MISSION: GET SNATCHED!

THIS BAWDY!!

So I've been wanting to get in shape for the longest! I've always been an active person who loves sports.
Growing up with 2 older brothers, I became naturally super competitive and a bit of a tomboy. Now that I'm 31 my metabolism is trying me! My body is acting like I'm not AS capable at being strong and sexy. I'm about to prove her wrong!
I will say, I like and enjoy my body AS IS! My shape is curvy, thick, playful and I believe it's important to love our bodies at every stage! However, I want tone and muscle definition, so lets get it!



I've decided to commit wholeheartedly to working out consistently and eating better. This MUST be a lifestyle change for me personally in order for things to stick, which is why I'm being realistic about my process.
I loooooove cake, I have the biggest sweet tooth and anything carby gets me excited. It's best that I go cold turkey and cut out COMPLETELY some foods that will work against this journey. Sugar NO, juice NO, bread NO, cheese NO, and rice HELL NO (I have no self control with these foods).

I've been consistently eating the same dry food for a while. I'd like to switch it up and get more creative in the kitchen, but to be honest, I don't know if I have that kind of energy. I do realise the importance of meal prep though. It definitely prevents me from grabbing rubbish (Doritos, M&Ms)  when I'm hungry. For that reason and that reason only, I've stuck to the following meals daily.

• Breakfast- Oats porridge with honey and a banana or 2 boiled eggs and a cup of green/peppermint tea
• Lunch- A bowl of fruit or a tuna/chicken salad (homemade). I make a mean salad!!!! Sometimes I'll just have a smoothie/protein shake.
• Dinner- FishChicken with vegetables or sweet potato. 
• Snacks- Cashew nuts or fruit.

I recently watched a short doc on Netflix called 'The Game Changers' and it really opened up my eyes to how plant based foods have been a complete game changer in the health and fitness world. I tend to eat a lot of meat and prefer red meat to white meat, however watching The Game Changers has given me a complete new outlook on what I should put into my body.

I'm holding myself accountable by blogging my process!  Join me!

My session
I tend not to do too much cardio, as I drop weight very quickly. I'll be focusing on workouts to help burn fat and gain muscle. I'd like to share what I'll be eating too, as I know that abs (in specific) are made in the kitchen. This is my process to achieving an improved version of myself, I'm not a guru so feel free to give me tips and tricks! I need all the help I can get.

Take a look at how my leg/bootay session went down.



Weighted Squats- 20 reps x3 rounds
Weighted Lunges- 10-15 reps x3 rounds
Kettle Bell Swings (Squats)- 15 reps x3 rounds
Squat Jumps- 20 reps x3 rounds
Donkey Kicks- 20 reps x2 rounds
Rainbow Kicks- 15 reps x2 rounds
Calf Press- 30 + reps
Hip Abduction- 30+ reps
Hamstring curls- 20+ reps

Weighted crunches- 20 reps x3 rounds
Reverse crunches- 20 reps x3 rounds
Bum lifts to plank- 15 reps x3 rounds


Subscribe to my YouTube channel if you want to see more content from me! I'll be posting weekly thangs there too!

Fit Tip- Keep pushing until the mission is complete!

All you need is to PIVOT once!

WoW, WE'RE HERE!! Back on the blog 3 years later!! What is happening!!!

I don't even know where to start. So much has changed and happened for me over the last 3 years! I'm in a whole new decade!! We're in a whole new decade! Literally!

Obviously I've learnt and gained and lost some thangs along the way, so lets talk about that.

I'll begin with my relationship status, SINGLE!!! and still loving it, although I am actively opening myself up to the playing field. I'm ready for love!
I last blogged in 2017, which was the ending of a very toxic relationship. By the way, this blogging thing has always been therapeutic for me and I feel like being a lot more open about my personal life... because I feel like it. It may change tomorrow, but this is today.

So the toxic relationship started from a place of depriving myself of meaningless attention from the opposite sex for about 2-3 years. I finally wanted to date and the devil heard me! I'm not even joking. The guy I temporarily opened myself up to was hell on earth.
It started out so well. He was dork (dark) 6'3, dressed well, sooo funny, a little hood and very respectful. He was very transparent about his feelings, his shortcomings and pursued me with intention to make me his 'one and only'. Little did I know, this was a facade.

We became so infatuated with each other so quickly, that I did not allow myself the space to register how I truly felt about him and whether or not he was what I was looking for in a husband. YES A HUSBAND! Cause I don't date for the sake of it.
Being that I was receiving all this attention, I latched on way way waaay too soon.

