Lil Miss Outgoing: My day in photos :%

Hi guys! I thought I would do a different type of post today - my day in photos !

I had a day off work today and I wanted to make the most of it! I went out with my friends to central London.

Here are some photos:

I went to Vapianos (my fave restaurant) in London. I highly recommend you check this out if you like Italian food!

This is inside Vapianos. It's so beautiful and the staff are very friendly!

My iPhone screen cracked yesterday (after owning it for over 2 years!) - just thought I'd show you all *sob*

I went to Ripley's believe it or not! It's a museum full of cool facts and weird artefact's. This Mini is my dream car!!

I also saw this in the museum - gorgeous!!

I went to Pinkberry in Selfridges! I had my frozen yoghurt with strawberries, mangoes and mixed nuts (mmmm...)

I saw this in the museum shop and found it hilarious lol

The musuem contained Marilyn Monroes' personal items

Pretty chandelier inside the museum :)

I also watched the Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Amazing film!! Definitely one of the best films I have seen this year! Source.

 I can't believe I had this much fun on a Tuesday!!

How was your day?

 Love from Roshas xx

Lil Miss Flexible: 10 minute solution Pilates perfect body DVD review *

Hi guys! 

I'm going to review a workout DVD called 'Pilates Perfect Body' by Suzanne Bowen (a personal trainer in America). Pilates is a body conditioning routine that helps to not only build flexibility, but also strength, endurance, and coordination in the legs, abdominals, arms and back. Since I've been doing Pilates, I have noticed a massive difference in my body! As long as you total it up with cardio, you will notice great results. I've noticed that my posture has improved, as well as the shape of my body. Rumour has it, Pippa Middleton does Pilates to stay trim!!

This DVD has 5 exercise segments which are 10 minutes long!

Source

'No time to exercise? We have the solution for you the 10 Minute Solution! Everyone can find at least ten minutes in their day, and we've developed 5 innovative workouts that are just 10 minutes each. Because many of the traits associated with the perfect Pilates body are dancer s traits, these programmes focus on Pilates and give you an added bonus: some subtle elements of dance training for graceful elegance. The quick workouts fit into even the busiest of schedules. Split them into 5 separate routines or do them all together for one incredible Pilates Perfect Body workout!''

 I'm going to quickly summarise each workout.

• Pilates Perfect Arms -'Use light hand weights and your own body weight to beautiful sculpt your arms while also working your shoulders, upper back and chest'- unfortunately, I've only done this once. The reason being is because I have 3lb weights, and I felt that I could not complete the exercises. I'm going to buy a set of 2lb weights for this workout.
• Pilates Perfect Belly - 'Whittle your waist and flatten your tummy while you strengthen your entire core with innovative twists on traditional Pilates moves 'I love this workout! It is super tough - with all the twists and the turns. I would not recommend to start with this workout if you are a beginner purely because it's very challenging.
• Pilates Perfect Buns and Thighs - 'This modern take on classic mat Pilates will give you a perfectly toned and lifted lower body' - Wow this works my legs hard. After doing this, I usually cannot walk properly the next day. It is worth it though! I've noticed a slight definition since doing this ;)
• Pilates Perfect Silhouette - 'Compound Pilates exercises will effectively tighten and tone all the right places, sculpting sexy curves when you want them and creating a gorgeous body line' - I love this workout. I tend to do it when I want an easy going workout. It's great for your posture and really helps improve your balance.
• Pilates Perfect Stretch- 'Using fluid motion, this stretch will make your everyday movements look more effortless and improve your posture, which is a key part of the Pilates Perfect Body' -  when I work out, I tend to use weights or do a lot of cardio. This can make my muscles feel very sore. This Pilates perfect stretch workout helps me to cool down after the work out. People don't realise the importance of stretching - not only does it help prevent injury but it gives you definition!

