean 2-3 days of not hitting your calorie deficit, but can actually mean you go as far as un-doing the deficits you were able to create earlier in the week. This typically happens for those that not only eat junk food at the weekend, but drink alcohol too. I challenge you to keep a food diary at the weekend, and do the numbers on the amount of calories in the things you ate and drank, and you'll soon realise where it's all going wrong.
3. The weekend almost needs a seperate plan, so that you can enjoy yourself, get a break from the routine, but still hit your deficit. If you don't want to do a grueling workout on your day off, know that you still need to get those steps in somehow, and take a nice long walk on the beach for example. Something you can enjoy to help you hit those goals. If you want a break from the diet, or a glass of wine, make allowances by forgoing something else to balance it out and be aware of the calorie content in things, don't just guess.
4. In general, make a plan you don't need a 2 day break from each week. Weight loss happens over the long-term, and if you want a long-term transformation, you have to act like this plan is your life from now on (not just for a brief 8 weeks). Build an exercise plan that covers 7 days, and something you can do long-term. Build a diet plan that covers 7 days and something you can genuinely stick to long-term
5. Know your substitutes. There are healthy substitutes to almost everything you can think of (skinny cocktails, healthy cookies, low-cal pizza). Know what your weekend weaknesses are, and have some healthy alternatives in your toolkit ready to go for when the weekend starts.
I hope this helps girls! I know it's horrible feeling like you have to be strict with yourself all week, but my advice is do your best to design a plan that you don't need a break from. Build a long-term lifestyle and you can get the results you need.
Nicky x
]]>As an ex bikini fitness competitor, I have seen all sides of healthy and non-healthy methods of dieting promoted by the fitness industry, and shockingly there is little accurate information out there to prepare people for the real changes that need to be made to achieve success.
The principles I follow are simple, and healthy for the body and mind, so they are easy for anyone to execute if that person is ready to take accountability over their life.
I hope they can help you as they have helped me.
1. Firstly you need to fix the things that are stressing you & causing daily chaos in your life; and that will clear the way for a new lifestyle
A restrictive diet that puts you in a calorie deficit to lose weight is challenging. These kind of challenges do not survive in an environment where you are highly stressed and out of control of your daily routine, or if you have unaddressed trauma that leads to comfort eating. Start by making a diary of all the things that you notice trigger an unhealthy eating or drinking habit, and by process of elimination, start putting some plans and strategies in place that will help you get back the control in these situations, or find healthy substitutes for them. Now you will be ready to start dieting.
2. Understanding how a calorie deficit works
The simple truth about weight loss is being in a calorie deficit. To lose 1lb a week (generally considered a healthy speed of weight loss) you need to be in a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day. You need to research this and figure out how many calories do you need to eat, and how many calories do you need to burn to be in a calorie deficit of 500 calories by the end of each day. If you don't know how to do this, read my other blog on "How To Calculate A Calorie Deficit"
3. Routine
One of the single most powerful things you can do to ensure weight loss success is setting a daily routine for activity and meals. Weight loss will ONLY happen if you are in a calorie deficit, and unless you have a plan in place for how to achieve that calorie deficit each day by mapping out what you are going to eat and what exercise you're going to do, you have virtually no chance of being successful long term.
4. Working Through the Valley of Despair (very important)
What a lot of people don't understand is how much of a 12 week plan is there for trial and error, and how much is for actual weight loss. We typically drop weight quickly initially simply because we're suddenly exercising more/being more mindful of our calories. Its a big change from what we normally do, so we see an initial big drop on the scales. But then as the initial excitement and motivation wears off, we start slipping into some bad habits again (remember the ones we noted down in step 1) and our weight plateaus (not because our body is in starvation mode, this is a misunderstood phenomenon) but it plateaus because we're not hitting our calorie deficit like we think we are. It can take up to 8 weeks to learn how to get this calorie deficit right. Every time you fall off the diet, take note, make a plan for what you will do next time, and carry on. Before you know it, you will be actually hitting your calorie deficit consistently and you will re-enter the weight loss period. That's when things will really start happening for you, and it's an incredible feeling. You have to understand that plateau phase is your learning and elimination phase of old habits, and you have to push through it.
