Your Journey is different!

The struggle is real. When I started blogging I was all pumped up and excited about my weight loss journey. I thought by now I'd have hundreds of articles to share with everyone and a lot of before and after pictures but almost 2 years later I'm singing a different story, not quite there yet! I'm not where I used to  be and I'm certainly not where I'd like to be. This however doesn't mean I have given up completely.

There's a saying that goes something like when you fall down, get back on your feet and keep moving which is what I always do particularly on my weight loss journey.
 It's so easy to get discouraged particularly in this day and age when you see the fitness bunnies on Social media looking super perfect. Everyone has become a fitness guru and dietician all in a day! While there are some really inspirational stories of people that have put in a lot of hard work into getting and staying in shape It's always key to remember that you can use others as inspiration but never compare your weight loss and fitness journey to anyone else otherwise you will get a hernia in the process. Remember you could be comparing someone's end to your beginning.

Consistency and discipline are key to achieving the goal weight and size. Remember Rome was not built in a day 😃 keep pushing till it becomes a habit. As long as you are headed in the right direction, the speed shouldn't matter.

In need of some much needed inspiration, I have been fortunate enough to enlist the help of a personal trainer. This has worked wonders for me. It's the toughest thing to wake up super early in winter, specially when it's 3 degrees to go to the gym and also to cut out the comfort winter food but there's nothing that beats the pumped up feeling after finishing a training session 😃 and off course see the kilo's drop!!

Spring has sprung and it's good to be back and this time I'm almost certain I won't have another black out

Juicy!

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to write another blog post! Seems my blog posts come once in a blue moon, none the less I am back! This health thing is some other kind of interesting! Each day I hear of different ways people can improve their health and thus maintain a healthy lifestyle. Seeing that it’s been winter in the Southern Hemisphere, the focus has been more on the nutritional side rather than the fitness aspect of my weight-loss journey. Thank Goodness spring is upon us!

Papa J and I recently took up a 30 day green smoothie challenge and somewhere along the way, my 30 day smoothie challenge became a juicing challenge after I discovered juicing and the numerous benefits of juicing and I tasted a great green juice from Nu Health Cafe. Needless to say I have been juicing since then.

The results of juicing have been great thus far. Apart from the clearer skin and feeling lighter, I managed to knock off a good 3kgs. Perhaps it’s all in the head but I am sure that the scales don’t lie J. It’s important to note that the juicing has not been a meal replacement but was used simply as a detox to cleanse the system. Others do take juices as meal replacements, for fast weight loss and no doubt that works but always proceed with caution as juicing will not provide you with the fibres you need and other sources of food are then required. I love my food so I opted to eat balanced meals in between. You will find out that the more you juice the less likely you will eat large portions and junk food as the body gets most of the nutrients from the juice.

Everything comes at a price so does juicing! When I started juicing I would drive by Nu Health Café each morning and order my favourite juice, but of course that wasn't feasible in the long run as I found myself racking up a bill of just over R1000 in one month from buying juices. As an accountant one would think I would know better! Anyhow I put my thinking cap on and ended up buying a juicer. Best decision ever. It takes all of one minute of throwing everything into the juicer and getting my large cup of juice. The best part is that juicers are affordable. An entry level juicer would set one back anything from R300 while the top of the range juicers cost anything over R3000. If you are like me the basic juicer will work and costs around R600. Always shop around till you find out what you need.

The best thing about juicing is that there are so many different recipes out there that one can try out so it’s not always the same thing each day. If you have veggies or fruit lying around in the kitchen and you don’t know what to do with them you can throw those all in and make a signature juiceJ. Check out  http://omegavrt350hd.org/juicing-recipes/ for some great juice recipes! Happy juicing!!

  

My Two Oceans Half Marathon Journey!

Earlier this year I decided that I would try by all means to do something different at least once each month. I came across a friend’s Instagram post about the Two Oceans Marathon and thought I would challenge myself and register for the race, it was early January at the time and I figured that I would have enough time to prepare myself as I already had been training from the previous year. At the time of registering, the race was already full so I decided to give it a miss but none the less continued with my regular training.

I was super excited at the end of January when I got an email telling me that due to some cancellations I had managed to move up the list and now I had a spot! I was super excited as I knew things had just got real and I had to be fully prepared for this. I had always been running 10 kilometer races but I had never in my life completed a half marathon so this would definitely be a first.

In hindsight I realised that I required way much more preparation for this half marathon than I actually had put in. My training consisted of 5km runs during the week and the weekends usually 10km runs with the ladies in our running club. I also made sure that I also studied the route that we would run for the half marathon so that I trained appropriately. Thankfully, the management of the Two Oceans is super organised so once my registration was complete I would receive weekly health tips advising on what to do and what not to do before a marathon or half marathon, I was super impressed!

At some point in February as my work load increased, I found myself doubting I would be able to do the race as I was unable to put in the required time. To add onto that, I had an earlier knee injury which had not quite healed but was almost there or so I thought. Fortunately, I have colleagues that have run several marathons, one of note was Veli, who has taken part in The Two Oceans Ultra, Berlin, New York and Boston marathons, he was key in keeping me motivated to go forward with this race such that the day I made the purchase for the ticket to Cape town it was him that talked me out of the nervousness and was standing by as I clicked on the buy ticket icon! From that point I knew it was real and it was happening and I was going to go and run the Two Oceans Half Marathon!

