Something New?

"I like to challenge myself. I like to learn - so I like to try new things and try to keep growing"

- David Schwimmer

In my last post, I mentioned taking up a new exercise activity. Don't remember? Check it out here. Well I took up BOXING! Yes, you read it right, boxing.

Why did I decide on boxing?
I actually did a few classes over the summer - some boxfit classes, nothing serious and I enjoyed them so I decided to give the sport a go. I joined my university's boxing club and I'm glad I did. It's not everyday go gym or go running...it's good to change things up!

How am I finding it? 
I'll admit after my first training session, my upper body was unbelievably sore, I could barely move. Surprisingly, my body adjusted after the first week or so and I don't feel anything now. Training sessions are intense y'all...before warm-up is done I'm already sweating and before training is over, I'm drenched in sweat. That's good though, it means I definitely got a good workout in. I train twice a week and I actually had my first sparring session this week i.e. I got in the ring and had a mock fight. It was such an adrenaline rush.

Boxing? Are you crazy? Isn't that dangerous?
Boxing isn't as dangerous as most people think. Like with any other sport, it comes with injuries. You're actually more likely to be severely injured playing something like rugby rather than boxing. And just to be clear - I'm talking about amateur boxing, it's relatively safe. Honestly though, I'm more concerned with the fitness aspect than competing - so I'll be OK! :D

I've been doing the sport for about a month now and so far I'm loving it! It's a great way to work-out, I can definitely see improvements in my upper body strength and I've shed some pounds too! It's a wonderful way to relieve stress. Boxing actually challenges you mentally - it teaches you discipline and requires focus and perseverance. I

Are you tired of your workout routines? Why not challenge yourself and try something new? It doesn't have to be boxing, it maybe something you've always wanted to do or something completely out of your comfort zone. It's a fantastic way to keep boredom at bay and keep you on that fitness journey!

- Precious Amaka

September Check-In

Hello lovelies!

I know. It's been awhile...school and other unexpected responsibilities took over my life so I've been super busy, with very little time to blog (or engage in other forms of social media). Anyhoo, how did everyone get on with their September goals? Here's how I got on with mine.

(Haven't a clue what I'm talking about? Check out this post!)

#1 Train for a 5K race
Surprisingly, I kept up with this. I got into into a routine of running 3 mornings a week before class. Unfortunately I won't be able to compete in the race as I had hoped :( but I am going to continue with the training and try run the 5K distance by myself. I quite enjoy running in the morning. I have so much energy and better concentration during class, it's incredible!

#2 Read two books this month
I only read one this month - The Thing Around Your Neck - a collection of short stories by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I really liked this book, it's so simply written with enjoyable story lines.

#3 Two blog posts and comment on 5+ blogs a week
This was such a FAIL. Ha. (I need to sort out a posting schedule...and my life!) I did actually interact very well on a few blogs in the first couple of weeks, so that was good. :D

#4 Consistency
I did very well on this on the aspect of running and fitness, so I'm glad about that. I still need to keep at it though!

Overall, it's not so bad. There are areas I definitely need to work on. My plans for October are to:

- Continue with the 5K training
- Try out a new exercise activity
- Blog more often - once a week seems more reasonable

With all that said....October come at me brah!

September - A Fresh Start!

It's the month of September already! Can you believe it? I feel like it was just two weeks ago that we celebrated New Years and now we're in to the "-ember" months. I'll be honest, I've been SLACKING on the health and fitness front, I haven't been as committed as much as I would like. September means back-to-school season and as a child I was always excited for back-to-school season - new clothes, new books, new things etc. So in the spirit of the season I decided to regroup, give myself a fresh start and set myself some goals!

1. Train for a 5K race

When I was trying to lose weight, it was easier to stay on top of exercising because I had a goal. But now that I achieved my goal, it's been hard to maintain the healthy lifestyle, I let myself go halfway through summer. To get back on track, I've decided to start outdoor running (I usually run on the treadmill). I've always liked running, it's an easy form of cardio so I'm hoping to compete in my very first race! It's a 5K race (Run in the Dark Dublin). My goal is to be able to run 5K by the 12th November (the day of the race). I'll be using the C25K app - an app which trains you to be able to run 5K over a period of 8 weeks.

2. Read two books a month

I loved to read when I was younger, but as I grew older my academics took up more and more of my time and I had less time to read. I recently rediscovered my love for books and actually I finished a novel last week - Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I have one word for this book - amaaaazing! I really can't get into it, it would require it's own blog post.

3. Write a minimum of two blog posts and comment on 5+ blogs a week 

I'm still a newbie to the blogosphere so I should post and interact with other bloggers more regularly to help increase my readership. But I haven't. I have no excuses really, just plain old laziness. That's going to change by the grace of God.

