My wife is a full time school teacher, a gym goer, runner, gardener and cat lover. Today we are going to talk about Nikki’s 12-month transformation. 

My results had ALL to do with the new habits, systems and routines I followed each day.  I have found a balance that lets me enjoy my own journey, I am fitter, stronger and happier. I am turning 30 next year and I am in the best shape I have ever been! I am in Uber Shape, some say 😉

Small habits every day make a huge difference, these don’t often show results instantly, in fact, you barely notice at all. Over time you see a huge difference. Most people give up before they see results, focus on your habits and succeeding daily at these and results happen without you be fixated on it. THESE are the habits that in the long run have a greater impact.

The Three Main Changes which helped transform her inside & out: 

1. How she got healthier by getting a stronger immune system
2. Dropping 5kgs which she struggled with over the last 6 years
3. Making sustainable lifestyle habits- she is all about food and flavoursome recipes- healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring.  

My immune system would often let me down. Super frustrating and something I knew I needed to improve. I usually got sick by getting the cold- mainly run down- every school term. My hayfever would also really play up especially in the change of seasons.  

Adding ginger to my green juice every day, fermented products once per day, leafy greens (chard, English spinach- which are packed with Vit C and lots of fibre,) as long as you are drinking adequates amount of water each day it is extremely good for your gut health. I always drink from a water bottle during the week so I know how much water I consume daily. I haven’t had to take a Telfast in over a year, nor been in bed with the cold and this is life-changing! I am able to keep up with my work schedule, training plan and give my best!  

What are your go-to supplements which you take daily? 

Every night I take magnesium – 4 capsules. It puts me to sleep – I even take it away on holiday with me. (Gaba Magnesium is my favourite) 

I add 1tsp of Vit C powder to a cup of water. It is on the bench and obvious so I see it, making it super easy to do. (Bioceuticals Ultra Potent-C 500g Powder I use) 

I’m not taking it regularly but I have Zinc ready and Immune Defence to start popping straight away when I feel like I am getting the sniffles or a sore throat. I’ll also have a tbsp of honey too. (I use the Zinc Synergy- Trilogy Nutrition and Immune Defence- Ethical Nutrients Brand)

Garlic Cloves – I use in most of my cooking: soups, curries, slow cooker mixes, etc..

Miso Bone Broth– fantastic to the immune system!  (My favourite is the one from Flanneries- “Best of the Bone Real Bone Broth Concentrate”)

I know for Nikki she really does practice what she preaches. So what does a typical morning look like for you before work? 

I wake up and have a green juice straight away, often the ingredients are cut up ready to go. Throw it in the Nutri-bullet and I have it. Afterwards, I sit down with an English Breakfast tea with almond milk (or drink it as I am getting ready to exercise). 

Everyone is different but I definitely need something in my stomach before I start training. (If I am going on a run/ I’ll often only have half the green juice and the rest when I come back) 

I enjoy exercising in the morning as it prepares me for the day ahead and by 7 am I have already done something which makes me feel good. 

I don’t know if it is an adrenaline rush or whether it’s the endorphins but I just feel so good that I have accomplished something before 7 am. It such a great day starter! 

I do train in the afternoon – it just depends on my schedule, but my preferred time is in the morning.

So dropping 5 kilo’s which you’ve struggled with over the last 6 years has been a huge game-changer! Can you explain what you did? 

#1 I Altered my diet- 

I was eating more food than I was burning. When eating out, a good example is one of my local cafes do a healthy bowl: sautéed greens, nuts, seeds, 1 egg, 1/2 avocado, sweet potato and halloumi which you would think that opting for a healthy meal would be right, however, some of these meals are so high in calories that it is best not to have them. An Acai bowl is another example; healthy -but can be over 1500 calories for the bowl,  so for a shorty like me, this is way too much. Not saying I don’t eat big meals but I am now mindful of my activity levels and what I choose to eat that day. I also wasn’t eating near enough vegetables. Tip: to add more veggies in your day, cut up celery, capsicum and carrot sticks on a Sunday so they are ready for the week for you to snack on with almond butter or avocado dip or a home-made Hummus Dip.

Here are three days of what I eat:

An activity day- example 1. 

Wake up: Energizer juice with Black tea (Nature’s Cuppa Organic) with almond milk (Nutty Bruce).  

Gym or Run

Post Training/ Breakfast: Smoothie Bowl- Plant Protein (Salted Caramel Plant Alone), water, unstabilised oats, handful spinach, 3/4 cup frozen rasberries + a coffee. I have 1/2 shot Almond Latte. 

Snack: Carrots with avo dip or nut butter. 

Lunch: Stir-fry veggies (Tepanyaki style), fresh salad, + slow cooker beans/lentils/legumes mix, 1 tbsp sauerkraut and a sprinkle of Nutritional Yeast. 

Dinner: Rice cakes, Sardines, veggie soup. 

