Come and visit me over there!

Many people set resolutions and many ‘don’t believe in them’. I can understand both sides. I agree that we should be thinking about our goals all year and certainly not just once a year. I believe that making New Years Resolutions can be over-rated and many people don’t make firm commitments to them – they just wish and dream.

Still, it’s my favourite time of year because I love taking the holiday time to reflect back on what I did / did not achieve in the previous year, and using what I’ve learned to help propel me to achieve my goals in the coming year.

No matter what school of thought you are from, I’d like to touch on a few points regarding resolutions.

The word ‘resolution’ comes from ‘resolving’ – you will ‘resolve’ to make some changes. It’s a decision you’re making. But not all decisions actually happen. In fact, nothing happens unless you change the behaviour attached to the result you want.

Merely wanting something is different to having a clear goal for the attainment of it and why so many resolutions fail. Just ‘cos you want something badly, doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to get it – simply by desiring it. People ‘give up’ making resolutions because they think that resolutions fail.

But in fact, resolutions 0nly fail if they are followed through on. It’s not the resolution that’s the problem – it’s the lack of commitment and follow through.

In most cases, for a true resolution to be successful, I believe it must follow some simple guidelines, as follows:

- Be written
- Be well thought out
- Be strongly desired
- Have a plan of action attached
- Be placed in a system of feedback/accountability – to yourself and/or others. We need to regularly ask ourselves – is it working? Why? Why not?

Otherwise, we are just dreaming!

If it matters to you, take the time to ponder your goals seriously, think about them specifically, write them all out and plan how you will go about getting them.

Many people say to me (words to this effect) “Last year I set a new years resolution to lose x amount of weight and I actually gained x amount. Resolutions don’t work”. When I ask them if they wrote out their goal and a plan to actually go about achieving it, I usually get a blank look. In fact, only 3% of people actually write their goals down. Most just keep them in their head.

Hey, if it’s worth pursuing, it’s worth investing a bit of your time in working out the execution of what you want. That will put you into the top 3% of people.

Why write down your resolutions and plan of action?

-       To have a clearer sense of direction

-       It will save you time and energy in the long term if you know exactly what you’re doing

-       To clarify what you want and commit to it

-       To give you some focus – it gets it out of your head and into physical form

-       It helps keep you on track

-       To gain more confidence

-       It helps prevent you running around in circles and deviating from your desired result

A few good questions to ask yourself. Write them down… 

Review of 2010

- What are the 5 things you are happy to have achieved in 2010?

- What have you wanted to do that you haven’t?

- What have you been putting up with in your life that you want to change?

Plans for 2011

- What are the 5 most important things you want to achieve in 2011?

- Why is it important for you to achieve these things?

- How will you stay accountable to these goals?

No matter who you are, no matter where you’ve been, what you’ve done in the past or where you are right now, YOU absolutely have the power to change. You can make a decision in a MOMENT that leads you on a path to a great future. We are always only one decision away from success – we can quickly go in a new direction, by how we choose to think and the next action we take.

Of course we can’t suddenly change everything all at once, but we can change our path of thoughts and where they are taking us, make plans so that our minds are filled with exciting goals and then start to dream again about the things that matter to us – and our actions and results will follow.

Don’t let the year 2011 be an unfocused, unproductive year. Take control of your life – decide what you want and go after it with everything you’ve got.

I look forward to hearing about the exciting changes you are making in your life!

To a wonderful, exciting year!

Kat

I say this every year, but hasn’t the year flown?!

It’s been over a year since I arrived in London, and so much has happened in that time!

I’ve learned loads, met so many great people, seen so many new things and embarked on many missions and projects. I look forward to having a holiday and summing up my year at the end of this month.

Until then, I’m training hard and enjoying having some extra time now that I’m not prepping for a contest. Snow has hit and temperatures are very loooooow…. So I’m enjoying getting hot in the gym even more so!

Currently I’m running a countdown to Christmas challenge with my clients, including lots of new online clients. The 4 week package had an overwhelming response so I’m very busy writing meal plans and training programs for people. There are many people determined not to let the festive season ruin all their hard work and dedication to their goals. Very proud of you all!

I’m having celebratory drinks with my clients on Friday to look back and reflect on the year, as well as enjoy each others company over a vino of course!

