Things that make me mad

ok so i know i have been on and off the radar for a while now but im still fighting the good fight.

To Summarise, Ive had a few issues with health which has now finally seemed to have come down to a very deficient me in Vitamin D (levels which are barely detectable). This has meant Ive been battling to maintain my fitness due to some of the side affects of low vit D which include muscle and bone pain and tiredness, not to mention the affect on the immune system which has meant it seems like Ive just had one bug after another over the last year. However all that aside im battling on and despite a weight gain over the year of 1 stone im am not to concerned as theres light at the end of the tunnel....... at least i now know im not going mad and there has been a cause to the various symptoms which i just couldnt conect the dots on.

anyway... now that i have filled you in on whats been happening with me on to my main topic which is Things that make me Mad!!!

Now obviously i blog about fitness and health but always try to remain objective and encourage a healthy balance but sometimes you hear people doing or saying things that just make you want to scream:

1. Fad Diets
2. LOW CARB!!!!!
3. Being a slim healthy size yet still saying you need to loose weight!!
4. as long as I count my calories its fine
5. I want to build tone but loose weight

ok so these are just a few of the things which make me mad but they are all very common themes i hear day in day out being discussed by people in the gym

Fad Diets - as I've said and will always say moderate what you consume but do not cut out/replace or overly restrict. if a diet is telling you to cut out one of the main food groups steer clear. we are omnivores for a reason and need every (Natural) food group to help sustain healthy bodies and minds. the worst in my mind is the NO CARB diet..... Carbs are our most important and basic form of energy resource they are not bad as long as you stick to natural unprocessed forms (remember if its white its more than likely processed... nothing but coconut in nature is naturally white)

OK now im all for being aware of what calorie intake you have had in a day..... its obviously a simple equation energy in - energy used = energy stored. But i am not keen on diets which allow you to eat anything as long as you count it..... for example its ok if i have a mcdonalds today as long as i eat nothing else!!! NOOOOO a mcdonalds as a treat if you really want it (and ask yourself if you really do) is fine but please learn not only to be aware of calories but also which foods are healthy choices, and which should be avoided such as highly processed meals/snacks or treats.

Now on to those you here in the gym discussing the fact they cant understand why they arent loosing weight (you look and see a slim toned normal person and wonder what the heck have they got to loose? a butt cheek?)....... ok now when you are carrying excess weight you can slim and tone up at the same time.... however if you have reached the normal to lower levels of your weight range and you are doing a significant amount of muscle building/toning excercises.... well im sorry you are unlikely to loose much weight its known muscle is heavier than fat and you may even put a few pounds on (good pounds) but you will find your shape changes........ GUYS PLEASE STOP OBSESSING ON WEIGHT AND CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK TO LOOKING AT HOW YOU LOOK OR FEEL....... DO YOUR CLOTHES FEEL LOOSER? YES? THEN GREAT!!!!!! WHO CARES IF THE SCALES SAY YOUVE LOST NOTHING.

At the end of the day people we all make mistakes we all have bits of us we dont like, but please start to be happy with who you are, dont follow trends or new celeb diets or take those models in the magazines to be ideal examples.... just learn to make healthy choices, live energised lives and treat yourself every now and again....... after all we are all meant to be different... imagine how boring life would be if we all looked the same.

Rant over

ooops.................

Ok so as you all know i have battled for many years with my weight but finally triumphed in loosing over 8 stone and becoming a Personal trainer and fitness instructor.

Well now to the oops................

 early this year i was working in my full time job as a venue manager fo nottingham Trent as well as working between 10-20 hrs as a PT and fitness instructor this meant a total average working week of 60-70 hours. This was fine but training myself was getting tough to fit in but i was just about managing..... but then.............

I fell in love i met my current partner in early january and suddenly i needed to fit someone else in to my life.
As with all relationships early on came the dating.... the eating out, the drinking.... the lets have a takeaway night in etc etc................

initially work stayed the same, so what lost out you may ask? well my training schedule did and as a result so did i.

