WORK IT // HOLIDAY TIME

Before I went on holiday, I was approached by Vegas.com to write a bit about how to stay fit and healthy when you go away. Bit of a coincidence I thought! They've got this new "Hotel Hike" which goes around local casino's and hotels. The twist is that you have to walk everywhere. That's right, you can't even use escalators or the lifts! It's a pretty neat idea though. I think we all know how hard it is to stay active while we're on holiday. 

Last week we went to Niue, and it was fitting that this little piece came up at the same time. As you know I've been on a bit of a health/exercise buzz for the last year and a half, and it's hard to just that all slide for a week. Going on holiday can often lead to you putting on weight and slipping back into old habits, and if you've worked so hard to keep it off, last thing you want is to be set back a couple of kgs. It's not the end of the world, and fun should be your priority, but I don't think it's too hard to stay on track. 

Here are some ideas that can help you stay in shape and have fun at the same time.

GO FOR A WALK

Alright, I suppose this one is a little bit obvious but probably overlooked all the time. Even though it's definitely the easiest way to stay active. A lot of tours include bus hikes and walks as well, so keep your eye out for guides that seem a bit more hands (or feet) on. Yes, walking everywhere is going to take a bit longer than getting in a taxi or catching the bus. But sometimes, when you walk, you get to see some pretty amazing things that you would have otherwise missed. If you're planning on doing some sight seeing near your accommodation, chuck on your walking shoes and take a stroll instead. 

GET ACTIVE 
This one depends a little bit on where you're going, but why don't you make the most of the activities surrounding you. A local bush walk, go for it? Kayaks for hire, why not! Maybe you could hire bikes and cycle around town instead of driving around. It's also a great way to try something new and mix with the locals a bit! Again, you'll see a whole other side to the place you're visiting and get a bit of exercise while you are at it.

CHECK OUT THE GYM 

This one is definitely not for me, but I can see the appeal. Most hotels come with a gym that are open for reasonable hours and generally free. Or if you're staying in the same place for a couple of weeks, have a look around and see if there are any reasonably priced gyms near by. If you are working towards a goal, and have the motivation to go to the gym a couple of times during the week, be my guest! At least you know you'll be sticking to your routine and can spend of the day not worrying about it.

PLAN YOUR MEALS

Going on holiday generally leads to less strict eating, and for good reason! You're in a new place and the food and drink options are endless. Don't be too hard on yourself. If you do feel your resolve slipping away a little bit, maybe try and plan your meals. It will probably work out cheaper! Planning on having a big dinner (and probably dessert) means you can go to a local supermarket and grab some cereal and maybe sandwich food for lunch. That way you'll have eaten well during the day and saved enough money to splurge on a cocktail or two. 

FORGET ABOUT IT

Hey! You're on holiday. I think it's the probably the only time that any of us go "guilt free" when it comes to food and exercise. Without the added stress of thinking about calories and goals, you may have the best holiday ever! To be honest, a week away isn't really going to make the biggest difference. Essentially, holidays are about getting away and relaxing, so if exercise doesn't quite fit into your plans, don't worry about it.

How about you guys? Have you got any tips or anything you like to do to incorporate exercise into your holidays? 

365 MILES OVER DAYS // JULY UPDATE

July wasn't great. I had such a good month in June and was definitely back on top of it, but July fell apart a little bit. To be honest, it was a bit of a rough month for me so I'm not too upset about it. Sure, I'd have loved to hit my month quota (with a bit extra) but occasionally life gets in the way and you  have to prioritise a bit. Not the end of the world though, and I'm working on making sure that August is a good one. 

I also have a plan, which I think is helpful. To try and make up for the miles I've missed (about 50 at the moment) and make sure I reach my monthly total (around 30 or 31) I'm going to run at least two miles, 3 times a week and plan a long walk every weekend. For me, having a routine definitely helps a lot. It also enforces habit which is pretty important when you are trying to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle. 

Here's how I went.

So, at least my running is still on top of my walking, although at this stage, I'm not going to be fussy. Exercise is exercise and being active is my top priority. Sure, my heart is pumping and I definitely sweat a lot more when I run, but walking can sometimes be more therapeutic. Also, the end goal is 365 miles and as long as I get there, I'm happy.

