My Best Addiction Yet: ♥ Tone It Up ♥

Hello all, hope you are all well.

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Oi, so I am not 100% sure how to write this post, how to get across how important and amazing I think it is and how it has entirely changed my life and view point for the better; I guess I shall just type out whatever I think and hope it comes across in a concise way!

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So first up, this post is all about Tone It Up which is a lifestyle that has been created by Karena and Katrina. If you have never heard of these beauties before, I would say go check out their website and YouTube channel before reading the rest of this!

Website LINK!

YouTube LINK!

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I want to write this post out for someone who would be just finding Tone It Up and not quite sure how to use it to their advantage, and then also write my story of finding it and the changes it has given me. So if you have just stumbled across TIU, I would first recommend subscribing to them on YouTube or bookmarking it and signing up to the free emails which you can do on their website:

Then I would say to go and make a profile on the community page - LINK!

This is where you can interact with other girls on their health and fitness journey, ask questions, check in and track your progress!

 There are two options with TIU, you can have a free profile and follow the workouts on YouTube for free also, or you can join the community and pay which entitles you to their Nutrition Plan. This is what I have and love it. It does cost $150, but its a once off fee and you get a lifetime of updates! When you think about how much you would pay for a dietitian or a personal trainer, it really makes sense to buy the plan if your serious about becoming healthier. The Nutrition plan comes in a variety of plans from regular, vegan, vegetarian etc. It is like a recipe book but one that actually explains why certain foods are good for you, what times of the day foods work best in your body, how much water a day you should be drinking and what foods to eat together to gain maximum benefit. Plus it also includes a 7 day slim down and a 5 day slim down that you can do every few months or once or twice a year to help detox or to prep you for a big event, photoshoot etc.

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Ok, so how I found TIU ~

I am obsessed with YouTube and watch it WAY more than TV, it is my entertainment (thank goodness for choosing the unlimited Internet option!)

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Naturally I stumbled upon TIU when I was searching for some at home workouts.

At the start of 2013 I made the decision to really focus on my health this year. I decided to give myself the entire year to change my body, not just a week on a fad diet like I use to (horrible idea btw, you starve for the week or month constantly thinking about milky way bars then as soon as the 'timeframe' is up you gorge yourself on everything you set your eyes on - ugh!) By allowing myself a year to change my body and eating I was nicer to myself and realised I wanted this to become a permanent thing, I wanted to be happier and healthier and confident in a bikini (to tie in with that whole bikini shopping addiction I have!)

 Karena and Katrina have this amazing ability to make you feel like they are your friends, I instantly connected with them and their genuine care in wanting to help others is what made me click. I paroozed all their workouts, tried a few, started reading the blog and signed up to the free emails. I desperately wanted the plan but wasn’t 100% on it, it's a lot of money to spend if you’re not sure. I tried some of the recipes they had on the blog, oh my gosh - let’s all just stop for a minute and look at this:

 PANCAKES

Yes, a healthy lifestyle that allows you to slim down, tone up and eat pancakes (which taste amazing ps, I’m addicted). That was it for me, I signed up, downloaded the plan, went to my local office works, paid $130 to get it printed in colour and bounded (I’m insane I know, but I was determined to get it right this time and really give it my all).

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I then started following the workouts the girls post on the website, got the beach babe DVD and did the workouts on there, started doing booty calls (not what you’re thinking!) and began to change my eating habits. The thing that has worked amazing for me is that each week on the website they put up a weekly schedule with a layout of workouts to do for the entire week. I decided to start following these and entering them into an app called Errands on my phone each Monday morning to keep myself accountable. I will actually put in the times I'm planning to do the workout and fit it in around my work, seeing friends, going out etc. By doing this I'm setting myself up to succeed because I really hate not ticking them off! Plus K&K are creating these weekly workout plans that make sure you are incorporating cardio, toning, abs, legs etc so I feel confident in knowing I'm working out every part of my body!

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I have been living this lifestyle for 10 months now and so far I have lost 5kg, 7cms around my waist, I've toned up massively, I can now run 5km no worries, I have entered and run a 5km race, I have abs and a v starting to show through, my nails are stronger, my hair is shiny and most importantly I feel amazing; healthy, full of energy, happier and really loving this way of life!

To begin with it is tough because your body is use to different foods, but I've actually found my taste buds have changed, and foods in their basic, purest form actually are so much tastier to me now, I no longer crave sugar or sweets but instead crave fruit juices and protein pancakes!

It takes 21 days to form a habit, and once you've past that it becomes a lifestyle! I am addicted to workouts and I feel off and sluggish if I miss a few!

Another amazing thing TIU does is a few challenges each year, the pic above was for the bikini series challenge this year (and I actually won a massive prize from!) and currently we are doing a Frisky Fall Challenge! This is where prizes are given away to girls who are motivating, inspiring, following the schedule and checking in - such a good way to get motivated to workout and eat healthy! I won a bunch of Victoria Secret and Tone It Up stuff which was just amazing! Getting to see my body shape change, being healthier and more energised and then being rewarded for it?! Ahhh yes please!

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Below is a pic of me from a few weekends ago, I am finally at the point where I feel good in a bikini! There is also a few of the pics of my yummy food! Eating healthy is so far from boring, its so colourful and tasty!!!

One thing that has been the biggest difference in this entire lifestyle / body overhaul is the community ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ LINK!

This is where you can connect with all the other girls and ask questions, check in with your workouts and what foods you ate that day, get advice, give advice and support one another. This has been the place where I feel safe. Wired to say it like that but any TIU girl reading it will 100% agree. The community is this really special place in todays world where thousands of women have no hate, judgement, jealously or bitchy-ness. It is a place completely filled with happiness, support, encouragement and joy. This is so unique. To find something where women motivate one another to achieve everything you can and believe that you truly can is mind blowing to me, I absolutely love it. I now have friends from all over the world who I am happy telling all sorts of things, they have become a support system for me ♥ ♥ ♥

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So, to round it up! If you want to tone up, loose some weight, eat healthier, live longer and feel happier; then here is what I think you should do:

~ Go to the Tone It Up Website and sign up!

~ Download the app onto your phone called Errands

~ Each Sunday night or Monday morning go onto the TIU website to get the weekly workout schedule and enter into the Errands app the times you are going to do them each day

~ Create an account on the Community and check into it each and everyday! 

~ Do a bootycall at least 3 times a week!

~ Make Sunday afternoon (or anytime that suits) your Sunday Prepday! Make up some healthy snacks and lunches for the week that you can freeze or store in containers, preparing is everything!! You will succeed if you prepare!

~ Buy the TIU Nutrition Plan if you are keen to learn more about healthy foods and why they are so good for you

~ Start tagging workout photos and food on instagram so you can connect with TIU girls there too!

~ Be patient and kind to yourself, I always think that one unhealthy meal wont make me gain weight, just as one healthy meal wont make me loose weight. You are what you repeatedly do! 

I could honestly keep writing more but I think I will leave it at that for now, please let me know if you have any questions about any of it or if you would like more posts about it, or posts on things I make for meals etc. Just let me know, I am happy to respond! 

I hope you enjoyed this post and are having a wonderful day wherever you may be as you read this! 

xoxo