Long story short, he became too much, to the point he was mainly the only person I spoke to and saw (which is not like me).  He slowly started to manipulate me and became quickly verbally abusive. The crazy part was, I never saw how affected I was by all of it until I made my exit!

Walking away from that situation was the most exhausting experience. It took me years to build back my self esteem again and find myself. I'm still in that process. Which brings me to a refreshing conversation I had today with a friend.

She basically told me I'm yet to find my sauce! loool
I find it funny, because it's the realest and truest statement of 2020 so far. Ladies, do you know how saucy you are? Do you know yourself through and through? I genuinely thought I knew myself but I can now see that there's so much more information I'm yet to find out about ME.
Relationships teach you a lot about your characteristics I believe, but it shouldn't just be in a relationship that you gain more knowledge. I'm realising in this single hood (it's quite ghetto here I might add), how important it is to spend QUALITY time WITH yourself.
I've been quite neglectful which is probably why I've allowed myself to be in situations that did not serve me. It's a startling discovery because I spend a lot of time alone and I thoroughly enjoy my own company, however I think I need to give myself permission to stand firmly in who I currently am, who I'm becoming, who I'm going to be and HOW I'm evolving... who would of thought at my big big age I'd be rediscovering myself. And that's not a negative outlook, I'm a different person to who I was last week. I'm constantly changing for the better.
There are ingrained parts of me that will never settle for less than what I want (in and out of a relationship), however there are sides to me that are underdeveloped.
I'm committed to finding my sauce! haha

We can shift into a healthier place as soon as we are willing to do the work.

''Give me 7 decades of patterns and still all you need is to pivot once and do it differently'' -Vienna Pharaon 

I'll be sharing my thoughts more often and I hope whoever reads these posts can relate or gain something positive from my transparency. Ok byeeee (for now) ✌✌✌

Style Tip- To be loved, one must know love and that starts with self! 

REFLECTION

Anne's thoughts...

Hey lovelies!! I hope all my fellow bloggers, readers and supporters are doing well?!

I haven't blogged in a hot minute and to be honest I haven't felt motivated to do so. Like any creative, your environment, experiences and conversations help stimulate and inspire your work; but honey the struggle has been sooo real.
I'm finally back to feeling like me, wanting to share a few of my thoughts here on the blog, hoping y'all can relate and draw something from this :)
Where do I start...

Relationships

Whether you're lovers, friends or family there are certain qualities needed to sustain healthy relationshipS. If you're anything like me and you value the people you choose to share your life with, the commitment to try and consider their feelings is detrimental.

A relationship should be built on trust. 

A relationship needs love.

A relationship needs accountability.

A relationship requires the ability to understand.

A relationship needs patience, honesty, reliability, support and commitment...alla dat!!

Its a little more difficult to apply these qualities in the heat of the moment of an argument or after you've been hurt and mistreated, however if the relationship is important to you, you'll find a way to reconcile without intentionally damaging the other person(s) heart.

Not everyone thinks the same, makes the same choices or even have the same morals. This is where patience and understanding is very important when communicating your point of view.  

As you mature, you decide what is important, who is important and what is worth your time and energy. 

Upon reflection, I have realised that I have put a lot of energy into dead relationships. I have out grown friendships, moved on from romantic situations and distanced myself from relatives that aren't on the same wave length. I have come to the conclusion that its actually OK!! Sometimes the people you want as part of your story are only meant to be a chapter!

With that being said, it is just as important that you pay attention to the developing relationships built in the work place. Not everyone will be for you!

Aspirations

Rome wasn't built in a day.

I can be super critical of myself because of the desire I have to be successful. We sometimes measure success by status, finances or accolades, but what does success mean to you?

Success (for me) is gratification, satisfaction, progression, laughter, love... I know that over time I will have all these things in their completion, however in the process of getting to that balance, God is allowing for me to go through situations to build my character and preparing me for what lies ahead. 

I fortunately and reluctantly have worked in many fields outside of my chosen career. I will definitely say all those jobs, working relationships and lessons learnt have catered to how I will be as a business woman. I'm still learning not to rush the process (as the clock keeps ticking and I turn 30 in a couple of years gaaaaahhh). 
Continuing to exercise patience with myself... being open to what I NEED to learn and conquer in order to be the best I can possibly be as a career woman.

I read an article by Pepper Your Talk (<<click this link) finding it very encouraging. There are stepping stones, leaps of faith, sacrifices, failed attempts... but what will remain is the lessons learnt in order to push you further to your accomplishments.

