So the last time I blogged I was talking about speaking at events since Barcelona and hosting a 'back from Barcelona' training event in front of 400 people on the Sunday!
Well.. I DID IT!
Easy peasy, I was literally so nervous the whole day before and a shaking nervous wreck the morning of the event. Watching hundreds of people pouring into the room and receiving 'good luck' text messages. GOOD LUCK? What do I need luck for?
I started off with my personal story and before/after photos.
So many people presume that I'm just some gym loving, health bunny, naturally slim girl but I'm not. This is what I've made myself into by surrounding myself by people who motivate and encourage me. The truth is like a lot of girls in their twenties I STRUGGLE with my weight. I have my good weeks and bad weeks. I have weeks where I literally fall off the band wagon and eat out every night and not attend the gym once. And my god don't I know it, my body just bloats up and says NOPE I don't like this, makes my jeans immediately to tight and slaps 5 lbs on the scales just for giggles.
If you've been following my blog since the beginning you would of seen my before/after photo.
Ive never been a 'slim' girl, in school I have a chubby baby face (still do a little haha) and a little belly on me.
I left school with ZERO idea of nutrition except briefly seeing the government 'eat smart' plate' which doesn't represent what I eat now I'm educated on Nutrition at ALL, so my idea of healthy was a huge white baguette, with chicken mayo and salad........ According to government standards thats right? Mainly carbs, small protein, small veg and mayo for dairy? No?
UGHHHH I was clueless, so along with this twisted view on what's healthy, I was eating a sausage sandwich for breakfast in the canteen, carbs and protein right? Then going out on student nights, Mondays and Thursdays, having a girls night with a bottle of wine on a Friday and then a party or night out to another town Saturday.. all followed by a greasy takeaway at the end of the night, then a McDonalds run in the morning to cure the hangover. I'm literally gipping thinking back to this lifestyle. Sooooo naturally doing this for over a year I gained a massive 4 stone but all my friends where the same as we lived the same lifestyle so I didn't think anything of it.
I then met a girl Olivia she was older than me, in amazing shape, ate healthily, full of energy and I massively looked up to her. Olivia made me see the light, I wanted to be like her! Olivia taught me all about the importance of protein and how carbs should be eaten in moderation, especially if I was wanting to loose weight and that alcohol should be saved for the weekends.
I started kickboxing twice a week doing double classes, so was doing high intensity exercise four hours a week, alongside my new diet change I managed to drop two stone for my mums wedding.
Then over the next two years, my diet yo-yo'd. Due to getting a more demanding job working until late, I couldn't make the kickboxing classes anymore and didn't have the confidence to go to a gym on my own, as I didn't know what to do in a gym?! So I'd literally put a stone on, crash diet loose the stone, put it back on, diet, loose it, put it back on.
Theres got to be a better way right?
New Years resolution 2013, no more YoYo'ing. I got a gym buddy at we started to go for runs and to gym classes. The weight was coming off slowly but my diet still wasn't 100% right, I'd skip breakfast and have just a sandwich for lunch. Tried a slimming club alongside this and that taught me to basically live off diet coke all day so I could save all my points up and have takeaway for tea? URGHHHH.. hated that diet, hated the pressure, hated the bitchy women at the club looking down on me cause I wasn't morbidly obese, hated being told off like a child if I put on 0.5lb, hated the whole you can eat whatever you want attitude as long as it's with in your points whilst your body rots on the inside for drinking your body weight in diet coke for zero points. Then hated the fact everyone talked at the meetings about what disgusting greasy kebab and chips they where gonna get on the way home cause its weigh day? Like what the HELL ?!
So lets skip forward to July 2013 still keeping up with my running and gym classes but constantly knackered as I wasn't quite getting the nutrition part right! I got a message off Cassie on Facebook, hey heather i can see you go running a lot and to the gym but you're constantly moaning your bodies aching and you're knackered. Why don't you try juice plus?
OBVIOUSLY I knew better, shakes are rubbish, they're not good for your body, they're full of sugar and these days I live off green tea and skinny lattes. (god help me.)
Long story short cause you all know how amazing, clean, healthy, organic and packed with nutrients Juice Plus is by now.. if you don't get reading my blog/come meet me for a starbucks so i can chat your head off!
I got involved, first week 5 lbs off but the most amazing thing is, I was full of energy. My stomach wasn't bloated, I was going to the toilet regularly (sorry guys) and I felt like I was glowing from the inside out! In total I lost another 1.5 stone through JuicePlus and was at the lightest I've ever been, exercising sometimes twice a day cause I had so much energy and felt the happiest I've ever felt. I upped my nutrition game, got involved with the business, started a NVQ in fitness instructing. Juice Plus changed my life, my knowledge and my attitude. IT'S A LIFESTYLE CHANGE NOT A DIET. I've since ditched the scales and go off how I feel from within. Have the shakes for breakfast with fruit, a salad for lunch, another shake with rice milk after the gym as a none dairy protein shake and some kinda meat/wholegrain/vegetables for tea.
I take the capsules now to keep my vitamin levels topped up, give me energy, encourage my hair/nails/skin to look the best they can. And to basically give my body healthy insurance. Having 98% bioavailable fruit and veg in your system every single day is going to ensure I live a long healthy life. Fad diets can give you what you want in the present but what are they doing to your body of the future? I have to live in this body for at least another 60+ years so I want to feel good as much as I want to look good!
This has been my lifestyle not for 15months and I've finally found something healthy, nutritional and most importantly something I enjoy!
