The WHY

I've been asked a lot lately why I'm doing my body sculpting comp. It didn't dawn on me until recently why this is such an important goal and huge milestone for me in life. Yes, I want to look good, and there is some vanity in what I'm doing, but the real reason goes so much deeper than that.

Most people won't realise this, but my passion for health and fitness came later in life. Prior to my 20's, the only regular exercise I'd participated in was dancing at nightclubs haha.

I tried and failed at sport many times as a child. One of my earliest and most painful memories is of attempting to learn to swim. Not being a naturally sporty child, it took me a long time to pick it up, and after a couple of months of a grumpy swim teacher and a grumpy mother, that was given up on. Ballet lessons only lasted a year, because again I didn't pick it up very naturally/easily.

My next failed sporting memory was at school, attempting to play a game of cricket. When it was my turn to bat, everyone who was fielding moved in close, because they already knew sport wasn't my forte. Every time there was team sports this was repeated, and it was a given that I would come last at any kind of competition like cross country (often I wouldn't even manage to finish).

Next was joining a netball team ( I think I was around 10 or 11 years old). The first time we got together as a team, I burst into tears because I had never played before and I had no idea what I was doing. All of the other girls had played before, so I was picked on and laughed at, not just by my team members, but also their mothers. We used to take along $2 each week for our end of season trip. I never missed paying, but when the trip was organised, I wasn't invited. Needless to say I didn't play a 2nd season.

High school was even worse. I would try to wag P.E as much as possible, just to avoid the embarrassment of not being good enough. When I was forced to do a beep test (where you have to run to either end of the room in time for the beep), I was always the first to be told to stop.

Lucky for me, my wonderful husband came into my life when I was 20, and he got me going to the gym. I think lifting weights appeals to me because I'm not competing with anyone else, and I can put on my music and get in my zone. I LOVE IT!

Why am I competing? This is the first time in my life that I don't feel like a failure when it comes to sport. This is pushing me to my limits and forcing me to step outside of my comfort zone. Wake up feeling tired? Too bad, I have to train. Having a bad day? Too bad, I have to stick to my diet. It is taking a huge commitment, mentally, physically and emotionally. 

My comp is still 9 weeks out and I am quite amazed at how much it has taught me and changed me for the better already. I can't wait to see what's next! Watch this space :o)

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Chocolate Protein Balls

I wanted to make a sweet treat to share with some old work colleagues when I visited them. I wasn't finding what I wanted on the internet so I made this recipe up and it turned out pretty good!

Ingredients:

• 40g Raw Almonds, chopped into small pieces
• 30g 85% Dark Chocolate,chopped into small pieces
• 2 sachets Juice Plus Complete dutch chocolate
• 2 Tablespoons Ground Flaxseed
• 1 Tablespoon Cocoa or Cacao
• 1/8th teaspoon Pure Stevia Extract
• 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted then cooled
• 1/4 cup Almond or Coconut milk

To coat:

• About 2 Tablespoons of Cocoa and 2 Tablespoons almond meal mixed

Directions:

1. Place almonds, chocolate, complete, flaxseed, cocoa and stevia in a bowl and mix well
2. Add coconut oil and Almond/Coconut milk, mix well
3. It will seem like a very sticky mixture, but the flaxseed works as a binder. Let rest for 5 minutes.
4. Roll into 20 small balls, then coat with the cocoa and almond meal mixture.
5. Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for an easy treat!

Calories: 56               Carbs: 3.5g                  Fat: 4g                 Protein: 2.2g

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

DRY July

Have you committed to dry July? I have, and to be honest I NEARLY fell off the bandwagon already!! 

We hosted a free toastmasters meeting at our house last night, which meant lots of people consuming alcohol. My first reaction when people was arrived was to seriously consider whether I could sneak a drink. But we all know one drink is very rarely one drink! 

When we consume alcohol, it is not just the empty calories to consider. Alcohol temporarily keeps your body from burning fat, explains integrative medicine specialist Pamela M. Peeke, MD, author of The Hunger Fix. The reason is, that your body can't store calories from alcohol for later, the way it does with food calories. So when you drink, your metabolic system must stop what it's doing (like, say, burning off calories from your last meal) to get rid of the booze.

"Drinking presses 'pause' on your metabolism, shoves away the other calories, and says, 'Break me down first!'" Dr. Peeke explains. The result is that whatever you recently ate gets stored as fat.

You are also far more likely to mindlessly eat when you have been drinking, as alcohol lowers your inhibitions. You are likely to eat more AND eat the wrong kinds of foods, without considering the consequences to your body. It also increases your appetite, so even if you start the night with good intentions it is unlikely you will be able to stick to them. So not only will you eat more, but everything you do eat will be stored as FAT!

Alcohol has also been proven to increase the risk of cancer. Evidence indicates that the more alcohol a person drinks regularly over time, the higher their risk is of developing an alcohol-associated cancer (including breast, esophageal, head and neck, liver and colorectal cancers).

Now let's consider hangovers. Who has woken up feeling like nothing but a big greasy breakfast? Or sugar? You are also likely to feel crappy and tired, which often leads to bad food choices (there goes that clean eating!) AND let's face it, who really feels like doing their workout when hungover?

So how did I get through the night? It was easy, once I got through that first half an hour. I reminded myself of all of the facts above, and realised I really couldn't get away with one drink, since I'll be entering my first body sculpting comp in October. Once I got used to the fact I wasn't drinking, and started having conversations with people, I was far too consumed with that, and I didn't even want a drink.

So how about considering this before you have that drink! Even if you don't have a big goal like mine, taking a month off alcohol can only be a good thing! 

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Keeping healthy while travelling

I am often taking trips to Auckland or elsewhere, but that doesn't mean I miss my training or eat crap! I thought I would share a few travel tips.

