Category Archives: blog

Make or Break

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2018 can well and truly do one. It’s only 3 months into the bugger of a year and I’m already getting these ‘testing times’ pelted at me left right and centre. Illness, job NONsatisfaction, the loss of a close relative and my relationship breakup are all trying my ability to not fall off the wagon at the moment.

I’ve somehow put myself together though and agreed to channel all of my emotions into focusing on myself – my physical and mental health…hopefully the two will come hand in hand.

With more free time on my hands, my aim is to not wallow in self pity but to jump into a new exercise class, my running or both. To occupy my brain I plan on focusing my thoughts on consciously eating healthier. This will legitimately take up most of my brain power. And well…let’s see how things go from here. As that head says (the one on the Knightbus in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) “It’s gunna be a bumpy riiide”.

I’ll try and make more of an effort to post on here too. I hope 2018 is treating all of you alot better! ✌Here is a cliche quote to end on..images

 

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Another Beginning?

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1new-beginnings

I don’t know about you but it’s nearly June and I am -100000 steps where I wanted to be at this point in the year. Forget summer body ready, hell I am winter body ready…again. So, here I am again writing yet another blog post on ‘it’s been a while but I am back’. Only this time, I have no excuses not to be officially back.

I recieved an email this morning from WordPress saying that today is my 4 year anniversary with them. Looking back, I have achieved a lot and so little at the same time. The first year blogging on here I lost around 4 stone. A year later, I started university and managed to put on half of what I lost over those three years. You could literally use my chins as a hiding place in hide and seek. Today not only marks 4 years on here but also my first day of freedom from univeristy. IT IS OVER! I start my new job in a month and have June to do whatever I want – cheaply. This means that I have the next month to get my body and my brain back into gear and overcome the barrier of starting again.

Not only has my weight increased drastically but I have found that my mental health is starting to become effected aswell. My anxiety levels are through the roof. I don’t want to see family members or friends that I haven’t seen in a while as I know they’ll comment on my weight gain. I feel hatred towards myself for allowing it to happen. All very unhealthy stuff and I do not want it to spiral any further. I have a lot of social events coming up in June and over the summer, all of which I am excited for but also dreading so I really need to stop whining and feeling sorry for myself and actually do something about it.

Today, I took my verys first step – I went for a run. It was only two miles but it was a run. I haven’t been for one in a couple of weeks what with placement and exams (usual excuses). It felt like absolute hell I am not going to lie. 2 miles? More like sodding 10. My shins felt like snapping, my ankles felt like they were going to pop, my back felt like it was going to break, everytime I swallowed my saliva it felt like I was suffocating, my head felt like it was a tonne. I got home and needed a good amount of time sprawled across the garden floor trying my best to gain my breathe back and not to vom. Recovered, I felt a sense of hope. I did in no ways feel good, just glad that the very very first step was now over. I have booked another half marathon in October which I hope will push me to continue with my running along with maintaining some what of a healthy diet as I do not want to injure my knees like last year.

I’m not going to promise to do x amount of runs a week or two stick to a certain diet or even to write a blog post daily/weekly. All I am going to do is to try to stick with it.

So, here are to new beginnings no matter how many you may have. Be proud to keep having to start over – at least we haven’t completely given up just yet.

S.

 

Curbing The Sick Feeling

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Here are 5 tips for trying to curb that horrible sick feeling when you’re trying to cut down your food intake.

  1. EAT! If you’re that hungry that you feel sick- eat. However, don’t stuff your face with whatever you find in the fridge or cupboard, instead make the sensible choice of fruit, nuts, veg  or meat. Or if your next meal isn’t for a while, have a small meal now and then again later.
  2. Drink water. A big glass of cold water will fill you up no end and keep you going until your next meal. 
  3. Brush your teeth and tongue. The minty taste will satisfy your body for a while.
  4. Chew sugar free gum if you are out and can’t brush your teeth. I do this all the time and has helped me stop snacking throughout the day when at work or uni.
  5. Keep yourself busy. If you feeling nauseous because you’re hungry and  can’t do my if the above or want to… start a task and don’t stop until you’re finished. Keeping occupied will take your mind off of feeling hungry. 

Does anyone else have any other tips they use to curb the sicky hunger feeling? Post in the comments! 