4. Be more consistent

Consistency is my major struggle at the moment. I've been on a plateau for some time when in fact, I should be making progress as regards fitness. This basically means I need to be more consistent with my  workouts...and stop having so many cheat days!

These goals are not just for the month of September, but for the next couple of months. I'll do a check in at the end of the month to see how I get on. Do you guys have any goals? Comment below and tell me what they are!

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

- Aristotle

So You Want To Lose Weight At Uni - How I Lost 17 pounds!

University can be the most exciting time of your life with the thrill of new experiences, new friends, living away from home and the freedom to make your own choices etc. But weight gain is a very commonplace issue that comes with adjusting to the change and new environment. Many students use food as a coping mechanism to deal with the new stresses they are under. In the United Sates, the weight gain in the first year of uni is often referred to as the "Freshman 15" (as in 15 pounds). I was a victim of this, gaining weight in my first two years of college due to poor diet habits and lack of exercise.

However, over the last academic year (2013/2014) I managed to lose 17 pounds. My starting weight was 78kg (171 lb) and I currently weigh 70kg (154 lb), a healthier weight for my height. I've had a lot of people asking about the "secret" to my weight loss, so I decided to share my weight loss story - what I did to get the weight off while in university.

First off, there is no "secret" - just plain old exercise + diet. The key thing I learnt over the whole process is that weight loss is truly 80% diet and 20 % exercise. Over the period I lost weight, I focused mainly on my diet and tried my best to workout as much as I could.

My TIPS:

#1 - Stop OBSESSING over weight loss
I've had many tries at this weight loss thing and each time I failed. Why? Because my mind was too preoccupied with trying to lose weight, that I gave up each time when I didn't see quick results. This time around, my focus was on trying to be healthier. I rearranged my mindset and forgot about the weighing scale. I got more involved with societies at uni, so that took up a lot of my attention and I focused on eating a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner.

#2 - Portion Control
This has to be the most important. I cannot stress this enough but portion sizes has a very big role to play in weight loss. To help me in reducing my portions, I would use a smaller plate, drink water before my meal to help me eat less. And over time, I reduced my portion sizes drastically.

#3 - Watch your grocery shopping
I lived away from home while in university, so I bought my own groceries. When shopping I made sure I would buy more fruits and veggies and I avoided buying junk foods that would always be readily available when I lived at home. This helped me because if the junk food wasn't in my kitchen, then I wouldn't give myself the opportunity to eat it. Once in awhile I would indulge myself in a little junk food, especially when my housemates would bake hehe. Like I said earlier, the key thing is to watch your portions!

#4 - WATER! WATER! WATER!
I started drinking a lot more water. I made sure I drank at least 2 litres a day. Although it meant more trips to the toilet, it kept me fuller for longer and I also saw improvements in my skin - double win!

#5 - Exercise
This wasn't a huge factor in losing the weight, it was mostly my diet. My goal was to go to the gym at least three times a week, there were some busy weeks when I made it to the gym only once in the week. During study week and exam periods, when all my focus was on the books, I did home workouts instead of going to the gym. For example, I would do 10 min workout routines during my study breaks.

Weight loss takes time and in my case it was a very gradual process. I hope this helps someone, especially as it's back-to-school season, and motivates them for the next school year!

Get FIT with HIIT!

H.I.I.T. - High Intensity Interval Training

H.I.I.T. is common in the exercise/fitness world, but if you aren't familiar with it, it's simply a workout that alternates between high intensity exercises and low/medium intensity exercises (the recovery period). For example, sprinting for 30 sec and walking for 1 min.

One of the biggest advantages of incorporating HIIT into your workout regimen is that it is much more effective than spending endless hours doing normal cardio. Because HIIT is done at a higher intensity, it increases your metabolism, burns fat quicker and improves your cardio endurance.
Other benefits are:

• It's quick and convenient. HIIT workouts are done for shorter time periods, about 5-30 mins and so can fit into a busy schedule. "I'm too busy to exercise" is no longer an excuse to skip exercising!
• It can be done with little to no equipment. HIIT can be done at the gym using the bike, rowing machine, treadmill etc. If you have no access to a gym, running and plyometric-like exercises such as squat jumps, high knees, mountain climbers etc can also be done.
• You continue to burn more fat and calories after a HIIT workout, very effective in weight loss. Win!

Here are three ways I've used HIIT in my fitness regimen/weight loss:

1. During hectic exam periods, I would do some high intensity exercises e.g. squat jumps, high knees, etc. in the mornings for 10 mins. This made me more awake. And if I felt tired while studying, I would just do the 10 min workout again during one of my study breaks. Much better than reaching for the caffeine!
2. I also used HIIT as a warm-up prior to strength training. I would usually do this on the bike - an example would be 30 sec sprint cycle and the 60 sec rest of normal-paced cycle and repeat 9 more times. My thighs KILLED after this.
3. I haven't renewed my gym membership so recently I've been exercising at home. There are an abundant number of HIIT videos on the web - my personal favourites are FitnessBlender videos. They have so many to choose from - so pick one and get moving!