Everyone says with love comes a belly........ :-) initially mine didnt the high work load and running about kept the weight off, but soon i became run down i did not have enough time for everything. not only this but my already hard hit training schedule was dealt more blows and i was just too run down to train as i always have.

what happened you may ask? well i was happy and initially my muscle mass kept my metabolism high so i didnt see too many adverse effects, however with the low training i soon lost muscle mass and with that came the belly....

i am ashamed to say i have put on just over a stone ooooops

so what do i do? well i soon decided my health and happiness were more important than my work or bank balance and even my clients (what kind of role model am i if i put on weight) so This has meant i have now come to the decision to stop Personal training (for the moment) and just teach my tri club and spin classes with effect from the end of this month.

this means i have now regained some me time, yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

i am happy as larry, very much in love but also very ready to banish this belly back to where it came from!!!!

so i appologise everyone for falling of the blogging wagon, but i hope you can see why, and i also hope this shows all of us fall a little now and again but as long as it is recognised and a plan put in motion to stop it in its tracks then we will win

Fat mairi will not get her claws back into me!!!!

watch this space for updates on my progress...

P.S im even taking my running shoes on holiday with me next week :-)

Reasons not to go shopping when hungry....... naughty things jump into ur basket

its never a great idea to go food shopping when your hungry... but a long and hectic week has meant that tonight was the first chance i have had to go food shopping. And as you all know from my manic tuesdays blog i train both morning and evening on this day which made for a very hungry me come food shopping time at 8pm.

But in my defense these items of naugtiness really did jump into my basket and despite all my efforts to throw them out they just kept jumping back in :-)

what are these said items you say?

well i have attached said photographic evidence ...

Ok i know pizza isnt really good but its not something i have often and this is a small vege pizza so its practically calorie free :-) and hey ive worked hard in the gym so i can still enjoy the things i like once in a while.

As for the ice creams well we all deserve the odd treat, and its not like im going to eat them all in one go or even one week (in the old days fat mairi would have polished them off in one sitting), it will be one icecream a week probably at the weekend where i allow myself the odd treat.

and lets also take a look at the rest of my shop... this will put in perspective the changes i have made to my life.... its fine to have the odd treat if the rest of your shop looks like this :-)

Remember its all about balance...... chocolate should never be a sin and training should never be a chore.

Winter Hibernation

why is it that as soon as the weather gets cold, all i want to do is grab the carbs. Its almost as though my body is trying to get me to fatten up for a long winter sleep.....

but hey i am not a grizzly bear!

Unfortunaltly this is something we all experiance its natural and normal to find yourself pushing away the salads and grabing the comfort foods. its part of our DNA, its our inner monkey making sure that we survive the harsh winter. Yes i know we now have central heated houses and a well stocked kitchen, but our monkey doesnt know that. :-)

Now there is nothing wrong with eating a few extra carbs in the colder months... our bodies do need more energy to keep warm in the colder months but this is not a green light for our inner monkey to take over and destroy all the work We've done over the year.

The best way to keep my inner monkey from eating me out of house and home is to make sure i have a good hearty breakfast before heading into the cold. something like my favourite porridge and dried fruit is perfect. I also ensure that i always have healthy snacks like fruit, or mixed nuts to hand to ensure my monkey doesnt find an excuse to grab a muffin, or a chocolate bar.

when i come in in the evening, ive normally been to the gym and my monkey is ravenous, particularily in the winter months. all i want is a huge bowl of pasta or tortellini... to ensure i can have the carbs im craving but in a healthy way i get a bag of fresh steamed veg, and add this to a small amount of fresh pasta, add some pesto or chopped tomatoes and you have your comforting easy meal, but its packed with goodness.

