Sonia Cullington say's "What did you call me Kelly?"

Hey Sonia

Well Bitc* or Boss tough question after Sunday and a Monday session....... either way Sonia put the “OW” in WOW.

I have worked hard with the following quotes from the BOSS:

Slow & Low

Wow not OW

I have been sticking with the reps of 50 and this is working the body!!! Burn Burn Burn!!!

Summer is near and this body will look WOW if it kills me!!! Increasing the weights and the reps is making a big difference and I can feel my shape changing yet again!!!

Listen to the BOSS and watch the rest happen!!!

Thanks Sonia as always

Kel
xx

Yes, Kelly was calling me names and it was not Sonia! hahahaha but she felt WOW!!!!  If you would like to ask Kelly or myself any questions , please leave your comments and we will reply.

Sonia (The Boss...)

Sonia Cullington say's "Why do RULES have such power over our minds?"

Rules versus Guidelines- "You're pirates. Hang the code and hand the rules. They're more like guidelines anyway." This line by Kiera Knightley, as Elizabeth in the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean suggests that guidelines can be bent or broken.

"Our ambition should be to rule ourselves, the true kingdom for each one of us; and true progress is to know more, and be more, and to do more." Oscar Wilde

But is there a rule by which you can tell the difference? Yes, but it is a rule that is made to be broken. In consequence, it is not particularly useful. Then again, few rules are useful. The more of these you have, the more transgressions you have to deal with, punish, apologise for or turn a blind eye to.  Most people most of the time assent to a conglomeration of moral rules which they do not bother to question or examine. These rules are usually those we have been taught in childhood and I believe are mandatory e.g "Don't tell lies" and "Bathe" "Brush your teeth" or “Study”…

The first rule of business is: Do other men for they would do you.
Charles Dickens

I have a close friend who is a very practical person but hates the word ‘system’ from the core of his heart. As a human being he has a certain protocol that he follows and he feels he has enough of his own liberty to define his own behaviour, particularly in business, I would call this person a ‘Rule Rebel’.  A business rule defines or constrains one aspect of your business that is intended to assert business structure or influence the behaviour of your business. Business rules often focus on access control issues. So is there a price to pay for being a ‘Rule Rebel?’ Over reacting to the smallest issues, then spend nights working on recovery, only to do the same thing again, swinging to and fro can be draining or exhilarating! YOU choose...

 “Never permit a dichotomy to rule your life, a dichotomy in which you hate what you do so you can have pleasure in your spare time. Look for a situation in which your work will give you as much happiness as your spare time.”  Pablo Picasso

 

So, what do you keep as hard and fast rules and what are more flexible guidelines?

Health & Fitness Rules:
I find that rules are what you need to stick too to prevent your plan from going way off target e.g a rule of only allowing  yourself an alcoholic drink on weekends prevents week night drinking that you are not confident controlling. The rule keeps you safe.

Another example may be more like a guideline, like aiming to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. If you manage to drink 5 glasses, you’ve still made a good attempt and your plan won’t go off track because you missed a couple of glasses of water.

Rules might include; no more than 2 days without exercise, not eating after dinner, or shopping when hungry. You need to keep the rules that keep you on Target. Guidelines are more flexible and help you build a nutrient rich diet.

 My Golden Rule for eating is “Hari Hachi Bu”

 In Okinawa, Japan, elders use this simple statement for their eating philosophy, which translates into “Eat until you are eight parts full” I recommend you follow the 80/20 RULE– make an effort and eat the right foods 80% of the time, and let your hair down the other 20%. Just don’t be surprised if it ends up being only 10% as your energy, health and motivation builds with each consecutive day of healthy eating! Okinawans have the longest life expectancy on the planet, as well as the highest concentration of centenarians (those who live to the ripe old age of 100). Stopping at 80% capacity works because the stomach’s stretch receptors take about 20 minutes to tell the body that’s how full it is.

I could not finish this blog piece without mentioning the Moral Rule...

The Bible begins with the creation. The day Adam was created he was given six moral ethical rules of law and the prohibition of eating from the Tree of Knowledge...

Whilst preparing this blog, different people had different opinions, I would like to share one which made me smile..."Well I heard that Adam was the first man and Eve was the first lady as per the bible's content. But I have never read that they got married before they gave birth to a child, not that I want to sleep with a girl right away, but it's a thought, no offence.(This brings us to one of the biggest Rules - MARRIAGE) OK marriage is a very beautiful thing and it should be valued, but what should I do if I don't like my wife anymore and want to sleep with some other girl" Maybe I should write a big blog piece on this, any comment's ladies? What if we did not want to sleep with our lover, boyfriend, husband anymore...(-_-)

My rule on this...You're coming alive, no longer armed with a set of rules and measurements about how love should be, instead hopefully, engaging in the immeasurable moment.