TIMING

We do not have full control over the timing
of how things pan out in our lives, and I honestly do believe that everything happens at the right time for the right reasons... nothing is by accident. With that being said, in order to really live, failing to prepare is preparing you to fail. We all say Beyonce has the same 24 hours in a day as we do lol (although she has a massive team of people to assist her in being the awesome performer she  is) however, I'm sure she started exactly where you and I are right now; using her time wisely. Whilst you are waiting for that amazing opportunity or big break, STAY READY! Do all the work needed to keep you clued up in your field and then TRUST THE TIMING!!! It's probably the most annoying statement, but I'm living it and feeling pumped about whats around the corner, down the street and across the road :). Knowing that whats yours is TRULY YOURS helps this process also!

Anyway my loves, this was a therapeutic post for me, a chance to allow my thoughts to type themselves out. I hope you grabbed something of substance form this read... please do excuse the lack of grammar and punctuality haha 

STYLE TIP- Be ready for your break... keep your circle small, dream(s) big and accomplishments bigger! 

FAITH, FEAR & FASHION

Hey Lovelies, back with a new post!!

Over the last couple months the reoccurring message I find myself coming across is what we choose to do with fear and faith. 

This post was actually prompted by a message my pastor spoke on quite recently and it all ties into my where my thoughts have been, so I'm here to share :)

FAITH- 'THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS UNSEEN'

This definition is very self explanatory but somehow we fail to tap into the where faith stems from... hope! Without hope is it possible to believe? Without belief, is it possible for you to have faith? 
My faith is rooted in my relationship with God. I find that not only praying to a being that I have not seen with my own eyes or felt with my bare hands, brings about a strong sense of hope that regardless he hears me when I pray and answers my call. Now I'm not trying to get all religious on y'all :) however it's how I best describe the unknown... because essentially that IS what faith is '...the evidence of things unseen'. 
Believing in something that has not yet happened or even seems possible, brings about a conviction that it CAN and WILL happen.  That decision transpires through your activity.You begin to work towards those hopes/dreams and prepare with expectancy.  Although it may not happen right away, it usually does happen when it's meant to happen. I say all of this to say we have all been put on this earth for a purpose, knowing what your purpose is, is another story haha, however it is important that we don't lose sight of that... your faith in your purpose should never waver.
Our day to day activities, encounters etc a lot of the time throw us off course, which can weaken us on the journey to our destiny. Fear is a big part of that. With fear comes doubt, intimidation, anxiety...


FEAR- 'FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL

The thoughts that tend to consume our minds when we are going for that life changing interview or the decision to ask the love of our lives to marry us... is all in our head. We almost talk ourselves down and let the negativity, the 'what ifs' seep in and damage the potential to be walking into something great. 

There is a saying that I try to live by 'feel the fear and do it anyway'. It truly is the best way to overcome those thoughts in your head because that is where fear tries to grip you... your mind. I find that it is a 'mind over matter' type matter.   To combat these thoughts, your faith must be at an all time high! If you can be brave enough to take that 1st step, I can almost guarantee you the rest of the way won't be as intimidating... its making that very 1st move that sometimes requires the most strength, confidence and vigour. With that being said, don't let yourself get in the way of what's out there waiting for you.

Just like fashion, life repeats itself. Sometimes you have to learn the same lesson(s) before you can move onto the next stage of your life. My dear friend Tim reminds throughout a lot of reoccurring instances, that my character is being built. In order for things to be different and things to change for the best, we have mini tests that need to be passed! These tests need that 10/10 past rate... ain't no 6/10 bih! Just like a great outfit, you can't wear it twice unless you switch it up! Fashion fades and style is eternal... if you want to be laced in style (individual, authentic, fearless) you can't be fading with fear and repeating outfits, there is more to us!

STYLE TIP- Fear is a fashion don't... choose Faith as your staple piece!

DRAG ON A COAT!

hey lovelies!!

With party season around the corner and the new year creeping up on us, dressing up, going out and celebrations are a must! As cute as you ladies wanna feel in your figure hugging, shorter than short ensembles, don't suffer and bare the cold... drag on a coat!

Here's a lookbook to inspire you to invest in one of these timeless jackets.

Let me know which is your favourite! 

The Fox- Selfridges (2-3yrs ago)
The Classic- Jaegar
The Olivia Pope- F&F (tesco)
The Sheepskin- Papaya

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STYLE TIP- Beauty is not always pain !