The days turned into weeks and before I knew it , it was the week of the race. There was so much going on and again I considered pulling out, thanks to additional encouragement, I made it onto the plane. I was as ready as I possibly could, I had my running gear, running gels and everything else and most importantly I was on that plane!

There was so much excitement on the trip to Cape Town as a lot of people were travelling for the race. I felt proud of myself that I had made it this far but the bigger challenge lay ahead of me. I calculated what my average speed had been from practice and roughly how long it would take me to finish the race. My average per kilometer was 7.5-8km per hour and I figured I would make it in the 3 hours 10 minutes given to complete the race so I lay my fears to rest. I had looked at the map to see where the inclines were so that I knew at what stage I would need to slow down or add the speed, I had it all figured out in my head, I was good to go.

The morning of the race arrived, I was nervous! But remembered in my mind the quote that says It’s not the finish line that matters it’s having the courage to start that matters, at least that kept me going!

I went to pick up my running buddy Pam and we set out on our way. We made it smoothly to the start of the race. The energy and buzz was just awesome, as the start gun went off for the half marathon, the DJ cranked up Katy Perry’s Roar. In my mind I was glad that I had had the courage to come through and I was finally doing this!

And so the race had begun! It was early in the morning at 6.10 am, but at least the weather was kind and it was not cold or too hot. We paced ourselves so as not to run out of energy. The best way to tackle a half marathon is to tackle it in bits. From the maps, we knew where the tough spots were and we knew where the key markers were, so the key was to at least target to get to each marker and set the next target as the next marker or incline.

Main Road

This was the first part of the run, though mostly flat, the traffic was a bit slow as people were still kind of excited, people walked a bit, this was the warm up stage, I kept going back to my morning run where it always takes up to 2km’s to fully warm up and start running.

Edinburgh Drive

We made it from Main road and the uphill started and that’s when the chit chat stopped from most of the runners, it was becoming serious at this point, again we paced ourselves, did a run walk and capitalised on the downhill along the 5-6km mark. From this point it was fairly flat. It was a smooth run into Constantia and through Parish Road.

Southern Cross Drive

If ever there is a tough part to the half marathon it is at this point that the casualties begin. This is by far the toughest stretch all uphill for at least a 5km stretch. This uphill stretch starts from the 11km mark and peaks just after the 15km mark, my aim was to get to this point and so the toughest strip began. It is at this point where you do not hear people talking apart from the spectators that keep you going and cheer you on. This is purely a mental game, one has to be mentally strong to get through this part as the fatigue also kicks in quicker because its uphill. I decided to pace myself and for a greater part this was a fast walk and not run for me. I realised that while my training had included inclines, it had never included inclines stretching as far out as this but I had come this far and was going to do this. After such a long struggle with feet stinging I made it to the top of the hill! My strength was depleted but I had to press on. At this point my battery had run flat and I had no idea as to how much time I had left but the aim was to get to the 18km mark before the cut-off as I knew I could finish from 18km.

Rhodes Drive

Just after the 16km mark going downhill, I stumbled and landed on my knee, I was in the most excruciating pain. The spectators encouraged me to continue going and I limped on for a bit and my mind gave up, I couldn’t go on. I had done my bit. At this point I was 2 hours 16 minutes and 8 seconds onto the race and I had just about another hour to finish the race. 

In hindsight I do wonder that if I had pushed would I have made it but at the same time I look back and I am proud of myself that I made it that far into the race. This experience taught me to endure, and to try. I left Cape Town with a medal but one thing is for certain I will definitely be back in the next round! The fact that I made it that far into the race gives me the determination that next time round I will finish. I will be going in much more prepared this time round and I will definitely be bringing home my medal to show it!

#100Happy days - Thought Diaries

I have come to the realisation that I suffer from FOMO….Fear Of Missing Out, or maybe I am just a liker of things, I choose the latter. Being the social networker that I am, I recently came across the hashtag #100Happydays and being the curious one I decided to find out what it was all about.

I soon discovered that it was basically a photo journal (on Instagram) for a hundred days showing what makes you happy or what keeps you going on a daily basis. I even discovered that there is website dedicated to this #100happy days phenomena http://100happydays.com/  I guess in my mind I’m like better this than the Nek Nominations that did the rounds the other month.

Going through the hashtag goes to show how much we as human beings seek happiness, through other people, through things and through life experiences. The ultimate goal is to be happy and stay happy but is this really possible in the world we live in? I started this challenge a couple of days ago and I must say it is a challenge indeed to be happy all day with so many daily pressures.

What is this hashtag teaching me? (yes, there’s a lesson to everything, well that’s what I think anyway…). Despite all that happens in a day there will always be at least one thing in a day that makes a person smile and have at least one happy moment and for that one moment we need to be grateful.