I leave LA Fitness on the 23rd of December. My time there is up and I’m embarking on lots of new projects in the New Year.
They will all, of course, involve my ultimate passions – health, fitness and nutrition!

Details to follow, stay tuned!

Until then, hope you’re having a wonderful festive season and staying healthy and happy – the best feelings ever

Kat

Would you like to lose up to 4kg of body fat in 4 weeks?

You can!

I’ve launched my 4 week fat loss plan in November because, in under 30 days, it’ll be the busiest party season of the year.

Close your eyes. Imagine how you’d like to look at your Christmas parties. Slimmer? Sleeker? Lean and toned?

You can be the person who makes everyone say… “Wow, they look fantastic, I wish I looked like that.”

Invest in my 4 week fat loss plan and I will develop your fat loss blueprint which I guarantee will create lean muscle tone and strip body fat from you so you look, quite simply, enviable.

It’s only 4 weeks. Do you want to do this? We can start right now!

What you’ll receive:

ONE: A personalised eating plan – updated after 2 weeks

TWO: 2 effective fat burning training programmes you can do anywhere!

THREE: Limitless email support from me

All this – normal price £129.00 – for just £59.00 if you start before 25th November. Hurry, that’s not long!

PLUS - if you refer a friend, you will receive another £10 off, making it just £49!

PERSONALISED EATING PLAN

- Guarantees you drop body fat consistently every week for 4 weeks
- Tailored to suit your lifestyle, likes, needs and goals
- All your calorie and macro-nutrient needs calculated for you
- Flexibility in your eating choices
- Healthy, low fat and simple recipes – most of which take 15 minutes or less to make
- A new plan after 2 weeks to give you more options and choices

Like all my “Get Results” packages, the 4 week fat loss plan nutrition packages are carefully thought out, healthy and balanced. This is not a ‘cut and paste’ diet like you get out of a magazine or off the Internet. And I promise you won’t go hungry!

2 FAT BURNING TRAINING PROGRAMMES

- 2 simple but effective training programmes to blast fat and calories

- Do them at home, in your hotel room, or in a gym

- No equipment needed, just your body weight!

- Fat burner (30 – 45 mins) – a butt-kicking workout that you can do in your living room, on holiday, even in your bedroom. Burns loads of calories and body fat!

- Bespoke programme of your choice – receive a new program after 2 weeks, to ensure you continue to achieve results

PLUS!

Included in the price is limitless email support from me, Kat Millar. I recently placed 2nd in the figure class at the NPA National Body Building Championships, so I know what it takes to change body shape and lose fat in just a few weeks. I’ll give you all the encouragement you need, guide you every step of the way and be here to answer any questions with personalised recommendations.

You can see more about how I work and see the before and after photos of my clients’ success stories at www.katmillar.com

Let’s look at what would happen if you join me now on the 4 week fat loss plan:
- You would start to lose stubborn fat and fit your clothes better
- Your energy would dramatically improve
- Your confidence could increase and you can feel so much better about yourself
- You will arm yourself with education and knowledge that you can apply for the rest of your life

INVESTMENT

Special rate before 25th November only!

The normal price for this package (valued at over £240.00) is just £129.00 for 4 weeks of bespoke, personal guidance in fat loss and fitness.

If that doesn’t already sound good enough, I am offering all of the above at just £49.00 if you refer a friend to join you, but only if you book before 25th November.

Even more incentive to get in touch and get on the way to the body you deserve!

Remember, you’ll get 2 personalised nutrition plans, 2 personalised training programmes and personal email support. Everything you need for fat loss; which is guaranteed!

Special Countdown to Christmas rate!

Only £59! Or £49 with a friend!

*Valid only until the 25th November

To get started, email me mailto:info@katmillar.com and I’ll send you back everything you need. (Please contact me for a price if you’re outside the U.K)

Many people have already used this system to improve their body dramatically.

By making this decision, you will start feeling better about yourself straight away and I will be there for you every step of the way.

Kat

I placed 2nd!!!

I’m truly overwhelmed, honoured and… shocked!!! I’m so so so happy with my placing and trophy. It is truly the ‘icing on the cake’ and made every bit of pain and sacrifice SO worth it – absolutely no doubt!!

