HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2018!
WOW. Happy New Year my little loves. 

I gave myself a break from blogging to focus on me last year but I am back and ready for a year full of posts and news!

My last post was regarding fitness. I intend to continue my fitness journey and I am starting with these measurements:
- 162cm - 5"3
-10st 7

I want to try and get down to 9st 7 by the end of the year and I aim to do this through clean eating and training hard.

I am currently trialling a workout plan that I will share with you on the days that I train.
It has been amazing so far and I have definitely felt the BURRRNNNNS!

I am currently out of action with training at the moment as I have had surgery so I am still in recovery. I will be writing a post all about this too! 

As far as New Year Resolutions go... I have set myself  a few that will hopefully better me as a person.
I want to focus more on my wellbeing and health - through the gym and through taking time out when I need it.
I am also on a teacher training course and I want to blog all about this and what my expereince has been like so far and how it goes towards the end of the year.

What are your new years resolutions?

Until next time, xo.

P.s. Come follow me on instagram! https://www.instagram.com/lifestylewithceline/

FITNESS: Day 1 of my journey

Day 1

I started my fitness journey before the New Year. I started my first day on 30th December 2016.

As I mentioned in my previous post I like to see the New Year as a great time to start something new. However, I was far too desperate to wait!! 

8:30am I was dressed and raring to go! Before I left I took the Strippd Trim and Tone tablets and the Strippd Diet Multivitamins. I wanted to start my fitness journey the right way and that is how I best saw fit. 

I walked into the gym and it was empty - everyone was either back to work or taking 'time off' from exercise due to the festive period. I love when a gym is empty because I can be quite self conscious. My favourite piece of equipment in the gym is the x-trainer. I set myself a goal and try to up it each time. I decided that 1.4km would be a great starting goal and that took me 28 minutes to complete. I burnt 225 calories and felt fantastic for it.

Oh, hey! ;) 

I then came home and had my Strippd Vegan Chocolate Protein shake. I mix it with 250ml of coconut milk and it tastes delicious! It can be quite a challenge finding protein that is suitable for lactose intolerant individuals. 

Going to the gym early in the morning gives me energy for the rest of the day and always makes me happy afterwards due to the endorphins!

I will be incorporating more activities (cardio and weights) as the year goes on and I cannot wait to continue seriously and see some fab results! Woo!!

What is your favourite thing to do at the gym??

Until next time, xo.

**Disclaimer- This post is NOT sponsored and all products were purchased with my own money.**

LIFESTYLE: 2017 & New Beginnings

New beginnings

As the New Year rings in, with it comes a chance to reflect on the past 365 days as well as an opportunity to think about how amazing you can make the 365 days that lie ahead.

It is also a chance to make decisions about your future: what will you change this year to make your life better? What did you do last year that you could improve upon?

My goal this year – as with every year – is to get down the gym more and be stricter on myself in regards to eating clean and training harder.
I used to be confident and happy with my body, but in recent years, and with issues along the way, I gained weight, lost confidence and fell out of love with myself.

This year is all about loving myself again; taking better care of what I put in my body and looking after the outside too.
The New Year is a good time to begin something because you have the whole year to complete it. It's also a good time as there are other people setting and starting similar goals – providing some extra motivation and potentially a partner to help you along the way.  Although you can start something new – like a body transformation – at any in time, the beckoning of a New Year feels like an opportune moment to get yourself geared up for change.

I will be eating well and including all the vitamins and nutrients I need – excluding dairy due to my lactose intolerance.
I will work with a traffic light system: foods classed as red are a no go area, amber I can eat sometimes (but more as a treat) and green I can eat a lot of! I will dedicate an entire post to this traffic light system so that you can join me if you wish!
For exercise I will be trying to go to the gym as often as possible, but definitely on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Having a gym buddy really works for me personally, because I turn it into a competition to see who can work hardest! Of course, it isn't a competition to see who can look the best at the end of it. We're all essentially doing this to improve our fitness and lifestyle, but making ourselves extra fabulous in the process is a welcome bonus.

Another goal of mine is to get seriously into blogging. I started well last year when I set up Lifestyle with Celine, but life got in the way and I neglected my blog. So for this year, I will make a point of putting time aside specifically for it. I will still stick with similar content: lifestyle, beauty, travel and more fitness.
I believe that by documenting my fitness journey it will really help me in reaching my goal, motivate me and hopefully motivate you too!

What will your new beginning be for 2017?

Until next time, xo.

FITNESS: Home workout equipment

Working out at home

You don't need a gym membership or personal trainer with you 24/7 to keep fit. 
All you need is space in the house and the motivation to work out and ensure you are doing 30 minutes activity, 5 times a week. 

I prefer to work out in the mornings because that's when I have the most energy and the most motivation to go and sweat! It also puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day and I feel more inclined to eat clean instead of slobbing in front of the sofa.

If I am unable to get down the gym, I try and put together a home workout that is fun but effective. Over the years I have bought myself workout equipment so that I no longer have an excuse to not be active. 

