Inspiration & Motivation

It's the start of a new week, and comes with it #MotivationMonday so I thought I'd share with you a little bit of what motivated & inspired me to start focusing on my fitness & health more in life!

Everyone always says "I'll start it on Monday" when going on a new 'diet' or 'clean eating plan' or 'detox'. Well, I like to set goals - or check lists - of what I want to do in the coming week. 

Short term goals are much more fulfilling I feel because you've got a shorter time to achieve something & somehow it motivates me to actually get it done! If you know me, you'll know I have my to-do-list pad & diary to hand everywhere I go!

Over the last year a lot has inspired me when it comes to training - different styles, exercises, environments - and also my eating, what to cook, learning how to make easy, healthy dishes without depriving myself or breaking the bank! 

But I want to first mention my motivation from the start. I couldn't have got to the point I'm at without my amazing PT Tina. 

When I first went to Tina, I was in a bit of a stand still point with my training. Unsure of what to do to achieve what I wanted & to be honest, lost quite a bit of hope in achieving the goal I had.

Tina trained me for a good few months during my time home from Uni & without her, I wouldn't have strengthened, improved, toned, taught or motivated myself to keep going to get to where I am today.

Having that encouragement for just an hour a week helped me not only lose weight, strengthen, tone & improve my fitness across all areas but gave me confidence to try new things - out of my comfort zone - leading me to how I train today, to not be 'afraid' to try something new, but instead trial it for a few sessions, see if that works for me & build on it from there.

Tina put me through the gruelling hell of achy abs, legs, arms - parts of my body I didn't think could ache were aching! But, my thoughts were "No pain, no gain if I want a body like hers!" A PT really is their own product & Tina looks on point!

Personally, I don't think I'd have been able to motivate myself to get to where I am without Tina's encouragement & perseverance with me - yes, she put me through the gruelling hell of achy limbs but I've come out better for it, so thank you Tina💜

Understandably, personal training isn't the route for everyone - whether that's cost wise, time wise or personal confidence. However, there are different ways to motivate yourself - the way I do now.

My top motivation tips:

- Set yourself goals: Set short term goals on a weekly basis. For example, running further, lifting more or drinking more water a day. Then set long term goals. What are you aiming for? A certain image, fitting into that outfit for a special occasion. 

- Plan ahead: Prep your workout plans, your meals, your week - that'll make all the difference. There's nothing worse than getting to the gym & thinking what to do, go in with a plan - stick to it & you'll feel a sense of achievement.

- Inspire yourself: check out what other people are doing, eating & exercising! It's amazing what looking at other people's perspectives can do for your own. Maybe try a new workout or new recipe.

- Progress: track yourself! There's nothing worse than being disheartened when trying to achieve something, so monitor yourself. Check out my previous post on the ways I think it's best to track your progress!

- Don't give up: always keep going and push yourself. If you've said you're doing 4 sets don't do 3! Do that fourth, if it burns it's working - embrace the pain!

Aside from my amazing personal trainer (who I still text about things I'm unsure of now) and my individual goals, I find a lot of motivation & inspiration from other people's journey's.

Social Media "Icons"

A big part of today's society is social media & that's allowed so many people to build a platform to help others out there & guide them to achieve their goals.

Recently, a young PT from London has been my motivation. Bradley Simmonds is 22 years old & has his own PT company. He was set back through injury when training to become a professional footballer, but turned a setback into a career. 

Taking his knowledge he created training packs for celebrities & normal people like you & I (unless you're a celeb reading this then that's pretty cool!) with that he's helped, in my opinion, so many people to achieve the image they want.

One thing I love about him is he's a realist - he goes on lads holidays, drinks, binge eats, but doesn't break bad habits - getting back on it when he's home & his blog post is already motivating me when I get home from hol! 

Quick workouts or foodies on his Instagram inspire me with my own journey & his personality just helps with wanting to "learn" more from him! If only he was a northerner!

