We Have Moved - Come and Join Us!

Hello and a huge thank you for following us on our Blogger site.

Due to our increasing numbers of followers we decided to move forward and launch our own blogging website

www.ladieslunchandlunges.co.uk


Please sign up with us and keep yourself updated with all our news and views.

To Your Health and Happiness

Aileen and Sam

x

How often should you train?

A few weeks ago we asked the readers of our Facebook page to suggest topics for the blog.

One idea was to write a blog on how often you should train - a more difficult question to answer than you may think!

To see any improvement in your performance you need to adhere to the FITT principle!  I touched on this subject in an earlier blog (to see the full article click here).

However, just to recap, FITT is:-

• Frequency - this refers to the number of training sessions that are carried out per week i.e how often training is performed.

• Intensity - this refers to how hard a person works during a training session.  The intensity of training is probably the most important factor when it comes to improving fitness.

• Time - this refers to the duration of the training session.  The duration of training is inversely related to its intensity: the more intense a session is, the shorter the duration needs to be in order to gain the fitness benefits.

• Type - the chosen mode of training should be specific to the individual's needs and goals.

It is general advised to just increase one of these factors at a time in order to avoid over-training.

What is over-training???

Over-training is the state where rest is no longer adequate to result in recovery.

Taking part in a poorly planned exercise programme, and not allowing for adequate recovery can lead to excessive, chronic overload.  This can lead to fatigue, illness and burn-out, this is referred to as over-reaching.  Short periods of fatigue following heavy training are to be expected but they are normally reversed following a period of rest or reducing the training load.

If inadequate rest or recovery is allowed and a person is constantly over-reaching, they may well become over-trained.  

Some of the most commonly cited early signs and symptoms of over-training include:

• increased resting heart rate
• slow heart rate recovery after training
• weight loss
• decreased appetite
• altered sleep patterns
• altered mood state
• recurrent colds or viral illnesses
• persistent muscle soreness
• feelings of burn-out and staleness, and
• overuse injuries.

Any form of physical training has some potential risks involved.  However, most risks can be minimised through a well-constructed training plan and careful monitoring during exercise.  Being able to monitor your training level comes with experience.  I find the best tool to use is the RPE scale (rate of perceived exertion).

Any questions/comments are always welcome!  

Remember, in true Fitness Puzzle style, together we can WORK IT OUT!

Aileen x

The Detox Phenomenon

Over the years I have done 10 day cleanses, juicing detoxes, 28 day low carb or 7 days of “being good”.

And I still come back to the same conclusion – Just Eat Real Food!

Our bodies were designed to eat the three macronutrients – Fat, Carbohydrate and Protein - so it is important that we eat these. In what ratio depends upon your Metabolic Type (email me for more details sam@ladieslunchandlunges.co.uk).

Ideally we all want a "quick fix" but the truth is that they don’t last.  More importantly, our bodies can be very toxic, so to stress it more with severe dieting methods can make us feel worse.  

So, other than finding out your metabolic type, what things can you could do?

Go Organic!  

This goes for your household products, skin care products as well as most of the fruit, veg and meat you eat.  Othewise we run the risk of too many toxins entering our bodies due to the spraying of chemicals on our food and in the feed of our livestock. 

People have said it is a more expensive way to eat – Yes it can be! However, if you have your food ratios and quantity right you don’t consume as much (you eat well and less is needed); as for the cost of your health later on, I personally feel it is worth every penny.

Some facts:

• 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed.

• A female will absorb on average 4lbs of makeup into her system in her lifetime.

• Organic farming is sustainable.

• Every structure and function of your body requires a nutrient – it’s all about the food.

For those of you local to me, we now have a delivery service to the Aberfeldy area from MacLeods Organics, of Inverness www.macleodorganics.co.uk. 

Don’t give disease the edge on your health system.  

Think long term.

Think manageable.

Think vitality.

Go organic and listen to your body. 

