After summiting Kilimanjaro in October 2017 and 6 months later reaching Everest Base Camp in the spring of 2018, we felt like frauds for not tackling our own home countries highest mountain ‘Ben Nevis’. “You’re doing Everest Base Camp and you haven’t climbed Ben Nevis?” was one of many comments we received during both the Everest and Kilimanjaro hikes from members in our hiking team - they had a point! Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in Great Britain at 4,409 feet above sea level, attracting over 100,000 hiking enthusiasts each year, and this month it attracted another 2! Our second shameful admission – we both haven’t explored much of our home country either. As kids our parents regularly took us on Scottish caravan holidays but we both remember very little of them. Our memories warped from photographs our parents had taken. With this in mind we decided we would head to Fort William by going down the A92 and then join the A9 before cutting across to Fort William. Our return journey would be going home via Aviemore. The drive to Fort William and through the Cairngorms is spectacular, rugged brown and purple landscapes from various types of heather broken up by rocks, waterfalls, lochs and streams. Many people are often attracted to this area from seeing the Lonely Planet, but trust me those scenes don’t do it justice – your missing out on all the best parts that contribute to the fantastic landscape like the fresh, crisp, clean smelling Scottish air. Fort William is a tourist destination, and we shopped around for a reasonably priced B&B but the cheapest accommodation was 2 nights at £800.00. No wonder the Scots travel abroad for their holidays! Determined to still do the hike we decided to camp at the fully serviced Fort William Campsite located at Glen Nevis visitor centre, it cost us £40.00 for the 2 nights, £85.00 for a new tent and double airbed. The facilities were fantastic, clean toilets and showers, a burger van, restaurant, bar and shop! Plenty of power points in the bathroom area for glamping females – hair straighteners, wands, hair driers and perfect lighting for applying your make up! We arrived on the Friday night, and had an amazing Scottish meal of haggis, neaps and tatties at the Glen Nevis restaurant before turning in for the night. We decided that we would get up at 7am the next morning and have breakfast, aiming to start the trek around 8am. However, time ran away with itself and we didn’t end up reaching the start of the path until 9:15am. We are not experienced hikers, Kilimanjaro was the first hike we had ever done. We do love adventure sports and a challenge! We read that most novice hikers and reasonably fit people take 4 to 5 hours to reach the summit – challenge accepted! Unfortunately we were not able to take the obligatory Glen Nevis bridge starting point photographs because there was a group of around 30 charity hikers about to start at the same time – we bolted across the bridge to prevent us being stuck behind the group. Prior to setting off my dad who had hiked Ben Nevis in the 80s and is a regular hiker said the first hour of the hike is the hardest. In my opinion both the first and last hour are equally as hard. The first hour is a steep rock path which is taxing on the body. You will find very quickly that the first hour of the hike ends up being like a slowed down scene from the Full Monty, where you are constantly taking off layers of clothing. As we ascended the campsite slowly started to get smaller and smaller, and the landscapes wider and wider. As with all hikes we have undertaken we have learned that the summit is deceiving, you always think you can see the summit but it’s just the mountain teasing you and it’s actually a plateau with the summit hiding out of sight. Even on a clear day you will never see the summit of Ben Nevis on the track until around the last 30/45 minute of the hike. Don’t forget to keep looking back and all around you as you climb this first section – the landscapes are breath-taking. The route we took is often called “The Tourist Path” do not let this give you a false belief it’s easy – it certainly isn’t. We were also in shock with the amount of people we saw on the path in flip flops, trainers or wearing all the wrong types of clothing. The weather and temperature in the Cairngorms changes instantly and you don’t want to be caught out – last week there was snow on the summit! There was also people with small dogs like yorkies or cairn terriers making them do the hike – dogs with legs that are 5cm tall – seriously?! One dog we seen was limping because of the terrain on its paws and the owner had to carry the dog off the mountain. Common sense says a hike of this magnitude is only suitable for dogs like spaniels, beagles, labs etc. As you turn the corner on the first stretch of the climb you will reach a fork in the path, you can turn right (the mountain goat track) for an express route or stick to the zig zag path which flattens out with a beautiful scenic walk beside the loch. If this is your first time stick to the zig zag and absorb the beautiful landscapes. We seen a lot of people slipping on the goat track and it isn’t actually a proper track. At this point we were in the zone, our breathing was regulating, our stride improving and we were making great time. This part of the stretch gives you some rest bite for the next difficult climb which lasts 2 -3 hours depending on your pace. We never stopped at all during this stretch, we sipped on water as we trekked – oh and sucked on our chuppa chups (Highly recommend hard boiled lollipops for your ruck sack to enjoy along the hike!). It was at this point I noticed the clouds were coming down thicker and the temperature was dropping, concern was starting to hit me that we may reach the summit and not be able to see anything. My dad told me when he summited he only stayed for 20 minutes and couldn’t see more than half a meter in front – he came down scared he would stumble on a cliff edge and fall over. On this stretch of the climb we started to see climbers who had reached the summit to see sunrise descending down the mountain. The odd passing conversation of “not long to go”, “it’s amazing” really lifts your spirits and makes you push on – it was like this all the time on Everest. Remember how I said that all mountains give a false impression of where the summit actually is? Well those thick grey clouds were now blocking all views of the top. Our pace was starting to slow down too as the terrain and path changed to broken rock. We were both slipping all the time and you really have to concentrate on your footing. “Your only 20 minutes form the summit” one guy said to another hiker who was visibly struggling. I looked at my watch and it was coming up to 12 noon. New challenge set - to reach the summit by 12:15. The pace was increased and we pushed through. The clouds started to part and lift as we reached the highest point in Great Britain at…… 12:15. We had ascended in 3 hours, we are now officially “Elite Hikers” according to the Ben Nevis Website. We spent 2 hours on the summit exploring every inch bowled over by the 360 degree landscapes - there is so many amazing photograph points. We also came fully prepared to celebrate our hike with … wait for it…. a box of Cadburys roses. I can safely say that we made it off the mountain but the roses didn’t! The guys next to us were making their way through a collection of miniature whiskeys!
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It’s taken me years to try out yoga – I guess I have always liked the idea of being a ‘Yogi’ – I understand the health benefits it brings with it and how it can really compliment all the sports I enjoy doing. I guess the real reason for putting it off for so long was because I know how inflexible I am. Not only am I not flexible, I also have no rhythm! - I am an appalling dancer (even though I do actually enjoy dancing – with a couple of glasses prosecco for confidence of course!). Yoga I hope will loosen me up Inspired by a Yogi I follow religiously on Instagram, who funnily enough is called @inspiremyyoga, I signed up to a beginner’s 6-week block yoga class. Arriving at the yoga class I made sure I was right at the front. ‘Flexibility is a Product of Yoga not a Prerequisite’ the instructor told the class. After the first class I was hooked, I am one of those people who are only motivated nly when something challenges me and by hell Yoga challenged me. I don't let anything get the better of me and I keep doing it until it no longer defeats me. The great thing about going to a beginner’s class is that you learn one or two moves each week. The teacher spends time going round each individual and helping them into the position or giving pointers. I like how they communicate the breathing techniques and encourage you to think more about the movement and what you should be feeling. I try to do this with my own personal training clients. I am constantly preaching to them that anyone can move a weight from A to B but it won't change you without implementing tempo and putting your muscle under tension. At the end of the course all the moves we learnt over the six weeks are pieced together allowing you to flow in and out of each position seamlessly to perform the moon salutation. I train four to five times a week at the moment and before each training session I now start off with some light cardio to warm up my muscles followed by some dynamic stretching before doing 30 to 40 minutes of resistance circuits. I then repeat by cooling down with some light post workout cardio followed by 15 minutes of stretching and then 5 minutes going through the “moon salutation”. I no longer train at the weekend, it’s my body and brain downtime and I actually feel like I am performing better by having 2 full recovery days back to back.
