6 Diet And Exercise Aids You Shouldn't Be Without

1. My Fitness Pal

This is a 'free calorie-counter, diet and exercise tracker'. And it is precisely that. Even for those of you who don't like to count calories, this is a fantastic tool for keeping you accountable. It is so easy to discount those three chips you ate off your child's plate, or that handful of nuts you grabbed on your way out of the door, or that teaspoon (or 7) of dessert you devoured tasted when hubby was having his post-dinner treat but those little things add up! More than just calorie counting, it also helps you understand your exercise in relation to your eating and see how and where to make improvements. 

Pros: I have tried a number of diet trackers over the years and this is definitely one of the best. Firstly it's FREE (we like free things), has a humongous food database (they even have local foods like mukimo etc and can help you customise and track your macronutrient content; basically, for those of us on high protein diets, this works wonders. You can use it online via their website or download it as an app on your phone and input as you go.

Cons: The exercise database can be a little hard to work with when you do weights or circuits but I use a heart rate monitor which eliminates this problem.

Leading me nicely into my second favourite tool.

Day 8: Meal Plan and Exercise

MY MEAL PLAN*:

Wednesday 8th October 2014
Breakfast	Omelet:   1 Egg Yolk 3 Egg Whites  ½ Red & Green Pepper 1 Babybel Cheese 1 tsp coconut oil	330 Calories
Snack	100g Yoghurt 1/2 scoop Whey	151 Calories
Lunch	Cheese & Bean Quesadillas 1 wholemeal Tortilla 1/2 cup black or kidney beans (cooked) 20 g cheese	304 Calories
Snack	I Green Apple I tablespoon No added Sugar/Salt Peanut Butter	148 Calories
Dinner	Fish Curry: 170g Red Snapper 50g Courgettes 80ml coconut milk 1/2 can chopped tomatoes Curry Powder	325 Calories
Post-workout Shake	1 Scoop Whey Protein (I use USN Whey Plus in Vanilla) 50ml Milk 1 small Banana 2 cups spinach	247 Calories
Water	2630+ ml	0 Calories
If you work out, make sure you consume extra calories		1505 Calories Protein 124g

EXAMPLE WORKOUT: Ab-athon

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Day 7: Meal Plan and Exercise

MY MEAL PLAN*:

Monday 6th October 2014
Breakfast	Oats: 50g Porridge Oats 50ml Low Fat Milk Cinnamon 1 tsp Honey 1 Scoop Whey	373 Calories
Snack	30g Chicken Pate 2 Crispbreads	173 Calories
Lunch	Chicken Salad 150g Grilled Chicken 20g Avocado 20g Feta Cheese 100g Salad Leaves Balsamic or Apple Cider Vinegar	309 Calories
Snack	50g Cottage Cheese 50g Pineapple 1 Crisp Bread	113 Calories
Dinner	150g Baked Red Snapper Steamed Veg	200 Calories
Post-workout Shake	1 Scoop Whey Protein (I use USN Whey Plus in Vanilla) 50ml Milk 1 small Banana 2 cups spinach	247 Calories
Water	2630+ ml	0 Calories
If you work out, make sure you consume extra calories		1550 Calories Protein 154g

EXAMPLE WORKOUT: Killer Fat Burn

Day 6: Meal Plan and Exercise

MY MEAL PLAN*:

Monday 6th October 2014
Breakfast	Scrambled Eggs on Toast: 2 eggs 50ml Low Fat Milk 1 tsp olive oil 40 g smoked salmon 1 wholegrain toast 1 tsp butter	387 Calories
Snack	50g hummus Raw Carrots and Celery Cut into sticks	184 Calories
Lunch	Cheese & Bean Quesadillas 1 wholemeal Tortilla 1/2 cup black or kidney beans (cooked) 20 g cheese	304 Calories
Snack	10g Almonds 10g Raisins 10g Sunflower Seeds	153 Calories
Dinner	Tofu Stir-fry: 150g Tofu 1 tsp sesame oil Assorted Veg	402 Calories
Post-workout Shake	1 Scoop Whey Protein (I use USN Whey Plus in Vanilla) 100g Natural Yoghurt 15 Grapes	314 Calories
Water	2630+ ml	0 Calories
If you work out, make sure you consume extra calories		1598 Calories Protein 95g

