BEACH BOMBSHELL

"You know you're hooked on fitness when 
taking a rest day takes more discipline
 than working out!"

The sizzling 'Australian Summer' is arriving, so how could I resist not devoting at least one editorial to what makes Australia, well, Australia. With the most amazing beaches, it makes all the sense to share it with you whilst also inspiring you to get active and stay fit. Bringing you the carefree Australian babe vibe with salt water hair, sun-kissed skin and sandy toned toned bods (yes that's a deliberate repeated word of 'toned' to emphasise this fortnight's article). Despite the title, I do not proclaim myself to be a bombshell, oh hell no. I don't think my under-aged Asian features can exude the amount of sexiness required to claim such a title. 'Bombshell' just looked good next to the word 'beach' because of 'shell'. Yeah, that's my simple random mind for ya! I just don't think sexy works for a girl without curves like me, when my upper body is as flat as a plank. But don't worry, I still love myself just as I am. And you should too, the best possible version of yourself that is.

All that self-love towards your body has often gotten out of hand. Loving your curves is great, if you're healthy and fit. Not when you're obese and about to have a heart-attack. We shouldn't be promoting that just because it's not 'stick skinny'. Body shaming is bad, but unhealthy body promoting is just as worse. It's bad to promote unhealthy skinny, and also unhealthy fat. Promote strength instead. A healthy body is a healthy mind and a healthy life. Strive for the best version of your own body, for yourself. So many girls have asked me in the past, what in the world do I do to get in shape, most of the time they just ask me what do I eat which is already a wrong place to start because as you continue to read, you will understand it's not just in your diet.    

I am by no means a personal trainer, body and health expert, nutritionist or any other term you identify that group of super-humans to be. But I do work out, and I do watch what I eat (that includes watching myself eat that brownie, yes), and I would like to think that I do have something to show for all the hard work. So with that, I don't think it's far-fetched to say that I have some foundation for my words about fitness.

1. Being Fit is a Lifestyle - crash diets are useless for that very fact. You want to look good? You probably want to look good for life, which means you need to make it your life. Since it is a lifestyle, it is essential to find something healthy that you enjoy and can dedicate yourself to on the regular. If you find no enjoyment in the gym, then do a sport, or dance. In regards to healthy food, don't make yourself live off eating something you don't like at all. Find something healthy and put a tasty spin on it whilst remaining in the healthy boundaries. As crazy or lucky as it sounds, some of us actually enjoy the fresh taste of salad. Slowly transition yourself to eating healthier and your taste-buds will adapt.

2. Exercise and Eating Healthy - you cannot have one without the other, sadly it just doesn't work that way. Exercise all you want but if you don't watch what you eat, exercising won't be enough to burn excessive fat. Remember this: if you want to burn into the fat you already have, you need to exercise a lot more than the daily food you intake. Visualise your body as a machine, there's 'in' and there's 'out' and there's 'storage' (of fat). If your 'in' and your 'out' is exactly the same, your body will not draw from your storage. If your 'in' is more than your 'out', the excess will automatically be added into your storage. The best situation is where your 'out' is more than your 'in' so you end up burning up your storage, that's called doing more exercise than the junk you eat. And alternatively, eat nothing and don't exercise at all won't do either. You want to look healthy, not sick. We should no longer be all about being stick thin or about being overly curvy, we should be all about looking healthy and strong.

3. 80/20 Rule - Miranda Kerr's words of wisdom. I don't measure it down to the calorie, or even to the very meal because constantly measuring is not a lifestyle I personally enjoy. I simply go by instinct. 80% healthy, 20% indulgence. Life is for living and sometimes there is just amazing food we must try and you shouldn't let guilt ruin the experience of good food. This way we don't have to feel guilty yet still appreciate heavenly food. I'm not devoted to a specific diet but I try to maintain something with more vegetables and lean protein, and less of the processed foods. And when I have a sweet tooth coming, fruits are the best.

I got into this whole fitness life without meaning to. I simply enjoyed a sport because it made me feel good: it refreshes the mind and empowers the body. Eventually I realised the bonus was it also made me look good, so I devoted more thought to it and started working on specific parts of my body. Making you look good also makes you feel good, so it's positive vibes all around, a never ending cycle of optimism! Learn to love your body, because it's the only one you have, appreciate it and treat it like a temple, feed it good food and you will emit positive emotions.  

Now to the specifics, what activities I personally do: 

1. Boxing: I started Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) a little over a year ago in the comfort of my own home with my brother, which had got me pretty damn fit. This past year I started taking it more seriously and began attending training sessions at a far far away gym (in a distant land of fit people). It's the most empowering activity of all, being able to punch someone/something releases so much internal angst (unless he gets you back... and makes you land on your arse... yes you know who you are...). Furthermore I enjoy the fact that I'm actually learning something useful at the same time, far better than fit-boxing. Knowing I am more than capable of knocking someone (who is not skilled in martial arts) out is empowering everywhere I go (sadistic? Just a tad). It makes me more fearless in taking down life's challenges. You bring that fighting mentality from within that space out into your real world, against real life challenges. It definitely helps build confidence. 

2. Netball/Badminton: a sport with family and friends is a great way to bond all at the same time. It's also more fun when you're challenged to win. Netball has always been my passion, having fond memories of my childhood revolve around it. Days playing in the rain, days playing in the sun. Girls getting a little too competitive and letting their witchiness come out at the age of 'too-young-to-be-showing-that-kind-of-attitude'. Badminton is also great because it's the very sport that led me to discovering my first set of abs. As I have said earlier, fitness is part of your lifestyle, so find an activity you actually enjoy and can easily devote yourself to.

3. Gyming: I don't exactly have an 'at-home-gym' but it's where I do all the toning and weights. Because I'm not looking to become that super curvy commando girl, I don't need big weights (maybe that's just my excuse, which I don't promote). My own body weight is enough to give me the toned body I want. And I repeat again, if there is one thing you really need to remember, fitness is a lifestyle, so I do small repetitive exercises at home especially when watching TV. Sitting there doing nothing and just watching something makes me feel physically tired so you'll likely see me randomly doing tricep dips and scissor kicks on my couch, planking during the commercials, or bicep curls on the side. The gym just simply does not entice me, I need friends as motivation to make it into a social thing if I am to go to the gym (which was what happened five years ago). But for now, runs to the park and doing pull-ups are good further alternatives.

As my past article uncovered, I had 4 months where my doctor told me I wasn't allowed to exercise because of my medical condition. And damn, those 4 months were tormenting! And this is what it should be like, you should enjoy the fitness lifestyle so much that times deviating away from it is actually depressing. This article's quote could not be any more perfect! After those 4 months were over, post-surgery, I hit straight into getting my fitness back up (you can still see the scars on my stomach - those two dark spots). I promised an update article to reveal my progress, well this is it (though long overdue)! So enjoy and I hope this motivates you to get fit and stay healthy! For more extensive tips read this.

And just a side note for mental health, don't compare yourself too hard with supermodels, Victoria's Secret Angels especially. Aspire towards them for motivation, sure (that's what I do)! But don't expect to be them, because remember: this is their job. Working out and eating healthy to look good is their career, 24/7. Furthermore, distortion is a skill, models are just contortionists. This photoshoot has probably been the most difficult so far in terms of modelling skills (weather-wise I've endured far worse) because there is absolutely nothing to hide my body under. Always remember, focus on yourself and not on others. Better yourself, for yourself.

Victoria's Secret Long Line Bandeau (White Lace)  / Victoria's Secret The Knockout Bikini Bottom / Victoria's Secret Forever Sexy The Closeup Halter (Aqua Seychelles)