Just Eat Real Food!

To your health and happiness.

Sam

Looking after the 'Girls'

Breast care is important to us Ladies!  We can only give you a snapshot into this vast subject here, however, as with almost everything we write about, if you changed just one small thing (be that with your diet or lifestyle) you would be stepping a little closer to improved health.  

For this post I interviewed Nancy Dale, a inspirational woman who became an expert in nutrition as a result of her own experience of breast cancer.

There is so much to discuss and I am hoping this gives the thirst to find out more.  I am treating more and more women within my practice and I believe that by helping them to understand how their bodies work is a wonderful gift to offer someone.  I love it.

Please enjoy the interview.  Below it I have added more details on the screening mentioned :)

Thermography breast screening

As spoken about by Nancy, she uses thermography as a way of screening for abnormalities in the breast.  I investigated a little more and for those of us in the UK; there are several facilities that offer thermography in England, but in Scotland only Aberdeen has the service available at present.  

I decided to phone the main production company Meditherm to find out more.

So what did I found out?

• As with your finger prints - we all have a unique thermal pattern.

• Thermography works with physiology (that is HOW the body is works) where as a Mammogram works with structure (what your body is made of).

• Thermography does not replace a mammogram, however it can detect any abnormalities years before a mammogram.  That means cancers can be traced well in advance of any mammogram breast screening program.

• Thermography is a non invasive safe way of screening your breasts.

• As you would get an MOT with your car, you would also get a yearly check up with thermography breast screening.

• When you first get screened you would have two done, 90 days apart.  This is because your first screening is only a starting point until it is identified what YOUR thermal pattern is.  Thereafter it is done yearly.

• The cost may vary.  For you first two screening and results the cost can range from £275-£375, then approximately £120 every year after.  This may seem like a lot of money, however this works out to be £7 a week for the first session and £2.50 a week for follow up appointments.

 

As a holistic practitioner, I cannot emphasise enough that prevention is better than cure.  We can all make those simple improvements in our lifestyles.  Our boobs should not be something to be fearful of developing a disease in; they were designed for nurture.  Being fully aware of what procedures and treatments are on offer to us and being FULLY informed or circumstances, allows US to make the best decision for ourselves.  I hope this has uncovered a little more information as to what is on offer out there and what you can proactively do.

To your health and happiness.

Sam x



The Scottish Fitness and Nutrition Expo - what did we think?

A few weeks ago Sam and I decided to have a girlie day out.  But instead of a relaxing spa day we opted for the Scottish Fitness and Nutrition Expo at the SECC in Glasgow!

We were looking forward to spending some time together pursuing our mutual love of all things health and fitness related - but first we needed a coffee!  This gave us a chance to have a quick catch up and plan our wonder around the various exhibitions, information stands and demonstration areas.

We quickly realised that this was an extremely male dominated event but were pleased to see that there was an attempt to encourage us girls in the form of The SFN Sisterhood.  The 100 Rep challenge also had a female competition too!

The event that pulled the biggest crowd was the CrossFit competition.  For those of you who haven't heard of CrossFit, it is a programme developed to offer a full-body workout that combines elements of cardio, weight lifting, gymnastics, core training and more to prepare the body for the unexpected!  All in all it is pretty full on, hardcore training and has almost developed cult status.

Without a doubt both the male and female competitors were extremely fit, strong and with their minds truly set on winning the competition.  We felt that CrossFit definitely seemed to come across as a "survival of the fittest" and not sure whether this competitive lifestyle was for us.  Is it a sustainable approach to fitness?  Where does health fit in to it?

In fact health didn't really seem to feature in many of the events or exhibition.  Lots of the products were aimed at getting you lean or bulked up but few addressed day to day health and even fewer (in fact none) mentioned women specific issues such as exercise and hormones.

