Based on this definition I seem to know a lot of people who are pretty insane

Especially when it comes to health and fitness

Here’s the cycle I see over and over again:

Go all out and pile on the pounds on holiday

Come back and jump on the latest fad diet or exercise programme

Manage to stick to it for a few weeks then fall off the wagon because it’s too bloody restrictive and makes you miserable

Then feel crap about yourself for not being able to stick to what you said you would do

And because you feel miserable anyway you comfort eat or use booze to make yourself feel better

And so the cycle repeats. The whole process will begin again in January with the new year new you bandwagon

Sound familiar?

This process is basically setting yourself up to fail

And every time you fail and don’t keep the promises you make to yourself, your self esteem gets that litter bit lower

I used to do this too so I know exactly how frustrating it is

It wasn’t until I learned about brain science and mindset that I learned a better way

Along with exercising, you need to actually re-wire your brain to create new habits

And find a way to make it enjoyable. The brain will only uptake new habits if it associates it with pleasure

Fat loss is both a mental and physical journey. Most people only do the physical bit. They spent all their time focussing on the diet and exercise and pretty much no time exploring the beliefs and mindset that is keeping them stuck. If you don’t change your mindset and create a new identity then nothing really changes. When things get tough you’ll simply revert back to old behaviour patterns

I believe this is why most people are not getting the results they want. It’s almost as if we self sabotage and get in our own way.

If this sounds like you and you are ready to try a different approach, I’m looking for 6 people for my new Make the Weight programme starting in October. Along with a structured training programme and nutrition plan, Make the Weight involves weekly mindset coaching to help you understand and change the behaviours and beliefs keeping you stuck

If you are interested in finding out more about the programme, I’m offering free consultations throughout September

If you are ready to get off the insanity cycle and stop doing what isn’t working, just hit the ink and fill out the application to book one in https://12rounds.wufoo.com/forms/make-the-weight-application/

On Sunday 23rd I will be stepping back into the ring for first time in about 4 years

I didn’t think I would fight again

Anyone who knows me will know last year I went through a pretty rough time
I thought I was completely beaten. When my marriage collapsed my whole world fell apart. I was broken, scared, anxious and lower than I’ve ever been. At one point I weighed just 55kg the lowest I’ve ever been in my life and I did not look good!

You could say life had knocked me down.

It’s taken me the last year to put my life back together. The love and support of my friends and family got me through those dark days and have really helped me get my life back on track

And I got a new love. I fell in love with boxing again. For a while I’d lost my passion for it. I wanted to move on to other things. But it’s been the boxing that’s really helped me rebuild my confidence. Seeing my fitness and technique improve week by week. Getting through those tough sessions when I didn’t think I could and ending on a high

The last 10 weeks have been an amazing physical and mental journey for me. I’ve gone from feelings of self doubt to feeling unstoppable. The journey has given me a focus, inspiration and feelings of confidence and inner strength that I had completely lost. Doing this fight is about proving to myself that I’m far from beaten. In fact I believe getting a knock down just makes you come back stronger. And I wanted to step up and lead my team, go through the journey with them

This is my fight for anyone who’s ever felt that life has knocked them down. We all get knocked down sometimes.

This is about getting back up.

I’d absolutely love you to come along and support me on 23rd July. Show starts at 5pm at Clapham Grand

Tickets £25 available from 12 Rounds Boxing

I promise to put on a show :)

The first rule of fight skool – tell everyone about fight skool

Last week we started our first fight skool programme at 12 Rounds

10 weeks of intense training with the end goal of a fight at Clapham Grand on 23rd July

Despite my utter terror, I’ve decided to join

Something I’ve thought about for years is getting back in the ring

I love the team spirit and the camaraderie of fighting. I loved having a goal and something to work towards

But it’s a big commitment. Training for a fight is incredibly tough, both mentally and physically. For the last few years I’ve not had the time or energy to give boxing competitively

I’m not sure what changed. Maybe the fact that our fighters are mostly newbies to the ring and I want to lead by example and take this journey with them

Or it could just be that I got drunk at the Joshua/Klitschko event and told everyone I was going to do it 😂 (I’m pretty brave when full of vodka!)

And that’s my point today. If you’ve got a goal and something you want to achieve – tell everyone about it

For me, it keeps me accountable and means I won’t back out

Following through on what you say you’ll do is really important to me. I guess it comes back to integrity. If I say if going to do something, I’m all in. I hate letting people down

And keeping the promises you make to yourself is massively connected to self esteem. A lot of time this is something we don’t do, then we wonder why we don’t trust ourself. Think about it, do you like or trust someone who continually doesn’t do what they say they will?