Summary:
Method: I try to use this as a supplement to other workout DVDs. Remember, you can't tone up without cardio first!
Has it made a difference to your body? -Yes, I've noticed a change in posture. What's more, my body looks leaner.
What is the trainer like? I love Suzanne Bowen! She's a great motivator and always has a gorgeous smile on her face. Her great energy makes me want to work out even more! The trainer is also easy to keep up with - trust me, I have the WORST rhythm in the whole world (if I can keep up with her, anyone can!)
Advantages: Sometimes when I'm not bothered to exercise, I do three sections at a time. The good thing about this DVD is the customisation - you can do how many you want. Usually I incorporate it with cardio for some serious results. Pilates is also very relaxing - and I look forward to it.
Disadvantages-Pilates alone won't give you a perfect body - like I said, team it up with cardio.
Is it good for beginners?I would say yes. The 'Pilates Perfect Belly' is very difficult, so I suggest you try the 'Pilates Perfect Stretch' and 'Pilates Perfect Silhouette' first as I find them easier than the others. 

Price: £4.99 from Amazon. 

Celebrities who do Pilates (thought I'd add this bonus section to motivate you guys!): 

“I'm a Pilates person. It's great. I had a hip problem. I had a chronic back, a pinched nerve and a hip problem and it's completely solved all of it. I love it. It makes me feel like I'm taller.”

– Jennifer Aniston, TV and movie star

 “Pilates is the only exercise programme that has changed my body and made me feel great.”– Jamie Lee Curtis, movie star

 'What do I like most about Pilates? 'The fact that I can really feel my body working. I might do 250 crunches but my body is so used to them that I don't really feel them. With Pilates, I can really feel [my abdominals] even if I only do six or 12 repetitions.”

– Joan Collins, actress and writer, who first started doing Pilates over 20 years ago

I do Pilates four or five times a week. The benefits are subtle, but it increases your flexibility and really tones you up. It also straightens your spine and improves your posture. In the past eight years, I've grown more than two and a half inches (6cm). I am 5ft 7ins (1.70m) and I am very pleased with that.”

– Belinda Carlisle, singer and pop icon.

Source

 Source

Have you tried Pilates before? (If so, let me know how you found it!)

Lil Miss Healthy: Weight Management Tips :$

I'm back again with a health post. If you want to read about my weight loss journey, click here. 

Just to recap anyway, I've been chubby most of my life; I was even bullied about my weight. Back in 2009, I weighed myself and realised I was nearly overweight and I had simply had enough of my body. Since that day I decided to take care of my body, and most important of all, my health. I was always ill (every other week might I add), had low energy and was generally moody! Since losing the weight, I feel full of energy, my mood has improved - and I'm hardly ever ill (yay!)

I've noticed that there are lots of tips on losing weight, but hardly on maintaining it. Losing weight is half the battle when it comes to weight loss.. but how about maintaining it?What's the point of only losing weight and keeping it off for a few months? Don't you want it to last forever?

I know countless people who embark on so called 'crash diets', and then once they have reached their weight loss goal, they simply go back to eating normally again, sometimes even eating more to make up for their lack of eating during the diet. 

During my weight loss journey, I ate whatever I wanted. I still do now - in fact I eat more than I used to. The reason is because my metabolism has increased. When you starve yourself, your body slows down and stores the fat just in case you happen to starve yourself again. In fact, I put on weight in Morocco due to not eating enough!!

Here are some photos of my weight loss journey.. and my journey after I reached my target weight:

     Summer 2009:  1) 62kg     2) 62kg  

December 2009: 3) 60kg

February 2010:  4) 58kg

 5) September 2010: 52kg

6) April 2011: 53kg

7) June 2011: 52kg

This is my weight loss journey, resembled by a bunch of skinny arm poses (sorry about that!)

Here are my tips on maintaining your weight:

•  First of all, never, ever forbid yourself from food that you love. I love chocolate - I eat it a few times a week and I never feel guilty. There's no point denying yourself from food you love because you'll end up craving it more and most probably end up bingeing it.
• Do not starve yourself. When I went to Morocco I was not eating enough. This resulted in weight gain. When you starve yourself, your body goes into 'survival mode'. It also slows down your metabolism and your body starts to store fat. Starving yourself wrecks your metabolism (which I believe is a major factor in losing and maintaing weight).
• I feel that my metabolism has increased since changing my eating patterns. I used to eat very little when I weighed more and now my father tells me off for eating too much! My basal metabolism has increased because I eat often, I never starve myself and I exercise.
• Speaking of exercise, try it. You don't have to spend hours in the gym, even walking, dancing in your room, generally moving around more during the day helps. Every little helps ;)
• Instead of feeling sorry for yourself if you gain weight or you're having a bad day, do something to solve it! Feeling bad may cause you to eat emotionally  which will cause you to gain even more weight - it's a never ending cycle!
• Avoid relying on weighing scales. I weigh more than I did last year but it may be due to muscle gain. I work out using weights at least three times a week so it may be possible. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat. Furthermore, during your menstrual cycle you will weigh at least two pounds more - so I suggest you avoid doing that.
• Don't be a slave to your cravings. Whenever I crave food, I try to imagine eating that particular food with hair to put myself off it! Cravings don't mean hunger - eating when you are actually hungry is way more fulfilling.
• Get enough sleep. Studies show that lack of sleep causes people to eat way more. I've noticed this personally too.
• Don't just stop exercising when you've reached your goal. The whole of July, I did not exercise (due to going on holiday). I noticed a difference in my overall health; I was tired, moody and my body was starting to lose it's tone. Try to make exercise fun for you - I have many work out DVDs but I only do the ones I actually enjoy.
• If you do feel guilty about eating junk food, try to eat healthier throughout the day or even exercise.  
• I love green tea as well as warm water and lemon as a metabolism quick fix.
• If you really want to diet, Weight Watchers have a weight management scheme that is pretty good (and it's free after you've embarked on the Weight Watchers diet).
• As you may know, I used the Paul Mckenna system to lose weight. I still don't follow all his rules, but I do try to listen to the mind programming C.D for some extra motivation (it seems creepy but it actually works) Check out my Paul Mckenna post here (if you're interested)
• Remember, diets are only temporary. If you want to lose weight forever, you must create a management plan that you can do forever. Don't be too restrictive!I've known people who have spent thousands of pounds of losing weight, instead, change your mind set, set a goal, do it for free and spend those thousands a lovely holiday as a treat!
• Think positive, imagine your ideal body instead of focusing on your negative parts. I still want to lose my stomach (my major trouble area) but I know I can do it if I work out enough and avoid eating too much. 
• I was always told that I was naturally big, and there was nothing I could do about my weight. People used to put me down, and they still do. Now I get people making horrible comments such as ' I bet you hardly eat', 'You need to eat more', 'Make sure you don't lose anymore weight, you'll look disgusting'. All I can say is, don't let people put you down. I've noticed a lot of people being very happy for me whereas others were simply annoyed. I felt that I had to justify that I eat by eating more in front of them, but now I've decided that they've probably got their own insecurities and are trying to demotivate me. If I was starving myself, I would look totally different and I find it offensive that people say things like that to me, it's just as bad as calling someone fat!

I hope these tips have motivated you!! Please share your own success stories and weight management tips! I would love to hear them. Sorry again for the posing, it's a reflex action! LOL! 

Love from Rosh xxx

Note: I'm not affiliated with Paul Mckenna. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lil Miss Tanned: Morocco photos part 2!

Hi guys! Here are some more photos from Morocco. I'm so sorry about being so lazy with blogging - I've had so much going on with work, studying and generally feeling lazy lol!

Here is part one of the Morocco photos (just in case you want to see!)

Near the Souks

Wearing traditional Moroccan clothing

Walking (more like slipping) towards the Ouzoud waterfall :)

On a camel - it's actually very painful afterwards!

Before clubbing :)

Getting massaged in one of the many pharmacies in Marrakech <3

So night lounge, Marrakech. So beautiful!

Quad biking in the desert - dangerous but super fun!

I shall be blogging a bit more this week! I've got a health related post coming up!

Lil Miss Tanned: Back from Morocco!

Note: This post has LOADS of photos!

Hi guys! If you follow me on Twitter, you will know that I went to Morocco for about 10 days! I had an amazing time! The culture is lovely and most of the people are very friendly and helpful.

I went with my family - July has been an awesome month.. and I hope August is just as good (even though I won't be on holiday lol). We stayed at the Tikida Garden Hotel which is all inclusive (unlimited food and drink). Being a vegetarian, we found very little choice in the food; yes there was lots to eat but it was the same food everyday! I was sick of eating salad, pizza and chips everyday! I would however recommend this hotel if you're not a vegetarian or if you don't have any allergies. 