EXAMPLE WORKOUT: Killer Abs

Day 5: Meal Plan and Exercises

MY MEAL PLAN*:

Sunday 5th October 2014
Breakfast	Breakfast Smoothie: 1/2 Cup Strawberries 30g Raw Oats 150g Natural Yoghurt 1/2 cup low fat milk	346 Calories
Snack	Cheese on toast: 1 slice wholegrain bread 1 babybel cheese	141 Calories
Lunch	100g Tuna Sashimi 100g Salmon Sashimi 1 Miso Soup	285 Calories
Snack	1/2 Cantaloupe Melon 50g Cottage Cheese	148 Calories
Dinner	150g Chicken & Vegetable Stew	402 Calories
Post-workout Shake	1 Scoop Whey Protein (I use USN Whey Plus in Vanilla) 50g Strawberries 50ml low fat milk 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter	302 Calories
Water	2630+ ml	0 Calories
If you work out, make sure you consume extra calories		1583 Calories Protein 105g

EXAMPLE WORKOUT: The 100

Day 4: Meal Plan

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MY MEAL PLAN:

Saturday 4th October 2014
Breakfast	Ham Salad Sandwich" 100g Cooked Ham 2 Slices Wholegrain Bread 10g Wholegrain Mustard Salad Leaves	294 Calories
Snack	100g Yoghurt 1/2 scoop Whey	151 Calories
Lunch	My Favourite! Quinoa, Chickpea, Spinach & Feta Salad: See recipe here. You can buy Quinoa from Healthy U	478 Calories
Snack	I Green Apple I tablespoon No added Sugar/Salt Peanut Butter	148 Calories
Dinner	Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast: I large breast 20g Ricotta Cheese Chopped Spinach (If you can get sun-dried tomatoes, add 1 chopped)	399 Calories
Post-workout Shake	1 Scoop Whey Protein (I use USN Whey Plus in Vanilla) 1 small banana 50ml low fat milk 1 or 2 cups raw baby spinach	302 Calories
Water	2630+ ml	0 Calories
If you work out, make sure you consume extra calories		1546 Calories Protein 128g

Day 4: Stretching: Why Skipping It Is Keeping You Fat

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Yes, I just dropped the F-bomb but I'm African. PC is something you surf the internet with.

Back to the topic at hand.

I know this seems like a cop-out post. I mean, you're in the swing of things and you don't want to lose your momentum by taking a whole day off to stretch. What a waste of calorie-burning time, right? 

Wrong.

Most exercise-related injuries are a result of not stretching enough, and when you're injured, you won't be working out anyway. Trust me, it's no fun! Yoga is great, for the few of us you who do it, but according to my sports therapist, you need to be stretching 20-40 minutes per session. Ain't nobody got time for that! As a compromise, he suggests one intense stretching session per week, not including any post-workout stretching or yoga you do. So, since it's Day 4 and I assume we've all been going gangbusters at this hurr challenge, I think we all deserve a lovely break stretch.

Why Stretching Is Important:

• Prevents injury
• Improves flexibility keeping you younger
• Relieves post-workout aches and pains 
• Corrects posture
• Lengthens muscles giving you a long, lean look
• Can be calming and relaxing after a hard workout

How to Stretch:

First things first, don't stretch cold muscles; you can do yourself an injury. Here is a five minute warm-up that you can incorporate into all your workouts:

Day 3: Meal Plan & Exercise

Day 3!! Woop woop! You should be well into the swing of things. The cravings for the things you have cut out will be peaking so make sure you have a good stock of healthy snack to munch on. Keep yourself busy and drink lots of water. If you're a late-night snacker like me, go to bed early!

MY MEAL PLAN:

Friday 3rd October 2014
Breakfast	Soaked Oats: 50g Rolled Oats 100g Natural Yoghurt 10g Almonds 10g Raisins	341 Calories
Snack	50g Cottage Cheese 2 Wholegrain Crisp Breads	148 Calories
Lunch	Mini Ham & Cheese Frittata	278 Calories
Snack	1 can Tuna in spring water 50g Yoghurt Chopped chives and spring onions seasoning 1 crispbread	214 Calories
Dinner	Thai Fish Red Curry: 170g Red Snapper 1 Tsp Thai Red Curry 50g Courgettes 80ml coconut milk 1 tsp coconut oil	221 Calories
Post-workout Shake	1 Scoop Whey Protein (I use USN Whey Plus in Vanilla) 1 small banana 50ml low fat milk 1 or 2 cups raw baby spinach	302 Calories
Water	2630+ ml	0 Calories
If you work out, make sure you consume extra calories		1510 Calories Protein 118g

EXAMPLE WORKOUT: Full Body Toner (you will need dumbbells for this)

Day 2: Meal Plan and Exercises

Second Day of Roctober!

