Well its been a busy week for me last week, Bev was away so for a start that meant I had to teach on Weds night which is always tough for me as its my only night off in the week but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I want to welcome all the new faces I saw at Wylde Green last Weds night. Bev will be back this week and Im sure she will look after you.
I ran another online fitness challenge last week and a massive well done to all who did it!!! I hear stories of the kids joining in with you at home and lots of people attempting a high and lite option video in the same day!!! I have decided to make the online HIIT and Lite HIIT videos available for you to buy as downloads to keep for yourselves. That way you can enjoy the videos at home without being tied to doing them on a set day etc so look out for them to purchase in the next couple of weeks.
 I launched my new KelFit purple and hot pink zip hoodies for £20 each so come and let me know if you want to order one now the weather is getting cooler!!!
I also started my Nutrition course which will allow me next year to start offering diet advice to clients as well as fitness and I hope to launch my own KelFit Clean and Lean Fat loss programme in January!!!!
On Saturday I went and had a stall at the Expo 2013 event in Sutton town centre, this was a great opportunity for me to chat to some new people about what I do and coming to try a class!! It was also great to see so many people who already come to classes popping over to say hello.
So as you can see its yet again been a busy fun week for me as every week seems to be!!!! Therefore it goes without saying that Saturday evening saw me curled up on the sofa enjoying Strictly which is my absolute favourite programme.........any one got any favourites so far???

We live  in a very busy fast paced life and I completely understand that for many people
fitting in some exercise even once a week never mind the recommended amount of
3-4 times a week can be tough! It is about priorites though and putting
ourselves first occasionally for the good of others. For example I believe I am
a much better wife, mother and worker when I am feeling healthy and not stressed
with a clear mind and for me that comes from  exercising. When you
have had a tough day with all that life throws at you the uplift you can get
from shaking your stuff at a Zumba class should be available on the NHS…..or the
clarity of mind you get after letting yourself have some quiet time to reflect
in a yoga or pliates class should again never be underestimated!!!! I believe it
all comes down to managing time and not letting time manage you……once you
mentally commit to coming to a class and do it religiously it becomes just a way
of life as much as going to do the weekly big shop or taking the kids
swimming. I have recently launched some online fitness classes to give people the option of doing
just 12 minutes a day of exercise at home if it’s not always possible to get to
a class. I think this is a great option for lots of people and I love to start
my day with a short workout like this even if I’m teaching on the evening.  I don’t
think there are many people who can’t find even 12 minutes in a day to invest in
themselves and their health…….so I urge you to schedule some exercise into your
week, mark it in your diary or on the calendar and commit to doing it….I promise
that you will not regret it!!!!!

I'm arranging a night out for us all on Saturday 21st December, at Ramada Penns Lane. It's £35 per head for a 3 course meal with a disco after! If you would like to come please let me know by Monday 23rd sept with a £20 deposit to be paid by the 30th September. Hope to see lots of there!! Xxx