Most evenings Graham and I go for walks along the track by the river Dee or round the Duthie Park, all of which are very popular running routes for joggers and aspiring competitive runners. One thing that I can’t help but notice every time we are out is the amount of women who fail to use a properly supported sports bra. One minute we are chatting about how our day has been or putting the world to right, the next minute we find ourselves commenting on the breasts of the female runner coming towards us. “Do you think she’s wearing a bra?”, “Surely it must be uncomfortable having those bad boys bouncing away” followed by “I reckon the left one is going to hit her clean in the face any minute now”. Infact I am sure our heads start moving side to side hypnotised by these swinging pendulums as they come towards us.
In my opinion choosing the right sports bra is just as important as choosing the right running trainers. If the bra fits correctly then it will make you run better and improve your performance. In recent years gym fashion has become just as important as day to day fashion for women, so why would you spend all that money sacrificing a piece of clothing that will help you run better and prevent injury over clothes that don’t make a difference other than how you look and feel aesthetically? The purpose of a sports bra is to reduce bounce allowing your breasts to move in alignment with your torso as oppose to bouncing independently of one another – most importantly it will alleviate back and breast pain. The bounce of your boobs depends on your breast size and the elasticity of the skin (which varies from person to person). Don’t believe me? Check out Shock Absorbers exercise bounce video! www.shockabsorber.co.uk/bounce-o-meter/ Studies undertaken by the University of Portsmouth showed a female with small breasts can bounce around 3 inches during a run, whereas women who have a D-Cup can move 5 inches from top to bottom. Breasts have no support, there is nothing to keep them stable and if your running long distances regularly you want to look after your breasts by supporting the tissue. All breasts will sag naturally with age and lose elasticity but a correct fitting sports bra will help slow this process down. When it comes to finding a good sports bra avoid purchasing one off the internet. You should be fitted for a sports bra in store so you can try on different styles and sizes. Once you have done that and if you think you can get it online cheaper then go ahead and order it. The straps of your sports bra is what keeps your breast up during a run, if the straps are thin the pressure can build up as you run and leave dents in your shoulders and cause problems with the brachial plexus nerve group. There are sports bra’s on the market that come with extra wide straps and padding for extra comfort just make sure you adjust the strap length often as they will stretch with repetitive wear. The band around the bottom of the bra should be of an elastic material and preferably a wide band, this will prevent back bulges and the bra riding up as you run. When you first buy your sports bra you should fasten the bra on the loosest hook. As a bra ages, stretches and becomes worn it becomes looser this is when you should move to the next hook to tighten the fit – it will make your bra last longer too! The cup size is extremely important, make sure they cover your breasts there should be no gaps in particular at the side of your breasts. You will often find that your running bra size is completely different to your “dress bra” size. If you choose an underwire sports bra it should cover your entire cup underneath your breast. It should not dig into your breasts or your arm pit. Sports bras are made from moisture wicking fabric, built to draw moisture or dampness away from the skin. As a result the material draws perspiration from the skin pushing the sweat to the exterior of the fabric. In doing so it prevents rashes, black heads and chafing – it also smells better than normal fabric which hold in the sweat, won’t dry out properly and smell really bad – yuk! I often have female clients comment that they would like breast implants because of saggy breasts or breasts which have disappeared through weight loss, excess running and cardio. Looking after “enhanced breasts” follows the exact same protocol as natural breasts. Funnily enough after going under the knife myself I actually take more care of mine now because there is a financial investment involved than I did my natural ones (which is completely ridiculous but true!) perhaps if I kept care of my natural ones I wouldn’t have had to go under the knife in the first place. Speaking from my own experience and other women who have implants most wear a sports bra, a sports crop top and then their running top, requiring that little bit more support than natural breasts because of the sensation of the implants moving as they run. As discussed earlier, regardless of the brand a sports bra needs to fit correctly and should be comfortable. The £5 sports bra in the supermarket clothing range may seem a cost effective option but if it doesn’t give you the support you require and your concerned about sag or already suffer from sagging breasts then you have to question if it’s worth paying that little bit more. Cheap sports bra’s tend to come in small, medium and large sizes rather than back and cup size, you shouldn’t focus too much on matching the label size to your frame more on how the bra fits and feels. If you’re a medium in clothes, you may find you actually need a small size to support. It’s very difficult to match up small/medium and large to cup sizes and the frame of your body. I absolutely love Shock Absorber and USA PRO sports bra’s. The Shock Absorber is around £25.00 and the USA Pro if purchased from Sports Direct can be anything from £8.00 to £15.00. I always look for sports bra where the cups are sectioned off with their own support bands rather than a crop top style sports bra. I Also like the cross over straps at the back with the extra centre middle hook loop for added support (they also give you a great cleavage!). The Shock Absorbers tend to come with a front zip and I have never had any issues with chaffing or irritation from this and I think the front zip sports bra’s last longer than hook versions. I use sports bra’s for all forms of exercise, aerobic classes, cycling, power walking, yoga, weight lifting and even hill walking! I never suffer from any sore backs or feel that my breasts get in the way, and I think this is down to investing in some good sports bras. The next time you are choosing that perfect pair of leggings to match your top of the range running trainers, stop and think. Leggings may give you short term enjoyment and you will look ultra-cool in the gym (until they go out of fashion) but those breasts are with you for life. Day 1 - Kathmandu - Welcome Meeting We arrived in Kathmandu yesterday (Wednesday 28th of March) however Intrepid Travel count the start of the trip - the day of the welcome meeting as Day 1. After exploring Kathmandu in the morning we met the rest of our group at the welcome meeting in the afternoon. There are 10 of us in the group and a good mixture of nationalities from Australia, America and the UK. Most of the group have already done hiking such as Kilimanjaro, The Inca Trail and the Ana Purna Circuit. We were told previously that hiring equipment for the trek was possible in Kathmandu and you could purchase this relatively cheap. However, this was not the case at all. Sleeping bags were around 200 rupees per day hire which meant it cost around £40 for the entire trip (you could buy a sleeping bag in the UK for half the price!). I was also very sceptical of the authenticity of the North Face clothing and equipment. Even our guides said the chances were it was knock off goods containing synthetic material rather than down. Personal opinion if you can purchase everything at home do it. The dust in Kathmandu is unbelievable and the clothes in every shop were under a layer of dust plus I reckon some of the clothes although being advertised as brand new were in fact second hand. We all went out for an evening meal together as a group which was great because we got to know each other that little bit better. However a lot of the discussion tonightwas around the food and to watch what we were eating on the mountain. Apparently the cause of most people not reaching Base Camp is down to food poisoning. I have already made the conscious decision that I am going to be a vegetarian for the next fortnight, possibly removing dairy the further up the mountain we get. I have paid a lot of money for this trip and the last thing I want is to be helicoptered off the mountain due to food poisoning. This actually happened to someone we met in January, such a sad story. So here we are - it’s 10pm and we have to be up at 6am tomorrow to catch our flight to Lukla airport (the most dangerous airport in the world) fingers crossed the weather is in our favour and we get the go ahead to fly. I have to admit I am very nervous about the flight. The airport at Lukla is always in email forwards of dangerous places in the world with pictures of planes that have either made the landing strip but can’t break in time and smashed into the cliff face or have failed to miss the runway which is on the edge of the cliff and crashed into the valley below.
