Understanding 80% food + 20& gym - my story, tips, advice + understanding...

I have struggled with this concept wondering how when cardio burns fat? when in fact, certain foods burn fat but also put the pounds on as well! I have struggled with this whole dieting, losing weight, putting on weight all my teens and I’ve finally after three years nailed it from mistakes I’ve made. 

** PLEASE NOTE - I AM NOT CLAIMING TO BE A PROFESSIONAL, NUTRITIONAL, FITNESS FANATIC OR ANYTHING - THESE ARE MY OWN LESSONS + TIPS FROM MY EXPERIENCE **

Your metabolism is absolute key in this.Have you heard of the saying ‘you can’t run a car without any fuel and the car will break down if you put the wrong fuel in?' - this is describing your food perfectly. Skipping breakfast is a biggie, yet sometimes we can’t avoid busy schedules + lying in til dinner. What you eat AND drink is important to watch. Counting calories is NOT fun and ideal because it leads to matters i will explain soon- if the food is natural, i.e. fruit, fish, vegetables etc.. tuck in to them all! Just be careful on the fruit though because I’ve read more and more articles about fruit being sweet.. it can trigger a sweet tooth? surely.. just grab another juicy fruit! Secondly 'fattening fish' - don't avoid it completely. Salmon, mackerel and sea bass all contain BODY LOVING NUTRIENTS. The kind of fish that make your hair glow, grow + strengthen! Nails are stronger, more energy, brighter eyes & more concentration levels. Take it from me when talking about fish, I live with a vegetarian mother + I’ve been a fish merchant for over 5 years. If you can stomach the smell & taste, then good on you and keep it up at least 3 times a week! I ordered ‘yourtea’ about three weeks ago, had it for three days and stopped - if you don’t know about yourtea you can find them on tumblr here (i’ll just give you all the links) : 

• http://www.yourtea.com/

• http://instagram.com/yourtea

• https://www.facebook.com/tinyteatox

• https://twitter.com/tinyteatox

• http://www.pinterest.com/yourtea/

• http://tinyteatox.tumblr.com/

Before I ramble on about what the tea has to offer, you can read & follow from the official links above ^ after doing what usual bloggers do ‘reviewing products before we actually buy them’ i decided to go for this tea as their are so many out there that offer this that and the other + this is the only tea I can actually review because I’ve tried it. I had to stop because when it’s time of the month for me, I get very bloated without even eating & the tea wasn’t helping + I didn’t think I’d find any benefits in that time. So I have saved them and I’m going to start again. I love green tea + your tea, I think their key along with a lot of water to help refresh the body, give it that boot kick + also flush out any excess water + garbage. As they do obviously point on.. the tea won’t give you the greatest benefits if you don’t work with it. Their is no point eating take out and junk all the time + not exercising. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT + DRINK.Getting frustrated at not seeing results? Here is some key advice for you, you need to be honest with yourself and monitor everything you’re drinking + eating. Their are loads of online apps that are free that offer this service or you can simply write it down on paper or your blog then do the following:

1. BE honest. Their is no point lying to yourself about what you’re eating like not logging that McDonald’s or chocolate bar - you’re only kidding yourself! 

1. Aim to burn 400-500 calories a day - does it haunt you staying on the elliptical machine for an hour to burn this? no worries, get outside, noom coach is an app i use to track my outdoor walking - counts my steps + map + cals burned! Easily burn 250 cals fast walking 20-30 mins, one in the morning + one at night? sorted! Just make sure you keep it fun and not used as a ‘task’ because you won’t end up walking far, changing my route + music motivates me! 

1. Find out on Google how many calories you need a day alone to actually function the body. When you find this, deduct 500. That’s your borderline and it’s down to you.

Cutting any more calories from that is dangerous because you COULD store fat and this could be where you’re going wrong because your metabolism is low i.e. - the cars bobbing a long as it’s running out of fuel. Keep stocked up on whole foods. I find eggs, bananas, porridge + fruit a good way to keep my appetite and cravings at bay. Understanding treats + ‘cheat day’These can work in your favor when losing weight. Yet so many people get the wrong end of the stick some people assume a cheat day consists of an actual binge in shockingly around 3000-5000 cals!! Cheat day is usually a small portion of something i.e. pizza, garlic bread, sugary drink, chocolate (organic or dark).. in small portions! Not in huge amounts.. this is how you will keep on track!Finally.. I know this article was a bit of everything, but I’ve obviously learnt so much from my own experience it’s shocked me. You have too find what is right for your and your body. Your body is the only one you’re going to get, so eat clean.. it’s tough and boring at first and it’s very easy to quit.. yet try and stick at it because believe you me, after even a few days, that ‘weight’ you needed to lose was water retention that you’ve flushed out, you’re feeling lighter, clearer mind, clearer skin & a healthier + stronger mindset. The more days that go without crisps, you don’t see it as deprivation any more - your WHOLE physiological mind set changes and you just don’t feel the need to eat those foods anymore because you’ve realized:

1. their just a quick, lazy fix when you’re hungry or bored

1. their loaded with pure nasty fat and cals

1. it doesn’t fill you up!! that fruit salad does instead! 

Overall what I do each week:

1. Pilates at home 2/3 times a week - 10 minute full leg blast workout - keeping my legs lean + toned.

1. gym 3/4 times a week - mixture of cardio, floor exercises + weights 

1. Walking outdoors - when I have a spare hour usually at night I go for a two/4 mile walk speed throughout ranges from 4.3/4.6mph

1. I eat lots of quorn for protein, lots of water, my teas.. no treats, home made meals usually with quorn + no diet pills or anything.. try to keep it natural and I’ve also shrunk my portion sizes a lot smaller.

April 2012 - June 2014: My highest weight: 76.3kgMy lowest weight: 50.8kg (i suffered with an ED after plummeting to my highest weight - was extremely distraught)My current healthy weight: 65kgI don’t go off scales because I’m a runner and I do a lot of squats with weights so muscle ways more than fat, however muscle burns more fat so my goal what I want to reach by August 2014 is 54kg. I’m hoping to stay dedicated!