Please tell us about when you first went to one of Kelly’s
classes and what it was?
My first class was to support my cousin who went to Kelly’s classes and Kelly was doing a
charity night in aid of “Missing Abroad” as her son is missing in France, this was a 2 hour Zumbathan and I promised my cousin I would dance to the first song and the last song and in between planned to sit with my mom, who had recently  had a stroke and offer support and morale to everyone else. However I did not stop for 40 minutes and loved it, I sat with my mom as I felt bad for leaving her and she told me to go and enjoy myself.  I danced on and off for the rest of the session and loved it, at the end of the night there was a charity raffle and I  won a bottle of wine and 2 free tickets for Kelly’s classes !!! A good night was had. 
How did you feel about exercise before then, what was your
routine?
I am ashamed to say I was a couch potato, I left school did a few keep fit classes but they did not last long and for 20 years have done  nothing.
What classes do you go to now and how often have you been
going?
I went to Zumba weekly at first, with my free tickets, and loved the classes, after a while I began to go to 2 classes a week. Kelly then introduced a brilliant system of paying by Direct Debit, which
encouraged me to go to more classes, so whenever I can I take my lunch hour  early and go to one of her morning Zumba classes and then go to work, I am really lucky to have this flexibility in my job but it really sets me up for the day.  I now without fail go to 3 classes on a Monday, Zumba, HIIT and Pilates and on a Thursday 2 classes of Zumba and yoga.
How do you feel about exercise since you started going to Kelly’s classes, can you tell us about both the physical and mental changes it’s made?
 No one can believe that my social life now revolves around Monday and Thursday being a
“no go” as these are my exercise days!!!!   If I don’t do my classes my body really feels it, it used to be a concern when Kelly went on her holidays but now Bev takes over so the routine is kept, which is brilliant.  After a few months of Zumba I could notice the difference in my joints, I have really
bad knees due to a childhood accident and was told I needed a knee operation 4  years ago, however, I really don’t want surgery as I am afraid, and had read that exercise and getting good muscles helps the knee joints, but never did anything about it, until the Zumbathan and I soon found out this was true, within a  few months my knees hurt less, yes they ached after I exercised initially, but a few days later the improvement in my ability to climb stairs was amazing.  On days
out with my children now I am not suffering after for a few days with pain in my knees, but feel great.  Also I  used to be on 3 blood pressure tablets,  and I am now on 1½  which is something that has made me feel really proud, instead of my tablets controlling me I am controlling them and have gained control of my own body.  Also over 2 years I have lost 2 stone and not put it back on, and whenever I do put on some weight through enjoying myself, I simply try to do
more classes and within weeks I have lost it again. 
What’s your favourite class?        
8 months ago I started yoga, and about 3 weeks ago during class, Kelly shouted “Maria – perfect”, I was so chuffed and pleased I wanted to punch the air and shout – but I would have lost my perfect pose!!!! Yoga is a brilliant class, it is really challenging and difficult at times, and sometimes I feel sad that I can’t do the poses as easily as others do, but Kelly always reminds us that it’s about our bodies and not a competition with anyone else, and I have gained confidence to do what I can and enjoy feeling the changes in my body and ability.   My flexibility is brilliant I can touch my toes now something that my 15 year old daughter can’t!!!!  I  really cannot say what my favourite class is as I would be lost without any of  them, Zumba is fun and like a party and HIIT is just brilliant and I get such a sense of achievement every time I finish the class and Pilates is just beginning so who knows what benefits this class will bring but I know it will be something.
Have your family noticed any changes in you?                                              
Well my husband mostly, as he cuddles me!!! But yes, my mom, dad and sister are always
complimenting me on my weight loss and are really pleased about my medication being reduced. 
On days out with my children, I have more energy and can get involved in a lot more activities with them and am not worn out the next day!!! I still have a long way to go but I am confident in my ability and my support mechanism from home, Kelly and new friends I have made in class that I can get to a more manageable weight level and a good fitness level.  My GP has said that I have added years to my life and wishes she could find the time  to come to the classes!!!
You have starting to use the Forever Living Products that Kelly has available to buy; can you tell us what you use and how you find them?
 Kelly first started promoting Forever Living Products in April and explained that she had been contacted by lots of organisations before to promote their products,  but had not liked the
products, however, she had been using Forever Living Products herself and with  her family and the benefits were good.   She spoke about a 9 day detox she  was planning to do and other people signed up to do it with Kelly and I was of  the opinion that I would never cope without food for 2 days so I could not do  it. I am currently on my 2nd 9 day detox!!!!  I observed Kelly and others around who had taken the challenge and they  were all still doing classes and looking great, no one was reporting angry outbursts from lack of coffee etc, so I was intrigued, I researched it on
Kelly’s website and spoke to Kelly, who explained the process more. As I was on blood pressure tablets I had to seek advice from my GP, my GP wanted blood tests  done and before I knew it was July before I could plan 9 days to do the  plan.  I was eager to start; at  this point I had lost 2 stone since joining Kelly’s classes and wanted a bit of a boost.  I lost 1 stone in 9 days,  35cm and felt amazing. I am on my 2nd detox and  have lost 13 ½ lb and feel amazing and happy.  However,
during my hols I forgot to take my Freedom Drinking Gel, something I have been taking for a few months now and after 3 days I could hardly move, my knees were in agony.  So this Gel is amazing
too and I must admit I have tried to take Glucosamine several times before, but  either forgot or hated the taste of the liquid, but this is fine and as you have to take it on an empty stomach I do it before I switch the kettle on first thing in the morning!!! I also use the Forever Living Heat Lotion on my knee joints as it helps them to warm up  quickly for the exercise and offers a lovely smell as well as relief, I  sometimes use it last thing at night on my knee joints if I have had a  particularly busy day and I wake up with no pain.
Finally What would you say to someone thinking of coming to a class but are nervous ?
 Remember we were all there once, every one of use was that person walking through the
door for the first time, not knowing the dances and feeling silly, but the dances are easy to pick up, I really don’t know how Kelly does it, and everyone is friendly and supportive to each other and the nerves will disappear once you get started. Not only that you get street cred with the kids as you know a lot of the new tunes!!!!
Kelly has set all these questions for me to answer but I would like to say that Kelly  has really helped me to turn my life around and without her support and commitment and her ability to make exercise affordable, fun, challenging, up to date and consistently being there, I would probably be another 3 stone heavier and on my way to an early grave!!! So THANK YOU KELLY, you are an inspiration.  I have never been asked to write about myself before and feel very honoured that Kelly wanted to tell you about boring old me, I really hope I have not bored you too much and I hope that in another 2 years my journey will be continuing......