Day 5 - Namche Bazar - Khumjung - Mongel Last night was the coldest night of the trip so far. I headed to bed at 7:30pm and lay there shivering until 11pm when Graham came back from the Irish Bar. We lay in bed for around half an hour before Graham realised the extent of my coldness. He gave in and let me sleep along side him in his single bed. We were both in our sleeping bags and wrapped up in 2 duvets. Instantly I felt relief and within 10 minutes I was fast asleep and never woke up once until morning. There is nothing worse than being cold and I am slightly annoyed how blasé Intrepid Travels trip notes and kit list is. There is something far wrong when 5 days in 75% of the group have felt the cold or had to purchase extra layers or hot water bottles. We set out at 8:15am planning to do around 5 hours of walking. We had to tackle that massive stair climb like yesterday - which I did find much easier. It was up hill most of the way and then we stopped at another view point to see Everest - for the 3rd time Everest was not playing ball and surrounded by cloud. Despite this we got to see an amazing amount of the Himalayas mountain range. Next we were back down 100 metres to the village of Khumjung where we visited a local school and monastery. This was followed by an uphill hike around 50 metres to reach our lunch destination. I had the best plate of chips I have had in a long time - they almost rival my nanny’s! After lunch the trek became extremely difficult. An assortment of steps, boulders and hills (and here’s me saying earlier on the trip it wasn’t like kilimanjaro!). The landscape had changed to that of Scotland and we experienced high winds, sun, hailstones and then snow all in the space of an hour. We could see our accommodation in the distance at the top of a mountain but to get there we were literally walking on a 50cm wide cliff side path which wound gradually up hill. Conversation on the trek was about the couple who got married at Everest Base Camp and the abuse on social media regarding the news topic. I remember reading idiots write things like “that’s not exciting they should have done it at the summit” or “where is the wow factor in Base Camp compared to the summit”. There are so many un educated people in the world, judgemental key board warriers who have never experienced any sort of climb in their life other than a trek up their local hill to get a pint of milk from the shops but who feel the need to judge these people. Who the hell judges someone’s choice of wedding location let alone look down on it for being Base Camp and not the summit? - Social Media gives morons a voice! This climb is not for the faint hearted it’s extremely tough - any climb at altitude takes a significant toll on the body. The success rates of reaching Everest Base Camp is higher than Kilimanjaro because you ascend slower and Everest Base Camp is also at a lower altitude. However, the weather conditions and terrain is completely different to kilimanjaro. Weather changes in minutes, temperatures can dip to as low as -26, Anyone with knee injuries would struggle as even the parts with a built up path or stair case is extremely steep and hard going on the joints. Tomorrow I have decided I will be using the hiking poles. I have never felt the need to use them until now, whereas on Kilimanjaro I was pretty much using them from day 1. We have met lots of people including fit and experienced hikers who have never reached base camp. You never know when altitude sickness can hit. Just because you have managed one mountain with no issues doesn’t mean it will be the same story with the next. Despite this a lot of people we have met said their reasons for failure was down to food poisoning! Injuries such as ankle sprains were also really high. Professional climbers who choose to summit Everest spend around 3 months at Base Camp they go up in March and spend March / April doing acclimatisation hikes. The peak window for summiting Everest is mid May. Around 200 people summit Everest every year, costing most people 60 to 100 thousand dollars to do the trek. We arrived at our next lodge at 3:30 just as the snow started, from here on in accommodation and facilities are basic (this probably means no western toilets and squat only along with limited showers). Our rooms have zero insulation, it’s basically a ply board shed on a sheer cliff edge open to all the elements. However, we do have heat for the first time in our entire trip. The main social room has a stove fire in the middle which is great! I am worried about bedtime though but Mark one of the Aussies has kindly given me his duvet so hopefully the cold won’t kick in. We are now at an altitude of 3970 tomorrow we only go up another 48 metres taking us just over 4000 metres. At Horombo Hut on Kilimanjaro I really struggled with breathing and that was 3700 metres. I feel nothing like that at all here and I am currently at a higher altitude. I realise now that I struggled with altitude sickness on Kilimanjaro for 2 reasons - not enough cardio vascular training before the hike and the marangu trek was far too fast for me going up 1000 metres per day. My body just couldn’t cope with it. It is so true what they say if you trek and acclimatise slowly it minimises the risk of altitude sickness significantly.
