Weight Loss...Weight Gain...Healthy Living...

 We constantly hear about obesity, we constantly hear about ways to live a healthy life. We are bombarded by recipes for unhealthy and healthy food on Facebook, on TV, everywhere in the media. So where does one start to understand what is the best way to live a healthy lifestyle, and what is a healthy lifestyle?

I know many people whom are looked at, at being obese, when really their lifestyle might not be as healthy as it should be in the face of the media. BMI (Body Mass Index)

 What does BMI mean?
BMI stands for Body Mass index. It is used to give you an idea of whether you’re underweight, overweight or an ideal weight for your height. It’s useful to know because if your weight increases or decreases outside of the ideal range, your health risks may increase. http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-eating/Pages/bmi-calculator.aspx

Over the years we have heard about BMI, for me personally I am not sure if I agree with the way this is used. For example my BMI is: 20 I am in the healthy weight range for my height. Now the issue for me with this is I know for a fact that I could be healthier, in the sense of eating better. I might be healthy by the numbers, but in regards to the food I put in my mouth and the exercise that I do, I am healthier than I have been previously, but I could be better. 

What people don't understand in my point of view is the real problem is not just the external fat (the weight held by a person that we can visually see) but the internal fat around our organs. This is what kills in the end. Heart Disease is a big issue in the western world. So what are we doing about it?

There are people who are changing their lifestyle to eat healthy, and exercise daily to keep their weight under control. There are also people who seek weight loss centers to help. There are people who seek information from many different places. There are people who take dieting to the extreme and end up with an eating disorder. There are others who don't care about their health and just eat what ever they want.

So what is the best way to be healthy, well that also depends on your interpretation of being healthy. For me its maintaining my weight at about 53kg seeing I have had an eating disorder, keeping my exercise to a level of not doing (junk miles) and maintaining 3 meals a day with healthy snacks (which isn't always easy). Drinking water, and yes allowing myself to have a little bit of chocolate, cider, wine and other delights. 

For others I know changing their diet in order to loose weight meant not drinking alcohol (or at least reducing), not eating junk food (take a-way meals, chocolate,etc) and doing a lot more exercise to raise their heart rate in order burn the calories.

In my opinion I believe doing the, what I call traditional style healthy lifestyle, which is to reduce alcohol, high sugary foods, high processed foods and high fatty foods, and add more salads, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and drinking lots of water. It really comes down to calories in to calories out. So let me put this into some numbers. I am on around 2500 calories per day with out exercising, and depending on my exercise for the day and how many calories I have burnt I need to add that on to my total to make sure I get enough nutrition to match my exercise to maintain my weight of 53kg.

So this is my question to you, what do you see as being a healthy lifestyle for you? 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Hayley xx

Courage to Start...Support all the way...

As we dream, we need to have the courage to start making our dreams come true, and also the help and support of others in our lives. Our support comes from our family, employers, colleagues, team members, coaches and friends and many others. With this support it helps us to find the strength to endure the road to our dreams becoming reality.

Last year I spent eight months training hard for the Busselton Half Ironman. This was a dream that I had, had for a few years. I signed on with F4L Coaching and had the support from my family, my boss at work, friends, and fellow triathletes from the same training group. Now there are days that you can spring out of bed and get into your training and then head to work. There was also many a morning where you didn't want to get up and do your training due to fatigue, but you knew you had to. There were many a weekend where I barely saw my family and their understanding was invaluable. If it wasn't for the support I had from everyone around me I wouldn't have made it to the finish line on Saturday 3rd May 2014.

Even today I have the support of my family and friends and so many more people in my dream to get to the Boston Marathon. When the day comes that I can line up at the start line in Boston I will hold in my heart my family, friends and supporters.

I had a message from a very close friend of mine recently looking for support on a goal that they have. For me there wasn't a moment of thinking do I or don't I. I answered with "I have your back, all the way" as I know I have had his support in every way as well.

Having support from people around us helps in so many ways, from being accountable, and having a shoulder to lean on when needed, or someone to talk through some problems that we are having, or just to tell them how great everything is going.

I hope that with all your dreams and goals you too have a support crew that helps you.

