INTRODUCING PERSONAL TRAINER MIB

Hello all

Fit Fabulous and Fierce is a Facebook group I kicked off back in August, it started off as a way of keeping myself accountable, sharing information, keeping myself motivated and on the way motivating others. 

The group has grown strong over the months and is proving to be a real positive influence in my health and fitness journey. Everyday more people are joining and helping each other to change their lives through exercise and healthy eating.

We are just about to have our first Event THE FIT FABULOUS AND FIRECE FOOD AND FITNESS FESTIVAL, which will take place on Sunday 22nd February in London. One of the people attending will be a young personal trainer by the name of Mib who He will be demonstrating popular exercises and how to execute them correctly such as the plank.

To find out more about the event click on this link  https://www.facebook.com/events/1582346242002644/

PERSONAL TRAINER PROFILE

Here are the answers to some questions I put to him.

KAT:  Why are you interested in fitness?

MIB:  To me fitness is one of the most fundamental

          things for quality of life. It's so multifaceted and

          dynamic and fun that you can't help but be

          interested in it! 

KAT:  What is your weekly fitness routine?

MIB   My routine is park workout at least 2 to 3 times a

          week, working mainly on arms & chest on the

          bars but also core and cardio (jogging, running,

          step-ups). 

KAT   What do you want to achieve by being a personal

           trainer.

MIB    I want to share my life long passion for health and      

          fitness with other people and show that it's a lot

          easier to stay fit than most people think. 

KAT:   What was the best aspect of completing the

           Personal trainer course.

MIB   The best thing about the Personal Training course,

          apart from the fact it was FREE, was that the

          teacher knew what he was doing and inspired me

          by practicing what he preached. That's the kind of

          approach I respect. 

KAT   Have you always been athletic?

MIB    I've always been athletic; I did Hadri Taekwondo

          for 8 years and Army Cadets for 3 and a half years,

          and I also tried Mashufaa a few years back.

KAT:   You like training outdoors, why is that?

       

MIB     I do outdoors workouts because it gives more

           opportunity to add my creativity into my

           workouts and experiment with new moves that

           might be impractical to try in a crowded gym. 

KAT    What kind of clients would benefit from your

            services?

MIB      I am willing to work with any demographic age,

             ability or gender, being young I have the

             enthusiasm and stamina to deal with all

             different types of clients.

KAT       What makes you a good personal trainer?

              

MIB         What makes me a good personal trainer is I

               keep myself fit so I practice what I preach. I

               listen to people and will agree with them goals     

               fitness plans that can be adapted as and when

               necessary, I know how to work in different

               environments and can adjust my plan  

               accordingly and I really enjoy working with

               people. 

KAT       What are your food weaknesses?

MIB        Food weakness? None, I am perfect! Joking. I

               probably need to eat more high-quality protein

               and fats.

KAT:      Do you ever take time off clean eating and

               exercising?

MIB       Time off for me is basically my days between

              workouts.

KAT      How would you go about motivating someone

              who is having trouble sticking to an exercise of

              fitness routine?

MIB      I'd ask them what motivates them best. For

             example, if it's photos/ videos/ inspirational

             words of fit people I'd send it to them via phone

             or email or however the client prefers.

             If it's motivation in the session they lack, I'd give

             encouraging words and praises for their efforts

             (unless they're the type who perform better with

             the trainer screaming in their earholes!). 

KAT     Your quite well built, how long has it taken you to

             build up your body?

MIB     This body took years. I did Taekwondo when I

           was 8 and Army Cadets when I was 14 so I was

           active from young. However, for someone who's

           not used to exercise, results come quicker (within

           weeks-months) and more noticeably than

           someone who's done it for ages!

KAT   How do you think children can be encourage to be

          more active and healthy?

MIB   There's 2 levels of responsibility to keep children

          fit: the parents to encourage them into school

         sports clubs/ parks/ extracurricular clubs, and the

         government to provide such facilities for them and

         give up-to-date info through commercials, leaflets,

         etc. 

KAT   Anything else you would like people to know

          about you?

MIB   Anything else? They can come ask me on the

          day! 

KAT  Thank you for doing this interview and I look

         forward to seeing you on the 22nd Feb at the Fit

         Fabulous and Fierce Food and Fitness Festival.

Want to join the FIT FABULOUS AND FIERCE Facebook group, click the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/717206488345582/

There you go,hope you enjoyed the interview.