Day 9 - Gokyo (4800m) - Hike to GokyoRi (5360m) - Machhermo (4465) We went to bed at 8pm last night in preparation for our hike to GokyoRi which would start at 4:30am. I kept wakening up every couple of hours scared I would sleep in and anxious about the climb through the dark. I was also suffering stomach cramps from a medical issue I am currently battling and waiting an operation for. The diet here contains all the food sources I am meant to avoid! We woke well before our alarm and began to get ready, my stomach was now worse than ever. I could have easily backed out but I wanted to try and reach the summit in the hope the hike would help me prepare for Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp in 4 days time. More snow had fallen through the night and the sky was clear, stars sparking across the night sky and a perfect moon showing off the surrounding mountains which were glistening with snow. We were warned it was going to be a difficult hike - even more difficult with the ice and snow which came through the night causing the pathways to be more slippery. Our guides also told us todays hike was more steep and direct than the hike to Everest Base Camp. The first part of the ascent I managed okay, but half an hour in the stomach cramps started to get worse. Although I was keeping a good pace to begin with and not far behind Matt, Jen and Mark my stops were becoming more and more frequent. I wasn’t suffering with the altitude sickness or the steepness of the climb jusy the stomach cramps. They were becoming more and more intense and I was doubled over in pain. I began to seriously question why I had came on the sunrise trek. As sun rise started I turned to Bally the guide who was looking after me and asked him how much higher until I see Everest without going to the top, he said 100 metres. With that I increased my pace and battled through the cramps. I also knew I was starting to get some delirious feelings I got on Kilimanjaro summit night (which I do blame on sleep deprivation and the cold). I started to see people sitting on rocks on the hillside smiling at me - not just any people but relatives who have passed over. At that point Bally pointed out Mount Everest the morning sun beams coming up behind her. I decided to go higher to get a better view and we ascended another 50 metres. The views were amazing of the lakes, Gokyo, the Glaciers and a clear view of all the Himalayan monsters including Mount Everest herself. As we stood staring at the view Jotsey our other guide who walks with the slowest person at the back of the group - which on this trek was Amanda who was battling a cold shouted to Bally that Amanda had made the decision to turn back. With that I was told this would be my last chance to turn back as they needed two guides on the mountain at anyone time and the first guide was already at the front with the fast pace group. It’s heart breaking making a decision to turn back when you know your coping no problem with the altitude and the hike it’s self but medical problems are preventing you from reaching the summit. Yes you may say seeing people who have passed over isn’t a good sign but it isn’t a sign of mountain sickness. When your pushing your body to the limits and at altitude you can become really emotional and let your mind run away from you. I made the decision to turn back based on the fact that I didn’t come here to hike to GokyoRi, I came here to reach Everest Base Camp. The last thing I wanted was to be taken off the mountain with my illness and not achieve my goal simply because I wanted to reach a view point. I would rather push myself through the pains at Everest Base Camp. We made it to just over 5,000 metres and for me this is a huge milestone. At this point on Kilimanjaro every step I took was agony and I could hardly breathe. When I got off the mountain the cramps started to become less intense but I couldn’t at to begin with. Instead I sat in the social area watching the mountain for Graham descending. Yes Graham made it to the top, the first out of our group and getting up there in 1hr 37 when the average time is meant to be 2.5 hours! Lucky for me he took some amazing photographs on my behalf! Once the entire group was off the mountain we had breakfast before making the return 8k hike back to Machhermo. Once again we arrived just before the snow came, it’s now snowing hard and lying and all the nearby yaks have come into the village for shelter against the buildings. Tomorrow we descend over 500 metres crossing the river into the valley in which Everest sits in. We will make our way to Phortse and stay there over night. We have been told it’s around 6 hours hiking but our group is fairly fast and we think it will be more like 5 hours. Day 10 -Machhermo - Phortse (3840) Today we re followed our footsteps and trekked from Machhermo back to Dole and then down to the river and back up to the village of Phortse (descending 800m and coming back up 275 metres). The trek took us around 5 hours to complete and although the first half was relatively flat, the phase down to the river was extremely slidey. Loose stones and gravel caused people to slip constantly on the way down. The hiking sticks come in handy to an extent but they are only good if you push them into terrain that won’t give way. I am still plagued with stomach issues and on the way down to the river i found myself bursting into tears because the pain was becoming unbearable. Once I got to the river I broke down. Then came the dreaded question from Graham - Should we quit? My stomach issues are getting worse by the day and the last thing we want is to be in a position where I need a helicopter to take me off the mountain. I came here to do Everest Base Camp and I have amazing mental perseverance I can battle through most things that challenge me and It’s very rare il give up. I won’t give up and I will reach Everest Base Camp even if I am bent over doubled in pain. I will summit whether I have a small intestine left at the end of it or not. We explained to the guides today what my medical issue was and they have agreed I should stick to the noodle soups from now on and get my energy from full fat coke (yuk) and coffee. I have also decided to increase my dosage of my prescriptive pills for my blockage to improve digestion. The last part of the trek was all up hill and very steep - around 280-300 metres. This is what I find most challenging breathing through the stomach cramps on incline. Graham held back and did the hill climb with me. It makes all the difference having someone with you motivating you. The guides speak little English and they don’t know you well as a person eg what to say to motivate you as a person. Graham told me again that he will stay back with me to do the Everest Base Camp climb but we have both agreed that I am not going to do the optional hike to Kala Pattar which is 5545m (higher than Everest Base Camp). Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures today along the trek mainly because all we were doing was re tracing our steps and I would be taking similar photographs to those taken 3/4 days ago. Tomorrow il be back to taking photographs once we are in a different valley. We have been warned that as of tomorrow the tracks will be extremely busy as this is peak hiking season in the Himalayas especially for Everest summit. Dingboche will also be the last village in this valley. Day 11 - Phortse - Dingboche (4360) Today was a long hike, although others said it was one of the most difficult hiking days I have to say I disagree. Yesterday I did the trek in horrific pain with my stomach each step I felt like going home. The first part of the trek was mainly all up hill. Unfortunately there was no fantastic views for this phase of the hike as low lying cloud covered up all the beautiful scenery. Fingers crossed on our return journey the cloud is gone and we can see what we were missing. Every so often the clouds would thin out and show us a peak of what we were missing. After we stopped for a tea break the sun started to come out and the clouds lifted. We started seeing helicopters every 5-10 minutes delivering supplies to base camp. Then the best part of the trek came, we turned the corner and there she was as clear as anything... Mount Everest. Not only was she visible but her sisters were too - spectacular! We arrived at our destination in Dingboche at 3:30pm after setting out this morning at 7:30am. This is our last shower for 4 days until we descend from base camp. I can’t believe that on Tuesday we will be at base camp. Two more days of uphill trekking and then it’s our return journey and mainly down hill. Today has been amazing seeing Everest, you can’t see the top of Everest from Base Camp so I am chuffed to bits how amazing the view was today. Day 12 - Dingboche - Labuje (4930) We set out today at 8am, the start of the trek had a slight gradient and then it was flat for around 4 to 5k - with officially the most amazing scenery in the entire trip. I know I said this the other day but the pictures say it all. It didn’t matter where you looked, front, back, left or right you were left bowled over with the views. The scary thing is these mountains surrounding us are over 6 to 8 thousand metres high and you forget that we are already at 4,000 metres yet they still look absolutely gigantic! We had amazing weather conditions clear skies, glorious sun shine and no wind. I managed to keep up with the fast group the entire day, and didn’t appear to struggle too much with my stomach. I just hope it’s the same story tomorrow. Although I have dropped into the slow group for 3 days during the trip due to medical reasons I did feel that the group tired me out and I got colder quicker because the pace was just to slow even with my sore stomach. We crossed a land slide which had buried the old river and smashed the old bridges from the earthquake in 2015. It was tough crossing all the rocks and boulders. The river crossing lead us up to our tea house where we refuelled on hot chocolate and mars bars! The next part of our journey was a 1.7km up hill steep incline. The key to these steep inclines is taking it steady and slow and regulating your breathing. Once your in a rhythm with the steep inclines they become easier. Inclines at altitude are extremely tough if you go fast/slow and take regular breaks - or keep constantly looking up. Head down, steady and slow gets you there without loosing energy. Once at the top we were surrounded by all the memorials that family and friends had put up in memory of those who had lost their life on Everest. Some of the stories on the plaques were very touching, such as the young girl last year who was only in her 20s whose dad had summated Everest several times. She decided to follow in his foot steps and summit, she did summit but died on the descent back to base camp. Another girl also in her 20s died whilst doing the base camp trek when the earthquake hit in 2015 - she died at base camp. After reading all the memorials the remaining part of our journey followed the landslide from the earth quake with a slight gradient. The track was a river of boulders. We arrived at Labuje at 12:30pm and after lunch we did an acclimatisation walk to 5100m. This is the highest we have ever slept so hopefully we all manage to sleep well as tomorrow we have a long day ahead of us. We set out at 6am to head to Gorak Shep arriving around 8:30/9am. We have been told we can order snacks and then we head for our 5 hour round trip to Everest Base Camp. It’s going to be one long day so an early night is a must. I can’t believe how well my body has responded to altitude compared to Kilimanjaro. At the level we are at right now was higher than Kilimanjaro Base Camp. At that point I could barely breathe or walk 2 steps without feeling tired. According to the chart at the current altitude we are at we are only taking in 70% oxygen.
