Ally - The Results!!

Well, well, well, what have we here then? My results - yippee!

Firstly, I feel the need to provide some kind of disclaimer upfront, this is going to be wordy....! Pull up a comfy chair and get a cuppa. Ready? Then I'll begin. 

I'm not any good with excel so can't provide some amazing graphic to display my results - I think I'll just let the numbers do the talking.

 

Needless to say, I'm thrilled!!! I think it's worth highlightling a couple of aspects. Most people when they embark on a "get-fit" regime use weight as their only measure of success - this whole process has taught me how completely wrong that is! If you only looked at my weight loss you might think that not much has changed (4lbs in 5 weeks), but then you look at the rest of the measurements and you see that loads has changed! I'm most pleased about the significant changes to my body fat and fat mass. Loosing 3.1 kg (just under 7 lbs) of fat in 5 weeks is crazy!!

Let me put this in perspective for you - butter is mostly sold in 250g blocks, I've got rid of over 12 of these bad-boys from my body (and replaced some of it with muscle and active tissue).

My boobs, thighs and waist all shrunk by significant markers and I can see the difference, although I'm not sure how I feel about the boobs at the moment - I had to go and buy new bras!!
My bum increased by 1 cm which I'm actually pretty happy about, big butts are in, right?! I think it's actually not got bigger, just perter.

And how did I do this? Well, it's down to a commitment to a healthier version of me but also with the guidance of some fabulous people who really know what they're talking about - the Bikini Dream Team.

Pete (Physio) helped me really understand my body and why it works the way it does. Regular sessions with Pete ensured that I made steps towards completely changing my body shape without injury. I'm sure when I'm 80 I'll think of Pete and say a silent prayer! My posture has never been better.

Alex (Training) set a challenging interval work-out and took the time to individualise it for each of us. He kept me focused and made sure I pushed myself to do more each time. At the mid-way point he stepped up the work-out, and I thought I wouldn't be able to do it but you know what? I can. He knows how much to push to get results, genius!

Paul (Coach) made this process simple for me! How? I'm not really sure but he's amazing at what he does. We spent some time really establishing what my goals not only looked like but felt like. This image and feeling has stayed at the fore-front of my mind for the whole challenge, my motivation hasn't wavered. I feel like this has been achieved by "keeping it real" as well. I had Pizza Express (plus many other 'treats'), no sweat - I never panicked and thought I'd fail.

Doing this challenge with the other girls has been brilliant too, thanks for the support ladies!

Finally, the amazing Fi, without her none of this would have happened. Not only did she provide some fabulous ideas and support nutritionally (plus of course the yummy Fi-esli) she put together this whole team and challenge. I feel like I've been given knowledge and tools to use for life, and know that I will never go back, I feel too good!! Thank you for all the inspiration and encouragement gorgeous.

So what does the future look like? Well healthy, strong and...... green!

Love,

Ally xx

P.S. Before and after pics to follow...........woo hoo!

Helen drops 3.2% body fat in 3 weeks

Wow - what incredible progress.  In just three weeks Helen has lost 2.6 kilograms (just under 6 pounds) of fat tissue, which is the equivalent of around 10 blocks of butter.  She has also gained a kilogram of active tissue, most of which will be muscle.

What's really interesting is that Helen's overall weight has only changed by 1.3 kilograms (so just a couple of pounds).  Muscle tissue weighs more than fat, so your scales only give you half the story.

In fact, my analysis shows that she has achieved far more than that by shifting fat tissue and building strength and tone. Looking at Helen today, her shape has completely evolved and she's positively glowing!

Helen's fat mass change:

My body composition analysis tool also provides an indication of the relative distribution of fluid within and outside cells, which gives us an idea of how healthy they are.  Helen's extracellular fluid is still much higher than I'd like it to be, so we're going to add a high quality fish oil supplement which will not only provide valuable materials for her cell membranes, but her metabolism as well. 

It's a bikini evolution!! I can't wait to see the before and after pictures in a couple of weeks' time.

Ally - Dinner!!

This is what I had for dinner last night. Fi's recipe for Chicken Fajita Casserole with an Avocado Salad, yummmmmmmmmmm!!! Just thought I'd share that breaking news with you.... : )

Hope you're having a fab weekend. Today I have done my bikini workout and am officially naming Sunday's "Run-days", so that's what I will be doing tomorrow (even if it's STILL raining, boo)!


Love,

Week 2

So here is a round up of my week 2! I have been super busy and not been home in the evenings for 9 days so feeling pretty tired.

I met with Paul on Tuesday and we set goals! It was really interesting to go back to my early days and talk about why I may have a negative attitude towards exercise. I look forward to finishing our session and changing my mindset for the future and not just a short period. It became apparent that I work well to short term goals and put myself under pressure to meet them but what I really need to do is change my attitude so that I maintain the exercise and see it as a lifestyle addition rather than a goal/chore.

Wednesday was an early start with a PT session with Alex and Ally at 8am!! It felt good to do it and also be at work by 9am after a workout. Same time next week apparently! I also met with Pete the physio in the afternoon and the good news is- the bum clenching is working!! My back is less tight as my glutes are engaged  but the downside is my bum is super sore from the muscles being put into action.

