Introduction to my hobby plus dancing at Birmingham Arena

So I have this Hobby, I used to juggle many but now its come down to just one. I've wanted to do this for a while now as I know many people Blog/Vlog about Fitness and Lifestyle through Gym workouts and routines but for me I like to balance this out with Dancing!

oh yes dance!!

  

I spent the first weekend of March in Birmingham where my dance group and I were performing with two well known artists. To cut a long story short I started dancing at a stage school and then joined a group on the side whilst still attending the school. 

I always loved watching dance but never had the confidence to pursue it myself till I started performing arts. I quickly became addicted, it felt natural to be dancing as I had waited so long for the confidence to put my thoughts into action!

Now I dance with my closest friends once a week and we have all grown and developed enormously in a short space of time, I have been with this amazing team for only 2 years but have been dancing properly for about 8 years. Our dance style is femme, commercial, street and fierce!! haha.

 The opportunities and experiences I have had with this group of inspiring women are some of the best times. So I'm excited to take you all on this journey which will involve- 

• Prepping for a performance
• Video shoots and how I prep my meals (Free From)
• Stretching!
• Juggling Gym sessions around dance
• Confidence in yourself and training hard!
• Dance/Rehearsal outfits

My first performance with the Girls x

Rehearsals x

Video Shoot x

Rehearsals for a music video x

On set x

We had the opportunity to perform at the Birmingham Arena at the Brit Asia world music awards on the 4th March. We were backing dancers for Rameet Sandhu plus the feature on her new song Curtis Young.

It took allot of time and prep to make sure this 5 minute routine looked perfect and let me tell you the nerves before the big day was real! 

The week before the show I was shaking like a leaf I was so scared to dance in front of so many people plus knowing its being filmed.

I cut down on gym sessions the week before as it was important for me to stretch stretch stretch plus fit in rehearsal times most nights that week. 

Heres some of the snacks I took with me for the trip - 

•  Snack a Jacks Salt and Vinegar flavour 
• Waitrose Natures store free from chocolate orange rice cakes
• Tesco's free from pot noodle thai curry
• Ham and Goats cheese sandwich 
• Tesco's NEW free from cheese flavoured Nachos (delicious)
• Waitrose lazy day dark chocolate tiffin (my favourite)

As you can see that's allot of snacks for one night away but I was sure not to fill myself up on too much food as I was mostly dancing and jumping around throughout the visit haha 

I love my snacks! 

So now you know my hobby! From here on I'll keep updating the blog with some dance outfits, fitness updates etc as this is a big part of my life and fitness plan. 

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of my journey x

Check out my Insta for more pictures of our performance on stage - ccwhitegold 

CCX

What I eat in a day

I wanted to share my 'meal plan' to help others who may be gluten/wheat/dairy free like me or for those who may be interested in my everyday intake for fitness and health reasons.

I say 'meal plan' in this way because I'm not one to follow any set guidelines, If I want to eat some free from chocolate I will! Plus I have a fast metabolism. My working day starts at 8 and finishes at 6:30/7 then it's off to the gym! 

I listen to my body every single day considering I can suffer from stomach aches due to my Colitis, I make a conscious effort to watch what I eat whilst not depriving myself of treats every now and then. 

I hope this gives you an idea of what my everyday meals are like and  how often I eat plus my meal sizes especially on days I am at the gym.  

Enjoy!

6:45 Breakfast: 

Scrambled Egg plus salt and pepper. 

No added milk, just 2/3 eggs.

This is my basic before work brekkie that is quick and easy for me, I'll be full for atleast two hours after breakfast. I start work at 8 and at 10 I will have a snack e.g. Bananas, Plums, Pomegranate.

Saturday Morning: 

Free From Tescos rolls with FF Butter, brown sauce and 2 eggs. 

I would usually have a bacon sandwich too lol 

12:30 Lunch: 

Peanut chicken with noodles.

 Marinated chicken in soy sauce and lime to tenderise the chicken, then I made a sauce with ginger, garlic, lime zest, honey, curry powder and peanut butter (played it by ear when measuring).  

Put the chicken in the marinade with coconut milk and poached it. Then heated it through on a low heat then added the noodles, spinach, green beans. Warm through till ready to eat. 