I honestly wasn’t expecting to come anywhere near this. It was a tough line up of 13 girls and it was hard work! The other girls looked really great. I had to pose my butt off and work the judges hard, because there were many many call outs. One of the hardest workouts I’ve ever done! In a dehydrated and hungry state, I couldn’t wait to get off stage in the end! But the whole atmosphere of the day was just brilliant. I was so excited and happy, especially once the judging was over, man I was BUZZZZZZZING!! Coming back for the night show I felt so relaxed and so supported by brilliant people. It was one of the best days of my life!

Thanks a MILLION to my wonderful support team – you guys rock so much, couldn’t have done it without you all! You guys are amazing friends, so encouraging! Annie – Thanks again for being there for me – right the way through from posing practice, glueing my bum, shouting just what I needed to hear on stage – right to the end of the… night with a lift to my doorstep. Luxury You were an amazing support!! What a great team! Thanks to Veronica who is incredible at make up and hair – you blew me away, you are so talented and Richard for the support and laughs. Thanks to Hani for the pump up and pep talks, Faris for guessing I’d come 2nd I was wrong – thank God! Thanks my beautiful friend Helena for coming with me, keeping me happy, believing in me and taking great pics – skills girl!! I felt very very looked after and the luckiest girl in the world! The support means so much to me.

The line-up was 13 truly amazing figure girls, the girl who won is 3 x British champ and also an international champ. I somehow beat the girls who got 1st & 2nd at my regional qualifier where I placed 3rd! I don’t think I realised how much I really worked over those 6 weeks between the regionals and nationals to come back fighting and better.

Competing is VERY consuming, it requires a lot of mental and physical energy. I find that a lot of people don’t understand it and think it’s a bit of a shallow sport. But once you’ve done it, you realise it’s SO much more than ‘looking good on stage’. The lessons are parallel to so many areas of life. Arnold Schwarzenegger once said that body-building taught him everything he needed to be a successful Movie star and Governor.

I’ve learned -
- How to believe in myself and my abilities
- That I DO have what it takes (I never knew this before!)
- What my mind and body is actually capable of
- The art of self-discipline and sacrifice (this can be applied to other areas of life of course)
- That having a big goal and seeing progress is the most motivating thing in the world
- The art of ‘delaying gratification’ in order to achieve something greater
- Lessons and skills that I can apply for the rest of my life when it comes to fat loss.

Also you get to meet great and like-minded people, knowing you have gone pretty much as far as one can go in the area of weight training, nutrition, cardio and lifestyle combined. To be honest, it was almost ‘easy’ – because if you have a goal and are focused – you can do anything. What I find harder, is trying to be ‘good’ when I don’t have a goal!

I had a lovely 5 days off in Spain, celebrating and indulging (poor body was in shock – after dieting for 4 months!). Did lots of walking and a couple of workouts while over there, but it’s not the same! Am now back working hard in the gym and eating clean food again (feel so much better!) I can’t seem to decrease my training volume yet, my body is just so used to training twice a day it’s hard to drop it back although I know I need to taper it off and have a rest, let my hormones come back to normal balance (they’ve been out of whack all year!).

I know I can remain within a certain weight range (within 3-5kg), and I know exactly how to get myself back down if I choose to. No questions, doubts or confusion – I have a blue-print plan that works for me, because I’ve always been disciplined to record everything I’ve eaten. The law of cause and effect in action – in clear writing, no excuses!

I need to increase my carbs and decrease protein in order to get my body back in better balance. I don’t really want to, as I love the competition diet way of eating – it makes me feel great!! But 180g protein and less than 70g carbs per day is not good long-term, and my body will fight me if I try and keep eating like that for too long. The challenge is always how to maintain the body composition that we like to be, while remaining healthy and sane!

I’m looking forward to some different types of training too – improving my posture, doing more classes, outdoor bike rides etc.

Until next time!

Happy Kat

Here are some pics …

So I’ll put it up now and then write some ‘post-comp’ thoughts soon.

Preparing for this competition has taught me so much more about myself. I really feel that I ‘nailed’ the balance this time – in my 7th competition (good things take time?!). I totally enjoyed the whole process!

