Pre-Season Training

Hello Lovelies,
I hope you've all been well. I apologize for not writing in ages but I've been so caught up with university exams, the sudden passing of my dear grandmother and my weekend in Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final. But I'm back!

This post is a written commitment to myself and my new lifestyle choices. I've labelled it pre-season training because most of my poor habits form during the football season, when I dedicate more hours to being a good fan rather than being good to myself. In the six months that is the football season, I tend to gain weight. So now during the off season (which eventually hits the turning point and becomes the pre season), I have a lot of weight to lose and a body to regain.

Tomorrow I begin the Kayla Itsines 12 Bikini Body Program. I'm excited because I know a few people who have done it and it's really worked and also for the first time ever I'm embarking on this journey with a friend. Unfortunately, I can't undertake the nutrition program too. Living at home means that I often have to eat whatever my parents prepare for me because we live on a budget and they have a family of 5 to feed. So for me, the nutrition aspect of the program will involve portion control and healthy eating when I'm out at uni and limited unhealthy snacking. As long as I'm not eating badly, it shouldn't affect the progress too much. On top of that, I am iron deficient so a lot of my diet revolves around trying to eat red meat, despite the fact it may not be as lean as other options.

I'm very unhappy with my body. Not only the way it looks, but the way it feels. This last month especially has left me feeling bloated, sick, heavy and tired. I look forward to regaining my energy, my figure and my confidence.

With this comes a lifestyle change that involves training myself out of the habit of turning to Twitter to say every little thing I think of, sleeping consistent hours, enjoying more sunlight to soak up more vitamin D, keeping my room tidier to minimize my allergies to dust, and going to the effort to keep my hair, skin and nails much healthier. Altogether, by the time it's the week before Christmas (12 weeks from now), I should be a much better version of myself and thus a much happier person.

The reason I'm posting all of this on the internet is because I want you to help keep me on track. Should you see a tweet or a blog post about a lapse in my control, I beg you to encourage me, help pick me up off the ground and get me back on track because I know for a fact that I cannot do this alone. I need you guys, my internet family and friends, to help me achieve my goal.

If you too are on a weight loss/ healthy living journey, let me know and we can help each other out!

Until next time,

Monday Rants: personal motivation

Hello lovelies,

Today's rant is in fact an attack on myself and my lack of motivation. In particular, when it comes to my health. My laziness is getting out of hand. I am actually so disappointed in myself for letting myself crack 60kg. Shame on me. Since my university timetable ruined my dance schedule, I never really found a replacement activity. Then I took on longer hours at my work and extra curricular uni activities and just cannot be bothered to find time to exercise. I look at photos from 2 years ago and it's sad how much bigger I've gotten. I no longer like wearing bikini tops. I wear one piece swimmers. Board shorts are an essential.

On top of that I've lost all self control with my eating. I'm eating whatever I feel like, whenever I feel like. It's an awful shame because I think I have a pretty enough face, I just don't have the body to match. Admittedly, I will never be stick thin, never be a column like figure because I naturally have wide hips (yay for having babies) and wide-ish shoulders. But I am definitely not the smallest version of myself I can be and that's really upsetting.

I'm 18 with stretch marks. Let that sink in. Any remaining muscle tone is fading. Particularly in my arms and back. I used to have a sexy back from tennis and dancing. Now it's just a bit meh. I have a big butt which looks ok in tight jeans but strip it down to mini shorts and you'll see it's fat, not muscle.

I think I'm letting myself down by not having personal motivation. And not having discipline or self control. It's a shame really. also hate gyms. Everyone I know goes to a gym so there isn't a single one in my area that isn't already taken by someone I know. Also I don't agree with paying to do things that you can do for free if you just step outside (paying to run on a treadmill? no thanks, I'd rather run outdoors).

Does anyone have any tips for me to stay on track?


Thanks for listening lovelies,

Monday Rants: Mind your own damn business

Hello lovelies,
Today marks a new series I have decided to undertake called "Monday Rants" in which I basically slam society in potentially hypocritical ways because I need to release the negative energy that builds up during the week.