In today’s fast paced world, it is so easy to overlook the little things that keep us happy. Many times we are not grateful for the basics that we have and we are constantly looking out for more other than appreciating what is there, call it human nature if you like. We even need a hashtag to prove we can be happy for so long…..

So, what is my point…be grateful on a daily basis because there always will be something to be grateful for, be happy in the moment, live in the now and appreciate each day with its joys and challenges, for tomorrow is not always guaranteed J

 

Mind Games

“You are today where your thoughts have brought you;

you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.”

― James Allen

I am of the firm belief of that quote above. Just as the saying goes, you are what you eat, you are what you think. Such a coincidence that I was talking about my love for all things African in an earlier blog post…….The Universe as it seems was conspiring to send me out to discover the African continent. My line of work as it seems, has allowed me to start discovering Africa, more so doing business in Africa. On a recent trip, I found myself in the city of Lusaka in Zambia. I found myself in awe of the level of development that has taken place in our beloved neighbour. Long gone are the days of the notorious hyperinflation that once plagued this nation. Instead, there is a steady flow of investments and things are generally moving upwards for this great nation. I was truly humbled by the warmth and the level of respect I received from the warm, beautiful people of Zambia. My point being…I spoke about and thought about my appreciation for all things African and now this opportunity of seeing the continent seems to be falling into my lap…….

The same line of thought can apply to anything you want to achieve…If you think about it and put your mind to it, it can happen, even Lupita Nyongo can attest to that with her Oscar! So going back to the fitness journey, February was a really tough fitness journey month in the sense that I hardly had time to put as much effort  into it as I thought I would. I didn’t make my running challenge or 50% of my classes, the truth is I could have made the time but I didn’t why?….because the mind was not in it, instead I chose to chill instead and wish myself fit….but alas that doesn’t work. To get anything done or put a plan together, one needs to have a positive frame of mind and positive thoughts, which alone can do wonders (Please note that ‘thinking’ with no action = zero result or worse result).

For the month of March, I have decided to channel my energy into positive thoughts with regards to my fitness journey and practice the discipline I need to get me where I need to go and of course do more as that will ultimately change my tomorrow. My message to you (without sounding or trying to sound like a self- help guru)……think and do positive thoughts and actions today as that will most likely shape your future, practice discipline when you have set out to do something so that you can achieve this particularly if you are on a continuous fitness journey like meJ  (Insanity work out…..I see you!!!!)

Fabulous Feb!

It’s Fabulous February this month! Super excited as it is my birthday month and it is the month of love! So far so good, my fitness resolutions are going according to plan, and the fitness plan has started with a bang in Feb. Special shout out to Papa J for completing his first Warrior race challenge on the first of Feb. 18 kilometres of the very tough black ops challenge! Well done Papa J! #Superproud! I am certain that I probably would not have lasted through all those challenges….one day is one day!

 

January saw me commencing with my new training programme at Dream Body Fitness, it had been a while since I had been there. I started my detox week mid - January and had to do my 7 days of no carbs, no dairy and no sugar! That was tough but managed to detox and came out 2kgs lighter. The purpose though of the detox is exactly that, to clear out the system and start getting the fat burning process going. I survived a whole week of veggie eating and meat eating and egg eating and I must say it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be but I sure am glad that I am on phase 2 of the plan which still is sugar free but allows me to have fruit, carbs and dairy and also has 2 days of nutritional holidays during the week.

 

For the month of February I have decided to challenge myself and do more as the saying goes ‘if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you”.

 

 Last month I had a 50km running challenge which I managed to complete by mid- January so this month I have opted to increase the running challenge to at least 60km and be consist in my gym work outs with no excuses given (Thanks to Papa J I know that certain fitness levels are possible if you keep your mind to it). This is a tough one as I am fully back at work and there are always too few hours in a day to do all the things I would like to. That said, I will continue pressing on….that’s always the key thing with any fitness journey to keep at it despite the challenges.

Being a working mom and fitting in a fitness regime is a challenge I can attest to, but I have learnt to always make a plan and I hope that you do too despite the everyday job and home life that also need attention. What will you do differently this month to improve your fitness levels??? Wishing all the yummy mummies out there a Fabulous Feb!

 

Embracing all things Africa – My random thoughts

There is a saying that says for you to be old and wise you need to have been young and stupid first. If I could write a letter to my younger self the first thing I would probably say is embrace your Africaness and enjoy the beauty that is Africa and most importantly Zimbabwe (for me). For the first time in a very long time, I have come to treasure all things African. Perhaps it is because I am getting older and the priorities of what I value seem to have shifted or perhaps it’s a phase of all things African that I am going through.

Back then in my teenage years, most of us embraced all things from the UK and the States (the West) as the IT culture and as such neglected to look at the beauty of what was our own. More specifically, as Zimbabwe went into economic decline, the populace seemed to lose its identity more with people always looking for hope to beyond the Zimbabwean borders and as such many of us never placed or treasured our country, ok well I speak for myself…..

 

So many years on from my teenage years, I have a different view point of the African continent and all things African. Despite the economic hardships most African countries face due to lack of good governance there is a brighter side to the Continent. Africa is filled with talented and warm people. We have a continent rich in resources, while not properly used for the benefit of the populace we have them all the same. Africa is home to many areas with breath-taking views, my favourite being Nyanga in Zimbabwe, the Western Cape in South Africa and of course Zanzibar. The list is endless and I could go on.