Another "icon" is Alice Liveing. I've mentioned her in a few of my posts but she is an inspiration - her transformation is incredible & for a young girl I really feel motivated to achieve my goals when I see someone similar has been able to.

Recently, she released a book "The Body Bible" with amazing recipes, including indulging treats! Alongside these it includes workouts & what she does herself. 

Aside from her book, her Instagram of her bubbly personality always raring to go motivates me to try new things at the gym & to some extent, as I said with Tina, these people are their product so if they're doing X, Y, Z to look the way they do, of course that's gotta motivate you!

Training wise, I find Instagram a great way to find new workouts because everyone trains differently & it's so good to incorporate new things into your workout to surprise your body!

Food wise, Joe Wicks (The Body Coach) will always be a favourite! His 15 second Instagram vids make me drool on a daily basis & I've made some amazing, easy meals from his Instagram & his book! 

He's also great for HIIT training ideas - so check out his YouTube channel if you're short on time, but still want to achieve that summer bod! 

What you eat is such an important factor when wanting to achieve a goal - especially image wise - so experiment & enjoy some tasty new things.

I know it's soooo easy for me to sit here & write how I think you can motivate yourself, but I promise if you're serious about achieving something, motivation is key to success! 

I've gone through it over the year myself. It's a long process, I'll warn you (for someone as impatient as me that's frustrating) but measuring my progress, seeing my developments from this time last year only motivates me more to achieve what I've set myself for the next couple of weeks.

So, if you feel a little slump today after a heavy weekend (especially if you've been boozing it up at Parklife this weekend!) don't worry! Set a weekly goal & start the week positively! 

Last night I demolished four cakes, cocktails, a family size bag of crisps alongside endless coffees but you've got to enjoy yourself as well! Monday's here however & I'm back to my poached eggs & swim sessions to set me up for the week!

Simple steps make the big difference!

Thanks for reading! X

Follow me on Instagram - @aprilalexandrax & Twitter 

@aprilalexandra1

Food glorious food!

I can't believe we're now in June! Where is time going?! This week's been a bit crazy - but I'm happy to say I have officially finished my second year at Uni! Time to enjoy the Summer now & what better way to kick it off than with the lush weather this week?! 

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll have seen I said I was going to do a post about food at some point! So, I thought what better time than whilst the sun's out & everyone's in the mood for some summery recipes & foodie thoughts!

Over the last few months, I've been told so many different things when it comes to training and what you eat. Things like, "It's 80% diet, 20% gym" or "Abs are made in the kitchen". Only in recent months, have I really began to take care of what I eat more & find what actually keeps your body moving & functioning properly, whilst still enjoying what you eat! 

Most people think that training (gym) is the hard part of getting fit, and that summer bod. In reality, the hardest part about it is food! 

Now, if you know me you'll know what an absoluteeeee FOODIE I am! However, over the last few months I've really realised how important what you eat is when you are trying to shed that weight, or build your muscle. 

In my first year of uni, I used to go to the gym & run for half an hour, burn how ever many calories then think it's okay to eat a chocolate bar! Nope! Calories aren't worth counting half the time, it's about the quality of what you're eating & the food groups. All food groups are important. Yes, even carbs! (I know what you're thinking!) It's just a case of figuring out the good from the bad. 

Please don't think I'm going to tell you to NEVER eat chocolate or ice cream again because I would never tell anyone that! It would be quite hypocritical of me! Just all in moderation! 

A quote I saw on Instagram really hit the nail on the head.."Eating bad for one day won't make you fat, just like eating healthy for one day won't make you skinny." I think that's as clear as it comes, don't worry about that chocolate biscuit you're eating whilst you're watching corrie! We're all allowed a treat, even body builders & PT's don't "eat clean" all the time!

SO! I thought I'd share with you a few recipe ideas to keep you feeling full, satisfied & enjoy the healthy options - because healthy doesn't mean boring, or a plate of leaves! Trust me! 

Here's a typical day of the type of things I'll eat!