Your In Fun & Fitness

Sonia Cullington / Founder of WOW Fitness

"If you obey all the RULES, you miss all the FUN!!!!"

Sonia Cullington say's "Fancy a LOVE Workout Kelly?"

Hey Sonia

Burger King, Pizza, Chicken Lasagne, Garlic Bread, Sweets and Birthday Cake are just an example of the rubbish I have indulged in last weekend!!! Oh and lots of ROSE WINE!!!!  So as you can imagine I need a WOW session today.

So Sonia and I met for a loved up session in the gym to celebrate Valentine’s Day and it was WOW. 

My arms took a beating and yes the big O came into play..........OVERLOAD which was brought on by an extra special treat today, Sonia’s Ex Husband Paul joined us and as England’s Silver Medalist Indoor Rowing Champion, he showed us how it was done. And WOW what a difference when you do it properly the heart was racing and not with love but power!!!!!

I worked really hard and Sonia has been brill as I have been suffering with my back she is working on exercises that strengthen this area which is making a huge difference!!!

Well loving over until Sunday where I look forward to another good session using that rowing machine and who knows we could be going for GOLD!!  Look out Paul!

Hope you all have a WOW Valentine’s Day!

Thanks Sonia as always!

Kel
xx

Valentine's Day certainly was FUN! Kelly had a "Love"ly workout!!! I am looking forward to Sunday morning when we will "row, row, row the boat...." we are concentrating on toning and not moaning!!!! I am very proud of my ex husband Paul for getting a Silver Medal on Sunday 12th February at the Indoor Rowing Championships , when I told our daughter Paula daddy got a Silver medal, her reply was "First the worst, second the best!!!!!" spoken like her mother!!!! hahahahaha

Soniaxxx

Sonia Cullington say's "Love your Life!"

On your marks, get set…It’s “LOVE” this month… Whether the love lasts a week, a month, a year, or beyond, love is the most desired commodity in society today, which is why there is so much said about the subject, so here is my contribution to the subject…which is close to my heart or as others say the ‘key’ to their heart.

Firstly, I am addicted to motivational words and phrases, some have stopped me dead in my tracks and had me pondering about their context for hours, they pack so much WOW –WordsOf Wisdom in a few (sometimes crazy) words… I get energy from words. I glance at them, read them, repeat them and they charm and channel my thoughts in a positive way. It’s also a great way to keep you motivated with your fitness.  

We create our lives with our thoughts and feelings. Love is good for your confidence, wellbeing and even your health. Love is essential for Life… whether it’s through our relationships with family, friends, work, partners, fitness, lovers etc, it is a fundamental feature of our existence. The feeling of love makes us feel happier, more relaxed, sensual and, dare I say … sexier. Let’s face it, a bit of loving with body confidence does us all the world of good and what better way to give ourselves a boost than with a bit of subtle loving.

‘If you want to be loved, be lovable’
Ovid

February 14^th is Valentines’s Day, I Looooove this day…Love is all around… Rose petals may be scattered in our bath-tubs or on our beds, anonymous cards may be left through our letter boxes, or maybe strange missives may pop up in our inbox’s? But whatever we receive or give, I am a true believer that wishes can come true.  At this precise moment writing this article, I have the dvd on called “Love Actually” it explores the ups and downs of relationships, between boyfriends and girlfriends, husband and wives, fathers and sons and employer and manager. The jist of the movie is – “because if you look hard enough you will find love actually IS around…”

WOW Fun Fact - according to folk law if a girl watch’s a bird on Valentine’s Day it predicts her future husband. E.g, a Sparrow tells she will meet a poor man. If she sees an Owl, she will remain single. A Bluebird predicts she will find a happy man. A Blackbird tells her he will be a priest or a clergyman. If you see a Goldfinch you will marry a millionaire. Should the bird be a Robin, you will marry a policeman.

A flock of doves is the luckiest of all for you will have a happy and peaceful marriage. Other superstitions say, if an apple is cut in half and the number of seeds inside the fruit are counted, it will indicate how many children you would have. (Hmmm, ladies, well we are known as ‘birds’ to the male species hahahaha…the birds I always take note of are Magpie’s, 1 for sorrow, 2 for joy, 3 for a girl, 4 for a boy etc etc if I see one I salute it 3 times, fellow drivers must think I am totally mad…I actually do this every day)

If you are lucky enough to be awoken by a kiss on Valentine’s Day, this is considered to be lucky.  (Well if I don’t get a kiss in the morning at least by text, email etc I will be most upset! Ha!)