In all honesty we found the expo a bit of a let down as unless you were interested in your bodies image you were ignored!  Most of us aren't elite athletes but hope to improve our health and fitness in an easily manageable and sustainable way.  We decided that being "normal" is very underrated!  Who needs the pressure to constantly be in top form or look like a walking Adonis statue!  But we also don't want to spend the rest of our lives sitting on the couch wishing we looked and felt better about ourselves. 

So keep doing what makes you happy and healthy!  Hopefully next year the event will be more inclusive with a wider variety of health and fitness related exhibitors - and you never know, maybe Ladies, Lunch and Lunges will be taking part too!

Aileen x

Video - The Instant Cure

Recently I did a fab little Skype interview with a wonderful guy who has guided me in my education to better health, Magnus Mulliner.  Today I am delighted to share my video of it with you.  In it Magnus aims to give us a little insight into the empowerment of our own health.

A little something from Magnus:

" No one has ever healed anyone of anything, only your body given the right opportunity can and will heal itself. The question is, how far down the 'rabbit hole' are you prepared to go to make the necessary distinctions in your life to prevent (by giving your cells what they want and remove all inhibiting blocking factors) yourself from becoming a medical statistic and or 'disabled'. Ultimately become the change you wish to see in YOU! "

Wishing you all a joyous, fun loving year.

Love and light

Magnus A. L. Mulliner

Magnus and I chatted after our interview.  We were talking about responsibility and why he felt woman were less likely to be "responsible" for their health.  We discussed that in a lot of cases woman tend to be the "nucleus" of the house; the centre of "domestic operations" which usually require them to take on many different roles.  Inevitably they put themselves at the bottom of the pile and view their health as a luxury that does not need to be addresses as there are more important people in the family that need attention.  This is a topic I have touched on before in previous posts.  If we truly wish to reap the benefits of good health we need to stop being so "selfless" all the time and learn to be a wee bit selfish every now and again.

I am looking forward to hearing your views on this as always.

Sam x

Why you SHOULD exercise when you are pregnant!

A very good friend of mine recently told me that she is expecting her first baby and, seeing as ante and postnatal fitness is my specialty, I thought it was about time that I did a wee blog on this topic!

Pregnancy for some people means a good excuse to put your feet up for nine months and “eat for two”.  As long as you have a low-risk* pregnancy this needn’t be the case.  

If you are a regular exerciser you can pretty much carry on as normal during your first trimester – just remember to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!  If you are feeling the effects of early pregnancy (like nausea and fatigue for example) perhaps you need to take it a bit steadier until you feel better.  Remember, now is not the time to train hard, it’s all about maintaining your fitness.

So what exactly are the benefits to exercising when you are pregnant?

• Helps to promote a healthy lifestyle for you and your baby.
• Can alleviate many symptoms of pregnancy e.g. back ache, varicose veins.
• Improved core strength.
• Enhances self-esteem and positive feelings.
• More oxygen rich blood via the placenta.
• Lower chance of high blood pressure.
• Increased endurance levels for labour.
• May help decrease the time in active labour.
• Less likely to need obstetric intervention.
• Increased confidence to cope with labour anxiety and pain.
• Faster recovery from labour.
• Better posture and less back pain.
• Improved sleep patterns and energy levels.
• Reduced chance of developing gestational diabetes.
• Less likely to suffer from stress incontinence and prolapse
• Quicker return to pre pregnancy weight, stamina, strength and flexibility.
• Enhanced body image and confidence.

But what about these Old wives’ tales?

“Exercise in pregnancy increases your risk of miscarriage”.

If yours is a low-risk* pregnancy, then your chances of miscarriage are not increased by exercising.  In fact, research has shown that the rate of miscarriage is actually lower in runners and aerobic dancers than it is in women who don’t exercise at all (Pregnancy and Fitness, Baker 2013).

“Exercise will cause your waters to break”.

Not true!  Your waters will break in due course, when it is the right time.

“Exercise will take nutrients from your baby”.

