Awesomefication - building strength takes guts!

My legs are aching and wobbly, my arms are rebelling each time I lift them. But I am revelling in the comforting ache knowing that I am sore because I worked hard at training last night . I've missed that feeling. 5 years ago I had a great breakthrough in my weight loss and fitness regime. I was moseying along nicely, loving life. I had shifted over 4 stones in weight, I had a new job, I was loving my new found passion for exercise and good food. Everything was going great! Better than great, life was awesome! Then...KABLAM!  Life totally sucker-punched me in the guts. I fell pregnant and unfortunately it resulted in a miscarriage. Needless to say I was distraught and felt completely lost for a long time afterwards. When it happened I was the healthiest and fittest I had ever been. The pregnancy was a surprise, and at the time I felt like it was the most amazing gift that my husband and I had ever been given. When I miscarried I felt like my body had just let me down. I bla...

I love positive,motivational quotes.  If I hear something that inspires me it becomes a mantra.  A friend shared a quote/question with me the other day and it is this: 'What would you do tomorrow if you knew you could not fail?' Source: Unknown Over the last week I have been taking stock of achievements and contemplating future goals and this quote got me thinking.  Is it the fear of failure that stops most people from setting and achieving goals? So often I hear people say “What’s the point? I’m not going to get it”, "I can't do it!", "I'm not being negative, I'm just being realistic", "If I think the worst then anything better will be a bonus".   It is such a negative attitude to have.  If you think you are going to fail before you even start then that fear becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.  Whether it’s a job you are applying for, a new experience you fancy trying, a major life change, anything; if you start off...

Since I started my blog a lot more people have been approaching me and asking and talking about exercise and fitness.  It's mainly curiosity, folk wanting to know what I am doing that has me blasting away the inches.  What I have started noticing is the excuses people come up with to justify not exercising to themselves.  It's funny listening to them, because it is the same ones I used to use myself! So, I thought I would put together my top 5 excuses for not exercising and give you some tips on how to stop making excuses for not doing exercise and actually get exercising. #5 "I don't know what to do!" Not knowing what type of exercise you want to do, whether its with an aim to improve a certain aspect of your fitness, to target a problem area, getting into exercise for the first time, or for weight loss, figuring out where to start can be a stumbling point for anyone, especially if you haven't exercised in a while. The best thing I can suggest is ...

I'm not talking about the perfume, I'm talking about the obsession I have with my lifestyle of healthy eating and exercise. I'm not ashamed to admit that it has become an absolute obsession , and one of necessity. If someone asks me then i'll quite happily talk about my exercise regime, what's for dinner, food shopping, cooking, magazine articles, anything until I notice them getting bored and I get the hint that i've went too far yet again! All of the changes I have made and live by these days have consumed me, and I can't see any way around it. If you are reading this and you know me, no doubt you have been subjected to my incessant chatter on the topic at some point. I'm not apologising, just want to say thanks for listening and putting up with me! If you make a major change in your life, commit to it, set yourself a goal, find that you love it and it makes you feel great, how can you avoid becoming obsessed with it. If it becomes something that ...

What is it that drives you to keep going? How do you do it? Again, these are questions that people have been asking me. Believe me, there's been more than a few occasions when I have felt like jacking in my efforts to get fit and lose weight. There are days when I can't b e bothered and quite frankly, I cannot face going to the gym or to a class. Days when I don't want to get out of bed half an hour early so that I can get a quick workout in before I go to work. There are nights when I don't want to have to think about what I'm going to be eating the next day. Days when I've got PMS or work is getting to me and all I want to do is go home and bury my face in a big dirty bowl of pasta. But I make myself do what I need to. I have found that if I didn't shift my lazy butt and get on with it, I regretted it afterwards, not a good feeling! I usually have a quick word with myself or a little pep talk, reminding me how good I will feel once I actually get...