One big thing that changed in July, that really helped me keep on track even without as much running, was my eating. I've always found that gluten and dairy have caused me problems so I decided to give going "gluten free" ago. I've noticed quite a big change (health wise) and it's definitely forcing me to eat a lot more real and unprocessed food. Diet is half the battle when it comes to losing and maintaining weight so I'm feeling pretty confident that I've got that part sussed.

August is half way over (yep, I do realise this is pretty late for a month update) and so far so good. I'm going away next week which will make things a bit more difficult, but I'm still going to try and get a few miles in. When I come back, it's all on. Only 3 1/2 months left and I'm not going to fail. 

365 Miles Over Days // June Update

Finally, a month that I'm proud of. It has been cold/rainy/dark though, so I have no doubt that my success is all because of Eddy the Treddy (oh yes, that's a thing.) Rob doesn't really like me going out for a run/walk when it's dark so there isn't much time in the morning or evening to get out. Now that I have the treadmill, neither of us have to worry about me being safe outdoors. I was a little bit worried at the beginning, because I wasn't really enjoying running on the treadmill but I'm definitely a lot more used to it now and have managed to figure out how to use it to really improve my fitness.

Here's how I went.

You might notice that there is no longer a monthly challenge statistic. Well, I've given up on that. I wasn't really enjoying doing it, and I prefer to do exercise altogether, rather than just a little bit here and there. I've been doing weights with my runs anyway, so I feel like that's enough. 

This month has been the first month since February that I've done the whole month of miles. I keep getting sick, being injured, running out of time, coming up with excuses, but this month was different. Hard to come up excuses when you have an awesome piece of equipment sitting in front of you though.

Another change this month was interval training. I'd never done it before. I find it pretty hard to do intervals when I'm running outdoors, mostly because I don't know my pace and I find it difficult to motivate myself. With the treadmill, I would run 2 minutes at one speed and then 2 miles at a faster one. This would alternate until I reached the distance I was aiming for. It made it a LOT more interesting, and I felt myself working a whole lot more as well. I also used the treadmill as a warm up and cool down tool, so I'd run for a mile before and after my weight workout. That was hard. But again, it definitely made me work a lot more.

My main goal now is to try and catch up. I'm still quite far behind but I've finally gotten into a routine so I'm not going to slip behind anymore. Six months to go in this challenge, and I'm going to own it. 

365 Miles Over Days // May Update

Well, another disappointing month. Man! I really need to sort this out. I'm slowly falling more and more behind and it's going to be a pain in the ass to try and catch up. I was sick for about two weeks this month which set me back a bit and now that it's getting a bit colder it's getting harder to get motivated. Plus, Mr. Key isn't too happy with me going out in the dark which leaves me a pretty small window before and after work to exercise.

I have a plan though, and something that is going to help me a LOT in the miles front. Rob and I bought a treadmill! It was pretty scary and there was a lot of umming and ahhing but we decided to do it. To some of you it might seem a bit silly. Why would we spend so much when we could be running outside. I tell you, finding the motivation to go out in the cold is hard. We've thought about it. Running seems to be the only exercise that I truly stick with (and sort of enjoy) so I know that it will be a big part of my exercise regime forever. It also means that there are really no excuses (apart from sickness and injury.) Rob is also keen to get fitter so we're only going to benefit from it. And I promise I will use it. 

I've run on it a couple of times now. Running on the treadmill is pretty different to running outside and I find it a bit harder to stay motivated during a run. Mostly because I know that I can stop at anytime. Once I get music sorted though and into a better routine I think it's going to be great. I'm planning on mixing it up with my weights session as well and introducing some interval training. 

Anyway. Here is how May went.

Another low month. Not much improvement in my time (mostly because I didn't run enough so there wasn't much to compare it too. I'm still trying to make sure that I'm running more than walking, so at least I managed that much. The month challenge went out the window (and I think it might for the rest of the year.) I prefer to have my designated exercise time and be done with it. For me, this challenge is more about the miles anyway so I'm not too bothered.

This month, I'm going to TRY and run everyday (no exuses now!) or at least every second day. There will be a 5km walk/run at least once a week and I'm going to catch up. Not all at once, I plan on doing AT LEAST an extra 10 miles on top of the 30 for the month. 

June. You're mine. 

