Rolling over into the new year has got to be one of my favourite feelings. There is so much hope and opportunity for what’s to come, for what you can create. If things didn’t pan out the previous year, you get another chance to achieve whatever you want!

I don’t know about you but I’m definitely guilty for writing out a whole long list of New Year resolutions and not getting past the first one. When writing out a full list of goals and resolutions, it can seem quite daunting and overwhelming and could quite possibly be why most of them don’t see the light of day. That’s why I want to help you create measurable New Year Resolutions for yourself (and myself, let’s be real!) We all know the aim of these resolutions is to carry them out throughout the year and in turn, hopefully start a new healthier lifestyle for ourselves, here are four simple steps you can follow to guide you into the right path for the New Year!

It starts with you.

No goal will begin or end if you aren’t in it 110%. When creating your resolutions you have to be inspired about it, when you are motivated and excited to start doing something it’s going to be a lot easier to continue them instead of it feeling like a chore. You can take a goal that has been lingering at the back of your mind for months if not years and use that to your advantage – if it has been there and it’s something you still think about then it’s something you need to go and grab (sounds like something I say to myself when I see a cute bag at the shop) and use that motivation. It’ll manifest itself into greater things!

Make sure your goals are realistic and measurable.

This is something I live by, whenever I create goals for myself throughout the year I try my utmost best to make sure they are realistically achievable within my specific timeframe. The goals you want to create can be as big or as small as you want them to be, just make sure that they aren’t so overwhelming that you don’t want to try at all! (I’ve been there all too many times). I like to create a main goal for myself and then break it up into smaller segments, I find this helps not only to make things seem less cluttered but also helps me stay accountable to my goals.

Find an accountability partner, whatever the goal.

There are going to be many moments throughout that you are going to feel uninspired and unmotivated, as though you’re getting nowhere so you may as well quit – don’t worry, that’s normal! That’s why on days where you’re finding it difficult to get yourself out of the house, knowing that someone on the other side is also counting on you to help achieve their goals makes it a lot easier! Plus; once you’re there you’ll be thanking yourself for it. With that said, it’s important to be kind to yourself and remember that slow progress is still progress. Although it sometimes seems easy to lose sight of the bigger picture, every small step counts towards your goals and still makes a difference. Keep going, you got this! You’re capable of great things, believe it.

Start small.

Success doesn’t happen overnight and neither does progress. It’s something you have to work on every day, little by little. Easing yourself into achieving your goals, doing one small change every day and practicing those changes will make the whole process a lot easier and a lot more maintainable for the rest of the year. Eventually it’ll become second nature, just persevere and have patience!

I know this isn’t me telling you exactly how to achieve your goals and make them realistic but if you take your inspirations, follow these steps and trust yourself – I promise you, you’ll reap the rewards you just need to be mindful and also remember that it is a lot easier to write 10 goals down on a piece of paper than go out and make them happen. You’re only human, don’t set yourself up with disappointment, it’s not fair on you!

With that said, I hope that you all have had a Merry Christmas and that you have the best start to the New Year!

I’ve never done a post like this, I thought it would be interesting for someone who is just starting out their fitness journey and isn’t sure how to plan their workout days.

Essentially it is up to you and your body. I usually go by how my body is feeling, if my legs are still sore from the previous leg workout then I wouldn’t necessarily train them again even if it is my next leg day. Listening to your body is crucial when wanting results.

Before my workouts I always like to do a 5-10 minutes slow warm up, whether it be cycling or an incline on the treadmill just to make sure that my body isn’t cold when I start my workout, then once my workout is finished I do a 10 minute cool down stretch. Stretching is so important when workout out so make sure to always integrate it into your sessions (even though it can be a little tedious sometimes)!

On Monday’s I like to focus on my legs. It’s one of my less favoured areas of my body so I usually put more time and effort into planning and doing those then I would my other days. I train legs twice a week and then usually a full body session at the end of the week depending on how my body is feeling, however Ive recently been enjoying taking Saturday’s and Sunday’s off and using them as rest days.

My workout split at the moment looks a little like this:

Monday – Legs

Tuesday – Back and bis

Wednesday – Chest and tris

Thursday – Shoulders

Friday – Legs

Saturday & Sunday -Rest or Full body

I like integrating back and bis together because you’re essentially using your biceps when you are training back. It just so happens to work out that way depending on the exercises being done but I always do exercises during the workout that focuses mainly the specific areas and then I enjoy integrating supersets for both, back and biceps.

Chest and tris are definitely my least favourite thing to train, but I think it’s important to train weekly especially when trying to keep your body in proportion. A lot of girls think that only boys can train chest because they will get “man boobs” but that’s not the case at all. There are actually a few benefits from training chest, such as improving your posture, making your breasts perkier etc. So don’t neglect your pecs, your future self will thank you for it!