Day 15 - Orsho - Namche Bazar (3346m) The Highest Irish Pub in the World Got Us. Day 16 - Namche Bazar - Phakding (2652m) Re Cap on yesterday. We woke up in Orsho to a beautiful sun rise with a good dumping of snow overnight. As soon as we set off the snowball fights started, it is one snowball setting that will be forever memorable. It was going to be a long day of hiking ahead of us, around 8 hours (technically we were going 2 days worth of hiking condensed into 6 hours). The trek was very difficult because we experienced multiple weather conditions, we started out in snow and hail, then it was sun and snow, next it was over cast and windy, followed by freezing fog, torrential rain which pretty much turned into a monsoon. We trekked though streams of mud, donkey and yak poo. This is the worst day of weather we had and the only blessing was that it was during our descent. We arrived in Namche soaking wet - oh and to top it off the wind turbine which provides all the power to Namache was destroyed in bad weather conditions. So we arrived to a powerless tea house, eating our meals in candle light and fumbling around in the dark with head torches. In Namche very few tea houses put on the heaters, but one place does - The Irish Pub! We spent our evening as a group in there drinking Guinness, jack daniels and wine (in candle light) listening to music and sharing embarrassing stories. At 11 pm one of our guides pretty much told us to get back to the tea house and go to bed! We all had a welcomed lie in today. After breakfast we were free to do our own thing, but had to be back by 1pm for our trek to Phakding (due to the power issue Intrepid had upgraded all our rooms in Phakding!). It’s amazing how you forget things quickly, I forgot how intense and steep the climb to Namche was at the beginning of the trek - lucky for us Day 17 - Phakding - Lukla (2800m) The trek to Lukla from Phakding took less than 3 hours, and it was a very sad trek home that it had all come to an end. The past few days both Graham and I along with others in the group had lost our motivation once the goal had been achieved. It had now become a count down to having a great shower and clean clothes. What I loved about today and yesterday's trip was seeing all the villages again, there was so much I missed on the way up because of all the excitement. The tea houses were all beautiful, and seeing all the farm lands and excitable children pleased to see you, really made the hike memorable. It was a beautiful hot day (tan lines to prove it) but seeing the contrast of these snow covered monster peaks against the back drop of the green luscious valleys was extremely beautiful. Once we arrived in Lukla we all decided to meet up for drinks in the Lukla Irish Bar (although we did find a Scottish bar, there was no wifi!). Our last evening was spent with our amazing guides with a private dinner in our tea houses. We got to thank all our porters who did a tremendous job lifting all our bags throughout the entire hike and tending to our needs. It really is amazing the weight these guys carry every day, with very little clothing or proper footwear! They are athletes, you never saw them puffing or struggling and here's us carrying 4kg and questioning our ability. So much respect for these porters! Although some companies use the yaks to carry their groups bags, by hiring a porter you really are supporting the economy and helping families survive. Day 18 - Lukla to Kathmandu Too busy showering! A great deal of my female clients now travel with work and ask me to provide them with a training program they can follow whilst away from home on business. If your a fitness enthusiast it can often be disheartening when you walk into a hotel gym, with a fraction of the equipment you are use to seeing. In reality though hotel gyms always have a great range of dumbbells and cardio equipment and if your imaginative you can create a really challenging circuit based workout. For those who travel often there is equipment you that takes up very little space in your case or handbag such as a TRX or the resistance band loop (which I am going to talk about today), so they ar not only great for people who travel but also for those who want to work out at home. I LOVE the resistance band loop, I think its a fantastic piece of equipment for people of all levels of fitness. You can purchase a pack of 4 bands from Amazon for less than five pounds. Resistance bands allow a free range of motion and provide variable resistance, on certain exercises you can also add dumbbells or kettle bells into the range of movement as and when your strength and fitness level improves. They give you a full body workout which helps to tone and sculpt your body - it is also gentle on your joints. Not only are they great for strengthening and toning your body but they also help improve your endurance, especially when you train in a circuit method and they can also improve your flexibility. If your interested in trying out the resistance band loop, we have created a FREE 6 Week lower body circuit training program for you to try. We recommend you perform each workout once per week. The exercises are all linked to a tutorial video showing you how to execute the movement. Remember its consistency that gets results! Independent café’s and restaurants have been popping up all over Aberdeen in the past couple of years thanks to the rise of the coffee culture. I try to eat and drink “local” as much as I can and often use local café’s and bistros for client consultations. However, one thing I feel that Aberdeen cafe's can’t get right is breakfast! When I first met my fiancée who returned to Aberdeen after staying in Australia for four years, he use to tell me how disappointing eating out for breakfast was in Aberdeen compared to Australia. It wasn’t until we went travelling around Australia over the past 2 few years that I realised exactly what he meant. The Aussies have certainly perfected the first meal of the day, the beautiful dishes are something of an art form – hands down the Aussies have got my vote! The dishes are lovingly prepared; they are simple, artistic, colourful and brimming with fresh seasonal fruits. Food in my opinion is far more enjoyable when it is beautiful to look at. It encourages us to eat the meal slowly and savour the taste and flavour. So what makes Aussie café’s better than those in Aberdeen? (Oh and the weather doesn't even come into it!) - Simple, great waiting staff, the neighbourhood vibe, quirky décor and fantastic healthy prepared food and drink. I can honestly say that we never had any bad breakfasts in Australia. For me customer service dictates if I am going to return to that café again. There is nothing worse than understaffed coffee shops, where the waiting staff takes your order and forgets about you - or worse still a coffee shop where there is no dedicated barista. The first thing that happens in an Aussie café is they let you pick your table, the waiter doesn't just hand you your menu and leave you hanging, he is already placing a quirky water bottle filled with fresh water and lemon on the table with some glasses. In one café it was empty grey goose vodka bottles and another Jack Daniels bottles. In the UK we don't get FREE water whilst we read the menu, its likely that cafe owners think by giving free water we won't purchase any drinks which can affect their takings. Another thing with Aussie waiters is whilst they fill your glass they are already asking for your hot drinks order straight away, so that by the time they are arriving back at your table with your hot drinks you have made your food order selection. I also like the fact that the café’s have a young entrepreneurial feel to them, with an energy and buzz about those who work there - they actually want to be there, they have something called a smile on their face. I love Aussie café and bar décor, each establishment is modern and unique with a homely feel about it. I always felt that each café design made you feel like you were right at home and could happily stay there all day. One café in Wellington, New Zealand called “The Hanger” had flooring like that of an airplane hanger with an amazing attention to detail to make you feel like you were dining in an airport hanger. One of my favourite café’s in Perth Australia was Sayers Sisters which had exposed brick work, old doors nailed to the wall, and an open plan kitchen feel with central island covered in Sunday Newspapers and the smell of warm baked muffins the entire time we were there. It felt like you were dining in someone’s home (see below pictures). In Aberdeen, it doesn’t matter which café you go to, the breakfast and brunch menu’s are limited, boring, un inspiring and when the dish arrives it lacks any artistic flair and has just been thrown together on the plate. Is there anything appetising about a plate of bacon, sausage and egg that has all been fried in the same pan – the same pan or hot plate that has been cooking other peoples breakfasts for the past 4 hours draining any taste or flavour the food previously had? Lets take eggs, bacon and toast in Aberdeen, if you ordered this the likelihood is that you will receive a dish that looks similar to the one above (if your lucky it may have some poor attempt at garnish). The plate would be full of grease and water residue and have no real taste whatsoever.