MY MEAL PLAN:

Thursday 2nd October 2014
Breakfast	Protein Pancake: I modified this recipe 1 scoop Whey 3 egg whites 1 tsp baking powder 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter 20g Finely chopped Pineapple or 2 Tbsps Apple puree Low fat milk - add until batter is thick (30-50ml) 1 tsp coconut oil (or the 1 cal; spray if you can find it)	334 Calories
Snack	75g Whole Ham 2 Wholegrain Crisp Breads	160 Calories
Lunch	Bean Curry with brown rice: 120g Red Kidney Beans (I use canned) 50g Cooked Brown Rice 25ml Coconut Milk 1/2 Courgette 50g Aubergine 1 tsp Coconut Oil spices	271 Calories
Snack	Homemade Trail Mix: 6 Almonds 20g Dried Apricots, chopped 10g Pumpkin seeds	138 Calories
Dinner	Soy Mince Chilli: 1/2 cup Soy mince 1/2 can chopped tomatoes 100g Broccoli spices	343 Calories
Post-workout Shake	1 Scoop Whey Protein (I use USN Whey Plus in Vanilla) 1 small banana 50ml low fat milk 1 or 2 cups raw baby spinach	302 Calories
Water	2630+ ml	0 Calories
If you work out, make sure you consume extra calories		1548 Calories Protein 132g

EXAMPLE WORKOUT: Ab-attack

Get Ready To ROCKTOBEEEEEEERRRRR!!!! Day 1 Meal Plan And Exercises!

Challenge starts TOMORROW, 1st October 2014! Not entered yet? Enter now!. What you need to do for tomorrow:

1. Take your 'Before' and 'After' pics

2. Take your measurements*: 

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- weight (best done first thing in the morning before you eat - remember the time and what you're wearing so you do not have too many variations when you next measure),
- bust
- natural waist
- hips
- left and right arms (around the bicep)
- left and right thigh (at the widest part at the top)








*I have created a closed group on Facebook, Rocktober Challenge 2014, for anyone who is doing the challenge who wishes to share their photos, journey and any tips and hints. If you join, participation is mandatory, no oglers or lurkers allowed.

3. Make sure your gear is clean and ready:
If you need DVDs, buy them. If you need equipment, get it out from under the bed where they are no doubt gathering dust.

4. Do all your food shopping. Do not get caught out tomorrow!

5. Plan (and prepare if necessary) your meals and snacks for tomorrow. 

MY MEAL PLAN*:

5 Secrets To Achieving Your Fitness Goals

1. Set mini goals

Yes, we all want to lose weight/get a six pack/shrink our muffin tops/get rid of saddle bags/firm up our thighs and butt/say goodbye to the bingo wings..and we want to do it like yesterday! But if weight loss was that easy, everybody would be their ideal size. Staying motivated is hard work and it's easy to fall at the first hurdle. To stay on track, break down your big goal into bite sized ones. Rather than aiming for 5kgs aim for 10 sets of 500 grams. This way, you are constantly rewarded so you are less likely to give up in the long run. 

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Six Pack Challenge: 4 Steps to A Flat Stomach

Nicole Murphy (Eddie's ex) is KILLING it. She's like 50. with 5 kids. like seriously.
Image Credit: necolebitchie.com

In the last few weeks, I have had a number of female clients and friends ask me how to achieve a a flat, toned stomach. Six packs used to be the epitomy of manliness; maybe they still are. But they are now also seen by many women as a sign of fitness, health and strength. It's cool to be strong, and although not everyone wants a six pack, most people I know at least want a flat stomach. So for those who's New Year's Resolution lasted past the fourth of january, follow the five steps below for a washboard stomach:

The Ten Point Plan to Simple Healthy Eating

By JC Niala of http://www.greathealthnowshow.com/

We live in very interesting times. Even eating has become confusing. Health scares, coupled with increasingly complicated food production, have all lead to a situation where not only do we know what to put in our mouths, we are hardly sure what do once it is in there!