Me and My monkey have found our balance :-)

Beating The Monday Blues

why is it that Mondays are so hard?... getting back into a frame of mind for work... realising the weekend is so far away... all this makes monday a hard day for exercise... you say "theres always tomorrow" or "as long as i still go my 4 times this week its ok if i skip today" but if monday slides by its all too easy for the rest of the week to go the same way and before you know it you havent been to the gym the whole week... this is why routine is so useful... i have a schedule a weekly plan of what i do and when i do it, so when i rise on monday morning the gym bag is packed and ready for a trip to the gym after work... Mondays is Abs class and Jez's crazy aerobics. now im not normally one for aerobics my coordination makes me feel like a baby elephant on ice, but Jez's aerobics its like nothing ive ever done before, i used to watch the class through the window and think god i could not do that... the pace is so fast and energetic... not to mention the many Burpees and press ups... but you know what i tried it and i love it, its now my 4th week doing Jez's class and i love the way he pushes us, and the fact i come out soaked. Its truly an awesome class and the best way to set up my week. i may feel like ive been beasted by a sergent major, but the sense of achievement i feel when ive survived the 65 minutes is all i need to keep me going. roll on the rest of the week, im ready for anything it may throw at me!

sunday... a battle between my duvet and the outside world

It's sunday again.... the weekend always seems to take forever to come and just when it does its gone again.i wake up and think i need to do something productive today... but inside me fat mairi wants to laze about in bed, or on the sofa. Now yes ive been to the gym 5 times this week already, but i did eat a pizza (low fat vege pizza) last nite and some ben and jerrys (frozen yogurt) so with that thought its up, out of bed joggers on and preparations for a run begin.here i will tell you of the joy that i have discovered which is porridge and dried dates... ummm nothing so lovely on a cold winters day as a bowl full of porridge to warm you from the inside out.... add the dates to this and it becomes a little bowl of heaven.Having filled up my camel pack with water and made sure my ipod is charged, i don my gloves, hoodie, hat and trainers and walk out the door... almost immediatly i want to go back in as the sheer cold of the day hits me. But i lock the door and walk down the street and at the bottom of the rd i begin my run.initially i think ill never warm up but soon im enjoying the sunshine and the music in my ears. what better way to spend your sunday morning? 6 miles later im on the home stretch, who would have thought just 1 year ago i was over 5 stone heavier and the thought of running to the bottom of the road would be my worst nightmare!... now i run for fun!what a change? and its one i mean to keep...... but hey just because i pick up my trainers, doesnt mean i dont pick up chocolate everynow and again... after all chocolate and running are good for the soul and i intend to keep the right balance with both.

