Things I love Thursday #15 Foam rollers

Recently with a lot of changes going on my training, planning, free time and well, general life have changed considerably and not for just for the better. I have been stressing so much about Uni and trying to get everything in my life on point that one of the main things has slipped my mind… me. I have been throwing in training when I can, eating healthily but not to macros and missing out that all important chill time. Yeah I have been spending time with the family but I mean chill time for my body. I have lost all of the work I put in when I was at yoga and gone back to a stiff grumpy old lady body.

I took a foam rolling course with Fitness Scotland. Not only was it funny, lighthearted and interesting that one class made me feel like my body was floating on clouds. I now know how to untie these monotonous knots in my body one by one! It was amazing to hear how tension in the neck/upper back could be caused by an ankle injury and how everything in the body is so connected. After the class I got myself a nice pair and tried them out on my own. I am so glad I chose to do the course not only for me but now I can pass on the information to clients, friends and family!

I would greatly suggest trying them out for yourself but keep in mind that for the best results and the safest way to use a roller ask someone who knows what they're doing! Speaking of trained people if you have any questions on how to roll or want to find out more please feel free to contact me here!

Thanks for reading my Things I love Thursday Foam Rollers and keep on stretching!

Thinks I love Thursday #14 Learning

At school I wasn't the most academic. I loved learning about things but often found it very difficult for the information to sink in. I have dyslexia and dyspraxia both making it hard to absorb information in a learning environment such as a school. What I have found is that applying what I am learning in a practical context makes everything so much easier for me. I left school with some highers but with no academic path that I wanted to follow. I got a job that wasn't of much interest to me and got on with life.

Now two years later I have found my goal. I scrimped and saved every penny to pay for my level 2 gym instructor, level 3 PT and kettle bells class certificate. With no prior qualification in biology or physical education I knew I had my work cut out for me. It was like starting school all over again but this time my heart was in it. I have absorbed so much in the past few months it's unreal, my passion for health and fitness has grown more than I knew possible. This is a new side to learning that I didn't know existed. I have found myself in conversation with people who are so intelligent and that I look up to, asking me to stop and explain concepts, words and what I am saying in more detail. I have never had that happen to me before, it felt so amazing.

So, where now? Well I am still working my way through my level 3 PT but I don't want to stop there. I applied to university and college and I am very happy to share that I am going on to study Sport and Excercise BScH at The University of the Highlands and Islands in Perth! I can't believe I got in! More than that I know that little cubby 15 year old me would never believe I would be going on to study fitness at degree level!

I am very glad that I have finally gotten the courage to do something for me. I really hope you have enjoyed this weeks Things I love Thursday! Many more to come! 

Big Fat Sorry!

Dear readers,

I can only apologise for my lack of posts in the past months. As many of you will know life can get tough and busy, and it's easy to let things you enjoy doing slip. As you will have seen if you follow my ameliahealthandlifestyle Instagram or Facebook I have been posting but not as frequently. This slip in habit has not only been in my blog but also in my own health and wellbeing.

Training is my life and something I love dearly as you will be able to tell by my posts. However sometimes the world can get you down and the things you love can seem like a chore. This post is not just to say sorry but to also say it's ok not to be ok. Life can get hard at times but just because you missed a few weeks, months or even years doesn't mean you should give up on the things you love completely. If I can do it we all can.

I will be posting a "Things I love Thursday" this week to let you know what I have been up to these past few months and share some exciting news! Til then stay strong both in mind and body and if you need me click here! 

Things I love Thursday #13 Spin

Cardio is the bane of most peoples lives.  Some people love going for a run in the sun or on a bike ride but I am not one of these people.  I can get bored quite easily if I am not pushing myself and switching things up.  This is why I love a good spin class.  Music blaring, sprinting, going heavy, pushing yourself to your max, its brilliant.  Having people around you also doing what you are doing can sometimes put people off but believe me, when doing something as intense as spin for cardio no one is focusing on anyone else.  Its all about pushing yourself. 

When I first went to a spin class I couldn't understand why so many people wanted to be there.  I couldn't sprint and struggled to keep up.  After going a few times I got it.  Its like an addiction, you are constantly developing and pushing yourself.  I set myself goals when I attend classes.  My first goal was to be able to sprint.  It was amazing to see that after only two classes I was able to push myself to go at 140 spins per minute (spm) when before I couldn't hit 100spm.  I can now do around 190spm!  Currently I am working on ensuring my spm is what has been instructed by the teacher.  My hope is to be fit enough that I could take a spin class.  Talk, spin and most importantly, not look like I am dying. 