In the middle ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for a full week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means it’s easy for others to know how you are feeling.

WOW even Funnier Fact - On February 14th, the first man’s name you read in the paper or hear on TV or radio will be the name of the man you will marry. To see a squirrel on Valentine Day, you will marry a tightwad who will take all your money from you......

 
"Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination." Voltaire

I wish you all a “Happy Valentine’s Day” and may all your dreams come true…

February 29 is a date that usually occurs every four years, and is called leap day. This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure, because the earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365 days.

Women can propose to men (WOW, a Hand & Some guy may be Lucky, Lucky, Lucky!)

According to an old Irish legend, or possibly history, St Bridget struck a deal with St Patrick to allow women to propose to men – and not just the other way around – every 4 years. This is believed to have been introduced to balance the traditional roles of men and women in a similar way to how Leap Day balances the calendar.

In some places, Leap Day has been known as “Bachelors’ Day” for the same reason. A man was expected to pay a penalty, such as a gown or money, if he refused a marriage proposal from a woman on Leap Day. During the middle ages there were laws governing this tradition.

WOW Fun Fact -In many European countries, especially in the upper classes of society, tradition dictates that any man who refuses a woman's proposal on February 29 has to buy her 12 pairs of gloves. The intention is that the woman can wear the gloves to hide the embarrassment of not having an engagement ring.

I truly believe, whatever you want more of, you have to give away. If you desire love, you have to love others; if it's more money, then give some away. Same with patience: if you want more of it, give someone your time. If you want to be fitter, FIT Fitness IN! This sets up a vibration of positive energy in the direction of where YOU want to go! YOU are responsible for what shows up in your life, including relationships. Everything YOU experience in a partnership (work, love, health etc) is to teach YOU something. Tune in to how YOU relate to others and vice versa - this really will tell YOU a great deal... It is through your relationships with others and the outside world that you get to find out who YOU are, what YOU want and what's important to YOU!

  Enjoy the rest of February, I would love to hear your comments on Love.

Sonia Cullington / Founder WOW Fitness

Sonia Cullington say's "STOP MAKING EXCUSES!"

“Where the heart is willing it will find a thousand ways, but where it is unwilling it will find a thousand excuses…” Dayak proverb

Do YOU find yourself making excuses when YOU do not perform in any area of your life? Shed the excuses and face reality. EXCUSES are the loser's way out. They will mar your credibility and stunt YOUR personal growth.

NO MORE EXCUSE DAYS!!!

5 weeks of 2012 have gone!  So, this week, it's time for a nudge from WOW - to stop and rid yourself of any excuses you make for not eating well, loving well, working well, exercising regularly or making your fitness a priority.

An "EXCUSE DAY" is a day where you've decided to let excuses win and YOU don't eat, live, love, work well or exercise.

In my line of work I think I have heard every excuse on the planet, if I was given a £1 every time someone said to me “I am starting today!” I would be a Millionaire not a Healthionaire!!! Some of my favourite common excuses include;

·        NO time (The one thing we are all equal in is TIME, every single one of us has access to 24hrs in a day, I see people spend ages queing up for a hip & trendy coffee, yet seemingly don't have time for a walk....)

·        BUT I can’t  because…I’m too old (hmmm, too old for what? age is just a number unless you are a bottle of wine! It's not about chronological age, it's about YOUR mental age, i.e how youthful are you in the mind and how much zest and spirit you have in life)

·        I have got to live, I could be run over by a bus (OK!!! That is true, BUT don't you want to look and feel good before the bus comes along...)

·        I have an injury…so I can’t exercise (There isn't any reason on this beautiful planet why anyone should become unhealthy or overweight just because they have an injury, if you can't move your arms, move your legs and vice versa, try reading Christopher Reeve's (actor who was Superman and lived 9 years of his lfe as a paraplegic ) inspirational book "Nothing is Impossible"

·        Big is Beautiful and I am fat and happy ( FAT is NOT ATTRACTIVE!!!)

·        I am only a bit overweight (YOU ARE FAT!!)

·        The kids love McDonalds (Does your child or children have a gun to your head saying " Take me there!!")                                                                                                                                                           

·        I have tried it all before and IT doesn’t work for me (The truth is there is no 'IT' - IT IS YOU' "it will work if YOU do' IT' If you fail to do it, then IT hasn't failed YOU HAVE!)