I definitely enjoy getting a little shoulder pump in the gym, it’s not my strongest point but it’s something I enjoy working on and challenging myself so I like to focus mainly on shoulders on a thursday.

As for full body, because it’s weekend and usually getting to the gym is a struggle I like to keep it short and simple and high intensity. If I don’t end up getting to the gym, i’ll opt for a run or a walk on the beach.

I’ll do abs at the end of every workout day that isn’t leg day, just because you need to activate you core a lot of the time when you are doing legs and it’s usually a hardcore session I personally don’t see the need for me to do abs as well but I do love doing 10 minute challenges as a burnout!

Depending on the day and time I go to gym, if it’s too busy for me and there aren’t many machines open for a specific workout I want to do – I would just swop days around to make my life a little easier (TIP: This also helps prevent a little bit of gym anxiety!) This workout split has been working for me and my schedule for the past few months, so hopefully it will inspire you to create a schedule that works well for you and your lifestyle.

If you would be curious to see some of my workouts, please let me know in the comments below or send me a dm on instagram – I would be happy to film some clips!

Moving to Stellenbosch has definitely had its trials and tribulations. I’ve made incredible friends and missed home A LOT but I think one of the biggest things I have struggled with is getting my routine back with gym, especially in the first semester!

I had to change gyms which I was excited for in the beginning until I got overwhelmed and always found an excuse as to why I shouldn’t go to gym rather then why I should.

I ended up changing gyms twice before I found one that I thought “okay, I can do this” and eventually I started getting excited to go to gym. So if you’ve been struggling in this department, don’t worry. I feel you!

Find a gym you are comfortable in. I don’t care what anyone says, I could never go to a gym that I wasn’t happy in and then still expect to see results. You work best in environments that are comforting and exciting rather than daunting and unmotivating.

I’ve said this before and i’ll say it again, find an accountability partner and start gyming with them. The easiest way to get comfortable around a gym and get used to the way it works is if you’re getting used to it with someone else. Bonus if they were gyming there before you because they can show you the ins and outs!

If you don’t have a friend that you can go to gym with, take your earphones with. I struggle to go to gym by myself if I don’t have earphones with me, it allows you to focus a lot more on what other people are doing rather than what you are supposed to be doing. Listening to music thats your own vibe will help you focus more on what you’re doing rather than worrying about what other people are doing.

Another thing that I find helps me a lot at the moment is deciding what to do in the gym, before getting to gym. I often just write down a workout in notes on my phone. I’ve found that if i go to gym without a set plan I feel a bit out of place and I become uncomfortable. I’m more preoccupied with figuring out what exercise im going to do next and seeing what machines are open then with the actual workout.

If you struggle with moving around the gym or going to the weight section, make sure you can do your workout in one spot, whether it be a full body workout without any weights or a dumbbell only workout – doing it in one area that you feel comfortable in is another way to help fight feeling anxious in the gym!

We all have times where we feel like the odd one out in a gym but just remember that everyone is there to work on themselves, they aren’t worried about what everyone else is doing. The more often you go, the more comfortable you’ll become and the more motivated you’ll get!

If you have any tips on how you fight anxiety or being uncomfortable at the gym, leave them in the comment below!

“In any given moment we have two options: To step forward into growth or to step back into safety”

I feel like i’m forever doing life updates for you guys because life gets ahead of me and by the time I have a moment to write and post, 7 months have gone by!

First of all, Hi. How are you? How’s life been? Also, how is it already August!? The fact that there are only 4 months left of this year petrifies me. These past few months have been some of the best and craziest times of my life and I have uni to thank for that. It honestly feels like I should already be in my third year, thats how long these past 6 or 7 months have been (I mean that in the least negative way possible)

Moving to Stellenbosch, starting university, going through and trying to survive exams and all the stuff in-between is the main reason my blog has taken a bit of a back seat. At the moment, uni is my number one priority and everything else comes second, unfortunately that means my blog too! One of the perks, is that I was on holiday for 7 weeks which meant I had plenty time to work on some content, which means theres content for during uni! I am definitely still trying to get the hang of how to handle both simultaneously, but i’m getting there – slowly but surely!

I am in my first year of studying sports science and so far so good. It’s definitely been difficult at times but i’ve met incredible people, made the best memories and worked my butt off so what’s to complain about really? At the beginning of the year, before uni begun and before I knew how much time and effort it would take, I had planned out blog posts for the whole year. That’s right – the whole year, without taking into consideration what might happen in between that time and where i’d be or what would be going on. Rookie error, let me tell you.

It left me with high expectations of where my blog would be at the end of the year and I made myself feel super guilty for not posting but life happens and I had to teach myself that not everything can go as planned, adaptation is key!