As long as you are eating a well-balanced diet and following a sensible, regular exercise routine that is suitable for your stage of pregnancy then there is no reason why any nutrients will be diverted away from your growing baby.  Exercise actually seems to improve the function and growth of the placenta due to the increase in blood vessels produced as an adaptation to exercise

Exercises to avoid

• Avoid exercises that require you to work at a high intensity.  In general I recommend that my clients work at level of 50-60% of their max (you should still be able to talk comfortably). 
• From 12 weeks onwards it is recommended that you avoid lying flat on your back.  This can be dealt with by elevating the “head” end of the surface you wish to lie on.
• It is best to avoid any exercise that requires you to raise your arms above your head, from 20 weeks.
• Avoid exercises with too much impact or twisting actions.
• It is also best to avoid exercises that stresses your pelvis laterally i.e. side lunges and some gym equipment.
• Abdominal flexion exercises i.e. sit-ups/crunches/v-sits etc. should be off the schedule until your tummy muscles have healed sufficiently after birth.
• Finally, any exercise that you don’t feel comfortable doing, either physically or mentally, should be avoided!  It’s your body so listen to what it is telling you!!!

If you have any questions, please to get in touch!

Aileen xxx 

*If you are unsure whether you have a low-risk pregnancy, consult your doctor.

The logo has landed!

It's taken a few months to get here, but at last we are please to unveil our fab new 'Ladies, Lunch and Lunges' logo!!!

What do you think?

Look it even comes in other colours too!!!

And did we mention that we now have a Facebook page too?  Find us at www.facebook.com/ladieslunchandlunges

We would love for you to let us know what you think.

Pop a comment below and the first 5 people will received a branded 'Ladies. Lunch and Lunges' canvas shopping bag!

Do you need permission to relax?

Sam is off on her summer holiday and I am just about to start mine so I will keep this short and sweet.  I am so looking forward to taking my foot off the accelerator and forgetting about the pressures of everyday life for a wee while!  

This idea got me thinking: how often do you give yourself permission to chill out or just truly enjoy some "me time"?

Us modern women are sooooo busy!  Whether it is work or children (or both) that seem to fill up your day, it can be extremely hard to make a bit of breathing space for yourself - and boy I need that sometimes!

My classes have been quite quiet over the past few weeks as everyone it seemed, except me, was taking their summer break!  In fact for one class no one showed up at all!  Initially I was a bit disappointed but them I realised "I have a free hour"!  I could have so easily of used that hour doing a bit more work but I though "NO,  I am not going to look this gift horse in the face"!  Since my mum was already booked to watch my girls for me I decided to head to a coffee shop, grab a drink and a newspaper and just take a moment!

The result - a less frantic, stressed out me!  I actually gave myself permission to not do anything and it was great!  In fact it was so successful that I am actually going to book a coffee date with myself every week!  Just a little reward to myself that says "Yes, you do deserve a little treat".  I highly recommend that you do the same!

Aileen xxx

Inspiration!

"Right! I shall start the diet on Monday!"

Very familiar words I hear said.  In my previous blogs I have talked about learning to love yourself.  But I also recognise that people are unhappy with various aspects of their life.  That is something you do not have to live with.

Life is full of choices.  The "quality" of your life is directly reflected in making the right choices for you and your family.  However, sometimes we do get bogged down in the turmoil of not being good enough or "if only I could lose a few pounds/ a stone, I would be happy" - REALLY???

There are many things in life that we can buy and are thought to improve our happiness - cars, clothes, gadgets, boobs!  But, does it make us contented and happy or do we seek the next best thing?

I caught up with a client this week whom I hadn't seen in a long time.  She commented on how much she enjoyed reading this blog (from another continent!).  So I took the opportunity to ask what else would she like to see on it.  I was delighted with her feedback and it really inspired me.   I sometimes struggle to see the wood for the trees so this was a great light bulb moment.  I got to reconnect with my dream in life of coaching others!

  

So how can you find your "lightbulb moment" and make a change in the right direction?