Have a great Friday and weekend.
Hayley xx

Dreaming the Big Dream...

The Boston Marathon 2017 is my big dream, and I will do everything I can to reach it. Along the way I have some smaller dreams as well. Today was my second day of training for this week. Yesterday was an awesome day of training with a triple session, easy swim in the morning, an upper body gym workout and an awesome coached swim session last night. Believe me I slept very well after it all. This morning I was supposed to do a 10 kilometer run, which by the 3rd kilometer I had decided it was going to be cut short, as the left ankle was still not quite right. Now believe me I was also in the mind set of pushing myself. I got to the 4th kilometer and decided to call it a day. Frustration kicked in and I wasn't happy, but I knew I had to turn a negative into a positive, and here is how it worked. If I had pushed the full 10km I would have a swollen foot, and have it be very sore and not be able to run on Thursday or Saturday. So this is where listening to your body works, as long as you are not just giving up.

I have less than 12 weeks till my next half marathon and am a little concerned, but have put into place a new strategy of doing my long runs on an anti-gravity treadmill. It will allow me to do the distance and set a good pace, without having 100% body weight on the foot. I have used this treadmill before and it works beautifully. So my Tuesday long runs are now set and I feel happier about this alternative option.

Busselton Jetty Swim is the same weekend as the half marathon, a 3.6km swim around this amazing jetty. I have so many people ask me if I am scared of sharks, as we have had a large number of sightings here in Australia. I always answer with a resounding "no!" The ocean is their territory and we need to respect that. If there is a sighting before the race, it won't take place, the event co-coordinators won't put peoples lives at risk. This has been a dream for a little while, as I have swum 1.9km here before doing an Ironman 70.3, so swimming around the full length of the jetty which is 1.9km long will be amazing and if the water is clear and calm the view underneath will be amazing. This swim can be done as a team of 4 or 2 and solo. I will take it on as a solo swimmer, and am super excited to do it.

As someone who is very driven, once I have my heart set on doing something I will put together a plan, and push myself to make that dream come true, I have seen that life is to short to hold back and wait. You never know what lays a head for us tomorrow.


So as I go into day 3 of this weeks training I have another swim and gym session (legs). So its time to refocus tomorrow on swimming technique and high elbows to glide effortlessly through the water. Also to start getting mentally ready for this weekends open water swim of 2.5km.

What ever your dreams, your goals and your plans for tomorrow, may you stay positive and reach for the sky and beyond.

Have a great day tomorrow and a great week. Be happy :)

Hayley xx

A Room Of Inspiration....

Last night I was fortunate to sit in a room full of athletes from many different sports whom have competed in Commonwealth Games, World Championships and more. It was inspiring to see able and unable bodied athletes all there for an awards night. Before the formal start to the evening we were able to mingle with some athletes, and were speaking with a couple of people who are kayakers, able and unable as well. I spoke with a mother, whom her son is a Kayaker (K2) at the elite level and listening to her talk about her son's training and the places he has been to compete is amazing. Also a young man whom had a hand accident and had one of his fingers amputated. So you can imagine as a kayaker you need to have your pointer finger to help hold the paddle. Listening to him speak about the way he uses his prosthetic was inspiring, to know that he is still able to compete at such a high level in a sport his loves.

During the evening, there was an amazing lady by the name of Shelley Taylor-Smith whom was a marathon swimmer and holds records to this day. She was inducted into the Hall of Champions and listening to her say her thank yous was awesome. She is a very humble person and shows such love for her sport and fellow athletes and supporters and followers. To go to an evening like this is a dream come true, even though you don't personally know the elite athletes getting the awards, you take away such an awe of determination, perseverance, drive, passion, dedication, and so much more. Its intoxicating and all day today I have this inner fire and that is burning so bright that I am pumped to get into my training tomorrow and this week, ready for my 2.5 kilometer swim on Sunday and to start pushing myself mentally and physically harder and look for the deep inner drive, passion that I have for running, swimming and my training.

 Finding that thing in your life, whether it be your career, your sport. That thing you are so passionate about and being able to pursue it to what ever your dreams and goals are is truly amazing. This week begins Take 2 of my journey to Boston with my first open water swim and time to push and get myself totally focused on everything I am so looking forward to.