When I left to go to Africa I weighed 69kg and a healthy 20% body fat. On my return from Africa I was 63kg. My diet was extremely good in Africa, I climbed Kilimanjaro and was very active throughout the entire trip. Every hotel had a gym, and each morning we would get up and do HIIT training for 30 minutes. The second part of my trip was also very active, we went running most mornings or evenings, we hiked, we scuba dived and went swimming, but the nutrition wasn’t the best. One thing about Australia and New Zealand is they are amazing at healthy breakfasts, but when your daily diet also involves afternoon tea and cake every day and back packer evening meals (pub food), the good choices made at breakfast time are soon out weighed by the bad foods consumed later on in the day. I always tell clients that its consistency that gets results, and this was proven throughout my entire trip. When we were in towns and cities for several days, and we had routine we did fantastic, great meal choices and lots of training. The best routine we had was on the Cruise ship! Many of my clients contact me before going on holiday to an all-inclusive resort worrying they are going to gain weight and spiral out of control. For me all-inclusive makes going on holiday and eating well extremely easy! When it comes to all-inclusive you are presented with lots of healthy and bad food options it all comes down to YOU to decide how the quantity and the type of food you put on a plate – unlike going to a restaurant with a menu where someone dictates the quantity of the food on your plate for you, and your made to choose a meal from a restricted menu. On the cruise ship we ate around 5 meals a day, breakfast was yoghurts, fruit and oats, lunches consisted of vegetables, salad and meat, our pre workout meal was usually salad and potato’s from the buffet and our evening meal was healthy with something naughty. The balance was perfect lots of whole foods and sensible portion controls and exercise. On my return last week from my 6-month trip, I came in at 63.8 kilo’s! but without a doubt my physique has changed. It’s very difficult for me to embrace a softer physique after spending the past 5 years looking the way I did, but its even more difficult coping with the changes when people out there think its acceptable to comment on your changing physique. In the past 6 months I have had people say that the reason I don’t post gym selfies now is because I am fat! What people fail to forget is that like everything in life we get bored. I got bored of going through the competing cycle, bored of having no social life, bored of weighing every item of food to the gram, bored of eating chicken and rice 3 times a day every day of the week and that it is extremely difficult to maintain the physique I had 7-days a week, 365 days a year. I also met someone who I love to bits and it’s unfair for that person to see their partner half naked on instagram flexing in front of a mirror several times a day to satisfy other people. Since stepping off stage I set myself new goals, travelling, scuba diving, hiking and getting into the best shape of my life with a healthy and flexible approach to nutrition all of which has improved my mental health too. I have decided to share some of my pictures post comp to present day. As I said before its still tough to accept the changes in my body, but I certainly don’t think I am fat. I have lost muscle definition but this is because my body fat has increased hiding my lean muscle mass. In May, I plan to go back on plan (non competition diet) to decrease my frame. As some of you may know I get married next year and my goal is to have a nice lean female physique that suits a wedding dress – I don’t want the size of my guns or shoulders in a white dress to be the talking point of the day! The first picture is me at the British Finals in December 2015, stepping off stage at 64 kilos and 10.1% Bodyfat.
The second picture is after 3 weeks travelling round Africa, by the end of week 6 (October 2017) I had went from 69 kilos to 63 kilos from training consistently throughout the entire trip and eating lots of whole foods. The third picture is after 6 months of travelling (March 2018) weighing in at 63.8 kilos. I do look "fluffier" mid section but overall not too much difference to my physique. We are very excited to announce that we will now be featuring guest bloggers who will be blogging about a wide range of topics related to their own fitness journeys. Our first post comes from our Hungarian client Hajnalka who joined Nemesis back in October 2017. Hajnalka had just come out of the back of her own prep to compete in a bikini competition. Unfortunately Hajnalka never made it to stage from a combination of personal issues and because she was over dieted and had lost a great deal of lean muscle mass. A very hungry (no pun intended) Hajnalka came to Nemesis in search of food, high calories, a kick ass training program, an enjoyable off season and most importantly to be dieted down correctly for stage to allow her to understand her own body and the process behind a successful competition prep. Over the past 6 months I have slowly reversed dieted Hajnalka from her horrendously low calories and low carb diet to smashing out 2500 calories per day, hitting over 250g of carbs. During that time Hajnalka waist measurement has actually been dropping! and her weight staying fairly steady with slow increases throughout the entire off season. This Sunday is the start of her cut, and we are currently looking at what federations, competitions and timelines would be suitable for Hajnalka. All personal trainers will agree, that the best job satisfaction in this industry comes when you have a client who commits 100% and trusts the processes. They don't quit because the scales don't go the way they want them to, they stay focused with their eyes on the end goal - through the good weeks and the bad! Hajnalka's StoryMy love for sports started when I was only three years old after my mother enrolled me in ballet classes – from that day on I couldn’t be stopped. I swam for a couple of years, went skiing almost every winter, played handball for two years, horse riding which ended after I broke my tailbone, I did modern jazz for 10 years and I even tried trampolining! My love for dancing then developed into a love for aerobic gymnastics. I was extremely lucky to work and train with the second best gymnastics club in Hungary. My coach was a former Olympian in rhythmic gymnastics, and frequently used coaching techniques she was put through on us. In addition to training three to four times a week for two hours each time, the older ones (including myself) needed to pay a lot of attention to their shape, and how their bodies looked. We were constantly under pressure to lose weight and look thinner – this would allow us to “jump higher at competition”. The pressure was so big on how we looked, that I once recall buying two popsicles as a snack, after which I was called into the coaches’ quarters for a serious talk about how I will ruin my training and get even chubbier by eating those two popsicles (each being around 70 kcal). I have to admit that I was never the thinnest child nor the most muscular, but in my gymnastics team I had the biggest frame and I was certainly the heaviest. I was fourteen years old, around 170 centimeters tall, and weighing in