5. Eat clean whole foods, in the right proportions
Please read my other blog "Balance Your Plate & Never Count A Calorie Again" which teaches you about the ideal portion sizes and proportions on your plate. Weighting the plate towards vegetables and salads, allocating the right amount to lean protein sources, and finally a small amount to complex carbohydrates & fats, is a proven strategy that helps you feel fuller on less calories and keeps you feeling healthy and strong through the whole process. This is essential for ensuring you truly "glow up" from the inside out.
6. Imagine it's forever
Just because we're aiming for a calorie deficit, doesn't mean we need to eat things we hate. The people that get the best results are those that build their calorie deficit diet with things that they genuinely enjoy eating. If I have to eat vegetables, I cook my favourite vegetables (charred bell peppers omg yum), if I have to eat lean protein, I cook my favourite lean protein with my favourite seasoning. Build each meal in your plan with your own pleasure in mind. In my most recent diet I have achieved all my weight loss milestones without cutting out chocolate or pasta and if you want that kind of flexibility, then understanding how many calories are in foods is critical, so you can calculate if you can afford them (I highly recommend MyFitnessPal app).
7. Learning the signals of genuine hunger, and thirst
Many people flinch when I tell them how much water I drink on a daily basis, so I wont prescribe an amount for you, but over 80% of people are chronically dehydrated and its causing them to gain weight. The signals for hunger and thirst frequently get misinterpreted. Plan your water breaks throughout the day, just like you do with your meals, and you'll soon notice how full you are throughout the day. Its actually incredible when you realise how far your calories seem to go when you're properly hydrated.
8. Don't drink calories
This is a simple principle that helps ensure that all your available calories are there to properly feed the body with the rich nutrients, vitamins and minerals we get from food. This will keep you fuller for longer. Iced black coffee, black teas, waters with lemon, sparking water with a wedge of orange or fruits, are all close to zero calorie drinks. Get creative because if you drink your calories, you'll find yourself very hungry trying to feed yourself on the small amount of remaining calories you have left for food.
9. Be in bed by 10pm
The average person has a 9-5 job which means an early morning. If you're going to bed after 10pm you are putting yourself at a huge disadvantage to stick to your diet the next day. When we are tired, the body signals for food, and cravings are at an all time high. Also, the chances of you missing that daily workout, and therefore missing your calorie deficit for the day also go up. Give yourself a fighting chance.
10. Diet is everything you consume, not just food
Surrounding yourself with the right people who inspire you, consuming social media content that inspires you, watching YouTube channels of people who live a healthy lifestyle, can really really help you get success. It helps connect us with the new healthy lifestyle we are leading, and promotes a sense of belonging that can be a powerful motivator in hard times. Hanging around people that want to keep you stuck, or encroach on your new healthy boundaries is a big no no.
I really hope this has helped someone out there, and if you have any personal challenges in this area, please please do not be shy and contact me anytime. I have many similar principles for those looking to gain weight and gain muscle instead of lose weight, and will write about this soon too.
Thank you! much love, Nicky x
]]>But where do we start to get a healthy gut?
1. Stress Management: High cortisol levels can reap havoc on the bicrobiome in the gut. Aside from doing activities that can help reduce stress like, better work management and exercise, I highly recommend Ashwaghanda. Ashwaghanda is one of the only vitamins I've ever taken that I can say I genuinely noticed an almost immediate impact. It does a fantastic job of lessening the impact of stress on the body, and you'll find yourself feeling lighter and calmer.
2. Cut the sugar and highly processed foods: Not only is sugar a killer and linked to cancer, it causes huge disruption in the gut by killing off the good bacteria. The same goes for any highly processed foods and the chemical substances that come with them.
3.Get good quality sleep: Poor sleeping patterns plays havoc on the gut and serotonin levels in the gut. Good quality rest & a deep sleep is impacted by a number of factors. That means not just going to bed early; but not being on your phone before bed, managing light sources coming into your bedroom, and making sure you didn't drink caffeine late into the day. Sleeping long hours isn't the same as good quality sleep.
4. Take a Probiotic or Pre-biotic: Pre-biotics provide "food" for the good bacteria to feed on and grow. Probiotics are live good bacteria. For probiotics, look for ones that say "live cultures" on the bottle. This means that the healthy bacteria is still live and make sure you take it in a form with a hard-shell otherwise that good bacteria will be killed off by the acid in the stomach and never make it into the digestive tract.
