#gaining weight but that mindset was never really challenged ??? but now like technically i know that for me especially it's better to just

[nudne]

nothing like shopping at a high street fashion store to make you feel like shit 😌

[fitfuturesacad]

The Psychology of Burpees

Eight weeks ago came the news that New Zealand was going into lockdown, as a method of managing the spread of Covid-19 through our communities and country. It was soon obvious that this lockdown was not going to be brief, but instead last for weeks or possibly months. My gym had to close, and I was restricted to travel within a few kilometres of my home. The government highlighted that getting out and exercising was beneficial to our health and wellbeing, so a long walk was initiated with the family for the first few days of lockdown.

I have never been a walker, runner, or cyclist, so with these options not taken into consideration, what could I do as a form of exercise that would push, challenge and motivate me during the lockdown period? I went scurrying through YouTube to see if there was anything online that was gaining traction and interest. I knew I wanted to be tested physically, but I was also looking for something that would challenge me psychologically. After ten minutes I had found it: one hundred burpees a day, 3,000 for a month! The person I had found was Chase Barron, who has a following of 31k subscribers to his YouTube account. He, like me, hates burpees as an exercise but saw this as an opportunity to test himself physically and psychologically.

Why are burpees so disliked – and so beneficial?

Back in the day our P.E. teachers gave burpees out as a punishment for turning up late, or forgetting gym gear. Burpees were horrible then, as they are now. But 35 years later, I know a lot more about the dreaded burpee.  In fact many Crossfitters look out for this exercise first when they see a Workout of the Day. So why does this exercise polarise so many? There are many variations of the burpees in recent years, with the spectacular popularity of Crossfit, and burpee variances have become regular in gyms. For my lockdown challenge I decided I would complete the more traditional push-up burpee.

I did a little research into the history of the burpee and the proposed physical benefits. The inventor of the burpee was Royal H. Burpee. As part of his PhD thesis in Applied Physiology (1939), Royal designed the burpee as part of a fitness test. I wanted to equip myself with as much knowledge and information as I could about burpees. I found:

Burpees engage the entire body. The burpee movement requires many muscles and joints to work together from the upper and lower body. Functional movements in the burpee include press-up, plank, squat and jump.

Burpees are a full-body exercise, and burn a high amount of calories. As many muscles are used during this high intensity exercise, typically more calories are burned, which can lead to faster weight loss.

No equipment is required – a major reason why I decided to take on the burpee lockdown challenge! Your garden, local park, garage or living room floor are all suitable places.

Burpees are a fantastic exercise to get the heart rate pumping. Just a few burpees gets the heart and lungs working in a short space of time, providing a cardiovascular workout.

  The Burpee Challenge

Thursday March 26th, 2020 was my start date. I was working from home and decided to schedule my burpees during my lunch hour, where I would walk around the corner to the local park.  In my research, Chase Barron identified that he completed his 100 burpees a day in sets and reps of 10, taking his time and using correct technique. Barron’s burpees were also spread out across the day due to time or availability – but I decided that I would complete my 100 burpees all at once, no matter how long it took.

Many negative or disparaging remarks are associated with burpees. Revulsion, disgust, fear and “love to hate” were comments I had come across as I researched the topic. As an all-round body weight exercise, the burpee is in a league of its own. There’s a reason for this, of course – it’s hard! If it wasn’t, all fitness enthusiasts would be using it in their exercise regime. ‘Love to hate’ I thought was an interesting comment. The love must come from the completion of achieving something difficult, the joy and euphoria of this, and knowing the health and fitness consequences of completing a series of burpees. The hate must come from what we are about to physically receive.

A full body weight workout means exactly what it says: from a standing start to a downward sprawl, a push up, jump back into the squat position and then a vertical jump to conclude the movement. Sounds easy on paper, but I’d have to complete 100 of these, each day for a month! The repetitive nature of the exercise is boring, technical yes, but with a little time and thought I decided I could make the movement effective and efficient for 100 attempts. I was expecting to “hate” to experience my respiratory and circulatory systems working extra hard to compensate for the lack of oxygen in my muscles. But of course, I expected to “love” the feeling of completing something which to me is more psychologically difficult in its nature than physiological in its execution. So this was my standpoint: this was how I was going to approach a month of 3,000 burpees. Obviously an efficient technique is important, but to me the psychological aspect of completing this monthly task was far harder. I would have to be mentally strong to be successful in achieving my goal.