I AM SO HAPPY TO BE BACK (let’s hope for a lot longer now)

Blogging isn’t the only place i’ve been slacking, gym too. My goals for second semester are to get back on track with gym, eat healthy and just focus on balancing everything a bit more, work, gym and social life. I’m now going into my fourth week of second semester and so far so good, balance has been key and i’m actually enjoying this term a lot more than the past two. I definitely want to be a bit more adventurous this semester, I tend to get stuck in my own little comfy bubble and don’t do much being the home body that I am but I want to explore the town some more and do things i’ve never done whilst focussing on work and tests. I definitely feel like I have a tighter grip on this semester, I’m ahead in all my work and have been consistent with gym as well as making sure I save time for friends and some me time. Lets just hope it stays smooth sailing!

Over the next few weeks, you can expect to see content based on health, fitness and beauty! I can’t wait to share more content with you guys, if there is anything you’d like me to write on, leave a comment below or send me a dm on instagram. Suggestions are always welcome and are always appreciated!

I’ll be uploading posts every Sunday  so you can sit back, relax with a cuppa and wind down for the week ahead.

Please like, share and comment on my posts – every single one makes a difference! 

You’ll know from reading my previous blog post; “Week 4 progress update & tips for you!” I tell you all about my 8 week journey to a better me, the struggles I overcame and the triumphs I celebrated.

By week 4 I was feeling so good again, couldn’t wait to get back into the swing of things after not feeling so great and having no appetite. Well, week 8 has come and gone and let me tell you – it’s not the happy ending I hoped for.

During week 5 I was put on my first course of antibiotics to overcome an internal mouth infection and if you know anything about me, you’ll know that I absolutely hate pills or anything of sort. My medication made me feel so awful that every time I tried to exercise, I would become dizzy/light headed/faint and would have to cut my workout short so yes, I haven’t trained in 3 weeks (since the end of week 4). As soon as my first set of medication finished, I went to the doctor for a checkup and was told that I need to get my wisdoms taken out sooner than later because they are the main reason I have been having such terrible headaches, toothaches and earaches as well as the fact that there was no space for them. Needless to say, I was put on another set of antibiotics, and that was me – man down. I got my wisdoms removed on Wednesday, in the chair, AWAKE (I know, I clearly got the wrong end of the conversation because I was sure I was going to be sleeping. Nope, wide awake!!!) but I made it, HALLELUJAH!

If i’m honest with you, the worst part about all of this was the constant nausea I was experiencing from my medication, not even the pain matched up to it. Luckily my second set of antibiotics are complete and I am officially on the mend. Few painkillers every now and then for my mouth but that’s about it and I am SO HAPPY cause of it! I’ve definitely taken this as a sign to be more aware of what’s going on inside of my body and have realised how important it is to have your necessary check ups whether it be with a doctor or a dentist because although you may feel 100%, you might not actually be – which was my case.

So yes, I literally did go for hero to zero in a few weeks but I suppose it’s all part of life and if your body is tired, it will make you stop overworking itself one way or another. The best thing I can take away from this 8 week experience is listen to your body and take it at a pace that won’t burn you out.

Where to from here? Well, back to week 1 we go. I’m really excited to get back into the gym and to start new exercise routines. Over these past few weeks I’ve learned so much about my body and what it’s capable of doing, i’m curious to see where I can take it from here and how far I can push myself. I of course have new goals and desires for myself such as; wanting to start swimming and doing yoga but my main focus right now is getting my health back and with that, gym will follow.  

That’s my 8 week story, not exactly what I thought I was going to be writing at the end of this journey but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. I’m extremely motivated to pick up where I left off and get the results i’ve been wanting to get! Don’t get discouraged when things don’t go the way you planned, may be it’s supposed to be that way and you’ll get back on track in no time!

Seeing as I can’t include any before/after photo’s of my body, I’ve included some ridiculous photo’s of myself after I had my operation. I hope these make you smile you as much as I cringe looking at them!

Thank you for all your constant support, every like/share/comment I get does’nt get unnoticed and I am extremely grateful for you!

Lots of love,

Jeanna x

Week 4 of my 8 week journey to a better me has come to a close and let me tell you, it has not been sunshine and rainbows all the time but it hasn’t been all that bad either.

Firstly, if you are new around here WELCOME and thank you for stumbling across my blog! 4 Weeks ago I made a decision to undergo an 8 eight week journey to a better me and i’m finally half way through! To catch up on the whole story you can click on my blogpost, “Life Update & 8 Week Journey to a better you”. before you continue reading this post.

To be honest with you, I’m loving the experience because for the first time in my life I have stuck to something and actually gotten more than halfway through it without giving up – that’s already a win in my eyes!

So here is a quick rundown on how these past 4 weeks have been for me; Week 1&2 were amazing. Everything felt so easy and natural, nothing was forced and I had zero temptations or desires for junk food (which is weird for me because usually when my body does a “detox” if you will, all it craves is everything i’m not giving it which was not the case) I thought that I was going to breeze through these 8 weeks with no hassle. I had so much energy, I was so motivated, extremely happy i’m sure I started annoying some people (lol, aint my problem) well, that was until Monday of Week 3.