Some of the many lessons I’ve learned -

- Chill time and taking time out for myself to just relax is SO beneficial!! It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity.

- Doing cardio starving doesn’t work for me! I used to do it, but now I have a green vege smoothie or protein shake and my results are much better and I’m a happier camper, more sane, and retained more muscle.

- Going starving full STOP doesn’t work for me!! And I don’t think many people benefit from this way of dieting. I eat. A lot. And often. I just make sure I eat the right things now so I’m not ‘wasting’ my calories on foods that don’t help me achieve my goals. So I get to eat more. Yippeee! Sometimes 7 small meals a day. And I lose fat each week without feeling deprived. Works for me!

- Sleeping more than I ‘think’ I should – but actually what my BODY dictates – is SO important!

- Planning WORKS! This is nothing new, but this time I’ve really honed in on pre-planning my meals and training a lot more regularly! I’ve been doing it every night on the train and it’s a habit I’ll continue – ‘cos it works.

- Eating a protein based ‘dessert’ a few times a week (with whey protein & rhubarb or quark & berries) makes me happy and sane enough to not be tempted by sugary foods. I love the fact I can eat like this and still lose fat! Woohoo!!!

- Mixing training up works SO well for me. I’ve trained for 16 years and I get bored easily. I’m all for planning and sticking to a program for the right amount of time can work wonders. But for me – this time – I needed to mix it up. I followed my gut instinct and practically every workout did something different.

- I didn’t shy away from some of the ‘scary’ exercises I use to avoid in the past. Things like pull ups – without assistance. Free tricep dips on the parallel bars – going deep. 1 arm press ups (still working on this one!). Spin classes. Very steep incline treadmill walks. Things outside of our comfort zones are the key!

- I didn’t weigh myself but went on how I looked and felt. I’m a person very motivated by numbers, but I focused on outputting the right way knowing that the result would come. Cause and effect. Eat right, train right = right results. Simple!

- Less running worked for me – as much as it was hard to reduce. Having a very sore hip flexor throughout most of the competition preparation meant I couldn’t run – which was a blessing in disguise! I LOVE running, especially outdoors and missed it like crazy. But I’ve run for years and years and my body needed a change. Ronni – who helped me prepare for the regionals, got me doing incline treadmill walks and a lot more biking which really hardened up my legs. In just a few weeks, I could see the definition a lot more.

Any challenge is called just that – because it’s challenging. It’s not easy! Easy is not the goal or the point. How can you ever know your limits if you don’t try and stretch them? Push them? There are days where I feel no one understands me. There are days where people say things that aren’t helpful – and could easily bring me down. But I’m learning to be more like a rubber ball – and bounce back up.

The physical, emotional and mental battles are worth fighting, because – (as Christina Aguilera sings about), they make us more of a fighter – they make our skin a little bit ‘thicker’.

The head space I’ve put myself in day after day has helped immensely – more than words can express. I didn’t have this in my previous competitions. I don’t know why, maybe I’m just growing up! Moving to London has taught me a LOT! If I don’t have positive people surrounding me, I prefer to be alone. I put positive people’s words into my ears instead – via books, the Internet and my I-pod – it’s filled with audio-books teaching me how to be more motivated, how to think big, how to manage my time, live an exceptional life and much more. All of these resources are at our finger tips! Great people have written great books and they are so readily available to us, I’m SO grateful for this!

Sometimes I feel alone, but not lonely. I am more than content – about where I am at in my life. I’ve truly, thoroughly enjoyed this season – knowing it’s not forever, but that it has taken me up a level physically, emotionally and mentally.

I have many more battles to fight. Especially in finding ‘maintenance’ and a healthy eating plan that will give me a body composition I’m happy with as well as the lifestyle I want and some more time back. After being in a calorie deficit for so long, I need to work out ways to continue to eat clean and healthy and not go overboard on treats I may feel I’m ‘allowed’ to have or ‘deserve’ to have after my competition. I have to figure out – going forward, the best way to find balance in my life and ensure I remain healthy, humble, as well as confident in my abilities and potential to improve.

Everything is organised and all is well. I just feel so relaxed and peaceful. It’s a super nice feeling!