Because I have been so busy this week with rehearsals, birthdays and weddings it has been hard to find time to exercise. It is the one aspect of this challenge that I am finding 'challenging' because of time and tiredness.  I do however 3 free evenings this week and will exercise lots to make up for this week!

The diet changes are still going well and I can notice a difference in my skin and body from taking things out of the diet and replacing with others.  I will absolutely stick to it and as agreed with Paul- along term goal is to follow the bikini eating plan for 5 days and the 2 other days will be followed by 75%.

Off to bed now, sleep is much needed- ready for another week!

Sam
x

Amy wins the Miss England Bikini Competition!

We're half way through the bikini challenge and Amy is clearly doing well.

She's won the Miss England Bikini Challenge and has been enjoying a photo shoot with the same photographer who shoots for Kate Moss!

We're over the moon for Amy - remember you can vote for her too by texting MISSENGLAND38 to 63333.

Read more about Amy's exciting challenge at http://www.amy-willerton.com/diary.html.

Fiona's top tip #1: Avocados are handbag and bikini body friendly!

Good evening!

As the organiser of this challenge, I've stepped in a little late to talk to you about exactly what we're eating. Thanks for being patient!

Every single little final detail will be explored in my upcoming e-book that our Bikini Dream Team ladies are exploring in draft version, and in the meantime I can tell you this:

We're eating absolutely gorgeous real food.  We're real people with really busy lifestyles, varying challenges - and above all, very little time.  At the same time we're making the necessary space for food preparation, exercise and mindful eating that is crucial to sustaining our evolving bikini bodies for good.

All of the girls on the challenge are realising that taking just an hour out of their day for exercise, food sourcing, preparation and cooking is doing marvellous things to their physiques.  Chewing food properly and eating in a relaxed manner is another powerful revelation - all of a sudden emotional eating (even around period time) is flying out of the window  Our portion sizes are in control, and occasionally we are treating ourselves to what we decide that we truly want ... and making a big ritual of it.  The rest of the time we're satisfied with all of the tasty and healthy options that are on offer.

The truth is, you can make any recipe a healthy one - you just need to follow my suggestions and apply a little of your own style to make it a truly satisfying experience.  For example, our lovely Amy Willerton (winner of the Miss England Bikini Challenge - woo hoo!) knows that eating in restaurants can be perfectly healthy if you know what to order and practice doing so.  She now makes a rule of ordering a fillet of fish or chicken (and occasionally steak) alongside a generous portion of "anything green".

Some of the top shopping list recommendations from my book include:  hazelnut and almond milk with my "Fiseli" breakfast mix (instead of cows milk), eggs, avocados, watercress, spinach, rocket, lemons, lean chicken and turkey meats (instead of beef for chillis and bolognaises), salmon, tuna and mackerel, quinoa instead of cous cous, sweet potatoes (instead of white potatoes), porridge oats, nuts and seeds, and low GI fruit such as apples and dark berries.  Top herbs and spices include cinnamon, ginger, garlic, tumeric, cumin, coriander, basil, thyme, oregano and black pepper.

Top Snack Tip #1 - Avocados are both portable and bikini body friendly!

For a satisfying snack that every cell in your body will love, mash half an avocado with fresh lemon juice (which stops it going brown) and ground cumin, and spread over a pumpkin seed and oat ryvita crispbread.  Top with a generous twist of black pepper.  Yum!

So why are avocados, which are relatively high in fat, good for us?  Well the answer has to do with what type of fat they contain.  Basically they have a type of fat that is really friendly to cell membranes which helps them function better -- and that supports a healthy metabolism, detoxification process and all-round general function.  So treat yourself to an avocado today!

Week one complete!

So, week one has come to an end and I feel great. I have lost 5lbs roughly and that's weighing at the end of the day although my weight can go up and down a lot, I haven't been this light for ages yipeeeee! I made a spag Bol on Friday night with wheat free pasta and quorn but didn't realise quorn mince has gluten in :-( As a result I had stabbing pains in my tummy so next time I'll use a turkey mince.

I have been trying to avoid all dairy, wheat and gluten and so far so good except last nights blip! I am feeling less bloated and have less discomfort after eating so clearly they do not agree with me. Yesterday I went to calcot manor spa with my bf for a relaxation day but he still made me go to the gym! I did lots of stretching and floor exercises as well as free weights- I forgot my trainers so no machine work. After that we did some swimming and spent nearly an hour in the outdoor hot tub before enjoying a much needed deep tissue massage!

Sunday has been busy, rehearsing all day for 2 separate showed so I filled up on muesli and loads of berries plus a soya hot chocolate. There has been a lot of interest from my show friends about this challenge and lots are keen to try it out. I let a couple of the girls try my muesli and they LOVED it...asking when is on sale!

Tonight I am making roast chicken with loads of vege and sweet potato as a treat. Yummy :-))) No exercise today except the dancing in rehearsals but tomorrow it's back to the bikini workout. Sam, X