Exercise tips and Tricks - The POMC Series

Hello everybody!

Happy Sunday once again and I hope you've had an amazing week. Things have been absolutely maid here as Simon started back at University on Monday and I'll be getting ready to carry out more buddy duties this week, hospital appointment on Monday and dentist on Wednesday, feels like things are non-stop to be honest. Well, it means I'm not bored ha!

Anyway, I know I have been pretty delayed in posting recently but what with York and uni I've had a few post scheduling mishaps, mainly because one post that should be coming soon about a possible POMC "treatment" for want of a better word, will mean I'll need to do a massive amount of research on it and a lot of the information online I'm finding quite inaccessible so I'm relying on my doctor at the RVI to tell me a little bit more tomorrow. Obviously there's a post going up today about exercise tips and tricks that I've learned over the years, this one will include information on the best kinds of exercise I've found really helpful and what you can do to make the exercising process easier if you've got a genetic obesity condition. So, without further ado lets get on with it!

Exercising for anybody who is obese can be a difficult and emotional thing, I know a fair few obese people who simply don't want to exercise partly because they are scared of failing in terms of weight loss and partly because if they were to go to some local gyms in my area they are likely to get abuse shouted at them, which I always find infuriating... Why discourage somebody from going to the gym to improve their health when that is what a gym is for?! However, for people with a genetic obesity disease often they can put far too much pressure on themselves to work harder and lose the weight which as I've mentioned in many previous posts, with certain genetic obesity conditions it doesn't matter how much exercise you do the weight just won't drop off like the average person, so this can result in these people injuring themselves or putting too much stress on their bodies. I mean I'm not an exception I've spent hours doing stupid exercises trying to 'drop the belly fat' and lose 4 stones in a month' with crunches and such but it never works. 

Eventually when I got to 18 I realised that because of my disabilities the exercises that I was trying to do were harming my body and making me worser overall, I was trying to exercise to lose the weight rather than to be healthy and that was when I knew I had to change my mindset. The thing is if you exercise to lose weight you're not looking at the big picture, you're only looking at the outside and surface of your body, if you start to think that the reason you're exercising is to get healthier, to be more flexible and fit then you can open your mind to different exercise and routines that are out there and develop something particularly appropriate for you and your body. Getting fit on the inside might help the outside but in all honestly being overweight doesn't mean you're unhealthy, I have friends who cannot walk up the stairs without becoming breathless that are smaller than average sizes and have no medical problems like asthma, then I have obese friends who can walk a mile easily and not break a big sweat. 

I'm going to make a list now of things that I did once I had a change in outlook towards exercise, hopefully it will give some insight into how I managed to develop and exercise routine that is appropriate for me. 

• I wrote down what I was looking for with exercise, I wasn't looking to lose lots of weight just to become fitter and healthier.
• I did a lot of research on what kinds of exercises fit the criteria of what I wanted. Happily I found that Yoga was something that would improve my flexibility, muscle tone and wasn't too strenuous for my body. 
• I took up Yoga and took classes once every week, I started to see a small improvement in areas such as better sleep, my body didn't feel as tense which was a much needed improvement. Yoga has now become part of my daily routine as have some particular stretches; I don't want to do too much exercise as it is extremely painful for my legs and back when I over do it but I do enough to maintain the level of health I have now so my disabilities don't get any worse. 
• I made small lifestyle changes, years ago, rather than parking in the closest bays to shops I would park as far away as I could so i would have to walk father which for a time genuinely did help me, however since my weight gain has not levelled out and I have put more on I am not able to do that anymore, walking in limited for me however I would highly recumbent it for those of you who are able to. 
• Swimming was also a wonderful exercise for me as it tightened up muscles in my body around the stomach area making me feel better about myself, however swimming is also great as you can use it to relax your muscles and just gently bob along! No exercise has to be very exerting as I mentioned. 
• Due to a faulty hypothalamus I overheat and dehydrate extremely quickly so I always make sure I am hydrated and I ensure I take all medication with me such as my inhalers, my pain medication and I make sure I either exercise with someone else or I take my phone so if anything goes wrong I have a way of contacting people to get help. 

I would also recommend that before you exercise, particularly if you have a genetic obesity disorder that you go to your doctor and find out if there is any support from professionals or practitioners who could help you develop your own exercise routine, sometimes if you do it alone you may be a little over enthusiastic and end up damaging yourself. Always remember as well when you are trying to get yourself into exercise, for whatever reason, you won't see results straight away. A cliché as it sounds Rome wasn't built in a day and the fact that you are trying at all is an achievement you should be proud of.

Thank you all for reading and hopefully get the next post out within the next few days!

Have a wonderful Sunday, bye for now!

Xo

Making the Most of University!