S 🙂 

2 Ingredient Pancakes 

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The other day, a team member in a Facebook group that I am in posted a video of 2 ingredient pancakes. They looked amazing and so I thought I’d try them out.

Ingredients: 

  • 1 banana.
  • 2 eggs.
  1. Cut up the banana and mush it up.
  2. Add the 2 eggs and whisk.
  3. Heat up a pan and add the mixture.
  4. Flip pancake over as you would normally.
  5. Once golden brown and not slightly burnt like mine – serve. Add almond butter or peanut butter (I tried it with crunch peanut butter).

Voila. Easy pancakes. Unfortunately, I did not like them. Maybe that was just me or maybe I messed up the easiest recipe in the world (please excuse my poor visual presentation). You, however, may like them!

Try it out and let me know what you guys think! 

S. 

Week 2 – Staying Focussed

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So it’s Blue Monday. The most depressing day of the year and we are only 16 days into it! Although the weather is grim, I see no reason to be depressed, today I’m feeling quite optimistic despite it being day 1 of my exam week.

Honestly, in the past week the only proper exercise I have done is one run. I went to do 3 miles but my chest (which is still no better) just wouldn’t play and so I had to finish at 2.5 miles. I decided not to do any more to give my chest time to try and recouperate which I think has helped. I feel less congested today and ready for the week ahead.

In terms of eating, I’ve done very well. I’ve not smacked on crap throughout the week and had Saturday as a ‘cheat’ day in which I had champagne and cupcakes at a baby shower I attended in the evening. 

Weekly weigh in – I am down an extra 3ibs from last week. Totalling to 5ibs so far. This is great, however, I am looking forward to when I can start seeing the effect. 

With this week being exam week, I am going to be 100x more stressed than I am usually and (as most of you know) I am a major emotional eater. Therefore, focus is my main goal this week. I want to remain focused on my eating and not feed my emotions crap, otherwise I will end up feeling even crapper. After all, you are what you eat. 

Have a great week everyone! Stay focussed! 

S. 

Top Ten Tips To Keep You Going Through Your Health Kick

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Hi all.

Here are ten tips I though I’d share with you all to try and keep you going through any difficult times during your health kicks or those who have just started.

1) Do not compare yourself to others.

This is so important! Just because your mate only ran once and had stopped eating biscuits for 5 days and has already lost 7ibs more than you doesn’t mean that you’re failing. Everyone’s bodies are different. Some can burn off calories/fat quicker than you can say healthy and some, like mine, take a lot longer. Keep pushing though and results will soon start to show on you. 

2) Stop and think before you eat.

If you’re anything like me, you will have all experienced going into the cupboard and reaching for the cake or biscuits or chocolate when you get home from a long, stressful day at work just because you’re fed up and hungry. If you find yourself at one of those moments, stop. Take a minute to actually think through what you are doing. Is it actually worth it?  Is it actually going to make you feel any better? Is there anything else you can munch on to curb your hunger but that will also be tasty? Can you spare a couple of minutes to make something just as tasty but healthier?

3) Do not cut anything out.

Some of you may disagree with this one but I have found the only way that I can stick to eating better is by not cutting anything out from what I used to eat. If I tell myself I can’t have something, I want it more. Therefore, I limit myself to a small peice of chocolate everyday if I want some – some days I go without just because I forget. I then allow myself one ‘cheat day’ where I am allowed a bit more but not to go over the top. This method really has helped my will power which I am renowned in my family for not having! 

4) Be creative with your food.

Just because you’re on a health kick does not mean that all you have to eat is salads. If that’s what you’ve been eating so far in your journey and are already flailing then maybe that’s why! Talk to friends, go on websites, join Facebook groups, search blogs on here. There is an endless amount of information out there on seriously scrumptious healthy food that will fill you up and isn’t just a salad. 

5) Do not weigh yourself everyday.


This is a big no no. You may have already seen by so many others writing about it that weighing yourself regularly does you no favours. At 9am you could weigh 14stone for example. You eat breakfast and go out for a couple of hours, get back and have lunch (healthy) weigh yourself and you could be 14st 4ibs. You could take a dump weigh yourself and be 14st 2ibs. Etc etc etc. Point being, do not be slave to the scales. They do not go on body fat. Weigh yourself no more than weekly and see much more reliable results. Remember, it’s when yourself and others start noticing that you know what you’re doing is working. Not when the scales tell you.