at 62-63 kilograms. Despite this I only consumed around 1000-1400 kcals per day and still looked the chubbiest in my age group in the club. I was constantly compared to my other teammates who were thin, toned and below 60 kilos. I clearly remember how before competitions our coaches started weighing us before each training session, and if we gained weight from one training day to the other they told us to go running on our rest days. I was always told to run, as I was way heavier than my teammates, and my coaches thought that was a problem. I tried everything and worked so hard to look like the other girls, which resulted in severe undereating, going on hour long runs two-three times a week. I was constantly fatigued and because of this started picking up injuries almost every other week. My body was telling me to stop, but I trusted my coaches 100%. I battled with their comments internally, my body told my to stop, but my mind mind told me to push through - so I did. My last competition was the 2013 European Championships. On the first day of training before the competition I partially snapped my left ankle on the leg I used the most. I did everything I could to make the most out of the competition even though my coaches thought my injury would make us lose our place. We qualified to the finals with both groups I was in, and placed fourth in both categories. It was a painful injury, but pushing through it and finishing high put a quite positive end to my bumpy gymnastics career and also hopefully to my body hate. Ending my gymnastics career was the best thing I could do for my studies, I was now sixteen years old, and I had just started my junior year in high school. And of course I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. I decided to dance my heart out, taking more advanced classes, which helped me in both mental and physical recovery. Despite my injuries healing almost immediately and my confidence on the rise, my nutrition required improvement. The big turning point came when a really good friend of mine introduced me to the fitness side of YouTube. Since I was 12 years old I have had several different channels on the platform. I loved content creation and expressing myself in the form of videos. The people I started following on YouTube looked amazing and strong, with great mindsets and were eating huge volumes of foods – which I never thought was possible! I was introduced to the concept of macro tracking, IIFYM, reverse dieting, lifting heavy and still not looking bulky, and I fell in love with all of it. I knew that I wanted to move on from the body hating period and this was my answer. I started tracking my macros in November 2015, and stepped into the gym for the first time in January 2016, where I followed a BodyBuilding.com program. At that time, I weighed 63 kilos and was eating 1200-1400 kcals, so I decided that I would reverse myself out from that state. By June 2016 I weighed 59 kilos, ate over 2100 kcals and looked more toned and muscular than ever – it’s funny because people falsely believe that calorie starvation will ensure weight loss, and this is not always the case. I felt stronger mentally and physically and I loved it. I went further and started a bulk. I didn’t have a way to measure myself, as I started university in the UK, and my room was carpeted, meaning that the scales I could’ve afforded wouldn’t work. I pushed my calories high to 2300-2500 kcals, and I lifted more weights than ever. I remember how surprised I was when I first deadlifted 90 kilos for three reps easily. From then on I knew that the limit was the sky and that I could do anything I set my mind to. By April 2017 I was deadlifting over 100 kilos, squatting around 90 and benching over 50, I now weighed 73 kilos. I loved my look, I loved how strong my body got. I conquered each day and became more mindful of what was happening around me. I was switching between intuitive eating and tracking macros, enjoying life. I then decided that I would like to compete in bodybuilding at some point. Dieting to look a certain way never crossed my mind, but dieting for a competition did. I had a prep planned out and I lost 10 kilos, by the end of the plan I was running on low calories, and not stage ready. Although I had lost 10 kilos, a lot of the loss had come from muscle during the dieting process, which I found extremely upsetting after all the hard work I put in. This was why I turned to Nemesis and seeked the help of Nemesis coach Lainey. She showed me new ways to push myself in the gym, undertaking several training systems. She slowly reverse dieted me out of the low amount of calories and reduced the excessive amount of cardio I had previously been doing, which no doubt played a huge role in my muscle loss. I am currently back at 73 kilos, but I look completely different from what I looked like a year ago around this time at the end of my own bulk. The thing is, I loved my body before my cut, after my cut, and I love my body in its current condition! Lifting has taught me that my body is a temple that I can destroy, rebuild, renovate, shape and form however I want to. In order to change your body you need to give it some love and that’s in the form of food and training tailored to your needs and goals. You also have to give your body the rest it requires. I have come a long way from where I was back in my gymnastics days, but I don’t regret any part of my journey. Sometimes we need to be overworked, challenged and we need to fail in order to be able to grow stronger, become happier and healthier both mentally and physically. Lifting has changed my life – it has improved my mindset, my mood and my health in a positive way. I finally am at peace with myself, and most importantly I now understand where I went wrong with my bulk and diet which I did myself last year, and what food and training my body responds best. Anyone can follow a plan given to them by a personal trainer or in a magazine, but you need to understand why you’re eating in that way and why those food sources will benefit you. In addition following the right training program for your body type and goal that actually achieves the results you desire. It’s education and knowledge that allows you to achieve your goal and maintain your results – something which Nemesis provides as part of their online coaching plan. If you would like to follow my journey further you can follow me on Instagram @strawberrylifts Hajnalka x Since completing Kilimanjaro in October last year, Everest Base Camp (EBC) has been the hot topic of discussion between Graham and I - should we or shouldn't we do it? Are we fit enough? Can we get enough training in whilst we are travelling? Watching the EBC trips fill up and space availability reducing on a daily basis we decided to go for it! After all it is the best time to do the trip, we both don't have job commitments, we are young and fit and what better way to end 6 months of travelling? We kicked our travels off by summiting Kilimanjaro the worlds highest free standing mountain and highest peak in Africa and ending it by standing at EBC at the same time as those who plan to accomplish Everest in 2018? Both Kilimanjaro and Everest are ranked as the most epic climbs in the world and are members of the 7 summits of the world and highest peaks of the 7 continents, but what are the key differences between both treks?