There is something inside us that makes us feel "right that's it, I'm .............."!

This point is crucial and it's different for each of us.  For some it's hitting rock bottom, for others it's through inspiration from another source.   

Change can only happen when you know what you want; when you find what your dream or one love is.  There is much adage to the saying - "if you don't know where you are going, you will never get there".

So:

What gets you out of bed in the morning (and I don't mean an alarm clock or the fact that you HAVE to appear in at work)?  We all live for something or someone!

1.  Decide what you want or where you want to be (your passion, your love, your drive).

2.  Decide what it takes to get you there (relationships, money, time).

3.  How much responsibility are you willing to take in order to get this?

Once you have decided your overall passion/drive for life - now you can put the littler steps in place - the details.

And guess what? 

YOU get to chose how long it takes and what steps to take. The key to each little step is that it has to be achievable and realistic.  There is no point blowing yourself out the water on the first hurdle and making life so difficult it is miserable for you and those around you!  I read an article about there being no such thing as "falling off the wagon".  How true! we only live life; there is no perfection, so by allowing life to continue, it allows us to enjoy our amazing journey.

Then:

Reward yourself with something at the end of each small goal - a massage or a lunch/dinner out, nails done - something like this makes us feel good and also reinforces the belief that we are worth it!

Remember:

With having a main goal - we have a focus.

By rewarding ourselves - we reinvest in our happiness and worth.

By choosing to make positive change - you make a positive YOU.

  

Be responsible for your own health and happiness (as you are who it ultimately lies with).  

You cannot change others, however you can inspire them.  

Go for it (write it all down).  

Seek your dream and make your journey fun!

Sam xxx



How to warm up like a champion

A few weeks ago I explained to you why I think that it is so important to warm up before you start your workout.  Today I am going to clarify the type of thing that your warm up should consist of.

Broadly speaking, your warm up should take you about 5-10 minutes to complete and contain the following components:

Pulse raising exercises

Mobility exercises

Preparatory stretches

Why 5-10 minutes?

There are several factors that affect the exact length of time you need to warm up for, for example:

Temperature – In cold conditions a longer warm up will be necessary to suitable “warm the body up”.  The opposite is true in warmer conditions.

Intensity of the session – if the session is going to be very demanding and challenging more time should be spent in the warm up phase.

Ability levels – Sedentary individuals will require a longer and more gradual warm up.  Similarly, older adults, as well as ante and postnatal participants, will need a lengthier warm up phase.

So what exactly is a pulse raising exercise?

A pulse raising exercise is something that gradually elevates the heart rate and warms up the muscles of the body.  They should be of a low to moderate intensity, rhythmical, continuous and progressive in intensity.  For example, start with a walk (very little impact on joints), then progress into a light jog before adding in arm movements (like punches out to the front/side/above).

And mobility exercises?

Before any activity it is sensible to prepare the body’s major joints.  A ‘whole body’ approach uses warm up exercises that involve multiple joints, increasing the range of motion without loading them by using weights or impact.  Examples of such exercises are knee bends, ankle circles and trunk twists are.  Many of these exercises can be incorporated into a pulse raiser.

Do you really need to do Preparatory stretches?

Preparatory stretches prepare all the major muscle groups to be used in the proposed activity.  The aim is to prepare the muscles for exercise by taking them through their full range of motion.  We achieve this by doing dynamic stretches (stretches with movement which also help keep your heart rate elevated).

Dynamic stretches typically involve performing eight to twelve repetitions of controlled, full range movements.  They should only be carried out when your body temperature has been increased and all the major joints mobilised.  Dynamic stretches can prepare the muscles for the exact joint actions and muscle contractions performed in the exercise session by replicating some of the movement that will be used.  For example, concentrate on lower leg stretches before going running.

So there you go!!!

Aileen xxx

"MUM, I'm hungry!"