5. Hydration: So many people fail to understand how vital water is for the functioning of every organism in the human body. Drinking the bare minimum each day & filling up on sodas will destroy gut health. Make a habit of carrying a water bottle with you everywhere you go.
Hope this helps! There's so much we can discuss on this topic - feel free to drop a question in the comments anytime
Nicky x
]]>I know you're impatient to lose weight fast - but imagine the person you want to become. How does that person look and how does she FEEL? It cant all be about looks, surely you want to feel amazing and glow from the inside out too?
That brings me to the first reason why fast weight loss is not the answer.
Fast weight loss and the health implications
Losing weight too quickly can cause so many inner health problems like massive dehydration, a huge loss of nutrients and minerals from the body, extreme fatigue, hair loss, brittle nails, muscle loss, sagging skin....the list is endless. The results of this are that you may have lost some weight but you will look and feel terrible! I'm sure that wasn't the picture of yourself you had in mind. I saw so many girls backstage having to glue in fake hair, because they had massive hair loss and brittle hair caused by the extreme dieting regime that had just put themselves through. There is nothing attractive about malnutrition I can assure you.
Fast weight loss & the habits that didn't go away
The habits that got you to be overweight in the first place didn't just disappear overnight because you did a crash diet for a couple weeks. As soon as the crash diet is done, you slip back into your usual lifestyle & habits and the weight will creep back on. One of the first things we did when starting our 'competition prep' would be to make instant lifestyle changes that would create an environment that would support our plan over the next 4 months (socialising at events that involved drinking alcohol immediately got excluded for example).
Fast weight loss and the "spring-back" effect
One of the unavoidable side effects of trying to lose weight too quickly is that your mind and body will fight back almost immediately. If you suddenly massively decrease calories, there is a huge impact on the mind and body and our base survival instincts will kick in leading to massive and uncontrollable bingeing. This happened to me during my second ever bikini fitness prep about 3 months in. I dropped my calories too fast one week and I pretty much blacked out and binged so hard that my stomach got so upset and I didn't even make it to the bathroom before it all started coming out of me again!
My advice:
1. Block out 4 months to lose the weight slowly (this is a good amount of time for the average person who has up to 20lbs to lose). If you are morbidly obese your program will be longer term and you should consult with a doctor to give you a more accurate time frame.
2. Start with a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day (see my other blog on how to calculate this)
3. Make a conscious effort to analyse your lifestyle and create an environment your diet can survive in. Notice sources of stress or things that trigger comfort eating eg.. job, relationships, past trauma.....and start fixing these things so that you can build the lifestyle that supports the person you want to become.
4. Failing is part of the process, its not a signal to stop. Each time you eat something off plan or break the diet, you need to journal and reflect why this happened and what plan you can make to replace this habit with a healthier habit for next time. Go slow and aim to get better at managing this habit long term. Strong habits die hard, don't get disheartened.
Trust me when I say the confidence you are going to feel each week that you successfully execute slow weight loss, and bring yourself closer to a genuinely better version of yourself (that will stick), is going to be life changing
Nicky x
]]>Here are 3 of my favourites you can try this week:
1. The Magical Creation Box
When to use it: When you want a fun activity to visualise your desires.
How to use it: Cut out clippings of quotes, words, pictures and anything that affirms the things that you want to bring into existence for yourself. Place these things in a box and as you put them in there you say to yourself "Whatever is contained in this box IS!"
2. Rampage of Appreciation
When to use it: When you are on a high and want to keep your good vibrations going.
How to use it: Notice something in your surroundings and focus on it whilst thinking of all the ways that it us good/beautiful/useful. Notice the good feeling that starts to grow as you openly appreciate something. Once you have finished, move on to the next object.
3. The Creative Workshop
When to use it: When you want to get focused on the things you want for the core areas of your life
How to use it: Take a piece of paper and split it into 4 quadrants. Label them Body, Home, Relationships, Work. Write down your desires related to that area and then write next to them why you want those things.
If you enjoyed these, there are 19 more you can try! Pick up a copy of the book and happy manifesting! May your dreams come true
Nicky
]]>I love a little self-care Sunday ritual that resets my body and re-connects me with myself and how I am feeling before the week starts.