So if there’s something you want to achieve, tell everyone you know about it. It will keep you accountable and committed

‘Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in had left you

Have a great week 😊

Kat x

ps. If you think you’ve got what it takes to get behind the ropes, we still have a few spaces left to jump onboard the programme

Email info@12roundsboxing.co.uk for details

And if you tell people about our fight skool, it will be great marketing for us too 😂

Last week I posted guest blog on best exercises to do to get a boxers physique

At this time of year (and especially after an Easter Egg binge) many of us are starting to panic about getting in shape for summer

Exercise is just one small part of it. If you really want to drop body fat you’ve got to get your diet right.

Here’s a few tips today to reset habits and mkick start your summer body

Mindset
Before you even think about what to eat, you need to get in the right mindset. You need to have a clear goal and a strong emotional attachment to your goal. Saying you want to lose a stone is not usually enough. It might get you motivated but it won’t keep you on track when you’re having a rough day. I say to my clients, what the reason behind your goal. Every goal is a search for a feeling so how do you want to feel? What will change for you when you are a stone lighter? What will you be doing, saying, feeling?

Preparation
Now your in the right mindset, the next step is to make sure you are prepared. Get rid of any processed food and unhealthy snacks. You’ll only be tempted to eat them. Not sure what’s processed? Here’s a hint – anything that contains more than one ingredient is processed in some way. Foods that have a long list of ingredients and long shelf life are highly processed. Try to stick to foods that have one of two ingredients. In today’s culture of convenience, it’s hard to avoid processed food completely. Follow the 80/20 rule. If the bulk of your diet comes from natural food (meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts) then the body can handle 20% food that’s not quite so pure!

Consistent exercise
Get consistent with your training. Be realistic about what you can fit in. Trying to overdo it and train 6 days a week when you are unconditioned is a clear road to failure. Whether it’s starting at 2 or 3 x a week, find a routine that you can be consistent with first, THEN look at increasing time, weight, intensity…… another hint – the best exercise programme is the one you actually do. The only way you will do something consistently is if you enjoy it. Find something that’s going to be fun!

Sleep
Most people completely underestimate how sleep impacts on fat loss. When you sleep your body repairs itself. All the hormones and chemical reactions that we need for fat loss happen during the recovery phrase – exercise itself is just a stimulus for the body to adapt. If we don’t allow ourselves to sleep enough the results we get are compromised. Also our bodies are also programmed to work around the circadian cycle. E.g. to sleep and repair when it gets dark and wake up when it’s light. Try to go to bed an hour earlier and have a curfew on any lights including phones, laptops and TV at least an hour before bed

Reduce your carbs
I’m not a fan of cutting out any food groups but in western culture we are often over reliant on carbs especially refined carbs like bread, pasta, cakes and pastries. Eating a diet high in these foods affects our insulin sensitivity. What this means is it can make out body more prone to storing the excess sugar in our fat cells. If you’ve been used to eating a diet high in carbs (or beige foods as I like to call it!) it means your body always has glucose available to burn. Glucose is the body’s preferred energy source so that means while it has steady supply, it won’t burn fat. Cutting your carbs initially will help you re-train your body to get energy from fat stores. It doesn’t have to be forever, you can re-introduce when your body is working more efficiently

Support
Whatever programme you choose to follow, make sure you feel fully supported. The brain is constantly seeking safety and connection, the more supported you feel the happier your brain will be and a happy brain will keep you on track to getting results. There are a million methods and programmes out there. Chose one that’s right for you and that comes with the level of support you require. I’m generally a fan of group training programmes as I know that the camaraderie and also the competitive element works for me. Some people might work better to a one to one approach

Also tell your friends and family what you are doing and explain to them what support you need. If you are not clear on that yourself, it’s difficult for other people to understand how they can best support you

DON’T eat every 4 hours
Ok I know this may sound contradictory to what you might have previous heard about fat loss. You may have heard that if you skip a meal you’ll go into starvation mode. Now let’s think about that, most of us have usually consumed enough calories and have enough fat stores to keep us going for some time. And eating fewer meals will give your digestive system a well earned break. It’s all about re-training yourself. If you are used to eating frequently see if you can go an extra hour without eating and gradually cut down your meals to 3 a day. Try to have a 12 hour break overnight too, if your last meal is at 7pm, make sure you don’t eat before 7am the next day.

My last tip is have the odd treat from time to time and make sure you enjoy it. The journey to fitness and fat loss shouldn’t be a punishment!