I woke up feeling the complete opposite of how I was feeling the previous two weeks. I was weak, extremely nauseous and I felt like I hadn’t slept in 12 hours. I thought maybe I was starting to get the flu so I made sure I did everything to kick it before it came flying towards me – drank lots of water, kept warm, ate well, gave my body the nutrients it needed, sweated (a lot) had natural anti-inflammatories and all that jazz but nope, nothing was working!

I carried on with my normal routine, I mean I wasn’t sick I just felt it and I had stuff I needed to do, by Wednesday I was besides myself because I honestly felt more ill than ever and I couldn’t understand what was wrong with me so I decided to give myself and my body a break and see if that would do the trick. I exercised on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and gave myself the rest of the week off. By Saturday I was feeling a little bit better and after doing some analysing of my week and what I ate I realised that I had a lot more carbs and gluten then I did the weeks before, which my body does not react well to (clearly.)

My body was just exhausted, overworked and although I was eating healthily, my body didn’t cope well with those foods (That’s why you should keep a food diary kids) but at least I now know for the future what I should and shouldn’t eat!

“You can’t pour from an empty cup,

Take care of yourself first”

Week 4 came round a lot sooner than I thought it would and I actually felt good again. I was excited to get back into gym and motivated to continue my journey and push myself! For the first 3 weeks I worked out about 3-4 times a week and Week 4 I started working out 4-5 times a week. That extra day made a huge difference to my routine! Although, towards the end of the week from around Thursday/Friday I struggled to eat, mainly because I just didn’t get hungry but when I did eat all I felt like was junk food so it was tough but I managed and conquered through.

I feel as if these past 4 weeks have been a good trial run to see where I am with my fitness and where I can go from here. I’ve understood what foods work with my body positively and which ones not so much.

I honestly believe that understanding your body and what works for you is a crucial step in creating a healthy active lifestyle for yourself.

And with that said I have written up 4 tips that i’ve learned from these past 4 weeks that I wish I knew before but didn’t so now I am hoping to enlighten you if you are wanting to take on this journey (if you haven’t already!)

1. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

The point of this is to create a lifestyle for yourself that you love. We want to live a long and healthy life mentally and physically, the minute you start doing things you don’t enjoy because you think it will get you to where you need to be a little bit quicker you will begin to resent the whole point of this and end up quitting rather than continue it. There is always an alternative way to do something and in a way that you enjoy it so whether that means it takes a little bit longer well at least you are doing it the way you could see yourself doing this for a long amount of time!

2. You’re allowed to give yourself breaks.

I’ve struggled with this many times in the past and to be honest with you, I still do I’ve just learned to understand when I really need a break or not. When I set my mind to something (for example like an eight week journey to a better me) I give it my all even if that meant I pushed myself until breaking point which actually ends up doing more damage than progress – There is nothing wrong with pushing yourself to the best of your abilities and I am on that train all day, every day but when you are tired or your body is too sore to do anything GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK, make it a priority to include rest days into your routine and train yourself into that habit. It’s so important to let your body recover from all the amazing things it does for you everyday, don’t see it in a negative light. If anything you will almost see better results from letting yourself heal rather than pushing yourself too far and injuring yourself.

3. Reinvent your routine, weekly.

I’m actually excited to share this tip with you because I found that it was what helped me when I struggled to get up to go and train or eat well. Constantly doing the same routine, same workout split and eating the same meals week after week can get extremely monotonous and tedious. That’s why I found reinventing my week, every week helped me so much. I make a point every Sunday evening to plan my week, I start with the things that have a set time like au pairing or appointments and then I plan around that – I will include things such as experimenting in the kitchen or working out in my back yard instead of in the gym and change of environment really makes such a big difference to you mentally as well. Have fun with it! If you do it in a way that you love, you will never get bored and lose motivation!

4. Don’t turn a bad day (in the kitchen or gym) into a bad week.

First things first, get rid of the guilt! If you have half a gym session because you lost interest or if you had one too many peanut butter cookies, know and tell yourself that it’s okay. We’re all human, we all get it. But what I don’t want you to do is get so sucked into your own guilt that you don’t make a conscious effort to change and you turn a bad hour of your day into a bad week. You can start fresh with a healthier meal or better workout as soon as you decide to and this does a full circle back to tip number 1, don’t take yourself too seriously! Be mindful of the food you eat, do mind to muscle connection in the gym, drink lots of water and you’ll be a happy human!

“Either you run the day or the day runs you.”

I hope these tips and my story so far has helped or inspired you to continue this lifestyle. Always remember that if it were easy, everyone would do it!

Lots of love, Jeanna x