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! :-)

Goals for the Tone It Up Annual Bikini Challenge

Our first task for the TIU bikini challenge was sent through last night and it was to write a list of what we hope to have achieved by the end of the 8 weeks. For me these were a more refined version of the goals I set for myself at the start of the year. It was the perfect timing as I really needed to refocus.

Here's my goals:
1. Finally reach my goal weight (55kgs)
2. Tone up and loose the last of my muffin top
3. Run a 5k without stopping
4. Compliment someone daily
5. Work out at least 5 times a week
6. Feel confident rocking my bikini

Bring it on! So excited and ready get to where I finally want to be - happy and healthy and the best version of myself! Happy Motivation Monday!

Happy Motivation Monday!

I have recently been reading '5 Minutes a Day' by the wonderful Michelle Bridges from the Biggest Loser and I am really loving this book. It's full of little quotes and short statements to get you motivated and out the door.
I adore Michelle, I think she is such an inspiration and I love her no-nonsense approach to weight-loss and fitness. She looks amazing too so what better way to get motivation when I'm feeling a bit lazy or sluggish!

One of the quotes from her book really stood out to me so I thought I'd share it for a little bit of extra motivation on a Monday morning:

"Motivation is like a bad boyfriend... never there when you need him. Get over it! Turn up and be consistent!"  

- Michelle Bridges

I love this quote. Too often we wait for the elusive "motivation" to give us the extra kick in the pants we need to start eating right and working out. It's all too easy to blame a lack of "motivation" for slacking off.

Don't let motivation be another excuse for not starting on the right track right now!

Hope you all have a good week, will definitely be trying to check in more this week after a hectic few weeks now hopefully behind me. :-)

Tone It Up 2nd Annual Bikini Challenge

So I woke up super early this morning for no apparent reason and couldn't get back to sleep. I was checking through websites on my phone as I lay in the darkness and what did I see? Tone It Up had posted the sign up page for the 2012 Bikini Challenge! I must've subconsciously known and that's why I needed to wake up! Haha...

I love these girls so much and since finding them on YouTube a few years ago I am such a better version of myself. Cliche but true. Last year I found it hard to keep up with the challenge just because we are a day ahead here in Australia and were often getting most of the emails in the middle of the night! It made it hard to work from when instructions for what to do on a certain day were a day late but I loved seeing the results everyone got from participating and it was fun to get constant motivation. This year I have decided I am fully on board, I will just make it work even if our days/times are out of sync with the US.

The challenge incorporates both workouts and diets and I am determined to win one of the gorgeous bikinis the girls are wearing! Or just buy myself one when I look like them after the challenge! :-) They recently sent out the Beach Babe Edition of their nutrition plan and I was so happy to see so many recipies incorporated my favorite food - summer fruit. We are heading into winter here so summer fruits are becoming harder to find and more expensive but I still think it's an investment in my health and better than spending my money on junk. I also ordered the Beach Babe DVD which was just released and I will be stalking the postie like crazy until it arrives!

I've actually been loving hitting the gym lately. I never thought I would love it, for me it has always been a bit of a chore but I put my headphones on and pump music or watch YouTube videos and time passes so quickly. I have been trying for 40min of cardio on the elliptical and today for the first time I felt like I could go longer without too much trouble (and actually would've if I wasn't in a massive rush)! The past few weeks there has been a point around the 25min mark where I hit a wall and the last 15 mins have I've really had to push through. Not even that it's been physically hard, just that I start to find excuses or decide I'm done... I get so annoyed at myself but it's like I loose interest half way through. This morning I didn't have any resistance at all! So please to have passed that (mental) hurdle!

I think that mental strength has really been my failure so many times. I'm healthy and quite fit, but i've always only seen things through half way. I work out, but then cave in to that chocolate bar. I eat well, but convince myself I'm too tired to work out. I'll start again tomorrow/next week/on Monday.

For the first time I've reached a place where I feel like I'm past that. I'm totally comfortable with doing what I need to to be fit, healthy and strong and I love this feeling!

So the TIU Bikini Challenge couldn't come at a better time - I am ready to rock this! :-)

Back to it!

 So I know I've been a bit slack with keeping up blogging but I'm making the decision to devote more time here in the future. That's not to say I haven't been eating (fairly) well and working out but with the Tone It Up bikini challenge coming up shortly it's time I refocused again. In my defence, I have been far more active on twitter lately which I've found an amazing support and a great place to ask fitness or diet questions - I'd be lost without the wonderful TIU team!

Good news though – last Sunday morning I decided it was time to step back on the scales and I was down to my lowest weight since high school! This was so exciting for me as I didn't have the best week food wise last week and over the last few months I have seemed to hit a bit of a plateau. Sunday was a lovely sunny day which I was so excited to see before we head into winter so off I went on a long walk in the fresh air.

I really like getting outdoor exercise when I can, there's something so reenergizing about breathing in fresh air and hopefully seeing some sunshine. I work in an office during the week and while I am lucky enough to have huge glass windows, looking outside is not he same as enjoying it!

