What A Difference A Year Makes...

A year ago today I wrote this blog (http://www.michellecourt84.blogspot.ie/2013/08/weight-theres-too-much-of-it.html) expressing my frustration and upset about my weight. All I wanted was to look in the mirror and not be disgusted by what I saw. I knew the bigger problem was me, and my lack of motivation. But something changed with me this time. I was determined to do it, to not be that fat, lazy slob on the couch constantly feeling sorry for myself. To my surprise, I actually kept it up and I’m delighted to say that I have lost four stone!!!

The feeling I get when I go into my wardrobe and try on stuff that wouldn’t go near me a year ago, and now they’re too big is incredible. That dress I was talking about in that last blog post? I ended up exchanging it for a coat that was a size 18. This year I’m just after buying a coat and it’s a size 10!! It’s moments like this that makes all the hard work and sacrifice completely worth it. Because it has been a tough journey. I feel like I’ve been boring and living the life of a hermit most of the time, but it’s also been so rewarding.

I wish I could pinpoint what that change in is, but I don’t think there was just one. I feel that there were a number of factors that helped me:

1. It’s not good enough to just want it; you have to have the motivation to work at it:

I used to sit on the couch eating junk food, feeling guilty, saying “tomorrow I’m going to work out, and eat better.” But that never happened until I was just so tired of feeling crap about myself that there was nothing for me to do except get up off my fat ass and do something about it. There are definitely days when you feel like doing nothing because you’re too tired or feeling down, but you just need to get up and do it. Those are the days that will feel most rewarding. You never regret a workout.

2. Find a plan that works best for you:

What people need to realise is that it’s a lifestyle change. You can’t be completely focused on your weight and every lb you want to lose. Your mind set needs to be on getting fit and healthy rather than getting skinny. Exercise and healthy eating has so many more rewarding benefits, like more energy, a clearer mind, a more positive and happier attitude. Figure out a good exercise programme that you can follow and educate yourself on healthy eating. If you do that and keep it up, then the weight will take care of itself. I know I’m not a gym person. I don’t think many of us are. What I love is being out doors in the fresh air. I put on my music and go for walk/jog and instantly feel better. I’m much more motivated to do that then going to a stuffy gym. And it’s free!

3. Don’t be too hard on yourself:

We all have a bad week, and that’s okay. Whether it’s because there’s a lot of stuff on, or your motivation is lacking, we’ve all been there. You should be able to relax and enjoy yourself every once in a while without feeling guilty. (I still love my pizzas and Sunday is my ‘cheat’ day). Just don’t let it become a habit and the way to do that is to get back into it asap! It is so easy to get back into your old bad habits if you let it!

4. Support and encouragement from friends and family:

If you really want to do this then you need the support and encouragement from your loved ones. If you’re living with someone, then get them to eat healthy with you as well. Get a friend to go for a walk with you. If you feel like you would do better with the support of a group like Weight Watchers, or a personal trainer at a gym, then do it. Also, emotional support is just as important. My family and friends have been fantastic with their support and compliments, and it really encourages me to keep going. I’ve even been approached by people I don’t really know telling me how much weight I’ve lost and it’s great to know your hard work is being noticed!

5. Set small goals:

If, like me, you have a lot of weight to lose, then I found it easier to set small goals for myself. I didn’t really focus on my weight, but more on my clothes. The jeans in my wardrobe are going to fit me; then that dress; treat yourself to something that’s too tight, so you’ll want to keep going to fit into it. That feeling when you reach these goals is why you’re doing this. The same goes for your exercise regime. If you’re trying to become a runner, then you need to up your speed and length, and there are a load of apps now that can help, and you’ll be doing a marathon in no time ;-)

6. Realise how far you’ve come, and be proud of yourself:

Whether you’ve been doing it a week or a year, it still makes a difference! I remember when I first started, I was still recovering from my sprained knee, and that first week I perfected the power limp walk! I only did it for 20-30 minutes, but by week 2, I was able to walk for 50 minutes to an hour. Now I’m jogging and hoping to enter a fun run sometime soon.

I didn’t know what would happen that first day I decided to do this. I honestly didn’t imagine that I’d get this far. I really just couldn’t picture it, because I always gave up. There were times even now when I wanted to give up. But I didn’t, and that, more than the losing weight, gives me a bigger satisfaction.