Too many people see cardio as a task that they can easily skip.  This is because they see it as a chore.  Set yourself a goal and make it a challenge.  It could be as simple as having a 15 minute walk every day and pushing yourself to travel a little bit further or seeing how long it takes you to run a 5k.  Put together a playlist of songs that you love and give you energy.  It doesn't just have to be music, I know people that watch football while on the stair machine and others that listen to podcasts or books while running.  Take something you love and hate and create a balance, before you know it cardio will just be part of you week!


What is your favourite way to get cardio done?  Do you have a "Cardio Playlist" or a group of podcasts you love?  Let me know here!

Things I love Thursday #12 That feeling

I have come so far in the past 8 months.  I have pushed myself, trained my mind and body and become someone I never believed I could be.  I am not only a lot stronger physically but also mentally.  I spent the first months really focusing on technique, making sure to get everything right so I would not hurt myself and get the most benefits possible.  Then once I had mastered the technique I started focusing on slowly increasing the weight.  It has been quite simple so far but the past few weeks I have noticed something.  When I go to start a dead lift, pick up dumbbells for a chest press or do any other kind of free weight exercise I stop and hold the metal bar before the lift.  This is something I have seen many guys doing in the gym but never really understood myself.  I was psyching myself up for the lift.


In the past I knew that what I was lifting wasn't that much but now what used to be my focus weight is now my warm up.  On Monday I was sitting on a bench with two 14kg in my hands, gripping tight and just looking at them.  It was such a rush but it was fear as well as excitement.  This was only the second time I had used 14s and I had to sit looking at them for a few seconds before actually smashing out the set.  It's the same feeling you get when you take a big jump, take a risk, do something that in the back of your head you know you shouldn't. 

I have always loved weight lifting but now I have more drive, more focus and that feeling that pushes me to keep going.  Its a passion and something I find great pleasure in.  When you find that feeling, no matter what it is you are doing, never let it go.  In life you get the opportunity to push yourself to fifill your dreams.  That feeling is what holds the dream up, don't let that go.  Its the passion that makes ideas a reality. 


Believe in your dreams and they can come true.  Hope you enjoyed this weeks "Things I love Thursday"!  Any questions or comments feel free to email me here or leave a message below!

Things I love Thursday #11 Aloe Gel

Today I am going to talk about something more health related rather than fitness.  The beautiful Aloe Gel by Forever Living.  I am amazed how much this has helped me and by how natural it is.  Forever Living is a company that helps people to start up their own business and helps them to create the lifestyle they have always wanted.  It retails products that are natural, kind to the planet, animal friendly, not tested on animals and benefit your health and wellbeing.  The Aloe Gel is the inner juicy part of the aloe plant and one of their best loved products.  It helps with four areas; your skin, bronchi, stomach and bowel.  I have seen a massive change in myself. I used to get stomach cramps and would “go” only once or twice a week.  I would pick up coughs all the time and it was horrible.  Now I feel normal!  My body isn’t constantly in pain, I get up in the morning and have energy, I just feel alive!  It has helped curb my cravings and cleansed my body.

 

This is defiantly a love and something I plan on taking forever!  These benefits are what I have experienced but Aloe Gel has helped my family and friends as well.  It has helped my friend who has fibromyalgia.  At one point her fibromyalgia was so bad that she had to use a wheelchair.  Now after physiotherapy and hard work she can walk again but her pain was still excruciating.  She started taking Forever Freedom that is specifically designed to help with painful joints and support fitness lovers.  Her pain is now minimal and she gets less flare ups. 

 

Forever Aloe is not a cure but it might make the difference that you need.  I believe that if something is safe and natural you should always give it a shot and see.  You never know it may be the best decision you ever made.  I know it was for me!  If you want to find out more information about Forever Living or Aloe Gel please feel free to drop me an email here or check out my online store here!

 

Hope you guys enjoyed this weeks Things I love Thursday!

Things I love Thursday #10 Bulk Buying

In the past I was a victim to the high costs of high protein.  I would buy protein bars at my local gym and by foods like chicken from supermarkets and butchers.  Trying to maintain a high protein diet its not easy on a low wage.  Yeah I could afford to buy food however it would be mainly bulked up by cheep carbs.  I have found two websites that are like Gods gift to the healthy.  One provides extremely low prices for meat and other food products but still maintains high quality and supports local butchers.  The other promises the lowest price for post and pre workout.  If you find something cheaper elsewhere they will lower there price!