At 1pm on March 26th I started my first 100 burpees. I was very apprehensive, yet excited to start what would be a month of pain and success. I am one of these people who sets themselves achievable and realistic goals, and only injury would stop me from reaching 3,000 burpees. But through my pain, there would have to be small amounts of pleasure to fight back and use as medicine, so I was in control of the pain.

My ‘medicine’ was:

I made a playlist of Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia to accompany my lonely foray into the burpee wilderness.

I needed a focal point to look at in the distance when I came up from the squat to vertical jump. I had to have something to concentrate my mind on.

My first week of burpees consisted of sets and reps of 10 at a time to reach 100 per day, 700 for the week. The first 4-5 days were pretty tough. I was inhaling large volumes of air into my lungs to compensate for my haste in completing the exercise movements quickly. I soon realised that my 52-year-old body was not as well acclimatised to the burpee as I had originally thought! Something had to change, and this was my mentality. I took a different approach by the end of the first week. Firstly, I slowed down my technique and spent more emphasis on the press up, squat and vertical jump. This allowed my whole burpee movement to become more efficient, and consequently I got into a rhythm and routine so the burpees became enjoyable. This was a key moment for me.

Halfway into Week Two I changed my reps per set. I wanted to push myself physiologically but also wanted to change my mindset. I went to 20 reps of 5 sets to complete my hundred burpees. I was now conscious of the need to pace myself, there was no rush, and to my surprise after 3-4 days I found my body was adapting well to this too. But more important for me was the sense of euphoria I felt on completion of the second week of the burpee challenge. The endorphins in my body were reducing the perception of pain but more importantly, they were triggering positive feelings. These feelings at the end of Week Two saw me reschedule the monthly plan. Week Three, I was now going to complete 150 a day! Burpees were now becoming behaviourally addictive. This was not something I had planned for psychologically.

A change of schedule also saw a change of music playlist, as this was now becoming repetitive. A Spotify burpee search came across plenty of high tempo music at 130-150 beats per minute. The music was a great motivational tool for what is a very repetitive exercise movement. With an increase in burpees to 150 per day, I now looked at completing 30 reps of 5 sets. The first day or two of this was considerably harder, but I wanted to do this as it pushed me well outside my comfort zone. Completing the reps was no issue, but what I did realise was the rest time in between sets was taking longer to recover. This was expected, though 25 years ago I would have pushed myself harder during recovery time. That said, the objective for me at this time was to complete 150 burpees at a time irrelevant of how long it would take me. By the end of Week Three I had completed 2,450 burpees, I was well ahead of schedule and looking forward to the final week. I still had high levels of motivation to complete the task, but more rewarding was the fact that I felt really good and positive. I had to remind myself that burpees are not “everyone’s cup of tea” and there is a very good reason for this. They are hard and repetitive. But I was still mentally feeling very strong. I could now see the horizon, the end of the month was coming around. I wanted to make a final change to my approach as I started Week Four.

Two hundred burpees a day! Even my wife thought this was a little crazy. But my mindset had changed. I was doubling my original target from the beginning of the month, but I had the energy and fitness to complete this. Once again, more important than my fitness, my mentality I believe was greater or stronger than my fitness. Progressive weeks of steady increments had shown me what was possible with the right mindset. Thursday April 23rd saw me complete the first of the 200 a day burpees. The first hundred went by pretty quickly. At the halfway mark I took a 90-second rest and took some water. I felt good. However, starting the last 100 burpees was a different matter. I struggled to get back into a rhythm, consequently the final 100 burpees were torture; it was the worst I had felt over the entire month. It was the first time I had thought of deliberately miscalculating my count. Finally, after reaching 200, I walked off to cool down both physically and mentally. I was annoyed. I was so disappointed with myself. Had I been unrealistic in wanting to achieve 200 burpees with only three weeks of training behind me?

I thought long and hard about my approach for the following day. I had some options:

8 sets x 25 reps

4 sets x 50 reps

2 sets x 100 reps (completed this once, surely it could not be as bad again?)