Kat

TEN BENEFITS OF A SLIMMER/HEALTHIER LIFE

TEN BENEFITS OF A SLIMMER/HEALTHIER LIFE

1. No longer feeling my belly or bum jiggling as I run. 

2. Being able to know I can walk into a shop and fit into the clothes on 

    display. Clothes shopping no longer ends in tears of frustration!

     

3. Feeling more confident and satisfied with my body, emotionally and  

    physically. That overly critical voice that has plagued me for years has finally 

    been silenced. "STFU"

    

    

4. I cook from scratch more, experiment and have a more varied diet. Eat 
    things that previously I would have turned my nose up to, eg spinach, 
    beetroot, kale!

5. No more emotional eating. I used to eat sweet stuff all the time. If I was      

    sad, happy or anything inbetween!I no longer need sugar to make my life 

    sweet. I am no longer a slave to sugar.

    

6. Being in control of my food that what goes into my mouth. No longer having 

    that horrible out of control feeling, that you get when your eating goes to 

    pot!    

    

7. Knowing I have the strength and tenacity to make positive changes in my 
    life. Knowing a bad moment does not have to turn into a bad day or week or 
    month and that if it all goes wrong I can turn it around and get back on 
    track.
    
8. Being fitter, healthier knowing I am treating my body well, has taken my 

    stress levels down immensely. I am doing what is in my power to take care 

    of myself, and that feels good. No one is guaranteed good health, but it 

    feels good to know I am doing all I can to try and be healthy.

9. Feeling I have finally laid some demons do rest and can concentrate on other 

    things in my life that need fixing. One less thing to worry about.

    

10. The benefits to my relationship with myself has been wonderful, but so 
      have the benefits to the relationship with my partner. He no longer has to 
      hear my moaning and groaning about being unhappy with my body. We 
      gym it together, go for walks together, both working towards a healthier 
      lifestyle. It makes all the difference having a supportive partner. If you 
      don't have a partner get friends. family, work mates on board,your Gran 
      even your dog if need be! Support is imperative to achieving your goals.
    

11. I know, I know I said ten but I just had  to include this.
     The intimacy between my partner and me has become even better. 
     Feeling sexier, wanting to keep the lights on during "You Know What." 
     Dressing up in sexy underwear. 
     Wanting to get fruity more often because I just feel better about 

     myself. 

     That has impacted on my self confidence and esteem. 

     Yes I run around the bedroom naked, take control more, fling him down 

     more, what can I say my sex life is also healthier. 

     One of the best unexpected benefits.

     

12. I know, I know  I said ten,  but starting off the Facebook Group, FiT 
      FabulouS AnD FiercE back in August which Is now over 200 hundred 
      members strong. The group has inspired motivated, kept me on the straight 
      the narrow and at times sane.  I have made new friends and connected with 
      old friends, I have also learnt a hell of a lot as well as passing on 
      knowledge. I look forward to seeing how the group grows.  Want to join us? 
      Just click on this link  
         https://www.facebook.com/groups/717206488345582/?fref=nf 

      So that's it for now 12 benefits of a slimmer. healthier and fitter life. I am 
     looking forward to what benefits a second year brings.

A YEAR OF HEALTHIER LIVING

Congratulations to me on my one year anniversary of healthy living and loving.

What a year it has been!

I started out wanting change, I wanted to cure my problem periods, which were causing extreme pain and vomiting. A homeopath visit was the catalyst and here I am a year later, over approx a stone and a half  lighter, (I have stopped weighing myself, all I know is I am ten stone something and a healthy BMI) healthier and somewhat fitter, a size 8/10, more toned and more muscular. 

In the past year, I have drastically limited my sugar and gluten intake, cut out a lot of soya and dairy and become more conscious about how food affects my health.
I am no fitness or health guru, there are times I just have to have a slice of cake or bite into some soft doughy warm bread. The difference is that these items are no longer part of my daily life.

The thinking behind sugar is that sugar can cause inflammation in some people, and conditions which affect the womb  like Adenomyosis (which is what I have) are exacerbated by sugar. Gluten as well is thought to exacerbate the condition and soya and dairy can put the hormones out of sync, which is not what you need when you have hormone problems.

I have also found my way back to the gym after a long hiatus of road running.
The gym has been a beautiful revelation, forgot how much I loved it. I regularly take boxing, spinning, Armageddon, body pump and kettle bell class and even a bit of yoga for a laugh. I'm not laughing but I am sure the rest of the class are laughing at my pathetic efforts!

