How one women can inspire a generation of women

There are many women out there who deserve to be mentioned. So many women have done so much for us in closing the gender gap and fighting for equality and basic human rights. 

Of course, men have done plenty too, but the rise of women and #girlpower is a wonderful thing to see blossom. I felt that a blog post in support of International Women's Day today was necessary. 

Men and women have different strengths, but no gender is more important than the other. Both genders have an equal role to play in leveling out the playing field and creating a fair and balanced future for all of us. Respecting we need one another and gain comfort from one another does not mean we are weaker than one another. 

Women have shown their strength in so many ways and continue to do so everyday. Some decide to take action and fight for the equality of women on a larger scale. Others do little things in their every day lives. Nothing is wrong with either approach - as long as we all appreciate what we all do, and support one another along the way. That includes women supporting women, and men supporting women, and women supporting men. What do you do to show your #girlpower, ladies?

I have a love of fitness and fashion, and today I share my admiration and respect of Coco Chanel, who defeated the odds and carved out a lucrative career in the fashion industry - and created a new style, all at a time when men dominated the industry. She had a passion, determination and grit - something that growing up without life's luxuries can really give you. Coco Chanel never let her situation define her, who she could be and what she was capable of, regardless of what society thought of her. A true fashion icon and a real example to women that we can stand up and be different and succeed, as long as we believe. 

Read more on Coco Chanel's life story here.

Stay fab and focused!
Roberta x

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk 

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Take a moment to reflect and discover what makes you truly happy

Today, I had a lovely catch up with an ex colleague and I was pleasantly reminded about how easy it is to work hard at something when you genuinely love what you are doing.  We discussed life in general and she commented on how happy I sounded. I responded saying that something just clicked for me, and it felt so right for my New Year's Resolution to be about leading a happy balanced lifestyle - not just for a month or two but for the rest of my life. 

In the pursuit of happiness, I have spent the last few months contemplating my life choices and evaluating where my happier moments in life have been. I'm also on a Mind, Body & Lifestyle Transformation Journey, which, not surprisingly, is making it easier to appreciate the times where I am/was at my happiest. 

I've made time to think about when I was at my unhappiest and tried to pinpoint areas that were most likely the reasons for creating such negativity in my life. Chasing money definitely took me down a road which cost me my health, as well as trying to keep up with my peers on the corporate career ladder. Sometimes all it takes is a few moments to think and make a list.

Try thinking back to a time where you were really truly happy:

1. What were you doing? 
2. How much time were you investing in it?
3. Who were you spending time with?
4. Did it feel like a lot of work, or did time fly by?
5. Did you resent waking early or finishing late? 
6. Were you excited or inspired to do more?
7. How did you feel about yourself?
8. Were you taking care of your mind & body?
9. Find a picture of yourself during this time in your life (if you can). 

This next part will probably be easier, because we tend to hang onto negative memories more vividly than happy ones.

Now try thinking back to a time where you were really truly unhappy:

1. What were you doing? 
2. How much time were you investing in it?
3. Who were you spending time with?
4. Did it feel like a lot of work, or did time fly by?
5. Did you resent waking early or finishing late? 
6. Were you excited or inspired to do more?
7. How did you feel about yourself?
8. Were you taking care of your mind & body?
9. Find a picture of yourself during this time in your life (if you can). 

In writing my list, I discovered that I lost:

• Time for myself - I was too busy 
• My figure -  My fitness deteriorated
• Self-esteem - I had self-doubt and constantly needed approval from others 
• My energy - I executed poor diet choices which led an excessive unbalanced lifestyle 
• Sleep - My unhealthy lifestyle impacted my quality of sleep, which then hurt my diet and motivation

Take both of those mental pictures and place them side by side. Even better, use actual pictures of yourself, one from a happy time and one from a negative time. Use the pictures as motivation to help you become your former happy self, or to prevent you going back to the place where you felt most unhappy. 

You can be either one of those people in the pictures. You are in control of who you want to be. 

Happy & Healthy Vs Unhappy & Unhealthy

Confronting my own choices and really trying to understand WHY I have behaved in certain ways has helped me rediscover my own road to personal happiness! There are certain people, places, and environments which are just not healthy for me. Removing myself from these influences has already had such a positive impact on my overall self-esteem and attitude towards myself. 

I found that the majority of my own actions during my periods of lower self-esteem were 
created by my own negative emotions - a vicious cycle that perpetuated the feeling of unhappiness and continued lack of self-esteem. 

I only need to look at my pictures above as a stark reminder that my lifestyle choices really do have an impact on my quality of life, how I feel, behave, and of course how I look. 

You can sit and watch or stand up and join in.

Some people spend their entire life searching for something that makes them happy. And it seems like just the lucky ones get to make a living out of their passion.  But as I'm learning, it doesn't have to be that way.

We are all responsible for our life choices. 