Breakfast - Rye bread, avocado, asparagus & poached egg.
Lunch- Pir-piri chicken on a bed of spinach, tomatoes & feta.
Dinner - Poached salmon, asparagus, grilled tomatoes, sweet potato topped with feta.

Breakfast

One thing that's important is to actually have breakfast! It fuels you for the day! There's no excuse for no time, you an prep the night before & there's so many things you can overnight prep or make quickly in the morning!

For those of you on the go, or early starting I'd suggest something like overnight oats! They're so simple to make - cup of oats, cup of milk (of your choice) add some flavourings like cinnamon (a favourite of mine) and some berries, leave in the fridge overnight & enjoy in the morning! 

I'm an egg lover, so for me most days I'll have either an omelette or poached/scrambled eggs! I do switch it up with some yummy protein pancakes, or porridge some days depending on how I feel!

Keep things interesting with what you have though, scrambled eggs on toast everyday would be booooooring! So try mixing it with things you wouldn't normally think of! Here's a few breakfast ideas that I have day to day!

Breakfast galore! Try some of these for your morning fix this week!

Make sure you're getting all your nutrients; protein, carbs & good fats! So include things like, ham, smoked salmon, eggs, even mackerel is good for a breakfast dish! Then add some carbs, a slice of rye bread (currently one of my favourites!) or a wholemeal bagel, then of course your greens! Avocado goes with just about anything, as does asparagus or spinach which are all great metabolism boosters for your body & a great source of iron from spinach!

Vanilla Proats with Blueberries

If you're not a massive egg lover don't worry! There's great alternatives, like porridge or proats! Natural yoghurt topped with fruit & peanut butter! Or even things like turkey bacon with tomatoes & rye bread..or my weekend favourite - protein pancakes! 







Lunch

A key thing that I've learnt is to prep your meals! It's such an easy way of keeping track of what you're eating & also saves you a lot of time! Simple things like cooking a chicken breast with a little seasoning like piri-piri or paprika, pop it in the oven for 15 mins (if diced) add some spinach, or a sweet potato - pack it in a Tupperware box (if you're on the go!) and there you have it! Protein, carbs, and leafy greens - keeping you full till dinner!

Piri-Piri Chicken, Spinach, Tomatoes & Feta

If you're lucky & can have lunch at your leisure, serve it up fresh from the oven! A new favourite of mine are tuna steaks - they're packed with 25 grams of protein, so healthy & cook within 6 minutes! Add a sweet potato or some spinach/salad, plenty of veggies in there & top with some feta cheese - I promise you won't be disappointed!






Even if you're not prepping for work, writing down & prepping what you're going to have for the week is a great way to stick to what you're eating & not go down the route of picking at things & it's also great if you're on a budget - like me! At uni, planning my food ahead of the week helps with what I'm spending & what I'm eating - win, win!

All sound too healthy? Why not get yourself some healthy style sausages? Chicken sausages are soooo nice, and packed with protein, slice in half & grill them, add some lettuce, grilled tomato & a poached egg, whack it on a bagel & there you've got a mean lunch, that's enjoyable & doesn't feel overly healthy! 

Lunch can really be as simple/complex as you like! Depends on your time, what you fancy & where you are! Just ensure you've got plenty of protein, leafy greens & some carbs to keep you going until tea time!

Dinner

My favourite meal of the day by far! You can be so creative, so easily with your dinners! For tea, generally I like to have fish (like salmon, sea bass or prawns!) or chicken, then on the odd occasion a bit of red meat like a steak, or some lamb! 

Sea bass, potato & courgetti

With anything you eat it's not always about what you're eating but how you're cooking it! For example, I like to bake my meat/fish in the oven, it tastes sooooo much nicer in my opinion! Garnish it with seasoning of your choice, 25 minutes in the over (for chicken) it will be so juicy & yummy & taste so fresh and healthy! 