Sugar was a b*tch to give up, comparable to when I gave up smoking many years ago. I am pleased to say a year later, the cravings have stopped, I no longer see a large Victoria sponge swimming in front of my eyes when I wake up, nor do the children I teach morph into strawberry jam donuts, nor do my fingers resemble chocolate fingers. I am no longer caught within the evil grips of sugar. I do not  have it in my tea, my coffee, cereal or smoothies. In fact not only do I not have sugar I have no sugar substitutes either, no honey, stevia, artificial sugar, the reason behind this was to wean myself off the sweetness, rather than replacing it with something else sweet. It was important I became used to food without loading it with sugar.

Eliminating a lot of sugar has made a massive difference to my taste buds. I now like stronger savoury flavours,  I have become used to lack of sweetness. I no longer need sugar to make my life sweet x

Last October at the start of this journey, I remember thinking this was never going to work, that I the biggest sugar fiend in the world could never give up the sugary crack, but  miraculously it has. My dentist is also very pleased with my decision to give up sugar as are my teeth, which to be honest were about to get up and walk out of my mouth after years of sugary abuse!

No regrets, no regrets, no regrets, gaining control of my weight and health has been revolutionary for me and I feel better physically but best of all emotionally, more energy, more  confidence, better self esteem. 

I love fitting into all my clothes, no longer crying because nothing fits, no longer worrying about my belly fighting  to get out of my trousers. No longer harbouring a wardrobe full of ill fitting outfits or despising shopping because I hated the way everything looked on me.  No more worrying about what I am going to wear to an event. I can literally walk up to my wardrobe twenty minutes before I go out, pick out anything and know I will look decent. 

This picture below was a few years ago, it was a stinking hot day. I was running a 5k and although embarrassed to take my top off, in the end the heat won and I ran most of the race in my bra top! I lost my inhibitions but I was not happy with the way I looked.

The picture below I took when I stopped off for a toilet break during a 5 mile run a couple of months back. I had dreamt of the day for many a year, when I would be confident enough to whip off a top mid run and run shamelessly down the street and let it all hang out, with no embarrassment.

That was the day and what a difference.

My belly has been a revelation, cutting back sugar has had a big impact on my stomach fat and I have lost a good few inches from there. In fact cutting out sugar cut down my body fat everywhere, another place the fat has stripped from has been my arms. Yes exercise has also played a major part, but I am no stranger to exercise and it was not until I mixed exercise with cutting down on sugar did I see massive changes.

I cannot lie I do come from a family who are naturally muscular, but even I have been taken aback at the muscle that has been hiding under the fat. I did not think I had much of the muscular gene, but low and beyond it looks like I do, now to work on my tummy!

There are some disadvantages to being slimmer:

*Having to get rid of clothes you like.
*Noticing your bed springs, where as before the little cushion of fat 
  you had softened them, time for a new mattress!
*Having your other half playfully pick you up, that has never     
  happened in our relationship before. (Put me down, I am not a 
  black barbie!)
*Having to replace you lingerie collection, boo, (although I have a 
  nice new collection now)
*People trying to push you around on the tube cause you're smaller,    
  but little do they know your may be smaller but you're stronger 
  too.
* Feeling your bum bones when you sit on a hard surface!
*Baggy knickers.
*No longer being bigger than the young people you teach, so they 
  think they can try it on even more than usual! 


I have a way to go, to continue to work towards sorting out my health issues and gaining the body I have always wanted. I feel close, sticking to something for a year is no joke, but I am cool with it, because it was never meant to be for a year, it was meant to be forever. I have seen the benefits and I am not going back. I am continuing to move forward, continuing to add even more changes to my life that will help to keep me fit and healthy.

My periods are not perfect, but they are better than they were, and I dread to think what they would be like now, if I had not made these changes. When I started this journey, weight-loss was not on my mind, I just wanted to become fit and healthy and eliminate some of my health issues. The journey is not over, the journey is not easy, but I am so glad I started. Though I am pleased to report the excruciating cramps and pain I suffered a year ago are 80/90 percent better. Now to just get rid of the vomiting. Fingers crossed improvements will continue to be made.


Next phase, sculpting, I want my body to be tight and firm, no wobbles, maybe not a six pack but at least a 2. I want to be strong and fit, knocking out sit ups, press ups and the plank and dreaded burpees which I have yet to master, I look like an f**ked up frog when I attempt them.