People often think EBC will be the most challenging trek however, unlike Kilimanjaro, EBC has a success rate of around 90%, whereas Kilimanjaro varies from 40% to 60%. Kilimanjaro is actually higher than EBC at 5,895metres, whereas EBC sits at 5,364 metres above sea level. Another reason for Kilimanjaro low success rates is that you summit in 4 to 7 days (depending on the selected route) - roughly 1000 metres per day resulting in less time to acclimatise and increasing the likelihood of altitude sickness, whereas EBC your hiking around 500 metres per day, often staying at some camps for several days thus reducing altitude sickness. The EBC hike does take longer but the incline is gradual. Experienced climbers rate Kilimanjaro as the most physically demanding of the two. Summit day for Kilimanjaro is intensive and done through the night setting off at around midnight with hikers climbing 1200 metres at -20 degrees Celsius reaching the peak at sunrise, what people fail to realise is that these hikers have already hiked for 8 hours, to reach Kilimanjaro base camp, are fed, sent to bed for 4 hours and then woken at midnight to set out for the peak, leaving climbers tired and reducing summit success. This doesn't take into account the adverse weather conditions that Kilimanjaro has. Altitude sickness can occur on both routes, this happens when you ascend too quickly and the body does not have enough time to acclimatise. Everyone's bodies have different acclimatisation rates. Altitude sickness can lead to death and it isn't something that can be played down. On our ascent night on Kilimanjaro I had first hand experience of altitude sickness, and also witnessed members of our group suffering from some form of altitude sickness. I am hoping the EBC trek will work more in my favour in regards to altitude sickness. Altitude sickness is not something you can prepare for, it doesn't matter how much training you put in, how healthy and fit you are, if your body feels that your ascending too quickly it will tell you. Unlike EBC trek, there is nothing on Kilimanjaro, no services, and the only people you see on that mountain is the other trekkers and sherpa's. Whereas EBC has tea houses, farming villages, and on the trek its not just other hikers you will see. I read a blog earlier this month where the person described EBC trek as a "well oiled tourist machine". The tea houses on EBC come with beds, warm blankets, some even have roaring fire places and all the comforts of a lodge! (I would have loved this on Kilimanjaro! - but I guess it does take away an element of the great outdoors experience). Although the meals were great on Kilimanjaro, by the last day the bread was so stale and hard, you could tell it had been on the same tough journey up the mountain as you! I am lead to believe by people who have done EBC that meals are cooked fresh on the mountain - including freshly baked bread, croissants and cakes! I feel that I am better prepared for EBC physically and mentally. Although we have been travelling since October, its been one hell of an active holiday! We have been walking everywhere, we go for morning runs when we have no access to a gym. This doesn't include all the sporting activities that we have been doing! Of course travelling comes with issues in regards to diet, as you have no control over how your food is prepared, but we have been making the best food decisions possible whilst ensuring that our travel and holiday experience isn't restrictive, and some of our friends have commented on our pictures saying how great we look and that we have lost weight. Some of my friends have asked me if I am scared? I think they confuse summiting Everest with the hike to base camp! I will not be climbing to the top of Mount Everest! and after doing Kilimanjaro I have a better understanding of what to expect. My only real fear is the altitude sickness, so hopefully summiting over 15 days rather than 5 will work in my favour and prevent me getting ill again. At times on Kilimanjaro I was so ill and the pains in my stomach were unbearable along with hardly being able to breathe. The best example I can give was feeling like you had been winded for 18 hours solid. It was my fear of failure and competitiveness that got me through summit night. On reflection Kilimanjaro appears to be a much tougher trek than EBC - but only time will tell for us.... 50 Days to go - We can't wait! Thought: “My life is SO STRESSFUL, I just don’t have time to prepare food in advance – this would make me even more stressed!” Solution: Failing to prepare is planning to fail. All it takes to correctly plan an entire week’s worth of meals is around 60 minutes in one day - there are 24 hours in 1 day, whats your excuse? Another way to reduce failure is to create an emergency food box at home and one for work which contains healthy snacks so you can stay in control of eating during busy times. This will assist in reducing your stress and keep your energy levels high helping you to think and perform better. When implementing a lifestyle change and transforming your body you have to introduce new behaviours "make healthy eating a priority" Thought: “ I have had a rubbish day and I am upset, I deserve this cake and glass of wine” Solution: If I had £100 for every person that said this to me in the past 5 years, I would be able to open up my own gym! The problem is once you are finished eating you won’t feel any better, the problem that caused you to eat rubbish is still there, but now you will feel even worse for having gone off plan. Exercise is the most potent underutilized anti-depressant and stress buster. Hit the gym take out your emotions on the gym floor or exercise studio - not your mouth. Thought: “I am bored, tired and can’t be bothered” Solution: Before reaching for that glass of wine, chocolate bar or the deliveroo app ask yourself where the urge is coming from and why? Perhaps you’re not eating frequently enough during the day, which has made you feel tired and hungry. This often leads to us reaching for fast food and sugary snacks. If your bored and procrastinating find a better way to make use of your time. Go out for a walk, hit the gym, start preparing food for the week ahead! Thought: “When offered food you don’t put up much of a fight because in reality you want the food” Solution: Yes I have heard it all, “I ate that cake because my granny would be offended if I didn’t. Okay so we all know that granny’s love is usually through food, but would your granny really be disappointed if you passed on the cake? I doubt it! In order for you to achieve your goals you have to have self-control and discipline this means being firm with pushy people. You don’t have to offend and you don’t have to give a reason to why you don’t want that extra slice “no thank you” is a sufficient explanation. Remember its you who will feel guilty when you go home after over eating things you never wanted in the first place – they will most likely be happy that they got rid of the food and aren’t eating it themselves! Thought: “I travel with work and have no control over my eating habits whilst travelling” Solution: Counting macros and weighing food doesn’t work when travelling, but relinquishing all control just because you don’t have your scales, blender, or tupperware is self-sabotage. Remember prepare to succeed! Bring snacks with you, (instant oats, protein bars, shakes, nut seed mix etc) , call the hotel ahead of time and verify if there is an in-room fridge, then stop by a convenience store on your way and fill up with healthy perishables M&S do small packets of seasoned precooked chicken, sushi, falafel and couscous. If you’re staying with friends, you may not have control over what is served for dinner, but you do have control over portions – you don’t have to eat everything on the plate. Thought: “You can’t avoid the office treats” Solution: I use to work in the Oil & Gas industry, I have first hand experience of the types of food that is brought into the office for any reason - holidays, birthday pie’s, leaving doo’s, a new puppy, celebrating someone’s uncle getting a new leg or just bacon roll Fridays - we take in treats for the most pathetic reasons. The office treats are a dieter’s downfall. “No treats ever” is probably not realistic—especially around the holidays when there appears to be an endless supply of celebrations and heroes. Give yourself one free small treat a week in the office and make sure you track it – failing to track is cheating yourself. Small treats can fit both calorie and macro controlled diets. Thought: “I am going on holiday and I want to eat and drink what I can” Solution: SO many clients believe that their holiday will be rubbish if they don’t get to eat or drink whatever they want, but at the same time they are asking me how they can stop weight gain on holiday! There is a huge difference between not getting to eating anything you want and eating everything you want. You are in control of your portion sizes and what goes in your mouth..... Remember last years holiday where you over ate and half way through you started to become self-critical after going overboard, noticing that tummy bloat, feeling groggy or not looking as lean in that bikini? - then starving yourself? Overeating can actually ruin the holiday because you become self-critical after going overboard. Eat the same types of foods you would normally eat at home – after all you must enjoy it before you eat it every day! Then have a little of the naughty stuff in a controlled way. Most importantly stay active! Walks along the beach actually give you a much more even tan than lying on a sun lounger, and swimming for 10 minutes every 45 minutes to cool off from the suns rays all helps burn off the additional calories. Don't feel guilty if you want to work out on holiday - we go on holiday to do things we enjoy doing, if you enjoy training then keep it up! Thought: “I hate being on a diet and having to constantly watch what I eat” Solution: Truthfully you can eat anything you want, whenever you want—or you can keep the weight off, stay lean and feel healthy. You can’t have it both ways. For most clients I find its all down to mindset… if your restricting yourself and then telling yourself your missing out you will only feel worse and more likely to binge. It comes down to control again and having a small amount of the naughty stuff and tracking it to form part of your daily diet - hitting the calories or macros. I recommend to my clients that they ensure 80% of their daily diet comes from whole foods and the remaining 20% comes from convenience foods or a little bit of the naughty stuff. Thought: “I completed a plan in the past and looked amazing, then I went off track and struggling to restart my diet” Solution: The hardest part of any diet is starting—or restarting. I find that clients who come back to Nemesis a second or third time really struggle. You have to push past the initial hump and keep pushing for the end goal. Once you’re in control and back on track, you’ll never question whether or not it’s worth it because the results will do the talking. |
AuthorsSharon & Lainey are Online PT & Nutrition Advisors with a combined 18 years experience in the Health & Fitness Industry. Archives
August 2018
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