Betties, first of all a huge apology for being extremely slack on the posting, a week is too long even for the most motivated Betty reader, so you can be assured I hang my head in shame as I crawl my way back onto your computer screens.

So how have you been?  I thought I might write a little posty on the fact that I heart food, and whilst I love all things nutritious and delicious, one can always have a little slip off the bandwagon!!  Sooooooo, what better way to monitor your slippage than to keep a food diary.  Sure you say, I know what I eat, blah, blah, blah!!!  But in fact when it comes to what we eat we are incredibly good at forgettig the bar of chocloate here, the small packet of crisps there, etc, etc...So if you think you know what you eat at all times, then there's no harm in giving yourself a little test just to see what might creep in (obviously without you looking - you'd be amazed at the sets of legs on some foods these days, whip themselves right onto your plate let me tell ya!!)  

So for the next 7 days, write fown every morsel that passes your lips, even water.  Pledge to show the food diary to someone at the end of the 7 days, yor in fact, just post them right here in the comments section.  It certainly makes you think twice about having just one more of anything naughty, or indeed having anything naughty at all!!!

Looking forward to the diaries Betties, get penning please!!

Fit Girl About Town musings...

Hi Betties, did you know that being stressed is a bum-deal for your waistline?  Well, those of us that are stressed all the time over-produce the stress hormone cortisol.  One of the effects of Cortisol is excess weight retention around the middle - gasp!!! Yes 'tis true! It ain't just about eating the wrong foods and not exercising, it's also about whether you're in need of a chill pill every now and then.

So take a little time out to do some yoga, meditate, or generally have some fun and laugh a little.  A giggle with friends goes a long way.

Fit Girl About Town musings...

Ooh, it's gettin' a little frisky outside.  Somehow my thinking is, I'm gonna have to part with my summer clothes and get my autumnal swerve on.  Ooh but my 3/4 length leggings are so cute, they give great shape to the calves no?  And what about the lovely Betty vests...they're gonna have to be an indoor-training-session-only option.

Thank God the Queens of fitness-fashion at SB Headquarters have given me something to smile about as the nights get darker.  I can be chilly and look darling at the same time.  Here's how I'll be keeping toasty in the coming months...

First my ear-pieces, these little bambinos need to be covered and toasted, wind-chill is not an option here, which is why I'm lovin' this cute Earwarmer £12  

Next to my torso.  Don't you know you have to keep this bit real warm Betties, it's where all of your organs are and stuff, the important parts that need heating!!  So you know the way when it's freezing and your hands and feet get super cold, well that's cos all of your blood rushes to your organs to keep them warm and functioning well.  We're made pretty smart huh?  So anyways, SB HQ sre all about keeping the vital organs toasty, cue Body Warmer Gilet £75

Finally a girl needs to look after her pins.  For years I have always doubled up with leggings, followed by tracksuit bottoms for an extra thermal effect.  Then SB came up with thermal leggings!!  Who knew?  One item of clothing: thermal on the inside; fab, shiny and legging-y on the outside.  Multi-tasking at it's best SB, fabulous.  So here they are...I present to you, the Thermal Run Pant £65

Wear them well Betties, you owe it to the SB movement!!

Fit Girl About Town musings...

S'up Betties!! Rumour has that a little groove in your ear is the way forward when it comes to working it. This smart dude Dr. C. I. Karageorghis, Ph.D. did a study on exactly how music moves a Betty!

First of all it narrows your attention, keeping your mind off the pain - you like!! I'm all about pain reduction strategies!! It also alters your mood, so if you're feeling a little low it will give you a boost, or indeed chill you out if you're feeling antsy. Finally it helps you to move better due to the relationship between rhythm and human movement, enhancing your lunge technique - how perfect!!

I'm loving the Noisettes at the moment for a little exercise inspiration!

What songs move you?

Fit Girl About Town musings...

Fit Girl About Town musings...

Morning Betties!! Thought I'd throw together some rules for you to live and die by. Y'know in a, 'if I don't do this, I'm just kidding myself' kind of way...

1. Exercise at least 3 times a week - it doesn't need to be a marathon gym session, 15-20 minutes of high intensity like skipping or weight training will have you in tip top shape in no time!

2. Use the Betty-hybrid of the 80/20 rule with your food. Eat right 80% of the time, and treat yourself 20% of the time. The perfect method for guilt-free indulgence!