I look back at my old pictures and I am proud of the person I was, the girl who kept going, kept running, kept exercising kept trying, even when she did not get the results she wanted.

That girl could run the legs off the girl I am now. The monthly vomiting has put paid to any serious running training. 

Here are some pictures of my progress. and my past.
This first picture I swear I must be a size 16, this picture must be at least ten years old. This was really the start of my up and down struggles with weight! 

My arms have completely changed!

Yep that belly would not go no matter what, I thought we were going to be close friends for life!

Marathon training in Trinidad.

Picture from a 10k run, I was running well back then, running may not have got me the body I wanted but it was therapeutic, fun and made me fit as hell.

The picture below is of a 5k Race For Life, which was the day of my fastest 5k, I was the first black girl to cross the line, yes, yes. I must say though a girl dressed as a nun crossed the line first. 

The picture below really shows how my body has changed and how much fat I have trimmed off!

Thanks to the other half, for taking pictures such as the one below and encouraging me to be confident in my body regardless of size. We always have a lot of fun doing photo shoots, even when I was not happy about the way I looked, he encouraged me to embrace my body and be proud.

The picture below you can see how I carry excess weight around my middle, I thought we were destined to be friends for ever, little did I know....

I love hosting and performing and never let anything get in the way of that, but I can't lie it's nice to pop into the wardrobe and have a great choice of clothes, all of which I know are going to fit. My confidence as a performer has also risen. I was a bit of a beast before, now well, what can I say, the stage is not safe when I am on it. 

I may have been bigger but I could run, the picture below is of me just before I ran my fastest half marathon time. 

Here is what I look like now...
In celebration of my achievement other half treated me to some new clothes and a photoshoot to celebrate my new body.

I have dropped a few more pounds, tightened and toned up even more since the pictures above. Below are pictures from my last photo shoot.

Yep thats me shamlessly parading around in shorts in public, what a ting!

The picture below is of carnival this year, finally confident about my stomach, cannot remember the last time I wore a crop top in public, times have changed.

Here I am in my costume on the Monday Bank holiday.

I am just about to host a poetry night, and am pleased with my outfit, feeling confident and ready for a good show.

Below just a random picture to chart my progress. Thanks to the other half for all the lovely gym gear he has bought for me. I am no longer hiding behind dark colours.

Below, pictures from Ealing half marathon, which I ran/walked/crawled on Sunday 28th September ill health stopped me from training as I wanted but I made it round in once piece.
I ran it in aid of a very special little boy feel free to sponsor me, it's not too late https://www.justgiving.com/hendrixswishtoexceedlimitations/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_content=HendrixsWishToExceedLimitations&utm_

The before pictures contain some which were a good number of years ago and I do believe in some of them I am a size 16. 

Last year before I started this journey I was a size 12/14, un-toned carrying excess fat,  especially around my belly, which would not shift no matter what I done. I was also up and down with my weight, which was not healthy at all.   

I tell you one thing of the many that giving up sugar has down is shrunk my waist, something I thought I would never be able to get rid off. 

The most important thing was that even though I may not have been very big, I was not happy, I wanted my younger, dancer, fitter, healthy body back. I was sick of being unhappy with the way I looked. I was sick of exercising and my body not reflecting all my hard work,  sick of worrying about my health.

I am glad all my hard work is paying off, health and fitness wise. The weight loss started off as a positive unexpected but wanted side effect and I ran with it. Finally my weight was going in the right direction, if only I had known years before that all I had to do was completely change the way I was eating, maybe I never would've run the London marathon twice lol x

I am happier and healthier and finally taking control of my health and best of all my weight is stable, no yo, yo dieting. Good clean eating has been the key and I will continue to live this way,  It is a good place to be. There is still work to do, I will never go back to the old Kat, as much as I love her and admire her tenacity and resolve I am happy to take her best bits and leave the rest behind. I look forward to continuing my journey and seeing what other fantastic things my body can do.

To anyone out there who is struggling, I promise if you make the changes, impressive things will start to happen, you will see changes in your self emotionally and physically that you probably did not think were possible. No matter what life throws in your way, get your head down, keep trying, keep fighting, keep kicking back and you will achieve xx

If you need a little motivation or group support to help you on your journey, then come over to the Facebook group FiT FabulouS AnD Fierce, where there are a whole heap of us trying hard to better our lives, through exercise and healthy eating.



https://www.facebook.com/groups/717206488345582/760447290688168/?notif_t=like


Kat

TEN MONTHS OF A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE.......................