Everyone in Morocco speaks French and Arabic - unfortunately I have forgotten most of my GCSE French lol so if you're going..make sure you brush up on these languages!

Here are some photos (note: these photos are from my camera, I'm also going to post more photos from my sisters camera at a later date on a different blog post!)

Our lovely hotel.

A lemon tree. How cool?

Tagine, aka a Moroccan cooking pot.

The restaurant.

Morocco is renouned for its gorgeous designs on the ceilings.

My sister and I, posing.

Beautiful Mosque in the Square.

A typical Moroccan shop.

Me with my natural hair!

A Moroccan man using a tagine to cook.

Ouzoud Falls.

I felt like I was in the New Moon film - gorgeous photo!

Me wearing a maxi dress!

Zebra anyone?

My sister and I posing in one of the Gardens in Marrakech.

A camel. We went camel riding - it was so much fun, but my inner thighs were in pain!

Beautiful scenery :)

Moroccan designs are so pretty.

My sister and I went clubbing in Morocco to a club called 'So' - it was awesome!

Moroccan dolls :)

A typical Moroccan outfit. So pretty!

Amazing orange juice! It was soo cheap too! I had one everyday!

The beautiful boat which took us near the Ouzoud waterfall :)

We went on this lovely horse! We got ripped off though!

Souks!

In our hotel - it was truly beautiful.

Tips if you're going to Morocco:

• You can only exchange your money into Moroccan dirrums in Morocco. I would recommend you to only exchange a little bit at a time because you can't exchange back from Moroccan dirrums into pounds/euros/dollars outside of Morocco (legally)! Less is more in this instance!
• If you're going quad biking, camel riding etc. do them in the morning! We did these in the afternoon and my sister and I nearly died of dehydration! The mornings in Morocco are much cooler.. it starts to get hot after 11am and lasts until 6pm!
• People in Morocco will overcharge you - therefore you should haggle. I found Morocco very expensive - but once we haggled we got the price down to something reasonable. Whilst you're haggling, never ever give a price and be prepared to walk away. 9 times out of 10, the shop keeper will run after you and automatically lower the price!
• I was told by many people (people originally from Morocco) that I could wear what I wanted in Morocco. I should have used my common sense - it's best to cover up; not only to respect the nationals but also because of the sweltering heat. 
• If you ever go quad biking - wear clothes that fully cover you and take lots of water.
• Beware of pickpockets! Unfortunately my brother got mugged - his camera was snatched out of his hand. A lot of the residents in Marrakech are very poor, therefore keep all your valuables out of sight! It pays to be vigilant!
• Try the red olives. I am a MASSIVE olive fan - I've never tried a red/pink olive and I'm in love! 
• If you're staying in Marrakech - check out the night life. There's even a Pacha (very expensive to get in!) My sister and I went to SO night lounge - it was free to get in but the drinks were super expensive. A lot of the clubs are free to get in, but make sure you go early!
• Some of the men in Morocco are extremely perverted, and I've heard about people being groped in certain places. Yes covering up helps (sometimes it doesn't) but I did walk with my dad or brother a lot which helped!
• If you're going to Morocco, buy ARGAN oil! Morocco is famous for it. Make sure you buy one from a pharmacy and ask them for a certificate. It is about £20-£30 - try your best to haggle and look for one in a plastic bottle (helps with travelling!) Argan oil is great for your skin and hair.
• I also bought some Black African Soap. The ladies in Morocco have beautiful skin. The black African soap lightened the spots on my forehead (but broke me out near my mouth). It's very cheap (about £2) and great for oily skin!
• The Marrakech airport is the most beautiful airport ever - if you've seen Sex and the City 2 you will recognise it!
• There are a lot of beggars - it's good to help people but beware that they may steal your purse when you get it out!
• You must try the Moroccan whisky (it's mint tea basically) - nice and sweet.
• Everyone in Morocco asks for a tip. We asked some people about finding a certain place and they wanted a tip. Even if you take a photo of the snakes in the Souks, they will charge you! Try not to give a random person your camera because they will ask for money for just taking a photo! 
• I was surprised at the lack of English a lot of the residents knew. Even the staff at the hotel failed to understand me.  It's a good idea to go over some basic French or Arabic phrases!