 

Over a decade ago having hair cornrowed or braided in a particular manner was not so cool, instead, weaves were flying high supreme as they had just come in. One would not even have imagined that young girls or guys would wear anything with African print and consider it fashionable. For me wearing anything with an African print design was probably wearing the long “Zambia’s or Chitenge’s” worn by the older women or our grandmothers for big family gatherings or for being in the rural areas and that is where it ended. Again, there was not much appreciation for local music in Zimbabwe or Africa as a whole as people seemed to embrace all the latest music that came out of the states as being the coolest sound ever. Again speaking the vernacular was not so popular in certain areas as everyone was expected to fluently speak the queens language, as a result we never paid attention to African Literature but instead our focus was on English literature, not that it was bad but I see now that our focus was always getting languages and other cultures right while we neglected our own and never took pride in it.

Today, all the above is different thanks to a generation that decided that we needed to showcase our identity and culture. This generation is one that spent its childhood in Africa and then early adulthood overseas and had embraced foreign culture then realised they had to set themselves apart wherever they were so that people could see they were from Africa. This is the generation that would order the latest music from their countries and would cook the meals that reminded them of home so that they wouldn’t get so homesick and in the process revived African culture in the countries they most likely call home now.

From the early 2000’s local African music has become popular among the ‘youth’ of most African countries wherever they are in the world, people are proud to play loudly the local music and dance to the local dances that go with the tunes. Even international artists now sample music from African artists for example Beyonce sampling a TED talk by Chimamanda Adichie and sampling dance moves from Africa and even incorporating samples from African musicians such as Fela Kuti for good measure in her tracks.

Today, African fashion is showcased in all the fashion capitals of the world with the African print or Ankara designed dresses being showcased. We have designers such as Mucha, Doreen Mashika and David Tlale showcasing showstoppers in African print. Young women flaunt their designer African print dresses while young men wear their African print suits with such confidence and pride and all sorts of accessories that go with it. African women are proud to flaunt their African hair and have all sorts of fabulous hair designs and the hashtag #teamnoweave and #teamnatural have become a common one on social media. We now even use our very own African produced beauty products and export these, for example the famous West African Black soap more specifically the Dudu Osun black soap that is quite big in the US as well. African food now also features as African cuisine on world menu’s with people all over the world trying out and enjoying ‘African food’.

People are proud to speak their local languages and in fact encourage others and the younger generation to speak their local languages. African Literature has never been more appreciated than it is now with people from many parts reading books from Africa’s finest writers such as the late Chinua Achebe, Yvonne Vera, Ngugi Wa Thiongo from the old schools and young writers such as Petina Gappah, Angela Makholwa, Chimamanda Adichie and many others.

 

 

So what’s changed from the 1990’s to now? “You cannot be what nature did not intend you to be, the struggles of life come from trying to be something other than you” – and Africans have realised this. Apart from Globalisation and Africans being global citizens, Africans are learning to support each other on a social level and on a business level and take pride in their rich cultures, and have learned to embrace their uniqueness. I for one, have done just that and love it (took me too long though). Other than the big names of Africa, we also have the smaller people that at times go unnoticed that however do their bit to showcase the talent that we have on this beautiful continent.

Despite all the tough times that Africa has gone through and continues to go through, I can safely say I love my country and continent and embrace all things Zimbabwean as I am Zimbo first then all things African. I hope that more and more African people see the richness in culture that we as Africans possess and embrace and appreciate it and use this to further develop our countries and continent. Lets now wait for other people other than Africans to show us the richness that we possess but let us discover and develop this richness on our ownJ

 

 

 

 

New Year, New Thangs!

Happy New Year! Something about a New Year that brings about new goals and new plans all in the form of new year’s resolutions. As usual, one of my resolutions is always to keep fit and do better from a fitness perspective than the previous year. As a result of my knee injury I wasn’t so enthusiastic about gyming or doing my normal runs as yet although I had gone through my recovery period. I was reluctant to start any form of exercise until l came across an interesting status update on a friend’s Facebook page and I had some motivation to get moving. In a nutshell, Nigel couldn’t have said it better. He said “In life you have to show up for ish. SHOW UP and let God. Action pays not wishing. Stop waiting”.

Here I was wishing that I’d love to have a well-toned up body and fit into one of my older LBD’s in a smaller size, but there is no way that can happen if there is no action or showing up to my gym sessions. Action in the form of eating right and exercising and showing up in the form of physically going to the gym or starting a run. I decided that I’d start my fitness plan the very next day despite the day being a Saturday. I decided that the longer I’d take to start, the more excuses I would come up with. I managed to get a knee guard thanks to Papa J and on the 4^th day of the First month in the year two thousand and fourteen I got back into the fitness gameJ

The run went better than expected, it was an early morning run before the sun was up and I had Beyoncé playing on my playlist #Flawless.  From the moment I took my first step I didn’t stop, my run was awesome! I managed a 10km run in just about an hour which was my personal best. I am hoping to maintain this level going forward. This wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t take any action to start. Nigel’s life lesson can be applied to basically anything in life, if you sit and wish and take no action nothing will happen, life is all about getting out of your comfort zone and trying out new things…..taking action.

