Fitness – TracysAntics

Autumn Reflection

As you may, or may not have noticed, things have been a little quiet around here the past few months. Once my backlog of blog posts ran out, I kind of, lost it.
At this time of the year, I find that I can almost become another person. My mood changes and I generally just feel a bit dull. I think they call this SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder but you know what, that’s okay. It really hasn’t been that bad, I think I just do not respond well to the cold weather & the sun going down at about 4pm!

However, things haven’t been all bad so lets recap the past season and see what I have really been up to!

Jose Gonzalez in Concert

This was something that happened way back in March! but even now when I think about it, it has for sure been a highlight. We did go and see him once before when he played at the Melbourne Zoo twilights but this was so much better and more personal. There was even an hour of Q&A which we attended beforehand, such a treat!

If you haven’t heard of Jose, or listened to his music, go ahead and have a listen. Its really something quite beautiful & different.

Living in Activewear

Probably the biggest change in the past few months has been that of my day to day. I went from a 9 to 5 office job to completely changing my career and jumping into the world of health and fitness. It was something that I had wanted to do for so so long but didn’t have the nerve to, but finally after much contemplation, I did it and I love it! Weirdly enough, the thing about this I thought I would love the most, living in active wear, has become my least favourite part. Literally no one enjoys pulling on uncomfortable tights at 5am… and there have been a LOT, of 5ams…

Taking my love of Reformer to the next level

& starting a Pilates Reformer course at Elixr School of Pilates.
Because isn’t that was everyone does when they love something that much?
Probably not, but hey ho, that’s what I did and it has been quite the uh… experience. The course itself is very intense and the face to face component is only 5 weekends with the rest being self taught so a liiitttle out of my comfort zone. But so far, so good. Its been really strange to study again that’s for sure and I have definitely had my ups, and downs and moments of ‘whatthehellamIdoing’ but its all part of the fun! I can’t wait to actually be a qualified instructor as I do have some big plans once the exam is over.
Watch this space

No-Makeup, Makeup

For so long, I was the person who wouldn’t step foot into my workplace with out a full face of makeup on. Part of my morning routine was getting up 20 mins earlier just to be able to do so. Let me tell you, once I started starting work before 6am that went right out the window.
But I am actually really enjoying it.
It has made me more conscious of my skin in both good and bad ways. In the good ways it has made me really stick to my skincare routine & has somewhat stopped me eating chocolate everynight (because no one needs those sugar pimples) but in the bad ways I really do notice every imperfection my skin has, so i’m having to come to terms with that, which I guess is also a good thing right…
So all I have really been using is my trusty Maybelline Instant Age Rewind, L’oreal Baby Roll Mascara & my Benefit Goof Proof Eyebrow Pencil. And thats it. So simple and easy when its 4:45am!

Walking & Podcasting

This year has really been the year for podcasts. I feel like they are really making a break and you can literally find something for everyone. One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to spend my time walking, being productive instead of just listening to the same Spotify playlist over and over (which I still do sometimes).
So these are some of my favs & ones I would reccommend:

Lower your Expectations
Talking Tastebuds
The Healthcode
Wheybox Podcast
Ladies who Lunch
The Heart of it

This is quite an interesting range, all quite different really but they are what get me through my early moring walk to work without too much fuss.

And that’s about it. Autumn for me is definitely one of the more uneventful seasons of the year/ I have been so crazy with all things as above. I will try and keep on top of my blog throughout winter! Especially considering the cold weather gives me a great excuse to sit at home under the heatpump!

Tips To Get You Back Into Your Exercise Routine!

Regain motivation and get back into it!

How was your Easter? Did you eat 12 Hot Cross Buns like I did? or maybe a few too many chocolate bunnies… Easter this year seems to have extended from one long weekend, to two long weekends! Plus, all of that discounted chocolate and leftover goodies really does a number on the old, motivation and waistline.. Woops.

I am someone who really loves health, nutrition and fitness and am very passionate about other people learning to love it to. I say learning, because it took me a LONG time to find the right balance and relationship with fitness, food & exercise. So I know how hard it is to get back on the bandwagon after a break. So here are my top tips for getting your groove back!

Buy Some New Active Wear!

This doesn’t have to be expensive. Go to cotton on body, Kmart, Target or look out for sales online! I find that having a few new bits or a new top and leggings to put on really makes me want to go and test them out and show it all off! Nothing wrong with making yourself feel good at the gym by buying a new outfit.

Get Things Ready The Night Before

Whether you are going to the gym in the morning or in the afternoon, have it all ready to go the night before. There’s nothing worse than getting up in the AM and realising all your gear is in the wash or the back of the cupboard. Have it ready to go so that first thing in the morning you can either put it on or chuck it in your bag for later!

Find Something That You Love & Enjoy

Groundbreaking advice. I know. But really, it’s pretty simple! If you find something you love to do, you are more likely to want to go and do it, prioritise it and book it! Whether that is a class, going for a walk with a friend or booking in to play a game of tennis or squash! If you love walking, go for an extra walk at lunchtime. Every little bit counts.

Don’t Set Yourself Up For Failure

Spend a little time writing up a few fitness goals. Whether that’s doing X amount of push-ups or working out X amount of times per week.
My tip is to be really real with yourself. If you know that in the past you have said “I will workout Monday to Friday” and it just hasn’t happened for some reason or another, don’t write that again. Put ” I will try to work out 3x per week” that way, if you do end up working out Monday to Friday it will make you feel great for achieving your goal rather than feeling stressed on Tuesday night when you realise you can’t go the next day.

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Go When The Time Suits You

If you aren’t a morning person, don’t go in the morning.

