What a year.

1 Comment

My friends,

It has been awhile, and I thought I would start this Blog up again. As….why not?

This Blog has been mainly about fitness, but this post will be more about this past year and how I kept the balance.

I am in the process also of getting my YouTube channel live and running, and again – will be mainly about Fitness. I hope to have the first Vlog posted there soon, will keep you updated here. Please note I have not uploaded a video yet, so give me a little time, once I do – I will announce it here!

2020 has been a challenging, sad, trying year for SO MANY people all over the globe – and it seems it will continue on this path for now. On a more positive note we know we have been advised that there are two Companies about to rollout the vaccine in a week to the medical front line workers, and to the aged Homes…and then to the older, immune compromised and the general population after. I have been praying all year for this.

Since March, when the Company I work for closed for six months (hotels in Jamaica) I have been on a fitness quest even more than usual, and in my next post I will share some of my “at home” workouts – which by the way, I have posted on my Instagram landing page under “Highlights” – since then, I have been back to the gym, which is a small neighbourhood gym — using it at times when NO ONE in there.

The balance throughout hard times is so important. I also started a journal (finally) and meditation. It has helped me to stay positive each day no matter what.

I will have links below to the Journal I use, the diffuser for meditation, and a few other things that helped me during this time.

The Things that helped me “Balance” this year

Each morning, I take about 30 minutes to write my list of things to do each day (personal and work) yes – I love writing lists even as a content creator….there is something lovely and old fashioned about it, and I will never stop. I also meditate for ten minutes during that 30 minutes “time for me…”

I have been looking at these beautiful leather planners for years, they are a bit pricey but back in March I decided, what the heck, I need this — for balance! If you have never heard of Planner Perfect by Jenny Penton, then please go discover her! She is an Artist and teaches about how to have things you want manifested in your life. Let me tell you a little secret – it works! Jenny is a Life Coach as well as a mom to eight. She teaches about the scripting method – which means writing something like you already believe it has happened.

This is the leather planner I am using now, called the Anastasia, which I love. There are SO MANY choices however!

I would also use my Journal, and record my thoughts each day with this beautiful Journal from Amazon:

This Journal helps me with my daily gratitude and keeping the positivity despite a negative year

My At Home “Veranda” Workouts got me through this year!

I found that when I posted an “At Home Veranda Workout” on my social media, I immediately received great engagement. Everyone wanted to know about the Bands I use, the Resistance Bands, and the workouts. I have it all linked below. Some days I never felt motivated, but I let the better side of my brain click in and after the workout felt 100% better. All you need to make these workouts “work” would be a band, or dumbbells or resistance bands. If you do not have any, then just use your bodyweight. 30 minutes is the key to these workouts, not one minute longer. I still do them when I go to the Gym and there is someone there, I simply retreat back to my veranda….

Getting ready for one of Pandemic LOCKDOWN veranda workouts! With resistance bands and dumbbells

Soon my workouts will be posted on my YouTube Channel, in the meantime as stated above, they are mostly on my Instagram landing page, under HIGHLIGHTS.

The resistance bands I linked above, are not the exact type I use, but those ones sold out….but they are very similar.

My At Home Workouts are a split of upper body (2-3 per week), glutes aka “Booty” (twice per week) and a mix (once) with a rest day. For cardio, I would walk 30 minutes before or after around my neighbourhood. On leg day, as you burn a ton of calories, there is no need for cardio.

I have found that during the lockdown, I loved walking and just being able to glean the beauty of the trees, other people’s gardens etc, it really lifted my mood.

My go to Instagram Accounts that helped and continue to help cheer me up!

At the end of day, I relied upon these amazing people to put that smile on my face. A combo of celebs (who were also on lockdown and decided to cook more, share cocktail recipes etc…), as well as sheer Influencers etc. Here is rundown!

Stanley Tucci

SO FAB all throughout Lockdown and continues to be with his superb cocktail mixing! And just his amazing style.

Kate Hudson

I love that she now has a vodka Company called King St. and the King St. Instagram account is beautiful. Kate also grams about cooking, her fitness line and family.

Katie Couric

I do not need to explain why she is just a GEM. Her IGTV vids are lovely.

Trader Joe’s List

Lord have mercy, how did I miss this lady all along, she is FAB FAB FAB. And you learn FIRST about the new items in Trader Joe’s – a win win.

The Home Edit

If you are not subscribed, then please do. These two ladies have done so well in the last few years! They now have TWO books out, (I have them both) and a TV Show on Netflix. They are also SUPER hysterical, especially when on a plane and anxious.

Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic

Have loved this lady since her FIRST book. Love Shabby Chic, ask anyone! All throughout lockdown in the UK, Rachel recorded a journey and her pathway to shabby chic success, what an inspiration.

