Sunday Funday: Melbourne Tone It Up Meetup

So this morning I toddled off to meet a bunch of people I met on the Internet in a park for a morning Booty Call. Sounds dodgy doesn't it? But it was our Melbourne Tone It Up meetup! We all met to workout, share a coffee and a laugh and I am happy to report they are every bit as lovely as they seemed on Twitter! It was so good to have the chance to put faces to the names of girls who have been so supportive of each other even though we had never met before.

We did some boxing and a HIIT workout, attracting many curious looks from passers by, before heading out for some breakfast and coffee. It was fantastic to share our favourite recipes, share tips about how to find TIU approved foods locally and discuss our favourite (healthy) desserts.

Becky took some fun group shots (you can see them on her blog here) and Lindsey filmed some check in videos (here and here).

Thanks for the lovely catch up Becky, Kari, Emma, Lindsey and Katelin! Look forward to seeing you all again soon! :-)

Motivation Monday: How I Got Started

I can remember the exact point I started my weight loss journey.

I knew I wasn't where I wanted to be with my body and my health but I told myself it was due to my crazy hours with study and work and I'd never thought of myself as being "fat" just a bit wobbler than I would've liked. I finished my uni course in November then worked more crazy hours in retail all through December and January, telling myself that I would workout when I got more time, I'd eat better when I wasn't working so many nights with only takeaway shops nearby. Then in March I got a full time job and was sent for a standard medical check before starting. It was late in the afternoon and I had to leave work early to make the appointment so I grabbed a burger on the way and raced into the doctors. When I stepped on the scales I weighed 68.8kgs - the heaviest I've ever been in my life. This put my BMI into the "overweight" category.

The doctor tried to reassure me this wasn't too bad and that everyone weights slightly more at the end of the day but it was the wakeup call I needed. I was never going to allow myself to be classified as "overweight" again. I'll admit, I was pretty bummed about it the whole way home. I couldn't believe I had allowed myself to make excuses for so long. I already had a gym membership, but I went sporadically and made excuses to not work out as hard as I could. My favorite dinner option was a creamy gnocchi and I'd often head out for ice cream with friends after work. I was so overworked that most days I'd sip a huge can of energy drink Mother just to get me through the shift. Long days away from home (uni followed by work) made taking my own food tricky and I couldn't get myself organized enough to take healthy options.

But finally I had reached a point where enough was enough. It wasn't just about the way my body looked either, I was tired of being so tired I relied on sugar to get me through the day then struggled to get a decent nights sleep. It was a cycle I hadn't been able to break - I'd eat badly when I was tired and I was tired because the foods I was putting in my body were making me uncomfortable and stressed.

I started looking at the packages of the food I was eating and realising just how many calories were in my food choices. I knew from my cardio at the gym just how hard and for how long I would have to sweat to work it off and it was the first point in making me think about my choices. The other thing I realized was just how many servings I was eating - I'd eat four servings of something in one sitting! Sure, some days I'd have berries and yogurt for lunch but I was eating so much that it wasn't possible for my body to burn it all off by the end of the day.

I've tried all sorts of things to lose the weight and quite a few helped. But it became tough to stick with something where I didn't feel hungry or deprived. One of my favorites was Lite n Easy but I grew tired of the large amount of pre packaged and highly processes foods and found the fresh food was average by the time the last few days of the week rolled around.

One day completely by chance I found some exercise videos on YouTube by a team called Tone It Up. These girls had seriously amazing bodies and an infectious and fun style that made me want to follow along with their (free) routines. I also got a few recipes from their blog and I loved the way they were fresh and tasty and they even found ways to make healthy versions of some "naughty" foods. About a year after I first discovered them I spent the $150 on their diet plan and for me it has been a perfect fit. The spirit and support I have found through connecting with the girls themselves as well as people from all over the world who are making healthy diet and workouts a part of their lives has been invaluable. I now have a much greater understanding of the effects certain foods have on my body and why they make me feel the way I do. I had already discovered dairy made me feel sluggish and bloated and now I am finding foods that nurture my body and help me to get more from my day.

When did you reach your health and fitness turning point?

What I am greatful for...