Dessert: Frozen banana with cacao nibs. 

An activity day- example 2.

Wake up: Energizer juice and a Black tea (Nature’s Cuppa Organic) with almond milk (Nutty Bruce).  

Gym or Run 

Post Training/ Breakfast: 1 piece of Super Seeded Paleo Toast, 2 eggs, 2 egg whites, semi-dried or fresh tomato, fresh spinach and 1tbsp sauerkraut + I have 1/2 shot Almond Latte. 

Snack: Chia Pudding + blueberries or home-made Banana Bread (from the 90 Day Uber Shape Nutrition Plan Guide)

Lunch: Veggie Curry with white potato or basmati rice. 

Dinner: Steam veggies, BBQ mushrooms, chickpeas, black beans or salmon.  

Dessert: Chai Tea with paw paw fruit. 

A rest day- 

Wake up: Energizer juice and a Black tea (Nature’s Cuppa Organic) with almond milk (Nutty Bruce). 

Brekky- Protein Pancakes (from the Uber Shape 90 Day Nutrition Plan Guide), frozen rasberries/fresh paw paw + I have 1/2 shot Almond Latte. 

Lunch- Lentil/Veggie burger patties/tofu/or steak with a gigantic colourful salad; lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, carrots, capsicum, gherkins or green olives. 

Snack- carrots + celery with black bean dip or beetroot dip. 

Dinner- Pumpkin soup, and BBQ or steamed  fibrous veggies- (broccolini, capsicums, onion, zucchini)  

Dessert- 85% Dark Lindt Choc 2 squares with a Chai Tea or yoghurt with fresh passionfruit. 

These are just example days, I have a lot more meals, but again a small example :)) 

#2 My Training Has Changed:

I am fortunate enough to have been weight training for many years so I have a strong foundation of strength training, which has made it a lot easier to enjoy outdoor activities like running and cycling. For example: in POGO’s “Pain Free’ Doesn’t Mean Easy” Podcast; he speaks about strength training helping with minimising injuries, improves your bone health and running performance. 

For me I like to have a plan, goals and accountability. At the moment my balance is 3 strength training sessions a week, lower body, upper body and an Energize Class. Also; 3 runs a week- intervals with the Uber Shape Run Squad, long run and a short run. It is important to make it fun/ social but ultimately it comes down to you scheduling it into your week and making the exercise happen. I use an excel spreadsheet; write down my training and my cycle so I can keep track of how I am feeling and will re-shuffle my training around if I need more rest etc. 

One other simple thing I’ve learnt is that daily steps really do count. It’s very common to sit down and do less than 5000 steps a day. To get up around 10 000 steps per day is a must! Makes a huge difference and adds an extra 20mins of exercise to your day. A Garmin Watch is great for this. 

What are your top 3 lifestyle habits? Stress? How do we handle stress and fear? 

Getting sleep is a stress squasher! 7-8 hours a night for me, this looks different for everyone as to what is going on in your world at the time. 

#3 Changed My Mindset:

The language I spoke over myself was important. An easy example is: I want to be strong, I want to get better at running, I wish I was leaner. This meant nothing. Instead, I started saying; I am strong, I am a runner, I am consistent, I am a leader. Tell yourself the person who you want to be. 

Have a positive outlook on life. Be consistent and show up every single day is way more important than being perfect. Some days are great, some exercise sessions are great and you can lift really well, some runs have great views others are a fight. Nothing is perfect in all of that, and I learnt things about myself I didn’t know. 

Ask yourself what habits can you change? 

If you feel stuck don’t assume that you lack self-control or will power you just need to adjust a few things along the way in your journey, be consistent and you will achieve 🙂 

Health is never an end goal- myself and Coby are always changing and looking for ways to improve our health and nutrition through research and trial and error- just like other parts of life, how to teach children, how to run a business, learning never ends, we all are on a journey to better ourselves.

I hope you can pull a few things out of this to help you on your health journey. Allow praise, gratitude, and laughter to replace life-limiting comparisons and watch yourself blossom!! Follow my Instagram nikkivan_  I am more than happy to be friends and help in anyway I can 🙂 

Lastest QLD Update for gyms.
Stage 2 Commences 12PM Monday

Queensland Government has updated “Phase 2” by bringing it forward to the June 1st 12:00pm- that being Tomorrow. Gatherings of 20 are now permitted in weddings, pools*, public spaces, parks, outdoor gyms, Libraries*, hiking, places of worship*, non-contact indoor & outdoor sports*, personal training, playground equipment, museums*, art galleries* and historic sites*, gyms * health clubs and yoga studios.

What does it mean for Uber Shape?
Phase 2 JUNE 1st 12:00pm
We will be commencing indoor activity following a COVID-19 Safety plan as advised by Fitness Australia. From 12:00pm tomorrow all classes and personal training will resume as normal.

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