T.V Tunes

What every good show needs is a great T.V tune. Some are originals, while other shows use songs from bands or artists. The team tune is an integral part of any TV show. Once you hear it, you instantly relate it to your favourite programme. Here are some of the best:

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air Theme Tune:

 

Gavin DeGraw: 'I Don't Want To Be (One Tree Hill)

The Rembrandts: 'I'll Be There For You' (FRIENDS)

 Jim Jaimson: 'I'm Always Here' (Baywatch)

The Bare Naked Ladies: The Big Bang Theory Theme Tune



Cheers: Theme Tune

Paula Cole: ‘I Don’t Want To Wait’ (Dawson’s Creek)

Have I missed your favourite T.V tune?

They have 'The X Factor'

So it’s that time of year again, when our Saturday nights are sorted from now until Christmas. Yes, it’s the return of The X Factor. Now in its tenth season, it never fails to top the ratings, and create headlines in the news. Whether you love it loathe it, you can’t deny that the show has given us some amazing performances through out the years, and here are some of my favourites:

Shayne Ward: ‘Over The Rainbow’

Way back in 2005, Shayne Ward won the second series with his rugged good looks and beautiful falsetto voice; he charmed the judges and viewers alike. 

Leona Lewis: ‘All By Myself’

Easily the best female vocalist the show has ever seen, Leona’s voice, combined with her sweet and humble personality, easily won the third series.

Ray Quinn: ‘My Way’

It was difficult to be a contestant in the same year as Leona, but Ray proved he deserved to be runner up  his all with his rendition of the Frank Sinatra classic in the finale.

Ruth Lorenzo: ‘Purple Rain’

One of my favourite ‘save me’ performances. With her X Factor life on the line, Ruth gave it her all, and she got through to the next week.

Alexandra Burke and Beyoncé Knowles: ‘Listen’

Possibly the best finale duets the show has seen. You can really see how emotional Alexandra was singing with Beyoncé, which just added to the amazingness of this performance.

Danyl Johnson: ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’

It was the first year that the judges held auditions with an audience, and Danyl came on and showed everyone else how you do it.

JLS: ‘Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me Girl’

Yes, I’m choosing JLS over One Direction. JLS weren’t just manufactured on the show, which made them, in my opinion, more polished and together boyband when they performed.

Matt Cardle: ‘The First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face)’

I’m not really a fan of Roberta Flack’s song, but Matt’s falsetto vocals give me the chills every time I hear it.

Little Mix: ‘Don’t Let Go’

The only group to ever win the show in nine seasons. They really progressed and got better week after week. They also gave brilliant harmonies in this performance, and proved why they won it.

James Arthur: ‘The Power Of Love’

My favourite X Factor contestant ever. He just has so much passion when he sings, and his voice always gave me chills when he sang. I just felt every one of his performances. So it was a difficult decision to choose just one, but ‘Power Of Love’ is it.

So, what were your favourite X Factor performance?

Dear Miley, What Were You Thinking?!?

Watching Miley Cyrus’s VMA performance of We Can’t Stop/Blurred Lines, all I can think of as she gyrates on Robin Thicke, twerks, rub a foam finger across her lady parts, sticks her tongue out, quite a lot, while in a nude coloured bikini is, ‘What in the name of god is she doing? What happened to the beautiful, sweet Hannah Montana?’

A lot of her fans who are defending her are saying, ‘she’s 20, she’s just growing up and trying to shed her Disney image’. I am not a prude, and I have no issues with a bit of sexiness and raunchiness on stage. But what Miley did was not sexy or raunchy. It was trashy, embarrassing and extremely uncomfortable to watch (just ask Will Smith’s children). And that was just her singing. Is she heading down a path of self destruction like other child stars before her?

Oh wait! Doesn’t she have a new album coming out? Yes, she does! She clearly set out to get the publicity, and boy did she get it! Even though *NSYNC reformed for the first time in ten years, in a blink and you’ll miss it performance, it was Miley that EVERYONE was talking about. She even just tweeted ‘Smilers! My VMA performance had 306.000 tweets per minute. That's more than the blackout or Superbowl! #fact.’ There really is no such thing as bad publicity huh?!?

If her album does well on the back of this performance, what does this say about society, and the kind of people that teenage girls look up to? If I had a daughter I personally would not encourage her to look up to someone like Miley Cyrus. She is so clearly desperate for fame that she would degrade herself in such a fashion. I can’t help compare her to her peer Demi Lovato. Now, there is someone who has been through a lot and come out the other side, and is a good influence on her fans because of it. She is open about her past of anorexia and self harm so she can reach out and help them. She works hard, puts out decent songs, and doesn’t feel the need to sexualise herself in order to sell albums.