Try this little ritual for your next self-care Sunday bath time:
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1.) Crystals: choose some crystals to place around your bath based on what you want to manifest for yourself for the week. Rose quartz is a great one for having more empathy and love towards others, clear quartz is said to be a master healer, and Jasper is the supreme nurturer in times of stress
2.) Candles candles and more candles: a spiritual ritualistic bath wouldn't be complete without some long stem candles (the witchier the better) to bring that mystic and spiritual vibe to your bath experience
3.) Burn some Sage: you can get little sage burning bundles from almost anywhere these days, great for clearing bad energy
4.) Homemade spiritual bath teabag: all you need is a small cotton or organza bag, some petals, a cup of oats and some drops of lavender. Place it all in the bag and float the bag in your bath under the running water to release the fusion.
5.) Some fresh crisp clean towels: ideally straight out of the dryer and rolled up for yourself like you're in a spa
Put away anything digital, and soak in that tub making an effort to be fully present in the moment and appreciating the sensations of the water, and the smells that you notice.
Hope you enjoy it! Let me know if you try :--)
Nicky x
]]>Focusing on nutrition nearly always results in weight loss because the things that are the most nutrient dense, tend to be the healthiest things for us with low-calorie density. Who would have thought hey!
OVERALL TIPS:
1.) Think of all food in terms of proteins, carbs and fats
2.) Our objective with each meal is to get the correct balance of these things depending on our dietary objectives
3.) They are not all equal - proteins, carbs and fats all have a different density of calories and so we don't allocate the plate to them equally but we want to get some of each into each meal
4.) We want to be looking for lean sources of protein carbs and fats e.g. lean source of protein is chicken breast, non-lean source of protein that we want to avoid would be pork or lamb.
5.) A really good rule of thumb for weight loss is to start by allocating half of every plate to fruit and vegetables. This is because they are packed with nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help us glow up.
6.) The rest of the plate we split a quarter for protein, and a quarter for carbs and a teaspoon-tablespoon of fats depending on the meal size. This is a really generalised approach but works for almost everyone starting out on a healthy eating plan.
EXAMPLES OF BALANCED PLATES
Breakfast: Protein powder (protein) mixed with oats with dark berries (carbs and vitamins) and a small amount of peanut butter (fats)
Lunch: Half plate of Greek salad (vitamins), quarter plate grilled chicken breast (protein), quarter plate sweet potato (cabs) made with a tablespoon of olive oil (fats)
Dinner: Half the plate cooked vegetables (vitamins) made with a tablespoon of coconut oil (fats), lean mince beef in steak seasoning (protein), and quarter plate jasmine rice (carbs)
THE SECRET: Half of each plate each time is being allocated to the thing that has the least calories but the highest density of nutrients & the highest volume (so it fills you up). It also stops you filling up on the things with high calorie density and low nutrition.
If you eat like this there is no need to cut out food groups and no need to count calories. You can eye ball each plate and ask yourself is half the bowl fruit and vegetables? Is quarter carbs and quarter protein? Did I get some fats in there?
If you try this let me know how you get on :-)
Nicky
]]>We have bad diet habits that have been built up over years as a coping mechanism for some stress in our lives. These habits are there for a reason.
Trying to start a new diet for a body that is highly stressed and exhausted, or frequently feels out of control is never going to be sustainable.
Your best chance is to acknowledge & lessen the stress sources, find new ways of coping, and make a game plan for when you are feeling out of control
1. REDUCING STRESS FROM THE STRESS SOURCE
Think about the stress that leads you to binge eat, and feel out of control on a daily basis. Write down as many ways you can think of to reduce stress coming from this source. Eg. High pressure job & workload - maybe you need to have a difficult conversation with your manager? Past trauma leading to comfort eating? Maybe you need to attend therapy or do shadow work. This will reduce the amount of stress from the source overall and help you on your way.
2. NOTICING THE BAD DIET HABITS YOU ENGAGE IN TO LET OFF STEAM
Stress energy is held in the body and released when we engage in these destructive diet habits that momentarily help us release that stress i.e. binge drinking or binge eating a whole pizza to feel better. Write down all the healthier ways you can think of that would allow your body to let off this physical stress energy that you are holding in your body. Eg. When you get home, taking the dog straight out for a walk and not reaching for that bottle of wine.
