Tag: sun

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‘Beach body’ ready – is there such a thing?

jazzybfit

First of all, I would just like to say that getting ‘summer ready’ shouldn’t be your only focus when it comes to going on holiday and enjoying your summer. I think we are so quick to focus on getting ‘bikini ready’ these days, rather than looking forward to the actual holiday itself. Remember, you’re on holiday too, you have every right to be carefree and body confident! However, I do understand the desire to want to look and feel your best when on holiday, especially as for most of us in the UK, it’s the one time in the year that we can whip out the sassy swimwear ;).

I set myself a goal, 4 weeks prior to my holiday, to work on defining my abs more, whilst keeping the progress that I had already made (the struggles :’). I didn’t want to drop my calorific intake too much, as I think I’ve found my maintenance level, but I did want to make my abs more defined. In order to achieve this, I increased the amount of cardio by doing treadmill sprints for 10-15 minutes for one session, stairmaster for another, and LISS (Low-Intensity Steady State) for my final cardio session. Also, I included supersets on leg day (where you perform two exercises back to back) which really increases the intensity, and therefore the number of calories burned. Another thing I aimed to do, was to ensure I was snacking on healthy foods. For example:

  • Avocado on brown toast
  • Greek yoghurt and berries
  • 30g of oats mixed with a scoop of whey protein
  • Fruit
  • A handful of nuts
  • Banana and nautral peanut butter on toast

Below are a few tips that I would recommend if you wanted to shape up, however I do believe this should be something that is done way in advance of your holiday, as short-term weight loss plans are often so drastic and unattainable.

1) Are you actually hungry?

Our bodies are very clever when we are dehydrated at tricking us into feeling hungry when in actual fact we are thirsty. If you think you’re hungry you might actually be thirsty, have a drink and wait 10 minutes, if you’re still hungry after treat yourself to some food (healthy, of course ;))!

2) Increase your cardio

The thought of doing cardio is not as bad once you’re actually sprinting for your life, and the endorphins are keeping you company :’). HIT is the best for using up those energy reserves and helping you to get your sweat on!

3) Diet is key

Eating a healthy and nutrituos meals will do wonders for your wasitline! It really is that simple – eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and snack healthy and you will be well on your way!

I don’t think that there is anything wrong with working towards getting your body ready to a point that you feel body confident, as I state in my blog post all about setting yourself a goal – this is a perfect example of that, and can be a good motivation. But what I do believe, is that we should go about this in a healthy and sustainable way, besides there is far more to life (and holidays) than looking good in a bikini. Be confident, be happy, and enjoy your summer break,

Jazzy B ❤

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How to Stay Organised at Uni

jazzybfit

Uni is 50% organisation and 50% hard work. If you manage to stay organised, and on top of essays, presentations, and exams…I can assure you, you will be fine!

What with exams only a few weeks away for most uni’s, I thought this post would be very relevant. It is crucial to stay organised, as there is so much you have to think about at uni, that it can get really overwhelming if you don’t. Although organisation can take some time to do, and feel like a chore at first, it soon becomes part of your routine. Also, the organisation helps you to work effectively which is definitely key when you’re trying to manage your time.

Here are a few of the ways that I stay organised at uni…

1.Plan your week

I do this using a desktop sticky-note app. I write down when my lectures are, what time I plan to go to the gym, and any other events or activities I have planned for the upcoming week. This really helps me to visualise what my week will be like so that I can allow extra time for things such as revision and coursework. As my lecture times are constant, I hardly have to update this so its a low maintenance way of staying organised!

2. Plan your mealsdiners

I discussed more on this in my post about how to stay healthy at uni, but I swear by it! I think there is nothing more important than a good diet when you’re wanting to perform well, and often round exams it can be a chore to spend time thinking about what to eat. To overcome this, I will plan my meals so that I know my body is getting the nutrition that it needs. Also, it’s cheaper to do this, as you’re not wasting food and you’re guaranteed to eat something healthy.

3. Write down all your goals before the week has begun

To me, this is the most important one, as it gives my week a sense of direction in terms of what I want to achieve. I also find this keeps me motivated, as I have a target that I can work towards. I will simply list all the things that I want to get achieved in the upcoming week. I list them all on sticky notes on my computer, so whenever I use my computer I’m reminded of what I need to do.

4. Make a revision timetable near exams

Call me the timetable queen :’) I’ve created so many of these, that I think I have an obsession.  Sometimes I’ll create a timetable of the content that I need to cover day by day, and other times I will create a more detailed timetable of everything I need to do in a particular time frame. The timetable below is the one I am currently going by to revise for my second-year uni exams.

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5. Utilise your uni breaks

Admittedly, the least appealing one here but, it will help you in the long-run! I’m not saying that you should do a 9-5 and study like crazy on your easter/Christmas break, however, you will feel more relaxed about things knowing that you have started to write an assignment due in, or started revision for an upcoming exam. It’s all about getting the balance between feeling refreshed on return to uni, but also having accomplished something to give you a head start for when things inevitably become more stressful.

Wishing you all the luck if you have exams or dissertations due,

Jazzy B ❤

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Pretty Little Picnic

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There is something so lovely about having a picnic: The sun shining down, all the food, spending time with friends. I think we could all do with giving ourselves more time to escape to the country for an hour or two, and what better reason than to have a picnic?

IMG_7205In my eyes picnics are so underrated, although admittedly dependent on the weather, they’re so simple to organise that you could easily arrange one of an afternoon. As a student, I’m always thinking of things to do which are affordable, and this most definitely is! Everyone can provide some food, and before you know it you’ve got a tasty feast.

When organising a picnic, I prefer to have it somewhere quieter that also allows you to go for a leisurely stroll afterward, so a nice location is key. But I also have invited friends round to have one in my garden, they can be as simple as you make them.IMG_7165

A friend and I set up our picnic blanket in the afternoon sunshine in a quiet field (would recommend not having it on someones private land, which we unknowingly did…oops!) and had a lovely catch up and giggle, whilst of course munching on all the lovely food.

As you can see, our picnic for two was virtually effortless and was done only using foods that we had available. We had fruit kebabs, my homemade caramel brownie protein balls , Go Ahead chocolate crunchy dippers (which tasted amazing), and some refreshing summer fruits squash.

Summer fruits sipping

Once we had eaten as much as we could, we then went for a walk along the Wey & Arun canal in West Sussex, which was absolutely beautiful.

I felt so peaceful after doing so, and I hope I’ve inspired you to get outside and see the beauty that is all around us,

Jazzy B ❤