1 set x 200 reps

The plan for Day Two of the last week of the burpee challenge was to choose option 4. Looking back to the previous day, the first 100 burpees went relatively smoothly, then I had a short break and then struggled to find any form or rhythm for the final 100. For the second day, I planned not to stop at 100 but to continue in my slow, rhythmic, and methodical manner to 200 burpees. This I did, and it felt fantastic. The key was to pace myself, get my breathing right, and get into a rhythm. The endorphins in my body were going crazy, I felt incredible on completion, I walked away with hands on my hips and inhaling/exhaling very deeply – but this was offset by my sense of accomplishment. Deciding to complete the 200 burpees in one swoop was fundamentally the difference between today and yesterday. The remainder of the week was completed. I also mixed it up, using options 1, 2 and 4.

After the challenge

At the end of the 4-week challenge I had completed 3,850 burpees and had surpassed a target that Chase Barron had set himself to physically challenge him. For me, it was not about the physical aspects of completing the burpee challenge over a month. It was the psychological challenge of a daily repetitive exercise movement which exercise practitioners generally stayed clear of. Was it hard? Yes, there were days I did not want to do it, many of them in fact. But this was the reason why I wanted to take this challenge on. I wanted to test my willpower, perseverance, and determination.

What gave me more satisfaction was the fact I did not miss a day of burpees. The schedule was relentless, and each lunchtime was consumed by the burpee challenge. On reflection, the one-month challenge answered my objective of finding something physiological and psychological to complete while the gym was closed. This was very satisfying. The burpees themselves provided me a great daily workout; this was a bonus, as I am not a runner or cyclist. I believe that my slow rhythmical manner of completing the burpees was fundamental to my success, as it allowed me to concentrate on my form and technique. Over the one-month challenge I had no issues with any sprains or injuries.

Another attribute to my competition of the challenge was my choice of music. My music choice may not be enjoyed by everyone, but the songs with high beats per minute helped to alleviate the repetitiveness of the exercise movement. Having a focal point to look at in the distance also contributed to my completion of the challenge. At the top of the vertical jump, I looked ahead to something specific in the foreground. This was generally a tree; it provided me with the cue to breathe/inhale at the start of the burpee movement. It was this cue in the environment which provided a rhythm and routine to the movement.

So, what now, as the gyms are back open? Well, I’ve decided to use burpees in my weekly workouts. Admittedly I’ve cut back on the number. But 50 burpees I consider a good part of a workout. My fitness base I built up during the month of burpees, means that I can complete 50 burpees effectively. I don’t want to lose this burpee fitness base, in fact I quite enjoy completing them two to three times a week!

In summary, burpees provide a good cardiovascular workout, when time or space is restricted. The reason for this is because it is a thorough whole-body workout. The burpee movement is made up of continual exercises, which over 15-20 minutes will result in a surge in your heart rate and leave your lungs gasping for air and muscles starved of oxygen. There is a reason why the burpee polarises gym-goers. But if you can get yourself into the right mindset and see past the physical hurt then burpees, with good form and technique, can be slightly addictive.

Bibliography

https://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/13/health/endorphins-exercise-cause-happiness/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burpee_(exercise)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Harrishttps://www.spotify.com/nz/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_House_Mafia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnqO8sh7ztc

  About the Author: My name is Mike Clayton, I am the Head of Education at Fit Futures Academy. I was born and raised in York in the United Kingdom (UK). I am of mixed race, my mother is Chinese and my father, English. I have a younger sister who lives in the UK with her family. My education was based at Liverpool University & Chester University College. I have a BSc Hons in Sports & Biological Sciences, where I majored in Sport Psychology. I presented at the 1998 BASES conference at Portsmouth University “What is the advantage in home advantage”. I also have a Postgraduate Diploma in Sport & Exercise Psychology & a Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching Adult Education. Alongside my loving and supportive wife, I have two young lovely daughters who remind me every day of how lucky I am. My educational areas of interest include Contemporary Issues in Sport & Habitual Exercising. 

Disclaimer: The exercises and information provided by Fit Futures Learning Institute (T/A Fit Futures Academy) (www.fitfutures.co.nz) are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and are not to be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific treatment plan, product or course of action. Read the full content disclaimer.