 

With the above in mind, the diet plan in our household has been adjusted…..not a single bit of junk food in our house (Sorry People). This in the hope of curbing the unhealthy snacks we sometimes tend to have. We’ve substituted the junk with fruits and vegetables and from the looks of things the Foodlovers market will be our favourite spot soon. Our household is quite the sporty one so eating right is important to us……particularly our new trail athletes in the form of Papa J and his team.

 

As we get into the New Year I certainly hope that we all keep the positive attitude we have and work towards the resolutions we’ve all made and take action to make things happen. 2014, let’s do this!!!

Tis the season to be jolly!

It’s been a very long time since I've blogged, I never would have imagined that the last three months of the year would be as hectic as it was. It was filled with long working nights, out of town trips and with that my gym regime and eating plan almost certainly went out the window! The 13th of December saw my work year come to an end! Phew!

I now get to take it easy and sleep-in in the mornings and catch up with family and friends and of course enjoy the silly season!  For many of us the festive season is filled with good food, good friends, and good company and of course the good summer cocktails and the ever flowing champagne! This is usually the time when eating plans and exercise fall out the wayside because of the carefree air that exists around. I myself have already been party to such and have even got myself a popped knee while enjoying the festive season. My quick weekend visit to the Dr had the Dr shaking his head and exclaiming the silly season has begun and silly indeed I did feel but nonetheless good times were had on that particular occasion.

 

 

It’s almost impossible to stick to a good eating plan due to the nature of the treats that are always out there, however this is also the time where we also have the opportunity to take time and cook a good healthy meal as well. so how does one beat that festive bulge then....it’s simple, eating clean and ensuring one doesn’t overdue the copious amounts of ever flowing alcohol that’s usually available.

Here are a few tips from Mama J to try and beat that bulge:

1. Keep active, this is the perfect time to catch up on that spring cleaning, gardening and take those long morning strolls or even runs in the morning without worrying about the time.

2. Always keep hydrated by drinking lots of water. If you are in the southern hemisphere and it gets as hot as it does, hydrating is the best way to keep you going and most likely prevents you from having unsavoury treats as well. There's always means and ways of making your water look interesting...adding lemon, cherries or berries will add that pop of colour as I love doing.

 

 

3. If you like to indulge in some alcoholic beverages, try and stick to the recommended limits for both men and women, in addition to that always ensure that you do not eat on an empty stomach as that always leaves one with the munchies once you have a drink or two, try to always line your stomach so that you are not only filling it with booze. Sticking to the limit and eating before indulging is almost the best way to not get a hangover ;-)

4. While this one may prove tough, always aim to eat clean, eat loads of vegetables and fruits and avoid overeating when it comes to the all too lovely cupcakes, cakes, biscuits, chocolates and all the other treats out there.

5. Try also to keep to the natural organic stuff rather the eating up the refined foods which most likely have a lot of preservatives. If you are lucky to be me and have the opportunity to eat fresh fruit, vegetables and organic meat like me, then always grab that opportunity as such foods are always high in nutrients.

I do believe that sticking to the above will keep anyone trying to lose weight or trying to maintain a healthy weight in the right direction during the festive season! Enjoy but don't overdo it, after all tis the season to be jolly indeed!!!

We Run This Town!

When the year started off, I never could have imagined myself becoming an avid runner, but I shocked myself with my very first run and I’ve been running since then. There’s something about running that is just so addictive, it’s always a challenge to prove to myself I can go further each time and with each record I break I feel great and liberated.

When I found out about the Nike We Run Jozi 10km race the entry into this competition had closed. I was excited when I saw an email in my inbox from Vitality letting me know that I could win possible entry into the race if I ran 5km and uploaded the run via Nike plus. That weekend I set out on a 5km run that ended as a 8.70km run with the local running club. The following Monday afternoon I squealed with excitement as I got an email confirming that I had qualified to get a special entry via Vitality to get into the race and I managed to get my sister in as well which made it even more exciting.

The week would now be filled with preparations for the race! Unfortunately, I never managed to get all the training time I would have wanted but nonetheless I was determined to do this. This would be my first official 10km night run in the City and I was in it to finish it!

 

Race day came Saturday 12 October 2013. I was super excited so was my sister, we geared up early so that we could get to the race on time. Just getting into the running shirt which was personalised with our names was just amazing, the reality that we would actually do that run sunk in and a certain level of nervousness set in, but that was not to be a deterrent!

When we arrived at the venue, the atmosphere was amazing, the vibe, the levels of excitement among the runners was just electric! Everyone there was super excited to be taking part in the biggest night race in the country and there was a sense of pride knowing that we would be the one in ten thousand people moving the inner city of Johannesburg CBD.

We all got into the line to start the race, there were thousands of people but we managed to worm our way through the crowds and get closer to the front. The race began and it was amazing! There was a huge, beautiful fireworks display which made it all even more exciting. We decided to pace ourselves so that we wouldn’t run out of energy.