When I first started my fitness journey I was so obsessed with this idea that you HAD to workout in the morning on an empty stomach or otherwise it wasn’t worth it, so why bother. BOY was I so wrong. The best advise I can give you is go when it suits YOU. Don’t listen to any stupid rule saying you have to be at the gym at 6am and train for an hour. NOPE.
I find that I have the most energy and motivation in the afternoon so that’s when I choose to go. You just need to find out what you like and what time of the day will help you keep a consistent routine.

Prepare And Plan

Whether its self-guided plan or booking into classes, know what you are doing at the gym for that week or day. On a Sunday night, look at your schedule, look at the classes available that week or text a friend and find out what time or day they would like to go for a walk or run and schedule things in.
If you are doing your own workout at the gym, go online and find a plan or book a session with a personal trainer and write your plan out before you go. There’s nothing worse than getting to the gym and realising you don’t know what to do! Hello motivation killer.

Try Something New

The beauty of the internet now days is that all you need to type into google is “Free gym classes in (INSERT CITY)” and you will generally get a whole list of trials come up.
Make use of these and go and trial a few new things! Yoga, Pilates, KX Pilates, Step Classes or Boxing!
The list is endless and you might find something you really love. Its also good to note that a lot of gyms or centres do 1 or 2 week trials so go and see what you can find!

A bonus tip which isn’t in this list but I know is super important is that, find a gym that you LOVE. If you go into your gym and people make you feel uncomfortable or the trainers are constantly looking around the gym when they should be paying attention to you, they don’t have classes or equipment that you want…then you should probably find a new one.
A fitness routine has more chance of sticking if you are going to a gym that you love going to!

Just remember. Something is better than nothing. If you start working out again and you can only go 2 times per week, that’s okay. Listen to your mind and body and find what works for you.

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I really hope these tips have helped at least one person. These tips aren’t supposed to be revolutionary or anything new, they are just things that we all know, but need reminding of sometimes.

What are your best tips? Leave a comment, share with someone who needs a little extra motivation! or find me on Instagram and here, Facebook and Twitter.

Living A Healthy Lifestyle and Finding YOUR Healthy

Focus on yourself, not everyone else

Being healthy nowadays is such a relative term. What one person deems to be healthy can be completely different to someone else, and to someone who is just starting out trying to become healthier, it can be really overwhelming!

As someone who has spent the last 5 or so years trying my hand at every diet and ‘lifestyle’ on the market and managing to come out the other side with good and bad experiences, I thought I could give a few handy tips on becoming a healthier, fitter and happier.

Ditch the diets
I think this one is the most important. The best way to become healthier is to really just go back to basics. Try and get into a solid routine of having a good breakfast, lunch and dinner with minimal processed foods as well as a couple of healthy snacks in between if you feel like you really need it.

Find what exercise works for you
Just because someone tells you that running is the best exercise, doesn’t mean it is. For them it may be, but for you it probably isn’t. Trial and error is your best friend! Try everything you can! Bootcamp, swimming, weight training, pilates, yoga.. there are so many options. It’s important to try out as many things as you can until you find what you enjoy. Don’t just do something because it burns the most calories. Do it because you love it and eventually you will start to feel better and mental & physical results will follow.

Listen to your body
This one is hard and has taken me SO long to get right. It goes for food and exercise. Food wise, if you are following some kind of plan and that plan tells you that you have to eat at 3pm, but you really don’t feel like it, then don’t. Your body can tell you when it is hungry and when it is not. Exercise wise, it is important to recognise the difference between really not wanting to go for your workout and your body telling you that you have done enough. That takes time. But same goes; if you wake up and really do feel far too tired to go for that run, then maybe just go for a walk or stay home and stretch and see how you feel afterwards.

Quality workouts over quantity
Instead of trying to work out 6 times per week and potentially running yourself into the ground, start with 3 workouts a week where you try your absolute hardest and see how you feel. The following week you might be able to add in an extra one.

Start small
Small changes can make the biggest difference.
I think it is so important not to go all or nothing. 90% of the time you end up burning out after a couple of weeks rather than making it a long term thing. You don’t have to completely change your lifestyle overnight, (if you have, then seriously, good for you) , you are allowed to take time. Doing small things like getting your exercise up by going walking at lunchtime or drinking one extra bottle of water in a day, or cutting out the sugar in your coffee really makes a difference over time.

Find something positive in every day
Life is just one big annoying mind game and sometimes it can feel really overwhelming. At times like this I like to take a breath and just think of things that I am grateful for or something positive that has happened in my day, even if that is something really small such as appreciating that delicious coffee that gets you through that Monday afternoon.

Keep accountable
If you are really struggling with feeling unmotivated to go to the gym or are having self control issues in the food department, keep accountable to someone or someones’. Whether that’s booking into a class at the gym with a friend or using an app such as Snapchat or Instagram to send pictures of your meals to your bestie. These things can help you to make better choices overall.

Don’t beat yourself up, just try again tomorrow.
Changing your lifestyle generally doesn’t happen overnight. Give yourself time. In the great scheme of things, that extra meal you had is not going to matter. That pizza you ate, or that workout you missed, isn’t going to destroy your progress. You really just need to give yourself time. You are human, we all have bad days, so eat that pizza, it is completely normal.

When it comes to health & fitness, everyone is different. What works for someone, won’t work for someone else. Or it might, for a while. But to be a healthy and happy person overall, you need to find what works for you, what YOUR healthy is.

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Please note: I am not a qualified Dietitian, Nutritionist, PT or Health Coach. Please contact a professional if you would like in depth advice on anything mentioned.