If you need help with any of the above our next Make the Weight programme starts on 8th May

https://12rounds.wufoo.com/forms/zxfy7670viqdhm/

Consistent programmed training in a small supportive group along with nutrition and mindset support. Simples

Kat

Ps.  Here’s a picture of Claira, who’s just completed the programme.  She has a new problem now, she has to buy new clothes!

The last few weeks I’ve been writing about our fighters and our members

Today I wanted to share a bit about my own journey, it’s kinda deep (and a bit long) so free feel to switch off if you don’t like that shit

This blog wasn’t easy to write.  In fact it was so hard that I almost didn’t post it.  Being vulnerable is never easy but having courage is really important to me.  I believe showing your vulnerabilities is a statement of true courage, so here goes

I’ve always wanted to help people

When I was younger I went through some pretty tough times with my mental health (would take too long to get into it now but put it this way I knew what it was like not to value yourself and have really low self esteem). It sucks to not feel like your good enough, to not feel important.  I wanted to help other people not feel like this and recognise their own greatness and self worth

I started as a support worker, then a social worker but that didn’t really fit.  I realise now that I wasn’t my own values weren’t in alignment with the ‘system’

I got into the fitness industry for me.  Was something I’d always been interested in.  Fitness has helped me so much.  In fact when I was in the depths of my depression, seeing my personal trainer 2 x a week was the highlight of my week.  Not only did I get endorphins from working out but someone asked me how I was, spent time talking to me when I felt invisible.  That trainer prob has no idea how much he helped me

And that’s kind of what happened to me

I had no idea how much I was helping people as a trainer. How much I was already improving people’s confidence and how they felt about themselves

Once I opened my gym, I lost my way a bit.  It wasn’t so much that the power got up my head.  I just thought I needed to be more.  I thought that to really help people I needed to be an amazing coach, I needed to be on stage, I needed to be respected in the industry.  To put it blatantly, I didn’t believe I was enough.  I thought I needed to be more, know more, learn more…,Instead of putting my energy into my clients, my energy was often going into impressing other coaches and business owners.  Crazy right?

The term is ‘up my own arse’  springs to mind.  Maybe that’s a bit harsh, I was def self absorbed though.  I was so focussed in trying to improve me that I forgot about the people I was already helping.   I even made some of my members feel unvalued, unimportant and even hurt. The exact opposite of how I want to make people feel.  Wtf is with that? (I know this to be true because one of those members who has become a very good friend, told me)

This post is not about beating myself up.  It’s about recognising I’m human and as a human I’ve make mistakes

Last year when my life fell apart it was the best thing that could have happened to me.  The universe gave me a shake up to bring me back to the person I want to be, to bring me back to my true purpose of helping people

The worst thing about my ‘up my own arse’ phase was that for a while I lost my kindness

Kindness is my most important value.  I believe that simple acts of kindness is what can change the world.  We all have that power to change how someone feels instantly.  I think that’s pretty amazing.

And we also have the power to change our story anytime we want.

‘Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around’ – my favourite quote from Vanilla Sky

I got very lost for a while.  I guess we all go off track sometimes.  And maybe we even need things to fall apart to remember what’s really important and to remember who we really are

I’ve learned that you don’t always have to move mountains to help people.  Sometimes it’s the smallest things that create the biggest impact. A smile, some encouragement, a hug…These days I give freely with no outcome attached.  I know the universe has got my back and the energy I put out will always come back to me tenfold

So this post is just really to say how grateful I am for all the ups and the downs.  For the people who stood by me when I was a bit lost and gave me a second chance. For the universe for kicking my arse and bringing me back to me.  I’m so glad I found my path again and learned for my mistakes.

Always grateful, always learning

Kat xx

Something I used to really struggle with was being able to focus on one thing

A year ago I was in such a hurry to do everything.  I wanted to build a world class boxing gym, an online course, run retreats, write a book, publish my blogs, start a charity……

I couldn’t understand why didn’t make much progress as I know I’m capable of doing all those things

But maybe not all at once

My problem was my focus was all over the place. It’s really hard to give your attention to so many things!

Last year when my life came crashing down, I had to slow down the pace I was living at and build everything back up

Focus on one thing at a time

Firstly building my gym and serving the members who already train here.   Lately my focus has just been on making 12 Rounds completely fucking awesome

Funnily enough since I gave it my full attention, my business has gone from strength to strength.

And I’m so much happier and fulfilled.

If you feel like any area of your life is not progressing as you want it, ask yourself how much attention are you giving that area?

The state of each area of your life is a direct result of the time, energy and focus put into it. Whether it’s your health and fitness, relationship or business – if you want something to improve you need to stay focussed on it.