 

After the first two kilometres I felt side pains, that was the first hurdle and I decided that I would continue going no matter what came my way, I walked and jogged a bit and it seemed to get better, at this point my dear sister was cruising way ahead and I let her go ahead as she would be my personal marker.

The race took us from the M1 south past Mooi street and into Joe Slovo into the notorious Hillbrow area of Johannesburg CBD. Hillbrow is known for its high levels of crime, and for being home to many immigrants that start off in the country when they first arrive, it’s by no means the ‘burbs’ that a lot of us are used to. The buildings are once glorious but now run down, there’s a lot of street art in the form of graffiti, and it is home to one many drug lords and gangs, I could go on about Hillbrow but one thing that struck me about the place was the people. I never would have imagined setting foot in Hillbrow but I did because of the run. Hillbrow was alive with its entire people screaming and cheering the runners on. There was loud music blurring from all corners and there was even a water point within the inner city location. The people of Hillbrow had welcomed us and when many of the participants felt like giving up, they cheered us on.

On the last leg of the race, I felt like giving up but I was determined to do this. As I approached the Nelson Mandela Bridge which was beautifully coloured I knew we would be getting to the finish line and I had to press on. I like many people around me was super exhausted but it was the last final stretch and although I was not in it to win it I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. As I saw the finish line and the timer on the side, I began to run with all the little ounce of energy I had left within me! I had done it and was super proud of myself! I got through the finish line at exactly 1 hour 30 minutes……not bad for a novice runner and first time night race!

Everyone was relieved that they had done it and completed the race without a hitch! I for one was glad it was done, I could relax and my then my nerves had calmed down. I managed to locate my sister who had managed to clock in 15 minutes before me doing a total run of 1hour and 15 minutes. Impressive. As the night came to an end, I could happily say that we came, we ran and we conquered! We had moved the city of Jozi and we had run this town! Next 10km race….I see you J

 

 

Turning Flab to Fab

Turning flab to fab is not the easiest thing to do, it takes a lot of effort and a massive lifestyle change. I have seen two friends transform over a period of years versus the quick weight loss we see on celebrities which usually takes a couple of weeks to shed off using unconventional methods amoung other things the maple syrup diet.

 

Just the other day I was driving home and Juicy J's Bounce track came up and I was thinking just how funny it is that flab can be viewed differently, on one end having flabby bits can be interpreted as a sign of good health in certain cultures showing that the people eat well and are well taken care of while in certain hip hop and rap culture having flabby bits comes in handy for those that entertain via twerking.

 

On a real note body flab is actually telling you something about your lifestyle or maybe an indicator of potential health conditions that may affect one later on in life. While I am not a medical doctor or qualified registered phyisician I came accross an interesting article in the Women's Health magazine that helped me realise some potential dangers of having certain types of flab on one's body. I have quickly listed these below and potential causes in the hope that it brings a certain level of awareness regarding body bits and things.

 

1. Chubby Cheeks, also known as the moon face are usually caused by by drinking too much alcohol and experiancing a high amount of stress. I love my chubby cheeks, infact i think they have always been like this so I hope you like me do not have to worry too much about this one. But if you work in a stressful environment, you might need to look at ways of reducing your stress levels to prevent them chubby cheeks or if you drink, you would certainly need to cut down or cut out the booze!

 

2. Flabby arms, sometimes referred to as bingo wings, these are most likely caused by toxins and not lifting up things enough.

 

3. The stubborn boep (tummy). This is most likely caused by high stress levels, hormonal issues or simply eating badly. Its important to note that tummy fat is probably the most dangerous type of flab to have as these fat cells are more active and secrete hormones which cause insulin resistance and can in time cause diabetes.

 

4. Love handles which are commonly called muffin tops. The most likely causes are too much sugar and excess oestrogen.

 

So what can most people do to turn the flab into fab???? Exercise and keep active as this reduces stress levels and kicks in the happy hormones. Cut out the alcohol or reduce the intake of alcohol to ensure your proper health (hic hic, a bit of a tough one i know). Cut out the sugary treats......well i guess you can have some sugary treats once in a while but generally cutting out sugar makes a huge difference when it comes to cutting out the flab. and most importantly eat clean. I believe eating clean has been a running theme in my blog posts in the last month and I cannot stress how important this is. There are certain foods that act as catalysts to help to fight the flab shown below.

 

 

 So next time you hear Juicy J's Bounce or anyother song telling you to shake what your momma gave you, think long and hard if those bits you are shaking maybe a hazard to your health or not and if so make a plan to turn that flab into fab!!

 

 

 

Week 2 - Dream Body Fitness

I used to think I knew my stuff when it came to gyming properly but boy was I wrong. I started week 2 of my training for the Dream Body Fitness program with a 30 minute training session every alternate day, I eagerly received the training program which I thought was way too simple as it was something I was used to doing. It turns out I wasn't quite doing those push-ups, squats and crunches quite right. After the first session with the fitness Marshall I was aching all over! I remembered my similar experience a couple of months back with Gerald one of the personal trainers at Virgin, this was just as bad!