My hula hoop is definitely my favourite purchase! I feel like a belly dancer when I am trying to keep the hoop up and not let it touch the floor! I try to challenge myself to see how long I can keep going without dropping it or adjusting; so far I have managed 3 minutes 24 seconds. This can get tiring after a while but you can mix it up with other exercises. 

I recently purchased these resistance bands which are great for various exercises. I bought them to help tone my legs and glutes! Every girl wants a Kim K bum, right? #bootygoals 
You get 3 in a pack with different resistance levels so you can work your way up to the toughest band. You can also tone your arms with these bands as well as using them to enhance your yoga or pilates workouts. 

Another similar piece of equipment is the Pilates figure 8 expander. It is a resistance band but mainly for upper body. It is great to tone your arms and also your back! 

A skipping rope is a simple, inexpensive but highly effective item. It is great for a home cardio session and it you can feel it working quite quickly. You can also do interval training with it. It is so versatile. 

Dumbells are great for weight training and toning up. As well as toning up your arms you can tone up your chest, back and abs! You don't need to use both at the same time either. My dumbells are 3kg which is heavy but a good weight for me to use as I can still control my exercises. When using weights on a regular basis it is a good idea to wear gloves to protect your hand from calluses. I have these pink gloves from Nike.

Kettle bells are also useful in addition or instead of dumbells. I use my kettebells for various exercises but mainly squats. I have two kettle bells - one is 2kg and the other is 4kg. I have two different weights so that I can mix it up and really work myself out. As I get stronger and more toned I will eventually up the weight. 

You don't need to buy any equipment from brand new. Try facebook selling pages, gumtree, eBay or even asking friends and family if they have any equipment that they no longer need.


I hope that this has helped a few of you! 
Yes, I like the colour pink! A lot of my equipment and my workout outfits are pink. 

Until next time, xo.


**Disclaimer: All these products were bought by me. This is not a sponsored post.**

FITNESS: Running for Beginners

I have never been a runner and if I was being chased I would probably surrender as I wouldn't get very far at all.
However, most recently I have decided that although I am not interested in running a marathon, I do want to start running to keep fit and healthy.

I did my second EVER run on a Friday evening along the seafront. As I don't feel very confident about running or having people look at me, I wanted to do it at a time when it's getting dark but not so dark that I can't see where I am going. The choice of location was on purpose. Not only is there a nice breeze to keep you cool, but it looks amazingly pretty when the sun has set and the skies are all colourful. It kept me going and motivated me!

I ran 2.5 miles which was an exceptional achievement considering I haven't run since 2008. Even back then it was a one off 'fun run'.
I only ran a distance I knew I could achieve and was realistic about my goal. I didn't want to push myself over the edge and wear myself out and put myself off from running. It made me so happy to complete that distance and actually enjoy running.

The 3 main points that kept me focussed and motivated were:
1) Having a running buddy. This is so important when you first start and don't feel 100% confident. You can motivate each other and you are both doing it so you don't feel alone!
2) Breathing properly. You need to ensure your breathing is controlled otherwise you will feel tired a lot quicker and you won't be able to pace yourself to go the distance that you want.
3) Thinking of your long term fitness goal. Mine is to tone up my body and lose a little weight. Just thinking about what my body may look like keeps me going and willing to put in all the effort.

What you wear on your feet is also equally important. You need a trainer that is going to support your feet and allow you to run comfortably. Running in your converse or dolly shoes isn't going to help; it may cause injuries and you won't be able to run very well.

I hope this helps all of you who want to try running!!

Until next time, xo.

FITNESS: Getting back to it!

When I worked in London I was leaving the house at 6:30am and didn't get home until 7pm. This meant that I found it difficult to include a fitness regime into my schedule. All I wanted to do after coming home from work was eat dinner and go straight to bed!
The only real form of exercise I was doing was walking 2 miles to work every morning which took me about 40 minutes.

So, when I left that job, I made sure to re-join my gym and start using my membership more effectively.
I starting going to group exercise classes because I felt more comfortable in a room full of women following an instructor, rather than in the gym, feeling alone, feeling like I didn't know what I was doing.
Attending my weekly classes on a regular basis gave me more confidence about doing exercise and not worrying about what others thought about me. I then started to use the gym more often, focusing solely on what I was doing. Each time I made it to the gym for a workout I felt proud of myself!

Now that I am used to attending my group exercise classes and the gym on a regular basis, I have decided to branch out and exercise away from my local gym. I recently rode my bike 16.5 miles, after 3 years of not riding a bike AT ALL!! This was such an achievement for me as it was tough and the terrain wasn't completely smooth.

Yes, most people want to go to the gym to get their 'summer body'; but, I believe that you should exercise all year round for a body that you want all year round and not just for bikini season!!
I still sometimes find it challenging to exercise but I always remember that no matter what exercise I am doing, I am ALWAYS lapping the person that decided to stay on their couch!

Until next time, xo.