Happy New Year 2015

Happy New Year to all my readers.

Can't believe it is now a year and a half since I started working on this blog. It only started as a hobby on the side as I found a gap in knowledge when I moved to Dubai. I continue to write my posts with the single aim of bridging that gap and hope that you all enjoy it.

This year, my resolution is to achieve a state of overall Wellness - mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. It is only a way to kickstart the process and hopefully continue for the rest of my life. To be free of our own emotional constraints, emotional restrictions and resulting physical pain is true freedom. Amen!

What are your resolutions this year? Do you have any?

Kitchen Renovation in Dubai - Part 1 - Where to Start?

So... I will be doing an "x" part series on our kitchen renovation in our flat in Dubai.The process has been so complex and long winded that I hope my posts will help other expats here who have no clue about any word in this post's title. The "x" is also deliberate as I do not want to commit to a certain number of posts, I prefer to pour my heart out with recommendations for your benefit.

Let us first start with the very basic of questions, do you know what you want?

A lot of us are first time home owners and we might or might not have a defined sense of style. What I find is when I see other people's houses, I generally like a lot of different options but when it comes to my own, I am fairly choosy. I am choosy and unaware of my own sense of style - double whammy.

To hone into this, I went on an extensive web trawling path going through Pinterest and Houzz. As you see more photos, you will start narrowing the options of what you would like to have in your own house.Pin some photos, make a mood board and then narrow these options further. In the end, we found the exact combination of scandinavian + industrial design that was easy to then follow.

Note of caution though: I assume you are fairly interested in interior decor to go through this hassle and this web trawling will suck you in without a warning! Every time you see a beautiful photo on Pinterest, you will be led to a blog post and then another and another - be prepared to devote that time at this stage.

Follow Dubai Doodles on Pinterest

Weight Loss Part 3

Hello Readers,

There has been a long gap since I wrote last and that is because of a combination of factors -

• A constant barrage of visitors which is very common for us in Dubai

• Demotivation due to reaching a flat plateau in my weight loss journey - not helped by pressure put by the lovely doctors in Dubai

• An impending kitchen renovation which is in a constant work in progress state but should end very soon. I will do a separate post on it as I found a big gap in information available online

Bon, I got back to fitness with a vengeance 3 weeks ago and have found two new amazing cost free ways of exercising! Mainly influenced by the lovely Vivianna (I love her blog and youtube channel, makes me want to move back to London absolutely now!)

The first is to just put on my trainers and go for a nice long 'run'. I say 'run' since I am so bad at this that it is more like a walk than a run but I do mix it up with jogging and stretch myself to achieve more every time. I am so new to it that I am still figuring out the best way to train my breath while running. I am looking for a good playlist and armbands etc. I will report back on how I fare in a few weeks.

The second is home fitness and again I am heavily influenced by some bloggers/websites such as Blogilates, Fashercise, and Yoga with Adriene. This basically involves mixing up some Cardio HIIT/ Pilates/Yoga exercises. These websites either have a calendar that you can follow or a selection of videos organised by focus area or time. They inspire in general towards a clean, fit lifestyle and I love the way I feel. Also they leave no excuses for not working out or not having enough time.

The way I fit these in my schedule is by waking up an hour earlier than usual and getting about 30-45 minutes in the morning. I follow this up with a short meditation and bam, I am ready for the day!!

Let me know if you guys have more recommendations for fitness inspiration/morning fitness ideas or any other feedback :)

Weight Loss Part 2

Welcome to Weight Loss update, Week 2.

Last week was both easy and hard in different ways. It was easier from the work angle as most people were still on holiday, it was easier to stick to my own schedule and plan fitness around it. Getting into a routine of everyday fitness was much harder though.

This was followed by a cheat weekend when Friday I needed a break after a heavy week and Saturday just flew by visiting Ikea and the likes. Hopefully, all the walking, standing, even thinking must have contributed to some calorie burn ;)

This week has been hard and hard as my schedule at work had become more hectic and commitment is harder to keep in the second week. Nevertheless I am keeping up.

A short roundup of my fitness exercise/classes last week:

1. Sunday - Cardio and Leg exercises in the building gym

2. Monday - RPM class at Corefit, Dubai Marina (Read the review here)

3. Tuesday - Cardio and Abs exercise in the building gym

4. Wednesday - Zumba at Corefit, Club Mina (Read the review here)

5. Thursday- Cardio Aqua Biking at L'atelier Aqua Fitness (Read the review here)

6. Friday- Rest day

7. Saturday- Cheat day

One of the reasons I am blogging about my journey is so that I document my honest struggles and triumphs which I hope will help many of you out there with the same constraints and a busy lifestyle like me.
Also point 7 above is not something that I am proud to write online at the moment and will strive hard to change following week.

Until then: Stay Determined, Stay Fit!!

Core Fit Group Classes (Review)

If you are a committed professional who likes to give your best to your work (which inevitably leads to spending long hours at office) AND are also lucky enough to have a life outside work in terms of a significant half, close friends and family that you love to spend time with, then you must genuinely face problems with committing to a fitness schedule.

1. Either the timings of the classes won't suit.. (Side note- whats up with all the best fitness classes being scheduled between 9 am and 5 pm in most Dubai gyms?! I would love to meet these Dubai people who are here on a visa and still manage to make it to these classes, mind if you share your secret?! ;)

2. You do may not want to pay the hefty membership fees and get tied into one gym for what seems like eternity in the Dubai timespan.

*drumroll* ENTER - Core Fit. Conveniently located in Dubai Marina and recently having expanded to Le Meridien Mina Seyahi (Barasti for those of you who don't know), it is the perfect solution to your problem.

They have a user-friendly website: www.corefit.ae for further details about classes, timetables etc.

Without any commitment, you can attend classes for just AED 75 (recently bumped up from AED 50 earlier). I have tried a few of their Yoga, Scuplt, Cycle and Zumba classes at both the venues and really enjoyed them.

My only grouse is the possibility of more morning Cardio workout options, otherwise it is perfect!

If you have tried it already, then let me know your feedback below!