I always make up some extra green smoothies to take away with me, and a big frittata (either egg white or whole eggs depending on the rest of your food that day). Frittatas are so easy to make and great to travel with. Mini frittatas are also good. If I have time I'll fry up some onion and garlic then add capsicum, broccoli, grated kumara and grated pumpkin. If I'm time poor then a bag of coleslaw mix (no dressing) with some frozen peas chucked in works just as well (not as tasty but sometimes we need easy!) Fill up greased muffin cups or a slice pan then top with egg or egg white and bake in the oven. I take a chilly bag with ice packs and even if I'm staying in more than one place I can pop my un-eaten food in the fridge overnight and re-freeze the ice packs ready to go for the next day of travelling. 

I also take brown rice crackers and small tins of tuna/chop chop chicken, fruit tea, Juice Plus complete sachets, almond milk, oats, pea protein and a bag of raw nuts. I take a fork and spare plastic container so I can mix up salads. An easy salad option is to buy a bag of coleslaw and mix half of it (no dressing) with a tin of tuna in olive oil. Very healthy, cheap and quick. 

If you can't take prepared food, or run out of what you have got, my go to options for cheap/quick meals out are:

1. Roast chicken subway salad with double meat, low fat dressing and no cheese
2. Kebab salad (turkish places that sell doner kebabs often offer salads. I usually skip the hummus and get some chilli and garlic sauce)
3. Eggs on gluten free toast with avocado, spinach and mushrooms
4. A lot of noodle and don buri places do carb free options with just meat and fresh salad/veges (not that I'm anti carb, but often when we travel it's getting lots of veggies in that can be the hardest!)
5. Sashimi with salad or 4-5 pieces of sushi
6. Protein bars. I'm not a huge fan but if the option is between that or a pie/chips/chocolate then a protein bar wins :)

Training wise, it of course depends on what your goals are. Because I'm training for a sculpting comp in 14(!) weeks I can't skip any weight training days. Thankfully most gyms offer FREE 5-7 day trials so it is easy to maintain training. If you're staying in motels/hotels, try choosing ones with gyms. If you're not so into weights, or don't need to train as much, then walking/running outside is FREE and a fantastic way to get some fresh air, vitamin D and explore the place you are staying better. Granted the weather is not always nice though so I always have a rain coat in the car or my suitcase so I have no excuses.

Happy travels x

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Getting yourself out of a funk

We've all been there. Maybe you had a bad week at work. Maybe you have been sick. Maybe one cheat meal turned into a cheat day then a cheat week. Maybe something big is happening in your life which is beyond your control. Maybe you simply just lost motivation because it's cold and dark outside.

I've been in a real funk this week. It was entirely self inflicted, after having far too much alcohol and far too little sleep last weekend. All I have wanted to do this week is eat (far too much) and sleep. I wasn't filling in my food diary, training was next to nothing, I wasn't ticking anything off my list and I wasn't doing any work on my 2nd job. All of this combined made me feel really anxious, and that put me into even more of a funk. 

In the past I would have continued down the negative spiral a lot longer. I have been sucked into that spiral for weeks and months before. But I'm getting better at recognising when it is happening and I make a decision to get myself out. So I hope my experience can help you if you're in one of those places.

The first thing I did was accept how I was feeling and make a choice to change it. Sometimes I have to remind myself that the world isn't ending because I had a few bad days hehehe.

I got a piece of paper and a coloured marker and made some notes for myself. This is what I wrote:

• I haven't ruined anything for having a 4 day breather
• Friday is a new day
• Fresh start
• Build momentum
• Rock it!

It's so easy to write things like this down for yourself (it could be ANYTHING motivational) as long as it comes from you. Writing things down means it is much more likely to happen because it's no longer just an idea in your head.

It doesn't matter if you have been in a funk for a day, a week, a month, a year, 10 years OR you just want to start a new habit. Remember it is NEVER to late to start having a good day!

Happy Friday! (now I'm off to sleep some more haha)

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Banana Bread Muffins

These muffins are loved by everyone and you can't tell they are healthy (107 calories each)! They go down a treat for morning or afternoon tea or as a dessert. They are Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Refined Sugar Free. You can also make them completely sugar free (apart from fructose) by substituting the maple syrup for stevia.

Ingredients:

• 3 brown bananas, mashed
• ¼ cup maple syrup (or ¼ cup granulated stevia or ½ teaspoon pure stevia extract)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup almond meal
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 16 muffin cups
• Chopped walnuts to top

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees celcius (350 farenheit).
2. Whisk together bananas, vanilla extract, maple syrup and eggs
3. Sift in almond meal, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, and stir.
4. Add coconut oil and mix together very well.
5. Place muffin cups inside muffin tins.
6. Spoon mixture into muffin cups, spreading evenly between 16 muffins.
7. Top with chopped walnuts.
8. Bake for 18 minutes, or until golden brown on top and springy to touch.

Calories: 107       Carbs: 12g          Fat: 8g         Protein: 3g

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.

Healthy homemade lemonade

Homemade lemonade is so easy to make and incredibly good for you. Lemons have a very alkalising effect on your body and this is a great way of getting your water quota for the day.

Recipe: 

3 Medium-large lemons (you could also add a lime to mix it up)

1/8th teaspoon pure stevia extract (or 2 Tablespoons granulated stevia or honey)

1.5 Litres soda water

Fresh mint (optional)

Juice your lemons and mix the juice together with your stevia/honey (I also add a few pulpy bits because I like seeing how fresh it is!) Top up with soda water and serve with ice and fresh mint. Delicious and SO refreshing. 

P.S Since it's Friday, this also works very well with a splash of Vodka hehe ;)

© Copyright Anna McConnell 2015. All rights reserved.