·        I eat as a response to EMOTION (This just does not wash with me...I could write a whole blog piece on this!!!! Have you ever heard anyone say "I am really pissed off today. I need a grape!")

·        I know it ALREADY… (I love this one!!! Just knowing it doesn't mean anything...what do NIKE say "JUST DO IT!!!)

When you hear these or any other excuses in your head, replace the words with "NO more excuse days".

Doing this will give you a mental kick to make a wiser choice, see results and FEEL WOW!

The next time you catch yourself making an excuse, whether for exercising, for love, for food, the late project, the unmet goal, or the job you work, gently remind yourself - no excuses. Spend your thought time planning your next successful meeting, fitness session, venture etc. Positive thinking becomes a helpful habit. Excuses fuel failure

 

Sometimes it helps psychologically and emotionally to make up a phony excuse for something. We may not want to reveal too much about ourselves (or a family member) to others, and will make up a phony excuse. Other times we will make excuses to help us feel better about behaviors which we are trying to justify.

Being a chronic excuse maker in the workplace or in your relationships is a whole other can of worms. Excuses generally are merely a ploy for shirking duties or avoiding unpleasant situations. Are your excuses getting in the way of leading a responsible life, loving whole heartedly, attaining your goals, or securing that job promotion? THINK about it.

 

Why Do We Make Excuses? 

If you are someone who is a habitual excuse maker it might be a good idea to ask yourself why you deliberately choose to be less than truthful. Do you fear the scrutiny of friends, family, or coworkers? Are you uncomfortable with opening yourself up to others? Are your excuses meant to inflate your worthiness in the eyes of others? The reason why we make excuses is probably not as important as the "feeling" associated with being less than honest. Excuses are meant to hide our shortcomings or give a better light to our failures. Everyone gets that. We can all justify our reasons for making excuses.

Taking responsibility for your actions is the grown-up thing to do. Admitting your failures and accepting that you are not perfect may be hard to swallow at first. But, as you stop making excuses for yourself, you will soon realize how emotionally freeing your life can be. I know it is cliché - but "Honesty (really) is the best policy."

 

Recently I’ve been making a lot of excuses to myself. Reasons not to complete assignments, finish de- cluttering my home see my friends, reply to emails etc And it’s mainly because things have been so crazy lately, lots of other little things have cried out for my  attention in my  life. Have I taken on the role of ‘victim?’ Well, er Nooooooo, “I have probably made EXCUSES!” 

I have always led my life by my values…(as some of you may know them by, “my F’s…”) 

FUN, Family, Fitness, Friends…(to name a few…) 

And yet when my world gets crazy, those things that I know make me Feel Good, Look Good, Do Good are often the first things to go!!!

And so, I’ve decided to turn my excuses into reasons. When life gets crazy, instead of using it as an excuse “not TO”, I’m going to use it as a reason “TO”. I will make sure I DO the things that give me more energy and when I have energy, I pass that on to anyone who comes into contact with me!

 

 “It is easier to find an excuse than to find a reason” Doug Brown, author

 

And so what excuses are you going to turn into reasons this week

Don't make excuses, make good… Now you try... why is today NOT going to be an excuse day?

Sonia Cullington - Founder WOW Fitness

Sonia Cullington sings "Hey, Hey Paul!!!"

February 2012

WOW Man Blog

 

Hangover after Christmas and New Year.

 The title of this blog bears no reference to the after effects of alcohol during the festivities but the 6 o’clock shadow slightly protruding from the top of my jogging bottoms. Alas it all went Pete Tong and I succumbed in time honoured tradition to all that was not good for me. The result is that I put on a significant amount of weight and ended up at the foot of Mount Sonia pleading for mercy.

 It was very disappointing, to put on weight after the significant loss over the last year. In all honesty it’s been a very difficult few months with fluctuating weight and commitment. There are many reasons for this, but none which excuses or diminishes the pain of putting on weight. A lesson has been learnt, lose weight feel good about yourself, and boost your confidence, put on weight feel angry and miserable. What a viscous circle this can become, and I need to jump out of it and get back to being focused. March blog will be a lot more sobering!

Paul

Hey, Hey Paul...won't you marry me today...as the song goes, well it is February and that means Valentines and we have 29 days this month, which means LOVE...so because I am a loving person and have a lot of love to share I will be understanding for this month "ONLY!" YOU CAN DO THIS! I have every faith in you and will BLESS our workouts this month...be ready to climb MOUNT SONIA! hahahaha

Sonia

P.S my pic is my love look,  and now I am singing "climb every mountain...."