Do you ever feel like life is just throwing missiles at you? Like giant feckin hailstones… Coming thick and fast, and you can’t dodge them quick enough? Please say “yes”… I can’t be the only woman who feels that way! I was thinking about this on the weekend and concluded that, as a woman, this is why I love health and fitness so much… So much of our lives is dictated by other people… Workload, kids, husband, family… The list goes on… We all have a ton of responsibilities that hold us hostage, right? But how I eat… How I move… How I show up for myself… Well, that’s completely in my control… I ..read more

Personally, I think routine is the answer whatever the question I love a plan, organisation and a schedule & I’m always the one who announces, “let’s make a list.” My least favourite phrase is, “let’s just see how things pan out.”… (Why would you allow the uncertainty? Just make a decision now!) See, I’m from the school of thought that believes what is measured can be managed. I firmly believe that planning is the secret to success… And it’s this idea that I’ve built my programme on. Inside Revive & Thrive, we go hard on planning… Why? Because we know that as women, we have a lorr ..read more

I know, I know… You’re still in your fleecy-lined leggings… Electric blankets still on the bed… And hot chocolate is still your afternoon drink of choice… But here’s the thing… Women who are successful in looking and feeling good in the Summer… START NOW. Yes, you read that right. Within the first months of the year is when Summer bodies begin their journey. Inside Revive & Thrive, we aren’t in the business of quick fixes… I think we are all old enough and wise enough to know that this attitude just doesn’t cut it. We want long-term approaches for long-term results… And that is why it’s ..read more

So, I always have a good ol’ chat with new clients… I need to get to know them, but also, I always want to know why they didn’t reach out sooner. After all, some of them have been stalking me for years! (Rummaging through my bins and everything ) And it often comes down to them feeling daunted… Daunted by the prospect of having to give up “years of their lives” to achieve good health and fitness… Swearing abstinence from wine and crisps FOREVER…(God forbid!) And getting up at 4 a.m. to bounce around like a maniac while everyone else sleeps. Absolutely NOT the case.  I promise that the w ..read more

The other day, I started telling you about Winnie…  My lovely client, who’s a secondary school teacher… And how a cruel comment from a group of students sent her spiralling. Well, she wasn’t going to be beaten. She took the upset, anger and embarrassment she felt and turned it into the dark energy she needed to get going! But first, we needed a detailed plan…  What I pointed out to Winnie, in the kindest possible way, was that she was putting obstacles in her own way… A lack of time… A poorly stocked school canteen… And her other responsibilities. So I asked her a question which s ..read more

The whole point of my coaching programme is keeping it real… It’s designed to be a real programme for real women with real lives. No bullshit, just compassion, hard work and results.  Winnie is a busy secondary school teacher… She reached out to me after a particularly cruel comment in school forced her hand… Here’s what happened: She’d perched on a desk to speak to students… And heard a group of 14-year-old boys at the back of the class whispering about the desk collapsing. She’d had to make her excuses and leave to go to the loo… She was crushed She knew they were just silly little b ..read more

Speaking from my professional experience working with hundreds of women over the years… I would say that comparison is the single most destructive thing I see. How come? Surely, a bit of healthy competition is a good thing, right? Not always. Let me explain: Social media is full of young women showing you how to achieve an aspirational lifestyle… How to apply concealer on a face as smooth as soap… How to dress to look slimmer (on a body that’s never been an ounce overweight, ever)… With a never-ending supply of reels showing us their picture-perfect lives… When, in reality, the only thing th ..read more

Dickens’ Christmas Carol never gets old, does it? I was lying in bed the other night thinking about all the film versions I’d watched over the years (yep, I can’t sleep at night, either!) When I started to realise there was a comparison appearing… Dieting of Christmas past… Dieting of Christmas present… And dieting of Christmases’ to come… Let me explain my insane 3 am ramblings… When I looked back at my own life, I saw all the Christmases in the past where I’d been unhappy with myself… Dreaded Christmas parties… Had to squeeze into that LBD…(Whilst feeling like an overstuffed sausage) And ..read more

Happiness is NOT a destination…it’s a direction. I’m sorry, I know I sound like one of those naff wall plaques… But I’ve had a thought (rare these days ), and I’d like to share it. See, I’ve worked with hundreds of ladies during my time in this industry… And the successful ones all had something in common… They were READY and open to change. Let me explain… If we aren’t happy as we are… Staying still won’t change any of that. Put simply, if we do what we’ve always done… We get what we’ve always got. The will to change is the important thing… Much more important than achieving the changes we ..read more

It’s that time of year again when anyone born with a womb feels under massive pressure… Pressure to do all the Christmassy things (by hand) and create a Hallmark Movie style holiday… I’ve been that woman in the past… Handmade Christmas cards… Christmas cake under the bed in the spare room by July… Feck me, I’ve even made my own mincemeat before now…(Tara, you fool!) BUT I’VE WISED UP, LADIES… Now, I just cherry-pick the bits I actually ENJOY doing… The stuff that gives me all the Christmas feels… And I’ve weeded out the things that just cause the vein in my neck to throb…  I blame my ol ..read more