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from https://fitfutures.co.nz/psychology-of-burpees/

[corneliussteinbeck]

GGS Spotlight: Heather Osio

Name:   Heather Osio Age: 39 Location: San Diego, CA

How did you find out about Girls Gone Strong? A few years ago, some of my online friends started talking about lifting weights. I was curious to see what the big deal was, so I started searching for info on strength training for women, which led me to Girls Gone Strong.

What does being a Girl Gone Strong mean to you? It means showing up for myself in every situation and not apologizing for the space I take up in this world. It took me a while to get here, but I feel like I’m finally growing into myself as both body and mind get stronger. And that’s so empowering!

What do you do? I was a journalist for many years, and now I’m a technical writer. You know those instruction manuals you don’t want to (but often have to) read? I write those.

What else do you do? To get the blood moving, I lift weights, play with kettlebells, hike, or walk at the beach. In my downtime, I watch movies, read, and most recently, I’ve been learning to crochet. I needed a creative outlet, and hopefully I’ll get a scarf out of it.

How did you get introduced to strength training, and how long have you been training? I feel like I’ve been a beginner for years. I research everything to death before diving in, so I really started by just reading a lot. In 2013, I searched for info on strength training for women, which led me to Nia Shanks’ and Neghar Fonooni’s wonderful troves of workouts and blogs. From there, I read Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, cobbled together a home gym from Craigslist, and started lifting.

The next year, I fell in love with kettlebells while doing Lean & Lovely from Neghar, and I started getting serious about lifting heavier and dialing in form while doing the Unapologetically Strong coaching program and then Strongest You Coaching. At this point, I feel like I have a solid foundation of strength and have started focusing on being able to add more weight to the bar.

Lifting weights has had a bigger impact on me than anything else I’ve done. There’s something so empowering about reaching down for the bar or putting all of that iron on your back and knowing that if you lift it or squat it, that’s all you. I’m still working on becoming a woman who is comfortable in her own skin, and lifting has been the best thing to help me grow more confident in that area.

Nothing makes me feel more feminine than playing with iron.

Favorite Lift: Deadlift! No, squats! Wait… do I have to choose? Both make me feel powerful and grounded, and I chase that feeling in every workout.

Top 3 things you must have with you at the gym or in your gym bag: Training notebook, phone, hair ties

Do you prefer to train alone or with others? Why? I work out at home or with a trainer, so I’ve never really lifted with anyone else. I like being able to focus on the bar and my body – that’s it. If I’m doing active things outdoors, I do like to be with other people.

Best compliment you’ve received: A friend called me tough when I was working through an emotional situation. I don’t often see myself this way, but I’m working on it.

Most recent compliment you gave someone else: “You should just never wear pants! Like, ever.” The compliments I give are often strange but always genuine.

Favorite way to treat yourself: Uninterrupted time to read a book or a walk on the beach

Favorite quote: “Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. Doing what you’re afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks like that – that’s what life is. You might be really good. You might find out something about yourself that’s really special and if you’re not good, who cares? You tried something. Now you know something about yourself.” – Amy Poehler

I love this quote because it homes in on the idea that

…growth comes from being uncomfortable and you’ll be OK if you just lean into the resistance.

Three words that best describe you: Curious, strong, resilient

What inspires and motivates you? I love seeing women taking up space and being unapologetic about it. I can’t get enough of lifting videos on Instagram, whether it’s a powerlifter moving hundreds of pounds or someone putting the big-girl plates on for the first time. It has nothing to do with what they look like and everything to do with how they approach the bar to do the work.

Describe a typical day in your life: I wake up at 4:40 a.m. to meditate and get ready for work without rushing too much. I work from 6:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., and I sit at a desk for most of the day. During the day, I try to get up every hour and walk around, and I take a midday walk outside with a friend every day. After work, I either work out at home or with my trainer. I eat dinner around 6:30 p.m., watch a little TV with my husband or read for a bit, then try to get to bed before 9 p.m.