This dish is delicious!! Found the recipe online but can't seem to find the link, this is again all free from! I love a hot lunch so I would usually freeze my meals then defrost when at work. 

 

3:00 Snacks- I would usually snack on dry mango, a free from chocolate snack or my snack a jacks salt and vinegar flavour.

5:30 before Gym meal:

Salmon.

I would usually cook some Salmon at work with turmeric and salt, this works great for me so I'm not majorly hungry during my gym sesh. I always drive straight to the gym from work so I won't be eating till later on that night. 

 8:00/8:30 Dinner:

Lamb Meatballs with Rice.

Fry the onions and carrots with the leeks til soft, add the meatballs (Tescoes) and fry them over then add tin of tomatoes with garlic, mixed herbs and lastly spinach.

Plain rice.

I love Meatballs and Rice, they're certainly filling and the mixed veg taste beautiful with it. 

I hope you enjoyed this Blog if you'd like to know more about these recipes please feel free to message me on Twitter or Insta.


Twitter- @crystalrosegold
Insta- ccwhitegold








CCX

5 Favourite Free From Christmas Snacks

December is here! It's time to grab your fluffy socks and Xmas blanket for my favourite time of the year. 

 I bought everyone of these treats but I sort of ate them all. Thats how tasty they are!

Heres my top 5 and trust me they're delicious. 

1.

2.

3.

4.

 5.

The Advent Calendar is my favourite, you're never too young for the calendar!
This is just one of my Xmas Blogs, enjoy the festive season!! 




CCX

Whats in my Gym bag and why

I thought it would be a great idea to show you guys what my everyday Gym bag is packed with and what I use certain Gym equipment for. 
I hope this helps and inspires you, the equipment I store in my bag is very cheap and every piece is bought from Amazon. 

1.    Gym gloves- Oh how every woman needs Gym gloves! Not only do they help your grip strength when holding heavy weights but they also keep your skin from tearing like the painful red marks you can get with the grips on weights already. No woman wants battered and blistered hands.

2.   Knee Supports- I personally use these when working legs and squatting heavy weights, they help support the knee joint to prevent you from straining your knee and damaging it. I feel everyone who squats heavy should use these, especially for moves like lunges etc...

3.   Trainer bag and other supports-  I use this to keep my Gym trainers in plus some supports I use if my muscles are aching or to prevent straining them. Please bare in mind I am double jointed and girls like me do need the extra support! The first support is for any part of my arm and the second are two leg wraps, you would usually put these on straight after your leg day workout, they are like tight bands that support the muscle and prevent muscle ache the next day. You can also make sure you stretch properly after your workout or use a foam roller!

4.     Gym cable attachment-  You wrap these round your ankles and then attach the Gym cable to them. I use these for my leg kick backs which works your butt! These are a great investment every woman needs these in the gym you can do a variety of workouts with these, check them out.

5.     Resistance bands- Where to start with Resistance bands... The coloured bands represent different strengths, the yellow and red are  great for me right now. I only use my bands at the Gym when working arms but you can use them for your whole body in a variety of ways. They also come with an attachment that you can plug under your door and use the door to hold the bands in place. 

6.   Gym bar lift support- You would usually use these for for a Gym bar because of the hook but I only use them for pull ups or abs on the pull up bar. I do this because of my double jointed wrists and shoulders! They are amazing for your grip strength especially when lifting weights and I cannot use the pull up bar without them.

7.    A Flannel for the face- Because you are definitely going to use it for all the sweat! 

8.      Gym wear- Ofcourse! My Primark long sleeved tops, Nike Pro trousers and my Nike trainers. 

9.      Ipod, headphones and arm strap-  This is great when you need  to work out to your own music in the Gym, plus it keeps the head phones out of the way so no awkward tangles!

Hope you enjoyed this post, let me know in the comment section below what you think and I hope this has inspired you to upgrade some parts of your Gym bag or workouts. My Bag is from- http://www.lamoda.co.uk/zapp-camouflage-print-duffle-bag 

More Fitness posts to come! 

CCX 

Gym Junkie Favourites

I have come to the conclusion after many new purchases that Primark is the best place to go to for Gym clothing. Surprise Surprise!