We decide if we are going to eat well, exercise, surround ourselves with people who are positive, or stay in environments that are negative. Making a change can be scary.  It can be a costly transition too. The main thing to stay focused on is the bigger picture. You will get there.  It doesn't matter how many times you try and fail, what matters is where you end up. 

When starting out things may be difficult,  it may cause some short term stress and it may even set you back financially. But just cast your mind back to your happiest memories and remember why you were passionate about life then, refocus yourself to work towards regaining those 'feelings'.  Take a look at that photo, the one where you were happy...

If it was easy to change, everyone would do it. And everyone would be working in a job that they love - and every one would be happy. But then people like me wouldn't have career ahead of them that helps people get back on track and find a healthy, happy life. 

Change starts now...

Being active and healthy, using my sense of empathy and motivational skills, collaborating, seeing the bigger picture, utilising my creativity and innovation are things that make me feel happy in myself and happy around others. When I think back to my 'happy' time I was self employed and doing all of the aforementioned activities on a daily basis. 

Being healthy and having a fit body motivates me, it fuels my passion to help others lead healthier happier lives. In a few weeks from now I will be launching my part-time career in fitness & lifestyle coaching, which I know will make me a happier more balanced person.

Stay fab and focused!
Roberta x 

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk 

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USA PRO - a perfect fashion fit

I'd patiently been waiting for my delivery to arrive and I'm pleased to say, I'm thrilled with my new USA PRO workout gear.

Plus, it was barmy-barmy cheap too, thanks to the January Sales and ordering via Sports Direct. 

I have saved 100s of pounds by switching from Nike/Adidas and the fit & patterns are waaaay better. I haven't tried Fabletics yet, so I can't compare these.

The petite challenge 

I bought one item which doesn't really do me any favours: a pair of large daisy print ankle length workout leggings (which look super cool!). I failed to listen to my own advice, I was reminded why petite people shouldn't wear large prints.

They are quite unflattering and they make my legs look fatter than they are. No going outside of the flat in these I'm afraid... (these I will keep, but they are for my eyes only, haha, unless I get very slim limbs someday in the future). 

The good news is that everything else I ordered, looks good, fits like a dream, is comfortable, seemingly well tailored, and looks pretty trendy as far as exercise gear goes!

Above: teamed with my Reebok Adiprene trainers 👍 but no matching top, as they had none in size 6 left. Gutted!

Above: a key feature on these for me is the super comfortable waistband which can be folded over. They also have a hidden pocket with zip in the waistband positioned at the back. 

Above: all these items are nicely finished especially the seams. No imprints were left on my legs after wearing them either. 

All the USA PRO items are made from good, thick material too. I honestly just cannot get enough of these items in these great colours! Shame they have ran out of size matching sports tops in size 6 though. (Another little moan, sorry!)

Above: USA PRO leggings (size 8) standard length with nice pink detail at the ankle. Worn with a USA PRO pink sports top (again, the smallest one they do is a size 6) - both fit well, although not a set, they do look good together. 

Above: Again, these work well with my trainers. And whilst they are a little long in the leg (USA PRO doesn't do petite sizes), they are acceptable! 

Above: USA PRO Sports top in hot pink is a good fit, and have extra support and padding to hold everything in place. So, even if it's cold your top won't show anything you don't want people to see ;-) 

The good news is these are still available in the sale at £5.99!!! (Maybe not small sizes though). 

Above: USA PRO cycling shorts 

These bad-boys are a steal! Just £2.19! I couldn't believe they were so cheap... again, they must have loads of these as they are still on sale, with small sizes, so this is a good option for petite ladies. 

Above: They even have cute detailing on the back.

Above: Now these I ❤️ love❤️ but I couldn't get the matching top in a size 6. Boo! These must be popular. They are featured in the ad, so maybe that's why. The fit is super flattering.

Above: The dark patterns don't add much volume and the flocked detail makes then feel less like sports wear and more like a fashion item. 

I start my Personal Training course in a few weeks, and I'm all set for full time study and practical learning. I'm looking forward to getting fitter and all the while looking fab in my new clothes.

Stay fit and fashionable!

Roberta x 

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk 

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Why Everyone Needs a Friend That Inspires Them

Most of my posts have been about fitness and motivation. Today's post is about inspiration. I dedicate this blog post to my best friend who has been my rock, the sister I never had, the best friend I could have ever asked for, and one of the kindest most genuine people I know. She inspires me to be a better person every day.

My best friend is having another birthday tomorrow (yes, I know they happen every year) but this one is extra special as it's the first one with her daughter (also my goddaughter) and as a mum. So, this one is for you my darling. Happy Birthday! Sorry I cannot be with you to share a glass of Prosecco and give you a giant hug!

It's been an inspiration to watch my friend go through these major life changes, and enter motherhood. Her strength and determination is admirable is so many ways.