365 Miles Over Days // April Update

Another disappointing month (even my photos are disappointing.) I seriously need to get my head in the game. I just seem to have lost a lot of motivation. Not only am I struggling with my 365 Miles challenge, I'm also finding it hard to be creative on the computer. Funnily enough, I'm fine if I'm away from my computer (I actually have a couple of DIYs to share with you) but I can't seem to get it together on screen. Such as life though, and I've decided that May is going to be better. Here is how April went.

Side note. I actually just realised I had been saying my pace in miles, but it was actually in kilometres. So, that's why it's gone down quite a lot - but it's definitely accurate now. It's also not all bad. Yes, I'm still behind on my miles. Yes, I didn't complete my monthly challenge. But I improved my running distance (to 3.3 miles) and I'm running at a consistent pace and maybe this month I'll be able to improve it a little bit. I've also decided that I will run every second day for the whole of May (no excuses) and I will run no less than 4km per run. I'm going to sort my thinking out and get those miles back.

I'm about 20-25 miles behind, so I figure, if I run at least 2 miles every second day, I'll catch up by 15 this month. Hopefully it will only take me a couple of months (without going crazy) to be back on track. It's seriously so easy (as in it only takes 25-30mins a day) but it's getting a bit cold and bed is always way too comfortable. It's all in my head though. This month's challenge is 600 burpees (about 20 a day) which is going to be hard. Stay tuned though, because I'm gonna kick May's butt. 

365 Miles Over Days // March Update

To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed to post this update. March has been terrible. I only completed just over half of the miles that I should have. I didn't complete the monthly challenge (10 sets of stairs a day.) I've been sick. I've been lazy.

But you know what? It's okay. I never said I was perfect. I never said this was going to be easy. This month has been a big wake up call and really proved to me how much of a mental game this challenge is. I'm seeing myself slip further and further behind and it's not a good feeling. One thing that I'm happy about though, is that I'm now running 5km for most of my runs. April will definitely be about keeping up that distance and trying to improve on my time. I've also started a new weights home program which I'm really enjoying. This is part of why I haven't been doing my miles. Because I'm already doing weights as my exercise, I tend to slack off in the running department. But this month I'm going to try and bit harder to get out there.

It's going to be colder. It's going to be darker. But I'm not using any more excuses. I told myself that I was going to run 365 miles this year, and I'm going to do it. My plan for this month is to do my weights three times a week, and to run alternate days. I'll have one day off - most like a Sunday, but other than that, I should be doing something for six days every week. It's not hard. My weights take 30 mins and so do my runs (or less) so there is no reason why I can't do it. 

73/90 is scary. It means that I really need to up my miles this month. I know I can do it though. I'm in the right head space this month, and I'm certainly not going to let it be another "March."

Don't forget you can keep up with myself and the other awesome people doing 365 Miles Over Days on instagram using the hashtag #365milesoverdays

365 Miles Over Days : February Update

Well, I think that this month was better. I actually stayed on track (28 miles/28 days) but I'm still a few miles behind from January. This month, Rob is getting more involved, so I think that will help me to stay a little more motivated. I'm definitely going to try and keep my running stats up this month because in February, my walking/running stats started to even out a bit.

My biggest failure this month was the extra challenge for February. With the squat challenge, it was a bit easier to complete because you can do squats anywhere and in any clothes. If I wanted to do the five minutes of skipping everyday, I had to get on my sports bra and my sports gear. This definitely stopped me from doing it but I tried my best to get over half way and I succeeded! Small victories huh? I also ran my first 5km (3 miles) which was pretty awesome and I've improved my running pace quite a bit which means I'm getting closer to my 6km in 30 minutes goal. Hopefully this month will be about me owning that 5km run. Don't forget that you can still join in on our 365MilesOverDays challenge - it will be a little hard to catch up but at least it's start! And you can even follow our progress on Instagram using the hashtag #365milesoverday

The Perks of Being Healthy

Alright, let's get a little serious. Over the last few years, health has become a really big deal. It can often be quite controversial and there have definitely been a lot of arguments over it, but however you feel about it, it's certainly one of the biggest topics discussed at the moment. Lately, I've had quite a lot of friends come up to me and ask me how I did it. How did I lose the weight? I thought I'd share my story with you. 

Recently (well, over the last year and a half) I lost around 20kg. Whenever I say that out loud, I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. Obviously, it is a lot of weight. If someone else told me they had just lost 20kg I would be totally impressed and proud of them. Sure, I feel a lot healthier, my clothes fit me better and I've gone down a couple of sizes but I don't really feel any different. Everyone treats me the same (except for when they tell me how great I look - thanks team) and my boyfriend still loves me as much as he did when I was at my heaviest.