I was shocked at the money people spend on branded Gym wear when you can save money on clothing which is just as stylish and still comfortable and suited for any work out. Don't get me wrong I wear Nike pro (black) Gym trousers and Nike Gym trainers but Primarks tops, jumpers, trousers, towels and even water bottles are all you really need for the Gym. 
Personally I much prefer Gym wear that is tight and not baggy like most 'Gym tops'. Sometimes I look like I'm about to jump on my bike and go cycling in the clothing I wear but for what I do in the Gym its perfect. No woman wants to be working out in their Gym which may be like mine which is prodomanantly MEN; and your top rolls up whilst you're working abs.  
I also love tight clothing because I can see my muscles and the changes on my body each time I visit. Some Girls may be completely against this but I suggest everyone takes a good look in Primark when it comes to Gym Wear and the essentials.

We all know Primark can be a guilty pleasure but I was genuinely surprised at the amazing quality of the Gym clothing and how long it has lasted me. Here was my outfit today- 

This Primark top comes in Grey and Black too which I also have and they have the option of short sleeves. The sleeves also have thumb holes to keep the hands warm and to help prevent your sleeves from riding up. I personally only use these when leaving the Gym if I haven't showered and its cold! 
The Zebra print is Dri Fit and I love this colour. If you love fashion like I do you want to look some what suitable plus quirky even in the Gym ; ) 
(I apologise for the blatant bra! Gym goers must understand that all my Gym bras were in the wash at this time) 

I have two Gym Bras- one from Missguided and one from Primark. 

Trousers are Nike and so are my Trainers. 
Gym Gloves are from Amazon - Golds Gym 


This is another Top from Primark which I've had for a year or so now. It's my go to Gym top as I love the fit and how comfortable it is. 

This top has Dri Fit on it and from what I remember I think this top was around £8... In size 8.

I even got my Partner into Primark Gym wear as I've been raving about it so much and he's a tough one to crack! As you can see below he's been a Gym Junkie like me for a long time haha 

From the Man himself- "These vests are very comfortable, great for sweating and a great fit for all body types." 

So there you have it, thats some of my Gym favourites. If you'd like to hear anymore about something similar to this Blog like my Gym routines, Diet plan, my favourite techniques or what I enjoy working on the most please comment below as I'd love to help and maybe inspire your future workouts. 


To end this blog I just have to add my worst yet most effective part of my Gym session... stretching!

I bought this from Argos last week in the morning and it arrived in the evening. Very happy with it. If you don't know about Foam Rollers get to know ! 

I prefer to use a foam roller at home instead of the Gym hence why I bought my own. I am double jointed so for me I like to use this at my own pace in the privacy of my own home so that I can take my time and properly wind down. Its incredibly painful after a gruelling work out but it really does help (when used correctly) to help prevent the aches and pains that come the next day after a Gym sesh and to improve flexibility.   
Thank me later!

Again if you'd like to know how I use mine considering I'm double jointed, please comment and it may be my next blog.

From one Gym Junkie to another I suggest you get quality and quantity at the same time. 


ccx 

Free From Pancake Mix

Happy Pancake Day! 

Yesterday I couldn't wait to get home from work so I could skip dinner and pig out on Pancakes. (Cheat Day)
I don't know how everyone likes their pancakes but this is how I like mine. (wheat free and dairy free)

All you need is:

- Almond Milk 
- Plain White Free from Gluten Flour 
- Weighing scales
- Jug 
- 1 Egg 
- Whisk 


So first you get your weighing scales and put 4oz of flour in, then move that into a bowl. Then add your egg to the bowl. Then use your jug to measure 1/2 a pint of your almond milk then slowly pour that into the bowl whilst stirring with the whisk. 

Whisk til all the lumps have gone and til the mixture is nice and bubbly and smooth, and thats it! 

Twinings Swiss hot chocolate mix is free from dairy. So I like to sprinkle that on my Pancakes with sugar, lemon juice and syrup! It seriously doesn't taste any different to a normal Pancake, it's just healthier I'm sure. Heres my finished Pancake 

Yummy ! I hope you all enjoyed Pancake Day... now you know this recipe you can make it Pancake week ; ) 

CCX