Muscle Foods
Muscle  foods provide high quality British and Irish meat that is free range, organic and RSPCA monitored.  Its great for people like me who want to make sure that my meat comes from animals that have had a good life.  It is 100% the best meat I have ever tasted.  It is so fresh and has amazing flavours.  I normally buy my meat at the start of the month and it feeds two people for 5 weeks.  There is always a deal on.  For example today I ordered a hamper containing 5kg premium chicken breast, two 7oz Grass Fed New York Strips, two 6-7oz Grass Fed Hache Steaks, two 6-7oz Grass Fed Dragon Fire Steaks, 800g Southern Fried Diced Chicken, 800g Extra Lean Steak Mince, two 4oz Extra Lean Steak Burgers,12 x 57g Grass Fed Giant Meatballs, 6 x 75g Premium Chicken Breast Sausages and two 4oz Premium Chicken Breast Burgers all for £55.  Don't just take my word for it this place is amazing and you should really give it a look!!


Dolphin Fitness
Average protein bar costs about £2.50 from a vending machine.  When you buy in bulk from Dolphin Fitness its more likely to be £1.25! Now I know that still sounds like a lot but on a high protein diet you need an extra boost (or two..) and bars are a great alternative to high sugar snack foods.  In my gym they sell bars with more that 15g of sugar in them at £2.20.  These are pretty much chocolate bars.  At the moment I am eating PHD diet bars that only have 0.7g of sugar and taste amazing!  The other thing that is great about Dolphin Fitness is that the more of a product you buy the cheaper it gets!  One box might be £15.50 but if you buy two you get them for £14.99 each!  Also if you find it cheaper elsewhere they will lower there prices! 


A good tip when ordering food online is to follow their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as they will always post information about good deals and discounts.  Cant see any discounts that work for you, Google discount codes or coupons.  Its amazing what is out there and available for people on a tight budget. 


Hope this was helpful!  I would love to hear about any places you know for good deals or your experiences with Muscle Foods and Dolphin Fitness.  Leave a comment below or email me here!

Things I love Thursday #9 Fat

"But fats are bad!" I hear you cry.  Well guys sorry to break it to you but cutting out all fatty foods is not the way to go when you are trying to lose weight.  Your body needs fats but the good kind.  Fatty foods are a rich source of energy.  They are vital when working out and exercising to lose weight. I have made the mistake in the past of buying low fat everything.  Your body needs good fats to survive and keep you going.  If you don't have good fats in your diet you are more likely to snack on foods high in sugar.  This is because your body is lacking in energy and sugary foods like chocolate give your body a quick boost. 


The recommended amount of fats for women is 70g and for men 95g.  This may seem like a lot but when eating the wrong kinds of fats this can go quickly.  During the day to keep me going I sometimes have some dry roasted unsalted nuts (average amount 40g).  These contain 17% of my daily fat intake.  Some people try and avoid foods like nuts, yogurt, avocados, humus etc. as they think that fats will give them body fat.  This is often when people begin to crave or eat foods that contain a higher amount of fat.  This will make it easier for you to go over your recommended daily allowance.  A croissant with butter and cheese that might satisfy your cravings but this is a massive 99.5% of your daily fat intake. 


You can quite quickly check the percentage of fat in packaged foods as these are displayed on the label.  Products with less than 3g of fat per 100g are colour coded green on the label.  This is good but you need to make sure you still meet your daily allowance.  Green foods are a good option to snack on to keep you going.  Products with between 3 and 17.5g of fat per 100g are colour coded amber on the label.  Amber foods are good for helping up your daily fat intake if you are running low.  Products with more than 17.5g of fat per 100g are colour coded red on the label.  These are products that you should try to avoid.  Have a look at the below table for some quick switch foods!

Swap	For
Whole milk, cream and full fat cheese	Lower fat dairy products like skimmed, semi-skimmed or 1% fat milk and reduced fat cheese
Fatty cuts of meat	Lean cuts with no visible fat
Roasted and fried foods	Grilled, steamed or baked foods
Butter, lard, ghee, coconut and palm oils	Oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids such as olive, rapeseed or sunflower oils and spreads made with these
Cakes, biscuits and pastries	A handful of unsalted nuts

Facts and figures taken from https://www.nutrition.org.uk Last reviewed December 2013. Revised February 2016. Next review due December 2016

Keeping an eye on your fat intake can be hard but its worth it.  If you want more advice or a meal plan please feel free to contact me here!  Hope you all enjoyed this weeks things I love Thursday!

