Natalie Parry
Stories (15/0)
Basic to Bikini: 28 weeks out - habits + routine
I’ve got a lot of feels at this point. You know when you have so many thoughts that your brain just kind of goes silent? That’s where I’m at. There is a lot going on right now, not just for me, but for everyone – you know, that pesky virus and all. But I’m determined to stick to my prep as best as I can, although my Coles is making that a tad difficult with the obvious lack of chicken breast, beef mince and turkey mince on the shelves. Ah hello, I have macros to meet..
By Natalie Parry4 years ago in Longevity
Basic to Bikini: Week five and six - sugar cravings and the perfect balance
Let's get straight into this one, shall we? Week five was not a great one for me – actually, I’m going to say it was the toughest week of my prep thus far (yes, I’m very well aware it’s going to get harder – this is what I signed up for after all). It wasn’t horrendous, it was just tough, physically and mentally tough. My body was tired, I’d come down a bit ill, my motivation levels were low, I could feel my discipline hanging on by a thread – I think it’s safe to say the previous four weeks were catching up to me and my body was just going through a little adjustment period, which I was expecting; I’ve never eaten or trained like this in my life so I knew my body would rebel. The way I got through it? I put myself – in particular my mental health – first: rested when I could and just rode the wave, so to speak. My advice to you if you’re going through a change and feel like it’s getting too hard: remember your why. Change is like climbing a mountain. There is a very good chance you are inches away from experiencing that change at its peak (reaching the very top of the mountain and just as it all feels like it’s becoming too much, you reach the top and it gets easier from there. Hang in there – it can’t last forever. Use this challenge to strengthen your willpower and discipline.
By Natalie Parry4 years ago in Longevity
Basic to Bikini: Week four - fear of failure
I stepped on the scales again for my weekly check-in, sure that I had lost more weight. I felt lighter, I had noticed obvious changes in my body composition, I stuck to my diet, but I was surprised when I saw my weight had increased. How is that possible? I thought. I’ve done so well this week. What if I can’t do this? What if I can’t lose that much body fat? I’ll let down so many people: myself, my coach, family and friends. The fear of failing had never been so strong. Was I catastrophising? 100% but that’s what fear does. It makes you think of every worst possible – sometimes impossible – scenario.
By Natalie Parry4 years ago in Longevity
Basic to Bikini: Week three – staying on track, posing + first family event
Wowee – what a week! I’m not naïve enough to believe this prep was going to come without challenges; I knew life would throw some stuff at me because that’s what it does, I didn’t expect it to come so quickly though. I’ve said it a thousand times, and I’ll say it until the end of time, with whatever you are doing, you have to know your ‘why’.
By Natalie Parry4 years ago in Longevity
How to follow your dreams
I believe we are all dreamers but only the brave, the curious, the risk takers, have opened themselves up to their dreams – everyone else is scared. Scared of what other people might think, scared of what it might change within them, scared that they won’t be happy when they acknowledge their dream and compare it to the life they have built, scared of trying, of failing, of letting themselves down. We have to stop allowing fear to control our lives. Fear doesn’t do anything except take away happiness, love and fulfilment.
By Natalie Parry4 years ago in Motivation
Basic to Bikini: Week one and everything before it
I, like many, am a walking contradiction. I hate garlic but love garlic bread. I hate onions but love pickled onions. I’m incredibly easy-going but need to know all the details before I make a decision. I’m laid back but also a bit of a perfectionist.
By Natalie Parry4 years ago in Longevity
Basic to Bikini: Why?
‘Do you win anything?’ was the first question I was asked when I told a friend I was going to compete as a bikini competitor. Surprisingly, this was not actually a common question, although I did expect it. I mean, why would anyone want to put their body through what I’m about to? But in actual fact, many of my family and friends were incredibly supportive; however, that’s not why I decided to do it. The ‘why’ is something I thought about a lot prior to deciding to compete. In fact, my ‘why’ is the one thing that has never faltered, even when I umm’d and ahh’d for months, going back over why I would want to sacrifice so much and put my body to the absolute test. And the truth is, that is what forms my ‘why’.
By Natalie Parry4 years ago in Motivation
First steps to a friendlier footprint
Climate change is no secret. I’m sure you’ve heard the words being thrown around; maybe you’re all over what it means, maybe you have no idea. Either way, you’re probably thinking “yeah, I care about the environment, but man, where do I even start?” Here are some simple ways you can start leaving a cleaner footprint on our beautiful planet:
By Natalie Parry4 years ago in Lifehack
How to Pick the Perfect First Date
Blind dates, Tinder or Bumble matches, however you meet your potential partner, it’s important that you plan a first date that keeps you safe. But labelling a date as ‘safe’ isn’t exactly going to get the spark going is it? Never have I been excited for a date because of the prospect of how safe it is. We want fun, chemistry, and a smidge of romance, but also the chance to make an escape if we feel like we need to, or if the date is just going so horrible you would rather stick pins in your eyes. It's ok, we’ve all been there. Jokes aside though, it is really important when you’re meeting someone new for the first time that you take some precautions – you are meeting a complete stranger after all.
By Natalie Parry4 years ago in Humans