We’re heading into winter here in Australia now so I often like to get out for a walk at lunchtime; by the time I leave for the night it’s starting to get too dark to walk and I leave quite early in the morning for work so don’t always have time to get a walk in then.

Can’t wait for summer to be back although this weekend is supposed to be lovely!

What will you be doing outdoors this weekend?

Migoals 2012 Diary

So I realise this is getting a bit late in the year but it was too brilliant not to share! I heard the lovely Jesinta Campell raving about her MiGoals Diary and notebooks. I know she is really big on goal setting and motivation so I had to find out more!

Here’s the lowdown:

MiGoals is a Melbourne (woohoo!) based company that has only been running since 2010 but they make the most fabulous products for setting goals and keeping track of your dreams and inspirations.

Ever since I can remember I have been obsessed with writing lists of things I wanted to accomplish, inspirational quotes and ‘living my best life’ as Oprah would say! So this was right up my alley. I remember growing up I would spend hours finding my favourite quotes and rewriting them into little notebooks and in my school diary I would write a quote for the week at the top of each page and look back at it daily to keep me on track.

So when I went online and saw MiGoals had put a quote in each week for me I was impressed – had they seriously glimpsed inside my school diaries?

Each year I spend hours searching for my perfect diary and usually end up buying about 3 before I eventually get into the routine of using the best one. So yes, MiGoals 2012 Diary was my second diary purchase for the year but I am happy to report I haven’t looked back and plan on buying just one diary for 2013 (MiGoals obviously)! 

The diary is broken up into three sections; the front section has space to evaluate what you want to achieve for the year and list 10 goals and steps to achieving them. The main section is a week-to-a-page planner with a space to list 5 weekly habits (mine usually consist of work out, eat well etc.) and weekly goals. The final section, and it could be said to be the one I need the most, is a budgeting one with space to track monthly income and expenditure. It also features hints and tips for planning your goals and sticking to them so it’s prefect even if this is a new thing to you.

I wanted to use this for a few weeks at least before I shared my thoughts and I’m really happy. My favourite feature is the space for listing your weekly habits, as it has a spot to tick that you have done each of these each day of the week. I find it really helps me see what I have done exercise and diet wise and lots of ticks makes me feel very accomplished indeed!

If you’re keep to try this out they are half price online now as they clear out the last of the stock for 2012 and I’m so excited to see what they bring out for 2013! My suggestions? A pink version (yep, I’m obsessed) and also possibly a clasp to seal the diary shut - I like to keep papers in my diary to remind me to pay bills, payslips, gym class timetables and other bits and pieces.

Have you tried any of the MiGoals or similar products? What helps you stay on track?

The Importance of Planning!

"He who fails to plan is planning to fail"

I am a big planner. I always have a million lists and schedules on the go and my diary is like an extention of my right arm. I've tried using the calendar in my iPhone but after many years of trying different things I have reached the conclusion that nothing organises my life quite like a diary or planner I can physically write in.

This applies to all areas of my life, whether it's writing daily to-do lists, writing birthdays and events in my diary or planning my meals and workouts for the week.

Way back when I started Tone It Up, I created myself a chart to monitor my meals, and exercise on a weekly basis. I find sitting down on a Sunday night and writing my plan for the week ahead and preparing as much as I can for my meals (chopping veggies, portioning hommus and yogurts etc.) really helps keep me on track.

After watching BridgetNicole26's video on planning I was motivated to add a few more planners to my life! I work as a graphic designer so any excuse to pretty up a table or document and I get strangely excited. I thought I would share these as hopefully they can be useful to some of the other girls on the TIU team!

TIU Workout Log

TIU Weekly Planner

TIU Shopping List Template

TIU Monthly Dinner Planner

TIU Measurement Tracker

Please feel free to use these on your own Tone It Up journey, however I would appriciate acknowledgement if you will be reposting anywhere else. :-)

Food find - Smooze! Fruit Ices

So a few weeks ago I was wandering the asiles of my local Coles when i stumbled across these little beauties. It had been really hot here lately and my boyfriend has been chomping away on icy poles while I look on jealously (I'm trying to avoid anything that sugary and artificial!). This is the answer to my prayers -  a 100% natural fruit ice in 3 delicious flavours. So far I have only tried the coconut and pink guava and the coconut and mango but I am in love. These are made with coconut milk and fruit puree (yes, they do also have some natural cane sugar) and I love that they are such small portions so I don't feel tempted to overindulge. Each serving is a mere 66 calories and it makes a great refreshing treat on hot days.

Has anyone else tried these?

My iHerb obsession

Lately I have become obsessed with iherb.com. After watching so many Tone It Up videos and grocery hauls from other members of the Tone It Up team I have been getting so jealous of all the fun products we can’t get here in Australia. Enter iherb.com – an amazing resource for groceries and health products that ships to Australia at a cheap price. The problem with most US sites if that they will often ship to Australia but the shipping will start at $35 and rapidly go up so any savings are completely wiped out. Iherb shipping is about $4 if the products weigh under 4 pounds and if the products weight more than that I just split them into separate orders. It does quote a shipping time of 4-6 weeks but so far everything has turned up within a week or two. I just try and make sure I order quite a way ahead of time so I’m not running out of anything and stalking the postie.