I however managed to gel into the program in that week and it has become easier thanks to the help from the fitness coaches that are always assisting from the moment you walk in to the time you complete your work out. With week 2 came a new eating plan...whoop whoop, I am now able to eat fruit but certain fruits so long as these are not high in sugar and finally I can at least have some carbs in the morning and have nutritional holidays on 2 days of the week.

Its amazing how I have become so aware of what certain foods can do to my weight just by going through phase 1 of the eating plan, in week 1 alone I lost 3.5kg just by cutting out sugar and carbs. In week 2 I have also managed to lose some fat but at the same time I have gained muscle which I am told is a good thing........I on the other hand could only picture myself with massive muscle and freaked out when the fitness coach assured me I would not look like a body builder!

Week two also had some challenges as there was a public holiday, more specifically braai day in between.....you all know a braai ain't a braai without some meat, potato salad, rolls and some good old traditional sadza! I couldn't help but help myself to a little. With the guilt of munching down I eventually managed to stick to my program and maintained the clean eating for the rest of that week.

I am happy to report that I am still going strong with my salad or veggie eating even now as I am in week 3. I am starting to see the result of 'clean eating'!

Its not easy cutting out the food we love such as the sweet treats but clean eating will definitely give you the result that you want. as hard as it is it always pays of but most importantly it requires a lot of discipline! I walked into a bakery this afternoon for my lunch break full of treats.

I am happy to say that I didn't go buck wild and order a storm and munch the treats down. I am soldiering on on this very tough journey but I can't wait to see the result weeks from now:)

Dream Bodies come with a lot of work.....(I know this)!

So spring has definitely sprung! the weather is good with the occasional bout of cloudy skies and the expected summer rain but all is well.

 

About two weeks ago I was on my way to work and my attention was drawn to this really large trailer advertisement on the side of the road that had a buff looking character who I have come to know as Steve. This advertisement was for Dream Body Fitness and promised to give good results when it came to weight loss. Out of curiosity I took the number down and immediately gave them a call as I wanted to see what it was all about. I had reached a plateau with my weight remaining constant without a change so I wanted to try out something new with the season change.

 

 

That afternoon I went in for an assessment. This place is totally awesome and I went onto this body machine that calculated my weight, muscle/fat ratio and a whole load of other things I had no clue on, but was super impressed coz I had not seen anything like it anywhere else, I was already excited. Due to my FOMO I decided to sign-up for the program and see what it was all about.

 

I was excited to hear that the first week was purely all eating and no exercise.......until I realised that it wasn't as easy at it seemed. I got a phase 1 eating plan and a clear instruction not to exercise as my energy levels would be low. The best thing they have in collaboration with the centre is a nutrition section where the meals will be prepared for you for the whole week and you pick what choice you want to follow (How easy can this be). I ordered my meals for the following week and ate all the 'unhealthy' things that weekend as I knew it would be a tough road from Monday. 

Monday came and I was ready for the detox, the target for that week was 3kgs. The eating plan was quite simple and I told myself I had to do this. Monday started off well, with slight irritability as I was kind of still hungry after I ate the lunch. I drank lots of water and by Tuesday I was settling into this eating plan. You never realise what an impact certain foods have on your weight until you stop eating them. The eating plan for phase 1 excluded carbs, sugar anything fizzy and dairy products which of course for me were my daily favourites so it was tough, but on day two my weight had dropped by 800 grams and by day three I had lost 1,5kg! I hadn't seen this kind of change for a very long time.

 

Day four came without any hiccups and went and then on day 5 I kind of cracked, my energy levels were really low and I was feeling weak so I ordered an energy drink - full of sugar bad mistake! I didn't think it would make a difference but as my weigh in today showed it did. That very same evening of Day 5 I indulged in a double Southern Comfort and lemonade.......another wrong move. I topped that up with water and well hoped that it would not make a difference. On day 6 My weight had gone down to 3kgs exactly and I was quite chuffed with myself however in the joy and excitement I went and had more sugary treats. By the time day 7 came along and had wolfed down some flat bread from the local Indian deli......that was not such as wise decision.

 

Anyhow day 8 and week 2, I find myself having an assessment again at Dream Body Fitness and the machine was clever enough to pick up that I had had carbs and sugary treats!! I was quite moved but I had cheated on the eating plan thinking it would not make a difference. So what have I learned after all this..........it really takes a lot of discipline to stick to an eating plan, it not as easy as it seems. So for anyone out there wishing to lose weight, the yummy mummies and Co, you have got to be disciplined when it comes to your eating habits and most importantly you need to eat clean, its as simple as that.

 

 

 

 

Week 2 has begun and I'm starting out the Phase 2 eating plan on Wednesday but in the meantime the real training program has begun (beast mode)! I hope that this week, I can stick to the eating plan and training program and I hope that will yield some results......... :)

 

 

Popping pills and things

Life as we know it has been so hectic such that I have had an absence from the blogging space, in fact I have also seen better days at the gym. In the last two weeks I have had no gyming activities whatsoever not even a morning run, feels like i have totally fallen off the band wagon completely till now. Well not quite.