When did you join Strongest You Coaching, and why did you decide to join? What helped you make the decision to join? Before I joined Strongest You Coaching, I was stressing myself out trying to lose fat and gain muscle by trying every program I could get my hands on but not really having a clear direction. I was ready to let go of a focus on weight loss but had no idea where to go next. The coaching program was appealing because it factored in nutrition coaching as well as strength and mindset work. I knew I needed help in all of those areas, so I took a chance on it.

What has been your biggest challenge in the Strongest You Coaching program? My biggest challenge was trusting the process and myself through the tougher parts. For example, one of the nutrition habits was eating single-ingredient carbs 80 percent of the time. I was on this one habit for eight weeks! I resisted this so hard, and it wasn’t until I leaned into it and treated the habit as an experiment that I was able to do it. This way of eating comes naturally to me now.

What has been your biggest success in the Strongest You Coaching program? Honestly, just finishing the program and knowing that I got out of it what I put into it was huge for me. In the past, I’ve bought programs and when life distracted me, I abandoned them and moved on to the next one. With this program, I still got distracted or off course a few times, but I always came back and picked up where I needed to be. I feel like I actually “did” this one and I’m taking with me all that I learned.

What is the habit you’re currently working on most? Drinking enough water! I was guzzling like a champ for a while, but I’ve fallen behind on this habit lately. So I’m trying to look at what has changed and I’m employing little reminders to help me drink up.

What do you like best about the Strongest You Coaching community? The SYC community was a valuable part of the process. Even though everyone in my group was at different points in their journeys and had different goals, we could all confidently share what we were dealing with at the time and receive support or cheers or advice or whatever we needed in the moment. Everyone was willing to be vulnerable and honest, and that goes a long way in establishing an active and supportive community.

What “BIG” goal did you want to achieve by the end of Strongest You Coaching? My goal was to get stronger and hit some milestones with the barbell. I thought that by setting specific number goals that it would help my strength overall, but my coach, Jen Comas, showed me what I really needed to grow stronger: building a solid foundation. We worked on form and slowing down each exercise to make sure I was hitting the muscles I needed to with each rep. By the end of SYC, I hadn’t hit the specific numbers I had wanted to in the beginning, but I was just shy of those goals. My foundation and form were much stronger than they would have been if I had just focused on hitting milestones. Jen’s guidance and feedback helped me become a stronger and smarter lifter overall.

How has Strongest You Coaching changed your life? Working on the nutrition habits was not fun during the process! But now they’re just a part of my daily life. I still have daily reminders set on my phone and sometimes one or two will slip for a few days, but I don’t have to work so hard at them because they’ve truly becomes habits now. Anything that feels more automated and ingrained just helps my day goes more smoothly.

What would you tell a woman who’s nervous about joining Strongest You Coaching? There’s a place for you here. Age, body type, fitness level, nutrition habits, obligations – there’s a place for you and it will work with your life. SYC is a big investment in time, money and effort, but you what you get out of is is something incredibly valuable.

Feeling inspired?

If you’re inspired by Heather, read on to learn more about—and join!—our community of strong, supportive women…

The post GGS Spotlight: Heather Osio appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.

from Blogger http://corneliussteinbeck.blogspot.com/2017/01/ggs-spotlight-heather-osio.html

[blogmidouni]

The 1 Thing I Cut Out of My Diet to Get Rid of Bloating

Image Source: Juice Press

For some people, a few days of inhibition-free meals and a grotesque consumption of carbohydrates could warrant the desire to go on a diet, but for me, it was 24 years of horrendous eating habits. I'm not talking about a bagel once a week or an occasional pasta indulgence, I'm talking about oozing macaroni and cheese quesadillas and 4 a.m. and occasionally skipping meals. But being a 20-something in New York, surrounded by juice cleanses and CrossFit, I decided to listen to my body, succumb to what my mom's been telling me I've needed to do my whole life, and actually eat clean.

Throughout my entire childhood and my adult life thus far — minus a slight speed bump during four years of college — I was one of those people you hated. I have a very fast metabolism and I guess you could say I took advantage of it by not eating well. Recently, being the reigning carbo queen was starting to take a toll on the way I was feeling. No number of miles on the elliptical could change the fact that I was putting crap into my body, and I was ready to make a change.

My coworker and deskmate, Kelsey Garcia, wanted to make a change to her diet before the holidays as well, and we decided to do Juice Press's clean eating plan, which is available for one, three, or five days. We were up for the organic challenge and committed to doing this, so went for the five-day plan.