3. MAKE A GAME PLAN FOR WHEN YOU FEEL OUT OF CONTROL
Despite all your best efforts you will have times you feel out of control. What plans can you put in place, or what can you prepare for these moments to help? Eg. if my bad habit is ordering a whole takeaway pizza, maybe I stock in the house some ingredients to make a healthy pizza recipe with half the calories? Or find a new favorite skinny cocktail with half the calories.
Reducing the stress in your environment, and planning, will help stop you reverting to old habits when times get tough
Hope this was helpful girls! Drop me a comment of your thoughts :-)
Nicky
]]>What you will need:
1.) Knowledge: 1lb of fat is made up of 3,500 calories. Therefore to lose 1lb of fat a week we need to create a deficit of 3,500 (500 calories deficit a day). Secondly, there is something called your BMR which is the number of calories your body burns even if you just wake up and stay in bed all day. This is the number of calories it uses just to breathe oxygen and be alive (nothing to do with movement)
2.) Know your BMR (Basal Metabolic rate) Type in BMR calculator into google, choose any and enter your details to get your BMR number.
3.) Get an Apple watch or exercise tracker. Wear it in the gym and see how many calories you burn during a typical workout and record that number as "Exercise Calories"
Now put it all together:
Lets say your BMR is 1500 calories and your exercise calories are 500. This means you will burn 2000 calories on an average day.
So this means if you eat 1500 - you will then create your 500 calorie deficit for the day.
Answer = eat 1500
*All these calculators are estimations. The best way to use this data is to use it as a starting point. By this measurement I would start by eating 1,500 calories a day for 2 weeks and see how much weight I lost per week. If its dropping too fast, I would then add in an extra small amount of calories (such as 200) and see what changes. Its all trial and error!
Hope this helps you girls for the basics! Comment any questions and I'll revert back to you ASAP
Thanks!
Nicky
]]>
Here's 3 ways to utilize your protein powder to reach your recommended protein intake & start growing that booty!
1. Pro-Oats: a fit chicks secret weapon. Add a scoop of protein powder and water to your morning oats and enjoy with toppings of your choice (we recommend dark berries for an extra injection of micro-nutrients into your morning!)
2. Protein Frosting: mix a tiny amount of water into a scoop of protein powder and it creates a sort of icing sugar! You can drizzle this on rice cakes/fruit and add some toppings of choice (like berries or crushed nuts) to get a nice sweet snack that's high in protein.
3. Classic Protein Shake: make it leaner and healthier by adding in some spinach (you wont taste it promise!) and mix it with water instead of milk. This is a great option for the late afternoon sweet tooth.
How do I know how much protein to eat daily?
A good measure for the average women is 1 gram of protein to every 1lb of body fat. If I weight 136lbs then I need to eat on average 136 grams per day.
If you really want to grow those glutes or gain some lean muscle then 1.5g to every 1lb is a great number to start on and adjust from there.
]]>We discovered the best thing ever this week, at Infinite Ski Dubai, Al Quoz. A new type of ski experience that requires no snow & no cold!
When you walk in, you enter a ski lodge complete with deer heads on the wall, rustic old furnishings and a big fireplace & cafe.
The ski slopes themselves don't look like much until you set foot (or set ski) on to them, and realise there is much more than meets the eye. The slope is made from a sort of ski-treadmill, a thing you can only begin to understand once you experience it yourselves!
For AED 110 each, you will have so much fun learning how to graduate from green to blue to red slopes and get some seriously good skiing holiday practice. We laughed so much as each one of us fell down and were so surprised how challenging it actually was. You can all go on the slope at the same time which is great!
We definitely prefer this to Ski Dubai as you have the slopes to yourselves and you don't have to deal with the cold.
Best of all, its calorie free and we had a great time in the ski lodge afterwards sipping our coffees and catching up on the gossip! Highly recommend!
]]>Recent times have seen more and more of us girls stepping into the unfamiliar space of plant-based and vegan options. For someone that has eaten meat all of their life this can be daunting and overwhelming when it comes to the weekly food shop!