The school summer holidays are now in full swing for us mums.  I do love the holidays because firstly, the kids get the freedom to play (and weather permitting) remain in the great outdoors and secondly, also for my own selfish reasons, I get to cut back on my running around to various activities as well as the daily drop offs and pick ups.

There is also something I definitely notice hearing far more often in the holidays too (usually balled at 90 decibels).  

"MUM, I'm hungry!"

...followed by the fridge door being opened them slammed shut (because the food has not leapt out onto their hand ready to be eaten).

So what can we do about this?  

Mums, I suggest the following - let's nourish our kids to the max and reduce these hollers of hunger!

A little experiment for you:

Make a small selection of meats and veg and place on the table.  

Ask your children to choose what they would like to eat.  

Now stand back and watch what they are drawn to.  

My youngest loves his red meat and, if allowed, is also attracted to sugar - this is somewhat typical of a protein type.  My eldest son is not so much drawn to sugar.  Granted he is more aware of the nutritional benefits of food and his palate is a little more advance.  Generally he is drawn to a wide variety of foods, but on certain days he favours some foods over others.  He would be classed as a mixed or balanced type. 

So what am I proposing?

I think firstly we need to ensure we max out on a good breakfast (no surprise there).

I have recently invested in a nutri blender - another gadget to add to my already cluttered utility room - anyhow it seems to be of great use.

If my boys choose to have some organic yogurt and fruit for breakfast I have used the blender to add extra nourishment.  So far I have managed to disguise celery, avocado, some seeds and occasionally a little super green organic protein powder that is packed with plenty vitamins and minerals!  Another very good thing to add would be some fish oil - I recommend Eskimo Brain Shark for kids - incredibly good for their brain power and a good start to the day.

Today I made a snack bar for the kids, using a recipe from "Get the Glow" by Madeleine Shaw - seen below (along with some of my other recently acquired cook books from my mum).

It had a variety of nuts, seeds, dates, coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger and maple syrup, again blended altogether.  

Lunch

Seeing we don't often get heat waves for long periods of time I still aim for soup at lunchtime. If possible I try to make it contain meat too, either chicken or pea and ham.  If soup is not possible chicken legs, pate and oatcakes makes a great alternative!

Dinner

The best advice I could give you here is to try and encourage the children to help.  The holidays is a great time to start this (added bonus is it is an activity and helping you out) and you can really see what they would prefer to eat.

A favourite of mine to make is chicken goujons, the coating is chicken dipped in egg then some ground almond and parmesan and seasoned with salt and pepper. All topped off with a homemade tomato sauce (again a multitude of veg blended through it).  

Chicken and apple meat balls are another easy one as you just blend all of what you want together, then roll into little balls altogether and roast in the oven.  

What about snacks?

A firm favourite of mine is buckwheat crepes (can be a welcomed meal or snack).  The recipe for these can be found on our recipes page.  If I do these for breakfast I will make them sweet with some banana and agave or have them with scrambled egg and bacon.  

So, what I try and achieve at every meal and snack is that there is a healthy fat, some greens and some meat.  I don't overload on dairy and try as best I can to remove gluten. My kids don't get fizzy drinks and are limited on fruit juice, which I water down to reduce the sugar hit! They are greatly encouraged and are very good at drinking water now.  I think by adopting a very strict policy of water they now know when they need to take it.  This alone is worth persevering with over the holidays as often when people think they are hungry all they actually need is better hydration. 

I would love to know how it all goes for you and am happy to help suggest more ways to "sneak the goodness" in.

Happy holidays and hopefully the hunger shouts are not so often!

Sam x



Do you really need to warm up before exercising?

The cavemen didn’t warm up before hunting so why should we do so before exercising?  Well, the cavemen lived in a time of constant “fight or flight” so when the time came for them to perform they had a little help from a certain hormone called Adrenalin!

Thankfully we now live in slightly more stable times and have spent many years of scientific research looking in to how to we can perform better.