changing life for the better 2009-2010

My story

i spent most of my teen and young adult years obese topping the scales at 21 stone and a size 26 at just 19 years old.... i was miserable. When i went to university i had a horrid first year... can you believe that i was teased at university for my size... this only made matters worse as i would comfort eat, even sneeking down in the night to the communal kitchen late at night to make sandwiches packed with peanut butter. luckily my second year at university i made some great friends and life began to get better, this meant that during my last year at university i manage to loose some weight by changing my diet i managed to loose about 3 stone. after universiy i went on a ski season which saw me drop to 13.5 stone and a size 14... i was ecstatic... i couldnt believe after so many years of being unhappy with my body i had finally done it i was 24 i managed to hold this weight for a couple of years but then due to changes in jobs and a bad break up the weight crept up little by little until christmas 2008 when i was weighing in at just over 18stone...... i decided enough was enough and i needed to get back on track and into the gym as i did not want to end up back at 21 stone i couldnt bear the thought of going back to that.... its amazing how weight can affect your confidence and general enjoyment of life... i was miserable and i knew it had to be changed. i began by joining Hoofers gym and joined their PGS (personal Group System) this was were a few times a week you could book in and train with a personal trainer with a small group of people, most of the time it was just me or 1 or 2 others. i did this 3 times a week and also came in on my own when i could. During this start up period i trained with various staff at hoofers who have all been amazing in supporting me through this, but i struck a particular bond with Toby Liddiard who gave me the confidence and strength to really work at it.... even when i was down and out Toby could pick me up and get me working. when i first joined the gym the one thing i said i wouldnt do was go on the treadmill the thought of people watching me bounce around like a sweaty blob was not something i could bear plus ive never run in my life id even get out of it in school pe classes. but slowly and surely my confidene grew with the help of toby and eventually i got onto the treadmill... initially i was just walking, then walking uphill, gradually i began to pick up my speed until eventually i was adding in little runs, id walk for 2 mins run for 2 mins and gradually i built up the time i was running for and the speed. i have built up my running by interval training, i have also done ab work outs, spin sessions, circuit training, resistance training and much more, i have recently also joined a triathlon club who i train with each thursday. whilst out on a gym night out with my trainers and friends they suggested the TRent family 5K... i thought why not ill give it a go and then there i was waiting at the start line of my first ever run! when i completed this in 33 mins without stopping i couldnt believe it the feeling was amazing i wanted more so i then set my sights on the anthony noland bone marrow 10k which i completed in april in 1 hr 7 mins no record but again i ran the whole way. soon i had my sights set even higher the Nottingham triathlon a 750m open water swim, 20k bike and 5k run... i was a good swimmer but i didnt have a bike and well we know im not the best runner but i thought what the hell. by this time in april i had managed to shed 2 stone and i was still loosing. i have always wanted to have a go at a triathlon but never thought i would be able to... mainly because of my fitness levels and the fact i couldnt run.... however it was time to change and the triathlon gave me something to aim for. so i began to train specifically for the triathlon, i got myself a rd bike and joined a triathlon club. over the next few months i shed another 2 stone and before i knew it the triathlon was here.... all i remember is being stood in my wet suit by the edge of the lake full of nerves and wondering if this was such a good idea.... next thing i was in the water treading water whilst waiting for the horn to blow... then we were off.... it was manic white water arms and legs all around me.... it was all i could do not to panic and just concentrate on doing one stroke after another.... before i knew it i was up and running out the lake to the first transition... i tore of my wet suit, slapped on my bike helmet and shoes and grabbed my bike ... as i ran out of transition with my bike my heart was pounding with all the adrenaline i jumped on and began to ride and began to settle onto a groove and slow down my heart a bit... it was 20 very hard kilometers but again before i knew what had happened i was dropping my bike and helmet and heading out for the 5k run.... my legs were screaming they felt like they didnt belong to me but i pushed on through.... as i ran i just kept thinking one foot infront of the other.... the finish line was a welcome sight and i even managed a last minute sprint over the line! it was amazing. i finished in 1hr 55, certainly not an olympic time but for a girl who only 8 months ago had never run a step in her life it was a huge achievement! Since the triathlon in august i have also completed my first half marathon 13.1 miles(the robin hood half) on sept 13th 2009 in 2hrs 33 mins. the trathlon season is now ending but i have my sights on a couple of duathlons (running and biking) and i hope to aim for the 70.3 iron man next year. the key to my success has been keeping a varied programme, and finding a trainer who could inspire me. i train a lot 5 days a week between 7-12 hours a week however this is because i enjoy it so much and i have built this up gradually over the past 8 months. i now weigh just under 14stone and a small size 16 im happy, im fit and ive found a new passion for triathlons... i hope to loose some more but its more about toning up for me now as im 5'9". i believe loosing weight has more than just an affect on you looks, its great for your health and mental well being too. it truely changes your life, i am a far more positive and happy person now, i enjoy life and im not constantly worrying about what people think of me. loosing the weight for me has given me a new goal in life, i have been so inspired by my trainer that i am now looking to train as a personal trainer myself, i cant think of anything better to do with my life than make people feel the way i do now. i want to work with those that are too afraid to come to the gym, or dont believe it will work and show them where i have come from and that with a little hard work it is possible. the great thing is its only hard to start with... after that it becomes a way of life thats enjoyable and beneficial. i hope to raise the money to do my course for personal training by next year, and im also thinking about looking for sponsership to help me do it. my life has now changed for the better.... i cant thank Toby and everyone who has supported me enough. Now its my turn to do the sam for others.