Check out our beginners weekly food shop list to help you secure all the staples you need:
oats - rice - tortillas (corn or whole grain) and whole grain bread buns
white beans, black beans, edamame, tins of chopped tomatoes, nuts
sweet potatoes, any salad ingredients, any veg (include frozen bags too)
garlic, parsley, onions and any herbs you like already
any fresh fruit, lemons, bags of frozen berries, avocado
tahini, mustard, soy sauce/coconut aminos, hummus, maple syrup
almond milk (or any plant based milk) tofu (extra firm) and tempeh
]]>
Check out these tips for perfect wash care to keep your gym kit looking gorgeous for longer!
1. Don't put bright colours in with any darks unless you want to dull them! Do instead wash them with colours of a similar colour palette or shade
2. Don't wash on hot as it interferes with the sweat-wicking properties of the fabric and can also shrink the size. Do wash on a cold wash.
3. Don't be tempted to hang dry them or dry them in the machine dryer as again this can alter the shape/size. Do lie them on a flat surface to dry on (like a table!)
4. Do make sure you turn them inside out & wash them with fabrics of a similar texture. Don't put them in with rough fabrics, or anything with harsh buttons/studs or velcro
]]>Follow these tips & you'll soon feel a mindset shift in how you experience the gym.
1. NO ONE IS LOOKING AT YOU👀
Sometimes when we feel insecure we assume people are looking at us & laughing or thinking we're doing something wrong! What you need to know about the gym is that everyone is too busy thinking about themselves to care what you are doing! Let this set you free!
2. LEARN SINGLE-EQUIPMENT WORKOUTS💪🏽
YouTube is a great resource to learn all of the exercises you can do with a barbell for example, or a pair of dumbbells'. Take your piece of equipment into a free corner somewhere & complete your workout without having to wander aimlessly around the gym
3. FEEL YOUR BEST👕
Choose activewear you will feel comfortable in that you won't have to keep re-adjusting as you do your squats or lunges and shoes you can actually train in . Feeling comfortable in your gym clothing helps build up confidence to be around other people in an unfamiliar environment
4. EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THERE STARTED FROM SOMEWHERE🏁
Remind yourself frequently that not a single person in there can judge you because every single one of them picked up a weight or tried one of these machines for the first time at some point, and everyone felt the same as you do now.
5. IF YOU DONT KNOW SOMETHING, RESEARCH IT OFFLINE & TAKE AN INTEREST IN LEARNING💻
These days you can teach yourself about every exercise, movement pattern, and machine in your spare time before even setting foot in a gym. Knowing your way around and understanding the purpose of the equipment will help your confidence a long a lot! YouTube is an amazing resource for gym knowledge
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1. SEVA, The Experience
A gorgeous garden haven that looks like something straight out of Bali. The Sirian owners have travelled the world and taken inspiration from all over to create this magical garden experience for us lucky girls in Dubai. The most amazing healthy vegan menu we've come across. 9/10
2. Comptoir, 102
Inside you'll find a shop with some amazing eclectic household decor, and in the back there are various interesting seating options for the cafe itself. You'll find an outdoor courtyard, and some secluded corners, where you can grab a space for a quiet matcha latte, or a spot to work from. The food was rated the best healthy cafe in Dubai by the What's on Awards and we tend to agree it's definitely up there. 7/10
3. Vibe, UAE
A pink Miami-style paradise in the heart of Al Wasl. A great breakfast spot for a girly catch up with some "instagrammable" decor and a wide ranging healthy menu including plant-based options. Slightly pricey but if you're worried about the cost simply stop in for a latte and just enjoy the ambience as it gets quite lively. 7/10
]]>DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR GUT HEALTH IS DIRECTLY LINKED TO MENTAL WELLBEING & ABILITY TO LOSE WEIGHT?
So when you're doing your healthy shop this week make sure you pick up the following:
1. MORNING TONIC: Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother) and lemons (to be drank with warm water in the morning)
2. MORNING TONIC: Celery Juice (to be drank first thing without any ice/water/or any additives at all)
3. DAILY SUPPLEMENT: A good probiotic (look on the package for "active cultures" this is very important)
You drink the celery juice first before anything else, wait half an hour and then drink the ACV Tonic. Then take your daily probiotic add your daily supplements that you have identified as beneficial for you personally.
Follow these morning tips for a few weeks and you'll see a noticeable shift in how you look, feel and your energy levels to hit the gym that little bit harder!
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