I know it is easy to ditch the warm up especially if you are short of time (hello, I’m a busy mum) or are exercising alone but there are many benefits of spending just 5-10 minutes preparing your body!

Here are my top ten:

1.  A gradual warm up will steadily prepare your heart for an increase in activity, helping you avoid a rapid increase in blood pressure.

2.  It increases the blood flow to your working muscles, better preparing them for the additional workload to come (and literally warms them up!).

3.  Done gradually it helps prevent you from getting out of breath too early or too easily as it increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients required by your muscles. (This is why without a good warm up the first 10 minutes of a run are normally the hardest!).

4.  It stimulates the production of lubrication (synovial fluid) required by your joints for easier (and less painful) movement.

5.  It reduces the risk of soft tissue (ligament, tendon and muscle) injuries by allowing your muscles and joints to move through a greater range of motion easily (and safely).

6.  It increases your neurological (nerve-to-muscle) pathways, which can improve your co-ordination and the quality of your workout.

7.  It allows you to practice/rehearse the moves you are about to perform during your workout (i.e there is no point doing lots of upper body exercises during a warm up if you are about to do a lower body workout).

8.  It causes an increase in blood temperature, which can allow you to work out longer or harder.

9.  It prompts hormonal changes in the body responsible for regulating energy production.

And finally!

10.  It helps mentally prepare you for the exercise ahead, giving you a few minutes to get "in the zone" for a great workout! 

Hope that helps convince you!  In my next post I will go into more detail about what a good warm up actually consists of!

Until then.

Aileen xxx

The Secret To Not Being FAT!

What a heading! 

The secret can be answered in the first sentence of this article - just love the way you are!

"REALLY!" I here you shout in your own head! It is as simple and as complicated as this.  That little nagging voice in your head nipping away at you each day (possibly all day) of how awful you look, how fat that looks, how unfit you feel, how disgusting it all is. 

Here's a question - would you speak to your best friend the way you speak to yourself? I'm hazarding a guess at "no" as you would quickly run out of friends.

If I woke up every morning, weighed myself and announced it on Facebook to allow people to judge me by my weight, the number on the scales, is that a true reflection of what I mean to my friends and family? NO! so why subject yourself to the torture of that number? 

I used to be that person; valuing myself with the figures on the scales and casting opinion of what other people must be thinking of me as a personal trainer and metabolic typing advisor.  I believed people must be looking at me teaching my Kettlebell class thinking "they must see I have put on weight"! The SHAME started creeping in as I should know better.  Why this SHAME? Because society/media has bred into us what we should be! What the "ideal weight" looks like as well as clubs that reward us on our weight, when it should be our health.

As a massage therapist, I am privileged to have people come to see me and feel confident enough to allow me to massage them.  For some this is a huge hurdle to remove any clothing.  I may also add I smile when my clients profusely apologies for not having shaved or have matching underwear on! The reason they do this, because they judge themselves so much that they believe that everyone else will too.  My job is never to judge or expect, just to observe and accept.  Everybody I meet I believe has an amazing body - but they do not see that because they fail to love themselves enough to honour the body they do have.  Perfection does not exist.  If this is what you strive for I wish you luck as you will never reach it and you have missed the wonderful journey of life there is to experience and all these amazing people around you. 

So what did I do?  I took a piece of my own advice and started to appreciate the person I was and not the number that those bloody scales said.  There are many things in life I know I am not very good at, equally there are many things in life I am good at.  I accept we have people who judge and pass comment, that is their entitlement and to a certain extent - their own insecurities.  So Be Brave, Be Bold, Love Life and Love You.  You will find you live in a much happier contented place.

I sleep well, I exercise well, I look well (with the exception of the occasional disrupted nights sleep with the little people). I have great vitality and I may add, according to guidelines, I'm over weight!!! Life is very good and it's for living.

Please remember

"Comparison is the thief of Joy"

You are unique, embrace it. 

To health and happiness.

Sam x