6) Remind yourself of why you’re doing this.

If you come to a point when you want to give up (and we have all been there) please don’t! Remind yourself why you started this in the first place. What is your goal? Reasssure yourself that you CAN do it. If you have old photos of what you aspire to look like once more, get them out. If you have an event you want to take part in, visit the website and hype yourself up about it again. If you are wanting health benefits after having a scare, read up on what an unhealthy lifestyle can lead to. 

7) Money is not an excuse.

(No this guy doesn’t have two penises sticking out of his hips.)

It doesn’t matter if you can’t afford a gym membership or go to a different class every evening, that is not an excuses not to exercise. Use stuff around the house to create your own workouts. Everyone knows basic moves, do those but add weights. No weights? Use bags of sugar – seriously, it works! Go for a run outside, it’s amazing how different it is to runnng on a boring treadmill (nothing against them). Get a skipping rope or use something for a skipping rope. Such a simple thing yet such a good activity to add to any workout. Use a step or box to do step-ups on. Watch free workout videos on YouTube. There is so much you can do for free to give your entire body a good workout. 

8) Use negative comments.

If anyone says anything negative to you about your weight during the first month of your health kick or about your new healthy lifestyle do not ignore it. Use it as fuel to ignite the passion inside to drive you even further into focus. Prove them all wrong. Of course, you’re not doing this for their benefit or anyone else’s, however it can be a great motivational tool (reverse psychology or something).

9) Don’t beat yourself up. 

Inevitably, we all slip up from time to time. I believe that if we slip up on the first month of this new healthy venture, though, it is imperative we get back on it straight away. So if you do find yourself swaying off of the path, that’s ok, we all do it. Don’t then say that you’ve failed and quit, use it, learn from it and get back on it!

10) Enjoy it. 


Being healthy has this stigma of not being any fun- complete shit. Of course there are moments that are hard but aren’t there always hard moments in life with or without being healthy? I sure would prefer to go through them with good health than without. Go out with friends. Have fun. Just make different choices. Join different groups in fitness/health communities, make new friends. The people I’ve met through doing this are absolutely incredible! Have a drink now and again or chocolate just teach yourself when to say no. 

We all have what it takes to succeed in whatever we want. It’s just the matter of if we want it enough to do what it takes to succeed. I believe in you and you should too. 

Hopefully these brief tips will keep you all going. If you can think of any more that have helped you or others please comment! 

S. 

A Weeks Worth 

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Happy Monday folks! Hope you’ve all had a fantastic week!?
I thought I’d just do an update post to let you avid readers know how I’ve been doing for my first week.

Tuesday: Did 20mins of boxing. Wanted to go for a run but suffering with a chesty cold and didn’t feel up to it. Ate well, no snacking. By eating well I mean that I have been eating less and choosing what I eat more wisely. I have not cut anything out as that only makes me want it more.

Wednesday: Decided to just go for a little run to see how I felt. Ended up doing 3 miles. Apart from my chest hurting…my legs were fine. My knees still ached so I’m defo not running any further that 3 miles until Feb at least. Eaten well with no snacking again.

Thursday: The run on Weds seemed to have shook my chest and cold up and my whole head was full to the brim of phlegm and gunk so no run or workout. Another good day with my eating with no snacking.

Friday: 20mins boxing. Good eating even with my family trying to give me chocolate in the evening- I managed to resist.

Saturday: This was my ‘cheat day’. I went to London for a friends party and drank – a lot. However, we walked a lot in the day and danced the night away. Looked at my step counter and up to midnight it was over 21k steps…. we stayed out dancing till 4am so surely I must’ve burnt off all the vodka?! Haha, plus my thighs are now chisled from getting down low for hours on end.


Sunday: Hanging all day. All I wanted was coke and hula hoops but managed to resist and just have a normal dinner and no snacks. Bit of walking but no excercise (vom).

Week 1 scales are telling me that I am …drumroll…..2ib down. This is much more realistic than after two days (yes I thought I’d just have a look after two days please no judgement) where they told me I’d lost 10ibs. I’m glad they’ve chilled the hell out.

Overall, a successful first week I’d say. On to the next. Have a good one all.

S.