The Normal Girl’s Guide To Health & Happiness #1

Hello and welcome to a new weekly series on WhatSheDoesNow! If you haven’t guessed by the title, this series will be about my journey to becoming a stronger, healthier and happier version of myself. I really do believe that a good diet and exercise routine is crucial for your mental health and being happy, so I’m hoping that the positive changes in my diet and exercise routine will have a domino effect on every aspect of my life.

In order to do this, I purchased the Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide and HELP Guide. I found Kayla through Instagram (@kayla_itsines) and was hooked on her pictures of the transformations of girls using her guides. After much consideration and research, I decided that I wanted to give it a go and purchased both books. They’re ebooks, so you can print them out or read them on your phone, tablet or computer. I thought that having a hard copy would be easiest, so I printed the guides out.

I started the guides with three of my friends so we will be able to support and motivate each other. The workout guide is 12 weeks long, so it’s a big commitment and lifestyle change but I’m so excited about it. Both books are really informative and easy to understand. The HELP Guide, which is a nutrition guide, is full of information and meal ideas, as well as the suggested servings of the different food groups you should have a day. All foods are inexpensive and easily accessible too, which I love.

I started my first day of both guides today, and so far it’s going pretty good. I think that preparation is key when it comes to healthy eating, so I’ll share with you in the coming weeks what I’ve been eating and how I’ve been managing my time.

I did my first workout today and found it really easy to follow and understand. Although, the workout itself made sweat come out of my belly button and by the end of it I was redder than the time a gust of wind blew cream and boiling water from a take-away hot chocolate onto my face. But it was so good at the same time. The workouts only last 28 minutes, so they’re really easy to fit into your day and the fact that they’re so short makes you push through.

I’m just a normal 19 year old girl who’s in college, who works and who has a social life. I’m not a fitness queen or the healthiest eater in the world. I’m always tired and am susceptible to the odd chocolate biscuit (or five) so this will be a challenge, but one that I’m more than happy to take on!

Let me know in the comments below if you’ve tried the Bikini Body Guides, and what posts you’d like to see in the future!