 Maria 

I'm writing this whilst observing a HIIT class, many of the people doing the class come every week sometimes twice but still say they feel sick just hearing the music!

However I continue to have busy classes and people tell me they love the feeling of pushing themselves to their maximum.

I wonder why some people love the feeling high intensity exercise gives and I count myself as one of them. I think HIIT training is so popular with my clients right now as we live in a quick fix society, we want to do our training quickly, so a 30 minute class is just right. We want to know that we are working our whole body and really burning fat, the studies on HIIT show it's a great fat burner.

So in summary I'm finding that my HIIT classes are proving really popular at the moment and I'm really enjoying the coaching and motivation that I'm needing to give people!! Please give me your feedback on why you enjoy or don't enjoy high intensity exercise.

I have in recent months become really interested in clean eating and adopting this  approach myself. I have read and listened to many people who adopt this approach  to eating and it makes real sense to me!!! The principle really is that we eat  unprocessed food that is as close to its natural state as possible. The most common choice for breakfast I find when speaking with people is cereal or toast…..both of these choices are processed and contain more sugar and salt than
people realise. Read my 5 top tips below for clean eating 
#1 –
Have a look at the nutrition and ingredient  information on the foods you buy, you may be surprised at the amount of sugar, salt and additives that go into it!!! As a rule of thumb if something contains more than 2/3 ingredients then it is not clean, particularly if you can’t even pronounce some of them!!! A potato has come from the ground……a crisp has come from a potato but looks very different!!!
 #2 –
Eat a protein rich breakfast…..protein fills you up!!!! I choose a lunch style breakfast which can take some getting used to but I feel so much better for it. My favourite is poached eggs with salmon and asparagus!!!! I am also not afraid to eat leftovers from last night’s healthy meal!!!
 #3 –
Eat as many greens as you can with each meal even breakfast….really load up on the veggies and salads. Experiment with different types…....I love to try new ones all the time!!!!
 #4 –
Invest in a slow cooker…….I couldn’t live without mine…..there are so many things you can cook in them. I like to throw meat/fish and veg in and come home to a fantastic meal that’s been cooking all day. I find doing this prevents me from coming home exhausted and reaching for the takeaway menu as I can’t be bothered to cook!!! 
#5 –
Eat a variety of different meat and fish…..I have started going to the butchers and  buying all sorts of different meats…..it’s great to try new things and stops you from getting bored with your meals.

Please leave comments and tell me your