Miley's VMA performance

Miley when she was young and innocent

Celebrity Big Brother

Last night saw the return of Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 5. Thirteen celebrities entered the house, and as usual you they were a predictable mix of: the soap stars, model, good looking guy, a loose woman, the reality star, a singer from a pop band, the one that came all the way from America, and the one where you think ‘How in the name of god did they pass the pysch test?’

Here’s a list of this summer’s contestants:

1: Louie Spence

He is the star of the Pineapple Dance Studio. He is very hyper and extroverted, flamboyant, and quite simply, annoying. His colleague, Andrew Stone has a similar personality and he went into the house last year. He was the first person to be voted out of the house.

 

2: Lauren Harries

She is a former child prodigy who underwent a sex change when she was 22. She comes across as extremely fragile and I’m not too sure how she is going to mentally cope with being in the house.

3: Sophie Anderton

The former model and self confessed ‘wild child’ is known for being feisty and speaking her mind. She should be the one that will cause some fireworks in the house.

I should note that these three were the first into the house, and they were summoned by Big Brother into a secret part of the house, where they get to spy on the other contestants for 24 hours, and then get to nominate one for eviction.

4 and 5: Vicky Entwistle and Bruce Jones

It’s Les and Janice Battersby from Corrie!! Reunited!! I think that this is the first time that an on screen couple have gone into the house. While they are playing as individuals, it will be interesting to see will they stick together when it comes to game play.

6: Courtney Stodden

The 19 year old American reality star is most known for marrying her then 50 year old husband, when she was just 16. She loves nothing more than being the centre of attention, and everything she does is done to make herself stand out. While she could be entertaining to watch, I’m not sure how well she’ll go down with the rest of the housemates.

7: Abz Love

He is from the dysfunctional boyband 5ive, who have recently reunited on ‘The Big Reunion’. When Emma asked, ‘You’ve just done a tour, why are you going into the house?’ His response: ‘Because I still need the money. You gotta love his honesty anyway.

8: Danielle Meagher (Marr)

All of Britain collectively went ‘Huh?!? Who the hell is she?’ Well, she was on Irish reality show ‘Dublin Housewives’ and owns her own cosmetic surgery company. While she is not known, I think people will like her out going personality as they get to know her.

9: Dustin Diamond

The ten year old in me instinctively screamed ‘Oh my god it’s Screeeeech from Saved By The Bell!’ Very surprising to see him going into the house, but he came across as a nice, humble guy. And you never know, if he gets to the final, maybe there’ll be a reunion with Zack, Kelly and A.C ;-)

10: Charlotte Crosby

Charlotte from Geordie Shore is probably one of England’s biggest reality stars. Judging by the reaction from the crowd as she was entering the house, people love her. I think she is definitely in the running to win the show.

11: Mario Falcone

Mario is from another reality show ‘The Only Way Is Essex’. He is hated on that show, so maybe this is his chance to put across another side to him, and turn public opinion around.

12: Carol McGiffin

The ‘Loose Woman.’ She comes across as someone who is a lot of fun, but also not afraid to speak her mind. I have a feeling she’ll be very entertaining in the house. Another contender to win the show.

13: Ron Atkinson

Football manager ‘Big Ron’ was the last person to enter the house. Regarding the previous controversy surrounding him, he is a big wild card, and I’m not sure how he will get on in the house.

All in all, there’s a good mix of people in that house. But there seems to be an absence of a couple to do a ‘showmance’. Either way, I’m looking forward to putting my feet up for the next few weeks!

Weight: There's Just Too Much Of It!

I ordered a lovely pink and white dress from A-Wear for €65. It was a size 18. When it arrived yesterday I took it out of the bag and I thought ‘yay, this looks big enough, it will definitely fit me!’ It didn’t. Cue the frustration and the tears.

My weight has been a constant battle of mine ever since I can remember. I am constantly going up and down, and not by a couple of pounds, which is normal for most women, but by a couple of stone. And at 5’1, the weight just goes everywhere. I despise my big flabby arms and my huge muffin top.

You see, I get to a certain point where I think into myself ‘I need to loose weight’. I hit the gym, eat healthily, feel and look better. Each time I tell myself that I’m going to keep this up. But I also reach a point where I loose that motivation. I stop exercising as much and I’m not as careful with what I eat. The weight I lost creeps back up.