Things I Love Thursday #8 Confidence

One day walking home from school with some friends, age fifteen, a boy walked passed me and commented on my jiggly legs.  That boy insulted me and will have forgotten about it in days. It stayed however, lurking in my mind; when trying on new outfits, putting on my gym clothes or getting ready to go out someplace.  Its a horrible feeling thinking that you must look so bad a random stranger decided to comment on how you look.  Even now when I pull on a pair of shorts I think of that day and question if I should go out looking "like that".


Last weekend my boyfriend bought me the cutest pair of shorts.  They are so comfy, fit amazingly and have pockets.  We were going to the gym the following Monday for international chest day.  I threw on my new shorts and thought;  This is it, they day I face my fears.  The whole time I was in the gym I kept looking at myself in the mirror to see if I looked ok.  Thing was, I did.  I looked good in my shorts and even more I noticed that other people were just getting on with there day, meeting there goals and focusing on themselves.  Yeah ok there might be some people judging my choice of clothing but I was confidant and happy in myself. 


When you can put on an outfit and a smile follows everyone will notice the smile first.  Having confidence in yourself is so important and not in just how you look.  This is something that going to the gym has helped me build.  Not just because now I look better but it has shown me with hard work you can progress and succeed.


Work to become the person you want to be, follow your dreams and don't let other peoples doubt get in the way.

Things I love Thursday #7 Burning Up and Stressing Down

Day to day life isn't always easy and I know that I get stressed quite a lot.  It wouldn't be a normal day for me if I wasn't worrying about one thing or another.  I have noticed that when I hit the gym, cardio, weights or classes I always feel a lot more positive about life afterwards. You often hear people say: "No one says they regret working out."  This isn't just because of their health or strength increases, a lot of it is the therapy they get from it.  On rest days I even notice that I am still carrying the weight of the day later on into the night.  I am not saying train every day, because your body needs a break, but giving your mind a break is important to.

 For example when lifting weights, let say squatting, do you ever fret about work or money or deadlines when you are squatting?  I know that I don't because I am concentrating on the task in hand (Not falling over is the main one!).  Giving your mind something else to focus on makes it harder for you to worry.  This can also work in reverse and I know this from experience.  Trying to work out when that worry cant be distracted can be very dangerous.  You stop concentrating so much on technique causing you to slip up and make mistakes.  When this happens my best advise is to take a break from whatever you are doing and focus on something easy or repetitive.  Getting on a treadmill and giving you time to calm your head might be the way for you (keep in mind to go slow and not get your heart rate up to high!). I however like doing circuits.  Slamming a ball onto the floor 15 times really helps take the anger and stress out of me. Its not something that you can forget all form for but something that is quite simple to do.

Whatever way it works the gym is there to help and at a much cheaper cost than a therapist!  Keeping fit helps you keep happy and full of energy and is the reason I am a gym junky.  If you ever want advice or someone to destress to drop me an email at amelia.gourlay1@gmail.com.


Keep it up and remember to give me a follow!  See you soon!

Thinks I love Thursday #6 Training Buddy!

For the first few months of my gym life  I was a lone wolf.  I hated training with other people.  Mainly because I only had a small amount of knowledge on my workouts that I wasn't able to switch and change things up for training with other people.  I used to get annoyed when someone showed me a different way to do something because that is not how I had been taught.  I am a grumpy toddler at heart.  Even though deep down I am the same stubborn brat things have changed. 


Going to the gym with someone now is a totally different experience.  Its like being with another member of the pack ready to show the world how it should be done.  This has changed because I have learnt something very important.  Just because its different, doesn't mean its wrong.  When I started out at the gym I was a novice.  I had been taught how to do an action or motion in relation to the workout I was doing, for my body at that time and to help develop a serration area.  Over time building knowledge of my body and techniques I am beginning to understand the difference between bad form and variations.  This is something that is very important when training with someone.  For example the person I currently train with is male, tall and has been training for a few years now.  The variations he sometimes uses are different to mine.  We both might be training legs however he might be isolating one area whereas because I am not as far on I might be working on my legs as a whole.  As a result of this we may be doing things differently. 