My last order was for some peanut butter Larabars (not available in Australia). Everytime I go to order I think I should try another flavour but these are just so good – feels like a naughty chocolate treat but still Tone It Up approved!

The week ahead...

Ok, so after a bit of a slow start tone it up wise I'm pumped up and ready to give my all to being toned in 2012! Last week was a bit messy with an increased workload due to people being on holidays in my office and heading away for the weekend with some friends. So today is Monday and it's back to routine. I ate pretty well last week and still managed to lose a little bit of the weight from Christmas but was lacking in the exercise department. I find after a bit of a break I really do miss the gym. It's funny but I think I start psych myself out before I get there but when I'm there I love it. It's nice to just put some music or a tv show on my iPhone and zone out for a while. I try and live by the rule that if I'm not feeling like working out, I'll still put on my workout gear and drive there. Then if I still don't want to work out I can go home. And I always end up working out! It sounds like a total cliche but it actually works.
Spent tonight organizing the rest of my meals and workouts for the week and I can't wait for what the week will bring.

Hope you are all toning it up and loving life!

My Tone It Up Sweatshirt arrived!

So every day since I ordered this I have been anxiously checking the mail in the hope that it had arrived. On Friday I was so excited to see my parcel waiting for me when I got home from work! And the grin on my face got even bigger whei I opened it - it was even more gorgeous than I had hoped and so comfortable. It's the only time I think I've even been disappointed it's summer here in Australia because it's too hot to wear it at the moment! It will be perfect for my morning booty calls when the weather gets cooler again and I can't wait till Karena and Katrina get the turquoise back in stock on the tone it up store. Will definately be ordering some more!

Hope you are all having a lovely and active weekend!

Early days but I'm staying on track...

Isn't it funny how the start of something new can be a great motivator? So far this year (and yes, I realise we're only a few days in) I've managed to stick to all my resolutions. I think the fact that I've eaten well so far makes me rethink reaching for that unhealthy snack because then I could no longer say I had been good all year.
It's summer here too so it's been a great excuse to stick to light healthy food as I haven't even craved anything heavier. I went for a surf and swim on Monday and made the most of this amazing weather and a few walks. Definately need to step it up in the gym department though so will be heading there every day this weekend. Have loaded up my iphone with new tv shows and music and I'm ready to go. I have a rule that the tv shows I download onto my iphone can only be watched while doing cardio at the gym so if I want to know what happens on Jersey Shore I must stay another 10 minutes. Works a treat!
Plus I've made heaps of plans to catch up with friends in the coming weeks so need to stay motivated and super organised if I'm going to fit workouts in! Bring it on!
Hope you are all loving life...
Sarah

2012 Goals!

Happy New Year everyone! So excited for 2012 and all it will bring. I sat down in the last few days of 2011 to write a list of all the things I want to achieve in the new year, my New Years Resolutions so to speak. I prefer to call them goals rather than resolutions as I feel like New Years Resolutions are generally seen as something everyone makes but rarely sticks to! So I like to call them yearly goals instead and at the end of each year I can look back on them and hopefully I have stuck to them. Life gets so crazy busy sometimes so I find it really helps to have a written list so I can make sure I'm on track. Plus if I post them on here it will make me more accountable I'm hoping!
So without further ado:

1. Lose 5 more kgs. Over the last 18 months I have lost almost 10kgs I put on during my hectic uni days through healthy eating and exercise so I want to
really focus and reach my goal weight.

2. Stress less! I seem to have become more effected by stress in the last few years and I find things keep me up at night and worry me more than they used to. It means I'm more tired and make poorer food choices when I'm stressed so this year I'm letting it all go!

3. Exercise at least 5 times per week. This can include going to the gym, running or playing netball or another team sport. Just as long as I'm moving!

4. Read 30 books. I am a big reader and love nothing more than curling up with a good book. So this year I will make time for myself more often and read at least 30 books.

5. Run a 10k. Last year I did a fun run with my mum and ran 8.4k (a mixture of running ans walking) so this year I want to build up to a 10k and run the whole way.

6. Eat more organic/natural food. There are so many chemicals in everything surrounding us these days so I want to try and minimise the harmful things I put into and on my body as much as I can.

7. Do at least 100 situps every day. So far so good. It only takes a few minutes and I generally find once I start I feel motivated to add a few more excercises too.

8. Catch up with friends more. Sometimes I find I get so busy that I'm too tired or busy to catch up with friends and I want to make it more of a priority for 2012. Plus I think a good laugh can be the perfect cure to stress!

9. Learn to cook more healthy meals. I can't stand having to think of what to cook every night. Breakfast and lunch are not too bad but dinner is a pain. So this year I will try to find more quick and healthy options to make.