Hi all!

Today's post is something that I've only recently gotten into to be honest, I'm a firm believe that you must make the most of every experience in life and make sure you keep a positive attitude and because Freshers week is so close I thought a post on how to make the most of your University experience might be good for some. 

I'm going to speak from experience here so my situation was slightly different from others, as is everybody's experience; so, when I started uni back in September last year I was so nervous and anxious, mainly because I had 0 self esteem or self confidence. I was a wreck pretty much all year, jittery and scared, I only made 1 friend the whole year (who is awesome btw) but wanted to approach so many other people I was just too anxious and obviously anxiety got the better of me. It's only since I have truly embraced who I am and what I can do that has given me a kick up the backside and made me realise I am worth of friendship, love and a hella good time at uni!

Image from Google

Everybody will be nervous starting uni for different reasons whether it's the fact that they need a little extra support and don't feel they know or can ask for it, they're moving out for the first time, some people will feel anxious because of how the look (like I did) and not want to approach anyone. Whatever your reason for being anxious or nervous you've got to remember while you're probably feeling alone and like you're the only one who feels that way you are literally surrounded by hundreds or thousands of other people who are feeling the same wishing someone would talk to them first. Be that person. There are loads of ways you can make the most of your time at university and I shall list them below right now, there will be a fair few so please keep reading if you can!

Image from google - My University

• Go to freshers - You don't necessarily need to attend all of the parties or events going on, if partying isn't your thing don't go, simple as. Freshers is an event that caters for everybody, although it might not be portrayed that way, it really is. The university I attend puts on comedy hypnotists, beach walks with fish and chips, pride marches and so on. Honestly, it's a great opportunity to take part in something you wouldn't usually do and meet some awesome people along the way!

• Go to the freshers fair - The freshers fair is an opportunity to see a great deal of the things that your university offers you, you get to see people about volunteering opportunities, you can get yourself a buddy to help through your first few weeks at uni (if that service is offered at your uni), learn about the services available if you need extra help and support and find out about all of the clubs and societies you can join if you feel like it. 

• Sign up for the clubs and societies - Honestly, with most universities there is literally something for everyone! You can find anything from a community based upon your chosen course, volunteering societies, debating clubs, swimming clubs, drawing societies, gaming societies and so so so many more, in some universities there are even Harry Potter societies for those Potterheads among you! It's a brilliant way to meet people with similar interests and ideals. 

• Create your own society - Can't find a society you like? Why not create your own?! If theres nothing that piques your interest right away then that's a good thing and don't get disheartened!! There, in most universities, is an opportunity for you to build your confidence and knowledge by creating your very own society. So, remember that Harry Potter society I mentioned, if that's not your thing create a Lord of the Rings society or a society for those who like to travel. With university the world is literally your oyster and you're bound to be given a great deal of support to help you in your endeavours. 

• Access the support you need - This one is really important, if you feel like you're going to need extra support due to your circumstances then it's really vital that you get that help right away. If you've got a learning disability or think you might have one go to your disability support and they can test for certain learning impairments such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and such. If you feel lonely and worried about moving out enlist the help counsellors help, religious services in the university are available for those of you looking for spiritual guidance and financial support from specialist advisors is very helpful when first moving out. You can even access services in most universities libraries where they can teach you academic skills such as how to read properly, how to reference, write essays and revise to best suit you!

• Get involved with volunteering and fundraising - This is something I've just gotten into myself with the awareness raising for POMC and fundraising, volunteering is an amazing opportunity to give something back to your community and support other people in need, you can get volunteering opportunities that link directly with your course or get involved with something you're passionate about, many students who have a placement in a year of their course choose to volunteer and carry their placement through their volunteering pathway. It's a brill opportunity to meet others who like volunteering and have the same passions. 

• Attend your classes - In terms of the academic side of things to really get the most out of your course you really do need to attend as many lectures, seminars and practicals as you possibly can, this is a given as if you don't go you don't get the extra  in-depth explanation of a topic... even if sometimes it does seem like lecturers are reading off slides you need to remind yourself that sometimes students in the class may bring up good points who you should be there to note down as every little helps. I think almost everyone would love a first class degree, right?

• Make a budget - Again, this is something I have only learned recently as well. Often when you get student finance for the first time it can be a shock to the system, especially if you're living at home, to have that much money all in one go and you might be tempted to go mad but really it's much easier if you set out a budget first. Make sure any direct debits that need to be paid are paid on time and all outgoings are sorted first because then you know what you're left with and can use that as you see fit. Just make sure that you aren't leaving yourself short so you have no money to g out and do fun things. If you need get help from the universities financial advisors.