3. Reduce wine, beer and bread if you want to whittle your waistline - champagne and vodka, lime & soda are better drink options (remember rule 2 if desperate!!)

4. Get some sleep - all of your hard work starts to take effect at night when you're sleeping - sleep between 10pm and 2am is your physical recovery (think fat-eliminating-power) and sleep between 2am and 6am is your mental recovery. Burning the candle at both ends ain't pretty!!

5. Concentrate on yourself - worrying about how your girlfriend is losing weight quicker than you are gets you no closer to your goal. Your attention should be on YOU, not anybody else! Keeping your eyes off the road steers you away from your own path

Fit Girl About Town musings...

If I had a pound for every time I am asked that question I'd be one rich Betty! See, you've got to get the image of Arnie out of your head, it ain't gonna happen girls, we're just not built to bulk! First of all we don't have enough testosterone to muscle up like popeye! Second of all, do you know just how long you would need to spend in the gym each day to have your biceps bursting out of your shirt sleeves? Let's just say your social life would go out the window and it would be all about trainin', eatin' and sleepin'!

In fact weight training is just the very thing you need if you wanna add a little tone to the toosh. See, muscle is denser and takes up less space than fat. So think, increase muscle, reduce overall size! What I'm saying is, that you may have two Betties that weigh 9 1/2 stone. One resistance trains and as a result has more muscle tissue, and the other doesn't resistance train and so has less muscle tissue. Despite both Betties weighing the same, the resistance training Betty will appear smaller as muscle is denser and takes up less space.

A lot to get your heads around Betties I know, but seriously a little resistance training goes a long way. And totaly accessible to everyone. So what if you're not a member of a gym...buy yourselves a pair of dumbbells and rock the lunge and the squat at home - no excuses Betties!!

Photo by Cocoen Daily... on flickr

Fit Girl About Town musings...

Yes Betties, the big food debate!! What should one eat if one is to soar like an eagle? Well, secretly we know don't we...it's not like you look at a chocolate cake and say to yourself "yes, this is the food source that will turn me into a Goddess!" Yet, there are still so many questions surrounding what and what not to eat. Unfortunately there is a lot of conflicting evidence out there so making informed decision can be a little tough at the best of times.

So I thought I would throw a little advice your way, in case you are interested. It's what works for me and lotsa my ladies so give it a try and see what you think...

Fit Betty Food Rule no. 1: Always eat breakfast! It sets your metabolism up for the day as digestion itself burns calories. I'm a porridge girl through and through, I have mine with blueberries for a little antioxidant super power!

Fit Betty Food Rule no. 2: Eat protein (meat/fish/eggs/dairy*/nuts/seeds) with every meal. Eating protein slows down the rate of sugar absorption from carbohydrates into your bloodstream, reducing energy spikes and lows as well as reducing your body's fat storing abilities (yes please!!) So with breakfast that might mean a poached egg, or some yoghurt* mixed in with your porridge; for mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks that might mean some nuts or seeds; for lunch that might mean some chicken; and for dinner that might mean some fish.

Fit Betty Food Rule no. 3: Eat 5-6 times a day. As in food rule no. 2, digestion burns energy slimming those thighs and trimming that tum. A regular day might be, breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a light mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. Don't go crazy on portion sizes here, and NO, biscuits do not count as mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks!!

Fit Betty Food Rule no. 4: Drink 1.5-2 litres of water per day - the toxins have to be flushed out Betties, so get to drinking!!

Fit Betty Food Rule no. 5: Your plate should be coloured with plenty of fruit and vegetables. Berries are the Queens of fruit, and the green leafy sort, are the Kings of veggies. I couldn't live without my daily fix of blueberries, spinach, and broccoli. Turn your nose up at the greens if you will, but I'm a huge fan of their cellulite busting abilities! In fact fruit and veggies are the kind of carbohydrates that your body loves, keep away from the starchy variety (rice, potatoes, wheat-free bread) after 3pm.

Fit Betty Food Rule no. 6: Don't be scared of fats! Omega fats found in oily fish, nuts and seeds are great at shifting the stubborn fat that you're trying to get rid of. Embrace good fats!!!!

*Dairy doesn't agree with some as our ability to digest milk sugar can reduce as we leave childhood. If you're not sure, drink a glass of milk and see if it bloats you. Yoghurt can have slightly different properties and may not have the same bloating effect.

Fit Girl About Town musings...