Right now I am particularly enjoying working out with my friends who are new to or don't have much knowledge of training.  This allows me to share what I know, and in doing so develop myself.  As people are different I am coming up with plans that suite both of us and using different variations to suite our bodies and levels.  It has also helped me to develop my skills in supporting people within a gym environment. 


Going to the gym with someone and working out together is something I would recommend to everyone.  Give it a shot because it might not be as bad as you think!  Remember to be open to new workouts and styles but make sure you keep your form on point and stay safe!


Hope you enjoyed my Things I love Thursday #6!  See you soon!

Things I love Thursday #5 Supersets!

Everyone has their favourite thing to do in the gym.  Their go to workout when they can't be bothered walking to the gym let alone doing anything there.  Mine is something that is the baine of most peoples lives... I love supersets.  I can get bored quite easily when working out so supersets keeping things fast paced and interesting.  Mixing different workouts together and powering through them gets your heart rate up and your blood pumping.  I like to do a combination of body weight and weighted workouts.  This way just general cardio can be a little more interesting.  As time goes by you can see progress in your weights, skill and time.  When I first started I could do a double arm kettle bell swing at 8kg.  Now with good form I can do 16kg with one arm, double the weight, half the arms! 

It has also helped me build up my confidence and showed me that I can  do this.  Before starting I was so scared of hights I couldn't jump onto a box that was just above my knees.  Now I can smash out 15 box jumps and not miss one!

They have helped develop me in so many ways.  As much as I love them I am aware its not for everyone.  So many people are starting the gym this month and giving up not long after.  I bumped into an old friend of mine the other day at the gym.  It was her first time and she was worried it might also be her last.  She said to me that she was going to force herself to come in every week.  The second she said that I had to stop her.  This is one mistake that many people make when they join the gym.  They hit the tread mill, try to run for a bit, get a cramp and stop.  Nagging and nagging at themselves to go and repeat this every week.  This is not the way to do it!!  As much as the gym is for getting you fit it should be enjoyable.  Making yourself go when you don't want to will only make you hate it more.

I advised that she look at some classes, try out some stuff until she found something she likes.  I gave her a card for a PT that I know and also told her to check out stuff online to get ideas.  It is always good to start the gym with someone who has some experience and if you don't know anyone even two or three sessions with a PT can be a massive help.  I said she can give me a buzz if she wants a hand and I could put a plan together if she wants.  I love my supersets but finding what you love is key.

Hope you enjoyed my mini rant and keep strong!  See you all next Thursday!

Things I love Thursday #4 My New Bottle

I am not normally a "new year new me" kind of person however I am constantly setting goals for myself and this one just happened to fall near the start of the year!  I have a very bad habit of not drinking enough water.  Don't get me wrong water is my first choice of drink however it can be hard to drink as much as recommended in a day.  Like most things to do with keeping healthy there is a recommended daily intake, five fruit and veg a day, 2500ml/3000ml of water, no biscuits... but water can be hard.  With an average glass of water only being 250mls you would have to drink 10 to 15 glasses a day. 

For some people this might be easy but I needed a little helping hand.  You might remember my previous post about protein powder.  When I ordered a bulk of stuff and received a maxi nutrition water bottle.  It is 1L and one of the best things to happen to me!  Not only does it mean I have a great bottle with measurements so I can see how much I need to drink but it also is easy to use at the gym with its handy lid.  I know that if by lunch I have not drank at least a bottle I need to get drinking.

I suffer from migraines and bad headaches, drinking water really helps keep these at bay and something I recommend everyone does.  It doesn't just have to be drinking water though!  Green and any caffeine free teas are a great way to intake water.  One of the best ways to get water into your body is by eating watermelon!


I love my bottle, what helps you work out and keep healthy?  Comment below!

Things I love Thursday #3 Fit Family

This time of year can be really hard to keep motivated will all the cake and chocolate and roast potatoes and... anyway!  One thing that has made it a lot easier is the family around me.  Over the last year it hasn't just been me improving my life style.  My dad has always been good at playing football and hitting the gym but for myself if was something new and for my mum it was about finding the right things for her.

I have always been brought up to try new foods and to keep healthy.  My mum has started up nordic walking and yoga.  Seeing the progress in both of us has meant this year at Christmas we have still kept motivated.

This year I even hit the gym on Christmas Day without judgment from my family!  It's hard enough to keep healthy but when you don't have support from the people you are closest to.  I am really glad to have a supportive family! 

Sorry for the late post and I'll see you guys soon!