At nearly 14 stone I’m the heaviest I’ve been for a long time. It doesn’t help that I sprained my knee a month ago and have just been hobbling around the place ever since. I couldn’t have exercised even if I wanted to. While I’m still not a 100%, I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and start doing something about it. It is only I that can do this. And this is what I plan to do: While I won’t join the gym for another few weeks until my knee is properly healed, I am going to start walking again, even if it is just a stroll to begin with, and building it up to power walks. What I have more control over is my eating habits. Out with the taytos, chocolates and pizzas (sob!) and in with the rice cakes, pitta breads and stir-frys (boo!). I am still going to have the occasional treat, just to reward myself for my good behaviour of course!

I am also considering keeping this dress as another incentive to loose weight. I will give myself a time limit of Christmas for me to be able to fit into it. I know that it will feel amazing the day I finally fit into the dress that finally sparked the motivation I needed to get up and do something! I am not looking to be a size 0. I'd be happy with a 12 - 14. I just want to look in the mirror and feel confident with how I look.

The dress from A-Wear

Boybands and Teenage Girls

After watching the documentary ‘Crazy About One Direction’, I just kept thinking that this kind of craziness isn’t really anything new. As long as there have been boybands, there have been teenage girls going crazy for them. For example, a woman tattooed Westlife’s faces on her back, and sadly, two girls committed suicide when Take That split up in 1996. For most teenage girls, being into a boyband is right of passage, and simply a part of growing up. For my age group, we used to get 'Smash Hits' and 'Top of The Pops' magazines and take out the posters and put them on the wall. We watched Saturday morning TV to see our favourite group.

 Vicky, with Westlife tattoed on her back

I am a huge Westlife fan. I have been since the very beginning, when I was fourteen years old. I think anyone who knows me associates me with my undying loyalty to the group. I’ve seen them seven times in concert. I also won a competition to meet the group at their World Of Our Own album signing at HMV in Dublin. I was heartbroken when I found out that my favourite member, Shane Filan, had a girlfriend. My first ever concert was Westlife when they performed at The Rose Of Tralee Festival when I was sixteen. Now, Shane is performing his new single on The Rose Of Tralee next Tuesday night, and all I want to do is to finally meet him properly. Even though it is fifteen years later and I am now twenty nine, I will always be that fourteen year old teenage girl when it comes to Westlife.­

While I consider myself to be a ‘normal’ Westlife fan rather than on the ‘obsessive’ side that ‘Directioners’ were portrayed as on the documentary, I can still relate to what it’s like be a fan of a boyband. My favourite moment of the documentary was towards the end when the fans got really emotional when they got their tickets for the tour. For the fans, it is a big deal. Last year Westlife had their last ever concert at Croke Park. I was lucky enough to be there as the tickets sold out in four minutes. You just feel like you have that rare golden ticket into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Nothing beats the feeling of going to see your favourite band live.

Each fandom of a particular boyband feels like they created something original and special, and I’m sorry to tell One Direction fans, you aren’t that different. ‘Shipping’ came up on the One Direction documentary. This refers to a section of their fans wanting members Harry and Louis (known as ‘Larry’) to have a gay relationship. They have created fan art and fan fiction to go along with this 'relationship'. But this is nothing new. With Westlife, fans had the same thing with Shane and Nicky (known as ‘Shnicky’).

But what is different with ‘Directioners’ is social media, and in particular, Twitter. Collectively One Direction have over sixty million followers. It just creates hysteria within the fandom. I don’t think a day goes by where something to do with One Direction trending. They feel like they have personal access to the band, and use it to find out where they are and interact with other fans. It definitely increases their popularity, but I think that if Twitter was around at the height of Take That and Westlife’s fame, it would have had the same affect. But my god are some of the fans scary and take their loyalty to the extreme! The documentary showed that they have tweeted that they will kill themselves if Harry Styles won’t follow them, as well as sending Taylor Swift death threats because of her past relationship with Harry. This is just the tip of the iceberg. After the documentary, #RIPLarryShippers was trending, as there was a rumour that fourty two fans killed themselves after the way they were portrayed in the documentary, which isn’t true at all. Something like this is extremely frightening, as it could give other impressionable fans ideas.

While it’s good to be a fan and wanting to support them goes a long with it, being a part of a ‘fandom that could kill you’ is not. One Direction mania looks like it isn’t slowing down any time soon, so Directioners, all I can say is just sit back and enjoy the ride while it lasts, and don’t get caught up in any hared, disrespect and obsessive behaviour, be the kind of fan your boys can be proud of!