My best friend was so diligent with taking care of herself through her pregnancy. Obviously, as a pregnant mother, you expect to gain weight and inevitably get some stretch marks. Your body will transition through changes and most likely never be the same as it was before. I think most new mums accept these changes. My best friend gained a little weight when carrying her daughter, but through a sense of military-style discipline (that currently I cannot relate to), she simply avoided any real signs of change or stretch marks to her body by religiously moisturising and drinking 2 litres of water a day.

6 weeks after she had given birth, she looked amazing in her bikini - and just 12 weeks after giving birth, she was slimmer than she was before she got pregnant.  She was in better shape than me and even though I was exercising like a crazy person! Her nutrition was on point.

Exercise isn't one of the things I can attribute this miraculous accomplishment to. My lovely BFF isn't as keen on exercise as I am, so it becomes less of a priority for her. Through her diet and remaining well hydrated (and moisturised), she did manage to get the Yummy Mummy body that she was committed to achieving post-birth. Rock iron discipline and a clear goal is what helped her get there.

My BFF had a goal, and with fierce determination and discipline, she achieved it. She was consistent and had her own motivational driver. She didn't want to be one of those mums who carried her baby weight for years afterwards. The fear of being something she disliked, along with some serious focus on the long term goal, really motivated her to stick to her plan, and it worked.


Whilst my BFFs approach to getting her body back may not work for all of us (I'm still not 100% happy with mine and I haven't even got the excuse of saying I had a baby!), we can however be inspired by some of the key elements of her journey which were:

• Having a routine 
• Drinking 2 litres of water every day
• Sticking to a disciplined eating plan
• Being committed to daily skincare 
• Having a clear motivation - knowing exactly what you want to be
• Use the fear of what you DON'T want to be to motivate you (but not scare you).
• 
  

For the rest of us who haven't led the last 10 + years in such a disciplined fashion, it may not be quite so easy. Plus, everyone is different - we all have our own super powers and weaknesses. That's what makes us unique. 

For me,  I love exercise. I'd rather exercise more than eat much less. And it's worked to a degree. I did six months of personal training with a great PT here in London. And I saw consistent and steady, but slow results by exercising regularly. My diet, water intake, consumption of alcohol, however, were not that disciplined. 

Now I'm comparing my transformation over 6-months to a new 6-week routine. I'm currently on a trial run of XBody fitness in Kensington and I have discovered that this bit of kit can actually help with tightening of the skin too. Hurrah! Maybe there is hope that my long-term dehydrated skin may be able to get its elasticity back, in addition to losing the 2KG and getting my Dream Abs. I'm also curious about iLipo too, which can target certain areas of the body where fat has built up and won't shift. Maybe there is hope for us after all - if it's not something your body can do naturally, there's the technology out there that really CAN rewind the clocks!

Stay fit and fab!
Roberta x

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk 

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A new found sense of direction - finding oneself

I think a lot of my newfound sense of self and direction is down to my age. 

I used to raise an eyebrow when my friends who were in their thirties would throw around comments like, “Turning thirty really does make you feel differently about yourself - it's like entering a stage of self-acceptance," or "When I was in my twenties, I thought I had it all figured out, but now…" etc. The idea of an almost magical change in the thirties sounded ridiculous.

But actually, since hitting my thirties, I have noticed a difference. Not necessarily about how I think about life, but really on how I see myself. 

What has changed (physically and psychologically) is me. It seems to have been quite dramatic and I didn't even notice it happening. It has happened and I'm OK with it, I'm not as hard on myself to maintain an unachievable vision on perfection. I think the thirties are about self-acceptance, but that's no excuse to let things just go, and blaming it all on age! 

My strategy now is damage control. I need to undo the bad choices I made before my thirties. I want to take care better care of myself from now on.

Of course, I was offered all the usual advice from those older than me. It was all the well-known pearls of wisdom:

·                Eat less processed food

·                Focus on eating 5 fruits and veggies a day

·                Get plenty of protein

·                Don't be a carb junky

·                Drink less alcohol

·                Drink plenty of water each day

·                Eat little and often, not large and late

·                Always moisturise after the bath or shower

·                Always wear SPF 30+

·                Never go to bed without taking makeup off

·                Use a good eye cream

·                Use hand cream

·                Look after your teeth!

Did I listen? Well, let’s just say, I could have heeded the advice better.

So here I am, a thirty-something and my body is now showing my age, all the signs of wear and tear. I've treated my designer shoes and handbags better than my body. 

It's not all bad though, I still maintain a youthful appearance, but the cracks are forming - I just need to moisturise them (apparently!) 

I just wish I hadn't ignored the advice of those before me, I really should have taken better care of my body in my twenties. You can't rewind the clocks, but you can take control of your future.  What things we you told by your elders that you ignored and you wish you'd listen to? Let me know we can add it to the list!  

Stay fab and forever young!
Roberta x

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk 

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