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Cleanse Details

Each day of the raw vegan food cleanse ranged from 1,340 to 1,510 calories. Although the diet lacked meat, there was no lack of iron throughout the five days thanks to all the almonds, lentils, quinoa, and sunflower seeds. As for protein, our daily intake ranged from 32 to 69 grams, and while the recommended amount for women is 46 grams of protein per day, our levels only fell below that two of the five days. There was an emphasis on healthy fats like avocado and almonds, and there was zero artificial trans fat throughout the diet. Every day had over 100 percent of our recommended fiber intake, and I definitely felt that there was a sufficient amount.

Below is a breakdown of what the five days consisted of, with about two hours between each juice and meal.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Perri Konecky

With such a structured meal plan, and a positive mindset, I was ready to begin my clean eating journey! While Juice Press does allow people to customize the diet to their personal preferences, I decided to follow the exact plan on the menu above in order to properly analyze my results. . . and let me tell you, I learned a lot about my body. I found out very early in the cleanse that I really enjoy juices — no matter how many vegetables they're made of, I would so much rather drink the greens than eat them (a solution that would've been very helpful during my childhood) and I also learned that I can survive without bread and miraculously still feel completely nourished.

But Wait . . . No Bread?

Before starting the diet, I was afraid that I'd be hungry after each meal, but that was not the case at all. I was pleasantly surprised with how satisfied I felt after each juice and every salad. The only times I actually felt hungry was very late at night, but that was just a sign that it was time to go to bed. Thanks to the mouthwatering kale chips and tamari almonds, my snack needs were met. I wasn't left licking my fingers like after a bag of Doritos, but they both were really delicious snacks to nosh on throughout the day.

Although hunger was not an issue, what I did really notice my body reacting to was the lack of refined carbs. I'm not sure if carbohydrate withdrawal is a thing, but if it is, this was definitely what it feels like. I was eating carbs on the diet, but not even remotely close to the way my body was used to. Going cold turkey with anything you consume on a daily basis is never easy, but whenever I found myself wandering to an Instagram account filled with cheesy pasta, I knew it must've be time for another juice.

Image Source: Juice Press

When I woke up on day three, I felt amazing. For someone who is typically bloated due to my dairy-filled meals, waking up with significantly less bloat was instantly noticeable. At that point I had already consumed seven juices, an oatmeal, four salads, a soup, and a healthy sushi and I still had three days left. I did not look at the scale while I did the cleanse, but it felt like my water weight was gone after just two days.

Kelsey and I started the plan on a Tuesday, which made Saturday our last full day of eating clean, and of course, not the best idea for our social lives. On Friday night, I accomplished the impossible: a night out that didn't end with a slice of pizza. Being the responsible, clean-eating girl I was committed to being, when I packed my clutch for the night out I made sure to include my essentials — wallet, keys, gum, Kylie Jenner Lip Kit, and yes, my tamari almonds. The biggest test of all, however, came when my date ordered a plate of cheesy waffle fries to the bar and I had to exert a level of self-control I did not think was humanly possibly and restrain myself. Shocking, I know, but my five days were almost done, and I had my almonds!

With such a drastic change in my eating habits, I tried my best to keep the rest of my daily routine the same. I worked out three of the five days and was surprisingly energized, even without my cappuccino. For my workouts, I typically did an hour on the elliptical in the evening. Admittedly, during the first day of the cleanse, I attempted to complete my usual cardio exercises, but felt lightheaded and had to stop. I realized I hadn't eaten my dinner yet and the clock had been ticking since my previous juice. Moving forward, I made sure that I ate dinner about two hours before I worked out and drank a lot of water.

What I Learned

After putting my body through such a rigorous change of its usual consumption, you'd be right to assume that after a few days I became — for lack of a better word — hangry. If it were any other situation I would probably try to sneak in an M&M or two to assuage my irritability, but doing the cleanse with Kelsey not only meant that we were holding each other accountable for our commitment, but we were there to be each others cheerleaders (using juices as pom poms, obviously). While I had trouble finishing my salads, she reminded me how delicious the dressings were, and while she struggled stomaching the juices, I'd be encouraging her to chug it as if we were at a college party. I don't think I would've been so committed and excited about changing my ways for five full days if I didn't have a close companion to experience this with. What better way to laugh about and make light of a hunger-induced mood swing than while sitting next to someone feeling the exact same way?! (Read about Kelsey's experience, here.)