• Keep in touch with the ones you love - This is very important regardless of if you're living at home or away. If you're living away you'll obviously feel lonely and miss your family and it can be extremely daunting the first time you leave, keeping in touch with them can make you feel at ease knowing everyone is okay (and they miss you as much as you miss them) but by keeping in touch things will gradually get easier, if they don't maybe consider if you've modes out at the right time. When living at home always make time for your family, sometimes with a very heavy workload and lots of exams you can lose yourself so make time for your old friends and family so they know you're still there.

• Read, read, read! - Reading in university can be very difficult going on to such a different kind of reading from sixth form and college but believe me it is absolutely essential. Reading gives you a greater knowledge of a topic and a much more detailed and in-depth look at it, most of the times reading will be set by lecturers and will be available online but honestly as much as it might be hard at first, do read the books, articles and journals you're given as it will definitely help and all of those little things can be used in essays and exams. 

Well, that's all the advice I have to give right now, but hopefully it has helped and I hoe you all have fun at freshers and have an amazing experience at uni!!

Thanks for reading.

xo

Blogging Tips & Tricks

Hello all!

I've been blogging for a while now and this particular blog is not my first, although it is my favourite of all 4 of the blogs I've maintained. I've had this blog for almost 3 months now and I think it's high time I put together a little list of all the blogging tips and tricks that I've learnt over the last few years of blogging. Hopefully some of you will find this useful, I think if I'd had a list of things that I know now before I began blogging it would have been a much smoother experience but I'm honestly very happy with my blog at the moment although a few things need to be tweaked soon. So, without further ado I shall begin. 

Schedule!

Once you've got through the main stages of starting your blog, so things like choosing on the type of blogger you want to be (e.g. I label myself as a mainly lifestyle blogger but I do like to throw a bit of fashion, beauty, food and other stuff in there too), creating the theme of your blog and so on, I would say it's then a good idea to plan or get yourself into a blogging schedule. Schedules will help massively because not only do they give you motivation to keep posting but life can be made much easier by scheduling particular days on which you'll post. This way you'll be able to keep posts consistent and give your readers something to look forward to regularly. 

Stay Consistent

In the previous point I mentioned that keeping posts consistent will keep readers interested and keep the traffic coming in. Traffic is definitely not the most important thing when you're blogging and t's a real shame that a lot more bloggers are focusing more on the traffic that the actual writing but admittedly we all like to see that we have traffic coming in because it means we're drawing the attention of readers and keeping them intrigued with content. By posting every other day or on particular days you'll get into a routine in which you'll become consistent in your writing/posting times. 

Carry Notebooks

I highly recommend that you keep a notebook or pad of paper nearby because the majority of bogglers I've spoken to personally say that inspiration comes to them in the most inappropriate of places... like when you're on the phone and there's never a pen near you. Notebooks, pads or even notes in your phone mean you're able to write down some of your best ideas for later on. It's a good idea to plan ahead on this one as well because the topics you're looking forward to writing about can be worked into your schedule so you can definitely get your best ideas out there at some point. 

Find Inspiration

If you're stuck for inspiration and need a bit of a helping hand there are a good few ways you can get over bloggers block. I'd definitely recommend having a bit of a brainstorm with friends or other bloggers you talk to, this means you're all sharing ideas in an open way and ideas can be shared that you may never have thought about in a million years! Another way of getting inspiration for posts is by asking your audience what THEY think you should write about, because who wants to read a blog that doesn't cater to what their audience want to hear about? By asking the audience also a sense of respect and value is given because you're listening to what they would like. 

Look into Social Media 

When I first started blogging on a serious level I was told social media was a big part of blogging and it would definitely help get my blog seen and I'd get more feedback. Obviously thinking I knew better I didn't take social media very seriously but it's genuinely a pretty big part of blogging. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Bloglovin' are significantly involved in getting blogs seen and networking with other bloggers from my experience. I've been able to meet some wonderful bloggers such as Danielle from Underland to Wonderland and Tamara from  Me Just Talking To You. Other fantastic bloggers have been able to give me advice and support throughout my blogging experience and I would say it's something you wouldn't want to miss out on even if social media isn't your thing. 

Write What You Love

I have always said whether it is blogging, writing novels, magazine articles or whatever it is you write always write from the heart. If a blogger isn't writing with passion or interest then it shows greatly in their posts. This can be a major put off for readers, I  prefer reading things that you can tell are from the heart because they tend to lure me in and keep me hooked! The same goes for writers who don't write as they speak, it's not believable when someone writes things like 'verily' or 'forsooth'... I have no idea who does write like that but you get the picture. It's not real. Give your readers the REAL you and they'll thank you for it in the end. 

Thanks so much for reading, hope this helped all you fledgling bloggers!

Love Katherine. X