To get started with HIIT, choose your equipment - treadmill, cross-trainer, rowing machine, bike or running outdoors. Start off with 15 sec of high intensity exercise and 60 sec rest, low intensity exercise. Repeat this for a total of 10 times. Over time, increase the time period for high intensity exercise and reduce the rest periods.

To reap the real benefits of HIIT, go HARD during the bouts of high intensity, working to your max effort and aim to do it about three times a week.

My Green Smoothie Recipe!

Hi guys!

I know it's been some time since my last post but I have been super-occupied with work. Today I will be sharing my green smoothie recipe.

If you haven't heard about these delicious green drinks, they are smoothies comprised of green veggies such as spinach, lettuce, kale blended with fruit. "Ewww, blended veggies", I hear you say, but before you dismiss the idea, give it a chance and I promise you won't regret it.

I was once an unbeliever but my roommate at uni converted me and now I'm hooked! There are so many benefits of green smoothies from improving your skin to increasing your energy, just google it! Green smoothies can also be used as a meal replacement. I used it as a technique for weight loss and now I try to incorporate them into my diet about 2-3x a week.

Ingredients
A handful of spinach
Half a head of romaine lettuce
2 apples
1-2 bananas
1 lemon
1 cup (250 ml) water

1. Add the water, spinach and romaine lettuce. Blend. (Blending the veggies first ensures that they are well broken down so you don't taste the veggies when drinking your smoothie).
2. Chop up your apples, banana and lemon. (Make sure to use ripe bananas, this makes the smoothie sweet. Depending on how sweet you want the smoothie, you can use 1-2 bananas. I usually use about 1 and a half. Also ensure your lemon is well peeled, you don't want no lemon rind in yo' smoothie!)
3. Blend well.
4. Enjoy!

There are so many variations of green smoothies that it's rather overwhelming knowing where to begin. This recipe is a good place to start and makes a little over 750ml of a mean, green, delicious smoothie. I modified a recipe I found and the original can found here.

My Four Top Tips to Health Living!

I've learned a few things since I began my healthy lifestyle, so I decided to share from my vast knowledge about healthy eating and starting a healthy lifestyle. I joke, I am not a guru. I'm simply sharing what I've learned since I began this journey and hopefully, it will be of use to someone.

Tip #1- Know your body. 
Everyone's body is different, what may work for someone else may not necessarily work for you. For example, when I started on my weight loss journey, I read everywhere that having 5-6 small meals a day is best to aid weight loss. I tried that but it didn't work for me. I didn't like constantly reminding myself to eat every 3 hours. I discovered that eating 3 healthy meals a day and controlling my portions did the trick for me. Do not compare yourself to others, we're all wired differently. So if you're wondering why what your favourite Youtube guru did to lose weight isn't working for you, it may be because your body is different. Don't be afraid to try something else.

Tip #2 - Take it easy.
Ease yourself into it. You can't become a healthy eating expert overnight. I remember numerous occasions when I would convince myself that I wanted to lose weight and I would become overly-enthusiastic, eliminate junk food from my diet, go on some vigorous workout regime. Well as you would have guessed, I eventually lost interest. Good things take time. Start out by cutting out one or two junk items a week, drink that extra glass of water, have a piece of fruit at dinner etc. These little changes accumulate and are more likely to stay with you long-term.

Tip #3 - Patience is key.
If your goal is to lose weight or improve your fitness level, patience is key. It will take time to see changes in your body. It takes 4 weeks for you to notice changes in your body, 8 weeks for your family and friends and 12 weeks for the world to notice, so keep going!

Tip #4 - Be positive.
Avoid negativity like the plague. Don't listen to people questioning your decision to choose a healthier lifestyle or questioning if you can even achieve your goals. Avoid people who feel that they need to give their input on your own choices, telling you to do this a certain way and not to do that (this irritates me so much, smh). Do your own research. Do what works best for you. And above all, enjoy it!

#MotivationMonday

I've recently been losing focus on my health and fitness goals. I'd have a biscuit here, a couple of nibbles of Doritoes there, grab a few chips of my sibling's dinner there and so on... I haven't pigged out fully or had a binge meal yet but I have been feeling guilty over the ones I have had. And I've realised that I shouldn't.

A friend of mine posted something on Facebook that stuck with me and made me come to this realisation, she said "...being healthy and strong is a lifelong journey, so you don't have to rush." And she's right. It's a JOURNEY. I can't never have unhealthy foods. That's impossible (for me, anyway). But rather it's about moderation and self-control.

So if you've fallen off your health and fitness journey (or any other goal you've set for yourself), brush off your guilt and pick yourself up. What matters is that you achieve your goal and not the length of time in which you achieve them. Surround yourself with positivity and keep moving!