Maybe we should start at the beginning. It's going to sound pretty familiar, I'm sure you've all heard a similar kind of story before. Girl is born. Girl gets a little heavy. Girl is always one of the biggest in the class. Girl gets bullied.

The thing that's different, is that I've always had great self esteem. This story is not about me feeling disgusted/ashamed/without confidence because of my body. My size never got me down until I was at my heaviest and that was more because I felt unhealthy, rather than fat. I have my beautiful Mum to thank for that. I'm so lucky to have her. She made sure that those bullies words didn't effect me, that I still wore the clothes that I wanted to wear, that I still took part in whatever I wanted to do.

I started doing ballet when I was about three. Even then, at three, being big was already starting to take it's toll. My ballet teacher told my Mum that I was never going to do well because of my size. From there, Mum decided that ballet wasn't for me. I went on to tap for a bit and then spent about ten years doing Jazz. Dance was definitely one of my passions. Hello, I pretty much spent my whole life dancing. Being a bigger girl surrounded by petite dancers wasn't as much of a challenge as you might think it would be. I was pretty good at dancing, and it definitely gave me a lot of confidence when I was doing well and scoring top exam marks. I wasn't silly though. I was well aware that my costumes were bigger, that I was larger than the other girls, but I honestly didn't care. I loved dancing and I was happy.

Slowly, as I started going through puberty, my body started changing. Dancing wasn't as fun as it was before because I had to lug more around. Boobs and hips got in the way and prevented my body from moving as it used to. I also started high school and wasn't as active as I used to be. It all got a little to hard, I stopped enjoying it and eventually dropped out. I wasn't upset about it. You do grow out of things and not everyone is made or even wants to be a dancer forever. 

Soon I started at the design school where I got my diploma and eventually got a job. That's when it all seemed to go down hill. I hadn't realised how much dancing had helped me maintain the weight/body/shape I was and once I stopped, everything changed. I joined a gym while I was working but I found that it wasn't really for me. I just didn't enjoy it. I carried on eating the same food and because I wasn't exercising as much, the weight started piling on. It was a pretty slow progress, and I never truly noticed what was happening.

In August 2012, I jumped on the scales at a hospital (I never really weighed myself, Mum never allowed a scale in the house) and couldn't believe the number I saw. 101. 101kg. I looked at Rob and while he covered it well, I knew he was shocked as well. It clicked how naive I had been. Here I was, eating takeaways nearly twice a week with Rob, doing next to no exercise and just expecting that I would always stay the same. Sure my clothes were tighter but I had never really thought about why.

I decided then and there that things were going to change. I stopped eating takeaways, I was a bit more careful with my portion sizes and I decided that I was getting back on the "running" bandwagon. While I was dancing, I was walking daily and eventually I started running part of the routes rather than walking the whole way. I found that running improved my fitness quite a lot and thought that it would be a good place to start. I decided to start with AMileADay challenge. Basically, all you have to do is run a mile a day. Pretty simple right? Well, it wasn't. I don't think I ever finished a whole week of miles. The first mile, I didn't even make it the whole way. It took me about a month to finally get up to running the whole mile. But that didn't even matter to me. I had started. I had started changing my habits and begun a healthier lifestyle.

While I failed my AMileADay challenge, I definitely have it to thank for my success. Without this goal, I don't know if I would have kept up running. Motivating yourself is hard, especially at the beginning when you are starting from the bottom. I know it as well as anyone. I also started boxing, which is something I never thought I would try, and have just started getting into weights. I think it's so important to find a form of exercise (or two or three!) that you enjoy. If you don't enjoy it, you won't want to do it. Pretty simple really.

I wanted to share my story because I feel like it's a little different from other "weightloss" stories out there. I never started this journey because I wanted to lose weight. I started it because I was unhealthy and unfit and wanted to change. To be completely honest, the weightloss has been a bonus. I didn't jump on some crazy diet. I didn't see a personal trainer every week or push myself to the point of vomiting. I dropped the takeaways, stopped eating so much crap and ran.