Looking back, the cleanse was a complete success. Not only did I shed my water weight and drop a few pounds in just five short days, but it led to a realization about my nasty eating habits that I needed to see firsthand to believe. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a slice of pizza after completing the final meal of the cleanse, but it was after midnight following day five, so technically I made it through. While I do think I've gained those pounds back, my eating habits most definitely have changed. I've managed to stay away from my late-night, hybrid toaster oven treats and have been making a conscious effort every day to listen to my body and avoid meals that make me feel totally stuffed when I'm done. I wish I could say that I've transformed into a salad-loving, green-drinking girl post-cleanse, but I'd still choose a turkey wrap over a salad any day.

I learned that it truly is possible to make healthy food choices regardless of how busy you are, and I gained a new obsession: kale chips. Yes, it may be easier to eat a cheesy dinner rather than take the time to cook a healthy meal, but it's so worth it when you feel the difference. Five days of clean eating could definitely not reverse my 24 years of carb loading, but seeing how great I felt with a little green in my life has definitely impacted my eating habits post-cleanse.

Related: 30 Easy, Healthy New Year's Resolutions You'll Actually Be Able to Keep 12 Things to Add to 2017 For a Healthier, Happier Year If You're Looking to Be Healthier in 2017, Start With These 10 Tips Now

from POPSUGAR Fitness http://ift.tt/2k221gX The 1 Thing I Cut Out of My Diet to Get Rid of Bloating POPSUGAR Fitness from Weight Loss & Diet Plans http://ift.tt/2j6zpDL

[thefightingmonkey-blog]

January 5th 2016

  Fighter Profile Name – Amy Timlin Nickname – Lion Heart Weight – 55kg-57kg (121-125 Pounds) Record – Undefeated Team – Wayne Elcock’s Boxing Academy

  Where are you from ? The United Kingdom.

How long have you been training ? I’ve been training for almost 12 years.

How did you get into Boxing ? I was a kick boxer but now I’m an A.B.A boxer.

Tell us about your nickname “Lion Heart” and how you got it ? Lion heart ❤️ I got the name because I never give up even when the fight gets tough!! I dig deep and still manage to scrape a win.

When did you realize you wanted to be a fighter and how did you feel when you made that decision ? I was relieved because fighting is the one thing that makes me happy!! Boxing is everything to me.

When you decided to start competing what was the reaction of family and friends where they supportive ? My family and friends was very supportive!they wanted me to be happy and they knew that boxing was my life and I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything other than boxing.

What is your current record ? Undefeated!! I’m currently the kickboxing world champion in my division.

What is your favorite strike or combination to use in a fight ? My favorite strike is definitely a body shot or right punch straight through my opponent’s guard.

Who is your biggest inspiration in Boxing ? Holly Holm is my idol!! She was an 18x world boxing champion and is now the former bantamweight champion. She’s a great role model to look up to and that’s why I very much look up to her, she inspires me to be like her. My other role model is Anthony Joshua.

What team do you train with ? Wayne Elcock’s Boxing Academy. Also known as box clever.

When you step in the ring how do you dictate the pace of the fight ? I like to keep my opponents on their feet and I play smart with them. Sometimes I’ll counter their shots but I’m mainly an aggressive attacking fighter. Always keep my opponents on the back foot.

What does being a fighter mean to you ? Fighting means everything to me. I don’t know where I would be without boxing!! It’s literally everything to me and I’ll always love this sport.

What weight do you compete at ? I usually box around 57kg but I can also fight at 55kg too.

What separates you from other fighters ? My aggression really puts my opponents off! I’m also a hard hitter too which my opponents hate.

If you could have one dream fight who would it be against and why ? My dream fight would definitely be against someone like Katie Taylor!! She’s a class fighter and it would be a massive opportunity to step in the ring with her and gain a hell of a lot of experience in the fight. I love to fight the best out there and in my opinion, Katie Is one of the best.