 

In the last two weeks we've also seen a season of change where we're slowly moving from winter into spring, its that awkward time where half the people are already dressing in summer gear while the other half are still in boots and scarfs and long trench coats.

 

With the seasons changing, I was quick to realise that I had not met my weight loss goals and still had a long way to go! (Memory flash of Ciara singing, you got a long way to go...laughs out loud to self).

In the process of this realisation I also happened to get a quick glimpse of the herbex hlasela mafutha (attack the fat) advert. As the saying goes desperate times call for desperate measures and in the midst of all this I decided to buy the whole range of fat burn which includes the syrup, the fat burn drops and the pills and of course the most famous slimming tea. (drops head in shame). what can I say I am a sucker for quick fixes at times.

The way the series of products work is that they contain natural herbal ingredients that supposedly help weight loss and increase metabolism. Its all in the head I tell you, mind over matter! so I started on the course, there is a big cautionary statement on all the products, that the product works best with an exercise routine which is standard for anyone trying to lose weight and it doesn't prohibit you from stopping to eat any types of foods, just watching the portions which again is standard for anyone trying to lose weight!

 

Anyhow, I decided to start popping pills and well due to my sometimes forgetful nature I'd forget on some days to take the fat burner pills, to sum it all, I have just found the whole process tedious because you have to take pills after a meal then drink the syrup an hour before any meal and sometimes with a hectic schedule like mine you just don't know when exactly you will be eating your next meal thus making this not quite ideal for me. In my mind I do not doubt that these slimming pills work but I decided to just stick to my normal workout plan and eat healthy and be consistent rather than popping pills and things to speed my slow progress this month for weight-loss. 

 

Turn it Up - Bikram Yoga

Doing the same exercise programme day in and day out equals boring to me. If one is to stay interested in training and trying to focus on losing weight, a person needs some form of versatility in the exercise regimen.

During winter last year we decided to take up a morning 10 day Bikram yoga challenge as a form of team building with my significant other and also to try out something new. to me the concept of Yoga let alone Bikram yoga was a foreign one as its something I thought was just airy fairy and did not quite amount to proper exercise. As they say knowledge is power and I probably know better than to think like this anymore.

I won't go into the origins of Bikram yoga as that on its own warrants several posts, but basically Bikram yoga is yoga characterized by a set series of postures and breathing exercises, performed in a very hot room, 42 degrees Celsius to be more precise. Recently, I decided to sign-up for another 10 day challenge at Bikram Yoga Fourways  http://www.bikramyogafourways.co.za/ this type of yoga is probably the best thing you can do for yourself in the winter cold as the hot air in the studio helps clear your chest and throat. The types of postures and breathing exercises also helps one detox and cleanse the system. I'm not saying it is instant medicine but is helps a great deal with getting the body on track.

I would definitely recommend this as an alternative form of exercise to someone who is tired of the usual exercise programme. It is however not for the feint hearted, however if you put your mind to it, it can be done. I've listed below some tips for first timers aka 'Yogi's' trying out Bikram Yoga for the first time.

1. An average Bikarm Yoga class is 90 minutes long (yes an hour and thirty minutes long) and usually once you start there is no backing out so even if you can't do the postures you are still encouraged to stay in the studio for the entire duration of the class. An early morning class would be ideal for those super busy mothers doubling up as career women as this usually leaves you the rest of the day to do other things i.e work, errands or simply looking after the family.

2. Hydrate! (I think this should be point number one). This is super important, as already mentioned the temperature in the studio can go up to as high as 42 degrees Celsius which means it is super hot and one will sweat heavily almost leaving you dehydrated and dizzy. there are of course short water breaks in the studio. However if you hydrate and drink water regularly throughout the day you will see that you won't have to stop for water breaks as your system is fully hydrated.

3. In terms of equipment, you will need to take a water bottle in with you if you feel you haven't hydrated enough prior to the class. you will also need to take in a big towel as you will sweat through-out the class. Ladies, this again is one of those hectic classes for the hair! Because you sweat so much as a result of the heat your hair will in most instances become wet. It is usually recommended that you tie your hair in a loose bun not too tight and not use head bands as these are tight on your head and can restrict the blood flow to your head thus making you dizzy. Braids would be a good choice for the sisters out there if you intend to do this on a regular basis otherwise you will be left maintaining a fro for a minute! You will also need a yoga mat which is usually provided at the Yoga studio. If like others you suffer from OCD and feel that you need your own mat, yoga mats are easily available from stores like Dischem and Sportsman's warehouse for just under R100.

4. In terms of dressing gear, this is not your typical gym session and therefore you don't have to wear that long tee or long tights unless you really feel strongly about it. It gets super hot in there and therefore a pair of short tights or shorts and a tank top would suffice otherwise you come out of the studio drenched in your own sweat.

5. Finally, don't give up. There comes a point as a first time yogi where you will feel dizzy and decide you don't want to continue with the class (My experience and several others). It gets easier as the class progresses and you will feel a certain level of satisfaction of finishing the class and you will feel energized once the class is done, so keep at it.

Bikram Yoga is not everyone's cup of tea but it will offer you a break from the norm and who knows you might just get used to it!