It's weird. I can't even remember what it felt like to be bigger. At the time, I think my confidence was a little down, but it wasn't awful. I didn't hate myself. I didn't stop looking at my reflection in the mirror. I wore the same outfits, the same length shorts. I even wore a bikini and I still felt happy. Being where I am though, feels natural. It feels like this is where I'm supposed to be. I'm happier because I know that if I had to run after one of Rob's niecephews (it's a word I made up, I'm sure you can figure it out haha) I knew that I wouldn't be out of breath. When I go into Glassons, I know that I'll fit their sizes. If my friend suggested that we go for a walk, I know I could make it the whole way without collapsing. Being healthy feels awesome. And the best thing about it, is that you don't have to do anything drastic. Cut out the rubbish that you eat but don't need, and get outside and go for a walk. It's a start, and I guarantee it's worth it.

If you have any other questions for me feel free to email me at lovingly.kate@gmail.com. Also, if you are feeling courageous and want to start somewhere, check out our 365 Miles Over Days challenge. Obviously you'd be a little behind, but it's a great goal and there are some awesome people who are doing it with us. Being a part of a community definitely helps. Having like minded people who are supporting you and what you're doing definitely gets you pumped and motivated. I believe in you. Go get it.

365 Miles Over Days : January Update

Guys, it's February. On a side note, how is it February already?! This year is already going way too fast for me. Plus, I'm behind on my miles. But I'm not too worried. I know I can catch up. January was a busy month for me - what with getting all my life sorted to move into a new place. On the other hand, I didn't do too bad. I'm only 5 miles behind but at least I finished the monthly challenge. 1000 squats were hard. Although, compared to February's challenge I think it was a bit of a breeze. Five minutes of skipping everyday is going to be worse (for the record, I already did my five minutes today and died.) 

I am loving this challenge though. It's definitely making sure I get out there at least 3 times a week and the monthly challenges are great because they make sure you are doing something everyday. And if you don't do it one day, you certainly pay for it the next. 

Anyway, here are the stats..

I'm trying to keep my running miles higher than my walking ones. I have a goal and that is to be running 6km (yes, I know the jumping back and forward between km and miles is confusing) in 30 minutes. That's 5 minute kms. That is a lot faster than I'm going now. I've got 11 more months though and I'm pretty certain I can get there.

Don't forget, it's not too late to join us! Obviously, the pressure will be off to make the 365 miles by the end of the year (although, don't let that stop you!) but you can still try and keep to 30 - 31 miles a month and you can definitely still join in on the monthly challenges! Tillie and I are so stoked at how many people have signed up and also the awesome progress they are making. It's hard getting started in terms of fitness and health, but being part of a great community definitely helps! 

365 Miles Over Days

I am pretty excited to share my 2014 exercise challenge with you. I didn't quite complete my AMileADay /APhotoADay challenge last year but I decided that, while I didn't finish it, it was a great way to kickstart a healthier lifestyle. That's why I put my thinking hat on this year and came up with a new challenge for 2014.

Luckily, my beautiful friend Tillie, decided to jump on board as well. I met this sweet chick a couple of years ago when we were both at a design school in Auckland. She moved back down to Wellington but luckily we stayed in touch! Over the last year we have grown so much closer and for that I am glad. Having wonderful friends is the best, especially the ones who want to go on crazy ass exercise journeys with you.

Here I stand, 1/1/2014

So here it is. 365 Miles Over Days. Basically, we will be trying to clock at least (I'm hoping for more) 365 miles by running and walking over the course of the year. It's pretty similar to my goal last year except this time, I won't feel so guilty if I miss a day. The best part of this challenge is that if you go without exercising one day, you can make up for it the next. As long we hit our 365 miles at the end of the year - we will have succeeded!

Of course, we couldn't make it too easy, so we decided to add a monthly challenge on top of our miles. Here are our goals for each month. I know for a fact that a lot of them are going to be very hard, but I'm pretty excited to see how both of our bodies and fitness levels change while completing them every month.

So that's that. This is what I will be trying to achieve in 2014. I am actually so pumped and can't wait to get started. The fact that I also have a friend who is joining in means we will both have someone else who is encouraging and motivating us to keep going. 

Feel free to join us on this journey! Whether you are a walker, a runner, or just someone who is looking to work towards a healthier life, this challenge is definitely for you! We would love to hear from you if you are looking at joining us. PLUS. We have a hashtag, which makes this pretty legit. While I will only be posting monthly updates you will still be able to follow me on my instagram or by using our hashtag #365milesoverdays