I love the challenges set by Karena and Katrina during the annual bikini challenge and I try to keep up as best as I can, even though we get them a day behind here (we get Saturdays challenge on a Sunday, etc).

On Friday they asked us to write down something we are greatful for every hour, on the hour so here's what I came up with. I really like that they are asking us to reflect on what we have rathe than the whole focus being on what we want and how we want to be in the future. It's great to have a vision and future goals but it's just as important to live in the moment and enjoy all the blessings we have right now!

I am thankful for:

1. Finding Tone It Up two years ago when I was looking for a new and healthier direction - those girls are amazing!
2. My lovely boyfriend who can always find a way to make me laugh
3. My family and the fun we have together dispite sometimes getting on each others nerves
4. My good health
5. My new found love of a healthy lifestyle and the energy I have now
6. Larabars - those things are amazing!
7. My friends who always help me to lighten up when I am starting to take things just a bit too seriously
8. The girls I now know as the TIU Team - so much inspiration and motivation whenever I need a kick to get going
9. My cat Milo who always shows so much unconditional love
10. Working out - the best stress relief around

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, what are you most greatful for?

Sunday Plan/Prep Day

One of my favourite things to do on a Sunday is take a few minutes out of the day to plan the week ahead and prepare as much as I can for it. I have mentioned this before but I really notice the difference that spending a few minutes refocusing on my goals for the week and planning my meals and workouts can make to my hectic life. We all get busy and have days where we're rushed off our feet, so I like to sit down with my diary and work out when I can fit workouts around whatever is happening that week.

I also use this time to go through the fridge and cupboards and write a grocery list and to prepare as much of my food for the week as I can. Often it can just take running out of something to knock me off track for that meal so I like to make sure I have everything I need before I head into a new week. I'll fill my water bottles, premix my Meta-D or Bombshell Spell and pre-cut fruit and portion it into containers.
I'll work out which meals I will be home for that week and plan healthy dinners and enough for leftovers for the nights I need to grab something on the go.

Here's some of what I got up to tonight:

My Tankini, Bombshell Spell and One-pieces all ready to go for the week!

How do you like to prepare for the week ahead?

Friends with Benefits Saturday

After spending so long sitting in the car of Friday I couldn't wait to stretch my legs on Saturday. My friend and I headed off on a walking track up the hill with some beautiful views along the way. The walk took us about an hour and was quite steep in parts. It had been looking like it would rain all morning and I was happy it held off until we were safely back in our car at the bottom. It felt so good to do something active in the fresh air while we could!

The view from the top of the hill.

 Did you do something nice with a friend this weekend?

Road trip snacks

Friday morning we headed off driving nice and early (4am). We were heading interstate for a friends engagement party and had about an 8 hour drive so I made sure to pack lots of healthy drinks and snacks.

Here's what I took along:

• Organic Salted Popcorn (with just a sprinkle of sea salt)
• Peanut Butter Cookie Larabars (this is the first time I have picked up this flavour but like all the other larabars, I am loving them)
• Small packets of mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts and cashews)
• Stevia packets in case I want to add them to coffee we buy while whe're away
• Coconut water (guava and pineapple)
• 100% Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter (to dip celery sticks in, this is one of the few healthy snacks I can get my partner to eat over chocolate bars!)
• Container of pre-cut celery sticks
• 2x 1.5 litre bottles of water (not picured as they had already been packed)

What are your favourite snacks for road trips?

My Vision Board

I love vision boards! I think it comes from being a very visual person (I work as a Graphic Designer) and seeing my goals is a really effective way of keeping myself on the right track. I have created a few variations of my vision board and I like to revisit them and update them from time to time.
The one above I started at the beginning of 2012 to represent all the things I wanted to achieve throughout the year. I've stuck it into the first spread of my MiGoals Diary and I see it daily when I make any plans.

I also created this I use as a background on my iPhone and iPad. I often find id afternoon I am struggling and feel like bailing on my afternoon workout so it helps to have something right within my reach that inspires me. I always use my phone to check the time so now each time I see workout time approaching I am inspired!

In other news, I'm really loving the Tone It Up Bikini Challenge so far. I know we're only a few days in but I feel so ready for the changes I am starting to see. Even just the last few days I've been sleeping better and have more energy throughout the day from my extra workouts.
Let's do this! :-)