May everyone have an awesome week and find that determination, passion, that burns with in and pursue it to allow your goals and dreams to be alive.

Have a great week everyone...Hayley xx

Tranquility...

 Your quiet place to think...

We all have places that we go to, to be alone, to think, to reminisce, to cry, to laugh, to be yourself. For me the beach is my place. I feel like the world stops for that short time when I am by the beach. I can take time to just listen to the waves hit the sand. Taking a walk and remember times growing up by the beach with my grandparents are tranquil moments for me, then we have the other end of the spectrum where running can have the same effect. The pounding of each step on the pavement, or trails. having your music playing in your ears as you take in the sun, the rain, the breeze and the scenery of the place you run. Also the sound of your breathing, the sound of your heart beating and your blood pumping through your body.

As we step into this weekend, no matter what we are doing I hope you can find tranquility. Take the moment and take it all in, breathe deep and live.

Have a great weekend

Hayley xx

Resilience...

RESILIENCE

the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.

This past week I have spent a couple of days at a conference where I listened to Patrick Hollingworth, who is a mountaineer. He spoke about his ten year plan to trek to the highest peak of Everest. I sat there in awe of him and his achievements, and his determination to do such an amazing trek. Patrick spoke of resilience and the moment he almost gave up on his dream and goal to do Everest. At that time he had a medical condition on one of his treks up a smaller mountain. After taking some time out to heal, something in him pushed him on to reach his dream. His resilience to over come a time in his life, with a life threatening condition, just amazed me, and listening to Patrick talk with such passion for what he did and does made me think that we all have that passion in our own lives to bounce back from a situation to continue on, on our life's journey to reach our goals and dreams.

There are moments when for athletes that we have an injury and it seems like our dreams are doomed to go any further, but when you can dig deep within to be able to bounce back and to continue on, even if that puts your time plan back a bit, its just a bump in the path to your destination. At the moment I am feeling a little this way, with my foot still not quite right, it would be great to know it will all be ok in June when I do my first marathon.

As a child I loved Pooh Bear, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore. Tiger was always my favourite, as I always thought I bounced back well. Even today when difficult situations happen, or set backs happen, I try to look at it in a positive way (usually after the temper tantrum) to see how I can resume my training, or resume the path of my journey. 

I guess we all have the power to be resilient, I guess it comes down to how much we want to reach our goals and dreams, and if we bend enough when there is a slight detour.

As this week comes to an end, I look forward to starting my new training plan to get me to first base on my journey to The Boston Marathon. 

Have a great weekend everyone and may we bounce like Tigger in situations that don't break us. 

Hayley xx

I Choose....

We all have choices in this world, and the choices we make can be frowned upon.

Obsession:

an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind.

The word obsession I believe gets tossed around these days in so many ways. I have been told I am obsessed with triathlon, running, swimming and fitness. When really these things I enjoy doing regularly. Yes people will say I am obsessed in a joking way, and others will say it seriously. Looking at the dictionary meaning of Obsession would mean yes I am obsessed with fitness, it is on my mind regularly and almost continually when I am not working or thinking of something else. 

I buy a lot of Lorna Jane sports clothing...am I obsessed?...no I just like the clothes. I run up to 3-4 times a week (when I don't have an injury)...am I obsessed?...no I love to run. I swim up to 3 times a week...am I obsessed?...no I enjoy swimming. I have a large number of fitness Facebook pages that I have liked...am I obsessed?...no I enjoy reading about fitness. 

My only ever obsession in my life was not to eat, or to eat very little and to exercise constantly to maintain a low body weight. This was the many years of having an eating disorder. I chose to leave my eating disorder and focus on a healthy lifestyle, even with learning to exercise with in a healthy perimeter to maintain a higher body weight and a healthier perspective on life. 

If you are a runner, swimmer, cyclist, or loves fitness, and someone says your obsessed, read or tell them the above quote and see what their reaction is. 

Make your choice and have the strength and courage to stick with it and if some thinks you obsess to much over it, then they need to take a look at their own life.

Have a great night/day. 

Hayley xx