Who has been your toughest opponent to date ? MY toughest fight was against an Irish girl called Jennifer Molloy, our fight was brutal. It was a toe to toe war from start to finish for the European title and I won but it was tough and I had to earn that belt.

What is your mindset going into fight night ? My mindset is always confident! I believe that when I step into the ring that I’m untouchable. If you go into the fight thinking you’re going to lose then you’ve already lost the fight because you’re doubting yourself before you get in.

When and where are you fighting next ? I’m fighting in the Nationals next but I’m not sure who it’s against yet.

What holes or weaknesses do you look to exploit in your opponents when you step in the ring ? I can see in my opponents eyes if their ready for the fight at the weigh in when I stare them down. But I never underestimate any of my opponents. You can’t judge a book by its cover.

What promotion do you fight for ? I used to fight in WKA, WKU, ICO but now I’m fighting in the A.B.A.

Date and time of your next fight ? January 21st at the Nationals! I’m not sure what time I’m fighting though.

What do you want people to remember you for at the end of your career ? I want to be remembered as one of the best female fighters to come out of the UK.

Who or what has had the biggest influence on you and your Boxing career ? I’ve got little kids who really look up to me as a fighter and I’m their role model. I fight the best for them because I want to be a good influence on them and I want the best out of them!! They literally mean everything to me and I would never was to disappoint any of them! They think of me as their idol and I can’t let them down.

How would you describe your fighting style ? My fighting style is aggressive but I’m also really technical too which puts my opponents off guard.

What drives or motivates you to step in the ring and compete ? I’m always watching videos of Anthony Joshua, GGG and all of the greatest boxers and it motivates me to be on top. People might not know that I used to struggle with really bad nerves!! My confidence was so low a few years ago and I couldn’t step into the ring because my nerves got the better of me and now people always tell me how relaxed I look before fight but inside I am nervous! But I have good nerves now!! Nerves can make you sharper when you’re in the ring.

What do you think you would be doing today if you had never started training and fighting? I probably wouldn’t have done anything in all honesty. What gets you mentally prepared for a fight ? I train hard constantly 6 days a week! I wake up at 6AMto do a 4 mile run every morning before college. I would never lose a fight to fitness! I’m prepared for fights because I train so hard none stop.

Do you have any rituals that get you ready to step in the ring ? I just think about my hand getting raised and how my opponent made me diet etc.. I take my aggression out on my opponent in pay back which makes me more determined to win.

Who is your favorite fighter ? My favorite fighter is Anthony Joshua.

When you are not training or preparing for a fight what do you enjoy doing in your free time ? When I’m not training, I’m usually go for a run haha but other than that I usually go out with my mates.

What has been your biggest accomplishment in the sport so far ? Winning my world title or becoming gold medalist in the Italy championships 2 years ago.

What do you think the biggest challenges are for women in combat sports ? There’s a lot of upcoming female fighters that are coming into the sport and the woman’s division at the moment is through the roof!! All the woman have got a 50/50 chance of winning.

What advice can you give to other young female fighters ? Don’t give up. If things don’t go right the first time get back up and try again because practice makes perfect. No ones perfect. You’ve just got to keep going and don’t give up on your dreams.

Where do you see women’s Boxing/MMA in the next 5 years ? Woman’s mma will be massive in 5 years time!! There’s some good fighters coming into it now so it should be interesting.

Where do you see yourself 5 years down the road ? I want to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in boxing so hopefully I should be there in just under 4 years time.

What are your future goals and plans ? My goals are to finish my amateur career and when I’m older turn pro and get contracted to someone like Eddie Hearns

Is there anyone you want to thank or give a shout out to ? I would love to thank my family and friends for always believing in me from the start and not giving up on me. I would also like to thank my coaches for getting me where I am today and I would also like to give my sponsor a shout out —> Billionmore Eclub (herosporto) for sponsoring me my fight kit.

To follow Amy and stay up to date on all her late breaking news click the link below to go check out her fan page https://www.facebook.com/lionheart123/

Amy “Lion Heart” Timlin January 5th 2016 Fighter Profile Name - Amy Timlin Nickname - Lion Heart Weight - 55kg-57kg (121-125 Pounds)