Salmon fishcakes, avocado & carrot chips

This is such a simple change that will be so effective on your health & your body! So bake, not fry! Although some things are better fried, like oily fish sometimes - you get excess fats sometimes which don't taste great!!

To go with your main part of the dish, incorporate lots of veggies & of course your carbs! Sweet potato is always a winner! You can mash it, bake it, roast it! Or go for brown rice, or some quinoa! 



Snacks

Of course, I'm not going to say I never snack because that would be a lie! But it's all about choices that you make. I'm guilty 100% of snacking on the wrong things from time to time, but everything in moderation! As long as one biccie doesn't turn into a packet you're okay!

But if you're looking for healthy alternatives, try greek yoghurt topped with berries - packed of protein & keeps you full! Nuts are also a good snack to have - almonds especially, but don't overdo them as they have healthy fats, but just like avocado's too much of them aren't good for you either!

As a post-workout snack, I've began having either a protein smoothie (mixed frozen berries, banana & vanilla whey) or greek yoghurt with vanilla whey, or for an evening snack try some proats! If you get some chocolate/strawberry protein powder than can settle your sweet cravings too! 

I was a bit dubious about trying protein powder because I've never believed in it to be honest, but it's such a quick & easy way of getting extra protein in if you've not reached the amount you want/need for the day. I'm not saying by any means to skip meals & have them as a supplement because I totally disagree with that - just my opinion - because you need real food to have a healthy body and maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

Eating Out

There's nothing worse than getting into a routine of healthy eating & knowing exactly what you're eating, how you're cooking etc then stressing about it not being as 'good' when you go out. Well, who cares! You're out to enjoy yourself, but it's so easy to still take the healthy options. 

Holiday treat; steak, veggies & potatoes!

Go for something a little less dense on carbs, for example skewers, or a salad, fresh meat with loads of veggies! 


When I was away it's still so simple, dinner was a beautiful fillet steak, with loads of vegetables (I asked for extra too!) then new potatoes, which I only had a few of!

Duck breast, mashed peas & potatoes.

When I go out, I like to 'treat' myself to red meat as I don't have it a lot at home. That way, you're having something different which is great for your body & you're also treating yourself to something a little special! My Mum & I love duck & Oliver's in Bollington (now Tapa) does fab food! 

Prawn skewers, salad, boiled rice & chilli sauce.

Out with friends? No problem! There's always a healthy option, especially if you're off out for a few drinks after & don't want to feel over faced! Revs is one of my favourites for a quick dine before a night out & their King Prawn skewers are to die for! 

Always eggs. 

Breakfast is still as simple when you're out as well, just don't overthink it! A favourite place for me in Notts is Curious Manor for breakfast/brunch & they're options are so nice! Here I had sourdough bread, topped with avocado & two poached eggs! 





Another place I love to treat myself to out and about is Bagel Nash! Don't run from carbs, they're good for you! Have a wholemeal bagel instead of a white one, top it with smoked salmon, avocado (or scrambled eggs if you're breakfast dining) there you have it! Coffee fix & a healthy breakie! For lunch, they've got chicken club salad, tuna..just the choice you make  - but enjoy yourself! 

Puddings are my fave when I'm out & I'm such a foodie when it comes to cheesecake, so treat yourself because depriving yourself will only send you into a spiral of binging! Believe me, I've been there done that! 

Lifestyle & Mindset

Remember, with everything - what you eat, how you train, there's no quick fix! It's a lifestyle change & a lifestyle choice for the long term. 

At first it can seem daunting, but once you've overcome the barrier of what is right & the best things to fuel your body you'll be well on your way to a healthy living, of balanced foods (including chocolate & ice cream!).

Just remember, eating crap for a day won't make you fat - just like eating healthy for a day won't make you fit. Lifestyle, not a quick fix!

I hope this post has enlightened you on some simple things you can do with your cooking & eating to get to where you want to be! 

Thanks for reading! X

Follow me on Instagram - @aprilalexandrax and Twitter - @aprilalexandra1