Here’s a few tips that have helped me

1. Have clear goals on what you want to achieve and why. Get clear on your intention behind it. How will reaching the goal make you feel? For me creating a happy environment to work in and seeing both clients and trainers progressing is what keeps me motivated
2. Stop comparing. I used to be really guilty of comparing myself to other people. Since I stopped doing this both my productivity and happiness has improved massively. Comparison really is the thief of happiness. You are where you are, we all have different starting points and circumstances. Stay focussed on your own game. There’s always going to be someone who’s slimmer, fitter, richer……
3. Have a way to track your progress. I use a scoring system to score each area of my life out of 10. I did this recently and compared the results to 6 months ago and the difference was amazing. If it’s your fitness this is really simple – like how many push ups/burpees can you do in a minute? Test yourself every month to see the improvement.
4. Take action daily – even if it’s just really small action. Progress equals happiness. When we feel like we’re not making progress is when we get deflated and give up. Even if you just do one thing every day to take you closer to your goal then your still making progress
5. Don’t try to run before you can walk. What I struggle with most is trying to jump ahead. Build the foundations first. Think about it you wouldn’t get in the ring and compete without knowing basic boxing technique first right? So why do we give ourself a hard time for taking time to learn something new. Everything in life is a case of mastering skills. Identify what skills you need and create rituals to practice them everyday. Just like shadow boxing. simples 😊

So my focus is on making 12 Rounds even more awesome this year first before I take on any new challenges.

What’s yours?

Kat x

ps. If you want to get focussed on your fitness, we still have a few spaces left on our April Boxing Fundamentals course

Just sayin 😊

Pushing each other to your limits, punching and getting sweaty. Not what you would expect from the usual date night

We get a lot of couples training with us here at 12 Rounds. As I’m sure you know boxing gets out a lot of stress. Everyone who trains with us leaves feeling lighter and happier. And it’s fun. So it makes sense that it’s a great way to spend time with your partner

Today I thought I’d tell you a bit about our star couple. At 12 Rounds we like to give a bit of recognition to our members that we feel have worked extra hard. This month our member of the month award went to one of our couples Kystle and Lewis. Kyrstle and Lewis haven’t actually been training with us that long but they loved it so much they’ve been top attenders and moved up our skill levels in the fastest time to date. When Kyrstle injured her wrist we thought we wouldn’t see them for months. But no she found a way to train around her injury. She’s been boxing with one hand for the last few months and hasn’t missed a session. Now that’s commitment!

Here’s a bit about their journey

1. What prompted you to start training at 12 Rounds?

We recently moved to London after travelling the world for 12 months and were interested in joining up to something to keep fit. We used to rock climb a lot in Australia (especially as we had a climbing gym down the road from where we lived). Lewis used to do boxing, Kyrstle did Karate (a decade ago!) So we were both interested in the boxing gym. We decided to join up to fundamentals and take it from there.

2. You’ve progressed through the levels really fast. Tell us about your journey so far

We have always trained together (whether it be climbing, running, gym etc) so we naturally push each other. We are not afraid to call each other out if we think the other person is doing something incorrect or is being a bit slack. We also provide each other a lot of support and encouragement – that’s just how we make each other work harder.

3. What do you enjoy most about the training?

All the coaches are encouraging and bring a certain energy to the training. It feels great learning new techniques and constantly being challenged. We really love when we get pushed to train hard.

4. Kyrstle, what’s kept you motivated to train through an injury?

We are getting married in April, so I have to keep fit so I look fit in my dress! Hahaha But even if this wasn’t the case, I would still train. I like the feeling after training, like I have accomplished something. Having an injury shouldn’t stop anyone from training. There are always alternative exercises you can do. The healthier you are, the quicker you heal. The coaches at 12 Rounds have been really supportive and accommodating, coming up with ways so I can still train.

5. What are your goals going forward?

Lewis: to continue improving my fitness and skills.

Kyrstle: to continue to improve my skills and technique. I also want to be skilled enough that I feel comfortable in Southpaw as well. Once I’m healed I’m looking forward to doing some sparring.

6. You guys train together regularly. What would you say to any other couples who are thinking of taking up boxing?

Do it! It’s a great workout! It’s not all about how hard you can hit. There is a lot more skill involved than just throwing a punch. It’s definitely a sport anyone can participate in.
If you’re looking for a different kind of date night. A fun way to connect and spend time with your partner, come and give boxing a try.  Check out our beginner Fundamentals courses to start your journey.  Courses beginning every month