So this month it makes ten months since I started on this health/fitness journey. My first motivation was to improve my periods, which were becoming a monthly epic battle, but my reasons have progressed since then and now it is all about my health and fitness as a whole.


I have a condition called Adenomyosis, very much like endometriosis, it causes a whole heap of problems, including extreme cramps, heavy bleeding, nausea and extreme vomiting.

Wanna learn more httphttp://www.adenomyosisadviceassociation.org

Ten months ago I was diagnosed, saw a homoeopath and started on my journey of a new healthy lifestyle.

Since then I have drastically reduced sugar and gluten in my diet, I exercise at least 4 times a week, if not more. I try to eat well, cooking more, knocking back green smoothies and making better choices when I am out and about.

In changing around my lifestyle I have dropped approx two dress sizes and and improved my periods immensely the cramps are 90 percent better and they are overall lighter and last for less days.

Unfortunately the one thing that has been persistent and I have been unable to eradicate is the vomiting. I ended up in A&E in July due to dehydration. I was put on a drip and had to have an injection to stop the vomiting.

Admitidly this the first time in ten months that I had to pay a visit to the hospital, whereas before the healthy changes I was in A&E every month, without fail, they might as well of had a bed with my name on it.  August was another bad month, which thankfully did not end up in hospital but was also pretty debilitating but what it did accomplish  was to convince me it was time to give my body and mind a break.

I have done everything in my power, changed my eating habits, exercised regularly, cut back drastically on my sugar consumption, but even all of those actions have not complelty eliminated my problems so I have decided to go on the mini pill.   This is not what I wanted but the disruption in my life is too much, the emotional and physical toil is too much. The interruption in my work and social life is too much, my half marathon training has been interrupted constantly by having to take time off running to recover.

The thing is this whole journey is much more than just about my periods, it is about my general health  and well being and that is something I have learnt on the way. I will never go back to eating sugar the way in which I was, or gluten, once in a while as a treat or just because I want to, but on an everyday basis hell no.

If this is about my general health and well being and my periods are causing me so much distress, it is time for some drastic action.

I do want to encourage women who do have gynaecological issues to look at their diet, fibroid's, endometriosis, Adenomyosis, poly cystic ovaries etc can all benefit from dietary changes. Research your condition find out what can work for you and also think about cutting back on sugar, which is deadly for inflammatory conditions. I want to enocourage anyone who is suffering from health problems, to look at how sugar may be adding to your problems, below is a link which will give you food for though.

http://www.lowcarbmonthly.com/general-health/the-relationship-between-sugar-and-inflammation.html

The benefits have been far wide and reaching. I have no regrets about taking those first steps all those months ago and I am excited to see where I am a year from now, with many more months of good living under my belt.  Changes happen slowly not over night, for things to become a habit you have to do  them over and over and over again until they are second nature and you beat them into your mind!

Your going to fall, crash and sometimes mash up quite spectacularly but so what, you just get up and keep going. It's about finding ways to cope, surrounding yourself with the right kind of people who are going to help not hinder. Having the right foods in your house, planning your meals, building exercise into your life, reaching out if you need support, finding out really works for you. It really is a journey of discovery, what works for you friend may to work for you and visa verso.

The funny thing is once you get control of one portion of your life it rubs off on other parts as well as your confidence spreads to other things, be warned you might not recognise yourself in a years time. You'll be like "Damn who is this amazing specimen of confidence and fierceness."

Stress is something that can cause you to gain weight: A few years back my life was very stressful, I was trying hard to lose weight and be healthy and although I was exercising a lot, and was fit,
weight wise not much was happening, it was not until my circumstances changed did the pounds start to fall off an stay off. I understand there are some things you cannot change, like being a mum, but you could at least make sure you have some "you" time, get a babysitter in and do you. If you got emotional stuff going on which contributes to your negative food choices, until that stuff is sorted out, you may find it difficult to make the healthy changes that you need to. I've been there I know, get rid of the bullsh*t and you might just get rid of the pounds!


Below is a link to an article on weight and stress.
http://www.womentowomen.com/healthy-weight/weight-loss-and-adrenal-stress-2/


Ten months down the line I feel very much in control of my health and well being, I have the confidence, energy and strength to deal with the things that crop up in my life, work, relationships, family.That has nothing to do with having a smaller jean size and everything to do with being stronger, and fitter and ultimately happier.


Bye for now x