Will blog again after the competition. I’m off to Spain a few days after so I may be off my laptop for a while. But I will try and get back on to share some pics from some gym training I did yesterday. I had a massage, then got my make up done at Mac at Harvey Nichols (so divine) and had a relaxing day, taking photos with my friend Neil at Jubilee hall gym, then with Gemma at LA Fitness.

Here’s a sneak peak – will post more next week

Anyone that can make it along to cheer, would LOVE to have your support – it really does make a difference!

Here are the details -

http://www.npabodybuilding.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleID=6cc810b0-50df-46f6-a277-d300b9b292c4

Just wanted to give a bit of an update!

I’m trying a few new things with my diet and training this time. Basically going even cleaner, playing around with things – fun stuff

Tonight was my 2nd to last legs workout and I beasted them to near tear-jerking point – they felt like a mixture of lead and jelly afterwards if that’s possible (I’m sure you guys/gals that train hard understand!) followed by cardio then posing practice. Walking home tonight felt very slow…

Tomorrow I’m hitting upper body for the last time before the competition – gonna do circuit style to absolute limits.

I’m so excited about hitting the stage again. There are 13 competitors in my class – eek! Some of the ladies are champions and winners already so I know that the competition is very fierce. But I can honestly say, I’m proud to have simply qualified. It means so much to me. I know that it’s going to be such great fun – and that is the main thing. I compete to have a great goal and sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. I’ve already achieved this!

I’ve pushed my body to it’s limits and I feel like a winner. Because I have ‘won’ already in -

- Sticking to my diet plan, even on holidays
- Saying no to many many many tempting foods when it would have been easier just to eat it (nothing worthwhile is easy!)
- Eating many, many, many meals that I didn’t particularly enjoy
- Going all summer without a drink! (people that know me well will testify to this being a huge achievement in itself!)
- Doing serious damage to my muscles in my weights sessions – many, many, many painful reps…
- Leaving the gym no earlier than 9.30 – 10pm every night, when everyone else had gone home to relax, then doing admin. work at home and cooking til after midnight each night
- Spending my Saturdays and Sundays at the gym (train, coffee, work – repeat)
- Disciplining myself to get up every morning and do cardio – I mean EVERY morning without fail, for 4 months – bar 1 day. That was my birthday and I didn’t rest out of ‘choice’ so much but cos I had a plane to catch. It wasn’t a treat to me because exercise makes me feel so great.

I know many people say you MUST have a rest day, but for me – I choose not to. I exercise every single day and it’s a choice I’ve made to continue doing. I listen to my body and if I hit a ‘wall’ I take it easy. I go light. But I feel worse resting. I just simply believe that if you train right and properly (with varied intensity and allowing muscle recovery) then you can move daily. We’re designed to move. Our bodies are not designed to sit around. My energy and motivation goes out the window if I laze around and I hate breaking my habits. I’m not saying this is right for everyone – but it works for me.

I have learned a lot more about myself and my body and what it’s capable of. I feel I have achieved a great deal of balance this time and really enjoyed the whole process.

I feel that I’ve ‘tested’ myself, and passed! Because I have learned so many lessons, which I will share in my next blog post.

I still have a long way to go. I still have areas in my body and my habits I’m not happy with – as we all do.

But I know I’m on a journey of discovery. It’s exciting. It’s never-ending, which is what I love about health and fitness. We can all improve, little by little.

I’m less worried and stressed about perfection, cos it doesn’t exist. And I’m learning to accept that! If we know we’ve given all we could have given, that’s the best any of us can do.

And if not? No regrets.

The past is gone – we only have today.

Kat

She’s a brilliant writer, check her out!

http://thefitwriter.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/challenging-challenge/#comment-301

This is your last chance to register for this free nutrition seminar, with success principles that I guarantee – if applied, will get you the results you are after!

Spaces are nearly full. It will be a great night!

For more information or to register, Click here

Bringing you results for good!

Kat

I also won myself a beautiful trophy for placing 3rd out of 8 girls in the ‘Trained figure’ class.

It was an excellent show and I feel so honoured to have made this achievement!

All the hard work was well worth it!

I’m now training hard and back on the diet until the Nationals on October 24th. and looking forward to seeing how hard I can continue to push my ‘limits’!