Oprah

Love her, and love her wisdom and outlook on life, don’t we all?

I hope you have enjoyed reading this latest post, and promise to be much more active here especially as my blogging will go hand in hand with my vlogging on YouTube soon.

Promised to mention about the diffuser from Amazon which I have in my bedroom and really helps me to relax. I use the lavender oils mixed with rose. Very cost effective amazing little diffuser!

It is light, and cost effective, I have a few in my house and it is very effective.

I do hope you all will continue to get the balance, and here is to better times in 2021 peeps.

One love,

Neenie


Update: My Fitness Journey in the past year!

1 Comment

Hi Friends!

It has been awhile for sure. I thought it was well time to come back and keep up the posts here.

The last (almost) year has been go, go go and very stressful – and as a result I was unable to keep up the writing here.

In the past few months I have realised that I was losing myself to stress and frenetic times, and also realising that it is not healthy for me or for living a healthy life. I have been working out hard as much as I can – that has helped to balance things out – but writing also helps. So here I am, to catch up and get back into my blogging!

I thought I would kick back off this Blog with a small report of my fitness journey in the last year.

Due to the way 2018 panned out, I did not enter any bikini competitions last year. I hope to enter one this year, and have been doing my best to build lean muscle in the last six months especially. Where I fall short is a lack of protein, and for anyone who knows the world of lifting and gaining muscle mass – you have to have a certain amount of protein for the muscles to grow with all the working out one does. It is called the bulking stage and I have to admit that this phase can be hard as you really are supposed to gain weight….the premise being you will “cut” slowly before the Show. As I have not identified 100% which Show I will compete in next, I am not really being that strict with the macros (macro-nutrients) and tending to eat more intuitively.

IMG_4377

This year I will focus on building more muscle, since the last Show I entered at the end of 2017. Focusing on glutes, hammies and my core.

Leading up to my next Show (about 10-12 weeks before) I will get very strict about macros, weighing my food and ensuring I am getting between 110-130 grams of protein in my diet. Of course this is reflective of my goals, and my figure – it is not for anyone else to feel that this is what they should do. We all have different goals. Friends ask me this question all the time. What should I be eating each day to lose weight? Or how should I be exercising?  My answer can only be that in a simple breakdown: if you are trying to lose weight, then you have to consume less calories each day via smaller intakes of food OR taking in less calories via exercise (cardio if you have to lose weight.) You can also do both, which is the most healthy way of cutting back – have a specific range of calories you consume per day to lose weight, + exercise 3-5 times weekly with a cardio session added to weight training.  This blog post however is not about going through macros and exercise (that can be in a future post with more details…) but just commenting on it in general.

img_4125.jpg

With lean bulking comes weight gain, and a lack of a real six pack or core, and that has been hard but it is all par for the course!

My cardio breakdown per week right now is only 15 minutes of HIIT three times weekly directly after weight lifting. Twice I just lift with NO cardio. This is because I am aiming to gain muscle mass, not to lose it. If I go harder on the cardio, my body will go into an anabolic state, which means as I have a low (ish) body fat percentage already, I would be in danger of losing muscle mass – precious lean gains that I have worked so hard for.

I love to exercise, as I feel it is SUPER beneficial for our lives in ALL ways. You just cannot go wrong with whatever makes you happy. It also keeps you healthy, works to combat disease, and aids with overall confidence. For me, exercising took a new turn when I fell in love with weight training after years of avid boot camp classes. The difference in my my body now compared to then is obvious…more lean body mass, less body fat and a general more “sculpted” look. Since then, I have never done a boot camp class again! (I am NOT knocking anyone who loves boot camp – if it makes you happy, you should…)

IMG_6893

I have been also taking the time to enjoy life a bit, relax and not worry TOO much about prep life of competing in the last year. I was also very stressed at work and trying now to find that balance again

In the next six months, I will continue to train 4-6 days per week, two with a Trainer and the goal to be to build more muscle – at least 2-3 pounds of muscle, focusing on the upper body and glutes/hamstrings.

I am also incorporating alot more work with bands for glutes (especially glute activation), and hip thrusts added to my current repertoire of deadlifts, squats, lying leg curls and tons of lunges (curtsy/walking/stationary) – not forgetting kickbacks! It is all good for all aspects of “building the glutes and hammies.”

I have posted a few posts on my fitness journey here and here on this Blog for reference.

In my next post I am going to be sharing who my fave fitness peeps are, some who have been to the Olympia stage and done very well…they are what I refer to as the epitome of fitness in that they live the life all year without succumbing to too much weight gain in their off season. They are great examples of who to follow if you are on this path.

I have also discovered in the last year some cool brands – apparel and nutrition, which I am also going to share.

Until then, stay fit and healthy friends!

Love Neenie xo

 

PS keep up with my doses of fit life and Jamaica on Instagram!