Wednesday 12 February 2014

Chronicles of a Rolley Polley

I thought doing a blog related to model fitness would be very timely now since most people focus on nutrition and working out more during the Carnival season.
Check out this video of my fitness instructor Mikhail giving advice on diet and exercise and see some simple cardio moves from my friend Nisa and I. For those who don't have time or money to go to the gym... No excuses! You can do this at home :P


Model Nisa Mohammed on the elliptical machine

Nisa rehydrating after our 'abs and glutes' class


Some models naturally look skinny while eating junk, and I personally have a friend who is really toned and she has never set foot in a gym... Me on the other hand, if I miss consecutive gym days or eat too many carbs, I literally look like a Rolley Polley.

That's why I try to go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week to do light cardio coupled with moderate weight training. I LOVE cardio classes, espicially spin! I'm a member of Xtreme Fitness, Arima (which I believe to be one of the better gyms in Trinidad) and unlike other gyms I've experienced, this one has a wonderful training environment with awesome facilities and it surely helps when the fitness instructors are good looking! ;) 

I try to always watch what I eat but usually put myself on a strict diet two weeks prior to a fashion show. Last year while I was preparing for Tobago Fashion Weekend, I lost 5 lbs without even exercising. Everyday I would eat fruits for breakfast, salad with fish for lunch and sometimes I ate dinner (because the fashion shows would run late into the night and I wouldn't get back to the hotel until 11 or after 12.) However when I had dinner, I had soup. I constantly snacked throughout the day with plantain chips, fruit cocktail, yogurt, granola bars, nuts and raisins, and drank nothing but water. I refrained from flour, oil, sugar and meat... I find it's easier to diet when you eat the same meals repeatedly. However if I were working out, I'd be taking protein powder once or twice a day. I use the protein powder as a meal supplement and it helps tone and build muscle while weight training. 

Some people tend to think this is extreme but you really get used to it after a while. But now (as I'm not preparing for any fashion shows in the immediate future) I just generally watch what I eat:-
  • I keep carbs to a minimum. I eliminate all flour-based products: bread, bake, biscuits, roti, pizza, pasta (yes, all that good stuff lol.) If I eat carbs though, like potato, I have early in the day so I can burn it off during the course of the day.  
  • I drink water and... water! Lol Water is all I pretty much drink. I may have a cup of green tea here and there and sometimes while I'm having my Sunday lunch I end up drinking juice. I cannot remember the last time I drank soft drink.
  • I don't eat carbs after 6pm... or I'll feel a state of RolleyPolley-ness coming on again.
  • I eat a lot of oats, greens, eggs, tuna, cereal and salads.
  • I don't drink alcohol. Besides not liking the taste of alcohol, it's really unnecessary calories. 
  • I don't drink cow's milk (which is very fattening.) I have almond or rice milk with my cereal.
  • I always read labels. If the first ingredient is flour, I put the package back down. 
...FLOUR, OIL AND SUGAR ARE THE DEVIL!

Saturday 8 February 2014

Fete After Fete After Fete

Well it's Canival season in sweet sweet T&T and for promotional models that means one thing- WORK!
This semester I'm doing 7 courses (yes I know, I'm crazy) and I must admit: it's sometimes challenging balancing my family life, school work and modeling.

Weekends are my busiest times... fete after fete after fete (literally lol.)
It's important though, that we as promotional models get sufficient rest. A lot of times I don't get enough sleep and I'm tired while driving. It's crazy on the roadways and even more so now since it's Carnival.
I was telling my friend that while driving home after promotions an afternoon I fell asleep at the traffic light. Could you imagine that the little time the light took to change from red to green, I dropped to sleep?! Sounds ridiculous right?

After talking to him, however, he warned me and gave me a story that one of his friends died because they fell asleep at the wheel. It really hit home when he spoke to me and I realized that this was dangerous not only for myself, but for other innocent drivers on the road as well.
Now, I feel as though I'm obligated to share some of the tips he taught me. I know it'll be beneficial to all drivers, especially those who usually have to drive while they're sleepy or tired.


TIPS FOR SLEEPY DRIVERS:

1. Turn up the radio. Have it on FULL BLAST. Put the radio on your favourite station and sing along to the songs.

2. If this isn't working, and you feel as though you can drive no longer... PULL OVER! Pull aside on the shoulder for some time. You can even set your phone alarm to wake up at a specified time.

3. Drive to the nearest police station. If you have a long way till your destination, or feel unsafe pulling over in the area in which you are driving, head to the nearest police station. Inform the officers that you're parking your vehicle outside their station to sleep... Safest place to catch a snooze! :p  


Check out my video to see how busy my weekends can be!




Be sure to check the following pages for updates:
https://www.facebook.com/behindthescenesofmodeling?ref=hl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDWkAop0f1I&feature=youtu.be
https://twitter.com/BTSofModeling
http://www.pinterest.com/?allow_nux=no

Thursday 6 February 2014

Viking Band Casting

So after learning that I was required to create a blog as my project for Communication via Social Networking, I was left wondering about the topic I could cover. Luckily, my classmate Brian gave me the bright idea of blogging about my modeling journey and experiences! [Big up Bri Bri] 

My goal would be to create awareness of parts of the local modeling industry by displaying behind the scenes footage at castings and training sessions, in addition to interviews from those within the industry. You can also expect to see an inside look at modeling -both promotional and runway- on the job and all the preparation that goes into it.

And how timely this decision was....

[Excerpt of message received] There will be a casting from 6pm to 8 30pm Friday 24th January at the Viking band room on Panka street, St James for promotion girls/models for Red Light District .... dress in black walk with heels...

As soon as class was over, I made my way across to the band room, and dragged Brian with me (lol). We had a little trouble finding the place, but once we got there, I settled in and began documenting my experience.

Have a look! :-)


Standard Casting Call Form 

Miss Trinidad and Tobago World 2012 Athaliah Samuel advising one of the models




Be sure to check the following pages for updates:
https://www.facebook.com/behindthescenesofmodeling?skip_nax_wizard=true
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDWkAop0f1I&feature=youtu.be
https://twitter.com/BTSofModeling
http://www.pinterest.com/?allow_nux=no