Today I am ranting about people who fail to mind their own business. Basically, there are certain things I say or do that do not require other people to chime in. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. BUT when I state mine, you have no right to hammer me for what I think, feel or believe. If you do not agree, I am happy to hear your counterarguments however merely saying "you're stupid" or "hahah lol who even thinks that" or "im better than you" isn't really helping your case. See, until you present logical arguments that can be backed up with relevant examples, I really do not care what you say to me. On top of that, if we have had a past clash and we end it on okay terms, I tend to try cut you out of my life. SO DO NOT COME BACK. It is generally clear if I have no interest in your comments so please don't even bother making them to me in the first place. I get that when I put my opinions on social media, I open myself up to interrogation, "hate" and harassment. I will defend myself and my thought but you aren't going to get the response you want out of me. I will not erupt with anger. You are in no way harming my life. So save your time and mine and mind your own damn business.

It also really annoys me when people cannot accept that certain things simply do not involve them. If I am talking to a friend and another friend tries to find out what's happening, I will change the conversation topic. People need to understand that if I want you to know something, I will tell you. If I do not tell you, I do not want you to know so please do not go searching. Do not ask my other friends and put them in a position where they may have to start spreading things. I will hate you for putting them in a situation where they have to choose which friend to please. It also shows that you are no true friend of mine if you cannot respect the fact that I may have secrets. Don't ruin the relationship, just mind your own damn business.

And finally, there are the people who cannot for two seconds live their life without gossip or rumors. When I see you, there is no need to ask about every little detail of my life in the hope of finding out some drama. Again, if there is something important you should know, I will tell you. I will not speak just to fuel your need to be the centre know it all queen B and so that you can then go around telling other people. This is not year 8 anymore. We are not 14 (mind you I turned 14 in year 10...). Grow up and mind your own damn business.

Ok I think that rant is over. Go on, hammer me for being a bitch about it. I dare you.

Back to Uni: Academics

Hello Lovelies,

Hope you've all been well! Today's blog post in my Back to Uni series is going to be about the academic side. The real reason we all attend uni is to walk out with a piece of fancy paper that we show to other people with fancier papers (or plaques) to get ourselves jobs. We all want a bunch of letters and abbreviations under our name on our office door to give us credibility. But with so many new jobs these days, and so many fading jobs, and so many jobs you don't even know exist, how do you pick what you want to do?

Well I'm going to begin by explaining what I study and why I chose to study it. I'm currently doing a double degree. I study a Bachelor of Business with a major in Marketing Communications and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with a country major in France. I will soon begin a second business major in Sports Management. I chose this because my passion is sport and I thought the best way to pursue a career in sport was to team it up with business. This works out well for me because I am quite business minded. I have a dream to increase fan involvement, commitment and passion in various sports around Australia and gaining these qualifications will definitely help me secure a job that will allow me to do this. I want people all around Australia to feel as connected to their team and sport as I do. Hopefully an education in marketing and sport will help me do this. Furthermore, I'd love to increase female participation in sports around Australia. This is partly the reason I applied for a double degree. A second degree, which gives me language and global cultural experience, puts me a step ahead of other graduates and gives me a greater chance of being awarded the position. Getting myself in the industry is the first step to getting more women in the industry.

So how are you going to decide what to study? Well, you have to find your passion. I don't expect you to be passionate in accounting, or nano engineering or macroeconomics. But think of a big picture and narrow it down to what degree you need to gain a career in that sector. If you are passionate about helping people, you can look at whether your prefer working with adults or children, then see if you prefer education or medicine and keep narrowing it down until you find your perfect degree. Perhaps you may be a passionate foodie. Think about what you like about food. Is it the preparation? The experience? Talking about your adventures? The health side? Choose your area and decide if you are going to become a chef, a journalist, a nutritionist or a restaurant owner. You need to find something you love and think of what careers may branch off that. And then what degree you need to get that career.

Chances are there won't be a degree that suits your career exactly. You may need masters or PhDs or a side diploma or even simply on the job experience. But, if you are going after something you are proper passionate about, you will do what it takes.

DO NOT EVER, EVER, EVER ENTER A FIELD BECAUSE OF EXTERNAL PRESSURES TO DO SO. Never let your parents, siblings, friends, teachers tell you what you should study. Study what you are passionate about, not what is safe or what is expected. And I can guarantee you, you will find university much more enjoyable.

So I hope you get some guidance out of this. If you have any questions or want further advice, comment below or contact me on my social media!

Happy studying lovelies,