One day complex carbohydrates are king and the next day it is protein. There are fats that heal and fats that kill. It can feel like you need a degree in Nutritional Science just to understand the labels on some of the foods we commonly buy.

Yet, it doesn’t actually have to be that complicated. There are a few simple rules that if you follow will mean that you can eat healthy, not appear like a freak to your friends and actually go back to enjoying what after all should be one of life’s simple pleasures.

Meet My New Guest Blogger, JC Niala: Aches & Pains? Health & Nutrition?You have questions? She has the answers.

When I started putting up health and fitness posts, I didn't realise they would be as popular as they are. I started getting questions from readers so I thought, why not have someone come on who can share her wealth of knowledge about health with us? 

It is my great pleasure to introduce a good friend, fellow natural and fitness enthusiast, JC Niala. Or, as I like to call her The Fixer. 

  

JC Niala helps dozens of people every week become pain free, relieve stress and improve their health through her integrated natural healthcare practice. She is a UK trained Osteopath and Naturopath with over 15 years of practice experience. Practical health tips can be found on her site:www.greathealthnowshow.com

I've fallen... and I can't get up

After 3 sleepless nights and a morning spent in traffic on Waiyaki Way, this is how I felt today.

Needless to say, I didn't make it to the gym. 

I did, however, manage to henna my hair. But  now I have no energy left to wash it off. Going to bed with henna on, despite my earlier protestations. *screams*

After I eat two milk chocolate digestives.

#tomorrowsanotherday

How NOT to prepare for a marathon

Before..

After..(notice my friend had time to totally restyle her hair...DURING the race)

Run done! 10km in 53 minutes. Result.  Next 10k will hopefully be under 50. If i can figure out how to get quickly past the first kilometre of shuffling along.

Until then, here are some things I will not be doing again next year:

Myth Busting: 5 food myths that are keeping you fat

As the Rocktober Challenge groans to a close, I'd like to debunk some of the more common weight loss myths to help keep us on track during the final stretch.

1. I can eat as much healthy food as I want

Many people believe that because certain foods are healthy, for example nuts and fruits, they can eat unlimited amounts of these without gaining any weight.  Sadly, this isn't the case.

Body By Nina: Amazing Client Weight Loss Transformation!

Long time no see kinkies, kurlies and fitness friends.

I've been SO busy, I haven't blogged in ages. 

Busy doing? Weeeeeelll. We're moving home in the next few weeks so organising repairs, painting and buying furniture has been hectic. I am also in the process of setting up a Personal Training studio now that Body By Nina is official!!! Yay!!! Totally syked! 

Rocktober Challenge: Sample Meal Plan 1

Breakfast: 1 cup Oatmeal (made with 250 ml low fat milk) and 1 banana

Snack: 1 carrot and 1 local cucumber cut into sticks with 1 tablespoon hummus

Lunch: Roast Turkey Salad Sandwich - 50g roast turkey, 1 slice cheese, 2 slices wholegrain bread, 1 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard for spread, 1 tomato, Dark green leafy veg

Snack: 30g almonds, 1 apple

Dinner: 4 tablespoons brown rice, 1 fillet grilled fish (skin off), 1 portion steamed broccoli

Snack: 200g natural yoghurt


Portions:
Grain: 6 portions (oatmeal, bread, rice)
Dairy: 3 portions (milk, cheese, yoghurt)
Fruit: 3 portions (banana, tomato, apple)
Veg: 4 portions (carrot, cucumber, leafy veg, broccoli)
Meat/legumes/nuts & seeds: 4 portions (hummus, turkey, almonds, fish)

For more information on portion sizes and recommended daily intake, click here.

The Myth of Healthy Food: Understanding Portion Sizes

FAIL!

Many people believe that because some foods are healthy, they can eat them in unlimited quantities. We all know the usual suspects, the real baddies.  Fat, salt, sugar, carbohydrates. Avoid these and you're laughing all the way to the skinny jeans section. Right? Well, it's not quite so simple.